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Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:12 am
Posts: 2241
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Jaldon,
Thank you for the wonderful report. Well written, entertaining, and an enjoy to follow along - especially with the color maps! Hats off to you!
I think most have pointed out the items of question I personally would have with the report if one was trying to use it to justify the Tau's balance.
(not saying anyone here is btw!)
Unfortunately, I think the 500 point bonus to the Tau is pretty significant in Epic. If that wasn't enough, the use of FW disrupt vs. vehicles is another and possibly even bigger problem for me. Finally, I wasn't overly impressed with the choice of IG formations presented to you if he knew you were playing Tau. Savvy players should know Tau have a heck of a time with armored vehicles. Why the heck didn't he have a hydra battery?? Isn't that just staple if you are going to take a Manticore battery? Also, I see the Valkyries - but where are the vultures? Tau have limited effective offensive units against the IG armored battalion - complete no brainer to take the vultures and eliminate the HH threats early IMHO. Why he spent points on hand to hand elite infantry (what tau excel in killing) and didn't focus on more heavy hitting firepower escapes me. Tau can't fight their way out of a wet paper bag... that's ripped... putting more and more points into infantry was wasted IMHO. I would have liked to see this report played without the use of disrupt against the vehicles, something more of what i consider a *typical* tactically sound IG list locally, and an even pointed game on both sides of the field.
BTW: you are not the only one that's played an imbalanced Tau game in the Tau's favor. The Tau do much better in this mode. They can 'feel better matched' when they take more ponts. That, to me, is a sign of the list needing some much overdue attention still.
OK, one of the biggies for me - your 4th principle to exploit disrupt... well, its reduced in effectiveness against the armoured vehicles of the E:A universe IMHO. Allow me to try and explain.
Although the FAQ says you may pick vehicles formations with your formations that can not hurt them, + + + specifcially allowing you to place a blast marker for coming under fire + + +, it says _nothing_ about actually rolling to hit with AP weapons in the shooting sequence and then applying those AP hits to Armoured Vehicle targets. The book's _roll to hit_ and subsequent _hit allocation_ rules give specific order of operations in this arena. Disrupt therefore appears to work differently (to me) than perhaps you appear to be interpretting it too.
I'll try and site text and explain along the way... its late here, so forgive me if I run on a bit...
1.9.4 Place Blast Marker
The target foramtion automatically receives a Blast marker as long as at least one attcking unit can shoot at the foramtion. An additional Blast marker is received for each unit that is destroyed. A foramtion receives a Blast marker for coming under fire even if none of the attackers can cause any damage (eg. armoured vehicels coming udner heavy bolter fire).
=======> Here we establish that the book agrees with the FAQ, before actually rolling to hit or even picking which weapons you are going to fire, you check range and place blast marker for coming under fire. Note, this resloves the FAQ that was quoted earlier.
1.9.5 Roll to Hit
The player must decide at this stage whether weapons will fire with their AP or AT values if they have both. Then roll a D6 for each shot being directed a the target formation. You must roll equal to or higher than the appropriate 'to hit' value to score a hit (eg. if the weapon has an AT 4+, you must roll a 4 or more to hit). The dice roll is modified for the following reasons. However a roll of a 1 before modification is always count as a miss.
=======> This now establishes that you must _decide_ to use either _AP or AT_ weapons BEFORE rolling to hit.
1.9.6 Allocate Hits & Make Saving Throws
You must allocate hits inflicted on your formation against targets that are within range and line of fire of the enemy. Hits are allocated 'from the front to the back' of a formation. Note that this is the opposite of suppression. AP hits can _only_ be allocated against _infantry units_, and _AT hits_ may only be _allocated against armoured vehicles_. Hits may not allocate a second hit to a unit until one hit has been allocated to every potential target or allocate a third hit untial all targets have been allocated two hits, etc.
[i]
=======> Here we establish that a dice _roll to hit scored_ with an _AP weapon_ will only _allocate to an AP target_ (infantry). We also establish that AT hits _rolled_ will only _allocate to AT targets_ (armoured vehicle). Now, this section goes on to say in a second paragraph...
[i]
Once all hits have been allocated, make saving throws for each unit that has been hit, using the unit's armour value from its datasheet or the cover save from the terrain table. Roll a D6. If the score is lower than the armour value or cover save value then the unit fails its save, and is destroyed and removed from play. If the roll is equal to or greater than the armour or cover save value then the unit is saved and it remains in play. Make a seperate save for each hit the unit suffers. Remember that the target formation receives a Blast marker for each unit that is destroyed.
=======> Here we establish that saves are now taken by all hits allocated to the various unit types. We also note that we make a seperate save for each hit the unit suffers.
Page 38, 2.2.2 Disrupt
Certain weapons are designed to disrupt enemy formations as much as kill enemy troops. to represent this weapons noted as having the disrupt ability inflict a Blast marker on an enemy formation for each _hit_ they inflict instead of for each kill they inflict. Note that the _hits inflicted_ by disruptor weapons _are saved_ for normally. Any units that fail their save are removed as casualties but do not cause a second blast marker to be placed on the target formation.
=====> Here we establish that disrupt only works for "hits" inflicted to the enemy formation.
=====> If the enemy formation has all armored vehicles, then one could not fire AP weapons with disrupt at the enemy formation and hope for anything other than 'coming under fire' blast marker as per the FAQ. A successful _dice_ rolled to hit such as from an AP only weapon fire with disrupt, such as Firewarriors, would never get _allocated_ to an all vehicle formation. No _allocation_ is no _hits inflicted_ on the enemy formation. No hits inflicted means no saves to make, or no saves to be "taken as normal." Therefore, there is only a hit rolled... not allocated or inflicted. You cannot inflict what you cannot allocate. Disrupt therefore only works if you can actually allocate something to the enemy units in the enemy formation.
Man... **if** I could fire disrupt AP and break enemy armoured vehicle formations... Wow... I'd use my Manticores in my IG list all day long as AP fire just to get the extra plus one on sustained fire... 3+ disrupt AP to armored vehicle formations - whoo-hoo!! Who cares if I don't hurt you, blast marker disrupt with 3+ is good stuff 
Anyway, just my understanding of things. I do look forward to your next two reports!
Off to bed now... 
_________________
Rob
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