Round 3:
You can see our first game and our lists
here
Second round is up
here.
Annihilation
Dawn of War
Opponent: More people from our local store! FaithandFire and Khornedog, with their potent Sisters of Battle combination. Khornedog was heard to groan. I always seem to play him in the third round of tourneys and it rarely goes well for him. Their lists looked roughly like this:
Faithand Fire:
Canoness (standard foot Canoness gear)
9-Woman celestian bodyguard (meltagun, heavy flamer)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
10 Sisters (meltagun, heavy flamer,
VSS with power weapon, book)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
10 Sisters (meltagun, heavy flamer,
VSS with power weapon, book)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
10 Sisters (meltagun, heavy flamer,
VSS with power weapon, book)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
3 Exorcists
Khornedog:
Canoness (standard foot Canoness gear)
6-woman celestian bodyguard (heavy flamer, flamer, imagifier, eviscerator)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
10 Sisters (flamer, heavy flamer,imagifier,
VSS with eviscerator, book)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
10 Sisters (flamer, heavy flamer,imagifier,
VSS with eviscerator, book)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
10 Sisters (flamer, heavy flamer,imagifier,
VSS with eviscerator, book)
Rhino (extra armor, smoke launchers)
3 Exorcists
The inside of the Land Raider “Monody’s Wrath” was lit only by the tactical displays. In the dim light, the space marines seemed to be statues in their armor. All eyes were on the leader, but Chapter Master Yadon Napthal was impassive as he listened to the broadcast.
“This is Sister Superior Katja of the order of the Bloody Rose. This land has been declared unclean by order of the Church of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind. All citizens are ordered to submit to purity testing immediately. Those who do not will be deemed guilty and purged… This is Sister Superior Katja-“
Napthal turned the knob to silence the repeating broadcast.
“Brothers, our worst fears are confirmed. Far from offering assistance, the Sororitas are on a rampage on our planet. This invasion was just the opening that Cardinal Townellis has long desired, a sign of our weakness. Now he strikes against us, burning our citizens and seizing our land.”
“Shall we attempt to contact them, master?” Queried brother Darius, linked up from his Rhino via the helmet to helmet comm-network.
“No. Not with words, in any case. We will teach them that this is our planet and it is WE who shall judge who is guilty. Force is the only thing that such zealots understand. Lock down the source of this broadcast and inform the orks that there are worthy enemies there.”
**********************************
“Boss, da ‘umies say dere is loads of uvver ‘umies ahead.” Chattered Klickinklak happily.
“I hope dey doesn’t expect us to leave ‘em alone” growled Ghazgkhull, “dat beaky boss is really gettin’ on my nerves. I can’t WAIT ‘til I get to gut ‘im wiv my klaw.”
“No boss, Master Nappy wants us to krump ‘em!”
“Oh? Well dis seems like a trap to me. Yoo is gonna take snake and krakkie’s mobz and go see what’s up. If yooz getz blown up, I’m gonna krump dat beaky good.”
Klickinklak sighed as he waddled over through the campsite to roust the nobz from their slumber. So THAT was where Grubbynutz had learned how to spring a trap.
Due to ranking third in the overall standings, we got to pick our table (which would be the second table). MonsterRain deferred to me, and I chose nice simple wood and hill table. Imagine some lovely farmland with a giant blasphemous temple in the center of it and you wouldn’t be too far off.
Emperor's Tarot failed us this time as Monster Rain and FaithandFire both rolled a one (FaithandFire joked that he could always be counted on to roll a one in a clutch situation) so the sisters won first turn. They elected to go first and placed one of Khornedog’s sister rhinos on top of the temple (no doubt the sisters had just finished up some light heretic purging before the orks and marines showed up).
I responded by deploying my orks as much along the center line as possible. The 18” pushback from the rhino made it more difficult but I managed to put my 60 boyz +klicky formation in good order on the right flank. We leave the inquisitor and his easy 3 killpoint in reserve.
We fail to seize the initiative.
First Turn: Sisters
They roll on, bringing FaithandFires sister squads out on the left hand side of the board, while the exorcists roll on in the middle. Khornedog’s rhinos roll on in the right, setting up a confrontation between his sororitas and my orks. The squad that is already on the board rolls down from its position on the temple wall and pops smoke.
