T’au Il’porrui Sh’ve Mont’re “Emmisary” class light cruiser

Next: another Tau light cruiser and a batrep for the Gothic league!

Edit: The Battlefleet Gothic Image Gallery now contains the Tau ships I’ve painted.

Gothic Campaign Week 8: Marines vs. Tau Planetary Assault

Another action packed week!  Sadly our new players did not show, but veteran player Josh played as the defender in a Planetary Assault mission!  We had 1000 points, and Josh got 30 extra points for defences.

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Bozeman – Azure Flames Space Marines

-Battle Barge His Hammer II, Admiral Piers (Ld9, 3 re-rolls), Terminator Boarding Party, Honour Guard

-Strike Cruiser Duty, Extra Shield, Crew Skill: Automatically pass one Leadership test per game

-Strike Cruiser Courage, Extra Shield, Refit: +2D6 on All Ahead Full

-Strike Cruiser Honor, Extra Shield, Refit: No speed penalty for blast markers.

-Four Transports

Josh – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur (Kor’or’vesh)

-Or’es El’leath “Custodian” class Battleship, Admiral (Ld9, 2 re-rolls)

-Lar’shi’vre “Protector” class Cruiser, Vior’la configuration

-Il’porrui “Emissary” class light Cruiser, Sa’cea configuration

-Squadron of 3 Kir’la “Warden” and 2 Kir’shashvre “Castellan” escorts

-Kor Caste Orbital City

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Setup

Our planet was a Large planet (in this case the Planetary Edge is the edge of the cloud barrier, along which several antigrav mining platforms float.  Otherwise this mission would make no sense.)  It had gas and dust cloud rings, and one moon.  Josh set up all of his fleet on “standby” so they had to be set up within 30cm of the planet.

Radiation Burst causes -1 Ld!

Turn 1 – Azure Flames Space Marines

The Battle Barge went on All Ahead Full.  All ships with Launch Bays launched Thunderhawks.  1/2 of the Thunderhawks from the Strike Cruisers go on CAP with the Transports, while the others CAP their home vessel.  The Battlebarge’s 3 Thunderhawks CAP with it.

Turn 1 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Custodian goes on Burn Retros.  Launch bays for the entire fleet launch Fighters to mitigate the Thunderhawk CAP and also fire Tau Missiles.

Radiation Burst causes -1 Ld!

Turn 2 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Thanks to a re-roll, the Battlebarge and all 3 Strike Cruisers go on All Ahead Full.  The Strike Cruisers fire normal torpedoes at the gap between asteroids near the Tau escort squadron.  Bombardment cannon fire destroys the worst of the incoming Tau missiles.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 2 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

All of the Tau ships (not the station) go on Reload Ordnance.  More ordnance is fired, doing one damage to the Battlebarge.  Fire brings down the shields.  Tau fighters remove the CAP Thunderhawks.  Escorts must make a right turn as they come out of the asteroids to avoid the torpedoes.  Torpedoes self destruct due to running into asteroids and/or each other.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Battlebarge and Strike Cruisers Reload Ordnance.  Boarding Torpedoes and Thunderhawks from the Battlebarge cripple the Port and Starboard weapons on the Custodian, and also start a fire.  Batteries and Bombardment Cannons take down the shields on the Protector and do one damage, starting a fire.  Torpedoes and Bombardment Cannons from the Strike Cruisers kill two Wardens in the escort squadron.  Escorts Brace for Impact.  Tau fighters remove the CAP on the Transports.

Turn 3 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Battery fire against the Battlebarge is lackluster, but Tau Missiles do two more damage.  Emmisary goes after the Strike Cruisers, and the Escorts on Brace fire missiles, but to little effect.  Tau missiles close in on the Transports.

Radiation Burst causes -4 Ld!

Turn 4 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Battlebarge boards the Custodian.  Fire from the Strike Crusiers, as well as other factors cause the Custodian to lose by 5.  Brace saves two for a total of 3 damage, and a Fire critical.  Strike Cruisers wipe out the Tau escorts.  Transports bunch up for safety.

Turn 4 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

The Emmisary chases after the Strike Cruisers, but fails to damage.  Tau missiles kill three of the Transports because they fail to Brace several times.  Against all odds, the Battlebarge braces, saving it from damage!

Turn 5 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Battlebarge disengages.  Strike Cruisers make it to the Low Orbit table.  Game ceded.

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Space Marines are better than the internet led me to believe.  Other than my first game in which I had bad luck disengaging, I have been doing quite well.  Thunderhawk gunships are terrifyingly powerful, and the ability to fire critical-guaranteed Boarding Torpedoes or regular ones is a great boon.  Marines have to get up close and personal and really slug it out.

Next: the Gothic campaign continues!  Hopefully we will see more rookie players!

Gothic Campaign Week 7: Marines vs. Necrons

This was a light week, with several regulars taking a week off.  However, Matt showed up, eager to learn more about the Necron fleet he commands.  We played a 1000 point Fleet Engagement.  We both chose the Sphere deployment, so we set up on opposite sides of the board, neither having an advantage.

