2010: Tau, let's roll out!

Well, for 2010 I decided to glue (and) paint at least one unit a month. Let's hope it'll be fulfilled. And watching Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in first hours of New 2010 Year, I made up my mind about Tau: more Crisis Battlesuits in Transformers poses. Do you remember Ironhide shooting his two guns to turnover? I'd like to see Crisis like this. Or Optimus Prime, shooting in face this huge Transformer in Shanghai... whoa. Okay, we'll see what borns out from those ideas.

On 1st of January, I played two games with my friend: one versus Space Marines at 1,5k, and one at 1000 points versus Da Orks.

In first game I played with:
-Shas'O with Shield Drones, in my favourite cofig (PR, AFP, Pos. Relay, Stim. inj., HW MT);
-Shadowsun: so long from her last game...
-team of two Crisis in Plasma/Fusion combo (A.K.A. Helios);
-three teams of 6 Fire Warriors;
-team of Kroots;
-full Pathfinders' unit, one with Rail Rifle, with mandatory DFish;
-squad of 6 Gun Drones;
-two SDTs;
-unit of two XV88, leader with Target Lock

"Master B" had:
-Chaplain
-5-6 Sternguards with two meltas and Drop Pod
-2x10 Tac Marines in Drop Pods
-5 Scouts
-Dreadnought with Drop Pod
-10 Assault Marines
-Land Raider

We rolled for mission and deployment: massacre - Annihilation in Dawn of War...

We started with nothing on table, he started by dropping two Tac squads and moving Land Raider with Scouts onboard. He hid it, so I can't shoot him anyhow. And I moved eveything in, except Kroots, Gun Drones and Shadowsun. Shadowsun Deep Struck in second turn, but managed only stunned result on Damage Table. Drop pods with Deathwind were killing big amount enough to make me hate them for rest of my life, as Tau Commander. And so, I hadn't luck with Land Raider, and Scouts from inside charged shadowsun and killed her in Sweeping Advance, as I remember. Well, not good. XV88's got charged by Tac Marines, but managed to destroy one Drop pod (leader missed: two 1s!). And I was slowly losing one after another units: game was a complete Master B's win!

It was 4:8 kill points for him.

Mine were:
1 Tac squad
1 Drop Pod
Chaplain and
Sternguard squad

He killed:
Broadside team
2x SDT
team of Kroots
Shadowsun (by Scouts... :O )
Pathfinders
2x FWs team
Crisis squad

Well, it was a good and nice game, hovewer I will NEVER ever take such a bad army list...

I wil post second game later,

Happy New Year!
O'Amis

SMs attack Tyranids! BR

Here it is! Cygan attacked Tyranids territory with his brave SMurfs!
I have no idea about upgrades and generally about details of fight, it was battle for like ~750-100 points, so I can just show you pictures:

Beginning of the game: Tyranids start

Space Marines force trying to take Tyranid territory, supporrted by massive Land Raider:

Tyranid army readying to defend their territory and counterattack at those little an few grey knights...

Somewhere at the end of the game (4th - 5th turn) Tyranids overruning Ultragreymarines:

Space Marines counter attack in the "Last Stand" type:

Game ends and Tyranids have two Strategic Points, SM have zero. Great Devourer have defended his flora and fauna, and in the repercussion Tyranids can take one of SMs territories on a roll of 3+! Mauryc rolls enough and take the one with power station:

However this was SMs turn, and Cygan chose to build Manufactorum on one of his territories.

Next time we'll meet for campaign matches will probably be New Year, so it will be some time 'till campaign update will fly into Web.

Tau vs Ultramarines campaign battle report

Points: 1500
Mission: Capture and control
Deployment: Pitched battle

Armies:
Tau army list:
HQ
XV8 O'Shadow Hunter w/ PR, AFP, Shield Gen., Stim. Inj., 2x Shield Drones, Multitracker,

Ethereal no upgrades

ELITES
XV8 team:
Shas'vre w/ PR, BC and MT, Drone Contr. integrated
Shas'ui w/ PR, BC and Drone Contr.

XV25 Stealth Marker Team:
4x Shas'ui w/ Shas'vre upgr, Fusion Blaster (vre), ML (vre), 4x DC, int. MT (vre), 4xGD, 4xMD

TROOPS
FW team:
10x Shas'la w/ Shas'ui upgr.

