Return to Action on Brind's World - Orks versus Necrons

Kids are still off school so a friend came over to play some 40K and do some painting with Finnegan and The Girl earlier today. We continued our loose narrative campaign set on Brind's World. 

(you can find a bit of background on the world here: Again With The 40K)

Brind's World 9.012.018.M42

After utterly destroying the forward reconnaissance elements of Hivefleet Haemorrhoid, Warboss Blitzagg was content to rest upon his laurels for a bit. After a while he heard tell of strange stirrins underground and started sending loyal Sneaky Gitz out to find out the troof of da mattah. Being proactive he started buildin' up his force adding some Meganobz and Lootas. He heard over the tawkbox that one of his Sneaky Gitz was comin' in with vital knowledge about the underground stirrins - somethin' involvin' clankies! So Warboss Blitzagg set out to find the Sneaky Git and find out what he learned. 

FORCES

Warboss Blitzagg's Mob

Warboss Blitzagg 

30 Boyz

3 Meganobz

5 Lootas

Power Level: 35, Patrol Detachment - 3 Command Points

JE:FF Pod 24965

Overlord JE:FF 

20 Necron Warriors

5 Lynchgard

5 Deathmarks 

Power Level: 34, Patrol Detachment - 3 Command Points

SCENARIO

We used the Rescue scenario right out of the Warhammer 40000 8th Edition Core Rulebook. As the Orks had the larger force they were the "attackers" trying to recover one of their spies caught behind enemy lines. All of the regular Necron forces started off table and would only come on if one of the sentries spotted any enemy.

THE GAME

The boys started by marking the 6 possible terrain features the Sneaky Git could be hiding in (Whenever an Ork unit came within 3" of one of the marked Terrain Features they would roll a d6 - on a 6 that was the location of the Sneaky Git and he could be deployed anywhere within 3" of said terrain feature). Finnegan picked the three closest to his deployment zone, and his opponent, of course, picked three close to his own base edge. 

The Necrons started by setting up their 10 sentries - and then spent 2 Command Points to increase their detection range. Finnegan then tried to set up his Orks outside of detection range but close to the terrain features the Sneaky Git might be hiding in, but outside of potential detection range - not an easy thing to do. 

The scenario is kind of written assuming that it would be played on a 4'x6' table - as the one we had was only 4x4 (2/3 the space) we probably should have reduced the number of sentries to 6 or 7... Basically if the Orks shot, or fought a sentry and failed to kill it in the fight section, or ended any movement pose within the detection range, the sentries sounded the alarm and the Necron force could start trying to deploy from reserves. The sentries were so thick on the ground that there was no way the orks could enter the Necron deployment zone without being spotted and, with the exception of two, they were all within detection distance of each other so even if the Orks tried to assault any of the sentries and killed them before they could fight back or raise the alarm, there would be others in range that could detect them and raise the alarm... 

ROUND ONE - ORKS TURN 

So many sentries out there... the Orks did very little moving - which would hamstring them later in the game. by the end of the game it was clear that they should have said "EFF the sneaky-stealthiness - let's GO!"  

There were two units of Boyz that did move up and prepare to assault two of the Necron sentries on the extreme flanks. 

These few moves brought Ork units within 3" of the three closer terrain features that the Sneaky Git could potentially have been hiding in. He was not hiding in any of them... So they would have to make it to the far end of the table to find their friend the Sneaky Git and try to get him out alive. 

(Actually the Orks only needed to find him by the end of the game and keep him alive - the game was  to be played to a variable turn number - they were to start dicing on turn five to see if it suddenly ended and could potentially play up to seven rounds...)

"WAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!"

And assault them they did, smashing the stoopid, lil clankies to bits...

Seriously, how this did not raise the alarm, I'll never know... 

ROUND ONE - NECRONS TURN

At the start of each Necron turn, until the alarm was raised, the players were to each roll a die for each of the remaining sentries - the player that rolled higher would get to move the sentry a distance equal to the number they rolled in inches - ties meant they just stayed put. The first five of the eight remaining eight sentries either stayed put or were sent back towards their home table edge by Finnegan... but the sixth... marched right towards Wazdigg and raised the alarm when close enough to spot them, so the Necrons started to deploy. 

One the first turn after the alarm was raised they had to roll for each unit to see if they could deploy - on turns thereafter they would automatically deploy. So on the first turn the two units of Necron Warriors arrived. 

For those that have been following along and paying very close attention, you will have likely noticed that our little Necron-playing friend has actually painted a SECOND UNIT OF TROOPS - bless his cotton socks!

ROUND TWO 

Round Two went pretty quickly - the Orks just advanced as quick as they could under over of the jungle ruins. Then on the Necron Turn the rest of the Necrons arrived. 

One unit of Necron Warriors took some pot shots and some well hidden Orks in a far off stand of trees; hit one, but failed to wound. 

ROUND THREE - ORKS TURN

Again the Orks moved up as quick as they could - most of them advancing (slowly) through jungle. 

The ORks then lit up any Necrons they could spot and were in range of... The Lootas shot up the Necron Warriors in the centre of the tables - Nine hits! Nine WOUNDS! OUCH! Six saves... three knocked down... Two units of the Boyz managed to see targets and blasted away at them. A few hits were scored, but all failed to wound or were saved... 

ROUND THREE - NECRONS TURN

Not much moving about, mostly just returning fire. 

Oh, the one unit of Necron Warriors on the right flank did move over the rubble pile that the Sneaky Git could be hiding in to try and deny it to the advancing Orks and shoot them up a bit... They successfully shot and knocked two out of action.. 

Elsewhere the Deathmarks and the other unit of Warriors managed to take out two other Orks...

