Combat Patrol: Fourth of July, Merka heck yeah!

Merkans ready to deploy.

Yesterday on the Fourth of July I attended a small Combat Patrol style event.  Given that it was the Fourth, I figured that the only choice to bring were the Merkan 76th.  I brought a platoon with two grenade launchers in the command squad, two infantry squads with plasma guns and autocannons, a vet squad with three plasma guns and a Chimera, an armored sentinel with plasma cannon, and an underpriced Wyvern.  Sonofsonsoftaurus also came along and served as Commissar, exhorting me to glory and recommending the more aggressive course of action whenever I was undecided.

Ork closeup

The full Ork army

The insidious Dark Eldar

We also had Necrons and Space Wolves.

My first game was against McCoy's Orks.  My guardsmen were trembling at the thought of lobbas and Skorchas.

The mission had three objectives, with a bonus point for linebreaker.  I mostly set up defensively, but gunned the veterans forward in their Chimera towards the lobba's position, hoping to take them out before they did too much damage.  On my left, the painboy-led Ork mob advanced behind a gretchin screen.

On another table, Dark Eldar and Space Wolves clash.

My barrage attempts to snipe out the painboy fail, but the nob is killed.  Though weakened by incoming fire, the orks continue to advance.

Gretchin morale was poor this game.  They broke under fire with a 12, rallied, then broke again on another 12 and ran off the table with a third 12.  Oog.  But as is the point of gretchin, every shot fired at them was a shot not fired at the orks.

The lobba position.

Merkans fall back away from choppas while other guns pour fire into the orks.

Veterans disembark and fire into the lobbas, to little effect.

The vets take casualties, but continue the advance, preparing to assault the artillery position.

Merkans pivot away from the orks and position to move on the objectives.

Vets consolidate back towards their ride after dispatching the gretchin gunners and spiking the guns, but aren't able to embark before Skorchas arrive and immolate them.

Age of Sigmar is coming!  So these WHFB players got a game of Kings of War in. 

Sentinel realizes that the ork nob with powerclaw died long ago, and fearlessly advances into the remaining orks.  Merkans move up on objectives and try to finish off the Skorchas.

Imperial Guard victory!  On to game two!

Against Bowen's Dark Eldar.  A Ravager slides into firing position.

Jetbikes wait to pounce.  Turn one they turboboost across the table next to my central ruin position.

Dumping everything I had at the bikers, I kill all but one with shooting, and the command squad assaults the last one and with the tried-and-true guard tactic of five-to-one numerical advantage emerge victorious.

Venom deep strikes down.  Splinter cannon fire rakes the ruins while a blaster from the passengers immobilizes the Wyvern.

Orks vs Necrons, painboy vs. reanimation protocols.

I try to take out the first venom, to no avail.  Even the heavy flamer from the Wyvern hitting the passengers rolled three ones to wound.  Second venom arrives.

Kabalite warriors assault the central position.

Dark Eldar move up to finish off the guard.  At this point, the well-concealed squad in the craters charges out to try to krak grenade the venom which strayed too close.  Unfortunately flicker fields foil their plan.

Warriors climb the ruins and assault the occupants.

In the end, despite some valiant efforts the guard could not prevail and the Dark Eldar won, six kill points to three.

Round three against the Necrons.  I was getting run down at this point and neglected pictures.  Patrick's big squad of Deathmarks was in Reserve, giving me a significant firepower edge.  They tried to teleport in turn three but scattered back to Reserve.  Turn four they scattered again into a mishap, sealing the deal and the Merkan victory.  

At this point we had three players with 2-1 records, and calculating tie-breakers the Merkans ended up winning!  Appropriate for the Fourth of July!