Epic War - Midnight Campaign Part IX: Fighting Dori

As a polar vortex sweeps in from the west of the land of Midnight, Commander Dori charges his army through a blizzard to once again protect the Tower of the Moon. Ork Commander Hondez responds in kind, also charging into make their third attempt to capture this territory!  He is determined to see his greenskins to take and hold this campaign objective once and for all!  Dori meanwhile is an an experienced tactician and is well familiar with their steamroller tactics and overwhelming numbers.  For this reason, he all but sacrifices one flank of the battlefield and concentrates his forces, hoping to inflict maximum casualties upon the green filth that threaten his world.
Both forces have 4,000 point armies in action and require 45VPs to win victory. The ruleset is Net Epic Evolution.
Here we see an overview of the battlefield.  The Squats are at the top of the picture while the Orks are at the bottom.

Eagle-eyed followers of the battle reports will recognise that we partially recreated the terrain from Battle 4: Stealing the Moon as this is being fought in the same territory.  There was no need to do this but we liked the idea of revisiting a previous battlefield and putting a different spin on it. 

Another overview of deployment. 

A look along the Squat line.

And a look along the Ork line.  New miniatures have been added (courtesy of Troublemaker Games via Vanguard, very cool) including Nobz bikes and Copters!

With the Squats wilfully conceding ground, the Orks go faster, and make full use of their vehicles to take vast swathes of the battlefield.  An Overlord Airship picks off a few Battlewagons but underestimates the speed and range of Spleenrippa vehicles…and is shot from the sky, plunging into the river, its huge fuel reserves setting the surface of the water aflame!

Ironshield tanks and a squadron of Squat bikers are forced to swallow pride and take cover from the advancing horde of greenskins!

Dori’s strategy is put into action as most of his force are concentrated in the one area.  Fire is exchanged between both armies but very few units die in what must be the most bloodless exchange of the war to date!  Even the feared Colossus only manages to destroy a Gibletgrinda and some Bad Moons Boyz with the Doomsday Cannon and missiles, a disappointing kill yield considering the firepower at its disposal.

The Colossus and nearby Gyrocopters are targeted by a particularly crazed but inspired group of Nobz Bikes!   The Colossus is stripped of its shields and two Gyrocopters are strafed to the ground by the gnarly Nobz!

Squat bikes and Ork Warbuggies clash at close quarters!

The Warbuggies are torn apart by the Squats’ expert bikers but left horribly exposed to the Bowelburnas for turn 2!

At the end of turn 1, Dori’s strategy has succeeded in that he was positioned his forces exactly where planned and the Orks are indeed pressing their attack, running towards their deadly arsenal of heavy firepower.  But the Orks haven’t suffered too much in the way of losses other than their Warbuggies in the woods.

The Orks have taken 5 objectives this turn, with the Squats holding the other 3.  Neither side has managed to break an enemy formation yet.

End of Turn 1:
Squats 15VPs
Orks 25VPs

The Orks win initiative and though the Colossus managed to bring 5 void shields back online, when the Nobz bikes activate, they swarm around the rear of the praetorian, unleashing an awesome volley of firepower which strips the shields…

...and destroys a missile which blows apart one side of the Colossus and causes a flashback to the reactor!  The whole praetorian errupts in a spectacular explosion which sends a huge mushroom cloud into the sky!

Meanwhile, Bowelburnas aim their turrets into the woods…

...Sending thick plumes of napalm over the Squats!

Leaving few survivors!

…who decide to go out in a blaze of glory, attacking Warbuggies for the objective!

Trikes open fire on the advancing Ork lines but find themselves hopelessly outnumbered, enveloped by the green tide!  Nearby Goff Nobz hit the Leviathan with a salvo of big shootas, that strips the praetorian of its shields but little else.

Spleenrippas manoeuvre away from the bridge and loose yet more salvos at the Leviathan!

The bridge takes a direct hit and the Praetorian is destroyed!  Another heavy blow for the Squats!

Nearby opportunistic Rhinos attempt to overrun two squadrons of Bad Moons Boyz and take the objective!

The Evil Sunz and Kommander Hondez with his entourage find themselves frustrated with no stunties to target!  A squadron of Gobsmashas are sent to steal the objective!

But the Squats are not the only ones suffering!  Lungbustas, Gutrippas and scores of Goff Boyz come under fire from the backbone of the bearded army!

With horrifying casualties!  Even Goff Nobz will be in the firing line next turn!

Commander Nori moves to the edge of the woods to attempt to maximise Ork casualties by leading by example - a bold move or a desperate one?

After close combat is resolved, the Orks hold on to the objective in the woods.

 Bad Moons prevail over the Rhinos, holding another objective!

And steal another from right under the noses of the Squats!  It is a bitter pill to swallow, this feels like cowardice!  When will Dori set them loose?

The Squats are looking frail with their two fearsome praetorians eliminated and with the Orks now in control of 6 objectives!  The Bad Moons and Kult of Speed have also broken but things look grim for the Squats!  If they can squeeze a draw out of this they will be doing well!  Dori grimaces as he sees his plan has been well-executed by his troops but defeat looks imminent!

End of Turn 2:

Squats 29VPs
Orks 40VPs

The Evil Sunz and Kommander Hondez remain frustrated by the lack of targets but stay put, confident the battle is almost over.

And he seems to have good reason to be!  Ironhammer tanks are broken and worst still (just out of shot), the despairing Dori is shot down!

But Squat forces, reduced to tears of rage for their fallen Commander strike back, decimating the Goffs!  They throw everything they have left in a daring counter attack!  The remaining Overlord Armoured Airship obliterates Ork Stompas, punching a hole in the Ork defences (out of shot)!  Iron Eagle Gyrocopters gratefully swoop into the gap and steal an objective (again, out of shot)!  Another squadron compound Ork woes by slaughtering Goff Nobz in their droves and stealing another objective (you guessed it, out of shot)! The last Bowelburna picks off the deadly skimmers but it is too late to save the Goff Clan from breaking!

The Spleenrippas are once again called upon to fire upon an Overlord Airship. 

 They clip the fuel tank and the whole Airship explodes spectacularly!  Victory seems assured for Hondez!

But the Orks underestimate their enemies’ sheer stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat!  Gyrocopters swarm a solitary squad of Bad Moons Boyz to contest an objective!

And Berserkers break cover to jump the Spleenrippas responsible for singlehandedly breaking the Air Attack Corps!

While the isolated Squats on the far side of the battlefield engage in close combat with Gobsmashas and Battlewagons!  

The demoralised Bad Moons Boyz are easily overwhelmed for one objective!

The Berserkers do less well against their attackers.

But the Squats take back another objective!

Both sides have taken horrific losses but who has won the battle?

This battle has been a meat grinder for both armies and there isn’t much left on the battlefield.  The End Phase confirms that the Squats hold 5 objectives while the Orks have 3…

End of Turn 3:
Squats 53VPs
Orks 40VPs
Victory to the Squats!

Ork survivors: Kommander Hondez and his entourage are unharmed while the Evil Sunz Clan and Copters have also escaped death but little else remains of the Goffs, Bad Moons and Kult of Speed Clans.

The Squats also have some survivors but the loss of Commander Dori and their Praetorians means that they do not celebrate the victory.  Having disbanded the Ork army and held the objective again, the weary units head back to base to reform with other survivors of previous battles.  With 6 battles completed, the war is still finely balanced…

More next week!