Mission: Hostage Situation

Overview

A Tau Ethereal has had to crash-land over a warzone. He is an Aun'o and cannot be allowed to be captured or killed. Fortunately, his ship was equipped with a survival pod with a powerful force field that will ensure the Aun'o's survival until its power source is exhausted. Unfortunately, it has been detected by one of the enemy forces on the planet. The Tau force must land and secure the safety of the Aun'o before the survival pod is breached.

Scenario Special Rules

Reserves, Deep Strike, Random Game Length, plus Night Fight on the roll of a 4+ on 1D6.

Set-up

1. A counter or model representing the survival pod is placed in the absolute centre of the table.
2. The Tau player deploys his entire army by Deep Strike on Turn 1. Even those troops that may not Deep Strike normally can do so in this mission.
3. The non-Tau player's entire army starts in reserve and gets first turn. They enter from a single random table edge. Any units able to Deep Strike may do so.

Diagram: Table map showing a rectangular battlefield divided into four numbered table-edge zones (1, 2-3, 4, 5-6) around the perimeter, with the "TAU SURVIVAL POD" marked by a circle in the absolute centre of the table.

Mission Objective

When the random game length expires, the force field around the Tau survival pod collapses and the Ethereal is either rescued or captured.

Units greater than half strength or undamaged mobile vehicles are needed to capture the pod. Whichever side has a model or models meeting the criteria nearest to the survival pod at the end of the game wins.

Reserves

See Set-up. The non-Tau player starts in reserve.

Game Length

The game lasts for a random number of turns (see the Scenario special rules in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook).

Line of Retreat

Any non-Tau unit forced to fall back does so towards the table edge by which it entered the table.

Any Tau unit forced to fall back does so towards the opposite edge.