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Introduction
This is a dual play test, the first is of the Daemon Pact/Pool for the Chaos Armies, and the second of the value of the Tau Stealth Contingent. In both cases I am more concerned with how each of them functions within their respective armies, rather then on what effects they may have on the opposing armies. In the case of the Daemon Pact/Pool just how easy it to use, is the system clean, and what effects could it have on a tie breaker (Which we will do even if the battle doesn?t come down to a Tie Breaker). In the case of the XV15s are they worth their points, are they too cheap, too expensive, or are they just right.
So even though both of the armies being used aren?t really balanced yet, however this is going to have a minimal effect on the report. That isn?t to say that we are going to totally ignore any other factors that may show up, just that the above is going to be our primary focus.
Please be gentle folks, both Kimo and Jake are still a bit wet behind the ears, however they are pretty balanced on the skill level. The only restrictions placed on the players was for the Tau to field at least one Stealth Contingent, and for Chaos to field a Daemon Pact with a Daemon Pool.
Tau: Jake
LatD: Kimo
Judge: Jaldon
Tau Army
1st Fire Warrior Cadre (300pts)
8xFire Warriors, 4xDevilfish
2nd Fire Warrior Cadre (300pts)
8xFire Warrior, 4xDevilfish
3rd Hammerhead Contingent (375pts
4xHammerhead (Ion), 2xHammerhead (Railgun)
4th Crisis Cadre (475pts)
4xXV8, 4xHeavy Gun Drone w/Shas?o
5th Crisis Cadre (375pts)
4xXV8, 4xHeavy Gun Drone
6th Stealth Contingent (250pts)
6xXV15
7th Stealth Contingent (250pts)
6xXV15
8th Broadside Contingent (375pts)
4xXV88, 4xGun Drone
LatD Army
1st Coven (400pts)
1xDemagouge, 11xCultist, 6xChimera, 1xHydra
2nd Coven (420pts)
1xHeretic, 11xBig Mutants
3rd Coven (355pts)
1xHeretic, 9xCultist, 5xBig Mutant w/Pact
4th Questors (500pts)
2xQuestors
5th Slannesh Knights (275pts)
4xSlannesh Knights
6th Traitor Arty Battery (250pts)
3xBasilisk
7th Plague Zombies (175pts)
3D6 Zombies
Daemon Pool (325pts)
1xGreater Daemon of Slannesh, 10xDaemonettes
The Tau Plan
For the last couple of days Jaldon has been telling me to build an army that I think I am going to have fun using, rather then trying to build one I think he would like. So this may end up being the least coherent Tau Army ever put together, however it is full of stuff I want to mess around with.
In a number of battles I have been impressed by the Fire Warrior/Crisis combination, so I have taken two of each to form the core of my army, and some Heavy Gun Drones cause they look meaner then the standard Gun Drones.
Jaldon told me I had to field at least one Stealth Contingent, but after looking at them I decided to get two of them cause an idea popped into my head (This is always dangerous). I know tying up 500pts in these two formations may be a bit much for a 2,700pt battle, but I just had to get the second one, really.
Some will quickly notice I don?t have anything armed with a MW to take on WEs, well I think the Broadsides and Hammerheads will have little trouble handling any that may show up, and just about anything else Kimo may field.
My battle plan is simple, the two Stealth Contingents are going to act as a delaying force, and bleed off some of Kimo?s army?s strength in the process, while the rest of the army rolls over into one flank, crushes it, and then rolls the enemy up.
The Chaos Plan
Aloha to the CSM playtest group, and a Big Mahalo to Audrey for putting together the LatD list for us to play with. Know that I will do my best to lead the forces of Chaos to victory (And if I don?t I will throw myself into the midst of the sharks off Nahwiliwili beach).
Originally I was going to give a Daemon Pact to both the 2nd and 3rd Covens, but I changed my mind the day before the battle and reduced it to just the 3rd Coven. For one reason I don?t think that Jake is going to be able to stop the 2nd Coven?s Big Mutants whether they have Daemons to summon or not. The second reason is the 3rd Coven will become a much bigger threat if it keeps throwing up a Daemon screen each turn. Thus I?ll have two really threatening Covens instead of just one.
