This week’s Grown Men Playing With Toys’ Battle Report features the Ultramarines Assault Brethren, Gauntlet Task Force, and Ironstorm Spearhead against the Orks Blitz Brigade, Bully Boyz, and Wreckas. As backdrop for the game….
Roboute Guilliman doesn’t just lead the Space Marines……he wrote the book on them. The Codex Astartes dictates how every Chapter fights, phase by phase: hammer the enemy with Devastator firepower, rake them with Tactical volleys while maneuvering, then close in for the Assault. The Space Marines’ new codex puts those Combat Doctrines front and center and no one runs them better than their author, who has all three active at once. Eradicators riding in Impulsors, Land Raiders rumbling forward behind them to unleash waves of charging Bladeguard, and the Primarch of the XIII marching alongside are this list’s version of the Codex being read out loud, at volume, at the enemy.
The Orks have never read a book in their lives, but they’ve stolen plenty of them. Nazdreg’s Bad Moons are the richest, flashiest and best-armed Orks in the galaxy, and every bit of that wealth was taken off somebody else’s corpse. To a Wrecka, a Space Marine is just a walking pile of loot that hasn’t been claimed yet. Bolters, armour, power packs, and apparently even their 10th Edition army rule. The Wreckas detachment rule lets Flash Gitz and Tankbustas re-roll hit rolls of 1 whenever they or their target are sitting on an objective. Anyone who played 10th Edition will recognize that as a scrapped-together version of Oath of Moment……and it’s not a coincidence that the Space Marines’ new codex doesn’t have it anymore.
The first two codexes of 11th Edition belong to these two armies, so it only feels right that they meet each other first. One side is fighting by the book. The other side stole the book, painted it yellow, and is pretty sure it’ll fetch a good price in teef. Both armies arrive with fresh rules and something to prove, and only one of them gets to walk away with the first win with their new codex.
They said we’re too old, but we said ‘hold our dice’…..as we find out whether the Ultramarines can still win by the book against an army that’s already looted half of it….
JUMP TO:
Ultramarines Specific Strategies
RULES / POINTS VERSION:
11th Edition, 2026-2027 Chapter Approved
September 2026 Balance and MFM Update
MATCHUP:
| Faction: | Detachment: | Force Disposition: |
| Orks | Blitz Brigade, Bully Boyz, and Wreckas | Purge the Foe |
| VS | ||
| Faction: | Detachment: | Force Disposition: |
| Ultramarines | Assault Brethren, Gauntlet Task Force, and Ironstorm Spearhead | Take and Hold |
MISSION:
| Category | Description |
| Ultramarines Primary | Immovable Object |
| Orks Primary | Unstoppable Force |
| Terrain Layout | Layout B |
| Deployed First | Ultramarines |
| First Turn | Orks |
| Ultramarines Secondaries | Tactical |
| Orks Secondaries | Tactical |
LISTS:
Orks:
List
Orks
Blitz Brigade, Bully Boyz, and Wreckas (3 Detachment Points)
Purge the Foe
Strike Force (2,000 Points)
ATTACHED UNITS
Attached unit 1
Nazdreg (165 Points)
• Attached as: Leader (Character)
• 1x Kustom Blasta X
• 1x Moonchewa
Meganobz (105 Points)
• Attached as: Bodyguard
• 3x Meganob
◦ 3x Kustom Shoota
◦ 3x Power Klaw
CHARACTERS
Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun (110 Points)
• 1x Big Mek’s Toolz
• 1x Shokk Attack Gun
Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun (125 Points)
• 1x Big Mek’s Toolz
• 1x Shokk Attack Gun
Warboss (100 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Kustom Choppa
• 1x Kustom Shoota
OTHER DATASHEETS
Battlewagon (185 Points)
• 4x Big Shoota
• 1x Crushin’ Bulk
• 1x Grabbin’ Klaw
• 1x Wreckin’ Ball
• Enhancements: Targetin’ Gizmos (Upgrade)
Battlewagon (185 Points)
• 4x Big Shoota
• 1x Crushin’ Bulk
• 1x Grabbin’ Klaw
• 1x Wreckin’ Ball
• Enhancements: Targetin’ Gizmos (Upgrade)
Flash Gitz (245 Points)
• Enhancements: Supa-snazz Dakka (Upgrade)
• 9x Flash Git
◦ 9x Choppa
◦ 9x Snazzgun
• 1x Kaptin
◦ 1x Choppa
◦ 1x Snazzgun
Flash Gitz (220 Points)
• 9x Flash Git
◦ 9x Choppa
◦ 9x Snazzgun
• 1x Kaptin
◦ 1x Choppa
◦ 1x Snazzgun
Nobz (240 Points)
• 10x Nob
◦ 10x Kustom Krumpa
◦ 8x Kustom Shoota
◦ 2x Paired Krumpas
Tankbustas (160 Points)
• 5x Tankbusta
◦ 5x Busta Rokkit Launcha
◦ 5x Gitstikka
• 1x Nob
◦ 1x Choppa
◦ 2x Rokkit Pistol
Tankbustas (160 Points)
• 5x Tankbusta
◦ 5x Busta Rokkit Launcha
◦ 5x Gitstikka
• 1x Nob
◦ 1x Choppa
◦ 2x Rokkit Pistol
Ultramarines:
List
Space Marines
Ultramarines
Assault Brethren, Gauntlet Task Force, and Ironstorm Spearhead (3 Detachment Points)
Take and Hold
Strike Force (2,000 Points)
ATTACHED UNITS
Attached unit 1
Bladeguard Ancient (70 Points)
• Attached as: Support (Character)
• 1x Heavy Bolt Pistol
• 1x Relics of Battle
Bladeguard Veteran Squad (180 Points)
• Attached as: Bodyguard
• 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant
◦ 1x Master-crafted Power Sword
◦ 1x Neo-volkite Pistol
• 5x Bladeguard Veteran
◦ 5x Heavy Bolt Pistol
◦ 5x Master-crafted Power Sword
Attached unit 2
Chaplain (80 Points)
• Attached as: Leader (Character)
• 1x Absolvor Bolt Pistol
• 1x Crozius Arcanum
• Enhancements: Imperium’s Sword
Bladeguard Veteran Squad (180 Points)
• Attached as: Bodyguard
• 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant
◦ 1x Master-crafted Power Sword
◦ 1x Neo-volkite Pistol
• 5x Bladeguard Veteran
◦ 5x Heavy Bolt Pistol
◦ 5x Master-crafted Power Sword
CHARACTERS
Roboute Guilliman (415 Points)
• Warlord
• 1x Emperor’s Sword
• 1x Hand of Dominion
DEDICATED TRANSPORTS
Impulsor (70 Points)
• 1x Armoured Hull
• 1x Ironhail Heavy Stubber
• 1x Shield Dome
• 1x Storm Bolters
Impulsor (70 Points)
• 1x Armoured Hull
• 1x Ironhail Heavy Stubber
• 1x Shield Dome
• 1x Storm Bolters
OTHER DATASHEETS
Company Heroes (125 Points)
• 1x Company Champion
◦ 1x Master-crafted Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Master-crafted Power Weapon
• 1x Company veteran with bolt rifle
◦ 1x Combat Knife
◦ 1x Master-crafted Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Master-crafted Bolt Rifle
• 1x Ancient
◦ 1x Combat Knife
◦ 1x Master-crafted Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Master-crafted Bolt Rifle
• 1x Company Veteran with heavy bolter
◦ 1x Combat Knife
◦ 1x Master-crafted Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Master-crafted Heavy Bolter
Eradicator Squad with melta rifles (100 Points)
• 1x Eradicator Sergeant
◦ 1x Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Ceramite Fists
◦ 1x Melta Rifle
• 2x Eradicator
◦ 2x Bolt Pistol
◦ 2x Ceramite Fists
◦ 1x Melta Rifle
◦ 1x Multi-melta
Eradicator Squad with melta rifles (100 Points)
• 1x Eradicator Sergeant
◦ 1x Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Ceramite Fists
◦ 1x Melta Rifle
• 2x Eradicator
◦ 2x Bolt Pistol
◦ 2x Ceramite Fists
◦ 1x Melta Rifle
◦ 1x Multi-melta
Land Raider (260 Points)
• 1x Armoured Tracks
• 2x Godhammer Lascannon
• 1x Hunter-killer Missile
• 1x Multi-melta
• 1x Storm Bolter
• 1x Twin Heavy Bolter
• Enhancements: Gunnery Honours (Upgrade)
Land Raider (280 Points)
• 1x Armoured Tracks
• 2x Godhammer Lascannon
• 1x Hunter-killer Missile
• 1x Multi-melta
• 1x Storm Bolter
• 1x Twin Heavy Bolter
• Enhancements: Gunnery Honours (Upgrade)
Scout Squad (65 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
◦ 1x Bolt Pistol
◦ 1x Boltgun
◦ 1x Combat Knife
• 4x Scout
◦ 4x Bolt Pistol
◦ 4x Boltgun
◦ 4x Combat Knife
FACTION SPECIFIC STRATEGIES:
Orks:
This will be my first game with the new Orks codex. I followed an approach of starting with a play pattern and list archetype that I know well and building off of that. Blitz Brigade was chosen because of the ability to use Firing Deck with the Targetin’ Gizmos upgrades to buff up the Flash Gitz, Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun, and Tankbustas, which mirrors an approach that I have used to great effect with Emperor’s Children Noise Marines. Having the two Battlewagons also mirrors the Ultramarines list, with two highly durable vehicles to help with both survivability and deliverability. Bully Boyz was chosen to buff up the two melee hammer units (Nobz and Meganobz) and give them my favorite ability……[SUSTAINED HITS 1]. This is an approach that I enjoy from Custodes and CSM. Finally, Wreckas was chosen to further buff up the shooting units inside the Battlewagons since they are the backbone of the list.
