Battle fought on the 11th of January. 2000 pts, Apocrypha
Astra Militarum VS Orks.
The
Cadian 501st was yet again deployed to the deserted planet of
[INCOMPLETE DATA], this time tasked to recover or destroy sensitive
technology, preventing it to fall in to Ork hands. The 501st have faced
off against the ork WAAAGH of [INCOMPLETE DATA] several times in the
past, and knowing the dreaded Black Clunker was in the area,
Imperial high command saw it as an necessity to finally bring it down,
bolstering the morale of the remaining 501st. 2 fortified detachments
were deployed with the support of Collegia Titanica and minor Imperial
Navy backup.
 |
| Imperial Forces prior to deployment |
Deployment
Miscommunication?
The 501st were surprised to find themselves located in an urban
environment where the orders were to recover the artefacts in the open
plains. The guardsmen obediently dug inn, knowing the brought way more
fortifications then they would have needed. Nightfall came and went.
Just before daylight, the alarm sounded. Sentries repportet ork movement
approaching in the cover of darkness. Poor hand of tactical objectives to the Cadians.
 |
| Imperial Defence lines |
 |
| The orks approaching |
Turn 1
The orks put forward a bold approach and situated themselves in the building right across the street as soon as the alarm rang. Throwing forward an array of daka, both from the stompa and the boys, they made short work of the Imperial heavy weapon team and killing one sniper. Despite going to ground keeping thier heads down, not even 2+ saves are good enough for this amount of dakka. After a short wile, a strange sound "wrrrrr... click!" sounds from the stompa, it would appear that the stompa spent all its rapid daka ammunition in the first minutes of the battle. From the building beside the boyz, a strange flash is sighted and a scream is heard. The ork Big Mek suffers a terrible incident, obliterating himself in what would have been a terrifying attack.
The orks scored first blood and succeeded in their kill objective, 2 tactical points.
The imperials answer fire with fire. 4 boys and a buggy falls victim to a fusialliade of lasgun fire and the Warhounds mighty plamsa. The titans also score 4 HP to the Black Clunker. Melta armed veterans and the Whiteshield conscript squad approaches on the stompa, both squads fail thier charge.
Poor Imperial start, 0 tactical points.
Turn 2
The air is filled with engine roar as 2 ork flyers approaches in the distance. Both a fighter and a bomber, the orks got good air support. Platoon Commander Gasto quickly order the AA-enplacement operational to intercept the approaching flyers, but reckless flying between the building ressult in no flak damage. The stompa turn to face the approaching melta squad obliterating it in meele and stomps. The only man left standing is Commissar Quietus, keeping his head cool strikes back with a well placed melta bomb dealing 3 HP to the stompa.
Ork command order several units back to secure their battle line. With hold the line and assassinating the veteran sergeant, the orks score 2 tactical objectives.
No word from the Imperial Imperial navy, it would appear that air support is delayed. Hardened veterans and attached chimera approach on the buggy transporting ork Mega Nobs. Armed with 3 flamers and 2 heavy flamers on the chimera, the nobs emabrked go no where to run and take d6 hits per flamer. luckily for them, thier armor can take it, and with 2+ saves, they merely take 1 wound, and the buggy 1 HP from a krak grenade. The other chimera snap shot at the ork bomber, scoring 1 glancing hit. Commissar Quietus keeps the stompa locked in combat as a infantry squad gets away as their weapons are useless against the giant walker. Yet again he tries to engage with melta bomb, but with all of the stompas focus, he soon falls victim to the destroyer cc weapon.
The Imperial forces manage to secure 1 objective, 1 tactical point.
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| Ork flyers incoming |
Turn 3
On the left flank, the ork bomber dive on the titan, dropping one of its bombs wile within the void shield range. The damage is absorbed by the Warhounds own void shield, which comes back up at the end of the turn. The orks call WAAGH and charges. On the right flank, about 13 boyz engaging the remaining 17 conscripts, eating them up in melee. The stompa and embarked units aim at the main entrenched building, killing off 8 guardsmen. The stompa also aims for the warhound with its str 10 cannon, but the shot scatter off the field. Straifing rund from the ork fighter wrecks one of the chimeras.
