060104.M41: Eldar Surprise Attack Orks on 6th Castor Planet

The Blackhawk roared out of the warp gate in the Castor system. Autarch Machant'ii immediately engaged the interstellar transport's cloaking technology, making it all but invisible to all inferior races, except perhaps to the technologically advanced Tau or ancient Necrons. The Blackhawk pulled into orbit around the 6th planet. "We are undetected," said Farseer Ji Handr'an, who had been dispatched by the Council to oversee this mission. Sensors indicate that the Orks appear to be scavaging the planet looking for resources. Machant'ii communicated mentally Ji Handr'an. We launch in 30 minutes, Ji Handr'an commanded, have a tactical plan to me in 20.

"The orks have discovered a mine shaft. Our planetary penetration sensors report strong levels of titanium in the mine," reported Machant'ii 20 minutes later. "So we had faulty information back on Novas-Dinne," responded Ji Handr'an. "We will correct that when we return. What is your assessment, Machant'ii?"

"The orks are in a spread formation, scouring the land. It appears they have sent a rearguard of lootas and a wagon to guard the mine, but the lootas appears to be slowed by the vegetative terrain. Next to the mine is a small settlement. It is in ruins, but our visual sensors show massive numbers of gretchin working to prepare the settlement for habitation. Among the gretchin is a Big Mek; he appears to be in charge of the resource gathering mission. A large squad of ork boyz are marching toward a glowing artifact in the east. The artifact's radiation emission is consistent with that of the Tau. The orks have sent another wagon of lootas and a skorcha buggy toward that artifact to secure it before the main squad of ork boyz can arrive. "

"Great Farseer, our plan is to launch a mechanized assault on the western flank. The spread formation of the orks will allow our infantry to outnumber them on that flank. This should allow us to take control of the mine and give us time to eliminate their transports. We can then secure the artifact."

I will accompany Kallas in his Wave Serpent. Stay aboard the ship, Machant'ii, and communicate updates as they occur. We will secure the region and prepare for the landing of the rest of our force. We launch now, commanded Ji Handr'an. Minutes later, a beam of darkness flashed down in the glow of the planet's sunrise. The Eldar had landed.

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The Eldar launched a 1500 points mechanized force:

• Dire Avenger Wave Serpent: Squad of 10 with Exarch Kallas wielding dual avenger shuriken catapults. Farseer Ji Handr'an accompanied this squad. Serpent equipped with twin-linked ("TL") EML.
• Striking Scorpion Wave Serpent: Squad of 10 with Exarch Sol'Tor. Serpent equipped with TL EML.
• Dire Avenger Wave Serpent: Squad of 10 with Exarch Oazi wielding dual catapults. Serpent equipped with TL scatter lasers.
• Two Fire Prisms with holofields.
• Reserve squad of 4 jetbikes.
• Outflanking lone War Walker with dual scatter lasers.

The Orks had a 1175 (or 1125, I forget which) points force, which was approximately as follows:

• Big Mek in a squad of 30+ gretchin.
• 30+ shoota boyz.
• 30+ boyz.
• Scorcha
• Two squads of 10-12 lootas with accompanying looted wagon transport

Deployment and Mission

The game was a Capture and Control mission (two objectives) with Dawn of War deployment. The Orks deployed first as shown in the picture; the Eldar deployed nothing and went second.

Turn 1

The Orks had no targets, so they marched onto the board and ran forward.







The Eldar mechanized force deployed on the western flank and skimmed close to the line of shoota boyz, but blockading them from blocking the rear access of the transports. Oazi's wave serpent flew flat out over the line of shoota boyz, preparing to surge forward to the lootas in the bush in the north. Firing at the empty wagon, Kallas's wave serpent missed with its twin-linked EML, while Sol'Tor's serpent hit, but could not damage the front armor of the transport.

Turn 2

The orks ran around preparing for their shots, but their empty wagon experienced a power surge, forcing it to burst forward 12 inches, providing solid cover for the wave serpents. The eastern lootas let loose their rokkits at Oazi's serpent, wrecking it despite its flat out movement the turn prior. Oazi's squad took cover behind the downed serpent. Unfortunately for the orks, the gretchin didn't notice the approaching Eldar and went about their business preparing the ruined settlement, keeping the Big Mek from firing his Shokk Attack gun.



