The Blood Deserts of Auros IX: Battle Summaries (Battles #5 and #6)
We've included this section for those of you who might be curious as to how the the games and the campaign actually played out. For the sake of brevity, we're presenting summaries of the battles instead of turn-by-turn transcripts. Remember that each army's goal is to secure five objectives. 

Battle #5: Amputation (2000 points per side)
“Dem stripeypants is really getting on my nerves,” growled Sho-T. At first this war with the Tigers had been a bunch of laughs, but now it was starting to get downright annoying. He didn’t mind getting his wartrukk blown out from under him by their Vindicator, nor did he really take much offense at them trying to gun him down with all those speeders. But that Bikeboss of theirs chopping through some of his best Boyz like they were Eldar panzees—THAT was damn rude. It wasn't that Sho-T cared a fig for all those stupid zoggers the Bikeboss had nixed—it was just embarrassing, that's all. 

It was getting dark and his defeated army was trundling along back the way they had came. Sho-T had already radioed some of his more trusted Nobz and told them to bring their Boyz and meet him at Nurguzz’s Canyon. Soon as we mob up with the rest of the ladz, he told himself, we’ll come back and I’ll lern dat Bikeboss Marine a ting or two. Just wait til I get me mitts on ‘im…

Just then he heard the low report of bolter rounds and the Gretchin at the front of the column started shrieking in that girly way that really honked him off. Aw nertz, he thought, not dem Tigerz again. As he slapped a fresh clip into his big shoota, Sho-T idly wondered if the Bikeboss was with them.

Premise:	The Fighting Tigers seek to contain Sho-T's main force by cutting him off from reinforcements. This mission uses the "Ambush" mission from page 150 of the main rulebook.
Tiger Strategy:	Block Ork escape route with Dreadnoughts, Tactical and Devastator squads; destroy swift Ork units with Assault Marines and Land Speeders.
Ork Strategy:	Rush forward along escape route. "As I wuz sayin' ladz, dey'll never stop us all..."
Play of the Game:	Fighting Tiger Assault Marines wipe out Stormboyz as Tactical, Devastator units gun down Ork Warbikes, eliminating any hopes of the Orks leaving the board.
Winner:	Tigers (by over 600 points!) Secure first of five objectives!
How the Tigers won:	Despite what I always say about shooting, the six units blocking the escape route shot up anything getting anywhere near them, preventing any Ork units from leaving the board and taking only minor casualties (one Dreadnought and two troopers) themselves.
How the Orks lost:	Few vehicles (5 Warbikes, 1 Battlewagon, 1 Looted Basilisk, and Sho-T's Wartrukk), and even fewer of them near the front of the column. Despite playing for 8 (!) turns, Pat couldn't manage to get a single unit off the board.
Objectives Secured:	Tigers 1, Orks 0.

Battle #6: Xenocide (2000 points per side)
“The main Ork force is, for the most part, surrounded and cut off from reinforcements,” Raja Shamshir said, indicating its position on the command bunker’s vidmap. “It is still large, dangerous, and has access to supplies, notably this ammunition factory 38 miles north of its current position. Despite our best efforts, their warboss—” he said the last word with a sneer of contempt—“still lives and holds them together.”

“The Orks know they are trapped,” Raja Khandar said. “And they are running low on provisions and materiel. If we could further lower their morale, perhaps by inflicting such severe losses that even Orks would notice, perhaps some of the warboss’ lieutenants would be inclined to betray him. Without his leadership, the fragmented horde would quickly be destroyed and Auros IX would belong to the Imperium.” 

She turned to Zaghnal Maratha, the Chapter’s most experienced Tiger of Brihaspati and her closest advisor. “Old friend, I am placing you in command of this mission.”

Premise:	The Fighting Tigers attempt to inflict massive casualties on the Orks, seriously depleting their numbers. This mission uses the "Frontal Assault" mission from White Dwarf 228 (and Codex: Blood Angels).
Tiger Strategy:	Use Assault Marines and Veterans to spearhead a "refused flank" (see page 21 of Codex: Space Marines) attack on the Orks.
Ork Strategy:	"Get 'em!" Negate main Tiger attack and launch a counterattack against Marine support units.
Play of the Game:	After falling back against Stikk Bommas and Slugga Boyz, the last two Fighting Tiger Veterans renew their assault, break the remaining Orks, and hack them down as they run. This blunted the Ork counterattack and gave me 824 victory points!
Winner:	Tigers (by 900 points!) Secure second of five objectives!
How the Tigers won:	Careful planning and sheer aggression. I successfully anticipated Pat's battle plan and had the right units to counter his (the only surprise was a unit of Trukk Boyz he had just put together). Though my spearheading troops were grossly outnumbered, I stuck to my plan, attacked anyway, and made sure to finish off as many Ork units as I could to gain bonus victory points.
How the Orks lost:	Pat's main problem was that while he didn't run away from my attack neither did he mount a very aggressive defense: instead of acting, he reacted. Though his army absorbed my main attack his surviving units were so bloodied that they couldn't mount a credible counterattack against the rest of my army.
Objectives Secured:	Tigers 2, Orks 0.

 
 

Previous Page: Battles #3 and #4 Next page: Battles #7 and #8

Related Pages
Fighting Tigers Glossary and Pronunciation Guide
 

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© Copyright Patrick Eibel and Kenton Kilgore, April 2000
 

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