For the 2nd part of the campaign, in which the Orks attack the players
bases, I gave the players the option to fight the approach battle. I also
invented a 'Special Character' for the Marines, to try out a few ideas.
He is based on the Dark Angels veteran scout sergeant from the new 40K
campaign pack.
| Imperial Briefing |
Squat Briefing |
| Vallkris - Squat Mining
World
Hold the Line
After a reading of the Imperial Tarot Inquistor Julios Inglesias
and the Commander of the Starburst Marine Chapter predicted that
the planet of Vallkris in the Ultima Segmentum was at risk of
attack through the Warp. A battlebarge was despatched with all
due speed, they could only hope that it would arrive in time.
Arriving in the Vallkris system, sensors aboard the battlebarge
Star Lifter detected something very unusual. A strong forcefield
was protecting something on the planet's windswept, hostile surface.
Fearing that they had arrived too late Inquisitor Julios Inglesias
ordered that a strong force be despatched immediately to secure
the site around the portal. Unfortunately they arrived to late,
and the portal opened and a massive Ork Waaagh burst through and
almost destroyed the Marine contingent, along with the Squat force
that was already present. The remaining marines retreated to the
main landing site, knowing that the Orks would come after them,
and began to set up their defences. As dawn broke a giant dust
cloud was visible and the sound of engines grew louder.
Army restrictions and victory conditions
You need to pick a force of up to 4000 points. In addition you
will have 300 points worth of fortifications and Inquisitor Julios
Inglesias to assist your force.The game will be played in two
halves, which will represent the approach battle and the attack
on the Landing Zone itself. Up to 2000 points worth of your force
can be deployed for the first game but it must have a minimum
move of 20cm and there will be no fortifications. For every two
turns that this game lasts you gain 150 points worth of fortifications.
The table will be 4 x 6 and the game will be played down the length
of the table. The game will end when one side has no units left
on the table or if the Orks manage to get a substantial force
into your deployment zone. Any of your units that retreat off
of your table edge may fight in the 2nd battle.
Any Ork pursuers will move onto the table according to the
table below :
- 26cm + : Turn 1
- 20cm + : Turn 2
- 11cm + : Turn 3
- Others : Turn 4
If they are in your half of the table they will move on 1 turn earlier.
The Orks objective is to destroy your landing site and it's defenders.
In the second battle you may deploy up to half way across the table,
you may deploy 300 or more points of fortifications. Fortifications
consist of the following types Bunkers - can hold up to two infantry
stands, they give any unit inside a save of 4+ (modified as usual).
However they have a much reduced fire arc. A bunker saves on 3+
on 2D6, and can only be attacked by weapons which destroy buildings.
Entrenchments - are low walls that give a -1 modifier to hit to
any unit in them. Razor wire - prevents troops or vehicles (not
superheavy) charging through them.
Special rules
Although the Scouts fought bravely in the attack upon the portal,
they lost many of their number. To represent this you may not
field more than one detachment of Scouts. However this detachment
may be lead by veteran Sergeant Kenobi. He is an exceptioal warrior
and is well versed in the art of reconaissance.
His personal Scout squad are all personally trained to a very
high degree in the art of concealment, thus if they are in cover
they cannot be seen outside 25cm. In addition one of his squad
carries a comm-link which can call in fire support from the orbiting
battlebarge Starlifter. The Starlifter can fire a barrage from
orbit which will scatter as if fired indirectly.
Veteran Scout Sergeant Kenobi
- Mvt : 10cm
- Save : None
- CAF : +4
- Weapons :
- Pistols (25cm, 2, 5+, 0)
- Commlink (LOS, Barrage, 4+, -1)
- Notes : Command Unit, scouts within 10cm may reroll
failed morale checks.
|
Vallkris - Squat Mining World
Vallkris is a recently resettled world rich in minerals and ores.
It is a typical Squat world orbiting an ancient, dimming star,
it has high gravity, a thin though breathable atmosphere, and
rather unsettlingly evidence of previous occupation by the Squat
race.
Whilst excavating a rich vein of gold (what else), a strange energy
field was found, which no mining tool could pierce it, no drill
made the slightest impression. A watch was posted on the site,
and the squat miners moved on to other veins and other ores.