Several exorcists try to shoot the orks, but fail to see.
First Turn: Emerald and Ivory
I bring my final boy squad (Brok’s) on the left, to support MonsterRain’s marines there. The scouts zip up in their storm and deposit themselves to shoot the rhino that had started on the board. They are foiled by the smoke however. The lootaz and the thunderfire move into the righthand trees on our side.
Our drop pod comes in, depositing the ironclad on the side armor of one of KhorneDog’s exorcists and nukes it. Woot!
Kill Points:
Emerald and Ivory: 1
Sisters: 0
Second Turn: Sisters
A sister squad and a celestian squad is scrambled by FaithandFire to deal with the ironclad, but they fail to hurt it. He is forced to divert exorcist fire to destroy it. It explodes, killing 3 members of the cannonness’s celestians, who then flub their leadership test and flee. They don’t flee off the board however, meaning that they will likely rally in the sisters next turn.
KhorneDog moves up his three rhinos and unloads into Krakalaks squad, flaming and killing it down to 12 boyz. Some fire is also directed at snake’s squad, who is currently running with klicky. Around a half-dozen orks die. On the up side, I now have 27 sisters (and 7 killpoints) sitting right in front of my lines. On the down side, I just lost a bunch of boyz and most of those killpoint aren’t easy!
Exorcist fire from Khornedog only manages to blow off the big shoota from the battlewagon - take this as a lesson kids – always buy your battlewagons a big shoota.
Turn 2: Emerald and Ivory
The inquisitor drives on this turn and hides. He is useless to us in this game – worse than since he’s got 3 kill points between himself, his retinue and his rhino.
Our shooting manages to blast the hell out of the rhino that started on the baord. Follow-up shots from the thunderfire cannon manage to bring the squad down to 1. Loota fire proves ineffective against the side armor of one of the exorcists –as Khornedog makes his three saves against penetrating hits.
I call the waaagh this turn, mainly to bring Ghazgkhull up to dual-charge both the celestians and the sisters to the left. The sisters to the right get some attention from Krakalak’s squad, while snake and klicky bypass the sororitas lines and get into the exorcist car-park.
Predictably, all the sisters go invulnerable this round, making it impossible for me to kill off all my foes. Fortunately, he flubs one of the rolls to get +2 strength, meaning that the celestians won’t get to insta-kill my nobz. One nob gets instakilled from the
VSS and two more take wounds (allocation because of the kombi-shootaz) but I only manage to cause a few wounds on the sisters. I can’t remember who won, but suffice to say that nobody runs.
On the right, Krakalak’s squad engages the sister squad there and handily wins combat, knocking the sisters down to a few lonely individuals. Hopefully I can finish them off next turn and send krakalak’s to help out the Ghaz-man.
Klickinklak and snake have an easier time against the exorcists and flip it over, wrecking it.
Kill Points:
Emerald and Ivory: 3 (2 exorcists, rhino)
Sisters: 1 (ironclad)
Turn 3: Sisters
The canoness and her retinue burn a faith point to auto-rally.
Khornedog’s remaining exorcists moves and shoots the battlewagon, immobilizing it. One of FaithAndFire’s exorcists blows up the marine rhino, pinning its occupants.
FaithandFire also moves his two remaining mobile sister squads forward and hops them out around brok’s squad, hosing down the orks with flamers. I lose around 6 thanks to handy tree cover and the fact that FaithAndFire’s squads, unlike Khornedog’s, only have 1 template weapon.
Khornedog tries to jet his three rhinos away. One has to move through difficult terrain, however, and immobilizes. Hurray!
In combat, the sisters again taking a fearsome toll on the meganobz, this time pulling off invulnerability on both squads AND +2 strength on the cannonness and celestians. They manage to kill the meganobz easily. The sisters take some casualties themselves however, and Ghazkghull makes the fearless wounds that he is required to take.
Disaster strikes on the right as the veteran superior holds on against Krakalak’s mob, holding them in place for next turns close combat. On the plus side, it means that KhorneDog is officially OUT of faith points as he can’t get a new one until a superior dies.
