1250 Vostroyan AM Vs Orks: Big Guns Never Tire...the final phase of the Orthos IV affair began with the long-planned assault on the ork-held city of Arendt. Imperial commanders predicted (and correctly) that the orks had grown bored of the endless stalemate that had stretched on for months in the regions surrounding the old industrial hub. Accordingly, while ork bunkers and artillery positions were dug in to deter any Imperial advance, they were not actually expecting an attack.
So, when Captain Sturmeier's armored spearhead crossed enemy-held territory to meet up with the garrison at Bunker Complex Theta, the orks found themselves facing something they were unaccustomed to: a forceful Imperial strike, supported by scions of the Militarum Tempsestus, and bolstered by the dead-eye accuracy of the Vostroyan 314th.
The orks were delighted.
~From "The History of the Orthos System, Abridged" by Adept Nichail 34-Z1HAfter much delay, the Imperial war machine is on the move on Orthos IV. Me and Roboknee finally got our first campaign arc underway with the initial mission (you can read about the arc
here).
Vostroyan Assault CompanyBattalion DetachmentHQCompany Commander w/Power Maul, Kurov's Aquila, Warlord: Grand Strategist
Company Commander
Elites5 Ratling Snipers
Astropath (Nightshroud)
Veteran Squad w/3x Flamers
TroopsInfantry Squad w/Plasma Gun
Infantry Squad w/Plasma Gun
Infantry Squad w/Plasma Gun
Infantry Squad w/Plasma Gun
Fast AttackScout Sentinel w/Multilaser
Scout Sentinel w/Multilaser
TransportChimera w/Hvy Bolter, Multilaser
Spearhead DetachmentHQCompany Commander w/Powerfist
Troops5 Scions w/2x Melta, 1x Plasma Pistol
5 Scions w/2x Plasma, 1x Plasma Pistol
Heavy SupportMortar Hvy Weapon Squad
Lascannon Hvy Weapon Squad
Leman Russ Punisher w/Hvy Bolter Sponsons
Leman Russ Executioner w/Plasma Cannon Sponsons
Ork Defense MobBattalion Detachment[/u]
HQWarboss on Warbike w/Ded Killy Choppa Relic
Weirdboy w/ Da Jump
Troops30 Shoota Boyz w/Nob (Power Klaw)
30 Shoota Boyz w/Nob (Power Klaw)
10 Shoota Boyz w/Nob (Power Klaw)
10 Shoota Boyz w/Nob (Power Klaw)
Fast Attack7 Bikes w/Nob (Power Klaw)
Spearhead DetachmentHQBig Mek on Bike w/Kustom Force Field
Heavy Support2 Kustom Mega Kannons
2 Kustom Mega Kannons
2 Kustom Mega Kannons
Mission, Terrain, and DeploymentThis was to be a Big Guns Never Tire mission (which my opponent knew beforehand, so I'm not sure why he's bringing so many Kustom Mega Kannons) with a basic Dawn of War deployment. The campaign called for this to be "trench warfare," so I set the board up appropriately. The north side of the board had a large ruin in the NW, a few trenches/redoubts, and two "ork" bunkers (T7, W10, Sv 3+, 15 occupancy, 7 fire points). The south had a watchtower in the SW, two Defense Lines, an Imperial Bunker, and a building. No Man's Land was a smattering of tank traps and razorwire, a could craters, and a small ruin in the west. The objectives wound up being 1 in the NW ruin, 1 between the Ork Bunkers, 1 by the end of the Defense Lines, and 1 in the middle of the Defense Lines.
My deployment wound up with the Mortars in the extreme SW corner (behind a wall by the watchtower), the ratlings a bit forward behind a tank trap, two infantry squads in the trenches with another one behind the trenches and another behind the bunker. My back line was anchored by the two Leman Russ while the Lascannon squad went in the bunker. The Chimera + Vets + Powerfist Commander deployed along my eastern flank. Finally, one scout sentinel ranged ahead of the trenches and the other swung wide on the east flank. Between them and the Ratlings, I created a fairly large bubble preventing easy drops for any first turn "Da Jumping" mobs of Orks--they would kinda have to hit the Bunker, the Chimera, or nothing much else. The Scions would be left to drop in later, their ostensible plan being to wipe out ork artillery and claim and objective (assuming they lived that long). Finally, my Warlord deployed by the Executioner along with the Astropath and the other Company commander was left with command of the furthest west infantry squads.
