G'day again,
Our gaming group managed to sneak in another game before I take off for a bit. For this one I sat out as our two newer players went toe to toe. This battle was a 3000pt standard tournament match. I tried to take notes and photos whilst getting distracted by TV shows, beer, snacks and answering the odd rule question. Hopefully I didn't miss too much.
Forces:
The orks were a repeat of the force that took on my Salamanders. Our Ork player typically has terrible luck with any new units on their first outing so this game he only brought battle hardened veterans..
Uge Warband w/ 3 odd boys
Large warband in battlewagons
Gargant
Blitz brigade w/ 2 odd boys
Landa
Storm boys
3x fighta bombers
The imperail guard force was drawn from the tank legion list and subsequently was a wall of 4+ RA saves. This battle saw the newly painted Shadowsword company join the run on team, replacing the hit and miss Baneblade Coy:
Tank Coy w/ 9 LR, Supreme Comd in a Vanquisher, 3 Demolishers, hydra
Tank Coy w/ 9 LR, hell hounds
Shadowsword SHT Coy
Mech Inf platoon
Deathstrikes
SP Arty Coy (9 Bombards), Hydra
Setup:
Orks again garrison with the huge warband, they occupy the centre bunker complex and hunker down on overwatch.
First Turn:
The orks get initiative and commence with an attack deep across the board as figtha bombers scream down to attack the arty company before it can lay waste to the ork horde. Crew in the Hydra react quickly and peg one before it fires, the other two unleash their rockets into a bombard and the HE inside goes up. As the crews race to the aid of the injured a bigger ork flyer descends through the clouds billowing thick black smoke and blazing away in all direction. The Hydra again fires a long burst riping into its side, as out of its front hatch a horde of orks jump out in a great spiders web of smoke trails. The lander crashes hard onto the deck and continues firing. orks storm boys land amidst the arty crews and and they fight hand to hand. Nearby leman russ tanks turn quickly to add supporting fire but with the enemy and friendly so close its hard to get a good shot. Both sides are quickly loosing men and as the arty company commissar goes down defending his vehicle, a leman russ shot detonates the already damaged lander. Their vehicle destroyed, a handful of orks try to escape but are cut down as they flee. Unfortunately for the IG the cost of victory is high and only two bombards are still in working order. The number of WIA and KIA is high.
For the IG commander this was something of a setback, he hadn't expected the orks to be so brazen. In retaliation he sends the shadowswords into the fight and they take up positions in the city where they can see the approaching gargant. Firing at max range, they watch as their shots are dissipated by shields before the gargant again stomps behind more buildings.
The 2nd tank coy then advances slowly towards the ork bunker position hoping to trigger a response. When no fire is received, crews open up with their main armament but it seems the orks have established themselves in good cover. (cheeky orks rolled 4 sixes to save...)
As the gunners continue to scan the bunkers they are engaged from a different direction by ork gunwagons. Most of the incoming is light rounds that bounce off the thick hulls but a beam of light suddenly throws a russ into the air and it lands with a sickening thud 100m behind the formation.
With the orks in the bunkers still keeping their heads down, the guard commander sends in his infantry to flush them out. As the crews dismount ready to clear the trench system, they awake a hornets nest and suddenly hard rounds and energy beams of different colours are pouring from the bunker complex. The infantry hug the dirt but a number of chimeras are destroyed in the opening salvo. The well drilled infantry manage to quickly set up some autocannons and return fire but the chaos caused by the ork attack has them pinned down.
In the city ork forces in battlewagons are moving at speed toward the shadowswords but thankfully they stop to search some of the buildings and a few civilians are seen to be gunned down.
In his command tank the commander orders the deathstrike detachment to engage the gargant moving though the northern city blocks. Atop two large smoke trails the missiles scream into the sky, seconds later a single missile returns at incredible speed and wreaths the gargant in plasma and smoke. When the smoke clears the gargant remains but is somewhat scorched. Shortly after the deathstrike comms officer reports the second missile to have suffered a telemetry fault after separation of the first stage.... (really, is a 2+ that hard?)
