The Horror of Mental Onslaught and the Perils of Overextending Your Thrust

Once upon an imaginary time two armies of aliens set about destroying each other. The resulting carnage was observed by Imperial surveillance servitors and the results were broadcast to the masses to emphasize the superiority of humanity. The resulting document has since made it's way into the Tactica Imperia pamphlet entitled 'how to kill an alien'. 

The Evil Aliens
Brigade Detachment
Cult Creed: Cult of the Four-Armed Emperor
Stratagem: Broodcoven [-1CP]

HQ 
Jackal Alphus Mary
Magus Incivius: Familiar, Power: Mass Hypnosis, Power: Mind Control, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Inscrutable Cunning
Patriarch Parachoix: Amulet of the Voidwyrm, Familiar, Power: Mental Onslaught, Power: Might From Beyond, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Shadow Stalker
Primus Shurk: Bonesword, Warlord, Warlord Trait: Alien Majesty
Troops
Acolyte Hybrids: Cult Icon. 6x Acolyte Hybrid. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Demolition Charge. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Drill. Acolyte Leader: Autopistol, Cultist Knife
Acolyte Hybrids: Cult Icon. 6x Acolyte Hybrid. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Saw. Acolyte Hybrid (Heavy Weapon): Autopistol, Heavy Rock Cutter. Acolyte Leader: Autopistol, Cultist Knife
Brood Brothers Infantry Squad: 9x Brood Brother, Brood Brothers Leader
Brood Brothers Infantry Squad: 9x Brood Brother, Brood Brothers Leader
Neophyte Hybrids: Cult Icon, 10x Neophyte Hybrid. Neophyte Hybrid (Grenade): Grenade Launcher
. 2x Neophyte Hybrid: 2x Mining Laser. Neophyte Hybrid (Webber): Webber. Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol
Neophyte Hybrids: 9x Neophyte Hybrid. 2x Neophyte Hybrid (Grenade): 2x Grenade Launcher
. Neophyte Hybrid: Mining Laser. Neophyte Hybrid: Seismic Cannon. Neophyte Leader: Autogun, Autopistol
Elites
Aberrants. 3x Aberrant (Hammer): 3x Heavy Power Hammer. 4x Aberrant (Pick): 4x Power Pick. Aberrant Hypermorph (Improvised): Heavy Improvised Weapon
Clamavus
Purestrain Genestealers: 10x Purestrain Genestealer
Fast Attack
Achilles Ridgerunners. Achilles Ridgerunner: Flare Launcher, Heavy Mining Laser, 2x Heavy Stubber
Achilles Ridgerunners. Achilles Ridgerunner: Flare Launcher, Heavy Mining Laser, 2x Heavy Stubber
Atalan Jackals. Atalan Jackal: Demolition Charge, Shotgun. Atalan Jackal: Demolition Charge, Shotgun. Atalan Jackal: Demolition Charge, Grenade Launcher. Atalan Leader: Demolition Charge, Power axe. Atalan Wolfquad: Atalan Incinerator, Shotgun
Heavy Support 
Brood Brothers Heavy Weapons Squad. 3x Brood Brothers Weapons Team: 3x Heavy Bolter
Brood Brothers Heavy Weapons Squad. 3x Brood Brothers Weapons Team: 3x Mortar
Goliath Rockgrinder: Cache of Demolition Charges, Clearance Incinerator, Heavy Stubber
 Total: [101 PL, 14CP, 1750pts]

The Other Evil Aliens

Spearhead Detachment 

Clan Kultur: Bad Moons

Specialist Detachment: Dread Waaaagh!

HQ

Big Mek W/ Shokk Attack Gun: Da Souped-up Shokka, Grot Oiler, Kunnin but Brutal, Shokk Attack Gun, Warlord

Heavy Support 
Killa Kans. Killa Kan: Big Shoota, Kan Klaw. Killa Kan: Grotzooka, Kan Klaw. Killa Kan: Kan Klaw, Rokkit Launcha

Lootas: 8x Loota

Morkanaut: Kustom Force Field, Kustom Mega-blasta, Kustom Mega-zappa, 2x Rokkit Launcha, 2x Twin Big Shoota

 Battalion Detachment 

Clan Kultur: Goffs

HQ

Warboss: Kustom Shoota, Power Klaw

Weirdboy: 2. Warpath, 3. Da Jump, Warphead

Troops

Boyz: 3x Tankbusta Bombs. Boss Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga. 29x Ork Boy W/ Slugga & Choppa

Boyz : 3x Tankbusta Bombs. Boss Nob: Power Klaw, Slugga. 29x Ork Boy W/ Slugga & hoppa

Boyz : Tankbusta Bombs. Boss Nob: Big Choppa, Kombi-Rokkit. Ork Boy W/ 'Eavy Weapon: Big Shoota. Ork Boy W/ 'Eavy Weapon: Big Shoota. 17x Ork Boy W/ Shoota

Heavy Support

Battlewagon: 4x Big Shoota, Deff Rolla, Grot Riggers, Kannon, Lobba, Stickbomb Chucka

Deff Dread. Deff Dread: Dread Klaw, Dread Klaw, Dread Saw, Skorcha

Total: [83 PL, -2CP, 1746pts]

Set Up etc...

