Warhammer 40,000 Battle Report #32 – Blood Angels vs Necrons

Today we conclude our run-through of the ATC missions for 2015, with the Orks and the Blood Angels going after a slew of objectives along the mountainside.

The Armies

Knights of Baal

Blood Angels – 1,850

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Librarian: WARLORD (Descent of Angels); Psyker (Mastery Level 2) The Quickening, Shield of Sanguinius, Wings of Sanguinius, Veritus Vitae (Night Attacker)

ELITES

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

TROOPS

Scout Squad: Camo Cloaks, 5x Sniper Rifles

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

HEAVY SUPPORT

Devastator Squad: five additional Space Marines; 4x Lascannon

Devastator Squad: five additional Space Marines; 4x Lascannon

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

Chaplain: Jump Pack

TROOPS

Tactical Squad: Plasma Gun, Razorback transport with Lascannon and Twin Plasma Guns

Tactical Squad: Plasma Gun, Razorback transport with Lascannon and Twin Plasma Guns

HEAVY SUPPORT

Baal Predator: Twin Assault Cannons, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Baal Predator: Twin Assault Cannons, Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Waagh! Gorfang

Orks – 1,850

Combined Arms Detachment

HQ

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

ELITES

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

Tankbustas: ten additional Tankbustas, 3x Bomb Squigs, Boss Nob has Bosspole and Power         Klaw

TROOPS

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Sluggas and Choppas; Boss Nob has Power Klaw and Bosspole,             Trukk transport with Rokkit Launcha, Boarding Planks, and Reinforced Ram

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Sluggas and Choppas; Boss Nob has Power Klaw and Bosspole,             Trukk transport with Rokkit Launcha, Boarding Planks, and Reinforced Ram

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Sluggas and Choppas; Boss Nob has Power Klaw and Bosspole,             Trukk transport with Rokkit Launcha, Boarding Planks, and Reinforced Ram

Ork Boyz: two additional Boyz, Sluggas and Choppas; Boss Nob has Power Klaw and Bosspole,             Trukk transport with Rokkit Launcha, Boarding Planks, and Reinforced Ram

FAST ATTACK

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

4x Deffkoptas: 4x Twin Rokkit Launchas

HEAVY SUPPORT

Battlewagon: Reinforced Ram, Boarding Planks, and 2x Rokkit Launcha

After Action Review

Quite simply, I was outplayed. Even watching this video again made me cringe, and I had to fight the urge to curl up in the fetal position and cry.

The Orks got their green butts kicked, pure and simple. I’ve been enjoying the benefits of a Trukk-heavy force, and today I got to experience the downsides.

I’ve always misjudged distances in Hammer and Anvil, and this time I truly paid the price. I have to start looking more closely; if I had realized the Trukks would weather one turn of shooting regardless of my actions, I would have changed my early game moves completely. My opponent used defense-in-depth and his superior firepower perfectly, and I was cut to bloody ribbons. I failed a handful of point-blank charges, and allowed my frustration to force other generalship errors that my opponent capitalized on admirably. While I was able to clean up a respectable chunk of his forces, my positioning was too stilted to make a new run for it. When the Tankbustas suffered such horrendous losses in my last-ditch effort to pin the Death Company while the Warboss moved, it sealed the deal for good.

This game exposed some tough holes in my build, and holes I had forgotten in my mental resilience. I’ve been going on autopilot for a few games now with the Orks, and good fortune has carried me through. Now reality has hit my Warboss in the face like a rampaging Squiggoth; the assault element MUST have some impressive fire support, or my opponent will always retain a good portion of the initiative.

Cheap Gretchin are needed to hold those “guaranteed” objectives in the backfield. Lootas and Lobbas will help thin those fire support elements, and a hefty mob or two of Shoota Boyz on foot will help eliminate the one-shot removal that Trukk squads are vulnerable to.

Just wait, beaky boy. Orkses are NEVER beaten in battle.