Prot's Black Legion Batrep: Abaddon vs Orks O' Plenty

[Prot]

Hey guys,

I haven't done one up in a while and this was pretty much a fun game where my opponent took a larger, mixed force of assaulty-ness and I got to experiment with some units I haven't used in 7th and tried to fit Abaddon in the list.

I'll probably skip some boring stuff.

I'm going to start this like one of those movies you see that starts with the ending, and makes you wonder how things went so very, very badly. That leads me to this picture:

+++ Proxy Abaddon has fallen! How could this happen? The Bringers of Despair watch in horror, as an Ork Warboss wails in victory!? A crew of stubby legged, refrigerator wearing Orks cheer on in support. What twist of fate could possible lead to this? +++

++++ The Game, The Set Up, The Opening Carnage. 1850 Points ++++

- First off, I don't know why but my phone camera turns everything red, into a hue of pink. SO imagine the pinks, are a crimson red.... I suspect a Slaanesh ploy to switch everything I have from Khornate, to Pink-ate.

- Orks Army:

2 large shoota squads

2 truck squads

2 Battle Wagons. One with Lootas (very annoying) shooting out of it the entire game. One with Mega armoured nobs and Warboss.

5 copters

2 Dakka Jets

- Black Legion. Hosted by Abaddon, and the Bringers of Disappointment (whoops, did I say that aloud? To the dark gods; surely I jest. )

1 Abaddon, joined by

5 Bringers of Despair, MoN, 2 Plasma Combi, 1 melta combi, axes, powerweapon, fist.

8 Chosen, 2 meltas, fist, axe, champ w/Maul, Rhino (dozer blade and Dirge Caster)

5 Marines, Votlw, Rhino (dozer blade, and dirge caster), Plasma Gun

Helbrute: Helcult formation: Helbrute, Twin Las, Hammer, + 10 man Cultist squads.

Baledrake

3 Oblits, MoN

2x Maulerfiends w/Magmacutters.

+++ Early Game +++

We played Maelstrom as always. We each maintain 3 objective cards per turn, keeping them secret until completion. We deployed lengthwise on the table, which was to the Black Legion advantage *if* I had any real shooting. (Ironically, a Defiler would have had a heyday in this game, but I think I've only used him once in 7th).

I win first turn and deploy:

+++ Along the long Eastern edge, one Mauler fiend and the Chosen Rhino seek cover behind a ruin.+++

+++ The 'typical' Ork deployment. Thoughtless, without tactics, and as close to food as possible. +++ (I only got about half of his army in this picture. On the left side of this picture is my CSM squad, and other Maulerfiend.)

- He scouted some bikes... but could not steal the initiative. The Black Legion held too much in reserve, and debated holding back until reinforcements could arrive.

- The Eastern Maulerfiend could smell blood, and scurried like a beast through the ruins and managed to get first blood on the Ork Copter squad.

+++ A blood curdling victory howl is heard from the frontlines as a Maulerfiend rips the Ork Kopters to shreds. The Maulerfiend was difficult to support, but it is the nature of the beast to lead by the teeth. +++

- In hindsight my opponent said he never would have done that with his kopters if he knew a Maulerfiend could move a foot.... I realize in hindsight (only post game) that I think he was actually asking me if he could 'redo' his move. I would have let him, I always do, except I never realized that was probably what he was asking me.... I was in a blood frenzy. Fist pumping, and throwing his Kopters off the table at the time... so sue me. (Made that last part up... sorta!)

- The Orks advanced, as they always do. The Chosen would creep up the side of the Eastern Ruin trying to support the Maulerfiend gone wild. Other units clung to objectives, executing an excellent first turn, netting me 4 Points (including first blood)

- The Orks were pretty disappointed, but I knew I was drastically outnumbered. He had his big Battlewagon full of 10 Lootas throwing out a ton of shots, and he managed to take 2 hull points off of the Chosen Rhino. They disembarked next turn, anticipating the coming wave of green.

- The Heldrake came in, and just in time. The Ork advance was over-running mid table, and the eilte Black Legion was losing precious numbers. A well placed torrent halted the advance at mid table, giving me some breathing room for Abaddon.

+++ The Helcult enjoyed anonymity. The Orks didn't want to waste time shooting at the Helbrute. This guy got lucky, and penetrated a Battlewagon in turn 1, but it was hull-down and was given a 5+ save which was made by the Orks (that would be the closest all game that I would get to killing the Loota loaded battlewagon!) +++

+++ Mid Game Highlights +++

- The Orks are catching up. The Heldrake continues to flame the green wave advance, but they are breaking into the Western Front. To stop the advance, the 5 marines close the gap, so does the other Maulerfiend.

- The 'first blood' Maulerfiend is still wrecking things. He finishes the kopters, moves on to a truk squad, but realizes the Ork HQ is in a battlewagon. Wisely, the Maulerfiend does not take the bait of the Truk boyz, and instead rushes full tilt into the Battlewagon. Magma-cutters do their thing, blowing the Battlewagon sky high. This gives the Black Legion precious time. The Warboss does not want to delay. His retinue avoids the Maulerfiend as the Truk boyz rush it instead. That battle wages on for a long time, until finally the Maulerfiend is destroyed.

- Finally Abaddon comes in with the Bringers of Despair:

+++ Ideally Abaddon wanted to threaten the back lines of the Ork advancement, however too many greenskins were moving deep into the heart of the Black Legion operation. Abaddon and his retinue performed a precision deepsrtike, without deviation. Even the most block headed of Orks could see the potential devastation here. Nearly the entire Ork force (that had line of sight) unloaded on Abaddon and his Bringers of Despair. Nurgle did protect quite well on this day... from lootas, trukk shots, shoota boyz, etc. But inevitably of 11 wounds, 2 found their way through the ancient armour, leaving Abaddon with a retinue of 3. +++

-In the background you can see the trukk, (which has 10 orks in it) and the Warboss advancing. Without hesitation, the Chosen come through the ruins as well (shown above). Climbing through the wreckage of a rhino to set up a deadly counter assault on the lumbering Warboss.

+++ This battle lasted for an eternity! A skyfire objective was here, and I wanted it... but here, on the Eastern flank a Slaanesh champion and his squad try to assist this Maulerfiend against 24 stubborn Orks that simply refuse to go away. Somehow the Orks kept passing their ridiculous test to keep from running away. Finally the combined effort of the 5 man squad, and the Maulerfiend had killed so many Orks, that the only way the Orks could stay in combat was to roll a '1' on their special chart. He managed to roll that '1' a staggering THREE TURNS IN A ROW. By the Gods of the Warp why do you toy with me so?!?!?!?! My Ork opponent giggled uncontrollably at my frustration. +++

+++ Late Game+++

- The Orks have nearly tied the game. The Black Legion is dwindling. What started as a strong flank attack has fizzled into a drawn out blood bath of wetwork. Neither side gives an inch, but the war of attrition takes its toll. The Black Legion is slowly falling. The advance has come to a halt. Something has to happen... now...

+++ And here we are, back at the beginning. The end game unfolds. Abaddon sensing the urgency of the battle comes down, and takes tremendous fire power. Why weren't the ranged Ork forces weakened? No matter, the death of the Warboss is merely a swing of Drach'nyen away! A MERE... formality.....

+++ The Warboss sees the Warmaster. Hatred pours forth, the cumbersome moving squad hammers into the Bringers of Despair. But they do not falter, they have seen this a million times. With eerie calmness they pour their combi-bolters into the thickly armoured squad, and manage to wound 4 times with overwatch! One previously injured Mega Amoured foe is downed. His companions trample his corpse to clash with the Black Leigon.

+++ A daemonic induced howl tears from Abaddon above the roar of the Orks. The Warboss sees the Warmaster, but does not fear the imposing figure. Abaddon points the tip of the daemon weapon Drach'nyen at the green behemoth, challenging him, wanting to dismantle him in front of his retinue.

+++ The Warboss accepts with the slam of his fist into his breastplate and mighty blows are exchanged. Abaddon tests with feints, and parries. This Warboss provides no challenge greater than any other animal. Bored, and without glory, Abaddon calls upon the hell-wrought fury of Drach'nyen, but the daemon sword starts to buckle. Abaddon, stalled by the violent shaking of the sword is delayed long enough for the Warboss to realize what has happened. ( Yes, Prot has rolled a one!). With no hesitation the Warboss slams multiple blows into Abaddon. No god comes to the aid of the onslaught. The protective field around Abaddon glimmers, but does not repulse the attack. They are laughing. The gods seek to teach Abaddon a tough lesson. He lies mortally wounded. With monumental effort Abaddon signals an emergency teleportation off of the planet.....

