Sniksnazz Explains Beakies

Ol' Sniksnazz, by virtue of being the oldest living ork, acted as the tribe's historian. He was the keeper of the ancestorial memories and what counted as ork 'kulture': stories of the biggest and most important wars and warriors. He passed these memories along as stories told around the fires at night. It had been some time since he regaled the 'yoofs' of the camp with his recollections of the Ol' Den Days when the ork rok had been destroyed in orbit during the Third Xhorik War, causing catastrophic climate change to the planet of Xhorik Prime. This was the seminal event in their history, even giving them their name: The World Wrecka Tribe. But it was hardly the only story Ol' Sniksnazz knew.

As feral orks, they could never truly threaten the major mining and refining centers of the planet. They had been limited to raiding isolated outposts and caravans. They had never posed enough of a threat to warrant notice from the Red Brotherhood space marines stationed on the planet to protect its output of the critical Kleinhaurker ore. The marines were preoccupied with bigger threats. So it had been left to the PDF garrisons to deal with the nuisance of the primitive orks. 

After the World Wreckas had been subjugated under the newly-arrived Blitzdreg Boyz, they were equipped with upgraded technology: guns, vehicles, and artillery. Their ork instincts had kicked in and they had taken to the new weapons with glee and aptitude. With the two tribes united under Warboss Filgakk Skullsplitta, they now waged a true war across the planet, attacking cities, military installations, and mining centers. The PDF was overwhelmed and defeated in multiple pitched battles. The orks rejoiced at finally being able to smash their long-time foes and oppressors. However, their attacks now started to interrupt the flow of Kleinhaurker and finally brought down the attention of the space marine garrison at Thorrosin.  

After a few clashes with the Red Brotherhood, the orks of The World Wreckas came away suitably impressed with the fighting prowess of these new foes: superhumans who could best an ork in hand-to-hand combat, something most of them had never seen. Orks appreciated martial prowess when they saw it; the stronger the foe, the better the fight, the more glory to the victor, after all. At night, around the fire (the acquisition of technology did nothing to change this custom of the formerly feral orks), the 'yoofs' asked Ol' Sniksnazz to tell them more about these admirable warriors. 

Sniksnazz grumbled. He wanted to be fighting, not talking. But he instinctively knew his role in the orky 'kulture'. He knew the younger orks needed to be inspired to emulate the great warriors of the past and fight harder against the klan's enemies. After enough badgering by the gathering audience, he acquiesced with a grunt and a nod. He gazed around the fire, fixing each ork in turn with his one-eyed stare. Once the audience was silent, he began.

"So, ya wanna know 'bout da beakies, huh? I know da story. Da tribe caught a 'umie once, years ago. Da 'umie told one uv da ol' orks, and dat ol' ork told Ol' Grodnog, and Ol' Grodnog told me, and now I'm tellin' you lot. Beakies been around fer a long, long time. Not as long as da Boyz, but fer a long time.

It’s like dis... 

We all know how da 'umies is all soft and pink. So fer years and years and years da Boyz wuz beatin’ em up all over da galaxy. Da only good fights da boyz could find wuz wit uvver boyz. 

Den a real big boss of da 'umies comes along. Dey call him da Emp-Roar cuz he could yell so loud all da 'umies ‘ad ta listen to ‘im.  Da Emp-Roar figgers out how ta make 'umies tough like da Boyz. He makes 'em bigger and puts 'em in supa’ 'eavy armor and gives 'em proppa' shootas instead of dose weenie zap guns most 'umies use. Dese were da beakies. 

Wit 'is beakies, da Emp-Roar launched da Great Krooz-ade. Dis wuz da biggest Waaagh! da 'umies ever dun. Dere wuz loads uv beakies split into lots of klanz, each wiv a big Warboss called a Prime-Ork cuz dey wuz da biggest and baddest fightas, just like da orks. Da Prime-Orks and da beakies kroozed 'cross da stars and krumped ever-body in da galaxy. 

Finally, da only ones left fer dem ta fight was da biggest ork boss and 'is boyz: Urlakk Urg, da biggest ork dat eva' lived. Urlakk wuz Overlord of Ullanor, da biggest tribe, spread ova' twelve worlds. Sinz bosses get bigga' wiv da more boyz dey lead, Urlakk wuz da size of a deff dread!"

The listening orks looked at each other in awe, clearly interested in this part of the story. 

"It was da biggest scrap of da whole Krooz-ade. Da Emp-Roar brought da best beakie klanz and da best Prime-Orks. Dere was fightin' across the whole system at the same time - and da' boyz wuz winning! So da biggest and best Prime-Ork made a kunnin' plan. Dey called 'im Orrus and he had black armor and his nobz 'ad red and black mega armor. 'E wuz da best 'umie fighta dat eva lived. Dey zoomed past all da fightin' and went straight to Urlakk's fortress. Most uv da beakies wuz smashed up good and proppa' by da boyz, but Orrus and ten of da mega beakies made it to da top of Urlakk's fortress to face da Overlord 'imself and 'is best nobz. Orrus and Urlakk smashed each uvva wiv dere klaws and da whole fortress shook! Dey kept smashin' each uvva but dey wuz both too 'ard ta die."

The orks crowded around the fire were growing visibly excited, some clenching their fists, others stomping the dirt, still others growling and clenching their massive jaws. Ol' Snikksnazz couldn't help but grin as he felt the Waaagh! energy building up around him. Too crippled to fight, telling these stories was the only way he could experience the communal excitement and sense of unity that came from the psychic bond of the Waaagh!, something all orks needed. 