At a macro level, the strategy for this list is deliciously uncomplicated. It plays Purge the Foe and it is here to Purge the Foe. The list is built around a few incredibly lethal, very high points cost units and its whole game plan is to rush the opponent down and kill them in both shooting and melee. It will worry about holding points and doing actions once your army is tabled.
The list supports this strategy from a micro strategy perspective by containing the following units.
* Objective Holders: Battlewagons
* Damage Dealers: Every unit in the list
* Buff Pieces: Nazdreg, Big Mek with Shokk Attack Guns, Warboss, Detachment rules
* Scoring Pieces: None
The idea when playing this list is to be ultra aggressive. It wants to drive forward with the Battlewagons while blasting away with the Flash Gitz, Big Mek with Shokk Attack Guns and Tankbustas until the enemy is forced to commit their whole army to dealing with that threat. Then it wants to counter charge with the Nobz and Warboss while Nazdreg and his Meganobz drop into their backfield to cause chaos. The goal of the list is to take the fight to the opponent and to force the game to be played on the Orks’ terms.
Win Condition: Generically, the win condition is Orkishly simple. First, you fill dem wit dakka. Second, you get da ladz and get stuck in. Third, you give dem beakies a good krumpin’. Fourth, you collect dat loot and dem teef.
Specific to the matchup, the Win Condition is all about navigating the wild card that is the Eradicators. If the Eradicators can engage the Battlewagons on the Ultramarines’ terms, this game will go poorly for the Orks. If the Orks can engage and neutralize the Eradicators first, then things are looking much better for the Orks.
Specific to this mission, the win condition will require the Orks to do much more than just rush at the opponent and kill them. This mission is much more focused on taking objectives and almost feels Take and Hold-esque. To win this kind of game, the Orks will have to temper their approach and treat killing 1 enemy unit per turn as a way to supplement their VP instead of it being their entire approach. Ideally, they want to clear half of the board to give them a stable base of 2 objectives to hold before launching a “go turn” to kill and take the rest of the board. This will be easier said than done against an Ultramarines list that is very comfortable castling up around a few objectives.
What I Want to Work On This Game: I want to work on the timing for when to call the Waaagh! and how to utilize the added flexibility to rile up units outside of the Waaagh! turn. Historically, when I have lost with Orks, it has been caused by mistiming the Waaagh! call. The new codex changes potentially help mitigate some of those historical issues by giving you the ability to rile up units outside of that one crucial turn. I want to make sure that I am using that new ability well and positioning my units to be able to use it when I need it.
| Category | Description |
| Leader / Bodyguard Combos: | Nazdreg with Meganobz |
| Transport / Infantry Combos: | Flash Gitz 1 + Tankbustas 1 + Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 in Battlewagon 1 |
| Flash Gitz 2 + Tankbustas 2 + Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 in Battlewagon 2 | |
| Strategic Reserves: | Nazdreg + Meganobz |
| Key Stratagems: | Drive-by Bustin’ [1CP] Shooting phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase, when a friendly ORKS TRANSPORT unit is selected to shoot. TARGET: That ORKS TRANSPORT unit. EFFECT: Your unit’s ranged attacks with weapons selected for the Firing Deck ability have +1 to hit rolls. |
| Armed to Da Teef [1CP] Shooting or Fight phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase or the Fight phase, when a friendly MEGANOBZ/NOBZ unit is selected to attack. TARGET: That MEGANOBZ/NOBZ unit. EFFECT: Your unit’s attacks can: * Re-roll hit rolls of 1. * If your unit is riled up, re-roll hit rolls. | |
| Readied Brawlers [1CP] Movement phase – WHEN: Your Movement phase, when a friendly WAGON unit ends a normal move. TARGET: That WAGON unit. EFFECT: Units embarked within your unit can make an assault disembark move. | |
| Too Arrogant to Die [1CP] Fight phase – WHEN: Fight phase, when an enemy unit targets a friendly MEGANOBZ/NOBZ unit. TARGET: That MEGANOBZ/NOBZ unit. EFFECT: When a model in your unit is destroyed, if your unit has not been selected to fight this phase, roll one D6, with +1 to that roll if your unit is riled up: On a 4+, do not remove that model from the battlefield. When your unit has fought, or at the end of the phase (whichever comes first), that model is removed from the battlefield. | |
| Gun-crazy Show-offs [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase, when an enemy unit has shot. TARGET: One friendly FLASH GITZ/TANKBUSTAS unit hit by those attacks. EFFECT: Your unit shoots using normal shooting, but while doing so your unit can only target that enemy unit. | |
| Keep It Runnin’ [1CP] Fight phase – WHEN: End of the Fight phase. TARGET: One friendly unengaged ORKS INFANTRY unit that was eligible to fight this phase and is wholly within 6″ of a friendly TRANSPORT unit that INFANTRY unit is able to embark within. EFFECT: Your INFANTRY unit embarks within that TRANSPORT unit. | |
| Key Combos: | Battlewagon 1 + Flash Gitz 1 + Tankbustas 1 + Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 + Battlewagon 2 + Flash Gitz 2 + Tankbustas 2 + Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 + Targetin’ Gizmos (Upgrade) enhancement + Supa-snazz Dakka (Upgrade) enhancement + Drive-by Bustin’ stratagem This is the backbone of the list. Each Battlewagon carries a unit of Flash Gitz, a unit of Tankbustas and a Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun, then uses Firing Deck to shoot their guns out of the top of the wagon. With the Big Mek on board, Targetin’ Gizmos gives the Battlewagon’s shooting [IGNORES COVER] and, once the wagon is riled up, [SUSTAINED HITS 1] as well. Drive-by Bustin’ adds +1 to hit on top of that for the Firing Deck weapons. It essentially turns each Battlewagon into a heavily armoured gun platform that can roll up the board and unload into whatever it needs to kill. The catch is that the Battlewagons only have Firing Deck 11, so not every model inside gets to fire, which makes target priority essential unless a unit disembarks to shoot on its own (foreshadow for another combo). |
| Battlewagon 1 + Battlewagon 2 + Flash Gitz 1 + Flash Gitz 2 + Wreckin’ and Lootin’ detachment rule + Mobile Fortress ability + Finderz Keeperz ability + Keep It Runnin’ stratagem + Gun-crazy Show-offs stratagem This is the mitigation for the Firing Deck limit. Mobile Fortress gives the Battlewagons -1 D against ranged attacks to help them get the Flash Gitz up the board safely. Once they arrive, the Flash Gitz disembark and get access to everything Firing Deck can’t give them……Wreckin’ and Lootin’ re-rolling hit rolls of 1 near objectives and Finderz Keeperz adding +1 AP. Then at the end of the Fight phase, Keep It Runnin’ lets them climb back into the Battlewagon to stay safe until it’s time to do it all over again. Even better, if they don’t get back into the Battlewagon because they didn’t fight this phase and then the opponent tries to shoot them next turn, Gun-crazy Show-offs lets them shoot right back. | |
| Nobz + Warboss + Displays of Savagery detachment rule + Get Out da Way! ability + Might Is Right ability + Intimidating Motivation (Once per battle round, per army) ability + Armed to Da Teef stratagem This is the list’s counter-charge hammer. Displays of Savagery gives the Nobz [SUSTAINED HITS 1] on all of their melee attacks and Get Out da Way! lets them charge through enemy screens to reach the unit they actually want to hit. Before they go in, the Warboss uses Intimidating Motivation in the Movement phase to rile them up, which turns Armed to Da Teef from re-rolling hit rolls of 1 into full hit re-rolls. The Warboss then hangs back and follows up as a second counter charge the next round, picking up +3 A and +2 S from Might Is Right when he does. | |
| Nazdreg + Meganobz + Displays of Savagery detachment rule + Nazdreg’s Know-wotz ability + Supreme Kunnin’ (Once per phase, per army) ability + Arrogant Invulnerability ability + Krumpin’ Time ability + Armed to Da Teef stratagem This is the list’s backfield threat. Nazdreg’s Know-wotz gives the unit Deep Strike, letting Nazdreg and his Meganobz drop into the opponent’s backfield to cause chaos. Once they land, Arrogant Invulnerability makes them tough to shift by giving every attack against them -1 AP, while Displays of Savagery gives the Meganobz [SUSTAINED HITS 1] in melee. If they’re riled up, Krumpin’ Time adds +1 to hit in the Fight phase and Armed to Da Teef goes to full hit re-rolls. Supreme Kunnin’ rounds it out by letting them make a surprise move whenever an enemy unit ends a move within 8″, which makes them very hard to ignore. |
Ultramarines:
This game marks my first time playing with the new Space Marines codex and I couldn’t be more excited to get it on the table. Rather than jumping straight into the deep end, I built a balanced, combined arms list designed to ease me into the new book by leaning on play patterns I already know. Assault Brethren was the first pick, since its rules and stratagems are built around the kind of aggressive melee play that I’ve already proven I can use effectively with my CSM and Emperor’s Children lists. Gauntlet Task Force complements it really well and enables a transport-heavy play pattern that I’m very familiar with from CSM and Harlequins. Finally, Ironstorm Spearhead adds some re-rolls to help mitigate the loss of Oath of Moment and since I’m already taking transports for Gauntlet, I might as well give them better rules and add some real shooting to the list.
At a macro level, this list really leans into the Take and Hold Force Disposition. It is perfectly content castling up around Guilliman while also sitting on the midfield objectives, giving it a high points floor and the ability to dominate both the midfield and the primary. Similar to a lot of Take and Hold lists that I have built, it wants to force the opponent to make a choice……sit back out of fear of getting rushed and let the Ultramarines dominate the midfield en route to 45 Primary VP or come out to stop them and get rushed by the charging hammer units.
The list supports this strategy from a micro strategy perspective by containing the following units.
* Objective Holders: Company Heroes, Land Raiders, Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad
* Damage Dealers: Bladeguard Veteran Squads, Land Raiders, Roboute Guilliman, Eradicator Squads with melta rifles
* Buff Pieces: Roboute Guilliman, Chaplain, Detachment rules
* Scoring Pieces: Scout Squad, Company Heroes, Impulsors
The idea is to lean into the Combat Doctrines to provide maximum flexibility based on how the opponent deploys and starts to declare their strategy. If the opponent sits back, the list is capable of castling up to spam them with shots or popping Assault or Devastator Doctrine to rush them down. If the opponent comes out to “play,” the list can pop Tactical Doctrine to Fall Back and then shoot and charge them. It should give me a good starting place for dialing in how to best utilize Combat Doctrines in the new codex.
Win Condition: Generically, the win condition is to control the midfield and then use that control as a springboard to push into the opponent. The list wants to use the Land Raiders and Company Heroes to put three very difficult to kill units on objectives in order to force the opponent to overcommit to kill them. Once the opponent overcommits, the list can then use its Combat Doctrines to ensure the right damage dealer is delivered into each target……Eradicators into Monsters and Vehicles, Bladeguard into Infantry. The list wins by dominating the midfield and bullying the opponent, which matches the new elite feel for Space Marines.
Specific to the matchup, these two lists look to be similarly constructed. Both feature two ultra durable transports that are being used as the main delivery and stat checking mechanisms. Both also feature a high level of lethality and have the ability to toggle into very aggressive play. The Disposition matchup seems to favor the Ultramarines, as it puts the onus on the Orks to come out and get the Ultramarines. The Orks require kills and need to take objectives to score whereas the Ultramarines simply need to control objectives (although sitting on objectives is exactly what the Wreckas rule wants to see). Based on all of this, the game looks exceedingly well matched and it may come down to which side takes down the other side’s main vehicles first. That means the Ultramarines’ win condition is to deal with the Battlewagons before the Orks can take out the Land Raiders.
Specific to the mission, the Win Condition is about controlling the Central Objectives with cheaper units like the Company Heroes and Impulsors while using the Land Raiders to pressure the flanking objectives. This will force the Orks to decide between contesting the middle, which will have two objectives, or fighting the Land Raiders with their Battlewagons. The goal is to goad them into making a poor choice and then using the Eradicators to punish them when they do.
What I Want to Work On This Game: I want to work on determining how much damage I need to deliver in a given phase in order to kill the units that I need to. Without Oath of Moment, the Ultramarines no longer have the ability to just “auto-delete” one to two units per turn, so I want to recalibrate myself to playing without it and get a better feel for how much firepower each target actually takes.
