So, Graham and I fought a second battle, again, Orks vs
Orks. We rolled a random mission and
ended up with the “Bombing Mission”. I recorded this mission as well, but the
sound and video was so bad (due to us and interruptions, not the camera), I won’t
ever post it. Pictures will be of the Screen Grabs.
My mission objective was to destroy 3 objectives, each with 4 Structure Points. I would get 5VP for every Structure Point the objectives lost, and could only win if all 3 were destroyed. As well I received VPs for the standard shooting down/destroying enemy assets. I was required to take at least 1 plane with Air-To-Ground weapons (Duh!).
I chose:
- 4 X Fighta Bommers:
each with 2 sets of Wing Bomms - Eavy Bommer:
Also with 2 Wing Bomms, plus Extra Armor - Grot Bommer:
only carrying the default 2 Grot Bomms, plus Extra Armor
Graham, playing defender had to take at LEAST 1 Ground Defence
and 1 Fighter. He had to setup the 3 Objectives 9 hexes away from his
deployment zone and within 3 hexes of each other. His objective, Keep me from
blowing up the objectives and shoot me down! Besides VPs for my aircraft,
Graham received an extra 5VP for every Structure Point remaining on the
Objectives.
Graham’s forces consisted of:
- 4 X Fighta Bommers:
each with 2 sets of Rokkits - 4X Flak Platform:
Light AA – lots of shots, light damage potential) - 2 X ‘Eavy Flak Kannon:
Not so many shots, but easier to cause damage
I think Graham was limited by the number of Ground Defence
we actually had available: He used up everything available in the accessories
box that the box came with.
Graham setup everything in a single row of hexes, the bases
set up 3 hexes from the next hes and a gun platform on either side, so it was a
continuous like of Flak and Objectives.The 2 ‘Eavy Flak Cannons were setup on
the inside edge of each outside objectives, allowing large area of coverage
with the heavy weapons.
Turn 1:
So forces deployed, my bombing force moved forward at Height
2 (that would haunt me later). Grahams forces moved forward as well, however,
all our aircraft were too far away to shoot at each other.
Then I realized my mistake.
By staying at Height 2, I forgot I wouldn’t be able to attack the
objectives with my guns as I was too high up.
Worse, Ihad thought I would be out-of-range for his Light flak, but wasn’t.
Ork Light flak is good up to Height 2 without penalty. I should have taken the
Fighta Bommers in at Height 3. All I was able to do was launch a Grot Bomm from
the Grott Bommer. Then I waited for the
dice rolls as the Fighta Bommers were mostly in Medium Range…
When the smoke cleared, I was lucky. Only one Fighta Bommer
was hit and shot down, another was damaged.
I wouldn’t be so lucky next turn when I entered Short Range!
My Grot Bomb then moved and landed by one of the objectives.
However, Autonomous Weapons have no rules for attacking ground targets! Du-OH!!!
Turn 2:
Graham won initiative and elected to go 1st.
The ‘Eavy Bommer and Grot Bommer continued forward. This “wasted”
a couple of Graham’s Fighta Bommer moves as he couldn’t “catch” my Fighta
Bommers as I moved them last. So Graham’s first 2 Fighta Bommers zeroed in on
my Grot Bommer who flew slightly ahead of the ‘Eavy Bommer. In the end, I think
he got fixated as all the Fighta Bommers had tried to get an angle on the Grot
Bommer in the end.
My Fighta Bommers‘ dove to Level 1 and then their formation split.
Two over-flew the outside Objective on my left and one over-flew the middle
Objective. At Bombing height 1, not only
was there no penalty, there was a bonus! I would be hitting on 4’s instead of 5’s
with my bombs!
In the Shooting phase, one of Graham’s Flak Platforms tried to shoot down the damaged Fighta Bommer before he could drop bombs, but failed. The Pilot emptied his racks of all ordinance, destroying the leftmost Objective!
(At this point, I forgot that Bombs can do damage to adjacent hexes. This was another
error on my part that would haunt me).
