For sixty million years this pyramid of the Mephrit Dynasty has slumbered. All of those interred held in a perfect stasis. They slept in their hidden tomb to outlast their enemy. Time was a great destroyer and they would let its decay rot and remove the Aeldari. Not everything in the pyramid slept however. A host of drones with survival protocols scurried methodically and predictably through the echoing space, following their forever paths. Each had a purpose: maintenance, surveillance and sentry duties. It was a surveillance drone that deviated from their path, a new protocol initiated on the detection of an ancient threat. A unseen and unheard signal caused several maintenance drones to follow it. The revivification began soon after.

++Priority Transmission: Coding/Delta/Rouge++
++Recipient: Inquisitor Calicus Rackham ++
++Subject: New Xenos threat++
++Author: Albinus Davenos – Kill Team Davenos++
++Thought for the Day: Intolerance is a blessing.++

Sir, the excavation of the Aeldari artefact may have inadvertently awoken an old enemy. Brother Azureus has been performing reconnaissance in sector 17.34:28 and has reported a Necron host converging on the excavation site. It is not clear if they originated on Alpha.220, but there have been no reports of Tome ships or Harvest ships in orbit. I can deploy my team to intercept them, but as we do not know how large the threat is, I’m planning to divert the Orks into their path. We will observe and intercede when necessary.

++End++

Spiznik’s eyes caught the flash in the distant sky a moment before he heard the explosion. All of the boyz had heard it too and were already grabbing their weapons. While he loved to make planz, sometimes the only sensible plan was to do what the boyz wanted. A big shiny explosion was impossible for them to resist. Spiznik grabbed da big banna and ran to catch up to them. He’d just have to make this plan up as he went along!

The Game

So, a simple premise… the Imperium and Genestealer Cults have disturbed an Aeldari artefact, this awoke the Necrons and the Deathwatch have diverted some Orks, led by Spiznik da Planna, into their path. Rafal took command of the Necrons and I used by Orks in this 125pt game using the Escalating Conflict mission (P.140 in Elites).

Some highlights:

  • Both Buzzsaw and Rippa pulling off long charges only to fail miserably in combat… allowing the Lychguard to take them out and charge into Grimwaagh!
  • The resilience of the Necrons is impressive, particularly when in cover. On the initial hit they can only be taken out on a 5 in cover!
  • Grimwaagh killing the Lychguard.
  • Spiznik bravely running to seize the objective in the centre in Turn 4, hoping the game would end.
  • My Comms Flash Git was taken over by Mindshackle Scarabs and loosed a volley of fire from his Snazzgun at Spiznik… they all missed!
  • Spiznik sustained only a flesh wound from the shooting of 3 Necrons converging on him.
  • The game ending on Turn 4 and the Orks winning by a single Grot (not Spiznik, he failed his Nerve test!) holding the objective.

So… a narrow victory for the Orks. I needed the game to end when it did. The Necrons were approaching in numbers. Had Rafal been a little luckier with some advance rolls or had the game gone on just one more turn it would have been a different result!

Spiznik’s head was spinning and all he could see was the colour green. That was pretty normal hanging around with Orks, but this green was all glowy. It was the green of the metal robot’s weapons. He knew he was being dragged by his foot, but he wasn’t sure by whom. His head banged on something and he winced. “Shurrup!”, glowered Grimwaagh. Slowly his eyes began to clear and he saw that he was indeed being dragged by the Kaptin, who also had Rippa slung over his shoulder. Buzzsaw was being helped away from the fight by one of the other Flash Gitz. Despite being quite dazed Spiznik knew he needed to say something… something to keep the boyz faith in his leadership. Raising his voice as loudly as he could and raising da big banna, which was still cluched tightly in his hands, he yelled “Victory! Did you see those tin cans flee from the might of Grimwaagh’s Dark Boyz! Nothing can stand in our way.” The boyz bellowed in delight. Spiznik knew that victory was simply a state of mind. His head bounced against the ground again, but he kept quiet… letting the victory sink into the boyz’ minds.

Until next time,

Owen