Saturday, July 26, 2014

Orks vs. Space Wolves 1500pts

Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures.  It won't take long to recount the game though as it only lasted 2 rounds.

Pre-game

I ended up bringing my FU troops list

1500 pts Orks
125 warboss, bike, klaw, Da finkin Kap, BP
75 Painboy, bike, orderly
385 Nob Biker Mob banner, bp, 3 klaws, 3 BC
202 8 Warbikers, 1 Nob w/PK & BP
90 3 Deffkoptas
111 5 Lobbas, 3 gretchin, 4 runts
210 15 lootas
210 15 lootas
46 12 Grots, 1 runtherd & hound
46 12 Grots, 1 runtherd & hound

LaRon ran his wolfkin list with Vindicator support.
1500 Space Wolves
Wolf Lord on mount, runic armor, thunderhammer, storm shield, other stuff
Canis Wolfborn
10 Fenrisian  wolves
10 Fenrisian  wolves
Vindicator w/dozer
Vindicator w/dozer
5 Thunderwolf Cavalry
5 Thunderwolf Cavalry
4 Thunderwolf Cavalry

Things started out well enough.  I got the move through cover warlord trait so I didn't end up killing myself with dangerous terrain and the strategic trait that causes 3 pinning test (the squads of TWC, all passed).  He rolled the FNP trait, which ended up saving him two wounds over the course of the game.

Deployment

We had a maelstrom mission that didn't matter because there was almost nothing left after the 2nd turn and we called it, but it was dawn of war deployment.
The Vindicators were off center on each side with a squad of wolves and the wolf lord dead center.  The other two TWF squads were at the edges.  The other wolves tried to provide cover for one of the vindicators in case I siezed.

I deployed 2nd, trying to hide everything from the vindicators.  The lootas were in the corners opposite the TWC, the lobbas slightly off center and the bikes in front of the lobbas.  The nobz were dead center, but slightly back with the koptas in front of them.  I scout moved them up behind some terrain to block LoS.

Round 1

I didn't seize and unfortunately, ended up being in range of the vindicator, losing 2 BC nobz after failing both jink rolls.  The wolves and lord were able to pull off a turn 1 charge since my koptas weren't as hidden as I would have liked apparently.  The wolves whiffed, koptas killed a couple, but the lord insta-gibbed them (this is going to be a theme) for first blood.

My turn, the lootas blew up the vindicator that killed the nobz in retribution, unfortunately, there was a squad of TWC right in front of them.  The other vindicator was showing av13, so I elected to shoot at the TWC in front of them after popping the grots out to screen the lootas from assault.  Managed to kill 3 of the squad after rolling well with 3 shots each and 11 wounds.  The jinking nobz still managed to kill a few wolves and the biker boyz and warboss killed a TWC then the lobbas contributed another TWC kill.  I was able to get off both charges.  Other than losing my deffkoptas, things were going almost exactly as I wanted.  This is where things going my way ended.

The nob assault did wipe out the wolves.  The Lord was in a challenge with a boss nob, brought the hammer down and killed 3 nobz (with no saves or FNP).  Some wounds from the nobz did carry over and he either saved (storm shield) or passed FNP.  The nobz & painboy ended up running but at least didn't get swept.  The bikerboyz nob was in a challenge with Canis who caused two wounds, no saves, bye-bye Nob.  The warbikers under weight of 15 TWC attacks lost just 2 guys, but flailed back helplessly and ineffectively.  The Warboss krumped 3.  I lost the assault, failed morale, but with the bosspole reroll stayed in combat.

Round 2

The lootas got smashed by the vindicator, failed morale, but stayed on the table, barely.  The other lootas killed 2 TWC in overwatch.  The remaining 2 charged and killed 4 lootas, then swept them (would have still been fearless before).  The squad of fenrision wolves on their own lost 2 to overwatch from the nobz, but the nobz failed their Ld7 test (not eligible for mob rule) and were destroyed for failing to regroup.  The other thunderwolves ran over the speed bump grots easily.  The Wolf Lord managed to get into the other combat.  I challenged with the Warboss, Canis accepted, did no wounds, and was doubled out by the warboss .  The boyz flailed helplessly again, were murdered more by the TWC then obliterated by the Lord.  Somehow combat was tied.

My turn two, the lootas fell off the board, the other grots hid, and the lobbas killed the remaining fenrisians.  The final assault saw the Lord put three wounds on the warboss, with none to the lord in return (my kingdom for a storm shield warboss).   The remaining bikes were swept and that was it.  With only a squad of grots and the lobbas left vs 2 squads of 2 TWC and a wolf Lord, it was over.

Conclusion

  • Regular bikers are no threat in CC against anything assault oriented.  After the first round strength 3 sucks, even with 3 attacks.  They can't go toe to toe with other T5 armies (white scars with hit and run are much better and they're troops).
  • Morale was a problem all game.  Losing 3 warbikers (18pts/each) to 2 TWC (50 pts/each) is a trade I'll make every time.  Unfortunately, the assault results say otherwise, and the Ork's low leadership and tendency to get swept means they're losing most combats and maybe even the whole squad.  Small squads don't have the numbers to do anything, big squads risk killing themselves with mob rule.
  • Not having Cybork hurt, a lot.  I'm not sure how an assault army is supposed to handle a beatstick character.  In the nobs versus Worf Lord, he killed 3, with cybork I would have had a ~70% chance to save one, tie combat and get another crack at him, or at least hold him off from joining the fight with the warboss.  If the warboss had cybork, he would have also had a ~70% chance of saving 1 and living for another turn.
  • Challenges still suck for Orks.  Anything with a power weapon will kill them before they get a chance to swing.  Now they'll get to start killing the rest of the unit too.  Remind me why an Ork would honor a challenge instead of just getting to the krumpin'?
  • My grots were purely wasted points.  They never once threatened anything.  Conscripts are substantially better at 3pts each with a lasgun, frag grenades, +1S, +1T, +1I, 5+ .  Termagants at 4pts are also substantially better.  There is no point wasting 5pts for a squig hound or adding extra bodies to mess around with the wound ratio.  Either 35pts for 10 to fulfill a requirement or 62 for 20 bodies as a mobile cover save.  I think in most cases, I'd rather just spend the extra 25 for a min squad of choppa boyz.  They are a little harder to kill, but at least have a decent chance to kill something at some point.  Since everything scores now, it's hard to justify them even for that purpose.  Realistically, Objective Secured does nothing for them.  Anything that can contest them can wipe them out.
  • Lobbas are very solid for their points.  At 3 for 75, they just didn't do enough, but at 90 for 5 with ammo runts making them more reliable, I think they're a good value.


Rules missteps

  1. I completely forgot about 'ere we go.  I nearly failed both charges as both were really close.  It might have helped me get more HoW hits too.  
  2. I didn't roll for Mob Rule on my 2nd squad of lootas, which would have helped them stay in the fight, but wouldn't have made any difference in the game.
  3. My warboss should only have had 4 attacks, plus 1 on the charge.  I rolled for 6 on the charge.  I forgot that the attack squig only gives a re-roll not a plus 1 attack.  I didn't take it anyways, although it would have really helped me.  I should consider adding it back.
  4. Forgot that biker boys have 4 attacks on the charge.  I've been running shoota boyz for so long, it just slipped my mind.
  5. When the warboss and bikers lost combat against the TWC, it should have been a tied combat.  I counted the boyz as 2 wounds, but forgot to count the TWC as 2 also.  The bosspole reroll was a 1, so I managed to live anyways.
  6. Not necessarily a mistake, but the BAO FAQs says to measure start and end by measuring 3d space.  We were measuring going up and down terrain.  Sounds too much like the advantage jump packs are supposed to have, but it would have made things easier.

Other observations

  • Our FLGS terrain is setup to be area terrain, which doesn't exist anymore.  There was nary a cover save to be had.  This was especially difficult for my lootas, since I knew they would be a target.
  • I only passed 1 morale test the entire game, super sad face. Ld 7 sucks.
  • Mob Rule didn't cause me to kill myself because I didn't take any boyz, but it also didn't help me much either.
  • Warbike dakka is underrated, 3 TL Str5 ap5 can put the hurt on.
  • I rolled well with my Lootas. The 3 times I got to shoot the squads I rolled 3 shots, 3 shots, 2 shots (overwatch).
  • I didn't get to attempt a single FNP with my nob bikers.  Not as many lists will be able to pack this much Str10 at 1500, but my nobz might as well have had 1 wound, the 2nd wound only caused me to lose combat that much quicker.
  • I miss Coteaz.  The extra chance to sieze always made my opponents deploy more conservatively.

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