DAEMONHUNTERS versus Orks

Game: Warhammer 40,000 4th edition
Opponent: Gary
Campaign: Destroy the Gargant campaign game 4
Mission: Ambush
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 750
Location: Celebes, Salazar systems, Skolarii Sector
Background: Ork patrols have carried word of the Daemonhunters attack to their Warboss and have massed to ambush them before they can reach their encampments. Inquisitor Severus is trying to break out of the Ork ambush.

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Severus, Daemonhammer, Bolt pistol, Holocaust, Icon of the Just, 2x Acolytes, Power Armour, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, Combat Servitor, Rhino with Smoke Launchers
• Daemonhost
• Squad Matoso, 9 Inquisitorial Stormtrooper,s Veteran, Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Targeter, 2 x Flamer, Rhino, Extra Armour, Hunter-killer Missile, Smoke
• Armoured Fist Squad (inducted Imperial Guard), Sergeant, Close Combat Weapon, Laspistol, Flamer, Chimera, Multilaser, Heavy Bolter, Smoke Launchers
• Squad Seralvo, 6 Storm troopers, 2 x grenade launchers
  

Orks

• Brazhak Snitchtongue, Warboss, Mega Armour, MegaBooster, CyborkBody, 1 wartrukk big shooter
• 16 Greengobs SluggaBoyz, 3 Rokkits, Nob, Iron Gob
• 16 Tusk Sharpeye Shooter Boyz, Nob, 3 big shooter
• 5 Bang Boyz Tank Busterz, 3 rokkits
• 10 Grots with slaver
• 2 Killer Kanz

Terrain and deployment
The table was 6' by 4' so I had to cover 36" to exit the board edge. Fortunately I had three vehicles but I also had to cross a river that lay across my path. On my left was a small ruined village and to my right was a series of hills. The only route over the river, the ford, was mined, hampering my escape further.

The Game
The Daemonhunters won the first turn and every unit moved forward. Both rhinos moved a full 12" while the chimera moved 6" in order to take some Multilaser shots at the Killer Kanz. They all went wide however.

The Orks revealed their Tankbusta boyz behind the low wall, overlooking the ford, and their shoota boyz over the river. The Killer Kanz moved up to threaten the rhinos. In a flurry of good shooting the lead rhino was destroyed, taking three stormtroopers with it.

Inquisitor Severus pushed his rhino on 12" again and popped smoke. The rest of the army halted in order to blast away at the Killer Kanz. With 2 grenade launchers, 3 Multilaser shots and 3 heavy bolter shots I felt confident of denting the Kanz but when the smoke cleared they were unharmed.

The Orks now got to shoot in reply. First the Killer Kanz strode forward and hosed squad Matoso down, reducing them to one survivor. Then the Tankbustas broke cover and targeted Severus' rhino but they only managed to destroy the storm bolter.

Severus raced forward once again but his rhino was immobilised as it tried to smash through the high wall. Nevertheless Severus managed to get his assault in against the Tankbustas and he annihilated them. He rolled 12" for his sweeping advance and suddenly they were deep inside Ork deployment area.

Squad Seralvo took more grenade launcher pot shots at the Kanz and failed to hit them.

On the other flank a grot squad had tried an ambitious flank attack. The armoured fist squad responded and took out eight with their lasguns and flamer. The grots passed their morale check and charged in!

Meanwhile in the centre another 'battle of the titans' was being fought. Warboss Brazhak Snitchtongue dismounted from his wartrukk and with the aid of the shoota boyz he cut down Severus and his retinue.

While Severus disappears under a green wave the Daemonhost finally turns up. The Guardsmen had killed all the grots in the assault phase and consolidated back into their chimera. The driver floored it and brought them near the river. Meanwhile the rhino had fixed its thrown track and shot forward too. Could I pull out an unlikely win?

Nope. More Orks appeared from behind the hill, while the Killer Kanz moved in on squad Seralvo. The Warboss' wartrukk aimed its big shoota at the thin side armour of the chimera and blew it asunder. The Warboss himself turned back to take on the Daemonhost and snipped him in half with his power claw.

The surviving guardsmen stagger from their destroyed transport. The rhino does a 'dukes of hazard' over the river to try and tank shock the Orks.

The Orks have none of it however and try to target the vulnerable rear armour of the rhino. In the background the guardsmen try to thin out the Ork horde.

The Killer Kanz managed to catch the storm troopers and slaughtered them in an assault. In a hail of slugga and big shoota fire the guardsmen are decimated...

...and the lone survivor runs for his life.

Too little too late the rhino exits the table.

Result: Loss

Aftermath
The Orks successfully ambushed the Daemonhunters and really have them on the ropes.

Well, I got panelled in this game!

Gary made life very difficult for me by putting a minefield in front of the ford, his Killer Kanz and their strength 10 power claws on the open flank, and the tank bustas in the buildings on the other flank. I decided to dedicate some firepower to the Kanz and see if I could destroy them, driving for that flank. My shooting did nothing however, so I was forced to swing to my left through the buildings.

My attack became disjointed because I lost the lead rhino and its occupants early on, then while Severus stormed into the Ork lines my chimera and the guardsmen were tied up with a grot unit. If I'd managed to launch an assault with two or even three of these units in a coordinated fashion I might have had a chance.

As it was each unit was killed one at a time. Even the Daemonhost turned up late and deviated right next to the Warboss. So the Daemonhunters are beaten once again and must attempt a breakout to stay in the campaign.