We had an incredible game!
The battle was tense, the casualties high and the explosions massive as the Dark Angels took a pounding from towering Riptides and deepstriking Battlesuits. But then the Deathwing teleported into the thick of the fighting, quickly accompanied by the roaring engines of the outflankking Ravening forces. Soon both forces were converging on the ruined Fortress of Redemption through a hail of bolter rounds, screaming missiles and energy blasts...
A millenia long warp storm has cleared on the Eastern Fringe, revealing a long lost planet on the edge of Tau space. Naturally, the Tau Empire wish to colonise this new world as part of their 4th sphere expansion. However, the Dark Angels have received an automated distress beacon coming from an ancient fortress on the planet and go to investigate.
The game is played on a 12ft X 4ft board with the ruined Fortress in the centre and 6 objectives evenly placed across the board.
While the Tau and Dark Angels forces battle on the ground, their fleets wage war above the atmosphere, lending orbital bombardments and lance strikes from above.
Each objective is a comms relay which helps to jam enemy communications and disrupt the orbital bombardments. For every 2 objectives an army controls, they deny their opponents 1 Orbital Bombardment per turn. Each army receives 3 Orbital Bombardments per turn.
An Orbital Bombardment is a Large Blast, D Weapon!
Objectives would also generate Victory Points every turn throughout the game. Meanwhile the Fortress would generate D3 Victory Points per turn.
We didn't have an exact army list for James' Dark Angels. We just took everything that was painted - and that's a lot of painted models!
1 Captain led Command Squad in Dedicated Transport
2 Dreadnoughts
1 Techmarine with 2 Servitors
6 Tactical Squads with Dedicated Transports
1 Sniper Scout Squad
2 Assault Squads led by Chaplains
2 Devastator Squads
1 Thunderfire Cannon
1 Vindicator
1 Whirlwind
2 Imperial Knights
Sammael, Grand Master of the Ravening in Landspeeder
4 Ravenwing Squads: 6 bikers, 1 Attack Bike and a Land Speeder
1 Nephilim Jet Fighter
Dark Angels 1st Company
Belial, Grand Master of the Deathwing, Chaplain, Librarian and Deathwing Command Squad
13 Deathwing Squads
Commander Farsight with 8 Bodyguard
Commander Shadowsun
Commander with 6 Markerlight Drones
6 Riptides
2 Battlesuit Teams
2 Steath Teams
4 Firewarrior Teams
2 Firewarrior Teams with Devilfish Transports
2 Aegis Defence Lines
4 Pathfinders with Devilfish Transport
6 Piranhas
2 Sunsharks
4 Broadside Teams
3 Skyrays
2 Hammerheads
1 Hammerhead piloted by Longstrike
1 Tigershark
Deployment
The Tau went first, deploying in two formations, either side of the Fortress. Meanwhile Farsight and the Battlesuits would arrive from Deepstrike on Turn 2, theTigershark would also arrive on Turn 2, while the Fast Attack Wave of Piranhas, Devilfish and Hammerhead piloted by Longstrike would arrive by Outflanking on Turn 3.
One Tau Stealth Team Infiltrated behind the Fortress, while the other Infiltrated close to the Dark Angels objective on the left flank.
The Dark Angels Scout Squad Infiltraded behind the other side of the Fortress.
The Dark Angels deployed second, spreading evenly across the board, with the Imperial Knights and Assault Squads deployed on the right flank, ready to advance quickly and close with the Tau. The Deathwing would arrive from Deepstrike on Turn 2, while the Ravenwing would arrive by Outflanking on Turn 3.
The Dark Angels 3rd Company took a pounding from the combined fire of Riptides, Skyrays, Broadsides and Hammerheads. Despite the destruction of some Razorbacks and a Whirlwind, the Dark Angels emerged from the salvo unscathed.
But then came the full brunt of the Tau Empire's orbital bombardment, which annihilated one of the Imperial Knights in a beam of blinding light and crippled the other.
The Dark Angels advanced en masse, returning fire and wiping out the Stealth Teams on the left flank and obliterating a Broadside team with an accurate blast from the Vindicator's Demolisher Cannon. Meanwhile Krak Missiles from the Devastators slammed into the Tau Skyrays
But that didn't stop the Orbital Bombardments landing with deadly accuracy, as both landed bang on target, vaporising a Riptide, Hammerhead and the Quad Gun on the left flank in a crackling flash of energy.
Farsight, accompanied by his bodyguard and Shadows, as well as 4 Battlesuit Teams all Deepstriked (without scattering) on to the left flank and wiped out the Dark Angels in a torrent of streaming missiles and white hot plasma and fusion blasts.
Meanwhile the bombardment from the Riptides and Broadsides took a heavy toll on the Dark Angels in the centre as the Tigershark arrived from reserve and blew the last Imperial Knight apart with its Heavy Rail Cannons.
