Harlequins vs T’au Empire 2000pts | Warhammer 40,000 Tactical Report

Avatar Spider August 22, 202022  103 22 Likes

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Tacticas return for 9th edition as Chef refines his new found love of Harlequins, but can Bone’s experience with the Greater Good elevate the T’au to victory?

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The Army Lists are: 

Harlequins

++ Battalion Detachment ++

Masque Form: The Soaring Spite

+ HQ +

Troupe Master: Warlord- Player of the Twilight, Relic- The Twilight Fang, Role- Choreographer of War, Neuro Disruptor

Shadowseer: Enigma of the Black Library- The Shadowstone, Pivotal Role- Veil of Illusion, Role- Shield From Harm, Shuriken Pistol, Powers- Twilight Pathways, Webway Dance

Shadowseer: Role- Agent of Bedlam, Neuro Disruptor, Powers- Fog of Dreams, Shards of Light

+ Troops +

5x Troupe
4x Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Caress
Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade

5x Troupe
4x Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Caress
Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade

5x Troupe
4x Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Caress
Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade

5x Troupe
4x Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Caress
Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade

5x Troupe
4x Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Caress
Player: Fusion Pistol, Harlequin’s Blade

+ Elites +

Death Jester: Role- Humbling Cruelty

Death Jester: Role- The Jest Inescapable

Solitaire: Role- Chromatic Rush

+ Fast Attack +

5x Skyweavers: Haywire Cannon, Zephyrglaive

4x Skyweavers: Haywire Cannon, Zephyrglaive

+ Dedicated Transport +

Starweaver: 2x Shuriken Cannon

Starweaver: 2x Shuriken Cannon

Starweaver: 2x Shuriken Cannon

Starweaver: 2x Shuriken Cannon

Starweaver: 2x Shuriken Cannon

++ Total: 1,997pts ++

T’au Empire

++ Battalion Detachment ++

Sept Tenet: T’au

+ HQ +

Commander in XV85 Enforcer Battlesuit: Warlord- Through Unity, Devastation, Relic- Puretide Engram Neurochip, 3x Missile Pod, Drone controller, 2x MV7 Marker Drone

Ethereal: Honour Blade, 2x MV7 Marker Drone

Longstrike: Ion Cannon, 2x MV1 Gun Drone

+ Troops +

5x Strike Team

5x Strike Team

5x Strike Team

+ Elites +

XV104 Riptide Battlesuit: Heavy Burst Cannon, 2x Smart Missile System, Advanced Targeting System, Velocity Tracker

XV104 Riptide Battlesuit: Heavy Burst Cannon, 2x Smart Missile System, Advanced Targeting System, Velocity Tracker

3x XV25 Stealth Battlesuits: Burst Cannon

3x XV25 Stealth Battlesuits: Burst Cannon

+ Fast Attack +

7x Tactical Drones
7x MV4 Shield Drone

7x Tactical Drones
7x MV4 Shield Drone

8x Tactical Drones
8x MV7 Marker Drone

+ Heavy Support +

TX7 Hammerhead Gunship: Ion Cannon, 2x MV1 Gun Drone

TX7 Hammerhead Gunship: Ion Cannon, 2x MV1 Gun Drone

++ Total: 1,996pts ++



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thereisonlyfishsoup
thereisonlyfishsoup
4 years ago

Hey Bone, dont think you will still read this but not only does longstrike have bf 2 but also he is a hammerhead himself so giving himself +1 to hit. could have been all the bikes gone turn 1 😉

Aaron Rogers
4 years ago

We got plenty of “COMBAT TAU!”, but was missing Bone’s Kiss from a Rose rendition. I guess this will have to do.
https://youtu.be/AMD2TwRvuoU

Urbi
Lodge Member
Urbi
4 years ago

I wonder would a sky ray gunship be a good alternative to the hammerheads in 9th?
They should be able to remove a alpha unit in the beginning of the game, and then give you some markerlight support, block some movement or go sit on an objective…
But are they annoying enough to devote firepower to it? either way it’s fine…

Bloodgrave
Lodge Member
4 years ago

@Bone. Im going to say it every time you play Tau. Vespid Stingwings! Much needed board presence.

