Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report #30 – The ATC, Mission 1

These battle reports have been stewing for a bit now with all the busyness leading up to the American Team Championships, but I figured I would share them now anyway. The Orks and the Blood Angels feature in this one, as we seek overall board control over the course of the game.

The Armies

The Knights of Baal

Blood Angels – 1,850

HQ

Chaplain: WARLORD (Heroic Bearing); Jump Pack, Veritus Vitae (Princeps of Deceit)

TROOPS

Tactical Squad: five additional Space Marines; Heavy Flamer, Flamer, Veteran Sergeant with       Combi-Flamer and Power Fist, Rhino transport

Tactical Squad: Plasma Gun, Sergeant has Melta Bombs, Razorback transport with Lascannon      and Twin Plasma Guns

Tactical Squad: Plasma Gun, Sergeant has Melta Bombs, Razorback transport with Lascannon      and Twin Plasma Guns

ELITES

Death Company Squad: five additional Death Company Marines, Jump Packs, 1x Thunder           Hammer and Bolter

FAST ATTACK

Assault Squad: five additional Space Marines, Jump Packs, 2x Meltaguns, Veteran Sergeant with             Power Fist

Assault Squad: five additional Space Marines, Jump Packs, 2x Meltaguns, Veteran Sergeant with             Power Fist

HEAVY SUPPORT

Vindicator: Overcharged Engines, Siege Shield

Baal Predator: Twin Assault Cannons, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Baal Predator: Twin Assault Cannons, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Waaagh! Gorfang

Orks – 1,850

HQ

Warboss: Mega-Armor with Power Klaw and Twin Shootas, Da Lucky Stikk, Bosspole, Attack   Squig

TROOPS

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Boss Nob with Power Klaw and Bosspole, Trukk transport with             Rokkit Launcha, Reinforced Ram, and Boardin’ Plank

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Boss Nob with Power Klaw and Bosspole, Trukk transport with             Rokkit Launcha, Reinforced Ram, and Boardin’ Plank

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Boss Nob with Power Klaw and Bosspole, Trukk transport with             Rokkit Launcha, Reinforced Ram, and Boardin’ Plank

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Boss Nob with Power Klaw and Bosspole, Trukk transport with             Rokkit Launcha, Reinforced Ram, and Boardin’ Plank

ELITES

Meganobz: two additional Meganobz, 2x Kombi-Skorcha, Bosspole, Battlewagon transport with 2x Rokkit Launcha, Reinforced Ram, and Boarding Planks

Tankbustas: ten additional Tankbustas; 3x Bomb Squig, Boss Nob with Power Klaw and Bosspole

FAST ATTACK

Stormboyz: ten additional Stormboyz, Boss Nob with Power Klaw and Bosspole

Deffkoptas: three additional Deffkoptas, 4x Twin Rokkit Launchas

HEAVY SUPPORT

Battlewagon: 2x Rokkit Launcha, Reinforced Ram, Boardin’ Plank

After Action Review

I keep wanting to try a list without the Meganobz, yet each time the Warboss smacks me with his bosspole and reminds me that they definitely have their uses.

As long as I’ve played Orks I have loved Meganobz. The sheer, visceral violence of the Orks is one thing, but the terror of facing something like Meganobz is on a completely new level. All it takes is watching them sweep up something like Death Company to remember why they stick in my mind as such a powerful unit.

That said, I dodged a huge bullet (literally) with that Vindicator shell. The Boss had already suffered a stroke of bad luck with the immobilized Wagon, and I nearly lost him to the blast. In the end though, he was able to be his usual shifty self and get the job done anyway.

I’m still unsure on the Trukks. They feel very resilient still following this game, but I don’t think that is enough proof to go on. They are still armor 10 with three Hull Points, so a stiff breeze stands a good chance of blowing my attack apart.

I think the army needs some adjustments, but for the time being I will leave it as-is and see how the pieces fall in future games. One thing is for certain; my opponent will find a way to dump those Trukks in the future. They simply did too much damage, and prevented his units from scooting when they needed to do so.