Fighting on the Forge World

569.020.M42

The 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment has been deployed on Xoxigar Secondus for over years now. They were deployed as part of a general military build-up within the system over the past decades since the Cicatrix Maledictum sundered the galaxy, and the Xoxigar system was determined to be at a critical point in the defence of the Imerpium. The Departmento Munitorum has, thus far, deployed Five Regiments of the Astra Militarum to the System - partly for defence of the system from the Great Enemy and others that would take advantage of the general chaos caused by the warp rift, as well as deal with hostiles already in the system. 

On Xoxigar Secondus, a Forge World, the only existing hostiles were a small infestation of Orks in the equatorial desert wastes. The Orks had been there for decades, since a small invasion force arrived and was mostly destroyed by Imperial defences within the system - but chunks of the Rok made landfall on Xoxigigar Secondus and Tertium. Since then they have harried isolated settlements, outposts and mining facilities. 

When the Tallarn first arrived, they set out to eliminate the Ork threat and waged a war of extermination. The Orks largely infested extensive cave networks in the low mountain ranges that crisscrossed the desert wastes and ruins of abandoned forges and mines. This proved costly - in both lives and materiel - and turned out to be largely ineffective. After the first year or two, the sides settled down into a "live and let live" stance. The Tallarn occupied the existing isolated settlements and mining facilities to simply protect them from Ork raids and kept up patrols to try and limit the expansion of the Ork controlled areas and encroachment of. 

Recently, however, the regimental command has started increasing the number of patrols and sending them deeper into regions known to be occupied by Orks. There has been talk of a new offensive to root them out. One of the reasons it is thought this is happening is because of the rumours of an Order Xenos Inquisitor arriving in the system and the command is concerned there will be questions asked about why the Orks have not been fully dealt with...

With the arrival of Warhammer 40,000 (9th Edition) Finnegan and I have set out to try out this new Crusade Campaign System and started off with Ork and Tallarn forces, set in the Xoxigar System. 

We've both put together 50 Power Level Forces, spent a few requisition points, and selected 25 from that to play a Crusade Combat Patrol Mission. 

Perhaps I'll post pictures and more detailed descriptions of our starting Crusade Forces in another post - or perhaps separate posts for each force...? 

SCENARIO

We selected the first scenario in the Narrative Play/Crusade Campaign section: Sweep and Clear. The game is played over five rounds. There are four Objective Markers on the table 

FORCES

5th Company, 382nd Tallarn (Desert Raider) Regiment

Patrol Detachment - Cost: 2CP - Command Bonus: 2CP

Headquarters - Lt. Anwar Al'Saphira - Company Commander - PR2

Warlord Trait - Bellowing Voice

Troops - 1st Squad - Sgt. Burhan - Infantry Squad (10) - PR3

Troops - 2nd Squad - Sgt. Bashar - Infantry Squad (10) - PR3

Troops - 3rd Squad - Sgt. Hamid - Infantry Squad (10) - PR3

Elites - Command Squad (4) - PR2

Elites - 4th (Special Weapon) Squad - Special Weapon Squad (6) - PR3

Fast Attack - Elements of 3rd Troop Regimental Mounted Squadron - Sgt. Wazir - Roughriders (5) - PR3

Heavy Support - 1st Squad, Mortar Section, Company Support Platoon - Cpl. Masoud - Heavy Weapon Squad (3) - PR3

Heavy Support - 2nd Squad, Mortar Section, Company Support Platoon - Cpl. Fahir - Heavy Weapon Squad (3) - PR3

Blood Axes Clan

Patrol Detachment - Cost: 2CP - Command Bonus: 2CP

Headquarters - War Boss Azargar - War Boss - PR4

Warlord Ability - Cunnin' but Brutal

Troops - Smashaboyz - Boyz (30) - PR11

Elites - Badklaw, Krewltoof, and Skargrim - Mega Nobz -PR6

Fast Attack - Screamin Speedaz - Warbikes (3) - PR4

THE GAME

The attached file of the Regimental Mounted Squadron galloped back to Lt. Anwar Al'Saphira's position. They reported that the dust cloud ahead was indeed cased by a group of Orks, but it was unclear what they were doing out there.  Lt. Al'Saphira ordered the patrol to advance to contact and the Mounted troops to flank to the position, if they could. 

The reddish dust cloud grew larger as they approached the ruins from which it emanated. As they entered the dust they could vaguely make out the Orks in the centre. Some seemed to be running about in an area that was marked out - occasionally throwing a roundish chunk of scrap metal about, but mostly beating upon each other while others stood around the edge cheering them on!? It was almost as if they were... playing a game of sport. 

[They were, in fact, playing a crude version of Blood Bowl]

Lt. Al'Saphira ordered the Mortars set up and the rest of the Platoon to advance. Around this time the Orks took notice of the intruders and with a terrifyingly loud collective roar, they dropped what they were doing, picked up their crude weapons and charged at the Tallarn forces! 

Forces mustered and deployed - ready to go! 

The Tallarn Patrol - less the Roughriders that were busy trying to flank the Ork position. 

The Orks - angered by the interlopers interrupting their game of Blood Bowl. 

The Battlefield. 

We also not-so-secretly determined our Agendas - in narrative/campaing play narratives offer opportunities for units to gain additional experience points (beyond the three basic methods). These are supposed to be selected in secret, but as this was our first game and I was explaining this all to Finnegan (as he'd not read the new rules) I went over them all and we discussed which would actually even be feasible. 

I selected Sentinel - at the beginning of my first Command Phase I was to select one unit and one Objective Markers and if, at the end of the battle, that unit is still within range of and controlling that Objective Marker, the gain an additional 4 Experience points! (which is pretty HUGE!) 

Finnegan selected Cull the Hordes. His units would gain 1 Experience Point every time they took out six enemy from a single unit in ONE PHASE. I tried to point out this might actually be pretty tough - even for Orks versus Militarum - as only four of my units even HAD six or more models, and it would mean taking out over half the unit in a single Shooting OR Fight Phase! I suggested Reaper might be a better choice as it guaranteed that ONE unit would get 2 Experience Points - the unit that took out the most units. He went with Cull the Hordes anyway... 

ROUND ONE - ORKS

WAAAAAAGH! All the Orks advanced at top speed. A few took pot-shots with assault weapons, but the shots mostly went wild. 

This move put the Mega Nobz in range of one Objective Marker. 

The Bikers roared towards the Tallarn, blazing away with their shootas! 

If the bikers had sat where they were, they would have controlled a second Objective Marker... but that is not really the Orky way... 

Instead, the bikers gunned their engines and roared straight into the enemy line!? 

GAH! It is crazy how fast they move 14" move plus 2d6 charge range (with an ability to re-roll failed charges, means first turn charges are possible over a 24" distance! Yikes! 

In the initial charge they took out four of Sgt. Bashar's 2nd Squad, and then consolidated into the Mortar Squad - which guaranteed they wouldn't be shooting on their first turn! Fighting back, the Tallarn took out one of the Bikers. The Infantry squad  failed morale and another fled (or... maybe they were just helping the injured away from the melee...?) 

ROUND ONE - ASTRA MILITARUM

First Squad advanced to the building to their front - with Fourth (Special Weapon) Squad moving up on their right. the Plasma gunners of Fourth (Special Weapon) Squad fired at the Mega Nobz advancing through the wreckage of a building. 

The 1st Mortar Squad rained bombs down on the massed Ork Boyz unit - taking out five of them! 

the 2nd Mortar Squad fell back from the Ork Bikers. 

Lt. Al'Saphira, seeing his left flank was in danger of collapsing and the mortars were under attack, moved with his Command Squad to support them. The Command Squad charged into the Melee, but Lt. Al'Saphira stumbled and wasn't able to make it into the combat this round. 