Less than 2 weeks later, the alarm was raised by the garrison
force and nearby units were sent dashing for the site as Marines
dropped from the sky. The Marines attacked the defending garrison
without warning and only the ferocious fire of the stout Thunders
under the command of Lt Thorgrim prevented a massacre.
In the midst of this carnage the portal opened and a massive Ork
Waaagh burst through and almost destroyed the valiant Squat defenders,
the Orks fury was also vented on the Marines. The remaining Marines
retreated and the Squats fell back under the covering fire of
the brave Thunderers, knowing that the Orks would come after them,
and began to set up there defences. As dawn broke a giant dust
cloud was visible and the sound of engines grew louder.
Army restrictions and victory conditions
You need to pick a force of up to 4000 points. In addition you
will have 300 points worth of fortifications. The game will be
played in two halves, which will represent th approach battle
and the attack on the Squats Stronghold itself. Up to 2000 points
worth of your force can be deployed for the first game but it
must have a minimum move of 20cm and there will be no fortifications.
For every two turns that this game lasts you gain 150 points worth
of fortifications.
The table will be 4 x 6 and the game will be played down the length
of the table. The game will end when one side has no units left
on the table or if the Orks manage to get a substantial force
into your deployment zone. Any of your units that retreat off
of your table edge may fight in the 2nd battle.
Any Ork pursuers will move onto the table according to the
table below :
- 26cm + : Turn 1
- 20cm + : Turn 2
- 11cm + : Turn 3
- Others : Turn 4
If they are in your half of the table they will move on 1 turn earlier.
The Orks objective will be to destroy your defenders, after all
your only a bunch of stunti scum.
Special rules
In the second battle you may deploy up to half way across the
table, you may deploy 300 or more points of fortifications. Fortifications
consist of the following types
Bunkers - can hold up to two infantry stands, they give any unit
inside a save of 4+ (modified as usual). However they have a much
reduced fire arc. A bunker saves on 3+ on 2D6, and can only be
attacked by weapons which destroy buildings.
Entrenchments - are low walls that give a -1 modifier to hit to
any unit in them.
Razor wire - prevents troops or vehicles (not superheavy) charging
through them.
Note that this stronghold has as yet no defences so the warriors
must defend the surface entrance. All the miners have been recalled
from the extensive diggings in the area and have been issued with
lasguns. To represent this you must field at least 1 unit of Squat
Warriors.
Thorgrim's Thunderers were an inspiring sight to all the Squats
around them, as a result any Squat unit that has a line of sight
to more than one stand of the unit may reroll any morale dice
once.
|
Official Report
Thorgrim's Thunderer's were in the first battle, they single handedly
prevented the Squats defeat in the early stages of the game against the
Marines when their heavy weapons managed to score 11 hits out of 15, when
they needed to roll 5+.
Both players managed to inflict about 1300 points worth of damage
on the attacking Ork force in the approach battle, for a loss of about
850 points each.
The marines took a completely mechanised force of 2 Land Raider Companies,
1 Attack Bike Squadron, 2 Land Speeder Squadrons and 4 Thunderhawks.
The Squat force was a little more conventional, consisting of a Gyrocopter
Company, 2 Thunderer detachments, 2 Overlord Airships, a Bike detachment
and 2 Squadrons of Rhinos.
They were facing the entire Ork attack force, which was worth 6000 points.
This had 2 Slasher and 1 Great Gargant in a Big Mob, a Bad Moon Clan
with extra Nobz, Shokk Attacks and Braincrushas. A Deathskull clan with
12 stands of Gretchin and a Runtherd (which I was trying out the rules
for), who were accompanied by some Bloodaxe Kommandos, with Bonebreakas
and Bonecrunchas providing some firepower. A Goff clan with wildboyz,
Gutrippas, Stormboyz and a Gibletgrinda for back up. Finally there were
some freebooterz and a Snakebite Boarboyz clan, all commanded by Bignatz
the DeathSkull Warboss. The Orks did very well in both battles, apart
from the Stormboyz. In the game against the Marines they lost 4 of their
number to some very dodgy jump packs provided by the Mekboyz, against
the Squats, we still lost 2 stands in their first turn.
