Existential Threat Campaign Battle 1

Altar of War - Waaagh!

Mission Source: Waaagh Ghazkull Supplement

Mission: Waaagh!

Points: 1500

Armies: Orks / Tau Empire

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta stomped back and forth in front of his slugga boyz, inspiring them with his Mega Armour and his presence. His Kommandos had discovered a Tau settlement, and it was ripe for the picking. If they could just overwhelm this first line of defenders, he knew they could drive deep into Tau territory, and more Orks would flock to his banner. He stomped even harder, pistoned his power klaw open and closed a few times, then turned and advanced at the Tau line, firing his shoota as he went, to make sure his boyz went in the right direction.

Orks - Combined Arms Detachment

Warboss in Mega Armour, Kombi-skorcha, Da Lucky Stikk

Painboy

10 Nobz, 'Eavy Armour, Waaagh Banner, 1 Power Klaw, Bosspole

29 Slugga Boyz, Nob w/ Power Klaw, Bosspole

29 Slugga Boyz, Nob w/ Power Klaw, Bosspole

29 Slugga Boyz, Nob w/ Power Klaw, Bosspole

4 Lobbas

5 Kannons

5 Kustom Mega Blastas

Aegis Defence Line

Tau Empire - Combined Arms Detachment

Aun'shi

20 Kroot

12 Fire Warriors w/ Pulse Rifles

12 Fire Warriors w/ Pulse Rifles

12 Fire Warriors w/ Pulse Rifles

12 Fire Warriors w/ Pulse Carbines

10 Fire Warriors w/ Pulse Carbines, 2 Gun Drones

Hammerhead, Ion Cannon, Longstrike, Smart Missile System, Automated Repair System, Disruption Pod, Flechette Discharger, Sensor Spines

Hammerhead Squadron - 3 x Railgun Hammerheads w/ Submunitions, Smart Missile System

Skyray Gunship

Setup and Deployment

The Altar of War - Waaagh! mission has the Ork opponent set up 3 objectives in their deployment zone. The most obvious place for them is as deep as possible in the Tau zone. 

The battlefield.

The Orks won the roll to go first and deploy first. Eager to get stuck in,they are all toeing the line, ready to race across the city to the objectives.

Center of the line, Nobz, Warboss, Painboy and Mek Gunz behind the Aegis.

Ork right flank.

Ork left flank

The whole line, hoping the Tau do not Seize the Initiative.

The Tau, not wanting to spread out, decide to only try to defend the 2 outside objectives, and they deploy accordingly.

Tau right flank. The objective is under the left-most Hammerhead.

Tau left flank. Objective is at the corner of the building, in the street.

The whole Tau deployment. Note the center objective uncontested.

Ork Warlord Trait (Ork): Like a Thunderbolt - Re-roll Run and Assault ranges.

Tau Warlord Trait (Personal): +1 VP per Character killed in a challenge.

Night Fight: YES

Tau Seize the Initiative: NO

Turn 1 Orks

Move

All three mobz of slugga boys surge forward, moving and running as fast as possible towards the distant Tau, but they do try to make use of any available cover, as do the Nobz.

Right side of the Ork advance. Run run run!!

Left side of the advance. 

Shooting

The Kustom Mega Kannons fire off a searing volley of energy blasts at Fire Warriors 4, just to the left of the center objective. 3 of the 4 blasts that are in range end up scattering off the table, but the fourth hits and wounds 7 Fire Warriors, but they go to ground, and only lose 1 of their members to the lethal weapons.

1 Kannon is in range to fire at the right Hammerhead of the squadron, but it misses. Grots will be grots.

The Lobbas target the tightly packed Kroot on the far left hand rooftop, but the barrage scatters badly, but ends up hitting the Fire Warriors of unit 5, in front of the Kroot. The krump of falling shells and whistling shrapnel kill 4 Fire Warriors, but they make their Leadership and hold.

Assault

Not this turn, the cowardly Tau have deployed about as far back as possible.

