The group-wide Brookhammer Cup tournament has returned! And this past weekend, we got the first round of games all wrapped up. Sunday saw the last two games, the second game was a battle of the robots pitting Brendan’s Tau up against Daniel’s Imperial Knights and Astra Militarum. Read on to find out who comes out on top!

Game Setup

Points:
Each player has a maximum of 2,000pts.
They’ll use that list for the remainder of the tournament.

Matched Play Mission: 
Frontline Warfare (From Chapter Approved 2017 – replacing First Blood with First Strike)

Deployment: 
Hammer and Anvil was the layout on a 6×4 table. Brendan won the roll off and picked his end of the board.

Armies

Brendan’s Tau
Tau Sept Battalion Detachment
Cadre Fireblade, Commander in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, (3) units of five Strike Teams, (3) Firesight Marksmen, (2) TX4 Piranhas, (2) AX39 Sun Shark Bombers

Tau Sept Supreme Command Detachment
Cadre Fireblade, Commander in XV86 Coldstar Battlesuit, Commander Shadowsun

Tau Sept Vanguard Detachment
Commander in XV8 Crisis Battlesuit, (2) XV104 Riptide Battlesuits, XV95 Ghostkeel Battlesuit

 Daniel’s Imperial Knights
House Raven Super-Heavy Detachment
Knight Crusader, Knight Gallant, Knight Valiant

House Vulker Super-Heavy Aux Detachment
Armiger Helverin

Millitarum Tempestus Battalion Detachment
(2) Tempestor Prime, (3) units of 5 Scions

Turn 01 Highlights

• The Tau secured the advantage of going first, in hopes to down the Valiant Knight before it has a chance to turn its sights onto them, starting with 5 marker lights set onto the behemoth walker. The Tau Sept shot everything they could into the Knight, taking it down to half health (14 wounds)!
• For the Knights first round of fire, one of them shot 4 melta shots into a Piranha, vaporizing it to dust but leaving 2 drones to battle on. The Knight Gallant flanked around and declared a charge on the remaining Piranha (which took 1 wound off the Knight in overwatch). The Knight easily makes the charge, crushing the flyer in it’s gauntlet and throwing it at a Riptide, taking down its final wound and killing the elite battlesuit.

Turn 02 Highlights

• The Tau deep struck their three commanders, two of which joined the troops to provide morale while the Coldstar suit went behind enemy lines to flank.
• Another complete round of shooting into the Valiant took it down but to the glory of the Emperor, it did not blow up (which would have really done a number on the remaining Knights). 3
• Some Scions deep struck behind two of the Tau Marksmen, taking one out easily.
• An Evesor Assassin deep struck with another set of Scions and took out two drones protecting a Commander.
• The Gallant used the melta gun on its chest to take out the remaining Riptide) then turned its sights onto the four remaining Piranhas and crushed them under its heavy feet.
• The Crusader Knight turned it’s two big guns against the Ghostkeel Battlesuit, taking out two of its shield drones and doing 4 wounds to the stealth unit.
• The Evesor declared a charge against the Tau Commander, failed to make the distance needed but using 1 CP for a re-roll changed that and he made it into combat. The Commander supercharged his guns but killed himself, but not before doing 3 wounds of damage onto the Assassin.
• The Scions tried to charge the remaining marksman, but failed to make the distance.

Turn 03 Highlights

• Two of the Tau Bombers flew over the Armiger holding the backfield, doing 5 mortal wounds to the walker.
• The Knight Gallant charged the Ghostkeel, but first the Tau would get to overwatch taking 6 wounds off the Knight before it made it into close combat. The Tau Commander failed overcharging its weapons, doing 2 wounds to himself. The Gallant made quick work of the Battlesuit but failed to throw it after the battle.
• Time was up, and the game ends after three rounds!

Misc Highlights & More Photos

• Both Tau Commanders killed themselves overcharging their weapons.
• The Valiant was the damage sponge it was meant to be, soaking up two complete rounds of Tau shooting while the other two Knights worked their way closer.
• Daniel took home the Most Killed badge. His robots killed more robots.
• Daniel also had the hottest dice this game, making countless saves.
• Points Lost (fully dead units)
  • Brendan – 1132 pts
  • Daniel – 594 pts.

Final Score

After three rounds of crazy shooting and fierce combat, the scores were:
Brendan: 1VP, Linebreaker
Daniel: 8VP, Slay the Warlord, First Strike, Linebreaker

After the dust was settled and all the shell cases littering the battle field, the imposing Knights proved too much for the greater good. They’ve decided to retreat and try their luck at riding the world of Chaos, aiming their marker lights onto the Glooming Lords and work their way up the losers bracket. The Knights are looking to establish themselves as the fist of the Emperor as thy take on the Deathwatch/Guard in the winners bracket.