, game 1. Short version of the league:
Deployment complete. Mission was rolled as annihilation, deployment as spearhead. We shook things up by me deploying top-left and Mike bottom-right; just given space constraints at the table we usually do it bottom-left and top-right. I won the roll-off and made Mike deploy first/take first turn.
Middle of turn 1.
Movement, I've got movement! You can see that the livestream already crapped out, and we didn't bother to try to get it running again. Mike's orbital bombardment, centered atop the main body of the Kroot Carnivores and Hounds, scattered to the upper-right and only clipped a single Carnivore, obliterating it.
End of turn 1. Not too sure why I left my XV8s up there out of cover. The Rhino got shakened/stunned, but is still protecting a full 10-man TSM squad. The Kroot got a bit nervous at the pretty light and sound show that squashed one of their buddies and decided to try and close the range to the TSMs and the Chapter Master.
Middle of turn 2. The combat squad has broken away from the Rhino's protective shadow to attempt to close into bolter range of my shas'el. The Chapter Master ran toward the Kroot, getting nearly full movement out of his extra D6". The sad panda face Mike is making is because his missile launcher armed TSM didn't splatter my XV88.
End of turn 2. The Kroot formation shuffled backwards a few steps, though I'm not really sure why; they couldn't stay out of the Chapter Master's assault range while staying within rapid fire range. The XV88 shook/stunned the Rhino again, while the combined fire of the Deathrains and the shas'el caused enough casualties for a morale check. The TSMs failed and broke for the table edge, but we both knew they'd auto-regroup immediately.
Middle of turn 3. The Chapter Master charged into the mass of Kroot, but his faith in the Emperor was misplaced and between 22 attacks he took and failed to save enough wounds and went down, accompanied by 2 Kroot. The TSMs at his back were bored of not shooting and came forward to also engage the Kroot, while the Rhino disgorged it's cargo and the broken TSM squad regrouped and moved up, firing their bolters at the shas'el. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but the ML-wielding TSM is peeking around the Rhino's flank to get a shot at the XV88 next turn.
End of turn 3. My reserves finally roll onto the field, scooting forward 12" and disgorging 6 FWs. Thanks to the miracle of modern Tau technology, the Devilfish's multi-tracker allows it and its drones to fire after a 12" move, and the combined weight of fire from the Devilfish, drones, and the debarked Fire Warriors gun downs the TSMs. The XV88 finally gets a decent shot against the Rhino, destroying the storm bolter, while the XV8s hold position.
Middle of turn 4. Not much movement, as an oppressive sense of dread settles across the Space Marines. Somewhere in turn 3 or 4 a wound was placed on the shas'el, but I don't remember when or by who. A scattered frag missile clips a Fire Warrior, sending him on his way to wherever dead Tau go.
End of turn 4. My XV88 scores a devastating hit against the Rhino and secondary explosions rip it apart in a fiery spray of wreckage. The XV8s fire their various weapons, but I don't recall how effective it was; doesn't look to be terribly effective from the number of models still in the TSM squad. The FWs clamber back aboard the Devilfish, and it and the Kroot surge towards the TSMs. In the grim darkness of my dining room table there is only impending doom, and Mike concedes the game.
This game came down to a few bad rolls; the krak missiles never took out my XV88, the initial orbital bombardment only killed a single Kroot, and the Kroot managed to kill the Chapter Master in a single round of melee. Any of those rolls going in Mike's favor would have drastically changed the game.
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