Events
and Battle Reports
Catch a
Tiger By the Tau
Intro
and Army Lists <> Part 1 <> Part
2 <> Post Game
Catch a Tiger by the Tau—Introduction
and Army Lists
Battle report and
commentary by Kenton Kilgore; fiction and commentary by Patrick Eibel
Chandramatie Bahl, Tiger
of Brihaspati and Acting Raja of Ghuyarashtra, paced the bridge of her
battle barge, Destroyer of Worlds. Beside her, a seated Astropath
interfaced with the ship’s navigational equipment and projected views of
the space around them on the large holo-screens that ringed the bridge.
While the other commanders of
the Fighting Tigers were busy dealing with threats elsewhere, she was tasked
with resolving matters with the Tau, who had nearly wiped out her detachment
during
their last encounter. It was of little comfort to Bahl that
she was not in charge at that time and that she had tried her best to resolve
the situation diplomatically. The actions of her
previous superior - she could not bring herself to use his name
- made diplomacy moot, however, and now shhe pursued the alien fleet to
negotiate reparations, or, failing that, to exact retribution.
She knew their course was heading
towards the Tau Empire, but the Astropath assured her they would overtake
the Tau fleet before reinforcements could arrive. In her heart, Chandramatie
Bahl still hoped a peaceful accord with the Tau could be reached.
There was much to be admired in their discipline, their technological advancement,
and their attempts to incorporate conquered worlds into their Empire.
During her last meeting with the Ethereal
that led this Cadre, one Aun Elsy’eir
Kor, she had felt that he was reasonable and wanted to earnestly correct
the misunderstandings that had led to fighting between their forces.
She only hoped that she was up to the task of showing him the wisdom of
making amends.
* * *
The planet of Madrac IV is a forge
world known for producing some of the finest tanks and munitions available
on the black market. If the planet were not so close to the Tau Empire,
it would have been conquered by Imperial agents long ago. The Ethereal
Aun Elsy’eir Kor knew that continued Tau vigilance in the sector was vital
in keeping the Madrac IV free of Imperial control, and even more, he knew
that the Planetary Governor, Hairston Jax, valued that freedom more than
anything.
The Planetary Governor’s Palace
was lavishly appointed and ornately decorated, a testament to the wealth
accrued from the unchecked sales of armaments manufactured in the planet’s
forges. The governor was a soft, callous man with no understanding
of military tactics or deployment, but he knew negotiation and always made
sure that his end of the bargain would benefit not only him, but the people
of Madrac IV. He knew that to stay ruler of the desolate little planet,
he had to keep the populace happy.
The august Ethereal entered the
meeting room of the Governor’s Palace with a small contingent of attendants
and translators. Most of the attendants were present just for show
to impress the Governor with the status of Aun Kor. Planetary Governor
Hairston Jax watched the Ethereal’s entrance on a monitor in a nearby room
and swanned into the meeting room a good fifteen minutes later.
If the Ethereal was insulted,
he did not show it, but instead began describing the problem that faced
him and his fleet. They were being pursued by a large number of Imperial
Marines and needed the aid of the Governor’s Planetary Defense Force to
help repel the incursion. In exchange, the Tau would continue to
keep the space lanes around Mordac IV free of Imperial spies and share
some antigravitic technology that would prove useful in the planet’s mining
operations.
Three hours later, documents had
been signed solidifying the pact between the two leaders and preparations
were begun for the inevitable planetfall of the Space Marine forces.
Aun Elsy’eir Kor knew that a prolonged campaign with the Fighting Tigers
would waste many precious resources and would not be in the best interest
of the Greater Good. One decisive battle to either slap the Marines
in the face and dissuade them from their pursuit, or buy enough time for
the bulk of the Tau to escape, was what was needed. Either way, the
Ethereal mused, success would be his.
