Set Up:
Spoiler
Show
We set up our citadel terrain in a valley formation, with several pieces of supported foam on the end of the board leading to a terraced hill with 3 large structures atop it--a sacred shrine. Our local T/O and the person who's been in the hobby the longest said he'd read that one of the battles for Armageddon was over a specific shrine, so we were going to be doing that one. Appropriately, we put our objectives nearer it, while the Ork player (an out of towner with more years play experience than our 3-man team combined) sprinkled his along the midfield. We abandoned the usual Armageddon deployment and used a pitched battle strategy instead. I wish my camera were functional, I'd post pictures, but basically there was fair terrain in either deployment zone with a road running the length of the game board (10 feetx4feet) to the shrine. Our IG player (RenegadePaladin) intentionally fielded under points to get us another Strategic Asset, which worked out well, he provided our team with a Defense Line and the Replacements Strategem for his Baneblade. I chose Flank March for my Army so that I could apply the wolf-driven pain where I need to. Our other Ally--the Black Templars--chose the Bastion Strategy, which granted us 6 AV14 bunkers. Hot sauce! He put a Vindicare assassin in one, and instructed us to fill the others with heavy weapons. For Strategems dem Orkz took some sort of smoke screen, a Mek repair shop (not the workshop), and something else.
Our Orkponnent was given first turn, as a matter of courtesy. He put Ghaz in a Skullhamma with an unholy amount of Meganobz and Grotsnik in the center of his deployment zone. It was flanked by Truks full of lootas on one side with a Battlewagon full of Nobz and 2-3 Battlewagons full of Nobz on the other side. Moving out to either side were 2 Stompa formations (one on either side) with something in the neighborhood of 1 Deff Dread and 6 Kans each They were also supported by Deffkoptas. A 100-120 sized Green Tide made up the bookends of the army, stretching from zone-to-zone. Every unit had a Painboy. In reserve he left a single battle formation of speed freeks with 2 Biker Squad and a Nob Bikerz squad with Zhadsnark Da Rippa and something else in Reserve, I think. 10,000 points of Orks is hard to fit on a 10x4 table, after all.
We deploy now: I stop the gaps between our bunkers with Lone Wolves while a huge Black Templar squad hides behind one. The Guard set up a string of heavy weapons and lascannons behind the Defense lines in our deployment zone, putting several heavy weapons teams in one bunker. As per instructed, I fill the bunkers with heavy weapon death, one closest to the leftmost Green Tide full of rockets, Tiewaz lead by Tyr, the central one, directly across from the Skullhamma full of the Sunwolve's multimeltas, and Hagalaz sets up in the one near that. I put Skullbones pack with the Terminator Armored rune priest across from the other Green Tide--
Murderous Hurricane will put them in their place. A few lone wolves break off to help the grey hunters packs, the CML terminator joining Tiewaz. Njal Sets up with the Sunwolves. The Baneblade and Manticore are deployed centrally behind our Fortress of Redemption (big fortress!) with some Sword Brethern, a rhino of more BTs and the Emperor's Champion safeguarding them. Guardsmen are sprinkled liberally throughout.
I keep a lot of my army in reserve, Logan joins his remaining Wolf Guard there, and the Wolf Priest (new model, yet to earn his name!) joins the Grey Hunters Skull Pack. (Sweet jesus wolf priest + 10 grey hunters +1 Wolf Guard is SO GOOD.) I keep the Fenrisian Wolves in reserve, as well as the Cavalry, Canis, Valkur, and Magni (who all join the Cavalry) Our Templar Ally keeps a LRC full of terminators with a Chaplain buddy in reserve, two squad of shooty terminators with tank Hunters in reserve, a drop pod and a Land Speeder in reserve. Most of the BT units have a Teleport Homer in their group. Our Guard ally kept a bunch of Chimeras with meltavets in reserve, also.
Turn 1
Spoiler
Show
Orkies go first, surges forward, nearly everything runs except the big guns. In Shooting they manage to rock the bunker with the guard heavy weapons teams, forcing them to spill out. Psycho Dakka Blasta from two Stompas results in them being mostly reduced to 1 missile and a sarge. Lone Wolf wolf pals catch absurd amount of bullets with their teeth (Defense line strategy is the win!) and I think I lost a Grey Hunter. The big shell from the Skullhamma went a little wide and claimed several BTs, however. The Deffkoptas charge the BT rhino near the Manticore and some guardsmen. The Rhino survives.
With turn passing to us, the Ork player reveals one of his assets. A billowing, impenetrable line of smoke hides most of his valuable units from our big guns, forcing our turn to be cut short. Njal's stormcaller ability rolls up a penalty for enemy BS and I grin, you win some, you lose some. With nothing else to shoot at, and his smoke line scattering short, everyone on the left half of the board unloads into a Stompa poking partially through the line knocking two structure points off the monster. The suicidal Deff Kopta meets its eventual end at the hands of a nearby command squad, also. The Green Tide on the right gets tagged with a murderous Hurricane from nearly maximum range. Guard fires on the Green tide as well, though in hindsight he should have unloaded on the Battlewagons full of Nobz cruising toward his front line.
