Stuart, aka Orc mania, requested an IG opposition this time and a small blocking force from the Imperial garrison was duly procured.

Grotbag had spread out into the hills either side of the main squat encampment- probing for a weakness. And found the guard. Not sure if that counts but forces were:

Orks

Kult of Speed supported by
extra wartraks
Renegade Mekboyz
Skullhamma
and flak wagons

Space Pirates

Stompas

Deathskulls

madboyz.

IG was a light force- screening really.

Tactical Company
Assault Company
Bike Coy

Supported by
Ogryns
Hellhounds
A Baneblade
A flight of Thunderbolts.

Ork OB reads as they deployed - with the mass of bikes and vehicles in ominous mass on the ork right flank, and the Deathskulls and madboyz out on the far side of the river- t'other side of a ford.

IG forces rather more intertwined, a mass of infantry in the centre, with the bike coy deployed to my right flank.

Terrain was mix of woods and hills, with just one building- the "Overlook hotel" check in anytime - departures- no rush. Key feature was a forked river running in front of my lines and splitting the Ork army in two. there were two bridges one to the "Overlook" to my front and the other to my left flank. To my right open ground stretched away some distance, hence the deployment of the bikers - it wasn't ground infantry would want to cover...

Picture shows the IG deployment.

The Assault are deployed on and below the left most bridge. Mass of infantry and tanks ready to cross either bridge (note option). The hills are steep and at the points cut by the river, cliff like.

Just beyond the ground slopes away to a lonely hill top objective bereft of cover, and another in the ork deployment where sat the Deathskulls in a low wooded hill.

Picture shows the ork right wing, "da Schleeefen" wing (keep it strong).

Spleenrippas standing in for rokkit speedstas, and bowelburnas for Kustom kannons. Need time to paint...

Space Pirates (nah-ne-nah nah nah) ready to advance into the small wood in front and do their usual objective securing duty.

Not the best picture but shows the Ork left flank. Deathskulls in the wood, and further right can just make out the coloured drabs of the madboyz.

Photo shows ny assault company, in their jump off positions, strung out along the valley floor and with their immediate objectives in front- the broken ground ("breaking" ground as it came to be). Beyond that phase 1 objective lay the Space Pirates and the wood.

Photo captures that start line push, though need to work on finishing HQ sections and make sure the river is patted smooth to avoid joins...

Turn 1

Guard win initiative and "C" tac platoon charge forward across the bridge to the Overlook. Commissar moves up to yell at the Ogryns to get them moving next turn (I deployed them out of command). Assault troops move seamlessly into positions amongst the boulders. Hell hounds advance in Support. "A" platoon TAC occupies the wood anchoring my left flank bridge, while B platoon in the centre supports the Overlook assualt troops. Bikes charge out to the flank and wait below the ridge out of range of the Deathskulls.

Ork right wing clump advances in steady mass, screened by the 3 dragstas. Pirates secure their wood. Stompas advance on the Overlook, Deathskulls don;t move from their wood,a nd madboyz get the right idea and charge to just below the crest of the hill.

Thunderbolts execute a particularly poor strafe, attacking stompas from the front so kill just 1, where may have bagged all 3 from the rear. This is almost the only shooting for the turn.

Objectives split evenly 4-2, IG 20 VP Ork 10 VP.

Blurry shot of the thunderbolts strafing the stompas. The only action in turn 1.

Turn 2

Orks win initiative. Ork rightmost clump deploys onto the plateau near my tactical detachment shoring up my left flank. Pirates advance to defensive positions in their wood. Madboyz switch to first fire. Stompas retreat back into the woods.

Overlook troops advance over the bridge and are followed by the Ogryns.

Baneblade rolls onto the left flank bridge to throw weight behind that flank. Central tac platoon advances to the left bridge too.

Assault platoons spread out in defensive cover amongst the boulders.

In a no guts no glory early move I throw my thunderbolts at his flakwagons, hoping to wipe them out as they've strayed from their dragsta protection. This is a reckless gamble, which almost pays off. I am hit twice but save 1 with a six (they had big shootas extra -1 tsm). My counter fire kills 2, but leaves one...

I also get lucky picking off the closest dragsta, exposing the bikes and buggies.

In return he destroys a pair of Hell hounds and little else. The left flank is holding.

Out on my right the madboyz are on first fire so my bikes just rev their engines menacingly at the bottom of the hill. With the Deathskulls in supporting range there is no appetite to crest the hill and engage them.

End phase sees my Hell hounds pass morale, and objectives haven't changed. IG 20, Ork 12 VP.

Photo shows the ork right reaching the crest of the flat open hill to my left, with my troopers in the woods to the ork front and the bridge behind.

