Week 5 Battle #1, Marines vs. Tau

What a week!  Several players did not show including our new Necron player.  However, another player, Nathan, decided to join the campaign by borrowing my Imperial Navy fleet!  My battle with Nathan will be covered in the next post, as two batreps in one post is too much.  This post is all about my battle with Josh’s Tau!

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Mission: The Bait

Azure Flames

-Pursued Ship: Space Marine Strike Cruiser Honor (Extra Shield, Navigational Shields)

-Space Marine Strike Cruiser Duty (Extra Shield)

-Space Marine Strike Cruiser Courage (Extra Shield)

-Space Marine Strike Cruiser Sacrifice (Extra Shield)

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur Pursuing Fleet

-Protector Cruiser, Vior’la Configuration

-Emissary Light Cruiser, Sa’cea configuration

-Nicassar Rig

-4 Nicassar Dhows

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Setup: The Honor was placed in the center of the board, and the Tau deployed 60cm behind it.

Azure Flames – Turn 1

The Honor moves ahead, and launches two Thunderhawks on CAP.

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur – Turn 1

The whole fleet moves up.  One fighter is launched, and two waves of missiles.

Azure Flames – Turn 2

The Honor Reloads Ordnance and begins to come about.

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur – Turn 2

Not allowing themselves to be caught out of position, the Tau fleet takes a turn to their Starboard.  Tau Missiles avoid the Honor, as the CAP would make them useful.

Azure Flames – Turn 3

Thunderhawks split off from CAP to deal with the Tau missiles.  The Honor seeks cover by the large planet.

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur – Turn 3

The Nicassar Dhows provide tempting bait along the far table edge.  The Protector Reloads Ordnance, and fires.  The Emissary sneaks through the asteroid field.

Azure Flames – Turn 4

The Honor gains cover behind the planet as it once again launches a CAP to deal with Tau missiles.

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur – Turn 4

The Protector goes on All Ahead Full to catch the Honor next turn.  The Emissary fails the leadership test to navigate the asteroids, fails to Brace for Impact, and suffers SIX DAMAGE, killing it and turning it into a Drifting Hulk!  Nicassar thread the needle between the asteroid belts.

Azure Flames – Turn 5

The Duty, Courage, and Sacrifice arrive from the board edge, and launch Torpedoes, forcing the Protector to Brace.  The Honor launches Thunderhawks at the Protector.  Brace saves prevent all hit-and-run attacks and all but one damage.

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur – Turn 5

The Tau disengage, abandoning the Nicassar Rig which is destroyed.  Game ends.

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The Bait is a gamble.  Does the pursuing force push it, or do they make a hasty retreat?  The Tau fleet was not slow, and speed matters.  The one big deciding factor was sending the low-leadership Emissary through the asteroids.  That instant death really hurt the Tau who might have been able to put the hurt on the Honor.

Next: another batrep from the same week, starring new player Nathan!

T’au Lar’shi’vre Shi Kais “Protector” class cruiser

Next: another Protector class!

Battlefleet Gothic Campaign Week 4: A new player approaches!

Our gaming has attracted the interests of a fourth!  Matt showed interest in… the… Necrons… Oh dear… Well, he’s a new player, giving him the most obscenely overpowered fleet is fair.  He didn’t have time for a game but he DID claim a system for his base.  In the meantime, Rob and I fought a brutal battle.

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Mission: Exterminatus! (the only one with an exclamation point IN the title) 1025 points

-Azure Flames

Battle Barge His Hammer II

Battle Barge His Anvil

-Imperial Navy Segmentum Obscurus Bastion Fleet

Emperor Battleship

Lunar Cruiser

Tyrant Cruiser, range upgrade, Nova Cannon

Dauntless Light Cruiser, lance version

Squadron of 3 Firestorm frigates and 1 Cobra destroyer

Squadron of 6 Fire Ships

4 Ground Based  Lance  Defences

-Setup:

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Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Both Battle Barges go on All Ahead Full.

Turn 1 – Imperial Navy

Firestorm/Cobra squadron, Dauntless, and Fire Ship squadron arrives.  The Fire Ships detonate and cause 3 Fire critical results on His Anvil.  Emperor launches fighters and fighters with bombers in two waves.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

Both ships advance.  In the End Phase, a lucky roll repairs all 3 Fire effects.

Turn 2 – Imperial Navy

The Lunar cruiser arrives.  Nova Cannon fire takes down a shield on His Hammer.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

His Anvil goes on All Ahead Full.  Fire from His Hammer II takes down an escort shield.

