So I want to add some spice to this, I need someone to pick a number between 1-100. Based on what is picked I have already chosen some options on where my forces will go and how they fair. This will add some randomness/I dont always win. IF you would like me to help progress your own stories I can give people options and they choose and I tell you how it went. I can either say you pick a number and I tell you or I say heres your options(ie do you attack in pods, ground, or seige) and then we go from there. Just a thought. But for now I need 1-100.

I will also add my own Xenos/Chaos soon.

Thank you everyone for what you have done, this is fun and entertaining, i hope others outside are reading and enjoying it too.

I can give you a number, if you want? 13.
Is it possible you could do the same for my fleet boarding action?

Also, I PM'd you what I'm planning on doing next, just need to check it's okay with you!

Off Topic: this is cool, I'm enjoying this nice bit of world building! Also 53 is my number

The muffled explosion of the Drop Pod's mooring rods disconnecting echoed through the pod, shaking loose a few poorly strung cables and causing a shower of dust particles to cake the Ultramarines' azure pauldrons.
Aurelius merely shrugged the residue off. No point getting dirty now. Not when Chormi was so close to capture.
His personal Drop Pod was keyed into the vox network of the Imperial forces below. Captains Schwab and Brown commanded the Garmoil 3rd Tank company and Forsian 7th Infantry Corp respectively, fresh from their successes besieging Vernon. They had dug in overnight, shrouding the armoured vehicles in camo netting within the meagre treelines and setting up fire zones and trenchlines.
When dawn came, the greenskin forces were caught out, losing just over half of their strength in the ensuing enfilade. Ork corpses carpeted the muddy ground, according to ground reports. Still, there had been a cost. Both companies had sustained alarming losses from the orks manning the walls, shredding through the infantry's flak jackets and the adamantine hulls of the Leman Russ tanks. If the siege were to fail now, more lives would be lost trying to retake Chormi. The situation, the Codex dictated, called for a personal touch.

"++Commander, Ork forces have retreated into the inner keep. Laying on suppressive fire.++"
"My thanks, Quartermaster."
Aurelius silently prayed in thanks to the arrival of the 22nd Krieg Brigade, and of the Black Templar's generosity. With their timely arrival on the southern flank, the orks were caught on two fronts. Casualties were high for the newcomers, but Aurelius had to give them credit. Their selfless deaths had kept the orks' heads down. Away from the sky.

Warning signs began to light up the pod. Helms previously bowed in prayer raised, checking wargear and equipment. Aurelius gave a brief check over his men, meeting their steely gazes from behind his crested helm. His Honour Guard, wielding power axes and shields, were ready for war.
"Blades of Ultramar, prepare for battle!"
They cheered, bashing shields against the walls.
"Prepare for death!"
The wailing winds outside reached a climax, mixing with the yells inside the pod.
"Prepare for glory!"
The Drop Pod hit the ground violently, wreathed in flame, crushing greenskins beneath it's unstoppable bulk. As fast as the orks could react to the threat within their walls, the Ultramarines were upon them.

Aurelius and his men stormed out, advancing under cover of the massed bolters and heavier weapons behind them. The entire strikeforce had taken to their drop pods to rain down death upon the enemy. Tactical Squads Vorolanus and Solinus shredded through the unwieldly ork infantry, whilst the melta-weaponry of Squad Octavian tore through the varied Mek Guns that once rained death over the besieging forces. Over the lip of his storm shield, Aurelius spied the ork commander, retreating behind a wall of his largest veterans, bellowing commands in his crude tongue.
"That one is mine," the captain called out over the vox-network. "Let's finish this!"
Devastator Squad Tirian were the first to respond to their commander's plan, cutting through a swathe of greenskins with their heavy bolters and hurricane bolters. The Centurion warsuits advanced through the retaliating fire, laser-fire scoring off their slab-like armour and -
Laser-fire?
Aurelius briefly lowered his shield to see the slaughter unfold. The three Tactical squads were pinned down, using their drop pods as cover from the beams. On the ground, the captain spotted four Astartes, their armour riddled with small entry wounds. Some weren't moving at all. The captain returned his gaze to the ork warboss before another bolt struck him square in the helmet. The power armour barely slowed the round as it bore through and ripped into his flesh. Aurelius grunted in pain, wrenching the ruined plate off his head. Blood was coating the inside.
His retinue advanced, their breacher shields guarding their commander from the firestorm. They were a phalanx, unmoved by even the fiercest hurricanes. As the formation moved to form a full testudo, Aurelius took the liberty to consult the vox network.
"Sergeants, what losses?" Vorolanus was the first to reply.
"++None here, Acting-Captain. Minor damage to our power armour, but we're still at full size.++"
"++Lucky for you,++" came Octavian's report. "++Brothers Marcus and Tybalt are critically injured, probably dead. Ionus is wounded, missing an arm. He'll be fine.++"
"++Three down. I lost Hypax trying to drag Brakkius and Romulus back into cover. He's gone, but the other two are alive.++"
"++ Squad Tirian is unmoved. ++"