The Orks, of course, geared up for their go-to strategy of Jumping orks on my head immediately. All the shoota boys deployed along the backline of the Ork DZ, with the intention of using the Mob Up rule to make mega-mobz of 40 boyz. Two Megakannnons went along the east flank, two in the center, and two in the ruin in the west, along with their grot crews (who, evidently, count as their own units, now?! I offered to not count them as VPs, since I felt that was a little ridiculous--my opponent was basically deploying 12 easy victory points for me to gobble up. Leaving it at 6 was enough, I felt). The bikes, Warboss, and Big Mek crowded together in the space between the ruin and the central Ork bunker. The Weirdboy was also hidden in the crowd somewhere around there.
Deployment
Imperial DeploymentThe Ratlings range ahead (a bit blurry--sorry)Orks......and more orksTurn 1It was fairly clear from the outset that my opponent had one (and exactly one) plan of attack: Kannons to kill/cripple tanks, Bikes as Diversion, and Da Jumping boyz to krump me (or Boyz as Diversion and Bikes to Krump me). This plan was pretty dependent on going first.
So, of course, I managed to seize the initiative (I swear this hardly ever happens to me, and here I am doing it two games in a row!).
While my opponent cursed, I began the punishing bombardment my army is capable of. I didn't move very much, since I didn't want to interfere with the trap I'd already set for any Da Jumping boyz. My Lascannons and Executioner wiped out the two Megakannons in the east. The Punisher scooted forward and its firepower, along with a lot of lasgun fire (go Heirloom Weapons!) wiped out the Bikes, leaving the Warboss and Big Mek alone. The two scions dropped in the extreme NW corner of the Ork DZ and successfully took out both western artillery pieces. Finally, the mortars put a few wounds on a big ork mob (killing maybe 3?). The Chimera and Sentinels shot at stuff and did nothing much, because multilasers suck.
The Astropath used Nightshroud on the Punisher, since I felt that was going to be the more useful tank in this game.
Still, a pretty nasty first turn. I netted 5 VPs right there (First Blood + 4 Heavy Support choices).
Top of Turn 1
A daring raid behind the linesNo More Bikes (also: the role of "weirdboy" is being played by a "Herald of Tzeentch")Wiped out ArtilleryThe Ork attack has been largely blunted, but I'm still going to get it in the face. 10 Shoota boyz mob up with 27 shoota boyz and they are teleported via weird ork psychic power to...right in front of my bunker. They fire a billion bullets (well, 80) at the closest infantry squad, who use a stratagem to take cover. I probably could have saved myself the VP, since they died anyway, but I *did* get the VP refunded by my warlord's tactical brilliance, so no big deal. Then the giant mob charges the bunker. They *probably* could have charged the Chimera too (and should have), but I guess he didn't want to soak the overwatch/didn't think he could make it. Anyway, after a good five minutes of rolling billions of green dice, the Bunker explodes in a fiery inferno, knocking a couple wounds off the Executioner, the Astropath, the reserve infantry, the Chimera, and my Warlord. The Lascannon squad survives the explosion and is able to disembark just behind it. The Orks pile into the Chimera and the Lascannons.
The remaining two ork kannons knock a few wounds off my Executioner and also off my Punisher (they didn't both have range to the Executioner). A unit of 10 shoota boyz embark into the eastern ork bunker and take pot-shots at the eastern scout sentinel, but don't do any damage. Lastly, the Warboss and Big Mek try to charge the center sentinel, but the Big Mek fails his charge. The Warboss is able to crush the Sentinel easily and consolidates towards my defensive line.
Bottom of Turn 1
Here they come!This picture taken just before this whole squad is cut to ribbonsThey Kablooeyed my Bunker!Turn 2Okay, damage control time. The boys in the Executioner break out the fire extinguishers again and hose down the things inside that have caught on fire (Jury Rigging--I get back a wound). The Veterans and Powerfist Commander disembark from the Chimera, which then falls back (as do the Lascannons). The Lascannons are then ordered to Get Back In The Fight and First Rank/Second Ranks are thrown around and next thing you know I'm throwing a bucket of lasgun fire (and three flamers from the vets and 3 lascannons from the heavy weapon boys) at the attacking orks. This kills a cool 10-15 of them. The mortars knock down another couple. The central infantry squad gets First Rank/Second Rank and it's lasguns kill a few more orks (while its plasma gun knocks two wounds off the warboss). Then the Punisher opens up with its full compliment of firepower and kills another bucket of orks. When the smoke clears, the orks are left with two nobs and two boyz. The Vets, PFist Commander, and infantry squad charge them, hoping to overwhelm and eliminate the remaining boyz. No such luck--I don't kill a single ork. I do, however, lose 3 infantry. Bummer. In the morale phase, my opponent pays the 2 CP to keep the four survivors on the board.
