Tau at a 1750 Tournament

I played in a small tournament, 10 players,set up at my local store as practice for Tacticon (anyone else on here going?).

It's a 1750 tournament with the option of using a 1500 point list and two 250 point detachments, picking which detachment to use before each game.

My List:
Shas'o with Stims, Plasma Rifle, Fusion Blaster, Multi-tracker, Target lock, Positional Relay

3x Crisis Suits with Twin-linked Missile Pods, Targeting Array, Team Leader, 2 Gun Drones

6 Fire Warriors

17 Kroot

12 Kroot with 12 Hounds

8 Pathfinders, Shas'ui
Devilfish with Smart Missiles, Targeting Array, Multi-Tracker, Flechettes, Disruption Pod, Sensor Spines

Hammerhead with Ion Cannon, Burst Cannons, Multi-Tracker, Flechettes, Disruption Pod

Hammerhead with Railgun, Burst Cannons, Multi-Tracker, Flechettes, Disruption Pod

3x Broadsides with Targeting Array, Leader with target lock, 2 Shield Drones

Detachment 1

2x Crisis Suit with Fusion Blaster, Missile Pod, Multi-tracker,
1x Shas'Vre with AFP, Missile Pod, Target Lock.

10 Kroot

Detachment 2

6 Stealth Suits

10 Kroot

The list can play as Ninja if I'm up against something I can't beat in a straight fight. It is especially good against mech, which is common in the local metagame.

There were 3 Guard, 1 Speed Freak, 1 Necron, 1 Nidzilla, 2 Mech Marines, Mechanized Grey Knights, and me.

A Massacre was worth 30 points, a Major was worth 22, a Minor was worth 18 and a tie 15. Each mission had a secondary objective worth 10 points. I'm not sure how painting was scored, but I think it was a separate award. Sportsmanship was lenient and I don't think anyone didn't get max points.

Game 1 vs. Guard
5 objectives with Long board edge deployment
Massacre- Control 4 more than opponent
Major Victory- Control 3 more than opponent
Minor- Control 1 more than opponent
Secondary- Kill and enemy HQ

Opponent's List

Command Squad with Astropath, 4x plasma, in Chimera
Cannoness
2x 10 Sisters with melta, Heavy Flamer
10 Carapace Vets with 3 meltas, in Chimera
10 Carapace Vets with 2 flamers 1 Heavy Flamer in Chimera
Hellhound
2 Valkyries
Colossus
Pask in a Vanquisher with lascannon, 2 multi-meltas

Desert board with a large impassable LOS blocking temple in the center. Two 6 inch high cliffs sat in opposite corners. Bits of other cover scattered throughout the board. Objective on either side of the temple. One about 14 inches in from my table edge on the left, and another about the same distance in on the left, in some terrain at the base of the cliff. The last one was in terrain just out of his deployment zone.

I chose my first detachment to counter his tanks. I picked my deployment zone and put my broadsides and pathfinders in cover on the cliff. The Devilfish and Railhead made a wall on the right side that my Fusion suits, Fire Warriors, and Shas'o hid behind. The Ionhead deployed just to the left of the temple with the Deathrains behind it. I had the hounds outflanking and the other Kroot in reserve to keep them safe from the flamers.

He put his Command Squad in cover on the left side of the board (where my Railguns couldn't see it. The rest of his army was in reserve. He didn't want it out in the open to take a turn of firing without smoke.

Turn 1
Fire Warriors got into Devilfish and all the tanks and suits moved forward. I wrecked the Chimera.

He moved his Command Squad into to cover of the wreck.

Turn 2
Reserves don't come in. Combined fire from the suits and hammerheads knocked the unit down to just the Astropath and one plasma gunner, who broke but stayed on the board.

Everything but one Valkyrie with Sisters and the Colossus came in. Pask drove onto his cliff and failed to hurt the Ionhead. The Sisters and Cannoness came in on my left and blew the Railgun off my Hammerhead. Their Valkyrie blew up my Devilfish with its multilaser and killed three Fire Warriors. Hellhound and Chimeras with Vets drove in on the left and smoked. The flamer Vets parked next to one of his objectives.

Turn 3
Brought in the hound squad. I wanted them to attack the sisters but they came in other side so I sent them at Pask. The Fire Warriors hid behind the temple. Railhead fell back. Deathrains blew up the Valkyrie, Broadsides blew up the hellhound, and the fusion suits immobilized the flamer Vets Chimera with missile pods. Rest of the army failed to do any damage. The Kroot immobilize and shake Pask.

