Jornath: Operation Gray Jewel

With the year drawing to a close, Imperial commanders were eager for a shift in the tide. Operation Gray Jewel hopefully represented the beginning of that shift. Combining huge numbers of Imperial Guard assets, the Mechanicus and the Astartes, the sole purpose of the operation would be to smash open the Ork encirclement of Fort Behras, and roll through the concentrations of aliens there driving onward into the northern mountains once more, stranding orks between the heart of the counter-attacks avenue of advance, and the eastern coast. 

Tactical Brief

Mendorus Grove is one of three railyards sitting in the area of influence under H-906 (Fort. Behras)  These railyards provide logistical depots to the fortress as well as acting as servicing stations for commercial transportation from central Kula into the mountains. Mendorus Grove primarily works as a repair facility for industrial trains carrying material to and from Usamljen Heights.  It is spread over several kilometers of open ground and it is for this openness that Tactica Command has chosen this position for our breakthrough. The northern avenues to the Fortress through the Ctre Valley have been rendered inaccessible to our vehicles from heavy bombardment, as well the majority of the Ork presence has encamped there. The east, with Saine Yeltsville and the suburban areas, collapsed two months ago under severe Xenos pressure, leaving the only viable avenue there for armored counter assault firmly in opposition control.

Therefore the flat ground, around the railyard has been chosen to maximize the capabilities of our armored vehicles and allow Infantry units to make full use of range to neutralize the Orks before they can close to close quarters. The primary objective of the attack will be the seizure of an Ork forward operating base built into the repair yards of the 3rd transit hub.  It is likely that the local tribal leaders are positioned here, alongside a bulk of ammunition and xenos heavy equipment.

The offensive will be preceded by scheduled artillery fire from Fort Behras onto positions to the south of the ork FOB to aid Pioneer units in clearing minefields in preparation for 1st wave assets.

Game Overview

5000 points per side.

1 “Superheavy Class or Gargantuan” option per side.

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Deployment will be 12’’ off from Long Table Edges

Each team is allowed 15 minutes for planning and 15 minutes for deployment. Any units not deployed within the allotted time period are to be placed into reserve. Deployment will be in the pre-8th edition style, with Imperial forces deploying first.  First turn will be decided by roll-off.

The board will have 3 territorial objectives placed evenly across the middle of the table in No Man’s Land that will allot victory points on turn 3 and on turn 6 to the side that has more Wounds, inside or within 3’’ of these objectives.

Maglev Repair Hanger - This repair hanger has been retrofitted by the greenskins into a Mek Workshop of terrifying proportion, the position is heavily fortified, and bolstered. Much of the facilities repair machinery is located in its underground substructure.  This is a Vital Objective, worth 4 VP on turn 3 and 6VP on turn 6.

Cargo Yard- The material storage area for cargo going out from the railyard, and for spare parts used by the repair hangers. This objective is worth 2 VP on turn 3 and  3 VP on turn 6.

Comptoria Gantry- The control tower for the railway, this facility guides the function of the whole of Mendorus Grove while it’s complicated auspices, sensory arrays and servo-slaves are of little interest to the Orks. The destruction of the massive glyphs and WAAAGGH banners adorning the Gantry would likely heavily demoralize Ork warbands battling in the pathway of the Offensive. This objective is worth 2 VP on turn 3 and 3 VP on turn 6.

Imperial Stratagems

Strategic Reserve (2CP)- When a unit of Imperial Guard Infantry you control is completely destroyed. You may expend this stratagem, to bring a fresh unit with identical upgrades to that unit’s starting profile onto the field on your next movement phase as though from Reserve.

Mobile Bastions (2CP)- When an Infantry unit would become the target of attacks from ranged weaponry, if that unit has a model within 3’’ of any Imperial vehicle, then it may instead differ those attacks to that vehicle instead.

Death from the Skies (3CP)- During your shooting phase you may select 3 enemy units within line of sight of any platoon or company commanders. Roll a D3, the result will be the unit selected to receive an attack following this profile  ( 1xD6 - Strength: 7  AP: -1   Damage: 1)

Angels of War (2CP)- When an Imperial Guard unit would fail a battleshock test, if the unit is within 9’’ of a unit with keyword <Space Marine> then the test, will instead pass successfully. If an Imperial Guard unit chose to fallback from combat, but are within 9’’ of a Space Marine unit they may act as normal this turn, rather than suffering the penalties for withdraw

Surgical Operators (3CP)- If a unit with keywords <Space Marine> or <Tempestus Scion>  are within the Maglev Repair Hanger, you may expend this stratagem. The unit chosen will not suffer the penalties for moving and shooting with a heavy weapon, advancing and shooting with an assault weapon, and may choose to fire twice with rapid fire weapons on this turn, at targets also within the Maglev Repair Hanger.

   ORK Stratagems

Get Lootin’ Ladz! ( 3CP): If a unit of infantry is in close combat with a vehicle that has less than 3  wounds remaining, they may attempt to seize control of the vehicle themselves. If the orks deal more wounds to the vehicle that are dealt to their own unit (this includes wounds dealt by other units in the same combat) then the infantry unit will remove 3 models from its number and the opposing vehicle will be under the control of that units’ player until it is destroyed. The vehicle will be restored to D3+2 wounds.

Kunninly Brootal ( 3CP): Select an armored container, Ork trukk, Warbuggy, Wartrakk or a similarly sized piece of battlefield terrain, All units within 6’’ of this terrain piece or vehicle suffer D6 Strength 7, AP -1, Damage 1 hits.  Remove the terrain piece or unit from play for the rest of this game.

Da Roost (2 CP):  After deployment but before first turn, you may expend the CP for this stratagem and place a unit of Stormboyz, Lootas or Flash Gits on the Comptoria Gantry.

Mob Up Yer Runts! (2CP) : If a unit of Ork Boyz or Gretchin you control is completely destroyed. You may expend this stratagem, and place a new unit of the same type onto the board from your deployment zone at the beginning of your next movement phase, with 4xD6 members, and either 1 Nob or 1 Runtherder depending on unit type.

Propa WAAAGGH!!! (2CP): Used on a unit that you control who possess the “Waaggh” special rule in its profile. For the duration of this turn the range of that power will double to 12’’ and will effect units from allied player’s armies as well as your own.

Theme Set Stories

Put out one a day in preparation for the Apocalypse game

The weather had turned cool finally. The soft winds of early autumn rolled across the lush green hills in Northern Kula's wine country. Cohort Praefector Hildegras breathed in deeply, from the pulpit of his Leman Russ, and thought back to his days as a stripling lad chasing girls and causing a ruckus in the local alehouses. The warm glow of the sun on his face giving the perfect compliment to the breezes nip. It let him forget... to push the distant chattering of stubbers through the filter of his own nostalgia until they were festival firecrackers or Clatterbirds. To equate the bustle of the gathering might of the Imperium's armies around him to just market noise. To forget the dread of his own likely demise looming over those hills for just a little while longer...

Sergeant Aeneas sat onto the hard cot within the spartan drop-barracks that represented his squad's operations center on this planet. A throng of chapter serfs shuffling around him with a veritable library of data slates showing ammunition counts, intelligence on Ork troop movements around the squad's target area and other vital operations information. It was one of the few things that brought him enjoyment in his life. It let him focus on tasks, exert his mind without risking the lives of others. Major operations were particularly enjoyable. Especially against a foe like the Orks, an infestation of the greenskins was good to take the mind of the worsening galactic situation. He almost envied the defense force soldiers outside, they would spend their short lives only knowing the ork, able to focus on this conventional barbaric horde while elsewhere unspeakable nightmares waited to devour mankind. He pushed such gloom aside as a serf handed him Astra Militarum figures for zone 6, and he set his mind back into a happy focus.

Fusilier Vano bumped up and down in the back of the Helstannon troop carrier. The old coastal roads down from the mountains were far from ideal, but the greenskins held the paved ones since the Necs Pledge Cohort routed two months ago. The journey was filled with mixed emotions for the cohort, some of his comrades were jovial for a change in scenery. The mud-slicked depot that had been their home for the past few months was a cratered ruin, littered with the bodies of aliens and friends. But others sat in sullen silence or rocked with nervous ticks, anticipating the coming mighty offensive. Vano took out his cohort primer, hoping to take his mind off things. Just as he opened the booklet to a section on proper footwear maintenance, a deafening crack echoed out across the convoy. He dropped the book, startled by the sudden noise, which was soon followed by another and another.

"UP DAMN YOU! GET YER GUNS UP YA SKAGS!" Screamed Master Fusilier Chebzch from a few vehicles over.

