ebay sales YOU won't regret! Liam's Tau...

My mate Liam, he of the scratch built Warhound and Warlord fame, is  having a clear out of old TAU figures on ebay NOW! He's hoping to offload these Tau so he can go out and buy NEW Tau. He apologetically described these as 'speed painted' but Liam's speed painting can be considered well above your average table-top quality but more importantly is the selection of unique and scratch built models. Check 'em out there are still five days to go.

40k Tau Remora Drone controlled Stealth Fighter Scratch

40k Tau 4 x Kroot Great Knarloc Herd Scratch Built

40k 3 x Converted Tau XV88 Broadside Battlesuits OOP

40k Tau 3 x Kroot Great Knarloc Bolt Thrower ScratchBlt

40k 11 x Tau Empire Vespid Stingwings METAL

40k 3 x Tau XV88 Broadside Battlesuits OOP

40k Forge World Tau XV-9-04 with Phased Ion Guns

Throne of Skulls Mar '13 - Battle 4, Tyranids Vs Space Marines

I'm two losses and a draw at this stage, it's not a whitewash but I could do with a win just to up my average at the beginning of day 2. Having had a few beverages the night before I'm feeling a little worse for wear and my Bugman's bacon and egg barm offers me no joy whatsoever, still lets get it on!

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant HQ Tervigon CC troop Tervigon Plain troop Broodlord [Adrenal] Iron Arm Haemorrhage Haemorrhage Warp Speed Enfeeble Life Leech Iron Arm Endurance Doom of Malan'tai Psychic Shriek

The low down:

• The Scouring (I started with 11VPs,on the field to Steve's 8).
• Hammer and Anvil
• I lost deployment, but eventually stole the initiative.
• Warlord Trait - Master of Defence - Warlord is Scoring

Steve Curtis - Space Marine Sternguard Drop pods and Thunderfire Cannons. This may be the first time I've faced a 'drop pod' list. I've faced drop pods before just not an army that is geared around them deep striking. So I deployed in the only way I thought made sense - to spread out as much as possible to make it difficult to land the damn things. Of course drop pods now work in a similar way to Mycetic Spores and are able to move so as not to suffer too many mishaps and there are still some gaps to touch down in but even an inconvenience at this stage would help. I was rewarded for my decision by Steve commenting I was the first person to deploy in such a way and I could see him readjusting his tactics. My VPs are 2 in Aegis, 4 in the middle by the trees and 3 on the first floor of the ruins with the Termagants.

Steve's objectives are 2VPs in the wood with the Scouts and Thunderfire, 3VPs in the first floor Ruins with the other unit of Scouts and Thunderfire and 1VP in the centre of the board just above my infiltrated Stealers.

I steal the initiative. I spawn gaunts, looks like 10 by the Aegis and maybe double figures the other side of the ruin but I'm not sure if they spawn out, I think so as no other gaunts seemed to appear in later pictures. That initiative steal allows me to fill up my deployment zone a little more with expendable miniatures to disrupt Steve's drop pods

Steve's turn 1 and the first drop pod lands in the trees and takes a glancing hit from landing in difficult terrain.

Another pod lands with Vulkan He'stan ready to twin link all those lovely flamers and meltas - so much for my defence line!

The second Sternguard squad  will be hoping to mop up those behind the defence line.

With only Haemorrhage and Life Leech as powers my crushing claws Tervigon suffers four wounds without the benefit of Iron Arm or Endurance. I guess that's the trade-off binning Catalyst, it also didn't help that I'd hid him behind the building from the Thunderfires so the Broodlord couldn't see him to cast Endurance.

+2 Iron Armed vanilla Tervigon gets away with just 1 wound.

But 5 Devgaunts get roasted.

Winged Tyrant deep strikes in, he deviates a bit and is actually swooping above the near left corner of the ruins. I decided it was best to have him back field where I had the advantage of the great VPs and where I could potentially do the most damage. The Devgaunts and CC Trygon moved to intercept the Sternguard.

The Trygon also erupts in support of the vanilla Tervigon who stumbled over the defence line.

The Hive Guard blow up the Hull Pointed Drop Pod for a quick First Blood.

Here's where an interesting rules debate came up. I don't like it when this happens, regardless of the outcome I always feel someone is going to be mighty narked when you're getting out the rule book to clarify the point. The issue was with Overwatch, in particular that both my Devgaunts and my Tervigon were going to charge the Sternguard.

Now we have always played it that you nominate who's charging and the opponent chooses to overwatch. If they get in they're engaged, if they don't, the overwatch is used up but if they didn't snap fire they can then choose to overwatch the next unit. Steve was under the impression all charges are declared simultaneously and he could choose to overwatch the Tervigon or the Devgaunts. A quick look at the rulebook confirmed my view in that you must resolve that units charge before anything else. However, Steve then debated that the Termagants must get into base contact with another model and if they got a sufficient charge move to reach them all the Tervigon would not be able to get into base contact with a model and therefore would not be able to complete a charge. I disagreed but at the time I wasn't able to discover a flaw in the logic in the rulebook so I felt having won one argument it only fair to lose the second. I've since read the rulebook and much like the rest of the unit getting within 2" of an engaged model I believe the Tervigon could have assaulted in too, but please educate me if you believe this is wrong.

