The Blood Deserts of Auros IX: Battle Summaries (Battle #9)
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. 

In any long campaign like this one, it's important to pace yourself so you don't run out of steam. Pat and I took a break for several weeks so I could attend to some personal matters (nothing bad, just time-consuming) and he could revamp his Space Wolf army to fit the new codex. As we enter this phase of the campaign, we'll be re-fighting some of the battles where the attacker failed to secure the objective. In replaying these games, we'll be trying different approaches to "get it right this time," and noting what we did right before the battle summaries. 

Battle #9: Blackout (2000 points per side)
"Sprokkits, my boy, I'z gotta job fer yoo," Sho-T said, his burly arm (the size of most Ork's legs) around the Mekboy's shoulders. Sho-T pointed to the orange and black Rhino surrounded by the encamped Orks celebrating the latest battle against the hated Stripeypants. "See dat?"

"Sure, Boss," Sprokkits replied, giggling nervously. He was a strange, weedy Ork, always messing around with atomik stuff, and Sho-T liked to keep him busy with other things so he wouldn't accidentally blow them all to Timbuktree. "Whatchu wan' me to do wit it?"

"Sprokkits, I'm gonna level witchu. Me an da boyz, we'z all in trouble, see. Dem Tigerz got us surrounded-like. We need the rest of our boyz, but dey must be too far away cuz I can't get ahold of dem on our radios. We ain't nowhere near our big antenny whatchu built for me, so's I wants ya ta rig up da radio in dat dere Tigerwagon so's I can call da boyz. Tink ya can do dat?"

"Yeah, Boss, sure, sure," Sprokkits said, running his oil-stained hands together. A maniacal grin spread across this face. "Maybe I can get the shootas on the top ta work too. And the rokkit launcha: dat should be easy as squig pie. And den I can put some burnas on the front end, and maybe some more shootas, and I'll put some squig fuel injectas in da engine and--"

Sho-T interrupted Sprokkits by putting the business end of his big shoota right under the Mekboy's chin. "I'm going out with da Trukk Boyz and da Buggy Boyz to see what dem Tigerz is up ta. I want dat radio workin' when I get back, unnerstan?"

Sprokkits gulped loudly and nodded. 

"Youze a good Ork, Sprokkits, and a damn good Mekboy." Sho-T turned and hollered for his bodyguard as he headed for his Wartrukk.

"No problem, Boss. Anyfing you say," Sprokkits mumbled, rubbing his jaw. He stared at the Rhino with greedy eyes. 

WHAT WE DID DIFFERENTLY: This game is a replay of Battle #1. The first time we played this mission, I used vehicles because I didn't think Marines on foot would be able to reach the objective (48" away) before time expired. Using vehicles, however, negates the Sentries rule and takes away the suspense of sneaking up on the enemy camp while they aren't expecting trouble. This time around, Pat and I both thought it would be cool to play the mission "the way it was meant to be played." 

We agreed to use a shorter board (72" instead of 98"), which would allow me to field only Space Marines on foot (no vehicles!) and have a chance of reaching the objective in the middle of the board before time expired. In keeping with the spirit of the mission, my Assault Marines did not use jump packs (too noisy), nor did I bring Terminators (whoever heard of a Termie sneaking up on someone?). With the points I saved on vehicles and jump packs, I took a Veteran Squad and Raja Khandar Madu (with her Command Squad), two expensive units I don't normally get to use very often. Before you cry "Cheese!", let me mention that I also took two Tactical Squads, two Scout Squads, two Assault Squads, and a Devastator Squad, for a total of 71 Marines in a 2,000 point battle. 

On his end, Pat didn't use Sho-T, although Codex: Orks normally forces you to take a Warboss. As we mentioned in the campaign introduction, it seems a little unrealistic (and dull!) to have the Warboss in EVERY battle of a planetwide war. As "Sabotage" doesn't require the defender to bring an HQ unit, Pat didn't, saving points for more regular Orks and a surprise: three brand new Killer Kans!

Premise:	During the last battle, Sho-T's Orks managed to capture a Fighting Tiger Rhino. Sprokkits, Sho-T's best Mekboy, begins to re-wire the Rhino's communication system so Sho-T can contact the Ork forces outside the Tiger cordon that has him trapped. Sho-T hopes to rally his scattered troops and have them break him out. Tiger Scouts have found the lost Rhino and noted the Ork activity around it. Raja Khandar Madu has guessed Sho-T's plan and is moving to stop him. This battle was fought using the "Sabotage" Mission from page 149 of the main rulebook.
Tiger Strategy:	Sneak into the Ork camp on foot before Sprokkits can finish his work and launch a large assault to either re-take the Rhino or destroy it.
Ork Strategy:	Stall with Gretchin, Shoota Boyz, and Tankbustas until reserves, led by R2Ork2, can arrive.
Play of the Game:	At the end of Turn 4, my Assault and Veteran Marines have swarmed around the objective and placed their demo charges: I need one more turn to win! Pat rolls to see if there will be another turn (Random Game Length rules) and, sure enough, the die comes up with a 1, meaning I've run out of time and the game is over.
Winner:	Orks
How the Orks won:	To make the fateful roll at the end, Pat used the only green die in my collection. He had also used the same die at the beginning of the game to win all of the rolls for moving the sentries. Obviously, Pat has discovered an ally among my dice--one that tips any game in favor of Orks! (By the way, I let Pat keep that die, and he's named it The Loyal Green Die.)
How the Tigers lost:	Pure luck, and this time I mean it! At the end of the game, I had 16 Tigers around the objective and Pat had no troops in position to stop me from blowing up the Rhino. Though Pat can't make a Reserve roll to save his life (poor guy), this is the second time in the campaign that he's stopped a Random Length Game after Turn 4 and kept me from winning!
Objectives Secured:	Tigers 2, Orks 0.

 

Previous Page: Battles #7 and #8 Next page: Battles #10 and #11

Related Pages
Fighting Tigers Glossary and Pronunciation Guide
 

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© Copyright Patrick Eibel and Kenton Kilgore, May 2000
 

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