Vano's heart started beating frantically. scrabbling around in a pile of equipment on the flatbed to get his lasgun. He grabbed ahold of the weapon, only for it to be knocked out of his hands by the body of Fusilier Cyril slamming against him. He tumbled to the bed of the vehicle, the rattle of Ork weapons and snap-pop of the cohorts lasguns roaring around him. A hand grasped him by the collar and yanked him off the back of the flatbed, onto the stony ground.

"Shoot the Orks you coward!" yelled a Sergeant he did not recognize from above him.

Pulling himself to his feet Vano scrabbled across the road looking for any kind of protection. Finding an autopistol on the ground he turned towards the sound of the shooting. Peering out from behind the helstannon, he could see a half dozen Gretchin withdrawing back into the coastal marshes, firing autoguns wildly back towards the convoy. The bellow of their Ork minders carried from further off into the tall reeds and scrub.The firing had not even subsided before the call came down the line from the Master Fusilier.

"Right! Mount Up, we've got to win the bloody war and get these crates the army lads. Pick up the wounded and treat 'em in the carriers. MOVE!"

Vano returned to the back of the flatbed and hauled himself up. He turned to help up some injured, laying them as carefully as possible around the scattered equipment and Cyril's body. He sat back down roughly into his seat, numb to the world.

The convoy kicked back into motion, ork rounds still smashing against the vehicles as they bucked down the roads into central Kula

Click Here to read more about the Fusiliers

The Valkyrie bucked from turbulence as the aircraft crossed over the coastline of Kula province. Samn leaned over a little to look out at the landscape coming into view he'd seen Kula from the air plenty of times through training drops and a handful of raids, but there was something impulsive about the act of looking that he chose to consistently indulge. He turned his attention back to cleaning his hellgun as another gunship in the formations blocked the view out the door gunners nest.

In a few hours time, the Valkyrie was touching down amidst a vast field of prefabricated shelters, armored vehicles of every shape and size. Samn polished off the cohort badge of his beret, donning the hat and getting to his feet.

"Sergeant, order the formation to parade ready deployment, would you," he spoke over his shoulder thumbing the rune of opening on the Valkyries assault ramp. The heavy slab of adamantine dropped almost noiselessly to the soft grass below. beyond the end of the ramp across a few meters of open ground denoting the landing area stood a fierce taciturn looking off-worlder in the accouterments of a lord commissar. Samn put on his best diplomatic smile and made sure to put a swagger in his step on approach to demonstrate his confidence and status as a cohort commander.

"Lord Commissar Gralin "Gladius" It is auspiciously met. I am Samn, son of Crocren of the Isle of Precpia, leader of the Royal Guard of that Islands most noble and hon..."

"Shut the hell up! You Jornathii and your introductions, I swear to him on earth. I have three questions commander you will answer them with brevity. growled the Lord Commissar.

"W..W...well very well then..." stammered Samn, very much deflated and not a little bit angered at having been spoken to in such a manner in front of his cohort.

"Do Sub-sector logistical figures of your cohorts strength and armament match the truth." spoke the Lord Commissar, with the same menacing growl from before.

"It does my lord, 9,000 Souls. Grenadiers. Specialist Airborne Assault Infantry according to standard specifications."

"How many engagements have your forces participated in?"

"2 Raids my lord. One on Valeri Pesh, the other a Manor house to rescue a nobleman's family."

The lord commissar seemed puzzled at this but spoke nothing in direct reply to it.

"Does your cohort have outstanding social, economic or political grievances with any unit currently serving under the 1st Army Group?"

"No my lord we are Precpian, not Manfredi"

A look of mild exasperation this time.

"It is the decision of the command staff of this army group that your cohort shall be broken into three divisions to hit key locations in the operations area. Your men will have the immense honor of securing tier 1 objectives alongside the emperors avenging angels. Fail in this and I swear to you now I will personally execute you for embarrassing this army." Said the Lord Commissar with poison behind every word.

With the meeting done the Lord Commissar turned and stormed off into the heart of the camp. The certainly don't call him the Mordian bulldog for no reason he thought to himself. He stood an absolute stew of emotions, if he was successful here he might go down in sector history as a hero, and to battle alongside Astartes, was an honor he had never hoped to attain in his professional life. But there was also so much at stake...

He turned around to his cohort.

"COMPANY COMMANDERS TO ME!" he bellowed