I am going to push these two big bad Covens straight into Jake?s table half, and onto his objectives, while ignoring anything that is not between them and their targets. The 1st Coven is going to back them up, either by covering a flank, or moving forward through them, so that the advance can continue forward. The Knights and Questors are going to use their speed to get behind Jake?s Army and sow havoc, if anything they?ll draw troops away from the Covens. The Zombies are going to show up just where I need them when I need them, well I hope I get it right anyways. Well Shaka, my friends, shaka.
Turn 1
(Tau win Int pass to LatD)
The 6th PDF Arty Battery opened up sustained fire on the 3rd Hammerhead Contingent, with it?s template reaching to cover two of the 4th Crisis Cadre?s Heavy Gun Drones, the only losses inflicted was the destruction of a single Heavy Gun Drone. The 8th Broadside Contingent in Woods H flipped over onto Overwatch.
Using it?s Daemon Pact the 3rd Coven summoned in four Daemonettes, advanced into Woods E, and opened up on the 6th Stealth Contingent destroying two XV15s. The 7th Stealth Contingent advanced up onto Hills 301 and 410 and opened up on the 2nd Coven. While the 7th failed to drop a single Big Mutant they did place seven BMs on the formation.
The 5th Slannesh Knights advanced just into the gap between Building A and Ridge 105 and poured fire into the 7th Stealth Contingent destroying one XV15. The battered 6th Stealth Contingent performed a double move and got itself in position to provide support to the 7th Stealth Contingent?s flank on Hill 410.
The 2nd Coven performed an Assault FF on the 7th Stealth Contingent, which fell back 10cms drawing in even more of the 6th Stealth Contingents supporting fires. For the loss of only two Big Mutants the 2nd Coven wiped out the 7th Stealth Contingent, and by placing a new BM on the 6th Stealth Contingent, broke that formation and they fell back behind Woods H. The 2nd Fire Warrior Cadre double moved over Ridge 210 and fired on the 2nd Coven dropping three Big Mutants breaking the Chaos formation which fell back behind Building A.
The Questors moved up through the 5th Slannesh Knights (double move) with one taking up a position on Hill 301 and the other on Hill 410. From their they opened up on the 2nd Fire Warrior Cadre dropping two Fire Warriors. The 3rd Hammerhead Contingent popped up on sustained fire and opened up on the Questors ripping the shields off both of them.
The 1st Coven marched around behind Woods B and took up a position just behind Ridge 105. The 1st Fire Warrior Cadre double moved, and then shot at the 3rd Coven, but they were unable to drop a single Cultist.
The 5th Crisis Cadre double moved onto the flank of the 3rd Coven and let fly dropping a Big Mutant and a Cultist. The 4th Crisis Cadre moved up behind the 2nd Fire Warrior Cadre and opened up on the Questors, but they just plain missed (Nice Shooting Jake).
End of Turn 1
Failed Rally: 3rd Hammerhead Contingent, 6th Stealth Contingent
Tau Losses: 1xHeavy Gun Drone, 2xFire Warriors, 8xXV15
LatD: 6xBig Mutants, 1xCultist
Turn 2
(Plague Zombies Arrive)
(Tau win int and keep it)
The 1st Fire Warrior Cadre opened up sustained fire on the 3rd Coven cutting down four Cultist. The 6th PDF Arty Battery opened up sustained fire on the 1st Warrior Cadre, but failed to cause any damage. 3rd Coven summoned in the Greater Daemon and four Daemonettes, declared an Assault CC on the 1st Fire Warrior Cadre. This tripped the 8th Broadside Contingent?s overwatch fire, and they cut down the Greater Daemon, but failed to prevent the charge from going in. For the loss of one Big Mutant and two Daemonettes the 3rd Coven wiped out the 1st Fire Warrior Cadre. Still the 3rd Coven was heavily weighed down with BMs and broke falling back between Ridge 105 and Ruined Building B.