The same situation applied with the second unit of Sternguard, with spawned gaunts being roasted after killing 3 Marines from the front combat squad [they really killed me with having separate squads of 5]. While the Trygon and Tervigon both sufferd wounds.

The CC Tervigon was targetted by anything Steve could shoot, Thunderfires, Snipers even the Drop Pod Storm Bolter

...and it succombed, losing it's two remaining wounds.

The Doom arrives, slightly off target but still with enough disembarkation move [thank FAQ!] to get into leeching range of the two Scouts and one Techmarine.

Unfortunately their camo cloaks and Techmarine reinforced ruins meant that their cover saves from his leeching only took 2 lives, giving him 6 wounds.

The Tyrant landed and piled into assault the Sternguards, given he's scoring and they're next to a 4VP objective I needed them removed. Hive Guard also moved back to offer assault if needed but also to shoot what was available. Termagants taken cover behind ruins, ready to make a move on the objective on the first floor but stay in cover from snipers and Thunderfires in the mean time.

Vanilla Tervigon repositions and the Trygon moves to assault the front rank, hoping for Slay the Warlord and stunt their advance

One of the front rank Marines gets killed and 3 from the rear, I'm not sure but I think that 1 wound marker is for Vulkan because...

I have this dice roll, with that 2 looking significant, because...

now I have no Trygon in shot. So Vulkan must have prevailed and then somehow we ended up engaged with the Tervigon.

Back over the other side and down pops another drop pod, oh yeah, I'd forgotten the third one.

The Tervigon squishes another Sternguard and is Iron Armed to +2. Just off shot in the Defence Line you can just make out the base of the Broodlord, who'd high tailed it from the cover behind the Bastion midfield to capture the 2VP objective my Tervigon had left.

Now I'm not sure at which point turn 4 arrives in these pics but as there is only 15-20 minutes left Steve suggests that we only play on until the end of turn 4. I'm not sure what the situation is but its been finally balanced throughout and I think I've got the overwhelming advantage anyway given whats in my DZ! So I agree, we've got a small crowd around us at this point, mainly folk who know Steve and he politely asks some of them to stop asking 'how's it going?' so he can get on and make his moves. Back in the game the Hive Tyrant takes 2 wounds

and the Doom manages to take out the Scouts in the ruins and both Techmarines thanks to both and Psychic Shriek and is on 9 wounds [he'd suffered some in shooting the round earlier but no insta-kill shots] but more importantly the 3 point objective has been lost. By the end of my turn I think I'm on 12VPs to Steve's 3!

The Tervigon prevails against Vulkan but one Sternguard somehow managed to slip through the net and gets into range of my 2VP objective denying it, down to 10VPs.

My Termagants in the ruins suddenly have to face some Sternguard, thanks to grenades I end up with only two remaining, but more importantly lose the objective. It'd now be 7VPs to 3 but the Hive Tyrant was snuck upon by a couple more Sternguard and they also contest leaving it 3VPs each. Steve's managed to steal a draw in the end.

This was totally awesome and we both breathed a sigh of relief and shook hands congratulating each other for a game well played. As we do so I look up at the game screen and I'm shocked to see we have 10 minutes left. 10 minutes in which the Doom could easily displace the scouts on his objective, or even contest it denying him 3 VPs. 10 minutes in which the Tervigon, the Hive Guard or the Broodlord and Stealer could kill the lone Sternguard contesting the 2VP objective. 10 minutes in which the Hive Tyrant and remaining Hive Guard could kill the 2 Sternguard contesting the 4VP objective. Clearly the 3VP one in the ruins would be lost but I've half a dozen options to win this and 10 minutes is ample time to do it. I point this out and umm and ahh for 3 of those minutes [7 is still going to be enough] but I can see Steve thinks this is a shitty thing to do, we shook hands, we agreed. Do I act like a prick just to get my first win or do I accept another moral victory and take a well fought draw...?

No, I'm not a prick, I hope it'll ensure I get favorite game off him at least [I don't think it did] but it was an awesome game and Steve was a great opponent. The Tyrant did OK for a change and the Doom could have won me the game too, Steve was most surprised to find out it leeched in his turn too. Thunderfire's were brutal, if only the Doom had arrived a turn earlier I may well have had sufficient forces left to ensure the win. The Trygon again failed to deliver but he served as cannon fodder, albeit expensive cannon fodder. So 2 draws, and 2 loses, come on game number 5!

Throne of Skulls Mar '13 - Battle 3, Tyranids Vs Dark Eldar

Game 3 and I'm hoping for my first win...

Psychic Powers Winged Tyrant HQ Tervigon CC troop Tervigon Plain troop Broodlord [Adrenal] Iron Arm Iron Arm Warp Speed Iron Arm Haemorrhage Haemorrhage Enfeeble Endurance Doom of Malan'tai Cataclysm

The low down:

• Purge the Alien.
• Hammer and Anvil :(
• I lost deployment.
• Warlord Trait - Outflank.