GSC set up.

Ork set up.

As usual the Orks get a lot of bang for their buck. Loads of infantry with some big choppy Dreads and some horrible weapons to boot. Of particular concern to me was the Morkanaut, having tussled with this machine before I didn't much enjoy it as when I finally killed it, the bloody thing blew up causing massive carnage afterwards. I had a plan to severely weaken it. It was thus; Jackal Alphus Mary would give +1 to hit on any or all heavy weapons that would initially target the Mokanaut. I would also (if possible) Mental Onslaught it at every opportunity as it has a relatively low leadership. Of course all the while my small arms fire would plink away at Dylan's army and my close combat troops would kill his. Simples. As I won the roll for deployment type I went for spearhead assault as it narrows the field and gives me the possibility of a first turn charge if I roll right. This would be assisted by the Clamavus, he gives all cult troops +1 to advance and charge rolls so as Purestrains and the Patriarch can advance and charge in the same turn it gave me a pretty good chance of getting stuck in quickly. Of course the GSC set up rules meant if Dylan goes first I don't have to set up my Patriarch at the tip of the spear - more like an interested bystander near the back if the Orks go first. the pictures above show both deployments, Dylan went for the Dreadmob in the centre with a Ork Boyz and Weirdboy ready to Da Jump  the gitz around the place. Also at the Ork rear was a Shokk Attack Gun and the Lootas. As it turned out I had to set up first, this really isn't a problem for models with Cult Ambush  so I placed 4 blips near the point of the spearhead assault deployment zone and if Dylan seized initiative I would put three a unit or two of crap to get shot up otherwise I'd attack with my strongest centre. I cannot recall the scenario but by careful studying of the table there seems to be 5 objectives with one in the dead centre. As we both forgot to attempt whatever was required in the scenario and just went for standard unimaginative vp's it really has no actual bearing on the game. Due to this fact however I have since started making notes of scenarios.

The Game

The glorious freedom fighters advance to shatter the yoke of Imperial aggression, not finding any Imperial aggressors the Orky aggressors will do.

As Dylan failed to steal initiative I attempted to enact my dastardly plan. I made sure I hadn't left any gaps in my backfield and advanced up with the Purestrains, Patriarch, Clamavus and Aberrants - I say aberrants but they did slightly more than arthritic shuffle towards the enemy. I moved the Ridgerunners to get line of sight on the Morkanaut and advanced the Rockgrinder up on the other flank. Then came the psychic phase. As the plan revolved around Mental Onslaughting the biggest threat I plumped for the Morkanaut. It must be said that although I think the power looks great on paper I was pretty sure it was a bit of a turkey as my previous games had yielded only one or two mortal wounds. That was until I found the ideal target - an Ork Morkanaut. It is a pretty tough contraption but has a lousy leadership of I think 7. The Patriarch has a Ld of 10 plus the Clamavus was standing next to him playing some techno metal riling him up and thus adding +1 to his total. The following attack was as one sided as Arya Stark's first fight against the Waif in Game of Thrones. Like a mime artist trying to swat tiny imaginary flies the Morkanaut took a beating, in fact the beating was so successful I mind nuked it in one turn. It must be said that this battle was fought before a victim of mental onslaught could end the power if they rolled a six, I'm sure at some point Dylan did but not when he was in a position to beat my score. So it was with slight embarrassment I one-shotted the Morkanaut to death. The only thing that would have made it worse for Dylan would have been it blowing up. Unfortunately for me it didn't.

Having wrecked the Morkanaut with his mind Patriarch Parachoix feels nigh on invulnerable! How long will it last?

So Invulnerable that he doesn't feel the need to have his Purestrain bodyguard with him at least.

The shooting phase was less spectacular as one of my other cunning stunts was to use the mining lasers aided and abetted by Mary the Jackal Alphus to destroy the Morkanaut, as this was unnecessary they shot up something else but with less enthusiasm. Then came the assault portion of the first turn. My Patriarch gave the mental command kill the invaders and then charged into the Deffdredd. Sadly the racket the Clamavus was making with his portable PA system completely drowned out the order and they failed to charge, supporting their dad. Other more tactical bods may be commenting something like "foolish man, you charge in with the Purestrains first making sure they can protect the warlord", while this is correct, I had given my Patriarch the Amulet Of The Voidwyrm meaning no one can overwatch him. So the upshot of the phase was Patriarch Parachoix went in to possible doom supported by fuck all troops willing to throw themselves into the snippy rotating Orky blades of death. So my initial confidence was further dented by my alien killing machine failing to kill the other alien killing machine. The only saving grace was the the warlord trait shadowstalker gave him a further -1 to hit so no damage done. So after a dramatic first turn my warlord was also in a vary precarious position.

The rest of the army shout words of encouragement to their boss, stuff like "You got this!" and "You da xenos!" in heavily accented alien voices. 

Dylan took a dim view of the Morkanaut incident. I used a filter to make him look less sad. 

