To recap, turn 5 saw the Imperials make significant gains, retaking the defence batteries and giving the Orks a bloody nose at the forge precinct via a series of Kill Team raids.
Following up on that success, the Imperial advance kept rolling forwards, despite the depletion of the advance units. Chasing the greenskins from the defence silos, the marine’s next target was the Ork held Equatorial Hub agriculture zone. The Imperial team hoped a quick strike would finish off the scattered Ork defenders and the survivors of the defence silo battle.
Meanwhile in orbit, an Ork Kill cruiser hiding amongst the floating wreckage of earlier battles launched a surprise attack on the marine fleet carrier. A series of crude docking rokkits blasted towards the marine ship as it turned to meet its aggressor...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Planetside, the two armies deployed across the ruins of an agri-research centre.
View from the west of deployment
The marines wasted no time pushing forwards, with attack bikes moving into cover to support the nearby Death Company
The Orks sacrificed shooting to move cautiously forward, utilising cover where they could
The marines guarding the Imperial objective kept the Ork advance from moving freely with a series of missile shots, none of which did any serious damage
Meanwhile, the Meganobz guarding the Ork objective were lucky to survive an orbital bombardment called in on their position
The Ork advance bunched up as it skirted a small wood to the flank of the Imperial objective. A few more minutes would have them nicely in assault range...
The marine defenders kept up the suppression fire and called for support from their own assault elements
The call was answered by the attack bike squad and the landraider
Even the thick frontal armour of the battlewagon wasn’t enough to withstand two twin-linked lascannons, and yet again the main Ork tank went up in flames...
The Ork mob on board spilled into the woods (minus 5 who went up with the BW). The Trukk carrying the Ork
HQ decided to risk difficult terrain rather than marine’s firepower and headed through the trees. Some tremendous rolling, assisted by calling a Waaagh saw both units reach the marines in the assault phase
The dreadnought failed to hit a sausage and was ripped apart by power claws. The marine combat squads and Inquisitor Julius joined the fray and the battle was well and truly on.
To the west, a Killa kan in cover behind the Ork objective scored a lucky hit with a rokkit, immobilising the Death Company Rhino. Not willing to wait for repairs, Chaplain Sandius led his raging squad forward (The chaplain figure was actually in power armour to fit in the Rhino, but the mini was newly painted and to cool not to use...)
Xenos scum! Prepare to feel my wrath!
Adding insult to injury, a meganobz kombi-rokkit blasted away one of the attack bikes, causing the remaining two to fall back
Back at the marine objective, neither side could gain the upper hand as casualties mounted..
The Death Company continues their long march towards the Ork objective
In a move to try and clear the Imperial objective, Captain Boydus ordered his landriader to deposit him and a second tactical squad into the melee. The marines crashed into the Orks who barely hung on
Teaming up with the Inquisitor, the two heroes struck down the Ork Warboss – the marines seemed to be gaining the upper hand..
To the west the Death Company crested a small rise and fired into the Ork objective, removing one of the defending Meganobz
Not wanting to be on the end of a black-armoured charge hit, the meganobz decided to get stuck in first, leaving cover and assaulting the Death Company
The killa kan followed suit, charging the attack bike that had just blasted off its klaw. This combat bogged down for the rest of the battle as the two opponents traded ineffectual blows
Back at the Imperial objective, disaster struck the marines. Both marine heroes were felled as they finished off the Ork nobz. Even worse, the last tactical marines were now in a fight with the remaining greenskins and Nob
It was a fight they were destined to lose (hooray for awesome Ork leadership rolling & power klaws!). Leaving the marine objective in Ork hands
To the west, the power weapons and ferociousness of the Death company saw off the last meganobz
The berserk marines now eyed up the Ork objective with its defenders (who were looking rather nervous at this stage..)
In an attempt to salvage the disaster at the marine’s objective, the landraider tried to blast away the few Orks who held the site.
But the Orks went to ground and the cover saved them from the ravening lasers and heavy bolters
In one last assault the Death Company overran the Ork objective. The boyz mob was comprehensively destroyed by the rampaging marines.
But it was too late. Over extended the marines were forced to fall back, little realising that almost no Orks remained alive to oppose them...
Final result:
Marines: 1 No objectives
Orks: 1 Objective
Ork victory! (by 3 lone Orks....)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Meanwhile in orbit...
The incoming boarding rokkits were detected and the carrier went to battle stations. Marine combat units spread out through the vulnerable sections of the ship
Critical choke points and corridor intersections were reinforced
Despite terrible losses, a number of Ork boarders made it through the carrier’s close in defences and bored through the hull to disgorge their elite cargoes
The fighting quickly became a desperate struggle at close quarters for both sides
Sternguard meltas and terminator assault weapons killed nobz in quick order, but the cramped conditions favoured the assault oriented Orks
It soon became apparent that the boarders were headed for the carrier launch controls – if these were destroyed it would be days before repairs could be made – stranding the marine units planetside without their Thunderhawk transporters...
Despite one attack being eliminated, the second fought their way to the launch controls, were an Ork power klaw wreaked terrible damage to the precious mechanicus equipment. Despite their heavy losses and the bravery of the defenders, the Orks were victorious...
Ork Victory! One marine army is locked in place for the next turn and cannot make any moves or attacks...
Conclusion:
Well, a lot can change in a battle! The strategic situation is now much more finely balanced, with one marine army now stuck in the Berephous Hive without transporters and a second repulsed at the Equatorial Hub, the Orks can now launch an attack on the second forge precinct – coming up next battle....
KHADOR 
X-Wing (Empire Strong) 
