Battle for Station Alpha - 2000pts 2vs2 Battle Report

[Berzul]

Hi guys!

 

For the third week in a row, I bring you a battle report. This one has a lot less pictures than the previous ones, though, so it will be particularly brief.

 

In any case, this was a team battle, 1000 points per player for 2000 points per side. Ultramarines and my Dark Angels Successors, against two T'au armies. We added some house rules, that made the T'au able to share all special rules with their ally army, except drone sacrifices. Command points and stratagems were individual, though, and also, we played crossed turns. Meaning, one player from our side played his entire turn, then one form the T'au side, then the other Imperium, then the last T'au, and so on.

 

The narrative of th scenario placed is in a battle for control of a Research Facility taken over by the T'au. The Adeptus Astartes established a forward command point at a nearby defensive outpost and ruined administrative sector, from where to launch a frontal assault against the T'au defenses.

 

So, the battle was 2000 points, the scenario was Spoils of War, the deployment was Hammer and Anvil, and first turn was for the Dark Angels Successors.

 

The board was set up with a group of buildings one one side, a defensive position on the other, separated by impassable and passable forests, with a passageway in between both sides of the board. Like this:

 

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Objectives were placed at: (1) An opened access way between the woods that covered the the side of the research facility, (2) the central pass between both instalations; (3) a defensive position in between the administrative ruins; (4) the accesss point of the defensive outpost; (5) the power generators and energy batteries of the research facility; and, (6) the central building of the facility itself.

 

My army list consisted of a librarian on a bike, leading 3 black knights, and entire ravenwing command squad, a ravenwing bike squad, and a Darkshroud.

 

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The Ultramarines list was composed of a Librarian on jump pack and a tank commander (don't remember the hero's name), leading a group of intercessors, a group of inceptors, a tactical squad, a sniper scout squad, a venerable dreadnought, and all supported by a Whirlwind.

 

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The first T'au army was led by Shadowsun, and was composed of 5 bodyguard Crisis Suits, 2 strike teams (one led by an Ethereal, one by a Cadre Fireblade), and breacher team, all packed with drones.

 

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Finally, the second T'au army was led by a Coldstar Commander, and was composed of 2 full strike teams led by a Cadre Fireblade, a full breacher team, 2 units of Pathfinders, 2 units of Stealth Suits, a Ghostkeel, and a lot of drones.

 

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For deployment, I placed my bikes up front in a direct assault. The Ultramarines took to the bastion and other defensive positions for support. Shadowsun took to one flank with her bodyguards while her army spread out through the buildings. FInally, the Coldstar Commander placed his army on the edge of the forest, defending the open side of the facility, with a gunline, and then infiltrated his Stealth Suits on to key objectives.

 

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First Turn went to me, with Shadowsun going second, the Ultramarines going third, and the Coldstar Commander going fourth.

 

The battle itself was quite hectic, and I do not recall objective cards with accuracy, so I will just recap a summary of how the fight went down.

 

ON TURN ONE I moved forward, unloading all my list forward as one unit, taking to the forests to try and engage the open side of the facility that was defended by the Coldstar's gunline. I focused my fire on the Ghostkeel as I moved forward, dropping it to 2 wounds and killing off its drones.

 

Then Shadowsun moved her entire army forward, closing in on objectives that she had a chance of stealing from us due to cards, an marching her crisis suits down the opposite side of the table from me, to engage the Ultramarines. She was unable to get clear line of sight and/or range of much of the Adeptus Astartes, though.

 

Then the Ultramarines came along, dropping the Inceptors behind enemy lines. With them, and the Whirlwind, he managed to cut down half the Coldstars gunline, giving me a good opening for my next turn. He also managed a charge into the Ethereal, to contest the objectives, and cleared most of the Crisis Suits drones.

 

Finally the T'au retalliated, but after such heavy losses against the inceptors, there was little damage the gunline could do, managing to kill off one black knight and the attack bike, and nothing more.

 

ON TURN TWO I moved forward again, gunning down the rest of the T'au defenses, before charging in to kill the stragglers left behind.

 

Shadowsun got close enough of the Ultramarines to start taking shots at them, but after focusing the firepower of all her body guards on the Venerable Dreadnought, it still managed to survive with 4 wounds.

 

The Ultramarines retalliated by killing off almost all the drones, then screening the venerable dreadnoughts charge with the tactical marines, to engage the crisis suits in close combat. Many a crisis suit perished then.

 

The T'au now had little to do, so the Coldstar and the Stealth Suits that remained concentrated on moving across the board to capture objectives.

 

ON TURN THREE my ravenwing entered the facility through the side access and engaged Shadowsuns strike and breacher teams, killing most of them.

 

Shadowsun herself directed her last crisis bodyguards to take out the venerable dreadnought and remaining tactical marines.

 

The Ultramarines, without their main damage dealer, focused their efforts in retreating back to the center of the board with his inceptors, clearing the Stealth Suits that remained after i took on the breachers and strike teams.