Alan Shroue
Lodge Member
Alan Shroue
4 years ago

Fantastic game, I was shouting at the screen it was so much fun!

Kaibong deity
Lodge Warrior Member
Kaibong deity
4 years ago

I hope they bring back targetters and disruption pods/sensor vanes for tau.

Cwak
Cwak
4 years ago

Quins are in a really nice spot at the mo. Had a game vs iron hands with a horrific list, leviathan dread, 3 contemptors, apothecary warlord, many intersessors, the usual world ending lists they bring. I even went second, and absolutely smashed him. Luke if you’re reading this I’m sorry.

Andreas Benson
Andreas Benson
4 years ago

Nice report. Nice ti se tactica again. By the what. WINTERS SEO has called you out. I hope you guys rise to the challenge!

Last edited 4 years ago by Andreas Benson
anders hjelseth
anders hjelseth
4 years ago

Great battle, my gently gentlemen! Very cinematic and entertaining. When will we be seeing more of The Great Devourer? Perhaps a narrative report is in order for the lovely gribblies? Thanks again for all you do for the community.
Cheers from Rainy Washington,
~Anders

CMO
CMO
4 years ago

An excellent game and a really good Tactica, really enjoyed this. Bone, I find that Hammerheads are just too fragile to start on the table, especially in the context of AP-4 lascannon and the new melta nonsense (plus Salamanders in general). Perhaps It’s worth the CP to put longstrike and friends in reserves to give you a hammer to break armies that are then forced turn 1 and 2 to deal with the anvil of the unkillable riptides? Will mess with your opponents movement too, knowing 3 ion cannon wielding death tanks will turn up on their flank to pin… Read more »

waterhou1
waterhou1
4 years ago

I don’t play T’au much these days but I must say what I’ve seen so far they seem to be struggling a bit in 9th.
progressive missions plus having to move closer to your enemy to contest the central objectives are just not T’au’s strengths.
I feel like the T’au workshops need to give them some tasty close combat suits, or maybe they need to draw on some xenos auxiliaries that can mix it up close.

waterhou1
waterhou1
4 years ago

Great game, I like the close ones and nice to see the Tactica’s back.

Sam Reed
Lodge Member
Sam Reed
4 years ago

Glorious. I feel like you both won.

Ben H
Lifetime Member
Ben H
4 years ago

Really interesting battle report. Such a close finish. It’s amazing how much the fly change hurts T’au.

StealthKnightSteg
Lodge Warrior Member
StealthKnightSteg
4 years ago

I still think a Fireblade and some Firesight marksmen are key to land those first markerlights on something that the Drones then can use to fill up on markerlights. The Fireblade would also be a lot of help to get a bit more weight of fire in for those fire warriors who struggled a little on getting just enough hits in.
Also I missed the disembarkation of 2 gun drones from Longstrike?.. They could have helped with some overwatch with those bikes when they charged the riptide. To bad Longstrike still suffers from that getting killed asap syndrome.

eparedesa
eparedesa
4 years ago

Is using the DJ ability whilst they are embarked legal?

DC
DC
4 years ago

Hey guys, how about a tactica devoted specifically to winning when going second?

There’s a goonhammer article that provides pretty definitive proof there is a significant advantage to going first in 9th. I have also played 4 games of 9th now and the player going first has won all 4 games. They weren’t even that fun as it was over after the first players turn 2.

Wonder if you guys have any innovative ideas on how to mitigate the going second sting?

Michael 'The Scorpion'

I’ve missed the Tacticas, so glad they’re back for 9th. This was an awesome game!

Rus’el
Lodge Member
4 years ago

Nail biter of a game. Great Tactica guys, thank you! ??

