Shadowsun 1500 Batrep 1 – orks

Shadowsun couldn’t see the tide of green iron heading her way, but the clatter and roar of the ork advance could be heard on the other side of the J’dess valley and the dirt and dust from their tyres and engines was a dirty smudge on the horizon that grew and thickened as she watched.

They would be on them within the hour. She glanced around, taking in the orderly but frenetic activity as her cadre prepared to depart. The rocky outcrop she stood on gave her an excellent vantage point to see again what she already knew. Too many of the hammerheads had suffered sensor damage from the summer mudstorms and her crisis teams and broadsides were still being repaired after the gruelling trek through the Min’el mangrove swamps.

An hour would not be enough.

“I need volunteers,” she said quietly.

The dry, scented air around her responded with a soft chorus of voices, each one a warrior she would trust with her life, as she had done so many times already. With a sense-defying blink the lonely outcrop acquired crouching stealth suits and camouflage-shedding sniper drones.

“Go below,” she said. “Move like the wind. Find out what we have to work with. The Greater Good will prevail against the ork hordes, but only if we can meet them on our terms.”

This was the first of two battles I fought last Saturday using my new Tau list. The idea behind this list was to rest the army I had been playing at tournaments and to get some mileage out of the more unusual units and models languishing in my foam trays. The idea was not to make a competitive army out of these other elements, but simply to make an interesting one that would give me (and perhaps my opponents) a novel playing experience.

Here is the list, at 1500 points:-

Shadowsun
3 x Crisis suits with plasma rifle and fusion blaster (aka Helios)
6 x Stealth suits with 8 gun drones
2 x 12 Fire Warriors
2 x piranha with fusion blasters, targeting arrays and disruption pods (not in a squadron)
2 x Skyrays with SMS, targeting arrays and disruption pods (one had BSF)
2 x Sniper Drone Teams (note: this counts as a single FOC choice)

The list lacks three key items, railguns, missile pods and Kroot. My Fire Warriors are foot mobile only with no hope of a devilfish and my HQ has very short range weaponry. In addition, if I want my sniper drones to shoot, they cannot move in the same Turn. This all adds up to a fairly odd-looking Tau army (for me).

Here is the Ork army I faced first:-

2 Big Meks with Kustom Force Field
10 Mega Armoured Nobz in a battlewagon (no big guns)
6 x 12 boyz in trukks. Nob with power klaw in each one.
8 commandos with 2 burnaz and Snikrot.

What is quite cool is that these orks (as well as featuring great conversions and painting) have Tau bits and pieces – the Kustom Force Field is a Tau shield drone – onna stick. Me likey.

I was a bit concerned at the prospect of orks, but with the trukks low front AV I thought this might be doable.

The mission was Seize Ground (5 objectives) with Spearhead deployment. I won the roll to go first. Although I wanted to get an early strike in, I also wanted to go last to contest objectives. I let the ork player go first, and placed my two objectives in the open to deny cover saves.

He deployed everything in a tight knot as centrally as possible, leaving Snikrot in reserve.

I decided to spread out my forces – there is nothing a close combat army likes more than all the enemy units in one place. One sniper drone team (SDT) went on my long table edge and another on the short, about 18″ away. No easy double charges, and Snikrot would have to pick one or the other. Shadowsun and the piranhas were in the open to tempt (and waste) shots, while the Skyrays were deployed as far from one another as possible. The idea was to run them away along their respective table edges. The orks were going to have to split up if they wanted to go after everything and, with any luck, some of them would have to do it on foot.

I kept everyone else in reserve, as they weren’t much use against armour. More importantly, they would only clutter up the deployment zone, inhibit movement and wind up getting charged, whereas if they come on from reserve they would they might have to chance to kill something.

I didn’t try to steal the initiative.

Turn 1

Orks
All the vehicles move forward in a tight bunch, ensuring they give each other as many cover saves as possible, the battlewagon in the middle.



They shoot at Shadowsun, but either fail to see her or fail to hit.

Tau

Both piranha move forward 12″, dropping their drones between them, and the Skyrays move away 12″ along their table edges. Shadowsun jumps forward, but is out of fusion blaster range.



Both my Skyrays could see side armour. They fire their markerlights and then a combination of seeker missiles, fusion blasters and rail rifles wrecks two trukks, destroys one and immobilises another, and also immobilises the battlewagon (that weak side armour letting it down). My ork opponent fails most of his 4+ cover saves. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better start.

Shadowsun stays put. I didn’t want Snikrot getting to her next Turn, and hoped that the piranha/ drone screen in front of her would keep her safe from assault from that direction for now.

Turn 2

Orks
Snikrot does not come on.

In all, three units of boyz have been forced out their transports (boyz squads A-C). Boyz squad A had a Big Mek attached (Big Mek 1 for short).

Boyz squad A (on my left) moved and ran into the terrain next to them where an objective lay. One of my Skyrays was close by. Big Mek 1 leaves the squad and stays in the terrain (presumably to maximise the number of squads benefiting from his cover save. In a KP game this would not have happened, I am sure).

The middle unit (boyz squad B) assaults a piranha and immobilises it, also destroying its gun.