FW team:
10x Shas'la w/Shas'ui upgr., Gun Drone and Marker Drone

Kroot Carniv. squad:
16x Kroots w/ Shaper,
4xHounds

FAST ATTACK
PF team:
4x Pathfinders w/ Shas'ui upgr. and 1x Rail Rifle upgr.
Devilfish w/ Disruption Pods

HEAVY SUPPORT
Hammerhead w/ Railgun, BCs, DP,1x Seeker missile,

SM army:

Sicarius
Chaplain
6xSternguard
10x Tac SMs
10x Tac SMs
Land Raider
10x Devastator squad
not sure about those Tacs and Devs, but who cares... ;)

Strategic points: blue cricle
Infiltration: yellowish green circle
One Tac Squad was given infiltration thanks to Sicarius, my XV25's were infiltrating, and first time ever I infiltrated Kroots, which was probably biggest mistake in this game, but about that later.

Before game, after deployment:

Ok, first bad thing: SMs started infiltration. They infiltrated at the position forcing me to place XV25s further from Land Raider than I'd have wished. 
First turn
I was first, and so I moved Kroots, moved XV25's, commander left FWs who embarked into DF and sped behind those circular towers. XV25s with MD help and DF killed 4 SM, which is pretty good beginning. Kroots ran, because of nothing in range to shoot, but only 3". At least, they got cover from blastscape. Pathfinders markerlighted devastators with lascannons (they split into two teams: one with 2 lascannons and one with heavy bolters). Then Rail rifled one missed :S BUT FWs have killed one. Commander not having range because of going to have cover meant no more kills in this turn. Oh, and Hammerhead stunned Land Raider. Then of course XV25s and commander made their jumps.

After my turn:

First thing my friend Cygan made, was deep striking drop pod with sternguard. Uh-oh, which unit's gonna die...? Kroots. Well, there's nothing bad, what would not work out for good. At least, FWs are safe this turn. Devs' lascannons stunned DF, don't remember rest. Here are pics:

Kroot history in first and their last turn:

Our dead piles after 1st turn:

Board after 1st turn:

Board after Tau second shooting phase:

Board after Tau second turn:

Board after SM moving phase in 2nd turn:

Board after Tau 3rd turn:

after 3rd Tau turn:

end of 3rd SMs' turn:

Board after 4th Tau turn:

Few views after 4th Tau turn:

Board after 4th SM turn:

Board after 5th Tau turn:

Board after game:

Tau win! With 3 fearless Fire Warriors having Ethereal within 3" of objective (white ruins) and Ultramarines with neither claimed nor contested objectives, Tau won battle! That means I can try to take off one of SMs territories. I roll 6, which means I can! So, this is campaign board after this battle:

We accepted rule that each player can build one building in his turn. So, I built Manufactorum:

Well, thats all.

In next battle report: SMs attack Tyranids!

PS. all pictures are on my WebAlbums page.

Launching Campaign

Well, we decided to launch campaign this weekend. We use Planetary Empires set: using 24 tiles and three space ports in this number. I didn't paint it yet, but it's just campaign tryout. So after generating map, we've occupied territories and started to play matches.


Flags:

• I have orange;
• Tyranids have green;
• Ultramarines have grey.

From roll-off it was me to go first, and I attacked SMurfs territory.

Battle report in next post.

History of A'mis part 2

 Tau and Space Marines sustain heavy losses on both sides. But when it seemed that it can't be worse, part of Hive-fleet Behemoth was spotted. And it directed toward A'mis. So, El'amis and Captain Sicarius decided to put everything on one bet and all available forces were called to fight. The battle lasted three bloody days, Necron Lords were not giving up. When it seemed that everything was lost, one of the Mantas in reparation on orbit achieved full combat readiness. Hunter Cadre stationing on orbit loaded into and deep striked at the rear of the enemy. It confused Necrons for a moment. And that moment was enough: all Necron Lords fell under sniper fire from Pathfinders' Rail Rifles. Hammerheads and XV88's destroyed monoliths and rest of Necron Warriors were blasted out by sub-munitions from Manta's Railguns. The threat from the Necrons have been resolved.

But there still was Tyranid menace. Tau and Ultramarines sent fleet to engage Hive-fleet in space and give ground forces more time to regroup and get ready. Marines' battle barge readied Orbital bombardment bombs, Tech-priests were blessing Space Marines' armor. Tau repaired Barracudas, Tigersharks, Hammerheads and battlesuits, healed injured Fire Warriors. So it's been seven days. And then Seeding Spores started to drop. The sky grew purple-red. There was no much of planet's own flora, so Tyranids were not as strong as usual. This will stop them before taking over the planet in a few days - probably just extend the process.

So that's History of A'mis and introduction to the recently launched campaign. Our (mine and my two friends') first campaign. We use my set of Planetary Empires, 8 tiles per player.