None of the Eldar reserves arrived. Sol'Tor's scorpions disembarked their white transport, which then flew over the ork line, covering them from the north. The serpent fired at the surging wagon, stunning it. Kallas's fortuned transport bolted forward maximum distance to prepare to attack the lootas in the bush. The Prisms missed entirely. Oazi's dire avengers moved into position and bladestormed into the bush-hidden lootas, killing 5; but they hung around. The scorpions charged into the doomed spread orks, killing 20. The orks struck 5 scorpions in return, but their armor repelled all but one of the attacks. The fearless orks consolidated into the battle.

Turn 3

The big mek fired his shokk attack gun at the swirling scorpion/shoota combat (which was an error we only caught at the end of the game -- you cannot target combats, even with ordnance blasts). The shot scattered off, missing everyone entirely. The lootas unleashed their rokkits into Oazi's dire avengers, who took 5 wounds, but surged forward with courage. The scorpions struck the shootas hard, felling 8 and only taking a single wound in return. This time, the orks were forced to retreat, but were cut down by the scorpions, who consolidated to the rear of their wave serpent. Ji Handr'an's fortuned serpent was shaken by rokkit fire, shrugging off approximately 30 incoming rokkits and two penetrating hits.





The Eldar retaliated hard. The War walker entered from the west flank, lining up a nice shot on the rear of the empty looted wagon. It fired, only shaking the vehicle with the 5 lasers that struck home. The scorpions embarked into their transport, which fired its EML at the side armor of the shaken transport, wrecking it from point-blank range. Oazi's depleted dire avengers took cover behind the wrecked wagon. Kallas's dire avengers disembarked and unleashed a bladestorm into the bush-covered, doomed lootas, kiling them all. Ji Handr'an remained in the serpent as it drifted forward slightly, covering Kallas's avengers and unleashing its EML at the wagon carrying the other loota squad, whose armor repelled the missile. The fire prisms finally pulled their weight. One fired through the arriving, turboboosted jetbike squad, destroyed the wagon carrying the lootas, while the other killed 5 of the disembarked lootas who were in heavy cover.

Turn 4

The shokk attack gun finally hit, stunning Sol'Tor's wave serpent; but the spirit stones reduced that to shaken. The blast also struck down one of Oazi's dire avengers, who bolted for the board edge. The remaining lootas fired at the jetbike squad, hitting two of them. Even with a 3+ save, the two bikes exploded violently; but the squad remained valiant. The eastern ork boyz continued running forward toward the artifact objective.

The Eldar again struck back hard. The shaken scorpion transport burst forward 24" to prepare a dual assault on the big mek and the ork boyz at the far objective. Kallas's avengers embarked onto their serpent, rejoining the Farseer. The serpent lined up a shot on the lootas and hit them hard, forcing them to fall back off the board. The prisms and walker unleashed their weapons on the big mek and his gretchin friends, killing 6 gretchin.

Turn 5

Ji Handr'an fortuned his serpent, which surged forward flat out over the titanium mine objective, claiming it. The two remaining jetbikes turboboosted forward to contest the artifact objective, which the ork boyz had finally reached. The skorcha had been able to maneuver behind Sol'Tor's serpent, shaking it with its flamer. The walker retaliated, immobilizing the vehicle and knocking out its flamer. The prisms took out 13 gretchin, but the squad passed its morale check. The scorpion serpent rushed forward next to the big mek, preparing for a run on the artifact objective. The game continued for another turn, dooming the two Eldar jetbikes, as they were surrounded by 30 boyz.

Turn 6

The shokk attack gun hit Kallas's serpent, but its fast move the prior turn saved it from damage. The boyz decimated the jetbikes. In return, the prisms took down a negligible number of them as they moved into position for tank shocks in the 7th turn, if necessary. The scorpions disembarked and charged the big mek's squad, wiping them off the board. In the meantime, their serpent tank shocked the boyz, contesting the artifact objective. The game ended on this turn, with the dire avengers controlling the mine and the artifact contested.











The Eldar had lost only 1 dire avenger squad and its transport, and two scorpions, while the orks were down to a single troop unit.

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This was a fun game and my first with an entirely mechanized force. I think it was a very strong force, and I think I handled mechanized tactics very well, even though I was outnumbered about 120 units to 41 (including tanks/transports). The Orks made a couple mistakes, one with aligning his lootas in area terrain and the other in accidentally moving his gretchin so his big mek couldn't shoot. He also rolled terribly on the damage table against my skimmers. My maneuvering was solid, nearly always having vehicles to provide cover for other vehicles and troops, and my attacks were synchronized well.

I made a rules mistake in the last turn, when I disembarked my scorpions and then tank-shocked the squad controlling the objective. You cannot embark/disembark and move flat-out in the same turn. However, it ultimately did not matter, as if I hadn't disembarked, I still would have tank-shocked the boyz, contesting the objective and thus winning the game that ended that turn. The only difference was that the big mek squad would still have been alive, but that would not have affected the outcome; and it would have subjected the gretchin to both of my prisms guns, instead of wasting the shots on the boyz.

Because of the way the orks had crushed the Eldar in the previous few games, we tried playing an unbalanced-points game. Next game, we'll be reducing the difference in the forces to something closer to 1500 to 1300. Here comes 60 more boyz. ;)

060102.M41: Special Meeting of the Elder Seer Council

"Welcome fellow members of the Council and Ministers of Command," said Jae Caidr, an Ipsissimus of the Council. "I have called you here in haste because I have foreseen an opportunity of which I feel we must take advantage. The vile Orks in the Castor system have sent a small expeditionary force to the 6th planet of the star system. The creatures appear to have little to no long-range scanning ability, as we know that the planet is uninhabited and has no resources worth pursuing."

"Therefore, it is my recommendation that we display the true might of the Eldar by sending an overwhelming force to quash this expedition. We must launch our Warp Transports immediately."

"I wish to send a squad of Rangers to reconnoiter the planet, so that we may prepare our assault strategy," said Machant’ii of the Strategic Command. "There is no time," replied Jae Caidr. "The Orks will soon learn of the worthlessness of this mission and will return to their new base in Abhid. We must launch our surprise assault within 2 days."

"As there is no time to meditate on Jae Caidr’s vision," announced Ipsissimus Kae’an, "we must decide now. I feel no warning in my heart when I consider this action. Hence, I recommend that we proceed with the assault. What is the Council’s feeling?" The members of the Council lowered their heads and consulted the swirling vortex of their future timeline. Each member, in turn, raised his or her head and nodded toward Kae’an.

"Action approved," announced Kae’an. "Autarch Machant’ii, prepare your forces to launch within the day."

026102.M41: Abhid Defense Report

Farseer ji Handr'an walked into the chamber and took his seat among the rest of the Elder Seer Council. Exhaling, he issued his report.

"We were outgunned and out-manned. Our concentrated firepower was highly effective, but it was insufficient to stem the green tide's advancement. It was almost as though they sought death, running defiantly through the city, falling to our shuriken, laser, and missile fire, yet uncaring about their losses. Perhaps we, as Eldar, cannot understand this mindset, as our numbers are so few. We must realize that the Orks care little for life, their's or their enemies. They will march headfirst into gunfire, taking losses unflinchingly, toward their ultimate goal of carnage -- the brutal hand-to-hand melee in which they excel."

"However," Farseer By'ko interrupted, "their long-range fire support approaches that of the Tau. This was most unexpected in Abhid. These Orks do not have the skill of the Tau, though their vast numbers and powerful shells result in similar damage. Our numbers are so few that any losses taken from their supporting fire makes surviving in melee nearly impossible."

Ipsissimus Kae'an's thunderous voice shook the chamber, "Against the Tau, we push through their withering fire and destroy them in close combat. Will such a strategy work against these newfound ranged foes?"

"No, Great Farseer," replied Ji Handr'an. "These green-skins exceed our close combat skill. A single Ork is nearly the match of a single Striking Scorpion. Yet our elite special forces travel in squads not to exceed 10, while their squads are three times larger. And even their base infantry unit is capable of harming our mighty Wraithlords. Our Guardians are no match for them, nor are our Dire Avengers, though their shuriken fire is effective at shredding them at range. "

"What of the leadership we sent to Abhid?" asked Jae Caidr.

