Mock Battle: Space Marines vs. Orks

Well isn't this the saddest board you have ever seen? Well... I honestly don't care as its going to be my very first game of Warhammer 40k, which I'm excited about. Now we are not following all the rules for a number of reasons, but trying to at least follow as much as possible. In all respects we are just doing this to get how the game works since we lack any experience.

1. We don't have all the models, but have bases! :D

2. Not following morale and leadership rules. :(

3. Not enough terrain so we improvised. :(

4. We are not following point values.... shhhh, that's our secret...

With that introduction done, on to the contenders...

Great army isn't it? (joking)

First up is myself as space marines. I do have enough models to form this force, but sadly don't actually have all of them, the rest being over a thousand miles away... Anyway, my band of troops consists of my captain armed with a relic blade and bolter supported by a tactical squad broken up into combat squads (one with flamer and the other with missile launcher). Lastly then a scout squad with a missile launcher and snipers to get early shots and provide support. I would of went with a full squad as I am fighting a bigger unit of orks, but decided with a more flexible force. Maybe I'll get to do a divide and conquer sort of tactic. Attacking from different directions and forcing his men to attack on my terms... hopefully.

WAAAGH! Well... more of a "waugh *cough* *cough*" by the size of the horde...

Next up, my grandfather Ron playing orks. The guy is obsessed with them. Despite liking a few different groups in the game, he always will go back to the greenskins as his favorite and thus is playing them. He is using two eleven strong boyz squad all armed with sluggas and choppas (one rocket launcher and a nob with a power klaw and bosspole. The other the same but with a big shoota). His leader is a warboss with a cybork body, shoota, power klaw, bosspole and 'evy armor. From what he has been bragging about he is going to overwhelm my squads in a melee frenzy. My men numbering slightly less and lacking in attack bonuses for close combat is his greatest advantage. So I'm going to have to rely on my space marine weaponry and skills to mow them down before they reach me and clean up stragglers in a good old melee feast.

For the first two games we experimented with troops and how many, so they tended to be one sided. I won the first because my marines were too good and their weapons were superior against only twelve enemy  models. Then game two I was just overwhelmed when twenty three orks charged at me and ended in a tie, 1 kill point to 1 kill point.

A shot from my side early in the final game.

It was the third and final game of the night that went very well. It was when our sides were even unit wise, but I still was outnumbered. Previously I was only using a tactical squad, but this time I threw in the scouts to counter the additional eleven boyz.

Those snipers and missile launcher provided what I needed for victory.

With the scouts and infiltration rules, the scouts were very useful to pick off a few enemies before my main force came, but were hammered pretty hard (being reduced to three men in the first round!). Never less they fought well for being fired at every round.

Warboss Narork Ugslag and his remaining boyz coming out triumphant after taking many casualties. 

  Unfortunately, my tactic at the end of round two ended in failure. Originally Ron was heading straight at my scouts hoping to wipe out a squad early in the game it appeared, so I had my captain and a combat squad flank around the ruins through craters (the funny black lines), but he turned right at them and charge. The fighting was bloody and lasted a few turns, but in the end I lost with my captain courageously taking down a few as he fell. Unfortunately for Ron though, while the melee was happening my remaining scouts and other combat squad wiped out his other boyz completely with only one casualty.

A battle-brother brought down Narork with a final boltgun shot, ending his threat to city. Narork fought to the very last, himself being the final ork.

 This was the final call for Ron and his orks. With most of his boyz dead besides two and a full strength combat squad with a missile launcher supported by scouts still in his way, he couldn't take the barrage of shots that came when he turned the corner in attempt to charge the scouts. A missile taking out one boy and a bolter shot taking out the other the game was tied at the end of round 5 and we rolled to see if it would continue. Sadly for him it did and a hail of rapid fire shots hit home on the boss. With one wound left he took two more shots before failing one armor save.

In the end we both enjoyed the games, especially the final one. We didn't used all the rules and I think we skipped over or ignored a few, but it was fun and that's what it was about. I can't wait to play some bigger and more legit games.

Thanks for reading!