Welcome to the first Apocalypse battle
report to be featured on the Jungle. This game was supposed to be
one of the annual New Year’s Day battles that Pat and I fight, but issues
with schedules pushed it back to the end of January. This battle is the
follow-up to Episodes 6-9 of Traveller of Both
Time and Space, wherein the Fighting Tigers of Veda encounter,
battle, and ultimately suffer major losses against a Tau “air cavalry”
force. Weeks after the events portrayed in those episodes, the Fighting
Tigers are pursuing the Tau contingent, to exact revenge; the Tau are determined
to repulse the Tigers and dissuade them from further hostilities.
 Fighting
Tigers of Veda: 4995 points by
Kenton Kilgore
I built this list with units I thought
would be fun to play. I actually do have enough figures to field a Space
Marine Battle Company (a Captain + Command Squad, six Tactical Squads,
two Assault Squads, and two Devastator Squads), so I brought one. I can
field a Suppression Force (a Land Speeder and at least two Whirlwinds),
so I brought one of those, too. The rest were figures I’ve recently acquired
(the Fighting Tiger Black Ops)
or worked on (the Attack Bikes and Tornados). Because this battle is inspired
by Traveller of Both Time and Space, I had to take Chandramatie
Bahl (at right) as the leader.
-
Chandramatie Bahl,
Tiger of Brihaspati, Acting Raja of Jatis Ghuyarashtra. Librarian (Codicier)
w/ force weapon, bolt pistol, psychic hood, jump pack, and Fear of the
Darkness (126 points)
-
Daksha Ram, Tiger
of Varuna. Chaplain (Master of Sanctity) w/ crozius arcanum, rosarius,
plasma pistol (115 points)
-
Kshatriya Patel.
Commander (Captain) w/ power weapon, and storm bolter (80 points)
-
Command Squad.
Veteran Sergeant w/ power fist and bolt pistol; Apothecary w/ bolt pistol,
close combat weapon, narthecium, and reductor; Standard Bearer w/ bolt
pistol, close combat weapon, company standard; two Singh w/ flamer; Furious
Charge for squad, ICs (188 points). Rhino w/ extra armor, smoke
launchers (58 points)
-
Fighting Tiger Black
Ops (Veteran Fighting Tigers). Veteran Sergeant Janhavi w/ power fist,
combat shield, and bolt pistol; three Veterans w/ bolt pistols and close
combat weapons; one Veteran w/ melta gun; one Veteran w/ lightning claws;
all w/ frag grenades and Furious Charge (189 points). Drop Pod
(30 points)
-
Tigers of Rudra
(Tactical Marines), Squad 1. Veteran Sergeant w/ power fist and bolt pistol;
seven Marines w/ bolters; one Marine w/ flamer; one Marine w/ melta gun
(Cleanse and Purify trait); all w/ frag grenades (210 points). Rhino
w/ extra armor, smoke launchers (58 points)
-
Tigers of Rudra
(Tactical Marines), Squad 2. Veteran Sergeant w/ bolter-flamer and lightning
claw; seven Marines w/ bolters; one Marine w/ flamer; one Marine w/ melta
gun (Cleanse and Purify trait) (205 points). Rhino w/ extra
armor, smoke launchers, searchlight (59 points)
-
Tigers of Rudra
(Tactical Marines), Squad 3. Veteran Sergeant w/ bolter-flamer, power weapon;
seven Marines w/ bolters; one Marine w/ plasma gun; one Marine w/ missile
launcher (200 points). Drop Pod (30 points)
-
Tigers of Rudra
(Tactical Marines), Squad 4. Veteran Sergeant w/ bolter-flamer, power weapon;
seven Marines w/ bolters; one Marine w/ flamer; one Marine w/ melta gun
(Cleanse and Purify trait) (200 points). Rhino w/ extra armor,
smoke launchers, dozer blade (63 points)
-
Tigers of Rudra
(Tactical Marines), Squad 5. Veteran Sergeant w/ bolter-flamer and power
fist; seven Marines w/ bolters; one Marine w/ flamer; one Marine w/ melta
gun (Cleanse and Purify trait) (205 points). Rhino w/ extra
armor, smoke launchers, searchlight (59 points)
-
Tigers of Rudra
(Tactical Marines), Squad 6. Veteran Sergeant w/ bolter-flamer; seven Marines
w/ bolters; one Marine w/ flamer; one Marine w/ plasma cannon (196 points).