"Finally, after fightin' for hours when all da uvva beakies and boyz wuz ded, Orrus knocked down Urlakk Urg... and den picked 'im up and frew him off da top o' da fortress! Urlakk Urg went splat! And dat was da end uv da war, cuz wivvout ba big boss, all da boyz wuz fightin' each uvva as much as da 'umies."

The audience was shocked. A few even stood and shouted out. One boy punched his neighbor and set off a short scuffle. Sniksnazz felt the peak of Waaagh! energy diminish slightly, but the underlying intensity continued to grow, with an unmet need to fight and smash. 

"Oi! I told ya dat Orrus was called a Prime-Ork, didn't I? But dat's not da end...  

Da boyz gave da beakies such a good fight dat da biggest and best Prime-Ork, Orrus, had all his boyz paint dere armor green like da Orks! And all da 'umies knowed dat da green beakies wuz da best, even da Emp-Roar knowed it. 'E made Orrus da biggest boss, called da Waaagh!-Masta of all 'umies.

After dat, sinz dere wuz no one else good left ta fight, da Prime-Orks decided to fight each uvver. Orrus sed he was da best and wanted ta lord it ova da Emp-Roar. So da 'umies fought da biggest war eva'. Dey called it Da Orrus ‘Urty cuz Orrus smashed up da whole galaxy and wuz ‘urtin’ all da uvver 'umies fer years and years.

Finally, 'is green boyz get all da way to da Emp-Roar’s planet. Loads uv beakies and millions of squishy 'umies wuz fightin’ ova da planet wiv tanks and 'umie gargants and wot not. Den Orrus fought wiv da Emp-Roar’s best Prime-Ork: da red one.  'Is boyz was da red klan and his name in 'umie wuz “Bloody” cuz he killed so many dat he wuz always covered in blood. It was da Red boss vs da Green boss, a supa good fight. Da red boss was fasta cuz his armor was red but da green boss was ‘arder and he had a big klaw. So Orrus krumped Bloody and made him all bloody. Hur hur hur." 

This had the desired effect and the gathered listeners roared their laughter, cheering for Horus. As the one who defeated the orks of Ullanor, he had their respect and awe. 

"So da Emp-Roar got mad dat 'is best boss was ded and he tellyported onto da ship to fight Orrus hisself. Dis wuz an even bigga fight cuz da Emp-Roar was a weird-boss and had brain powaz. He only beat Orrus cuz he used his weird boy powas on him. But Orrus krumped him in da proppa' way and da Emp-Roar was so smashed up dat 'e went into his Golden Frone and eez  neva come out since. Orrus died and iz boyz went into da warp. Dey painted der armor black to be ’arder like Goffs and dey been raiding da 'umies ever since. 

Now da 'umies fink da Emp-Roar is like Gørk and Mørk and da beakies try to impress him wit dere fightin'. Dey are tryin' to be as 'ard as Orrus. And dat's why da beakies fight so good. 

 Now dat’s a good story! Ever-body got krumped! Da end."

The orks around the fire cheered, some firing their sluggas into the air, others howling into the night. Now they were truly inspired to get back into the fight with the space marines and re-live the glory of Urlakk Urg and the orks of the past against these worthy foes, the beakies that smashed the galaxy.

Urlakk Urg, Overlord of Ullanor

 

Fourth Edition Rules Refresh

 Just to remind you guys how Fourth Edition works, here are a summary of key rules and differences:

Movement:

• Everyone moves 6".
• Difficult terrain: roll 2d6 and pick the highest.
• You can only run if you have Fleet.
• Moving up and down is "free". You can move up or down the same distance you move along. So if you move 6" into a ruin, the model can be placed 6" above ground level. Difficult terrain applies. 

Shooting:

• Must pass a leadership check to shoot at any target except the closest. (Other than if the closest unit is falling back or cannot be fired upon or seen.)
• If you choose to fire at a Large target (vehicle, artillery or monstrous creature), you can ignore closer normal targets, but a leadership check is required to shoot anything other than the closest Large target. 
• You must choose your target before measuring for range. 
• Area Terrain: Models can only see in or out of area terrain up to 6". You cannot see through area terrain even if it is less than 6" thick. Models taller than the area terrain can see over it. (Terrain and models can be classes as Size 1, 2, or 3.)
• If any model moves, the entire unit counts as having moved for shooting purposes. 
• Cover saves are better: 
• Bushes, tall grass, fence: 6+
• Crates, barrels, logs, pipes, hill crests, woods: 5+
• Wrecks, vehicles, craters, rocks, rubble, ruins, walls, trenches: 4+
• Bunkers, fortified buildings: 3+
• Units partially in cover: if over half the unit is in cover, the entire unit makes cover saves. If not, none get cover saves.
• Owning player removes casualties of his choice, among those in line of sight and range. Must remove whole models with multiple wounds before applying wounds to new models. 
• Instant death when strength is double toughness.
• Rapid Fire: Two shots at 12" away. If stationary, it can choose to make one shot at 24" away. If they shoot, cannot assault. 
• Pistol: One shot up to 12" if the unit moved. Two shots at 12" if it remained stationary. Cannot charge if the unit remained stationary to shoot twice. 
• Assault: Same as always. 
• Heavy: Can only fire if stationary. If they shoot, cannot assault.
• Sniper: Hits on 2+, wounds on 4+. 2d6 for armor pen but don't add strength. 

Assault:

• Charge distance is 6".
• Can only charge the unit you shot.
• Assaulting in, out, or through difficult terrain is 2d6 and pick the highest. If you do not make it, you do not move at all.
• You can fight if within 2" of a friendly model in base-to-base contact. 
• Models being assaulted while behind/in cover strike at initiative 10.
• No challenges.
• Casualties only taken from Engaged models. Surplus wounds discarded.
• Loser checks morale. Modifiers are for being outnumbered, not by how much you won by.
• When the loser falls back, make Sweeping Advance check (d6+I).
• Consolidate move is 3". If you win by Massacre rather than a Sweep, then consolidate move is d6".
• If the falling back unit only goes 3" then the consolidating unit can re-engage them in melee, but do not count as charging next turn.
• Pile In move (6") is only at the end of the entire Assault phase (not at each initiative step). Current player moves first. 
• Weapons:
• Heavy: Max save is 4+
• Power: Ignore armor saves
• Lightning: Ignore saves and re-roll to wound
• Force: Counts as power plus instant death on Psychic check. 
• Power Fist: Double strength, initiative 1, ignore saves
• Thunder: Power Fist, any oponent wounded strikes at initiative 1 next Assault phase, vehicles get Crew Shaken plus whatever else is rolled.
• Rending: 6 to hit ignores armor and automatically wounds. Roll of 6 for armor pen adds further d6. 
• Poisoned: Wound on 4+

Morale:

• Make check at 25% shooting casualties, losing close combat, or tank shock.
• Modifiers: -1 to Ld if the unit is below half strength (for any check). 
• Assault modifiers: -1 if outnumbered, -2 if outnumbered 2:1 or more, -3 if 3:1, etc.  
• Trapped: If a unit cannot perform a full fallback without doubling back, it is destroyed.
• Regrouping: Must be at least 50% strength, no enemies within 6" and in coherency. +1 if no enemy within line of sight. If it regroups, it cannot move, but can shoot or assault. If it fails, fall back an additional 2d6".
• If fall back to the table edge, the unit is destroyed. 

Vehicles / Characters / Psykers:

• Do not have hull points, only damage tables. Different tables for Glancing, Penetrating and Ordnance.
• Assaulting a vehicle: attack the side you charged. Automatic hit if stationary, 4+ to hit if it moved 6" or less, 6 to hit if it moved more than 6" last turn or is a skimmer.
• Psyker must pass test to use power. Perils on 2 or 12: one hit at S6 with no saves. 
• Characters treated as separate unit in assault. Must be in base contact to fight (not within 2"). Wounds on their unit do not carry over onto character.

Missions:

• Scoring units: Everything is scoring unless falling back. We can discuss if we want a house rule to give Objective Secured (tiebreaker) to Troops. 
• Victory Points are the points value of the unit. 
• Night Fighting: Units can see 2d6 x 3 inches.  

Traitor Militia

I was able to paint up a flavorful squad of traitor militia one weekend recently. Love their look! Should be fun to see them on the battlefield soon.

Blood Angels Terminators

Elite Blood Angels forces have reached the Xhorik System in response to a critical distress call from the planetary governor. All humanity in the sector must only hope they aren't too late...

Third Xhorik War Scenario Ideas

 The War of the Beast

Here are a few ideas I have been thinking about that would align with the story written for the war so far. They are just ideas and we do not have to play all (or any) of these, but hopefully they get some ideas flowing. We can continue to add to this list with more ideas. 

Take and Hold: Orks vs Planetary Defense FOrces

The Orks made planetfall in the far northern Halimur wastes to avoid the worst of the planetary defensive fire. They then pushed south into the populated lands. Planetary defense forces were rushed north to meet the advance, but unfortunately, they were initially short on heavy armor as House Harkathe vied for influence over the planetary governor in Chiros Nova. The Imperial Guard PDF consists of regiments from Kozar, Unimund, Bhorivor, the great houses, and more, all thrown together quickly in an attempt to stem the invasion. The PDF would be limited to maybe one or two tanks at most but could also include sentinels, sentry guns, heavy weapon squads and Ogryn battle suits. 

Cleanse: Orks vs Tyranids

Orks and Tyranids clash in the taiga and forests along the northern border of Bhorivor. The Orks have pushed the human defenders back and have been attacking the cities of Vayya and Ironton while Speed Freaks pillage across the land. In the meantime, the Tyranids are awakening in large numbers and already beginning to transform the meager biomass of the far north into brood nests. They attack into the rear of the Ork armies. Both sides are aiming to destroy as much of the enemy as possible. Should be a good simple battle to get used to the Fourth Edition rules and with lots of infantry to kill. 

Activate the Shields: Drop Troops Veterans "bug Hunters" vs Tyranids

This would be based on the scenario from the Anphelion Project where the veteran D-99 Drop Troopers have to turn on the containment fences and get attacked by Tyranids in the process. In this case, they could be restoring power to a defensive system that will close the Tarnon Pass to the Tyranids. We would modify the armies slightly from the book in order to suit our collections, but we could do a pretty close approximation of this scenario as it is written. In our case, this a veteran company that has been fighting the Tyranids continuously in the north of Kozar for months and they have been augmented with experimental combat drugs to give them an edge against this new Xenos threat. 

