Week 8 Tau Narrative

[IncubiLord]

The narrative portion of all Tau battle reports should be posted here until next week's thread is set up.

While you can choose to play the campaign with a more strategic focus than narrative, your report still requires a story (which does matter, so write something). Remember also that narrative is for advancing the story, not giving a dry, blow-by-blow account of your game.

[buffirn]

Communication to Commander Bright Eyes - Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Sir,

I have received a report from a Stealth Team deep in the forest on Ionia. They have encountered bands of Orks searching for an unknown item. This particular Stealth Team reports that this band of nearly 40 Orks was surrounding a rocky outcropping in the middle of the forest. The Stealth Team used their singular abilities to eliminate the entire band of Orks. The site was carefully examined and the outcropping was imaged for further study.

My Stealth Teams continue to search for the splintered remains of the Ork forces on Ionia.

Commander Mercury

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[buffirn]

Communication to Commander Bright Eyes - Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Sir,

In response to the pressing need for forces on Aetna and the relative pacification of Ionia, I have redeployed a portion of my cadre to Aetna to aid in its defense and further the evacuation of the remaining civilians. The first report of contact comes from a large recon detachment.

While moving forward to set up listening and observation posts, the force first detected the Orks with their Stealth Team patrols ahead of the main body of the recon force. Shas’el Sly Hunter quickly found an ideal site to oppose the onrushing Orks. The Stealth Teams baited the trap and led the Orks to the chosen site of their destruction.

The trap was sprung and Ork losses were high at the outset. The resilient beasts that they are, they regrouped and began making progress on the left flank of Sly Hunter’s position. Only his timely assault with his bodyguard slowed this push. Unfortunately, Sly Hunter was injured and his crisis suit severely damaged when the Orks counter-attacked with Stormboys including Zagstruk.

Losses were heavy on both sides, but the Ork advance was halted and they were last seen regrouping and gathering forces for another push. My Stealth Teams remain in contact with the Orks and continue their harassing attacks on small units of Orks. I am preparing to counter the inevitable next thrust from the Orks on Aetna.

Commander Mercury

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[buffirn]

Communication to Commander Bright Eyes - Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Sir,

The assault I predicted in the last report has occurred and was repulsed. Fortunately, when dealing with Orks it is easy to lead them to battlefields of our choosing. The field in this case was a line of fortifications northeast of Haven. I led a mobile cadre reinforced with a Broadsides Team and 2 squads of Gue’vesa. The Gue’vesa took the forward positions in two bunkers with the rest of the cadre arrayed behind and in the fortifications. To my great surprise, the Orks attacked with no heavy assets and no mobile assets. Just hordes of foot infantry and three small cannons.

As we Tau have proven many times before, foot Orks are no match for our firepower and mobility. The Orks were unlucky. They were slaughtered from the time they appeared in the killing zone until their final end in the wire of the fortifications. The final results were the complete annihilation of the force and the capture of the three cannons. Our brave Gue’vesa suffered the greatest share of the casualties with all the members of both squads being wounded. Four Fire Warriors and two Crisis Suits were wounded or damaged. No other Tau casualties were reported.

Given the undying belligerence of the Orks, they are not done on Aetna and near Haven. They will be back. My cadre and our Gue’vesa allies will be ready for them.

Commander Mercury

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[buffirn]

Communication to Commander Bright Eyes - Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Sir,

The continued fighting on Aetna and the presence of the Orks have drawn the attentions of several Space Marine Chapters. My cadre has had contact with at least three different Chapters and at least one Chaos Legion.

While setting up perimeter defenses, one detachment was attacked by a previously unknown Space Marine Chapter. This force of Pathfinders and Fire Warriors was mostly on foot. The cadre’s Devilfish were needed elsewhere to speed up the evacuation of Haven. The Space Marines began their assault in typical fashion, they just advanced into the blistering fire from the Fire Warriors and the few Crisis Suits and Broadside Suits that were available. The Pathfinders used their marker lights to full advantage and proved the worth of the rail rifle. Th Pathfinder’s Devilfish provided a mobile base of fire that decimated the opposing force. After sustaining grave casualties, the Space Marines withdrew.

Tau losses were light with less that a dozen Fire Warriors lost. More than two dozen Space Marine bodies were recovered.

This skirmish highlights the dangers on Aetna. All forces must be aware that more than Orks prowl the islands.