Drop
Pod (30 points)
-
Tigers of Kali
(Assault Marines), Squad 1. Veteran Sergeant w/ power fist and close combat
weapon; two Assault Marines w/ flamers; seven Assault Marines w/ bolt pistols
and close combat weapons; all w/ frag grenades, jump packs, meltabombs
(282 points)
-
Tigers of Kali
(Assault Marines), Squad 2. Veteran Sergeant w/ power fist and close combat
weapon; two Assault Marines w/ flamers; seven Assault Marines w/ bolt pistols
and close combat weapons; all w/ frag grenades, jump packs, meltabombs
(282 points)
-
Tigers of Kali,
Bike Squadron 1. Three Attack Bikes w/ heavy bolters (150 points)
-
Tigers of Kali,
Bike Squadron 2. Three Attack Bikes w/ heavy bolters (150 points)
-
Tigers of Kali,
Bike Squadron 3. Three Attack Bikes w/ multi-meltas (195 points)
-
Nine Land Speeder Tornadoes,
each in separate squadrons, w/ heavy bolters and assault cannons (720 points)
-
Tigers of Agni
(Devastator Marines), Squad 1. Sergeant and five Marines w/ bolters; four
Marines w/ heavy bolters (210 points)
-
Tigers of Agni
(Devastator Marines), Squad 2. Sergeant and five Marines w/ bolters; four
Marines w/ missile launchers (230 points)
-
Battle Company Formation
(200 points)
-
Suppression Force Formation.
Land Speeder Tornado + 2 Whirlwinds (275 points)
With so many Tactical Squads using transports
and Cleanse and Purify, I was geared up for a lot of close-up fighting
with the Tau and the Guard—which was exactly what I wanted. To avoid driving
through [poop]loads of incoming fire, my strategy was to use Flank March
to attack from the sides and rear of Pat’s deployment zone, using the Careful
Planning strategic asset, granted by the Battle Company Formation, to come
in on Turns 1 and 2. With the Hold At All Costs strategic asset, I was
confident that I could grab three or four objectives, deny Pat the others,
and win the game.
Tau/Imperial Guard Alliance: 5003 points
by Patrick Eibel
My force consists of two tank-heavy
armies: a Tau “air cavalry” of Hammerheads and Devilfish, backed by Crisis
Suits and Pathfinders; and a Imperial Guard Armored Company of Leman Russes,
Demolishers, and Sentinels, with a Baneblade and a converted Warhound Titan.
Tau Mobile Air Cadre
-
Ethereal Aun Elsy’eir
Kor with honor blade (60 points)
-
Commander Shas’el Shi’ki
Khan with ion blaster, missile pod, HW multi-tracker (77 points)
-
Bodyguard Team Ganpura
with burst cannon, missile pod, targeting array, HW multi-tracker (2 suits,
140 points)
-
Monat Battlesuit Shas’vre
Shi’chin Osuki with plasma rifle, missile pod, targeting array, HW
multi-tracker (82 points)
-
Monat Battlesuit Shas’vre
O’ren Ichi’i with plasma rifle, missile pod, targeting array, HW multi-tracker
(82 points)
-
Fire Warrior Team Aka’iro
with pulse rifles, team leader with bonding knife (12 warriors, 135 points)
-
Devilfish with
decoy launchers, disruption pod, multi-tracker (100 points)
-
Rapid Deployment Force
with Rapid Redeployment (4 units + 100 points)
-
Fire Warrior Team Ukon’iro
with pulse rifles, team leader with bonding knife (11 warriors, 125 points)
-
Devilfish with
decoy launchers, disruption pod, multi-tracker (100 points)
-
Fire Warrior Team Tor’uko
with pulse rifles, team leader with bonding knife (12 warriors, 135 points)
-
Devilfish with
decoy launchers, disruption pod, multi-tracker (100 points)
-
Fire Warrior Team Midori’iro
with pulse rifles, team leader with bonding knife (12 warriors, 135 points)
-
Devilfish with
decoy launchers, disruption pod, multi-tracker (100 points)
-
Fire Warrior Team Ensh’oku
with pulse rifles, team leader with bonding knife (12 warriors, 135 points)
-
Devilfish with
decoy launchers, disruption pod, multi-tracker (100 points)