Six casualties, Aurelius mused. Soon to be more if we don't act. As the words entered his head, Brother Regulus of his retinue gasped, falling back into the testudo, a clean bolt lanced through his eye lens. The circle shrank, pulling the wounded Ultramarine into the protective shield. Regulus grunted up to Aurelius.
"I'll be fine, captain. Just a flesh wound." He rose back up and retook his place, just as Grayvus reeled from another strike. They had to act.

Overhead, the roar of jump-packs heralded the arrival of Assault Squad Ixion. The throaty boom of their arrival gave way to Ork screams and the sound of chainblades hacking through meat. Aurelius unsheathed his relic blade, leading the Ultramarines into the fray. Tirian and his Centurions gave the charging squads cover fire as they advanced, shredding the lightly armoured orks seconds before the blue Space Marines reached them. There was no quarter given. Greenskins fell like wheat to a scythe as the vengeful Astartes ripped through their main body and headed straight for the throat. The honour guard parted before Aurelius, making him a clear passage to the stunned warboss. Battle-cry on his lips, Aurelius raised his relic blade.

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The Warboss' lumpen head dangled from Aurelius' fist, staining the calm blue with violent red. It had been a slaughter. The flamers of squads Vorolanus, Solinus and Ixion were torching the piles of greenskin dead, assisted by the Krieg Guardsmen who were mining and sapping the fortress. Only one Astartes had been wounded badly in the combat, Brother Apollus from Ixion's squad. Even so, his chainsword had reaped an impressive tally of orks. Still, not even all the orks dead in the entire fort could bring back the men Aurelius had lost.
Hypax, Marcus, Tybalt, Romulus. All fine men.
Only in death does duty end, muttered Aurelius, trying to pull matted hair from his half-melted face. Nothing the Apothecaries couldn't handle, but still. A wound is a wound. Still, the captain was surprised. How in Terra's name could the orks have caused so much harm at range. Typically, ork firearms barely pierced flak armour, let alone blessed power armour. There was something afoot.

Captain Brown of the Forsian 7th Infantry approached Aurelius, holding something wrapped in what looked like the regiment's worn and scorched banner.
"My lord, how are your injuries?"
"Don't concern yourself with my injuries, honoured Captain. I must congratulate yourself on this victory. It wouldn't have been possible without you. You deserve the lordship far more than I."

Aurelius practically felt the pride swell from the Captain. It was unusual for a guardsman to be commended, he knew too well. He was also well aware that the Captain would be expecting a Lordship sometime soon. Aurelius felt a pang of self-annoyance for getting the oficer's hopes up unnecessarily.
"What can I do for you, Captain Brown?" Brown began to unwrap the contents of the banner as he talked.

"One of my men found this and took it as a trophy. From one of the greenskins. I reprimanded him for taking xenos artefacts, as per the Primer sir. But sir, I'm no Techpriest, but this don't look like no Ork gun to me." With that, he flourished the rifle from the shroud with as much elegance as he could muster before handing it to the Ultramarine.
"Throne of Terra," Aurelius swore. Brown was right. It wasn't any ork rifle he'd ever come across. It's smooth, flat edges and long barrel were a far cry from the crude, misshapen devices orks used. In fact, this could only be traced to one other source. Aurelius had faced them before, many times, in the Damocles Crusade. The implications of this were dire.

