So a mini batrep for minigeddon
Game 1: Played against Radek's Marines
Radek went pretty hard turn 1, trying to get into a good assault position for turn 2 and used the exceedingly large hill on our desert board well. However, it did cost him a unit of landspeeders, and the other unit was damaged as well (although disappointingly i managed 1 kill from an entire broadside volley, which was especially sad given they were markerlighted). Still, Radek then won turn 2 initiative, and gambled on activating a unit with BM's, and promptly failed to activate. This then left his army getting decimated, with the crisis suits taking down the predators, and fire warriors breaking the assault marines. This left him pretty messed up with just scouts left, and they were still a way back. Things didn't get any better despite a good set of rallying, and in the end i was able to take a 4-0 thanks to a perhaps ill considered march onto my blitz by the assault marines (which then got broken), allowing me access to his blitz and take and hold objective.
Game 2: Carlos (Saim Hann)
Carlos didn't have many activations, and i won the rolloff turn 1, meaning he had to go first too. Things did not go well thanks to this, as i was able to get all manner of crossfires and other unpleasantness on his jetbikes and shining spears on turn 1 breaking breaking both of them. Still, Carlos did manage to pull things back somewhat thanks to his indestructible Revenant, being sensible to take out the devilfish to limit my mobility as soon as he could, and somehow the tetras got broken too, but i can't quite recall what happened with that one. Anyway, thanks to some good rallying on turn 3 and some failed activations from myself Carlos was able to cheekily keep his units alive and was able to keep it to a 2-0 win to me in turn 3 - no mean feat after having 2 of his 3 activations gutted early on!
Game 3: Chris (Baran Siegemasters)
Much bunkering from most of the army, other than a very forward deployed unit of guardsmen, which got crossfired to death by broadsides and tetras. Tetras had a bit of a sad old time though, and one of them ended up with the indignity of being killed by a deathstrike missile thanks to them failing to activate (and just being in line of sight). Broadsides got broken after i failed most of my armour saves, and then ran off. Things weren't looking good for turn 2 after both the broadsides and tetras failed to rally, but i managed to keep the fire warriors reasonably intact thanks to less epic dice from Chris, and then broke the deathstrikes with my crisis suits. On winning activation turn 3 (and everything rallied finally - yay!) i was able to get a solid crossfire in on his BTS, and then after breaking them went in for an intermingled assault against the remnants with the fire warriors. Tetras managed to march to get the blitz and i was able to pick up a 3-0 win in turn 3 when the commissar from the first regiment failed to rally in my half.
Game 4: Mark (Speed Freeks)
I took a risk turn 1 on this and near the end of the turn pushed forward and broke a few units. However, the main one of the two rallied, and even worse Mark won initiative, costing me 2 activations after the dice went very much against me. Still, i was able to break his BTS with some good crossfiring with broadsides and tetras, but couldn't come close to wiping them out. turn 3 then saw a bunch of things decimated, but i managed to keep holding on in there - the assault range of the warbands on such a small table was just horrendous though, and was doing a superb job of keeping me on the back foot. I almost managed a win on turn 4 after i had a run on his blitz with my tetras, but instead they broke themselves. Doh! things were compounded by my broadsides getting assaulted and failing most of their saves too, leaving them broken and running. Still, a draw would be ok... hang on, a turn 5? ffs! we were both down to 2 activations now after my broadsides again failed to rally, and Mark was able to easily mop them up and take both blitz and take and hold. I had to console myself with his blitz, but that was all i could do at that point, so had a 3-1 loss in turn 5.
I'd assumed Mark had taken first place, but thanks to the points i'd got in the earlier rounds i was able to squeak into first place surprisingly! Overall really enjoyed things, and definitely enjoying using the Tau - a real change of pace from all the Guard armies i've been using this year
Food was as always excellent, and a big thanks to Florian for doing such a good job on the organisation front