Kill Points:
Emerald and Ivory: 3 (2 exorcists, rhino)
Sisters: 3 (meganobz, ironclad, rhino)
Third Turn: Emerald and Ivory
Shooting sees my lootaz turn one of the fleeing rhinos on the right into a hulk (immobilized, weapon destroyed). The thunderfire targets FaithAndFire's cannonness and celestians. The scouts endeavor to chase down the last sororitas from the rhino squad on the left and manage to kill her.
I send Snake’s squad into another exorcist, killing it as well. While Brok’s squad steams into combat with the two sister squads that just flamed them. The sisters take the brunt of the deaths, with one squad reduced to 2 models and the other squad reduced to 5 or so. The sisters pass their leadership thanks to the book.
The assault terminators roar forward and beat a rhino to death.
Over on the right, I’m an idiot and resolve Krakalak’s combat first. The orks beat the superior to death, which has the unfortunate side-effect of martyring her and giving Khornedog a faith point. DAMN
IT!
So the canoness and pals go invulnerable again, though they can’t gain +2 strength or save the other sister squad. Seeing this, I send Ghaz’s attacks into the other sister squad, and he rips a few of them apart. In response, the various and sundry eviscerators surrounding him put two wounds on him.
Kill Points:
Emerald and Ivory 6 (2 sister squads, 3 exorcists, rhino)
Sisters: 2 (meganobz, ironclad, rhino)
Turn 4: Sisters
Not a whole lot of stuff is out of combat. However, FaithandFire concentrates fire on the assault terminators and blows them away. The two rhinos that just dumped off the sisters to their death flee back to the sororitas lines and form a rhino wall. An exorcist blows up the storm.
In combat Ghaz goes after the cannonness and celestians, but only manages to kill off the last celestians (KhorneDog mentioned to me later that he forgot that the Celestians were Faithful, meaning that they would have given a faith point upon their death as well – whoops!) . In response the eviscerators only do one wound to Ghaz.
On the left, Brok’s squad kills off one of the remaining sister squads. One or two remain from the other squad and keep me in combat.
Turn 4 Emerald and Ivory:
Vulkan piles back into the land raider, which blows away the last sister from the squad that started on the board. Various shooting wrecks two more rhinos of KhorneDog’s.
Realizing that their most expensive unit (FaithandFires Celestians) are still alive, we target the thunderfire cannon at them, whittling them down to a few models.
In combat the cannoness is finally offed by Ghazgkhull and Krakalak, who leads his squad charging in. Sadly, the Cannoness manages to lop Ghaz's head off in her death throes.
Despite FaithAndFire burning several faith points, Brok's slugga squad manages to kill off the final sister squad on the left with . They consolidate up towards the rhino wall.
Klicky and Snake, obviously tired from kill the first two exorcists, charge another one and only stun it.
No pic this turn - sorry!
Turn 5: Sisters
The rhino wall parts and the cannoness and her friends roll up on the slugga boyz, shooting at them and downing several. Exorcists blow up the wagon.
The last sisters on the right are cleaned away by the remnants of Krakalak's mob. Where once there were 20 sisters, 6 celestians and a cannonness, ghazgkhull, 5 meganobz and 30 boyz, there are now around 8 slugga boyz and a nob. What carnage.
Turn 5: Emerald and Ivory
Seeing our chance, we race Brok's mob and vulkan into combat with the reduced celestian squad wiping them and the cannonness out – claiming our last bonus point.
With a defict of 8 kill points and only one sister squad, one exorcist and a couple active rhinos, our opponents concede.
Final Kill Point Tally:
Sisters: 8 (Ghazgkhull, Meganobz, Battlewagon, Landspeeder Storm, Ironclad, Drop Pod, Rhino, Assault Terminators)
Emerald and Ivory: 16 (5 exorcists, 2 rhinos, 5 sisters squads, 2 celestian squads, 2 cannonness)
We get a victory plus full battle points for killing the highest point enemy unit (celestians), the highest point
HQ (cannonnes), and having a unit in the enemy deployment zone. This puts our total score at 52. Not too shabby, considering the draw in round two.