The Orks are attacking the base camps of both the Squats In the approach
battle the defenders managed to destroy about 1300 points worth of the
attacking 6000 point Ork Horde whilst losing about 850 points. I'm going
to send you a bmp file with a copy of the maps we used for these first
three battles which should be along in a little while.
Before they attacked the Squat base the Orks regrouped in the woods.
The Squats had prepared well, they had managed to fortify their base
with turrets, entrenchments and bunkers, but worst of all they had cleared
the terrain around the base making a killing zone for their massed firepower.
Defending the base were a company of Iron Eagle Gyrocopters, a Warrior
Brotherhood, a company of Overlord Airships, a Colossus and various
light vehicles.
The Orks had no choice but to charge across the open ground, hoping
that their weight of numbers would carry them through. The Deathskull
boyz attacked firstin the centre, followed by the massed charge of the
Goffs on the Ork left, and the Badmoonz on the right. The Nobz of each
clan advanced out of the wood and sprayed the entrenched infantry with
a hail of fire. The Ork tanks - Bonebreakas, Bonecrunchas, Gutrippas
and a Gibletgrinda battlefortress kept pace with the infantry, firing
as they went. The Slasha Gargants StuntiStompa and HumeeHunta moved
forwards, the extra pressure of the Snappa driving Humee closer to the
enemy. The Boss Great Gargant BeekeeBasha also attacked managing to
destroy a building full of Tarantulas with it's ball shot. The casalties
inflicted upon the stout dwarfs were minimal though, their hastily prepared
defences were serving them well. Their return fire was devestating,
the Deathskulls were nearly wiped out, the Goffs lost thier tank support
and Humee Hunta was brought to a standstill by a lucky shot which passed
through the flickering power fields and damaged the boiler. The Orks
continued to move forwards as Bignatz, the Ork Warlord, and his retinue
of Nobz launched their own attack, their kustom weapons inflicting many
casualties on the Squat Warriors and Thunderers. The Badmoonz Shokk
Attak Gunz targetted the nearest turrets and warriors. They were rewarded
by the death of more warriors and a Tarantula in a bunker, the strong
walls that protected them from the Orks shells were no protection against
warp crazed snotlings. The Squats continued to fire into the immobolised
Humee Hunta, and it blew up, taking a few unlucky Badmoonz with it.
The StuntiStompa lived up to its name sending several Squats to meet
their ancestors, and destroying a turret with it's ball shot.
As the Orks got closer the Squats sent their own units out from behind
their defences, the gyrocopters and Ironfists all closed in and fired
shot after shot into the BeekeeBasha. Amazingly it survived the hail
of fire and turned it's weapons, including it's gatling kannon on the
squat forces. Few of the bearded ones survived the onslaught. The airships
high in the sky pounded shots into StuntiStompa, starting several fires.
Eventually the fires reached the ammo and it too turned into a funeral
pyre for it's crew, incinerating several Goff boyz who were too close.
The Squat infantry caused many casualties amongst the boyz of the Goffs
and Badmoonz, and managed to kill several of Bignatz retinue as well.
A renewed effort from the Squats, led by the Colossus destroyed BeekeeBasha
and wounded Bignatz, the Goff boyz reached the Squat trenches but were
cut down by the defensive fire. Seeing their leader down and with their
last gargant a smoking ruin the few remaining Badmoon Orks turned and
fled from the field. The Squat casualties were immense, but they had
fought of a superior force and saved their stronghold.
It was a very enjoyable game to play. Larry's Squats hung on just
long enough. I was annoyed by the immobilisation of the HumeeHunta though,
it has a Snapper on which uses the large triangular template. It hits
on a 2+ and ignores cover modifiers, just the thing for getting those
stunties in their trenches and bunkers, but it was stopped before it
had a chance to fire any of its weapons, let alone get in close enough
to use the Snapper. The Great gargant survived lots of shots, making
many armour saves, but in the end the Colossus blew one of the magazines
apart and it was doomed. But fear not BIGNATZ WIL RETURN.
|