Turn 1 Tau

Move

The Tau don't really move, they just sight along their weapons, and stare into the weapon control systems, readying themselves for the killing blow.

Shooting

Skyray fired its SMS at Boyz 3, but even with BS4, Twin Linked and wounding on 3+, caused NO wounds. And people say they fear Tau shooting.

Longstrike overcharged his Ion Cannon, and it got hot, but he did not take a hull point. And while his SMS tore into Boys 3, he also caused no wounds. I'd like to point out, that the Orks are stock, no 'Eavy Armour, no Feel No Pain.

Fire Warriors 1 ripped off a volley at the Nobz, but caused no wounds. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Fire Warriors 2 and 3, both poured their long range shots into Boyz 3, and managed a total of 5 dead boyz.

Boyz 3, on the left, and the Nobz, on the right, steadily close
 on the Tau line, as the vaunted Tau firepower does almost nothing to the horde.

Fire Warriors 5, in the street, fired at Boyz 2, coming over the building in the center of the table, and managed to kill 3 Orks, but they passed their Pinning test.

The Hammerhead squadron loosed a massive volley of SMS, and were rewarded with 8 dead Orks. At least they seemed to realize it was a bad idea to let the Orks close uncontested. Boyz 2 failed their Leadership test, but the Nob restored order, after killing one boy with a swift blow from his Power Klaw, and the Boyz kept advancing.

Boyz 2, on the left, takes the brunt of the firepower.
Boyz 1 continues its advance, glad the guns aren't turned their way.

Assault
No suits  means no assault moves.

Turn 2 Orks

Move

Again, knowing they are not in assault range this turn, everything moves and Runs toward the Tau as fast as possible.

Boyz 1 and 2, doing their best to close the gap.

The Nobz, escorting Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta and his Painboy,
also scrambling over the buildings in their efforts to reach the Tau as fast as possible.

Shooting

The Kannons load frag rounds, firing at Fire Warriors 3, to the right of the central road, killing 2.

Kustom Mega Kannons again fire a volley at Fire Warriors 4, who again go to ground, and manage to only lose one Fire Warrior.

The Lobbas target Aun'Shi and his escorts in Fire Warriors 2. The barrage scatters 9" onto the nose of Longstrike's Hammerhead, the shells exploding to no effect on the heavy armour of the vehicle.

Assault
Not quite yet. Next turn, maybe.

Turn 2 Tau

Knowing another turn of shooting like the last one will be the end of them, the Tau settle into their firing stances, resolving to do better.

Move

Aun'Shi declares Storm of Fire elemental power.

Fire Warriors 5 advances to shield the Hammerhead squadron from the approaching Boyz 1.

Shooting

The Skyray lands one Markerlight hit, but the SMS can't get past the heavy armour and Feel No Pain combo of the Nobz. The Nobz pass their Leadership, thanks to Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta Ld 9.

Longstrike again overcharges his Ion Cannon, and this time it goes off and hits the Nobz, the S8 energy blast vaporizes 4 Nobz, while Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta shrugs off the other three wounds.

Fire Warriors 1 and 2 both fire volleys at Boyz 3, killing 10 between them. The Orks pass their Leadership.

Trying to hold back the left Ork pincer.

Fire Warriors 3 fire Snap Shots at Boyz 3, and manage to kill one.

Fire Warriors 4 and 5 both fire at Boyz 2, killing 7 from Pulse Carbines and 1 more from a Gun Drone. The Orks fail the Leadership, but the Nob managed to restore order, though it cost the lives of three Boyz to do so, leaving just the Nob remaining.

The Hammerhead squadron fired 3 submunition blasts at Boyz 2, killing 5 after Cover Saves, and another 7 from the combined SMS fire. And after taking all that punishment, they pass their Leadership.

Thinning out the right pincer.

Assault

Not quite yet, though the Orks are getting pretty close.

Turn 3 Orks

Move

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta lets loose a mighty bellow, and unleashes his Waaagh!

