[BatRep] Biel-Tan vs Tau, 3000 points |
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Chroma
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Post subject: [BatRep] Biel-Tan vs Tau, 3000 points  Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:33 pm |
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| Brood Brother |
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Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 3:06 pm
Posts: 9684
Location: Montréal, QC, Canada
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| Quote (Dobbsy @ 17 Jan. 2006 (08:09)) | | Good to be back too - it was killing me not being able to reply. |
Welcome back Dobbsy! Glad you made it home safe. Was great meeting you and battling with you, I hope we can do it again some time!
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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer
Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?
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Tactica
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Post subject: [BatRep] Biel-Tan vs Tau, 3000 points Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 10:08 pm |
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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am
Posts: 2241
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Dobbsy,
Thank you for replying. Very inlightening to have your side as well and I wish you could have replied sooner too!
The opportunity to meet and game with someone else on the list must have been enjoyable, furthermore, I really value the results more than a lot of playtest as two established 'personalities' on the list both got to clash over a few days.
The experiences that we can take away from your battle reports are quite valuable IMHO. So thank you to You and Chroma for taking the time to put these battles together for us over the holiday!
Regards to CF, I think your approach is right if I understood it - only use it when you need to, and use 2 formations not three unless the situation is dire or demanding of all 3.
Being mindful of objectives is always huge. Unfortunately, against the Eldar whom which have a high strategy, figuring out a way to beat them to deploying their first objective midfield is going to be next to impossible unless you are playing marines. Higher strategy starts first at deploying objectives. To me - this is a flaw in the Eldar list. If they were going to make this goofy Eldar gate thing, then they should have FORCED it to be the last objective placed by the eldar. I don't know how the gate is always in the perfect location for the battle! (blah... another eldar broken rule - don't get me started)
Regards to taking an all armor force - aka mechanized, absolutely legit, legal, and fluffy! I see no reason why you would be apprehensive about doing so. We've discussed this in the past. Although there are folks that are not familiar with the Tau culture, the mechanized force is absolutely as much valid here as it is in steel legion. Tau have plenty of tactica and fluff around this. I would not worry about it at all if you wnt to try it. On the other hand, I think you are going to have your challenges in pulling it off. Example: SC. Gonna need him. Broadside orca drop can be handy (although those are really LV and not infantry in E:A right now...) Init 1 crisis formations are probably worth considering to help manage the activation and blast marker game. Anyway - I wouldn't blink or think twice about an all mech tau list. I'd encourage it even! Its part of our montra. 
Regards to dealing with his rapid assaults better... hmm... well...
OK, what about this - completely off the cuff, but you could fight his reserves with your own reserves!! (no idea how this would work mind you - just throwing it out there)
Hypothetical-Anti-Chromas-Eldar 
2700 points
11 activations
4 of 11 formations start on the field at deployment
- 3 formations cannot claim
- 8 Formations can claim
(can land orcas in the end game)
START ON FIELD
350 4 Crisis CADRE + SC
400 6 Ion-AMH CADRE + Network Drone (BTS Vic Obj)
250 4 Ion-HH Contingent (or 4 Stingray Contingent your call)
225 6 Piranha + 3 Tetra
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1225 Non-air Subtotal - on field at start
START OFF FIELD
275 6 Stealth (on Orca 1)
300 4 Broadside (on Ocra 2)
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575 non-air subtotal - in aircraft
150 Hero
300 Ion-Ph Moray (planetfall drop from Hero)
250 barracuda
100 Orca 1 (for Stealth - AP targets)
100 Orca 2 (for Broadsides - AT targets)
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900 air caste (1/3 of 2700 point force)
2700 TOTAL Point Tau
The idea here is disorientation and reserves. You would be giving him as little to deploy off of as possible and what was out there could move pretty good. It would also be to keep the 'punch' assets off of the field until the time was right so you would always have first opportunity to dump fire on him with your important toys before they accumulated blast markers and possibly broke. The tools on the field would have to clear an AA path into the enemy lines for the stealths, but the broadsides would be able to make some capitalization off of their 75cm guns hopefully. The stealths would not teleport because there's no chance to count on the strategy roll off against eldar after they telport in and land awaiting the decision of who goes first. You also don't have any blast markers on them this way prohibiting their potential. The list doesn't rely on Marker lights but you could use the stealths for ML guidance if needed. The stealths would ideally pick on something that popped through the portal and would set the stage for the GM later in the game if needed. AMHC would be the BTS but should create the AA umbrella as you have no skyrays, so should stay protected if terrain used wisely. Netwrok drone on AMHC and Crisis init 1 should keep 50% plus of formations active until reserves arrive. The HH contingent could be a Stingray contingent. The point is support. Piranhas + Tetra also give another opportunity for markers and should work to be an annoyance formation as well as could quickly move to pick off infantry that gets up close and personal too quick for your tastes. All the skimmers and jet packs should work to avoid the worst part of the combat advantage the eldar are going to try and put on you.
Anyway - just an idea. 
Regards to the relative handy-cap the game was to the Eldar, yes, it seems that the no-premeasuring affected the longer ranged faster moving and hit-and-run Eldar army worse. Ironically, they still won. Some of that was undoubtably connected to Chroma's skill, and the learning curve of the Tau CF. However, its not in favor of Eldar balance by any stretch either. I don't really think that was a common impression of the Eldar anyway - so no harm and no foul beyond what's known perhaps on that front. Whats troubling is that there appears no work to 'fix' or address the imbalances that keep coming up.
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Rob
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Tactica
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Post subject: [BatRep] Biel-Tan vs Tau, 3000 points Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:50 am |
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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am
Posts: 2241
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@Dobbsy,
You didn't respond, so I'm guessing you didn't think much of the suggestion...
Oh well, I tried. 
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Rob
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Anyway it's a decent theory. Just not sure if I'd be able to retake the objectives with the reserves near game's end and the HH cadres would get shot up/ assaulted very early in the game as there seems there'd be little support on field. With Chroma keeping a good size reserve what we'd end up with would be very quick game turns until the insertion of my reserves then he'd commit his too and I'm guessing that the few units I had deployed at the start wouldn't be around after 3 turns of bashing from the Eldar to support my reserves.