Thursday, September 18, 2008

'Ard Boyz Qualifier part II: Ghaz vs Ghaz!

So with 40+ battle points through 2 games I would be playing for the top spot against none other then my good friend Dan, AKA Boss Noteef. We had been emailing each other for a few weeks about our lists and the missions or whatever and as fate would have it we were to go head to head in an epic clash of Orky goodness. To his credit, Dan's list hadn't changed much since he emailed it to me... I however went through many different alterations and I liked his Ghaz/Big Mek idea and decided to take Ghaz myself (but with his old mate Gargunki instead of a Big Mek)!

Game 3 vs Bizzaro Ghazghkull with Noteef's orks

Army List
Ghazghkull Thraka.
Big Mek -Force Field.

12 Burna Boyz -10x burnas, 2x Mek's with Mega Blastas.

9 Mega-Nobz -3x Skorcha kombis, 1x Rokkit kombi.
Battlewagon transport -Deff-Rolla, 2x big shootas, grot riggers.
12 'Ard Boyz, Nob with Klaw, boss pole.
Trukk transport -reinforced ram, armour plates.
12 Slugga Boyz, Nob with Klaw, boss pole.
Trukk transport -reinforced ram, armour plates.
30 Shoota Boyz -3x big shootas, Nob -Klaw, boss pole.
27 Slugga Boyz -2x big shootas, Nob -klaw, boss pole.
Deff Dread -2x big shootas.

5x Deff Koptas

Battlewagon -Kill-kannon, grot riggers.
3 Killa Kanz -big shootas.
2 Killa Kanz -rokkits.

Dan went with a Dread-bash type list with a Force Field Big Mek and Deff-Koptas while I had a more foot slogger based force with dual Warbosses...but that's where the differences ended...
We both had Burna Boyz in a Kill-Kannon wagon, 'Ard Boy Trukkers, big Nobz mob in a dedicated Battlewagon, 2 large mobs of boyz and of course we both had Ghazghkull which could be interesting indeed.


Deployment: Dan placed his objective on the 1st level of a building in his deployment zone while I placed mine about 3" up from the center of my table edge. Dan won the roll for 1st turn and took it, deploying the Deff Dread (a troops choice), Big Mek and 2 large boyz squads right in the middle pushing me way back in my deployment zone. He placed Ghaz in the Battlewagon with the Mega-Nobz on my left flank with the two Trukks of boyz. The Deff-Koptas were out-flanking.

I deployed my 3 large boyz mobs in the middle, 18" away, with my Battlewagon loaded with Nobz and Gargunki, Ghaz in the Mega-Nob Trukk and 'Ard Boy Trukk on my right... I had no desire to go head to head with 9 Mega-Nobz with anything in my army other then the Burna Boyz (plus it would be best to avoid destroying the spice-time continuum... which is what would happen if a Ghazghkull on Ghazghkull meeting would ever occur) My Kommadoes were out-flanking of course.


TURN 1: The Kanz run onto the board behind Dan's boyz in the middle and his Kill-wagon with Burnas moves onto the board with his other vehicles on my left. Dan's army moves forward cautiously. We both know that whoever gets the initial charge can do a ton of damage and we both know the power of Ghaz and the 18" charge range he can give regular boyz. He rolls good Night Fighting distance and kills about 6 or 7 of my boyz with big shoota fire.

My Kill-wagon with Burnas moves onto the table in my far left corner ready to pounce on the enemy Mega-Nobz at first chance if they disembark... while my left most Slugga boy mob puts more distance between themselves and Dan's approaching vehicles. Everything else moves around cautiously to try and stay more then 18" away to avoid getting charged by his footsloggers. My Night Fighting rolls aren't nearly as good and I only kill a few of the enemy boyz.


TURN 2: The Deff-koptas fail to show up. Dan continues to be cautious with his movement in the middle... waiting for his Killa Kanz to catch up to support his boyz. He aggressively moves Ghaz and the Mega-wagon forward on my left along with the 2 Trukks behind it towards my objective, but eye-balling it... even with a 6" Waaagh! it would take a high 'Slow and Purposeful' assault roll to charge anything so enemy Ghaz and Company stay embarked. He shoots, killing about 8 more of my boyz from mass big shoota fire. The Killa-Kanz hit my 'Ard Boy Trukk with 2 rokkits but Dan rolls snake-eyes on the penetration dice.

