Tuesday 24 May 2016

Big Battle DBA - Ottoman vs Tamil

I played a game of Big Battle DBA (BBDBA) vs Brian at the Woolston Club last week. He used his Ottomans and I used my Tamil Indians.

BBDBA uses armies made up of 36 elements, as compared to the usual 12. They are organised into 3 commands each comprising at least 6 elements, and each general gets one die for command points. Before the game you choose one general to get the high die, and one the lowest die each turn, to represent pre-battle planning.

Here's the setup, I was the invader. Lots of elephants bows and blades with Tamils. From the left in the photo, Brian has a line of artillery and bows, and then lots of cavalry and light horse.


Brian races forward with Light horse and cavalry to try and pin my troops and to get around my flanks. I advance to meet him.



Ottoman artillery kills a bowman with shooting, and then the first Ottoman cavalry charge into bowmen and elephants fails, losing 2 cavalry in the process.



Tamils move to trap Ottoman light horse. Bows finish off more cavalry, and blades rush the artillery.



Indian fast blade destroy the Ottoman artillery and bows.


Game over with Ottoman commands shattered.



Conclusion

This was a difficult matchup for the Ottomans with all their cavalry against my bow and elephants. A concentrated charge from cavalry could break through the bow and blade, but I got the drop with deployment being the invader so Brian was on the backfoot from the start. Elephants are difficult to move (2 pips after the first turn), and vulnerable to being outmanoeuvered or countered with skirmishers but it was over too quickly. Blades also made short work of his shooting elements before he could counter them.

Anyway I like the Big Battle version of DBA, as you have the chance to vary tactics much more in designing commands and allocating command die. Also good to get more troops on the table. Will be playing it again!

Friday 13 May 2016

Epic 4K: Feral Orks vs Iyanden Eldar

Here's the last battle in a series each featuring a different main Ork Army. This time it's the Feral Orks vs an Iyanden Eldar Wraithguard army. For a change with the Ferals, I left 4 of my 5 Orkeosauruses at home, instead taking some more Squiggoths I had painted up, and masses of Boarboyz and infantry.


4000 POINTS 
Snagga-Snagga's Feral Orks (NetEA Army Compendium v20120208) 
================================================== 

WARBAND [300] 
2 Nobz, 6 Boyz, 2 Grotz, 2 Squig Katapult, Wyrdboy

WARBAND [300] 
2 Nobz, 6 Boyz, 2 Grotz, 2 Squig Katapult, Wyrdboy

WARBAND [225] 
2 Nobz, 6 Boyz, 2 Grotz, Squig Katapult

WARBAND [225] 
2 Nobz, 6 Boyz, 2 Grotz, Squig Katapult

BOARBOYZ HORDE ('UGE) [250] 
15 Boarboyz

BOARBOYZ HORDE ('UGE) [250] 
15 Boarboyz

BOARBOYZ HORDE ('UGE) [250] 
15 Boarboyz

TRAPPAS [150] 
6 Wildboyz

MADBOYZ HORDE [175] 
11 Madboyz

STEAM GARGANT [500] 
3 Steam Gargant

WILDBOYZ [350] 
2 Nobz, 3 Two Wildboyz Units, Orkeosaurus, Wyrdboy, Warlord

WILDBOYZ [225] 
2 Nobz, 3 Two Wildboyz Units, 2 Squiggoth

WILDBOYZ [225] 
2 Nobz, 3 Two Wildboyz Units, 2 Squiggoth

WILDBOYZ [225] 
2 Nobz, 3 Two Wildboyz Units, 2 Squiggoth

JUNKA BRIGADE [175] 
Junka Trukks, 6 Boyz

JUNKA BRIGADE [175] 
Junka Trukks, 6 Boyz



I didn't take a photo of the army, because there were so damn many of them and it would take too long to set them up! Instead look at the battle setup photos to see how many there are (and those photos still with 40 infantry inside transports!). :)


Here's Andrew's Iyanden. Big Wraithguard Warhost in the webway.

4000 POINTS
Iyanden Craftworld (4.2)
==================================================

SPIRIT WRAITHGUARD WARHOST [475]
4x Wraithguard units, Spiritseer, 4 Wave Serpent

SPIRIT WRAITHGUARD WARHOST [475]
4x Wraithguard units, Spiritseer, 4 Wave Serpent

SPIRIT WRAITHGUARD WARHOST [475]
4x Wraithguard units, Spiritseer, 4 Wave Serpent

SPIRIT WRAITHGUARD WARHOST [625]
4x Wraithguard units, 3 Wraithlord, Wraithseer, 2 Wraithguard

ENGINE OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
Cobra

ENGINE OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
Cobra

ENGINE OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
Cobra

AVATAR [0]

WRAITHGATE [50]

SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcons, 2 Fire Storm

SWORDS OF VAUL TROUPE [250]
3 Falcons, 2 Fire Storm

NIGHTWING INTERCEPTORS [300]
3x Nightwing Interceptors

RANGER TROUPE [100]
4 Ranger

RANGER TROUPE [100]
4 Ranger

RANGER TROUPE [150]
6 Ranger





Turn 1

Heres' the setup, with orks in a long line favouring right flank. Eldar favouring their left. I have most of my walking infantry garrisoned forward, including garrisoning off my blitz with two formations.

