Tau FTW 2….BatRep 1

Practice time. The Tau have not had an outing with me since before the Imperial Guard Codex came out. Prior to this I had been playing them regularly for about 6 months.

I have recently decided to revisit them despite the blogs focus on Blood Angels. You can see why here.

You can find the Tau army list here.

My first test game was against Demons. It is a Fateweaver list that I have lost to once or twice, drawn against a lot (damn Plaguebearers!), but also have stomped a few times.

NOTE: The results are not consistent. It is always a good game – Steve pretty much plays Demons exclusively and as such has a very sound knowledge of what’s what. Not dissimilar to Brent over at Strictly Average. Although the list is different….

Fateweaver

Keeper of Secrets – some toys not sure what? Unholy might I think.

2 x Flamers (3)

1 x Plaguebearers (10)

1 x Bloodletters (10)

1 x Horrors w Changeling (10)

2 x Daemon Prince w. Breath and Iron Hide.

1500 (I don’t think I have forgotten anything there…have played it a few times now)

We had Dawn Of War and Seize Ground (3 Objectives)

As you can see from the Tau list, whilst I have three troop choices, two are bubblewrap kroot…so this may be a challenge. Steve won roll off to place objectives, and clustered his two a foot apart, one in a central ruin and one just outside it. I placed mine about 24” to the left of his.

I won first turn and passed it to Steve. I left everything to come on using DoW, forcing him to bring crap in and let me light it up. Now, Steve anticipated this, brought in his preferred wave - but brought in a ‘weaker’ half. No Fateweaver. What came in was Bloodletters, Plaguebearers, 1 group of Flamers, 1 Daemon Prince. Leaving 5 units to rock up piecemeal.

I brought on my Tau after he had dropped in and around the objectives, mainly behind cover, but only from direct, head-on angles…I brought on the Kroot first and placed them in a horseshoe, interweaving the second Kroot squad with the first – NOTE: this is not some gay tactic to get a cover save through ‘intervening units’, merely an attempt to create as much space in the wrapping as possible. Everything moves into the bubblewrap and begins to fire…..

Daemon Prince falls comfortably and a few plaguebearers go down.

Turn 2 – Only another Daemon Prince and the Bloodletters come on for Steve this turn. 4+ reserves not good enough for an army that can ONLY Deep Strike (mini side rant – why can demons not do this better? Nids get bonuses (not stacking of course…), Imperial Guard do (hell, they can even slow demons down), Eldar can (stacking too!), Blood Angels can reroll through DoA…but not demons….crazy horseshit)

Anywhoo…the Prince kills a couple of Kroot and fails to glance the Devilfish, Flamers move closer into range and use Warpfire (first time ever for Flamers…anywhere?), but they only kill a couple of Kroot…good positioning from me after seeing them on table has taken them out of the game for now…

My turn 2, Daemon Prince dies to Piranha, Crisis plasma and missile fire and the Broadsides, few more Plaguebearers drop as do some bloodletters, flamers make a few 4++ saves…

Turn 3, Steve rolls poorly and no Fateweaver…but Horrors come in as do Flamers, who Mishap and I place them in the very top right corner of the board…about 3 turns of movement away….game on!

A few more Kroot die.

My 3, Bloodletters all die to Kroot rifles, Horrors die, another Plaguebearer falls.

One Piranha immobilises itself after melta’ing the DP. The other turboboosts behind terrain to contest later…if there is a later.

Turn 4, Fateweaver shows up….if you have been paying attention you will know that currently only Fateweaver, 3 Flamers and a handful of Plaguebearers (literally 4-5) are left on the board.

I have lost 7 Kroot and an immobilised Piranha (my own fault)

We call it a day. I’m on my objective, no way Steve can get it, He can claim his, but I have 1000 points+ ready to move 12” to contest over the next two turns…

I was very pleased with the Tau. The only difference between my old Tau and the new is the bubblewrap. Previously I had a second Devilfish w Firewarriors and some pathfinders. I now have a bit more plasma on Crisis suits and 2 good sized Kroot squads.

I am looking forward to the next game….try for some Space Wolves or Blood Angels next…work up to IG….

By the way, if anyone plays Tau (Stelly, Kirby) and looks at the photo in the batrep (Turn 1 or 2 I forget which), am I running the Bubblewrap correctly…I have looked through YTTH Batreps and one of Kirby’s articles on using wrapping correctly so I think I have it.

Hmm…I even remembered to deploy my drones from the Piranha’s as extra speed bump and deep strike defence! Whoot! Venerable FTW!