The initial battles for Sancisto had been a success for the Imperium. Their landing sites had been secured and the Imperial forces had managed to force a beachhead. Now heavy war machines and streams of troops were inflowing from Iunden, the Forge World bending much of its vast resources to supply and support the war effort. The progress was slow, for the Ork Freebooters hordes had filled much of the countryside, and the Chaos infestation in the cities was almost total.

It was into this fragile and dangerous time that a surprising ally arrived for the attackers. A crusading force of Black Templar appeared from the Warp, almost immediately launching into half a dozen focused attacks on Saios. It was only after repeated entreaties that they even agreed to a meeting to discuss overall battle strategy with the Imperial Alliance, what follows is first-hand account of the meeting penned by Lord-General Militant Harry Paget (ret.) in his autobiography ‘Flashes For The Emperor’ in the fourth volume ‘Pyres of Purity in Petod’

The inclusion of the most holy Black Templar elements into the reclamation force was generally thought of as a good thing, and far be it for me to question the Sons of The Emperor (Bless His Name). But I will suggest that the situation could have been handled better. Specifically as involves the situation that led to the battle now known as the 2nd Siege of Sigismund’s Fist. As the general meeting assembly was coming under way.

“We must reclaim the Fist and the Holy Relics therein!” The Black Templar Marshall announced. If he had a name it was never revealed to me, and I suspect it was an intentional decision to live by his position rather than a name. “Orks currently occupy its sacred halls, their xenos touch defiling the ancient remains of our order!”

Shadow Captain Lachlann of the Raven Guard and Battle Captain Azamarac of the Immortal Host both protested this fairly aggressively. The Shadow Captain felt that the force should focus on targets of more strategic importance, and though Azamarac, as usual, was close-mouthed about his deeper thoughts he agreed that a stronger push at the former Hive Cities would be of more value.

“We march on Sigismund’s Fist,” announced the Templar commander in no uncertain terms. “You may join us, or you may stay here. But the relics and honored dead will not be befouled by Chaos while a single Templar of my crusade draws breath still.”

“You are mad,” countered Lachlann, “if you do a thrust to the north like that you will leave your supply lines exposed, and also such a dramatic troop movement will weaken the whole northern front.”

“We march on Sigismund’s Fist.”

There was some more negotiations but eventually the action was agreed upon. The Allied 1st Imperial Guard Regiment would re-fortify the northern flank. Lachlann’s Raven Guard would increase their skirmish forces on the northern mountain passes and a combined strike force of Templars and Immortal Host would attack an ancient and highly entrenched fortress infested with Orks and, to the best of our awareness, serving as the very headquarters for the Ork Warboss.

Needless to say, I was asked to participate in the siege, but unfortunately had to decline. After all, by this time the rumblings of what was happening in Sancisto was coming to light, and my tactical acumen would be needed there. Indeed, that was the first time I managed to slay a Champion of Chaos in single combat, as described by the Ratling Snipers I escorted through the war torn battlefield…

At this point the excerpt transitions into the 7th Battle of Sancisto, which is a report for another time.

===================================================

Arch-Killa Zog’dakka Squatstompa frowned as the message interception playback doohicky wound down. The Meks had explained it to him a number of times, but all he knew for certain was that it basically let him listen to the boyz he was fighting to know what they knew…which mostly made it best just for helping to find where they’d be so Zog’dakka could go stomp them. The Freebooter Warboss furrowed his brow in deep concentration, the cigar chomped in his teeth popped and smoked as he nodded his head slowly. He glanced up carefully to eye his assembled general staff and grunted and nodded knowingly to them, they all repeated the motion back to him.

Now that it had been clearly shown that he had considered the message carefully he glanced over at Mr. Grimey, his lucky gretchin who was currently lighting a cigar for ‘Toofy’, Zog’dakka’s attack squig.Zog’dakka had actually figured out how lucky Grimey was when he had been the first gretchin not to lose an arm to ‘Toofy’ when lighting his cigar. Grimey claimed the secret was putting the lit cigar on a long stick and not getting too close. But it was clearly just because he was lucky.

“So wot’s all dat den?”

“Well, Boss,” as usual, Mr. Grimey’s squeaky voice was a bit annoying to understand, the gretchin being a little too stupid to properly form sentences. “I do believe the message to be one from the Raven Guard scouts, who apparently are reporting in about how well defended we are, y’know, here, at this fortress. I sort of suspect it’s a discussion about them coming to attack you here on account of you having sort of only a skeleton crew due to wanting all the lads out, as you would say, ‘earnin’ dere keep by stompin’ ‘eads!’” There was an awkward pause as Zog’dakka glared darkly at Mr. Grimey. “Oh, sorry, Yar-har, sir!”