"The Orks are allied with the fething Tau."

Batteries pulsed with blue light as bolts of superheated gas arced into the void; the ork vessels were returning fire as best they could but their primitive armaments were having little effect on the Shield's void shields. The Spear of Mars' lance batteries shredded two more of the orks light frigits. In its primary hanger preparations were being made; 200 bondsmen had lugged the huge self propelled warhead into position on one of the launch racks usually used to house Lightning class interceptors; the racks usual cargo was currently engaging ORK fighta craft on the spears right bow. The warhead hummed as its engines were coaxed into life by 20 tech adepts who were massaging blessed oils onto its great flanks; and then the order came it. Within an instant the adepts were scuttling across the hanger towards the prebuilt bunkers imbedded into the hanger floor. The unlucky bondsmen who were not quick enough were incinerated as the vortex missle screamed out of the hangerhanger.

You picked an even number, things are going to go well for you in your boarding actions. You will have minimal losses and take home the head of a painboy as a trophy. Your crews gain much needed experience in the naval warfare as well. The vortex missile also infuriates your attached guardsmen, it was how they lost a former planet they had conquered before

Sadly you picked an odd number, your fleet battle is not going to go well. You will lose the fight and the advantage. Perhaps even being showing up by jhe90 troops there is a rivalry forming?

The Tram system is rigged and is an ambush site, your forces suffer losses and you are unable to retain the manufactorum for the future use of this campaign. Sadly we need that to kick start our ammunition supplies

You didnt pick anything but your cordinates now have an imperial assassin on its way, do as you feel best fits your theme.

Do you wish to attach your forces to someone else or let them strike out on their own? Do you have a code name youd like for your forces? Any named characters? also WELCOME!!

This is a blast and I am glad to see more and more people join us! A few rules before things get out of hand though, no complete destruction of each others forces, no killing off each others named characters. Feel free to run both good and bad and feel free to interact the forces with the above guidelines. I will continue to take random numbers to help throw in some curves for you guys to write about. IF you would like me to give you options you can choose and then I can tell you outcomes you can, or numbers. I will promise not to use to my own advantage and they wont always be an "odd or even" outcome, some might be "above this number" or "pick the 1 number and you win!" lol. If you have suggestions please please please tell me, its my first rodeo at this.

God dam it orks! ah well.

PS: Sorry about the vortex bomb; I'm going for this sort of "very smart but not tactically sound-of-mind ceniel old man" character.

If you're wondering what kind of person Ruber (my techpreist leader) is take this song and replace Camelot and Excalibur with Archnotech and other technological goodies.

https://youtu.be/-zqWJ4zfhOI

There's a reason why he's leading an exploritor fleet; he's too mad to be kept on Mars anymore. Mainly because of his views on the emperor and the omnissiah and the emperor being the same person; as in how he thinks they're not.

Ruber Von Strauss = take 1 cenial old man, add an unhealthy obsession with Archnotech and an army of unflinching metal men. He's not so much heretical as ruthlessly uncaring.
He's also quite showy and thus used a DAM VORTEX MISSLE to take out an ORK communications station. Also that was so none of you could bid for my Archnotech just staying in character! BTW not a heretic; just very sketchy morals.

good good, il get writing the next bit but add a little more peril, a victory but my Crusade fleet has had it easy so il give them somthing to have a real good go at, i don't want to be seen to special snowflake my part, its already well armed, equiped and had 3 capital warships unlike some others.

and for anyone who wants to play off my character a little background

Lord Marshall Karak, the Lord part is ment to be a signifier like veteran, but non codex of course

He was a senior officer, until one crusade he commanded was a total failure, in penence he was dispatched as head of a smaller crusade, to hunt dowm minor ork trhreats and other xeno incurrsions, during those 65 years he became one of chapters leading ork fighters and returned and was seen to have regained his honour and given command of larger, more important tasks once more. a skilled swordsman, expert in void and planetary assault, his bridge crew are made of marines badly wounded in battle, a task he sees as way of not wasting skilled veterans whom still have much to give, has respect for non marines but will always belive marines are Superior, non marines must work hard to earn his respect.

he is considered by some in the chapter to be overly brotherly (a long crusade along side the space wolves, and a taste for there ale) for such a stern chapter but skill and sucess have silenced them, in regards to codex it is respected but also operates on a non codex manner, however fully knows it and can operate easily alogside complient marines or others who disregard it.

Arificer armour, Terminator Armour as required, uses a relic blade and sheild often, distrusts plasma weapons and often chooses to use a custom modified full auto bolt pistol, a deathwatch relic earned in battle.

gained his rank when he executed his own Marshall who had been corrupted by chaos and was cleared of any charges.

inquisitor Drax is noe he has had a long if not fraught working relationship, both however have respect often there goals align, Drax has great mistrust of the warp and belives that to use it is openly risking corruption unnecessarily. senior inquisitor, hailing from Armageddon sector, and part of a small, lesser known puritan ordos xenos group that has suprsiingly good relations with the Templers and impirial fist geneseed chapters.

Strikeforce Praetoria is comprised mostly of Marines from the Ultramarines Second Company, consisting of half the company's strength. The force is led by Acting-Captain Hadris Aurelius.

The rank of Acting-Captain is mainly honorific. In truth, Aurelius' rank is that of Veteran Sergeant, hailing from the Ultramarines' 1st Company. However, in the light of the conflicts yet to come, Chapter Master Marneus Calgar has decided to halve the Ultramarines' 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Companies and appoint the most senior 1st Company Veterans to gain some command experience, whilst the other half of the company is left in it's Captain's hands.

Hadris Aurelius was given the honour of taking the vaunted 2nd Company into battle with him after the previous Acting-Captain, Francis Dramorian, was killed on duty. The honour of this new command weighs down heavily on him. To be charged with commanding the most prestigious of the Ultramarines' Battle Companies is something he never anticipated, and quite frankly, doesn't feel up to the task.
It doesn't help that Captain Cato Sicarius, the current de facto leader of the 2nd Company, holds Aurelius personally responsible for any deaths that occur to his company, something the veteran is keenly aware of. As such, Aurelius is very concious about his brethren's lives and well-being, taking extraordinary lengths to guarantee their safety.
Still, the veteran is known to be exceedingly prejudiced and vengeful against Orks in particular. He personally hunted down and gutted Warboss Skulkrusha on the world of Terroria for the death of Dramorian and the other dead of Strikeforce Praetoria, and the greenskin's return from the grave has the Acting-Captain out for blood.

The Acting-Captain is typically amiable, born of a noblewoman from Espandor and a PDF Captain from Talassar, possessing both a level of etiquette which is passable for an Imperial noble, yet also a deep-set respect of the Imperium's human warriors. Indeed, on Terroria, a firm comradeship was born between the newly-appointed commander and Colonel Ibrahim Gisgo of the Cadian 13th Remnants Regiment. However, Aurelius is still more than acceptable for a whole squad of guardsmen to die to spare the life of one of his Astartes and, although it pains him to do so, would trade another Space Marine's life to keep his company intact.

Strikeforce Praetoria is also accompanied by a number of 1st Company Veterans, to supplement the Demi-Company's effectiveness. Sticking fairly closely to the tenets of the Codex Astartes, to reduce unnecessary losses from his taskforce, Aurelius tends to prefer Drop Pod assaults from the Strike Cruiser Valin's Revenge, a manoeuvre known as Steel Rain, bringing the strikeforce as close to the enemy as possible to maximise initial Alpha Strike casualties in a way demonstrated, but never bettered, by Cato Sicarius. He also works well in boarding actions and void combat, stemming from a history of experience in a Breacher Squad and in cleansing ancient space hulks.
His personal retinue is equipped for this, armed with boarding shields and power axes or swords. Whilst the loadout for the squad isn't optimal in open warzones, Aurelius has never seen fit to equip them otherwise.

Acting-Captain Aurelius wears ornately crafted artifcer armour, both crafted from his original suit of power armour and relics dating back to since the Heresy, featuring the helmet crest of his captaincy and his personal heraldry (a golden half-sunburst over the Chapter sigil) on his pauldron. He wields an incredibly potent storm shield alongside a relic blade, crafted with the emblems of his Chapter in the pommel and guard.