The Executioner thinks long term and fires its weapons at the other mob of 30 orks (figuring I'll be seeing them next turn anyway), but rolls pretty poorly and only kills about 3 of them. The last infantry squad opens up with another First Rank/Second Rank on the warboss, cutting him down.
Finally, behind enemy lines, the Scions fire at the closest Mek Gun and take off only two wounds (meh) and then charge the grot crews of the guns they just destroyed. It...doesn't go well. I don't actually kill *any* grots (sneaky little gits) and one of my glory boys gets bashed over the head with a rock. On the bright side, I am currently engaged with grots, so that gives them something to do. Come to think of it, I *think* I may have killed one or two grots and managed to pop them during morale, but it doesn't really matter.
Top of Turn 2
Gotta hand it to them--orks are tough.In the orks turn, calamity strikes--the Weirdboy doesn't pull off Da Jump (first time I've ever seen that happen) and actually rolls a Perils, even with a command re-roll. So...no second giant mob of orks hitting me this turn. Sweet.
The Big Mek thinks better of suiciding into my lines and turns around to offer his force-field services elsewhere. The Mek Guns put 6 wounds on the Executioner, bringing it down to 3, but can't hurt the Punisher. 10 shoota boys disembark from the east bunker and charge the Sentinel, but their performance is lackluster and they only do 1 wound to it. It, of course, doesn't do jack to them.
In the big melee with the orks, I kill both regular boyz and lose another 2 infantry.
The grots engaged with the Scions fall back.
Bottom of Turn 2
This is our objective nowSentinel in trouble! Turn 3Welp, time to wrap things up. The Vets fall back from the nobs and move over to the 10 shoota boys. When the Sentinel falls out of combat with
them, I use a Grenadiers strategem, a Get Back in the Fight (from the powerfist officer, who also fell back), and then proceed to blow up or flamer down the whole squad.
The infantry falls back from the Nobs as well and, left with no one to fight, they are shot down by the Punisher and sundry lasguns.
The Lascannons and Scions put an end to the ork artillery this turn, and the Ratlings finish off the grot crew in the ruins. The Executioner crew flips switches, plugs bubble gum in leaking coolant lines, and gets their tank back up another wound so they can fire at the distant ork mob. A generous helping of Firstborn Pride and they actually do pretty well, killing about 5-6 orks. The mortars help them, knocking out another 2-3. That mob of 30 is now down below 20 and significantly less dangerous.
With pretty much all of his firepower being expended and being left with primarily grots, my opponent concedes the game.
Top of Turn 3
Final ScoreVostroyans: 15 (2 objectives, 6 heavy supports, First Blood, Linebreaker, Warlord)
Orks: 3 (1 objective)
Post-MortemI'm beginning to think a Vostroyan army seizing the initiative is a death sentence for unprepared opponents. With the added range on my guns, my whole damned army is shooting the crap out of people turn 1 and it's just too much. That said, even if I *hadn't* seized, I think my opponent would have had a tough time winning here, if only because he was bringing waaay too many easy VPs to this specific match. Granted, if this were any other mission I wouldn't be saying this, but as a campaign game, I think it's only reasonable you bring the army suited to fulfill the mission specified.
Of course, I get why he would bring KMKs--they are probably the best antitank the orks can get their hands on. He also did his best to make it awkward for me to kill them all at once by spreading them out, and positioned them so they could do the most damage to the most targets. If my opponent had gone first, I'd probably have lost one of my tanks, which would have made a big difference. That said, I think my opponent's army didn't give him a lot of tactical flexibility. 80 orks for Da Jump is overkill. I think probably he only needs to jump one mob of 30 and spend the rest of his points on other things to threaten me turn 1 (Trukk boyz, kommandos, stormboyz, battlewagons, etc.). Target priority against this army was really, really easy--kill the bikes, kill the guns, and the rest would take care of itself. Managing enemy target priority is a key aspect of list building and I think Roboknee could have done a better job here.
As for my own list, it worked pretty well. I'm just not convinced Ratlings are worth it--I'd rather have another Sentinel--but as I currently
don't have another Sentinel, they'll do for now. The Scions were the real stars this game--they earned 8 VPs all by themselves and only lost 1 guy. This is an oversight in deployment on my opponent's part (he left that flank wide, wide open), but those teams are definitely worth their cost. The Russes remain a powerful force on the battlefield. I'm expecting to see very strong antitank showings from my opponents from now on. We'll see how long they last.
Despite it being a bit one sided, I think both of us had fun. I'm looking forward to the next mission in the campaign, in which my forces attempt to encircle Arendt for the final siege. Thanks for reading and thanks, as always, to my opponent!