“Yar-har, Mr Grimey.” Zog’dakka had recently instituted the ‘Yar-har’ doctrine amongst his troops. With all the new ladz pouring in daily on account of Zog’dakka being a right proper boss who had found some good fighting there were starting to be too many other ideas floating around about what was or wasn’t properly Orky. It helped remind the ladz that they were Freebooterz so there was no muckin’ about. That and the skully-hat policy had done a lot of good overall.
“So, basically dem beakie boyz wot went and decided they could come here, grab our grubbinz an’ scupper off with the lot?”

“That would be my take, Boss, yep. Yar-har!”

“Who forgot ta tell dem beakie boyz dat dis ‘ere fortress thing wot was stomped flat by me and thus is belongings to Zog’dakka now?”

“Can’t be figured, Boss,” announced Druzchoppa, master of the Battlewagons, “we painted da sign just like you said, in letters a hunnerd foot tall, an’ it says dis ‘ere is Zog’dakka’s so Zog Off! It does.”

“It does, it does say dat,” came the rumbled agreement from the other generals along with a few uncertain offerings of ‘yar-har’in case that was required at this point.

“Did you paint da lot blue?”

Zog’dakka had been fairly certain that if they had painted the entire Templar fortress blue it would make the ownership question quite clear.

“Still working on getting all the paint for that plan, Boss, on account of the City and Fortress being rather on the large side, yar-har” announced Mister Grimey.

“Next ting I know you’re gonna tell me dem smelly boyz is back in town.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Oi! Zoggit!” Zog’dakka grabbed Mr. Grimey by his throat. “Who told dem smelly boyz dey could come ‘ere?”

“I dunno, Boss,” Grimey gasped, “but Far’zog went to ask them that.”

“And?”

“Dunno what they said to him, on account of they killed him right afterwards.”

“Clever boyz, avoidin’ me spy networks.” Zog’dakka tossed Grimey over his shoulder and the gretchin made a pleasing squealing sound as he impacted with the wall. “Okay, lissen up you gitz! I wantz ta know who is in charge of dis ‘ere Smelly Boyz group and-“

“That would be me,” the booming and laughing voice echoed through the walls of the chamber. Zog’dakka and the ladz paused to glance at the great bronze doors that served the large meeting room. They watched in fascinated interest as the bronze turned a mottled shade of blue-green. Small insects began squirming about under the door, and soon maggots were spilling forth from the hinges as well. A second later the great doors crumpled inward as a bloated figure shuffled about in the entryway, chortling merrily.

“Boss, boss, dat’s one o’ da smelly boyz boss Nobby Daemons!”

“I can see dat, he’s very big. You think I’m stupid or summfink?” Zog’dakka promptly swatted the smaller Ork in the face. Since he did this with a hand encased within a Power Klaw it had a rather poor effect on the Ork’s whole facial situation on account of soon not having much of a face in his situation. Zog’dakka ambled up towards the big daemon-thing to show the ladz he was still bigger and tougher, even though he had to admit that daemon git was rather large. “We agreed dis fortress wuz mine, smelly boy, wotcher doin’ ‘ere?”

“Do not be afraid, the fortress will remain yours-“

“I should tink so, we gotz da biggest sign.”

“…yes.” The Daemon Prince grinned, green bile spilling out of his mouth. Where it splattered on the floor there was a hissing noise and the metal corroded and melted slightly. Zog’dakka made a mental note to see about the Doks maybe getting some acid into his spit sometime soon. “The point being, the…beakie boyz will be here soon, and we don’t want to be left out of the fight.”

“Well, I can understand dat!” Zog’dakka glanced over his shoulder. “Y’hear dat ladz? Da beakie boyz think dere hard enough ta take back dere little fortress. Well boyz, prepare ta repel boarderz! Stomp ‘im good and stick dere ‘eads onna pointy stick!”

“YAR-HAR!” The boyz howled in agreement, Zog’dakka’s pointy stick policy long having been a popular one with the ladz ever since the schism of the ‘Ladz wot put dere ‘eads on not-pointy sticks’ which Zog’dakka had found immensely un-Orky and had proceeded to keel and haul the lot of them…which had prompted the invention of the keelhauler, a device the mek-ladz were still quite proud of even though there was still quite a bit of debate about what exactly keelhauling consisted of – thus, currently, the keelhauler did all of them…at the same time.

Round 3 – Siege of Sigismund’s Armored Fist
Sigismund’s Armored Fist was a keep the Black Templars built when they first liberated Saios. The Keep is also a storehouse of Chapter relics and the crypts of honored dead – these items lacked strategic value, but bore deep importance to the Black Templar Crusaders. The Fortress had been overrun by the Orks of WAAAAAGH! Zog’dakka, and was still a well-fortified and intimidating bastion, and reclaiming it would be costly, but it was a cost the Black Templars were intent to pay. Templar records indicated that there are a warren of tunnels underneath the Keep; if a full frontal assault was not successful perhaps a determined sneak-attack strike force could succeed?

Rules –
Standard rules 3000 pts for the Imperial side, 2500 pts for the Chaos side. 1 superheavy per team (Imperials only get this if they won the Planetstrike Battle), one formation per player, one stratagem per player.
Objectives –
Primary – Have more 4th edition VPs in the fortress by game end
Secondary – Have a Black Templar unit within 3” of the tomb by game end

Special Rules –
No formations allowing for outflanking or any sort of movement hijinks are permitted. Deepstriking, drop pods etc… will not work due to the teleportation jammers and automated defenses in the keep.
4x6 board played lengthwise with Chaos playing role of defender and Imperials playing role of attacker. Chaos sets up in upper half of the board (this includes the top third of the board and the top half of the middle) with at least 50% of their deployed units in the upper third, Imperials in lower third. There will also be two tunnel access points on the board in no man’s land.
• The tunnel access points represent the network of tunnels below the keep, and should be considered impassable terrain for any unit not exiting a tunnel.
• Any non-vehicle (excluding walkers) that starts their move with at least one member of their unit in base to base contact with the objective can elect to use the tunnel.
• Only the imperial forces can “activate” a tunnel. Models using the tunnel are removed from the board until the beginning of their next turn. They can then place the tunnel exit within the keep. The player then rolls for scatter (2d6 always scatters unless BT if they roll a hit, follow rules for drop pod). The player then disembarks within 6” of the tunnel exit. Once a tunnel has been activated it is used up.
• Models exiting the tunnel can move, shoot, and assault normally. Models cannot voluntarily remain in the tunnel footprint and must move out if at all possible.
Chaos should have plenty of cover in their third of the board along with
• 6x 6” pieces of razor wire (dangerous terrain for troops, vehicles can run over and destroy with successful difficult terrain test) placed in the middle third before deployment
• 6x 6” mine fields [any vehicle including speeders, but not flyers] passing over the minefield takes one strength 6 ap 6 hit to side armor (note any infantry squad within 6” can forgo their shooting phase to disable) placed in the middle third before deployment
• A section of fortress walls placed along the 24” line. These are treated as buildings with AV 12. This should include one gate and 2 towers. The gate is treated as an AV12 obstacle the towers as bastions.
Final Mission Bonuses –
• Winner of this battle is able to deploy some of the Keep’s formidable defenses in the final battle (They gain two bastions and the strategic asset Obstacles)

Forces of the Imperium - The Siege Force


The Black Templar Crusade - Cleanse the Xenos, Burn the Witch, Purge the Heretic!

Command Squad in Terminator Armor
Assault Terminator squad
Warhound Scout Titan (God Machine, Velox Venator ‘Swift Hunter’)








The Immortal Host - In Shadowy Service to the Inquisition (Space Wolves/Vanilla)

Captain Sashin of the 7th Expeditionary Force – Wolf Lord on Bike (w. Chapter Relic – stratagem that doubles number of attacks and makes you a Str 10 power weapon…and *really scary to assault*)
Rune Priest on Bike
Blood Claws on Bikes.
Rune Priest on Foot
10 man Sternguard w. Rhino
5 man Long Fang Squad
10 man Grey Hunters w. Rhino
10 man Grey Hunters w. Rhino


Forces of Papa Nurgle – Burbling Bad Guys



The Slow Rot - Nurgle CSM

3x Winged Daemon Princes of Nurgle (one with Burning Brand, one with Vortex Grenade)
2x 2 man Obliterator Squads.
1x 5 man Chaos Spawn
1x 10 man Chaos Cultists



WAAAAGH! Zog’dakka – Ork Freebooterz ‘ere fer da grubbinz!
1 Ork Warboss w. Klaw, Attack Squig, and Cybork
4x 10 man Ork Shoota Boy mobz w. Nob, Big Choppa, and Big Shoota
1x Dakkajet
3x 5 Ork Loota squad
Goff Klawstompa (Da GorkMorkalith!)

