More Tau playtesting.  This game was started a couple of weeks ago.

Tau 5.1

Crisis Cadre
+Shas'O
+3 Recon
FW Cadre
+Devilfish
+FW+Df
+Skyray
+Etheral
Scorpionfish
Scorpionfish
Scorpionfish
Broadsides
AMHC
+Skyray
Recon
Recon
Barracudas

Codex Marines

Terminator
+SC
Terminator
Tactical
Tactical
Landspeeders
Bikes
Whirlwinds
+Hunter
Thunderhawk
Assault
Devastator
+Commander
Tbolts

Deployment


Tau garrison Broadsides and a Recon formation on OW.

Turn 1
No teleports
Init: Marines 4(9) Tau 3(6)

Marines begin with Thunderbolts going on CAP.

Tau respond with Scorpiofish1 going on overwatch.
And retain putting the Barracudas on CAP.

The Marines then advance their Whirlwinds, moving behind the next piece of cover forward.

The Tau put Scorpionfish2 on OW.

The Marine Tactical Detachment on the right then doubles forward, hopping from cover to cover.

The Tau delay further, putting the Broadsides back on OW.

The Marine Tacticals on the left also double into the cover of the next terrain piece.  And the Marines retain, marching the Land Speeders across to the right side of the board.

The Fire Warriors go on OW (this was a mistake I made out of fear of the terminators, I should have moved them forwards).

The Marine Bike Detachment marches up the left flank, keeping tight behind cover.

The Tau then put the final Scorpionfish on OW (as it doesn’t look like the Marines are going to come out from hiding this turn )

With no more Marine activations the Hammerheads and Crisis also go on OW.

Rally
(None to make)

Turn 2
No teleports
Init: Marines 4(9) Tau 2(5)



The Marines begin by unleashing a Whirlwind barrage on the Crisis Cadre.  All four crisis suits are hit as are a piranha and a tetra.  The three regular XV8 suits survives, but the Shas’O and the skimmers are destroyed, the formation breaks and retreats slightly.

The Tau reset the Fire Warriors on OW (compounding my error!)

The Tactical marines on the right advance deeper into the terrain.

The Tau respond with the Hammerheads doubling forwards and targeting the Land Speeders with a pop-up attack.  2 hits sees 1 speeder destroyed.

The Tacticals on the left are quick to pounce on the Hammerheads that have finally moved forwards.  Advancing into some buildings they prepare to fire.  However, that is interrupted as the AMHC attached Skyray has the Marines in ML range and calls in OW fire from Scorpionfish3.  4 hits and 2 dead Marines later the, now slightly suppressed,  tacticals open fire on the Hammerheads.  2 hits result in one Hammerhead being destroyed.

Retaining the Marines marshal the Land Speeders, moving them closer to cover and removing all BMs.

The Tau continue their cautious doctrine and reset the broadsides on OW.

With the tacticals in support position the Marine Bike Detachment declares an assault on the Hammerheads.  The heralds a hail of OW fire from Scorpionfish1&2.. the result of which is ONE dead biker (and a few BMs).  The assault goes ahead, the bikes scored 2 hits, both of which were saved.  The Hammerheads scored 2 hits, of which neither was saved.  The Tactical Marines support fire scored 2 hits and 1 Hammerhead down.  With numbers, kills and BMs in the Tau’s favour the roll off was at +4 for the Tau.  The Marines rolled 1&6, the Tau rolled 1&2, resulting in another round of combat.  The remaining Bikers failed to do any damage and were both killed in return.  The Hammerheads felt very lucky to escape with just 1 BM from the assault.

With the battle heating up the Tau then doubled Recon left forwards to shoot at the tacticals harassing the Hammerheads.  1 AP and 1 AT hit failed to do any damage to the marines though. (Sadly, as I had achieved a crossfire, if that Rhino had failed its save they may have broken)

The Marines continued to attack the Hammerheads, calling in the Thunderbolts for a ground attack (the Skyray now suppressed).  The single hit was saved.

With the remaining formation opting to remain on OW the turn ended.

The Thunderbolts had to risk one Skyray on their exit and one seeker missile found its mark, bringing down the Tbolt.



Rally
Tac Left: Pass
Crisis: Pass
Hammerheads: Pass

Turn 3
Both units of terminators teleport in.  The SC without any BM and the other unit with 1 BM.
Init: Marines 3(8) Tau 5(8) Tau win on tie.

The Tau begin with the Hammerheads advancing and shooting the nearby Tacttcals.  No hits are scored.

Retaining the Tau send recon left to double round to claim the Marine Blitz objective.

The Marines respond, calling the remaining Tbolt to strafe the Recon formation.  One hit is saved.

The Tau quickly put Scorpionfish2 back on OW.