With the casualties mounting and the 3rd Company lacking in mobility and firepower, things looked grim for the Dark Angels. But thankfully the next two Tau Orbital Bombardments scattered wildly, missing their targets.
But then, the Deathwing arrived!
Only to come under fire from the Riptides and Broadsides which the Tau had equipped with Interceptor technology!
Belial and the Terminator Chaplain were both vaporised by overcharged Ion Cannon blasts, while the Deathwing lost 2 squads to missile fire and more overcharged Ion Cannons.
On the left flank the Dark Angels of the 3rd Company made a valiant last stand against the advancing Battlesuits, led by Commanders Farsight and Shadowsun.
Meanwhile, more Dark Angels from the 3rd Company secured the Fortress, following the destruction of the nearby Riptide at the guns of the Deathwing.
On the right flank the Dark Angels Assault Squads continued to advance behind the cover of the landing pad, under the massive shadow of the Tigershark.
With no anti-aircraft capabilities other than the poorly armed Nephilim Jet Fighter, the Dark Angels would have a tough time taking down this Super Heavy Flyer.
Once again the Dark Angels' Orbital Bombardments were incredibly accurate, disintegrating another Riptide in a flash of crackling light, leaving nothing but a steaming crater.
We broke for lunch at this point and over a feast of deliciously unhealthy hotdogs we surveyed the state of the game so far.
Despite taking horrendous casualties, the arrival of the Deathwing had changed everything for the Dark Angels and with a massive force of Ravenwing due to arrive next Turn, it looked as though the tide of the battle was certain to change.
But the battle could take a totally different direction depending on whether the Ravenwing arrived from the left or the right flank.
Before the Ravenwing could arrive to reinforce the Deathwing, the Tau mobile detachment arrived, firing Fusion Blasters from Piranha Scout Speeders and bombing runs from the Sun Sharks in the wake of a bombing run from the massive Tigershark super heavy flyer.
The Dark Angels 3rd Company continued to sustain casualties as the Tau attempted to blast them off the Objectives with everything they had in the hope of shutting down the Comms Relays and getting access to an additional Orbital Bombardment. But, true to their character, the Dark Angels simply refused to flee or die.
Meanwhile the Deathwing stood defiant and undaunted thanks to their heavy Terminator armour and invulnerable saves.
But then the Tau Orbital Bombardments rained down on the Dark Angels holding the Fortress, annihilating the Company Command Squad and its Captain with a thunderous cacophony....
The Dark Angels reinforcements quickly came under fire from the Riptides and Broadsides which the Tau had equipped with Interceptor technology and lost a whole squad to the incoming missiles and ion cannon blasts.
Racing on to the battlefied, the Ravenwing begain blasting skimmers apart with their Melta guns and Multi-Meltas, before taking one of the Tau Riptides apart with chattering Heavy Bolters, Assault Cannons and screaming Krak Missiles.
Meanwhile the Nephilim Jet Fighter closed on the massive Tigershark, like a Sparrow chasing an Eagle! But its many guns were able to score a couple of penetrating hits. But the super heavy flyer was merely damaged, but undaunted by the smaller craft.
On the left flank the Dark Angels 3rd Company stubbornly refused to give way to the advancing horde of Tau Battlesuits and towering Riptide.
With that the game ended on Turn 3, because we were asked to vacate Wayland's gaming hall. With so much happening every single turn, the time had just flown by.
And so the game ended with Commanders Farsight and Shadowsun leading a strike team of Crisis Battlesuits with a Riptide in close support, while the Deathwing were advancing on the Fortress with the Ravenwing racing to support them.
The Tau were ahead by just 2 Victory Points! But it was clear to see that were the game to continue they wouldn't be able to fend off so many Deathwing Terminators and Ravenwing Bikers.
Wow, what a game!
Right from the start the Dark Angels were on the back foot and to be honest, it didn't look good for them at all. But they stubbornly held their ground and gave everything they'd got before the Deathwing and Ravenwing could arrive to save the day.
Deepstriking 70 Terminators into the middle of the board was spectacular - almost as spectacular as the sheer carnage they caused!
This was a bit of a bizarre game to play because nothing was ever balanced. At the start the Dark Angels were seriously outnumbered, outgunned and outmaneuvered by a significantly more versatile Tau force. They then had to grin and bear it through 3 Orbital Bombardments.
But with 2,000pts of Terminators and 2,000pts of Ravenwing in reserve, we knew the tide could be turned if the Tau could hold out and inflict enough casualties.
I know that some readers like to add up the points of both armies. But I can tell you now that the Tau were a good 1,000pts lighter than the Dark Angels army. But we compensated for this by giving them the first turn, lots of Riptides and Interceptor upgrades.
Either way, playing a game of this scale with so many players is exhausting! I'm glad we only do it once in a blue moon.
James was an awesome guy and my best friend. So it's an honour to be able to do this kind of crazy stuff in tribute to him.