My turn the Kommandos show up on my left flank where all the enemy vehicles are and I place them behind Dan's Kill-Kannon wagon with the Burnas. With the appearance of the Kommandoes I decide to go all out. I call on my Ghaz Waaagh! and charge forward! The Kommandoes assault and wreck the Kill-Kannon wagon loaded with Burna Boyz. I assault the Mega-Nob Wagon with a unit of Slugga boyz and get the 6 I need from the Nob's Klaw to hit it and then again to explode it wounding a Mega-Nob and taking out a few of my own boyz! I move my 'Ard Boyz Trukk through some ruins and disembark to assault the Killa-Kans who shot at them destroying them both (go Vark go 3+ to hit FTW!). My Ghaz breaks off from my Mega-Nobz and charges the enemy Deff Dread by himself, crippling but not destroying it. My huge unit of Nobz along with Gargunki unleashes a mad beating on Dan's Slugga Boyz, taking them below 11 boyz and running down the rest (I won by like 19 wounds or something silly like that). All in all I had taken a huge bite out of Dan's orks but he still had some teef to bite back with...


TURN 3: The Deff-Koptas are still no where to be found. Dan's Burna Boyz, not pleased with the destruction of their Kill-Kannon Wagon incinerate my Kommandoes to an ork. Dan call's on his Ghaz Waaagh! Enemy Ghaz and his huge unit of Mega-Nobz assault and explode my Kill-Kannon wagon 10 times over killing 5 of my Burna Boyz put I pass my pinning check with a huge 7. His 'Ard Boyz pile out and assault my Slugga Boyz who had blew up his Mega-wagon and in an incredible display of dice kill all the 17 remaining orks in one fail swoop! Dan's Trukk boyz disembark from their Trukk and assault my other unit of Slugga Boyz holding my objective and beat them down too, they are fearless from my Waaagh! still and they hold on but take several more wounds leaving but a handfull. The 3 Killa Kanz assault my 'Ard Boyz and kill 4 losing one of their own to Vark's klaw (immobilized = destroyed for squadrons... ouch!) and I take more 'fearless wounds'. Dan's Shoota Boyz unleash a torrent of fire against my Nobz and Gargunki but I make some amazing Armour/Feel No Pain rolls... when the smoke clears I lost only a single Nob with a Power Klaw while a regular Nob, the Waaagh! banner, and the Paindok take a single wound from allocation. The enemy Shoota Boyz charge in but lose combat as my Feel No Pain rolls are on fire... My Ghaz finishes off the Deff Dread and gets ready to assist my Nobz against Dan's Shoota Boyz...

My turn: My Burna Boyz charge into enemy Ghaz and his Mega-Nobz and take down 4 of them before being pulped. My Shoota boyz who had been hanging back assault Dan's Trukk Boyz and wipe them out saving my Slugga Boyz who are down to just the Nob and a single boy. My Nobz, assisted by Ghaz clobber a bunch more of Dan's Shoota Boyz but they don't run because they are Fearless taking even more wounds due to this... The Kanz flub on their attacks against my 'Ard Boyz and Vark takes the close combat weapon off of one.

We take an inventory of Kill-Points and it appears to be tied 7-7...


TURN 4: Dan rolls a 1 and the Deff-Koptas still don't show. Enemy Ghaz and the Mega-Nobz are out of the fight (being on foot and in the corner of the table) and try and run to get back into it before the game is over. Dan's 'Ard Boyz embark into a nearby Trukk while the other Trukk moves back to pick-up his Burna Boyz. Shooting takes out my last two Slugga Boyz. The Killa Kanz and my 'Ard Boyz continue to wail on each other... Dan is down to a single Kan, I'm down to just Vark and his deadly klaw. Ghaz and my Nobz with Gargunki end up clobbering the Big Mek and the rest of the Shoota Boyz... I move what's left of my Nobz and Gargunki towards a Trukk while Ghaz consolidates closer to the last Kan assailing Vark.

My Mega-Nobz hadn't done much but they were now my ace card, disembarking from their Trukk to take Dan's objective. I now had control of both objectives. I embark Gargunki and his Nobz into the empty 'Ard Boyz Trukk. Dan's last Kan rolls a 1 to wound to finish off Vark and gain another valueable Kill-Point, Ghaz then detroys the Kan easily to gain me two more.


