This is a placeholder for the first "international" Tau playtest game between Dobbsy and one of our local Canadian players.

I'll try to get the armies up later this evening.

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"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Rules Used

Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations
Tau v6.01


Scenario

Tournament Scenario

Armies Used

Tau Expeditionary Force – Phase 1 - 3000 Points

Battlesuit HQ
4 Battlesuits
Shas'O
2 Battlesuits

Firewarrior Cadre 1
6 Fire Warriors
3 Devilfish
2 Pathfinders
1 Devilfish
1 Skyray

Firewarrior Cadre 2
8 Fire Warriors
1 Bonded Team
3 Broadsides

Armoured Cadre 1 – (BTS Target)
4 Hammerheads (Fusion Guns)
2 Hammerheads (Fusion Guns)
1 Skyray

Armoured Cadre 2
4 Hammerheads (Railguns)
2 Hammerheads (Railguns)

Broadsides
6 Broadsides

Steathsuits
6 Steathsuits

Recon Skimmers
6 Tetra

Barracuda Squadron
2 Barracudas


Nomad Thunderbike Assault Force - 2950 Points

Strike Cruiser
1 Strike Cruiser

Bike Detachment Alpha
5 Bikes
1 Chaplain

Bike Detachment Beta
5 Bikes
1 Chaplain

Bike Detachment Charlie
5 Bikes
1 Chaplain

Bike Detachment Delta
5 Bikes
1 Chaplain

Scout Detachment 1
4 Scouts
4 Razorbacks (Lascannon)

Scout Detachment 2
4 Scouts
4 Razorbacks (Lascannon)

Terminator Detachment – (BTS Target)
4 Terminators
1 Supreme Commander

Thunderhawk 1
1 Thunderhawk

Thunderhawk 2
1 Thunderhawk

Thunderhawk 3
1 Thunderhawk

Thunderhawk 4
1 Thunderhawk

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Battlefield:

4x6

Marines chose long table edge.


Deployment:

Marines kept Terminators in reserve, loaded all Bikes into Thunderhaws, but *NOT* into the Strike Cruiser, and declared Turn 1 as the Strike Cruiser’s arrival time.

Tau kept Stealthsuits in reserve.

Both Scout Detachments were garrisoned on overwatch.

Fire Warrior Cadre 2 and the Broadsides were garrisoned on overwatch.

Remaining deployment as shown:

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Turn 1

No teleports.

Strategy Roll: Tau!

Bracing for the coming aerial impacts, Armoured Cadre 1 attempts to go on overwatch… and fails!  They regroup, removing their Blast marker.

The Strike Cruiser appears overhead and drops a load on Armoured Cadre 1, Fire Warriors 1, and the Crisis HQ!  Two Fire Warriors, one Hammerhead, and a Crisis Team are all blow apart, stunning the Tau.



Thunderhawk 1, carrying Bikes Alpha descent on Armoured Cadre 1, and the intermingled Crisis HQ!  A missile knocks off 1DC, but the ground assault continues.  



The Tau account for two Bikes, and the Marines only drop one Fusionhead, but it’s just enough to tip the balance and the Marines win by “1â€Â

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

[Turn 1 continued]

Fire Warriors 1 double on Bikes Beta and reap a grim harvest, dropping four of the Marine units in a scything hail of Pulse weapons.

Thunderhawk 3 and Bikes Charlie attempt to return the favour, performing a ground attack on the mechanized Fire Warriors.  The overwatching Broadsides nail a single Bike unit, while the assault sees three Fire Warrior units and three Bike units taken out… and a Devilfish dropped by support fire… but the massed Tau win, wiping out the attacking Marines!  Who’s awesome now, by’otch!?



The Recon group attempts to double… fails… tries again… fails… and regroups.

Thunderhawk 4, along with Bikes Delta, then ground assault the Broadsides, staying out of line of sight of other overwatch, and wipes out the heavy Tau walkers.



Scouts 2 doubles forward, loses a Razorback to Fire Warriors 2 overwatch fire, and shoots on Armoured Cadre 2 to no effect.

Scouts 1 does the same thing… to the same negligible effect…



End of Turn

Bikes Beta fail to rally.

All surviving Tau rally.

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Turn 2

The Terminators arrive safely, while the Stealth Group gets one Blast marker.



Strategy Roll: Marines.

Scouts 2 needs the encouragement of the recently arrived Supreme Commander to motivate them to engage the recently arrived Stealth Cadre.  One Scout is cut down due to first strike, another goes down from close combat, and a single Stealth is gutted… until support fire kicks in, and the Tau are wiped out to a “manâ€Â

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Turn 3

No teleports.

Strategy Roll: Marines

Scouts 1 advance on Fire Warriors 2, putting a single Blast marker on them.

The Terminators then engage the intermingled Fire Warriors 2 and Recon Group… a total of six Fire Warriors, two Tetras, and a Broadside are smashed apart… while the Marines take no casualties at all…



Until the Hammerheads pop-up and advance on them, leaving only a smear of scattered armour plating where proud Marines once stood!  *OUCH*

Thunderhawk 3 attempts a clipping ground assault on Fire Warriors 1, takes out a Fire Warrior… and takes 2DC damage in return!

The Barracudas return to combat air patrol.

And Thunderhawk 4 suffers a Blast marker from their interception as it attempts to shout up Fire Warriors 1… to little effect.



Fire Warriors 1 decide to advance a bit… fail… and just move, spreading out to tag the Marine Blitz and one of their own objectives.

The Crisis HQ double to attack and wipe out the remnants of Bikes Beta, and that’s all she wrote…


End of Turn

Rallying is inconsequential.


Score:

Marines 1 (BTS) vs Tau 3 (Blitz, BTS, T-n-H) – Major Tau Victory!

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

wow, what a vicious game! Interesting to see Tau initiate so many engagements AND win

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numquam culum es

Big blocks of FF5+ troops with 5+ armour isn't actually *that* bad... especially when supporting!  

_________________
"EPIC: Total War" Lead Developer

Now living in Boston... any EPIC players want to meet up?

Dobbsy! We go to the same barbershop!  

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Honda

"Remember Taros? We do"

- 23rd Elysian Drop Regiment