News: No news is good news...

Login  |  Register

Author Topic: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring  (Read 1532 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Wyddr

  • Author Eminence: Hereticus Liber Daemonica | Fio'shas Shi
  • Lazerous Penguin
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5254
  • Country: us
    • My blog about SF/F stuff
  • Armies: Daemons, Imperial Fists, Tau, Ksons, Vostroyans
1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« on: November 29, 2021, 10:50:55 AM »
1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring

Another brief-ish report, so I'll forego the opening fiction scene I usually do. Played an interesting game against the new orks a week or two back, again using my Thousand Sons (partially proxied, yes; going to keep the Drukhari on the shelf until I go six months without a point rebalance, because that amphetamine parrot's a pain in my ass).

Anyway, the list I brought is the same that took on the Craftworlders a few months back:

Cult of Duplicity Battalion

HQ
Exalted Sorcerer on Disc (Rehati) w/Athenaean Scrolls, Warlord: Otherworldly Presence, Psychic Powers: Tzeentch's Firestorm, Baleful Devolution, Sorcerous Facade

Exalted Sorcerer on Disc w/Sorcerous Arcana: Coruscator, High Acolyte: Master Misinformator, Psychic Powers: Doombolt, Weaver of Fates, Sorcerous Facade

Infernal Master: Fires of the Abyss, Malefic Maelstrom, Sorcerous Arcana: Helm of the Daemon's Eye, Psychic Powers: Presage, Sorcerous Facade

Thrall Sorcerer: Psychic Powers: Temporal Manipulation, Glamour of Tzeentch, Sorcerous Facade

Troops
5 Rubric Marines w/2x Warpflamers, Warpflame Pistol, Psychic Powers: Pyric Flux, Sorcerous Facade

5 Rubric Marines w/2x Warpflamers, Warpflame Pistol, Psychic Powers: Desecration of Worlds, Sorcerous Facade

5 Rubric Marines w/Soulreaper Cannon, Ardent Automata, Psychic Powers: Empyric Guidance, Sorcerous Facade

Elites
5 Scarab Occult Terminators w/Hellfyre Missile Rack, Rites of Coalescence, Psychic Powers: Temporal Surge, Sorcerous Facade

Hellbrute w/Plasma Cannon, Fist, Inferno Combi-bolter

Heavy Support
Mutalith Vortex Beast

Transports
Chaos Rhino w/Havoc Launcher
Chaos Rhino w/Havoc Launcher

Some minor changes there--switched up some warlord traits, took some slightly different psychic powers, but basically the same stuff.

Bad Moons Battalion

HQ
Deffkilla Wartrike w/Da Best Armor Teef Can Buy
Weirdboy w/Cybork Body, Big Boss: Ard As Nails, Psychic Powers: Warpath, Da Jump

Troops
12 Trukk Boyz w/Sluggas + Choppas, Nob w/Power Klaw
30 Boyz w/Shootas, Nob w/Power Klaw
10 Grots

Elites
5 Kommandos w/Nob (Power Klaw)
10 Tankbustas

Fast Attack
3 Deffkoptas
5 Stormboyz
5 Warbikes w/Nob (Power Klaw)

Heavy Support
Kustom Mega Kannon
Kustom Mega Kannon
Kustom Mega Kannon

Transports
Trukk w/Big Shoota, Fortress on Wheels
Trukk w/Big Shoota

So, a totally different tactical challenge than the mobile eldar represented--I'm outnumbered, outgunned, and the orks are even more maneuverable than I am. Of course, they did take a psychic, so I've got some secondary points coming.

Mission, Terrain, and Deployment
The board was set up as a kind of "overgrown ruins" kind of thing, with a big hill with a waterfall at about board center, blocking LOS, and a river running from board center to the NW corner and splitting, all of which represented difficult ground. There was a forest in the SW, and forest along the eastern board edge, interspersed with old ruins (we just called it a forest, basically), and a large ruin on a hill in the SW area that was obscuring. Beyond that, a smattering of hills and ridges and rocks and stuff, much of which didn't wind up being relevant to the battle.

The mission was The Scouring, putting us in small deployment zones at the short ends of the battlefield. Our secondary objectives were as follows:

Orks: Engage on All Fronts (table quarters), Assassinate, Strategic Scan (mission objective)
Thousand Sons: No Prisoners (kill points), Wrath of Magnus (psychic kills), Burn Empires (burn objectives)

In deployment, the Orks got to select ground and took the west edge amid the rivers. Two of the three megakannons went on the south flank, pretty far forward, backed up by the Koptas (behind the ruin) and the Bikes and with the grots in the forest. The north flank was the two trukks, one filled with boyz and the other with tankbustas, and the last Kustom Mega Kannon. The 30 shootas w/weirdboy went all the way in the back, no doubt to jump on me later. The Stormboyz would be dropping in later and the Kommandos took the center objective in the waterfall.

