Got in another Tau playtest this evening, this time against Black Legion.

Chaos used a similar list to what I used (and lose-d) against Alaitoc recently, but tweaked a little for a bit of mobility.  Only going to be able to post the armies this evening as I'm feeling a little under the weather.

More to come!

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Rules Used

Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations
Tau v5.1 DRAFT

Armies Used

Black Legion Terror Troops – 3000 points  

Black Legion Retinue 1 (Undivided)
1 Warlord
8 Chaos Marines
4 Rhinos

Black Legion Retinue 2 (Undivided) - BTS Goal
7 Chaos Marines
1 Daemon Prince
2 Defilers
2 Dreadnaughts
1 Obliterator

Raptor Cult (Undivided)
1 Chaos Lord
7 Raptors

Black Legion Armoured Company (Undivided)
5 Land Raiders

Black Legion Chosen 1 (Undivided)
5 Chosen
1 Chaos Lord
1 Obliterator

Black Legion Chosen 2 (Undivided)
4 Chosen
1 Chaos Lord
1 Obliterator

Feral Titan 1 (Undivided)

Feral Titan 2 (Undivided)


Barracudas and Battlesuit Battle Group – 3000 points

Battlesuit Cadre HQ
4 Battlesuits
Shas'O

Battlesuit Cadre Alpha
4 Battlesuits
Shas'El
2 Battlesuits

Battlesuit Cadre Beta
4 Battlesuits
Shas'El

Battlesuit Cadre Gamma
4 Battlesuits

Broadside Support Group 1
6 Broadsides

Broadside Support Group 2
6 Broadsides

Steathsuits 1
6 Steathsuits

Steathsuits 2
6 Steathsuits

Barracuda Squadron 1
2 Barracuda

Barracuda Squadron 2
2 Barracuda

Barracuda Squadron 3
2 Barracuda

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Hope your feeling better soon mate.

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Some of my Armies.
My Hobby site.

Me too!


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Battlefield:

4x6; Black Legion chose long edge deployment.

Deployment:

Black Legion kept both Chosen formations in reserve.

Tau kept both Stealth Groups in reserve.

Black Legion garrisoned Retinue 2 on overwatch.

Tau garrisoned both Broadsides Groups on overwatch.

Remaining deployment as shown:

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Turn 1

Stealth Group 1 shows up in the Cathedral, marking Chaos armour and putting Retinue 2 in a potential crossfire position.

Chosen 2 also shows up, in the woods near Crisis Gamma, putting Broadsides 1 in a potential crossfire position.

Each teleporting formation arrives with a single Blast marker.



Strategy Roll: Black Legion.

The big Chaos Retinue 2… sustains fire on the crossfired Broadsides 1, takes out three Broadsides, breaking the remaining three.

Chosen 2 then tears through the woods to engage Crisis Gamma… and it’s a crisis indeed as the elite Tau are *thoroughly* wiped out, doing no damage to the Chaos forces.



Barracuda Squadron 1 isn’t sure where to ground attack, but the Shas’O straightens them out (*SIGH!*) and they avoid enemy flak to strip 2 Void Shields from marked Feral Titan 1.

Barracuda Squadron 2 needs no encouragement to perform the same attack run, doing 1DC damage and breaking Feral 1.

The Chaos Land Raiders move up to engage Stealth Group 1… Only a single Stealth Team goes down, but the forces of Chaos win by “2â€Â

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Turn 2

Chosen 1 appear in the forest to threaten Crisis Alpha, but also receive a Blast marker.



Strategy Roll: Black Legion.

Chosen 1 actually hesitates before the Warlord “encouragesâ€Â

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Turn 3

Stealth Group 2 reveals itself at the Chaos Blitz… no Blast markers!



Strategy Roll: Black Legion.

Feral Titan 2 advances on Crisis HQ and crisps 1 Crisis Team and the Shas’O’s Crisis Team, breaking the sole survivor.

The Land Raiders advance to fire on the Broadsides, score a lot of hits… but do no damage.

The Broadsides advance to reposition to protect the Tau Blitz and fire on Retinue 1, taking out 2 Rhinos.

Barracuda Squadron 2 ground attacks the Raptors… and takes two out, breaking them!

Retinue 2 sustains fire… again… on Broadsides 2… placing another Blast marker.

Stealth Group 2 goes on overwatch… (And here’s where I made a big blunder… I assumed that Retinue 2 held both objectives they were near… turns out they were 16cm away from Tau Objective 2… a delayed “spread outâ€Â

Turn 4

No teleports.

Strategy Roll: Tau… FINALLY!

The Broadsides marshal, firing on the Chaos Land Raiders… destroying *two* of them, which breaks them, and then clear all their own Blast markers!



Feral Titan 2 advances on the Broadsides and takes one out.

Retinue 1 doubles around the ruined Cathedral to fire on Crisis HQ, breaking it.

Barracuda Squadron 3 attempts to ground attack Chosen 1… but the Obliterator swats *BOTH* of them from the air!

Barracuda 2 attempts the same thing… and they too are *BOTH* swatted from the air!  WOW!

Feeling good about themselves, Chosen 1 then engage the Broadsides in a clipping firefight, with the support of the Feral Titan.  


Two Broadsides are gunned down, and the rest a mopped up as Chaos wins handily.

Barracuda Squadron 1 ground attacks Retinue 1, taking out a Rhino and a Chaos Marine, but it’s not enough.

Retinue 2 sustains fire for the fourth and final time to wipe out the distant last unit of the Crisis HQ.

Stealth Group 2, the only Tau remaining, now decide to march, spreading out to maintain their hold on the Chaos Blitz and secure Tau Objective 2… but nobody’s laughing…


End of Turn

All Chaos formations rally… cuz they’re the only ones with Blast markers!

Score:

Black Legion 3 (Blitz, BTS, T-n-H ) vs Tau 2 (Blitz, T-n-H) – Narrow Black Legion Victory!

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Great Report Chroma!

Initially, I was encouraged by your choice of units, but I am wondering if the static nature of your heavy firepower (Broadsides) crimped your style any. Thoughts on that?

I seem to notice that you tend to take the smaller sizes of formations in order to maximize your activation count. However, it seems like very few of your formations tend to get through more than one enemy action without being severely degraded in abilities, broken, or killed. This just may be my perception, but any thoughts on taking larger formations?

Cheers,

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment

Sad, close, but sad.  

Only one formation survives, and this is the one coming down in the 2 turn beeing nowhere near enemies...

But the battle report was nice, again. ^^ Thanks!

Considering bigger formations instead of more activations:
I dont know if 2 more Crisis would've brought the difference. I took mostly 6 cause 4 is really small, but in FF and CC its not really a help. Okay, Crisis have a very good armor save, but I guess its still always going to be very close.

Great report Chroma.

Just a little question:-
At the start of turn 3 the teleported Stealth group 2 look to be out of their 5cm co-ordination limit or is it just the picture makes it look that way.

DOH!  I forgot about the 5cm teleport restriction, even for scouts, when I placed them... hmmm... that would've been bad for the Tau as an arty strike could've hammered them all!

Good eye!

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I though that Tau was being killed quite effectively there and was surprised that it went that close.

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment