It had been a cold summer, but then again it was always cold on Faeva VI. The Aurelian 56th infantry regiment had been dug in for the past 8 months, but the cold was only one of their problems. The orks were another thing entirely.
The orks had been ravaging the local system for the past year, and here at Faeva VI the Imperial forces planned to initiate their spearhead to break the green menace’s back. More specifically at Hive City Descarte, which is where the battle begins…



“Looks like a storm is brewing,” Tuvitz said as he sat down near the small fire he and Pvt. Kline shared. “Aye, won’t help a damn once the fighting starts, that’s for sure…,” said Kline as he took in a mouthful of recaf, “not much we can do but hope to the Emperor the orks don’t---.” He never got to finish his sentence and the screams of angry orks and chattering of gunfire erupted across the city. In a flash, the 4th platoon was in action. Sergeants yelling orders as men ran to their places in the line. Organized chaos was a sight to behold as the Aurelian forces prepared for imminent battle. Engines of powerful war machines started up across the city, and would have been heard for blocks had it not been for the howling wind, which brought torrents of snowflakes with it. Visibility was nil.

According to command, key points in the city were vital to the mission objectives and were to be held at all costs. The 4th platoon under the watchful eye of Commissar Velner, was unfortunate enough to be placed to defend one such high priority area. The only other platoon in the area was the 5th, which were responsible for guarding another area further to the east. The infantry regiment was not without support however. Leman Russ tanks from the Aurelian 6th Armored Division were spread out to help assist the platoons in the narrow confines of the Hive. Once such tank was commanded by none other than the Aurelian’s best tank commander: Knight Commander Castle in his heavily Armored Leman Russ fitted with one of many fearsome weapons least of which was a heavy turret mounted gatling cannon.
As the 4th Platoon ran into position, an exterminator tank began to fire into the blizzard at Emperor only knows what. Kline could only image what they saw through their optic sights, but he wouldn’t have to imagine for long a hulking shapes started to burst through the wall of white. One would think that camouflage was important to any army when fighting a war, but apparently the orks were either out of the loop or didn’t care as they charged forward in their bright yellow rags and armor. Kline didn’t complain, as he started to lay down a withering hail of lasbolts with the rest of his platoon knocking down a few of the orks. The Leman Russ exterminator to the west continued to fire past the orks with its autocannons, much to Kline’s chagrin. “Ey! Why in the bloody heck aren’t they firing on the tide?! Something wrong with their sights?” Tuvitz shrugged and continued to fire his lasgun. “Dunno, but it looks like this blizzard is starting to let up.”

As it did, massive armored monsters materialized out of the blizzard. Tuvitz eyes widened, “Emperor, preserve us…if those things get to the line…” “Steel your mind, private!” cried Commissar Velner, “lest the Emperor finds us wanting!” “Y-yes, sir!” said Tuvitz as he eyed the Velner’s bolt pistol within the well-known and feared black coat of the commissariat. He quickly returned to his shooting.
Fortunately for the infantry, one of the war walkers was knocked out of commission by the exterminator already. Little did they know something much more frightening was coming towards them from the north.


Knight Commander Castle was a simple man, who enjoyed simple things: like killing orks for example. And nothing would allow him to do this better than the punisher gatling cannon the Imperium had generously gifted him for his years of service. Lining up the sights on a giant walker, he depressed the trigger with a grin. A loud “BRRRRRRP” noise erupted from outside the hull. To any ignorant party, this noise would probably sound amusing, almost comical. To those in the know of what it meant, it was probably the most terrifying sound they’ve ever had the misfortune of hearing.

A stream of hot lead shot out from the turret. It looked like a stream of red-orange water shooting out a pressure washer and smashing angrily against the armored facing of the ork deff dread. Where once was armor, was now a gaping hole as the deff dread listed on its stubby legs and toppled to the ground.

“The boys in the 4th can thank me later once we’re done here for that one,” said Castle as he opened the top hatch. “Steven’s take the turret and follow my lead, we got more of those cans headed our way.” With that he popped out the turret to take control of the heavy stubber. If he was going to shoot some orks, he wanted them to make sure his crazed grin was the last thing they ever saw.


It looked like the exterminator wasn’t gonna be able to knock out those last two kans, as Kline saw it. Autocannon shells bounced unbelievably off their front armor with nary a sign of damage, but he had other things to worry about as it looked like the orks were preparing to charge. This of course was immediately met by hasty gunfire and some lit promethium from a few of the weapon specialists in the platoon. The ork charge faltered as the hail of lasbolts did their job, but the walkers behind them continued on. Then he heard it: quiet at first, and barely audible above the noise of battle and the wind. The screams of jet engines: valkyries!