Last Stand of Rovund: Red Brotherhood vs Orks

This is the scenario described in The Dark Hour where a small garrison of Red Brotherhood held the fortress-monastery of Thorrosin against the Orks on Xhorik Prime while the main war was being waged on nearby Occular. This battle sees the last of the Space Marines on Xhorik Prime killed, until the later arrival of the Blood Angels. This would be a classic "last stand" scenario where the Ork army is never ending and the game must end with the complete destruction of the Space Marines, who are trying to kill as many Orks as possible before they die. We can use Pete's old Red Brotherhood models or we can substitute Blood Angels (also red) or we can leave this battle aside and play it another time. 

Tunnels of Death: Blood Angels vs Tyranids

Terminators and other infantry are in the tunnels beneath a now-infested Imperial city in Bhorivor, looking to destroy the breeding centers and nests of the Tyranids. They have to move through the rooms destroying eggs/nests while clashing with genestealers (we can use the same models to represent multiple squads during the game). They eventually realize they can never destroy them all. Zone Mortalis type mission. 

Space Hulk: Blood Angels vs Orks

This is one of the last battles of the campaign. The Blood Angels have realized that the infestation of these new Xenos is nearly impossible to eradicate, and the Orks are too numerous and too dispersed for their small forces to defeat. The entire region of Bhorivor has been overrun and the Blood Angels have declared the military leaders of the Federation of Unimund as heretics for giving weapons and ammo to the Orks while the Kozar forces are loyal but lack the heavy armor required to eradicate the invaders utterly. Their only option is to destroy the Ork Rok in low orbit and lay waste to the part of the planet that is most infested with bugs and Orks. But the Rok is far too massive even for the weapons of the Blood Angels' Cruiser to destroy from the outside. So a Blood Angels boarding party enters the Rok to set explosives in the fusion engine cores that will destroy the Rok from the inside and result in a massive asteroid storm directed across the portion of the planet that has been lost to the invaders, the Chirosov Valley. To get to the engine core (and back out!), they must fight their way through the Ork defenders. Zone Mortalis type mission. 

Hold the Line: Blood Angels and Drop Troops vs Orks "and" Tyranids (Finale)

With the Blood Angels boarding party conducting their mission to destroy the Rok, the land forces of the Imperium are tasked to holding the Xenos in the Chirosov Valley where the majority of the debris will fall, causing volcanic eruptions and choking dust storms that will eradicate the Xenos infestation. The defenders mass their forces to hold the Uzsok Pass while the Xenos are trying to break through to the Valbaara Plateau in the west. The Orks and Tyranids are not allies, but they both have the same goal: escape from the Valley of Death behind them and ravage the remaining Imperial lands before them. This battle will be fought on the big hexagon table (we need to give some thought on the setup, whether to use the bridge, or have the invaders moving through the canyon, etc.) My thought is that the weak Drop Troopers and the strong Space Marines together might present a balanced foe for the Orks and Tyranids, who both struggle with tanks. The goal of the Imperial forces would be to prevent any Xenos from reaching past a certain line (one side of the bridge or off the board, etc.) We could throw the Traitor Guard in here somewhere as well.  Just as long as it is a huge battle with a lot of factions fighting! 

Other Ideas for the Future:

In the future, I will make some Blood Axes and give them some looted Imperial vehicles so we can play out that aspect of the campaign, where they use them against the Tyranids and ultimately against the humans. 

Termagant Swarm Complete

Now this looks like the swarm of skittering claws and slathering fangs that you envision when you picture a Tyranid army!

The ten bugs in the front row are Bill's originals. My quick and dirty copies are the other 30 I painted with a quicker Contrast method. 

Recipe:

1. Prime with Greyseer
2. Spray Tamiya white from above
3. Wash entire model with Nuln Oil
4. Black Templar the carapace, slightly diluted
5. Ork Flesh the tail, hind legs, and exposed interiors on the legs and guns
6. Magos Purple the tubes and tounges (two coats)
7. Second coat of Black Templar on the carapace, slightly diluted
8. Additional Nuln Oil in joints and head
9. Touch up the white sections with White Scar or Bold Titanium White

Base:

1. Paint entire base grey with craft paint
2. Apply white glue and kitty litter
3. Slop on white craft paint
4. Paint rim with Mounrnfang Brown (two coats)

I'm pretty sure that's it. 

I think if I give them all a spray with a clear coat that is maybe a semi-gloss finish it will help tie them together better. Currently the Contrast models are a little flatter than the glossier originals. And it should help to protect the paint and the base. Maybe the next time we get some good weather. 

546.M32 Map of Xhorik Prime - Uhmik

This is a map of the northwestern continent of Uhmik on Xhorik Prime in the year 546 of the 32nd millennium at the start of the Third Xhorik War. 

This map shows only the most major cities (red dots), roads (black lines), railroads (purple), mines (orange dots), and fortresses (red triangles). Black dashes indicate roads that are only passable seasonally. There are numerous smaller settlements and roads crisscrossing the lands. Concentric circles indicate District Capitals. Chiros Nova recently became the new seat of the Planetary Governor. 

Uhmik is split into three major regions or Imperial Districts: Unimund, Kozar and Bhorivor. 

Unimund consists primarily of the lands that formed the Federation of Unimund at the time of the First and Second Xhorik Wars during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. This has always been the industrial heart of Xhorik Prime. Kozar is the land of the former stratocracy of Kozar, a proud militaristic society populating the rugged mountains of the north. Bhorivor is the land that used to be nearly uninhabitable wastelands prior to massive Imperial colonization and terraforming. It is now a rapidly growing center of agriculture with some of the most populous cities on Xhorik  

This map represents Xhorik at its greenest and most verdant phase of its long history. 