+++ A formality of war turns into a reminder of the relationships of men and gods. The mighty Drach'nyen does not respond to the call of the Warmaster. The future has been seen, this will not be a fatal lesson, but a costly one nonetheless.+++

+++ The Bringers of Despair with all their vast experience cannot hide their shock at these events. They leave the battle to the Chosen, who must compose themselves. The Oblits come in just in time to wreck the Mega Armoured Nobs in half with Plasma.

+++ The Chosen move in, and finally overwhelm the Boss and his last remaining retinue but at the cost of half the squad. It is a final, two handed cleave of the axe from a chosen marine that will bring Abaddon the head of this beast.

+++ End Game +++

- After exchanging 'Slay the Warlord' points, the game comes to a halt. We tally the scores. The Orks made up a LOT of ground in the final turns..... I realize I have one objective I can finally accomplish to pull out a narrow win: 11-10 points.

- Sorry for the long post... it got away from me. I realize the ending probably came out pretty melodramatic but it was an ending that typifies my experience withe Daemon Weapons in all of 5th-6th edition. It is an ending I hope doesn't happen again! I hope to come back and hit on things that I felt worked, and did not work.

Thank you for reading this!!!

[incinerator950]

It's nice to see more wins for a change, even narrow ones.

[Tenebris]

The battle hooked me from turn one, it was very much how I experience my Chaos. We can do the job adequately enough but we really struggle to delete enemy units, not just break them, but delete them, kill them to the last model. I also see how the Ork player got undeniably lucky with his rolls for discipline checks. It is my strategy to take on the "new" Orks to assault their leadership and force as many rolls on their break table as possible. This can go very well or very wrong, wrong in your case. Those orks in combat with the Chosen should be broken by the second turn of combat. And the "one" on a daemon weapon, ... priceless, as always. 

[40kChrista]

+++ The Warboss sees the Warmaster. Hatred pours forth, the cumbersome moving squad hammers into the Bringers of Despair. But they do not falter, they have seen this a million times. With eerie calmness they pour their combi-bolters into the thickly armoured squad, and manage to wound 4 times with overwatch! One previously injured Mega Amoured foe is downed. His companions trample his corpse to clash with the Black Leigon.

 

This is stellar right here.  I love the story you've woven into the battle overall, but that is an epic image in my mind.  Thanks!

[Prot]

The battle hooked me from turn one, it was very much how I experience my Chaos. We can do the job adequately enough but we really struggle to delete enemy units, not just break them, but delete them, kill them to the last model. I also see how the Ork player got undeniably lucky with his rolls for discipline checks. It is my strategy to take on the "new" Orks to assault their leadership and force as many rolls on their break table as possible. This can go very well or very wrong, wrong in your case. Those orks in combat with the Chosen should be broken by the second turn of combat. And the "one" on a daemon weapon, ... priceless, as always. 

 

Thank you. That Daemon Weapon... argh. I might as well carry an old 2x4 with a rusty nail hanging out of it. I am so horrible with these weapons it has become legendary. Last edition I used to kill myself with the regularly.

 

Why our codex still features such fickle units/rules when they have removed them from every other codex is beyond me. I'm not complaining, I just wish other 'special' units also could suffer a negative for the positives they received (remember when Blood Angles could have a negative for their blood frenzy rolls? Stuff like that.)

 

And yes, agreed; the inability to fully destroy a unit certainly catches up with me. I look at the Fear tests I actually remembered and he passed a staggering amount of them.

 

 

+++ The Warboss sees the Warmaster. Hatred pours forth, the cumbersome moving squad hammers into the Bringers of Despair. But they do not falter, they have seen this a million times. With eerie calmness they pour their combi-bolters into the thickly armoured squad, and manage to wound 4 times with overwatch! One previously injured Mega Amoured foe is downed. His companions trample his corpse to clash with the Black Leigon.

 

This is stellar right here.  I love the story you've woven into the battle overall, but that is an epic image in my mind.  Thanks!

