DAEMONHUNTERS versus Orks

Game: Warhammer 40,000 4th edition
Opponent: Gary
Campaign: Destroy the Gargant campaign game 7
Mission: High Ground
1st turn: Daemonhunters
Points: 1000
Location: Celebes, Salazar systems, Skolarii Sector
Background: At last, the Daemonhunters are in sight of their objective, towering above them in the centre of the construction fields. Driving hard for the Gargant, they are discovered by a roving Ork patrol and make a break for their target before being intercepted by its guards.

This is an important game in the campaign because if the Daemonhunters win it triggers the Terminate the Daemonvessel scenario and that brings the campaign to a close. If the Daemonhunters fail this mission they have only one more chance to make it to the Gargant otherwise the campaign loops back around to the breakout mission and the possibility of the Daemonhunters completely flunking their mission.

Daemonhunters

• Inquisitor Lord Severus, Master-Crafted Daemonhammer, Bolt pistol, Holocaust, Icon of the Just, Consecrated Scrolls, 2xAcolytes, Power Armour, Bolt Pistols and Close Combat Weapons, Acolyte with Laspistol and close combat weapon
• Death cult assassin
• 2 Daemonhosts
• Inquisitor Kurven, Psycannon, Power armour, Emperor's Tarot, Hammerhand, Gun-servitor with plasma cannon, 2 veterans with plasma guns, 2 sages, Mystic
• Squad Matoso, 5 Inquisitorial Stormtroopers, Veteran, Bolt Pistol, Power Weapon, 2x Flamer
• Squad Seralvo, 5 Storm troopers, 2x grenade launchers
• Squad Godirtho, 5 Storm troopers, 2x melta guns
• Squad Vargas, 5 Stormtroopers, 2x Plasma Guns, Veteran Sergeant with Plasma pistol, Auspex
• Orbital barrage, Barrage Bomb
  

Orks

• Brazhak Snitchtongue Warboss, Mega Armour, MegaBooster, CyborkBody, 5 Brazhak Bully Boys, Nobs, Sluggas, Choppas, Wartrukk, big shoota
• 16 Greengobs Slugga Boyz, 3 Rokkits, Nob, Iron Gob
• 10Tusk Sharpeye Shooter Boyz, 2 big shootas
• 5 Bang Boyz Tank Busterz, 3 rokkits
• 10 Grots, Slaver with grabber stick
• 11 Shoota boyz, 3 big shootas, Nob
• 3 Killer Kanz, Big shootas
• Dreadnought, 2 Rokkit Launchas
  

Terrain and deployment
The mission was High ground (from the Cityfight Codex) and both armies were trying to capture the 3 storey building we placed near the centre of the board. The mission allows for units to set up 12" from enemy squads so we both knew the game would be brutal. Due to the deployment rules both armies left virtually all of their transport vehicles back at base camp.

The Orks deployed in a concave fashion, ringing the objective building. The relatively open Ork right flank was covered by their Shoota Boyz while the Ork left contained most of their hard hitting elements. The Warboss' Trukk can just be made out behind the Killer Kanz.

The Daemonhunters opposed the Ork heavy support with Squad Vargas (plasma guns) in the ruins near the front of the picture, Squad Godirtho (melta guns) in the edge of the woods on the left of the photo, and Inquisitor Kurven's squad deeper in the wood. At the top of the picture you might just be able to make out Squad Seralvo taking cover behind some barrels.

The view of the Ork lines from the Daemonhunters board edge. The Death Cult Assassin is ready to run forward into the objective building. I set the Daemonhunters up pretty close to the Orks on this side, hoping to get first turn and take some of the Killer Kanz down immediately. Of course if I lost first turn I would be in a spot of bother.

The refused Ork right flank covered by Tusk Sharpeye and his Shoota Boyz. You can also see directly into the objective building. If models from both sides are in the building when the game ends you fight further rounds of close combat until one or other side is destroyed. With such a large objective building (almost 12" square and 3 storeys high) it was likely a scrap would take place to decide the winner.

Turn 1

Fortunately for me and the Daemonhunters I won the dice off for the first turn (with the help of the Emperor's Tarot). Unfortunately my shooting phase was poor and I only managed to destroy one big shoota and stun one of the Killer Kanz despite 4 plasma gun shots, 2 meltagun shots, a plasma cannon shot and three psycannon shots.

Warboss Snitchtongue raced forward and dismounted from his Trukk to make the Stormtroopers pay for their failed gamble.

A view from the Ork lines as the Warboss is about to charge into Squad Godirtho.

In an appalling round of combat the Warboss and his retinue only killed one member of Squad Godirtho. To make matters worse, the 3 survivors routed, leaving the Warboss standing within rapid fire range of virtually every gun in the Daemonhunters army.

