The Descent of the Manta

We played a 5K battle using the Markerlights 75cm, 3+ trial rule and Broadsides at 50 points cheaper. Chaos force was Slaanesh Knight horde with a few Khorne friends along for the game. JW will probably post up his exact list but there was a Manta, Battlesuit cadre, Swordfish cadre, Recon guys and lots of Kroot. Also a drone carrier and 2 squadrons of Barracudas.

Field looked like this:



Tau got to setup on the side with the buildings so Chaos was a bit concerned. I decided to have an anchor force of cultists, defilers, Lord of Battles and a Subjagator hold the centre while the knights and fast stuff tried a pincer around the flanks.



Tau drew first blood with their Crisis suits cutting down a couple of Beast Riders. Some hounds grew longs legs and sprinted down the left flank and a dogfight erupted above the battlefield. Interestingly, the Manta stayed off board.



The Tau superheavy Swordfish popped up and their massive railcannon pivotted to target the Lord of Battles, fired, and all three......missed. In close combat the Hellblades chop up two Barracudas, the long-legged Hounds kill 2 gun drones but the Swordfish swats aside the last hound.



Advance fire is a lot more substantial. Broadside suits kill two Hellscourges and a squad of Marines, though the last Scourge shoots up two Kroot stands in return. The Chaos Marines who forged up the centre smash two Broadsides with their missile launchers and bring down a Tetra with accurate bolter fire. Tetras light up the Lord of Battles. It tries to shake the lock and kills a Tetra and a Devilfish before being very narrowly missed by an orbital barrage.

The Subjagator manages to also hit a Broadside suit and the Questor exactly 1 stand of Kroot. Another Tau orbital barrage streaks in centred on the Questor. This one pops out hundreds of submunitions but by the end of the ripple of explosions only some Beastmen and Beast Rider are dead. Tau Firewarriors guarding a ruin turn a Defiler into a crumpled wreck while Hell Knights finish procedings killing 2 Kroot stands and a Battlesuit.

Choas 27 - Tau 22

Turn 2

Battlesuits again start procedings killing a Hell Scourge on the right and 3 Chaos Androids on the left. The mighty Manta drops down into the maelstrom on the right flank, just as the Chaos cavalry start charging into the Kroot guarding the copse of trees. Hounds attemp to snatch another objective in the bushland on the left while Tau skimmers have a concerted push on the left. A detachment of Noise Marines speeds across in their Rhinos to intervene.

Fire is heavy, with the Chaos forces trying desperately to bring down the Manta before it rains death and destruction down upon them. The Subjagator hits twice but its' shots are easily deflected. The two remaining Defilers open up, managing to get a hit in on the Mantas bridge but it spangs off the armour. They do kill some Firewarriors sneaking about some ruins with their Havok missile launchers though. The Broadsides are tracking many potential targets but have a miss-o-rama. The Hell Scourge track down the battlesuits that assailed them and grind 3 of them up in a hail of fire. The Swordfish are much more accurate this round pummelling the Keeper of Secrets and his patron is forced to save him!

Chaos Knights pour fire into the Manta. Multiple hits are scored but defeated by the fields until one shot from a Hell Knight thermal cannon passed through, hits the bridge, and.....is defeated by the Mantas' armour. The Ion Cannon armed Swordfish manage to kill one of the Hell Striders threatening them just before hand to hand is joined.

Chaos hounds kill a gun drone and a Battlesuit near the objective they were attempting to take from the Tau. Kroot Shapers entirely wipe out the Fiends and the Slaanesh beast riders don't fare well against the Kroot in the woods.

There is an audible hum from the Manta as it prepares its main weapons to fire. In desperation the Emperors Children on the right flank fire Missiles at the Manta and score three hits. Predicably most are deflected, but one manages to sneak through and hit the bridge, and.....penetrate the armour. The bridge is destroyed, and seemingly in slow motion the enormous Manta crashes to the ground. There are a serious of muffled crumps then an enormous explosion. A crater is all that is left of the mighty Manta, though some nearby battlesuits amazingly survive the explosion.



This is a devastating blow but still the Tau fight on. Barracudas smash three stands of Beastmen and riddle the Keeper of Secrets with bullet holes. Again Slaanesh saves his minion but it is probable that his patience is now at an end.

On the left Noise Marines rend a Pirahna and 2 Tetras with sonic shockwaves and the Hell Knights there kill 3 more Pirahna. The Lord of Battles manages to kill only a stand of Firewarriors and it is in turn riddled with shots and has its Doombuner shot off.



Stealth suits and Firewarriors smash the cultists and the Swordfish shrug off multiple hits from the Hell Striders. However, it is not enough and the Chaos forces overrun the Tau defenses.

Chaos 56 vs Tau 28

I found out I hadn't actually taken a photo while the Manta was on the board....d'oh! All you see is the crater. As recompense, here's a photo of JWs Swordfish. I think they are pretty neat though he needs to remove the digit and paint them

Nice Batrep
I never like to see a Manta crashing to the ground

It is such an impressive model, but I'm always happy to see it crash and go boom

That sure depends on which side you play