Wimped Out Wolves
Overlord Menekh led a 1498 strong force accompanying space wolf elements sent by the Imperium of man to deny the ruined city of Calacam on Veopolir Prime to an ork attack, inexplicably supported by Tau.
He led a squad of warriors on the right flank holding one objective, screened by a force of immortals. In reserve, the Night Scythe NNV Deadly Carrier with a cryptek and deathmarks aboard, plus the Doom Scythe NNV Final Judgement. Also on the right, five destroyers with three heavy destroyers in the rear and the Annihilation Barge NNV Spirited Defence in the centre.
On the left the space wolves deployed a similar sized force including their wolf cavalry, a transport and a dreadnaught. In the rear they held a second objective and on the right their warlord led another squad. They had terminators on the left and deployed their drop pod there with another squad as we seized the initiative.
Tau infiltrators had occupied three buildings in the centre and Tau transports held two objectives of their own. Ork Kommandos and large squads of boyz attacked on our left, two more boyz squads surged toward our forces on the other flank. Some of these squads were up to thirty strong.
Tau broadsides occupied two bastions whilst our destroyers moved to occupy another. Our armies opened fire on Tau infiltrators that had crept forward to occupy three more ruins in the centre.
The enemy advanced generally, a heavy support unit of orcs in another bastion opening fire, mercifully inaccurately, concentrating on our immortals, we meanwhile wiped out the nearest infiltrators on our flank for first blood, but the marines on the left were already under assault. The wolf lord began to advance slowly whilst our troops held their ground as the orcs poured forward.
The Spirited Defence moved up too but it was a slow burn on the right though two of our destroyers and three immortals were picked off from long range. On the left meanwhile, the assaulting wolves from the drop pod were destroyed followed by the drop pod. In assault the dreadnaught and wolves eventually fell and the wolves’ transport was knocked out.
Our heavy destroyers moving up came under long range fire but survived whilst the three destroyers moved toward the centre as one of the large orc units had altered course in that direction. The wolves picked off two advancing battle suits accompanying them leaving the third huddled in cover.
Our forces concentrated on the right were now joined by our reserves, first the Deadly Carrier and then the Final Judgement, both of which had to make up considerable ground to enter the fray having been delayed. The Night Scythe, having narrowly avoided destruction from Tau skyfire beamed down its deadly cargo and the fire of the Deadly Carrier, our troops and most deadly of all the disembarked deathmark squad devastated the orc left leaving just two commanders and two boyz.
Space wolf assaults had been shaky early on, and now the orc boyz were equally poor. Our overwatch fire finished off the boyz on the right and our destroyers and heavy destroyers inflicted losses on the centre boyz and the orc choppas supporting their right. The choppas, hit by us and marine fire broke and fled, failing to rally. The Deadly Carrier having discharged its passengers exploded under Tau fire and the action broke off.
The enemy held two objectives, we one with wolf troops at the rear and we had secured first blood. The enemy had lost three units in total, two orc and one Tau, whilst the wolves had suffered badly losing five including their two vehicles and dreadnaught. The loss of our Night Scythe made it twelve seven overall.
The wolves had two fully intact units including their commander who had skulked in the rear. Our doom scythe was too late to even engage as well and many of our units were not able to engage fully throughout because of range, position, early poor visibility or enemy in cover. The large battle area in particular had prevented fiercer fighting; on the left where it was heavy the wolves had come off worst, blaming lack of Necron support whilst ignoring their own commander’s cowardice.
Our losses were a handful of immortals and destroyers plus the Deadly carrier, which amounted to 231, around 15% of the force committed. A longer engagement might have seen us engage more fully and alter the objective situation, but equally the choppas might have rallied and many Tau units remained uncommitted and undamaged in strong positions so a longer struggle was no guarantee of us recovering the position.
22.6.13
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