| Category | Description |
| Leader / Bodyguard Combos: | Bladeguard Ancient with Bladeguard Veteran Squad |
| Chaplain with Bladeguard Veteran Squad | |
| Transport / Infantry Combos: | Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 in Impulsor 1 |
| Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 2 in Impulsor 2 | |
| Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad in Land Raider 1 | |
| Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad in Land Raider 2 | |
| Strategic Reserves: | Scout Squad |
| Key Stratagems: | Headhunter Doctrine [1CP] Shooting phase – WHEN: Your Shooting phase, when a friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES VEHICLE unit (excluding DEDICATED TRANSPORT/FLY/WALKER units) is selected to shoot. TARGET: That ADEPTUS ASTARTES VEHICLE unit. EFFECT: Your unit’s ranged attacks have [LETHAL HITS: MONSTER/VEHICLE]. |
| Gene-wrought Might [1CP] Fight phase – WHEN: Fight phase, when a friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit is selected to fight. TARGET: That ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit. EFFECT: Your unit’s melee attacks have: * [LANCE]. * Or: If the assault doctrine is active for your unit, [LANCE] and +1 AP. | |
| Armour of Contempt [1CP] Opponent’s Shooting or Fight phase – WHEN: Your opponent’s Shooting phase or the Fight phase, when an enemy unit targets a friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit. TARGET: That ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit. EFFECT: Attacks that target your unit have -1 AP until that enemy unit has attacked. | |
| Aggressive Disembarkation [1CP] Any phase – WHEN: Any phase, when a friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit embarked within a TRANSPORT is selected to move. TARGET: That ADEPTUS ASTARTES unit. EFFECT: While making that move, each model in your unit can be set up within the set-up distance of that TRANSPORT. This allows you to set up your unit within the set-up distance of your TRANSPORT, instead of wholly within that distance. | |
| Layered Ceramite [1CP] Any phase – WHEN: Any phase, when a friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES VEHICLE unit suffers a mortal wound. TARGET: That ADEPTUS ASTARTES VEHICLE unit. EFFECT: Your unit has Feel No Pain 5+ against mortal wounds. | |
| Duty Is Never Done [1CP] Fight phase – WHEN: End of the Fight phase. TARGET: One friendly unengaged ADEPTUS ASTARTES INFANTRY unit that was eligible to fight this phase, is wholly within 6″ of a friendly TRANSPORT unit, and is eligible to embark within that TRANSPORT unit. EFFECT: Your unit embarks within that TRANSPORT unit. | |
| Key Combos: | Land Raider + Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad + Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad + Combat Doctrines army rule + Combined Deployment detachment rule + Assault Ramp ability + Litany of Hate ability + Bladeguard (Once per turn, per unit) ability + Aggressive Disembarkation stratagem + Gene-wrought Might stratagem This is the list’s main hammer. The Land Raider moves up and shoots first, making its target assailed via Combined Deployment, then uses Assault Ramp to let the Bladeguard make an assault disembark move before charging. Once they make it in, the Bladeguard get [SUSTAINED HITS 1] against the assailed target, [LANCE] from the Chaplain’s Litany of Hate or Gene-wrought Might (which also adds +1 AP while the Assault Doctrine is active) and their own Bladeguard ability for either +1 to hit or -1 to be hit. It’s a lot of damage delivered from inside one of the toughest transports in the game. Even better, you can pop Aggressive Disembarkation, which buys a little extra charge range (if needed). |
| Land Raider 1 + Land Raider 2 + Ironstorm Auto-targeters detachment rule + Gunnery Honours (Upgrade) enhancement + Power of the Machine Spirit ability + Headhunter Doctrine stratagem This is the combo that deals with the Battlewagons. Both Land Raiders carry Gunnery Honours, giving their guns [HEAVY] for +1 to hit as long as they haven’t moved more than 3″. Ironstorm Auto-targeters and Power of the Machine Spirit each let them re-roll a hit roll and a wound roll, while Headhunter Doctrine gives their shooting [LETHAL HITS] against Monsters and Vehicles. That should make the Lascannons reliable enough to crack a Battlewagon before the Orks can do the same to them. | |
| Roboute Guilliman + Combat Doctrines army rule + Assault Mastery detachment rule + Codex Adept ability + Author of the Codex ability + Primarch of the XIII (Aura) ability This is the combo that makes the Combat Doctrines flexible. Codex Adept means Guilliman always has all three doctrines active for himself, so he can advance and charge, fall back and still shoot and charge, or shoot after advancing. Author of the Codex then lets him stack a second doctrine onto another unit within 12″ each Movement phase, on top of whatever doctrine the army already has active. Add in Primarch of the XIII re-rolling hit and wound rolls of 1 within 6″, plus Assault Mastery giving an extra use of the Assault Doctrine, and Guilliman turns the castle around him into the most flexible part of the list. | |
| Impulsor 1 + Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 + Impulsor 2 + Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 2 + Combat Doctrines army rule + Combined Deployment detachment rule + Ironstorm Auto-targeters detachment rule + Rapid Disembarkation ability + Total Obliteration ability + Shield Dome ability This is the list’s anti-tank delivery system and it comes in 2 forms. For the first, the Impulsor advances up the board, then uses Rapid Disembarkation to shock disembark the Eradicators right where they need to be to get into melta range. Shield Dome gives the Impulsor a 5+ invulnerable save to help it survive the trip. Once the Eradicators are out, any target the Impulsors hit with their own shooting is assailed, giving the Eradicators [SUSTAINED HITS 1] against it, and Total Obliteration lets them re-roll their damage rolls to make sure the melta shots count. The trade-off is that a shock disembark means they can’t charge that turn, but Eradicators aren’t there to charge anyway. For the second, the Impulsors use Devastator Doctrine to advance up the board and still shoot, then use Firing Deck to fire the Eradicators’ melta rifles out the top. This essentially turns each Impulsor into a melta tank that also gets re-rolls from Ironstorm Auto-targeters. | |
| Company Heroes + Command Squad ability + Raise the Banner ability + Armour of Contempt stratagem This is the combo that holds the middle of the board. Command Squad gives the Company Heroes -1 to wound against any attack that targets them and Armour of Contempt can stack -1 AP on top of that when the Orks really commit to removing them. Even if they do eventually go down, Raise the Banner means any objective they were controlling at the end of my Movement phase is already secured, so the Orks still have to come and take it back with something else. |
ROUND-BY-ROUND RECAP:
The Orks win the rolloff and choose to deploy second.
The Ultramarines deploy somewhat conservatively and with all of their units partnered up. Each Land Raider has an Impulsor nearby as both hide behind terrain, while Guilliman stays close to the Company Heroes, who are Hidden, to gain Lone Operative. They seem to be fine going first or second as they are planning to use the extra movement that the Combat Doctrines give them to deploy in a way where they can dictate first engagement to the Orks.
The Orks deploy pretty aggressively as they want to get up on the Ultramarines and the objectives as fast as possible. Each Battlewagon is deployed behind terrain but within striking range of an objective, while the Nobz use Hidden to deploy within charge range of the Central Objectives should the Ultramarines go first. They are supported by the Warboss, who is also Hidden and ready to get them riled up should they need it. The Orks would prefer to go second, as they really want the Ultramarines to have to go stand on objectives and become prime targets for the Battlewagons.
Board state after Deployment is shown below.
Post Deployment
The Orks don’t make any Scout Moves, as none of their units have Scouts.
The Ultramarines don’t make any Scout Moves, as the Scout Squad, their only unit with Scouts, is starting in Strategic Reserves.
Board state at the start of the battle is shown below.
Start of the Battle
ROUND 1:
| Phase: | Go First: Orks |
| Score at Start | 10 |
| CP at Start | 0 |
| Command | [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Draws A Tempting Target and Beacon as Secondary Objectives [Orks] Selects Battlewagon 2 for Beacon [Ultramarines] Nominates Objective 4 for A Tempting Target [Orks] Warboss uses Da Boss to gain 1 CP [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Transhuman Strategist to gain 1 CP |
| Movement | [Orks] Battlewagon 1 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 6 [Orks] Battlewagon 2 Advances towards Objective 3 to Stage [Orks] Nobz Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 3 to Stage [Orks] Warboss Makes a Normal Move towards Nobz to Hide [Orks] Warboss uses Intimidating Motivation on Nobz |
| Shooting | [Orks] None |
| Charge | [Orks] None |
| Fight | [Orks] None |
| End of Turn | [Orks] None |
| Score at End | 10 |
| CP at End | 2 |
It’s a quiet first turn for the Orks, as the Ultramarines aren’t on any objectives and the Orks can’t quite reach any of their heavy hitters without overextending. Rather than pushing out too much, they opt to treat Round 1 as a staging turn and position their army for a Round 2 Waaagh! turn. The turn went pretty much according to plan since they couldn’t shoot or charge anything of consequence anyway.
