1,250 pts - Space Marines and Astra Militarum VS Tau Empire - The Relic of Tau

[cadianshock]

The following Battle Report was originally published on [url=http://the.battle.directory/]The Battle Directory[/url] web site on February 23, 2015 20:21. This is a new export feature I am working on, so I am floating it here to begin with before I start rolling it out to the full site. The report below is output directly from the web site; the idea is you can write the report once then export to several forum or blog formats with one click, you then paste here and you're done!

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The original report including all the images, user comments and stats can be found here [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74[/url]

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Space Marines and Astra Militarum VS Tau Empire - The Relic of Tau

Battle Report Detail

• The Relic - (Eternal War)
• 1,250 points

Overview

A Relic sits at the centre of the battlefield, an ancient Tau power unit lost by a lacklustre Commander. The Tau need it for a ritual. The Space Marines simply want it. The exact reasons are classified and above your rank.

Background

Its the second game for our Space Marine player so he is fielding some infantry from eBay, but no Marine vehicles yet. The Imperium forces are very light on armour because of this. We'd played Maelstrom recently so today we've moved back to Eternal War missions. Because we had a new Marine player in our midst we through out Chapter Tactics.

Deployment and Terrain

We deployed using Dawn of War along the the long table edges, 12" from the centre line. The Relic was placed in the centre of the table atop the Tau terrain. It was agreed that any non-vehicle scoring unit could take the relic if it came into base contact with the central piece of terrain.

The Marines deployed first with their Guard allies. The Guard force took up the left flank with a single Veteran squad accompanied by a Lord Commissar and a Primaris Psyker. The Deathstrike missile stayed near by behind the LoS blocking cargo containers. Meanwhile the Marines took up the right flank into two ruins. The Assault Squad deployed as close as possible to the centre of table.

The Tau spread out evenly across their battle line. Fire Warriors in Devlfish on either flank, Broadside and Hammerhead in the middle.

There were no reserves.

Deployment Image


Deployment Image

Turn 1 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)

Its on! Its begun the battle has started! Nothing happens.

The Terminators move up away from their brothers and into the open in front of the Tau. Meanwhile the Assault squad up forward 12" right onto the relic and take it. The large Tau terrain in the centre blocks them from the enemy while they secure the relic ready for transporting.

The Guard allies on the left flank carefully move among the cargo containers ready to strike later on. The huge Deathstrike Missile is unable to fire in turn 1 and moves forward 6" to gain a better view of the Tau's right flank.

Shooting is poor, hits are missed and Tau saves are made.


Guardsman move forward, Tau spotted just over the containers, safety off - Turn 1 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 7 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 1 (Tau Empire)

Seeing the Marines grab their relic the Tau spring into action the only way they know how. Stay still and shoot.

The two Devilfish on either flank move up, Darkstrider with Firewarriors gets out of one while the other one holds onto its cargo of troops.

Everything is thrown at the Terminators and the Marines with the relic. One Terminator goes down to the hail of fire from two Firewarrrior squads and the sniper drones. A single Marine is lost, but the relic remains in their safe hands.

The Tau look on as the relic retreats towards the Imperium's lines.


The heavy guns of the Tau eye up targets from their back line - Turn 1 (Tau Empire)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 6 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 2 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)

Big bada boom.

Deathstrike is launched, its aimed at Darkstrider's Devilfish and his fellow men. The missile scatters slightly and instantly kills 4 Firewarriors and Darkstrider. A hull point is knocked off the Devilfish and it is immobilised. Nothing more is done to it despite the massive impact of the blast.

The Veterans on the left continue their sweep around trying to get their three Plasma Guns into range while keeping cover behind the cargo containers.

Meanwhile the Terminators advance again and the Assault marines keep coming back 6" a turn with the relic. The rest of the marines in the ruins just stay put. Although one fires a single krak missile into the Devilfish already hit by the Deathstrike missile which sheds another hull point.