M32: The Third Xhorik War - Early Stage

'Ere We Go!

The Ork advance swept from the far northern latitudes down into Bhorivor. Some probing attempts to enter Kozar from the north were repulsed as the Ork forces struggled in the rough mountain passes against the airborne Xhorik drop regiments. The path into the Chirosov Valley lacked such natural barriers and so the humans had to rely on the strength of the planetary defense forces (PDF). 

Bhorivor deployed six infantry divisions (nearly 75,000 men) to their northern border via rail lines as soon as it became clear where the bulk of the Ork forces were making planetfall. They were commanded by the aged General Thoctus, great uncle to the planetary governor. Unfortunately, they were not well supported by armored columns. Most of the planet's armor was in the region of Unimund and it was unusually slow in reaching the front. The Orks were advancing rapidly, and the PDF divisions did not have time to establish well-fortified positions. General Woundwart was able to utilize Dagzag's highly mobile Speed Freaks to attack the humans' flanks and disrupt their lines before launching a frontal assault with his Blood Axe warband, supported by Deathskull firepower. The first battle was a decisive Ork victory. Several regiments were nearly obliterated outright, such as the Xhorik 113th Infantry Regiment, the Vayyan Rifles, which suffered over 80% killed or wounded. General Thoctus was forced to fall back. The only thing that saved his army from complete destruction was that the Death Skull warband, Da Skulltakas, stopped to loot the battlefield rather than pursue the fleeing humans.

The Planetary Defense Forces fell back through the snow-covered coniferous forests along the northern frontier of Bhorivor. Thoctus knew it would be futile to try to reform the line under these conditions and he retreated all the way back to the walls of Vayya in an attempt to reorganize his battered forces and await the overdue armored reinforcements. 

House Harkhathe

House Harkhathe had existed as a noble house in the Empire of Yitus for at least one thousand years before the Great Crusade reached the system. They were experts in the scheming political intrigues of the Empire and they became one of the most influential and powerful of the noble houses, eventually taking control of the entire Federation of Unimund, the wealthiest and most populous cities of Xhoirk Prime. In the century prior to the First Xhorik War with the nascent Imperium of Man, four of the last six royal chancellors had been of House Harkhathe.  The Great House fought against the Emeror's Legions until Yitus was brought into submission. During the Horus Heresy, they sided with the Death Guard and eagerly looked forward to taking control of Xhorik once the Loyalist forces were driven out. 

After the Heresy, multiple senior House members were executed by Imperial tribunals. They then suffered the indignity of serving under a hereditary planetary governor appointed by the High Council of Terra and of seeing the regional capital of Unimund being renamed from New Barbarus to Bauenbar. The Imperial governor began a program of massive terraforming, converting the eastern wastes into the great fertile valley known as Chirosov, named after the agri-world of Chiros, the source of most of the new settlers. Soon, the region of Bhorivor became the most populous, surpassing even the mighty industrial heartland of Unimund. Huge new cities were surrounded by hundreds of miles of farmland, providing Imperial tithes of food and men. In the late 31st millennium, the seat of the planetary government was moved to Chiros Nova. 

All the while House Harkhathe maneuvered for position and looked for a chance to regain their former prestige and power. From their ancestral home of Harkhold, they planted their agents in the governor's household, the PDF and the planetary intelligence services. They were able to get the head of their House, Count Morvuld Harkhathe, appointed to the planetary High Council, who were second only to the Imperial Governor himself. Morvuld was able to use his position to enable his House to maintain private armed forces loyal only to him, separate from the PDF regiments provided by Unimund. In the last decade, the name of the regional capital was even changed back to New Barbarus, in an effort to rekindle the passions of the population of Unimund for a time when they were dominant over the entire planet.

When the Ork invasion occurred, Morvuld Harkhathe saw a golden opportunity to gain absolute political control of the planet for his house. He decided to delay his forces' mobilization to the front by as much as possible without being accused of outright treason. The Unimund regiments incurred all sorts of "unavoidable" delays and made slow progress. The logistical situation gave ample opportunity for excuses. The journey by rail is long and tortuous, with no direct routes. And the main road through the mountain pass could only handle limited traffic, especially in winter. By delaying his forces' arrival, Count Harkhathe hoped to see Bhorivor teetering on the brink of collapse and defeat. Then he could extract political concessions from the nobility for his rescue while simultaneously playing the hero to the common people. Thus he would build sufficient political support from the nobles and the wider population to force the planetary governor to abdicate to him. And if that did not work, then a "friendly fire" incident could eliminate the governor and his son. House Harkhathe would rule Xhorik Prime, as they were always meant to, even if they had to pay tribute to a far distant Emperor, for now.

M32: The Third Xhorik War - Initial Stage

Opening

During the War of the Beast, WAAAGH! Zuffskull first materialized in the Gothic Sector, where it swept across several systems before striking at the heart of the Laygus Sector. Initially, the Ork fleet and Battlefleet Laygus inflicted heavy losses on each other as the Ork armies made planetfall across multiple systems. The Ork armies quickly overcame the research stations on the moons of Phoenis, the Deathworld of Oymykon, the shrine world of Atalya, and the industrial world of Korvis-Octis and its asteroid mines. UberBoss Zuffskull personally led the largest armies against the biggest prize, the heavily fortified hive planet of Occular. As the Imperial armies and fleets fell back before the Ork onslaught, Occular, as seat of the Sectoris-Capitalis, became the rallying point. As tens of millions of soldiers and war machines from both sides poured into the meat grinder on Occular, the Ork momentum was finally slowed. 

