Inaugural Battle Report: Orks vs. Space Marines 500 pts.

With Pete's visit coming up, I knew we would finally have a chance to play our first game of 40k in many years. The week before his visit, I worked furiously to get a little half-decent terrain put together for our battles. It is not quite done so I will wait to showcase the terrain project until a future post. The terrain wasn't fully painted and there wasn't quite enough of it, but it would do fine for our first battle.


The Armies:

Pete decided to start a new Space Marine chapter since his old models are buried away somewhere at Bill's house. So for this game, he brought everything he owned: a 10-man Tactical squad with missile launcher and flamer, split into two combat teams; 5-man Devastator squad  with 2 x heavy bolters, lascannon, plasma cannon; 5-man tactical Terminator squad with assault cannon. He only had a handful of models fully painted for this game. By default, he had to use an Unbound army since he didn't have the models to use a Detachment. He elected his Terminator sergeant as his Warlord. He decided to use the Chapter Traits of the Imperial Fists, which allowed him to re-roll to-hit rolls of 1's with bolt pistols, bolters or heavy bolters. His total came to 510 points.

For the first time, I was able to field an army that was fully-painted by me, now that I finally had a Warboss! I had over 700 points of painted models so I had a bit of choice on what I wanted to field. I elected to keep things simple with a solid core of boyz and some fast attack units to give me flexibility. I used the standard Combined Arms Detachment (the basic Force Organization Chart that we have used since 3rd Edition) as this allowed my troops to have the Objective Secured upgrade (so if they are on a contested objective, they get priority on claiming the objective over any unit that does not have Objective Secured) and it allowed me to re-roll my Warlord Trait. I ended up with "Brutal but Kunnin'", which allowed my Warboss to re-roll a single failed to-wound or to-hit roll each turn. The Ork Army:
Warboss with power klaw, 'eavy armor, boss pole, cybork body (99 pts)
18 slugga boyz, nob w/ klaw and boss pole (148 pts)
14 shoota boyz, big shoota, nob (113 pts)
4 x warbikes (twin-linked dakka guns) (72 pts)
Skorcha (35 pts)
Warbuggy with twin-linked rokkits (25 pts)
Total: 502 points (Note that I could have taken one extra shoota boy with my spare points, which I did in the next games.)


Game Setup:

We elected to play the first mission in the rule book, Crusade, with only two objectives due to the small size of the game. Holding each objective was worth 3 victory points (VP) at the end of the game, which could go 5 - 7 turns. You could also earn 1 VP for each of the following: killing the first unit, killing the opposing Warlord, having a unit in the enemy deployment zone at end of game. We didn't follow the game set-up rules exactly because there was so much to figure out. Instead, I set-up the terrain, we mutually-agreed where to put the objectives, Pete selected a table half, we elected to use long-edge deployment zones. There wasn't quite enough terrain so the battlefield was pretty wide open, looking like a frozen, windswept mesa. Then we followed the new rules for deployment and turn order: we rolled-off and I won so I got to decide whether to deploy first and go first, or deploy second and go second. Being an ork, I elected to deploy and go first, of course! We forgot to roll for Night Fighting.

We decided that our armies represented small patrols split away from the main battle to recover some needed mineral-extraction technology that was abandoned by the human miners when the war zone unexpectedly moved into this high-altitude, frozen desert. The equipment was needed by both sides to provide the resources required to continue the mechanized war far from supply zones.


Deployment

I set up with the boyz in a broad front between the two objectives, figuring that Pete would need to deploy at least some troops directly opposite me. The Warboss joined the shoota boyz since their nob didn't have a boss pole or klaw, due to me modeling him years ago without knowledge of the rules. I setup the bikes and buggies on opposite flanks to provide some mobility, covering fire and to draw shooting away from the boyz. I assumed I would have the first turn so I didn't try to use much cover. I started everything as far forward as possible.

Ork Deployment: From left to right: buggy, skorcha, shoota boyz and boss, slugga boyz, bikes.

