Vogen Crusade Battle 6

 Crusade Mission - Incursion - The Relic

Captain Arastos has put in a requisition for additional forces to help combat the Ork menace on their own terms, namely an Assault Terminator squad armed with Lightning Claws. Unfortunately they were delayed in reporting for duty (mostly because I didn't finish painting them in time), so Strike Force Arastos went with what they had. What they did have was a lot of starting CP, due to getting their asses handed to them repeatedly by the Orks, giving the Orks a lot of XP. Should be a bloody one, as usual. 

Strike Force Arastos - Crusade Blessings: 7

HQ Terminator Captain Arastos - Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Iron Halo, Adamantine Mantle

                   Indomitable, Stubborn Heroism, Sentinel of Terra

HQ Terminator Chaplain Gregorios - Storm Bolter, Crozius Arcanum, Rosarius

                    Inspiring Hero

EL   Terminator Squad Hektor - Storm Bolter, Power Sword, Power Fists, Assault Cannon

                    Fleet of Foot

EL   Relic Contemptor Dreadnought - Twin Heavy Bolter, Dreadnought Chainfist, Storm Bolter

                    Martial Legacy, Improved Shielding

T    Tactical Squad Alpha

T    Tactical Squad Beta

T    Tactical Squad Gamma

DT Razorback - Twin Assault Cannon

                    Angered Machine Spirit

Waaagh! Bonekleava - Crusade Blessings: 14

HQ    Warboss Bonekleava - Kustom Shoota, Power Klaw

                Da Biggest Boss, Da Lucky Stick, Proper Killy, Resilient

HQ    Big Mek in Mega Armour Nogbugg - Power Klaw, Kustom Force Field

                Da Kleverest Boss, Da Killa Klaw, Brutal But Kunnin', Tactical Experience

HQ    Boss Zagstruk - Slugga, Blitz Missiles, Da Vulcha's Klaws

EL    Goregasha's Gang of Nobz - 1 Power Klaw, 4 Big Choppas

                Grizzled

EL    Painboy Bloodcuttah - Power Klaw, 'Urty Syringe

                Deep Cncussion

T    Jawchoppa's Lucky Blue Skarboyz - 1 Power Klaw, 29 Skarboyz

                Veteran Warriors

T    Boneshredda's Brown Skarboyz - 1 Power Klaw, 29 Skarboyz

                 Fleet of Foot

T    Skrag's Gretchin (10)

Agendas

Imperial Fists

            1. Angels of Death

            2. Cull the Hordes

Goffs

            1. Kingslayer

            2. Reaper

Pregame

Goffs won the roll off and chose to be the Defender, to be able to pick deployment zone.

Imperial Fists won the roll to go first, and did so.

Imperial Fists start with 10 CP to the Goffs 6, due to the difference in Crusade Blessings.

Deployment

The Goffs stuck the Imperial Fists behind two long buildings, which they hoped would seriously diminish lines of sight and incoming firepower.

Terminator Squad Hektor, supported by Tactical Squads
Alpha, Beta and Gamma.

Chaplain Gregorios is escorted by Contemptor Dreadnought
Nikephoros and the Razorback.

Skrag's Gretchin lead the way for Warboss Bonekleava,
Big Mek Nogbugg, Painboy Bloodcuttah, Boss Zagstruck
and Goregasha's Gang of Nobz. All of this is supported by
Boneshredda's Brown Skarboyz mob.

Jawchoppa's Lucky Blue Skarboyz hold down the
other end of the Goff battle line.

Turn 1 - Imperial Fists

Devastator Doctrine is active.

The Recitation of Focus is not inspiring for Brother Nikephoros.

Hektor leads the way through the shattered ruins, 
while the three Tac squads try to reach the upper
floor of the ruin.

With very limited shooting options, Brother Nikephoros and the Razorback combine to only kill 4 Skarboyz from Boneshredda's boyz.

Turn 1 - Goffs

The entire Goff battle line surges forward. Unfortunately
for the Orks, they fail every single declared charge, and are
left exposed to the incoming Fists firepower.

Jawchoppa's Skarboyz lost 8 boyz to Hektor's Overwatch fire, and then failed the charge, losing boyz for no gain.

Turn 2 - Imperial Fists

Tactical Doctrine is active.

The Recitation of Focus is inspiring for Squad Hektor.

The advance continues. Skrag's Gretchin were not within
1" of the Relic, so Sgt Hektor was able to pick it up for
safe keeping.

Hektor intends to stop the Gretchin from making off with the Relic, but they first unload their firepower into Jawchoppa's Skarboyz, killing 13. Squad Beta adds their firepower as well, killing 6, as does Chaplain Gregorios, who slays the last 2 and takes a wound off Jawchoppa himself.

Nikephoros and the Razorback pour firepower into
Boneshredda's boyz, killing 8, before they smash into
the Goffs.

Hektor is forced to try to finish Jawchoppa off in
glorious close combat.

Captain Arastos and Chaplain Gregorios also smash
into the grots, eager for some glory.

Metal vs flesh...again.

Sgt Hektor makes quick work of Jawchoppa with his
trusty power sword.

Skrag ends up being the only survivor after the
Terminators and Captain Arastos finish swinging.

Insane Bravery was called for (2 CP), to ensure that Hektor was still tied up with Skrag, to deny them Overwatch capability. Thanks to Tactical Expertise, the Goffs recovered 1 CP.