TURN 5: The Deff-Koptas arrive automatically and blow the Trukk up containing Gargunki and the Nobz... Dan's 'Ard Boyz and Burna Boyz disembark to try and reclaim their objective from my Mega-Nobz but fail to remove my Trukk which I positioned to block off their advance as much as possible. Shooting from Dan's Trukks and 'Ard Boyz at my Nobz finally kills off the Paindok much to Dan's amusement. Enemy Ghaz and company's move roll is too low and they are too far out to do anything.

I declare a Tank Shock with my Deff-Rolla wagon and crumple one of Dan's Trukks like tinfoil and run over 5 Burna Boyz but they don't break... I sandwich the 'Ard Boyz between Gargunki/Nobz and Ghaz. Gargunki has 2 wounds and is dealt three by the 'Ard Boy Nob's Klaw... I make all three cybork body saves and crush the 'Ard Boyz in return.

With that the game is over. I control both objectives and win in Kill-points 14-8 giving me my third massacre and 1st overall.


Thoughts: Well my plan worked! Bizzaro Ghazghkull and the uber unit of Mega-Nobz was led away and stranded out of the fight just like I wanted. But victory can be traced back to several little things... getting the 6 to hit and blow up Ghaz's wagon with my Slugga Nob's klaw stands out as the biggest roll. If that didn't happen then Ghaz and his 9 Mega-Nobz raging through my center would have made this a very different game indeed. As it went I put enough speed bumps in the way to slow down their advance.

My Nobz mob should have been dead two times over but I made probably 80% of my Feel No Pain saves... amazing. This unit fought off 60+ enemy orks over the course of the game and I still had 4 or 5 left at the end.

Our armys were very similar with little room for error... but when the Deff-Koptas didn't show up until turn 5 that meant Dan was fighting my 2500 point army with only 2275. If they would have arrived sooner they could have slowed down my advance by destroying my Trukks and/or Deff-Rolla Wagon. The snake-eyes Dan rolled against the 'Ard Boy Trukk was big too... and Vark single klawedly took out 4 Kanz and lived to tell the tale... way to go Ded 'Ard Vark!

I felt bad that I got a massacre against a friend of mine as he really deserved to be in the top 3 but this result took him out of it... 2nd place went to an Ultramarine army with no special characters, 2 Land Raiders, and a lot of Las/Plas marines from talking to their general, Joe. 3rd place went to, I believe a Black Templar, 4 Land Raider army... the guy thanked me greatly for my massacre against Dan as he was able to take 3rd because of it, haha! (Sorry again Dan...)

I chose the Tyranid box set to help flesh out my small Tyranid army another friend gave to me... mmmm... bugs...

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

'Ard Boyz Qualifier: Games 1 & 2


missions: http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m1870341_40K_Ard_Boyz_Round1_Scenarios.pdf

There were 15 players at this qualifier... 5 Orks players (!), 1 Necron, 1 Tyranid, 1 Sisters of Battle, 1 Armoured Company, 1 Tau, NO Eldar (!!), 2 Chaos Marines (I think), and 3 Space Marines (Black Templar, Death/Ravenwing, Ultramarine).

There was not much terrain on any table. All the terrain was ruins, some with an area base, others not. I was immediately regretting not taking my Force Field Mek...

Game 1 vs Chaos Space Marines

Army list

Abaddon
Demon Prince of Slaanesh -Wings, Lash of Submission.

3 Terminator Champions -Nurgle icon.
10 Chosen -Slaanesh icon, lots of power fists/weapons.

10 Chaos Marines -Undivided Icon, 2x melta. Champ -fist.
10 Chaos Marines -Undivided Icon, melta/plasma. Champ -pw.
2x 10 Berzerkers.

Defiler.
2x 3 Obliterators.

Deployment: Objectives are placed, one in each quadrant and one in the middle of the table (about the only way to deploy 5 objectives). I win roll for 1st turn and take it and deploy everything but the Kommadoes who out-flank and the 'Ard Boyz in a Trukk who I hold in reserve to counter any sneaky deep strikes or out-flankers.

Chaos deploys everything but the Chosen who out-flank. The Defiler and Oblits deploy in the back corner. The 2 marine squads up front with the Berzerkers on each flank of the table quarter. Abaddon joins the Nurgle Terminators in the middle. Demon Prince is hiding behind a building.

TURN 1: I rush everything forward but the Kill-Kannon Wagon which deviates wildly with it's shot. The Mek's Kustom Mega Blastas take out a marine.