Part of the reason for his deployment being spread out (apart from the constrained deployment zone) is that I spread out my own deployment with the intent of making him match me and then used Master Misinformator to pull key units off one flank and put them all in the south, where it would take a little bit for the trukks to get to me. Everything in my army was squeezed together pretty tightly at the south western corner of my deployment zone and I held nothing in reserve--I was going to be using my Scarab Occult Terminators pretty much immediately.

Deployment:


The Orks Spread Out
The Ksons Squeeze Together

Turn 1
I won the roll-off (have a good record of that, lately!) and took first turn (because I don't have a choice these days). Everything shifted further south and west, with my soulreaper rubrics claiming and burning the southeastern objective. Most of my psychic powers were out of range for any offensive operations, but I was able to put both Glamour of Tzeentch and Weaver of Fates on the Vortex Beast, who then completely obliterated the Kommandos in assault and secured another objective. I used Sorcerous Facade to teleport my Terminators forward, who were able to blow up one of the kannons in the south. My remaining firepower (mostly havoc launchers and the hellbrute's plasma cannon) took a couple wounds off the other kannon and not much else.

Top of Turn 1


The Legions of Change advance
Not quite close enough to claim a 3rd objective

In the bottom of turn 1, the Orks moved forward with both trukks and fired a hell of a lot of rokkits at the Vortex beast who, by virtue of its psychic defenses and the fact that it is *not* a tank, gleefully ignored all of it. Much of the rest of ork firepower was directed at the occult terminators, who were shot and charged by the bikes after being blasted by the koptas and the remaining kannons. They lost two terminators and two wounds of a third and, in response, killed two bikes. Finally, the huge mob of shoota boyz were Da-Jumped across the board to land just north of my forces, where I had carelessly left the Infernal Master exposed to fire. They shot that guy some absurd number of times with "just showing off" which boiled down to about 10 saves, of which I failed only 3, and they then failed the charge. The Infernal Master sent his daemon buddies another "IOU" for saving his butt.

Bottom of Turn 1


The Orks bear down on the Terminators
Close one for the Infernal Master
The Bikes attack!

Score as of Round 1
Orks:2 (Engage on All Fronts
Thousand Sons: 0

Turn 2
With my enemies within reach, I crack open ye ole can of whoop-ass. All rubrics in Rhinos disembark their transports. The northernmost group marches north, using Pyric Flux to beef up their warpflamers and incinerate a LOT of orks in the shoota mob. This damage is joined by the Vortex beast, who uses its power to melt another 5 orks or so in the shooting phase. Coupled with some smites from the Infernal Master and aspiring sorcerer, a pact that causes mortal wounds, and an assault by the orks, I wipe out 29 of those 30 using only a fraction of my resources. I lose one rubric in assault. 

In the center/south, the Rhinos and sorcerer zip forward. The terminators are smited right out of combat before the shooting phase, their wounded member is restored to full wounds by Rites of Coalescence, and their firepower nukes the Koptas with some scarily accurate shooting. They and the other team of flamer rubrics charge the grots on the objective and slaughter them almost immediately. The final kannon on that side of the board also goes down to the hellbrute's plasma cannon, and the Vortex beast gets a renewal on his psychic defenses. A pretty devastating turn, all told.

Top of Turn 2


Some aggressive moves
The shoota boyz are whittled down
Last Nob Standing
This guy is a little large for a vortex beast, but I think I like the model better

In the bottom of turn 2, the tankbustas blow both my rhinos sky high, but most of the rest of their plans fail to pay off. Trukk Boyz charge the Vortex Beast and lose more than half their number in exchange for a scant few wounds of damage. The Stormboyz drop and try to charge the Infernal Master, but he is close enough to the flamer rubrics that he can use Inescapable Forewarning to allow them to flamer the hell out of the little squad, killing all but the nob. He then fails the charge (9" is harder when you have to re-roll *both* dice, it seems).

Finally, the Deffkilla Wartrike charges the Occult Terminators for not much damage and takes a couple wounds in return.

Bottom of Turn 2


At this point, it was 1am and we were both tired, so we called the game.

Final Score
Orks: 8 (+3 for Engage, +2 for 1 successful scan)
Ksons: 15 (+4 for Burn Empires, +3 for Wrath of Magnus, +8 for kill points)

Post-Mortem
While this game was called early, I don't think it's terribly bold of me to suggest I probably had this in the bag. Other than the tankbustas, there wasn't too much threatening left, all his troops were wiped out or would be shortly, and I'd taken fairly minimal casualties. It was down to objectives now, and I think those favored myself.

