Hey all!

I'm trying to maintain an average of two games of EPIC a week, going into my third week of being able to maintain that. Woot!

So, after hearing Kealios's crew's complaints about Spearhead, thought I'd schedule it for my next match. The armies were the same as the ones used in the previous "Escort Duty" report, to see how the same forces would do in a different situation, the Steel Legion player was glad they didn't have to leave any forces behind this time! *laugh*

Rules Used

Epic Update 2008
NetEA Recommendations


Scenario

Spearhead

Armies Used


Steel Legion Mechanized Strike Force - 3000 Points

Regimental HQ
12 Infantry
1 Supreme Commander
1 Commissar
7 Chimera
1 Hydra

Mechanized Infantry Company
12 Infantry
1 Commander
1 Commissar
7 Chimera
1 Hydra
2 Ogryn
2 Chimera

Tank Company – (BTS Target)
9 Leman Russ
1 Vanquisher
1 Commissar

Sentinel Squadron 1
4 Sentinels
1 Commissar

Sentinel Squadron 2
4 Sentinels

Storm Trooper Platoon
8 Storm Troopers
1 Commissar
4 Valkyries

Flak Battery
3 Hydras
1 Commissar

Warhound Titan 1

Warhound Titan 2



Warlord Gurkstrag’s Wanderin’ Warband - 3000 Points

(Checking my notes from last game, seems the Orks are *slightly* different, the Kults of Speed have a few different units.)

Big Warband
Warboss
4 Nobz
12 Boyz
4 Grotz

Stompamob
3 Stompas
1 Stompa

Stormboyz Warhorde
6 Stormboyz
4 Dethkoptas

Big Kult of Speed 1 – (BTS Target)
6 Warbikes
5 Warbuggies
5 Skorchas
2 Skorchas

Kult of Speed 2
3 Warbikes
2 Warbuggies
3 Skorchas

Big Mekboy Gunzmob
10 Big Gunz
1 Nobz
2 Oddboyz Characters
2 Soopagunz

Big Blitz Brigade 1
6 Gunwagonz
2 Flakwagonz
2 Oddboyz
2 Soopagunz

Blitz Brigade 2
6 Gunwagonz
2 Flakwagonz
2 Oddboyz
2 Supazapp Gunz

Fighta-Bommerz 1
4 F-Bs

Fighta-Bommerz 2
4 F-Bs

Battlefield:

4x6

Orks choose the side with the road to be the Defender’s side.

Orks roll high and decide to be Defender.


Deployment:

Orks put both Kults of Speed in their vanguard.

Steel Legion puts the Mechanized Infantry, Sentinels 2, Warhound 1 in their vanguard.

Orks garrison the Stompmob, the Stormboyz, the Gunzmob and the Warband, with the later two on overwatch.

Deployment as shown (The Storm Troopers are shown as the Steel Legion’s only first turn reinforcement.)

Turn 1

The Steel Legion Storm Troopers will arrive as reinforcements.

Strategy Roll: Orks!

The Warboss has a very kunning plan, so kunning that he has to yell it twice to the Gunzmob who drop overwatch and advance out of cover to just catch sight of a single Ogryn stand in the Mechanized Infantry Company… they let lose with 4BP of Macro-Weapon and kill 2 Infantry, the Ogryn with Commissar, and the Imperial Commander… WAAAGH!!!

The Warband then drops overwatch and doubles to fire on Sentinels 2… two of the walkers are taken out and the formation breaks.

Seeking revenge, the Storm Troopers double on the Gunzmob. They don’t fire any rockets, but still manage to take out 5 Big Gunz, easily breaking the Orks.

The hurting Mechanized Infantry doubles forward to fire on the Stormboyz and take out a single Stormboy.

The Stompas double to get on the road and fire at the Storm Troopers, taking out a single Storm Trooper.

Warhound 1 advances on the Warband and only fires its Gatling Blaster, taking out 2 Grots and a Boy.

The Stormboyz rokkit forward to engage the Mechanized Company… two rounds of combat sees the Orks wiped out, but the Imperials have lost their other Ogryn, 1 Infantry, and a crippling 4 Chimeras… they’ve accumulated *eleven* Blast markers.



End of Turn

The Gunzmob fails to rally.

The Sentinels and Storm Troopers also fail to rally.

