Battle Report (Tau Empire vs Deathguard)

By
SN Team
-
0
1395
Like a putrescent bow wave the forces of grandfather Nurgle were preceded by a toxic miasma that rotted all organic matter and turned the very air toxic. The effect looked like a churning brown smog that rolled forwards over the landscape in a way that betrayed the sentient malice behind it. Partially obscured within the thick fog of daemonic decomposition marched the stolid ranks of the Death Guard, shambling and horrific giants in corroded armour that stomped their way forward steadily through the quagmire left by the patron deities corrupting touch. Their foe poured bright fire into the morass but most of it missed its mark or dissipated as it hit the wall of entropy that surrounded Nurgle favoured. The T’au used their expertise at fire and manoeuvre to stay one step ahead of the unnatural pall that enveloped and protected their foe but they knew they were running out of both time and space to indulge in such tactics. Their primary drop zones lay just behind them. The time had come to make a stand. A time to fight and die.

Mission: Retrieval

Points: 1750

Deployment: Vanguard Strike

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Chaos – Death Guard) ++

+ HQ +

Lord of Contagion:  Revoltingly Resilient, Plaguereaper, The Suppurating Plate, Warlord

Malignant Plaguecaster: Miasma of Pestilence, Curse of the Leper

+ Troops +

Plague Marines
. Plague Champion: Bolt pistol, Plaguesword, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun

Plague Marines
. Plague Champion: Plague knife, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun

Plague Marines
. Plague Champion: Plague knife, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun

+ Elites +

Blightlord Terminators
. Blightlord Champion: Bubotic Axe, Combi-flamer
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Blight launcher, Bubotic Axe
. Blightlord Terminator: Flail of Corruption
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Balesword, Combi-bolter

Blightlord Terminators
. Blightlord Champion: Bubotic Axe, Combi-flamer
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter
. Blightlord Terminator: Blight launcher, Bubotic Axe
. Blightlord Terminator: Flail of Corruption
. Blightlord Terminator: Bubotic Axe, Combi-bolter

Deathshroud Terminators
. Deathshroud Champion: Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlets
. 2x Deathshroud Terminator: 2x Manreaper, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlets

Helbrute: Helbrute fist, Twin lascannon

Helbrute: Helbrute fist, Twin lascannon

 

++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (T’au Empire) ++

T’au Empire Sept Choice: T’au Sept

+ HQ +

Aun’Va: Aun’Va, Ethereal Guard, Ethereal Guard

Commander in XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit: Advanced targeting system, High-output burst cannon, Missile pod, Shield generator, Strength of Belief (T’au Sept), Vectored manoeuvring thrusters, Warlord

+ Troops +

Strike Team
. Fire Warrior Shas’ui: Pulse rifle
. 5x Fire Warrior w/ Pulse Rifle

Strike Team
. Fire Warrior Shas’ui: Pulse rifle
. 5x Fire Warrior w/ Pulse Rifle

Strike Team
. Fire Warrior Shas’ui: Pulse rifle
. 5x Fire Warrior w/ Pulse Rifle

+ Elites +

XV25 Stealth Battlesuits
. Stealth Shas’ui w/ Burst Cannon: Burst cannon
. Stealth Shas’ui w/ Fusion blaster: Fusion blaster
. Stealth Shas’vre: Burst cannon

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit: 2x Fusion blaster, Advanced targeting system, Counterfire defence system, Cyclic ion raker, 2x MV5 Stealth Drone

XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit: 2x Fusion blaster, Advanced targeting system, Counterfire defence system, Cyclic ion raker, 2x MV5 Stealth Drone

+ Fast Attack +

Pathfinder Team
. 9x Pathfinder: 9x Markerlight
. Pathfinder Shas’ui: Markerlight

+ Heavy Support +

XV107 R’varna Battlesuit: Advanced targeting system, Multi-tracker

XV88 Broadside Battlesuits
. Broadside Shas’ui: 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Smart missile system, Counterfire defence system
. Broadside Shas’vre: 2x High-yield missile pod, 2x Smart missile system, Counterfire defence system

 

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another battle report! As the SN Team prepare the board for the game, both Steven and William ready their army lists and do we have a treat for you! Steven brings out SN’s newly painted Death Guard army, courtesy of Siege Studios, which look sublime, whereas William returns once again with his T’au, this time armed and ready with the brand new codex! With the players and the board ready, it’s time to get this show on the road!
Steven begins by placing his two Helbrutes along his right flank, attempting to cut off William’s Ghostkeels and Stealthsuits by limiting their deployment as much as possible due to the disrupting nature of the Infiltrator rule.
The Plague Marines enter the battlefield, a strong pungent smell fills the surrounding area, wafting behind them with every step they take. Steven deploys both units near each other but behind cover, looking to minimize any oncoming fire as much as possible. Between both units stands the Malignant Plaguecaster, ready to take advantage of the Psychic Phase.
In utter silence, two camouflaged Ghostkeels, along with the Stealthsuit unit emerge, as they continue to phase in and out of sight due to their Stealth Fields. They deploy up the left side of the battlefield, looking to meet both of Steven’s Helbrutes!
Forming the core of the T’au forces, three units of 6 Fire Warriors deploy in a line, taking aim at the oncoming Death Guard forces. Behind them, Aun’Va awaits to order the T’au, his Ethereal Guard standing close by at all times. Behind him, the quaking footsteps of the R’Varna Riptide assuming its position can be heard, as they echo through the ruins of this deserted battlefield!
And here we have a look at the final deployment of both forces. Steven opts to keep the majority of his forces in reserves, awaiting to enter the battlefield at the end of his Movement Phase! Steven finished deploying first and therefore received a +1 to his roll to see who starts. Both players roll off, with Steven taking the roll! William then attempts to seize the initiative and…
Unfortunately for him, he gets a 2! With that out of the way, both players wish each other luck and start the game. Death Guard Turn 1!
Turn 1 (Death Guard)