By'ko replied, "We suffered greatly, yet experienced some luck. Ui'nech and Ya'trek, who led the plaza assault force of Dire Avengers and Scorpions, were mobbed by the vile creatures. Sadly, Ya'trek was lost, though Ui'nech was able to escape. He is hurt, but is mending quickly. It appears his shimmershield ultimately saved his life. We thought we had lost Alisti, who was ambushed by that creature Snikrot and his kommandos, but on retreat, a Vyper gunner who had stopped to save Alisti's waystone noticed that Alisti was badly wounded, though still breathing. He is currently receiving medical care and is in stable condition. Sol'Tor escaped unharmed after dispatching one of the enemy's leaders, and both Ji Handr'an and I were unharmed. The Reapers were never in danger."

"What of the Gamma Striking Scorpion temple? How is it coping with the loss of Ya'trek?" asked Farseer Ha-Nad Ead.

"Word from Sol'Tor is that a promising Scorpion has already come forth to don the armor of the Exarch," answered Marshal By'ko. "We will investigate further."

025102.M41: Ork Assault of Abhid

Tri'vild, head of the 4th Ranger Regiment, met Farseer Ji Handr'an at the hatch of the Falcon. "Great Farseer, we have 6 Pathfinders stationed atop the Armory among rubble. They report an Ork assault force the likes of which we have never seen. On the Ork's right flank are 12 lootaz in a wagon, and a skorcha. In the barracks directly opposite the Armory, the Ork leader carrying a Shokk attack gun has surrounded himself with Gretchin on the roof, and our scouts report seeing movement within the barracks. The Orks center-left line is anchored by a Killa Kan walker, another Scorcha, and a mob of Slugga boyz. 3 Defcoptaz are behind them. On the Ork right flank, lootas have covered the city Garden, and on the far right, another Grot Shokk gun sits atop the guard tower with more shootas at the base. We count at least 170 Orks."


"Thank you, Tri'vild," said Ji Handr'an. Battle positions, the great Farseer mentally commanded.

Ji Handr'an marched to a building ruin in the center-right position with Exarch Ui'nech of the Storm Blade Dire Avenger aspect temple. Ui'nech's shimmershield crackled with energy. The thunderous crash of the might Wraithlord continued toward the right flank, commanded by Warlock Jade and his storm guardians. As they took their position on the lower level of the ruin, a Vyper silently fell in behind them.




Into the Armory, Alisti, the Shadowbane Temple Dire Avenger Exarch commanded his squad, his two Avenger Shuriken Catapults swaying in their back holsters as he marched to the gate. Alisti could not hear the Pathfinders of the 4th Ranger Regiment above him, but he recorded their constant mental updates of the Ork position.


"We will position here," Exarch Hrund-in of the Black Death Dark Reaper temple said to Farseer By'ko, as he peered through the broken glass to the writhing green tide across the central plaza. Here. The Wraithlord behind By'ko stopped at his command, just to Hrund-in's right. His eyeless armor peered ahead, immobile. Hrund-in trained his Tempest Launcher at the Ork horde. Let's do this.

In position, Exarch Ya'trek of the Gamma Striking Scorpions aspect temple alerted Ji Handr'an.  Commence.  At the Farseer's word, the Eldar warhost burst into action.  The Vyper and Ui'nech's Dire Avengers surged toward the Gardens and the entrenched Scorpions, as the guardians stood firm and their accompanying Wraithlord let loose a volley of laser and missile fire at the Ork walker.  Trees lining the Gardens were eviscerated by the laser fire, as the missile crashed into the barracks behind the walker.  Farseer By'ko's Wraithlord shimmered in a guided blessing; its bright lance lit up the ruins as the blast surged into the walker, whose armor absorbed the blow, leaving little other than a scar.  






The Orks retaliated immediately.  Their defcoptas, tinging the air with burnt oil, roared toward the Eldar line, soiling the Gardens with exhaust.  The ork horde cried out in unison and marched forward, one squad bursting forth from the barracks toward the central plaza.  A skorcha has maneuvered behind the Palace the pathfinders alerted By'ko.  The wagon's engine screamed, nearly drowning out the ork cries coming from atop the vehicle.  It drove into the Plaza, its passengers arming their rokkits.  

Cover!  The pathfinder's command came too late, as snotlings exploded out of nothingness into the Guardians.  Two faithful Eldar were lost.  Ork fire smashed into Ui'nech's Dire Avengers, whose glittering shield, care of Farseer Ji Handr'an, saved them.  

