Thousand Sons vs. Tau Battle Report: Knowledge is power!

Knowledge is power!

As you can probably guess from that title image... things went quite well for my Three Musketeers!



This was the first outing of my starter Thousand Sons army. At only 450 points, it's nect to impossible to fit Rubricae in any meaningful way, but there is enough to lay down some serious psychic artillery.

The Three Musketeers (War Cabal Formation)

Athos: ML 2 Sorcerer, Mark of Tzeentch, Veteran of the Long War, Bike, Force Stave [120 points]

Porthos: ML 2 Sorcerer, Mark of Tzeentch, Veteran of the Long War, Bike, Force Stave [120 points]

Aramis: ML 2 Sorcerer, Mark of Tzeentch, Veteran of the Long War, Bike, Force Stave [120 points]

D'Artangnan: ML 1 Sorcerer, Mark of Tzeentch, Veteran of the Long War, Jump Pack, Force Stave [90 points]

TOTAL: 450 points

This is the very definition of high risk, high reward, as they stand a good chance of getting tabled in turn one. Rocking the Telepathy discipline, and harnessing charges on a 3+ for it thanks to the formation, these four adventurers charge around the battlefield Psychic Shrieking at units.


The enemy is a fairly standard, robust, and surprisingly tough Tau force.

Moving Anvil (CAD)

HQ:

Ethereal [50 points]

Elites:

Riptide: Heavy Burst Canon, Twin-linked Fusion gun [180 points]

Troops:

Firewarrior Strike Team: 12x Firewarriors [108 points]

Firewarrior Strike Team: 12x Firewarriors [108 points]

TOTAL: 446 points

It hits like a freight train, has absurdly good morale, and with the Riptide up front and zipping around with jet pack moves, is surprisingly mobile. It has been the bane of every other student army, despite the relative simplicity.


Put it this way... very few armies at this size can stand 72 Strength 5 shots delivered to the face per turn. And that's not even with the Riptide letting loose.


The Tau got first turn, and the Musketeers bravely moved behind scenery to have a glass of wine and a chat before the battle. They were immensely unconcerned with the Tau threat, enjoying their picnic out in the broken down city.


The Riptide, looking to flush out the Scorcers for the Ethereal and Firewarriors to demonstrate Tau pulse technology, surged up the middle of the field. The Musketeers had chosen their drinking spots well, and the Tau could not get line of sight.

An army versus four men of fortune

Having finally discussed the psychic powers they'd be using that day, the Musketeers decided they had enough of inaction, and leapt forward to deal with the rude interloper into their picnic. Athos, Aramis and Porthos shot out on their discettes of Tzeentch, and hurled forth curses and oaths of such potency, the Riptide's pilot's mind was torn asunder!

Aaaand, he's gone.

D'Artagngan, knowing his place was to watch his mentors jumped to claim a rear objective, whilst Athos and Aramis retreated the a new shady area from which to finish their wine. Porthos had dropped his glass in moving up the field, and was so embittered towards the enemy for it, decided to advance and teach these vile xenos proper etiquette with his staff.


The Tau, in shock at their glorious battle suit falling so quickly, advanced in a fury, the Enthereal invoking their wrath to fill the sky with fire. Porthos had been too impetuous, and found himself at the center of that very storm!

Only that many saves to make...

Cut down by fire, he shouted a warning to his friends before disappearing into a warp tunnel back to the Athanaen cult hotel back on the Planet of Sorcerers.





Pleased with te application of firepower, the Ethereal extended his finger to D'Artgnan, loitering with intent far from combat. Despite a well aimed fusillade of pulse rounds, D'Artgnans luck held out and he took but a small scratch.


Seeing Porthos disappear under a blue sheet of energy, Athos and Aramis leapt into the fray again for revenge! Athos attempted to cast The Treason of Tzeentch on the Firewarriors, still inspired to shoot faster by their Ethereal, but the Architect of Fate denied him this spell. Aramis again Shrieked at the Firewarriors, and despite their souls being steady thanks to the presence of the Ethereal, fell in droves to the psychic onslaught.


The city scape erupted in multi coloured flames as Aramis and Athos expended their remaining warp charges on Tzeentchian Firestorms, the beleaguered Tau incinerated under the inferno's produced. The two Musketeers retreated to cover to plan their next assault, with D'Artagnan, indignant at the audacity of the Tau in shooting him, forged his way forward.


The Tau, having weathered the psychic storms, pushed onwards, hoping to ambush the Sorcerers. Catching glimpses of them through shattered windows and around hills, they shot their high tech weaponry, but to no avail.

But there's only four of them! How can this be?!

It was then the Ethereal began to know fear...


The Musketeers and D'Artagnan charged, this time not intent on mental barrages and retreat, but with bloody minds and fell combat on their minds. Athos, Aramis and D'Artagnan all unleashed their wills upon the beleaguered Tau, and the weaker willed xenos were felled by the combined onslaught of Telepathic fury and Tzeentchian fire.


The Musketeers readied their bolt weapons, and unleased a fusillade into the reeling Tau, more Firewarriors falling to their shots!


And suddenly the Sorcerers were in them, D'Artganan showing the true mettle of the Athanean cult, cutting down a squad single handed, whereas Athos and Aramis sought only vengeance for Porthos on the Ethereals neck.

All is dust...

The combat was swift and brutal...


The remaining Firewarriors were simply cast aside, killed by the heavy impact of the charging Sorcerers on their Discettes. The Ethereal stood alone as Athos issued his challenge.


The staff flew like a golden serpent through the air, warp lighting crackling across it's length. Before the Ethereal could even raise his weapons, he lay a brutalised and bloody pulp at the feet of the Musketeers.


As the heavy distortions of the warp flames subsided, and the technological marvels of the Tau lay in ruin, the three adventurers uncorked another bottle of wine, toasting Porthos, Magnus and Tzeentch for their victory. The victory of the mind over machine. Of the intelligent few over the unquestioning many. Of the Thousand Sons sorcery and wisdom over Tau ideology.


Knowledge is power...






This was a fairly text book game for me, with the Sorcerer gun boat plan succeeding well beyond my expectations. Psychic Shriek is an unbelievable potent spell, and even the Firestorm of Tzeentch did a great deal of damage to the massed enemy units.


I also hae a new found respect for the close combat potential of the humble Sorcerer. An entire unit vanished under D'Artagnan's charge, and although a staff wielding character is fairly terminal for Toughness 3 4+ Save Tau, I think he'd still be effective at dealing with other troops.


It can't be under stated how reliant this quartet of adventurers is on scenery and Line of Sight blocking. Had this been out on the open field I would expected three out of four of them to have vaporised in turn one...


Still, I'm pleased with how they did so far, and despite the loss of Porthos, they can claim a massive victory.


All for one, and change for all!


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