By calling a waagh and holding 4 points, the orks score 2 tactical points.
The valkyrie of the Imperial Navy is finally sighted. On board, the infamous Vanguard of Kaurava II lead by Lieutenant Mira Ockmann. The valkyrie set forth flat out to make a drop behind enemy lines. In a blaze of fire, the well places turbo laser destructor shots of the warhound rip the Black Clunker apart. The explotion is much larger than anticipated, everything that could possible go off in the ork stompa does so. The apocalyptic blast kills off remaining guardsmen in the first floor in the building, including the Imperial company commander. The orks looses 1 buggy and 1 mega nob to plasma fire. Shots from the chimera and the AA battery fails to damage the flyers further who keeps jinking back and forth.
The Imperials gain 1 tactical point for killing a super heavy target, but the orks gain 1 for slay the warlord.
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| Titans exchanging shots |
Turn 4
The veterans on the left flank clashes with the mega nobs. The nobs take down 5 veterans and is unharmed even by power weapons. 2+ save... The ork fighter cuntinue his streak and wreks the 2nd chimera, also on the side armour, also shooting within the void shield range. The ork bomber leaves immediate airspace.
The orks flat out 3 units and secured 1 objective, 2 tactical points.
Imperial snipers and remaining guard squads take aim at the boys mob, now in the open, inflicting 4 casualties. The valkyrie reaches the drop zone. Equipped with grav chutes, the veterans make a moving drop but scatters. Trained exactly for hard landings and equipped with carpace armour the unit suffers no damage from the drop.
Having a unit behind enemy lines, the Imperial Forces score 1 tactical point.
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| Vanguard of Kaurava II in enemy territory facing off against a buggy |
Turn 5
The Ork bomber appears yet again from the ork lines, bombing and strafing the Vanguard of Kaurava II. 3 veterans goes down, but the squad holds the objective. The Ork fighter dives on the sentinel, rendering it wrecked. Streak: 3 vehicles side strafed. Ork elites shoot at the remaining sniper squad, killing one and breaking morale.
The Orks score 1 victory point for psycological warfare.
The valkyrie, having made its drop switches to hover mode and makes a sharp turn, getting the Ork warboss' truk within its sights. Carefully places shots take out the truck with 2 remaining HP, triggering a violent explosion. The warboss is unharmed, but 4 boyz are kills in the flames, leaving only 2 of the retune alive. Mira Ockmann and her veterans proceed to secure objective 4, and being behind enemy lines on the last turn, the Imperials score 2 tactical points.
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| Passionate flyer love prior to the destruction of the warboss' trukk |
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| Straifing run on the sentinel |
The battle is over, turn 6 is not played.
Aftermath
Score:
Orks: 10 tactical points
Imperials: 5 tactical points
The Ork waagh and their salvage nature had no trouble securing the valuable loot, snatching it out of the hands of the Empire. The Cadians, having brought way too much fortifications on the cost of mobility and armour was left with little choice but to hold their ground as the Orks ravaged forward. On the bright side, Imperial high command was pleased to hear that the Black Clunker was finally dealt with and that the warhound was safely evacuated from the front lines. Overall a tactical defeat, but a strategic minor victory as morale of the 501st was bolstered. It is after all easier to replace guardsmen than for the Orks to build a new titan.
Man of the match -
Commissar Quietus was posthumously awarded the Honorifica Imperialis for his incredible stand off against the stompa.
Unstopable! - Ork Fighta, killing 1 vehicle target per turn in play.
Notable Imperial staff KIA
- Commissar Quietus
- Lord Commissar Helveticus
Notable Imperial staff survived
- Lieutenant Mira Ockmann
- Platoon Commander Gasto