Boyz 1 move and Run into position to assault FireWarriors 5 and the Hammerhead squadron.

The lone surviving Nob of Boyz 2 moves into position to assault Fire Warriors 5.

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta and his Nobz move and Run towards Fire Warriors 2, Aun'Shi's escort.

Boyz 3 move and Run so as to be able to assault Fire Warriors 1. 

Shooting

Kannons target Fire Warriors 5 with frag shells, but scatter badly with one shot. They kill 2 Fire Warriors from FW4, plus another one from FW5, leaving shrapnel riddled smoking corpses.

Kustom Mega Kannons target Fire Warriors 4 and pound them with 15 hits, 13 wounds, so they go to ground, but still lose 5 Fire Warriors to the blasts of energy. The Fire Warriors are unfazed though, and hold the line.

Lobbas target Fire Warriors 1, and finally hit their intended target, the heavy blasts shredding five Tau bodies. But they also are resolute in the face of the green avalanche, and hold the line. 

Assault

Boyz 1 weather the overwatch of Fire Warriors 5 with no damage, but fail their charge.

Boyz 1 can only watch with jealousy as the lone Nob
 from Boyz 2 gets stuck in, and gets all the glory.

Boyz 2 (Lone Nob) has no overwatch to worry about, leaps the fence and charges into Fire Warriors 5. He bellows a challenge, but there is no one to accept it. The Nob dexterously avoids the Drones' attacks, laughs at the feeble attempts of the Fire Warriors to hurt him with their flailing Pulse Rifle butts, and happily slaughters three of the blue skinned ones.Horrified at the carnage, they promptly fail their Leadership, and outrun the hulking brute, falling back 6". The Nob consolidates 3", realizing his life is about to come to and end.

The Nob from Boyz 2 charges in...

...the Tau react ineffectually...

...and the Nob puts them to flight, after smashing three of them with his power klaw.

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta and his Nobz stomp through a hail of overwatch from Fire Warriors 2, losing noone, and Longstrikes hammerhead, who kills a Nob, and then barrel into them. The Boss Nob look at Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta, who nods his assent, and the Boss Nob issues a challenge, to prove himself. Aun'Shi accepts the challenge, stepping forward and adopting the Patient Blade stance as he faces off against the hulking brute. Aun'Shi lands two blows that would be mortal wounds, but the heavy armour of the Nob turns the blows aside. The Nobz hack and chop at the Fire Warriors, with four of them falling to the butchery. The Fire Warriors fight back to the best of their ability, and manage a single wound, which is enough to drop a previously wounded Nob. The Boss Nob lands 2 shots on Aun'Shi with his power klaw, but Aun'Shi's re-rollable 4+ Inv turns aside those wounds. Having lost the fight, the Fire Warriors show their resolve by rolling a '2' for Leadership, heroically holding their ground.

The Nobz charge in...

...Pile in and attack...

...but can't overwhelm Aun'Shi and his Strike Team. The Tau hold the line!

Boyz 3 take overwatch fire from Fire Warriors 1 and Longstrikes Hammerhead, losing a Boy to each enemy unit, and then fail in their attempt to assault Fire Warriors 1. Ah, the joyz of random charge distances. Orks, failing charges from 4" or less for four years now, and with 8th, many more to come!

Turn 3 Tau

Regroup

Fire Warriors 5 fail to regroup and flee off the board!

Move

Some slight shuffling among the Fire Warrior teams.

Shooting

The Kroot finally have a target for their sniper rounds, and engage Boyz 1, killing 10, but the Boyz pass their Leadership.

The Hammerhead squadron lso engages Boyz 1, and between the subminition blasts and the SMS, they kill another 19 boyz, wiping the mob out.

Tau firepower sweeps the right flank clear of Orks.

Fire Warriors 4 rips off a volley at the lone Nob survivor of Boyz 2, and inflict 7 wounds on him, wiping out that unit.