Muttering the old adage of if you want something done you have to do it yourself, the IG commander advances his own formation into the city at speed. He spreads out to support the shadowswords and his crews target the goff orks causing terror among the civilians. The Goffs quickly take cover but cannon fire and lascannons rip through the ork vehicles and five are soon burining.
A quick comms check confirms all formations to be doing well except for the Arty company who send some garbled reply before they cut out.
(All rally except Arty Coy, for the orks, the number of nobs is telling and they strip BM like nobodys business)
Turn 2 (IG initiative)
Electing to lead by example the commander continues to advance, now closer the heavy bolter crews are finding their range but the orks are now taking up positions in the buildings. A number of vehicles and orks are slain but every where he looks he seems to see another green body shooting back or a speeding vehicle tearing about the city square.
Understanding the commanders intent, the shadowsword OC follows him into the city but manages to draw a line on the gargant amid the far buildings and quickly changes targets. Its not a clear shot but the three beams find their mark and a significant chuck of the gargants chest armour turns to sparks and molten metal like a giant arc welder.
Strangely this doesn't seem to phase the gargant crew and they plod on, out of sight of the shadowswords and towards the bunker complex. At the southern end of the bunker the mech infantry are regrouping and preparing for an assault on the bunker complex but the gargant turns their way and lobs two over sized cannon rounds towards their positions. One lands right on the commissar and his command team, bodies and IFVs are vaporised in the heat of the explosions. The handful of survivors who aren't KO'd pick up and run away.
In the city the firefight continues, the orks seem to be firing from every wreck and building in sight. Thankfully the hail of bullets do little against the tanks' frontal armour.
On the city outskirts the other tank company re-orientates to face the ork vehicles, range is optimal and the ork vehicles are quickly reduced to scrap, one or two manage to speed away before the gunners can score a hit on them. Some revenge for the earlier loss of call sign T23.
Back at the artillery company, the remaining NCOs are trying to get some order amongst the casualties and crew but fail to notice the ork aircraft above lining up for another attack run. The first they know is tracks of bullets streaming through the position and setting off some of the damaged vehicles. In the aftermath a single damaged bombard reverses away with some of the wounded clinging on.
At the bunker complex, their is a hive of orks activity and grots can be seen dashing to and fro moving heavy equipment. A single beam of light stabs out towards the commanders Tank company in the city, a second later a single leman russ balloons outwards as it ammunition and fuel cook off.
Disgusted, the commander gets a quick sitrep from his OCs. It seems the other tank companies are doing well and LT Patterson has rallied some of the infantry around him outside of town, he plans to link up with the deathstrike crew and prepare to support the tanks against the bunker complex. From the artillery there is no response. Most formations report that the orks are still very much in the fight although the Gargant seems to have a significant fire burning on its left torso. (all rallied except IG bombards and blitz brigade)
Turn 3: (IG initiative)
Happy with their current progress in the city, the IG commander executes a left turn and moves towards the bunker complex but continues to engage the remaining Goffs. Return fire slackens off significantly and some larger orks can be seen running between buildings, perhaps they're about to pull back.
With ork numbers in the city checked, the shadowswords move at speed to follow the commander. The gargant can again be seen between the buildings and they engage. Two shots go wide but one scores a hit just below the head and the whole construction goes up like a bomb and causes severe damage to the nearby buildings.
Overhead the ork flyers are searching for targets through the smoke and fires. They come down and shoot up the IG infantry as they slowly advance toward the southern bunkers. Alert the infantry hit the deck and avoid the worst of the ork strafing attack.
In the bunkers the orks are still running madly back and forth but it appears some sort of argument has broken out between mobs. After a few bursts of shooter fire inside the bunker position, orks again take up positions and fire on the commander's tank company. Thankfully for the guard the fatal energy weapons seem to be out of order and the few solid rounds that come there way are insufficient to cause serious damage.
