SparkeyG and I decided to play hookie from work yesterday and head to the Chicago Bunker for a 5000 point per side apocalypse battle. We got there at opening, right around noon, and pushed a couple of tables together, and proceeded to complete a full game before heading across the street to Hooters for beers & wings. A much better day than working, to be sure.
Included below will be many tales of valour and pictures from the engagement, fully painted and
WYSIWYG, 5000 points per side.
First, though, a short paragraph about the new bunker. The Chicago Bunker has just been remodeled. They moved next door to their old location. The new layout is store in front, and a large game room with tables in the back. As you might see in the pictures that follow, they do not yet have any pictures or, well, anything, on the walls in this room yet, though we've been promised that they're coming. They have replaced all their old foam core tables with Realm of Battle boards (which I'm fairly neutral about, as they do provide a stable and resilient surface, in spite of all being the same), but they have also replaced all of the terrain in the store with citadel terrain pieces, and, not enough of them. I'm kind of disappointed in this, as there was some really cool terrain there in the past, and it seems like it's another aspect of creativity that's being replaced with uniform corportate stuff... But I digress. On to the battle.
We both knew what army the other would be bringing, and had vague ideas about what type of armies would be present. I, for example, knew SparkeyG would be running his full battle company, and he knew I was going to be bringing mostly boyz.
SparkeyG's Ultramarine 3rd Company: 1 Battle Company Formation (3065 points):
Captain in power armour, Command Squad,
HB Razorback
Tactical Squad I: Lascannon/Meltagun, Sgt, Rhino
Tactical Squad II: Plasma Gun/Plasma Cannon, Sgt, Rhino
Tactical Squad III: Missile/Flamer, Sgt w/ Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad IV: Missile/Melta, Sgt w/ Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad V: Lascannon/Flamer, Sgt w/ Powerfist, Rhino
Tactical Squad
VI: Plasma Cannon//Melta, Sgt w/ Powerfist, Rhino
Assault Squad VII: 2 Flamers, Sgt w/ Powerfist
Assault Squad VIII: 2 plasma pistols, Sgt w/ Powerfist
Devastator Squad IX: 4x plasma cannons, Rhino
Devastator Squad X: 4x heavy bolters, Rhino
Hextad of Ancients Formation (1140 Points):
Chaplain Dreadnought w/ plasma cannon
Venerable Dreadnought w/
TL-lascannon
Dread w/ multi-melta
Dread w/ 2x
TL-autocannons
Ironclad Dread w/ Hurricane Bolter, Seismic Hammer
Venerable Dread w/ Assault Cannon
Librarian w/ Null-zone & Avenger (100)
5
TH/
SS termies (200)
Land Raider Redeemer (240)
Land Raider Achilles (325)
Redbeard's Boyz: Big Boss Thoghar RedBeard, Mega Armour, Cybork Body, Attack Squig (grot) (125)
Boss Skarzad, Warbike, Cybork Body, Power Klaw, Attack Squig (150)
Big Mek w/ Forcefield, Powerklaw, Cybork Body (Wheelz da Mek) (115)
Big Mek w/ Forcefield (85)
Pain Boss (From
IA 8) (50)
30 Goff 'Ard Boyz (3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob) (370)
30 Bad Moon Slugga Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Evil Suns (red) Slugga Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Goff Slugga Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Evil Suns (orange) Slugga Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Goff Shoota Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Deffskull Shoota Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Bloodaxe Shoota Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
30 Evil Suns Shoota Boyz, 3 rokkits,
PK/Bosspole Nob (250)
20 Evil Suns Stormboyz (
PK/Bosspole Nob) (280)
20 Blood Axe Stormboyz (
PK/Bosspole Nob) (280)
7 Goff Lootas (105)
7 Goff Lootas (105)
7 Bad Moon Lootas (105)
7 Bad Moon Lootas (105)
7 Deffskull Lootas (105)
6 Deffskull Lootas (90)
15 Blood Axe Kommandos, 2 burnas,
PK/Bosspole Nob (220)
Battlewagon, Kannon, Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Deff rolla, Grot Rigger (135)
Battlewagon, 2x Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Deff rolla, Grot Rigger, Red Paint (135)
Battlewagon, 2x Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Deff rolla, Grot Rigger (130)
Battlewagon, 2x Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Deff rolla, Grot Rigger (130)
Battlewagon, 2x Big Shoota, Boarding Plank, Deff rolla, Grot Rigger (130)
Big Squiggoth (50)
371 orks, 5 battlewagons and a Squiggoth.