On the other side of the table, the Ultramarines are busy measuring angles and distances as they want to determine if it is worth calling the Devastator Doctrine in Round 1 so that they can chip away at the Orks prior to the Round 2 Waaagh!.
Board state in the middle of Round 1 is shown below.
Middle of Round 1
| Phase: | Go Second: Ultramarines |
| Score at Start | 10 |
| CP at Start | 2 |
| Command | [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Draws Beacon and Engage on All Fronts as Secondary Objectives [Ultramarines] Selects Impulsor 2 for Beacon [Ultramarines] uses Combat Doctrines to select the Devastator Doctrine |
| Movement | [Ultramarines] Land Raider 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 [Ultramarines] Company Heroes Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 to Score [Ultramarines] Land Raider 1 Advances towards Objective 6 to Shoot [Ultramarines] Impulsor 1 Advances onto Objective 5 to Shoot [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Makes a Normal Move towards Company Heroes |
| Shooting | [Ultramarines] Land Raider 1 Shoots Battlewagon 1 and Deals 11 Damage [Ultramarines] Impulsor 1 Shoots Battlewagon 1 and Destroys the Unit [Orks] Tankbustas 1 Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 3 Mortal Wounds [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 4 Mortal Wounds [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 1 Mortal Wound [Orks] Battlewagon 1 uses Deadly Demise to Explode and deal 3 Mortal Wounds to Tankbustas 1, 3 Mortal Wounds to Flash Gitz 1 and 1 Mortal Wound to Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 |
| Charge | [Ultramarines] None |
| Fight | [Ultramarines] None |
| End of Turn | [Ultramarines] Scores Primary: Immovable Object — 3 VP |
| Score at End | 13 |
| CP at End | 3 |
The Ultramarines’ first turn is in the books and it appears that the rumored demise of Oath of Moment was exaggerated, as they are still able to do an explosive amount of damage and catch the Orks off guard.
The plan coming into the turn was to invest a minimal amount of units to control as many midfield objectives as possible. Since they anticipated a Waaagh! was coming, they wanted to force the Orks to burn it on charging vehicles instead of the squishier units inside of them. They also wanted to start taking some pot shots at Battlewagon 1, as they would really like to prevent the Orks from surrounding and pincering them in the coming rounds.
From an execution perspective, that turn drastically exceeded expectations. It turns out that a Land Raider that gets to re-roll 2 hits and 2 wounds, followed by an Impulsor full of Eradicators that get to re-roll 1’s to hit and wound thanks to Guilliman plus another hit and wound roll, is basically the same as old Oath of Moment. They absolutely annihilated that Battlewagon. Even better, the Orks low rolled on the hazard rolls for their emergency disembarks, and then the Battlewagon exploded on top of them. This sequence did a massive amount of damage to the Orks’ left flank.
As a result, the Orks are reeling a bit. They still feel great about their right flank, as they have a Battlewagon full of guns ready to engage a Land Raider and/or Impulsor on objectives. Unfortunately, the left flank is a mess as all units are Battle Shocked and damaged. Even worse, the Land Raider that was primarily responsible is not on an objective and so will be tougher to kill. They will have to hope for some good Battle Shock rolls and that their units are able to pop off in the next Shooting phase.
Let’s see if they call the Waaagh! and how badly they can crack the Ultramarines back.
Board state at the end of Round 1 is shown below.
End of Round 1
ROUND 2:
| Phase: | Go First: Orks |
| Score at Start | 10 |
| CP at Start | 3 |
| Command | [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Warboss uses Da Boss to gain 1 CP [Orks] uses War Cry to call the Waaagh! [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Transhuman Strategist to gain 1 CP [Orks] Draws No Prisoners and Bring It Down as Secondary Objectives [Orks] Tankbustas 1 Passes Battle-shock [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 Passes Battle-shock [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 Fails Battle-shock [Orks] Scores Primary: Unstoppable Force — 4 VP |
| Movement | [Orks] Nobz Advances onto Objective 4 to Shoot and Charge [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Disembarks from Battlewagon 2 [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Advances onto Objective 4 to Shoot [Orks] Battlewagon 2 Advances onto Objective 3 to Shoot [Orks] Tankbustas 1 Advances onto Objective 6 to Shoot [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 Advances onto Objective 6 to Shoot [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 Advances onto Objective 6 to Shoot [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Deep Strikes onto Objective 2 |
| Shooting | [Orks] Battlewagon 2 uses Drive-by Bustin’ for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Land Raider 2 uses Armour of Contempt for 1 CP [Orks] Battlewagon 2 Shoots Land Raider 2 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 1 Mortal Wound [Orks] Tankbustas 1 uses Pulsa Rokkit on Land Raider 1 [Orks] Tankbustas 1 Shoots Land Raider 1 and Deals 15 Damage [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 Shoots Land Raider 1 and Deals 0 Damage [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 uses Killshot to Shoot Land Raider 1 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 1 Mortal Wound [Ultramarines] Land Raider 1 uses Deadly Demise to Explode and deal 2 Mortal Wounds to Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 Suffers 2 Mortal Wounds from Failed Hazard Rolls [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Shoots Impulsor 1 and Deals 6 Damage [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Suffers 4 Mortal Wounds from Failed Hazard Rolls [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 uses Grab It for 1 CP [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 5 [Orks] Warboss Shoots Impulsor 1 and Deals 0 Damage [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Shoots Impulsor 2 and Deals 0 Damage [Orks] Nobz Shoots Company Heroes and Deals 3 Damage |
| Charge | [Orks] Nobz Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Orks] Nobz Charges into Impulsor 1 and Company Heroes [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Heroic Intervention for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Charges into Nobz |
| Fight | [Orks] Nobz uses Armed to Da Teef for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Company Heroes uses Armour of Contempt for 1 CP [Orks] Nobz Split Fires and Fights Impulsor 1 to Destroy the Unit and Fights Company Heroes to Destroy the Unit [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 0 Mortal Wounds [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Fights Nobz and Kills 4 Models |
| End of Turn | [Orks] Scores Secondary: No Prisoners — 5 VP [Orks] Scores Secondary: Bring It Down — 5 VP [Orks] Scores Secondary: A Tempting Target — 5 VP [Orks] Scores Primary: Unstoppable Force — 6 VP [Orks] Drops Secondary: Beacon |
| Score at End | 35 |
| CP at End | 2 |
That might be the single most impactful Waaagh! turn that I have ever had.
Coming into the turn, the Orks were on the back foot having already lost a Battlewagon. They knew they wouldn’t be able to survive another turn of the Ultramarines choosing how and when to engage and so needed to take the fight to them. As a result, they called the Waaagh! and came out aggressively shooting, charging, and fighting. The plan was to take back as many of the midfield objectives as possible and to do as much damage as possible.
Similar to the Ultramarines’ first turn, that turn went way better than expected from an execution perspective. The Orks took down 3 of the 4 vehicles and also wiped out the Company Heroes. They did this all while also scoring 10 VP on Primary and maximizing secondaries.
On the other side of the table, the Ultramarines are bloodied but still OK. This is where the Doctrines will really shine, as they can have Guilliman Fall Back while still retaining his ability to shoot and charge while also declaring Assault Doctrine for the rest of the army. They should be able to crack the Orks back pretty firmly.
Board state in the middle of Round 2 is shown below.
