IMPERIAL GUARD versus Orks

Game: Warhammer 40,000 4th edition, Gauntlet Tournament 2004 game 1
Opponent: Dave Allen
Mission: Pitched Battle
1st turn: Orks
Points: 1000

Orks

• Warboss and retinue in trukk
• Mad Dok with Cyborks in trukk
• 3 Seperate Killer Kans
• 30 Grots
• 10 Flashgits
• 10 Tankbustas

Terrain and deployment
Warhammer World was packed with excited gamers before the first game of the tournament. While we were waiting to discover our first opponents I got talking to a fella with a well painted Ork army. In turn he admired my Guardsmen. When the tournament organiser announced that we had to find our own opponent we quickly agreed to play each other.

I later found out that my opponent was none other than Dave Allen, of White Dwarf fame (I think he now works for the Black Library as a web developer). All you old veterans out there can check Dave out in UK White Dwarf 300 as he took part in a Tale of Four Gamers.

Dave was a thoroughly nice chap and a pleasure to play against.

We played on a snow table, devoid of much terrain typically for Warhammer World . There was a small stream on my left running from one long board edge to another. There were a few small bases of trees in my left deployment zone. There were a few scattered trees across the rest of the table but it was largely bare.

I fancied my chances.

Although my deployment strategy was sound for this game I rather fumbled it's execution. I got to place first and put down an Infantry unit front and forward to push back the Ork deployment. The rest of the platoon hugged my table edge with my lascannons.

I put the second platoon down on my right flank. I placed the basilisk on my far left behind the trees.

Then I realised I had the Conscripts...which should have been my push back unit. Oh well, I stuck them up on the hill with my infantry squad anyway. My Stormtroopers would deep strike in.

The Orks mass on the far side of the stream

Dave had his two rock hard HQ units in their trukks opposite my centre and right flank. His grots, Flashgits and Tankbustas started near the river on my left. He placed a Killer Kan on each flank and one in the middle.

The game
Dave won first turn and rammed the trukks down my throat, going for the bait squads I'd put in the middle. He advanced his Orks through the valley toward the basilisk and my firebase.

Orks incoming!

Dave managed to get an angle on my basilisk and blew it up with his tankbustas with his first shot of the game.

The Imperial Guard gunline

The Warboss and Mad Dok leapt from their trukks and charged into the poor old Imperial Guardsmen on the ridge. What followed wasn't pretty...

Waaaaaaaggghhh!

The conscripts were predictably wiped out to a man with the Warboss in the thick of the carnage. The regular Imperial Guard squad fared a little better thanks to the sacrifice of the conscripts and locked the Mad Dok and his retinue in combat for a crucial turn.

Blood in the snow

That left the Warboss and his retinue hanging in the breeze and I duly shot every gun possible at them. Only the Warboss emerged and he was wounded.

Where 'ave my boyz gone?

The Warboss staggered toward my lines but was cut down in another round of shots. By then the Mad Dok had untangled himself from the combat on the ridge just in time to face the Imperial Guard firing line. I had taken out both trukks so all the Orks were now on foot and although he survived two turns he got shot in the face just before he could lay his hands on my Guardsmen.

Tankbustas stalk past their target

With the attack repulsed on my centre and right I just had the Orks on the left to worry about. The Orks steadily advanced up the valley past the wreck of my Basilisk.

The stormtroopers deep strike in

In order to capture a table quarter I deep striked my Storm Troopers deep into the Ork deployment zone. Unfortunately they scattered out of shooting range. The Flashgits turned back and moved over the stream to fire their modified guns at the new arrivals. In a hail of explosive shells the Orks killed six Stormtroopers. My two survivors broke and started the long slog back to my deployment zone.

Imperial Guard squads move up to capture ground

I began moving my squads up to try and claim extra table quarters. The only problem was that both Killer Kans on the flanks were still alive. My lascannons all decided to miss for a couple of turns so I lost a squad on my right and the far right quarter remained unclaimed.

The Killer Kan assaults the Guardsmen while the stormtroopers continue to fall back

On my left platoon command squad 36, had to step forward round a wood to hit the other Killer Kan with their meltaguns. Fortunately the gamble paid off and the Ork walker was reduced to molten slag. With the Tankbustas dead too, and the Gretchin and Tankbustas too far away from the action the game was over.

My two surviving Stormtroopers had even made it back to my lines unscathed. I imagine Captain Kennel would have had them shot for cowardice!

Result: Win - decisive victory (1150 victory points to 621)

Learning points

• After comparing army lists and looking at the table I felt vary confident and that confidence wasn't misplaced. To make things worse Dave spread his deployment too much and that meant I could destroy his army one unit at a time.
• I made a right hash of the Stormtroopers. All they did was give up victory points. I need to be more thoughtful about their placement in the future. They are fragile!