Continuing with their double envelopment of the bunker complex, the second tank company moves around a hill and attempts to suppress the ork positions to but the effects seem minimal.
As the commander listens into their report, a sudden cry from one his crew grabs his attention. From the nearby buildings and vehicle wrecks a number of orks come charging at their position. Taken aback for a second by the numbers of orks still alive after his crews hand unleashed so much firepower, the commander is somewhat slow to bring his own weapon to bear. Thankfully other crews are paying attention and a number of orks and grots are scythed down by bolter sponsons as they charge forward.
A number of boys make it to the vehicles and jump aboard the slow moving vehicles. Some are crushed, others are shot off by small arms but a few managed to lob stick bombs into tracks and hatches. Most do little damage but one vehicles is destroyed and its crew burnt alive. The commander manages to regain some measure of command and the most of the remaining orks are cut down, some get away towards the buildings and can then be seen running parallel to the commanders formation, no doubt trying to mob up with the orks in the bunkers.
LT Patterson commences his advance into the bunkers again, this time supported by the deathstike vehicles who lay down suppressing fire from their heavy bolters.
With most of the ork elements in the city crushed, the IG now commence their three pronged assault on the bunkers but they will have to do so without artillery support.
The commander's formation regroup and prepare to advance but again come under long range fire as they shake out into assault formation. The fire is accurate and the lead 3 vehicles are destroyed.
Thankfully luck is still on the commanders side as overhead the ork flyboys catch sight of some distant imperial bombers and depart.
The commander and his formation return fire towards the bunker complex and score a number of good hits on the bunkers and trenchworks. Multiple secondry detonations can be seen and some orks run from a building on fire. A ork gun wagon appears from the north and fires its arcane weapon. A beam of energy lifts a leman russ lifts up a meter from the ground before the beam stops and the tank lands back hard on its tracks. The tankers swear, breath a sigh or relief and continue firing, smoke and sparks can then be seen rising from the ork contraption and it reverses away.
2nd Tank Company takes advantage of the ork attention towards the city and drives closer to the bunkers, the OC pushes his hellhounds up closest and they start hosing fire into the closest trenches. Running candles are suddenly everywhere and the crews let let them burn. A group of large orks momentarily charge from one of the bunkers before a battle cannon round hits them dead on. Shortly after more orks and grots can be seen fleeing north and south from the bunkers. Those heading south are shot down by the remaining mech infantry and those to the north are engaged by the shadowsword crew until their OC tells them to hold fire and conserve energy in case any more ork war engines are about.
Shortly afterwards LT Patterson declares the bunker complex clear, the imperial guard call forward their support staff and start tending to the wounded. The battle has been decisive, the orks have fled this sector after sustaining significant casualties. The commander calls a quick O group and preparations for the next attack commence. It is important that the orks be followed up before they get a chance to regroup but with ork numbers in the AO unknown and the loss of the artillery and significant infantry, a change of plans and tactics is necessary.
(2:0 win to the IG, T&H + TSNP)
The orks just couldn't kill enough tanks early on or in the assault and in the end the amount of battlecannons and heavy bolters killed a too many orks in the large warbands.
Some post game discussions questioned the effectiveness of zap guns in warbands and whether they would be better off in smaller big gun detachments, leaving the warbands to assault and double more freely. The gargant was lucky earlier on with a deathstrike missing and the volcanno cannons causing minimal damange but in the end he couldn't hide and the shadowswords got their man but not before he pasted the mech infantry... why would you ever be a guardsman?
I think the use of the ork lander was good, whilst it died early, it removed the threat of the arty company in a single activation and saved the orks in the bunkers from a massive amount of ignore cover barrage attacks.
Hope you enjoyed that, sorry the pics are blurry and we'll hopefully have some more games in december
Cheers
