Throne of Skulls Game 4: Renegades vs Tau

For my forth game of the event I draw an opponent with a beautifully painted Tau force, on the table of krieg. Looking at this force my heart drops, running at a tau army is bad enough, but one with 4 riptides?!? At least the table gives me a bit of help, giving units poison in the game. Game 1, Game 2 and Game 3.

The Armies

Renegades and Heretics: Combined arms detachment (primary detachment)

Renegade Command Squad – 90 (warlord)

5 disciples, covenant of nurgle, lascannon, krack grenades

Renegade Infantry Platoon

command squad – 100

20 men, demagogue, chaos sigil, militia training, krack grenades, 2x flamer

Infantry squad – 85

20 men, chaos sigil, militia training, krack grenades

Infantry squad – 60

10 men, 2x melta gun, militia training

Chimera – 70

autocannon, heavy flamer, militia training

Infantry squad – 60

10 men, 2x melta gun, militia training

Chimera – 70

autocannon, heavy bolter, militia training

40 Plague zombies – 120

Renegade tank squadron – 280

2x battle tank

Demolisher – 170

militia training

Heavy ordinance battery – 90

militia training, medusa siege gun

Chaos Daemons: Combined arms detachment

Herald of Nurgle (the fool of nurgle) – 95

locus of fecundity, level 1 psyker [smite, haemorrhage]

20 plaguebearers – 180

3 nurglings – 45

soul grinder – 180

daemon of nurgle, phlegm

soul grinder – 180

daemon of nurgle, phlegm

Total: 1875

Tau Empire

Commander (warlord)

6 shield drones, missiles

cadre fireblade

Riptide

Ion accelerator, plasma rifles

Riptide

Heavy burst cannon, plasma rifles

Riptide

Heavy burst cannon, fusion gun

6 Fire warriors

6 Fire warriors

10 kroot

sniper rounds

3 stealth suits

fusion gun

5 pathfinders

5 pathfinders

Broadside

heavy rail cannon

Broadside

high yield missile pod

Riptide

razorshark

Barracuda

The Mission

For this mission we are playing cleanse and control, so only 3 objectives each and they are revealed. The vanguard strike deployment is used for this so again which isn't my favourite. On this table the special rule is Krieg: every range weapon has poison 7- turn number, so turn 1 has poison 6+, turn 2 5+ etc... this is a great boost to my lasguns.

We roll for deployment and the tau win the roll and select me to set up first. I mess up my deployment AGAIN and place the slow units in front of the fast, it was rather stupid of me. But on the right flank I place the plague zombies, in the middle the plaguebearers then on the left the none command infantry get placed supported by a chimera. I place the other chimera on the right behind the zombies with the demolisher. Both battle tanks also go on the right. The command squad hides in the ruins at the back of my deployment zone while the medusa is placed behind a building so it can't get shot at. I decide to deep strike both of the soul grinders this game as I really wish I did in game 2 as well as the nuglings, as you never know when they might help.

4 Riptides

To counter my deployment he places both of his broadsides in the large shrine ruin, both on different levels. His commander goes in the middle with all of his marker drones. The fireblade joins a unit of fire warriors and both units deploy on the right in cover. The broadsides then get placed around the table. His flyers start in reserve, and both the kroot and stealth suits get ready to outflank.

He then infiltrates both units of pathfinders, one on my right the other left.

Deployment

Warlord traits

Renegade commander: Allowed to re-draw first cards.

Tau Commander: strategic genius

Night fight: No

Steal the initiative: No

The Battle

Renegades turn 1

I do what I do every game, run straight at them! Lets make them run out of ammo. The zombies and plaguebearers pour forwards while on the left the chimera surges forwards while the infantry chase after it. The tanks on the right shuffle around so they can see something to shoot, but the demolisher pushes for the centre, gaining cover from the buildings to its flanks.

I'm out of range for psychic powers so I skip this phase.

First shot of the game, the medusa targets the pathfinders on the left, and the shot locks on, killing all 5 of the scouts gaining me first blood straight away. The infantry that can run does so then the battle tanks attempt to hurt the riptides standing next to each other but fails to get past the 2+ save. The command tank targets a broadside, but the shot misses. Chimera fire does nothing.

Score: First Blood

Renegades: 1 – Tau: 0

Tau turn 1

The riptides move towards my lines gaining better lines of sight while the fire warriors get into a better position. One of them fails its nova charge and takes a wound.