(Note, I just finished remodelling him, so may stick an image here. )

As night fell onto the planet of Mogrok, an elite squad of six Iron Warriors had descended onto the pyramids that lay there.

"We will kill these thieves and take the artefact. Brother Marax, take the lead. Entrax, Dytrius, when I say the word I want you to launch onto the entrance. If they left any guards, you two will take them out." Archarus hissed out.

The two raptors nodded in unison, and Marax moved into position, the havoc marine wouldn't let a single enemy past his sights. Archarus nodded to himself as his men prepared. The other two, Skiraz and Pugarr, knew their job was to not allow anyone to come close to Archarus. Archarus himself would stride through the halls and kill the leader of the infiltrators himself. He lifted one arm, his corrupted thunder hammer crackling with the energies of the warp.

-----------------------------------------

Meanwhile, the sniper, Eperus, had watched the squad make their way ever closer towards the entrance of the pyramid. He had waited until he saw their allegiance. He saw, with his Chapter's enhanced eyes, the distinctive bare metal plates and yellow/black hazard stripes. "Confirmed contact. Several targets spotted, armed for a fight. IV Legion. Iron Warriors" He spat, and took aim.

"++Fire on will. We cannot let them get inside the pyramid.++" Sergeant Claudio called back. He knew he would never see Eperus again. "++The Emperor Protects, Death Angel.++"
"Likewise, Ultramarine."

-----------------------------------------

"Raptors, adva-" Archarus began, but stopped as a sniper's bullet pierced through Dytrius' helmet in front of him, killing the traitor Astartes instantly.

Immediately, Entrax took off, flying at the source of the shot. Eperus fired again, but only landed a grazing blow. The Raptor landed directly in front of Eperus, setting his chainsword to full power and swinging at Eperus. The sniper dodged the blow and fired a vengeance round point-blank into Entrax. The traitor took a step back, taking quick breaths to ease the pain. With a roar, he charged again, before he would end up like Dytrius, lunging his chainsword at Eperus. The marksman couldn't dodge the blow, and instead sacrificed his bolter by putting it in harm's way.

The chainsword cut through the gun with ease, and Eperus dropped the ruined pieces, reaching now for his combat knife. Entrax laughed at the futile blade before him, and took his time approaching the sniper. Eperus roared a challenge at the Raptor and swung his blade at his throat.

Entrax did nothing to avoid the blow, instead he swung his chainsword into Eperus' gut, eating through the armor and skin and causing its gory contents to spill onto the ground. Eperus fell to the ground, but did not allow himself to groan in pain. He may have died to a traitor, but he would not give him the satisfaction.

The rest of Archarus' retinue closed the distance to the entrance after Entrax gave them the all clear. Archarus lead them into the maze, stooping down to accommodate the bulky frame of his terminator armor. Entrax took the rear, quietly cursing himself for taking such a grievous injury. Archarus took note of the wound, and hissed with displeasure at such weakness.

"Enemy... breached through. I- I couldn't... hold them..." Eperus muttered into his vox, and finally succumbed to his wounds. The Iron Warriors didn't hear the Death Angel's last words, and entered the maze of corridors that lead to their goal.

-----------------------------------------

Deeper in the maze lay a large, circular room. The remaining four Deathwatch entered there with caution, seeing an altar in the middle with a staff lying over it.
"We won't have long. Haakon, cover the door."
The Space Wolf nodded, turning to face the doorway so that the four barrels of his heavy bolter faced it. The Ultramarine spoke to Karrack and Sepheran.
"We have to find a way to transport the artefact." Sergeant Claudio said. He walked over to the staff, but hesitated to touch it. Surely it was cursed with the foul touch of Chaos.

Claudio stared at it, seeing what resembled an ork's skull, but horns protruded from it, and the entire thing glowed dimly of a blackish light. Sepheran approached the artefact, lifting his combi-melta questioningly towards it.

"No, Blood Angel. We do not know what could happen if we destroyed it, or if we even can with the weapons we have. We must transport it for further examination." Claudio sharply said.

"As you wish, Brother-Sergeant." came Sepheran's reply. As he spoke, Haakon made a warning growl, which changed to a yell. In walked Archarus and his remaining guard.