As the intense fighting on Occular was consuming massive resources at an unsustainable rate, UberBoss Zuffskull sent one of his most capable warlords, the Blood Axe General Woundwart, to outflank the Imperial forces and capture the ample resources of the Xhorik System for use in his campaign. As a Blood Axe, General Woundwart was unusually organized by Ork standards. This led to some of Zuffskull's other warlords to distrust the General for his non-Orky behaviors, such as making a plan before attacking, but Zuffskull recognized and utilized his unique talents for logistics and discipline. The General in turn selected a few warbosses to augment his personal Blood Axe forces on the mission to take Xhorik. He brought Dagzag's Speed Freaks for their ability to scout and raid across vast distances, keeping the human defenders guessing where the next Ork attacks will land and preventing them from concentrating their forces. Finally, he would bring Ugwurr Grimzod (Ugwurr Blueface) and his Deathskull warband for their proficiency in looting, scavenging and collecting all manner of potentially useful supplies. Woundwort elected to bypass the outer planets entirely and direct his attack at Xhorik Prime, the most populous and developed planet of the system, where the looting would be richest.

The Ork invasion occurred under the cover of an attack by their fleet, led by Woundwort's personal rok and command ship, the Morkfist. With most of Battlefleet Laygus heavily engaged at Occular, the Xhorik System was left to its own defenses. Orbital battle stations and planetary defense ion cannon batteries provided formidable protection, destroying two Ork killkroozers and numerous landing craft during atmospheric entry. However, as a large, converted asteroid, even superheavy planetary defense weapons could not penetrate the Morkfist's hull which was hundreds of meters thick. 

To reduce their losses during planetfall, Orks concentrated their landings in the far northern latitudes, far from the heavily defended population centers. The few human defenders fought valiantly to buy time for the rest of the planet to organize their ground defenses, but they were overwhelmed by vastly superior Ork forces. As the Orks consolidated their landing zones and drove south toward the main continent, the stage was set for a battle for control of Xhorik Prime. 

A New Threat Awakens

Sometime during the previous centuries, a vast number of spore pods had also arrived in the northern polar region of Xhorik Prime, carried to the planet on a crashing comet from outside the galaxy. Nearly 8,000 years later during the Tyrannic Wars, Imperial scholars determined these were most likely among the first Tyranids ever observed in the galaxy. They hypothesized that the Hive Mind sent spore pods on comets through the warp to investigate a multitude of galaxies for the presence of life to serve as fuel for their consumption. Some of these comets would eventually crash into random planets and if any signs of life were detected, the Hive Mind could be psychically notified. Millenia later, the true Hive Fleets would arrive in vast numbers to consume the identified biomass. The spore pods that had arrived on Xhorik Prime were eventually identified to be associated with Hive Fleet Tarasque, but of course that understanding only came much later when the full Hive Fleet arrived. 

Upon landing, a few select spores containing Lictors and Genestealers were genetically coded to open first and scout for signs of life. If any potential food sources were found, they would signal additional pods to open and release their hungry contents, and so on in a chain reaction. Due to landing in the far northern polar regions, the initial Lictors did not find any significant life and so the vast majority of the spores remained in a state of stasis, buried in the frozen glaciers and tundra where they landed after being scattered by the explosion of the crashed comet. And there they remained for centuries, waiting for something to waken them. On some planets, spores have remained in place waiting for lifeforms to evolve in-situ or to colonize the planet from afar. The Hive Mind is immensely patient, and millennia are but moments to its eternal consciousness. 

The heat, pressure, and vibration of the landings of millions of orks in the polar region was enough to alert and awaken a number of spore pods. As Orks streamed over the frozen surface, in search of human defenders to attack and supplies to pillage, the smell of biomass was triggering the most sensitive spore pods to burst open, freeing their contents. As Lictors and Genestealers emerged, they ambushed small bands of Orks to feed. This feeding triggered the release of synapse signals that began to awaken more and more pods to burst, enabling tens of thousands of Tyranids to claw free and dig themselves out of the snow and ice, searching for more life. The Orks continued their march south, unaware of the loss of stragglers and small bands to the Tyranids behind them that were growing in number every day. As the Tyranid scouts moved farther south, they came into contact with plants and trees. This plethora of biomass was enough to trigger most of the remaining spores. In addition to the scouting bioforms of the Lictors and the hunting bioforms of Warriors and Gaunts, some pods contained the bioforms that would start harvesting the planet's biomass and converting it into more Tyranids. 

M32: The Third Xhorik War - Background

 The War of the Beast

After the Horus Heresy and the Great Scouring, the fractured and ravaged Imperium went through a period of rebuilding, consolidation, and reconquest of lost systems known as the Time of Rebirth. It was during this time that Roboute Guilliman in his new capacity as Imperial Regent restructured the fighting forces of the Imperium, separating the Imperial Army into the Astra Militarum and the Navis Imperialis. He also divided the Loyalist Space Marine Legions into Chapters in the Second Founding. This era of relative peace and rebuilding came to an end with the most massive Ork wars of all time in 544-546.M32, known later as The War of the Beast. A multitude of simultaneous Ork attacks occurred across the galaxy, eclipsing even the gigantic WAAAGH! defeated by the Emperor and Horus in the Ullanor Crusade in 000.M30.