The Deathstrike missile is placed on the table top for effect, the Tau's morale does not faulter however - Turn 2 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 3 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 2 (Tau Empire)

The Tau forces are beginning to falter and loose sight of their mission. More fire is ploughed into the Terminators, theTerminators that are not holding the relic, that are not new the relic and are not directly protesting the unit carrying the relic. The Tau are obsessed with downing theTerminators at all costs.

Meanwhile on the left flank the Ethereal and Firewarriors have disembarked and put 3 shots each into the Veterans, killing a handful. The Lord Commissar, Psyker and Plasma guns stay standing.

In the centre a Piranha and three Crisis suits fire on the Assault squad with the relic. One or two marines fall, their leadership holds and the Imperium still has the Tau's valuable relic.


Tau Firewarriors look out over the battlefield - Turn 2 (Tau Empire)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 10 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 3 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)

Smelling victory the Imperium starts to play for the end game. The Deathstrike moves into position to block line of sight to the Marines with the relic. The Terminators break cover and advance, again, towards the Firewarriors. Firing and moving a few more enemy fall to Storm Bolter fire.

The Marines in the back field let loose a krak missile and take a wound from a Crisis Suit.

The real action is on the left flank, the Primaris Pysker kills the Ethereal and two Firewarriors with hemorrhage. The Veterans then fire Plasma at the Devilfish and shed a hull point.


Wounds start to land on the Crisis Suits at last - Turn 3 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 5 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 3 (Tau Empire)

The Tau begin to realise that they are about to loose their relic and start to move forward to retake it. Shots ring out into the Assault Marines, killing all but one.

Nothing can bring down the relentlessTerminators on the left flank of the Tau. And nothing is left to take on the Veterans as the Firewarriors and Devilfish move out to attack the Marines in the table centre.


The Tau back line - Turn 3 (Tau Empire)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 4 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 4 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)

Another successful turn from the Pysker who cuts down two Crisis suits with haemorrhage. The final suit is killed with a Space Marine krak missile from a snap shot as the Marines have now moved out towards the relic. Plasmas finishes the Devilfish near the Veterans and forces the Firewarriors back out.

The Terminators make it into the assault with the Firewarriors. Only a single Tau is killed and they make their leadership test.


The Veterans move around and up the cargo containers to wreck the Devilfish with Plasma - Turn 4 (Space Marines and Astra Militarum)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 3 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Turn 4 (Tau Empire)

We called it at the end of this turn. The Tau were too far away, a case of too little too late
.

The Tau wrecked the Deathstrike missile and killed the last man holding the relic. But with many Marines near by and the Veterans on their way too they had no chance of holding the relic let alone getting any troops to the relic.


Deathstrike is wrecked and the final Marine is killed with the relic - Turn 4 (Tau Empire)
Only 1 image is shown due to forum restrictions, total images: 3 - [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]View Full Report[/url]

Terminators - Man of the Match

Glory to the armoured beasts of mankind!

These guys just walked towards the Tau the whole game, they went no where near the objective, they inflicted minimal casualties but they did their job - soaked up hit after hit of Tau fire.

The amount of fire these guys received was incredible, but they did not stop. Because of them the other 20 regular Marines remained untouched for most of the game.

Tau Fire Warriors - BFU (Biggest F*** Up)

Sitting on the back line for the whole game and shooting at Terminators was not a smart move. Two squads of Firewarriors did this and removed perhaps one or two Terminators as casualties.

Meanwhile the other Marines went untouched and the Assault Marines lasted a lot longer than they should have.

Final Summary

A great game all told. The Tau struggled from turn two after not getting on top of the fact the Imperium forces had the relic and were retreating with it. Too much firepower was tired up with the Terminators who were doing nothing for the objective!

The Imperium could have made better use of the Marines on the right flank, a 5 man Tactical squad and a Command Squad did nothing all game and were hardly pictured too.

The Tau were well and truly beat.

The original report including all the images, user comments and stats can be found here [url=http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74]http://40k.battle.directory/battle-report/space-marines-vs-tau-empire/view-full/74[/url]