His reserves fail to show up. Sisters scale the cliff. The melta Vets stay hidden behind the temple and he does no damage with shooting. The Sisters assault the Pathfinders and kill one, losing one in return. Kroot take the turret off of Pask.

Turn 4
Reserves don't come in. Kroot leave Pask to shoot his lascannon at me the rest of the game and run towards the objective to the left of the temple. Railhead moves forward. Fusion Suits immobilize the melta Vets chimera and take off the multilaser. I fail to do any other important damage. Pathfinders lose two but hold.

Colossus comes in next to Pask. Valkyrie comes in on the left and drops sisters in between the objective his melta Vets are holding and the one next to the temple. Shooting kills the fusion suits. Cannoness routes the Pathfinders.

Turn 5
The small Kroot squad comes in on the left and runs towards the objective, but comes up short. The hound squad is down from the cliff and spreading out to touch both objectives on the left, but is a few inches short of both. The large Kroot squad comes in on the right and runs towards the objective at the base of the cliff, but again is short. The Railhead moves up and contests the objective being held by the flamer Vets. Fire Warriors edge around the temple to claim the objective on the right. Ionhead and Deathrains fail to even glance the Colossus. The Shas'o kills three Sisters from the squad that just dropped and charges in to bog them down, but fails to kill any takes a wound and flees. The Broadsides charge the Cannoness and Sisters, killing two and suffering no damage in return; the Sisters make their leadership.

The Valkyrie moves to keep within 6'' of the Shas'o. Melta Vets get out and run over to shoot the Railhead, stunning it. Colossus kills six from the small Kroot squad, pinning them. The sister run forward and gun down the Fire Warriors, but are short of the objective by and inch. The Broadsides take a wound but kill another sister.

The game would have gone to turn 6 but we ran out of time. 0-0 tie. Had it gone on, I think I had at best a minor victory with a draw being most likely. I don't think there was much I could have done differently. The Shas'o taking a wound against 7 sisters with now power weapon despite having stims, and then failing his moral check was a fluke that screwed me up a lot. If that hadn't happened, my Fire Warriors might have lived. I failed two 2+ reserve rolls, resulting in my Kroot being a turn away from their objectives. We both got the secondary.

25 out of 40 points.

Mech Imperial Fists and Speed Freaks both do well and are at the top table. Necrons and the other Mech Marines get the minor but not the secondary, so I end up tied for third. I end up with the Necrons (ick) instead of the Marines and all their nice vehicle targets.

Game 2 vs. Necrons
Bases with Spearhead Deployment
Massacre- Control both objectives with more kill points
Major Victory- Control both objectives with fewer kill points
Minor Victory- Control 1 more objective than opponent
Secondary- Kill an enemy Fast Attack choice and have one of your Fast Attack choices left.

Opponent's List
Nightbringer
Lord with Res Orb, Veil of Darkness
3x 10 Warriors
5 Scarabs
2x 3 Destroyers
Tomb Spider
Monolith

Urban board with large ruined buildings with multiple floors in each quarter with another in the middle. Lots of barricades are scattered about. I win the roll to pick my side and take the bottom left corner from where I was sitting. There is a ruin about 2 inches from the short board edge and 15" from the long board edge. I put my objective inside. Necrons put theirs at the edge of the center ruin.

I don't think I'm going to get any fusion shots at Necrons in the open, so I choose the Stealth Suit detachment. My Broadsides go on top of the ruin in my quarter, where they can see pretty much the entire board. The smallest Kroot squad infests the ruin with my objective. The hound squad is joined by the Shas'o for leadership and sets up at the edge of the center ruin. The Hammerheads set up behind the Kroot, shielded by the building, with the Deathrains behind them. The Stealth Suits set up near the center of the board. I held the Pathfinders in reserve to keep them safe, plus the Fire Warriors and larger Kroot squad to keep the Pathfinders in reserve longer.

The Necrons put the Monolith in reserve and form up as a big block as far forward as possible with the Nightbringer in front.

Turn 1
He steals the initiative and advances everything. Fire from the Destroyers kills a few Kroot.

The Ionhead swings right around the ruins while the Railhead and Suits go left. The Kroot edge forward into the ruins a bit, but are to sure to stay out of the Nightbringer's charge range. The Nightbringer is the biggest threat. It will massacre my Kroot if it can charge them and as long as it is near the objective, I can't go near it. I focus all my fire on it and take off three wounds.