Here you can see the lay of the land.
On the right side of the map is Sigismund’s Fist, the center is No Man’s Land, and the left side is the plains where the Imperial forces will approach.


The ancient battle fortress is a potent threat. There are two bastions guarding the entry way, each equipped with bolters and a lascannon. The Gate and Walls count as buildings (occupiable, AV 12 for the gate, and AV 13 for the Walls) The special rule with them is when they’re destroyed they become difficult terrain rubble, not impassable terrain. The Gate had rules about opening/closing…but Chaos and the Orks never opened it, and the Imperials chose…alternate ways to open it

On the bottom right corner you can see the Halls of The Hallowed Dead – a secondary objective for the Black Templar.

No Man’s Land – the tunnel entrances will be placed in the ruin at the top and the crater at the bottom. This is also where the Chaos forces will place barbed wire and minefields. Also, hopefully it will become a killing field for the attackers.


The Imperial deployment zone, it looks quiet and peaceful now, but will soon be filled with power armored warriors intent on violence.


A view down the path to the main gate – it looks so easy here, but each inch must be paid for in blood.


Hey, beakies, save da squishy bitz!


Hur, hur, hur, another cunnin’ plan – we see no reason this will fail.


The Black Templar can see how the Orks have already begun defiling their fortress with their xenos markings.


Indeed, the fortress is overflowing with heresy!


Chanting prayers to Gentukama, the cultists do as they are told, and defend the primary building wherein many Orks lurk with dakka – also, Spawn lurk inside, ready to leap on anything entering the courtyard.


The Winged Daemon Princes flex their claws and ready to take to the air, eager to come to grips with the Imperial forces.


Load up with the dakka, ladz, this is gonna get gooey!


The Imperial forces move forth out of the morning gloom. The Templar encased in their most sanctified and ancient Terminator armors, the Immortal Host geared up with Rhinos and Bikes to provide a fast strike element.

They prepare themselves for the coming battle.


“Avast ye squawbz!!! I’m Zog’dakka Squatstompa! Arch-killa of da Squatz, smasher o’ da green dress wearin’ beakie boyz, and I’m really big! I gotz a whole lotta boyz, and a whole lotta dakka. Whot makes you think yer hard enough ta take me?”

The ground begins to tremble as the Black Templar start crashing their weapons against their sheilds, chanting invocations of victory…



A towering shape stalks through the woods.

Its passage sends birds skirling into the air, and mighty trees crack and split asunder as they are brushed aside like child’s playthings. The Black Templar finish their prayer and issue out a bellowing war cry.


The God Machine Velox Venator walks amongst the Imperial forces!


The Warhound sets itself into a firing position, its massive Turbo Laser Destructors scanning the battlefield for targets.


“Yar, that be a pretty good answer me be thinkin’”
“I agree, boss, maybe we should get off your sassin’ wall now?”
“Aye, Mr. Grimey, I’m done with the sassin’ on account of it making a really big warmachine appear. Let’s go get into me own little surprise for dem weedy Imperial gitz, hur, hur, hur.”
“Aye, aye, and yar-har, cap’n.”

Imperial Plan
Use the bikes (less of a deathstar than just ablative wounds for the wolf lord), Sternguard, and squad of Grey Hunters to push hard up the side drawing attention away from the Warhound and BT termies. Have the the Grey Hunters enter tunnel and then run Sternguard and bikes through a hole in the wall made by the Long Fangs. Meanwhile, on the other side of the board the second squad of grey hunters would charge the wall dropping Flamer templates on garrison and absorbing bullets while the BT assault termies use tunnel to create mayhem and the BT termie squad and Warhound pew pew.

If the Bikes, Sternguard and Grey Hunters make it through separate off the wolf lord to allow him to use the legion relic to break bastions/buildings still remaining. Use surviving bikes, grey hunters and rhinos to block off deployment access to funnel reinforcements into a more crowded locale so that the warhound can use pie plates more effectively.