Fire Warriors 1, 2, Longstrike and the Skyray all target Boyz 3. The Skyray hit twice with markerlights, the Fire Warriors killed 6 orks, and then Longstrike used the markerlights to Ignore Cover, and killed the last 5, wiping out that unit.

Tau firepower clears out the left flank as well, except the Nobz who were tied up in close combat.

Now, the rules for this mission allow the Ork units that have been wiped out to come back, but not until the start of the Tau players Movement phase. I'm not sure why that stipulation is in effect, but having 3 Ork units wiped out this turn, and not having them move on the board until the next Tau turn definitely relieves the pressure significantly.

Assault

Aun'Shi gets to strike first in his Challenge, and scores a wounding hit on the Boss Nob. In return, the Nobz hack down two more Fire Warriors, and the Painboy poisons another one. The Fire Warriors are unable to deal out any significant damage, then 4 of them get slaughtered by Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta's power klaw. Finally, the Boss Nob pins Aun'Shi to the ground with his Waaagh Banner, and then finishes him off with a single Instant Death dealing blow from his power klaw. Having wiped out the unit, the Nobz Consolidate 6".

Turn 4 Orks

Reserves

As mentioned, the units that were killed off don't get to return until the start of the Tau turn. Something seems off with that.

Move

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta and his Nobz move into position to assault Fire Warriors 1 and 3 and the Skyray, if they could reach it.

Shooting

Lobbas and Kustom Mega Kannons both target FireWarriors 4, who were sheltering behind a wall close to the central objective, the ripping shrapnel bursts and searing eruptions of energy scything down and incinerating 5 Tau, but the three survivors stand firm.

The Kannons (one of them) target the Hammerhead squadron, and manage to stun the left most vehicle while ripping a Hull Point off.

Assault

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta and his Nobz charge into the overwatch of Fire Warriors 1 and 3 and Longstrikes'  Hammerhead. The street erupted into a churning conflagration of dust and ferrocrete chunks as Smart Missiles and Pulse Rifle rounds exploded and ricocheted wildly. Emerging untouched, except for a single round that managed to find a weak spot in the Mega Armour of Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta, including his Lukky Stikk, the Ork charge avalanched into the Tau units. Hammer of wrath killed one Tau from Fire Warriors 1, and then the axes of the Nobz carved, hacked and butchered their way through Fire Warriors 3, wiping out the remainder of the squad,as well as killing two more from Fire Warriors 1. The Painboy, caught up in the savagery of the charge, flailed vaguely in the direction of the Tau, much too jubilant to worry about killing the enemy. The surviving Fire Warriors tried to fight back, but the Heavy Armour, and the Feel No Pain was just too much for the beleaguered troops. The Warboss, finding no infantry alive for him to slaughter, turns his attention to the Skyray with the Boss Nob, and the two of them deal out 2 Glances and 2 Pens, no explosion, and leave a pile of bodies and a broken tank behind them as they move off towards the central objective. Silly Tau and their "gunlines".

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta and his Nobz brave multiple Overwatch volleys...

...charge everything they can reach...

...and leave death, carnage and wreckage in their wake.

Turn 4 Tau

Reserves

Ork Boyz 4, 5 and 6 all arrive and move onto the battlefield.

Ork reserves arrive in the Tau turn...so sayeth the rules...don't ask me.

Move

Longstrikes skims his Hammerhead sideways up onto the roof of the building, and watches as the Nobz race down the street across and below the nose of his tank.

Longstrike can feel the battle slipping away from the Tau. When Orks are that close, battles are usually over.

Shooting

Longstrike can only Snap Fire at the Nobz before him, missing with his Ion Cannon, but his SMS does inflict one wound on a Nob.

The Hammerheads target Boyz 5 (in the street, bereft of cover). 3 submunition blasts rip into the densely packed Orks, shredding light armour and sending shredding and smoking Orkoid bodies pinwheeling through the air to impact wetly against the walls of buildings. When the smoke clears, 13 Orks are dead.