Following the rules in the Apocalypse book, we roll up the sides. I bid 30 minutes to deploy, SparkeyG bids 5. We place objectives (in pictures, they're the tops of dice boxes and 40mm bases with dead marines on them). with a notable cluster of three within a square foot area on the right (from my perspective) flank. Figure that's where the fighting will be thickest. I pick the stratagem that allows me to re-roll terrain tests, figuring going slow with this many boyz will be bad. SparkeyG has several stratagems, including orbital bombardment and careful planning, with his formations and declines to take another. (We had agreed no flank marching prior to the game too).
Deployment The Marines deploy lightly, with just their heavy armour and Hextad of Ancients on the table. Their Careful Planning allows them to see where the orks will set up before committing to the field.
Da Boyz take a little longer to deploy. The Goff 'Ard Boyz, joined by Thoghar and the Painboss are deployed centrally to anchor the line. Bad Moon Slugga boyz are on the right, closest to the three objectives, and Evil Suns slugga boyz, with Weelz, are to the left. Left of them, Skarzad and the Evil Suns Stormboyz face off against the Land Raiders. The Deff Skull shoota boyz are behind the front line, no one trusts them with an objective.
The orks have a unit of goff slugga boyz, a unit of goff shoota boyz, a unit of evil suns slugga boyz, and blood axe kommanos and stormboyz in strategic reserve.
A vast empty killing field separates the two armies:
The Lootas all mount up in the battlewagons and squiggoth, ready to provide long-range support. The Blood Axe Shoota boyz are entrusted to guard the left-flank objective, and the Evil Suns shoota boyz protect the rear.
Turn One, Ultramarines With their Careful planning, half of the Ultramarines ride on. Three tactical squads, a Devastator Squad w/ Heavy bolters, and the command razorback (on the left).
The Hextad of Ancients are apparently subject to Fury, and advance! The Land Raider Redeemer, now loaded with the terminators, charges ahead at full throttle.
And the Marines open fire...
A hole has been blown inside the ork lines as the thunderfire cannon on the Achilles takes its toll.
Turn One: Orks The orks shuffle a bit, most notably, Skarzad and the Stormboyz pull back away from the redeemer. Ork shooting explodes one venerable dread, and immobilizes the Ironclad.
And three marines from the closest tactical squad are killed by rokkits.
Turn Two: Marines So far, the two sides have been feeling each other out, but something is about to happen... The rest of the marines arrive, all bolstering the right side, near the objective cluster. That's 57 men.
In addition, 20 assault marines bravely (foolishly?), deep strike behind the ork lines, hoping to surround and destroy them.
Marine shooting for the turn kills a few boyz, but amazingly, 'ard boyz with a pain boss are quite resilient.
Elements of the Ultramarines First Company hope to show their brethren what it is to be a Marine, and launch the first assault into the Evil Suns slugga boyz.
They kill 10 boyz (including no-retreat), but lose two terminators in the exchange. Perhaps more importantly though, they have bunched up the orks for a followup.
Turn Two: Orks It turns out that the Marines aren't the only ones with reserve elements, as Goff shoota boyz and Evil suns slugga boyz arrive to find marines where no marines were expected.
Where this is in relation to the rest of the battle:
Showing the cunning of Gork, Thoghar and the Painboss leave the 'ard Boyz to charge the marine line, joining with the Deffskull Shootas.
Skarzad and the Storm Boyz pounce. Skarzad and the Stormboy nob attack the redeemer, while the stormboyz attempt to fight off the terminators.
Meanwhile, the Blood Axe komandos have outflanked the Marine lines, arriving to shoota, and then charge, the Heavy Bolter devastators.
Ork shooting kills another of the Ancients. It also explodes the Ultramarine Command Razorback.
And the 'ard Boyz rush the lines.
The assault marines were shot up some before they were charged:
Waaaagh!
The Terminators are killed, but the redeemer emerges unharmed.
'Ard Boyz are left exposed.
The kommandos achieve their mission, the devastators are gone.
As are those assault marines...
Turn Three: Marines The remaining ancients are still subject to fury, and turn around, angry that the kommandos would be there.
A few of the Emperor's Finest shoot the 'ard Boyz.
The redeemer doesn't move, in order to achieve maximum flamestormage. The Achilles' Thunderfire adds to the tally:
Though, the Skarzad and the Stormboyz Nob immobilize the redeemer in revenge, pulling off its multimelta and assault cannon.
Not pictured: The command squad that lost their razorback embarked into the Achilles. This will become relevant. Also, on turn three, the Orbital Bombardment came in. Targeted on Thoghar's squad of Deffskull shoota boyz, it kills about eight, as they were pretty spread out.
Turn Three: Orks Battle is about to be truly joined. The Blood Axe Stormboyz arrive from reserve, and with a mega-boost from their rokkit packs (rolled a '6') prepare to assault. In the distance (left in this picture), a mob of Goff slugga boyz also arrives, and the Evil Suns sluggas and Goff shootas advance.
The kommandos, having drawn the ire of the Furious dreadnoughts figure they might as well do some damage on their way out.
Skarzad and the remaining Stormboyz plan to assault the Achilles.
The ork armour advances!
And the big melee begins. The Bad Moons and Blood Axe Stormboyz hit the lines. You'll note, the two surviving 'ard boyz also assaulted a unit, took a wound on the nob, who then wiffed with his powerklaw, and the both of them turned and ran.
More boyz survive than beakies.
The kommandos pull an arm off the autocannon dreadnought, who shall hear-after be known as stumpy.
And the Achilles is immobilized, and loses its Thunderfire cannon:
Turn Four: Marines The other dreadnoughts are not amused at how Stumpy is being treated, they join the fight...
That was easy...
The command squad hops out of the Achilles, and kills off Skarzad and the Evil Suns stormboyz.
But the Marine Line starts to break:
The Command Squad triumphant, momentarily...
The Stormboyz also have their moment of triumph. The Bad Moons do not fare as well, and that combat prolongs.
Turn Four: Orks An overview of where things seem to be:
Thoghar's Mega-armour acts up, ensuring that the Deffskull shoota boyz won't be able to get into assault this turn. The Blood Axe Stormboyz don't let this hold them back.
All the lootas and battlewagons open up on the command squad. Picture taken post-shooting:
Weelz Da Mek has decided that discretion is smarter than hanging with those three Evil Suns, and has retreated to the armour.
The Stormboyz and Bad Moons both win their combats. Three marines from one squad are running, but the other squad held.
Turn Five: Marines Two tactical squads open up on Thoghar's unit of Deffskulls. The Stormboyz finished their combat. The two remaining active dreads contributed some light fire, but are mostly out
Turn Five: Orks It's mostly over but for the mopping up. More boyz are waving in to secure the objectives.
While the last of the Marines are engaged. Thoghar has finally made it into the fight.
The Stormboyz finish the running marines off.
Waaaagh!
And Thoghar kills off four on his own.
The surviving Marine Devastators wonder what does it all mean?
The surviving Hextad of Ancients have not moved more than 12" from their starting position. Fury is a bitch.
The Wall of Rollas
And the poor mek who has to cleanup after the squiggoth...
Hope you enjoyed reading.
2000 (RT era Thousand Sons), 
2000 (Undivided), 
2500 (Skaven), 
"I'm making a Tau army in Warhammer 40k, is this a good idea?" No tau army's a good idea 
Very big bloodbath! I like this, as it has everything you need for a battle:painted models, nice armies, nice terrian and just a plain awesome battle!
Lots of Orks. Waaagh!
Rude Orks. Waaagh!
Mekthinks.Waaagh!
-5000 points 
Sanguine Fist 