Ork Plan
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

Chaos Plan
Well, yeah, we were pretty intimidated by the likely chance that a Warhound was going to be fielded. We also had heard how the Imperials were scared of a gunline of death…the thing is neither ChaosLegionnaire nor myself are really gunline players at heart…

Therefore the plan was two-fold. First, we would bring three tricked out flying princes, whose job would be to fly out and smash the Warhound in assault. Small forces of Oblits and Lootas would try to smash up vehicles and make a general annoyance of themselves, meanwhile we would build strong assault elements to be the actual defenders, and possibly swarm out and kill them in No Man’s Land if the Princes did really well. Also, we brought a Klawstompa, so…y’know, that’s an auto-win button, right?

“Repent, for Tomorrow you Die!”
The Immortal Host surge forward, Captain Sashin intent to gain access to the tunnel system as soon as possible.


By leading the way with Rhinos, the Imperial forces smash apart the barb wire defending the tunnel entrances.


Halfway to the wall, and already one tunnel under control, and a horde of Termies angling for the other.


“Raise da mizzen, batten da ‘atches, an set yer gitfindas ta beakie, Dere not gittin’ dis fortress back!”

Captain Sashin voxed back to the Black Templar “We’ve secured the western tunnel entrance, but Chaos forces occupy the bastions, we could use some supporting fire.”
“Understood, stand by for Meisha’s bark, it’s worse than her bite.”
“…what?”
Then the air was filled with burning flashes of light as the Warhound fired.


The Gate is damaged, and a bastion destroyed.


One Obliterator in the bastion is blasted to pieces, the other staggers out of the structure, seeking cover in the sandbag defensive lines.


Emerging from the wreckage of their Imperial Aquila transport, the Immortal Host heavy weapons team simply shrugs to itself. They can still bring down the walls from here – their missiles fire and a section of wall shudders and collapses in on itself, the Lootas inside screaming in horror as they’re buried under tons of ferrocrete.


A Daemon Prince is revealed beyond the shattered wall, roaring in greeting to the Space Marines.


The Marine right flank has shattered the defenses, and the left flank holds the tunnel, what could go wrong now?


Meisha surveys her handiwork.


We gotz ta loot one of dose sometime.


They call her Meisha…




The Daemon Princes laugh in glee as they take to the skies. They sweep down on the approaching Marines, dive bombing down on the Rhino, ripping off pieces of it as they prepare to reign further fury on the Terminators.


That fury will start with…VORTEX GRENADE!


VORP! Two Terminators are sucked into nothingness as the Vortex Grenade explodes in their ranks, leaving behind a swirling vortex of pure death.


Ork Lootas unleash a wall of bullets, blasting apart the lead Rhino on the Marine left flank.


Obliterators blast apart another Rhino…

…and the Burning Brand unleashes hell on the staggered Marine passengers, nearly wiping the squad.


The Vortex Grenade shifts through space, and appears amongst the other squad of Terminators. The command squad vows vengeance as part of their unit is obliterated.


Clacking his bloody claws happily, the Nurgle Prince gurgles in glee to watch the Terminators stagger.


“Princeps, we have firing plotted for the second bastion.”
“Excellent,” Meisha’s Princeps nodded, feeling the God Machine’s urges, “clense the fortress of xenos taint in fire.”


“Bring them down!”
The Immortal Host fires at the swooping Daemon Princes, their bolter rounds find a home on one of them, sending the Prince spiraling into the ground. He rises up, uninjured, but facing a wall of Templar steel.


The tunnel is opened and the bike squad…drives down the ladder…um…Rule of Cool! They ramp their bikes up, and drop down the tunnel to explore the sewer access.


Nearby, some Immortal Host Grey Hunters fail to reach the wall in assault.


“No Pity! No Remorse! No Fear!”
Descending in a wave, the Black Templars engage the Daemon Prince, smashing the foul abomination with mailed fists, and cutting at him with powered blades. In moments they stand victorious.

A strange sputtering sound was heard over the battlefield, and then a smoke belching vehicle that looked like it was mostly in a semi-controlled fall appeared.


Waaaagh, da Orks, dakka, dakka, dakka!


Drawn by the sounds of battle, more Orks appeared in the fortress looking for loot, booze, or fightin’ or some combination of the three.


Three of the Immortal Host Grey Hunters fall to the blazing guns of the Dakka Jet.


The skies darken as a scheduled bombardment occurs (well, or just some other Orks were trying to kill Zog’dakka to claim control of the WAAAAGH! One or the other…) In any case, the Sternguard Rhino is destroyed.


“Yar, dere be lots of stuff ta shoot, which do we shoot first?”
“Everything!”
The Ork Lootas continue spraying bullets down into the battlefield.


Even as a small titan, a Warhound towers over the battlefield.