At this point I realized what I'd forgotten... THE SOUNDTRACK!!!

So I loaded up some Bolt Thrower in the stereo along with some Matrix and Heavy Metal movie soundtracks! 

Turns out the kids... not so hot on Death Metal. Kids these days, eh? (Truth is, I can only take so much Death Metal these days... but who can resist the semi-official band of WARHAMMER!?)

They did like the Matrix Soundtracks and thought it all sounded like Necron Music. They even took a few moments to bust some Necron Dance Moves... 

ROUND FOUR - ORKS TURN

Orks continued to move up - some to get into better firing positions, others - like these ones on the Nrcron right flank - into a position ready to assault! Dakka over on this side took down a couple of warriors. 

Elsewhere the Lootas took down another Necron Warrior from the other units. Despite many Boyz blazing away, few hits were scored by the others, and none resulted in and downed Necrons... 

Finnegan was a bit reluctant to charge in with his Boyz - realizing the Necron Warriors had rapid fire weapons and the eight of them would get sixteen shots in overwatch fire. I pointed out they'd get the same number of shots next turn, but they'd be hitting on 4+ rather than needing sixes as they do in overwatch... and after taking their lumps from the overwatch fire, the Orks could mix it up with them in close assault and THAT is where Orks really shine - they can really fü¢k sh!t up in close assault! 

So in they went. They took no casualties from the overwatch fire and they then wrecked four of the Nacrons in close assault - two of those were taken out by the bosses Power Klaw! 

Unfortunately the remaining Necrons took down another 3 Orks with them... 

The Necrons then totally failed their morale test and lost two more - and were down to TWO Warriors... The Orks also kind of failed and lost another 

ROUND FOUR - NECRON TURN

And then the Necrons started reanimating... GAH! Necrons are the WORST!!! I could probably live with this reanimation bullsh!t if they were a bit easier to kill in the first place, but they're NOT - 4 toughness and 3+/4+ saves... They're on the same level as Orks or Space Marines... but they keep coming back like a bad case of herpes!? 

They didn't do any moving, just shot the crap out of the Orks killing a few more. Then in the close assault they killed two more orks and where it had been 4-2 in the Orks favour at the end of the Orks turn, it was now 4-2 in the Necrons favour thanks to reanimation protocols and some terrible, terrible rolling on Finnegan's part. Seriously, between those four Orks they had 11 attacks mostly hitting on 3+... (Strength 4 vs Toughness 4) wounding on 4+... Nothing... 

ROUND FIVE - ORKS TURN

Well Finnegan realized it was turn five, they hadn't located and secured the Sneaky Git and the game could potentially end this round... so it was GO TIME! Orks charged out of cover everywhere! One unit charged the Deathmarks, others just moved out of cover to close the distance or finally be in a shooting position. The Necron Warrior unit lost four to shooting. The Deathmarks were untouched by shooting, but the Boys charged in anyway... and utterly wiped them out!! The Terrain feature the Deathmarks had been hiding in was a potential hiding locale... but there was no Sneaky Git there... 

After wiping out the Deathmarks the Ork Consolidation move brought them to within an inch of the final hiding location - so the Sneaky Git was found - as he could be deployed anywhere within 3" of the terrain feature - he just jumped right out of his hiding spot and hid within the unit of Boyz... BOOYAH! How's that for pulling it out of the fire!? If only the Boyz could survive this round and end the game with a lucky die roll... 

ROUND FIVE - NECRONS TURN

Yeah... that totally didn't happen... 

The Necron Warriors got FIVE of their broken Space Herpie brothers back and shot up the Boyz protecting the Sneaky Git killing three. The Overlord killed another three with whatever shooty thing he had... and then it was close assault time - Luckily the Overlord FAILED to charge in! Unfortunately the Lynchgard did make it into combat and finished off the Boys and the Sneaky Git and that was that... 

So close... 

Post game discussion of narrative and tactics and stuff... Generally it was agreed that Finnegan should have just left his Boyz all mobbed up in one bit unit of 30 and said "Stelf is fo' SISSIES!" and just charged forward as fast as he could from the get-go.... tried to overrun the Necron position and wipe out units so they couldn't come back... The Meganobs were a bit of a disappointment... too slow to get into the action.. 

Our previous games were around 20 Power Level, so this was almost double that. At one point someone had said "Wow, this takes a LOT longer to play out..." Oh if only they knew... most 40K players use 2-3 times as much as we were playing with and can somehow managed to finish games in 2 hours... I guess it helps if you've read the rules.. and barring that listen when the one who does know the rules explains them so you don't have to keep asking how this and that works... 

The Girl did have a force of Harlequins she had ready to play if there'd been time - finished up three of them just last night (Troupe Leader, Shadowseer, and Death Jester!).  But by the time we were done we only had two hours and everyone wanted to do some painting! 

So we did some painting (and/or assembling). 

Yeah... that's a Tyranid Hierophant Bio-Titan he's working on... Not sure when he'd going to use it as none of us have anything that can really hurt it... That freaking thing is 2000 points... the equivalent of FIVE Shadowswords?! Maybe if he really wants to get it on the table I'll ask him to bring it over when we get playing Rogue Trader or Only War role-playing games again and his character can try and think of a plan to deal with it... 

Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I have a Tallarn Infantry squad I'm painting up as a Veteran Squad to use in 40K or Shadow War: Armageddon. 

The kids had sorted out their Shadow War: Armageddon Kill Teams - The Girl has a Kill Team of four Harlequins and Finnegan's got 9 Orks in his. My first draft Kill Team has a unit of 9 Imperial Guard... Hopefully we'll get a game of that in soon!