The right hand unit (boyz squad C) runs towards my second Skyray. They assault it, and succeed in Stunning it. It would be dead next Turn for sure.

The other Big Mek (let’s call him Big Mek 2) was in the trukk that had been immobilised, along with boyz squad D. He gets out by himself and manages to repair the battlewagon. Dang and blast.

The other two trukks (carrying boyz squads E and F) make their dangerous terrain rolls and drive forward through the wreckage.

Tau

The Crisis Suits come on. With the Mega Armoured Nobz still in their battlewagon there is not much for these guys to do, but they can still lend a hand and act as a distraction.



One unit of Fire Warriors comes on. I bring them on near the stunned Skyray, hoping to take out boyz squad C asap. I rapid fire, but with their cover saves I only kill a few.



The remaining Piranha jumps over the wrecked vehicles and puts a point blank melta shot into the side of the battlewagon. Markerlights help ensure it fails its cover save and the vehicle is wrecked (got to love +2 on the vehicle damage table!). The Mega Armoured Nobz pile out – and are promptly pinned Looks like my plucky piranha might survive the next Turn.



Of the two remaining trukks, I manage to wreck the one nearest my stunned Skyray, forcing those boyz out (boyz squad E). I fail to do anything to the last trukk, which is now within range of Shadowsun. Eek!

The Crisis Suits assault move forward to get near their commander/ away from Snikrot should he show up.

Turn 3

Orks
No Snikrot, but the ork player decides to call his Waaagh! The game could turn on what happens now.

The last remaining trukk moves past my gun drones and unloads its boyz right next to Shadowsun (boyz squad F). The greenskins fire, killing a shield drone, and charge. The Command Link drone hums its last and Shadowsun loses two wounds. She kills no orks, and so loses the combat by three. She promptly fails her leadership test but, with Initiative 4, manages to fall back – right to the edge of the table! Still, she might rally – Ld 10 is pretty solid. On reflection, that combat went about as well as I could have hoped! Boyz squad F gets a 5″ consolidation and moves into the terrain in my corner (but, crucially, fewer than 1/2 of them make it into cover).



Boyz squad A on my left run out of the terrain and charge the skyray, but even the power-klaw nob misses his attacks, and the skyray is unharmed.



Boyz squad B (the ones that had put my second piranha out of the fight) charge a unit of two gun drones. That goes predictably (although out of eight 4+ saves I had to make, I only failed two! Still, two was enough to kill my gun drones)

Boyz squad C (the orks that had stunned my skyray) could now autohit it, and promptly wreck it.



Boyz squad E Waaagh! as close to my firebase as they can, but do not get into assault range of my crisis suits. Phew!



Big Mek 2 fails to repair his immobilised trukk. He’s goin’ nowhere.

Tau

My second team of Fire Warriors comes on. I move them past my SDT, but only 4″ in. Why not 6″? Because-

-my Stealths suits come on. Oh, goody I jump them over the Fire Warriors’ heads into the space I had left clear. No cover saves for Mr Ork!

Shadowsun rallies on Ld 10 and moves forward 3″.

Shooting is devastating. The Stealth suits kill every last one of boyz squad F (the ones who had charged Shadowsun). All guns firing on BS5 meant I could have killed the unit twice over.

The Fire Warriors rapid fire into boyz squad E directly ahead, and the Crisis Suits add their guns. Even with cover saves, only the Nob survives on a single wound.

The Skyray moves away from the ork boyz bothering it (boyz squad A), reducing their numbers with its SMS.

Shadowsun destroys the last remaining trukk. I love that lady’s fusion blasters (that is not a euphemism).

The lone piranha moves flat out away to my right, keeping well away from any ork threats. He is my last-Turn contester, so I must keep him safe now.

Beside the wrecked Skyray, the 12 Fire Warriors move into difficult terrain and rapid fire again at boyz squad C, killing several. The orks hold their ground.

In the assault phase I have a difficult choice; jump my Stealths back and put them at risk from Snikrot or jump them forward and put them at risk of a charge from boyz squad B – the last ork unit in my deployment zone. I decide to jump them forward, taking them as far away from Snikrot as possible. I offer up my Crisis Suits to boyz squad B, jumping them forward into easy assault range. He should ignore them and go for my Stealths, who are far more lethal to his orks, but people hate Crisis Suits. Which will he go for?

Turn 4

Orks
Snikrot appears (which, on a 2+, he bloomin’ well otta!). He comes in behind the Fire Warriors and flames them. They break and run into Snikrot’s unit and are destroyed.



Over on my left, the depleted boyz squad A pursues the unharmed Skyray. They assault again but just scratch the paint.

Boyz squad B in the centre decides to assault – the Crisis Suits! Hip and hooray! They wipe my suits out (taking a couple of casualties) and consolidate back towards the objective in the open. Big Mek 2 runs to join them.

The Mega Armoured Nobz try and get into the action as well, but roll snake eyes and get nowhere.

Big Mek 1 (the one who repaired the battlewagon) gets out of the immobilised trukk with boyz squad D and leads them towards the objective in the orks’ deployment zone.

