1500 Orks Vs Vostroyan AM: BlitzI'll remember it forever. My brother and I had been hiding in the outskirts of Arendt ever since the greenskins took over. I couldn't've been older than eight, my brother a year older. My parents had died in the initial assault--so had just about everyone else. Three months--cold, winter months--hiding in bombed out buildings, trying to dodge the packs of grots that went hunting for easy prey at night. We drank melted snow and ate from a few C-ration tins we'd found on dead soldiers. We assumed we would die there. We told each other stories of how glorious it would be--we had a stolen laspistol and an entrenching tool. If we got cornered, we figured we'd fight to the death and then be welcomed to the Emperor's table. We wondered how may grots we'd kill before they got us.
But then, one morning, we heard the steady thud of guns. It grew louder the next day. And the next. The orks got excited. More and more greenskin trucks and guns were transported to where we were hiding. Orks with huge shootas lumbered around in the ruins, fighting with each other, barking in their harsh voices. I didn't know what it meant, but my brother did. "They're coming for us," he said.
They arrived at dawn on the fourth day, the preceding night consisting of nothing but thunderous explosions from guns no one could see, least of all the orks. I should have been frightened, but I wasn't. I was too numb to the thought of my own death by then; this was exciting. For once, I was watching greenskins get blown to pieces. I was watching orks panic as they re-arranged their slipshod defenses. This was not terror for me--it was catharsis.
That dawn, the Vostroyan Firstborn came--no mealy PDF, no green conscripts--but hard-eyed men in the Emperor's Service, their ornate lasguns spitting death to any ork who crossed their holosights. Into the teeth of the ork guns, they came. Into the face of the ork warmachines, they marched. Beneath the tearing wrath of ork flyers, they did not hesitate.
And at that moment, I knew what would become of me:
I would be a soldier. After weeks of preparation, the
Vostroyan campaign to re-take the industrial hub city of Arendt is coming to a head. My noble warriors of the Imperium are ready to smash the Greenskins and drive them back from the Emperor's realm. Though this is a narrative campaign mission, we elected to use matched play rules for army construction. We would not be using the newest Beta rules (Strategic Reserves and Band of Brothers) until we'd discussed them with the rest of our gaming group.
Vostroyan Infantry BrigadeHQCompany Commander (Warlord: Grand Strategist)
Company Commander
Company Commander w/Powerfist, Armor of Graf Toschenko
TroopsInfantry Squad w/Grenade Launcher
Infantry Squad w/Grenade Launcher
Infantry Squad w/Grenade Launcher
Infantry Squad w/Grenade Launcher
Infantry Squad w/Grenade Launcher
5 Scions w/2x Melta, Plasma Pistol
ElitesCommand Squad w/4x Plasmagun
Command Squad w/4x Plasmagun
Special Weapon Squad w/3x Flamer
Special Weapon Squad w/3x Flamer
Fast AttackScout Sentinel w/Autocannon
Scout Sentinel w/Autocannon
Scout Sentinel w/Autocannon
Heavy SupportLeman Russ Executioner w/Plasma Sponsons
Leman Russ Punisher w/HBolter Sponsons
Mortar Squad
Lascannon Squad
Dedicated TransportChimera w/HBolter, Multilaser
FlyerValkyrie w/Multilaser, Rocket Pods, Door HBolters
Ork BattalionHQWarboss w/Attack Squig, Shoota, Power Klaw
Weirdboy w/Da Jump
Troops12 Slugga Boyz w/Big Choppa
11 Slugga Boyz w/Big Choppa
30 Shoota Boyz w/Power Klaw
Elites12 Tankbustas
Fast AttackWarbuggy w/Twin Big Shootas
Warbuggy w/Twin Big Shootas
2 Warbuggies w/Twin Big Shootas
Heavy Support2 Kustom Mega Kannons
2 Kustom Mega Kannons
2 Kustom Mega Kannons
TransportsTrukk w/Big Shoota
Trukk w/Big Shoota
Trukk w/Big Shoota
FlyersDakkajet w/6 Supa Shootas
Mission, Terrain, and DeploymentThe Blitz mission calls for the attacker (myself) to try and get as many units as he can in the middle or opposite side of the board (1 point for the middle, 2 for the back). The defender (the orks) get points for each unit they kill. The Sustained Assault and Preliminary Bombardment rules are in effect for the attacker, the Hidden Deployment rules were in place for the defender and both attacker and defender get a suite of fairly handy stratagems. This game would be something of a challenge for me, I felt, because it required getting not just one or two units, but a LOT of units outside my DZ and into enemy territory. My list isn't exactly fast, as you can see, so my hope was to get the few fast things I had into place and then hope the rest of my army kept his busy for long enough they didn't die.
