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This was a quicky battle I did this afternoon against my brother. The points are very messy as we were mostly just testing
various things out including a house rule veteran Firewarrior squad I came up with. My brother was playing Biel Tan this time
instead of Ulthwe. The mission was simple cleanse on a roughly 3 by 4 foot board. Small I know but we are always lacking in
open space. The lists were as follows:
Eldar:
HQ
Farseer, fortune, guide, spirit stones, ghost helm, wraithsword
Warlock
Troops
Dark Reapers (5) Exarch w fast shot & eldar missil launcher
Fire Dragons (5) Exarch with fire
pike
-Wave Serpent, TL Star Cannon and other common upgrades
Howling Banshees (5) Exarch with executioner
-Wave Serpent,
TL Bright Lances and other common upgrades
Warp Spiders (5), Exarch with... stuff.
Fast Attack
Vyper, CTM,
Starcannon
Vyper, CTM, Eldar Missil Launcher
Eldar Jetbikes (3), shuriken cannon
Heavy Support
Falcon,
star cannon, holo field, spirit stone
Tau:
HQ
Shas'O, FB, PR, SG, HWMT
Elites
Shas'ui, team
leader, PR, MP, TA, HW MT
Shas'ui, team leader, PR, MP, TA, HW MT
Troops
Veteran Firewarrior Team (12), shas'ui,
bonding knife, duel pulse pistols, BC x2, Pulse Carbine x2
-Devilfish, SMS, MT, TA, DL
Firewarrior Team Alpha (10),
shas'ui, bonding knife
-Devilfish, TA, DL, MT
Firewarrior Team Beta (10), shas'ui, bonding knife
-Devilfish, TA,
DL, MT
Fast Attack
Piranha, FB, TA, DL
Heavy Support
Hammerhead Gunship, RG, BC, MT, DL, TL
Yes
a surprising list Im sure but the Veteran Firewarriors took up a lot of points and I mean a lot. They were pushing over 300
and while beter than regular firewarriors in offence they are not any tougher. This makes them very balanced as they really
put a limit on what other things can be taken I had trouble fitting in one Hammerhead and my adjustments to the house rules
meant that the veteran team was 0-1 and could not count as one of the compulsory troop choices which means even more points
sunk into them. Still this battle just shows one heavy can be enough.
Terrain:
There was a small building to
my left in the Eldar deployment zone and another just oustide of the right of my deployment. There was a small sensor
array in the middle on the left and a couple pieces of the crashed ship from the BFM set strewn across the middle of the field.
Deployment:
Reapers went in the building on the left, then from left to right Fire Dragons in serpent, Farseer
in bodyguard, Falcon and Banshees in serpent. The bikes were behind the Falcon and the vypers stayed behind the reapers.
From
left to right in my deployment zone was squad alpha in transport, Monat suite, Hammerhead, second monat, team beta in transport,
Shas'O, Veterans in transport and piranha behind building.
Turn 1:
Eldar
Reaper exarch shot down the right monat
but nothing else really happened and spiders moved up and toward center. All his tanks came forward.
Tau
Spiders
shot to pieces by team alpha after they unloaded, All tanks moved forward, monat jumped behind the sensor tower as fast as
his jetpack would cary, piranha moved forward and managed to take a pot shot at the falcon but failed to damage it.
Turn
2:
Eldar
Stunned the Hammerhead, Tanks shifted back some save fire dragon transport which came forward, shook the piranha.
Tau
Piranha unashamedly ran for it jetting across the field taking full advantage of actually being fast and hiding
behind the sensor tower with the monat. Banshee serpent stunned, falcon shaken. Transports continued forward, team alpha loaded
up.
Turn 3:
Eldar
Fire Dragons unloaded and tried to take down a devilfish but failed. Hammerhead shot down,
burst cannon blown off of team beta's devilfish.
Tau
Team beta now unloaded and let rip on the fire dragons killing
all but the exarch who took 1 wound. The wave serpent shot down by the Shas'O. Wave serpent for the banshees shaken.
Turn
4:
Eldar
Reapers shot down team beta's transport, three members of squad beta snuffed it to the vypers. Jetbikes moved
towards center.
