Battle Report: Scions vs Orks 500pts

Ok battle time!  I got my scions built and got a few test games in against my brother.  He is getting his ork army running and wanted to get some experience under his belt so it worked for both of us.  He has a small army so we kept it to 500pts to see how it would go.  We played two games, switch things up both times.  I definitely learned alot about scions and have to keep tuning things with this army.  Overall though its a fun flexible army, but has a learning curve too it and is not too forgivable to mistakes.  On to the report, only took a few pics but they were quick games.


So I took a Command squad with 4 volley guns, I wanted to test them out.  Two ten man scion squads with both with melta and grenade launcher.  I took a tauraox with battle cannon and autocannons and heavy stubber as a fast attack choice, to give some flexibility on who I wanted to go in it.  My brother took two twelve man boy squads with nobs, one was shootas and one choppas in a truck.  He also brought a big mek with shock attack gun and a looted wagon with kannon.

He won the roll off and we played crusader both games with 4 objectives.  No night fighting either game.  He deployed along a larg front, with shootas on my right and looted wagon, mek  and choppas in truck on my left.  My first mistake was spreading out too thin.  I put my command squad on left, taurox in middle with a scion squad and the dismounted squad on the right in terrain.  I failed to seize (in both games).

His first turn he moved up his truck and boys, his wagon shifted to get some terrain cover behind the ruins.  He killed one scion on the right with his shootas.  His wagon killed one as well, thankfully his scatter didn't get a whole lot.  Critically though his shock attack gun killed two in my command squad.  Luckily I got the fearless warlord trait.  He got the trait that gave his guys a +1 to cover and  move through cover in ruins.

My first turn I moved the taurox out from cover to line up a shot on the wagon, but wasn't able to get far enough out to get around its cover.  My shooting was eh.  I killed two boys, my taurox got one hit through his cover and knocked a hull point off the wagon.  I ordered rending on the command squad and knocked a hull point off of the truck.  Losing two volley guns early really hurt.

Only pic from first game sorry

Next turn went down hill.  His truck moved up and he deployed his choppa boys.  His shooting was not too great.  Killing another two scions and forcing a leadership check which they passed.  He failed to hurt the taurox.  This was my one saving grace of the game, he either could not pen or I made cover saves.  Keeping cover for th taurox is critical.  He charged his boys into my command squad, I killed one in overwatch but it was a forgone conclusion, they were wiped. 

I moved my taurox over and disembarked the scions out to get revenge.  The taurox finished off the truck, which was just wrecked.  The scions opened up on the boys and killed about half of them, forcing a leadership check which they failed, he did not use his boss pole as he wanted to fall back to the objective anyway.  The wrecked truck worked to his advantage, block LoS to his boys.  The scions on my right killed three more boys, forcing a morale check which he passed using his boss pole.

Next turn he moved around his boys to bring more to the front line on the right.  He moved the wagon out to get a shot off on the taurox or scions depending on his shooting.  His shock attack gun got a good shot off on the taurox but I made my cover save thankfully.  Anyone who thinks this is a bad gun is just silly.  Yeah it can go bad but from my experience it is a good gun.  His wagon opened up on the scions and killed about half of them.

I moved up my taurox for a shot at the boys and my scion squad moved up to get a shot at the wagon with the melta gun.  I shifted my right squad to get some guys into range.  I killed all but three of the boys and nob, forcing them back.  The melta gun got a pen on wagon but only shook it, but it could not fire the main gun thankfully. 

He moved his boys back a little further behind the hill.  His wagon stayed in place.  His shock attack gun got another shot off at the taurox but he rolled low for the first time and couldn't hurt it.  The wagon opened up on the scions with its big shootas and he got a couple of sixs, and killed one more, knocking them down to two guys, but the melta gun lived.  At this point the game was pretty much his, He had first blood and warlord and an objective.

I moved my two guys to the objective and moved my scion squad out to go after the boys.  I killed all but the nob, leaving him alone.  The taurox finished off the wagon with its shooting.  Other than that I was in a tight place.  The game went on to turn 6.

At this point he didn't do much, his shock gun shot at something but didn't do anything.  His nob stayed hidden and his other boy squad was still safe behind the truck on the objective.  I moved up my taurox to try and get line breaker and kill his warlord.  I got two wound on him and he rolled a 3 and a 1 for his saves.  I thought I got him, but we remembered his trait which gave him a +1 in ruins, damn he just survived!  Also when i measured, my taurox was out of his deployment zone by and inch, in trying to get a shot off I shifted it out of range.  Either way the game ended and I lost by 2.  One more turn and I could have tied it possibly.  But thats not what happened.  It was a good game and my brother played very well with his orks.  I ignored his mek and I really should have targeted him early on, that shock attack gun is a beast.  I spread myself out far too much and should have deployed for him to come get me, I left my command squad in the breeze to get chopped up and it hurt a lot. 

So second game. I changed things up slightly and brought two five man scion squads and a ten man, to see if it could help.  I went for broke and tried deep striking. with all but one five man squad in a taurox.  He dropped his truck and some boys and brought three killa kans with grotzookas.  He won the roll off again and we got crusade again, he had two objectives in his zone.  I reserved my command squad and my melta squad as well as the ten man for deep striking.  My warlord had the twin linked grenade rule as well as the reroll in cc with them.  He got the night fighter, but choose not to night fight it.

