Flyrant, Broodlord with 8 Genestealers, 2 Lictors, 3 Warriors, 3 batches of 8 Hormagaunts, 8 Devilgaunts, 8 Spineagaunts, 2 Zoanthropes and a Godfex

The Tau Empire, used by Zaphod Beeblebrox

Shas'O with 2 Bodyguard, 3 Stealthsuits, 2 batches 12 Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles, 12 Fire Warriors with Pulse Carbines, 11 Kroot with Shaper, Devilfish, 7 Pathfinders, 2 Hammerhead Gunships

Turn 1

Tau:

The Tau won the roll off and as so I moved the Stealth team round the trees to open fire on the Broodlord's squad and the Commander ordered his men forward to ensure they got rapid fire. The Stealth Team, Commanders open up the fire killing 4 Genestealers. Next the Pulse Rifle squads fired on the Genestealers, killing 2 out of 22 shots, even after they were marker lighted! The Carbines managed to knock off another 2, leaving just the Broodlord. I fired the Tanks and the Pathfinders at the Hive Tyrant, but either missed or only wounded once, which it's 2+ sv managed to deflect. Sigh... I jumped the Stealth Team back, but the Commanders only could jump back 2" due to the roll for Idrium armour! Not the first turn I was hoping for...

The Broodlord's Genestealers meet some heavy fire power.

Tyranids:

A good first turn from the Tau see's me with my entire army, minus the Genestealers! Awesome. I move the army forward enjoying some good Fleet of Claw rules, including a 6 on the middle Hormagaunts! I keep the Carnifex and Zoanthropes behind cover as they advance. First shoot against the Hammerhead misses, the second on the Commanders is saved due to the pesky invulnerable save, drat! The Warriors miss and the Devilgaunts fail to touch the Pathfinders... Usual Tyranids shooting then. I cast Catalyst on a bunch of Hormagaunts as they run headlong at the Commanders and charge the Broodlord against the Devilfish. The Broodlord fails to touch the mighty armour of the tank as he hisses his disapproval. The Hormagaunts unleash 24 attacks on Bodyguard causing one wound, in which the Shas'O returns the favour, drawing the combat. It's a Gaunts life...

The Hormagaunts meet with the Tau Empire's finest warriors.

Turn 2

Tau:

This turn I was determined to kill that Tyrant, so I brought the Stealth Team out of hiding and moved the Fire Warriors forward past the combat to get a rapid fire round on it. The Stealth Team, Missile Drones on both Hammerheads and Devilfish all open fire on the Broodlord failing to get through it's carapace. Damb! The Tanks once again fluff their Railgun shots against the Tyrant. So I fire everyone else who can on the Tyrant causing a single wound with the Pulse Carbine Fire Warriors. This isn't looking good, they're already on top of me and I have no where to run. My only hope it the Kroot can bring down that flying Tyrant so in they go, along with a Fire Warrior squad to see if they can tip the balance. The Tyrant trips up one Fire Warrior with his whip and kills 3 Kroot, who along with the Fire Warriors do nothing in return, so they run, but are caught by the Hive Tyrant, which consolidates 2" towards me. Well that went well.

The Fire Warriors try desperately to kill the advancing Hive Tyrant.

Tyranids:

Goody the Tau have come even closer to the Tyrant! The Lictors try to pop out of their hiding places and one is revealed on the Pathfinder's hill. The horde advances once again with most models in striking distance. One Zoanthrope fires at the Devilfish, blowing it to pieces, with the explosion frying 3 Hormagaunts for the Zoanthrope's trouble, meanwhile the fires and blows one of the Hammerheads to rubble! Yes! The powers of the warp clearly in my favour that turn. The Devilgaunts fire their Devourers at the Pathfinders who take two casualties as burrowing organisms break past armour, flesh and bone. The Spineagaunts fire their needles at the Fire Warriors on the right hand side, 3 of them fall dead on the ground, while the Warriors kill another one with their acidic slim. All in all a great shooting round! The 2 broods of Hormagaunts and the Carnifex charge the Fire Warriors, while the Lictor and Devilgaunts charge the Pathfinders. The Broodlord charges the Stealth Team and the Hive Tyrant joins the fray with the Commanders, as the Tau prepare for a messy close combat phase. The Lictor slices one in half, meanwhile the Devilgaunts finish the last 4 off. The Broodlord kills 2 of the Stealth Team, while their leader fails to touch the Broodlord, but bravely holds. The Hive Tyrant kills one of the bodyguards and wounds another while the Shas'o kills a mighty 3 Hormagaunts. The Hormagaunts kill 3 Fire Warriors, while the Carnifex does it's job bringing down the other 7! They both overrun into the Shas'O's unit. Things are looking desperate for the Tau.

The Fire Warriors bravely protect their leaders, but to no avail.

Turn 3

Tau:

This battle is over, it's all about damage limitation now. The Hammerhead blasts the Lictor to pieces with it's missiles and Railgun, meanwhile the Fire Warriors aim at the advancing Devilgaunts, blasting the whole unit to pieces! Yes! Now that's what I'm talking about. Elsewhere the Broodlord rips through my last Stealth Team member, while the Hive Tyrant brings down the last Bodyguard. The Commander himself is over come with grief and misses ALL his attacks, with the Carnifex causing one wound on him. The Hormagaunts hit 22 times, wound him 7 times and cause 2 wounds on him. He runs for his life but the winged Tyrant catches his, rips open his Battlesuit with his Talons and devours the poor Tau Fire Cast member, and roars triumphantly. He rejoins the others who go headlong into the last unit of Fire Warriors. Here's pain!

The Commander does battle with both the Hive Tyrant and the Carnifex.

The Fire Warriors open fire on the on coming Tyranids.

The Tau's situation looks bleak.

Tyranids:

Only those pesky Fire Warriors and one Hammerhead left. The second Lictor still doesn't reveal himself, while the Spineagaunts and the Broodlord join the Fire Warrior feast. The Zoanthropes fire at the last Hammerhead, piercing it's armour, hitting the reactor inside which causes the tank to explode. The last remaining Fire Warriors know their death is at hand and wonder why the Ethereals have forsaken them. The Warriors also join the fray and their last combat begins. The Hive Tyrant quickly kills 4 of them, while the Broodlord, no one to be out done, also kills 4, 2 with rendering. The Warriors kill 1 off the bat with rendering too and kill another 2 after 4 saves for the Tau. One Fire Warrior stands alone against the mass Hormagaunt attacks and is obviously ripped to pieces and tossed to the wind.

The Tau are overwhelmed by the Tyranids advance.

The Tyranids at the end of the game, advancing on to the Tau colony beyond the plains.

The Tyranids gain a Crushing Victory and claim the world for themselves.

Zaphod

Well this being only my second battle with Tau, I'd say it was down more to bad luck, they seemed to not do much on turn 1 and 2 and amazing on 3. All in all the Tyranids had it in the bag from turn 2.

Hive Mind