Before Tau shooting...

...and after. Not even including the SMS, which was out of range.

Assault

None, and the Tau are thankful.

Turn 5 Orks

Move

Boyz 4, 5 and 6 all move and Run as fast as possible towards the hammerheads and the left most objective (to the Orks).

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta detaches from the Nobz to occupy the right hand objective.

Shooting

Kannons target Langstrikes Hammerhead with Krak rounds. He trust in the lack of Ork accuracy and the ineffectiveness of krak rounds, and is promptly rewarded with 2 Pens, which Stun and Immobilize his Hammerhead.

Kustom Mega Kannons also target Longstrike and manage one Pen, which would have have Immobilized him again, making his Hammerhead extra dead wreckage.

The combined fire from 5 Kannons and 5 Kustom Mega Kannons...

...wrecks Longstrikes Hammerhead. Surprise, Tau!

Assault

For the Orks, unfortunately, none.

Turn 5 Tau

Move

The three suvivors of Fire Warriors 4 move onto the central objective, hoping the battle ends since they are staring right into the faces of the eager Nobz merely a few paces away.

The Hammerhead squadron is still camping on the right hand objective (to the Tau), so the Tau feel good, right now about the battle, if it ends.

Shooting

Fire Warriors 4 fires of a meager volley at the Nobz, but the Heavy Armour deflects the rounds.

The Hammerheads engage Boyz 5, trying to wipe them out in case the battle goes longer than the Tau planned on. They kill 7 of the dwindling mob, and while the Boyz looked to waver for a moment, ready to withdraw, the Nob swiftly killed 2 Boyz in order to keep the mob moving forward.

Boyz 5 has taken a beating, but they refuse to break!

Assault

Hoping for the end of the battle, no assaults are declared.

But alas, it was not to be, another round!

Turn 6 Orks

Move

Warboss Bludcracka Ragegutta stands guard over the one objective.

The Nobz and Painboy almost surround the three Fire Warriors on the central objective, ready to assault.

Shooting

The Kannons (1 of them) engage the Hammerhead squadron, but can't find a weakness in the armour.

Assault

The Nobz storm through a paltry overwatch with no damage, slamming into the last Fire Warriors on the field of battle, annihilating them in a frenzy of retribution and retaliation for their loses on this day.

Through the Overwatch...

...feet stomping, axes chopping...

...as the Nobz steamroller another objective.

Turn 6 Tau

The Hammerhead squadron move to be able to see the Nobz. It is a toss up here, between the Warboss or the Nobz, but the Nobz are easier to break with Ld 7. Snap firing Smart Missiles fill the air once more, tearing chunks from the barricades and the street surface, but the Heavy Armour and Feel No Pain deflect the damage, and the Orks raise their Choppas and unleash a mighty roar at the Tau vehicles. The snap-whip of a hyper-sonic railgun round instantly vaporizes ne Nobz entire torso, but the Nobz hold firm, controlling the objective, and the battlefield.

Hammerhead squadron trying to break the Nobz. It was not to be.

Endgame

Summary

Orks: 8 (3 (Obj) + 3 (Obj) + 1 (Slay Warlord) + 1 (Linebreaker))

Tau: 4 (3(Obj) + 1 (First Blood))

Untouched Ork artillery. Maybe more Boyz were needed?

The reinforcements almost ready to charge...in Turn 7. So, useless then. Bah.

While the rest of the Boyz got absolutely slaughtered, the Nobz and Warboss just ran around wrecking face, as they are won't to do.

With 8th edition right around the corner, we are waiting to see what they do with the Ork hordes to make them viable again, because the only thing that kept them in this game, was the fact that the Tau didn't have all the extra rules they normally would have.

On the other hand, if the objectives were in the middle of the table, the Tau, as usual, would have had a very hard time reaching them, especially before turn 5. Another case of wondering how the new rules will treat them.

Until next time, happy gaming!