Despite countless wars with the Orks, there was very little formal study dedicated to the greenskin races prior to the War of the Beast. Only after the unprecedented destruction and near collapse of the Empire itself wrought by the War was the new Ordo Xenos established. Applying immense resources to the study of the interdependent Ork psychology, physiology and sociology, the Ordo Xenos learned that Ork activity resembled a field of random waves, each interacting with its neighbors. Mostly the waves cancelled each other out as rival warlords grew their armies and then fought each other. Sometimes the waves interacted in just the right way to stack their amplitudes, such as when one Ork warlord defeats another and subsumes his entire warband, growing in strength and reputation and attracting more Orks who are always drawn to strength and the promise of the biggest battles. Fighting causes the physical bodies of Orks to grow in response and also causes the size of their effective society to grow with a warlord's influence. This growth in turn leads to bigger battles and more growth. This simple wave stacking model can be used to help understand the origin of an Ork WAAAGH! However, given enough time and enough waves, sometimes multiple stacked waves combine to form a wave of such magnitude that it starts to drive the behavior of all of the rest of the waves, in effect reaching the equivalent of a resonant frequency. This is what happened during the War of the Beast, as nearly every Ork across the galaxy was drawn into a series of wars across all of known space. It was only by (unknowingly) disrupting this resonance that the Ork crescendo was brought down, breaking apart once again into countless individual warbands and scattered waves. One of the primary directives of the Ordo Xenos is to disrupt this momentum from ever again becoming a resonant wave of such destructive potential.

The Xhorik System and the Xhorik Wars

Situated along the intersection of two relatively stable channels of warp space, the Xhrorik system served as the lynchpin of the Laygus Sector, located in the far east of the Segmentum Obscuris, near the Gothic Sector. This strategic location has always defined the critical importance of Xhorik. When the Emperor's Great Crusade reached the Laygus sector, the Xhorik System acted as the capitol of a local empire of considerable size and reach that took the combined might of several Legions and Imperial Armies over two years to fully subdue (the First Xhorik War). During the Horus Heresy, the Xhorik system's location was once again shown to be of prime importance, located along the main warp current between Isstvan and Terra. This led to the bloody conflict between Traitor and Loyalist forces known as the Second Xhorik War. Although Imperial forces were under pressure across countless systems, the same strategic logic that led to such fierce wars to control the system once again dictated that Xhorik must be defended from the rampaging Ork warbands during the War of the Beast. The escalating conflict, centered around the planet Xhorik Prime, became known as the Third Xhorik War in the Imperial data-logs. 

In the centuries after the destructive battles of the Heresy, the planet of Xhorik Prime was terraformed by Imperial agriculturalists to transform some of the vast eastern deserts into temperate zones of woodland and fields, and the population of the planet grew significantly. The Imperium maintained control by the appointment of a hereditary governor, who could trace his ancestry to a distant second cousin of a High Lord of Terra. Day to day administration was carried out by the Planetary Council, consisting of representatives from the various regions. In addition to the former rival powers of the Stratocracy of Kozar and the Federation of Unimund, the terraforming of the eastern deserts to arable land resulted in the rapid ascension of the new planetary power of Bhorivor, upsetting the historical balance of power within planetary politics. The Xhorik System once again became a hub of commerce and industry for the Empire, providing vast Imperial tithes of men and resources. The planet was known for providing highly-specialized regiments of drop troopers from the Kozar region, mechanized regiments with stocks of chemical weapons from the Unimund region, and massed infantry regiments from the rising region of Bhorivor. But the era of peace and prosperity would not last. 

WAAAGH! Zuffskull and the Dark Hour

One of several simultaneous Ork invasions of the Imperium during the War of the Beast, WAAAGH! Zuffskull struck the periphery of the Gothic Sector and then attacked straight into the heart of the Laygus Sector. Although the largest battles took place on the hive planet of Occular where hundreds of millions of greenskins invaded, a large contingent under Warboss Woundwort was sent to the nearby prosperous Xhorik System to acquire materiel for the Ork war machine. 

The Laygus Sector includes Carthage, the home planet of the Red Brotherhood chapter of Space Marines, formed during the third founding from the genestock of the Imperial Fists. Tasked with defending their sector against all threats, the Red Brotherhood were heavily engaged in the campaigns for Occular and Xhorik. The chapter fought bravely against insurmountable odds and was nearly completely destroyed in a central episode of the chapter's lore that ever lives on as the The Dark Hour. In end, only a few understrength companies of the Red Brotherhood would survive to rebuild their chapter. 

It was during this desperate time, with the beleaguered Imperial forces facing both the unrelenting attacks of the Orks and a hitherto unknown Xenos species in apparently unending numbers, that a request for aid went out across the psychic channels guided by the Astronomican. With Imperial forces engaged on a thousand battlefronts, the chances of substantial reinforcements seemed slim. By the Emperor's divine mercy, the Blood Angels Strike Force Belarius, consisting of the 2nd battle company plus reserves elements from the 7th, 8th and 9th companies, was within range of the astral signal and available. They had just participated in the successful defense of Valhalla and were preparing to return to Baal to rearm when the urgent distress calls came in. Resupplying as best they could from the Imperial Guard armories of Valhalla, the strike force made the warp jump for the Xhorik System.

Chronology of the Xhorik Wars

Although there have been countless conflicts that have involved the Xhorik System over the millennia, there have so far been four of such scale and impact that they are known in the Imperium's official histories as the Xhorik Wars. 

