Scions of Iron vs. Tau 4K Battle Report

Sean's Scions

HEAVY TACTICAL [650]
4 Tactical units, 3 Land Raider, Supreme Commander in Land Raider, Hunter

TACTICAL [425]
4 Tactical units plus transport, 3 Predator Annihilator, Hunter

TACTICAL [350]
4 Tactical units plus transport, 3 Predator Annihilator

FIGHTER SQUADRON [175]
2 Thunderbolt Fighters

FIGHTER SQUADRON [175]
2 Thunderbolt Fighters

THUNDERHAWK SB [250]
Thunderhawk (Saturation Bombing configuration)

TERMINATOR [400]
4 Terminator units, Chaplain

WARHOUND [275]
1 Warhound Class Titan

LAND RAIDER [325]
4 Land Raider

SCOUT [150]
4 Scout units plus transport

SPACECRAFT [150]
Strike Cruiser

TACTICAL [350]
4 Tactical units plus transport, 3 Predator Annihilator

LAND RAIDER [325]
4 Land Raider



Dave's Tau


CRISIS BATTLESUIT CADRE [400]
5 XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, Shas'o, 2 Gun Drone units

FIRE WARRIOR CADRE [475]
12 Fire Warriors, Ethereal, Skyray

FIRE WARRIOR CADRE [250]
6 Fire Warriors, 3 Devilfish, Bonded Team

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [325]
4 Hammerhead Gunship (Railhead), Skyray

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [325]
4 Hammerhead Gunship (Railhead), Skyray

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [225]
4 Hammerhead Gunship (Railhead)

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [300]
4 Hammerhead Gunships (Ion- or Fusionhead), Skyray

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [300]
4 Hammerhead Gunships (Ion- or Fusionhead), Skyray

ARMOUR SUPPORT GROUP [200]
4 Hammerhead Gunships (Ion- or Fusionhead)

RECON SKIMMER GROUP [175]
6 Tetra

RECON SKIMMER GROUP [175]
6 Tetra

RECON SKIMMER GROUP [175]
6 Tetra

RECON SKIMMER GROUP [175]
6 Tetra

SPACECRAFT [200]
Protector Class Cruiser

BARRACUDA SQUADRON [150]
2 Barracuda Fighters

BARRACUDA SQUADRON [150]
2 Barracuda Fighters

The arrows point to the relative Blitzes with Sean deploying in the bottom half. The brown patches are also representing more hills and the green is woodland/scrub areas. The edges of the areas of ruins and buildings are shown by the paper squares with the scenery within just as a reminder for us as to what type that area shows more than anything.

Tau Deployment

Marine Deployment

TURN 1

• Marines win Strategy
• Strike Cruiser activates hitting the central tau cluster and kills 2 Tetras, 4 Fusionheads and 2 Railheads. The Fusionheads' Skyray and the surviving Railheads break.

 

• Marines retain and call in the Thunderhawk Saturation Bomber on a ground-attack on the far left Tetras for 4 kills. The broken Tetras withdraw to their Blitz.

  

• Central Tetras Marshal removing all of their BMs. 

 

• Marines put Thunderbolts on CAP.
• Tau put right-hand Railheads on Overwatch Popped Up.

• Marines Double their right flank Land Raider and shoot the Mechanised Fire Warriors killing one Devilfish and both stands of embarked Fire Warriors.

  

• Tau Marshal the Mechanised Fire Warriors and clear all of their Blast Markers.

 

• The Marines Double their right-hand Tactical formation with Hunter and shoot the Railhead formation opposite killing 3 tanks and breaking the survivors.

 

 

• Tau Double their left flank Fusionheads and shoot the Tacticals with Hunter for 4 kills.

• Marines put their Scouts back on Overwatch.
• Tau Advance their central Tetras.

• Marines put their left-hand Tacticals on Overwatch.
• Tau put Barracudas on CAP.
• Marines Double the central Tactical formation and shoots at the broken Railheads for 1 kill.

•  Tau Double their Fusionheads and shoot the central Tacticals for 4 kills.

  

•  Marines Double their right-hand Land Raiders into the middle and shoot the middle Fusionheads for 1 kill.