The valkyrie bucked and vibrated horrendously in the cross-winds created by the buildings of Hive City Descarte. Private Collins looked to his meltagun for the umpteenth time since they had been called in to do a “drop-and-pop” as they liked to call them. Ironically, the popping could go both ways as either the enemy was caught off guard and destroyed or the special weapons teams that were sent on these missions were caught in the open and hosed down by enemy fire. Not many men signed up to be a weapon specialist for that exact reason, and most were conscripted by the commissar for bad conduct. Either way, one misplaced food fight later, and Collins had found himself in the morose company of the rest of the special weapons team sent on this insane mission. Grimfaced men who expected to die today sat on the transport netting awaited the drop as the wind howled angrily outside. Then the red light came on.
The jump director lifted his arms, and the men in the hold stood up, taking their positions at the rear hatch. With a groan the hatch began to open and the positive pressure in the hold caused the troops to stumble as the air was momentarily sucked from their lungs. “Chute check!” bellowed the director. Each man checked the integrity of the next man’s chute giving them the “o.k.” pat on the back.
Collins was first in line as he watched the cityscape fly by before him. In the distance he saw the squadron’s second valkyrie with its similar payload to be dropped off behind enemy lines. He looked down again and gulped.
“First time jump,” the director asked with a grin. Collins nodded. “Well, don’t worry, we’ll be covering your arses from the skies…assuming you make it down.”
“Gee, thanks. Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah.” The light turned green. “That first step’s a doozie.”
And with that, he was shoved unceremoniously from the safety of the hold and into thin air.

The screaming of the jet engines ceased as the only sound to be heard was the cold wind whipping past his ears. The world was spinning as Collins rocketed towards terra firma. Something flashed from a building out of the corner of his eye. Bright fiery missiles streaked towards the sky, striking the rear of the valkyrie he was just in. A good number found their mark, tearing off the armor plating and causing the craft to violently pitch in the opposite direction. Not a fatal hit, but enough to spook the pilot into rocketing off into the distance. “So much for the air support…” thought Collins.

By now his grav-chute had activated and was quickly lowering him to the ground. His squad landed in a heap at the proper LZ, a rarity for sure, but Collins wasn’t the kind of man who stared a gift-grox in the mouth.

The second drop unit, the Flaming Hands, hadn’t been so lucky, drifting dangerously close to the loota infested building and some occupied killa-kans.

Otherwise, both squads remained unscathed as they moved into position. Using the timeless technique of reflecting code, the Flaming Hands initiated the attack, which is when things started to go south. Collins watched as two blinding flashes from the other units meltaguns forced him to close his eyes. At the same time, the Fire Hands’ demolition specialist launched his demolition charge towards the killa-kans. A good throw had it not been for the back-blast from the first meltagunned walker. Things happened in slow motion as the charge sailed back to land in front of its owner. With a titanic explosion, the Fire Hands were vaporized down to a single man wielding a meltagun who, by some miracle, survived the blast. Clearly in shock, he stumbled away looking for cover.

Shaken from the funk he had been in as he watched the disaster unfold, Collins realized there was one walker left. He quickly took aim, closed his eyes, and depressed the trigger. Bright light seared his retinas and eyebrows smoldered off, but it was nothing compared to the gaping, melting hole he created in the machine. The war walker slumped over, out of the fight for good.


Kline wasn’t sure what happened, but after witnessing the destruction of the killa-kans to the west he was glad to have one less thing to worry about. The ork mob that had previously been looking for blood was now on the back foot and the suppression fire was doing its job. For a moment things were looking good as the guard started to push forward on the offensive. Suddenly another screaming noise could be heard in the sky. “Another valkyrie?” he thought. No, the screaming sounded far more high-pitched and torturous. Out of the clouds appeared what looked like a yellow missile with wings. A valkyrie, it was not. The machine cobbled together out of bits and pieces of scrape angled in for a strafing run. Kline could almost see the feral grin on the greenskin pilot. “INCOMING!” yelled one of the seargents as the air was suddenly filled with bullets the size of fingers.

Most of the men made it into cover, but a few unfortunate souls were pulped before Kline’s very eyes. A few casualties, but not enough to break moral fortunately. Then without warning a missile streaked past and straight into the ork jet. It ripped into the intake and exploded in the engine. The mass of debris careened off into the city where it exploded sending up a small mushroom cloud of smoke. A valkyrie screamed by, waggling its wings back and forth as a gesture of goodwill before it looked for more prey to hunt. The men of the platoon cheered, guns in the air, before Commissar Velner ordered them to return fire on the incoming orks.



“We’ve got this one in the bag,” said Tuvitz enthusiastically. “We’ll be back to sipping hot recaf before we know it!” Kline grinned, but Tuvitz had spoken too soon as the walls of the ruins they had taken shelter in crashed inward. The platoon attempted to regain their bearings but it was too late. The burnas who had crashed into their cover unleashed their deadly payload into the troops. Handfuls of men were burned to ashes before they could even let out a scream. Commissar Velner was caught mid-bellow before he was engulfed in flame along with two sergeants. The fires were billowing closer as Kline was shoved hard to the ground. He looked up just in time to see Tuvitz immolated in fire before he crumpled to the ground writhing in pain before finally passing on. Kline was speechless.

He stumbled upwards trying to make sense of what exactly just happened. The remaining sergeant was screaming something, but the men didn’t seem to care. It was a chaotic retreat from the literal hell the orks had just unleashed into the platoon. The men fell back, Kline among them. They would be punished in some form for not holding the line, but nobody seemed to care. Tuvitz had saved him at the last moment. Kline would reflect and mourn his friends loss later though as he wasn’t about to waste his friend’s sacrifice by joining him at the Emperor’s side just yet.

Lieutenant Mezner was furious, watching helplessly from his chimera APC, as his platoon fled the battlefield. It was one thing to lose a platoon in battle, but another beast entirely to have it flee like children from their Emperor-given duty. Having just received an angry vox transmission from Captain Keane, he knew he would be lucky enough to simply get a dressing down after the battle. He needed to think. The autocannon on the turret boomed out a couple of shells before the gunner started tracking for more targets. “Driver! Get us up to where the line was broken. We need to reclaim that position!” If his men wouldn’t hold the line, then he would. At least, it might lessen the Captain’s rage after all was said and done.



He almost crushed the vox transmitter in his powerfist as he ended the transmission. The last thing Captain Keane had expected was to see half a platoon flee from a few orks with flamethrowers. The confines of the chimera were cramped and stank of sweat, even more so than usual due the greater bulk and odor of his faithful ogryn bodyguard, Grumbs. “What in the warp was the Colonel thinking when he promoted him to lieutenant?! That man isn’t fit to lead a scholam of children, let alone trained soldiers!” His retinue said nothing as their chimera rolled across the city streets. “Sir,” replied the driver, “looks like he’s headed into retake the line.”
“He frakken well better! Just to make sure, move in as support and clear those orks out of the building. I’m not leaving anything to chance with that man.”

“Contacts! 6 o’clock said one of the veterans peering out the gun port of the rear. “What now?” replied Keane. “Ork coptas by the look of it, sir. They’ve outflanked us.” Keane threw open the top hatch as he watched three orkish helicopters launch their payload of missiles into the rear of Knight Commander Castle’s punisher tank. The tank shuddered as Castle looked back with mild irritation. He quickly resumed his shooting as elements of 5th platoon engaged the chopas, which greedily obliged the opportunity for an easier kill. “That man’s insane, remind me to ask for his assistance more often,” said Keane as he slipped back into the hold. “Now about those orks…” “Greeting them with some warm promethium as we speak, sir,” said the front gunner. “Good, now all we ne--,” Keane was interrupted as the chimera was rocked violently from the front. Smoke started to billow into the troop compartment and Grumbs looked fit to freak, both things would end poorly for all parties if they stayed put. “Out!” yelled Keane as the punched open the rear hatch.

The command squad poured out into the biting wind as they took up defensive positions around the wrecked chimera. A few of the burnas who had helped scrape the vehicle took notice and started to move along the edge of the ruins, pilot lights flickering hungrily in the wind: the perfect time for Lieutenant Mezner to save his commander’s skin and get him in his debt. “Fire when ready men!” he cried as his platoon command squad unleashed their grenade launchers into the pack of burnas. The grenades, taken by the wind, ricocheted harmlessly off steel girders and overshot the intended target. The orks looked puzzled as they looked towards the most mortified human on Faeva VI. “The Captain…is gonna have my bars for this one,” croaked Mezner.

“I’M GONNA HAVE HIS BARS FOR THIS!” Keane raged. “Grumbs, end this sick excuse for slapstick, now!”
“Hurr, ho-kay Kapan!” Grumbs trundled forward through the snow as he readied his massive ripper gun. An ork loosed his flamer covering Grumbs in fire. “Grumbs, feel warm,” he chuckled as he unleashed handfuls of buckshot into the few remaining greenskins; killing them all in a fine red mist and bloody chunks.


