DAEMONHUNTERS versus Orks

Game: Warhammer 40,000 4th edition
Opponent: Gary
Campaign: Destroy the Gargant campaign game 5
Mission: Breakout
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 750
Location: Celebes, Salazar systems, Skolarii Sector
Background: Reeling from the Ork attacks, the Daemonhunters find their escape route cut off by fast moving Ork forces and the noose closing quickly. The Daemonhunters must smash their way out of the trap or all is lost.

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 x Inquisitorial Stormtroopers Veteran, Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, Targeter, 2x 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, 2x grenade launchers
  

Orks

• Brazhak Snitchtongue, Warboss, Mega Armour, MegaBooster, CyborkBody, 1 wartrukk big shooter
• 16 Greengobs Slugga Boyz, 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
  

I can't find the photographs that originally accompanied this battle report so it will be text only.

Terrain and deployment
We rolled randomly for the scenery and came up with a very open board, most of the terrain being toward the edges. This is not what I needed as I had no cover to deploy in. Gary set his footsloggers up at one end with his heavier stuff at the other.

The only piece of cover I could utilize was the forest which would shield the vulnerable rear of the transports. By going all out in one direction I hoped I would only have to fight half of the Ork army. Squad Seralvo deployed behind the other wood but going in the same direction, trying to split the Ork defences. Unfortunately for me this meant I had to get past the tankbustas and the Killer Kanz.

The chimera and Severus' rhino raced forward and trusted to their smoke, while the other rhino levelled its hunter killer missile at the Kanz. Of course the missile missed.

The smoke paid off as the tankbustas failed to damage the vehicles. All the transports moved forward again. The guardsmen disembarked, hosed the grots with lasgun and flamer fire then charged the tankbustas. They had bitten off more than they could chew however when the Orks won the combat and ran down the guardsmen.

The Orks were all over the Daemonhunters now and tried to crack open the transports to get at the squishy humans inside! Speed was the key for the Emperors troops as the Orks simply couldn't roll the sixes they needed to hit.

The chimera exited the board due to its amphibious ability and the Orks had one final chance to destroy the storm troopers rhino. The Warboss finally contacted the rear and blew it up only for the survivors to wade through the water and escape.

Result: Win

Aftermath
Well that was tight!

I thought this game was heavily weighted in my favour as I had three transports but it was tough going. I got boxed in by the Ork vehicles and didn't have the firepower to kill them. In the end I was just praying that the Orks wouldn't hit the vehicles with their tin openers and fortunately for me they didn't.

Additionally the Daemonhost didn't appear until the game was virtually over, so he was useless.

Not a brilliant game but a vital win nonetheless, so the Daemonhunters go on to a bunker assault.