Sparks flew off the armor of the battlesuit as repair drones swarmed around it to effect their repairs. Standing behind a glass viewing port, with his hands folded behind his back watching, Shas'O Morg'an watched the work being done to his suit. The door behind him hissed quietly open and a figure gracefully glided past it's opening and through the room to stop beside him. Without even looking, Morg'an knew it was the fleets Ethereal leader just by the change in the air around him. There was always a soothing aura about the Ethereal caste members that the Shas'O could never put his finger on as to it's source.
"Aun," Morg'an said bowing in respect. "what is it you wish of me?"
The Aun stood for a moment, transfixed by the work the repair drones were carrying out.
"Commander, it is a controlled flame that will lead all on the path to the Greater Good. An uncontrolled flame would burn that path."
The Commander let the words hang in the air a moment before replying,
"I understand now that I was too bold in my last engagement with the humans. I carry the burden of their deaths, and I have spent my time tempering my blade and honing it that I might be able to serve the Greater Good better than before."
"I know Commander. I've watched you repair yourself, through your training and studying of the humans, much as these drones repair your suit, both of you preparing to further the Greater Good."
The Aun turned to face Morg'an.
"That is why I've come to see you. It is time for you to put into practice what you've learned to advance the Greater Good."
Points: 1850
Mission Type: Maelstrom of War #6: Deadlock (Mysterious Objectives, Tactical Objectives, Night Fighting, Reserves)
Deployment Type: Hammer and Anvil
Winner of Roll: Tau Empire (Chose to go first)
HQ:
- Company Command Squad (War Lord)
- Master of Ordnance
- Lord Commissar
- Primaris Psyker
Elites:
- Ogryn (3)
-Chimera Transport
Troops:
- Veteran Squad (10 models)
- Veteran Squad (10 models)
- Veteran Squad (10 models)
Fast Attack:
- Vendetta Gunship
Heavy Support:
- Leman Russ (Vanquisher)
- Leman Russ (Vanquisher)
- Leman Russ (Exterminator)
Tau Empire Forces (C.A.D):
HQ:
- XV8 Commander (War Lord)
Elites:
- XV8 Crisis Battlesuit Squad (3 models)
- XV104 Riptide Battlesuit
Troops:
- Fire Warrior Squad (12 models)
(Devilfish Transport)
- Fire Warrior Squad (12 models)
(Devilfish Transport)
Fast Attack:
- Drone Squadron (4 models)
(Markerlight)
- Sunshark Bomber
Heavy Support:
- Hammerhead Gunship
(Longstrike)
- XV88 Broadside Battlesuit Squad (3 models)
 |
| Tau Deployment |
 |
| Guard Deployment |
Turn 1:
No Night Fighting
The Tau had crept into the outskirts of the Imperial fueling station. Shas'O Morg'an, having selected fast, or mounted units, had positioned them on the very edge of the Imperial force's sensors. The only slow unit, was a squad of broadside battlesuits which he had them sneak in under the cover of darkness the night before and power down to remain undetected until the order to attack was given. The first sense the Imperials had that they were in danger came from the force's Primaris Psyker who was on patrol with his Ogryn body guards. Sensing the imminent danger, he ushered the whole squad out mere moments before 3 rail slugs punched through their Chimera's hull and caused it to explode. Voxing out the alert, The fueling depot went into full alert, activating their scatterfield generator. It was well timed for the sudden activation for the field disrupted the target lock that the Tau's Hammerhead gunship had on one of the Leman Russ tanks refueling at the fuel station.
 |
| Left Flank Squad securing objective! |
A Riptide battlesuit then stepped out form behind a building it was using for cover and overcharged it's Ion Accelerator, aiming for the same tank. It's volley only glanced the Leman Russ, scorching it's outer armor. Using the confusion, the two Devilfish troop carriers glided into position. One on the left flank added it's smart missile payload to distracting a near by Veteran squad while the one on the right flank let out it's troops to start sweeping the near by buildings for an hazards.
 |
| The Primaris got his squad out just in time. |
The Imperial response was not initially effective. Two of Leman Russ battle tanks began to take aim at the advancing Riptide with their Vanquisher cannons. The shells harmlessly bounced of the Riptide, as the crackling of it's shields deflected the shots. Meanwhile, the other Leman Russ let loose a torrent of fire against an approaching squadron of Marker Drones. All but one were cut down by the Exterminator Auto Cannons. The Primaris Psyker began to compel his Ogryn to move forwards, since they were near the Tau lines. The Master of Ordnance called in for a strike against the Fire Warriors scouring the buildings, but the coordinates were off and the strike fell short of the squad, tearing up chucks form the road.
