Infiltrating Broodlord
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Played my first game of 5th edition last night - it was awesome! 1000 pts of Orks vs Imperial Guard.
These are not tournament-optimized armies by any standard (I had to take Carapace Armor to
get up to 1000 pts without fielding unpainted models...)
My army: Imperial Guard
Doctrines: Drop Troopers, Iron Discipline, Carapace Armor, Close Order Discipline
HQ
Command Squad: HSO w BP/CCW and ID, frags; Medic, Standard Bearer, Mortar team
Anti-Tank Squad: 3 Lascannons
Troops
Infantry Platoon:
Command Squad: Jo w PP/PW, Honorifica, Medallion Crimson, Frag and Krak; 2 Meltas, 2 Flamers,
(Drop Troopers)
Infantry Squad: Plasmagun and Missile Launcher, Sgt w LP/CCW
Infantry squad: Plasmagun and Missile Launcher, Sgt w LP/CCW
Armored Fist Squad: Plasmagun and Autocannon, Sgt w LP/CCW; Chimera w ML/HHB, Smoke, EA.
Heavy Support
Leman Russ Battle Tank w HLC, SpHB, Smoke, EA.
His army: Orks
HQ
Warboss w slugga/choppa
Big Mek w KFF, Klaw
Elite
6 Burna Boyz
4 MegaNobz, mounted in a Trukk
Troops
20 Shoota Boyz: 2 Big Shootas
10? 'Ard Boyz: 1 Rokkit
Heavy Support
Looted Vehicle w Boomgun
Looted Vehicle w Boomgun
Terrain: one big two-level hill just west of center, and a smaller 2" high hill or LOS-blocking building in each
quadrant. A 4" tall 3" square LOS-blocking tower occupied the western half of the big hilltop, and another tower stood
in the center of the eastern half of the board. In the middle of the eastern edge was a 12"x12" fenced area with
crates inside (5+ save). Two curved lines of sandbags in the north and two in the south provided 4+ saves.
Mission: Capture and Control (keep your own objective and take the enemy's)
Deployment: Pitched Battle (long table edges).
Objectives: Orks won the roll-off and elected to go first. They chose the north side, putting their objective
out of sight behind the northeastern hill. I put mine near my table edge behind the southwestern sandbags, with
plenty of good sight lines for shooting from it (or at it).
Ork Deployment: The Orks (in the North) put a Looted Vehicle in each corner, and anchored their east corner with only
the Mega-Armored Nobz in the Trukk. The Shoota Boyz went down just west of center, with the 'Ard Boyz
and Warboss behind them. The Big Mek attached to the Burna Boyz went just west of the Shoota Boyz,
making sure to keep within 6" of each unit for the KFF.
Guard Deployment: I put my 2 Infantry Platoon squads down behind the sandbags in front of my objective,
with the HQ command squad hiding behind the building in the west corner, within 12" of the 1st infantry squad only
(uh, oops). The Armored Fist squad deployed inside their Chimera just east of center. The Lascannons went on top
of the southeastern hill, and the Leman Russ deployed to the east of that hill, near the fenced-off area of crates.
Ork Turn 1: The mass of Boyz all ran forward and east, hiding from my infantry squads behind the big
center-west hill. The Nobz drove up to the middle of the east side in their Trukk. The eastern Looted
Vehicle scattered a Kannon shot just off the LRBT (no damage) but the western Looted Vehicle landed one
square on one of my infantry squads, covering the whole thing! I took 8 wounds and decided to Go to Ground,
so I only lost 3 men (3+ cover save).
Guard Turn 1: The Antitank Lascannon squad took aim at the Nobz Trukk, but only managed to burn off its Big Shoota.
The LRBT's LC managed to immobilize it though (yay!). The Infantry Platoon's missile launchers missed
both Looted Vehicles. The Chimera rolled up, dumped out the Armored Fist squad behind the southeastern
sandbags, and punked 2 Shoota Boyz with its Multilaser.
Ork Turn 2: The eastern Looted Vehicle had a mishaps and surged forwards almost ramming the Trukk. The
Nobz got out of the Trukk but ended up being more Slow than Purposeful and didn't get very far from it.