Turn 2 ork right spreads out on the plateau as my troopers watch. You can see the FW models behind, just outside dragta cover. Lovely models- will look lovely painted.

The gamblers pass. My fliers wing over to destroy 2 flak wagons and a lifta droppa, but lose 1 plane. If I can just survive next turn my planes will be able to rake his bikes without reply...

Turn 3

Orks win initiative.

I get snap fire out of the way. He gets another Thunderbolt, though the last one gets the last flakwagon. Just need to pass morale now...

Baneblade enagaged by Kustom kannons, 1 hit gets through and a six is duly rolled for damage. All of a sudden I have nothing left on the table with a decent negative tsm and the 2 stompas re-emerge from the wood.

Lead assault platoon charges the Space pirates but falls short. Here I commit the sin of sentimentality. Rather than throw the rest of the company en masse at its objective I keep the rest in defensive positions about the edge of the boulder field (on charge orders). Those sent forward take predictable casualties to no point.

Realising my lft is in need of reinforcement I keep 1 bike detachment to screen the madboyz and send the rest hurtling back to my left on the opposite side of the field. The Orks can be heard to sing the grand old duke of York, or more likely "you don't know what you're doing!".

My infantry holding out in the wood on the left score but 1 hit on the bikes, but lose little too. Would have been nice to have rolled a good spread though as the left flanks needs to inflict some hurt. The dragstas are making it hard to lay a glove on the renegades.

In the end phase my lpane duly scarpers.

Oh oh.

Points are good as I've 20 points of objectives. But nothing else and little prospect of getting anymore. The doomed charge has deprived the Orks of 1 objective but the hell hounds, bandblade and Thudnerbolts make amends- 12 VP.

Turn 4

Orks win initiative. Virtually the entire Ork army is on first fire. This feels like a very bad thing. I stop my centre Tac platoon from crossing the bridge and keep my assault troops hunkered down in their boulders. They get few casualties but achieve nothing save picking off a wartrack.

My brave defenders on the left flank trade shots with the ork bikers and renegades. A few remain at turn end. The stompas advance and my boys can do nothing save take fire. I try and move the Ogryns forward to close assault.

The two bike detachments reach the centre and are ready to drive left wards next turn.

On my right the madboyz decide to advance to the top of the hill. My bikes charge. The close assault runs 2-2. The deathskulls pick off all save 1 bike in reply.

In front of the Space Pirates my assault are down to two stands (lucky) but the overlook hotel stands miss in their attempt to snipe down the valley at the pirates.

After casualites Madboyz roll invisibility- this is perhaps more loosely defined as "sunbathe".

End phase objectives unchanged, though my army is starting to fray very badly. IG 20, Ork 12.

Turn 5

IG win initiative.

Paralysis gives way to action but it is probably too little too late.

Space Pirates switch to close assault to clear my guard from in front of their lines. I throw in HQ and reserve platoon to help with the combat. I also throw the last assault platoon up the hill to close asault the dragtas/watraks. Pirates are broken, but kaptin annoyingly survives.

Only 1 bike detachment can reach the first fire (ouch) kult of speed and it breaks on the combined fire and close combat. Other group shelters as best it can in the wood. The left flank is now held with a rhino, a commissar, two infantry stands and two bike stands. Central group lose another stand to the stompas, also switched to first fire.

Out on the far right the Deathskulls kill the last bike, leaving the objective held by the sunbathing madboyz... "Lovely war innit mate".

End phase is ugly. Annoying survivor kaptin passes morale. My good platoon (3 stands)fails morale and this will leave me just 3 stands next turn to wipe out the kaptin. Rest of army broken (save ogryns). Tac Platoon by the Overlook fails morale. As does the CHQ supporting the reserve tac platoon (leaving them strung out on the bridge to the left flank. Brave defenders of the woods down to 2 stands passes morale. Last two bikers fail and bug out.

IG holds 20 VP in objectives, plus 2 for the Pirates. Ork holds 2 on their left flank, plus Thunderbolts (3), banbelade (2), Hellhounds (2), tac company (6), Assault company (3), Bike Company (4)= 30.

With the orks needing just 5 points left to secure victory, with most imperial forces in retreat and it being late, it was called as an Ork victory save the shouting.

I made the fatal mistake for IG- worrying about casualties. These are inevitable and irrelevant- secure the objectives and with them victory...

Ork's played a good game, maintained focus and supported each other in their plan. Mind you, they seemed suspiciously well drilled - perhaps the warlord is a secret Blood Axe...

Left flank hanging on grimly. Commissar and a new Lt hold off the Ork hordes. New lt is new cause the old section HQ stand got trodden on...