This would also be my last chance to play my army under the current list, latest news being that the new Ork list (and rather good looking models) is released in January 2008. My force was centred round two large Slugga Boyz mobs and an 'Ard Boyz mob. Supported by Shoota Boyz, a small group of Kommandos, a group of Trukk Boyz and a scraping og Grots. Being me, their were lots of vehicles in support. A Battlewagon, Leman Russ, Tracked Trukk, three buggies and six bikers.
Chris surprised me by bringing Tau, and army great on shooting, but rotten in combat. This was typified by the unit of pathfinders in the centre, who were killed in melee by the Grots! However as long as they could keep me at arms reach they were a deadly enemy. My vehicles were selected to face Marines and high armour, which works here too, but 'Orks is never lucky wiv da shooties'; and so was often the case. My Battlewagon was blown up first hit having fired and failed to do damage only once with it's new ZZap gun.
The Leman Russ fared little better in real terms, failing to penetrate armour on it's one good hit.
Orks en-masse swarm the ruins. If I'd had the figures, the sensible route to victory would have been 2000 points worth of Slugga's and Grots, easily the best two units in my army...
The bikers tear through the dust towards the enemy. Chris is rightly afraid of these, their ability to move 12 inches, fire upto 18 strength 5 shots on rerolls, then assault another 6 inches and roll again, without morale to worry about and an autosave makes them a real threat to light forces. As Chris fought a fighting withdrawal throughout the game, he was just able to deal with these before they smashed into him, on the way they served to distract the enemy a great deal.
The Ork buggies on the opposite flank. The one in the centre did something remarkable, it hit a target! In maybe a dozen games it has to my knowledge never hit anything before. Armed with a Kustom Mega Blaster, it has a st7 attack with an armour penetration big enough to give most troops no save; unfortunately it backs that up with needing a 5 or 6 to hit, no rerolls. And being a buggy it tends to blow up first hit too.
This game it did me proud though, detonating a globe of pure energy in a recently arrived unit of Stealth suits, blowing all four to pieces!
In the foreground a destroyed Battlewagon, is left behind by its' Big Mek and some 'Ard Boyz. In the distance is the Ork Fortress; cunningly built of cardboard! Ork models are great, you can throw away the rulers when you are building them.
The most recent addition to my force is a modification of one of my models to allow it to field as a multi role vehicle. The base of this normally serves as an Ork tank (A 'Blitzwagen', built using the old vehicle design rules). Early on I'd found the chassis could lock sliding parts into itself above the engine deck. I exploited this by fitting different superstructures, so it can operate as a Trukk (as here) or an Artillery piece/Big Gun). Here Trukk Boyz await their opportunity. Trukk Boyz are often good value, a unit that can in effect do a 20 inch assault turn move (12" + 2" to dismount +6" assault) can usually get stuck in straight away; 40 attack dice on the charge is enough to give any enemy a headache too! These Boyz set to Chris' Kroot.
Yet with several positives, I wasn't able to pull a win from the game. The Tau kept pulling back and making good use of their superior firepower. In the end he had few ground troops left but an almost complete complement of vehicles, which on his last turn spat out devastating fire - destroying my Bikers, Trukk and Leman Russ. The few Ork Boyz left couldn't do enough.
An excellent game that hung in the balance all the way; but Chis won it by about 300 points in the end.
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