Dylan's turn was pretty effective with his Killer Kans and Battlewagon moving around the building to engage the purestrains. Leaving the Deffdread to duke it out with my Patriarch. I had sort of anticipated this and that was why I had scooted up the Rockgrinder to (hopefully) give the Battlewagon a badoinking next turn. This was not to be as the Orks were very effective at destroying it in the shooting phase! Once again the internet was wrong, Orks can shoot! 

  

My piebald purestrains offer moral support, if nothing else to their grandsire in the distance. they should probably be more concerned for themselves really.

As you can see there are nowhere near as many genestealers in this pic. The Aberrants got a bit thinned out too! The Clamavus is probably oblivious cranking out tunes on his mixing table.

So as you can probably guess from the previous two picture the Killer Kans charged into the purestrains and the Battlewagon went for the Aberrants. Both combats went not well*. On the plus side the Patriarch mushed the Deffdread. What isn't pictured is a unit of boyz Da Jumped themselves quite close to the GSC centre (over 9" anyway) and then fail their charge roll and reroll. So at the end of turn one The game was finely poised as we both had gotten First Blood in our respective turns but not much else.

The next turn had my Patriarch out on his own as the nearest model to most of the Ork gun line. Orks are said to be unable to shot for toffee but my wrecked Rockgrinder would disagree. So Parachoix skedaddled back towards the safety of his gullible family and as further insurance two units of hybrids were placed to intercept the Ork Boyz that had appeared out of nowhere last turn. There was also a panicked sprint of a unit of Brood Brothers who job was to get within 3" of some of their betters (in this case the Clamavus) as I had left too many troops in my backfield twiddling their gnarly thumbs. I also sent the Jackals to create another barrier from anyone (like that big unit of Orks) from assaulting and killing my warlord. After his initial psychic phase Parachoix was a bit shagged out and failed to do any more wrecking of Ork stuff. Shooting destroyed the Battlewagon and out popped a load of Boyz! They then pulled some stunt that gave them +1 to their armour - very dodge! In the assault phase a unit of Brood Brothers and Hybrids charged separate units of Boyz. The Hybrids were nearly wiped out by 30 Ork Boyz hitting on 6's then getting another shot due to the Dakka Dakka rule and the  Brood Brothers did a little better. I figured the safest place for the Grandsire of the cult, was nestled in the bosoms of the Killer Kanz so he assaulted them. The close combat phase was where the Hybrids got wiped out but by some miracle the Brood Brothers survived**. The Patriarch wrecked one Killer Kan and damaged another for no damage in return.

At this point Ork Boyz advance towards the Patriarch, probably intent on horseplay, with a 20% chance of 'acting the maggot'. Also visible are some out of breath hybrids all vying for the privilege of 'taking one for the Patriarch'.

In a bizarre twist, three Brood Brothers are confused by the fact they are seeing a second round of combat. The Clamavus looks on in amazement and the Ork Boyz in question feel ashamed.

So a summation of Dylan's turn would be his Orks who got out of the Battlewagon fought my Brood Brothers for another turn. The Ork boyz who have killed the Hybrids, shot at them assaulted the Jackals, wiping them out. They then consolidated towards the Patriarch. The Weirdboy then ran towards the other Ork unit who were now advancing towards the centre of the battlefield. Shooting was not as lethal as last turn (thankfully).  By this time it was midnight so we called the game there. Mainly due to me getting there a bit late and a unexpected visitor***. So we totted up the scores and it was 3-2 to the bug eyed aliens. Had we played for the actual mission VPs it may have been a different result.

Final Score; 3-2.

Reflections On The Game

As this game was played some months ago and I take no notes there is little I can say about the game with clarity. A lot of summations from my hazy memories is that I pelted forward with my strike team, amazed myself with the destruction of the Morkanaut in the first turn and very nearly swept through the Ork centre and tabled Dylan early. Nearly. Had the laggard Genestealer Purestrains kept up with their Patriarch this might have happened. Also had the Rockgrinder got a second turn it may well have done great things. I don't see many pics of either the Magus or the Primus so I think I did fuck all with them. The Jackal Alphus babysat the two Achilles Ridgerunners so some of the most mobile units in my army sat around hoping to shoot tanks when they had to content with shooting mining lasers into Ork infantry. Of course had time allowed another two or three turns I may have had a better idea of my armies anti Ork capabilities. Of course Dylan was as always an awkward opponent and took the early setback of losing a 400ish**** point model to a spell very well. Other opponents (less mentally stable*****) may have thrown a wobbly, but this was not the case. He came back with that god awful Da Jump to threaten my squishy infantry and pulled a couple of stunts from the Ork codex. So in summary, I marginally got more points in a game where we didn't attempt to achieve (or remember to attempt to achieve) our mission objectives. Great fun though. 

* So not well that both units were destroyed.

** some of them anyway.
*** this was not like the one in the Hobbit, more like a neighbour popping round to have a cup of tea.
****Dunno really, I could go and check but I will keep it vague so the GW C & C mafia don't get me.

*****As a former GW employee I have seen some outrageous tantrums by teenage and supposed adults when dice or the opponent outmaneuvered them. These are generally short lived but I have seen models thrown, thankfully no one died.

Thanks for reading.