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Bozeman – Azure Flames Space Marines

-Battle Barge His Hammer, Flagship (Commander Piers, Ld 9, 3 re-rolls), Honour Guard, Terminator Boarding Party

-Strike Cruiser Vigilance, Extra Shield, Weapon Refit: Auto Loaders (+1 Ld for Reload Ordnance)

-Strike Cruiser Duty, Extra Shield, Crew Skill: Elite Command Crew (auto pass one Leadership check per game)

-Hunter Destroyer x5, Wrath Squadron

Matt – Necron Tomb Fleet

-Necron Tombship, Sepulchre

-Scythe class Cruiser

-Shroud class Light Cruiser

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Setup:

Turn 1 – Necrons

Necron Tombship goes on All Ahead Full, but only moves 30cm.  Other ships move up.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Hunters take a right turn, fire 10 Torpedoes at the Shroud but do nothing.  The squadron of two Strike Cruisers fire 12 boarding torpedoes and 4 Thunderhawks.  Battlebarge moves up.

Turn 2 – Necrons

Tombship gets only 30cm on All Ahead Full again.  The Shroud takes a left turn, away from the Hunters.  The Boarding Torpedoes fired by the Strike Cruisers hit the Shroud, causing a Drive Damaged result, preventing the Shroud from turning.  The Scythe moves up.  Thunderhawks launched by the Strike Cruisers hit the Tombship, but a fantastic turrets roll kills all four!  Turn not pictured.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Battlebarge moves up.  Strike Cruisers Reload Ordnance, but the Hunters fail to Reload.  The surviving Boarding Torpedoes that hit the Shroud turn to the right, and continue.

Turn 3 – Necrons

Because the Shroud can’t turn, its minimum movement takes it off the board, forcing it to disengage.  The Scythe goes on All Ahead Full.  The Tombship moves up.  Lance fire from the Tombship takes down one shield on the Battlebarge.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruisers move up.  They launch Torpedoes and Thunderhawks at the Tombship, causing a Power Flow Disruption that prevents Necron lances and batteries from firing in any arc!  Both the Tombship and the Scythe Brace for Impact as the Strike Cruisers also fire on the Scythe, causing one damage. The Battlebarge adds its fire to little effect, and the Hunters fail to reload again.

Turn 4 – Necrons

A foolish decision on my part not to Brace for Impact, along with fantastic firing from both Necron ships causes three damage to the Vigilance, crippling it.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

The Vigilance tries to disengage, but due to a Bridge Smashed result, it fails.  The Duty moves behind the Tombship, and fires.  The Hunters Reload, and fire Boarding Torpedoes at the Tombship, which cause a whole mess of critical effects.  The Battlebarge Locks On, and fires.  In total, 3 damage and 5 critical effects from torpedoes and Bombardment Cannons make the Tombship hurt.  Traveling for six player turns, the Boarding Torpedoes fired by the Hunters on turn 1 start to catch up behind the Necrons.

Turn 5 – Necrons

Plagued by effects, the Tombship disenages.  The Scythe locks on, and its weapons take down the Battlebarge’s shields and do one damage.  The Battlebarge braces.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

The Vigilance successfully disengages.  The Duty, Hunters, and Battlebarge open fire on the Scythe, which takes one damage despite a Brace.

Turn 6 – Necrons

Scythe disengages.

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Great game!  The campaign is going along nicely.  Next: more Tau painted ships and more batreps!

Tau Protector Class: T’au Lar’shi’vre Aloh Sho’ka

Another Tau cruiser!  Next, light cruisers, and more games!

Gothic Campaign Week 6: Double Feature!

We had two battles this week.  I faced off against Rob’s Imperial Navy Bastion Fleet in an escalating engagement, and Josh’s Tau tried to slip past newcomer Matt’s Necrons in a Convoy.  Battle reports will be shorter, as these were shorter battles.

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Escalating Engagement – Azure Flames Space Marines vs. Imperial Navy Bastion Fleet

During my first turn, the Strike Cruiser Duty went on All Ahead Full to surprise Rob’s Gothic cruiser.  Fire ineffective, but Thunderhawks caused a starboard weapons damage.

The Gothic cruiser, over the next several turns was pincered by Strike Cruisers.

Facing two Strike Cruisers, with a third on the way, the Gothic disengaged.

On subsequent turns, Strike Cruisers arrived, but no Imperial Navy ships did.

Rob, facing my entire fleet ready to pounce, disengaged each ship as they came on the board.

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Convoy – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur (defenders) vs. Necrons (attackers)

Necrons rolled D3 + 4 (6 total) results

1 torpedo/attack craft

3 results of 2 torpedoes/attack craft

1 squadron of escorts at 100pts

1 squadron of escorts at 150pts

The Tau split their transports into a group going left and one going right.  Necron escorts punched through the Tau line, and destroyed several escorts.  Then a Solar Flare hit.

Tau fire got lucky and destroyed all but one Necron Jackal.  That jackal pursued a transport, as an attack craft cluster destroyed one more.  The jackal chased the transport, but a lucky hit with missiles dispatched the Jackal.  With no Necron forces left, the Tau were victorious!

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Next week: hopefully another double feature!