The Helbrutes move towards the Ghostkeels without hesitation, as they catch a glimpse of them before they phased out of sight again, hurling themselves in the general direction from which they saw them! The Plague Marine units along with the Plaguecaster also begin their slow advance up to the other side of the board in order to get into range of the T’au forces. Once everything had moved into position for the Death Guard, they awaited for the rest of their forces to enter the battlefield. In the blink of an eye, the Lord of Contagion, accompanied by a unit of Deathshroud Terminators to his right and a unit of Blightlord Terminators to his left enter the fray via Teleport Strike, the mass of followers of Nurgle appearing behind the T’au army! In the nearby ruins close to the centre of the battlefield arrive the second unit of Blightlord Terminators!

Turn 1 (Death Guard)

Here we see the second unit of Blightlord Terminators entering the battlefield too. Being just 9″ away from the T’au forces means that they are at prime striking distance this turn already, not what the T’au want!

Turn 1 (Death Guard)

During the Death Guard Psychic Phase, the Plaguecaster begins to manifest the surrounding pestilence, before casting Miasma of Pestilence on the unit to its left, giving enemy units a -1 to hit them until next turn!

Turn 1 (Death Guard)

Both Helbrutes target the nearest Ghostkeel, with Steven choosing to spend the first Command Point on the game on Fire Frenzy, allowing one of his Helbrutes to fire twice. Armed with Twin Lascannons meant a total of 6 Lascannon shots on the Ghostkeel! The multiple Lascannons fire simultaneously towards the Ghostkeel, hitting the already ruined building behind it as the Helbrutes struggle to locate the exact positioning of the Battlesuit. Some incredibly unfortunate rolling both to hit and to wound from Steven sees just one getting through, dealing a total of 2 damage.

Turn 1 (Death Guard)

On the other side of the battlefield, the unit of Blightlord Terminators seek to wreak havoc on the battlefield. Targeting the Broadside Battlesuit unit, one of the Terminators fires his Blightlauncher, the heavy shells crashing into the unit and bursting upon impact. One of the Broadside stumbles from the unexpected impact, as one of its legs buckle under its weight, taking 2 wounds!

Turn 1 (Death Guard)

After a rather unfortunate Shooting Phase, the Helbrutes run furiously towards the Ghostkeels’ direction, looking to tie them up in combat and possibly remove them! Steven declares his first charge, only needing to roll a 6 on 2d6. Unluckily, Steven rolls a 3 and a 1, opting to spend yet another Command Point in order to re-roll the 1 and… he gets another 1! The Ghostkeel Overwatches, along with the help of the nearby Stealthsuit unit. Due to the T’au Sept Tenet: Coordinated Fire Arcs, William’s Ghostkeel Overwatches on 5+, along with the Stealthsuit’s For The Greater Good, allowing them to assist in the Overwatch. Their combined firepower however is not as fruitful as one would have imagined, only removing 2 wounds in total. The second Hellbrute then chooses to charge the second Ghostkeel. Whilst the Stealthsuits were not in range, nor could they have helped in the Overwatch anyways as they had done so already, the Ghostkeel which had been charged previously could now give a helping hand to the other Battlesuit. Once again, Steven rolls to see if he makes his 6″ charge, but fails yet again! The second Helbrute is now victim of a total of 4 Fusion Guns, along with 2 Cyclic Ion Raker’s, which prove to be too much, the Fusion weaponry melting through the armoured carapace of the Helbrute like a hot knife through butter, before the Raker’s tore apart at the internal components of the walker, as it collapsed into a smoldering pile of metal!

Turn 1 (Death Guard)

The Blightlord Terminators then reluctantly charge into the Broadsides. Knowing that T’au Sept units Overwatch on 5+ made the choice of whether to charge or not incredibly tough, but Steven bit the bullet and decided to go for it! As the heavy-footed Terminators began their advance into the T’au backlines, the Commander turns in order to face the disease ridden Terminators, notifying the nearby forces to focus fire on the unit. A massive volley of Pulse weaponry, along with a myriad of missiles flew in the direction of the Terminators, creating a massive dust cloud that obscured the vision of all of the T’au forces. Once the dust cloud settled, all that remained were the five corpses of what were once proud followers of Nurgle, the T’au firepower proving far too much for even the hardy Death Guard. Being able to Overwatch on 5+ makes a world of difference!

Turn 1 (T’au Empire)

Entering T’au Turn 1 with quite the lead, William looks to distance himself even more. The T’au Commander raises his hand, giving the signal to those around him. Although it is early on in the game, William opts to use Master of War, choosing Kauyon to give re-rolls to hit to all units within 6″ away from him. During the start of the Movement Phase, Aun’Va chooses Storm of Fire; giving the units that are out of the Commander’s Master of War range re-rolls of 1’s and Sense of Stone to give surrounding units a 6+ to ignore wounds!

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