sonsofcorax.freeforums.org

Harkonis Campaign battle report
The campaign is hotting up and producing some thrilling games. As for the Raven Guard 8th, they are holding their own, but coming under increasing pressure on several fronts. Most significant is the 'Ork Wars'. Warboss Blu Tung is enjoying a good scrap with the 'umies in black, tussiling over several territories in the center of the map.

Campaign Turn 2 saw the 8th Company defend its western territory from the IG, after which an alliance was formed with them. Warboss Blu tung was taken back by a stinging assault from the RG and lost ground as the 8th secured the bleak lands known as Shadow Sands. Now he wants it back...

(( To see photos, map and a very orky view of the 2 games I played visit the site of my opponent, then read my report ))

http://mysite.verizon.net/krista.smith/HTcampaign.htm

The Battle for Shadow Sands - Raven Guard Defending Territory - 1300pts
Take and Hold - Dawn of war

HQ
Librarian Velos - gate, avenger

TROOPs
Tac squad Siris (10) - combi flamer, melta, las - Rhino
Scout Squad Fortune (5) - snipers, heavy bolter

ELITE
Sternguard Squad Evasto (5) - 2 heavy flamers, 3 combi flamers - Rhino

FAST ATTACK
Assault Squad Titus (5) - powerfist
Landspeeded Typhoon - TL, Hvy Bolter

HEAVY
Vindicators (2)
Dev Squad Xaius (5) 3x ML, heavy bolter


Orks - Blu Tungs Boyz

Warboss Blu tung - Powerclaw slugga
Big Mek - custom forcefield
10 Nobz - claws, choppas, painboy - truk

Ard Boyz - claw, - truk

2 large maxed out boyz mobs - claws

warbike/trike? - twinlinked big shooter

Dawn of Waaagh

Having played my opponent before I knew he would come at me with tons of orks and try to table me (like a true Ork he just wants a good scrap and generally ignores objectives). I'd packed in as much templates as I could and banked on a few good rounds of shooting. Dawn of war didn't help as the orks streamed forward in the long shadows across the dunes, getting good run rolls to boot.

I had to take out the 2 truks, in particular the boss truk with nobz. But a single lascannon shot just stunned it. The vindis faired better against the large boyz mob, despite the custom force field saving some. The devs having moved set up on my right flank. Assault squad, tac and sterns in waiting, while scouts tried to pin the other large mob but failed.

It wasnt long before the tide was upon my lines. The ard boyz jumping out to assault the scouts and tacs rhino. The scouts actually won! But the green skins held. The rhino had its tracked ripped off (and I always forget rhino repair! grr)

In my turn the tacs jumped out and gave a hand to the scouts. The vindis had less luck as the orks spread out this time, but still managed to thin the mob a little. The devs and typhoon showered the boss truk with krak and wrecked it, the angry orks bailing out with no damage (ramshakle).

The warboss bellowed a waaagh and then their was a massive skirmish in the center and left flank, my 5 man tac squad holding my objective was charged and wiped out. Tac squad siris was wiped aside by the nobz and the scouts ran. BUT, 3 survived in what would be a significant survival and the orks were in the open.

So, I had a warboss, 8 or 9 nobz and half an ardboz squad in the center, and a lot of orks swarming my objective and vindis on the left. Looking grim you might say..

But a sneaky git am I. I just needed a draw to keep hold of the territory, and my green skinned chum had left his objective completly unguarded. Yes my 10 tacs were gone, but I had 3 brave scouts...and a librarian with Gate of Infinity. Heh heh. But I had to slow down most of his force, and protect my scouts for a turn.

The sterns jumped out the rhino and let rip ALL the flamers (2 heavy, 3 combis) into the noz, after lots of maths 2 Nobz were fried, then my 8 man assault and sterns charged the warboss, nobz & ard boyz in a hope to hold them up. Its worth noting that my opponent had no clue what I was upto and was enjoying the prospect of tabling me. Both vindis were taken out, while my good rhino, dves and typhoon prepared to shield my scots and librarian.The devs taking out the last mobile truk which exploded into bitz.

Combat was messy and the sterns got powerclawed, while the assault squad was heavily thinned, but I had still locked the orks in combat and taken out a few more nobz. Not to mention leaving th Warboss with 1 wound.

Then Librarian Velos opened the swirling gate...and my opponent looked puzzled. The psychic roll was good, and scatter was kind. I was a move and a run away from pulling it off. The assaulters fell but the warboss was down to 1 wound and half a nobz mob with 1 wound each. It was tense and he began to catch me.

Final tense moments!
The warbike turned and..targeted the typhoon? yes, ork thinking (go figure). The scouts ran while Velos wheeled off and summoned Avenger to envelop the trike which blew up a full 6", catching the scouts. (noooo!) I rolled nervously... and saved all 3!

I'd pulled it off and my oppoenet could only laugh and shake my hand. Draw!

But Blu Tung would no doubt be back...

That's a sneaky victory !

And a raven guard stylish one

Why would we annihilate opponent if we just need to focus on objectives ?

Interesting combo, GoI + Scouts, although it's a bit risky because they can't move.
So you have to play it at turn 4 at least, to move on the objective after.

classic battle my friend, and its good that you play the mission and not just the must table everyone. Brilliant foresight to see the combo to get your scouts onto the objective.

Just shows no matter how bad it looks, keep fighting and maybe some scouts will jump through the warp and save the day.

My opponent is a great guy, as you can see by his humourous website. And has been in the hobby almost as long as I have. Both games were classics, but this one was worth a mention for the pure sneaky finale.

By rights the scouts had no right to survive combat with 10 ard boyz, but did and went onto win the day.

I did execute the gate on turn 4, then ran. Then moved in turn 5 and ran again. It is a sneaky tactic if your opponent often leaves objectives unguarded, but better with hardy tacs!

If there is one lesson to be learned its that the game is won by the mission objective, and a good player never looses sight of that in the midst of the carnage.