As has been stated, the size and composition of the ork forces in this adventure are confused and contradictory.

At one point, it is stated that there are 8 boyz, 1 nob, a runtherd and 5 gretchen defending the refinery. Two sentences later, there are 30 boyz, a nob, runtherd and perhaps 5 gretchen. This is the small and weak defense force the PCs are meant to oust with a minimum of fuss?

The frightening attack force that must hold off at any cost however, consists of 1 big mek, 1 weirdboy, 2 nobs, 10 boyz, 10 gretchen, a looted hellhound and an undisclosed number of wartraks. While the vehicle(s) and the weirdboy are intimidating, there are far fewer boyz in this attacking force than in the "relatively small*" defenders.

* quoting the adventure summery on page 248.

In the end, I am forced to wonder how many orks are really supposed to be in this adventure… keeping in mind that they should be handled by about 10 guardsmen, likely 4-5 PCs and the rest comrades, outfitted with their personal kit, a chimera, a heavy bolter and some demo charges.

I am pretty sure they make such a big deal about the autocannons in the towers because they are as close to anti-armour as the pcs will get.

A lucky side or rear armour hit on the hell hound with an autocannon should be able to penetrate. Maybe a demo charge if someone if someone is brave (aka stupid) enough to run up to a [insert expletive] Hellhound and attach it.

Otherwise that HH is bad news for the PCs.

The wierdboy is pretty dangerous too. Two of his powers are equivalent to a battle cannon. So that Chimera is in for a tough time if he gets a look at it.

Come to think of it, the Wierdboy isn't mentioned at all in the battle plan. I wonder what he does.

Really, I'm kinda hoping someone "in the know" might chime in with what the orks forces are "supposed to be" because I would like to actually run this adventure… but as written, it's unplayable and as a new GM, I have no sense whatsoever of how many orks and support vehicles make a reasonable but not overwhelming challenge to a squad of guardsmen with a chimera.

If this were the tabletop game, I'd work out the points but I don't think the rpg balances the same way.

Given that the PCs have a chimera, which none of the Orks can actually damage, and the Orks just charge, begging to be gunned down, 30 Orks shouldn't be too much of a problem.

If they don't have their chim for whatever reason, then they will be in big trouble, as 1 Ork is significantly more dangerous than a starting PC.

If you go with 2 Trakks for the defence, and don't let the Hellhound or wierdboy cause too much trouble (e.g. make sure they get the melta gun from the storm troopers if they don't have one to take care of the HH) then the attacking force should actually give them a good run for their money as it is listed.

It is much tougher than they are in a standup fight, but they have the advantage of being able to build defences - such as promethium pits around the base, fall back defences inside, hiding around the tanks so the orks are forced to melee them, or rather so the PCs have time to shoot them while they charge.

Also on the subject of "how many orks" I was re-reading the section on the battle when the PCs first land… where they are 2 runtherds, 4 gretchen and "a group of Slugga boyz" but I don't see where that group is actually defined.

LuciusT said:

That number at least isn't contradictory, you just have to look back a page. Pg. 257, near the bottom:

"Defenders
There are eight Ork Slugga Boys (see page 239) led by a Nob (see page 239) and five Gretchin led by a Runtherd (see page 240) defending the facility. One Ork is assigned to each of the nine watchtowers at all times. The remaining twenty-one Slugga Boys are either resting in the Living Quarters, brawling in the field, or continuing to investigate the facility in a destructive fashion."

Also on the subject of "how many orks" I was re-reading the section on the battle when the PCs first land… where they are 2 runtherds, 4 gretchen and "a group of Slugga boyz" but I don't see where that group is actually defined.

pg. 252: Two Runtherds accompanied by two Gretchin each (see page 240) are rapidly approaching the shuttle’s wreckage. Behind them, a group of Ork Slugga Boys (see page 239) equal to the number of Player Characters is also moving through cover towards the shuttle.

Also, in terms of the last group being the most dangerous, the Big Mek (and Nobs) are a much bigger threat than any single Boy, and the Hellhound is also a pretty formidable foe. Elites/Bosses and Vehicles are almost always more challenging than massed basic troops, in general, so despite the number of individual units not being large, the difficulty is definitely increased (especially with the chaotic nature of the Weirdboy).

Hope that helps :-D

HTMC said:

OK, I think this might just be poor phrasing, but I still find the quoted section above to be wildly contradictory.

"There are eight Ork Slugga Boys (see page 239) led by a Nob (see page 239) and five Gretchin led by a Runtherd (see page 240) defending the facility."

OK, so 8 boyz, 1 nob, 1 runtherd and 5 grots defending the facility.

"One Ork is assigned to each of the nine watchtowers at all times."

OK, now we have 9 orks on the watchtowers defending the facility instead of 8? What happened to the nob, runtherd and grots?

"The remaining twenty-one Slugga Boys are either resting in the Living Quarters, brawling in the field, or continuing to investigate the facility in a destructive fashion."

OK, now we have another 21 orks? How many orks are there on this facility? 30? 40?

If an ork leaves Buffalo, NY traveling a 85 mph and second ork leaves Eire, PA traveling at 75 mph, which state's police trooper get's blown up first.

I think it's poor phrasing, or at least a bit more ambiguous than it should be. To copy my response from the other thread on the same subject:

"Math seems fine to me. The currently active squad is 8 Slugga Boyz, a Runtherd, and a Nob = 10 Orks.

21 additional Boyz are not actively defending the walls, and goofing off within the camp, but presumably get occasionally subbed out for the active defenders.

There are 9 towers, one for each of the active Orks, with the Nob supervising. Notice it says "One Ork is assigned to each watchtower," not "One Slugga Boy."

However, I guess it would be more clearly worded if it said 30 guarding the facility, but only 9 actively guarding the walls at any given time. "

So you're figuring the Runtherd is one of the nine on the towers? Seems like a waste of a runtherd. I guess I'd rearrange the orks deployment, put another boy on the towers and have the Runtherd with the grots.

Of course, I'd put shoota boyz on the towers. Orks are orks, sure, but they aren't actually stupid. They have enough cunning to put guns on the towers and/or charge en-mass rather than piecemealing into a tank they have no hope of damaging.