ROUND TWO - ORKS

The Orks claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker)

The Orks slowed their onslaught - in preparation to assault the puny 'umans - or, in the Mega Nobz case, to be able to actually SHOOT their heavy weapons. Fire from the orks took out two members of the 1st squad - a third left to drag her wounded comrades to safety (failed morale at the end the turn). Then BOTH Ork squads failed their charge rolls! Though they did now control a second objective! Though the Mega Nobz moved out of range of the Objective Marker they held at the beginning of the round, it would continue to count as under control of the Orks until any Astra Militarum units moved within range of it (because of the Secure and Sweep rule used in this mission).

The Ork Bikers wiped out the remains of 2nd Squad 

ROUND TWO - ASTRA MILITARUM

The Tallarn claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker).

The Roughriders arrived! 

Third Squad began to move up. 

The Roughriders fired laspistols at the Ork Boyz - and actually took out THREE!? (LASPISTOLS!?) 

The two mortar squads hammered the Boyz with devastating blows - taking out TWELVE between the two squads! 

The Special Weapon Squad overcharged their plasma guns and fired at the Mega Nobz - taking one of them out - Skargrim, the Green Mega Nob! (they initially took out one of their own, by rolling a one, but I re-rolled that one!) 

The Roughriders stalled - unsure which way to charge - run off the last of the Boyz and secure objectives, or come to the aid of the Platoon Command and the failing left flank and save the mortars! (they failed their charge roll) 

 

ROUND THREE - ORKS

The Orks claimed 20 Victory Points (10 for controlling at least one Objective Marker, and 10 for controlling MORE Objective Markers than the enemy - two, to the Astra Militarum's one). There were now at 30 Victory Points

the last three Boyz moved into the ruined building to assault the Tallarn hiding behind the other side of it. 

The Mega Nobz continued their slow grinding progression toward the enemy. 

The Boyz and the WarBoss successfully charged the remains of 1st Squad. 

The Mega Nobz did not... 

The Boyz finished off most of the unit, then the War Boss himself took down Sgt. Burhan... 

Elsewhere, the bikers finished off the rest of the Command Squad and turned their sites towards the commander! 

ROUND THREE - ASTRA MILITARUM

The Tallarn claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker). They are now at 20 Victory Points. 

The Platoon Commander was in a desperate situation, so the Roughriders went that way. 

The Special Weapon Squad slipped between the trundling Mega Nobz and the building to secure the objective within. Then they overcharged their Plasmas guns again and blasted apart a second Mega Nob - Krewltoof, the Red Mega Nob. 

3rd Squad secured another objective and fired at the Boyz - with little effect. It was the 1st Mortar Squad that finished off the last three! 

The Roughriders CHARGED the Bikers! 

ROUND FOUR - ORKS

The Orks claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker - the one the Mega Nobz had cruised by in the first turn). There were now at 40 Victory Points 

War Boss Azargar tore out of the ruined building and charged 3rd Squad. 

Badklaw - the last of the Mega Nobs - FINALLY, successfully, charged the Special Weapon Squad - they figured they were done for and overcharged their Plasma Guns one more time to fire overwatch - one one of them actually HIT and knocked off two of Badklaw's three wounds!  Then Badklaw shredded two of them. 

Elsewhere the Bikers finished of the Captain (which was the third unit they'd taken out - so they gained a bonus experience point - as per the Dealers of Death rule)... but then themselves were taken out by the Roughriders... 

ROUND FOUR - ASTRA MILITARUM

The Tallarn claimed 20 Victory Points (10 for controlling at least one Objective Marker, and 10 for controlling MORE Objective Markers than the enemy - two, to the Orks's one). There were now at 40 Victory Points

The Roughriders wheeled around and charged into the Melee with the War Boss - and took him out of action! 

The Special Weapons Squad held out against the Mega Nob for one more round! Neither managing to damage the other. 

