Hey all! It's time for a new Battle Report; the first in a long time. This battle was a 1000 point Crusade with 4 objectives. My Speed Freek Orks took on Austin's Eldar. We used a standard deployment type, and it was night fighting in the first turn.
The Armies
Combined Arms Detachment Speed Freeks
HQ:
- Warboss with Power Klaw, Boss Pole, and 'Eavy Armour, Da Finkin' Cap - 99
- Painboy - 50
Troops:
- 18 Slugga Boyz with Nob with Power Klaw and Boss Pole - 148
- 20 Slugga Boyz with Nob with Power Klaw and Boss Pole - 160
Fast Attack:
- 5 Warbikers with Nob with Big Choppa - 110
Heavy Support:
- Battlewagon with Reinforced Rams, and Boarding Planks - 130
- Battlewagon with Reinforced Rams, and Boarding Planks - 130
Allied Detachment WAAAGH!!! Ghazgkull
HQ:
- Big Mek with Mega Forcefield, Warbike - 135
Troops:
- 10 Gretchin - 35
Total: 997
If you'veread any of my previous battle reports in which I play Orks, this list is probably fairly familiar. It has all the staples of my Ork lists. A strong core of Boyz in Battlewagons with a Big Mek to give the transports a 4++ for their initial surge up the board. This is a tactic I like to use a lot, because it gives me a really good chance of getting at least something into combat. Battlewagons are fairly tough, especially at lower points, and having the 4++ is just gravy. I also really like the Finkin' Cap. 10 points to get an extra Strategic Warlord Trait is awesome, and can be enough to give you that little extra edge. I was feeling a little bad about bringing a wall of AV14 to such a small game, but that pretty much went away when I saw Austin's list...
Combined Arms Detachment Eldar
HQ:
- Farseer - 100
- Spiritseer - 70
Elites:
- 5 Wraithguard in Wave Serpent with Scatter Lasers and Shuriken Cannon - 285
- 5 Wraithguard with D-Scythes in Wave Serpent with Scatter Lasers and Shuriken Cannon - 335
Troops:
- 10 Guardians with Scatter Laser Platform - 105
- 10 Guardians with Scatter Laser Platform - 105
Total: 1000
Yep, that's right. 10 Wraithguard at 1000 points. Now I wasn't too worried about the standard Wraithguard, as they have short range, and killing a 5 boyz isnt really a big deal, but those D-scythes were going to be a make or break unit in the game for me. If I'm able to deal with them quickly and with minimal casualties, I should be ok, but if I get stuck out in the open, they're more than capable of completely annihilating a squad in a single volley. Morover, I have very little shooting, and even less capable of really being a threat to them, so just running off and shooting them to death isn't really an option, meaning I'll be losing a lot of Boyz to overwatch. should be interesting.
The Game
Austin won both the roll for first turn and first deployment, and his warlord trait allowed his D-scythe Wraithguard to scout. My traits were +1 to seize the initiative, re-roll my reserves, and -1 to his reserves.
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| Eldar Deployment |
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| Orks Deployment |
Turn 1
The Eldar begin by advancing the Guardians and Wave Serpents to get into better firing positions. The Farseer casts guide on his unit, getting a 6 on the Perils table in the process. Both Wave Serpents and the Guardian's Scatter Laser fire into the Warbikers, killing 2 of them, thanks to jinking and night fighting. They then pass their Morale test.
In retaliation, the Orks gun their engines and take off towards the enemy. The Battle Wagons peel off towards the two Serpents, while the Bikes take off towards the Guardians. The Big Mek joins the squad that disembarked from the left Battlewagon, which was going after the scythe guard, to offer a bit of extra protection. Shooting from the Bikers does nothing, and so assaults begin. The Warboss' unit charges the right Serpet and wrecks it, while the Big Mek squad does the same to the other one. The Bikes attempt a long charge on the Guardians, but fail. First blood to the Orks, but now the Wraithguard are in a position to start doing some damage.
Turn 2
With their enemy right in front of them, The Eldar move to get to the best possible line of sight. The Farseer Dooms the Warbosses unit, and in a brutal mind war, manages to daze the beast as well. He also guide's his Guardians. The incoming fire is absolutely brutal, destroying all of the Warbosses unit save for a single Boy and the Nob, as well as the other boy squad losing fully half the squad. Fortunately, the Orks hold.
Their bloodlust rising, the remaining Orks surge forwards. The Warbikers charge into the Farseer's unit and after the Nob killed the Farseer, ran them down. The Warboss' unit charges the Wraitguard, Losing the Boy and the Nob, but cutting down 3 of the Wraithguard in return. The Big Mek's group attempts a charge, and lose all but the Mek and 2 Boyz, but they manage to make it in and kill a Wraithguard for no further casualties.
Turn 3
With most of his units locked up in combat, Austin just plinks away with is remaining Scatter Laser, hoping to take out the bikers, but they make their saves. In combat, the Warboss cleans up his fight, while things go better for the Eldar on the other side. The Big Mek and a Boy are killed, and the last Boy nearly breaks, but for a 1 on the Mob Rule table
With all his enemies taken care of, the Warboss hops back into his Battlewagon, which moves him off towards the other combat. The bikes head over as well to help out the last Boy. Once again, there is no real shooting. The Warbikers charge in and kill a Wraithguard, but the Boy is killed in return.
Turn 4
The Eldar take some side armour shots on a Battlewagon, but fail to hurt it. In combat, a Bike dies, but they hold. When the Warboss shows up, things go differently, with both the Wraithguard going down, as well as another bike.
The Grots finally showed up, and moved towards the objective in my corner.
Turn 5
With the Eldar all but defeated, they continue to shoot at the Biker, dealing a wound. The Warboss hops into the other Battlewagon and heads towards the Guardians, along with the Warbiker. The Grots move onto the objective.
Turn 6
Once again, the Eldar shooting does nothing. The Warbiker and Warboss charge in and cut down the Guardians. Having slain all their enemies, the Orks are victorious.
Post-Game Thoughts
That was an extremely brutal and bloody battle. It really went back and forth for the first few turns, and while it ended in a tabling, it really could have gone either way. Austin's dice were absolutely bonkers in the beginning. He failed basically no saves, and his Guardians hit and wounded all but 1 shot when he fired on the Warboss' unit turn 2. While he did have guide and doom to help him, I think it was only the difference of 4 or 5 dice. His D-scythe Wraithguard were also insane. On their overwatch they got 13 wall of death hits, and no 1s (3 2s though). The game was really decided by that lone Ork making his Mob rule roll, thus saving my incoming Warbikers and Boss from certain death from the Wraithguard's overwatch.
There are a few things I might have done differently. I maybe should have assaulted the Guardians instead of the Wraithguard Serpent Turn 1, as they ended up doing way more damage. I was hoping to charge them with the bikes, but a 10" charge was a little cheeky, even with 'Ere we go, so I shouldn't have relied on it. In Austin's Case, I think he would have been better served by Deploying his Scytheguard on foot and scouting them up, and saving his Wave Serpent to lend its fire and speed later in the game. Even if I had decided to just avoid the Scytheguard, he still would have had that board control, and it would have given him an advantage in objective grabbing later on.
I really had a lot of fun with this game, and with this list, even thought it was looking really bad for a bit there. And even thought the game did end in a tabling, I don't think that either Austin or I felt like it was a slaughter until maybe about turn 3 or 4. It really was quite close. As always, thanks for reading!