 

 

 

No, thank you for reading this. Sincerely, it means a lot to me and if the fiction I slap into it amuses even one person, it makes it all worth while. :)

 

There's nothing worse than bugging your opponent for pictures, editing them, uploading, writing out the basics, and having no one read it. So again, thank you for reading this.

[40kChrista]

No problem Prot... I can just see those orks stomping their once standing companion in to the dirt to get to grips with Abby and friends. I laughed at that part.

[incinerator950]

I glimpse story time for most posts. Sorry.

 

Congrats on your win though.

[Prot]

Of course... no worries. I expect it. The fiction is as much for me as anything... it helps me cement my characters going forward. :)

[Sheesh Mode]

Interesting Pro, well done making that win. How are the Bringers of Despair serving you thus far? 

[Midnightmare]

Entertaining read Prot, thanks for sharing. Having watched them in action, them orks certainly don't hang about now do they? Bad luck with Abaddon - I haven't used him much but when I have he has been great (been in Land Raiders for me though) worth persevering though he is a lot of points esp with the 'Bringers of Disappointment' :D

 

EDIT can I just say I love the New missions and tact objectives, really make for fun games

[Iron-Daemon Forge]

 

+++ Proxy Abaddon has fallen! How could this happen? The Bringers of Despair watch in horror, as an Ork Warboss wails in victory!? A crew of stubby legged, refrigerator wearing Orks cheer on in support. What twist of fate could possible lead to this? +++

 

 

I though I felt a disturbance in the hobby.....!!

 

It is always great to see your Battle report Prot.  Be great to see many report on the long war from youself.  I rememeber you done a battle report log on here which was always great read :D

 

Also are you getting Talon's of Horus?  Sadily I've not gotten the first ed copy, but I'm looking forward to buying my copy in a few week time (20th Sept?).  One of the few novels I don't want to read/go looking for any spolier, but really looking forward to the novel.

I'd like to go back & get a Black Legion army started, my second army in 40k when I started almost 18 year ago!!

 

IP

[Slayer le Boucher]

Thats something that irtks me to no end.

 

in 3rd Ed Drachnyen had a special power; you make one attack, the target is ID'ed, then he did loose this, but because he fought for so mong with the blade, Abby din't have to make a test to see if the swords rebel.

 

Now, while its nice to hjave +D6 A, its not that great of a weapon me thinks...

 

There should be more to it, something like" targets loses D3 Wounds instead of 1" or something, or that you rethrow all to hit and to wound dices...

 

But i liked your Batrep.

[Prot]

Interesting Pro, well done making that win. How are the Bringers of Despair serving you thus far?

Meh. With the Abaddon tax alone she is a hard pill to swallow. But pure effectiveness is very hard to judge considering how badly I played them. That being said, the points cost (as with everything Chaos) is just way too high... but they have a 'fun factor' potential for certain.

Entertaining read Prot, thanks for sharing. Having watched them in action, them orks certainly don't hang about now do they? Bad luck with Abaddon - I haven't used him much but when I have he has been great (been in Land Raiders for me though) worth persevering though he is a lot of points esp with the 'Bringers of Disappointment'

EDIT can I just say I love the New missions and tact objectives, really make for fun games

The idea of slamming big Abe in a landraider did occur to me but the points cost, on top of his BoD is insane.... so I have an alternate list where he rides with Chosen which have a mixed role very much like the loadout I took in this game.

Maelstrom indeed saves 40K for me. It's added a strategic element that changes entirely how the game is played, and more importantly, won. I love it and actually don't play 'normal' games anymore... I find them too boring.

+++ Proxy Abaddon has fallen! How could this happen? The Bringers of Despair watch in horror, as an Ork Warboss wails in victory!? A crew of stubby legged, refrigerator wearing Orks cheer on in support. What twist of fate could possible lead to this? +++

I though I felt a disturbance in the hobby.....!!

It is always great to see your Battle report Prot. Be great to see many report on the long war from youself. I rememeber you done a battle report log on here which was always great read

Also are you getting Talon's of Horus? Sadily I've not gotten the first ed copy, but I'm looking forward to buying my copy in a few week time (20th Sept?). One of the few novels I don't want to read/go looking for any spolier, but really looking forward to the novel.

I'd like to go back & get a Black Legion army started, my second army in 40k when I started almost 18 year ago!!