It does still seem strange to me that one side can decimate the other yet gain no award for doing so? With the game now capped at 5 battle rounds, it feels that there should be points awarded automatically at the end of the game depending on the points difference left on the table top.

Last edited 4 years ago by Rus’el
Ricky Gauthier
Ricky Gauthier
4 years ago

The fix to T’au Ballistic is Y’Vahra and Flamer Crisis. Now that flamers are going to 12″, T’au are going to be amazing at using them. Was a fun game to watch though, burn Harles burn!!

Last edited 4 years ago by Ricky Gauthier
Kyle Boulier
Kyle Boulier
4 years ago

OMG guys adding that top down to the coaching sections is some top notch stuff, keep up the awesome work!

Axalender
4 years ago

What a fight! Never seen so much fusion do so little before, reminds me of my kabalite warriors with blasters. Not sure how Bone lost that, with how much firepower was still going at the end. Not a Tau expert, but do they need to exchange a bit of firepower for more mobility/utility units to better play the mission? I do think that ironing out the mistakes (like with forgetting all the Harlequin wound shrugs for a turn) should be one of the priorities for tactica reports. As for the Harlequins, I’m not sure the solitaire is really worth taking… Read more »

bullyboy
Lodge Member
4 years ago

fantastic game overall, well played

Tropic Thunder
Lifetime Member
Tropic Thunder
4 years ago

Well played match and an excellent 9e introduction of the Tactica series! Thoroughly engrossing to watch what truly became a chess match at the end. 🙂 Out of curiosity, I noticed that the entire crew has stopped using the wound markers to hold up stratagem or psychic power effects that are either spent or cast into play. While I understand this can be a bit too much to deal with in standard games, might I suggest utilizing this in future Tacticas? It would really help compensate for the lack of a third person participating in filming and help you remember… Read more »

Mark Orosz
4 years ago

It is nice to see the tacticas back. I am glad you guys did the coaching corrections when possible. I found your list and logic interessting bone. I really liked the walk through. I agree marker drones seem to be the way to go. Especially since they can give additional protective utility to a riptide. I wonder how the math works out on shield drones vs marker drones for protecting the riptides. I kind of wonder if outflanking the stealth suits or stealth suits and fire warriorsin this match up makes sense. Might be able to try to kill death… Read more »

Jamess9
Lodge Member
4 years ago

Great game guys! Just a suggestion: I think you should get rid of the stones. I don’t think it looks that great and dice keep getting caught on the stone piles.

Bobabear
Lodge Member
Bobabear
4 years ago

At last tactical battle report is back! Thanks for a great game.?. And as a hope and a dream, my I se a tactica whit The First legion? Anyway, keep up the great work and stay safe.

eparedesa
eparedesa
4 years ago

I’m running a very similar build to Chef’s. Main difference is that I run an additional 4 skyweaver unit in exchange of the 2 Death Jesters, have 1 less starweaver and 6 fusions less (as I have one foot slogging 5-player troupe with no fusions and a couple less in the other troupes due to points). Also, my troupe master is my warlord and his trait is skystrider, which pretty much allows him to back almost any combat. What do you guys think about the DJs? Are they worth the potential 6 assassinate VPs that they can grant?

Jack Whorton
Jack Whorton
4 years ago

Great game guys.

Thorsten Martin
Thorsten Martin
4 years ago

Great Batrep but sorry for beeing annoying again, Bone could you please lower the Volume or sensitivity of your microphone? Compared to the other players you are way louder and every time you get excited and speak louder, my speakers are collapsing. This is just a very recent issue. Thanks for the great content

Benjamin Chia
4 years ago

For Tacticas, may I suggest some way to tag the terrain during the top-down view of the battlefield at the start of the game? Maybe just some sort of overlay to note which pieces are obscuring (Ruins etc) and which are Dense cover? I understand that that’s extra post-production work but it would help the viewer understand certain decisions and target choices. Especially during deployment and turns 1 & 2 of the game. Thanks guys and great work as always. Love both the more fun and chatty aspect of the regular battle reports and the more serious nature of the… Read more »

