Game VIII - Assault on Outpost Theta 220 from the Death Korps

I lost the toss and was given the attackers role. Looking at the secenario, I decided to change up my usual list:

• 5 Man Grenadier teams would use Storm Trooper rules
• All Chimeras were dropped from the list
• Leman Russ (Jagd Russ) would be replaced by a Vendetta
• Bane wolves would be un-squadroned

HQ:
As everything could deep strike I was not going to need Creed - (Kurtz), who is usually there to get the Banewolves outflanking.  So out he went to make way for Iron Hand Stracken (Colonel Stahlin).  This was going to be a short range assault, making him the obvious choice to lead the 5th Company assault.The was teamed up with a Lascannon  (Hind sight - Bad choice); Astropath; Master of the Fleet and Forward Observer (Master of Ordinance); and a body gaurd (I had 15 pts spare).

Elites:
Anything that could Deep Strike Normally was allowed to Assault out of deep strike, so out went the ususal Veteran Grenadiers, in came the Storm trooper Grenadiers.  In hindsight I probably should have kept the Veteran Grenadiers, less points per man for basically the same load out, and I didn't end up using the assault option anyway.

Also keeping with the deep strike -Assault, I used Marbo (Watchmaster Steiner).  Again being un used to the combo, he deployed by deep strike, too far away to affect anything.  Then ran about the board only getting into a combat in turn 4 whereuppon he killed 4 kroot and promptly died in the counter attacks.  Bit of a disapointment.  My bad though not the rules.

Troops:
Two units of Grenadiers Veterans remauined in the lis, they lost their ususal chimera rides and deployed by deep strike instead.  They got to keep their lascannons and in addition were given Demo charges, with woked a treat late game, murdering a Squad of fire warriors who had just tumbled out of a wrecked transport, and half a dozen kroot.

 Fast Attack:

Three single unit squadrons of Bane Wolves - These could be deployed by deep strike so I didnt need Creed (Kurtz) to out flank them.  The roster aloowed up to 6 fast attack so out went the hated squadroning and they were deployed as individual units.  Unfortunately for me two were imobilised in the inevidable face off with the broadsides (who died! muahhahahaha!) and one threw a track on a crater as it entered the board!  They were ignored the rest of the game, even though the Multimeltas kept up a punisjhing fire on the Tau vehicles.


Vendetta:  I forsee many more of these things in my fututre.  They rock pure and simple.  One soaked up most of the Taus anti tank fire for te game while destroying two tanks and purging a unit of firewarriors! Fear the Vendetta!

Heavy Support:
None!






Game Play:
The Game was great fun, it see-sawed back and forth on almost a turn by turn basis.  First turn saw the Bastion's void shield poped, then The Bastion itself was destroyed, followed by most of the Tau vehicles deployed., surely leaving rhe Imperium ascendant  Then the Bane wolves were immoblised, leaving the Tau looking in a good position. 

Guardsmen started dying in droves, then Tau, then more Tau vehicles poped by Meltas and Multimeltas.
Colonel Stahlin and his HQ made it into the crater and took a charge from the Kroot.  It looked all over for the Tau with an Imperial win, but in an impressive (and throughly Wilkinson like) set of dice rolls a single Kroot was left in the crater and a dice roll ended the Game.  One more turn and theTau troop choices and HQ,s would have been exterminated or at least held out of the crated by Assaults.  Overall a Very fun game! and a Win for tyhe Tau, Leaving Billzard Wolf (Tau) in the lead on 3 VPs for the campaign with one each for Death Jester (Necrons) and CommissarHarris (291st Death Korps of Krieg.