A quick write up for a 1K match up of Orks (Andy), Space Marines (Paul Smith) and Imperial Guard Astra Militarum (myself, Paul Joyce). The table was randomised, as were starting positions and the mission… relic! Never played it before, and having no fast units I realised I wouldn’t be the first one to the goal either.
With the might of the Imperium shown in the Militarum armour, the Orks and Marines deployed cautiously in cover at the far edge of the table. A huge Gorkanaut lumbered towards them while across the board the Marines made a beeline for the objective. The relic was hidden amongst the debris pile in the centre of the table, shown in the photo above as the dark scenary piece in the middle.
After a short exchange of gun fire between the Space Marines and Militarum a large explosion from the Ork corner signified a catastrophic self inflicted failure of the shokk-attack gun wielder. Confusion fell upon us as we joked about who gets first blood in a suicide situation.
A Marine Land Speeder, with the help of the nearby Terminator squad made short work in turning the approaching Ork transporter into a rumbling ruin, whose occupants disembarked with haste and charged upon the relic.
A Razorback and Rhino tank were incinerated in a shower of fragments and flames as the fire power of two Leman Russ’ battle tanks combined with a strategic orbital bombardment. Many Marines, advancing towards the objective in the cover of the vehicles, also experienced the brunt of the explosion.
The Space Marines countered by sending a Land Speeder through the ruins on the right side of the table to engage a Leman Russ with its deadly melta weapon.
The Space Marine assassin, positioned with a perfect view of the battlefield, made short work in destroying the Militarum Chimera in a single shot. The resulting explosion slaying several of the occupants and a nearby platoon command squad.
On the left hand flank, the pinned crew from the Chimera found themselves coming under the sights of a large mob of Orks raining down upon them. The dazed unit fired through the cover of the nearby forest, slaying a few, but not enough. The Militarum command squad repositioned and called in a Orbital bombardment directly into the Ork ranks, slaying a dozen in a heavenly flash of light.
At the top of the table, the disembarked Orks, combined with the charging unit and warboss behind them, seized the relic and started to extract it. They quickly found their exit route blocked by the flamer of the Land Speeder, losing many green skins in the process. A tactical squad of Marines reduced a squad of Militarum to bones, while the Terminators fired wildly into the Ork ranks.
The Ork and Marine warlords clashed in a chaotic whirl of power weapons and strength; many infantry joined the fight but the green skin commander took victory and claimed the first ‘Slay the Warlord’ points.
Short lived was the celebrations though, as the Terminators killed off the relic unit and took possession for themselves.
The Leman Russ vehicles, plagued by the constant threat of the assassin, and realising their luck would run out eventually, turned their battle cannons upon his advantageous lookout spot and dispatched him into oblivion. With parts of the building raining down on them from the assassins position, a platoon command squad broke the battle lines and charged the Marines corner to seized line-breaker.
The Terminators, now in possession of the relic, pushed on behind a central building just as the Militarum command squad called in a perfect air strike nearby, slaying the Ork warboss with a direct and devastating blow.
Unable to stop the tide of approaching Orks, the squad of infantrymen from the Chimera were torn to pieces. The green skins were attempting to get line breaker and their second slay the warlord victory as they charged down the Militarum HQ.
The Gorkanaut, whose weapons had been largely out of range for most of the battle, now fought a bloody battle with the Terminators and the Land Speeder.
Cut off from retreating, the final Terminator was slain by a squad of Cadian Miliatrum; the relic falling to the ground beside the lifeless body of the Terminator.
Unable to retrieve the relic in the dying moments of the game, the Gorkanaut rotated slowly on its base and ripped the advancing Leman Russ to pieces – the crew within instantly slain.
So the fight ended, with noone in control of the relic objective – points only being scored for traditional line breaker and slaying the warlords.
Space Marines 1VP (First blood)
Astra Militarum 2VP (Slaying the Ork Warlord, Line breaker against the Marines)
Orks 2VP (Slaying the Marines Warlord, Line breaker against the Astra Militarum)
All in all a very cinematic game – and great fun had by all.