Turn 2 - Goffs

Goregasha's Nobz pick their way through the ruins
and prepare to save Skrag from the hands of the 'umies.

Bonekleava and Arastos prepare for another duel to the death.

Big Mek Nogbugg thinks he has a good shot against
Chaplain Gregorios. And he did, mauling him badly
with Da Killa Klaw.

Painboy Bloodcuttah gives Nikephoros a wide berth, 
and decides the Razorback is more to his liking.

Using Unstoppable Green Tide (3 CP with none recovered),
Boneshredda rounds up some more nearby Skarboyz to
have annuver go.

Worried about the multiple power fists, Goregasha's
Nobz activate first, but can only kill one Terminator.

Captain Arastos Counter Attacks (2 CP), put only manages
to do 3 damage to Bonekleava. In return, Bonekleava only
doles out a meager 2 damage.

Captain Arastos turned aside 6 of 7 wounding strikes from Bonekleava in a stunning display of Storm Shield usage, and then ignored wound via his Adamantine Mantle, taking only 2 damage.

Bloodcuttah deals 4 damage.

Boneshredda's Skarboyz slam into Beta, wiping them out.

Boss Zagstruck engages a tac squad, wiping them out.

Hektor swings back, killing Skrag and three of Goregasha's Nobz.

Bonekleava decides to Get Stuck In, Ladz (3 CP), to
fight again, and he dominates Arastos utterly, laying 
him low yet again.

This time, Captain Arastos failed 5 of 6 wounding strikes from Bonekleava, apparently buckling under the continued onslaught from the beast. With 9 damage coming in, he ignored 4 points via his Mantle, but the 5 points that got through were more than enough to drop him.

Boneshredda's boyz consolidate into squad Alpha
to prevent any shooting. Alpha managed to kill 4 boyz.

Turn 3 - Imperial Fists

Tactical Doctrine is active.

Score 10 points for possessing the Relic.

Nikephoros invokes the Wisdom of the Ancients (1 CP).

Razorback backs out of combat with Painboy Bloodcuttah.
Nikephoros unloads his entire payload into him and does
...nothing. But he did end Nogbugg with his Dreadnought
Chainfist quickly, and messily.

Goregasha fights first, killing one terminator and wounding one more,
then being pulped by repeated powerfist shots.

Only 8 boyz could attack, managing to hack down only two Marines.

Turn 3 - Goffs

"Gimme dat wirly-burly fing dere, 'umie"...

6 attacks turned into 8 hits, at S 12...

and Bonekleava is left standing on the Relic.

Boneshredda's boyz finish off squad Alpha and pour out 
of the ruins.

Boss Zagstruck is determined to exact revenge for the
death of Nogbugg...

...and meets the same fate, being mangled by the chainfist.

Turn 4 - Imperial Fists

Assault Doctrine is active.

Nikephoros invokes the Wisdom of the Ancients (1 CP) again.

Nikephoros decides to end the impertinent Warboss...

...and does so very, very messily. (15 unsaved damage)
Nikephoros can't pick up the Relic, however, being not Infantry.

Turn 4 - Goffs

Boneshredda's boyz fill the street...

...and charge to dreadnought, denying him the Relic.
They can't pick it up either though, they need to kill him.

Turn 5 - Imperial Fists

Painboy Bloodcuttah FINALLY finishes off the Razorback,
and Boneshredda and his Skarboyz finally bring down 
Brother Nikephoros.

Turn 5 - Goffs

Boneshredda picks up the Relic at the end of the movement phase.

Goffs claim the Relic!

Score

Imperial Fists: 10

Goffs: 60

Unit Experience

Strike Force Arastos

Strike Force Arastos:        +1 RP (Mission Reward)

Captain Arastos:                +1 XP (Battle), + 3 XP (Marked)

Chaplain Gregorios:            +1 XP (Battle)

Contemptor Nikephoros:    +1 XP (Battle), Battle Scar - Weakened Armour, +2 Kills

Terminator Squad Hektor:    +1 XP (Battle), +2 XP (Cull), +2 Kills

Tactical Squad Alpha:            +1 XP (Battle)

Tactical Squad Beta:               +1 XP (Battle), +1 XP (Cull)

Tactical Squad Gamma:          +1 XP (Battle)

Razorback:                                +1 XP (Battle), +1 XP (Cull)

Goffs

Waaagh! Bonekleava:         +1 RP (Mission Reward)

Warboss Bonekleava:         +1 XP (Battle), +3 XP (Kingslayer), +3 XP (Marked), +2 Kills

Big Mek Nogbugg:            +1 XP (Battle), +1 Kill

Painboy Bloodcuttah:        +1 XP (Battle), +1 Kill

Goregasha's Nobz:            +1 XP (Battle)

Jawchoppa's Skarboyz:    +1 XP (Battle)

Boneshredda's Skarboyz:    +1 XP (Battle), + 2 XP (Reaper), +3 Kills

Summary

After having seen the new Beast Snagga Boyz sneek peek, I am pretty sure that Skarboyz as a 1 CP upgrade will be a thing of the past. I also have a sinking feeling that Unstoppable Green Tide will not be a thing anymore. It's really that stratagem that keeps Orks in these games, and gives them a leg up. It allows you to basically undo someone's shooting if they don't wipe the squad, and reposition that unit to threaten an unprotected area of the battle map. 

S5 boyz for 8 points are probably living on borrowed time. Time will tell what the points costs are for the new snaggas. We'll see how things go!

Until next time, happy gaming!