The 'Ard Boyz split from the main mass of Orks and began running across the back of the board towards
their own objective in the northeastern corner. The rest ran forward up onto the center-west hill. The
western Looted Vehicle landed another shot right on top of my intact Infantry Squad, hitting 9 of them.
They went to ground and only lost 3 men. It was enough for a test though, when I realized that my
HQ with the standard was too far away to support that squad (oops). Luckily I rolled a 6 for LD7...
Guard Turn 2: The HQ squad began legging it along the southern edge of the board towards my own objective,
with the aim of getting my 2nd Infantry squad into the LD bubble. The LRBT moved up a bit to get LOS around
the hill on the Shoota Boyz, and managed to kill 5 with a minimally scattered BC shot (damned KFF!). The Lascannon
squad took the Kannon off of the eastern looted vehicle (yay!) while Chimera squad blew up the Trukk
with a multilaser shot, wounding a Nob. The Armored Fist squad shot at the disembarked MegaNobz - the plasmagun
overheated (thankfully the Carapace Armor saved the plasmagunner) but one lasgun shot managed to find a chink in the MegaArmor
and drop a Nob! OVer in the west, my Infantry squad bounced a missile ineffectually off
of the western Looted Vehicle. At the end of my turn I realized I'd forgotten to roll for reserves (oops).
Ork Turn 3: The western Looted Vehicle shot at my 2nd infantry squad again, but it scattered somewhat and only tagged
3 of them. I elected not to go to ground this time, and only lost two men. My HSO was now in range of the
2nd infantry squad so they held fast. The 3 remaining MegaNobz got Purposeful and surged 5" forward towards my
Armored Fist squad, as the 'Ard Boyz continued trudging eastwards along their own table edge, and the rest of the Boyz
ran up onto the hill. The Ork Warboss declared a Wagghhh! but only the Nobz were close enough to actually charge.
They managed to contact both the AF squad and its Chimera. One MegaNob ripped both weapons off the Chimera, while
the other two killed 7 guardsmen. The AF squad broke and ran, but only 3 inches, while the MegaNobz consolidated
towards the LRBT
Guard Turn 3: My Platoon Command came in from Reserves, dropping down neatly a few inches away from the Nobz
(perfect!). Not only that, but that put the JO with Honorifica within 12" of the AF squad, who rallied (yay
for Iron Discipline!). The Platoon Command meltas missed, the flamers didn't get past the Mega-Armor, but
the Officer's Plasma Pistol put a wound on one Nob. The Anti-Tank Squad burned away 2 more Nobz with their Lascannons
(instant death) and the rallied Armored Fist Plasmagunner got a hit on the last Nob, boiling him alive in his
Mega-Armor. The LRBT winged a Battle Cannon shot wide, missing everything. The HQ spent the turn running to
finally get into position behind their own objective.
Ork Turn 4: Some bad difficult terrain rolls kept the Orks out of assault distance this turn; the Shoota Boyz elected
not to run, but instead instead fired 28 shots in the general direction of my 2nd infantry squad. Thankfully they
only hit 6 times and killed only two despite my decision to *not* go to ground. That left the 2nd infantry squad with
only 3 men, but the HSO and Standard kept them in line. The Burnaboyz ran up closer (now about 10" away from my lines)
while the Big Mek left them to join the Shoota Boyz mob (staying within 6" of the Burnas of course). The western
Looted Vehicle finally missed a shot with its Boomgun - it *almost* scattered back onto the Burna Boyz, but not quite).
The 'Ard Boyz continued running towards their own objective, and were only about 10 inches from it now. The weaponless
eastern Looted Vehicle stayed in a position to block LOS from the LRBT to the 'Ard Boyz.
Guard Turn 4: The eastern side looked pretty good at this point: Nobz gone, vehicles neutralized, and I still had
the Antitank squad, a rallied 3-man troop squad with a mobile (if weaponless) transport, and my Battle Tank. Not to
mention my Platoon Command squad. On the western side, things were more grim: one infantry squad reduced to 6 men, the
other to 3! With the HQ, that meant a total of 14 guardsmen were nervously staring down 6 Burna Boyz with a Big Mek
and 14 Shoota Boyz with a Warboss.
