04:10
Gredus
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| Image courtesy of Darcad - http://darcad.deviantart.com |
Ahhh every battle is a new lesson learned and holy crap am I struggling with deployment! My last 2 games I've deployed badly and paid the price. My opponent tonight was kind enough to say he built the list specifically to go against Tau. (even although he hadn't played against them before) I was a little bit grumpy at this because my list I'm using now, I'm going to keep on using for the foreseeable future and learning it inside out.
We played Annihilation (4 of these in a row now for my Tau) It ended on turn 7 with me giving up as I simply wasn't able to tie the game. He won 7 points to 5, here's the breakdown of units:
I took out:
10 man tactical squad
10 man tactical squad
10 man assault squad
2 drop pods
He took out:
2 man Broadside Unit - (Lost a shield drone in close combat, ran right onto my table edge and couldn't regroup because of the consolidated unit that was fighting them)
Hammerhead
Devilfish (as I typed "Devilfish" I suddenly remember that I didn't roll my Disruption Pod save, we were too hyped that the Crusader's Multi Melta finally damaged something after 6 turns of shooting, 3 of which were at that the poor Devilfish!)
Pathfinder squad (They were deployed really badly in the middle, I was hoping to get a crossfire markerlight hit on units, they never shot all game and were shot to pieces by the Assault Squad)
Fireknife Command Squad (Shas'el and his 2 Bodyguard)
Firewarrior Squad
Firewarrior Squad - Both squads came in from reserve on turn 2 and instead of mounting up I was using their Pulse Rifles to try and take down the Tactical Squad that dropped right in my lines. Credit to 1 squad who lost 3 guys then beat up the lone Tactical Squad Sergeant. Hindsight they would have been better hiding in a Devilfish!
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| Last known pictures from Field Reporter Donny Vermillion as the Hammerhead locked on to his position... |
Left on the board for my opponent was:
3 Thunderhammer/Stormshield Terminators with a wounded Chaplain
1 immobilised Dreadnought (he popped out a Drop Pod on the 1st turn and Multi Melta'd the Hammerhead in the face)
1 active Drop Pod that I couldn't glance or penetrate to save myself (constantly rolled 4's to damage with Missile Pods.
I was left with my Firestorm team (who survived being shot at from a Landraider Crusader for 2 turns) and a lone Deathrain guy.
From about turn 4 onwards the best I could hope for was a draw, Space Marines can take a hell of a punishment and praise be to the Tau'va, a Helios and Fireknife unit are happy to pump shot after shot into them. It's a refreshing change to save "That many dead" instead of "That many saves"
I'll be totally honest here, once these Drops Pods planted down right inside my lines I just though "Shit... I've really messed up this deployment" Basically I had tried to set up a refused flank with the idea of wheeling around my long board edge or the short one, shooting all the time as I was moving. The Drop Pods totally screwed that idea up and forced me to concentrate on what was in front of me. I chose to deepstrike the Helios team, (luckily all my reserves came on turn 2) but could really have done with them at the start to clear up that Tactical Squad or take out the Dreadnought. I I had got them down in turn 1, I could have easily managed the other squads when they arrived. The game was a shooting tug of war with Crisis Suits playing hide and seek, trying to most guns to bear on the marines in the middle of them.
At least this time I remembered all my wargear and didn't once forget to take my assault phase move.
Lessons learned from tonight's match
1) Don't bunch your army in a corner when facing Drop Pods. You'll be like a boxer stuck in the corner of a ring and it will trigger a crazy short ranged firefight as you try to look for a way to break out.
2) It's annihilation. You want as much firepower on that board to start with. Sure if you're not deployed you can't be targeted but at the same time you also can't do your own shooting.
3) I'm inexperienced, take the defeat like a man and learn from it. This is match 4 out of the 10 I said you expected to loose learning 5th Edition and the Tau. Next week will be another enemy to face and another "Oooh right, I didn't know they do that" type scenario.
Now 12 people are nice enough to follow my blog and a heck of a lot more visit it. If you're reading this then please, how the heck do you deal with Drop Pod armies with your Tau!?
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8 comments:
http://kroxitau.blogspot.com/search/label/Space%20Wolves
Basically make your deployment area kind fat so when the drop pods come in they have to scatter away from the meat of your force, hopefully anything they are hitting either gets a cover save or is inconsequential. Then on your turn pick what you want to die and shoot it. I only have one real battle report against a drop pod army though. I will try to fight some more so I can give you better advice!
The above link may not work, but it is on my blog somewhere, just search space wolves. My commentary is on there. Here is a link to the vid that works for sure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t31540tA_Xk&feature=player_embedded
Hehe, thanks for the quick reply Kroxitau. I'm actually on your blog right now watching your recently posted videos and searching ATT for Drop Pod tactics. I'll watch that battle report now too.
While I don't play tau, my suggestion would be to have a screen if you know it is coming. Kroot or devilfish along the perimeter, forcing them to either waste shots into things you don't care as much about, or to shoot at things that are getting cover saves.
The thing I've learned, depending on mobility and deployment, is you have to decide what you're goal is. I play an Assault army, so I take the drop pod hit, and then drive away from them, because I want to hit the main army. For tau, you want you're distance, so fire at the drop pod units, and give yourself the room needed. And always deploy so you will have room to pull back while firing.
If you know your opponent is drop podding in, hold some units in Reserve. Your plan should be to weather a turn of fire, while your killy units arrive turn 2+ and whittle those marines down.
@iggy
if your army is in reserve, then yes the drop pods would not be on your doorstep. if you are bringing in guys on a +2, then that means you are bringing in one thing at a time. This means your opponent can set up to control the board, and only has to kill one thing a turn. Tau are not going to be able to take a table away from dug in marines in two turns.
I have tried ninja Tau and wanted it to work but it doesn't. I think that spamming Vespid would be a better tactic than that (i don't recommend that either though)
Just make sure you shoot whatever drops in to assault range. Once the drop happens your mobility will help you win so try to get your stuff near cover for the initial drop and move on from there.
-krox
I think my big mistake in the fight was simply a stupid deployment right in the corner. In hindsight the drop pods aren't that scary as the unit drops and just stays there, goiving me a turn to concentrate fire on them. (unless it's Vanguard) Taking down 30 Space Marines in 6 turns just shows how much firepower I had to pour into them. My Helios team could have really benefited from Marklight boosts as they were hitting on fours.
Drop Pods are one of those things that get you once, the first time you play them, and then you face them again and whoop their asses.
When I ran a highly mobile tau army, I simply reserved everything, watch the enemy drop and then swooped in the wipe them out.
Now I run a kroot screen army and you just got to space your army out a bit, Create a kroot bubble-wrap and leave him with nothing good to kill in his first drop. After a while you get the hang of it.
Drop Pods really only get you a couple of time. You'll notice top players don't actually play with pods very much.
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