Matthew Carslake
Matthew Carslake
4 years ago

Woot! Tactica is back… and the first one back was an absolute belter. Great game, guys, well played both of you. I love watching you guys play with a little more competitive edge. Looking forward to more to come. One suggestion: A small overlay with the current points and battle round would be nice – something simple in a corner perhaps. It would be a little work to set up and would take a bit more work from the editor to update the points correctly and at the right time, but I found myself a little frustrated in this game… Read more »

Benjamin Chia
4 years ago

YAY!!! TACTICAAAAA!!!!!

Lofwyr
4 years ago

Ah, denial mode. I know it well.

Harley Houldcroft
Harley Houldcroft
4 years ago

😀

Kristian Pettersen
Kristian Pettersen
4 years ago

Every time the harlequins hit the tabletop I stop watching well before the end. Their rules are silly and their weapons out-eldar the eldar. (Yes, I do know.)
«I fired my entire army and killed three bikes.» And the remaining two bikes get seven *mortal wounds* on a tank. As well as four other wounds. From range. It’s not even cheese. (Self old.) It’s a slab of gauda on a pizzacrust of mozzarella with …I have run out of cheeses…

Colin Clarke
Colin Clarke
4 years ago

Just halfway through, but I think you played Hammerheads as having 11 wounds, when they are actually 13 each. Plus on turn one, are you sure there was a shadowseer near those corner bikes for the -1 to wound, cos it didn’t look like there was one anywhere near them?

Dave B
Dave B
4 years ago

Great report! That turn 3 move where Chef moved up his troops onto the objective to steal one of Bone’s 2 objectives was big and denied 5 points. Thinking on this, I believe that Bone could have mitigated this by having one of his fire warrior squads either on the objective or behind it by the drones. It seems to me that having all of your obsec units clustered together was a mistake, though they were protecting your priority objective, and I think you could have shifted one of them over to give obsec on the other objective. All you… Read more »

footfoe
footfoe
4 years ago

Hey bone. Re-read the profile for the hammerheads. Their non-overcharge ion cannon profile isn’t blast (flat 3 shots str 7 2ap 2damage) so you could have been firing that in combat.

Matthew Wall
Lodge Member
4 years ago

Absolutely epic game, combat RIPTIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What I really enjoyed about this game was the lack of re rolls from both sides it really felt like the game was more balanced overall because of that fact. I know it’s only one sample size but it almost seemed like that the marker lights not hugely needed so there may be a case of having some more troops in front of each riptides to stop the charges instead. Yes marker lights would be great but it’s not going to be easy taking them with their points changes. It was a great game thanks… Read more »

Stefano
Lodge Warrior Member
4 years ago

Great game, cheers to both of you! The format is also very well done, I expecially appreciated the small touches like showing the line of sight for the T’au. The game seemed to be quite balanced, too… loking forward to see how other armies will perform against both T’au and jesters.

ChrisFrosin
Lodge Warrior Member
4 years ago

What a game! 9th is really providing some brilliant battle reports. There’s so much innate balance and possibilities across the missions! Loved it!
Purple guy???
The Amethyst Jester, Twilight Mist, he can now be named, Chef! 🙂 Get creative now <3

Cwak
Cwak
4 years ago

Chef bud, unless they changed it, you don’t have to pick your additional pivotal roles till before the game starts, meaning you can tailor it to the army you’re fighting. Agent of Bedlam for combat armies, veil of illusion for shooty armies. There are also other nice things you can pick that work specifically against certain types of army, making them very the tacticians army.

Ross Penlington
Ross Penlington
4 years ago

Just wondering what the hive minds thoughts on Tetras was. Perhaps with Sa’cea for the re-roll to hit? I imagine they’d be quite reliable and given their speed would bring some utility in terms of grabbing objectives that most other Marketlight units don’t have. That might help the issue that Bone has described of Markerlights generally being a tax that don’t bring any other value to your army.