“Wot should we do wit 'em?” ventured Klicky, gazing fearfully at the enormous pile of metal, orkflesh and anger that was Ghazgkhull. The Supreme Goffik Warlord had been laid low by the tiny beakies with high voices (Klicky had theorized that they were perhaps beaky grotz) and lay in a pile of dead humans and orks.
“I dunno,” Grubbynutz replied, dumbfounded at the sight of his lord and master sprawled uncermoniously on a blackened patch of farmland.. He had appeared shortly after the battle, scorched and missing a whole lot of teeth but otherwise none the worse for wear.. Apparently the news of the fights on the surface had spread to the orbitting Kill Kroozas and the 'guards' assigned to watch him had raced off to join their comrades on the surface. From there it had been just a matter of strangling his way through the grotz and mekboyz left on board until he found one who could crash-land a fighta-bomma in the desert. Even now, Grubbynutz wiped a bit of glass that had lodged itself in his eyebrow..
“We could kill 'em.” Klicky ventured once more, meaning of course that GRUBBYNUTZ should do the actual killing. Grubbynutz eyes went wide at the thought. HE could be the supreme Ork Warlord if he just killed him.
“Wiff pleasure, Klicky” he said, raising his klaw over the prone form. Just as he was about to bring it crashing down on the head of the helpless warlord, he hesitated.
“Dis ain't right, Klicky.”
The Mek's jaw dropped.
“What? WHAT! What in da zog are you talkin' about? Kill da zoggin git!”
“No.” Grubbynutz began waddling away to where the immobilized battlewagon waited.
“Yoo'ze gonna regret dis boss! Dat was da perfect chance!” the mek whined as he trailed after the warboss. Grubbynutz shrugged.
“I doesn't care, Klicky. I ain't gonna become da biggest and da baddest warboss by beltin' a sleepin warboss across da head wit a klaw.”
“But why not?” grumbled Klicky, now visibly breathing heavier as he trailed the faster warboss. Grubynutz stopped and looked him in amazement.
“Klicky, for a Mork boy, you sure is dumb sometimes. Da reason I didn't kill 'im is dat everyone would know how I killed 'im.”
“But why does dat matter! It makes yoo smart!”
“No Klicky, it makes me dumb. Dumber den a box o' megaz. Tink about it. Part of da reason dat bosses like Ghaz stay bosses is dat dey are dead 'ard – dat is true. Da uvver part is dat 'is nobz and uvver boyz TINK dat he is even 'arder den dey is! How I'ze gonna get anyone to fink dat I was da 'ardest if I krumped 'im when 'e was sleepin'?”
“I guess yoo couldn't.” Klicky allowed, his head spinning. This side of Grubbynutz was new to him and he was still adjusting to the thought of his warboss as possessing of a sense of kunnin'.
“Zoggin' right. I'd 'ave lots and lots of warbosses and nobz comin' outta da woodwork to krump me. And dere would be so many of em dat one would prolly get lucky!'
Silence hung between the two as they walked back to the wagon. Klicky appraised the wreck for a moment before speaking.
“I tink I can get it fixed boss. Where to?”
“Back to da camp. We'ze gonna get a huge waaagh together and krump deze beakies good. Dis planet iz gonna belong to da orkz!”
On table 3 our second round opponents got a full battle point victory this turn as well, giving them a 51. However, the results of the top table would be the decider for the whole tourney. The four of us (Monster Rain, myself and our second round opponents) spent the better part of a half hour trying to come up with scenarios in which we could walk away with the win. However, given our draw in round two, the only way it could happen would be for the top table to draw. Given that it was kill points this was probably too much to hope for.
Imagine our surprise when the results were announced as a Draw+2 for each player on the top table. This put us handily into first and gave us the victory. Emerald and Ivory, by the skin of our buttocks, had scraped off another tourney win and repeated.
Prize was again $90 for each of us. Our second round opponents got second place and $45 each. All in all, it was a great day!
Hope you enjoyed reading the reports. Sorry it took me so long to put up this final one!
3000 Points
500 Points