"Back off, loyalists. We only want the artefact, your lives are meaningless to us." Archarus rumbled, immediately seeing that Claudio was their leader.

"We do not make deals with traitorous scum. You will not get your artefact, or our lives!" Claudio bellowed. As he spoke, Haakon howled a challenge and fired at the fallen Astartes.

Marax started to open fire on Claudio, but his first volley only chipped the strange stone floor, and he never was able to get a second volley off. Sepheran, seeing the danger they were all in, fired his combi-melta at Marax, taking the havoc marine's head clean off in one shot. The headless corpse sank to its knees and toppled backwards, still firing at the ground, spraying stone chunks like a fountain.

The Blackshield, Karrack, charged at the traitors as well, uttering an ancient war chant as he fought. Claudio went to grab the artefact, and Archarus saw the movement, rushing to meet him. Karrack moved to stop him, cutting at his shoulder with a chainblade. Archarus rumbled out a laugh at the Astartes, and swung downwards with his thunder hammer, nearly crushing the marine's skull with near godlike speed. Karrack fell away, his arm ripped away from his body. Roaring, he recalled his oaths, the ones he took when he swore his life to the Watch, and charged back into the fray.

Entrax swung at Haakon's head, but his wound made him slow, far too slow. The Wolf easily dodged the swing and was still howling when his chainsword took the raptor's head clean off, and he padded off to his next target.

Claudio saw the approaching Chaos Terminator Lord, and swore to himself as he swung his power axe overhead onto the artefact, yelling out "No traitor shall win this day!". To his own quiet surprise, the staff did shatter clean in half, and as it broke, an ear splitting shriek came from the floor itself. The scream was powerful enough for every Astartes to fall to their knees. Even Archarus couldn't stand against it. "You fools! You do not know what you have done!" Archarus roared.

Claudio was the first to rise, grabbing the skull of the staff and yelling to Sepheran to make a way out for them. The Blood Angel nodded and fired into the wall, melting a hole right through. As the Sergeant grabbed part of the staff, the shrieks redoubled their effort, and the entire pyramid began to rumble and crack, emitting fiery lights that promised damnation.

Claudio turned to see Haakon still blasting away at the traitors with his heavy bolter, and Haakon had enough pause to return the glance. "Go on! We will hold them off! For the All Father!"

Claudio saw there was no other way, and gestured for Sepheran to lead the way out. Archarus roared out a challenge, and Sepheran fired a vengeance round at him, barely missing but slowed his advance. Cursing to himself, he left the loyalists to escape and grabbed the other piece of the artefact.

"We must leave now, this place will not last long." Archarus said and moved to help finish off the Kill Team. The Blackshield kicked Skiraz down, and before he could finish him off, Archarus swung his thunder hammer into his back, breaking the spine.

Howling in pain, Karrack spun around and swung his sword ineffectually into Archarus' leg before falling to the ground. Archarus stepped onto his sword arm, crushing it before moving on, dooming the once-traitorous Space Marine to dying with the temple.

Haakon saw his battle-brother fall and swung more wildly at his opponent, but couldn't hope to withstand the attack of three Astartes at once. Haakon snarled with unrestrained animosity and lunged towards Archarus, plunging his chainsword into his shoulder before anyone could react, but opened himself up to the return attacks of the other two marines.

Haakon died laughing at his enemies, giving them no reward for the suffering they had caused.

"Move, we have one piece of the artefact, there is no time!" Archarus roared, and made sure to crush on the dead Space Wolf's skull as he left.

As the Iron Warriors left the temple, it finally was destroyed by the power surging through it, energies tainted with the warp blasting through its roof and lighting the night for miles around. Had Archarus not been so furious at losing part of the staff he would have admired the sight of it.

"++Heart of Iron, get us off of this rock.++" Archarus muttered, and sank to his knees, seething with anger at his failure.

"We will get the other piece, Warsmith. The lost will not have died in vain." Pugarr rumbled, smoke coming from his vox-grill, a minor sign of the mutation within.

Unbeknownst to them, the surviving members of the Deathwatch kill team were making the same promise to themselves.

I know, still tying over from my main force, but I had to resolve my Deathwatch soon!