Phil Clee - Dark Eldar. I think that win is going to elude me here. Having faced my Mate Liams Dark Eldar before I know I'm already at a disadvantage. With a Dark Eldar force filled with Raiders, Venoms and Ravagers with those shields that reduce my shooting range by 6" not to mention Hammer and Anvil setup and kill points, although Phil does start with 14 kill points on the table to my 11, I'm reduced to hiding everything behind this building about half way into my Deployment Zone with my defence line just in front of it.

Phil positions half way into his deployment zone so there's nearly four feet of killing fields between both forces, of which I have a maximum range of 18" with the Hive Guard, 12" with Devourers and 6" with Fleshborers!

Raiders, Ravagers and Venoms move out first. I didn't bother trying to steal but suddenly though that was a mistake as I could have Iron Armed the Tervigon and Broodlord.

Except it wouldn't have mattered if they'd ended up St10 as his poisonous weapons put wounds on Hive Guard and Broodlord with ease. I also had a moment where I tried to get extra cover saves from Night Fighting only to be pointed out that Dark Eldar can see in the dark, so no bonus.

I snuck the Broodlord in the back so I could keep from losing First Blood. I don't spawn for fear of losing my VP advantage and lack of spacebehind the building. I'm not entirely sure what my plan is at the moment. I think I was hoping to not get shot until the Winged Tyrant, Doom and Trygon Deep Struck and that would allow me to come forward. However I was still being shot with impunity so Phil could have sat there each turn and eventually my force would have succombed. At some point I would have to bring it to him. The defence line though was really helping with saving throws.

My Turn 2 and all my reserves arrive. Sadly not in time for the Doom to suck life but luckily any deviations didn't result in wounds to creatures.

The Raider get's pummelled but I think Phil had already made First Blood at this stage.

Given the mech arrayed against me I had opted to keep Cataclysm on the Doom and fired it at the now exposed Dark Eldar only for it to miss, deviate onto the Trygon who wa scompletely unaffected and then typically the drain on the Doom was 3 wounds! The Spore Pod attempts to lash the Venom with its Ripper Tentacles but a quick discussion regarding the 6" reduction in range of weapons and it's decided it can't hit the Venom 1" away. Post match discussion would reveal it never renders weapons with a 6" range down to 0, not that it would have change the games outcome but I may have managed to glance the Venom to death.

The Crushing Claws Tervigon was despatched, the other Tervigon has taken 4 wounds, a Hive Guard is gone and I've 6 remaining Termagants and no Devgaunts!

The Doom gets shot by the Warriors and he fails two saves and dies. The Trygon also gets targetted and suffers 4 wounds.

Then gets shot again and I have to make 4 saves, but only pass 2 so another Monstrous Creature falls for not much gain.

With no other choice I Vector Strike the Venom with my Winged Tyrant and he spanks it royally.

With the Archon and his retinue exposed I shoot with my remaining Twin-linked Devourers... 

and get 5 Precision shots on the Archon!

But he manages to Look Out Sir! or save them all with only a single loss to his unit, damn!

The Archon heads for my defence line.

The Winged Tyrant lands and fires point blank into the Raider, exploding it and killing four of the Warriors embarked, another VP at least.

I spawn 10 termagants to give me some firepower at least. They may have overcome the Archon and his retinue for 2 more VPs but I was still way behind.

And this is the Winged Hive Tyrant's armour saves, having taken two wounds he was unsurprisingly deaded.

Having made the decision to advance instead of hide the inevitable happened and I was tabled, the first time ever I believe. Phil ended up with 14VPs, just failing to get Linebreaker to complete the whitewash. I managed to get 6.

In fairness to Phil he was apologetic at the end for trouncing me so royally, he was actually cheering me on when his Archon was killed. But I always knew this was going to be tough and despite Phil's graciousness and my renewed attitude to enjoy gaming, whatever the trials and tibulations, there's no way to describe this other than unpleasant. We made the best of it and I'd love to play Phil again, I'm just cottoning on to the widely known fact that Dark Eldar are the absolute nemesis to 'nids. Even if I could get in range of his vehicles they can easily move out of range again. I think I'd rather face Necrons, they may have all the tricks and outmatch me in every way but in most games I've played there've been moments where I could swing it.

Finally my Winged Hive Tyrant did some good but the star of the show is the only thing left on the board - my Defence Line. Seriously it must have paid for itself ten times over, sadly it wasn't enough for the numerous bugs seeking cover behind it. And that's a point I kept hearing, apparently folks don't think 'nids should hide behind walls. Well having a copy of the Codex I can inform them that in particular the likes of Hive Guard and Tervigons are bio-constructs that's specific purposes are defensive. Hive Guard, erm, guard the hive and Tervigons roam the inside of Tyranid space craft spawning Termagants as and when a threat is detected. Defence Lines, Bastions and other fortifications can be very much a part of the Tyranid battle force, either as Imperial architecture that has been infested with Tyranid biology or Tyranid biological constructs themselves, similar to Spore Chimneys. Just because on the face of it they should run head first into contact doesn't stop them being tactical, afterall there is an alien intelligence controlling them.