The Space Marines deployed second, having the advantage of seeing how my army was arranged. Pete elected to place his two Tactical combat teams in the center, with the Devastators on his left flank and the Terminators behind the large hill on his right flank. The objectives were the two grey canisters, one on the central large hill and the other on the rock slope to the ork right/marine left.

Space Marine deployment. From left to right: Devastators, Tactical w/ flamer, Tactical w/ missile, Terminators.

Pete rolled to Seize the Initiative (steal the first turn on a 6) but didn't get it.

The Game

Ork Turn 1
The orks surged forward bellowing their war cries, eager to get to grips with the enemy. They had been waiting for a good brawl for a long time! The bikes opened their throttles and tore down the right flank in a cloud of oily dust. The buggy and skorcha raced down the left flank, eager to collect the prized trophies of Terminator helmets!

Positions at the end of the first Ork shooting phase.

The rokkit buggy opened the hostilities by firing into the Terminator squad and scoring a hit and wound, but the impressive Terminator armor deflected the damage, a trend that was going to continue through the battle. (Pete made an excellent tactical move by putting his Terminators on the flank with my rokkits, which would have ignored the saves of his power armor!) The skorcha moved flat-out to get closer and reach the cover of a pile of granite. The bikers heard the first rokkits exploding and became all the more eager to cause some carnage of their own, opening up on the Devastator squad with their dakka gunz. Despite taking three wounds, the Devastators' armor prevented any marines from going down. Both mobs of boyz in the center elected to run during the shooting phase in order to close the gap more quickly and get stuck in!

Space Marine Turn 1
After shrugging off the impact of an ork rokkit, the terminators determinedly marched forward toward the objective marker, bringing their guns to bear on the incoming mob of ork shoota boyz clambering up the hill. The sergeant gave the command and the assault cannon and storm bolters thundered to life, ejecting a hail of hot steel. In a spray of green gore, five orks were ripped to pieces by the explosive shells. The Devastators held their ground behind the rocks and fired their array of heavy weapons into the oncoming ork bikerz, but the speeding bikers were jinking and swerving with such skill and speed that they were able to avoid any casualties! The Tactical team with the flamer moved forward toward the main ork mob, taking out three slugga boyz with their bolters at long range due to their Chapter's extreme skill with the weapons. The Tactical combat team with the  missile launcher remained stationary and fired at the slugga boyz as well. The frag missile scattered away into the rocks and exploded without hitting any orks. However, one marine was able to fell an ork with his bolt gun. The shoota boyz took a morale check due to the casualties, but passed thanks to the presence of the bellowing Warboss.

The end of the first marine Movement phase. Pete rolling for his shooting!

End of first marine Shooting phase. Five shoota boyz and four slugga boyz killed.

Ork Turn 2
After absorbing the full array of Space Marine firepower, the orks were bloodied, but not deterred! The incoming fire filled the remaining orks with the thrilling joy of battle and the two mobs of boyz continued to stampede forward in the Movement phase. The bikes sped towards the Devastator squad in the rocks with guns blazing. Their massed fire was able to bring down two of the superhuman warriors (plasma cannon and sergeant), the first kills for the orks! On the opposite flank, the skorcha sled sped around behind the Terminators and unleashed a gout of flaming gelatinous oil that sprayed the marine with the assault cannon, but failed to penetrate the massive Terminator armor. The rokkit buggy bounced and skidded across the snowy terrain, letting fly another salvo from the twin-linked rokkit launcha. Once again, the dead-eye gunner hit his target with a lethal shot that was stopped cold by near-impervious armor.

