The event was held at The Gamer's Sanctuary in Flint, MI. I used to live in Flint and know several of the gamers there so I try to get up there for 40k events whenever I can. This particular event was about the 4th time the organizers ran it and it's been centered on Imperium vs. non-Imperium battles to form an on-going narrative.
In my first appearance I used my Space Marines to go 3-0. This was to be my 2nd event appearance and I decided to take my favorite army this time! They allowed you to make two 1250pt army lists and choose which one to use based on who you fought.
There were about 20 or 22 players. I was told I was the only Ork player to ever appear in the history of the event to date. There was 1 Imperial Guard, 1 Necron, 1 Tau, 3 or 4 Eldar, 1 or 2 Tyranids, and the rest Chaos and Space Marines. The tables were 4x4.
I made lists under the assumption that I'd be facing mostly Space Marines and my alternate list to take on Imperial Guard... little did I know the organizers (who I've had many a classic battle against back in the day) had other ideas and saw it fit to have non-Imperium armies fight each other for the first few rounds. Orks will fight anyone! Bring it!
My 1250pt list that I used in all 3 games:
Warboss Fridgechukka -mega-armour, iron gob, cybork body, boosta, shootier shoota.
Big Mek Duruk Da Fixxa- kustom force field, mek tools, 2 grot oilers, shootier slugga.
16 Slugga Boyz -3 rokkits, +1 Nob -power klaw, rokkit, iron gob.
11 Slugga Boyz -3 rokkits, +1 Nob -choppa, rokkit, big horns, 3 ammo runts.
25 Grots, +1 Slaver -choppa, rokkit, squighound.
8 Trukkboyz, +1 Nob -slugga, power klaw, big horns. Trukk -rokkit, red paint, grot riggers, armour plates.
9 Trukkboyz, 1 burna. Trukk -rokkit, red paint, grot riggers, armour plates.
1 Warbuggy -skorcha, grot riggers.
Looted Leman Russ -hull lascannon, armour plates, grot riggers
Killa Kan -big shoota, armour plates.
Killa Kan- big shoota, armour plates.*
*Thanks to Skumgrod John AKA Boss Kong Bundy for loaning me the Trukks and the Kans!
Basically I tried to take as many rokkits as I could. Fridgechukka would hang back and hitch a ride with one of the Trukkboy units. They would be the 1st wave and pounce on turn 2 if possible. The Killa Kans and Skorchas were expendable and distractions to draw fire away from the boyz... the Big Mek would accompany the Kans, fixing them as needed. The bulk of the army would advance destroying any vehicles at range then act as the 2nd wave of close combat attackers around turn 4... that was the plan anyway.
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Round 1... FIGHT!
Mission: Get scoring units into your opponents deployment zone for victory point bonuses.
Opponent: Necrons. I haven't played against tin 'eadz in years...
Necron list:
Necron Lord -Staff of Light, Nightmare Shroud, Resurrection Orb, +something else.
x2 12 Warriors
3 Destroyers
2 Monoliths! Seriously! At 1250 points.
I made a comment to my friend that I'm glad I'm on the bad guy side because I don't have to fight that Necron army with the 2 Monoliths... well guess what happened? I knew right away I was pretty screwed and would need lots of luck.
WARNING! Rant coming: I'm sure my opponent is a nice guy and I honestly don't care if someone brings a list like this, it's allowed by the rules so more power to you. BUT... My biggest pet peeve... I will never understand why people come to a tournament that haven't played the game in ages, it's insulting to your opponent. We had to go over several rules such as targeting IC's, effects of gauss weapons, assaults on vehicles, etc. Come on! If you go to a tournament at least know your own army! I come to play, not spend an hour explaining rules.
rant over...
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He put his Warriors and Lord in a building with a Monolith on either side. My plan was to go for the phase out obviously, but the open terrain meant casualties were gonna be heavy slogging across the board.
Turn 1
Pretty ineffective shooting from the Monoliths, the Particle Whips scattering and killing just a few grots and orks, the Destroyers kill the Skorcha.
I move the Trukkboyz without the Nob forward 25" to take cover on the flank behind a small ruined building, if it survives the 2nd turn I can assault the Detroyers. My Warboss hops in the other Trukk but I carefully stay out of line of sight in my deployment zone. My Slaver takes out a Destroyer with a rokkit, I love this guy. All my other rokkits are only in range of the Monoliths and do nothing, the Russ takes out a few Warriors despite them being packed together... (4+ cover from the building, + Res Orb = Not a lot of dead Necrons.)