The battle didn’t last much longer. The Aurelian 56th had defended the line long enough for reinforcements to be brought up, their current mission was accomplished. The new Imperial Guard forces swept through the city, clearing out what little pockets of resistance remained. The battle had been won, but the war to reclaim the system was far from over…

IG Turn 1: Not much happened as night fighting was in effect. Imperial guard move up into position to control objectives in both buildings. Leman russ exterminator glances one killa-kan to death. Everything else remains out of range or makes its cover saves.
Orks Turn 1: Orks move up. The war walkers on the long table edge attempt to stay within the custom force field, but the orks make poor move through cover and run rolls. War walkers remain in the field, but are held back due to bad movement. Killa kans on the short board edge remain out of range of the exterminator and Lootas shoot at guardsmen blob in cover to acquire only 1 kill. 3+ cover ftw.
Totals: IG - 6, Orks - 0
IG Turn 2: Valkyries come on same board edge and drop of their cargo. One scatters next to some ruins, and the other lands dead on. No casualties are suffered. Chimeras shuffle into position and loose off some shots into the killa kans which somehow make all their 5+ saves. The punisher tank remains stationary and destroyes the deff dread through glancing. Special weapons squads unload into other killa kans and destroy all of them, but at the cost of nearly wiping out one squad due to the scatter on a demo-pack. Miraculously, the lone melta gunner passes moral. One valkyrie launches off a missile onto the kans which is also saved through cover, while the other valk with not LOS to anything flies off the table. With no kans left to shoot at, the exterminator fires into the Nob squad bearing down on the large ruin killing 2 and placing a wound on another.
Orks Turn 2: Orks move up to take two objectives. The ork fighta comes in and shoots into my blob killing 3 men. Killa kans once again are forced to move minimally to stay within the kustom force field due to more bad movement rolls. They fire off their grotzookas to take out a handful of guardsmen from the second platoon. Orks attempt to charge the guardsmen in the large ruin but fail their rolls to assault. A few are killed due to overwatch. Lootas fire into one valkyrie taking off 2 hull points.
Totals: IG – 6 (first blood/line breaker), Orks – 6 (line breaker)
IG Turn 3: The damaged valkyrie flies off, while the other comes on to take out the ork fighta, which crashes to the ground behind the punisher. The punisher tank shifts focus to the walkers and unloads everything into them for 1 dead walker and a lost hull point on another. They might not be able to run, but the kans know how to make 5+ cover saves. Guardsmen unload into the ork mob killing a handful, but not enough to force a leadership. The special weapons squads move towards the third objective. The remaining melta gunner sneaks around the building to pot shot at lootas to no avail. Leman russ exterminator fires into the Ork Nobs to kill 2 more. Orks fail leadership and fall back 12”. No boss pole was used as he figured he’d still regroup on the warboss’ leadership, but he didn’t expect the double 6 fallback distance.
Orks Turn 3: Coptas come on and fire into the punisher only taking off 1 hull point. Burnas burst into the large ruin and toast most of the platoon causing it to flee off the board. Grotzooka Kans move up and attempt to hurt my command chimera to no avail. At this time, my friend forgets to fire off his lootas and he passes the turn.
Totals: IG – 5 (first blood/line breaker) Orks – 4 (line breaker)
IG Turn 4: Damaged valk reappears and fires into kans and misses. Other valk pivots and flies towards special weapons squad if they need a lift later on. The special weapons squad launches its demo-pack onto the lootas on the balcony, killing only 2. The exterminator unloads into remaining boys and kills them all. Only two ork troop choices remain, and one is falling back. The remaining platoon fires into the coptas killing one, and the punisher unloads again into the walkers finally destroying all of them with the help of the command chimera which moved up alongside the large ruin.
Orks Turn 4: Lootas shoot into the chimera removing 2 hull points. The burnas are now faced with having to assault the vehicle itself instead of the contents inside. They destroy the vehicle and force my HQ out into the cold. The warboss and remaining nob move towards the special weapons near the 3rd objective. The coptas move in and assault the large blob. They kill a few men, but loose a copta in the process to some power axes. For the most part the second large mob of orks has done little this entire game, and my friend decides to start moving them up realizing his mistake by keeping them back to hold his objective.
Totals: IG – 8 (first blood/line breaker) Orks – 4 (line breaker)
IG Turn 5: Platoon command leaders exit their chimeras and take two objectives. One platoon fires its grenade launchers into the burnas and rolls all misses. My HQ picks up the slack and with the combined firepower of an ogryn ripper gun and flamer, the remaining burnas are killed. The punisher begins to fire into the large mob, but at this point my friend calls the game.

Final Score: IG – 11 (3 objectives/first blood/ line breaker) Orks – 4 (1 objective/line breaker)
In the end my friend had some bad movement/assault rolls that really sealed his fate along with not getting in my forces face with both mobs from the start. He realized he also could have done with more boys and is considering dropping the coptas for another blob as the coptas didn’t do much at all this game. On the other hand, I had a great deal of troops to throw around and could take a few loses. Compared to his 3 troops, I had 6.
All in all it was fun to get a game in and finally beat my friend’s undefeated orks of 5th ed. This was his second 6th game, so it was an exercise in acquainting himself with the new tactics. Any advice/suggestions for either side is always appreciated.
Hard to say who the MVP of the day was here, I’d have to put it down to either the punisher or the special weapons squads. Both helped in changing the course of the battle in one way or another and surprisingly survived the entire game. Granted, I would have liked to see Nork get some actual punches in. Oh well, perhaps next time.