Highland Library August Game 2 – 1500 Purge the Alien – Azure Flames vs. Tau

Game 2 was against Dominic, a frequent player on this blog who once demoed Epic Armageddon with me!  Today, Dominic brought his Tau.  I was feeling lazy, and so fielded almost the same list (transports were swapped).  We rolled for mission and surprise!  Got Purge the Alien AGAIN!  Oh well, it’s a good mission.

————————————————————————-

Bozeman – Azure Flames (Salamanders Flameblade from the Angels of Death supplement) – 1500pts

Flameblade Strike Force

• Battle Demi-Company
  • Leonidas, Captain of the 1st company (counts as Vulkan He’Stan)
  • Tactical Squad x 10, Veteran Sergeant, Bolter-Melta, Power Fist, Meltagun, Multimelta
    • Drop Pod
  • Tactical Squad x 10, Veteran Sergeant, Bolter-Melta, Power Fist, Meltagun, Multimelta
  • Tactical Squad x 5, Veteran Sergeant, Bolter-Flamer, Power Fist, Flamer
    • Razorback, Lascannon and Twin-Linked Plasma Gun
  • Assault Squad x 5, 2 x Flamer
    • Drop Pod
  • Devastator Squad x 5, 4x Heavy Bolter, Auspex
  • Ironclad Dreadnought, Ironclad Launchers, Heavy Flamer, Chainfist
    • Drop Pod
• Flamebringers Formation
  • Land Raider Redeemer

————————————————————————-

Dominic – Tau

• Combined Arms Detatchment
  • Commander, Iridium Crisis Suit, Flamer, several upgrades that make him the traditional “Buffmander”
  • Pathfinder Squad x 4, Recon Drone
    • Devilfish
  • Pathfinder Squad x 5, 2x Marker Light Drones, Blacksun Filter
  • Fire Warriror Strike Team x 12, Shas’ui
  • Fire Warriror Strike Team x 12, Shas’ui
  • Fireblade
  • Tidewall
  • Tidewall Gun Emplacement
  • Riptide, Ion Cannon, Stims, E.W.O.
  • Crisis Suit x 3, 6x Plasma (2 per suit), ATS, 3x Marker Light Drones
  • Hammerhead, Smart Missile System, Submunitions, Disruption Pod

————————————————————————-

Mission – Purge the Alien (units destroyed = 1 VP)

Setup – Hammer and Anvil (short board edges, 24″ deployment)

————————————————————————-

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Land Raider and Razorback move up and pop smoke.  Devastators run toward the silver building.  Leonidas and the Assault Squad arrive, and Leonidas splits off.  Their flamers kill most of both of the Fire Warrior Squads.  Tactical Squad also arrives via Drop Pod, scatter behind the Hammerhead, and blow it up.

Advance!

A deadly Alpha Strike ruins the Fire Warrior’s day, and eliminates the Hammerhead.  The Assault Squad is reduced to two men thanks to the Riptide’s Interceptor shot, but those two were the Flamers, so that was worth it!

Turn 1 – Tau

Devilfish moves up, but fails to harm the Razorback.  Fire Warriors shoot the Assault Squad, kill a Flamer, and the other one breaks and flees!  Riptide trains its remaining guns on Leonidas, but does no damage.  Emplaced Railgun does a crew shaken to the Land Raider Redeemer.

The Devilfish menaces the Razorback.

I’m getting out of here!

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Leonidas blasts the other Fire Warriors again, causing them to break! The Assault Marine runs, and the Tactical Squad tries to maneuver out of the corner.  Razorback fires ineffectually at the Devilfish.  Ironclad Dreadnought arrives and its Heavy Flamer kills most of the Pathfinders in the ruins, while the Drop Pod finishes the last two.

The Devilfish laughs off the Razorback’s fire.

Pathfinders don’t like fire!

Because the Tau are smart enough to password protect their gun emplacements, Leonidas cannot fire this railgun that the Fire Warriors abandoned when they flee.

Turn 2 – Tau

Buffmander and the Crisis Suits arrive (is that an indie rock band?)  They blow up the Razorback with plasma, which explodes and kills a Devastator.  Riptide moves off, but can’t hurt the Ironclad.  Devilfish kills the last Assault Marine for a kill point!

Buffmander and his boys blow up the Razorback, stunningly!

The Riptide can’t hurt the Ironclad.

Lone Assault Marine is toast!

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

Tactical Squad in the Land Raider disembark.  Shooting and assault kill everyone but Buffmander, who is locked in combat with the squad.  Ironclad charges and does three wounds to the Riptide, but it kicks off his power fist in return!

Buffmander is all alone, and in a pickle!

Epic fight between the Ironclad and Riptide!

Turn 3 – Tau

The Ironclad does one more wound to the Riptide.  Pathfinders get out of their Devilfish and shoot the Devastators, killing one.  Buffmander takes one more wound.

The Pathfinders attack!

Buffmander hangs on…

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Buffmander is killed.  An underwhelming combat has no effect with the Ironclad and Riptide.  Devastators charge the Pathfinders, killing two, breaking them, and running them down!  Land Raider’s Multi-Melta blows up the Devilfish, and a Drop Pod Storm Bolter kills the two Drones that pop out!

This side of the board is cleared.

These guys must be tired, they are just standing around doing nothing.

Turn 4 – Tau

The Riptide tries to use its Nova Reactor, but it overheats, killing it!  Tabled.

Hey, where did my friend go?

————————————————————————-

Final Score

Azure Flames – 9 plus Slay the Warlord, First Blood, and Linebreaker = 12

Tau – 1

————————————————————————-

Dominic made one mistake: Buffmander did not start on the board.  Had he been around, he and his Crisis Suit buddies could have punched back against the Alpha Strike.  He could have also been hanging out making everyone better.  Other than that, the list was good and Dominic didn’t make any mistakes.

Next: hopefully some Gothic Demos and more batreps!