Turn 2
Spoiler
Show
With such a wicked strategy denying us nearly an entire turn of shooting, the mobs of boyz, nobz, and kanz surge forward, The biggest guns are all within 24" of Njal--I hear BS1 is pretty good. One of our remaining bunkers gets shaken, no heavy losses this turn. Orks are able to get out and charge the Sunwolf Bunker and a single lone wolf (Vali), another group multicharging the guard line and Tiewaz's bunker and little else. Long story short: Sunwolf bunker dies to Ghaz 'n Co's HORDE of claw attacks. Vali succeeds 9 invulnerable saves, and the subsequent 11 armor saves, leaving something like 9 mega nobz, Ghaz and Grotsnik unshootable. Also one guardsman survives melee in the other combat, rolling Insane Heroism for his morale check (Thanks for the Reroll, baneblade!). The hurricane'd green tide surges forward, running, but unable to make it into assault, they suffer severe losses from the weather--we ignore the model specifics of taking dangerous tests, to save ourselves about 15 minutes over a few turns.
With things looking pretty rough, we begin our second turn. The right side of the board looks pretty effed at this point, so we decide to attempt to clean out our stronghold in the left and sweep outward, things look pretty grim right now. The Templars bring in the deep striking terminators to hunt some tanks, our Guard player rolls out his melta-vet formation. No good rolls for Njal's passive this turn, so he creates cover save for the vehicles around him as he leaves the Sunwolves to stand valiantly in front of the terrifying Warboss. Thunderwolves Flank March in front of the Green Tide; the Warrior Born intent on collecting an impressive number of Ork skulls. Fenrisian wolves crowd in behind them, ensuring Flank Marching Speed Freeks can't actually fit on the board. Tank Hunter assault cannons and concentrated missile hail bring an end to the nearby Stompa. Wolfbones backs up, laying another hurricane into the Tide advancing on them. The Sunwolves blow the main gun off the Skullhamma, also. Come the assault phase, it's decided to do-or-die. Iron Priest Sverrir and his Cyberwolves combined with the supporting Templar Dreadnought charge into the squad of Nobz engaged with the single guardsman. The Wolves lay a Nob low as does the Dreadnought, while the Warboss and Sverrir exchange blows--Sverrir splits his attacks, pouring some of the S10 hammer wounds into the squad, and powering 2 through on the Warboss to ID him. The Iron Priest's lack of an invulnerable save his is downfall, however--but the Nobz locked in with the the dread had only 1 klaw left now. The Thunderwolf Cavalry and assorted Wolf Lords begin the arduous task of sweeping up the Green Tide.
Turn 3
Spoiler
Show
Our Orkponnent throws the best of his weight against us now, with the Speed Freekz coming on en-masse, maybe one or two dieing to terrain as they advance onto the board. He does little shooting, hoping to bury us in combat resolution. He does fire some shots, however, shaking the far bunker and killing a few Grey Hunters--the unengaged Green Tide surges forward, Orks dieing left and right as the hurricane sweeps them up. Stormcaller saves our heavy tanks from several penetrating hits. Ghaz and his boys charge headlong into the Baneblade, the Sunwolves and a lonely Imperial Techpriest. Everything is wiped out, but I think a few wounds are put on some Meganobz. Valkur continues to tick the Warrior Born count up, totaling seven now, while the Green tide is stuck mostly fighting Fenrisian Wolves. Canis dies horribly to a Warboss's Klaw, as I'd put Magni in the wrong spot to pick that IC out. Their numbers are rapidly thinning thanks to No Retreat! The Grey hunters on the other side finally fall in combat as well. 5 Longfangs and a baneblade crumple before the mass of Klaw attacks. They consolidate into a nice straight line.
This is the pivotal turn for us, it's all or nothing. Chimeras full of melta roll in through the Baneblade wreckage, Skull pack and their Wolf Priest, Logan, Arjac, and 6 other Wolf Guard march to stand eye to eye with Ghazkul and his Meganobz. The Landraider full of terminators rolls on near the Dreadnought locked into combat with the Nobz while the drop pod and speeder come down to stand between the Thunderwolves and the Speed Freeks. The guard employ one of their assets, and another Baneblade rolls onto the table, and begins bombarding the bikes. Little else happens in the way of movement. Njal splits the earth beneath Ghaz and his boyz A warboss, 5 meganobz and 2 nobz back near the dreadnought combat all plummet off the board .Both the Nobz bite it, Ghaz stays, and 4/5 meganobz are swallowed by the earth. I hear mutterings of bringing Eldrad next time, to back up his green friends. The Black Templars hide out in their Rhino while Logan lets lose a battlecry to terrify even orks, granting all those nearby wolves more attacks; Skull pack uses their Wolf Standard. Everyone charges into the fray, the Grey Hunters alone taking 40 preferred enemy attacks, rerolling 1s on their to-wound rolls. Combined with the Wolf Priest and the non-fist wolf guard from Logan's squad (also preferred enemy) only 2 Nobs stand to hit back. Arjac, Logan and the other fists/hammers finish off Grotsnik and the remaining Nobz while Ghaz kills a few Wolf guard--he fails enough No Retreat! saves that combat resolution kills him. Grey Hunters ftw.
