Akrims Bat-Rep: AM vs Tau 1850

[Akrim]

Greetings, its been ages since Ive written a Bat-rep so I thought I would take a crack at one. Hope you enjoy it.

+++ 56473.M41. Navat Tertius. Dal'ath Sector - The Retaking of Sub-Station Rho A56
During the battle for the small moon of Navat Tertius, Sub-station Rho A56 fell into the hands of the Tau Empire. The small outpost nestled deep in the jungle highlands of Sabo Province was of vital importance to the Imperium for the use of observation and coordination of orbital fire into the surrounding valleys below. Nearly impossible to eliminate from the air it fell upon Major Adona and the 566th Ikaran Armoured Corps to retake this strategic station. The xenos invaders had not been idle, erecting rampart defences and laying ambushes and sentries in preparation for the inevitable Imperial counter-attack.  

Astra Militarum
Emperors Fist Armoured Company Formation
Punisher (Pask * Warlord * - MM Sponsons, LC) & Punisher (3x HBs)
Vanquisher (LC)
Eradicator (3x HBs)
Demolisher

Emperors Blade Assault Company Formation
Company Command Squad "Andona" - (3x melta, carapace) Chimera

Vet Squad "Alpha" (2 plasma, flamer, carapace) Chimera
Vet Squad "Beta" (2 plasma, flamer, carapace) Chimera
Vet Squad "Gamma" (2 melta, heavy flamer, carapace) Chimera
Hellhound (Hull HF)
Banewolf (Hull HF)

Tau Empire

Ethereal *Warlord*
Commander (XV8, Burst, Fusion, Neuroweb, Puretide Engram)
3x XV8 Crisis Team (TL Fusions)
3x XV8 Crisis Team (2 Burst Cannons, Flamers)
10x Strike Team - Devilfish
10x Strike Team - Devilfish
10x Breachers - Devilfish
10x Kroot
2x Tidewall Ramparts (above organized into 2x CADs)

Ranged Support Cadre Formation
Broadside (Missiles, 2 Missile Drones)
Broadside (Missiles, 2 Missile Drones)
Broadside (TL Railgun, 2 Missile Drones)
3x7 Pathfinders

1850pts Maelstrom Mission: Deadlock - Hammer and Anvil, no night.

Turns 1-2: Tau deploy the Ranged Support Cadre in the Tidewall Ramparts with Devilfish squads waiting behind. The Commander and Fusion Team conceal themselves on the left jungle hill, Burst Team in deep strike, Kroot infiltrate. The Imperial Guard armour deploys in a wave formation with Russes forming the center, Hounds and Chimeras flanking. 

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/067_zpsr4dgsi2b.jpg

The Tau battleline - free plug to our unofficial sponsor - Doritos.

Tau go first, marker-lighting and destroying Beta Squads Chimera with Rail Broadside (*First blood), the grenadiers bailing out into the jungle. Hellhound and Banewolves took glancing hits from the other Range Support Cadre. His objectives are to kill units, vehicles, characters and objectives near my zone and hold more objectives.

The Imperial tanks rumble forward through the jungle clearings. Strike and shroud order is given to Punisher squadron which unleash a storm of lead onto the jungle hill, wiping out the Fusion Crisis Team and Commander. Eradicator slams a shell into the shieldwall, killing some Pathfinders. Other fire ricochets off the shieldwall or thick Broadside armour. My objectives are to kill units, take multiple objectives in/near the Tau zone.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/066_zpsvq5yjxcr.jpg

The Tau Cadre strike back.... despite concealing smoke, Squad Alphas Chimera leading the center assault grinds to a halt under a hail of missiles, the grenadiers pinned down behind the stricken tank. The Kroot sentries burst from cover to claim and objective before being repelled by the tank shock of advancing armour. Banewolf on left flank falls under heavy firepower from the Cadres Broadsides but rolls forwards despite heavy damage.
A round from the Eradicators bolters is repulsed, rebounding back to glance its armour.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/069_zps7bixv7mu.jpg
+++Imperial armour advances on Rho A56.