Tau
Team alpha got out and shot the bikes to pieces with help from the piranha. Shas'O gunned down
the exarch. Team beta held strong and approached the dark reapers giving them a salvo. Both drones had survived the crashing
devilfish but were entangled. 2 reapers fell, all 3 bikes dropped. Veteran team dropped off from their fish and gunned the
farseer flat.
Turn 5:
Eldar
Surviving reapers and vypers gunned down 4 of the veterans. Remaining Wave serpent
and Falcon shot down the warfish for the veterans. Team alpha lost a trooper.
Tau
Veterans held strong and stomped
into the building gunning down the rest of the reapers. Team beta followed them taking the missil off one of the vypers. Other
shooting blew off the starcannon on the falcon.
Game called, Tau victory.
Cassualties:
Eldar
Damaged Vyper
Damaged
Falcon
Downed Wave Serpent
3 bikes
5 Fire Dragons
5 Dark Reapers
5 Warp Spiders
Farseer and Warlock bodyguard
Tau
Downed
Hammerhead
Downed Warfish
Downed Devilfish
Damaged Devilfish
Monat Battlesuit
4 Veteran Firewarriors
4 Firewarriors
Conclusion:
This
was an interesting battle. The veterans were a very interesting unit, their offencive capabilities were impressive but they
died just like anyone else and any concerted effort once they dropped out meant that one very expencive squad was going to
be annihilated. Luckily a plasma grenade isnt too powerful but especially deploying from that fish they were just ripe for
blast templates. Firewarriors drop quickly to templates and veterans are no different they are just more expencive. All in
all they added some character to the fight but swayed little either way. They did their job and luckly I managed to keep them
from being utterly shot to pieces in revenge. pretty balanced I think Ill keep the rules for them the same. Despite not having
to pay for an Etherial and only paying 10pts for their burst cannons the drawback is simply that once they get a volley off
they become priority number one and as I said they fall just as well as any other Firewarrior but can be nearly twice as expencive.
The piranha was alright. It did some damage but got singled out too much. I cant wait to get another having that little
bit of very mobile fire support came in handy especially when my monats were dead or hiding. I didnt have nearly the anti
tank power I did last time I faced my brother and with the piranha and veterans i had less than half the battlesuits and 1/3
of my Hammerheads. Still an fun battle and a victory so I cant complain. It was a lot more fun this time to have to rely more
on small arms fire and my transports and less on the overwhelming godlyness of my suits and battle tanks. It worked and it
worked fairly well too.
My brothers army was curious, he keeps going back and forth between ulthwe and biel tan. He
loves his seers but he also cant help but field a lot of aspect warriors and bikes. Its like he wants to be ulthwe, biel tan
and saim han all at once, I wish he would pick one.
So now a fluffed version for those who wish to read it. This is
the end of the factual report for those not interested in the story.
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The
meditation chamber was cool and still the gentle sound of running water surrounded him. Shas'O Ximoro'An liked coming to these
chambers. They were generally used for officers to council young warriors suffering the psychological effects of battle. The
rooms were small and round, gently lit by a soft green glow surrounded by plants and soft running water. They were places
where one could go to calm the mind. The feeling of piece was wonderful... it couldnt last.
"Shas'O!" Came the voice
of Ren'va down the hall accompanied by the loud rap of running hooves.
"Right on time." O'An whispered to himself.
"Ah there you are." Ren'va said entering the chamber. "I am sory to disturb your meditation sir but we are needed."
"What is the trouble this time?" Asked O'An as he stood letting feeling return to his limbs.
"The Eldar have
attacked again. One of the sensor outposts has failed to report in."
"Is there not supposed to be a wait time before
forces are dispatched?"
"Normally yes but normally there are no Eldar on the planet sir, I feel it best to check it
out." Ren'va said standing straight before the inquiry.
"An investigation, in force I suppose."
"Of course."
"...
what are we waiting for?" O'An said smiling. Ren'va nodded and the two left immediately.
The staging area was as busy
as usual. Tanks were being outfitted with all due haste and troops were forming up in ranks preparing to board their transports
and be off.
"Where are the rest of the gunships?" O'An asked as he walked towards the battlesuit maintanence stations
where their suits were being prepared.
"They are still being repaired after the last battle." Ren'va replied. "We
do however have a Mont'yr Shas team with us."
"Yes I decided they could use a warm up before the fighting starts on
Medusa V and we are re-deployed." Ximoro'An said with a wry grin. "Why is that a problem shas'el?"