Seeing his enemies directly before him, the mighty Warboss bellowed out a thunderous Waaagh! that carried across the battlefield, driving his boyz into a frenzy as they charged forward, joining their screams to his. Feeding off the massed psychic energy of their fellow orks and their warboss's Waaagh!, both mobs of boyz ran forward during the Shooting phase and charged in the Assault phase. First, the shoota boyz and Warboss sprinted up the slope and toward the Terminators. The Terminators cooly stood their ground and fired Overwatch into the oncoming rush of boyz, killing the nob and one boy. The other orks didn't seem to notice their fallen comrades other than to see that they now had a clearer path to their enemies! The Terminator sergeant did his duty and bravely stepped forward and challenged the Warboss, striking him with his power sword for a wound. The boyz slammed into the Terminators in a mass of stabbing bayonets, swinging shootas, punching and point-blank shooting. Eventually, the tide of green was enough to topple one of the mighty warriors and the boyz leaped onto the fallen marine, tearing and stabbing at the weak points in his armor until he was dead. Finally, the Warboss and the Terminators with power fists exchanged blows. The Warboss decapitated the brave, but outmatched, sergeant and two of his men, cutting through their thick armor with his mighty blade. Even as they were being cut down by the ferocious Warboss, the Terminators fought to their last breath and managed to slay the mighty beast with their power fists by inflicting two more wounds! The lone Terminator stood his ground against the mass of remaining orks.

The warboss and his ladz go toe-to-toe with the Emperor's Finest!

Meanwhile in the center of the battlefield, with the mineral-extraction equipment forgotten in the mad rush, the mob of slugga boyz charged into the Tactical squad with the flamer. Overwatch fire from the marines brought down one ork in a spray of gore, but the remaining 12 boyz and the nob hit the marines like a sledgehammer. The boyz took down three marines with their choppas while the nob crushed the last two with his power klaw. The orks barely lost momentum as they consolidated directly toward the Devastators.

The warbikes charged toward the Devastators, their battle cries drowned-out by the deafening roar of their bikes' engines. The three disciplined marines held their fire until the bikes were almost on top of them and then unleashed their Overwatch at point blank range, slaying three of the bikers! The last warbiker crashed into the marines, but his Hammer of Wrath hit did not wound. The quicker marines struck first in combat and killed the remaining warbiker, wiping out the squad.

The battlefield near the end of the bloodbath that was Ork Turn 2. Four Terminators and five Tactical marines died, along with the ork warboss, two ork boyz, one nob, and all four bikes.

Ork VP: 2 (Slay the Warlord and First Blood secondary objectives)
Marine VP: 2 (Slay the Warlord and First Blood secondary objective)
(Since both sides killed an enemy unit during the same phase, Ork Turn 2 Assault, they both achieved First Blood.)


Space Marine Turn 2
The slugga boyz were terribly exposed, caught in the open between the Devastators and the Tactical combat team with missile launcher. Hell hath no wrath like that of a Space Marine who has just seen his battle brothers cut down by savage aliens. The Devastators' two heavy bolters opened fire and turned three orks into piles of severed limbs and guts, while the lascannon vaporized the nob in a flash of white flame. From the other flank came a hail of extra-accurate bolter fire from the advancing Tactical squad that fell five of the vile beasts. Despite being down to two orks, the blood-crazed barbarians did not flee.

In the melee on the hill, the remaining shoota boyz could not bring down the lone Terminator. The elite human warrior struck back with his power fist and slammed one ork into the ground with a force that shattered its bones. The orks lost combat and failed their morale check and mob rule roll. They turned to flee and the valiant marine reacted with inhuman speed to slay several more and scatter the rest in all directions, ensuring the shoota boyz would not return to the fight.

Ork VP: 2
Marine VP: 2


Ork Turn 3
With the vast majority of the orks killed, things looked pretty bleak for da boyz. But all was not lost as long as da wheelz were still in action. The skorcha sled again let rip with a torrent of flame that wounded the battered and bloodied Terminator while the rokkit buggy launched another round of crude explosives that also hit and wounded. But the mighty armor once again demonstrated why it is legendary across the galaxy by stopping both shots. The last two slugga boyz moved toward the Devastators, firing away but failed to hit anything. They looked at each other and nodded and then charged in with their choppas held high. The three Devastators continued to show how deadly Overwatch can be when it comes from heavy weapons and killed one of the boyz before he could reach combat. In the ensuing melee, no combatants were killed.

End of Ork Turn 3 Movement phase. The ork wheelz continue to pound the Terminator with no success while the last two boyz do the only thing they can: Charge!