Turn 3 – Imperial Navy

Fire from almost the whole fleet takes down 3 shields on His Hammer II.  Nova Cannon hit does 6 damage, including 4 criticals losing shields and smashing the bridge.  Ouch.  Split fire takes down one shield from His Anvil.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Crippled, but still in the fight, His Hammer II causes a Brace for Impact on the escorts, and good save rolls save them all.  His Anvil causes braces on the Emperor and Dauntless.  Only does one damage to the Dauntless.

Turn 4 – Imperial Navy

The fleet concentrates on His Hammer II, doing two more damage.  His Hammer II manages a lucky Brace to survive at all.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

His Hammer II takes down two shields on the Emperor, while His Anvil makes it onto the Low Orbit table!

Turn 5 – Imperial Navy

The Lunar follows His Anvil onto the Low Orbit table.  Fire from the Lunar and the ground defences does one damage to His Anvil.  His Hammer II is unable to Brace this turn and is reduced to a drifting hulk.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

His Anvil approaches to within 45cm of the planetary edge and attempts to exterminate the planet; the result: a 3!  The Planet is exterminated!  Random rolls turn the Agri-world into… an Agri-world.  I guess there must have been another one.

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The campaign is off and running!  I’m off to the fabric store to get another 4’x6′ black felt cover, as we’re about to have two games at once!

T’au Or’es Mont’yr Shi’ur Custodian Class Battleship

Finally starting to paint my Tau Kor’or’vesh fleet.  This ship was named by Josh, who is borrowing my Tau fleet for our Battlefleet Gothic campaign.  Next up, a battle report from today’s upcoming game, and some more Tau ships painted!

Battlefleet Gothic week three!

The Gothic campaign is alive and well!  Last night was going to be our last night if our third player, Rob, did not show.  However, he did, and won a spectacular victory!

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Escalating Engagement – 1000 points

Azure Flames Space Marines

-Battlebarge His Anvil

-Strike Cruiser Vigilance, extra shield (sub plot gave +1 Ld, -1 Shield)

-Strike Cruiser Sacrifice, extra shield

-Hunter Destroyer squadron x5, Vengeance Squadron

-Hunter Destroyer squadron x5, Wrath Squadron

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Imperial Navy Segmentum Tempestus Bastion Fleet

-Mars class Battlecruiser, extra turret, left shift, Admiral (Ld 8, 1 Re-roll)

-Tyrant Cruiser, longer range batteries, Nova Cannon

-Gothic Cruiser

-Dauntless Light Cruiser (lance)

-Cobra Squadron x4

-Firestorm Squadron x3

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The Imperial Navy deploys the Gothic class, and the Azure Flames deploy a Hunter squadron.

Turn 1 – Imperial Navy

Gothic class moves toward the Hunters.  Marker with a squadron of the Mars and the Tyrant is deployed.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames

Hunters approach the Gothic and fire 10 Boarding torpedoes which move just short of the Gothic.  Marker with the other hunters is deployed.

Turn 2 – Imperial Navy

Gothic attempts to Burn Retros and fails, so it hits the Boarding Torpedoes.  Brace for impact fails, and a whopping five Engine Room Damaged results, crippling it!  The Gothic disengages.  The Mars and Tyrant miss with their Nova Cannons.  Mars launches fighters and bombers.  Dauntless marker placed.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames

The Hunter squadron disengages, and another Hunter squad arrives.  They fire Boarding torpedoes.  Fighters and bombers approach.

Turn 3 – Imperial Navy

Dauntless arrives.  Fighter removes the Boarding Torpedoes.  Nova Cannon hit gets one Hunter.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames

To deal with the fighters aend bombers, the Hunters fire a two strong regular torpedo wave and a six strong boarding wave.  However, batteries from the Hunters actually hit, removing the wave! Strike Cruiser marker is placed.

Turn 4 – Imperial Navy

Nova cannon and lance fire kills three more Hunters.  Mars reloads and launches fighters and bombers, removing the Boarding torpedoes.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames

Hunter fails to disengage.  Strike Cruiser arrives.  Battlebarge marker placed.  Bombers destroy the last Hunter.

Turn 5 – Imperial Navy

Fleet moves up.  Firestorm token is placed.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser moves up and fires Boarding Torpedoes and Thunderhawks at the Dauntless, knocking out all of its weapons and starting a fire!  Battle Barge goes All Ahead Full.  Final Strike Cruiser token placed.