In fighting the new orks, I find that, while base T5 does create some issues, they aren't insurmountable. The fact that my army relies a lot on mortal wounds counteracts a LOT of their durability, too. My dice were pretty strong, but not overwhelmingly so. My opponent's dice were fairly cold. I'll say this for certain: tankbustas are devastating to vehicles, no doubt. I don't think my opponent necessarily needed a squad of 10, either. Honestly, 2 squads of 5 would be better, and you could probably get away with even just one.

As for this new Thousand Sons force I'm messing with, everything it working just fine except for the Hellbrute, who is really just sort of backfield dead weight. I can't quite see what I'd replace it with, though, since its about as cheap as long-range support can get in this list, so it stays for now.

Anyway, despite us having to call it early (also, we started at 8pm--how on earth did 2 turns take 5 hours?), we both had fun. I'll have to get painting/modeling this new force--they deserve it. Thanks for reading and thanks, as always, to my opponent. 

Offline Lord of Winter and War

  • The Cause of Diabetes -Captain- Necrontyr Immortal - KoN Veteran - Master of All Diplomacy | Wi-Fi Nomad |
  • Ancient
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8901
  • Country: ca
  • Armies: Harlequins, Spiderfang, Bonereapers, Space Wolves
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2021, 12:48:35 PM »
Looks like a fun game, thousand sons are certainly no joke these days. Mortal wounds is a very powerful tool to have.

I'm pretty shocked it took you folks five hours to play two turns, I usually average 3 hours for a full 5 turn 2000pts game with my club. Lol 


Also,  I don't know either army super well,  but how did you get four hq into a battalion? You're only allowed three.  Unless the thrall sorcerer doesn't take a slot?

Thanks for sharing!
Harlequin Army Blog

That's not blatant, this is blatant: I'm super happy that I'm playing Austria, the greatest nation in all of Diplomacy!

Azore of Austria

Offline Wyddr

  • Author Eminence: Hereticus Liber Daemonica | Fio'shas Shi
  • Lazerous Penguin
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5254
  • Country: us
    • My blog about SF/F stuff
  • Armies: Daemons, Imperial Fists, Tau, Ksons, Vostroyans
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2021, 01:22:14 PM »
Looks like a fun game, thousand sons are certainly no joke these days. Mortal wounds is a very powerful tool to have.

I'm pretty shocked it took you folks five hours to play two turns, I usually average 3 hours for a full 5 turn 2000pts game with my club. Lol

I...honestly do not know how it took this long. It didn't feel like we were taking too much time or anything. I would chalk it up to not playing a lot of 9th, but that's not really an excuse.

I suppose it is probably worth noting that a group of 30 orks with shootas fire, like, 90 times, so that does eat into time a bit. Still doesn't explain it, though.   


Quote
Also,  I don't know either army super well,  but how did you get four hq into a battalion? You're only allowed three.  Unless the thrall sorcerer doesn't take a slot?

Thanks for sharing!

Yeah, for each Exalted Sorcerer or Daemon Prince you take, you can take one regular or termie sorcerer without a slot. Which is fun! I've always wanted to play a Thousand Sons list built around a core of hyper-powerful sorcerers, and it has rarely been a doable thing until now.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2021, 01:24:23 PM by Wyddr »

Offline Roboknee77

  • Ork Boy
  • Lazerous Penguin
  • Junior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 240
  • Country: us
  • Armies: Orks, Sisters
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2021, 04:01:13 PM »
Those dusty dudes are hard to crack.  Plus, this time playing them they didn't perils themselves to help me either.   ;)

In regards to time, some of it may be inexperience.  This is my third game of 9th edition in almost a year and a half.  (Thanks Covid.  :P )  I know I'm not the best at picking deployment zones or how to best deploy forces, that does take some time.  Picking secondaries is also a new thing to get used to.  Yeah, my Boyz do roll a lot of dice (88 shots from the boyz, 20d3 tankbusta shots, 50 shots from the bikers) but that was only one turn.  The boyz and bikers were gone after the top of round 2.  The gazillion psychic powers the KSons can choose from and throw out does take a little more time than we're used to, but not that much either.

Overall, I was trying to find a balance of anti-tank and fast that didn't quite work out against the KSons.  I could throw out a lot of shots but with no AP and single damage, a lot just bounced off.  As for T5 Orks, I don't think it really matters/helps when the Orks get no armor save if anything has even a single point of AP.  Whatever gets through will kill them.

The tankbustas seemed to be my most effective unit, but they only took out two Rhinos.  They whiffed in the first round, getting no 6s to hit the Monster on over 20-plus dice.  I think to retool the list I need to replace the boyz and KMKs with Lootas and/or Flash Gitz to get some AP and 2 damage weapons.  If I want any melee, I might have to go with either Nobz or Mega-Nobz, as they might be able to get some AP and higher damage.