Middle of Round 2
| Phase: | Go Second: Ultramarines |
| Score at Start | 13 |
| CP at Start | 2 |
| Command | [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] uses Combat Doctrines to select the Assault Doctrine [Ultramarines] Draws Centre Ground and Cleanse as Secondary Objectives [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Passes Battle-shock [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Passes Battle-shock [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Passes Battle-shock [Ultramarines] Scores Primary: Immovable Object — 5 VP |
| Movement | [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Author of the Codex on Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 to select the Devastator Doctrine [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Falls Back onto Objective 5 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 6 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Makes a Normal Move towards Battlewagon 2 to Shoot [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 uses Command Re-roll for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Advances onto Objective 5 to Shoot |
| Shooting | [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Shoots Battlewagon 2 and Deals 0 Damage [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Shoots Tankbustas 1 and Kills 1 Model [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Shoots Nobz and Kills 3 Models [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Shoots Battlewagon 2 and Deals 12 Damage [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Explosives for 1 CP to deal 3 Mortal Wounds to Battlewagon 2 [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Shoots Battlewagon 2 and Deals 0 Damage |
| Charge | [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Charges into Battlewagon 2 [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Charges into Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1, Tankbustas 1 and Flash Gitz 1 [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Charges into Flash Gitz 2 [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Charges into Nobz [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Declares a Charge – Charge Failed |
| Fight | [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Fights Nobz and Kills 1 Model [Orks] Battlewagon 2 uses Counteroffensive for 2 CP [Orks] Battlewagon 2 Fights Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad and Kills 1 Model [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Bladeguard for +1 to Hit [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Fights Battlewagon 2 and Destroys the Unit [Orks] Tankbustas 2 Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 3 Mortal Wounds [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 Makes an Emergency Disembark and Suffers 0 Mortal Wounds [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Bladeguard for +1 to Hit [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Split Fires and Fights Flash Gitz 1 to Deal 0 Damage, Fights Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 1 to Destroy the Unit and Fights Tankbustas 1 to Destroy the Unit [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Fights Roboute Guilliman and Deals 0 Damage [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 Fights Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad and Kills 1 Model [Orks] Nobz uses Armed to Da Teef for 1 CP [Orks] Nobz Fights Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 and Kills 1 Model [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Consolidates into Tankbustas 2 and Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 Fights Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad and Deals 1 Damage [Orks] Tankbustas 2 Fights Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad and Kills 1 Model |
| End of Turn | [Ultramarines] Scores Primary: Immovable Object — 3 VP |
| Score at End | 21 |
| CP at End | 1 |
This is a funny game, as the Ultramarines have a 2nd turn that would look familiar to most Ork players.
Coming into the turn, the Ultramarines were planning to call the Assault Doctrine. The goal was to kill Battlewagon 2, ideally in shooting, and then to Charge, Pile In, Consolidate into, and otherwise tag as many of the Orks’ shooting units as possible. The goal wasn’t necessarily to kill things, but instead to tie up and tarpit as many units as possible, which is a very traditional Orks move.
From an execution perspective, this turn was so close to being amazing. All the Ultramarines needed was for 1 extra damage to sneak through on Battlewagon 2 and they could have executed their plan to perfection. It still was a great turn, just not as great as they had hoped.
On the other side of the table, the Orks are not feeling great. Most of their guns are tied up and they don’t have access to much Fall Back and Shoot. There is also a Primarch in the middle of the board that they don’t have a great answer for. On the plus side, they are way up on the scoreboard and Nazdreg’s unit completely controls the Ultramarines’ DZ, with the Ultras seemingly wanting nothing to do with him. This gives them plenty of scoring options, so here’s hoping for a good secondary draw.
Board state at the end of Round 2 is shown below.
End of Round 2
ROUND 3:
| Phase: | Go First: Orks |
| Score at Start | 35 |
| CP at Start | 0 |
| Command | [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Warboss uses Da Boss to gain 1 CP [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Transhuman Strategist to gain 1 CP [Orks] Draws Plunder and Cleanse as Secondary Objectives [Orks] Nobz Fails Battle-shock [Orks] Tankbustas 2 Fails Battle-shock [Orks] Flash Gitz 2 Passes Battle-shock [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 Passes Battle-shock [Orks] uses New Orders for 1 CP [Orks] Drops Secondary: Cleanse [Orks] Draws Outflank as a Secondary Objective [Orks] Scores Primary: Unstoppable Force — 4 VP |
| Movement | [Orks] Warboss uses Intimidating Motivation on himself to become riled up [Orks] Warboss Advances onto Objective 4 to Charge [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 Falls Back to Score [Orks] Tankbustas 2 Passes Desperate Escape [Orks] Tankbustas 2 Falls Back to Move Block [Ultramarines] Scout Squad uses Rapid Ingress for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Ingress onto Objective 1 |
| Shooting | [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Performs Plunder [Orks] Warboss Shoots Roboute Guilliman and Deals 0 Damage |
| Charge | [Orks] Warboss Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Orks] Warboss Charges into Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 |
| Fight | [Orks] Warboss Fights Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 and Kills 1 Model [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Bladeguard for -1 to be Hit [Orks] Flash Gitz 1 Fights Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad and Deals 1 Damage [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 Fights Nobz and Deals 1 Damage [Orks] Nobz Fights Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 1 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Fights Flash Gitz 2 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Fights Flash Gitz 1 and Kills 3 Models |
| End of Turn | [Orks] Scores Secondary: Outflank — 5 VP [Orks] Scores Secondary: Plunder — 5 VP [Orks] Scores Primary: Unstoppable Force — 6 VP |
| Score at End | 55 |
| CP at End | 1 |
With resources rapidly dwindling, the Orks keep scoring.
The Orks entered the turn knowing that they were going to have to switch to playing the mission in order to stay in the game. They therefore planned to focus on scoring points and holding on to the positions that they already hold on the table.
Execution wise, the turn went about as expected, as the Orks were able to maximize Secondary scoring while also doing enough to score 10 VP on Primary. They continue to lose models at a prodigious rate, especially to Guilliman, but have Nazdreg in position to hopefully keep scoring.
On the other side of the table, the Ultramarines are looking at the board and thinking about how they can start tabling the Orks en route to a big time comeback. With the exception of Nazdreg, this isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Let’s see if they can accomplish it.
Board state in the middle of Round 3 is shown below.
Middle of Round 3
| Phase: | Go Second: Ultramarines |
| Score at Start | 21 |
| CP at Start | 2 |
| Command | [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] uses Combat Doctrines to select the Tactical Doctrine [Ultramarines] Draws Outflank and Display of Might as Secondary Objectives [Ultramarines] Scores Primary: Immovable Object — 15 VP |
| Movement | [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Makes a Normal Move towards Objective 4 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Makes a Normal Move towards Tankbustas 2 to Shoot and Charge [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Falls Back to Charge [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 2 Disembarks from Impulsor 2 [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 3 to Perform an Action [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Makes a Normal Move into the Orks’ Deployment Zone to Score [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 uses Fire Overwatch for 1 CP [Orks] Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 Shoots Impulsor 2 and Deals 0 Damage |
| Shooting | [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Performs Cleanse on Objective 1 [Ultramarines] Eradicator Squad with melta rifles 2 Performs Cleanse on Objective 3 [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Shoots Nobz and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Explosives for 1 CP and Deals 6 Mortal Wounds to Tankbustas 2 [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Shoots Tankbustas 2 and Kills 1 Model [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Shoots Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 and Deals 1 Damage |
| Charge | [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Charges into Warboss [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Charges into Tankbustas 2 and Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Charges into Flash Gitz 1 |
| Fight | [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Gene-wrought Might for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Bladeguard for +1 to Hit [Ultramarines] Bladeguard Ancient + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Fights Flash Gitz 1 and Destroys the Unit [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad uses Bladeguard for +1 to Hit [Ultramarines] Chaplain + Bladeguard Veteran Squad Split Fights and Fights Tankbustas 2 to Destroy the Unit, Fights Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun 2 to Destroy the Unit [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Fights Warboss and Destroys the Unit |
| End of Turn | [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Cleanse — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Centre Ground — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Outflank — 5 VP |
| Score at End | 51 |
| CP at End | 1 |
And that’s a huge turn for the Ultramarines and it might end up being the decisive one for the game. The plan coming in was to kill all of the Ork units in the midfield while re-engaging their scoring, especially on Secondaries. Guilliman and both Bladeguard units were tasked with killing the Ork Infantry while the remaining units focused on scoring. The result was a turn that was close to flawless as the Ultramarines maximized both Primary and Secondary VP and positioned themselves to do the same next Round.