Turn 2:
 |
| Precision Deep Strike! |
Sensing the time was right, Morg'an lead his squad of Crisis battlesuits down from their low orbiting Manta while calling in a near by Sunshark Bomber to begin it's run. They landed perfectly behind the refueling Leman Russ. With a few Fusion blaster shots, they crippled the tank but were unable to finish it off. The Commander then signaled his two marker Drones to light up the tank, providing pin-point accuracy for the Hammerhead gunship to deliver the killing blow. The Riptide began to move towards the right flank to engage the Psyker and the other Leman Russ. Firing it's cannon, the Riptide outright disintegrated the Ogryn squad leader, but the Psyker willed the rest of them forwards. Meanwhile, the Fire Warriors returned to their Devilfish, having secured the buildings and began to speed towards the Imperial lines.
 |
| "Run for the Emperor!" |
The Guardsmen were becoming frazzled by the Tau's attack. The Lord Commissar rallied his men and began to move towards the battlesuit Commander. The other Leman Russ Vanquisher followed the Commissar as well, however, taking aim at the Riptide battlesuit, trying to score a telling hit. Firing it's main turret, the shot finally passed the Riptide's shields and shattered a chunk of it armor. Meanwhile the Primaris Psyker closed the distance with his two remaining Ogryn towards the Riptide. Summoning the powers of the warp, the Psyker's body became a pillar of fire as he took on a fiery form. He meant to engage the Riptide and unleash the Emperor's fury upon his enemies. However, once the distance was closed, the Ogryns and the Psyker could not seem to harm the battlesuit or it's armor. A sweep of the Riptide's gun knocked the squad back, and the Primaris Psyker decided they needed to fall back and regroup.
 |
| Fall Back! |
Turn 3:
Taking advantage of the still swirling urban fight, Commander Morg'an ordered his forces to focus on the remaining two tanks. His personal battlesuit squad moved out from behind the burning shell of the first Leman Russ that had been destroyed and set their sights on the nearest one to their position. Again, Fusion fire came out of their barrels and slammed into the hull of the tank, setting off a chain reaction which caused the tank to explode into a fiery wreck. Then the group pulled back into the cover of the depot as they waited to spring a trap on the approaching squad of guardsmen. Meanwhile, the Sunshark bomber whipped past the squad of Guardsmen advancing along the left flank with the other Leman Russ and dropped it's pulse bomb as it left the air space. The bomb exploded upon contact with the group of guardsmen, incinerating any who failed to jump to cover. The tank however, was unaffected. The Riptide then came into view as it passed by the falling back Psyker and Ogryns, swinging it's main cannon around to fire it's weapons. The tank crew tried to evade the shots, but their tank treads were ruined from the incoming fire and the tank was then immobilized. The near by squad of Fire Warriors disembarked from their Devilfish, hoping to end the tank with a hail of E.M.P grenades, but none seemed to have any effect.
 |
| Hit the deck! |
At this point in the battle, the Guard began to launch their counter attack. The Company Commander had instructed the veterans by the immobilized Leman Russ to engage the Tau Commander who had parted with the other battlesuits and had begun heading towards their position. The veterans acknowledged the command and began to move out. The Primaris Psyker rallied the two Ogryn and took cover near the Riptide suit, planning their next move. A low flying Vendetta entered the air space over where the trio of Crisis battlesuits were preparing their trap. The Vendetta unleashed a hail of fire form it's main weapons and cut some of the squad down. Meanwhile, the Commissar charged his men into the ruined building where the remaining Crisis battlesuits were hiding. The charge however, triggered the trap that the battlesuits had set and as the first group of Guardsmen entered the building to assault the battlesuits, a wall of flame cooked them. However, the Guardsmen not near the front just pushed past the charred bodies of the fallen as they engaged the damaged battlesuits. The fight was bloody, but the final blow came from the Commissar as he charged up his power sword and cut the last battlesuit to ribbons.