 

•  Tau attempt to Ground Attack the central Tacticals but despite defensive flak managing to bring a Boltdown the Thunderbolt CAP manages one hit and the Tau break off and jink away.

 

•  Marines place the Blitzguarding Heavy Tactical on Overwatch.
• Tau Double their right hand Tetras and shoot the Warhound for a Blast Marker.

 

• The Marines Advance the Warhound to shoot the Tetras in front of it. Seeker Missile Overwatch from the Railheads knocks out both shields before the Warhound kills 3 Tetras and the remainder retreat back to their table edge.

•  The Tau Advance their Crisis suits up their right flank.

 

• Marines put their last Thunderbolt squadron on CAP.
• Tau keep their BTS Fire Warriors in the ruins on Overwatch.

 Rally Fails
For the Marines the central Tactical formation fails to clear BMs.
For the Tau the Skyray that had previously belonged to the Railheads before the Orbital Barrage and the Railheads from their left flank failed to rally. The Fusionheads in the middle failed to clear their BMs.

 TURN 2
Marines teleport Terminators in next to the Mechanised Fire Warriors.

Tau win Strategy after a tie.

• Tau call Co-ordinated Fire with the central Tetras, co-ordinating with the Fusionheads and the Railheads on and behind the hill targetting the Tacticals in the Imperial centre.
•  Tetras Advance inflicting 2 kills which breaks the Tacticals.
• This leaves the Railheads and Fusionheads to 'Advance' backwards to shelter behind the hill.

•  Tau retain and March the Fusionheads on their left into a more central position and out of immediate danger.

•  Marines Double their right Land Raiders and shoot the Mechanised Fire Warriors killing 2 stands of Fire Warriors and the remaining Devilfish. The last 2 stands of survivors retreat to the Blitz.

•  Marines Advance the Terminators towards the centre and fire at Tetras for 1 kill.

 

• The Tau Protector cruiser overshadows the battlefield and fires both Pin-Point Attacks at the Warhound but only scores one hit, which only strips the one on-line shield.

• Marines Advance the Warhound and shoot the BTS Fire Warriors for a BM.
• Tau declare Co-ordinated Fire with the Tetras, dragging in the Railheads on the right flank.
• The Tetras Double and place a BM.

 

•  The Railheads Double and achieve 1 kill.

• Thunderhawk Bomber attempts to Ground Attack the BTS Fire Warriors but the combination of the Barracuda CAP and ground AA fire manages to bring it down.
• Barracudas Ground Attack the central Land Raider but only achieve a BM.

•  Marines Double their right flank Tacticals and shoot the Tetras on the Blitz doing no damage but breaking them with the BM.
  
  

•  Tau place their Crisis suits on Overwatch.
• The central Land Raiders fail to activate and so clear their BM's.
• Tau Double some Tetras up their right flank.

 

•  Marines Advance with their Scouts in the centre and fire at Tetras killing 3 and breaking the last 2 of the formation who fled to the right table corner.

 

•  Marines Double their left hand Tactical into the middle and shoots at the Railheads for 1 kill.

•  The Marines' Heavy Tactical blitzguard was kept on Overwatch and the Thunderbolts stood down.

Rally Fails
All of the Marine's formations managed to rally or clear their Blast Markers.
The Tau were beset by failed rallies, most of the broken units rallied but units carrying Blast Markers generally failed to clear them.

TURN 3 
Marines win Strategy

• Marines Engage the survivors of the Mechanised Fire Warriors, wiping them out.

•  The Marines retain the initative and Double their central Land Raiders to control the Objective in their left corner.

•  Tau Advance their Fusionheads in the centre and shoot the Tactical, managing 2 kills.

•  Tau retain with the Crisis suits and Double up to fire on the same formation for 3 more kills. They then fell back behind the hill as best they could.

•  The Tactical coming under attack then Marshals and fires at the Crisis suits for a BM before clearing 6 of their own BMs.

•  The Marines then retain and Advance with their Tacticals and shoot the Railheads for 2 kills and breaking the remainder.

 

 At this point Dave felt that his Tau were too far behind in the activation count to be able to contest enough objectives to make it worthwhile to continue. He ordered his surviving forces to withdraw and conceded the field to the Space Marines.