On the other side, the Orks are in a dire situation. Only Nazdreg and the Meganobz remain and the Ultramarines seem content to simply ignore and play around them. The Orks will have to hope for some good Secondary draws to keep their score close to the Ultramarines, who will be finishing the game strong.
Board state at the end of Round 3 is shown below.
End of Round 3
ROUND 4:
| Phase: | Go First: Orks |
| Score at Start | 55 |
| CP at Start | 1 |
| Command | [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Draws Display of Might and Burden of Trust as Secondary Objectives [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Performs Guard on Objective 2 [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Transhuman Strategist to gain 1 CP [Orks] uses New Orders for 1 CP [Orks] Drops Secondary: Display of Might [Orks] Draws Forward Position as a Secondary Objective [Orks] Scores Primary: Unstoppable Force — 4 VP |
| Movement | [Orks] None |
| Shooting | [Orks] None |
| Charge | [Orks] None |
| Fight | [Orks] None |
| End of Turn | [Orks] Scores Secondary: Forward Position — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Display of Might — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Beacon — 5 VP |
| Score at End | 64 |
| CP at End | 1 |
The Orks’ 4th turn is a quick one, but they are able to keep scoring.
With only Nazdreg and the Meganobz left, the Orks have little chance of winning the game. Their goal now is to keep playing the mission to score as much VP as possible to keep the game close. Getting into the mid 70’s for VP is the goal now and they executed their turn with that in mind.
Board state in the middle of Round 4 is shown below.
Middle of Round 4
| Phase: | Go Second: Ultramarines |
| Score at Start | 61 |
| CP at Start | 3 |
| Command | [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Draws Plunder and Defend Stronghold as Secondary Objectives [Ultramarines] uses New Orders for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Drops Secondary: Defend Stronghold [Ultramarines] Draws Assassination as a Secondary Objective [Ultramarines] Scores Primary: Immovable Object — 15 VP |
| Movement | [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Advances towards Objective 2 to Score [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Makes a Normal Move onto Objective 4 |
| Shooting | [Ultramarines] None |
| Charge | [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Declares a Charge – Charge Failed [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Command Re-roll for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Declares a Charge – Charge Failed |
| Fight | [Ultramarines] None |
| End of Turn | [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Engage on All Fronts — 5 VP [Orks] Scores Secondary: Burden of Trust — 2 VP |
| Score at End | 81 |
| CP at End | 2 |
The Ultramarines complete their 4th turn and blow by the Orks on the scoreboard.
After a massive 3rd turn, they have complete control of the board and therefore only needed to use the turn to start positioning to maximize points in Round 5. The plan was to position Guilliman to charge onto Objective 2 in case Assassination is needed in Round 5 and then to simply hold positions on all of the remaining Objectives. Since the Orks are all but tabled, this was accomplished with no resistance.
From the Orks’ side of the battle, they know that the game is lost. It now comes down to a decision in Round 5…..do they want to play it safe and see if they can crack 70 VP or do they want to go out in a blaze of glory by trying to take Guilliman with them? Let’s see which they choose.
Board state at the end of Round 4 is shown below.
End of Round 4
ROUND 5:
| Phase: | Go First: Orks |
| Score at Start | 66 |
| CP at Start | 2 |
| Command | [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Draws Engage on All Fronts and Overwhelming Force as Secondary Objectives [Orks] uses New Orders for 1 CP [Orks] Drops Secondary: Engage on All Fronts [Orks] Draws Secure No Man’s Land as a Secondary Objective [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Transhuman Strategist to gain 1 CP |
| Movement | [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz uses Intimidating Motivation on itself [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz is Riled Up [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Advances towards Roboute Guilliman to Shoot and Charge |
| Shooting | [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz uses Armed to Da Teef for 1 CP [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Shoots Roboute Guilliman and Deals 4 Damage |
| Charge | [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Declares a Charge – Charge Succeeded [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Charges into Roboute Guilliman |
| Fight | [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz uses Armed to Da Teef for 1 CP [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman uses Duty in Death for 1 CP [Orks] Nazdreg + Meganobz Fights Roboute Guilliman and Deals 2 Damage [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Fights Nazdreg + Meganobz and Kills 3 Models |
| End of Turn | [Orks] None |
| Score at End | 66 |
| CP at End | 0 |
The Orks complete their last turn and decide to go out swinging, which feels very Orky.
The conservative play for the turn was to keep Nazdreg and the Meganobz on Objective 2 and then to utilize his reactive move ability to back away from Guilliman next turn. The aggressive play was to rile up the unit and then to go out to get Guilliman, with the goal being to kill him and then consolidate onto a Central Objective. The Orks drew their secondaries and opted for the aggressive play as it offered the most potential upside for VP. Also, they really wanted to see Nazdreg and Guilliman throw down to see how both units do into each other.
Unfortunately, the dice were not with the Orks as they handed Guilliman 8 Saves from Nazdreg to make, only to watch as he made 7 of 8 4+ Invulnerable Saves followed by a few 5+ Feel No Pains. Guilliman then killed the 3 Meganobz in the crackback, although Nazdreg returned the favor by making all of his saves. This basically blocked the Orks from scoring any more VP this game as they end up eating the “high risk” portion of their “high risk, high reward” late game play.
Board state in the middle of Round 5 is shown below.
Middle of Round 5
| Phase: | Go Second: Ultramarines |
| Score at Start | 81 |
| CP at Start | 3 |
| Command | [Ultramarines] Gains 1 Core CP [Orks] Gains 1 Core CP [Ultramarines] Draws A Tempting Target and Behind Enemy Lines as Secondary Objectives [Orks] Picks Objective 5 as the A Tempting Target Objective |
| Movement | [Ultramarines] Roboute Guilliman Falls Back onto Objective 5 [Ultramarines] Impulsor 2 Makes a Normal Move into the Orks’ Deployment Zone |
| Shooting | [Ultramarines] Scout Squad Performs Plunder |
| Charge | [Ultramarines] None |
| Fight | [Ultramarines] None |
| End of Turn | [Ultramarines] Scores Primary: Immovable Object — 15 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Plunder — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: A Tempting Target — 5 VP [Ultramarines] Scores Secondary: Behind Enemy Lines — 5 VP |
| Score at End | 100 |
| CP at End | 4 |
And that is the game as the Ultramarines cruise to 100 VP to complete a dominant victory over the Orks.
Board state at the end of Round 5 is shown below.
End of Round 5
RESULT: 100 – 66 Ultramarines WIN
WTC Teams Format: 16-4 Ultramarines WIN
GAME REVIEW:
This was an interesting game to play, as it was my first time getting both the new Space Marines and Orks codexes on the table. Both lists were built around play patterns that I already know well and it was great to see how much of that carried over into the new books. It was also especially interesting to see how some of the rules changes for both armies impacted their play styles, as I found the Ultramarines playing what I would consider a very Orky “Charge and tarpit them to lock them out of shooting” game while the Orks played what looked more like a 10th Edition Space Marines game that was focused on maximum ranged shooting with lots of re-rolls.
