Three-way Attrition

 Last week on the 5th of November, Kushail, Da Masta Cheef and I gathered to play a three-way game of Warhammer 40,000 9th edition. I brought my Black Legion Chaos Space Marines,

Cheef brought his Tau,

 

and Kushail brought an all Dreadnought list of Lions of Harlech.

We decided to use the Open War deck and chose War of Attrition. We randomly drew a Twist card  and got Exhausted, much to Kushail's glee, as it ment all models had their Strength characteristics reduced by -1. We all pulled Ruse cards which we kept secret from each other until they were revealed. 

This isn't going to be one of my typical battle reports, but more like a highlight of what happened. Cheef took so many photos that I"m having a difficult time figuring out what's what, or when was what, or why we took a given photo. So, I am going to focus on who eliminated which units. We only counted a unit destroyed when the final model was pulled as a result of shooting, close combat in the fight phase or elimination during the morale phase. Assists did not count for anything other than bragging rights. 

The dice eating lava board

The Lions of Harlech won the roll-off to go first, Chaos would go second and Tau would go last.

 

Looking at home in a Chaos shrine...

According to my notes there were no destroyed units in the first turn. Although I almost wiped out the Tau Hogziliaries, but one sneaky piglet got away! 

This little piggy...

The ruckus of turn one.

LIONS OF HARLECH TURN 2

The Hellbrute, despite using the Fire Frenzy Stratagem during the Lion's Shooting Phase and getting some Overwatch shots, failed to withstand the double onslaught of the Ironclad Dreadnoughts and was ripped apart. The Lions scored 220 points. 

The pathetic demise of a Hellbrute. 

BLACK LEGION TURN 2

"Shoot 'em down boys!"

One of the Lion's Itonclads was destroyed by the Psychic powers of the Sorcerer Lord in Terminator armor. 

The Black Legionaires wiped out the Tau Jaloo Auxiliary. 

The Black Legion take the lead with 235 points. 

Lining up for a strife,

TAU TURN 2

The Tau didn't eliminate any units but they put a considerable hurt on the Black Legion and picked off a few wounds from some of the Lion's Dreadnoughts. Using the Outflank Ruse card, the Piranha and Ramora Drone harassed the Lions of Harlech while a squad of Breachers, Kroot Carnivores and a Kroot Shaper showed up in the Chaos deployment zone. They took a wound or two off of the Chaos Sorcerer. 

End of Turn 2 points: 

Lions Of Harlech: 190

Chaos Space Marines: 230

Tau: 0

LIONS OF HARLECH TURN 3

I have heard it said somewhere that 40k is a three-turn game in the sense that the winner can usually be determined by end of turn three. Well, Kushail was determined to make that theory a working one. The Chaplain Dreadnought charged my Exalted Champion, and, well, pulped him. This earned him another 90 vps 

CHAOS SPACE MARINES TURN 3

The traitor astartes didn't eliminate any units this round but they did hold their own against the Dreadnought onslaught. Both of my psykers put some hurt on the Chaplain Dreadnought using Smites of Infernal Gaze powers to achieve this. Of Particular note was the Aspiring Champion of Legionaires Squad 3 by rolling an against the odds Morale test and keeping the Chaplain tied up a bit longer. 

The Vindicator putting the hurt on the Dreads. 

TAU TURN 3

No units were taken out by the Tau in this round but they put a lot hurt on my Legionaires squads and tore some armor off of some dreads. But the Kroot did manage to get a charge in on my Chaos Sorcerer. The Chaos Sorcerer took a few wounds from these guys but he killed a lot of them in return. The failed morale check caused a lot more pain on the Kroot but the remaining ones were still in the fight.

LIONS OF HARLECH TURN 4

The first few rounds were just a big wind-up for Kushail and his Lions of Harlech, and on Turn 4 he landed his killing blows. In the Shooting Phase he shot down the Ramora Drone, and picked off the Kroot Shaper. Then he squashed a squad of Chaos Legionaires. He racked up 190 points from all of that and it was looking like he was going to be hard to catch up to.

Out flanked but fully armored. 

CHAOS TURN 4

Now trailing the Lions in points I was desperate to get rid of some of these Dreadnoughts. My Legionaire with the Balefire Tome finished off a Contemptor Dreadnought with Infernal Gaze earning 150 points for me. And my Sorcerer used Infernal Gaze to eliminate the Chaplain Dreadnought for 180 points. A moral victory indeed, but one short lived, as the Kroot took him down in the Fight Phase. It was the Tau's first points in the whole game so far, but an impressive 120 points and a crushing blow to my army. 

TAU TURN 4.

"Surprise!"

The Kroot, having showed the rest of the Tau how to draw blood, inspired the rest of the Tau to continue to do so. They finished off the rest of my big squad of Legionaires (220 points!) and blasted away the Vindicator (130 points). 

LIONS OF HARLECH TURN 5

It was mopping up time as the Lions finished off The Taus Breachers (95), the Hogziliaries (80 points), the Kroot (84 points) and the last of my units, the Legionaires (215 points). The Lions had this one in the bag, it was just a matter of sorting out the details.

CHAOS SPACE MARINES TURN 5 

(We're dead Dave, we're all dead.)

TAU TURN 5

The Tau got the final kill of the game by taking out a Contemptor Dreadnought (150 points).

"It's coming right at us!!!"

It was a fun game, even though I was tabled I dished out a fair amount of hurt and we had good fun. So here are the breakdown: 

CHAOS SPACE MARINES: 565 Points

TAU: 620 Points

LIONS OF HARLECH: 944 Points. 

Victory to the Lions! 

The stand off.

There's  a lot little things that occurred in this game but I don't recall where they fit into the play-by-play of the game. Things like, I need to keep a guy a alive and he had to make three 6+ saves, he rolled two 6's, I uses a CP reroll and got the third 6. Etc. It's those little moments that make games like this one especially fun. I'm already looking forward to the next one!