Terrain was themed--the eastern half of the board was the ork DZ, completed with ruins, a defensive line, and a series of obstacles blocking my advance. Plenty of LOS-denying stuff, plenty of cover, and so on. My half of the board (the west) had three small craters and that was it. A road ran down the middle of the board, from west to east.
The Orks deployed using Hidden Deployment first. As luck would have it, I managed to more-or-less guess which units of his were which just based on the placement of the markers. He put the warbuggies up front as an outriding force, the two Slugga Boy trukks (+Warboss) behind the northern trench, the Tankbusta Trukk behind a small ruin south of the road, the Mek Gunz lined up in the second ork line from the southern edge to just across the road, and the Shoota Boyz and Weirdboy hiding out in the NE corner behind an LOS-blocking building. Finally, the Dakkajet dropped in the SE corner in a ruin, ready to strafe my lines.
The only thing I guessed wrong on was where the Tankbustas would be going (thought they would be closer), so my deployment was very nearly a direct response to the enemy. The Valkyrie with the two command squads and Powerfist Officer dropped in the NW corner with the 3 Sentinels just in front of it (I elected *not* to scout the Sentinels, as I wanted to prevent any first turn charges if possible). The mortars and lascannons went along the back edge of my DZ to the north and south of the road, respectively. The Chimera (with both Special Weapons Squads aboard) went in front of the mortars and the Punisher went in front of the Lascannons (perhaps not the best placement, as the damned thing blocked LOS!). The Executioner went in the southernmost crater. In front of all of this, and right along the edge of my DZ, went all 50 of my infantry--two deployed a bit north, two deployed a bit south, and one just behind in reserve. The Warlord deployed to command the southern two squads, the generic Company Commander ("the Captain") deployed to command the northern squads. The Scions, of course, prepared to grav-chute in at the opportune moment.
Following all this was my preliminary bombardment. One Stratagem ("Heavy Bombardment") enabled me to get a hefty bonus to the chance to do damage to the enemy units. As I was sitting on 15 CP (thanks Big FAQ!) and had the chance to refund spent CP (thanks, Grand Strategist!), I figured it was worth the investment. I spend a total of 7 CP--one on each group of Warbuggies, one on each Trukk, and one on the Dakkajet. I only managed to damage the Tankbusta Trukk (3 wounds) and the Dakkajet (6 wounds!) and refunded myself 1 CP, which was fairly lame considering the odds. I then rolled for the rest of his army just on the regular odds and suddenly started rolling 6s left and right. I took out 2 Mek Gunz and 3 grot crews (and damaged a 4th) in short order, which was a pretty crazy run of the dice (though I feel it made up for the terrible run I'd just had).
Deployment
Vostroyan DeploymentOrk DeploymentTurn 1To continue the piling-on the orks, I get first turn automatically (as I'm the attacker). The Punisher moved to the side to give the Lascannons LOS and the Valkyrie and all Infantry Squads moved forward. My lasguns and grenade launchers from all the infantry squads used First Rank/Second Rank liberally to drop a lot of wounds on the Warbuggies. They did a good job hanging on, but I managed to wipe them all out. The Lascannons and Executioner made short work of the Tankbusta's trukk, causing them to spill out into a ruin. The Heavy Bolters on the Punisher, the mortars, and the Valkyrie all combined to wiping the unit down to only 3 orks (forcing my opponent to spend CP for Insane Courage). Lastly, the Scout Sentinels proved themselves to be servicable anti-aircraft platforms by doing about 4 wounds or so to the Dakkajet, dropping it to its lowest profile. A massively productive first turn, to be sure.
Top of Turn 1
Sound the advance!Thinning out the Ork front linesThe orks respond with a very ineffective volley of Kustom Mega Kannon plasma at my southern infantry squads, killing not a single guy. One gun did manage to take 2 wounds off the Valkyrie. The Tankbustas also tried for a crack at my infantry and also missed. The Dakkajet did a bit better, blowing away the Lascannon squad despite its damaged systems (and by "systems" in an ork vehicle, we mean duct tape and bungee cords). Both remaining trukks shoot forward (a tactical error, methinks, as disembarking and charging might have worked thanks to the Warboss enabling charges after advancing) and fire a smattering of small arms at infantry, killing 2 men in on northern infantry squad and 1 in another. The Warboss's trukk then charges one unit while the second trukk tries to charge at another but fails. The warboss's trukk doesn't do any damage, nor do I do any damage to it. The Shoota Boyz wait patiently to be "Da Jumped' in somewhere, but my opponent declines to commit them.