Turn 4:
 |
| Incoming Drones! |
The Tau now firmly held the depot. It was only a matter of mopping up the remaining Guardsmen to secure the area. The Hammerhead and Broadside team took aim at the hovering Vendetta gunship and blew it out of the sky with multiple hits from their rail guns. The Vendetta came crashing to the ground and exploded. The Riptide had engaged the last Leman Russ damaging it's hull with smashing blows. Meanwhile, the squad of Fire Warriors on the right flank dismounted from their Devilfish and unleashed a torrent of pulse fire into the Guardsmen holding the garrisoned building in front of them. All but the squad Sargent were cut down. Commander Morg'an moved over to the building where the Company Commander was taking shelter and opened fire with all the weapons on his suit, killing the Vox operator and the medic before the could take cover. A pair of Interceptor drones deployed by the Bomber before it had left the air space, were taking aim at the coming squad of Guardsmen and thinning their numbers with blinding shots of Ion energy. The remaining Fire Warriors on the left flank charged the heavily damaged Leman Russ and planted their E.M.P grenades onto it's hull, shorting it out and rendering it inoperable.
 |
| The Heroic Last Stand! |
The Company Commander ordered his squad to kill the Tau Commander, but none of their shots seemed to cause any harm to the Battlesuit. The Master of Ordnance ordered a barrage on the Tau Commander, but the artillery shots missed their mark again and fell almost on top of the building they garrisoning. The Commissar lead his men back towards the squad of Fire Warriors assailing the Veterans garrisoned in the Fueling control building. The Commissar could make out the Sargent, the last member of the squad left. The Sargent tossed a grenade ad midst the Fire Warrior squad but the wind seemed to have blown it away from the squad and it exploded harmlessly to the side. The Sargent then decided to make his final stand and jumped down from the balcony above to charge the Tau. The Fire Warriors snapped fire into the sky and the Sargent's body was pounded by the fury of shots and he fell to the ground dead. Meanwhile, The Primaris Psyker chose this moment to assail the Riptide battlesuit. Making his Ogryn Charge in first, he dug deep to call on the powers of the warp. This time, he felt surge of power flow through him. It was as if he had become the wrath of the Emperor made manifest! He charged into the Riptide and swung his force staff, but the Riptide had brought it's shields back online and they stopped the staff from hitting it's armor. The Riptide in turn launched a large fist towards the Psyker. The Primaris Psyker believed that he could take the blow, feeling super charged from the powers of the warp. Sadly, his powers were not as strong as he had lead himself to believe and the armored fist of the Riptide smashed him to a bloody pulp on the street as well as the Ogryn beside him. The last remaining Ogryn was unfazed by this turn of events and continued to assault the Riptide battlesuit.
 |
| Sneak Attack! |
Turn 5:
The Devilfish on the right flank saw the Commissar and his men running towards their position. The pilot engaged the transports engines and began to tank shock the squad. Most of the squad jumped out of the way, but the Squad's Sargent stood his ground. As energy crackled across his power fist, he began to swing it to meet the nose of the skimming craft. Unfortunately, he didn't bring it to bear fast enough, and the Devilfish carrier splattered the Sargent and left his mangled corpse flying back down the street. The Sunshark came back into the air space and opened fire on the Commissar and his men. The Fire warriors did the same, both cutting many of the remaining Guardsmen down.
 |
| Just before he went splat! |
The Company Commander knew the battle was lost and ordered a general retreat. The remaining Guardsmen laid down as much cover fire as they could to help the surviving men escape the closing fist of the Tau attack. The last Ogryn single handedly held the Riptide at bay buying more time for the forces retreat.
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| Brave to the end |
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