Battle Report - Tau versus Storm Dragons

Points: 1,000

Mission: Capture & Control

Deployment: Spearhead











Armies
Tau: (under the command of Ethereal Niek)
Commander + 3 Battlesuits (Plasma&Missiles)
2 Broadsides
2 Kroot Carnivore squads
Tau Firewarrior Squad
Pathfinder Squad
Hammerhead

Storm Dragons:
Librarian (Avenger & Null Zone)
5 Tacticals (Razorback w/TL Assault Cannon)
10 Tacticals (Power Weapon, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Rhino w/Dozer Blade)
Dreadnought (TL Lascannon, Missile Launcher)
2*Land Speeders (Multi-melta, Heavy Flamer)

Thunderfire Cannon
Vindicator

Deployment:

The Tau took first turn, placing their objective behind cover. I placed my objective as far forward in my deployment zone as I could, but close to my table edge.

Niek put one Kroot squad in reserve to Outflank.

I left everything in reserve, not very excited at the thought of advancing across the table against that firepower!

Turn 1
...yeah, nothing happened here!

Turn 2
The Tau reposition slightly.

Fickle reserve rolls give me my Rhino squad, the Thunderfire and a single Speeder to play with. The Thunderfire moves up on my left flank. The Rhino moves up to my objective and pops smoke, while the Speeder tries to take out the Hammerhead and fails.

Turn 3
The Kroot arrive and go after my Thunderfire, destroying it with their hunting rifles.
 

Seeker missiles take out my Speeder, but Storm Dragon reinforcements are on hand. The Razorback trundles onto the board, accompanied by the Dreadnought, who promtply takes out the Hammerhead with its Lascannon.

Turn 4
The Broadsides destroy the Razorback and the Librarian and the combat squad inside bail out. Seeker missiles destroy the Rhino, and the Tactical Squad disembarks into the woods to hide from the approaching Kroot!

The Vindicator moves up beside the Rhino on my objective. The last Speeder arrives and ducks behind the ruined building, ready to contest the enemy objective.

Turn 5
The Tau, prepared for such cheap tricks, spin a ring of Pathfinders around their objective, and target the Speeder with Seeker Missiles, destroying it. The Devilfish moves up to contest my objective.

My last hope for contesting the enemy objective lies with my Librarian and his squad. They advance towards the Tau lines, a squad of Kroot arrayed before them to unleash a fusillade of shots at the Space Marines.

Firewarriors disembark from their transport and hose the Tactical Marines on my objective, several Marines fall, but crucially they hold their ground.

The Vindicator moves up and pushes the Firewarriors off my objective, as the Tactical Marines slay the nearby Kroot squad with bolter fire, securing their objective. The Dreadnought charges the Firewarrior while the Vindicator destroys the Devilfish with a point-blank Demolisher shot.

The strung out Kroot on the Tau's objective critically misjudges the distance between them and the Librarian and his companions and are dragged off the objective by the Storm Dragon's charge.

The Kroot fight boldly but nonetheless perish. The game ends there, meaning victory for the Space Marines!