Bottom of Turn 1
Trying to run me over, eh?Turn 2In my next turn, I compound my opponent's mistake in not disembarking his slugga boyz by surrounding the warboss's trukk with infantry (thanks to Move Move Move on the northernmost unit). I use the Grenadiers Stratagem after a Get Back in the Fight to the unit the Trukk charged (they fell back in a ring around the trukk) and pound it with grenades. This turn marks the only time, all game, when a grenade launcher hit its target, doing 3 wounds to the trukk with a krak grenade. Finally, the Executioner obliterated the trukk with its main gun. Only 3 orks and the Warboss managed to disembark successfully from the wreckage, but the Warboss was standing in front (oops!). The Punisher, advancing slowly, then ripped the warboss apart with its full compliment of weaponry.
Continuing this devastating turn, the Valkyrie grav-chuted the Command squads and powerfist officer behind the other trukk (in truth, I forgot about the 9" bubble for a grav-chute insertion, but if anything that would have worked *more* in my favor, not less, as will become clear soon). The Executioner, however, used its plasma cannons to shoot down the Dakkajet, and the ensuing explosion killed 2 out of 4 plasma gunners in one command squad. That squad fired its remaining guns at the backside of the other ork trukk, killing one guy with overheat and causing the last one to cower in terror for the remainder of the battle. The
other Command Squad fired without incident (again benefiting from Take Aim) and destroyed the trukk. Mortars, the Valkyrie, and the Chimera then gunned down all but 1 of the orks that disembarked and the remaining nob fled in terror. In the south, my squads continued to advance, shooting down the remaining Tankbustas with little trouble. The southernmost squad received a Move Move Move order and made it into the ork DZ, but mines placed there killed two guys.
Behind enemy lines, the Scions dropped in and killed a lot of gun crew grots, leaving only 5 in total for the last 4 guns. Also, the Lascannon Squad was replaced with reinforcements thanks to the Sustained Attack rule, but it hardly matters, since they didn't do a damned thing all game.
Top of Turn 2
How You Know You Screwed Up: Figure 1Fly-by! Pictured: Sneaky Hoomie GitzAfter a devastating second turn, I think my opponent was reeling a bit, since not a lot happened. The remaining slugga boyz charged a squad, killing 4-5 guys (they used To The Death to stick around). The Weirdboy and the Shoota boyz did their best to shoot down the Valkyrie with bullets and lightning, doing a total of 4 wounds with smites and Shoota shots. The Mek Gunz all target the Scions but only manage to kill 1 of them. Oof.
Bottom of Turn 2
Stand and Fight!Turn 3If it wasn't ugly before, it gets uglier for the Orks now. My troops are swarming over the ork defenses now. The Scions along with various supporting firepower manage to take out all remaining Mek Gunz. The squad in combat with the remaining Sluggas is issued a Repel The Enemy order and gun them down or kill the orks in assault. All other infantry are advancing and taking pot shots at the Shoota boyz. Combined firepower from various lasguns, the hovering Valkyrie, the Punisher's Heavy Bolters, and the Chimera kill something like 14-15 of the squad (about half). The orks are not getting off this board alive.
Top of Turn 3
The Scions see off the remains of the grotsCue stirring orchestral music...In the bottom of the turn, the orks get what revenge they can--the shoota boyz use Da Jump to move south and charge the Scions, killing them in close combat.
Bottom of Turn 3
A rough end, but totally worth it.Turn 4The coup de grace. My forces blow apart the remaining shoota boyz. The weirdboy is destroyed by a hovering Valkyrie and its rocket bombardment. The orks are tabled. Everything moves forward, too.
Top of Turn 4
I'm in ur base killing ur doodz Final ScoreVostroyans: 8
Orks: 3 (tabled)
Post MortemWell, this wound up being a cake walk. Part of that is due to the mission, I feel (it's always rough facing IG shooting first thing and the preliminary bombardment hurt), but I think my opponent did himself a disservice by holding back with those shoota boyz for as long as he did. If he had committed them first thing (on the south flank, for instance), he would have done a LOT more damage to me. Would he have won? I don't know--my tanks were ripping him to shreds and his artillery was having a bad dice day and I never even needed to engage all my flamer-toting special weapon squads. My opponent has observed he's still getting the feel for larger games (when opportunities to "surprise" enemies with Da Jump are far fewer), which is fair. Also, there's just the fact that the Astra Militarum is crazy, crazy dangerous in this edition. They are basically benefiting from the metagame to a great extent (and I'm surprised I don't see them in the rankings for tourneys more often--possibly because its hard to play them quickly).
The Grenade Launchers were garbage. I need to scare up a few more points (and a few more models) to upgrade them all to Plasma Guns, because the difference those scant few points make is huge. Everything else in my list performed fairly well with the exception of the Lascannons, but they weren't terribly missed--I had more than enough firepower to deal with the problems I was faced with. The new CP rules for Brigades are pretty great, too--I had basically unlimited CPs, especially when combined with Grand Strategist.
Looks like the Orks are in trouble, ladies and gents. Arendt will soon be mine! Thanks for reading and thanks, as always, to my opponent!