Next to the wrecked Skyray, boyz squad C fires at my Fire Warriors and then charges. Since they are charging into terrain I get to go first and remarkably the combat is drawn, with only the Nob left standing against seven Fire Warriors.



Tactical recap – I have scoring orks near three of the five objectives, and I have only one troops squad left, locked in combat. How’s that new list looking now, Mr Sholto?

Tau

The skyray tank shocks the orks of boyz squad A, avoiding the Nob with the power klaw. They fail they leadership check (yay!) but the banner gives them a reroll (boo!) and they pass. To teach them the error of their ways the Skyray whittles down their number with its SMS and the Sniper Drones force multiple pinning checks, which they eventually fail. They are still within 3″ of the objective, however. Pinned, but still capable of scoring.



The stealth unit wipes out Snikrot’s unit.



The surviving pair of gun drones maneuvers near the central objective to try and contest next Turn.

In the close combat, the Fire Warriors kill the Nob and consolidate towards an objective.

Turn 5

Orks
The Mega Nobz get another poor movement roll, and it is clear they will not be contributing to the game, stuck in the vehicle graveyard in the middle of the table.

Boyz squad D, led by Big Mek 1, moves to claim the objective in the ork deployment zone.

In the middle of the table, the boyz squad B (now led by Big Mek 2) retrench around the objective there.

The lone Nob (which we had both forgotten about in Turn 4) charges Shadowsun. He kills her shield drone, but she kills him. The lady gets four attacks base – she bitchin’.



I am now left in the once purely theoretical position of Shadowsun now being an IC (having lost all her drones) and able to join another unit AND having a unit of Stealth suits nearby for her to join. This will happen again in the year 2012, right before the world ends (John Cusack will be seen escaping in a Toyota Prius).

Tau

The piranha moves flat out and contests the objective in the ork deployment zone. Cue surprised look by my opponent (that never gets old )

My Fire Warriors reach the objective they were heading for.



I wipe out boyz squad B, including Big Mek 2.

I fail to wipe out boyz squad A up near my Skyray, but I reduce them to a single Nob, and pin them again for good measure. The Nob is more than 3″ from the nearest objective.

I am currently winning

We roll for a Turn 6 and, sadly, we get a Turn 6…

Turn 6

Orks
The orks kill my piranha. They get an immobilised result in assault and it crashes and goes boom. Sad puppy face.



Tau

I have nothing else to contest that last objective with, so I content myself with killing the pinned Nob from boyz squad A.

We roll, and the game ends there.

Result: Orks claim one objective, Tau also claim one objective. DRAW.

Summary and Thoughts

For an almost willfully odd list, this performed well above and beyond expectations, although luck played a part. To cripple the mechanised advance on the first Turn in the way I did was wholly unexpected, but with S6 and S8 weapons a-plenty, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. The ork player did fail more than his share of cover saves, though.

This is the first game where, even looking back, I cannot identify a single obvious mistake I made. I am sure I made plenty, but nothing that makes me want to tear my hair out, so that’s an improvement. And while the deployment favoured my Tau, the mission certainly did not, so I am well pleased with the result. It could even have been a win if the piranha had not been immobilised on the last Turn.

Units:-

Sniper Drone Teams. These guys rocked! Sitting well back, the managed to stay alive and untouched the whole game. Their markerlights were rarely used to boost their own shooting, while the rail rifles themselves managed to force multiple pinning tests on weakened (ie. non-Fearless) ork squads. They are also dangerous against armour, especially AV10, and would make Rhinos think twice about coming within range (see my next game for more on that). Splitting them up worked well.

Shadowsun. While I never used her command link drone, I certainly got some good mileage out of her abilities. She is not a points-effective substitute for a regular shas’el, but her stealth field tempts those shots at range and her fusion blasters keep vehicles and walkers at bay. She is also one of the Tau’s best close combat units, although by no means a specialist. Surviving being charged twice in one game tells its own story, though.

Stealth suits. Not my favourite elite unit, but when kitted out for maximum firepower, these guys are point-and-click unit killers. Keeping them in reserve seems to be the best way to go, since otherwise I can see the enemy focusing his ranged firepower on them (indirect fire and scatters off nearby units are the bane of stealth suits). A unit this size is perhaps too big to deepstrike reliably, but when you know the enemy is coming to you, having them walk on (jump on) from your own long table edge will give you a huge localised firepower advantage. A couple of markerlight hits makes this unit crazy good – gun drones firing pinning weapons on BS5 with re-rolls to hit?

Skyrays. The BS4 markerlights on a mobile, AV13 chassis are what make this unit worth taking. You need an additional source of markerlights to get the most out of them, however, since otherwise you are likely to wind up with seeker missiles left unused. With SMS they can move 6″ and fire everything, and their ability to contest shouldn’t be ignored.

Helios XV8 team. Didn’t really do much, but this was not the game for them. Would have made mincemeat of the Mega Armoured Nobz if given a chance, but it never came to pass. Bravely sacrificed themselves to keep the much more effective stealth suits in the game.

After this, my next game was against the Space Wolves. More mech, but these ones were tougher all-round and they had brought psychic powers and AV13 dreadnoughts. Should be interesting…