Riptide shooting first of all targets the chimera on the right and it takes two of them but it gets wrecked, and the passengers get pinned. Another shot from a riptide targets the battle tanks, and blows off a heavy bolter and takes an additional hull point off it, reducing it to 1. Both broadsides target the the other chimera but some how fail to do anything. The rest of the force targets the infantry on the left and kills a handful of them but they hold.

Assault phase and the riptides realise getting close isn't the best idea and all of them jump back away from my troops.

Score: Nothing

Renegades turn 2

From reserve all 3 units appear, I place a soulgrinder next to the riptides on the right and it scatters back 11 onto a building and can't be placed, it mishaps and gets destroyed. The other grinder attempts to appear in the same spot and locks on, so they have to deal with him or some units are going to die. The nurglings go straight for an objective I need but scatter a little, but thank god can still claim it. Again the force moves forwards ready to attack the tau line.

Again no psychic phase.

The demolisher tries to kill off the rail cannon broadside, the cannon misses but the snap firing heavy bolter takes a wound off it, which is then killed off by the command squad. I attempt to kill the other one off with the medusa but the shot scatters wide hitting nothing. Having just appeared, the soul grinder shoots at the fireblades unit, and kills off 3 of them. Battle cannon shots from the battle tanks target the commander but the shots scatter and just end up killing a single marker drone. He infantry run that can.

Score: Ascendency (3), secure objective 5

Renegades: 5 – Tau: 0

Tau turn 2

In from reserve both the kroot and stealth suits attack, they both outflank and both appear on my right flank. Thank god, as I was worried they would easily kill off the medusa crew. Unfortunately the stealth team head straight for the soul grinder. The running fire warriors rally and get back into the fight, returning to the cover to hide. The y'vahra riptide jumps forwards and goes behind the building the pathfinders had. The other riptides move away from the soul grinder but keep it in range of their guns. The wounded riptide again wounds it self trying to nova charge.

Attempting to remove the soul grinder before it can do any damage, the stealth suits fire their single fusion gun but it only takes a single hull point off it. Unfortunately it only takes a single riptide to wreck the grinder much to my displeasure, but it was always going to die at some point. The commander attempts to remove the nurglings before they can charge him but only kills off a single base. That means the other riptide in the middle of the table targets the nurglings as well, and finishes off the unit. The y'vahra riptide targets the chimera at the top and blows off its autocannon and reduces it to a single hull point. The final riptide shoots at the zombies and brings down 7 of them. Kroots shooting brings down an extra zombie. Broadside shooting wrecks the chimera pinning the passengers.

Assault phase and again the riptides jump away from my forces.

Score: kill 3 units (2)

Renegades: 5 – Tau: 2

Renegades turn 3

Again I go straight forwards trying to get to grips with the Tau.

I fail all of my psychic powers this turn.

The medusa tries to kill off the remaining broadside but the shot scatters wide and misses. The demolisher tries the same but the broadside passes its cover save. All of my shooting only manages to take off two wounds from a riptide (no idea which at this point).

Groaning, the zombies attempt to charge the kroot, over watch kills the front zombie and they fail the charge because of it.

Score: Nothing

Renegades: 5 – Tau: 2

Tau turn 3

Flying in from reserve both of the fliers come in from reserve, the Barracuda comes in on the left after the medusa while the razorshark moves on the right. Out of the riptides nova charging only a single one fails and takes a wound. The y'vahra riptide makes a large jump using its special rules and lands on the objective where the pathfinders deployed. The other riptides move around a little.

The barracuda fires everything it has at the medusa and crew, two of the crew doing repairs on the gun get ripped in half and the gun takes a single wound of damage. Thankfully the other two crew only laugh at the loss of crewmen and hold their ground. A riptide nova charging his gun targets the demolisher and manages to get enough hight strength shots to rend and wreck the demolisher. Fire from the commander takes down a couple of plaguebearers, while the rest of the force shoots at the zombies bringing their number down to a manageable 12.

Assault and the riptides jump around again.

Score: Objective 6, objective 6

Renegades: 5 – Tau: 4

Renegades turn 4

I move up with my infantry as expected. The zombies move towards the kroot and get in charge range. In the centre the infantry swarm over the demolisher wreck, while the herald moves in his unit so can get in range of a broadside.

Psychic phase, and the tau are rather confused as the herald casts smite at them and deals a single wound to the broadside.