Turn 2
The Monolith doesn't come in. Necrons advance through the barricades and kill more Kroot who hold steady under the Shas'o. The Scarabs rush forward and assault the hound squad and Stealth team. I kill most of them before they hit me, killing two stealth suits. No Retreat wounds kill the rest.

I'm not sure how the center of the board is going to go, so I bring in my Fire Warriors from reserve and run them towards my objective. The hound squad doesn't move. The Hammerheads and suit maneuver for better shots. I again focus on the Nightbringer, and he goes down. The Ionhead kills two Destroyers and Missile Pods bring down a third.

Turn 3
Monolith still doesn't show. None of the Destroyers get up. One Warrior unit reaches the outskirts of the center ruins with the Tomb Spider, Lord, and Destroyers. The other two stay still as fire support. Warriors stun the Ionhead and combined fire kills more Kroot from the hound squad, reducing it to barely over half strength.

I bring in my Kroot squad and run them towards the center objective. With the Nightbringer down, the hounds advance into the ruins. I put a wound on the Tomb Spider and kill two more Destroyers.

Turn 4
The Monolith again fails to show up. One of the Destroyers stands back up. Necron Lord joins the Tomb Spyder. The fire support Warriors stun the Ionhead again. The Spider, Destroyers, Lord, and one squad of Warriors assault the hound unit. I kill a few Warriors, but all the Kroot die and the Shas'o was run down.

My Pathfinders arrive and move towards my objective, disembarking and running to safety in the ruins. The Fire Warriors hop in the Devilfish. Broadsides kill the Spider and Lord. Other fire knocks down a Destroyer and a couple Warriors. The large Kroot squad reaches the edge of the center ruins.

Turn 5
Monolith finally arrives and deepstrikes on top of my objective. Most of the Warriors and the Lord stand back up. The fire support Warriors advance. Monolith hits a bunch of targets but only kills one Pathfinder and puts a few wounds on the Deathrains. Combined fire from the last Destroyer and Warriors kills all of the Deathrains.

I markerlight the Monolith. Broadsides fail to scratch it, but the Railhead blows it up, killing half my Kroot, who fortunately pass their moral check. Ionhead races forward and contests the center objective. The large Kroot squad struggles to move through the ruins and is still a turn away from the objective. The Devilfish moves forward to claim the center objective if there is a turn 6 and kills the last Destroyer with Smart Missiles. The Stealth Suits and Ionhead kill a few Warriors on the objective, but they hold.

The game ends. I with 1-0 for a Minor Victory. I get the Secondary as well. This is a very hard mission to get anything but a Tie or a Minor Victory on. I shouldn't have let my hound unit get so close to the enemy. I should have left them back and taken the hounds as casualties instead of Kroot and shot the enemy until the last turn, and the try to assault and take it from them. I had better shooting and I should have let it whittle down the Warriors more.
28 out of 40 points.

There were a lot of Ties and Minor Victories this round. I end up in second place because I've achieved the secondary objective both times. My last game is against the Mechanized Imperial Fists, and a strong performance should put me in first.

Game 3 vs. Mechanized Marines
Kill Points with Dawn of War Deployment
Massacre- Score three times as many Kill Points as opponent
Major Victory- Score twice as many Kill Points as opponent
Minor Victory- Score more Kill Points than opponent
Secondary- Kill the highest point cost enemy unit

Opponent's list
Chaplain
5 TH/SS Termies
Land Raider
3x 10 man Tac Squads with various heavy and special weapons
2x Las/plas Razorback
1 Heavy Bolter Razorback
3x Vindicator

The most expensive unit is a Tac Squad with a lot of wargear upgrades.

I win the roll and choose to go second. There are several large hills (big enough to hide suits and rhino chassis) in the center of the board as well as a ruined building. The side of the board he picks has a larger ruin occupy the center of the board edge. He deployed a Las/plas Razorback behind a hill in the center and a Tac squad in the ruins to the left. I had a large ruin in my left corner and a high hill on the right. I hid my Shas'o behind the ruin. I put all of my Troops in reserve because they are easy Kill Points. I choose the Fusion Suit Detachment to deal with all the tanks.