"Its... um... nothing
sir."
"You arent comfortable around them are you?" O'An asked.
"No, Im not." Ren'va said deciding to be frank.
"Good,
you are supposed to be. Nevertheless they are our comrades and they can be trusted. They fight for the greater good, never
forget that." O'An said climbing into the familiar cockpit of his suit.
"Yes sir." Ren'va replied as his image dissapeared
behind the closing chest of the battlesuit.
With the prick and slight pressure of the needle entering the back of
his skull the world opened up around Ximoro'An as he seemed to transfer bodies. It was a sensation he never got used to no
matter how many times he did it. Somehow that was slightly reasuring. That the war machine was left behind off the field of
battle. He could leave the strains and horrors of war behind him when he exited the machine. Now however he was not leaving
battle but going to it.
++Systems check... amunition check, servos check, targeting computer check, life support check,
jets check... the rest... all check, ready to roll++ O'An listed off the system confirmations over the battle comm.
++Hmm,
last time I checked the list was longer than that++ Ren'va commented over the comm.
++Bah Im entitled to skip the rest,
Im old enough++
++Hehe, if you say so Shas'O. Are we ready to go?++
++All units report in++
++Team Alpha
ready to go++
++Team Beta reporting in++
++Crisis one all set++
++Crisis o... blast ok Crisis two ready++
++This
is the Hammerhead reporting++
++Piranha, all systems green++
++Mont'yr Shas what about you?++ O'An asked ticking
the squads off the list in his head.
++Ready to kill as always Shas'O++ Came the responce from the Shas'ui. Cool and
deadly as always... more than a little disturbing aswell. They always seemed to be like that.
++Alright you all know
where we are going, no time to lose you better keep up or be left behind++ O'An said feeding power to his jets and taking
off.
++Thats a challenge I'll take++ Ren'va said kicking the jets of his suite and following.
The small battle
force sped along the open plains kicking up a trail of dust in their wake. They were making good time as they sped past the
occasional ruins on a path towards the silenced station.
++Shas'O we have something on our sensors++ The Hammerhead
reported.
++Display it... I see, set an intercept course we should catch them at Sigmunds point++
++Shas'O there
are some interesting ruins along their course past our point of interception. Permission to investigate++ Ren'va called over
the comm transfering his visual feed and map on O'An's HUD.
++I see, very well permission granted++
++Thank
you, good luck Shas'O++
++Alright prepare to engage++
The vehicles slowed to combat speed weapons activating
with a series of clicks.
++Fire at will++
The Tau force formed into an easy line letting an opening salvo of
fire loose from their weapons. Smoke, rock and dust kicked into the air clouding the scene of battle as the Eldar and Tau
forces closed. Slowing to a near stop each side surveyed the field. Slowly the smoke began to clear and as it did so a menacing
Dark Reaper Exarch squeezed the trigger on his missil launcher.
++Under fire, repeat und...++
++Man down, evasive
action++
Crisis two took a direct hit to the chest, the pilot was almost certainly dead as the suite slumped to the
ground.
++Shas'O Im picking up movement to our left++ Crisis one radioed as the pilot dived behind an old sensor array.
++Team
Alpha take them out++
++Yes sir++
As the strange Eldar warriors appeared almost out of thin air wearing strange
suits and some sort of jump generator technology on their backs team Alpha's Devilfish pulled up sharply nose mounted burst
cannon blazing with fury. The Eldar staggered backward under the fire several of them falling. As the leader of the group
tried to raise his weapons the Rear hatch of the Devilfish dropped open and a line of Firewarriors lept out with it dropping
to their knees they fired a concentrated salvo of pulse fire at close range. As the Firewarriors jumped back inside and their
transport moved off the corpses of the Eldar were still smoking.
++Shas'O we are taking too much fire, pulling back
to join Crisis one++ The piranha pilot commed as the nimble craft zipped by overhead.
++Ive got a targ... hull breached,
going down++ It was the Hammerhead. One of the small Eldar crafts had zipped out from behind cover and taken out the tank's
left engine with a careful shot. The tortured vehicle crashed to the ground venting smoke and fire.
