1500pts Orcs & Goblins vs Vampire Counts

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Overview
Scenario: Pitched Battle
Date Played: 17th July 2012

This was the first game lined up out of the three we had planned for the day. I didn't play in this game, but I did take enough photo's to be able to piece it all together again afterwards. Hopefully both the players involved will post their own comments on this thread at some point...

Orcs & Goblins

Lord

[SOGS] Savage Orc Great Shaman, Level 4, Shrunken Head, ??? (???pts)

Hero

[BSB] Orc Big Boss, Battle Standard Bearer, ??? (???pts)

Core

[SO] 29 Savage Orcs, Boss, Standard Bearer, Musician (???pts)
[OB] 29 Orc Boys, Shields, Boss, Standard Bearer, Musician (???pts)
[OA] 30 Orc Arrer Boys, Standard Bearer, Musician (???pts)

Special

[OC1] Orc Boar Chariot, (85pts)
[OC2] Orc Boar Chariot, (85pts)

Rare

[T1] Stone Troll, (35pts)
[T2] Stone Troll, (35pts)

Total: ~1500pts

Note: I forgot about the Orc Big Boss (BSB) when I made the maps, he basically went in the Orc Boys block all game. Also, I suspect that either the Orc Boys, or the Savage Orcs were Bigguns - but I don't remember which.

Vampire Counts

Lord

[MN] Master Necromancer, Level 4, ??? (???pts)

Hero

[N] Necromancer, Level 1, ??? (??pts)

Core

[CG] 35 Crypt Ghouls, (350pts)
[Z] 20 Zombies, (60pts)

Special

[GG] 30 Grave Guard, Great Weapons, Champion, Standard Bearer, Musician (???pts)
[FB] 2 Fell Bats (32pts)
[SH1] Spirit Host (45pts)
[SH2] Spirit Host (45pts)
[V1] 3 Vargheists (138pts)

Rare

[V2] Varghulf (175pts)

Total: ~1500pts

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Deployment


Scenery was rolled up randomly. We ended up with:

• Top left to right: settlement of order (2 buildings + elven waystone), hill, building, walls
• Bottom left to right: mist-wreathed swamp, altar of khaine

The Vampire Counts won the roll to deploy first and started deploying their chaff (Spirit Hosts and Fell Bats).

However it was the Orcs & Goblins who finished deploying first. The Orc Arrer Boys had taken up a defensive position behind the marsh, hoping to force the Vampire Counts to make a charge over the marsh. The rest of the Orc infantry took up positions between the marsh and the altar of khaine, leaving the defence of their flank down to an Orc Boar Chariot and a Stone Troll.


The Vampire Counts, having the advantage of seeing where the Orc infantry would be before committing their own blocks, deployed the Grave Guard and Crypt Ghouls just off centre while the various chaff units took up flanking positions on either side.


A lone Spirit Host joined the Vargheists on the far right flank opposite the altar of khaine.


While the Varghulf and Fell Bats took up position by the buildings of the settlement of order.


And here is a nice overview shot...


The Vampire Counts won the roll to go first and took the opportunity to close the distance before the Orcs magic could do any serious damage.

Spells:
Savage Orc Great Shaman: Brain Bursta, The Hand of Gork, 'Ere We Go, Foot of Gork

Master Necromancer: Invocation of Nehek, Vanhel's Dance Macabre, Hellish Vigour, Curse of Years
Necromancer: Invocation of Nehek

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Turn 1 - Vampire Counts


The Vampire Counts opening turn was a relatively straight forward on. Everything moved forwards and aligned to face off against the Orc infantry.

The Varghulf and Fell Bats surged forwards at full speed down the left flank.


While the undead infantry moved up and turned their battle line slightly. One of the Spirit Hosts moved up over the hill, ready to charge and delay something in the next turn.


And on the right flank the Vargheists flew over the building, but were a little cautious about getting too close to the Orc Boar Chariot.


In the magic phase the Savage Orc Great Shaman managed to dispel some of the Master Necromancers efforts to raise more troops and augment the Crypt Ghouls/Grave Guard, but the Master Necromancer did manage to cast Vanhel's Dance Macabre which saw the undead infantry move up again.

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Turn 1 - Orcs & Goblins


The Orcs first turn started with the Orc Arrer Boys forgetting all the really clever reasons why they had been told to stay behind the marsh and they moved up thanks to a failed animosity roll!


The rest of the Orc line was uncharacteristically stationary. Several units shuffled around a couple of inches and changed their alignment slightly, but for the most part the line didn't change.


Over on the right flank though the Orc Boar Chariot moved back to try and entice the Vargheists into a failed (frenzied) charge.


The Orc Arrer Boys shot their bows at the Grave Guard, and managed a grand total of 1 kill.


And then at the end of the turn we remembered to apply the special rules for the mist-wreathed swamp on the Orc Archers and 4 were dragged off into the mist by a mysterious figure.

Note: this wouldn't have affected the shooting as the Orc Arrer Boys had already moved and so couldn't use volley fire for their 3rd rank of models anyway

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Turn 2 - Vampire Counts


The Orc Arrer Boys unexpected movement had given the Varghulf and Grave Guard a good opportunity to take the squabbling Orcs out of the game. Both units made the charge.