Turn 1
His whole army enters. Two Tac Squads come in on the far left with their Razorbacks moving forward along side them. The three Vindicators advance through the central ruin; one immobilizes itself despite dozer blades. The Land Raider with the Termies and Chaplain comes in between the Vindicators and Razorbacks. The Tac Squad on the field advances and their Razorback pops smoke.

The Pathfinders come in and disembark onto the hill on the left of my deployment zone. The Deathrains come on in the opposite corner to hide with the Shas'o behind the ruins. The Hammerheads come in right of center with clear lines of fire to the advancing tanks. The Broadsides walk on left of center; farther from the enemy, but a hill blocks them from seeing the majority of the enemy, at least until they advance farther. The Fusion Suits jump on use the central hill to hide. Due to night fight, I only kill one marine from the near tac squad and stun their Razorback.

Turn 2
Everything advances and pops smoke. The Tac squads run.

I roll a one for my reserves, which is nice. The Hammerheads shift to the left slightly and the Devilfish swings around to flank the armored advance and get some side and rear shots. The Fusion Suits jump forward, but can only see the front armor of Vindicators so shoot at the advancing Tac Squad instead, killing three between the Airburst and Missile Pods. The Shas'o and Deathrains shoot the Razorbacks, but fail to do any damage. The Pathfinders can see the top of the Land Raider over the hill and mark it for the Broadsides, who shake it. The Railhead manages to stun the Land Raider (no extra armor oddly). The Ionhead also has no good targets so kills another two Tac Marines despite their cover.

At this point I'm rather worried, I've barely dealt any damage and he is getting dangerously close.

Turn 3
The Tac Marines continue running forward. The Termies disembark and run towards me. The Razorback in the middle of the board immobilizes itself trying to cross the shear cliff face of the hill. The Vindicators advance. One drops its shot directly onto my Railhead, but I'm saved by Disruption Pods. The other scatters off the Broadsides. The other Las/plas Razorback moves and shoots at the Fusion Suits, but cover from the hill saves me.

I bring in my Fire Warriors and they hide behind the hill in my left corner. The Hammerheads shift left a bit more, and the Devilfish gets into the rear arc of the immobilized Razorback and wrecks it. The Fusion suits jump onto the hill and wreck a Vindicator from the side, then hide again. The Broadsides fail to do anything to the Land Raider, despite markerlight support. The Shas'o and Deathrains manage to take the guns off the Las/plas Razorback.

Turn 4
The Heavy Bolter Razorback dashes forward and picks up the damaged tac squad. The Termies advance but roll poorly for their run. The Land Raider moves forward a bit and fails to harm the Railhead with its lascannons. The Vindicator's shot scatters off the Broadsides again.

The small Kroot squad comes on and hides with the Fire Warriors. The Broadsides decide the Termies are too close and run left. The Hammerheads also shift left. The Fusion suits Immobilize the Land Raider and jump down to the opposite side of the hill to stay away from the Termies. The Ionhead kills the Heavy Bolter Razorback and the Railhead kills the Vindicator. The Deathrains blow up the last Razorback, showering the nearby Tac Marines with debris. The Shas'o incinerates three Marines from the most expensive Tac Squad.

Turn 5
The Termies and Tac Marines advance, but aren't in assault range of anything. The Fusion Suits discover they've entered the immobilized Vindicators range, and lose two. The Land Raider shakes the Railhead.

The rest of my Kroot come in on the right side and rapid fire the most expensive Tac Squad (it would have taken really good difficult terrain roles to get into combat. Together with the Shas'o and Deathrains they reduce to squad to one bolter marine and the Sergeant. The rest of my army does its best to hide and preserve their kill points. The Shas'o charges the mauled Tac Squad and kills the bolter marine, while the Sergeant fails to wound with his power weapon.

Turn 6
The Land Raider killed the last suit from the Fusion squad. The termies were still out of range of anything. The sergeant fails to wound again, and the Shas'o retrieves some honor from his failure against the sisters by stomping him to death.

I had a 6-1 lead in Kill Points, and had the secondary, so we called it here.

I played this one the best way I could have. The Fist are normally a ranged army, but he didn't want to try outshooting me. Rushing forward forfeited his shooting attacks, and his deployment made hiding all of my squishy slow units in the corner easy. The Vindicator immobilizing itself was huge because it was the one farthest to my right. It would have run loose the whole game because I didn't have any anti-tank to spare. As it was it played almost no role in the game.
40 out of 40 points.

This won me the tournament. I think Nidzilla took second with Speed Freaks in third.