Also, the new Waaagh mechanic wants you to either focus on melee infantry or bikes and buggies, unless you take Ghaz and you get both aspects of the Waaagh.  So a split list like this misses out on letting the whole army take part in the Waaagh.

Offline SKEETERGOD

  • Infinity Circuit | Boss Orkountant | I used Flash Gitz and didn't lose! | KoN Warlord
  • Lazerous Penguin
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3310
  • Country: us
  • The best upgrade for an ork, is more orks!
  • Armies: Hmmmm.... Orks?
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #4 on: December 1, 2021, 10:38:24 PM »
Another great victory for the orks. Dem dusty ones just thinks they won, but you was just baiting them for a proper krumpin next time.  ;)

Good stuff, enjoyed the read. gives me some ideas....
"It needs but one foe to breed a war. And even those who have not swords can still die upon them" (Lady Eowyn)
     We orks are not about being the hero; We orks are about being the mob.
                         
Quote from: angel of death 007
Skeetergod: (adj) A crazy fascination for all things combustible mixed with an unhealty lust for red paint. see also Speed Freak

Offline Wyddr

  • Author Eminence: Hereticus Liber Daemonica | Fio'shas Shi
  • Lazerous Penguin
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5254
  • Country: us
    • My blog about SF/F stuff
  • Armies: Daemons, Imperial Fists, Tau, Ksons, Vostroyans
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #5 on: December 3, 2021, 08:56:30 AM »
Those dusty dudes are hard to crack.  Plus, this time playing them they didn't perils themselves to help me either.   ;)

Quite thankfully, that part of the game is basically over for the Ksons. I've got two different ways to avoid perils in any given psychic phase, so I'd have to be spectacularly unlucky for it to happen.

And thank God, too. That was basically a dealbreaker for me and the Ksons for some years.

GW: Here is your sorcerer. He is the lynchpin of your army, super expensive, and literally your only option for going after tanks, monstrous creatures, assault, and buffing your expensive units so they don't die.

Also GW: he is statistically likely to blow up his own head, each and every single game, and you have no way to avoid this.

Me: (Places Thousand Sons on shelf)

Offline Irisado

  • A Light in The Grim-Darkness ~ Guns Don't Kill People, Copyright Stats Do | Farseer | Reporting Live! from the Crime Scene | Somewhat behind the times
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11480
  • Country: gb
  • Soñando debajo del arco iris
  • Armies: Administrators must not play 40K
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #6 on: December 4, 2021, 12:24:14 PM »
Now that was akin to reading a battle from the lore pages of a codex in terms of how destructive the Thousand Sons were.  This is how small, elite armies should function.  It was a very well executed attack and I agree that there was no way that the Orks were going to recover from that.

Regarding game length, even when I was playing every weekend back in the day across various different editions, it would usually take five hours to play 2-3 turns.  There are a great many reasons for this, but the sheer amount of dice rolling, combined with having to check rules due to lack of clarity and complexity, were the main factors.  It seems that little has changed in that regard.

I've only ever experienced two really fast games of 40K and they were both against Killersquid at Warhammer World, so he must have the midas touch :D.  In reality, it was because he was running his Blood Angel army which had so few models in it ;).

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading the report and thank you for taking the time to write it up :).
You haunt my in-box like an ex-girl friend could only dream of.

The Forum Rules - Please Read and Remember Them.

Soñando con una playa donde brilla el sol, un arco iris ilumina el cielo, y el mar espejea iridescentemente

Offline Roboknee77

  • Ork Boy
  • Lazerous Penguin
  • Junior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 240
  • Country: us
  • Armies: Orks, Sisters
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #7 on: December 4, 2021, 01:22:43 PM »
I was thinking about the game length too, and I know we spent a bit of time going over our armies with each other at that start.  I think we did it to help ourselves as well as each other.  There are a lot of changes to most of our units from 8th to 9th to go over and that did take up a little bit of time.

Offline Lord of Winter and War

  • The Cause of Diabetes -Captain- Necrontyr Immortal - KoN Veteran - Master of All Diplomacy | Wi-Fi Nomad |
  • Ancient
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8901
  • Country: ca
  • Armies: Harlequins, Spiderfang, Bonereapers, Space Wolves
Re: 1500 Thousand Sons Vs Orks: The Scouring
« Reply #8 on: December 4, 2021, 05:35:12 PM »
Practice makes games go faster. I don't need to open my Codex or Rulebook during games, as I just know what my stuff does, and with enough games I generally know what my game plan is, and I plan out my turns during my opponents turn, which speeds things up.

Played a 1000pt game today, as part of a leauge, and it took us only 45min from set-up to end. Granted, we only played 3 turns before one of us was tabled, but it was pretty quick.
Harlequin Army Blog

That's not blatant, this is blatant: I'm super happy that I'm playing Austria, the greatest nation in all of Diplomacy!

Azore of Austria

 


Powered by EzPortal