Seeing the massive Ork war machine advancing quickly, Ji Handr'an raised his staff defiantly, and a black cloud settled over the defcoptas.  As one, the Eldar unleashed their weapons on the advancing squad of coptas.  Both Dire Avenger squads and the Scorpions unleashed shuriken fire on the flying deathtraps, their shots seeming to all hit home under the cloud of Doom.  The coptas smashed into the ground in a smoking mess.  Cannon fire erupted into the skorcha who had narrowly missed being smashed by the coptas by a Vyper that arrived on the scene.  The skorcha's armor repelled the assault, but the lasers from the right-flank wraithlord penetrated, wrecking the flaming bike.  The right-flank Vyper saw the exposed killa kan walker and zoomed forward atop the fortification, unleashing his cannon and blowing the legs off the ork machine, immobilizing it.  This Vyper was horribly exposed, however, and exploded in a hail of shrapnel as rokkits slammed into the agile skimmer.  


Exarch Hrund-in aimed his tempest launcher at the ork horde in the plaza, and his arcing shots, combined with his Reaper's fire, felled 9 orks.  By'ko's Wraithlord maneuvered closer to the armory and lanced the advanced Ork wagon, immobilizing it.  The Ork response was fast and furious.  Snikrot appeared with his legendary kommandos, burning and swarming Alisti's Dire Avengers, felling all of Alisti's trusted aspect warriors, leaving her alone.  Snikrot's grenades failed to damage the nearby Vyper.  The gunfire from the advancing orks was fierce, felling 3 Scorpions in the woods and 6 Dire Avengers.  Rokkits pummeled into the Wraithlords, whose armor absorbed the blows.  Snotlings burst into existence among the running storm guardians, killing all but one with a flamer.  The brave soldier forged on.






The Shokk gunfire is too strong.  We need to disable it!  cried the pathfinders, who could see its devastation from their vantage point atop the armory.  Now, Farseer Ji Handr'an ordered, and Sol'Tor's Scorpions charged in from the right flank, into the tower housing one of the mighty attack guns.  Their chainswords cut down every last Gretchin, and in one sweeping movement, cut down the Ork boss wielding the Shokk attack gun.


Another Vyper roared into combat and seeing the cloud of Doom descend upon the nearest ork horde, unleashed its cannons.  Ui'nech's Avengers and Ya'trek's Scorpions also shredded the orks with shuriken fire.   The lone guardian sent flaming fuel through the Gardens into the horde of orks, and the other Vyper also unleashed its cannon.  The scorpions and dire avengers pursued the orks and cut them down in melee.   Seeing two more ork hordes rushing their position, both squads retreated back into the woods.  

By'ko saw the skorcha skid around the Palace toward him and the Reapers.  Turning their guns on the nearby bike, the Reapers unleashed countless shells into the fuel-filled flamethrower, exploding it violently.  

Retreat!  Farseer Ji Handr'an yelled mentally, and the Dire Avengers and Scorpions in the Gardens ran from the mighty Waaaagh! issuing forth from the converging ork hordes.  The kommandos adding support from the south, the three units converging upon and destroyed the retreating squads of Scorpions, Dire Avengers, and lone brave Guardian.  


Ji Handr'an took one last look at the menacing horde, considered the inconceivable damage his Wraithlords dual flamers, the two Vypers, and the Reapers could do with concentrated fire on the intertwined hordes, but realized the ultimate futility of such an act.  All-out Retreat! he ordered.

022102.M41: URGENT Updated Report from Castor

Council:

A sizeable Ork military craft has just landed, belching smoke for miles. Reconnaissance reports a horde of Orks exiting the craft. Additional troops will be needed.

- 4th Ranger Regiment

021102.M41: Elder Seer Council Response to Castor

4th Ranger Regiment:

Prepare a camp.  A strike force will be arriving shortly.  

- Elder Seer Council

021102.M41: UPDATE Scout Report from Castor

Council:

We have succeeded in infiltrating the Ork camp. Based on observations, an attack on the city of Abhid is imminent. Small Ork raiding parties have been spotted scouting the city limits. It appears they are not yet aware of the lack of Marine/Guard presence in the city. It will not be long before they discover this fact.

- 4th Ranger Regiment