Turn 6 – Imperial Navy

Firestorms arrive and the fleet pummels the Strike Cruiser forcing it to brace for impact.  Cobras also arrive and chase the Strike Cruiser.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 6 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser arrives and kills two of the three Firestorms.  Battlebarge goes on All Ahead full again.  Note that all of these All Ahead Fulls are never larger than 12cm added to the 20cm of the Barge.

Turn 7 – Imperial Navy

Whole fleet fires on one of the strike cruisers, crippling it.  The Dauntless repairs its fire, prow lances, and port weapons.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 7 – Azure Flames

Battlebarge goes on another terrible all ahead full.  Crippled Strike Cruiser disengages.  Non-crippled Strike Cruiser fires boarding torpedoes at the Mars.  Mars fails to brace and suffers FOUR engine destroyed results, crippling it!

Turn 8 – Imperial Navy

SOLAR FLARE occurs!  Mars disengages.  Cobras fail to reload ordnance, so they take up position to fire next turn.  Fire causes the Strike Cruiser to Brace.

Turn 8 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser kills one Cobra and makes them Brace.  Battlebarge hits the Dauntless with 9 boarding torpedoes which once again disables all of its weapons.  It braces.  Note that in the following picture, the Boarding Torpedoes were not removed when they moved into the Dauntless so they are not really there.

Turn 9 – Imperial Navy

Dauntless moves up and tries to damage the Strike Cruiser.  A teleport attack disables the Bombardment Cannon.  In the picture below the Dauntless is where the clear base is.

Turn 9 – Azure Flames

Strike Cruiser disengages.  Battlebarge boards the Dauntless.  Lucky brace saves make the Dauntless have one damage remaining!

Turn 10 – Imperial Navy

Imperial Navy disengages.  Final score Imperial Navy: 264, Azure Flames 206.

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There were two things that could have won this game for me.  If the Hunter squadron had disengaged, and if Rob had not made one of the 4 saves necessary to save the Dauntless.  It was a nail biter!  I can’t wait for next week!

Nicassar Dhows, Caravan, and Rig

In my Battlefleet Gothic campaign, I got a new player hooked by letting him use my Tau Kor’or’vesh fleet.  You don’t see it in the Image Gallery for Gothic because it’s not painted yet.  The collection is small; a battleship, six crusiers, and assorted escorts.  It’s just under 2000 points, which is the size you’d need for a roster in a campaign.  I also had four Nicassar Dhows and a Tau Orbital unbuilt.

Thank goodness for the 2012 update.  It included the option for the Nicassar Caravan, which is an orbital rig with four Dhows to tow it around.  Even better: during a campaign you can choose for the Caravan to either be the Caravan OR four Dhows and an immobile unarmed defense.  With these options, the Tau fleet comes in at 1990 points, perfect to start a campaign!

…it just took me until now to complete them.  The Dhows are magnetized to remove them from their flying bases if necessary.  The core bits of the Tau orbital were used, and I bits ordered four of the Tau battlesuit sensors.  I modified them into the docking pylons for the Rig.  With the four Dhows, the Rig becomes the Caravan.

Next: look for more Gothic and hopefully my first forays into 7th ed 40K!

Gothic Campaign week 2

Our campaign is still teetering on the edge of oblivion.  Our third player (Imperial Navy) still hasn’t showed up.  Campaigns can’t last with just two.  However that does not mean that it is not fun.  Here’s a batrep for our most recent game!

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Mission: Convoy, 8 transports (400 point fleet)

Attacker: Azure Flames Space Marines

Defender: Tau Shan’al Shi’ur fleet (Kor’or’vesh)

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I rolled for 7 defending beacon markers, came up 6, 6, 5, 3, 3, 2, 1 for 2 Capital Ships, 1 Escort squadron, and a total of 9 deadfall torpedoes or attack craft clusters.  Our special campaign rules allow Space Marine attack craft clusters to be Thunderhawk Gunships.

-Space Marine Strike Cruiser, Extra Shield

-Space Marine Strike Cruiser, Extra Shield

-3 Gladius Frigates

-9 Ordnance groups, split 3, 3, 2, 1 between four markers.

Tau Shan’al Shi’ur list: (note: Grav Hooks requirements are waived for Convoy per special Campaign rules)

-Protector class Cruiser

-2 Castellan escorts

-2 Warden escorts

-2 Warden escorts

-4 squadrons of 2 Tau Il’emmar Courier Transports

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Turn 1 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Two squadrons of two transports, the Protector, and one Warden squadron come on, ready to take on all comers.

Turn 1 – Azure Flames Space Marines

One beacon reveals itself as a Space Marine Strike Cruiser.  Launched Thunderhawk Gunships and a strength 6 torpedo wave kill three of the four transports!