++Blast it all,
what now?++ One of the Eldar transport vehicles was aproaching fast on the left. ++Team beta deal with it++
++Yes sir++
The Devilfish pulled to the left hard and swung around its cargo of Firewarriors dropping nimbly out the back as some elite
Eldar warriors jumped from their transport they were met with a fury of gunfire. The Eldar warriors fell before the fury of
pulse fire save their leader who spun and flipped fusion pike spitting fire, small bombs exploding all around him. The warrior
lept forward intent on trying to destroy team Beta's transport. O'An would not allow that. A Plasma shot cought the warrior
in mid jump blasting him to the ground body wrecked and barely recognizeable.
++Shas'O look out!++ Crisis one called
over the comm. O'An turned to see a trio of Eldar bikers approaching fast.
++Team Alpha do you have them++
++Of
course Shas'O++ As the shas'ui replied over the comm the team dropped out of their transport in a roll the vehicle turning
to avoid crashing and taking off the warriors dropped into a firing line their guns blazing. The fragile alien bikes couldnt
take the wrath of the Tau weaponry blowing apart spectacularly.
++Team Beta here we are under fire requesting support++
++Support...
fine++ It was the shas'ui of the Mont'yr Shas team. Their upgunned Devilfish rotated its engines turning the craft sped towards
the building where the grim Eldar warriors were firing on team Beta. ++Change that, we have the leader++
++Wha...++
The
Mont'yr Shas team dismounted from their ride in one of the most unusual ways O'An had ever seen. A pair of carbine armed warriors
almost flipped out the back alongside the shas'ui armed with a pair of pulse pistols they began to lay down supressive fire
on the exotic alien sorcerors. Out the side hatches dropped a pair of troopers armed with burst cannons. The weapons appeared
almost too big to cary and rather bulky but the warriors swung the weapons to bear with casual ease, they were much lighter
than they appeared to be. The rest of the team followed suite dropping out of their transport in no particular order but with
a casual practiced and deadly grace. The team let rip with everything they had photon grenades bouncing between the Farseer
and his bodyguard, pulse fire tearing into the mystical force armor of the Eldar leader finally breaking through and rending
apart flesh and bone. The pair of psykers fell to the ground very dead under the fury of the Mont'yr Shas.
Despite
not having directly aided team Beta the Dark Reapers were obviously distracted by the violent death of their commander. Swinging
their guns around they loosed their wrath on the team followed by most of the remaining Eldar forces. To their credit the
team responded rapidly diving for cover. Their transport was blown from the sky its armor ripped open in numerous places it
crashed to the ground in the middle of the team. Ducking through its now open hatches and diving through holes in the armor
the team formed up on its left side and ducked into the building. Swinging up stairs and alternating covering fire the survivors
stormed up the stairs guns roaring with firepower. The Reapers tried to put up a defence but were cut down. The team formed
up on the second floor over the Alien corpses setting up covering fire for their comrades below.
++Building secure,
team beta do stop those blasted alien vehicles++ The veteran Shas'ui commed.
++Uh, yes of course... right away++ Team
beta's shas'ui replied rallying his squad as they ducked into the first floor of the building racing to the other side they
began to fire out the windows. The Eldar Vypers were cought off guard they sped out of the way but not fast enough. The gunner
on one of the vehicles met an unfortunate end as the back of the vehicle was practically torn off by the sheer weight of fire
now coming from the building.
The remaining Eldar forces seemed to decide the battle was futile and turning sped off
back into the desert.
++Forces form up and report++
++Team Beta still mostly here++
++Team Alpha here...
wheres our ride?++
++Mont'yr Shas, someone busted our ship++
++Crisis one still here++
++Piranha remarkably still
in the air++
++Good, most of you made it... most of the armor didnt. Someone send for pick up++ O'An commed stalking
amid the wrecked skeletons of the downed vehicles. Most of them were his own, he didnt like that. Still the majority of the
dead on that day were the strange Eldar warriors. They were fewer, more oddly equipped and more dangerous than the last group.
++They seem to be increasing the stakes++
++So it would seem++ Ren'va commed as he approached the field of battle.
++What did you find shas'el?++
++Not much, just the remains of some older eldar craft and bodies. Apparently
they have fought here before++
++I see... lets get the wounded back to base, Ill report to the Shas'Ar'Tol in the morning,
in the meantime I want you to speak with the fio and por on what you found++
++Yes sir++
More mysteries, more
Eldar, more problems. They never seemed to end.
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