The two Daemon Princes land and engage the Templar.


In the swirling melee the flame belching prince is wounded.


But against the power of Chaos few can last long.


The Templar Marshall continues forward, probably intending to go ahead and fight both Princes even if alone.


But he is not alone, due to a strategic asset of Ongoing Reserves he is able to call up a fresh squad of Terminators.


Captain Sashin suspects his tunnel entrance should be right in front of the main building…

…turns out it is close to where he wanted it.


A Daemon Prince is turned into nothing more than a blazing pyre as Meisha blasts him apart.


“The Obliterator, fire on the Obliterator…”
The Ancient Machine Spirit hears its Princeps, but the sight of the Ork markings on a former Black Templar fortress fills it with rage.


Things Meisha is filled with rage towards rarely last long…


The Sternguard and Rune Priest charge the walls of the fortress, placing demo charges below where the Lootas are positioned.


The wall is breached, and the Lootas eliminated.


The Obliterator eyes the closely packed Sternguard as it morphs a plasma cannon from its fleshy body…


“Cleanse this place!”
Sashin and his bikers roar across the courtyard and smash into the Cultists, slicing them apart like wheat before a scythe.


The Fortress is not so secure as it once was…


The shattered remains of the Cultists flee.


Orks happily start loping towards the bikers, excited that there is now something to smash. The last Daemon Prince also returns, unleashing billowing clouds of flame onto the bikers.


Ork shooting and Chaos flames drop almost half the squad.


With a thunderous crash a Ork warmachine heaves into view.
“Avast, aim fer da gizzards!” Zog’dakka laughs merrily as his Morkalith shambles towards the nearest beakies.


Belching out gouts of flame, the Klawstompa decimates the Sterngaurd and wipes out the Grey Hunters.


Meanwhile, a scheduled bombardment smashes down on the Aquila wreck, devastating the Long Fang squad.


“Cunnin’ plan, cunnin’ plan!” The Dakkajet flies up and shoots up the Terminators a lot, cutting down one of them despite his potent storm shield.


Orks and Chaos Spawn assault the Bikers, Shashin orders his men to hold firm as he draws forth his relic blade and meets the assault in kind.


Shashin and the Rune Priest hold firm, but the Orks overpower the rest of his unit.


Gribble, gribble, gribble…


Meisha stalks forward, shattering the countryside as she approaches the fortress, eager to get to all the fighting now hidden behind the walls.


“Form up, and advance! Prepare melta!”
The Rune Priest keeps the Sternguard moving up, they plan to bring down the Klawstompa before it can decimate the last hopes for the Imperium.
“We need to protect Shashin and keep this thing off him, take out the wheels!”
Meltas flare,a nd the Klawstompa shudders as parts of it are blasted and melted off. (2 Structure points of damage here)


“Titan level threat detected.”
The Princeps didn’t need to be told that, Meisha had already noticed and was even now lining up the shots. He nodded in agreement with her as all of her firepower was unleashed at the towering Ork warmachine.


In a blast of fire the Klawstompa begins to break down, explosions rocking it.


“Abandon ship, Captainz an’ Squigz first!”


“She’s gonna blow Cap’n!”


The explosion is not apocalyptic though (bringing, I do believe, our total in batreps to 4 Super Heavy deaths with still no Apocalyptic explosion…we are *so* due)


Intentionally falling back from the explosion after losing a man to it, the Rune Priest orders his men to form up again.


“Oi! You! You an’ dat stupid walky shooty git blew up me Morkylith! I’mma gonna put yer ‘ead onna pointy stick!”


The Captain continues to battle the whirling flesh beasts of Nurgle, tearing and smashing them apart in a brutal combat.


Some of the Orks fall back in terror, but regain their composure and decide maybe to ‘ave annuver go’


Meanwhile Zog’dakka and his men hunt down the Sternguard.
“Mr. Cut-more (because, seriously, who would cut-less?) make sure ta save me one o’ dose purty white ‘eads.”
“Yar-har!”
Zog’dakka also crushes the Rune Priest in single combat.


The Immortal Host also wins clear, wiping out the last of the Spawn and Orks as they seek cover in the building.


“Okay, ladz, now we’re huntin’ da white walker… Get sneaky and keep yer ‘eadz down, it is real shooty, but maybe not so stompy, so let’s go kick ‘er in da face!”
“Boss,” Mr. Grimey frowned, “its face is kind of high to reach.”
“Den prepare ta throw Mr. Grimey at its face.”


