off-topic, then... Tau vs Drop-Melta and JotWW!

First, the off-topic stuff. I tend to patrol eBay regularly, looking for awesome deals. As a somewhat broke post-college student, I have to stretch every dollar as far as it will go. This weeks deal was a smashed-up Dante, that was mis-labeled. As any Dante fan will tell you, he has an axe with a wicked special rule, and an infernus pistol. (I had to look that up actually, so I guess I have to admit to being a Dante-poser.) However, I did have some leftover Sanguinary Guard bitz, and Death Company bitz... so, I rebuilt him. He's not taller, and he's still metal, but I like to think he looks more awesome! Due to privacy concerns I have used state-of-the-art technology to obscure the photographers identity: 

Battle Rep 750 Tau v Imperial Guard

So... never play a scenario that involves your army being losing in terms of theory.

My buddy Andrew and I decided to do a quick game of 40k, I decided to run my Tau. They've been a bit lonely of late. Due to lack of time we went with 750 points. Not a lot, especially with a codex as damaged as Tau. I had to squelch an impulse to take the easy path and take Blood Angels. It wasn't easy. So, I went to work on a somewhat balanced list. Here it is:

Crisis Commander: x2 mp, ta, tl, shield drone: 98 pts

x2 Crisis suits: mp, pr, mt. (x1 team leader, bknife): 134

x2 Crisis suits: mp, pr, mt. (x1 team leader, bknife): 134

x7 Fire Warriors: p rifles. (x1 team leader, bknife, p carbine): 80

x12 kroot: 84

x2 Broadsides: x2 ass (x1 team leader, bknife, tl, gun drone): 180

(now if you notice my math is a bit off. I sacrificed some points due to doing the math in my head. but I didn't realize that till after the game was over)

 Andrews list was (insert correct terminology below):

melta vet squad, x2 melta, chimera

melta vet squad, x2 melta, chimera

melta vet squad, x2 melta, chimera

psyker, hung with one of the melta vet squads

leman russ, battle cannon and sponsons.


Deployment:

we rolled in the Battle Missions book and came up with  the Tau mission Fighting Withdrawl. Basically 3 objectives, I get Hit and Run USR. i deploy a kroot screen, hole my fire warriors up in some terrain, put my Crisis commander in with them, put my broadsides where they can see everything and put my Crisis suits out of sight.

Turn 1: Andrew
He comes in as close to me as possible, 3 chimeras with melta-vets and a Leman Russ as backup. He uses his psyker to fry some fire warriors and my commanders drone. Then he opens fire and wipes out all the fire warriors but the team leader. I'm so proud of them, my FW never faltered, acing every morale save.He tries to ordinance them with the LR, but scatters back onto his command Chimera and immobilizes it. el-oh-el.

Turn 1: Me
  Figuring that ive got this one sewn up, I move my crisis suits into shooting range. I open up with 4 missile shots and 2 plasma shots from one Crisis squad. They do jack. I then try the other: they get two hits that are smoked away. The commander gets snake-eyes followed by a re-roll of not enough to penetrate. on a str7 weapon. pathetic. Then, my Broadsides fire: only one hits, it penetrates. It then rolls a one, and wow. The stupid Chimera can't shoot or move on its turn. At this point I figure this game might be real quick, as I'm about to lose my troops plus whatever else. I try to assault with the Kroot: they get some hits in and stun/shake the already shaken Chimera. But thats it.

Turn 2: Andrew

Well this gets ugly. the melta-vet squad the psyker was chillin with jump out to pursue the Broadsides. The Psyker manages to do nothing. The other Chimera tank-shocks my Kroot. THEY FAIL BY ONE. so I roll distance. THEY ROLL EXACTLY ENOUGH FOR ONE TO HIT THE TABLE EDGE. So they are removed as casualties from the board. The entire squad. I was not thrilled. Then the drone from my broadside team dies followed by a broadside. The LR tries to template my commander, but he survives by going to ground. lame.

Turn 2: Me

so now i've got the team leader left from my FW. i dodge him down to the objective, and move my Broadside forward. I shoot my SMS and kill several IG. I then use my Crisis suits to pop open the closest Chimera, kill most of its occupants than charge one squad into close combat and ties. the other jumps behind the ruins. My FW team leader runs behind the objective.  I try to assault with my broadside but cant get far enough.

Turn 3: Andrew

My buddy wipes out my commander using the third melta-vet squad which finally disembarks, and uses his LR to wipe out my hiding squad of Crisis suits. He could barely see them, but 2's dont get you cover saves, even with GTG. Oog. And he executes my broadside. In close combat, nothing happens to the crisis suits engaged. I pass my initiative roll and disengage.

Turn 3: Me

My FW team leader scores a kill on the exposed IG squad remnants and pins them, keeping them from re-engaging me in the assualt phase. My Crisis squad opens fire on the commander-killing melta-vet squad and wipes out a lot of them. Enough so they break and run. And that is all.

Turn 4: Andrew

To finish the game, his melta-vets rally. His psyker fails his test and takes a wound. His vets and the LR kill off the last Crisis suit squad. The last mobile chimera and melta-vet squad kill the lone Fire Warrior. Tau tabled. 









Final Thoughts:

This game did not go in my favor. By any count. Statistically popping smoke will allow some survival for your vehicles. But this smoke was crazy effective. And then my inability to make saves also showed up in bright colors this game. Other than that... I think at this point level I should have gone with one Broadside and arranged my points to either introduce another crisis suit squad (deathrain most likely), or introduced pathfinders. Its a tough call with so few points. Worst decision of the game was to use my kroot to charge the Chimera. I had totally forgotten about Tank Shock, and losing them was a game-changer. Horrible call on my part. It was tough being tabled, but I think I may have encouraged it after playing less carefully after failing to touch the IG with my first turn strike. Live and learn, and hope for decent rolls.

Shas'El Mike out.
"Pathfinders lead the way"