Epic 5K: Gargants vs Vior'la Tau

Following the previous game, Andrew and I decided to try a 5000 point game. I added a flying circus of orky air power, and left off the reinforced boiler upgrade from the Gargants. Andrew added another Manta and another Riptide formation.

Here's my Gargant List:

Incompertus, 5000 POINTS
Gargant Bigmob (3.2.1 - Developmental)
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MEGA GARGANT [1050]
Mekboy Big Boss

GREAT GARGANT [825]
2 Soopagun, Lifta Droppa

GREAT GARGANT [750]
2 Gatling Kannon, Mega Lobba

GARGANT [650]
2 Soopagun, Supa Zzap Gun

GARGANT [625]
2 Soopagun, Soopa Zzap Gun

FIGHTA-BOMMERS [150]
3 Fighta-Bommers

FIGHTA-BOMMERS [150]
3 Fighta-Bommers

FIGHTA-BOMMERS [150]
3 Fighta-Bommers

FIGHTA-BOMMERS [150]
3 Fighta-Bommers

FIGHTA-BOMMERS [150]
3 Fighta-Bommers

BOMMER [175]

BOMMER [175]

Power fields for Orks (10 on the left Great Gargant!)

Here's Andrew's Tau list.

675		Vior'la FW Cadre, 14 Fire Warriors, Bonded Team, Cadre Fireblade,
		Ethereal, 3 Pathfinders, 2 Gun Drones, Skyray
350		Crisis Cadre, 4 Crisis Suits + Shas'o, 2 Gun Drones
275		Crisis Cadre, 4 Crisis Suits + Shas'el, 2 Gun Drones
325		4 Rail Hammerheads, Skyray
425		6 Rail Hammerheads, Skyray
150		Recon Group, 3 Tetras, 2 Piranhas
150		Recon Group, 3 Tetras, 2 Piranhas
150		Recon Group, 3 Tetras, 2 Piranhas
150		Recon Group, Tetra, 4 Piranhas
375		3 Riptide Suits + Shas'el, 2 Missile Drone
350		3 Riptide Suits + Shas'el, Missile Drone
200		Protector Class Cruiser
625		Manta
625		Manta
175		3 Razorshark Fighters

Turn 1

Here's the setup, same battlefield as last time but the Tau start in top left corner! Gargants set up to make use of the roads.

Tau win Strategy roll and Hammerheads and Recon manage to strip the shields from the closest Gargant. In response the Great Gargant doubles to the centre of the battlefield and blasts the Hammerheads, destroying 3 of the tanks and breaking the formation.

Manta attacks the Gargant doing a point of damage, and the Gargant replies doing two points of damage to the Manta. Fighta Bombas break the Recon formation.

The other Manta moves up and does more damage to the Gargant which is marked by more recon, Other Tau formations disembark and advance.

Mega Gargant and Great Gargant double down the Road firing and suppressing the infantry in the ruins. 

While the Tau Riptides are moving to take out my left most Gargants, more Fighta Bombas come in and kill the Skyray anti-air tank from the infantry formation ahead. losing two Fighta Bombas in the process.

An Ork Bomba attacks the other Hammerhead formation, destroying two tanks and breaking them. The Tau Razorsharks intercept but don't do any damage to the bomber.

Fighta Bombas race down the Tau backline destroying broken Tau formations.

End of turn, and all forces are well and truly engaged. My Gargant rallies.

Photo from Tau side of table.

Turn 2

Tau win Strategy Roll and the Gargant takes heavy damage, 1 hit point left!

Crisis suits move in to finish it off, but only manage to break it and it retreats back behind a hill.

Riptides start attacking the Great Gargant on the left flank.

The Mega Gargant and Great Gargant waste their time trying to engage fearless Tau infantry in the ruins and woods! 28 firefight dice from the Gargants but the Tau are tough in the ruins and many survive.

My left flank Great Gargant is also broken as the Tau Spaceship arrives, and my other Gargant dies.

Fighta Bombas swoop in eliminating Tau recon units, having to send three flights due to inaccurate shooting.

Tau Razorsharks manage to shoot down an Ork Bomba.

Turn 3

Things are slipping away from the Orks. The Great Gargant on the right flank engages the infantry again (which is the Tau "Break Their Spirit" formation), with supporting fire from the Mega Gargant, but the Tau still manage to survive, though only just.

I didn't get a photo of the next dumb move by the Orks, where the second badly damaged (2 damage points left!) Great Gargant engages Riptides in a firefight, with support again from the Mega Gargant. But the Great Gargant is destroyed before the Mega Gargant can do its supporting fire!

Orks are losing the battle of attrition on the left flank too.

My Mega Gargant doubles back towards its blitz, shooting and missing due to inaccurate fire on the move.

Turn 4

Orks win strategy roll if I remember correctly. My Great Gargant engages and wipes out the Tau break their spirit objective finally. And Ork Fighta Bombas keep eliminating Tau recon and broken formations.

The Tau crossfire my Gargant, breaking it and it retreats burning.

With the aid of Fighta Bomba attacks, the Mega Gargant manages to break through the Tau line and contest the Ork Blitz again.

However, it now takes fire from Mantas and other Tau units.

And drops to half damage!

End of turn 4. Orks have "Break their Spirit" but no other victory condition, and Tau have no victory conditions. Game doesn't go another turn, so it goes to points. Tau have 3105 victory points, and Orks only 1800. Win to the Tau!

Conclusion

Well done to Andrew! Only have my own stupidity to blame for losing this game, and Andrew's lack of stupidity. Running away from my Blitz too far with Mega Gargant and then even worse wasting multiple moves trying to hunt dozens of fearless infantry in cover! Should have blasted them or better targets instead, rather than firefighting and losing my own shields in the process. The engage action with my badly damaged Great Gargant turn 3 was basically suicide too. All up, lots of bad choices and I deserved to lose! But never fear, more Orky mechanical devices are on the workbench, as reinforcements from Troublemaker Games have just arrived...