Meisha stalked forward, looking to gain entrance to the walls of the fortress, enough Imperials lay within that there was hope her presence would tip the scales of battle in their favor if, say, she was thought to have a ‘point value’ and, maybe having a certain ‘point value’ arbitrarially on a certain side of a wall mattered…in…some way…


The Obliterator also heads for Meisha, firing his lascannon from within her Void Sheilds he blasts apart one of her gun arms.


Nurgle is pleased.


“Boss, the other boys went and ran back into the fort!”
“Just keep wavin’ me flag so dis weedy metal git knows whose about ta stomp it!”
“Boss, it’s a titan!”
“Good, its overconfydence will be its downfall, hoist da black flag and let slip da squigz of war, WAAAAAGH!”


Zog’dakka and the Obliterator assault the Warhound. The Obliterator is promptly stepped upon.
Zog’dakka manages to dodge though, and leaps upon the ankle joint.
“Go fer da eyez, Toofy, go fer da eyez!”
His power klaw sparks and snaps as he actually manages to tear apart many vital pieces of the machine, inflicting grievous wounds (2 structure points, and a drive damaged result)


Chaotic forces stream in towards the last bikers.
Between the Dakkajet, the Ork mob, and the Daemon Price with Brand, they unleash a wave of firepower into the bikers, finally taking downt he Captain and Rune Priest.


At the 11th hour a weakened force of Black Templar Terminators appear from out of their own secret passage.

The game will end at this stage, as Meisha is too damaged to manage to get within the walls (and even if she did, there’s a strong likelihood that either the Warboss or Daemon Prince (or both) would manage to assault and finish her.

The Termie squad is too depleted to score – so only the Marshall is a scoring unit for the Imperials.
Two squads of Orks, a Dakkajet, a Daemon Prince, and some Lootas score for Chaos.
Almost every army is down to its last units. The Templay have a handful of Termies and the battered Warhound. The Immortal Host has only a single Long Fang, the CSM have only the Prince, Orks are probably looking the best, but they had a lot of bodies on the ground to start, and a lot of their remaining numbers are relatively minor.


The Marshall does lay claim to his Chapter’s relics and saves them before he and his Terminators withdraw.


“Mr. Grimey, get up on me sassin’ wall and wave me flag around a bit.”
“Should I do the rude gestures too, Cap’n’?”
“That ye should, Mr. Grimey, that ye should.”


The path of destruction behind the Warhound.


The battlefield remains.


Meisha snarls in displeasure as she is forced to retreat.


Forces both in and outside of the walls.

Grocbad Burstablack, da Mad Mek shuffled out of the fortress, following Mr. Grimey. Zog’dakka had demanded to speak to him as soon as possible. They found the boss working on shoving one of the pretty white helmets onto his pointed stick. “What do ya need, Cap’n’?”

There was an awkward pause.

“Yar-har!”

“Yar-har, Mr. Burstablack, we have some good newz, and some bad newz. Which do ya want first?”

“What’s da good newz?

“You like repairing da Morkylith from being a smoking ruin.”

“Dey blew up me Morkylith!?!”

“How’d ya guess da bad newz?”

“I’m gonna build it back even bigger and stompier, dat’ll teach dem!”

“Carry on, Mr. Burstablack, an’ git ahold of Druzchoppa too, an’ tell ‘im I wantz ta get all da battlewagonz an’ Trukks up ‘ere and runnin’ too.”

“Why, Boss, what’s up?” Mr. Grimey looked confused. Zog’dakka turned to point off in the distance to the retreating Marine forces.

“Da beakies are going dat way, an’ we’re ‘ere. So stands ta reason if’n we wantz ta smash dem propah an’ plunder dere gubbinz we need ta go dat way too.”

“Dat sounds like aright propah plan, Cap’n,” agreed Burstablack as he started collecting up shattered scrap. “We could use da partz ta ‘elp build you some more stompin’ machines.”

The last daemon prince landed by Zog’dakka. “Hold, Ork, we discussed your purpose here, and it is to hold the mountain passes for us, we need to keep the Imperials contained and away from the capital.”

“I reckon’ dat’s why you should ‘ave paid me if’n ya wanted me ta be your squawb.”

“Boss!” Mr. Grimey tugged at Zog’dakka’s sleeve till he glanced down. “They…they did pay you to guard the passes.”

“Oh…oh…” Zog’dakka glanced at the Daemon Prince. “Sorry, I forgot. Course I forget dings all da time, like wot ‘appens when a face meets me klaw.”