(Approaching reinforcements shown below as well:)

Turn 2

The two Blitz Brigades approach via the road to get the movement boost necessary to arrive as reinforcements this turn; Kult of Speed 2 also joins them there. Kult of Speed 1 has the speed to arrive on its own and does so on the Ork’s left flank. Lastly, both Ork Fighta-Bommer Sqwadrons scramble.

All remaining Steel Legion formations are also ready to arrive as reinforcements.

Strategy Roll: Steel Legion

The Storm Troopers attempt to advance… and fail. The Supreme Commander has not yet arrived, so they regroup instead, clearing all Blast markers.

Perhaps a bit confused by their rapid arrival and then being ordered to slow down, Blitz Brigade 1 needs more “encouragement” from the Warlord to advance down the road and draw a bead on the Mechanized Infantry. Soopagun blasts tear apart 2 Chimera and 3 Infantry and the Imperials fall back.

Fighta-Bommerz 2 then dives down to knock down two of Warhound 1’s Void Shields.

The Tank Company doubles forward to unload on the Warband… shooting at Orks not in cover… 5 Boyz and 2 Nobz are torn apart, leaving the Orks one Blast marker short of breaking.

With the Leman Russes in support range, the Warhound prepares to engage… and then thinks better of it for some reason… and just fires on the Warband. One Grot and 1 Boy fall and the Orks fall back.

The Stompas advance to get a line of sight on the Tank Company and their massed fire manages to actually core a Leman Russ!

Realizing they’re needed at the front, the Regimental HQ doubles forward to fire on Blitz Brigade 1… taking out a Gunwagon.

Fighta-Bommerz 1 strafes the Tank Company… and they also manage to take out a single Leman Russ!

Warhound 2 doubles up the hill and into the woods to fire on Blitz 2 taking out 2 Gunwagons and a Flakwagon, breaking the Ork tanks.

Kult of Speed 2 rushes down the road on a double and fires on the Storm Troopers. One Storm Trooper is crisped and a Valkyrie falls.

The Hydra Battery doubles forward to catch both Ork Sqwadrons and fires on Kult of Speed 2, taking out 1 Warbike and 2 Warbuggies.

Kult of Speed 1 off-roads on a double and gets closed to the Mech HQ and hose them down taking out 3 Infantry and 1 Chimera.



Blitz Brigade 2 doubles down the road and fires on the Storm Troopers supa-zzapping 2 Valkyries.

Sentinels 1 double forward into the ruined Cathedral and fire on Kult of Speed 2… breaking them…


End of Turn

Both Sqwadrons lose 1 plane each and then exit safely.

The Blitz Brigade 1, the Gunzmob, Kult of Speed 1, and the Warband all fail to rally.

The Mechanized Company, Sentinels 2, and the Tank Company also fail to rally.

Turn 3

No teleports or reinforcements.

Strategy Roll: Orks

The Stompas advance over the hill to fire on the Tank Company… and manage to take out *two* tanks this time, breaking the armoured formation.

Grinning toothy grins, the Kult of Speed revs their engines… and then SUSTAINS FIRE on the Regimental HQ! Torrents of fire barbeque 6 Infantry *AND* the Supreme Commander (This was “stretching” attacks at its worst… the Steel Legion player was *not* happy…) as well as other fire taking out 3 Chimera and the Hydra… the Imperials wisely fall back.

The Storm Troopers advance, spread out, and get the last Valkyrie to unload on Blitz Brigade 2… for one Blast marker…

Hoping to stop both the air and Titan-killing thread, the Hydras prepare to double… but the loss of the Supreme Commander has shaken them and they only advance.

Again ordered to “take it slow”, Blitz Brigade 2 needs more “words” from the Warlord. They then advance and fire on Warhound 2. Then, for perhaps the first time in local history, *BOTH* Supa-Zzapgunz hit… the first doing 2 damage, dropping the Void Shields and the second doing *3* damage dropping the Titan! (I was shocked!)



Warhound 1 then doubles to avenge its fallen brother and fires on Blitz Brigade 2. Both Supa-Zzapwagonz are destroyed, along with a Gunwagon.

Fighta-Bommerz 2 arrive, loop around, and hit the Tank Company, one tank crew flees, one tank brews up, and then another tank crew flees… three kills!

Sentinels 2 then advance to fire on Kult of Speed 1… and take out a Buggy.