The Imperial tanks reach short range distance and respond by unleashing a torrent of ordnance and submunitions into the ramparts. The Punisher squadron kills a Missile-Broadside and damages a Strike Team Devilfish on the hill. In the center the Command Chimera bursts through the jungle and immolates several Kroot warriors who fall back in disarray. I score points for killing and taking mid-field objectives.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/072_zpsmayb0jmr.jpg

+++The Kroot are overrun by tanks, Burst Suits drop into the swamp behind the armoured wall.

Turns 3-4: The Tau launch their counter stike. Crisis Burst cannon team deep strikes into the swamp behind my center tanks but cannot manage to damage even the thick rear armour but score an Objective Secured point. Ordering split fire, a Punisher turret turns and rakes their exposed position leaving no survivors. On the right flank a Devilfish advances, deploying its Strike team near the edge of the jungle, scoring an objective. Squad Beta engages them in a fire fight through the thick foliage. Most of the squad dies under sustained pulse rifle fire, the survivors falling back, despite repeated orders to rally. The survivors would later face assignment to penal battalions for cowardice.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/076_zpsivnhp4lj.jpg

+++Major Adona directs Squad Gamma grenadiers into combat.

Seeing the advance stalling at the edge of the kill zone, Major Adona disembarks to personally direct the firepower of Squad Gamma with meltaguns and heavy flamers, killing many of the Fire Warriors. His own squad mounts the smoking wreckage of the Eradicator, neutralizing the Devilfish with melta fire. The Hellhound is destroyed by sustained missile volleys.

On the left flank the Demolisher succeeds in destroying the Devilfish in its hull down position on the hill, its Strike Team bailing out. The Banewolf manages to limp to the edge of the Tau rampart. In an instant the shieldwall is awash with chemical and promethium flame, incinerating the Pathfinder and Breacher occupants. Sensing the grave danger to the Ethereal, the Strike Team on the hill sends several pulse rounds into the fuel tanks, finishing the wounded tank. Vanquisher scores a fatal hit on the last Devilfish in the center.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/074_zpss7nwzolm.jpg
+++The Banewolf torches the Tau shieldwall.

With the loss of most of their anti-tank weaponry, the Tau begin manuevering and targeting the weaker flank armour of the Chimeras.

 

The score is close at this point approx 5-7 for the Imperium.

Turn 5: The battle is (I believe tied) at the end of the Tau turn. He still has an objective to kill a character so I conceal my officers, sgts and tech priest behind tanks. Knowing this might be the last turn - I surge forwards through the right flank jungle (scoring two points on one Secure Objective) and order full speed to the Punisher Squadron. The heavy tanks rumble forwards and plow into the shieldwall (to reach Line Breaker range)!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b245/Akrim05/075_zpseynp4h2y.jpg
+++ The Punisher squadron overruns the shieldwall to reach the station. Fire Warriors use plunging fire from the hill to finish the Banewolf.

He rolls a one - the game ends - victory to the Imperium!

Aftermath: I think we both really enjoyed this game. We were both rolling with new formations. The Emperors Fist tank company seemed very strong, he was hard pressed to deal with all that armor but he definitely made a game of it, destroying my Hounds, Chimeras, Eradicator. Luckily I had brought the right tools to deal with the Tidewall; flame templates and an Eradicator cannon. The Punisher Squadron was MVP, what a killing machine.

 

Anyways hope you enjoyed.

 

 

[WarriorFish]

Huzzah! A great victory for the Imperium over the xenos filth, well done! :D

[march10k]

Mmmm....Doritos!

[Arkaniss]

Nice work! I enjoyed the Batrep and the pictures. The scenery was great, really helped with the narrative of the battle in the swamp :)

[Kontakt]

In the grim darkness of the far future, there are only doritos... and lots of tanks

[Akrim]

That doesnt sound grim at all, that sounds promising

Thanks for the replies.... it was a fun write up, hopefully ill get another in soon.