He then promptly smashed in the Daemon Prince’s face with his power klaw. Stepping over the twitching body he shouted at the ladz.

“Lissen up, boyz, I reckon’ we gotz lotsa plunder, booty, grog, an’ stompin’ ta do. Who wants ta come get it with me?”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

===================================================

Farseer Diyneer waited patiently by the warp gate for the mon’keigh delegation. The Bonesingers had cloaked the gate to hide it from the mon’keigh’s limited senses and the Pathfinders were deployed within the nearby mountains. It was always best to be ready with the mon’keigh, they were so…unpredictable. Still, they had been allies before against the great evil and perhaps they could work in tandem again. If anything was certain, it was her need for allies. The Tau had finally made an offering of support, but their forces were so paltry as to be laughable, or just proof of their painful failure to understand how important this matter was…

One of the warp’s more powerful denizen’s was present and he would certainly only be after one thing, it could not fall into their hands. How could she of been so oblivious to his presence? He was known by a hundred different names, but there was one that his cultists on this planet chanted. Gentukama. Gentukama, the Herald of Rot, the Master of Maggots, The Putrescent Prince… He was known as Karg’ghal in the old language, and his actions made even the bravest weep.

“Mistress, the purple ones show. They are dressed for war.” The terse warning from one of the guardians she had posted on the ridge startled her from her reverie. Once more she rued the necessity of bringing some of the citizens of Ulthwe with her, they were prepared to fight, but were not prepared for war. If only she could have brought more of those walking Asuryan’s path, they would have known that these mon’keigh were always dressed for war.

As she moved to meet them she recognized the one leading them. His aged features reminded her of the short lifespan that the mon’keigh possessed. That said, it was perhaps good that he knew of her.

“Greetings witch woman. I see that you once again meddle where our traitorous brothers gather.” His voice boomed thick with the guttural sounds that the mon’keigh used for language. Two of his hulking brethren already had their weapons readied in a meaningful way, and the Guardian escort were starting to nervously grip their own catapults. It was time once again for the dance of negotiations…

Imperium MVP

A bit of a toss up to me. To some degree I would say ‘Warhound’ but, then again, to a certain degree, 750 points worth of Super heavy is supposed to be good. She did do her work, I’ll admit, killing off multiple squads, buildings, blasting open the gate, and finishing off the Klawstompa.

That said, I think I’ll actually go with the Wolf Lord – he was, by a solid margin, the best scoring unit chance for the Imperium, and also did some serious damage and drew a lot of fire from the defenders beyond what his points might have suggested.

Imperium WTF

I think we need to go with ‘The Templar Termies’ basically another 750 points, and one of the squads regenerated, and all they did was kill off a paltry number of Orks, one daemon prince, and…put one wound on each of the other princes. I’ll admit those princes were bought to kill a Warhound, but still. The Templar struggled to get to the fight and rarely seemed available for important pushes.

Chaos MVP

I think I’ll go with the Daemon Princes (it’s them or the Warboss). But the Princes did some solid work for us throughout (whereas all the Boss did, and it was impressive, was stomp on a Warlord at the last moment to prevent those VP points from getting into the scoring zone). Conversely, the Daemon Princes dealt with the 750 point Termie push, even with regenerating Termies, and also ripped up some Gray Hunters, helped take down the bike squad, did the Vortex Grenade o’ doom for us, and were overall a major threat (I personally think they were what scared the Warhound out of moving up sooner, which probably would have helped the Imperium if done sooner)

Chaos WTF

I’m honestly not sure. The other guys made some suggestions; the Dakkajet was one (but it killed a Shield Termie, 3 Gray Hunters, and put a wound on the Bike Lord in relic armor with three rounds of shooting, really not that shameful considering its price tag – frankly it did better than the Loota point for point.

Another suggestion was the Klawstompa, and I kind of feel that one. But, really – it showed up, obliterated some stuff, then was shot by some super lucky Sternguard and the full firepower of the Titan and was dropped. I’m not sure if I should hold it against a 450 point unit that it was killed in one round by around 900 points…that actually seems normal.

Even our wimp units served a point – the Cultists were great for us, the Oblits had their moments, the Ork mobs harassed everything around them. The Lootas might have been the weakest killers, but even for their points weren’t doing bad. Maybe that’s why we won, really nothing did that badly.

I guess I’ll award it to the Klawstompa, simply because I would have liked it to do more. I mean, it’s a Klawstompa, and I always want those things to do more, I’ll admit.