After the stand and shoot and casualties from the marsh were worked out, the Grave Guard were weakened, but still looking strong enough to take out the Orc Arrer Boys.


The Spirit Host in the centre charged into the Orc Boar Chariot that was sat between the Orc Boys and the Savage Orc Boys.

Over on the right flank the Spirit Host continued to advance up while the Vargheists flew back over the building towards the centre of the board.


The rest of the Vampire Counts infantry continued their advance and moved to maintain a line with the Grave Guard.


While the Fell Bats fluttered up again, not really having much to do on their flank.


During the magic phase the Master Necromancer managed to summon some Zombies and Grave Guard back to the board.


Then in the first combat of the game the Grave Guard butchered the Orc Arrer Boys as the greenskins only managed to inflict a single casualty in return. The Grave Guard restrained their pursuit, but the Varghulf pursued and ran down the surviving Orc Arrer Boys.


In the centre, the Spirit Host failed to inflict any damage on the Orc Boar Chariot. The chariot lost combat, but with both the general and BSB nearby the Orc Boar Chariot easily held it's ground.

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Turn 2 - Orcs & Goblins


The Savage Orcs decided to show the rest of the army how fighting should be done and charged straight at the Crypt Ghouls.


Over on the far right flank one of the Stone Trolls made a slightly long charge at the Spirit Host that was approaching. The objective was to tie up the Spirit Host before it could tie up another of the greenskins own support units.


In the centre the Orc Boys decided to hold back and wait for the Grave Guard to come to them. The other Stone Troll repositioned to support them in the combat to come.


The Savage Orc Great Shaman cast 'Ere We Go to give the Savage Orcs re-rolls to hit. The range of the spell caught the Orc Boys as well.


In combat the Savage Orcs, aided by their re-rolls slaughtered their way through the Crypt Ghouls. The poisoned attacks from the undead horde managed to kill 10 of the tribal greenskins in return, but it wasn't enough to save the unit from crumbling to nothing. The Savage Orcs overran into the Zombie bunker at the rear of the Vampire Counts lines.


Over on the right flank the Stone Troll obviously couldn't do any damage to the Spirit Host, it was just hoping to not take any damage in return so it would win the combat by 1. It was not to be however as the Spirit Host got a single attack past the Stone Trolls regeneration save and the combat was a draw.

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Turn 3 - Vampire Counts


Having overrun into the Zombie bunker in the previous turn, the Savage Orcs had exposed their flank to the Vargheists. The Vampire Counts had a chance to potentially save their general from a bludgeoning, but they needed to roll a 7+ to do it - and they rolled a 5. The Vargheists failed the charge and the Zombies were on their own.


The Grave Guard however did manage their charge against the Orc Boys.


The Varghulf and Fell Bats moved up ready to support the combats going on next turn if they got a chance.


In the magic phase all the Master Necromancer and his acolyte could do was to raise up as many Zombies as possible, but the dice weren't quite with them and only 3 Zombies were added to the table.


Then it came to the combat. The Vampire Counts player was eager to keep the Zombie vs Savage Orcs combat until last.

Starting on the right of the board, the Spirit Host defeated, broke and ran down the Stone Troll that had charged it in the previous turn.

The combat between the Grave Guard and Orc Boys saw the greenskins lose more models than the elite wights. But the greenskins remained steadfast and had a BSB in their own unit for a re-roll. The Orcs held their ground.


Then it came down to the combat that would likely decide the game - and one that was unfortunately a little stacked against the Vampire Counts! The Savage Orcs allocated a lot of attacks on the Master Necromancer and managed to pummel him into the ground. The rest of the greenskins focused their attention on the Zombies and killed around a dozen. The Zombies failed to do any damage in return and the combat resolution was enough to wipe out the undead bunker unit and allow the Savage Orcs to make yet another overrun - of a massive 11"!


As their general had died in combat, it was time for the Vampire Counts to start taking crumbling tests. The Fell Bats vanished from the board while the Spirit Host (the one that had just defeated the Stone Troll on the right of the board) took 2 wounds.

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Turn 3 - Orcs & Goblins


Although things were looking really bad for the Vampire Counts, the Orcs & Goblins still had a unit of Grave Guard and 3 Vargheists to contend with.

The turn started out a little awkwardly with the remaining Stone Troll failing it's stupidity test and stumbling forwards a few inches.


The Savage Orcs reformed to face the battlefield, angled to make sure that any charge from the Vargheists would be in their front.


The Savage Orc Great Shaman now had a strong hold on the magic phase as the Vampire Counts own wizards were gone. The shaman cast Hand of Gork on his own unit, moving them behind the Vargheist ready to start sweeping along the board.


But then in combat the Orc Big Boss and his Orc Boys mob were eager for revenge after the last round of combat. After their attacks and combat resolution there were only 3 Grave Guard left standing.


With no magic left to restore the Grave Guard, both players agreed that the game was now definitely over.

Game over - victory to the Orcs (& Goblins?)

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Post Battle Thoughts

Orcs & Goblins
...

Vampire Counts
...

[DarKolia]

Hi
Thanks for this bat'rep... definitely Battle Reporter is a great help in understanding the whereabout of the battle (thanks for the photos too)...
Sincerely,

DarK

[Elessar Telcontar]

Great report! I played against VC as well with my first try of O&G.

[Toshiro]

Good report, short and concise