Turn 2
The Monoliths move forward and start reaping green souls with their Flux Arc Projectors but my Grots and big Slugga unit stand firm despite the casualties piling up. A Kan gets blown to pieces by a Particle Whip shot. My Trukk miraculously survives (thanks to good armour plate rolls) but is Stunned, however the boyz can still get out and assault hurhurhur!
I continue to slog it forward and then make a critical error, I move my Trukk with Boss out in the open as there is nowhere else to go and he needs to get stuck in ASAP as we're running short on time and it's only turn 2 (see: Pet Peeve)! I'm confident that I can prevent the Monolith closest to it from destroying it and learn too late that the bloody thing can still fire the Particle Whip even if it's Stunned, and I did stun it with concentrated rokkit fire. The Trukkboyz get out of their stunned Trukk and wipe out the Detroyers and consolidate behind a wall ready to charge into some Warriors by the building next turn if they survive the gauss frying they are sure to get. I assault the other Monolith with my Slugga Nob's power klaw but do nothing.
Turn 3
Trukkboyz with Boss gets Ordnance 6ed Pfff, stupid Monoliths, grumble, grumble. More orks and grots die to Gauss and Flux Arc death, but they don't run. Orks don't fear death you tin 'ead! The last Killa Kan gets immobilized and it's big shoota blown off.
Another fusilade of rokkits immobilizes one of the Monoliths, Hoozah! I got about 5 Trukkboyz left and they assault into the Warriors and kill 2 while the remaining 6 Warriors kill 2 boyz in return. The few survivors from the other Slugga unit move off the Monolith and into assault range of the building crawling with Necrons but promptly roll double 1's on difficult terrain and just stand there. My Big Mek fixes the immobilized Killa Kan. Job's a good 'un!
Time is called. I killed the Destroyers, Immobilized one Monolith, killed 6 Warriors from 1 Squad, and 3 or 4 from the other.
He killed my Warboss, over half the grots, over half the big Slugga unit, obliterated the Trukkboyz with Nob and destroyed the Skrocha and a Killa Kan.
End Result
Minor Defeat for the Orks.
Not much I could do against 2 Monoliths in a 1250pt game with open middle terrain in 3 turns. If the game continued, the Monoliths would have done me in for sure, but then I would have played more cautiously and not have rushed in as recklessly as I did if we were playing a six turn game and if I had had full knowledge of the Monolith's cheese (I also forgot it was a Skimmer and therefore can't block LoS to troops on the ground behind it)... ah well, live and learn. And yes, I lost the roll for Deployment Zone choice and First Turn...
Game 2
After the dual Monolith debacle there was no where to go but up. Only to find I'm up against Mechanized Eldar in the hands of a competent general! Great! I was pretty excited to see terrain in the middle of the board, at least there will be some tactics involved in this game. Now all I needed was some luck on the Glancing Damage table...
Mission: Nominate any unit to get off your opponent's table edge for bonus Victory Points.
Terrain: Hilly on the sides with a big ruined building in the middle.
Opponent: Mechanized Eldar. Da Panzees!
Eldar List:
Farseer -shuriken pistol, Witchblade, Ghost Helm, Rune Armour, Runes of Witnessing, Spirit Stones, Doom, Guide, Eldritch Storm, various Craftworld appliances.
4 Howling Banshees +1 Exarch -Executioner. Wave Serpent -Vectored Engines.
5 Fire Dragons. Wave Serpent -Vectored Engines.
10 Dire Avengers +1 Exarch -Dire Sword, Shimmershield, Defend. Wave Serpent -Vectored Engines.
3 Guardian Jetbikes, 1 has a Shuriken Cannon.
1 Fire Prism -Shuriken Cannon upgrade, Holo-field, Vectored Engines.
1 Falcon -Shuriken Cannons all around, Vectored Engines.
TURN 1
I went first and I raced my army forward aiming to get into the big central ruins and 4+ cover ASAP. I concentrated fire on the Jetbikes, the only thing in range and wiped them all out.
The Eldar split their army and hug each table edge moving forward to encirlce my army. The Banshees and Fire Prism on my right facing off against the Killa Kans, Big Mek, and the small Slugga boy unit, everything else on my left. The Eldar immobilize the Skorcha buggy and Destroy the non-Nob Trukkboy Trukk, but I lose only 1 boy and disembark into the big central buidling. A Killa Kan and my Looted Russ also get Stunned. Who knew 5 vehicles could pack so much firepower?
