Monthly Epic with the NE group

        I got up to the Time Machine this past Saturday for the monthly NetEA with the Boston group. We drove up Friday night. The Time Machine is about 5ish hours away. 287 & 84 were pretty good, a little construction, but not the traffic they are known for.

My first game was 4k of Iron Warriors Vs my Tau, standard tournament game scenario.
My list;

IW had teli termies
Tau had air drop gun drones, Suits, & Broadsides w/ Stealth suits.

Turn 1
IW win Initiative
IW Demon engine sustains targets center Railheads. 2KIA BROKEN on disrupts.
IW R flank Bassies sustains targets R Flank Railheads. 1KIA, 2BMs
Tau R Flank Railheads Marshal advance up the right flank, 0BMs
IW center Bassies sustains targets Mech FWs & Pathfinders. 1KIA, 2BMs
Tau FWs & Pathfinders Doubles for cover on center Left hill
IW Tacticals Double for center hill, targets recon center. 1BM
Tau Skyrays sustains targets Tacticals. 1KIA, 2 BMs
IW Decimator#1 Doubles targets FWs & Pathfinders. 1BM
Tau Recon C Advances targets Tacticals, 1KIA, 2BMs
IW Hell Talons GA targets Suits. 1BM
Tau Tiger Sharks GA targets Tacticals. 1KIA, 2BMs
Tiger Sharks drop Gun Drones. Drones target Tacticals, BROKEN. 2KIA, 4BMs disrupt
IW Hell Talon attacks Tiger Sharks. 1KIA
Tau Recon R Advances targets Tacticals. 4KIA
IW Dreads Overwatch
Tau FWs & RH Advances targets Decimator#1. BROKEN
IW Decimator#2 Doubles targets Drones. 3KIA, BROKEN
Tau Cuda GA targets Decimator#2. 1BM
Tau Ocra w/ suits GA targets Decimator#2. KIA
Tau suits March
Tau Ocra w/ Broadsides and Stealth suits GA Vindicators. 1BM
     Boardsides targets the R Bassies. 5KIA, BROKEN
     Stealth suits assault Vindicators. 4KIA BROKEN
IW Tacticals and Decimator come back. Bassies & Vindicators remain broken.
Tau everything comes back

In the end of Turn 1 I stopped recording the activations. I had him and focused on the pressure. His Termies Teli to wiped out the Sky rays. The Stealth and Broadsides coordinated smashed the right flank. Retained with the suits, smashed his center. The Iron Warriors suffered. They had 2 Indirects, landing 9BPs. I saved every single hit. 3BMs at the most were collected on one unit. The Talons failed to come in. Then the Tau did Tau stuff and that was it. Middle of turn two the Iron Warriors were finished.

I normally run a detachment of Broadsides. This will change, the increased speed and 6 seeker missiles from RHs with Lance are growing on me. Working for marker lights on Broadsides is a waste. 
Comparison; 6 Broadsides Vs 6 Railheads. 300 points Vs 325. 4++ Vs 4+. 15cm Vs 30cm. Both are purpose anti tank. The Broadsides are static as hell w/ 15cm of movement. RHs seem to take damage more easily and the BS people fear. 

The second game was air drop Marines. I had asked Dave earlier for a tooled up tough "Air drop marine" 3k primer game. "Air drop marines" and Knights are difficult for me with the Tau.

My list;

Dave took Thawk loaded with Dev and dreads, Thawk loaded with Tacticals, 3 Tbolt formations, 2 speeder formations (1 shooty & 1 MW), Mech scouts, Teli Termies and the BTS - Tacticals +SC +Hunter.

         *I blew the Objective positions. I chose a wide spread. As Dave chose the standard triangle pattern. The spread pattern is my normal choice for marines, as I try to prevent them from supporting each other. In this game the spread forced me units either out of position or set them up to be picked off.
         *Deployment; I left a hole in my scout screen! I also failed to take advantage or notice how the terrain would effect turn one. My deployment pattern was good. The air assault dropped in where I thought. The terrain played turn one for me! I need to pay attention.

         *Area denial; In the middle of Turn 2 all of Dave's units were left of the center line. I out numbered has detachments and was up on activations. I had 3 units ready to activate on my right flank. Plus one in the center. It was at this point I should have swept the right flank, creating a massive focal point in the center of the left flank. Thereby providing unlimited crossfire and marklight opportunities.

Turn 1; Saw the Teli terms drop into a gap in my scout screen. They smoked my AA. I dropped my FW onto the BTS and broke it. Then Dave's BTS refused to fail a save.

Turn 2; My Stealth suits save every shot and beat Dave's scouts in an assault. Then the dice gods showed up. My broadsides missed, the recons failed every save, Dave SC failed his saves. Then the dice flipped. If you hit the other guy saved.
          During the turn I had a chance to sweep the right flank to occupy the whole right side. I saw it and never took the opportunity.

Turn3; Dave went full Dave. He made every save and broke all but the Stealth suits. I shot the ever living shit out of a single rhino, his BTS, it would not die. I rolled double 6s to hit, he rolled double 5s to save.

The dice are dice. Dave is the best player in the group. I did expect to lose. In hind sight screwing the objective pattern and not using the terrain were gifts not taken. I need to pay better attention!