Commander Mercury

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[buffirn]

Communication to Commander Bright Eyes - Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Sir,

My cadre has made contact with a force of Chaos Space Marines. Recon elements detected their advance upon Haven and I dispatched Shas‘el Sly Hunter and an experimental detachment to hinder their advance. This detachment included Fire Knife Crisis Suits, Broadsides, 3 Pathfinder squads with 3 rail rifles each, 3 sniper drone squads and squads of Fire Warriors. This force was designed to punch through the marine’s heavy armor and stall their advance. The weakness lies in the relative immobility of the detachment and their low numbers. Still, if this force strikes hard and fast, the marine advance would stall.

The sniper drones struck first, killing a Rhino and causing the occupants to bail out of the burning vehicle. The Broadsides were notably inefficient throughout the battle and started the battle with repeated misses. On the left flank, marine bikes were the immediate threat and were reduced to a single bike after the first turn. Missile pods from the Fire Knife teams killed two other chaos vehicles, a Rhino and a Predator. The Chaos Land Raider was able to withstand several hits from the Broadsides with no damage.

The battle swung back and forth until the Terminators teleported directly in front of our positions. Although they suffered heavy losses on their first turn on the board, they proved to be the equalizing factor. In fact, they saved the day for the chaos forces. Eventually, the forces separated and moved to regroup. The casualties on both sides were high. An unknown number of chaos space marines were eliminated along with the bikes and other vehicles. Tau casualties include all of the Pathfinders and sniper drone squads, the Broadside team, one Fire Knife team, one squad of Fire Warriors, and, most grievously, Shas’el Sly Hunter and his bodyguard were killed by the chaos commander.

While the threat of the chaos forces was blunted in this battle, I fear that the loss of some of our most tactically adept warriors will hinder us in our future prosecution of this war.


Commander Mercury

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[buffirn]

Communication to Commander Bright Eyes - Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Sir,

Elements of my cadre have encountered a force of Space Wolves on the outskirts of Haven. A force of Tau mobile infantry intercepted this highly mobile force. The bikes and light armored vehicles were dealt with easily, but the Land Raider was unscathed, as was the heavy weapons squad. The rest of the force suffered heavy casualties, but refused to retreat. My forces also suffered heavy casualties, however, many will recover from their wounds.

The Space Wolves were halted at the outskirts and were last seen in the vicinity, apparently waiting for reinforcements. I have called upon my Air Caste assets to eliminate this threat.

Commander Mercury

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[shasokodel]

(Granted, this is assuming that I'm managing to squeak in under the final day, but I'd just played a battle appropriate for this storyline)

Communication to Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Shas'o,
To aid in the evacuation of Haven, my Hunter cadre has been searching during our patrols for material to aid in the evacuation. We came upon a lightly guarded Ork encampment placed to defend a fuel depot.

Myself and my shas'vre guards, along with two Fire warrior squads and two Devilfishes in support, descended on the camp like a hammer. The cover of night allowed us to come within minimal range, where my warriors disembarked, and struck resoundingly, decimating the main line of Orks guarding the depot. My guards and I provided fire support, damaging two vehicles with missile and plasma. The Orks rallied swiftly, and while some cowered under the continuous fire from the pulse carbines, many charged the Devilfish, and were cut down by the flechette pods mounted on the hull.

My fire warriors pulled back in the Devilfish, pursued closely by the damaged trukks. As they came within range of my plasma rifle, I tore one to pieces, and my guards missile pods finished off the other one.

Without vehicle support, the remaining Ork command charged headlong towards us, and were cut down from pulse rifle fire and my guards.

Truly it is a testament to the Greater Good that were captured this objective with almost no casualties, and secured a vital asset for the Haven evacuation.

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(I have NEVER had an FoF attack work so well. With 44 pulse rifle shots from the 2 FW squads, I killed 29 Orks, nearly two entire squads, and the bulk of his troops. That all but sealed the deal on the 1st turn)

[shasokodel]

(Yes.... seriously.... He took a 500 point tank in a 1000 point game. 1 HQ, 2 troop choices, and 1 heavy support )

Communication to Commander, Centarius Peace Management Team.

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Shas'O,

I report with great joy! We are preparing to return to the extraction point, and have just dealt the gue'va a brutal blow. On the farthest reach of our patrol route, our scouts spied a small Imperial column rapidly making its way east, mostly likely to a extraction point. With them was a monster of metal I've never seen before. A combat vehicle as large as one of our noble dropships. The Ethereals may chastise me for my hastiness, but I could not let such an opportunity pass. I called for heavy support, and received word from an trio of Broadside battle suits perfectly positioned.

Our attack was as brutal as against the Orks earlier in the day. My cadre descended on the tank, plasma weapons blazing, as spears of light from the crisis suits on high fired down, and the behemoth erupted in a ball of light like a second sun, incinerating much of the imperial forces, who'd not had opportunity to react to our attack.