Turn 2 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

The remaining transports and escorts come on the board.  The Space Marine Strike Cruiser suffers two damage… and then one more from the TRANSPORTS!  Crippled by a transport, I’ll never live it down!  Movement makes a beacon with 3 Attack Craft clusters activate.

Turn 2 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Gladius squadron activates, and moves forward.  Incredible turret rolls keep all of the transports safe!

Turn 3 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

The Tau fleet reforms and takes on the Gladius squadron as the Transports split up and go left and right around the board.

Turn 3 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Another Strike Cruiser is revealed and it goes on All Ahead Full.  Crippled Strike Cruiser disengages while the Gladius squadron goes for the transports.  However Brace for Impact makes their guns ineffective.

Turn 4 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Two Wardens harass the Gladius squadron as the rest of the fleet moves out to protect the transports.

Turn 4 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Gladius escorts continue to harass the transports ineffectively.  Two attack craft beacons are activated for a total of five Thunderhawk waves.

Turn 5 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Shooting takes out one more Gladius.  Thunderhawks take out another transport.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 5 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Last attack craft cluster activates.  Strike Cruiser takes out one Castellan.  The last remaining Gladius tries to board a transport, but a bad roll kills the Gladius!

Turn 6 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Transports near the bottom of the board try to run.  Fire causes the Strike Cruiser to Brace for Impact.  This turn’s photo brought to you by: the concept of the Dutch Angle

Turn 6 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Fire against the transports is ineffective but Thunderhawks are closing in!  The other two transports are destroyed by Thunderhawks.

Turn 7 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Escorts take up position to defend the Transports from ordnance, while fire takes down both Strike Cruiser shields but does no damage!  I gambled and it paid off.

Turn 7 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Strike Cruiser reloads ordnance, fires torpedoes which kills one Warden and causes the transports to brace.  Thunderhawks go after the cruiser for sub-plot success!

Turn 8 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

Wardens disengage while the rest of the fleet turns on the Strike cruiser with limited results.  Torpedoes and bombers come up empty.

Turn 8 – Azure Flames Space Marines

Strike cruiser chases the transports but can’t quite hurt them.  Turn not pictured.

Turn 9 – Tau Shan’al Shi’ur

The transports make a break for it as the fleet once again fails to hurt the strike cruiser.

Turn 9 – Azure Flames Space Marines

One last reload ordnance gets off a boarding torpedo wave that wastes the second to last transport.  Game ceded.

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This was a lot closer than most Convoy missions I’ve played.  Two mistakes I made.  1: I split Thunderhawk squadrons into smaller groups that turrets could destroy (those were lucky rolls) and 2: I should have boarded one Transport with the Gladius squadron, both together.  As it stood I only boarded one one one and lost with a bad roll.

Final word: we need our third player for some variety!

Battlefleet Gothic Campaign – Week 1

Our first game was a scorcher!  Tau vs. Space Marines.  Due to some unlucky failed Disengage rolls, I lost big time.  The Tau Empire expands into the Epps system from their home base in the Talbon system.

This Thursday, hopefully the Imperial Navy will add a third faction.  Who will come out on top?

Battlefleet Gothic Campaign 2014 – The Laurie’s Hope Subsector

I’ve never been able to play Gothic in a campaign setting.  That all changes this Thursday.  I’m going to be organizing a Gothic Campaign.  See above the custom sector I made while I watched House on Netflix.  We have three confirmed players, with the possibility of more.  Here are our current players:

Bozeman – Space Marines

Rob – Imperial Navy

Josh – Tau Kor’or’vesh

Josh’s above fleet is mine, and unpainted.  I also have a super secret project that is totally not illegal related to it, updates later this week.

Who will be victorious in controlling the Laurie’s Hope subsector?  Find out soon!

A Funeral for Specialist Games

Specialist Games has been unsupported for a while now.  If you’re unfamiliar with me and my site, just look to the upper right.  I’m a huge cheerleader for Specialist Games.  I shed a tear when they stopped selling, but at least they kept the rules online for free.  It was a nice nod to the past.

The new Games Workshop website puts an end to that.  No more specialist.  Pour out a ’40 for them; they’re gone for good.

That’s not to say they’re DEAD.  You can still find the files online in several places.  I am considering building a Specialist Shrine right here on Four Strands Hobby just to make the files available to myself and others.

If you play specialist, KEEP IT ALIVE.  Share it.  Lend armies or fleets to friends.  Our friends are not gone so long as we remember them.