Battle Report #8: Lahkers vs. Ork Bikestar

*Following battle report may contain traces of Chaos taint, Chaos Spawn, and HERESY.

The Lahkers have entered the June 40k league at my LGS once more!  After several delays, I bring you Game #1, versus an unusual Ork list.

 My opponent was Mark, he fielded a fast and mostly Orky list with 3 detachments:

CSM allies, Spwn and nurgle lord + 10 cultists
16 bikers with Zhadsnark 'da Rippa' (using Forgeworld warboss model), warboss with power klaw, painboy
15/16? bikers blob with painboy
3 bikes in reserve
1 unit of Grots

I assumed using the Combined Arms Detachment for the Lahkers wouldn't have too severe repercussions, so in blissful ignorance I left my +4 reanimation roll at home and went with a gunline list.

Mission was Cleanse and Control, deployment Dawn of War.  Mark won initiative and deployed both bike blobs, his Chaos spawn and Lord, and his boy mob.

Ork deployment.

Lahkers deployment.

I chose to deploy the main body of my troops and vehicles facing his main biker blob/bikestar, assuming overwhelming firepower could destroy them, and placed my Tomb Blades and Wraiths on the right flank to hold the boyz and other bikes back.

Turn 1

Mark charged everything across the field, as far as everything could go.  The Bikestar turbo-boosted, putting them way too close to my troops for comfort.  There was little shooting, he was concentrated on getting to my side of the board ASAP.

I can't be the only one getting Mad Max vibes...

"Nemesor, let the record show you done goofed."

My first turn, I moved the right flank up to stall Mark's forces, and sat still and fired at the Bikestar with everything else.  It was then I discovered the secret of his Bikestar: Jink+Turbo-Boost+Skilled Rider+FNP=+2 cover save untouchable nightmare approaching on inevitable collision course.  Like Terminators with rocket skates.  I killed two bikes out of the total of sixteen, and mentally prepared myself for a painful time.

The Tomb Blades dealt a few wounds to the Spawn (I think?), and the Wraiths engaged the other bike blob in assault, successfully tying them up.

GO AWAY, GO AWAY NOW

Turn 2

Mark's pain train arrived, tearing the brakes off and throwing them at the Immortals for dramatic effect.  The Bikestar multi-assaulted my leftmost warrior squad and the Immortals in the forest, dealt an overwhelming amount of wounds, and forced a morale check at massive penalty.  My warriors and Immortals broke and were swept.  The Warboss with the power klaw punched my Ark and blew it up.  The Spawn charged and wiped the Tomb Blades.  (In more mundane news, his 3-bike squad arrived from reserve on my left flank.)

Gunline army's worst nightmare come true.

My turn, one squad of Deathmarks came in, I landed them behind the Bikestar.  Zandy switched his warlord trait to Implacable Conquerer, giving him and his unit Relentless.  The Deathmarks, Zandy's squad, the Stalker, and Barge concentrated fire on the Bikestar, and this time they only had a +3 cover save (Jink+Skilled Rider). 

I looked at my options, and decided to take the initiative while I had it.  Thanks to his new warlord trait, Zandy and his squad charged the Bikestar along with the Stalker.  The power-klaw-warboss challenged, and Lord Nahz accepted and began a duel.  Zandy beat around with his Staff of Light and exhorted his warriors to perform feats of martial prowess, lest they become part of a warbike's tailpipe.

Thanks to charge attacks and a major chunk of luck, the warriors killed several bikes and survived, and combat continued into turn 3.

Turn 3

Mark's third turn, his 3-bike squad and cultists dakka'd my Deathmarks to death.  The Chaos Spawn ran up and ate the warrior squad from the Ghost Ark for lunch, and after a further round of furious combat between the Bikestar and the heroic warriors, the Necrons finally broke and were wiped.  The Wraiths and bike blob continued to grind each other down.

My turn, the other Deathmark squad and Doom Scythe finally arrived.  Having not achieved a single Tactical Objective the whole game, desperate for even one victory point, I had the Scythe fire at the cultists, and killed 8.  The Deathmarks put one wound on the 3-bike squad.  The Wraiths and bikes whacked each other.

Turn 4

Mark's forces converged on my remaining units–Deathmarks on my left, Annihilation Barge on my board edge, and Wraiths and Immortals on my right.  The Bikestar took out the Barge, the 3-bike squad (now at 2 bikes) got entangled with the Deathmarks, and the Spawn charged the Immortals and laid into them.

"This is BS, our contract never covered physical assault. Tell the nemesor we intend to renegotiate."

My turn, the Doom Scythe finished off the cultists, giving me my first and only victory point for the game.  The Deathmarks and Wraiths held in assault, the Immortals failed their check and were swept.  With the victory points at 9 to 1, Mark's favor, I conceded the game.

"Hotel Uniform Alpha to Command, battlefield is one big mess, no contact with friendlies, I'm RTB."

Words will be had with the Doom Scythe pilot for stopping at Taco Bell on the way to the battlefield.

Give Mark's 40k Youtube a look, and check out the battle from his perspective. 

Lessons?

- Use Decurion.  USE DECURION.

- Skim through every codex before a league or tournament, see what combos they can achieve and throw at you.

- At least I got beat by a well-painted army.  Those bikes are gorgeous.

Extra pics: