Dirty Goblin Games October 2014 Singles - Ork Bikes

Dirty Goblin in Queensbury, NY hosted another fun 40k event this month with a bit of a twist from our usual fare. Players were open to take Unbound lists and there were some special Halloween-themed scenarios.

For this tournament, I decided to take my Ork Bike list to see how it would work out.  I plan on either bringing this list or my Green Tide list to Da Boyz GT, but I hadn't had a chance to try this one out yet... at least not since 5th Edition anyways.  Back in 5th, this list was pretty great as long as there weren't a lot of deepstriking Heavy Flamers or Dreadknights.  The list was also really good at the beginning of 6th Edition with actual Toughness 5.  Sadly, the advent of the Heldrake was the straw that broke the camel's back in regards to this list.  Dreadknights are on the rise, but Heldrakes are in decline and I think the list has some merit; not as a tournament-winner, but as a list that I can feel reasonably good about at mid-table obscurity while having fun.

While the Dirty Goblin tournament was 2000 points, adding one Dakkajet is pretty much like playing at 1850 anyways, so I think this tournament was still a pretty good test of the list.

Rippin 'n Tearin'

Combined Arms Detachment (95#, 2000 pts)
   Painboy, 80 pts (Grot Orderly; Warbike)
   Warboss Zhadsnark Da Rippa (IA), 150 pts (Warlord)
   12 Warbikers, 256 pts
      Boss Nob (Bosspole; Power Klaw)
   12 Warbikers, 256 pts
      Boss Nob (Bosspole; Power Klaw)

   12 Warbikers, 231 pts

      Boss Nob (Bosspole)

   2 Deffkoptas (Twin-linked Rokkit Launcha x2; Buzzsaw x1), 85 pts
   6 Nobz (Warbike; Waaagh! Banner), 350 pts
      1 Boss Nob (Bosspole; Warbike; Power Klaw)
      1 Nobz (Warbike; Power Klaw)
      1 Nobz (Warbike; Big Choppa)
      3 Nobz (Warbike)
   10 Tankbustas, 215 pts
      Boss Nob (Bosspole; Power Klaw))
      Trukk
   5 Warbuggies (Twin-linked Rokkit Launcha), 125 pts
   Dakkajet (Twin-linked Supa Shootas x3; Flyboss), 145 pts
   14 Gretchin, 52 pts
      Runtherd (Squig Hound x1)
   15 Gretchin, 55 pts
      Runtherd (Squig Hound x1)

It seemed as if Buddy knew that Saturday was going to be a Deadbeat Dad Day.  It was tough to leave, but I managed it.

All deployments for this tournament were Dawn of War.

Game 1: Here Begins the Land of Phantoms

Primary: Investigate
Secondary: Purge the Alien
Opponent:  Kendrik's Kabalite Dark Eldar

For "Investigate", you can choose to look at one of the Objectives and roll on a random table for 1 Victory Point.  The table has both negative and positive effects on it.

I rolled Master of Ambush for my Warlord Trait and deployed only my Tankbustas.  Fun fact: I unintentionally cheated.

My infiltration deployment.

I moved up and destroyed one Venom while forcing Kendrick to Jink with almost all the others.  Even though Zhadsnark isn't allowed a Warlord Trait, I think the result would have been the same here, though I was very close.  

The Dark Eldar break open the Tankbustas and send a few Bikers to their maker.  The buggies arrive via outflank.

The Nobz and a squad of bikes set themselves up to assault.

All that's left is the Archon and his Invulnerable Save is broken.

The Tankbustas are wiped out.

The Dark Eldar planes come streaking on, causing some casualties.  The 3+ Jink saves on the Ork Bikers is incredible.

After killing the Archon in the previous turn, the Orks find other juicy targets.

The Orks make very poor work of their assault on the jetbikes.

Om nom nom.

Sorry for the blurry picture, but after causing some Ork casualties, the bikes boost away.  I really wish I could take a third HQ for Da Boyz GT.  I really need another Painboy in this list.

The Dakkajet makes quick work of the Razorwing.

I forget the name of this unit, but it proves to be a really good fight for the Orks until the Power Klaws make it less fair.

I realized halfway through the game that I'd cheated by taking a Warlord Trait; Zhadsnark's "Warlord Trait" is basically the ability to take Bikes as Troops.  When I told Kendrick that he'd won the game, he said that we'd see how close the game was before we made that call.  In the end, we had tied on both primary and secondary objectives. That's as close as it gets, so he agreed to take primary.  The score was still close thanks to tertiary objectives.

Dark Eldar: 8
Orks: 7

Game 2: Symphony of Horror

Primary: On the Prowl (Emperor's Will)
Secondary: Purge the Alien
Opponent:  Jared's Raptors with Lias Issodon and Cypher

For "On the Prowl", we were playing Emperor's Will, but there were two additional tokens with scattered around the board granting buffs and penalties throughout the game.

Jared Infiltrates with his Tactical squads and then Scout moves them forward.  Three squads of Sternguard await in Drop Pods with Cypher and Lias.

I seize the Initiative.

After all three Rhinos are wrecked to the massed Strength 5 shooting, Jared remarks that dropping his Assault Squad and a few other choice items for Coteaz would probably be a good call in this list.  I heartily agree.

The Orks assault the marines, taking allllllll the dangerous terrain tests.

They are largely successful.

The pods arrive, forcing the Orks to Jink.

Jared forms a rather formidable gun line on my right flank with his pods.

I push at it as hard as I can with both my outflankers and my bikes.

The Space Marine Characters are tough... Lias' Shrouded ability is very good indeed.

By the end of the game, however, all of the Space Marines are dead and their vehicles are wrecked.

Orks:  10
Space Marines: 0

Game 3: Blood is Life!  Blood is Life!

Primary: Purge the Alien
Secondary: Night Stalker
Opponent:  Bill's Farsight Enclave

For "Night Stalker", during your turn you nominate 1 unit.  When you wound that unit on a 6, it generates an additional hit.  If that unit is destroyed, you receive a Victory Point.

Three Riptides and a Hammerhead are arrayed across the battlefield.

A single bait 'tide sits on the right flank.

I decide to push and Turbo Boost towards the left flank where the majority of the enemy is.  I choose to simply ignore the Riptide on the right.

I push as close as I can, risking dangerous terrain in order to get a few extra precious inches.  Also, my Dakkajet rolled in and was promptly shot out of the sky by Interceptor fire.

The risk pays off as I hit my first Riptide in assault.  So many dangerous terrain tests.

It comes down to the last blow and all of my units are left swinging in the wind for Bill's shooting phase.

After taking a few casualties, I press the attack on the Hammerhead and the second Riptide.

In the center of the board, a unit pushes towards some deepstriking suits.  I move the Painboy out of one unit and into this one in order to shorten the charge distance.  The Nob Bikers at the center have just rallied from taking damage.  What you're looking at here is a gun line on Bill's left flank which has appeared thanks to Deepstrike.  Since I committed all of my strength on the other side, it's a stretch to make it over here.  Note that Bill mishapped his Commander to death which put a bit of a stain on the results.  

I destroy both the Hammerhead and the other Riptide in assault, but I roll a "3" and then repeat the "3" at the center of the board.  My Painboy's unit is stranded.

I have no idea how the painboy's unit survives this exchange of fire.  Most of the stuff I'm still getting 3+ cover saves, 4+ armor saves and also Feel No Pain on.  The Missile suit squad arrives this turn and wipes out the Nob Bikerz which are not only a formidable unit, but only 3-bikes strong and an easy kill for the secondary objective.

The grots are not intimidated.  They attempt to shoot and assault the Missile unit and fail that assault.  This draws overwatch from two units.

This frees up the Painboy's squad to assault the two damaged suit units at the center-right of the board.

My red-fendered bikes with the Warboss start racing up Bill's backfield.

I make the multi-assault.

I make a critical error in assuming my Boyz can handle the one suit (my "Night Stalker" unit this turn) and kill the other one with the power klaw.  I honestly don't know what I was thinking.  I was so tired by this point.  I wanted to be tied up in combat during Bill's turn, but I had to kill this guy, not the other one.  Bill is now up on the secondary objectives.  Ultimately this mistake will cost me a place in the tournament.

Bill is forced to designate the Gretchin as his Night Stalker unit.  It's a tough decision for him to make, but it is the correct one.  Again, this decision clinches his place in the tournament.

One brave Gretchin survives, but he runs off the board. 

The game did continue for a bit after that, but I was so sore and exhausted that this was the end of the pictures.  In honesty, little mattered at this point.  Even though Bill's missile unit (which is terrifying to my bikes with the AP 4 and Ignores Cover from Markerlights) is able to take out a few more units, I've run so far away to the other side of the table with my more fragile units that I clinch the primary objective.  However, Bill has taken secondary.

This is enough for Bill to take second.  Also, another player scores 1 more Battle Point than me and takes third.

Orks:  8
Tau: 7

Aftermath:

Bikes are More Forgiving on Repositioning

In my game against Bill's Tau, I was far too concerned about being out of position and spread out. Bikes do not suffer from the same kind of difficulties that foot or even armored infantry do.  I could have sent a unit of Bikes and the Nob Bikerz to take care of the Riptide on the right flank and would have been in a great position across the entire field to start taking care of suits when they dropped in.  Instead, I was forced to cross the board horizontally to take out the well-formed deepstrike gun line that the Suits were allowed to create.

Sure Wish I Could Take 2 Detachments

This list really needs a second Painboy on a bike.  Orks really really need extra HQs to be competitive.  The list is fine as it is and I think it will be fun to play, but I'm aching in my heart to be able to take another detachment.

Warbikes Don't Have Grenades

So, I didn't realize this, but regular Ork Bikerz do not have Stikkbomms.  This is rather unbelievable considering Boyz get them.  This is rarely an issue, but against the Tau it was kind of amusing.

Zhadsnark Da Rippa is Rad

What a wonderful unit.  He allows you to bring a themed Ork Bike list in a regular Combined Arms Detachment.  He is a dream in combat with an Initiative 4 Power Klaw, Stikkbomms, and Skilled Rider.  Although he lacks an Invulnerable Save, he is Toughness 6 and as long as I am smart with my target priority, he will do a lot of work for me.  He certainly did during this tournament.

3+ Jink?  Yeeeahhh dawg...

Jinking with Orks is not the same as Jinking with other armies.  Going from BS 2 to BS 1 is a small price to pay for a 3+ save.  That is a fact.  Sure you're going to have some trouble with armies that have dumb ignores cover shenanigans, but with some good target priority and with speed, this isn't insurmountable.  Fact: models die, you just have to do your best to make more of theirs die than yours.

I'm Scared of Eldar

Curtis's Eldar with 3 Wraithknights and all the Waveserpents took first place in this tournament and I never faced him.  Although I always get some kind of save against Waveserpents, the weight of fire is terrifying and the Toughness of those Wraithknights is quite daunting.  I'd love a chance to try this list against his Eldar before Da Boyz in November.

Thanks for reading!