In the east, the AF squad mounted up in their damaged Chimera and drove 12" forwards to the crater left by the Trukk.
The Platoon Command squad ran up behind an LOS-blocking tower, within 10" range of the 'Ard Boyz (but charging would
draw them away from their objective). The LRBT moved up 6" and shot across-field with the Battle Cannon, taking out
8 Shoota Boyz (despite the KFF), reducing the Mob to 6 (plus the Warboss)! The HSO designated the Burna Boyz as the
number-one threat, and all of the guardsmen in the west poured rapidfire lasguns and plasmaguns, frag missiles,
laspistol shots and a mortar round into the Burna Boyz, eventually reducing them from six to a single Boy.
At this point we ran out of time! The Ork player conceded, noting that he had nothing in the east that could hurt my
Battle Tank (even on rear armour) since his 'Ard Boyz were Nobless. Actually, on checking the rules, 'Ard Boyz have
Furious Charge which gives them +1 S on the charge, meaning they *could* have hurt the tank...
Personally, I think that one more turn would have tied the game or even given the Orks the win. That single Burna Boy
would have leveled my Infantry squad of 6, and the 6 Shoota Boyz + Big Mek + Warboss would have rolled the squad of 3.
That would have removed all of my troops from my objective. The Orks probably wouldn't have reached the HQ squad,
so my objective would have remained contested if the game ended on Turn 5...but one more turn and the Orks would have
taken it. I doubt that a mortar, boltpistol and a few lasguns would have killed enough boyz - and shooting at them
would leave the Burna Boy to torch my HQ squad on the Ork turn 6. No way out! I could chance an LRBT battle cannon
shot from across field, but that might well take out my own HQ squad and would be unlikely to hit both the Boyz and the
Burna Boy. Also the Warboss could survive a Battlecannon shot with his T5 W3...
I *probably* would have taken the Orks objective from the 10 'Ard Boyz, but that would depend on the Chimera not getting
immobilized in rough terrain (it would have to move 12" through the crater and/or fenced off crates). Also, the 'Ard
Boyz armor would give them a save against the Platoon Command Squad's flamers, and I don't think the Platoon Command
would do that well against 6 or more 'Ard Boyz in combat, despite the Honorifica and Power Weapon on the Officer. If they
won combat they might break the Orks, but it would be very chancy. I don't think I could have gotten LOS from the Battle
Tank onto the 'Ard Boyz, and the 3 remaing AF troopers would not be able to do much other than shoot their lasguns
or die in close combat.
Anyways, I wish we'd gotten one more turn in, as it would have been very interesting!
Impressions of 5th edition: SO MUCH BETTER THAN 4th! It seemed to flow much more naturally. It was a relief to not
have to worryabout placement of individual models in close combat, or removing particular models to deny attacks.
The reaction move when charged was neat - it was cool to see the AF squad come piling out of the sandbags to surround
the MegaNobz. The lack of consolidation into new combats was great - the MegaNobz rolled a squad only to get gunned
down by Lascannons on the hill, instead of magically being protected by consolidating into them.
The Wound/save allocation wasn't an issue most of the time (except when the Boomgun got 9 wounds on my 10-man squad!),
as most of our squads were identical grunts. It did slow us down a bit when we had to think about it, but not much
and I'm sure as we get used to it we'll get faster at it. Blast weapons did take a little longer to resolve since they
always scattered somewhere, but they were lots of fun (and very effective for BS3 and BS2 armies!) Most of the scatters
we rolled reduced to only an inch or two, which is nothing for a large blast. Large Blasts = much fun in 5th!
Mistakes: I was sure Orks in Mega-Armour were unable to sweeping advance (like Termies), but now I can't find that
in the Slow & Purposeful USR or in the new Ork codex. So I was wrong about that: the MegaNobz might well have swept
the AF squad...still it was less than a 50/50 chance (MegaNobz I3, Guard with Close Order Drill I4). Might have
changed a lot though, since one MegaNob with one wound left would have been able to take out the LRBT and saved 8
Shoota Boyz!
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in progress
Red Templars
Radical Inquisitor
-1500pts
-just started