-
Pathfinder Team Sen’datsu
with pulse carbine, markerlight, team leader with bonding knife, target
lock (92 points)
-
Devilfish with
decoy launchers, disruption pod, multi-tracker, upgraded drones with smart
missile system (100 points)
-
Armored Interdiction
Force with Tactical Support (D3 + 1 markerlight hits, 50 points)
-
Hammerhead Sanbi’mu
with ion cannon, smart missile system, decoy launcher, disruption pods,
multitracker (150 points)
-
Hammerhead Kuzame’wan
with railgun, burst cannons, decoy launcher, d-pods, multitracker (185
points)
-
Hammerhead Kuzame’ni
with railgun, burst cannons, decoy launcher, d-pods, multitracker (185
points)
Madrac IV Armored Company
-
Sentinel Team “AT-ST
86” with lascannons, armored crew compartment, extra armor (2 Sentinels,
150 points)
-
Tank Squadron Spearhead
(25 points)
-
Demolisher “Suzerain”
with plasma cannon sponsons, extra armor, mine sweeper, smoke (188 points)
-
Demolisher “Spartan”
with extra armor, track guards, searchlight (181 points)
-
Demolisher “Scipio”
with extra armor, track guards, searchlight (181 points)
-
Tank Squadron Vanguard
(25 points)
-
Leman Russ “Viking”
with heavy bolter sponsons, lascannon hull, extra armor (160 points)
-
Leman Russ “Visigoth”
with heavy bolter sponsons, extra armor, pintle stubber, smoke (175 points)
-
Leman Russ “Vandal”
with heavy bolter sponsons, extra armor, pintle stubber, smoke (175 points)
-
Baneblade “Scourge
Of God” (500 points)
-
Warhound Titan “AT-AT
225” (750 points)
I guessed that Kenton would bring the
Battle Company Formation—he has a huge army, and he’s always trying to
bring as much infantry as he can. I also correctly guessed that he would
try to Flank March me and get into hand-to-hand as soon as possible. Pah!
You can’t get into hand-to-hand if there’s no one there: I brought exactly
zero Guard figures and all my Fire Warriors were mounted in Devilfish.
What he would wind up getting was exactly what he didn’t want: a whole
mess of heavy weapon fire. Booyah!
Setting Up
by Kenton Kilgore
We played at Pat’s house, on a 5
½' by 8' board Pat had set up to replicate an industrial area outside
a key city on the forge world of Madrac IV. Following the rules in the
Apocalypse set, we divided the board into two huge, triangular deployment
zones, and marked the no-man’s-land between them.
The Whirlwinds and Tornado
of the Suppression Force, with Tigers of Agni Squad 1, and the Tigers'
mascot, Spot
As most of my army would start in
Strategic Reserves, I bid that I could set up the rest in three minutes;
Pat also elected to keep part of his army in Reserves and bid ten minutes.
I put down the Suppression Force, the Whirlwinds safely behind cover. I
also put my Devastator Squad with the heavy bolters in a high building
and my Devs with the missile launchers in another nearby building. In my
haste to fully deploy, however, I inadvertently had set up my missile launcher
Devs in no-man’s-land, and was forced to take them off and keep them in
Strategic Reserves.
Tau/Imperial Guard Alliance
deployment, with the Star Wars AT-AT counting as a Warhound
Titan
Pat set down all of his IG, the Hammerheads,
and the Pathfinders. Then we placed objectives, most of them in or near
cover (I placed one objective in the midst of my heavy-bolter Devastators).
We agreed on a five-hour game (starting at 11:00 a.m. and ending at 4:00
p.m.), and as I had deployed first, I got to go first.
Another view of Pat's deployment.
The Pathfinders (mounted on Cold One models) are in the building in the
center
Catch a
Tiger By the Tau
Intro
and Army Lists <> Part 1 <> Part
2 <> Post Game
Posted March 2008
Top |
