Finally after a bit of a break due to real life Clausewitz and I finally got another game using Tau 5.1
Rules Used
Core rules with 2008 errata/faq.
Tau 5.1
Armies.
Tau
Crisis Cadre + Shas'O + 3 Recon
FW Cadre + Devilfish + FW + Df + Skyray + Ethereal
Scorpionfish
Scorpionfish
Recon
Recon
Crisis Cadre + Shas'el
Manta 700
Barracudas
Steel Legion
Warhound Titan
Warhound Titan
Leman Russ Tank Company + Hydra
Super Heavy Tank Company (3 Shadowswords) + Hydra
Regimental HQ + Hydra
Sentinels
Sentinels
Roughriders
Death strikes
Thunderbolt
Deployment.
Steel Legion generate 9 commissars so all the guard formations get one. (Not in titans or planes!)
Tau garrison one recon group off their blitz in the centre on overwatch. Steel Legion garrison the rough riders off their central objective behind the central buildings also on overwatch.
Remaining deployment as shown.
Turn One.
No teleports
Initiative - Steel Legion
Well pre-game Clausewitz wasn't happy to see the death strikes in the list, and now he was really unhappy! The death strikes are ordered to sustain fire and both missiles streak out towards the massive Tau skimmer. One missile goes wild but the second strikes home and the advance deflector system can't stop 3 points of damage being caused. However it gets worse as secondary explosions wreak the deflector controls and cause a second point of damage (2 Crits!)
Scorpionfish 1 (left) sets overwatch
The super heavies check their range finders and advance to bring the manta into range. All 3 volcano cannon's hit and the manta is a burring wreck on the ground
The Barracuda's set CAP
Sentinel white are ordered to double but refuse! They clear the generated bm
Scorpionfish 2 (right) sets overwatch
Warhound-1 doubles out of the wood and approaches the Shas'O formation. It lets rip with everything it has. 2 tetra's and 2 suits are wrecked and the broken remains retreat behind the ruins
The firewarriors are ordered to double over to where the Shas'O used to be. They request confirmation from the Shas'O and on receipt of this they move over. They shoot at warhound-1, dropping one void shield
Sentinel brown march forward to hide behind the buildings on the western side of the board
Recon 2 are ordered to sustain fire at warhound-1. Guided missiles fly and the warhound loses its last shield and one point of damage. It breaks and runs behind the buildings
Warhound-2 doubles forward and unleashes all its weapons at the firewarriors. 3 firewarriors are killed along with one devilfish
The Shas’el crisis march into the centre and intermingle themselves with recon 1
The leman russes double forward
The tau pass and recon 1 is left on overwatch
The Supreme commander formation doubles forward. They are careful to stay out of marker light range and unleash some auto cannon shots at recon 1. One piranha is destroyed
The t'bolts stand down
Steel legion now pass and leave the rough riders on overwatch
End Phase.
Barracudas remain on CAP
Rallying
Tau
Pass - Firewarriors, Recon 1
Fail - Shas'O
Steel Legion
Pass - Warhound 1
Fail -
Turn Two
No teleports
Initiative - Steel Legion(!)
Sentinels brown double forward to block the progress of the firewarriors up the flank. Their shooting is wild and inaccurate
Recon 1 call a co-ordinated fire with the Shas’el for both to advance. Recon 1 move to bring the steel legion supreme commander in range and open fire, to no effect. The Shas’el group then move up and open up. Their fire is far more accurate and 4 units of infantry and 3 chimera's are destroyed.
The Tau now retain with recon 2 calling a co-ordinated fire with scorpionfish 2. They both sustain fire at the heavily suppressed guard supreme commander. Between the two one chimera and 5 infantry units are destroyed. The broken remains of the formation break to the eastern edge objective, with the remain troops hiding in the woods
Warhound 1 doubles forward and shots its mega bolter at the broken Shas’O. Only the Shas’O is killed but this is enough to break the spirit of the rest and the formation is destroyed
The firewarriors double back to resume their fight with warhound 1, but their shooting is wild
Scorpionfish 1 retains and sustain fires MW guided missiles at warhound 1. Only one hit removes the titans last shield and breaks it. It runs back the way it came and hides behind the western town
The super heavy company double forward and shoot at the firewarriors. 3 devilfish transports are shredded by the massive blast or laser energy
Rough riders burst forward to engage the Shas’el formation. Only one suit is killed in the battle. Steel legion go into the roll off at +3, and win by 4 wiping out the Shas’el formation
Warhound 2 doubles forward. It shoots at the firewarriors killing one more unit
Death strikes are ordered onto overwatch but refuse. They clear the generated blast marker
White sentinels march forward into tau territory
Leman russes advance and rain battle cannon fire on the firewarriors. The shooting is however wild and inaccurate, only one firewarrior and one devilfish are destroyed. This is enough to finally break the firewarriors who retreat into the cover of the ruins
Again the T'bolts are told to stay put
End Phase
Barracuda's remain on CAP
Rallying
Tau
Pass - Firewarriors, Recon 1
Fail -
Steel Legion
Pass - Warhound 1, Supreme Commander
Fail -
Turn Three
Initiative - Tau(To little too late!)
Recon 1 are ordered to double forward, however the blast marker they hold causes some confusion. The finally decided to shoot at sentinels white, destroying one of the walkers
Warhound 2 doubles forward towards the Tau blitz and unloads all its weapons at recon 2. As the smoke clears only one broken tetra remains
The firewarriors attempt to marshal, more confusion reigns and they regroup instead!
The rough riders rush forward to engage scorpionfish 1. They only hit once and the war engines armour is up to the task. They nearby warhound then supports the engagement, doing 2 points of damage one of which goes critical and destroys the tau tank scattering bits of metal all over the rough riders, however no horses were harmed in the making of this film :). However scorpionfish 2 is in support range too and its retaliation fire takes out 2 of the riders
Scorpionfish 2 is ordered to sustain at the white sentinels but the fight is going out of the Tau and it fails to activate. It elects to regroup but only manages to remove one of its two blast markers!
At this point we stopped rolling dice. I had 3 formations that could secure take and hold and while I may have been able to claim blitz it was far from certain.
End Phase
Result - Tau 0 - Steel Legion 4 (They shall not pass, defend the line, take and hold, break the spirit)