Turn 2
Squad Matoso moved up and flamed Snitchtongue and his Nobz with their two flamers. Making up for the last turn of pathetic shooting by the Daemonhunters they killed four of the Nobz and even wounded the Warboss twice (double 1 on a 2+ save!). Squad Seralvo weighed in and killed another Nob with their Grenade Launchers, leaving Snitchtongue all on his own. And then the newly rallied Squad Godirtho instantly killed the Warboss with their Meltaguns!

The Warboss' trukk was taken out by Squad Kurven but the Plasma Cannon Servitor died in a overheat (despite the re-roll for the Sages and a 4+ armour save). The Barrage Bomb arrived this turn and I had targeted the small building in the centre of the Ork lines (top right, near the red and white Grotz). I chose this location thinking most of the Orks would have to pass by it to get to the objective. Unfortunately it missed every Ork but at least it would keep coming on until the game ended.

The Daemonhunters survey the devastation they have caused. A wall of walking metal in the form of Killer Kanz and the Ork Dreadnought still awaits them.

Turn 3
The rest of the Ork army moves toward the objective. The Tankbustas are moving through the doorway and the Slugga Boyz push on, screened by the Grotz. They are all stunned when a Daemonhost appears out of thin air, right on the objective. The second Daemonhost is inside the building.

All of the Daemonhunters, bar Inquisitor Kurven, make a break for the objective building. They are all pulling away in one direction because...

...a bloody great Dreadnought is striding toward them! Meanwhile, the Killer Kanz avenge their fallen Warboss by assaulting Squad Godirtho. This time the Stormtroopers aren't so lucky and they are all killed.

The Orks are almost on top of the objective now. Their left flank attack is about to punch through the Daemonhunters forces and is threaten Inquisitor Kurven in the woods.

The Orks take on the Daemonhosts. The Orks lose 4 Slugga Boyz and cause no damage to the Daemonhost, but the fight continues.

The Killer Kanz have swept right up to the Daemonhunter board edge and have Inquisitor Kurven in their sights. Over the following turn they assault the Inquisitor and rout him off the board.

Turn 4
The Daemonhost takes out another 3 Slugga Boyz but this time takes 3 wounds in return.

The Daemonhunters have no choice but to try and take out the Dreadnought.

Squad Seralvo have made it onto the objective building as Severus and the other Daemonhost engage the Dreadnought. One Acolyte is killed and the metal behemoth is unscathed.

Spot the Death Cult Assassin! He picks his way through the building to assault the Ork Tankbustas. He must have tripped over some rubble though as he is killed by the Orks. The Daemonhost finally goes down under the green wave of Orks who now consolidate into the building.

With Severus pinned in combat with the Dreadnought he is unable to prevent the Killer Kanz from joining in. Another Acolyte falls. The second Shoota Boyz squad now put in an appearance as the game seems to be slipping away from the Daemonhunters.

Turn 5

The remaining Daemonhost teleports out of combat to try and contest the objective. He assaults the Slugga Boyz who must be thoroughly sick of Daemonhosts by now. Sharpeye pushes his Boyz forward to pile onto the objective in the closing moments.

The Tankbusta Boyz take on the Stormtroopers in a close range firefight. The final Acolyte is snipped in two by the Dreadnought, leaving Severus all on his own against the three vehicles.

Squad Seralvo are wiped out by the Orks on the objective and the Slugga Boyz kill their second Daemonhost opponent of the game. The last man on the board for the Daemonhunters is Severus who goes down under the attacks of the Killer Kanz and Dreadnought.
The Orks have won the game.

Result: Loss

Aftermath
A comprehensive win for the Orks.

I knew the Daemonhunters would struggle in this scenario so I gambled everything on winning the first turn and doing some damage to the Orks before they could strike back. In particular, the Killer Kanz have plagued me throughout this campaign and I wanted to take them down early. Plus Gary had added a Dreadnought too. If I let them get onto the objective I could kiss the game goodbye!

Part one of my plan worked as I won first turn but it was downhill all the way from there. None of the Killer Kanz went down despite my concentrated fire and I knew I was doomed. Things looked up briefly when I took out the Warboss for no real losses but my failure to dent the klanking metal walkers cost me the game. It meant I had to use Severus and a Daemonhost on them when they would have been far better off on the objective, and even then the Dread and Kanz won the combat.

Elsewhere, my Barrage bomb was useless as it never hit a thing in the entire game. This was despite a lot of potential targets from turn 2 onwards as it came down in the Ork lines. When will I get a decent scatter for this thing?

Squad Seralvo, one Daemonhost and the Assassin were far too lightweight to contest the objective and were kicked off it in a couple of turns by the Greenskins.

So the Daemonhunters have one more chance to force the key scenario, this time fighting the Relief Force mission, again from the Cityfight codex.