The other Fighta Bommer dropped its bombs on the ‘Eavy Flak
Kannon and destroyed it as well for another 2 VPs.
One of the Flak Batteries tried to shoot down the Fighta
Bommer that over-flew the Center Objective, but failed to damage the
Bommer. The Fighta Boomer dropped its
payload and (JUST) destroyed the Centre Objective! 2 down, 1 to go!
For the next bit, aircraft were shooting back and forth at
each other. One of Graham’s Fighta Bommers damaged my Fighta Bommer that
destroyed the centre Objective, while another damaged my Grot Bommer. My Grot
Bommer managed to damage one of Graham’s Fighta Bommers.
Finally, the Grot Bomm that was launched landed beside the
leftmost Fighta Bommer. It successfully hit and caused 2 points of damage!
Turn 3:
I got initiative this turn and elected to move and shoot
first.
The Eavy Bomber shot down the damaged Fighta Bommer on it’s
Port side and damaged another Fighta Bommer on the Starboard side!Graham’s
Fighta Bommer unleashed all it’s Guns and Rokkets at the Eavy Bommer in
retaliation. As usual, Graham Missed…
Graham did manage to shoot down another Fighta Bommer.
At this point my Camera died. I did start it again, but the damage was
done. My battery was drained from recording over 5 hours of video.
By the end of Turn 5, I lost my Eavy Bommer before it could
drop its payload on the final Objective, so I was down to damaging the last
objective by strafing the target.
Turn 6, all my remaining aircraft were shot down either by
Flak or Fighta Bommers as all my flight paths were obvious and low (Level 1).
Graham Wins!
170 points (150 + 20(4 X 5VP for the last objective))
To
99 points. (40 (8 X 5VP) + 7 (1 Flak Kannon) + 52 (2 X
FightaBommer with Extras)
Even if I HAD destroyed the last objective, I would have
lost on points as the difference was 71 points and the change would have only
been 40 (-20 for him, +20 for me)
Excellent game!
After Action Report:
Everything I did right last missing, I forgot on this
mission.
- I should have started at Altitude 3, not 2, and stayed there
until ready to Bomb/Strafe.Almost half Graham’s attacking dice came from the 4 Flak Platforms. At Alt 3,
he would need 6’s instead of 5’s t hit me. If I had started at 4, they wouldn’t
have been able to hit me at all until I dove down lower!
- Once I realized that, I kept the Eavy & Grott Bommers at
Alt 2. They took at least 1 more turn under fire that they didn’t need to. Due
to their speed, it would have taken 2 turns to drop from Alt. 3 to Alt 1, but the first
turn would still have required 6’s to hit with the Flak Platforms.
- I got Fixated on the Objectives and didn’t pay enough attention to the Ground Defenses. Over half the damage to the Heavy Bommers was caused by Ground Defenses as well as a significant amount of damage to my Fighta Bommers. My Fighta Bommers could have done extra damage when they dropped their bombs (which I completely forgot) and then I went after Graham’s Fighta Bommers instead of concentrating on the Ground Defences protecting the last Objective. Though, to be fair, all the Ground Defences had range to protect the last objective. I was so fixated on the Objectives, I only ever destroyed 1 Defence position, and only because I had no other target after 2 of my Fighta Bommer overflew an objective and the 1st plane took it out! I could have dropped a single set of wing bombes on one defence and then dropped the other set on another defence.
The only other thing I think I would have changed was to
take 2 Eavy Bommers and drop the Grott Bommer. I didn’t because I was working
off a limited pre-defined squadron list that I had created and I only had 1 of
each type due to point limitations. My other option would have been to replace
the Grott Bommer with another loaded Fighta Bommer or possibly a Dakajet or
two, all depending on how I shuffled the points.
Graham knew to concentrate his aircraft on my Heavy Fliers once my Fighta Bommers dropped their bombs – they weren’t as big a threat anymore. He certainly played a better game than I did and it payed off. In spite of his dice!
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