Left flank. Trappas on extreme left, then two Warbands and Madboyz near the buildings.

In centre, Boarboyz and Junka Trukks.

Steam Gargants and more Boarboyz on the right, and Orkeosaurus and Squiggoths taking cover behind hills.

Eldar have a line of Grav Tanks including Wraithguard in Wave Serpents in their deployment zone, also making some use of hills for cover.

Eldar Rangers hug cover across the tables centreline, and the Eldar Wraithgate is near the ruins.

First activations, my Trappas take casualties from Rangers, and then my Madboyz assault Rangers in the town and force them back.

An Ork Warband follows up and shoots the fleeting Rangers, and the orks take some casualties in return from another Eldar activation.

My Warbands start to press forward across the craters.

First Eldar Wraithguard formation assaults and destroys my leading ork warband and holds two of the buildings. No casualties to Wraithguard.

Boarboyz double foward undaunted.

Another Wraithguard assault and another Ork warband is wiped out! No casualties to Wraithguard.

My Boarboayz surround the Wraithgate, forcing the Wraith formation inside to assault them.

Combat goes very well for the orks this time, killing a Wraithlord and three Wraithguard, and losing 5 units in return (2 from supporting fire from Rangers!). Orks lose and back off but I don't care.


The Ork Steam Gargants double forward, and with the extra Blast Markers from their guns they manage to break a Cobra, the Wraithguard unit just fought (killing another three units with lucky shooting) and Rangers.

In the centre my Boarboyz engage the Wraithguard in the town in a firefight with support from other ork units. With thanks to blast markers and outnumber the Wraithguard fall back, losing a Wave Serpent.

More movement and end of turn.

Ork right flank.

Ork Left flank.

Ork centre after rallying.



Turn 2

Orks win Strategy Roll, having lost it last turn. Boarboyz on the right assault and wipe out the Rangers...


Clearing a path for the Steam Gargants, which double and fire breaking the two Cobras with their 3 Blast Templates.

Return fire from Falcons damages the Steam Gargants.

Another Wraithguard formation breaks a Wildboyz formation.

And then consolidates to support another Wraithguard formation as it assaults the Steam Gargants.

One Steam Gargant is destroyed and the unit broken, but a steam explosion also hurts the Eldar units!

Overview.

On the left, a Junka Trukk formation eliminates another Ranger formation.

More fire is exchanged, and the orks keep pressing forward. The Wildboyz formation broken earlier in the turn is eliminated.


Boarboyz assault broken Wraithguard on the left, but fail to kill any. Boarboyz still win the assault though and remain in contact against the fearless Wraithguard.

Eldar only rally one of their Cobras, and things are looking grim for them.

Turn 3

Avatar is summoned. Falcons move and shoot damaging Steam Gargants and move into firefight range.

Avatar engages!

Boom! Both Steam Gargants are destroyed, though not by the Avatar who missed, but by the Falcon and Wraithguard firefight support!  Avatar takes two points of damage. 

Avatar consolidates to support a firefight against Boarboyz in the centre. The Eldar Supreme Commander (his formation down to two single Wraithguard now) engages and breaks the Boarboyz who fall back.

On the left flank Ork Squiggoths break the last unbroken Cobra with a lucky burst of fire, Junka Trukks engage and destroy a Falcon formation. Eldar only have their aircraft left.  Ork Boarboyz then double and capture their two objectives on their left flank.

Then Ork Boarboyz take the two Take and Hold Objectives on the Ork right. 

And Junka Trukks double back and hold their Blitz objective. Orks win 2-1 with Defend the Flag and Take and Hold, while the Eldar have achieved Break Their Spirit objective for killing the Steam Gargants.


Conclusion

Well I was pleased to pull off this victory with the Feral Orks. Iyanden are one of the spookiest Eldar armies - not because of the undead eldar ghost thing but because of Reinforced Armour, Fearless, Macro Weapon packing Wraithguard!  As it turned out not taking the Orkeosauruses, and just hordes of cheap units instead was probably a fortuitous move. It meant the Wraithguard were something of an overkill much of the time. Even though they wiped out a formation with each activation at first, I could take those losses! In the war of attrition the Eldar could not. Winning the Strategy Roll on the second turn was also lucky and meant I could neutralise two of the Cobras with whatever I had to hand. Steam Gargants did their thing and their sacrifice was not in vain. My Orkeosaurus did nothing other than bother aircraft with the Weirdboy and place a blast marker or two, but that was ok. The speed provided by the Junka Trukks and Squiggoths was very useful, and the 'uge Boarboyz mobs were great all around brawlers.

So that concludes four games using the four main Ork Army Lists for Epic Armageddon:
Ghazgkull's Warhorde battle against Tau here.
Speed Freaks battle against Tau here
Gargant Big Mob battle against Eldar here.
And this game with Feral Orks against Eldar!

Three wins out of four with only Speed Freaks letting the team down. But I consider that Orkville has been well defended so we will move on to other battlefields and forces now. Thanks for the games Andrew! :)