The 3rd Hammerhead Contingent popped up on sustained fire on the Questors, ripping their shields off again, and doing one DC of damage to the closer war engine. The Questors responded by advancing onto Hill 301 and firing on the 2nd Fire Warrior Cadre. With the loss of two Fire Warriors and two Devilfish the 2nd Fire Warrior Cadre broke and fell back behind Ridge 210.
The 4th Crisis Cadre advanced to close the range and opened up on the Questors causing them to lose a further DC. The 5th Slannesh Knights then advanced up onto Hill 410 and fired on the 4th Crisis Cadre destroying two Heavy Gun Drones and the XV8 with the Shas?o.
The 5th Crisis Cadre swung back around and closed on the 7th Zombie Infestation cutting down seven of the foul creatures, and breaking th eformation which held it?s ground. The 1st Coven shot out (double move) from behind Ridge 105, unloaded and fired on the 8th Broadside Contingent destroying two Gun Drones.
The 2nd Coven moved up behind the Questors on Hill 301 and fired on the 4th Crisis Cadre destroying a Heavy Gun Drone and forcing the 4th to retire into the area near Ridge 210.
End Turn 2
Failed Rally: 3rd Coven, Questors, 4th Crisis Cadre.
Tau Losses: 2xGun Drone, 3xHeavy Gun Drone, 1xXV8 w/Shas?o, 6xDevilfish, 10xFire Warrior
LatD Losses: 4xDaemonettes, 1xGreater Daemon, 7xZombies, 4xCultist, 1xBig Mutant
Turn 3
(Chaos wins int and keeps it)
The 1st Coven Assaulted CC the 8th Broadside Contingent in Woods H, and without suffering a single loss the 1st Coven wiped out the 8th (Not only did Jakle fail to hit anything, but he then rolled double ones). The 5th Slannesh Knights advanced between Ridge 210 and Woods H and fired on the still Broken 4th Crisis Cadre wiping it out.
The 3rd Hammerhead Contingent popped up, and in a last bid to do something effective, they poured sustained fire into the Questors yet again. However this time they were rewarded as they destroyed one of the war engines and broke the remaining one. The Zombies failed their initiative test twice and settled on rallying instead of moving.
The 5rh Crisis Cadre performed an Assault FF on the flank of the 1st Coven dropping two Cultist, and a Chimera breaking the formation which fell back to the area of Ridge 105. The 6th PDF Arty Battery opened up sustained fire on the 6th Stealth Contingent destroying two XV15s and breaking the formation.
The 2nd Fire Warrior Cadre advanced and fired on the 5th Slannesh Knights but they failed to damage, or even break, the Chaos formation. Using a double move the 2nd Coven moved up onto Ridge 210.
End of Turn 3
End of Battle
LatD: ?Break Their Spirit? and ?They Shall Not Pass?
Tau: none
Total Battle Losses
Tau: 6xDevilfish, 4xXV8 w/Shas?o, 10xXV15, 4xGun Drone, 4xXV88, 3xHeavy Gun Drone, 12xFire Warriors
LatD: 7xCultist, 7xBig Mutants, 1xQuestor, 1xChimera, 7xZombies, 8xDaemonettes, 1xGreater Daemon.
AABS
At the end of turn three we did roll up rallies and carry out a Tie Breaker. The score still returned a Chaos victory 1,525 to 1,162.
Well the Stealth Contingents did a fine job of getting in the way and really weren't more powerful then their 250pts cost so we now don't feel they are an issue of concern.
The Hammerhead Contingents Ion armed HHs were a definite down grade for those weapons and did help to seperate them out from the Railgun armed HHs, we used the experimental AP4+ AT5+ AA6+ and all felt it was a good thing.
Jaldon, Jake, and Kimo
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Brave sir Robin, when danger reared its ugly head he bravely turned his tail and fled, Brave sir Robin.
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]). Our forces were:
to say the least.