He had no line of sight first turn and shifted his kans around.

I moved my taurox out and shot at his wagon.  I got two pens and knocked two hull points off, but only shook it.

His turn two he moved his kans up to prepare for my deep strike.  He used his grot rigger to fire his wagons main gun, but only got a glance out of it.  His shock attack fired at it as well but did not hurt it.  I went for my attack, my big squad did not make it in though.  My command squad scattered alot and away from his guys towards the center ruin.  The melta squad drifted away from his kan and was out of half range.  This really hurt.  I failed to kill his kan and my command squad killed three boys.  But my taurox was doing work and killed the wagon with a glance taking its last hull point, I got first blood this time!

His third turn he got revenge, his grot zookas doing work.  After all the dust settled, My commander had one wound left and was alone and I had one guy left form the melta squad (not the melta).  He tried to charge the last guy but his kan failed to make it.  I got my ten man squad in but they were left with a lot of work to do.  They dropped right in front of his mek squad.  My commander moved up to join them.  The taurox continued to moved up as well and get shots on the main squad.  I focused my fire on the center squad, I killed all but the mek and a two boys.  Unfortunately both my grenades missed completely.  I ordered preferred enemy, wish I had twin linked them, I forgot and tried to reroll my scatter but my brother reminded me they were preferred enemy and not twin linked, blah no good on me. 

His turn he unsurprisingly killed all of my dismounted guys.  That was pretty much game.  We called it there as all I had was a taurox and five guys with a lot of orks to kill.

So another loss, blah.  What I learned is that I need to get some more tauroxes.  I don't care what anyone says, they just do work.  I like the standard gun and will probably keep autocannons over the volley guns.  Time will tell, but right now I am a fan of them.  At 500pts this army is hard to play, but if I had another taurox, it would have been a different game altogether. 

The scions need the mobility, that is really what I have learned.  Deep striking is ok for a squad or two but it leaves you far to vulnerable when you put all of your eggs in that basket.  They just don't have the toughness to take that many shots and are extremely vulnerable when packed up from deep striking.  I could have brought a valkyrie but that really would not be a test at 500pts other than proving its still a great vehicle.  So besides deployment mistakes I am getting a good feel for these guys. 

I highly recommend having tauroxes as they add firepower and mobility.  The hot shot volley guns are good, but in a command squad they can be vulnerable as they have no ablative wounds. I'm going to keep working them.  I have two more tauroxes on the way which will solve a lot of my problems that I am having.  Mobility is really the key with scions, they don't have the bodies to foot slog it and with no heavy weapons in the squad they are very short ranged.  The command squad can only issue on order, which really hurts them.  You will probably be ordering them on his squad so maximise your loadout to take advantage of them.

Don't let this deter you from taking them, they are quite good still but are fragile when pinned down.  Keep them on the move and massed together, I made the mistake in the first game of spreading out and it cost me.  Deep strike only with the squads that can maximize it, a melta squad/command squad is a good choice for this, but most cases a valkyrie is a much better choice.  Also an aegis with comms relay is a good thing to bring, you place it up for your guys to move up and take it and have a good cover save.  I will be trying this out with them.

I have a rematch lined up, this time at a 1000pts which will help a lot.  If my tauroxes get here in time I will use them, but most likely I will run a valkyrie.  The extra points will help a lot as I was struggling to get weapons and bodies both in at 500pts.  They aren't cheap and its a hard line to walk at that point level.  Having a second taurox though would have made  huge difference and I am kicking myself I only bought one.

Now after playing with the codex I do have one gripe.  I wish the scion command squads were senior officers.  It makes sense in the main IG book they are not, but in this one it really hurts a lot.  They are your only source of orders and with no platoons you can only get two without resorting to formations.  Its not a crippling thing, but it hurts this army not having access to more orders.  It would have been too easy to give them the senior officer rule as they are in the role in this army.  If you could take scion platoons it wouldn't be an issue. 

Other than that though they are still good and fun to play.  Their orders are good, you will really have to think about how you use them and I would take a second command squad just to get more.  To really get mileage I would start with two command squads, focus on one with weapons the other is really just for an order.  Then work in tauroxes or valkyries along with your scion squads.  At 1850 I can see this army working really well with all the potential vehicles it can take and with maxed out squads with lots of goodies.  Also bolt pistols are free, so take them, the hot shot laspistol is all but worthless with a 6" range and you will rarely get use out of it.  Also melta guns, you need them, if you feel you have too much, take a couple more.  Your tauroxes can take care of infantry pretty darn well and hurt light vehicles in a pinch, but unless your bringing lots with the missile launchers, you'll lack long dedicated anti tank, plus meltas are great for doubling out T4 characters with multi wounds.

Had some fun games and ready for some revenge, I need more vehicles, or barring that an aegis to give me some survivability.  Its a fun army to play and brings good challenge as it needs tactics to really do well.  I personally like that about this army, its not an auto win and even if you go flyer heavy, your valkyries will have a tough time dealing with tanks so you'll still need to get on the ground and deal with them.  I am definitely planning on expanding them and playing with them more.  They are fun and good with weaknesses to balance them out.

GG