Nearby the furious charging lightning claw/hammer mixing Chaplain'd Vow of preferred enemy-ing assault terminators disembark from their Crusader do what they do best: multicharging the nob squads resulting in nearly all the nobz dieing. On the Thunderwolf side of things, the Fenrisian Wolfscreen lays into the mob of Boyz while Valkur has to spend his 12 Wolf Claw attacks to take down the Boss that had picked Canis out, or risk getting ID'd. Success! Combat continues to swing in my favor, despite taking heavy pup losses. Suck on Fearless saves, orks!
Turn 4
Spoiler
Show
(I have to apologize, I came back to this 3 months later in an effort to finish it, but my memory is a little fuzzy, some details may be incorrect for not-Space Wolves) Both sides agree that because of time restraints this will have to be our final game turn. With that in mind, Orks descend upon everything.
Having turbo-boosted last turn, Zadsnark and his Nob Bikerz move into position to wreck the freshly dropped Templars and push them off the shrine objective, presumably also hoping to aid the Green Tide on that side of the board. Battlewagons move up, parking as much of their bulk over objectives on the opposite side of the field as they can fit. Deffkoptas move to intercept advancing chimeras while the Skullhamma backs away from Logan, Njal and a handful of Wolf Guard. The remaining Stompa tries to make itself relevant, but can't manuever around several stationary hydra flak placements (It's predicament for the last turn, also). Combat goes as expected, with Zadsnark da Rippa rippa-ing up the Black Templars and consolidating onto their desired objective. In combat, the last rune priest finally falls. Ork bodies fly as the cavalry rips up the last of the Green Tide--reduced to about 9, they fail their morale check horribly and are swept underneath the fury of tooth, claw, and steel. The Templar's Assault Terminators finish with their Nobz on the other side of the board, marching toward the battlewagons.
Our final turn is a fairly straightforward affair. All our shooting, except for maybe 1 Chimera is able to shoot and through the combined firepower of several long fangs, multiple armor detachments, and assorted other heavy weapons bikers, nobz, koptas, buggies, and all manner of greenskins are swept away in a torrent of fire. What few remain are descended upon rapidly by the surviving cavalry, who only took nominal losses this game, conveniently placing a full-strength thunderwolf unit on that objective. The Templar terminators and Skull Pack both assault the battlewagons, trashing the ork vehicles and claiming another objective for the Imperium.
In the end, there were 2 objectives taken by each side. Time constraints kept the fight from going on longer, but through reserves and careful sacrifices we'd maneuvered the greenskins into a beatable position and had enough momentum to push them back off the planet. However, for the purposes of this battle, Armageddon remains with somewhat of an Ork problem.
Cause I have it with every batrep, here's the list I used
Spoiler
Show
1x Wolf Lord Valkur w/1 wolf: 265 (Saga of the Warrior Born, stormshield, wolf claw, runic Armor, melta bombs)
1x Wolf Lord Magni w/2 wolves: 270 (Saga of the Bear, Storm Shield, Thunderhammer)
1x Canis Wolfborn w/2 wolves: 205
3x Thunderwolves: 205
1x Iron Priest w/ 4 Cyberwolves, Wolftooth Necklace: 165 - Sverrir
Lone Wolf Vali - Chainfist, Storm Shield 1 wolf - 95
Chainfist Lone Wolf, 1 wolf - 95
10 Man grey hunter squad, Wolf Banner, 2 Melta guns - 165 Skull Pack
10 Man Grey Hunter Squad, 2 Plasma Guns - 160 Wolfbones
4 Multimelta Long Fangs - 115 Sunwolf Pack
3x Missile/ 2x Lascannon Long Fangs- 170 Hagalaz
3x Missile/ 2x Heavy Bolter Long Fangs: - 130 Tiewaz
10x Wolf Guard (Hammer/Storm Bolter termniator; Fist/combi melta; combi melta/power weapon; Arjac Rockfist; Terminator/Cyclone; Terminator/Wolfclaw/AC; Combi plasma/terminator/wolf claw; 2x Vanilla, 1x storm bolter) - 538
8x Fenrisian Wolves (one cyberwolf) - 72
Logan Grimnar: 275
Njal Stormcaller in TDA: 270
Rune Priest Tyr: 100 (jaws/Lightning)
Rune Priest in TDA: 120 (Hurricane/Jaws)
Wolf Priest: 100