Planet: Bludhaven.
Region: Seraphon Sector.
Death Guard vs Orks.
Mission: Blitz.
Deployment: Mission specific.
Points: 2000.
Despite the losses they had suffered the Orks continued to throw themselves at the Death Guard fortress wall. This would be the largest land battle of the war and would ultimately prove the deciding action when the war was over. The presence of both Typhus and Mortarion during this engagement bolstered the plague marines and their hatred of the greenskin xenos.
At last Gary and I got our Blitz mission as was originally planned. Gary decided not to change his list from the previous week. I really wanted to take Mortarion this time and have him slice through vast numbers of orks so I had to make some sacrifices to fit him in. It did mean that I pretty much figured my army would get mobbed to death but it would be worth it.
We both arrived early and set the table up so we could ensure we got a complete game this time. With only a three hour time limit it is tough to fit a 2000 point game in properly.
I set my units up secretly and after Gary deployed he fired his preliminary bombardment. It was rather ineffective knocking a couple wounds from the predator but not much else. And that was when the greenskin tide came at me en masse!
Gary moved everything forward advancing as quickly as it could. It brought the infantry almost to the center of the table. Shooting was ineffective. I think I lost one plague marine and that was it. My turn only Mortarion moved. He came out from behind a tall building to a slightly smaller building ready to launch himself into the boyz. My heavy firepower was directed at the gorkanaut as that was something I did not want on the table. It took me two turns but lascannon fire took it out.
The bikers then roared into my lines triggering the proximity mines stratagem. Sadly it did nothing and they got into combat with my defiler. It took a couple wounds but then stomped on them with ease. They, like any other destroyed unit in his army, went back into reserves. I felt sorry for my opponent because they never reappeared until the last turn of the game by which point it was too late.
Once the orks did get into my lines they didn't last long. Between smite attempts and Mortarion charging, they were soon just large piles of dead bodies. Mortarion did so well in his first charge that the ork boyz failed their battle shock by 17 points!!! That made it worthwhile taking him in my eyes. Very soon I had destroyed everything that had hit my lines but they kept coming. Even the damn gorkanut came back stomping up the table.
At this point, turn four I think, Gary's luck was a bit better. He had managed to drop the defiler down to around six wounds and stripped a few from Mortarion. He was intent on getting the gorkanaut into combat with my primarch - a situation I did not want! That thing would just kill him outright if it got the charge. Sadly that is exactly what happened. Mortarion didn't even get a chance to swing back. Disappointing but he had done what I wanted.
Turn 5 and I do admit to becoming a little despondent. I was being whittled down and with so many bodies coming at me I fully expected to be tabled. Typhus and the lord of contaigon went down under the gorkanut. My defiler soon blew up. It had not done very well all game other than crushing the bikes early on. It was then that I noticed something. Only I get victory points for killing units. Gary's orks had to be in my deployment zones to score points! With one turn to go he couldn't even come close to winning.
The game ended the following turn and all Gary had in my deployment was his gorkanut. Everything else was still footslogging up the table. I had 12 victory points to his 1. I was quite amazed. The Blitz mission is one where I expect the defender to be utterly crushed if faced with a huge horde army. I think that Mortarion won me that game. Just taking out the boyz saved me so much. Once again the vengeance weapon platforms proved to be a waste of space. Once the nearest enemy unit is locked in combat they become dead weight.
Very good game. Played nicely into the Bludhaven narrative. I just have to make sure that I can win some games against the orks in future.
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++ Fortification Network (Chaos - Death Guard) [12 PL, 200pts] ++
Rules: Plague Weapon
+ Fortification +
Vengeance Weapon Batteries [12 PL, 200pts]
. Vengeance Weapon Battery: Punisher Gatling Cannon
. Vengeance Weapon Battery: Punisher Gatling Cannon
++ Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachment (Chaos - Death Guard) [24 PL, 470pts] ++
Rules: Plague Weapon
+ Lord of War +
Mortarion [24 PL, 470pts]: Blades of Putrefaction, Curse of the Leper, Gift of Contagion
++ Battalion Detachment +3CP (Chaos - Death Guard) [70 PL, 1305pts] ++
Rules: Plague Weapon
+ HQ +
Lord of Contagion [7 PL, 137pts]: Manreaper
Typhus [9 PL, 175pts]: Curse of the Leper, Plague Wind
+ Troops +
Chaos Cultists [3 PL, 48pts]
. 9x Chaos Cultist w/ autopistol and brutal assault weapon
. Chaos Cultist w/ special weapon: Heavy stubber
. Cultist Champion: Shotgun
Plague Marines [10 PL, 182pts]: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
Plague Marines [10 PL, 182pts]: Icon of Despair
. Plague Champion: Plaguesword, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 5x Plague Marine w/ boltgun
. Plague Marine w/ Special Weapon: Plasma gun
+ Elites +
Helbrute [7 PL, 139pts]: Helbrute fist, Multi-melta
Noxious Blightbringer [4 PL, 70pts]: Dolorous Knell, Plasma pistol
+ Heavy Support +
Chaos Predator [9 PL, 182pts]: Combi-flamer, Havoc launcher, Twin lascannon
. Rules: Combi Weapon
. Two heavy bolters: 2x Heavy bolter
Defiler [11 PL, 190pts]: Combi-flamer, Defiler scourge, Reaper autocannon
. Rules: Combi Weapon
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Mortarion, daemon primarch.
The orks charge into my lines!
Those darn gorkanaut's!
The ork forces charge up the table.