Chaos Marines move up and Berzerkers run down the table sides. Melta gun fire Immoblizes the Deff-Rolla Wagon. The 30 man mob of Slugga Boyz gets lashed forward(!) and the Defiler and Plasma Cannons from the Oblits blow away about a dozen (it would have been much much worse but I made a ton of 4+ cover saves against the Oblits who fired through the units in front of them.)

TURN 2: Close combat errupts everywhere. Kommandoes show up where I want them and assault a unit of Oblits in the back corner, combat is a draw with both sides only doing 2 wounds. Mega-Nobz Trukk moves 13" and Ghaz and the Mega-Nobz pile out into a unit of Berzerkers. Ghaz is wounded from the fist Champion but I make all my 2+ saves (about 7 or 8 wounds). The Berzerkers are wiped out to a man, Ghaz hitting and wounding with all 7 of his attacks! Gargunki and his Nobz pile out of the immobilized Wagon and assault the Marines who shot them. Gargunki is wounded by the fist champion and I lose only 1 Nob ('eavy armour and Feel No Pain FTW), the Marine squad is also wiped out once the klaws are done. The big mob of Slugga Boyz assault the other Chaos Marine Squad, the fight is ferocious and a single Chaos Marine is all that is left alive, but he passes his morale check.

The Chosen arrive behind the Kommandoes and charge into combat with the Oblits along with the Defiler who charges in too. The Kommandoes get whooped leaving only the Nob and a single Kommando but I roll double 1's for morale and keep them all locked in! Abaddon splits from the Terminators and the Termintors along with the other unit of Berzerkers charge into the Slugga Boyz... the Slugga Boyz get beat down and runs fer it but not before the lone Chaos Marine from last rounds combat is killed by the Slugga Nob's Klaw. The Demon Prince 'lashes' Ghaz and the Mega-Nobz closer and assaults them. The Prince delcares all his attacks against Ghaz and I immediately call the Ghaz Waaagh! to get a 2+ invulnerable which saves all five wounds suffered... the Demon Prince gets pummeled in return.

TURN 3: Ghaz and the Mega-Nobz run to capture the North-East objective. The Nobz do like-wise to capture the objective in the middle. The big mob of Shoota boyz sit on the objective in my quadrant. The 'Ard Boyz arrive and pull up to contest the objective being held by the other unit of Berzerkers in the South-West. The Burna Boyz pile out of the Wagon and 10 burna templates cover the Berzerkers... about 40+ hits are scored but before I roll to wound my opponent calls it.

Thoughts: Out of all my games so far in 5th edition it has been Chaos that has given me the most trouble so I was anything but thrilled when I saw I'd be fighting them in the 1st round. My opponent was relatively new to 40k having started playing about 2 years ago and made some mistakes which I capitalized on. One was not bunching up the Orks with the Lash to do more blast wounds and forgetting that I would get a cover save from the Oblit's shots through his own units. He also depolyed too far forward and I was able to get multiple charges off and wipe out most of his scoring units quickly. With the final scoring unit about to be 'burninated' and 3 rock hard units controlling objectives for me the game was up. I got a massacre for having 3-0 in objectives and a +1 for having all my HQ choices within 6" of an objective at the end of the game for 21 battle points.


GAME 2 vs Sisters of Battle

Army List
St. Celestine the Unkillable.
Canoness -all kinds of stuff.

10 Repentia

5x 10 Battle Sisters with a mix storm bolters, flamers, and meltas. Squad leaders with master-crafted weapons. 2x Rhinos.

7 Seraphim (Deep Striking)

2x Exorcist
Retributers 2xHB, 2xMM. Immolator transport.

Tons of Faith Points.

This was my first game ever against the Sisters so I was pretty interested to see what they could do. My opponent's name was Richard and he was a fun guy to play against, everyone seemed to be pretty cool in fact. He was playing an Armoured Company army on the table next to me in round 1 and looked to be getting pummeled but apparently won due to a lack of scoring units for the Armoured Company player...

Deployment: Apparently this was a Dawn of War deployment type but I think someone said everything had to start in reserve that wasn't on the table? I don't know it was confusing, I was in a 'Pitched Battle' mindset for some reason... He had search lights on his Exorcists and we did use Night Fight on Turn 1 but they didn't come onto the table until Turn 2... I doubt it would have made much of a difference in the end though. I deploy everything as far forward as possible, Kommandoes out-flank.