The Mortars sat silent, having no targets that weren't in melee. Perhaps in the future, I should just do more falling back and letting the damned MORTARS take care of everything! Being Strength 4, they were one of the few weapons at the Astra Militarum's disposal that actually had a chance at WOUNDING them - of course with zero armour-piercing value... the more heavily armoured ones would just shrug those wounds off! 

ROUND FIVE - ORKS

The Orks claimed 10 Victory Points (for controlling at least one Objective Marker - the one the Mega Nobz had cruised by in the first turn). There were now at 50 Victory Points 

The sole remaining Ork on the table - Badklaw - the Blue Mega Nob. 

The Mega Nob then made a consolidation move into the ruined building. 

The table halfway through the last round. 

ROUND FIVE - ASTRA MILITARUM

As the Mega Nob had taken back one of the Objective Markers, the Astra Militarum was only able to claim 10 Victory Points in this round (for controlling one or more Objective Markers - but not MORE than the enemy - both had two at this point!) 

Though the battle had clearly been fought to a standstill, the Roughriders, drunk with victory, endeavoured to try and secure a moral victory by seeing of the last of the Orks and charged the sole remaining Mega Nob - who only had ONE WOUND left... For their troubles they lost three of their own and failed to finish of the Mega Nob. 

Both sides skulked away from the battlefield dragging their wounded and dead. None claimed victory on this day. 

POST GAME

After the game there is an extensive sequence to determine what happened to those that were taken out of action and who gained how much experience... 

First, there are the Out of Action Tests - every unit that was taken out of action has to roll to see what happens - on a 2+, nothing happens and they gain their experience and carry on the next game as per usual. This seemed a bit unrealistic to me... but to have a fun campaign I can see why they did it. Outright loosing too many unit would make it nigh impossible for any to ever gather any experience and improve. 

I guess I can rationalize it as not meaning nothing happened to the unit at all - some probably did die, but were replaced. Others were wounded and either recovered well enough to return to action or were replaced until they could return at some later date. For characters we can assume they were simply wounded and received the best of care (and any necessary augmetics) to get them (quite literally) back in the game! 

In the end, all passed. 

If they'd failed they would have to choose between a Devastating Blow (losing d6 experience points) or gaining a Battle Scar (a lasting impediment to the unit). 

Next is determining Experience Points. 

Every unit that participated gets one experience. 

For every third enemy unit a unit takes out of action they gain another experience - this is tracked over the course of the campaign, not just in a single game. though the bikers actually took out three units (2nd Squad, Command Squad, Commander) and so they gained a second Experience Point. 

Each side gets to pick one unit to be Marked for Greatness, and they gain an additional THREE Experience Points. I chose the Roughriders, Finnegan chose his Mega Nobs. 

Then there are the Agendas. I had selected Mortar Squad #1 to be the Sentinel at the Objective in my own deployment zone. They were alive and still within range of the Objective at the end of the game so they gained an additional FOUR Experience Points! None of Finnegan's units had managed to take out six of any of my units in a single phase, so none of his units got any sort of bonus... 

None made it to 6 Experience Points, though. At 6 Experience Points a unit becomes "Blooded" and they gain their first Battle Honour (a permanent bonus to the unit!).

There is usually some sort of Victor Bonus for each scenario. for this one, the victor would have gotten to chose TWO units to be Marked for Greatness, rather than the usual one. AS the battle was a draw, no one got to do this... 

A totally fun game. 

It took a LOT longer than I'd anticipated - we spent a lot of time looking things up and making sure we had them right... but there was a lot of laughing and ("in character") shouting (of orders and bellowed threats and the like) and simulated war noises. 

Finnegan had SO MUCH FUN he actually spent the rest of the evening PAINTING with me (I don't think he's had his brushes out in YEARS!) 

Coming Soon to Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog:

I have a few newly painted minis to post - and will have a few more later in the week. 

Also later in the week will be the final game of our Rise Up! Campaign and a game report shall likely follow shortly thereafter. 

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I might put up some pictures and a more detailed Order of Battle for our Crusade Forces and how they were put together - including how Requisition Points were spent.