Space Marine Turn 3
The Tactical marines rushed to the aid of their battle brothers in the Devastator squad by charging into the lone ork boy and slaying him. Both units consolidated toward the nearby mining equipment. With no orks on the table half, the Marines had the objective well in hand. Over on the hill, the Terminator continued to fight back by marching toward the zooming skorcha and firing his storm bolter, but the large-caliber bullets failed to do any serious damage. So the vengeful marine dashed forward and struck the ramshackle vehicle with his power fist, causing a glancing hit that eliminated one of the two hull points.


Ork VP: 2
Marine VP: 2


Ork Turn 4
Knowing the game could end on the next turn, the ork vehicles roared toward the hilltop objective. Both vehicles continued to pour fire into the stalwart Terminator, but the skorcha failed to wound and the Terminator made his save against the rokkit AGAIN! But the skorcha claimed the hilltop objective for the orks.


Space Marine Turn 4
The unharmed Tactical squad with the missile launcher moved forward and claimed the objective in the rocks for the Imperium. The Devastator marines moved onto the low hill to get a line of sight to the ork objective and the vehicle claiming it.

The orks claim one objective and the Space Marines claim the other.

Ork VP: 5 (+3 for holding an objective when the game ends)
Marine VP: 5 (+3 for holding an objective when the game ends)


Ork Turn 5
The rokkit buggy advanced to the base of the hill and for the fifth consecutive turn took aim at the Terminator and hit him for a wound, but this time... the Terminator went down! The cumulative damage from so many direct hits finally overwhelmed even the might of the Terminator armor. The orks now had firm control of the hilltop, but were in an exposed position and were just hoping the Random Game Length roll would end the game before the vehicle on the objective became target practice for the Imperial heavy weapons.

The ace rokkit gunner lines-up his sights on the Terminator and continues his incredible (un-orky) hitting streak!

Space Marine Turn 5
The notes and photos got a little thin at this point, probably because the kids were now up from their naps and we were hurrying to finish the game. I think the Devastators took out the skorcha at this time.

We rolled for Random Game Length and got another turn.

Ork VP: 2 (lost objective)
Marine VP: 5


Ork Turn 6
The rokkit buggy raced up the hill to claim the now-vacant objective.


Space Marine Turn 6
The Space Marines knew it was critical to stop the orks from escaping with the mineral-extraction equipment that would allow them to accelerate the building of the dreaded Gargants and other massive war machines. After seeing their commander cut down on the hill top, they vowed no ork would escape this day. The two heavy bolters, lascannon and missile launcher all fired at the distant warbuggy. One heavy bolter shell glanced the vehicle's frame and took off a hull point, but the missile launcher and lascannon both missed the speeding vehicle! If the game ended now, the despicable xenos beasts would carry-off their objective and the battle would be a draw.

We rolled for Random Game length and got a seventh and final turn!

Ork VP: 5 (re-claimed objective)
Marine VP: 5


Ork Turn 7
The buggy was out of range, but couldn't move forward to shoot and lose the objective. There was nothing to do, but sit and hope for the marines to miss! Not a very enviable position.


Space Marine Turn 7
Given another chance, the marines made it count and blasted the last orks off the hilltop with a mass salvo of heavy weapons fire. All the orks were eliminated so the Space Marines claimed victory!

The day ended with the marines alone on the field of battle, having vanquished ork threat and recovered the critical objective.

Final Ork VP: 2
Final Marine VP: 5

Space Marine Victory!


Highlights, Lowlights and Closing Thoughts
This was our first game in years and it was a blast! It has everything: momentum swings, crazy dice rolling, and lots of last-minute suspense, especially as we rolled to see if the game would end with the ork buggy on the objective for a draw. We had to check a lot of rules as we went, but it never bogged the game down.

First my thoughts on the battle and then my impressions of the new rules.

