Tau vs Imperial Guard Battle Report - 1,000pt, Presentation Style Battle Report

Overview

The set up (1/1)

• 2nd game on my home made 6ft x 4ft board
• Tau vs Imperial Guard - 1,000 points
• Last Imperial Guard game before the new codex
• We're still learning, so expect some Game Changing mistakes

Mission

The chaos of deployment begins (1/1)

• The mission was randomly selected, hence it wasn't a Tau or Guard mission
• Mobile Defence (Eldar) from the Battle Missions Book was selected
• Deployment was anywhere in your own table half
• But the Guard had to deploy at least 18" from any enemy unit
• The sections of paper are forests, ruins, etc - area terrain with 4+ or 5+ cover saves

Deployment

Tau deployment complete (1/2)

Guard deployment complete (2/2)

• Tau set up right, Guard left
• Tau had all of their Devilfish in reserve as per the mission rules
• The Guard had 2 veteran squads in reserve. 1 squad in Chimera & 1 in a Valkyrie, plus Marbo
• Objectives are blue milk bottle tops, the 4th is behind the sandy coloured structure (centre top)

Turn 1

Tau movement is slow, but forwards (1/2)

The Kroot gain a forward forest as cover (2/2)

• The deployment rules meant we started rather close
• So the Tau moved up slowly, cautiously - very little shooting
• The Guard didn't move, but waited on its reserves, in cover
• The Tau could receive reserves in turn 1, but none arrived
• The Guard were determined to keep their 20 man blob (with commissar) in one place
• To keep them in cover & alive!

Turn 2

The Riptide continues to flank the Russ (1/2)

The Kroot take heavy losses from Lasgun fire (2/2)

• Steady movement forward from the Tau
• The Tau Commander & 3 Battle Suits are getting close
• The Riptide at the far end was making the Guard nervous, as it jump jets into area terrain
• The Guard blob held fast behind & on top of their volcanic hill
• 1 Tau Devilfish arrived containing Firewarriors (bottom right)
• No Guard reserves arrived!

Turn 3

The Chimera of veterans & Marbo arrive (1/3)

Boom! Tau blood covers the table centre! (2/3)

Riptide surrounded - charge! (3/3)

• The Tau's shooting is whittling down the Guard blob
• They are also gradually taking hull points too
• Marbo (just below table centre) & a Chimera of veterans arrive (top left)
• BOOM! Marbo deals an awesome demo charge & kills 3 Battle Suits & the Tau HQ
• Things are looking bad now for the Riptide
• The Russ has now put 2 wounds on the Riptide
• And a veteran squad has appeared behind it in a Chimera

Turn 4

First noobie fail - Deep Striking Valkyrie (1/2)

It scattered & the Tau placed it, very top left (2/2)

• The final Devilfish arrived containing Pathfinders
• Tau continue to do hull points & kill the blob, the Russ is providing cover to the Guard HQ
• The Kroot in the forest are now dead, the blob can push for the objective
• The Basilisk did nothing all game & now has a Riptide bearing down on its left side
• The Valkyrie deep striked - I now know it should have flown in
• It scattered & the Tau got to place it - massive fail

Turn 5

The blob make to an objective (bottom centre) (1/2)

They are then wiped out (2/2)

• It is the final push, so much death has meant there are few troops left to take objectives
• The mishap with the Valkyrie has meant they were too far away to deploy troops onto the top objective
• The blob & Platoon commander are killed by Firewarrior & Devilfish burst cannons
• The Basilisk killed all Pathfinders in 1 volley!
• The Russ has cleverly moved to keep its rear safe & face its front to the Riptide

Summary

The final scene (1/1)

• It was a draw, no troops made it to within 3" of an objective
• Late reserves & heavy troop losses were to blame
• I was lucky with the Riptide, it did very little as it was fitted to kill troops, not vehicles
• None of the Guard vehicles died! Mainly thanks to poor rolling - but also thanks to decent placement?
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