IP

Haha! The Long War Batreps start now! Wins or losses... I will try to record the odd game now and then. :) Thank you for reading.

Yes, I am getting Talon of Horus. I did not think I was in on the pre-order as the website seemed to kick me in the warp cluster everytime I looked in my 'shopping cart' I got a different view.... finally I got a notification that my pre-order shipped so I assume it went through!

This is much better than Aurellian which I had severe website issues with. But still, I think I was minutes, if not seconds away from not getting a copy at all. I almost hate this pre-order business for this reason.... I want the damn stuff at its earliest!

Thats something that irtks me to no end.

in 3rd Ed Drachnyen had a special power; you make one attack, the target is ID'ed, then he did loose this, but because he fought for so mong with the blade, Abby din't have to make a test to see if the swords rebel.

Now, while its nice to hjave +D6 A, its not that great of a weapon me thinks...

There should be more to it, something like" targets loses D3 Wounds instead of 1" or something, or that you rethrow all to hit and to wound dices...

But i liked your Batrep.

Agreed. I will not get into a 'Chaos sucks' kind of discussion (not that I think that's what you're saying) but I totally agree. To put Drach'nyen into the same category as a Daemon weapon held by some wannabe goofball that has only lived 500 years is preposterous! Abaddon's 'daemon weapon' should not be of the same ilk. It is far more than that... yet here I am, hitting myself in the head with it. D'oh

Thanks very much for reading the batrep.

[brother_contagion]

Nice job on the demon weapon! ;P I had my Demon Prince with the Spine Shiver Blade and one wound left charge a 5 man unit of Marines who he was about to slaughter, but then the blade impales him and he dies a VERY ingorious death! Haha

[Prot]

Sorry I missed this comment... but yea, I've had it with the Daemon weapons. I can't tell you over the years how many times I have actually pooched a game as a result of putting my Lord in a pivotal moment only to have him epically fail at the moment of truth.

 

I really hate that mechanism because while it's 'fluffy' over the years GW have taken out drawbacks from most (if not all now that I think of it) from codexes except chaos. We still have a good sprinkling of it..... I'd like to see the marines 'machine spirit' on roll of a '1' start to spew oil all over the ground and grind to halt. Or go back to the flaky geneseed of Blood Angels results in the odd madman....

 

Plus as mentioned, why on the sweat soaked throne of Terra is Abaddon still prone to the daemon weapon laws of lesser men?

[incinerator950]

Because he's no different to an army book that grandfathers most of its entries and does a poor job of conveying anything new besides robots and unicorns.

[Iron-Daemon Forge]

Sorry I missed this comment... but yea, I've had it with the Daemon weapons. I can't tell you over the years how many times I have actually pooched a game as a result of putting my Lord in a pivotal moment only to have him epically fail at the moment of truth.

 

I really hate that mechanism because while it's 'fluffy' over the years GW have taken out drawbacks from most (if not all now that I think of it) from codexes except chaos. We still have a good sprinkling of it..... I'd like to see the marines 'machine spirit' on roll of a '1' start to spew oil all over the ground and grind to halt. Or go back to the flaky geneseed of Blood Angels results in the odd madman....

 

Plus as mentioned, why on the sweat soaked throne of Terra is Abaddon still prone to the daemon weapon laws of lesser men?

 

I know how you feel Prot.

 

A while back, my Iron Warrior Lord - Narach.  Was in combat against a Writhknight, his unit just wipe out.  I was doing pretty well, ether the Knight failed to hit & wound in one round combat, or the other I made my Inv saves.  The Axe of Blind fury mange to do really well, take the Knight down to 1 wound.  So the third round of combat, you think this is possible & be cool for the Lord to take down the Writhknight, after reading Angel Exterminatus novel for the Heresy.

 

Roll that dice, was about to land on a 5 - only end up landing funny on a bit of terrain.  Re-roll it........it a 1!!!  All down hill from there & my Lord was slay in close combat.

 

There been a lot more.  I've had a game where I've loss him just to the 1's in combat.  Back 2006 during 4th ed, mange to slaughter 500pts worth of Guards & the only wounds suffer where because of the Daemonic weapon which saw him remove from the game.

 

But I like take Daemonic weapon for my HQ & have to take the risk.

 

IP