[Epic] Orks vs. Imperials Campaign Update

From: Erik K. Rutins <snowdo1_at_...>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 00:37:33 -0500

We finally got some more free time, so here is a report on Turn 5 of the
Orks vs. Imperials test campaign.

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As the shells began to fall on Anacros, Imperial reserves shuffled in to
bolster the defenses. Morale was low, but stubborn determination and
sacrifice remained intact. The Orks now possessed fully half of the
previously human-inhabited continent on Anacreon. The capital itself
faced a siege and despite the arrival of a small force of marines, any
significant help was still weeks away.

. . .

The Orks start Turn 5 with a lot of momentum - four momentum effects to
be precise. They have lost none of their territories and control four
of the Imperial minor territories. The campaign victory points at the
beginning of Turn 5 are:

Orks : +7
Empire : -8

The arrival last turn of a rapid response force of 500 points of Space
Marines did little to stem the tide. Of the Ork clans, only the
Snakebites and Deathskulls have yet to join the Waaagh. Total Ork
forces stand at roughly 4500. Total Imperial forces stand at 2000
Planetary Defense + 500 Space Marines.

The movement phase saw the arrival of more Ork reinforcements that began
to wind their way towards the front lines. Imperial troops meanwhile
set to work fortifying their lines, hoping they would be able to
complete their task before the Orks drove them back again.

The attack phase saw two large Ork offensives. One was aimed at the
Imperial right, a minor territory blocking the way to the
spaceport/military base. This attack was led by the Warlord himself in
his Great Gargant. He was accompanied by the best of his Goff warbands
and the Ripslasha 4, a gargant whose predecessors (1,2 and 3) were known
for taking down Warlord Titans. The second offensive was slightly
smaller and aimed at the capital city, Anacros. This attack was led by
the Evil Sunz with some assistance from the Bad Moons and Goffs.

On the Imperial right, the Warlord Titan Vengeance, supported by
infantry and artillery elements of the 1st Anacreon Guard Regiment,
faced off against a veritable horde of Orks. Despite the Ork air cover
being provided by their famed flyboy Ace Shoota the Imperial Marauders
managed to make repeated ground strikes without suffering serious
losses. Unfortunately, early success in decimating many of the shootier
Orks and the Ripslasha 4 (destroyed by a death ray hit from the
Vengeance after its shields were stripped and some damage inflicted by
the Marauders, an IG support platform and the Heavy Batteries of the
Vengeance) did not hold as the Orks were far too numerous. (Odds of over
2:1). An inaccurate Orbital Barrage nearly destroyed the Imperial
artillery which despite the bad luck kept up a steady rain of
destruction on the Ork line of advance. Finally a charge by Stompas,
Nobz and the Great Gargant destroyed much of the Imperial Guard and
caused them to flee their positions. The Vengeance continued to fire
until the mounting damage to its systems forced a withdrawal, ceding the
territory to the Orks (Imperial morale hit 0 and the Vengeance had by
that time accumulated 15 blast markers and lost the use of its death
ray. Seeing a warlord titan fire away for a total of 1FP after
disruption is pretty demoralizing for the Imperial side...)

The Capital City itself had been heavily fortified by its defenders
during the Ork advance. The outer reaches of the city were guarded by
four heavily armed and armoured bunkers manned by Guard troops. Along
with them were more Guard infantry and artillery elements as well as the
remaining medium armor units of the 1st Guards Regiment. Three
Thunderbolt fighters were all that was available for aircover.

The Ork advance was led by a large and noisy Kult of Speed equipped with
many battlewagons, bikes and two Lifta-Droppa Speedstas. Along with
them came two relatively large detachments of Nobz, Stompas, Shooty Boyz
and Boyz. Finally, two battlefortresses strengthened the Ork center.

The battle opened early with eight Ork Fighta-Bommas breaking through
the Imperial interceptors to batter the fortified imperial tanks.
Recognizing the damage the tanks could cause, the Orks concentrated on
their destruction. However, the Ork fliers failed to notice the flak
guns on a nearby bunker and though they destroyed two tanks, a
Fighta-Bomma dropped from the sky and two others limped home trailing
more than the usual amount of smoke.

As the Orks advanced, the momentum of their campaign carried them ever
faster (two momentum effect forced marches used). The Imperial forces
shot as if their lives depended on it. Between the Leman Russ tanks,
the bunkers and the basilisks in the rear the Ork losses were
horrendous. Despite destroying most of the Leman Russes and one of the
bunkers, the large Kult of Speed was broken and reduced to two fleeing
Battlewagons. The main group of Boyz was also shot up badly by the
remaining central bunkers and leman russes. The stompas and Nobz on the
Ork left nearly won the day, though, by storming a flank bunker and
forcing the Guard back towards the city center. Thankfully, the Guard
rallied and the concentration of firepower from the remaining bunkers
and artillery ended Ork hopes of an easy conquest. Every Ork detachment
but the Fighta-Bommas had been seriously damaged - the Kult of Speed had
been nearly wiped out and the Battlefortresses had both been destroyed
spectacularly by tank and bunker fire. One Leman Russ and two
Hellhounds survived along with some Guard infantry, two Basilisks and
two badly damaged bunkers. It was a close call, but the defense had
held!

The successful defense of Anacros helped Imperial morale, but not enough
to change the fact that the Orks now held nearly two-thirds of the
Imperial lands and were on the doorstep of the Spaceport. Moreover, we
all know the attack on the capital will be much stronger next time...

Turn 5 Results:

Orks gain 7 VPs ending with: +14 VPs
Imperials lose 5 VPs ending with: -13 VPs

The swing of VPs entitles the Orks to six momentum effects next turn.
Moreover the Snakebites finally decided to join in, leaving only the
Deathskulls out in the cold. The Imperials will have to counter-attack
before it is too late. The Orks hold too much territory and the
remaining Imperials will be overwhelmed in a static defense situation.
Who would attack against such odds, though? Luckily, the Space Marines
of the Shadow Skulls Chapter are always happy to oblige...

Regards,

- Erik
Received on Thu Oct 30 1997 - 05:37:33 UTC