The remainder of the battle was quick and bloody. We lost nearly an entire Fire Warrior squad to a counterattack from the enraged gue'va, though many fled after seeing their comrades meet such deplorable ends. Also, I'm saddened to inform that Shas'vre Shan'see fell to their heavy weapons. But the imperials have been denied a great prize, and my cadre is still at almost 3/4 strength. If time permits, I wish to track the gue'va to their intended destination.

For the Greater Good.

Shas'El Kodel

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[easye]

Week 8- Battle 1

“It’s tough to tell in the swi<static> snows, but it looks <static>. By my Ancestors! Tanks. I am … <Static>” The communications channel suddenly went dead. A grim silence filled the crew compartment.

The Baron’s voice suddenly filled the void, “Wardogs, we have enemy armor closing on our position. Look sharp. In this snowstorm be sure of your target and fire true. Rolling hot.”

Lord Varliss keyed off the comm. Orders began streaming into his command console, “You heard the Baron. Look lively.” The engine of the Exterminator rumbled as the machine started to move into formation with the rest of the column.

The gunners bent low over their sights and strained to see through the whirling flurry of snow and ice. Their cold fingers gripped the triggers of their heavy bolters, trying to keep the days of cold from affecting their aim. The Wardogs had been on the move for 5 days, and were near the Iron Warriors last known location. Surprisingly, they had faced little resistance. That was about to change.

The command console began to populate with the red images of potential contacts, “Grath check 10 o’clock,” he barked. The great turret squealed as it rolled on ice cold bearings.

“I can’t see anything through this blasted snow,” he called back. There was a distant boom, and the wall of blowing snow lit up for a moment. The howl of the wind was drowned out by the howl of a shell.

“Brace,” Lord Varliss yelled. The shell smashed into the exposed flank of the Exterminator and the entire machine rocked in the opposite direction. Armor groaned, men hollered, and the screeching of metal was reality. Everything shook, and Varliss' consoles blanked for the blink of an eye. His head snapped back into his command chair, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Chill air raced into the interior of the tank.

When Lord Varliss opened his eyes again, a roaring pain raced through his skull. His hand went to his temples involuntarily, and that simple motion tripled the pain in a rolling explosion. He looked to the left sponson position to find a gaping hole in the side of his tank. His side gunner Grath was no where to be seen.

“Ancestor’s Blood!” he heard someone scream.

The auto-cannon opened fire above him, and he heard his turret gunner Mason shouting, “Take this you sleeper! Take it! Take it!”

Out the gaping hole in the side of the tank, and black hulled behemoth could be seen looming from a small wood. Its massive cannon, pointed ominously at them. The tracers from Mason’s Auto-cannon bounced harmlessly off a black and brass bound iron skin, the symbol of the Iron Warriors deflecting the shots. Vaguely, Lord Varliss recognized it was a modified Leman Russ, and not a typical astartes vehicle.

The snow swirled again, and the black monster was hidden from view again. His Exterminator began to twist in the snowy slush as the machine tried desperately to shield its wounded side, and bring its front armor to bear.

Varliss finally shook the fog that had clouded his mind. The unexpected attack had jarred him worse then he wanted to admit. He looked at the command console and knew that he would need to break past the enemy tanks. Then, the rest of the “Wardogs” could move up and encircle the enemy at leisure.

“Trooper Herod,” he reached out and tapped his driver’s shoulder, “Belay that turn. Get us to bearing 15 Tango.”

“But sir, our…”

Lord Varliss’ face turned red, “That is an order Trooper!”

The driver didn’t respond. Instead, he simple turned the great machine, and floored the engine. A blast of icy wind roared through the gap in the Exterminators armor. It sent icy pinpricks into Lord Varliss’ exposed skin. The machine turned around a huge spire of rock.

Mason hooted in the turret, “I’ve got you now Grox lover.” From the swirling snows, a dark shape was revealed. The exposed rear of one of the traitor tanks was revealed by fate. The other crew seemed to notice at the last minute, and its turret began to twist. It was too late.

With a girlish squeal, Mason opened up with his Auto-cannons. The tracers stitched there way through the lightly armored rear, first into the engine compartment, before finding their way to the fuel. Flames licked there way out of the hatches and spread across the rear of the tank. The turret hatch popped open, but the blizzard blocked out the rest of the scene.

The Exterminator never stopped moving. It swung itself to the side and trundled blindly along. The ice storm blasted at it its armored hide, probing for its weak points. It crumpled its way through a patch of rough terrain and pressed onward, vigilant for further enemies.

The command channel opened up and Lord Martell’s voice could be heard, “All units proceed to bearing 15 Tango. We have a breakthrough.”