This week was the fourth week in our Crusade of Fire campaign. It was an off-week for us though. Instead of moving into the next phase of the campaign, as we normally would have, we continued from our previous week. The next phase requires some additional planning that wasn’t ready yet.
I ended up playing against Tau. They opted to attack me on some radioactive world where weapons get hot on a 1 or 2 and we played a 1,750 game. Away we go.
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The Tau had sheltered within the ruins of what appeared to be a long forgotten city. Disciples of Twilight advanced within the outer perimeter of the city, using the large buildings as cover while their force assembled.
The core of the Disciples army was on the south side of the city while the faster elements of the force took the northwestern region. The Tau had staged their deployment northeast of the Disciples location. Between both armies was the objective, the center of the city from which the occupant would be able to gain control of the city.
Suddenly the Tau advanced on the Disciples of Twilight’s position, getting a firing solution on their army sheltered beside a building. A Hammerhead opened fire with its railgun and the Defiler exploded upon impact. Missiles from an unseen source came screaming in and slammed into a Rhino, quickly turning it into a wreck. The wreckage of the vehicle had pinned down the Chaos Marines within.
The attack was unexpected, at least the nature of it. Lord Soulgore had not expected a Tau advance. As his mind quickly processed the needed change in strategy he issued orders and the army advanced. The Bikers drove through a ruined building in the northwest and formed up with Soulgore and his unit of Spawn. The rest of the army remained in position to give supporting fire.
Continuing their advance, the Tau were securing the north center of the city and sweeping around some Crisis Suits and a Devilfish towards the southeast, the right flank of the Disciple’s position. With the Disciples of Twilight so entrenched the Tau’s fire power was minimized. However, the last Rhino took some railgun hits from Broadsides and shuddered to a stop.
While Soulgore lead the Spawn and Bikers into the northern units of Tau, the rest of the army continued to hold ground and support the advance. The Forgefiend opened fire on the Devilfish sweeping in from the east. Succumbing to weight of fire, the Devilfish shattered and the Fire Warriors within were caught in its remains. Soulgore charged a unit of Crisis Suits and all three were fatally wounded before they had time to react.
Still the Tau advanced. Crisis Suits were trying to secure the center of the city and a Devilfish moved with them. The barrage of fire was overwhelming. The Spawn unit, which Soulgore sent forward without him while he destroyed some Fire Warriors, simply disappeared. A Crisis Suit team led by Commander Farsight fired upon and then charged the Forgefiend. Farsight’s blade tore through the daemonic armored flesh of the Forgefiend releasing the contained daemon back to the warp.
Surveying the field from his position in the north of the city, Soulgore opened his vox to the force. “Close the pincer,” he commanded. The Chaos Marines began advancing to the center of the city, firing upon the units of Tau seeking to hold it. The weight of fire took its toll and the Tau began to lose their hold. Bikers swept around the northeastern flank and slammed into an entrenched Fire Warrior squad. The Champion’s power sword left none alive. Soulgore kicked his Juggernaut forward. Raising his axe of blind fury he charged into a Crisis Suit team. The suits were too slow to respond to the charge and not one remained alive after Soulgore’s fury.
In desperation the Tau looked to deny the center of the city but their roadblocks were destroyed and the Disciples of Twilight took their victory.
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This was a very surprising game for me. First, as noted, I had not expected the Tau to come to me. Their initial aggressive plan was working out well for them. The loss of my Defiler on turn #1 was rough. I had to keep my blood lust in check throughout this game. It would have been so easy to hit the Tau on turn #1 with assaults but it would have cost me. I’d have removed expendable forward units and been shot off the board. So, I waited and then closed my army around them as they took the board center and just crushed them between my units.
The aggressive approach of the Tau would have worked out better had it not been for so many large buildings. Getting line of sight, for either of us, wasn’t easy and with Tau relying on their fire power to cover their advance they couldn’t get enough targets to soften my retaliation.
It was a fun game all around and I was glad to see Soulgore remain as-is. He had no challenges to deal with, otherwise I’m sure he’d have spawned himself yet again.
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