Trench Warfare!

This years trip down to Rockford allowed me to play a 2500 point. game against my buddy Dale. For the last few months, Dale has been building a trench system for his Orks that he will defend at this years Big Game. He's really doing a nice job on it and who wouldn't want to fight in a trench?

Since Dale was kind enough to give me a ride and lug the trench pieces down to Illinois, it only seemed fitting he get to defend his creation. Dale has been working on several house rules for the Ork trench which include a +3 save for every model in the trenches and special effects when template weapons hit the trenches.

We would play the battle as part of D-Company's Doric-ar1 map campaign. Konrad Curze would lead 2500 points of Night Lords against the Ork emplacement. Because we were playing in the campaign and at the trench, we played a game with no real mission rules other then random game length. The game was simple, we battle for position on the trench and then when the game ended we would decide the winner.

Orks in trenches.

The Orks would deploy in the trenches. The Night Lords deployment was 12 inches on for the table edge opposite the Orks. I brought the Terror Assault. We would simply roll off to see who went first.

After seeing the rules for the trenches I decided my best chance would be a direct assault. Shooting was going to have a minimal effect against models receiving a +3 cover save. Normally engaging an Ork army in close combat was not a wise move. But these were not ordinary marines, they were Night Lords lead by their Primarch! Every unit causes fear and those who already do, cause fear tests at -1 Leadership. This would turn out to be costly for the Orks.

Gretchen squads ready for the charge.

My initial charge was blunted by some bad dice rolls. Ork (and Grot) guns got an extra turn before the close combat carnage would begin. On the flanks I dropped Terror squads in Drop pods and the fight was on. The great wall of Gretchen fell fairly quickly, turns out Curze and a squad of Night Raptors are more then a match for Grots and a Slaver.

The battle in the trench rages on.

In this game, the Orks were overwhelmed by the attacking Night Lords. By the time the dust had settled we had decided that the victory was pretty clear. Dale had a tough time with fear tests, he failed quite a few. The Orks also had no answer for the Night Haunter, who was in his element once he was in the trench. The fact he has Stealth and Shrouded makes him very difficult to shoot once he's in terrain. The trench effects rules Dale has created really didn't effect the game much. I suppose part of the reason being I never fired a temple weapon.

Sometimes themed games, such as defend/attack the trench can be a lot of fun. That was the case in this game. Part of the game that has always appealed to me is the idea of "go fight for the hill" or "secure that bridge". The small battle within a larger war. Those types of games require the terrain to really enhance the over all experience. It was a pleasure to play in Dale's trench.

Ave Dominus Nox.