Epic 4K: Defence of Orkville

My Ork hordes made an appearance in a game against Andrew's Tau the other night. 4000 points again which seems to be a good size to get a bit of variety, but still small enough to play in an evening.

For my army I chose many small units (pop-corn style army), with the average points value of detachments being just over 220 points. 

4000 POINTS
Ghazgkhull Thraka's War Horde (NetEA Tournament Pack 2013)
==================================================

KULT OF SPEED [200]
2 Warbuggy, 4 Skorcha, 2 Warbike

KULT OF SPEED [200]
2 Warbuggy, 4 Skorcha, 2 Warbike

KULT OF SPEED [200]
8 Skorcha

KULT OF SPEED [200]

6 Warbike, 2 Warbuggy

KULT OF SPEED [200]
6 Warbike, 2 Warbuggy

BLITZ BRIGADE [200]
2 Flakwagon, 2 Gunwagon, Oddboy

BLITZ BRIGADE [200]
2 Flakwagon, 2 Gunwagon, Oddboy

MEKBOY STOMPAMOB [500]
3 Stompa, Supa Stompa

MEKBOY GUNZMOB [175]
5 Big Gunz, Oddboy

MEKBOY GUNZMOB [175]
5 Big Gunz, Oddboy

MEKBOY GUNZMOB [175]
5 Big Gunz, Oddboy

MEKBOY GUNZMOB [175]
5 Big Gunz, Oddboy

STORMBOYZ WARHORDE [150]
6 Stormboyz

STORMBOYZ WARHORDE [150]
6 Stormboyz

WARBAND (BIG) [350]
4 Nobz, 12 Boyz, 4 Grotz

FIGHTA SKWADRON [250]
5 Fighta Bomba

FIGHTA SKWADRON [250]
5 Fighta Bomba

FIGHTA SKWADRON [250]
5 Fighta Bomba

Andrew took a double Manta force, with plenty of mounted infantry and a tonne of stealth suits.

Tau Vior'la, v 1.7

Shas'o Tio've [Commander's Battle Group]

Manta, Command Bridge, Shas'o [675 points]

FW Cadre, 6 Fire Warriors, Ethereal, Cadre Fireblade, 3 Devilfish, Skyray [400]

FW Cadre, 6 Fire Warriors, 3 Devilfish, Skyray [325]

Recon Group, 3 Tetras, 2 Piranhas [150]

Shas'el Kavaal [Sub-Commander's Strike Group]

Manta [625]

FW Cadre, 6 Fire Warriors, 3 Devilfish, Skyray [325]

Recon Group, 3 Tetras, 2 Piranhas [150]

Recon Group, 3 Tetras, 2 Piranhas [150]

Her'ex Shar'vre Tio've [Cloak Commander's Battle Group]

Stealth Group, 6 Stealth Suits, Cadre Fireblade [250]

Stealth Group, 6 Stealth Suits, Cadre Fireblade [250]

Stealth Group, 6 Stealth Suits, Cadre Fireblade [250]

Stealth Group, 6 Stealth Suits [225]

Stealth Group, 6 Stealth Suits [225]

Turn 1

Here's the setup, a few garrisons on each side, and everything else behind. Tau favouring their centre, orks their right flank.

Here's my new resin Orkville buildings in the centre of the table. I'll post some better pics once they are completed, still need to add glyphs and probably rust them up a bit more! Apparently some English company made these many years ago, but they are now out of production. I've never even heard of them before but someone sold them on a local auction site. Awesome find!

The Tau teleport Stealth suits to occupy Orkville and the nearby crater field. My Ork Scorchers move up to burn them out, and manage to rout the first formation in the buildings.

One of the Mantas advances. I open fire with an overwatching Gunzmob and manage to do 2 points of damage to it. My plan is to avoid firing at the Mantas but I thought this one was about to shoot the Gunzmob so there was nothing to lose. It instead blasts the Stormboyz garrison and kills all but one of them.

My Big Warband engages and destroys a Stealth Suit formation that had taken three blast markers from teleporting.

The other Manta advances and shoots at my Supa Stompa, and my Fighta Bombas knock out a Skyray AA tank and Devilfish from a Firewarrior Formation.

A Tau Firewarrior formation reoccupies Orkville.

I move up more reinforcements, knocking back some advancing Tau formations.

A Blitz Brigade knocks out a Skyray from the central Firewarrior formation.

Heavy ork attacks also occur on their right flank, and the Tau are driven back further.

Attacks on the ork left are also successful.

End of turn.

Turn 2

Kult of Speed and Blitz Brigade break two formations on the Tau left flank, avoiding shooting at the Manta.

Tau break a couple of formations and then the Stormboyz supported by Kults of Speed close assault the Firewarrior detachment and destroy most of them, retaking Orkville.

The Big Warband rolls onwards through the craters and destroys another stealth formation.

More air attacks reduce Tau formations to scattered individuals.

A Kult of Speed races up the centre and shoots a broken Stealth formation, which is reduced to a single unit.

Last intact Tau Firewarrior formation manages to retake the Tau left flank by destroying a Kult of Speed, but it is then hammered by Fighta Bombas.

End of turn.

Turn 3

Remaining Tau formations except Mantas are broken in exchanges of fire. The Mantas remain virtually unscathed but cannot prevent the remaining Ork formations from winning 2-0 with Take and Hold and Defend the Flag objectives.

Conclusion

A successful outing for the Orks, clearly inspired by their new accomodation! The Tau may have been a little optimistic with initial teleports and the attempted holding of Orkville, but difficult to defend against the speed of this Ork force. Tau couldn't knock out the small ork formations quickly enough and the Mantas were left unsupported as all other Tau units were smashed. Tau AA being spread out also meant my Fighta Bombas had some better targets than would have otherwise been the case.  Skorchas also appear to be an nice solution to Andrews favouring of scout formations! I'll have to paint up more of them :)