Battle Report: Ambush at Hive Vulcan

"These Gue'la know not the power of the Farsight Enclaves, Let us enlighten them to the Greater Good" -   Attributed to one Shas'O Jark'ia MirrorWater prior to the Ambush at Hive Vulcan M. 41

Turn 1

Its time for another battle report, this time between myself and Silent Phantom 45.  Phantom decided to play Tau against my guard in a 1000 point match up. We each used a tournament list that I had written up and set up the table. Mission was to kill as many of the enemy as possible.


Turn 1 saw Phantom line up his two broadsides and fire off his missile salvos at me. The shots hit my chimera and blew it apart wrecking it. The Tanith jumped out and scattered as the Pardus Chimera burned. Next Crisis suits lined up a shot and fired their missiles and plasma at my Leman Russ tank. All of the shots missed.

My turn 1 saw me fire my chimeras and Leman at the crisis suits and broadsides. All of my shots failed to hit. I had forgotten to scout my snipers so they were left in reserve.

Turn 2 saw Phantom move his suits into position and line up another shot. This time the Leman Russ tank was knocked out by the two broadsides and the Crisis suit team that had missile pods and plasma rifles.  On the other end of the board, the crisis team failed to come in from reserve and the suits moved up along with the commander. The stealth team of three hid out in a ruin.

My turn 2 saw me move up my troopers to cover of the burning Russ. The scout sentinel walked into the lane of fire and the chimeras on the other end of the field moved up firing at the stealth team. 2 members of the stealth suit team were killed in action but their leader would rally on his own. A crisis suit of the three man squad was killed in action as well when the Tanith Veterans jumped out of their chimera and fired into the enemy with their war priest shouting hymns to the emperor. My snipers failed to come on

Turn 3 saw Phantom destroy another chimera as its Tanith crew jumped out from the flaming Pardus wreck.  The crisis team on the right flank blew apart the scout sentinel and the broadsides fire at the command chimera but missed. On the left flank the crisis suits and the commander tore into the Tanith squad and the priest. Two members of the squad were killed but the rest lived as the xeno suits descended upon them

My Turn 3 saw my command chimera move back to avoid the broadside guns. Orders were thrown out to the vets and they roared their defiance at the enemy killing two drones and a suit. The stealth team was shot at by the chimera but lived. On the right flank my Veterans were firing at the crisis team descending upon them. One enemy suit was killed. Again my snipers failed to come on.

Tau in my back field

Turn 4, Phantom deep struck his Tau into my back field. Tearing apart my Pardus chimeras, he ripped into them and the Tanith were forced to jump out. Now things were getting desperate. He fired destroying the command chimera. Ibram Gaunt and Colonel Corbec jumped out angry that their comrades had been killed by the xeno. A few more Tanith on each flank were killed as the xeno pressed their attack.

For the Emperor!

Turn 4 for me saw my guys fire into the Tau and a few assaults went off. Gaunt and his squad charged the Tau, and in return Ana was hit as they overwatched. The squad used their straight silvers to tear into the enemy ripping apart the suits as one enemy and a drone fell to the blade. In front of them, the Tanith veteran squad assaulted the Tau commander and last stealth suit in one of the most heroic acts of the game.This delaying action would later allow for the Tanith to re position themselves and get a better lane of fire on the enemy. Many more Tanith were killed and injured and the war priest himself was knocked out as the xeno commander pushed aside all opposition. The Tau stealth suit was killed inspiring the Tanith to greater feats of heroism.

For Tanith!

Turn 5 saw the Tau kill off the last of the Veteran squad and one lone Tanith sergeant ran for his life. The Tau commander fired killing three Veterans of Tanith and the broadsides moved up. The Command Squad and Gaunt were hit again losing another Tanith and on the left flank the survivors of the Tau commanders rampage got attacked again by the Shas'O. Things were starting to get very desperate.

My Turn 5 saw the snipers come on and the Veteran squad in the chimera join the assault against the Tau suits attacking my command squad. With their straight silvers, the Tanith tore into the Tau killing the suit and its drone. Now free of the melee of combat, the Command squad turned its attention to the squad of crisis suits bearing down upon it on the right. Gaunt and Corbec was all that was left. Doc Dorden had been KO'ed by the suit as it went down. The snipers fired killing the second suit leaving two suits alive. Gaunt and Corbec moved towards their enemy to show them Tanith's wraith.

Desperate Melee combat

Turn 6 saw the enemy Tau commander punch his fist into the Pardus chimera with a str 10 AP1 hit. the tank exploded causing him 3 wounds and killing 2 Tanith in return. The Crisis suit then moved towards his next target: the lone Tanith veteran squad. The two suits fired on Gaunt and Corbec but missed. The broadsides had no targets but moved up anyways killing one sniper. The lone sergeant running for his life was also killed during this turn.

My Turn 6 saw my last Vet squad fire on the Crisis command but fail to kill him. The Snipers fired on the commander suit but failed to kill him. Corbec and Gaunt took on the two suits and killed both in melee combat. They then consolidated towards the enemy commander.

Turn 7 saw the enemy commander jumping away from the three surviving Tanith and firing his last charge of Ion at them.All three were vaporized in a hail of ion fire.

Corbec and Gaunt face the Tau

My Turn 7 saw Gaunt and Corbec fight the Xeno in melee. Both were Knocked out and left for dead on the battle field.

Victory had gone to the Tau!


Post Game report:

Well that wasn't how I expected things to go. This fight was hard and Phantom (being my brother) knew what I would do and countered hard. It was a bloody fight till the end and was a hard fought game. I learned a lot and really enjoyed the list I was using. Someday i'll have to challenge him again to replay this fight. For a while I thought I had him but he was able to play aggressively and turn the tide. Some of you might note that he was using my Tau against me. Thats because he doesnt have a army of his own but Its nice to see my figures being used (even if it is against me). Anyway leave comments and any questions you have i'll be happy to answer.

Till next time!

Table at the end

Posted in: 2016, 40k, battle report, Dakka Dakka, Fire warriors, Gaunt's, Ghost, ghost division, Imperial Guard, Stealth, Tanith, Tau, Wargaming, Warhammer