SCENARIO
We played the Terror Tactics matched play scenario out of the Core Rule Book (pg. 59). The scenario was 4-6 rounds (random) and victory points were gained for taking out enemy models or exiting your own models off the far side of the table.
KILL ZONE
We used a Sector Mechanicus Kill Zone, but still haven't incorporated the Kill Zone rules.
FORCES
3 Platoon, 2nd Company, 817th Tallarn Desert Raiders
Infantry Squad Sergeant - Leader - Bolt Pistol
Special Weapon Squad Gunner - Plasma Gun
Special Weapon Squad Gunner - Veteran - Meltagun
Special Weapon Squad Gunner - Demolitions - Grenade Launcher
Infantry Squad Gunner - Sniper - Sniper Rifle
13x Infantry Squad Guardsman - Lasgun
The Red Killaz - Finnegan's Ork Kill Team
Grodnog Ripclaw - Boss Nob - Leader - Power Klaw and Slugga
Burnanza - Burnaboy - Zealot Specialist - Burna
Garg Bigfist - Ork Boy - Veteran Specialist - Shoota
Shorkarg Da Facerippa - Ork Boy - Combat Specialist - Slugga and Choppa
Ug - Boy Gunners - Big Shoota
Snikar - Boy Gunners - Big Shoota
Tuska - Boyz - Shoota
Scarbad - Boyz - Shoota
Uruk - Boyz - Shoota
Grimgutz - Boyz - Slugga and Choppa
Gizarg - Boyz - Slugga and Choppa
Zagnutz - Boyz - Slugga and Choppa
Slaza - Boyz - Slugga and Choppa
Nukk - Boyz - Slugga and Choppa
THE GAME
SCOUTING & DEPLOYMENT
As I know Finnegan likes to use the "Take Forward Positions" strategy, I gambled that he would do so again and took "Eliminate Sentries". He did and so after deployment he would get to move 20% of his fungi and 20% of my force would get to shoot at them. I had the Greater Strategic Advantage, so I chose a side and Finnegan started setting up first.
ROUND ONE
Two gunners with big shootas and an Ork Boy with a regular shoota moved up to a position of cover with his Take Forward Positions move. Four of my troopers took shots at them, the sniper took out one of the gunners with the big shoota.
I had the initiative for Round One and so started moving. I sent a couple groups of troopers off trying to flank around the sides hoping to make for the far end of the Kill Zone to exit off and gain points by doing so! Others I readied to give them all some decent covering fire.
Finnegan mostly moved his orks up to the cover of some Thermic Plasma Conduits.
In the shooting phase my own fire took down two orks and caused two flesh wounds on Burnanza and Burnaboy! Burnanza roasted a couple of my troopers - one was taken out of action, the other received minor burns, but could still fight on (flesh wound).
No Fighting. My one guy with a flesh wound failed his nerve test and was shaken.
ROUND TWO
The Astra Militarum, once again, had the initiative...
The two flanking parties tried to advance past the Orks. My plan was to strike as deep into his territory as possible, hoping to slip a few by or at least keep all the fighting on his half of the table so that he'd be less likely to bother with trying to get any of his own guys off my side. Now it seems quite ridiculous... I was basically just brining them all into easy charge range of his brutal close combat machines!
They, of course, all got charged... and those that advanced didn't even get to do Overwatch Fire...
This grenadier did get to do overwatch fire... but rolled ONE attack for his frag grenade.. and missed with it..
Flankers on my right also getting charged.
During the shooting phase I remembered to use my orders! This turn I game one guy "Fix Bayonets" order - so he could actually fight in the shooting round... Most of his troops were in close combat so I couldn't really shoot at too many. Most of the fire was ineffective, though the sniper did finish off Burnanza! I'm really not looking forward to facing MORE Burnaboyz!
In the Fight Phase the Orks took down FIVE of my troopers!!
In the Morale Phase my one guy with a flesh wound fail his nerve test, again, and remained shaken.
ROUND THREE
This time the Orks had the initiative...
Almost all of his Orks charged into combat.
One of my guys that had remained in combat actually managed to fall back - forward - towards the Orks table edge - along with one of her comrades that had managed to avoid being charged the previous turn!
In the shooting phase, I think the only target I had was the Boss Nob who had failed to make his charge rolls. Everyone shot at him. Trooper with a Lasgun missed. Sniper hit and wounded... but the Ork saved. Finally the Veteran with the Meltagun hit him and caused a flesh wound!
In the Fight Phase I was relatively lucky - only one more of my troopers was taken out of action and another received a flesh wound.
In the morale phase we both did break tests... I had seven out of action and two with flesh wounds out of an original eighteen - so half. The orks had five our of action and two flesh wounds - also half of their original 14. So we both did break tests and BOTH failed (if only one failed it would be the end of the game). So we proceeded to do a PILE of nerve tests, though with our relatively low morale and high numbers of troops out of action, almost all failed... It would have been interesting to see how that next turn went down with both sides only having one or two troops that weren't shaken and able to take actions... but then Finnegan questioned if it was AT 50% we had to take breaks test or MORE THAN 50%... and it turned out to be MORE THAN! WHOOOPS! So, we removed all those shaken markers and carried on with Round Four.... I think I may had done that wrong in the previous games - had people taking breaks tests when they were AT 50% - I'll remember that from now on, though...
