Jornath: The Battle of Sluice Processional 74 East

Thanks in large part to the successful diverting strikes of the Knightly Houses and Astra Militarum, the Orkish Hordes pouring onto the vast undeveloped plains beyond the Hive, despite the Navy's best efforts, were delayed from properly organizing a major incursion into Linces Hive before it could be prepared for defense.  Of course though, the attack eventually came, with a massive wave of clanking alien walkers, and snorting war machines hurling themselves at the walls.  Unbeknownst to the Orks, their avenue of advance had been carefully directed by Imperial diversionary attacks, airstrikes, deliberate terrain preparations, and the placement of sacrificial elements to drive a mass of Orks into a deadly trap. 

Sluice Processional 74 East, is an outflow basin a half kilometer in width that is designed to flush a slurry of industrial waste, and sewage back out into the wastelands. It was determined to be the weakest portion of the Hive's perimeter, as it presents a natural breach in the walls, and was the only Sluice Processional where perimeter void shield generator pylons were accessible from ground level. 

When 8500 Orks arrived in the Sluiceway they found themselves funneled into a deadly assault against nearly two full companies of Astartes from the Imperial Dragoons and Sons of Medusa, as well as Noble Custodian Guards from the Akhelian Shield, and a Full Detachment of Knights from House Raven. Brutal Fusilades of Boltguns and Super-Heavy Weaponry tore into an Orkish Motorized Army Group which continued to suicidally careen into the Imperial Line, tearing into the noble Astartes. At the height of the fighting, as the line bowed, the Imperial force commander, the Imperial Dragoon's Lieutenant Thade, sallied into the heart of the Greenskin tide accompanied by his chapters Assault Marines, Intercessors, and the Emperor's Own Custodes. Thade's Sally would break the Orks resolve fully, and started a cascade of disorder into the aliens advance, eventually leading to the Ork withdraw back out into the wastelands.

Ork Flyers soar overhead of the fighting, coming in low to drop high explosives into Knights, and bunkers full of Astartes.

Imperial Dragoon Intercessors, slay Ork Boyz beneath the Void Shield Pylons.

Lt. Thade leads the Defenders of Linces Hive into the heart of the Alien horde

Assault Marines and Terminators deploy amongst the aliens, closing off their line of retreat

The moments following Thade Sally

Armigers of House Raven fire Thermal Spears into Ork Trukks during Thades Sally 

Lt. Thade fearlessly confronts a Killa Kan Mob, the Litany of Hate loud upon his lips as he closes with the clanking machines

Brother Hedrastes, surveys the roadway before his squad's position, in the wake of the alien's first push into their lines.

Demi-Squad Colique struggles to hold back elite infantry and heavy support elements along the extreme left flank

Hellblasters of the Sons of Medusa hold a trench line against Blood Axe Ork Warriors

Evil Sunz Ork Boyz surge past a Battlefortress, trading fire with the Knights of House Raven

A massive melee stretches across the battlefield, as the Emperor's chosen close to deny the Ork advance

Epistolary Gideon of the Imperial Dragoons, directs his strike force's fire as the Ork tide closes

Jornath: Goading the Hoard.

As the System Fleet and Battlefleet Vahland fight a holding action against the amassing Ork Invasion Fleet, Astartes forces on Ankou's surface engage renegade Ankouvian's turned feral by xenos psyco-scrapcode, and begin to lockdown Linces Hive, the Capital of Jornath's errant moon, and the crux for the Imperial's defense plans. In the out-hab zones, Knights of House Raven lure off swathes of aliens from their landing zones, destroying them in detail or guiding them into carefully prepared Imperial Guard kill zones. These baiting strikes are wildly successful, buying time for the Imperial Dragoons and other Astartes to fully secure Linces and begin working with a flood of freshly arriving Guard Regiments to fortify the Hive and prepare the moon to bulwark against the coming greenskin storm.

Sir Heximus in the Unyielding Storm, and his attendant Armigers, race through the Hildegard Residential Precinct, breaking nearly a thousand greenskins into smaller groups among the blasted ruins, before striking with massed autocannons, and the crashing might of metal feet into the alien's loose ranks 

The Cadian 32nd and Idirian 5th lend Las and Cannon shot to the cause, scything down Orks under Jagtur Bazz Wursnik in a shattered freight management yard. 

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

Previous Part. "A Night on the Farm" Here

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-