TURN 1: Sisters won first turn and not knowing how either of our Army's would fair against the other (he had never played against Orks with Sisters) the Sisters didn't do anything but stand still and look pretty.

I moved/ran everything forward as far as I could.

TURN 2: He makes all his reserve rolls except for the Repentia... the Exorcists destroy my Deff-Rolla wagon and a few light casualties are suffered from the boyz.

Ghazghkull calls on his Waaagh! The big mob of Shoota Boyz assault a squad of Sisters on my far right. The big mob of Slugga Boyz assault a unit in the middle led by the Cannoness. Gargunki and his Nobz assault another unit on the far left through cover. The 'Ard Boyz turn the Trukk around, disembark and assault the Seraphim who had Deep Struck deep into my deployment zone. Ghazghkull and the Mega-Nobz assault St. Celestine who had fearlessly jump packed in unsupported into the midst of my army. Apparently St. Celestine is nigh invincible as she can keep coming back with 1 wound and all that is required is to pass a Leadership test of 10... nasty. The Orks lay the smack down and wipe out 3 squads of Battle Sisters completely. The 'Ard Boyz flub their attacks and remain engaged with the Seraphim while the Cannoness survives, and passing her morale check is surrounded by a mob of about 20 orks...

TURN 3: The Repentia move onto the board from Reserve and St. Celestine comes back to harass Ghaz and his Nobz again... hmmm... I have a feeling I'll be chasing her down all game. Concentrated fire from the Immolator and two squads of sisters and an Excorcist decimate one of my Slugga Boy units but still the magic number of 11 remain while the other Excorcist can't penetrate the Kill-Kannon wagon. The Repentia assault Gargunki and co. and kill 3 Nobz but are cut down to a girl when it's all said and done. The Seraphim and 'Ard Boyz still fight on as Vark the 'Ard Boy Nob can't seem to hit anything at all with his klaw... St. Celestine is gunned down by the Trukks big shootas before Ghaz gets a chance to kill her... again... but she'll be back... again...

TURN 4-5: The Kill-Kannon wagon gets tagged in the side by an Excorcist Missile but the Battle Sisters are eventually all but butchered in combat by the end of turn 4 with the notable exception of the Seraphim who actually defeat the 'Ard Boyz through timely hit and runs (helped by Vark who missed about 18 of 20 klaw attacks). St. Celestine would deep strike off the board and end the game in reserve counting as destroyed...

The Sisters were left with a Rhino and a single Seraphim at the end of the game giving the Orks a massacre in Kill-Points.

Thoughts: St. Celestine is just nasty! But I can't complain because Ghazghkull's special abilitys are just as bad! I really like Sisters of Battle and they have the fire power to put a hurtin' on the boyz... but Night Fight allowed me to get to grips with the majority of my army in Turn 2 and Faith alone could not save the Sisters.

I'd really like to play another game with these two armys, the mission favored close combat armys like the Orks and even though we screwed up the deployment of Heavys it's unlikely it would have made much of a difference even with the search lights on the Exorcists and an extra turn of shooting from them. Still I would like a more balanced battle.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

'Ard Boyz List

This list got me 3 massacres for 67 Battle Points and 1st place in the Qualifiers.

HQ
----
Ghazghkull Thraka -100% win.
Warboss Gargunki -power klaw, 'eavy armour, cybork body, boss pole.

Elites
------
15 Kommandoes -2x burnas, Nob- power klaw, boss pole.
12 Burna Boyz -10x burnas, 2x Meks -kustom mega blastas.

Troops
--------
10 Nobz -9x 'eavy armour, 2x power klaw, Waaagh! banner, bosspole. Painboy upgrade.
transport: Battlewagon - deff-rolla, kannon, big shoota, armour plates, grot riggers, red paint.
4 Mega Nobz -3x rokkit kombis, skorcha kombi.
transport: Trukk -red paint, reinforced ram.
12 'Ard Boyz -Nob -power klaw, boss pole,
transport: Trukk -red paint, reinforced ram.
30 Shoota Boyz -3x big shootas, Nob -power klaw, 'eavy armour, boss pole.
30 Slugga Boyz -3x big shootas, Nob -power klaw, 'eavy armour, boss pole.
25 Slugga Boyz -2x big shootas, Nob -power klaw, boss pole.

Heavy Support
----------------
Battlewagon -kill kannon, big shoota, armour plates, grot riggers.
 
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