TURN 2
This big building which I though would bring salvation is becoming a real pain and forces a bottleneck for my other Trukk preventing it to move as far as I want too. The grot riggers fail to fix my Skorcha. The whole army moves forward and are at the edge of the big building. I end up immobilizing the Falcon AND the Banshee Wave Serpent from massed rokkit fire.
The Eldar make their move. The Dire Avengers led by the Farseer disembark and the Farseer Dooms my big Slugga unit and Guides the Dire Avengers. About 10 or so Orks and grot shields total are killed from all the skuriken. The Russ gets it's Battle Cannon blown off by the Falcon. The Fire Prism Detroys a Kan. The Banshees disembark and assault the grots and small Slugga unit, but only a few orks can fight due to careful positioning on the charge. The Banshees win and all the Orks and grots pile-in. A good sacrifice on my opponents part as it forces the big long line of grot shields to move to the far right, taking them out of the fight on the left flank and exposing my boyz to the Dire Avengers.
TURN 3
The grot riggers fail to fix the Skorcha again, which sucks because I could have cooked the Dire Avengers good and proppa. Good difficult terrain rolls see my Trukk boyz get into assault range of the Dire Avengers even though their are only a few boyz left, Dire Avengers strike first and kill 'em all. I decide to drive through the buidling with my other Trukkboy unit, I pass the dangerous terrain roll and disembark and assault the Fire Dragon Wave Serpent but can't hit it with my Nob's power klaw and now they are sitting ducks. What's left of the consistently 'Doomed' big Slugga boy unit assaults the immobilized Falcon and the Nob tears it to shreds with his klaw. The Banshees are wiped out and my grots consolidate and attempt to encircle and protect my few remaining Slugga boyz in the small unit.
The Fire Dragon and Dire Avenger Wave Serpents retreat back to their DZ. The Farseer Guides the Dire Avengers once more and my Nob led Trukkboyz are shot down to an ork. The Skorcha Buggy is finally destroyed and my last Killa Kan is Stunned by the Fire Prism.
TURN 4
My small Slugga boy unit has 6 orks left, 4 of which have rokkits and the Fire Prism gets Shaken by them, preventing it from firing next turn. The Slaver with the Rokkit glancing 6's the Dire Avengers Wave Serpent! Hoozah! I really love my Runtherd. Whats left of my Big Slugga boy mob charges the Dire Avengers being led by the Farseer and my Warboss finally makes it into combat too with a good mega-boosta roll but promptly whiffs in close combat rolling 1's to wound on his only 2 hits, but that was after I rolled 3 straight 6's for my Slugga boyz armour saves against the Dire Avenger attacks! My Nob with the power klaw that shredded the Falcon promptly brained the Farseer! That ork ate his wheat-squigys for breakfast! Despite this pounding the Dire Avengers held their own just above half strength.
Time was called and my opponent chose not to take his final turn, which was just as well for him as the Dire Avengers would have been finished off more then likely and he only had a Fire Dragon Wave Serpent available to shoot anything.
I killed the Farseer, Howling Banshees, Guardian Jetbikers, 1 Wave Serpent, the Falcon, and immobilized another Wave Serpent.
He Killed over half the Big Slugga boy unit, both Trukkboy units save one Trukk, Destroyed the Skorcha Buggy and 1 Killa Kan. The Looted Russ was damaged but mobile and the small unit of Slugga boyz and grots were both 1 model above half strength!
End Result
Minor victory for the Orks.
Now dat was a good fight! Power Klaw Nob and Runtherd rokkit FTW! Doom + Guide + Shuriken = lots of dead orks. Neither of us concentrated on the mission at all and I honestly forgot all about it. His messenger unit was the Dire Avengers and mine was the Nob-led Trukkboyz. My opponent was one of the better generals present and had a very good knowledge of the rules, still we only got 4 turns in.
Warboss Fridgechukka was not having a good day... da tin 'eadz had blew up one of his Trukks which had pinned him under the burning wreckage. By the time he dug himself out da fight was over and da tin 'eadz wuz gone. Then in da scrap with da panzees, his zoggin' power klaw malfunctioned... more then likely damaged from da Trukk when it blewed up last fight. Fridgechukka would have to talk to da Mekboyz about dat... and by talk he meant bust some 'eadz togetha.
But if it was one good ting it was dat dere were many enemys to duff on dis planet and Mork be damned if Fridgechukka would be denied his proppa amount of troffeez!
Game 3
Finally some Space Marines to fight! My opponent is a good guy who I know. A funny story is that over-hearing him and another dude talking about Warhammer 40k in one of my University classes rekindled my passion in the hobby several years ago... He also won best Imperium general at a previous tournament. I was confident in this battle as Terminator armour doesn't hold up too well against the all-mighty choppa.
Mission: Bonus victory points for killing HQ selections. Table quarters deployment.
Opponent: Dark Angels Deathwing.
Dark Angel list:
Belial -Master of the Deathwing.
Belial's Deathwing Terminator Squad -1 Lightning Claw, 1 Assault Cannon.
Dreadnaught.
x2 Terminator Squads -1 Lightning Claw, 1 Assault Cannon.
5 Ravenwing Bikers -2 Melta guns, +1 Sgt, Power Weapon, Telleport Homer.
I win deployment zone choice and I get a nice big 2 story building to deploy in leaving the Dark Angels with a decidedly bare deployment zone, he deploys his Dreadnought right up front to push me back in my quarter and his bikes behind the dread and that's it, the rest is deep striking.
TURN 1
Dark Angels get first turn and Belial and his retinue and another Terminator Squad Deep Strike down by the Raven bikes. Opening fire kills about a half dozen grots and assault cannon fire destroys a Killa Kan.
My small Slugga boy unit destroys the Dreadnaught (2 penetrating and a glancing hit from 4 rokkits, no ammo runts used!) The other Slugga boy unit takes out a biker with a rokkit. The Looted Russ blows apart 2 Terminators as several 1's are rolled for armour saves!
TURN 2
The last Terminator Squad comes down. Dark Angel fire takes out another half dozen grots and about 8 or 9 Orks but no one runs. He fails to destroy the Killa Kan thanks to bad assault cannon rolls. It's rarin' to krump!
More massed shots see off about 4 Terminators, my opponent is rolling 1's like it's his job. The Killa Kan charges, kills the only Terminator in it's attack zone and drags the other surving 2 of the squad into combat. My opponent misjudges my 12" charge range and my big Slugga boy mob assaults the newly arrived Terminator Squad. I WAAAAGH! and wound 7 times and he fails 6 4+ saves wiping out the Terminators completely! I then consolidate into the bikes. Around this time my opponent goes and gets new dice...
TURN 3
Only Belial and his unit are unengaged. He makes a strategic withdraw and destroys my Skorcha buggy in the meantime. My Killa Kan strikes twice, wounds twice, the Terminators fail their 5+ invulnerable save twice. My Slugga Boyz dispatch the remaining bikers with help from the power klaw Nob.
TURN 4-6
The Dark Angels are down to Belial and 3 or 4 Terminators. He tries to shoot again the Killa Kan closing in on them but does nothing to it. My Warboss and Trukk boyz pounce from behind cover and get stuck in at last along with the invincible Killa Kan. The Terminators are eventually hacked down to a man and only Belial remains with one wound facing my Warboss who was wounded by Belial. Belial can't hit him let alone wound him to seal the deal, even with his master-crafted power weapon... Warboss Fridgechukka unleashes the fury of 3 wounding S10 hits which utterly crushes the Dark Angel Master and gives the Orks the Massacre!
The Dark Angels wounded my Warboss, shot up over half the grots and big mob of Slugga boyz, and destroyed the Skrocha and a Killa Kan.
End Result
Massacre for the Orks.
My opponent (Dez) is a great sport to play against. I can't say I would have had as much fun if I had his dice rolls, they were absolutely horrid, it seemed that a 1 for an armour save came up 50% of the time and you would expect an AV11 Kan to die after 3 rounds of rending ass cannon. The mis-judgement on my assault range sealed the deal as choppas are just broken against 2+ armour saves...
So with that I ended up going 2-1. The final placements were based on total Victory points and in no small part due to the final battle I ended up 4th overall out of 20+ when I peeked at the final VP list, not too shabby. I was about 90 points behind 3rd place overall which was my skumgrod, Boss Noteef and his Word Bearers (his orks were in a state of disrepair at the time). 1st place for the bad guys was a World Eaters army I think and 1st place for the Imperium was a Space Wolf-esque army which was 1st overall.
Good times, thanks to JonC and Greg for putting it on!