The Whirlwinds then drop their barrage on the luckless Hammerheads. 2 Hammerheads make their saves, but the Skyray goes down in flames.  This is enough to break the Hammerheads, who back off slightly.

The Tau now desperately need to get some units forward and order the Fire Warriors to double.  However, they have being sitting on OW so long they have gone to sleep and miss the order.  They hold (SC being dead, no reroll ) and shuffle forwards a little.

The Marines then march the Land Speeders over to contest their blitz objective with the Recon formation.

The Tau are ready for this, Scorpionfish1 doubles forward and uses the Recon ML to blast the Land Speeders.  2 hits and no saves breaks the Speeders.

The Marines are not ready to give up their blitz so easily.  The left side Tacticals march back to contest.

The Broadsides then lumber forwards, doubling and shooting at the regular terminators, no hits are scored.

To finally be rid of the threat of the Recon formation on the Marine blitz the Thunderhawk is called in to air assault them.  The Barracudas bravely fly as close as possible to maximise firepower, but pay the price as the Thunderhawks AA downs one of the interceptors.  The remainly plucky pilot manages to score a hit on the Thunderhawk, but it doesn’t go critical and the Marines pour out around the Recon group.  In a blaze of bolter and missile fire the Recon group are quickly and finally erased.

The Tau then attempt to double the Crisis Cadre but left over BMs mean they fail to activate, regrouping to remove BMs.

The Marine Supreme Commander then leads his terminators forward to attack the Fire Warriors.  The Terminators double, and Scorpionfish2 unloads OW fire.  3 hits are scored, but no damage is done (Matt didn’t even need his RA this time!).  Targeting the Devilfish transports the terminators open fire, 1 hit is saved by the Devilfish.

Scorpionfish3 then sustain fires at the ML terminators.  4 hits this time result in 2 Terminator units going down, the SC and one other retreat broken.

The regular terminators march to get into a better position.

And the remaining Recon formation also marches to prevent TSNP.

The Thunderhawk stays landed next to the Marine blitz.  The remaining Barracuda exits without problems.



Rally
Terminators SC Fail (and failed reroll)
Hammerheads Pass
Terminators Pass
Fire Warriors Fail
Tactical left Pass
Thunderhawk Pass
Land Speeders Fail

Turn 4
Init: Marines 2(7) Tau 4(7) Marines win on tie

The Whirlwinds begin by targeting the Fire Warriors for a barrage.  2 hits on Fire Warriors and 2 hits on Devilfish result in just one Fire Warrior casualty (lucky Tau).

Retaining the Terminators engage the Broadsides, getting into close combat.  3 Broadsides are smashed apart for no casualties to the Terminators, and the remaining Broadsides are crushed trying to flee.

The Tau respond with the Fire Warriors doubling forwards to occupy the ruins and claim one object and contest another.  They open fire on the right side Tacticals, 2 hits kills one Marine stand. (And also ML them)

The left side Tacticals then double forward and shoot at the Recon group.  No hits are scored.

Scorpionfish2 attempts to sustain fire, but fails.  So shoots on a hold instead.  Tacttical right is targeted and 2 hits kill one Marine stand.

The remaining Thunderbolt makes a strafing run on the Recon group.  1 hit kills a Piranha.

The Recon group prudently decides to marshal, hopping from cover to cover, but keeping one unit in the enemy half.  Then removing all BMs.

The Thunderhawk  on the Marine blitz sets OW.

Scorpionfish3 also attempts to sustain, fails, and shoots Tactical right on a hold. The single hit kills a Marine stand.

The Assault Marines attempt to march, but request confirmation of the order.  The Supreme Commander repeats it, but cunning Tau jamming tech must be in the way as the orders don’t get through (1, reroll, 1).  The Marines regroup to sort out their comms gear. (This was a major piece of bad luck for the Marines)

The Tau then send the Crisis suits to harass the Terminators.  Despite doubling and shooting into cover they manage 1 AP and 1 MW hit.  The Terminators armour withstands the regular fire but succumbs to the deadly fusion fire, one Terminators stand is killed.

Realising they have little options left the Devastators advance slightly into cover of woods.

Scorpionfish1 (finally) sustains fire at the Terminators. 5 AP hits result in 2 more Terminator stands being destroyed and the remaining one retreats broken.

Tactical right attempt to marshal but under fire they fail, regrouping anyway they remove all but 2 BM.

The Hammerheads advance and shoot Tactical right, no hits.

And the Barracudas go on CAP (they couldn’t break the Tacticals so there wasn’t any point in attacking).

The game ended 2-0 Tau with Defend the Flag and They Shall Not Pass.  If the right Tacticals had broken the Tau would also have claimed Take and Hold.



My thanks to Dobbsy for the game.