Jornath [The Woodcutters Due 3]: Marauder's Crossroad

The Orks hit the men of 2 Platoon, 56th Lumberman's Guildmuster hard, with critical casualties reported across all units, and large groups of greenskins funneling through the gaps in the line. Communications to Regimental Headquarters have deteriorated, and even squad level coordination has begun to breakdown, as alien big guns hammer the scattered and beleaguered guard elements. As the sun rises on a fierce battle already hours old, scattered survivors attempt to rally, and destroy what enemy they can. 

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This is the 3rd Scenario in a Solo Play Campaign, in the ongoing narrative setting of Jornath. These games were played with a live AAR in Facebook Messanger, the contents of that AAR are posted here for posterity.  In this scenario, I went with something I would consider a "Classic Normandy" style game, with two fireteams of Imperials moving along hedgerows around a rugged rural intersection, framing a farm field in which an Ork armored piece is tracked and being repaired, but making use of its forward gun to shell nearby Guard forces. The Orks are attempting to hold back the Imperials, and get their tank working once more.

Assex dans le bois. Usamiljen Foothills. Jornath.

Dawn has risen over the line, the Ork assault is grinding into Imperial lines and the PDF are suffering for it, but for all their casualties the men of the imperium are holding the line. The 2nd platoon of the 56th Lumberman's Guildmuster along with Brother Klethos of the Mortifactors 3rd company are attempting to regroup. Along the way Lieutenant Hoffens command group, encountered the walking wounded of 4th squad and Klethos, attempting to ambush the dismounted crew of an immobilized Ork battlewagon which is shelling local forces. It must be destroyed to buy the platoon breathing room

End of turn 1. Imperial forces move forward cautiously, and meet with woefully bad shooting. The orks respond with more accurate fire, stripping brother klethos of his "transhuman physiology" wound. The lone boy left working to retrack the battlewagon takes 1 point off the damage tracker leaving 11 points remaining until the vehicle is repaired

End of Turn 2:. The imperials continue to advance but again struggle to find their aim. Only knocking down one grot. The orks retaliate with lots of hits but only knocking one of Lieutenant Hoffens two wounds off. They proceed to charge the command team but surprisingly wiff in combat. Only for Lieutenant Hoffens to slay one of the orks in close combat! And for one man to render another grot 'knocked down'

End of Turn 3:. The Imperials advance rapidly and finally dial in their aim with brother klethos slaying one of the boys working on the battlewagon in a spray of bolt fire. And lasgun fire killing one grot and stunning another. The imperial luck continues into combat with Lieutenant Hoffens proving how he got his rank by hewing yet another Ork down with a mighty sweep of his chainsword. The wagon commander finally remembers how to krump things and is kills one guardsman and stuns another in each combat phase. While the lone boy left, finally begins rolling higher than a one for the repair roll, bringing the points down to 8.

Brother Klethos moves to slay the Ork leader but is stunned for his trouble. The rest of the guardsmen sweep around the tank, attempting to close in on the last Ork boy and finish the fight. Lieutenant Hoffens, moves into combat with the alien commander and nearly causes a wound to the nob, but the beasts armor proved effective.

Both Lieutenant Hoffens and the guardsman are knocked down as the nob goes ballistic. By the tank, the last boy is shredded by fully automatic lasfire.

Fully 4 lasguns, a bolt gun and a plasma gun tear into the nob. In a shower of flame and gore the beast is annihilated. The last grot is quickly dispatched as it attempts to scurry into the bocage. The alien tank is permanently disabled. Imperial victory!

As the force begins to catch their breath and see to their cuts and bruises, trooper Anek hooks the platoon vox into the communications array from the disabled Ork vehicle. A cacophony of pleas pours out from the radio in short order. Apparently in the night the Precpian Air Cavalry was deployed to stymie the alien advance, but found themselves cut off and surrounded for their trouble in the confusion of the night drop,. A squad of these brave men is nearby and requesting assistance. But also, a nearby prior and a small band of the faithful are sheltering within a chapel, being plagued by orkish siege. Splitting the force at this point would be a poor choice. But which group should the unit aid?

Popular vote of those in the Facebook chat opted to go forward to Save the Precpian's from their plight and if possible move to secure the chapel once the airmen have been secured.

-Your Favorite Madman-