Fighta-Bommerz 1 take out the Storm Troopers’ last Valkyrie…



End of Turn

Both Blitz Brigades fail to rally.

The Mechanized Company, Sentinels 2, and the Tank Company also fail to rally… again!

Score

Orks 1 (Hold the Line) vs Steel Legion 0 (none) – On to Turn 4!

Turn 4

No teleports or reinforcements.

Strategy Roll: Steel Legion

The Hydras advance to take on the Gunzmob… even a single kill will break them… this picture speaks for what happens:



Made nervous by the continued presence of the Gunzmob, the Storm Troopers fail to initiate a clipping assault on the Kult of Speed… they reposition to put their Zone of Control on the Gunzmob.

Not used to assaulting, the Warlord has to give Kult of Speed 1 the go ahead to engage the Storm Troopers… enemy Zones of Control prevent them from potentially spreading Blast markers to all three other nearby Imperial forces. The Orks lose 1 Buggy and 1 Bike, and then another Buggy to support fire before wiping out the Storm Troopers.



*Almost* ready for action, the Gunzmob *fails* to sustain fire… but both Soopagunz are in front and are still able to fire on both the Hydra and Warhound 1… one Hydra is cooked, breaking them, and the Warhound loses a Void Shield.

Warhound 1 advances to take Objective 1 and lets loose on Kult of Speed 1… three Skorchas, 1 Bike and 1 Buggy are trashed and the Orks break.

Sentinels 1 double in pursuit, securing Objective 2 while scoring *two* fatal hits on Kult of Speed 1! A total of 3 Skorchas, 1 Buggy, and 1 Bike are taken out by the plucky little walkers!

Fighta-Bommerz 1 take it to the Regimental HQ, take out a Chimera, and break the survivors.

The Stompamob doubles to get an angle on the Commissar’s Vanquisher… score a single hit… the tank fails its armour save… and all the Leman Russ are gone!

Blitz Brigade 1 doubles to contest Objective 1, fires on the Hydras and takes them out.

Fighta-Bommerz 2 fail to show up.

And the Warlord and his krew just hum to themselves and think about cheezburgers…



End of Turn

Both Kults of Speed, Blitz 2, the Gunzmob, and the cheezburger-thinking Warband fail to rally.

The Regimental HQ and Sentinels 2 fail to rally.


Score

Orks 2 (BTS, Seal the Breach) vs Steel Legion 0 (none) – Minor Ork Victory!

Wow. I think you cheated and then took a pic of a crappy die roll to convince us otherwise

It was really odd seeing no Defender Reinforcements on Turns 3 and 4. Being a mechanized list, it makes sense, but I think that is a rare occurrence, and prevented the Attacker from really being able to concentrate their firepower on so few formations.

I was also a little surprised at, what, 4 defending garrisons? More that _I've_ seen

The Attackers looked to be well back in their DZ as well. Both times we played it, we loaded up the tip of the triangle with troops just itching to go!

The IG had some seriously bad rolls. Tanks breaking that early, and then with so many formations not rallying, meant this game was not normal!

Thanks for the report. I need to take a stab at the Defending side now, with a non-mechanized list. My Sisters are starting to not thrill me, but they have decent survivability. Maybe I'll give them a shot!

I offered a full re-roll of that entire throw... but it wasn't accepted. *laugh*


Well, the Ork list is a variation of my "Tournament Orks", and they always tend to have 3-5 garrisonable formations... lets one get in the fight fasta!

Even if the Guard had been the defenders, they had three garrisonable formations, one being the very deadly Storm Troopers, and with the road, *four* of their formations would've been showing up in Turn 2.


That would've been a nice, ripe target for 4BP worth of MW from the Gunzmob, there was no way the Guard player was going to let me get something that easy! Was a surprise when I dropped overwatch to tag the Mech Co anyway. *laugh*


Well, the Orks had a lot of broken formations too... *laugh* That's what you get with 2+ and 3+ init armies! If the enemy harasses you, you've got less than a 50% chance of rallying.

Both sides were pretty savaged.

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Looking forward to the report!

I think you need to make this abundantly clear in the reinforcement rules, if that's the way you intend it to be interpreted.



I'd question an opponent who tried to interpret that the way it was used in your game. Don't have a problem with it working that way, just the interpretation based on the rules as written.

Morgan Vening

The scenarios are designed with that specific interpretation in mind.

Not every battlefield has roads, though.