The Ultramarines’ gameplan worked, even if it didn’t play out quite the way it was drawn up. The Land Raiders were supposed to anchor the midfield and serve as a target to draw the Orks out so that the rest of the Ultramarines could charge them next turn. This mostly worked, with the major exception being that both were gone by the end of the Orks’ Round 2 Waaagh! and before they could make much headway into the midfield. What saved the game for them was the flexibility of the Combat Doctrines. Assault Doctrine in Round 2 let the Ultramarines kill Battlewagon 2 and tie up most of the Orks’ shooting, while the Tactical Doctrine in Round 3 let Guilliman and both Bladeguard units clear the entire midfield while the rest of the army maximized scoring. From there, the Ultramarines never looked back and cruised to 100 VP.
For the Orks, the game was a tale of two halves. Their Round 2 Waaagh! was about as good as it gets, as they took down 3 of the 4 Ultramarines vehicles, wiped out the Company Heroes and jumped out to a big lead on the scoreboard. Unfortunately, it also left most of their units out in the open and the Ultramarines’ crackback across Rounds 2 and 3 left only Nazdreg and the Meganobz standing. The Orks played the mission well enough to stay in the game for as long as they could, but they simply ran out of units that could reliably activate every turn to fight or score with.
The game was much closer through 3 Rounds than the final score suggests, as the Orks still led 55-51 at that point. Both sides took out the other’s main vehicles, but the Ultramarines had more left over to finish the job and that proved to be the difference in the game. To me, the deciding factor was that the Ultramarines list was more streamlined and had greater access to “Fall Back and…..” abilities than the Orks’ list, which gave them greater ability to activate all of their units for a second go turn.
POST-GAME EVALUATION:
Orks
| Category | Rating | Notes |
| Strategic – List Development | 2 — Mostly Didn’t Work | The shooting core hit exactly as hard as intended in the Round 2 Waaagh!, but the list skewed too hard towards Ranged Shooting and lacked enough melee units to cover for the lack of ways to Fall Back and still act by counter charging. As a result, the game was essentially over once the Ultramarines locked the shooting units in combat as they had no way to get back into the game. |
| Strategic – Force Disposition / Detachment | 5 — Worked Great | The detachments did exactly what they were picked for in the Round 2 Waaagh!, with the Orks taking down both Land Raiders. Beyond Round 2, the Orks ran into issues, but that was less about the Force Disposition and more about the list not having enough melee units to “get stuck in”. |
| Strategic – Win Condition | 2 — Mostly Didn’t Work | The plan was to clear half of the board for a stable base of 2 objectives before launching a “go turn”. This win condition is still valid but the issue is that the list could not execute it. They successfully baited out the Ultramarines and launched a devastating “go turn” but then didn’t have the right mix of units to follow up that turn with a turn to put the Ultramarines away. |
| Strategic – Game Focus Area | 4 — Mostly Worked | The Waaagh! timing was nailed, as calling it in Round 2 produced arguably the most impactful Waaagh! turn I’ve ever had. Riling up units outside of the Waaagh! was more mixed but that one was arguably more about dice and lacking list redundancy. |
| Strategic – Deployment | 4 — Mostly Worked | The Orks’ deployment supported their Win Condition and they had many of the right units in position when they needed to be. The issue was that some of those units were in position to Fight when what they really wanted to do was shoot. I’m going to chalk that up to more of a list building issue. |
| Tactical – Movement / Positioning | 3 — Mixed | Nazdreg + Meganobz Deep Striking onto Objective 2 was a great move, as it controlled the Ultramarines’ Deployment Zone and kept scoring for the rest of the game. The other units were where they needed to be…..if each Battlewagon contained a counter charge melee unit. |
| Tactical – Target Priority / Sequencing | 4 — Mostly Worked | The Round 2 Waaagh! sequencing was excellent. The catch was that killing the Land Raiders also released both Bladeguard units right into position and they ended up leading the crackback that tied up the Orks’ shooting. |
| Tactical – CP Usage | 4 — Mostly Worked | The Round 2 spends converted into real results, with Drive-by Bustin’ taking down Land Raider 2, Grab It moving Flash Gitz 2 onto Objective 5 and Armed to Da Teef helping the Nobz clear Impulsor 1 and the Company Heroes. The misses were Counteroffensive for 2 CP only killing 1 Bladeguard Veteran, Fire Overwatch doing 0 damage in Round 3 and two Armed to Da Teef uses in Round 5 that couldn’t crack Guilliman…..but the dice also really impacted all of these and there is an alternate universe where 1 or 2 of these swing the Orks’ way and the game becomes much closer. |
| Tactical – Primary Scoring | 3 — Mixed | Scored 24 of 45 Primary VP and struggled to score after their Waaagh! turn. |
| Tactical – Secondary Scoring | 4 — Mostly Worked | Scored 32 of 45 Secondary VP. Nazdreg + Meganobz did a lot of the late scoring work, but like Primary, it dried up in the late game. |
Ultramarines
| Category | Rating | Notes |
| Strategic – List Development | 5 — Worked Great | The list was streamlined and had plenty of “Fall Back and…..” options to keep every unit active each turn. Guilliman and both Bladeguard units did the heavy lifting, while the Scouts and Impulsor 2 picked up scoring. |
| Strategic – Force Disposition / Detachment | 5 — Worked Great | Take and Hold fit the list perfectly, as the Ultramarines used Doctrines to play a patient game that ramped up really quick once the Orks committed en route to maxing out Primary at 45 VP. |
| Strategic – Win Condition | 5 — Worked Great | The core idea of forcing the Orks to overcommit and then punishing them with the right damage dealer played out almost exactly as planned, with the Bladeguard and Guilliman cleaning up the Ork Infantry in Rounds 2 and 3. The matchup-specific piece was more mixed but the list had enough tools and redundancy to deal with a few Eradicator whiffs and the early loss of the Land Raiders. |
| Strategic – Game Focus Area | 4 — Mostly Worked | The goal was to recalibrate how much damage it takes to kill each target without Oath of Moment. Round 1 was dialed in perfectly, with Land Raider 1 and Impulsor 1 stacking just enough damage to delete Battlewagon 1. Round 2 came up 1 damage short of killing Battlewagon 2 in shooting, which is exactly the kind of math this focus area is meant to tighten up. Round 3 and beyond, the Ultramarines were back to being dialed in so the calibration improved as the game went on. |
| Strategic – Deployment | 5 — Worked Great | The conservative, partnered-up deployment did its job, as the Ultramarines were able to dictate first engagement just like they planned to. |
| Tactical – Movement / Positioning | 5 — Worked Great | The Doctrines made movement a real strength. |
| Tactical – Target Priority / Sequencing | 5 — Worked Great | Target priority was sharp all game. |
| Tactical – CP Usage | 5 — Worked Great | The Ultramarines always felt like they had the CP to use stratagems when they needed to and still finished the game with multiple CP in the bank. |
| Tactical – Primary Scoring | 5 — Worked Great | Maxed out Primary at 45 VP. |
| Tactical – Secondary Scoring | 5 — Worked Great | Maxed out Secondaries at 45 VP. |
EARNED THEMSELF A NAME:
Roboute Guilliman: He generated 5 CP over the course of the game via Transhuman Strategist and was the centerpiece of the Ultramarines’ crackback. He Heroically Intervened to kill 4 Nobz in the Orks’ Round 2 Waaagh!, then went on to destroy Flash Gitz 2, the Nobz and the Warboss over the next two turns. He capped it off by surviving Nazdreg’s Round 5 charge on 4+ Invulnerable Saves and Feel No Pains before killing all 3 Meganobz in the crackback.
MAGNUS OF THE GAME:
Flash Gitz 1 and Flash Gitz 2: Together, they cost close to 500 points and were supposed to be the backbone of the Orks’ shooting, but they spent most of the game hurting themselves or stuck in melee and unable to shoot. One of the major changes that I will be making to this list going forward is to drop the Flash Gitz for another unit of Nobz and then 1-2 action units (Gretchin, Stormboyz). It’s not that Flash Gitz are bad, it’s that they were too redundant with the Tankbustas, which made them an expensive luxury in this list.
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