The y'vahra riptide is far too dangerous if it can move that fast, do the medusa targets it and deals a single wound. The commanders lascannon deals a further wound leaving it on one. Lasgun fire from the infantry in the centre can just about clip it, and I manage to get 4 wounds thanks to the poison rule for the table, and thank the chaos gods he fails an armour save and dies. I can't remember what does it but something takes the last wound off the broadside.

Unfortunately the zombies are slow and fail their charge but take a couple of wounds for looking at the kroot.

Score: Harness the warp

Renegades: 6 – Tau: 4

Tau turn 4

Only movement from the fliers who both move into the centre and the rip tides who jump about a little.

A lot of fire from the fliers targets the battle tanks but they only take a single glance. Most of the other fire from the army target the daemons, and a lot die, and the herald is forced to look out a lot to survive.

Again the riptides jump around.

Score: Objective 5, objective 3

Renegades: 6 – Tau: 6

Renegades turn 5

I draw supremacy for this turn and really need to get this otherwise my opponent will probably jump ahead of me in points. So the zombies move towards the kroot again while the daemons grab an objective and the medusa crew spread out to grab another while still able to shoot their gun.

Smite fails this turn.

The battle tanks try to kill off the tau commander as they can see his unit, and lock on but only the shield drones die and the commander passes his moral test. I need force the fire warriors off their objective but the shots of the infantry fail to do anything. Medusa fire fails to hit and scatters. Infantry in the centre shoot at the riptide and take a wound off it thanks to poison 2+.

Assault and the zombies make it into the kroot this time and kill off 2, however they have plenty of attacks back but leave 3 zombies left disrupting the objective.

Score: Supremacy (2)

Renegades: 8 – Tau: 6

Tau turn 5

Again the riptides move around but one of them attempts to get to the medusa. Not wanting to get killed by the battle tanks the commander hides behind the ruin next to the fire warriors. Fliers move about as well.

I lose a lot of infantry this turn die thanks to the riptides. A rip tide does shoot at the daemons but he changes hi mind after realising they have a 2+ save.

Assault and the kroot murder the zombies this time. The riptide closest to me attempts to jump away but only rolls 2, he's in trouble now.

Score: Objective 5

Renegades: 8 – Tau: 7

We roll to see if the game continues... it does.

Renegades turn 6

The few infantry I have left move straight to the close riptide as I want to hold him up before it kills anything important. Both battle tanks move a little as they might be able to clip the commander if they target the fire warriors.

Again delving into the warp, the herald of nurgle casts smite at a wounded riptide (it reduced itself to 2 wounds thanks to nova charges) and manages to kill him off.

In the shooting phase the battle tanks target the fire warriors and can clip the commander. But both shots scatter and no one gets hit, a shame as that was a great chance to get slay the warlord. The medusa targets the closest riptide and deals a single wound to it.

Only one unit is in charge range and so the infantry prepare their krack grenades and charge into the riptide. I lose 2 infantry and do no wounds to him, but I hold thanks to my chaos sigil.

Score: Objective 1

Renegades: 9 – Tau: 7

Tau turn 6

The commander moves back so that trick can't be played again and on the right the riptide holding that flank goes after the battle tanks.

Shooting from the fliers manages to kill off the remaining daemons including the herald. Riptide shooting takes a battle tank down to 1 hull point.

Assault and the riptide charges the battle tanks, wrecking one and exploding the other. In the other combat nothing much happens.

Score: Assassinate

Renegades: 9 – Tau: 8

Again does the game carry on? No

End of Game and Tau score Line breaker.

Renegades: 9 – Tau: 9

Draw.

Post-Battle

That was a brilliant game thanks to the table special rules and a great opponent. If it was just a straight fight I probably would have been in trouble and not been able to do anything about the riptides. As it turned out though this was my favourite game of the Event and it was so close in the end.

Again I think my list really helped me out here, having so many units and bodies allowed me to take objectives with ease at the beginning of the game and it took him longer than expected to thin my ranks. My damage out put is poor but that's the sacrifice of this list.

If I was to play this game again, I think I would change my deployment. Once again I put slow units in front of those that can run. I need to swap that around next time. I don't regret deep striking both soul grinders, sometimes you mishap, sometimes you don't. But if I had gotten both into position turn 2 the riptides might have been in trouble turn 3. But putting pressure on my opponent is always a great thing to do, try to pressure him into making mistakes.

So game 4 and I have 2 victories, a loss and a draw. Not bad. Sorry for the lack of information on each of the riptides, my notes are very messy and we had to rush a little as we couldn't start straight away so time was against us.