Hobby Update/Battle Report: Kataphron Destroyers and the First Ride of the White Scars Battle Company

I just finished up my Kataphron Destroyers. With that, the entire Cult Mechanicus portion of my War Convocation is finished. Next up I plan on going back to the 3 drop pods I had been working on before my airbrush broke. From there, on to the Skitarii, or perhaps my new Battle Company.

Speaking of the Battle Company, I managed to get a game in with it this past weekend. It was pitted against William Key's new Tau army. It was an 1850 Adepticon practice game featuring scenario 1: King of the Hill.

Deployment: Vanguard
Mission Objective 1: Control the 24" center of the table to score points at the top of each of your turns starting turn 2.
Mission Objective 2: Emperor's Will

My List (White Scars Space Marines/Imperial Knight):
Battle Demi-Company
HQ

Kor'sarro Khan – Moondrakkan (Warlord: Re-roll failed morale, pinning, fear tests within 12")

Troops
5x Tactical Squad - Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav, Razorback
5x Tactical Squad - Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav, Razorback
5x Tactical Squad - Grav-Gun, Combi-Grav, Razorback

Fast Attack
4x Space Marine Bikes – 2x Grav-Guns

Heavy Support
5x Devastators – 2x Grav-Cannons and Grav-Amps, Rhino

Battle Demi-Company
HQ
Chaplain – Space Marine Bike, Hunters Eye

Troops
5x Tactical Squad – Grav-Cannon and Grav-Amp, Rhino
5x Tactical Squad – Melta-Gun, Combi-Melta, Drop Pod
5x Tactical Squad – Melta-Gun, Combi-Melta, Drop Pod

Fast Attack
4x Space Marine Bikes – 2x Grav-Guns

Heavy Support
5x Devastators – 2x Grav-Cannons and Grav-Amps, Rhino

10th Company Task Force
Troops
5x Scouts
5x Scouts
5x Scouts

Imperial Knight
Knight Gallant


William Key's List as Best I Remember(Tau):
Hunter Cadre
HQCommander – Drone Controller (Warlord: Infiltrate 3 non-vehicle units)

Elites
Crisis Suit

Troops
5x Fire Warriors
5x Fire Warriors
5x Fire Warriors

Fast Attack
4x Markerlight Drones

Heavy Support
3x Broadsides – 6 Missile Drones, 6x High Yield Missile Pods, 6x Twin Linked Smart Missile Systems
2x Broadsides – 4 Missile Drones, 4x High Yield Missile Pods, 4x Twin LinkedSmart Missile Systems

Lord of War

Stormsurge - Early Warning Override, Shield Generator

Riptide Wing

Elites
Riptide – Ion Cannon, Twin Linked Smart Missile System
Riptide – Ion Cannon, Twin Linked Smart Missile System
Riptide – Ion Cannon, Twin Linked Smart Fusion Gun

Drone Networt
Fast Attack
4x Markerlight Drones

Tau won the roll to deploy first. I won the roll to place infiltrators first. This was key because with his warlord trait, he could have blocked my scout moves with his Infiltrators. Tau chose to go first and I failed to seize the initiative. Emperor's Will objectives are circled below.

Note the sweet ass F.A.T. Mat

Full report after the jump!

Turn 1: The three Riptides pushed forward. Unfortunately his shooting would be extremely lack luster this round. None of the D missiles from the Stormsurge managed to harm my Imperial Knight. He would only kill 2 Scouts from the center unit and destroy a Rhino and the 5 Devastators that were inside.

My first drop pod deep struck right next to his objective and I pushed everything forward except for the two Rhinos. He attempted to interceptor the 5 man Tactical Squad but only killed two. Grav weaponry would see 2 Riptides removed from the board. Heavy bolters from the Razorbacks destroyed 1 unit of Markerlight Drones and killed 2 from the second unit. Bikes and Scouts thinned out units of Broadsides and Fire Warriors.

Turn 2: The single Crisis Suit deep struck onto my Emperor's Will objective. The final Riptide repositioned itself to get side arc on my Imperial Knight. The Commander joined the unit of 2 Markerlights. The Stormsurge immobilized a Razorback and killed 4 of the 5 guys inside. He also took out a hand full of Tactical Marines. The single man failed morale and fled. Fire Warrios and Broadsides killed 2 bikes from each unit. He removed 1-3 hull points from my Imperial Knight.

All of my vehicles moved up, minus the immobilized Razorback, as did the bikes. This turn was pretty much the end for the Tau. After it all was said and done, the only things still standing were the Riptide, Stormsurge, and one unit of Firewarriors that were locked on combat.

Turn 3: Tau shooting took my Imperial Knight down to two hull points. The Stormsurge killed the last of the 5 man Tactical from the drop pod. In a last ditch effort to stop the Imperial Knight, the Riptide charged it. It immediately died in close combat to the D weapon. I think the poor Firewarriors lost combat and were caught in a sweeping advance. At this point Tau decided to throw in the towel. 

Victory for the Space Marines! Massed grav weapons and free transports are just brutal.