 

The Coldstar, on his own, held down an objective, but was little else he could do. With that, the T'au decided to retreat from the facility, and relinquish control back to the imperium.

 

Final score was 13-5 for the Adeptus Astartes, with a T'au retreat on turn 3.

[Kasper_Hawser]

somebody better remind Tau players that Coldstars aren't as damaging or devastating. At best, they are an annoyance and harrasser, not something you should base your army on.

 

Well played. Looks like the Inceptors were the main factor by dealing with most of the troops, and the Dreadnought turned out to be boss, tanking melta like that.

[Berzul]

Definetly. The Inceptors were the MVPs of the fight, making an opening for the Ravenwing to get through the T'au lines and crush their position, while the Venerable Dreadnought gets an honorable mention for surviving an impossible barrage of Melta, and then crushing the Crisis Suits in close combat.

 

Although 2 Crisis Suits survived long enough to then fall back and destroy him, he managed to do devastating damage on his own.

 

As for the Coldstar, I would agree. It looks more intimidating on the table than he really is, but in the end it has a somewhat weak arsenal for such an advance piece of tech.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Definetly. The Inceptors were the MVPs of the fight, making an opening for the Ravenwing to get through the T'au lines and crush their position, while the Venerable Dreadnought gets an honorable mention for surviving an impossible barrage of Melta, and then crushing the Crisis Suits in close combat.

 

Although 2 Crisis Suits survived long enough to then fall back and destroy him, he managed to do devastating damage on his own.

 

As for the Coldstar, I would agree. It looks more intimidating on the table than he really is, but in the end it has a somewhat weak arsenal for such an advance piece of tech.

 

Unfortunately, there are some Tau Commander spam lists, in which multiple coldstars, buffing one another, suddenly turn their weak arsenal into "not so weak" arsenal.

[Berzul]

 

Definetly. The Inceptors were the MVPs of the fight, making an opening for the Ravenwing to get through the T'au lines and crush their position, while the Venerable Dreadnought gets an honorable mention for surviving an impossible barrage of Melta, and then crushing the Crisis Suits in close combat.

 

Although 2 Crisis Suits survived long enough to then fall back and destroy him, he managed to do devastating damage on his own.

 

As for the Coldstar, I would agree. It looks more intimidating on the table than he really is, but in the end it has a somewhat weak arsenal for such an advance piece of tech.

 

Unfortunately, there are some Tau Commander spam lists, in which multiple coldstars, buffing one another, suddenly turn their weak arsenal into "not so weak" arsenal.

 

 

Was not the case here, luckly. In fact, the player I had to deal with on my side of the table, is known for not going for competitive lists over fluff-y ones. I would not think he'd ever bring a Coldstar Spam to the table. Still, in a more competitive scenario, yeah, that would be something to be wary of.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Excellent tau player then. My compliments to him for actually fielding firewarriors as well as a "combined arms list" of many iconic Tau units without actually spamming anything. Noticeable absence are Broadsides. As an advice to him, he should make sure his backlines are covered to ensure no "backstabbing" surprises like your inceptors. In particular, use the drones to provide a "conga line" of 9" denial to protect his backlines.

[Berzul]

He used to bring Broadsides in 7th. It seems they got too expensive in points now in 8th. Still, he usually favours Hammerheads when it comed to heavy support.

 

I'm sure he didn't expect the drop of Inceptors. He had to focus on my bike charge, meaning hacing everyone close. He must have figured the Inceptors would go for the Crisis suits of his teammate. .

[Kasper_Hawser]

He used to bring Broadsides in 7th. It seems they got too expensive in points now in 8th. Still, he usually favours Hammerheads when it comed to heavy support.

 

I'm sure he didn't expect the drop of Inceptors. He had to focus on my bike charge, meaning hacing everyone close. He must have figured the Inceptors would go for the Crisis suits of his teammate. .

 

Advise him the single broadsides with missiles are still cheaper and give out a whole lot of missiles than a squad of missile devastators. Not sure if the missiles are multi damage, but some of them are definitely S7 so can still threaten most vehicles and tanks. A few of them, SMS I think, don't even need LOS.

[Berzul]

 

 

He used to bring Broadsides in 7th. It seems they got too expensive in points now in 8th. Still, he usually favours Hammerheads when it comed to heavy support.

 

I'm sure he didn't expect the drop of Inceptors. He had to focus on my bike charge, meaning hacing everyone close. He must have figured the Inceptors would go for the Crisis suits of his teammate. .

Advise him the single broadsides with missiles are still cheaper and give out a whole lot of missiles than a squad of missile devastators. Not sure if the missiles are multi damage, but some of them are definitely S7 so can still threaten most vehicles and tanks. A few of them, SMS I think, don't even need LOS.

I mean, if he does bring them, it will be awesome for him... but I'm not going to suggest the idea! ... I plan on defeating him again, next time we battle!! XD

 

Hahahaha!!

 

But, yeah, I probably will discuss it with him. He does prefer stealth units over heavy support ones. Those can already do some serious damage. Paired witj good ranged support? Brutal