This is an Epic scenario, not a standard Warhammer 40,000 battle. You will need the Epic rules and army lists to play it.
The Wargame
This game should be played across the width of a 6' x 4' table. The terrain is open desert, with the usual scattered rocky areas. The Space Marines deploy first; place them in their deployment zone, up to 12" from their board edge. They may start the game dug-in behind sandbagged positions, vehicles in tank scrapes etc.
The Tau forces enter from the opposite board edge when they have the initiative.
Objectives
The Tau forces must break through the Space Marine cordon to overrun the landing grounds. They have 5 turns to do this. If the Space Marines are still fighting at the end of turn 5, they win.
Forces of the Imperium
Raptors Space Marines – 3rd Company
- Tactical Detachment – 6 Tactical units with 3 Rhinos, with Commander (Captain) upgrade and Dreadnought
- Tactical Detachment – 6 Tactical units with 3 Rhinos, with Commander (Chaplain) upgrade and Dreadnought
- Devastators Detachment – 4 Devastator units with 4 Razorbacks
- Assault Detachment – 4 Assault units
- Predator Detachment – 2 Destructors, 1 Annihilator
- Whirlwind Detachment – 3 Whirlwinds and 1 Hyperios
- Land Raider Detachment – 3 Land Raiders
- 1 Thunderhawk Gunship with missile upgrade
- 1 Thunderhawk Gunship with missile upgrade
- Battle Barge in orbit
Tau Forces
1 Manta, carrying:
- Battlesuit Cadre – 4 Crisis battlesuit units, 1 unit with Shas'o Commander upgrade
- Broadside Battlesuit Contingent – 2 Broadside battlesuit units
- Gun Drone Contingent – 4 Gun Drone squadrons
- Gun Drone Contingent – 4 Gun Drone squadrons
- Fire Warrior Cadre – 6 Fire Warrior units in 3 Devilfish and 1 Sky Ray
1 Manta, carrying:
- Fire Warrior Cadre – 6 Fire Warrior units, 2 Crisis Battlesuit teams upgrade
- Stealthsuit Contingent – 4 Stealthsuit units
- Hammerheads – 3 Hammerhead Gunships and 1 Sky Ray
Notes
This is the first of two battles which took place on the same day. To play the second battle, simply replace Raptors 3rd Company with 6th Company, by removing the Devastators and Assault detachments and the Land Raiders, and replacing them with Tactical detachments and 2 detachments of 4 Land Speeder Tornadoes. Tau forces should remain roughly the same, except the commander in the second game should be reduced to a Shas'el.
Alternatively, you can combine the forces into one large battle on a larger table.