Overall, the table was too open and we did not have enough terrain that blocked lines of sight or provided cover, especially in the middle of the table, mostly due to the fact that I didn't have time to build more terrain before Pete's visit. A few buildings, ruins, and tall hills will fix that. The real turning of the battle point was my second turn when the bikes were cut down by the Devastator's crazy Overwatch fire and then killed in close combat. I thought the slugga boyz would kill their tactical squad be sitting ducks for the Devastators if I didn't charge them (which they were!) and I figured that even if the bikes couldn't do much damage in close combat, I had a much better chance exchanging blows in an assault that exchanging shots. All I really wanted was to tie them up for a turn or two until the slugga boyz arrived from the other combat, but alas, the bikes were cut to ribbons and the Devastators and Tactical squad showed how decimating shooting can be against orks in the open. After my right flank was crushed, I knew the best I could hope for was a draw. A big rule change is the loss of the ability to consolidate into a new assault. When you charge in and kill a unit, your unit will be left standing in the open.

The other backbreaking moment came in the assault with the Terminators when my Warboss was struck down, greatly reducing my odds of eventually winning that combat. He was in the front row and wounds are allocated to the closest models first so he was killed by the power fists. Next time, I need to leave him in the second row! And in the next turn, I lost one ork in combat and the rest of the mob tried to run and were caught in a sweeping advance and destroyed. I am confident that if those boyz could have hung in there another turn, they would have taken down that Terminator by the shear weight of saves he would have had to make. And of course, I have to mention that crack shot gunner on the rokkit buggy. I think he hit all five times he fired. If he would have been shooting regular marines instead of Terminators, the battle may have turned out very differently, but Pete made a brilliant move putting his heavy armor on the flank with my rokkits, whether he did it on purpose or not! Despite all that, we were one dice roll away from a draw thanks to the hard-hitting of orks in close combat and the much-greater resilience of vehicles in the new rules.

The thing that impressed me most from the orks is how much quicker they can get into combat with the power of the Waaagh! allowing them to run and assault on the same turn and their 'Ere We Go! special rule that allows them to re-roll one charge dice. Two ork units made successful second turn charges, but it was only due to Pete moving his marines forward towards the objectives instead of standing back in his deployment zone, which he could have done. The weapons that performed best were the power klaws. The two klaws in my army killed more marines than anything else. The average ork boy performed... average. They can get into combat quicker and they hit fairly hard on the assault with Furious Charge. But they take a lot of losses to shooting as they move in, absorb Overwatch fire, and then the enemy's close combat attacks at (inevitably) higher initiative. By the time the orks get to swing, they will have taken serious casualties. And in rounds of combat that they don't charge, they lose the +1 STR and +1A and have a hard time taking down a marine since mobs of boyz can no longer have burnas. Additionally, the new mob rule makes every morale check a heart-pounding moment, especially when you lose combat! But I think I just need to play more games with them to figure out how to best to use the army. I think the orks are a bit trickier to use properly than some armies (as you'll see in the second game!) and I just need to keep experimenting to see what works right.

From the marine side, I was very impressed at just how tough marines are to bring down and how effective their bolter fire can be. But the thing that left the biggest impression is the danger of charging into a Devastator squad that can fire Overwatch! They get to shoot all their weapons as Snap Shots. They may only hit on a 6, but the two heavy bolters got three shots each so they were bound to get some 6's! It used to be a no-brainer to assault a Devastator squad, but now you really have to think twice. And that Terminator armor was just incredibly resilient against everything except a power klaw. Wow, he made a LOT of saves. The marines showed they are as versatile and durable as they have always been. The new Rapid Fire weapon rules allow the marines to be much more mobile while still laying down a hail of fire. With a bolt gun, bolt pistol, frag and krak grenades and "And They Shall Know No Fear", the average marine is a tough opponent capable of hurting you in a multitude of ways and you should not underestimate them.

My thoughts on the mission are that seven turns is really long! (The games last from 5 - 7 turns.) To his credit, Pete moved aggressively toward the objectives with two of his squads on his first turn. In hindsight, he didn't have to. He could have stayed back in his deployment zone, killed all my orks and then strolled up to the objective at his leisure, which is what eventually happened with his second tactical squad.

Overall, we had an amazing time and played two more games after the kids went to bed. I can't wait until we have some properly finished terrain and fully-painted armies. This is just the beginning!

Thanks for reading.