ROUND FOUR
The Tallarn Desert Raiders once again seized the initiative and decided to RUN FOR IT!!!
These two made it off the table!!
Just about everyone else either fell back-forward, or advanced towards the Ork edge of the Kill Zone.
The Orks tried to charge where they could, the big shoota just moved to where they could shoot at the advancing Astra Militarum, and the two orks closest to my own edge, with no one in charge range, just decided to run off the edge.
The Orks shooting was entirely ineffective.
In the Fight Phase this guy took two flesh wounds. The Trooper that had been with him was taken out of action. He fought back - with his two flesh wounds could only hit on a six - he hit! Then he could only wound on a 5+ - he wounded the big bute! Then the blasted Ork actually PASSED his saving throw!!? GAH!! ONE MORE f out of action or Flesh Wound and the Orks ALSO would have to be taking a break test this turn... no such luck... That was about it.
In the Morale Phase I now had eight out of action and four flesh wounds and rolled a break test and failed. Finnegan was still just AT 50%, so didn't need to take a break test. So, the Orks won.
Even if I hadn't failed the break test, Finnegan would have been scoring WAAAAY more points - Eight for enemies taken out, plus two for the Orks that made it out of the Kill Zone for ten. I had only five for casualties caused and two for guys that made it out... MAYBE if I hadn't failed and MAYBE if I got some really good advance rolls, I could have gotten other four off the following turn... but then the rest of the troops on the table would have to NOT DIE at the hands of the Orks in close combat...
Again the game went a little longer that I felt it should have... but I guess we're still learning. I'm thinking I would have probably been better off just setting up a firing line and blasting away at the Orks and avoiding close combat for as long as I could. And flamers... I need to get some flamers...
Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog
MORE KILL TEAM!!! Whether it's more minis and/or terrain or another game report, odds are it will be related to Kill Team!!
Posts
Getting up close and personal with orks does seem like a terminal proposition if you're guardsmen in any format! Maybe you used up all your guard luck in your recent 40k game when you hit with virtually everything?
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Probably... It's unfortunate that there isn't a "Front Rank Fire! Second Rank Fire!" command in Kill Team - it's been very effective in 40K... That's how I took down so many Orks in that last game of 40K.
DeleteLooks great Tim...nice looking table and minis.
ReplyDeleteThanks Stanley!
DeleteAnother excellent report! With cool minis and terrain, of course.
ReplyDeleteYeah, going toe to toe with the Rooskies, I mean Orks, is probably not a wise move, but I understand your reasoning of trying to do a sort of end run around them. At least you are all getting some experience with the rules and with various forces and tactics. And it looks like you are having fun to boot. Almost tempts me to get into Kill Team (but I have plenty of other projects in progress, as slow as it is). ha ha For now I am content to enjoy it vicariously. Thanks!
Cheers! This game was a lot of fun. Trying things out... Failing... Learning things from that... I also feel like we're only just beginning to scratch the surface - there is so much more to the game that we haven't used yet - the different Kill Zone rules and tactics and such.
DeleteI am curious to see what else they come out with for Kill Team - especially with Rogue Trader! It seems they're coming up with quite the narrative for it and there will be characters of the like we have not yet seen in Kill Team! Rogue traders and enginseers and assassins... and also shipboard combat! I'm hoping we can make it into almost a tabletop RPG - much like I used to do with Savage Worlds back in the day - but with a faster (though possibly a bit more brutal) combat resolution system!
I've already used the boards for the final encounter in the Blessings Unheralded - the Wrath & Glory Free RPG Day quick-start rules and adventure (another thing I'm really looking forward to this fall!). I feel like I'm almost on the cusp of living out my childhood dream of running a role-playing game with an excellent tabletop miniature resolution system that can easily be expanded to deal with larger battles as the player characters grow in experience, influence, and power! Eventually becoming Imperial Commanders - ruling over an entire planet - by dint of their own wiles and stratagems!
We shall see...
Great report! I am really enjoying the Kill Team rules, and like you, the Morale phase has given me endless trouble. I find it very inelegant and clunky. I am tempted to simply go to the Shadow Wars rule of Bottle Tests, where the game is just over after a failure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Major! I don't mind the Morale rules so much... I just happened to forget that it's OVER 50% casualties when you have to test for everyone (or, in the case of some scenarios, such as this one, lose the game instantly if your opponent hasn't failed as well). The hard thing is for hard armies with low morale (like Imperial Guard and Orks) is that once you've lost 5 or 6, it is impossible to pass a nerve test unless you roll a one - or spend a command point to skip the test for one of your guys! It seems that smaller, high point Kill Teams may have some significant advantages in this game. Only more play will tell for sure, but ti's starting to look that way...
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