Dropzone Commander Battle Report #39 – Shaltari Tribes vs The Scourge

Welcome back to the Maelstrom! For the first time in a long while we have a Dropzone Commander game for you. We’ve been focused heavily on 40k lately, but this game quickly turned into a point-blank engagement, one that got both us set to dive back into this game system. Come along as the Shaltari and the Scourge begin their war of attrition.

The Armies

The Endbringers

The Scourge – 2,000

Scourge Oppressors

COMMAND – Desolator with Scourge Master (CV4)

SCOUT – 4x Minders

            -Intruder Beta Light Dropship

SCOUT – 4x Minders

            -Intruder Beta Light Dropship

SUPPORT – 2x Reaver Gunship

Scourge Vanguard

STANDARD – 3x Hunter MGT

            -Marauder Medium Dropship

SUPPORT – 3x Reaper AAGT

            -Marauder Medium Dropship

Scourge Vanguard

STANDARD – 3x Hunter MGT

            -Marauder Medium Dropship

SUPPORT – 3x Reaper AAGT

            -Marauder Medium Dropship

Scourge Warrior Cabal

TROOPS – 2x Warrior Horde

            -Intruder Alpha Light Dropship

TROOPS – 2x Warrior Horde

            -Intruder Alpha Light Dropship

TROOPS – 2x Warrior Horde

            -Intruder Alpha Light Dropship

Scourge Warrior Cabal

TROOPS – 3x Warrior Horde

            -Invader APC

TROOPS – 3x Warrior Horde

            -Invader APC

            -Sharing Marauder Medium Dropship

Scourge Invasion Host

HEAVY – 2x Tormentor HGT with Razorworms

            -Marauder Medium Dropship

HEAVY – 2x Slayer HGT

            -Marauder Medium Dropship

Scourge Occupation Patrol

SCOUT – 4x Prowlers

            -Intruder Beta Light Dropship

SCOUT – 4x Prowlers

            -Intruder Beta Light Dropship

Ubii Tribe Raiding Party

Shaltari Tribes – 2,000

Wings of the Chieftain (Gate Pool)

Eden Medium Gate

Eden Medium Gate

Eden Medium Gate

Spirit Light Gate

Spirit Light Gate

Spirit Light Gate

Spirit Light Gate

Haven Terragate

Haven Terragate

Court of the Elders

COMMAND – Coyote Warstrider with High Warchief (CV5)

Shaltari Swordpoint

STANDARD – 3x Tomahawk Main Grav-Tank

STANDARD – 3x Tomahawk Main Grav-Tank

SUPPORT – 3x Kukri AA Grav-Tank

Shaltari Swordpoint

STANDARD – 2x Tarantula Battlestrider

STANDARD – 2x Tarantula Battlestrider

SUPPORT – 3x Kukri AA Grav-Tank

Shaltari Warrior Clan

TROOPS – 2x Braves

TROOPS – 2x Braves

Shaltari Warrior Clan

TROOPS – 2x Braves

SUPPORT – 2x Thunderbird

Shaltari Warfist

HEAVY – Caiman Heavy Grav-Tank

HEAVY – Caiman Heavy Grav-Tank

Shaltari Speartip

SCOUT – 2x Yari Light Grav-Tank with Light Ion Cannon

EXOTIC – 2x Firstborns

After Action Review

I didn’t realize how long it had been since I played Shaltari until I sat down to make a list. When I did I realized I was coming back into a faction that I had really missed.

I’ve flirted with the idea of two Yaris for a long time. I like them just for their Scout bubble, and I always wondered if they would be effective enough with just two. It frees up the Gates required to get them into position, and still offers a small amount of AA punch. However, after trying it out I have to say that two Yaris isn’t enough. They can’t guarantee a punch against that single light dropship, which is what I have always used them for. As a result, it leaves me with points invested in an overly fragile Scout unit, and no real offensive punch to show for it. I remember plenty of times when four Yaris would down Praetorians or other fast-moving infantry near the center of the table; two simply can’t get it done.

The Thunderbirds were a great addition to the force, and I want to invest in some more of them to bring their numbers up. I think four or six of them could offer a real threat to rear-echelon units, like Longbows and other artillery pieces. The Shaltari really struggle to deal with those kinds of units, and I think that by putting the Thunderbirds in I’m gaining some early game demolition, along with a unit that doesn’t struggle against heavily armored enemy tanks. PHR walkers and UCM battle tanks are a real struggle for Tomahawks to engage effectively, but the Thunderbirds take this out of the equation and offer me a hunter-killer unit to pick off armor at leisure. So long as I can keep them clear of dedicated enemy AA fire, I think they will do fine.

In this game, I think my opponent struggled with the split approach I offered. He swung heavily to one flank in an attempt to crush that portion of my army completely. Against any other opponent he probably would have been successful, but the speed of teleportation kept me out of harm’s way until late in the game. Even then, it was only his fast-moving Aircraft that were able to bring their weapons to bear and get the job done. It left his Hunters and Slayers completely out of the fight, and turned the ground war firmly in my favor.

With that said, the game was still a close one. I think if he had manned the walls with the Infantry in my deployment area, he would have been able to make up the lion’s share of the points deficit with their garrison value. I also think his initial drops with much of the armor on my flank were too conservative. I think he would have been better served by rushing the armor block. I still would have been able to evacuate most of it, but it would have given him a chance to prevent it from happening, or at the very least punished me for ever having deployed there.

The Scourge are a different army to learn, especially after settling into one of the other factions. However, I have no doubt Josh will be scoring more frequent plasma kills on my tanks very, very soon.