The First Xhorik War was the conquest of the system during the Great Crusade. The Xhorik System was the core of a local empire known as Yitus that resisted the Emperor's Compliance circa 948-950.M30. The war involved forces from the Sons of Horus, Death Guard and White Scars, along with numerous armies of Auxillia, arrayed against the combined local forces of the surrounding systems.  

The Second Xhorik War was the campaign for the Xhorik System in 007-008.M31 during the Horus Heresy. Because of its key location on critical warp current jump points between Istvaan and Terra, both sides fought tenaciously for this strategic system. Ultimately, Horus gained control of the system on his long march to Terra. The main belligerents were Sons of Horus, Death Guard, and World Eaters against White Scars, Blood Angels and a small detachment of Imperial Fists, with both sides making extensive use of Auxillia. 

The Third Xhorik War occurred in 546.M32 during the War of the Beast (544-546.M32) when Orks rampaged across the Imperium on a massive scale. The war ended with the destruction of a massive Ork Rok in orbit around Xhorik Prime, vastly altering the planet's ecosystem for millennia. In hindsight, this was likely one of the first encounters of the Imperium with the lifeforms now known as Tyranids, but this was not recognized at the time. The importance was not understood and so the records remained unread, buried deep in Imperial libraries for millennia until they were sought out in the midst of the Tyrannic Wars. 

The Fourth Xhorik War occurred in 993-997.M41. What started as a seemingly minor and routine Ork incursion escalated into a war that engulfed much of the sub-sector during a time of great turmoil in the Imperium: what became known as the Time of Ending and the Tyrannic Wars. The fate of the Xhorik System during this massive conflict is yet to be written... 

Termagant Horde

 I am using Contrast to paint up some of Bill's termagants to a tabletop standard. Pete will tackle the warriors and maybe some of the other bigger bugs. We are going to try to get the army mostly painted up before our campaign in late December. 

For the first update, here are the first 20 that I painted. The first batch was 11 painted in one weekend and the second batch of 9 was painted the next weekend. Another 9 to go, and then when added to what Bill already has painted, it will give him around 40 to make a few big broods.

32nd Millenium Campaign Armies

We decided to do a throw-back campaign of Warhammer 40k using the Fourth Edition rules. Since our space marines are all Horus Heresy now, we decided something set just after the Heresy and long before the 41st millennium would be appropriate for the look of the armor. Technically, it will be a little early for the Tyranids, so we will have to bend the lore a bit to say the first hive fleet actually arrived in the galaxy earlier than later chroniclers realized. It seems the official records were stored away in large warehouse in a Raiders of the Lost Ark style...

Here is a first stab at some army lists that we can make with our currently painted collections and a manageable amount of additional painting before the campaign. 

Hive Fleet Tarasque:

• Broodlord with rending claws and scything talons (70), extended carapace (10), acid maw (12) = 92
• Lictor with rending claws, scything talons, flesh hooks and feeder tendrils (80) = 80
• 9 Genestealers with rending claws (144), scything talons (36) = 180 [painted]
• 10 Genestealers with rending claws (160), scything talons (40) = 200 [painted]
• 5 Warriors (70), extended carapace (15), scything talons (20), 3 x deathspitters (24), 1 x devourer (5), 1 x barbed strangler (10) = 144
• 20 Termagants (80), fleshborers (40) = 120 [11 painted]
• 20 Termagants (80), fleshborers (40) = 120
• 11 Hormagaunts (110), extended carapace (11) = 121 [5 painted]
• 2 Zoanthropes with toxic miasma and Warp Field (70), Warp Blast (40) = 110
• Carnifex (85), extended carapace (25), scything talons x 2 (16), tusked (10), toxic miasma (8) = 144 
• Subtotal: 1311
• 2 Warriors (28), extended carapace (6), 1 x scything talons (4), 1 x rending claws (6), 1 x venom cannon (15), 1 x devourer (5) = 64
• 6 Termagants (24), fleshborers (12) = 36
• 6 Hormagaunts with scything talons (60), flesh hooks (6), extended carapace (6) = 72
• Subtotal: 172
• Total: 1483

Blood Angels:

• Master Captain (75), artificer armor (20), power weapon (15), jump pack (20), bolt pistol (1), iron halo (25) = 156
• Dreadnought (105), twin-linked lascannon (20), venerable (20) = 145
• 9-man Tactical Squad with bolters (135), frag grenades (9), terminator honors sergeant (15), plasma pistol (10), power fist (15) = 175
• 9-man Tactical Squad with bolters (135), frag grenades (9), terminator honors sergeant (15), thunder hammer (30), combat shield (5) = 194
• 7-man Assault Squad (154), terminator honors sergeant (15), plasma pistol (10), power fist (15), frag grenades (7) = 201
• 7-man Assault Squad (154), terminator honors sergeant (15), power weapon (10), frag grenades (7) = 186
• 5-man Devastator Squad (75), 4 x lascannons (140) = 215
• 5-man Devastator Squad (75), 4 lascannons (140) = 215
• Total: 1487

Traitor Guard - Chem Dogs:

• Command Platoon
• Command Squad w/ Heroic Senior Officer (70), power fist (20), Bionics (5), refractor field (15), medic (5), 2 x flamers (12) = 122
• Anti-tank squad (35), 3 x missile launchers (60) = 95
• Anti-tank squad (35), 3 x lascannons (75) = 110
• Infantry Platoon
• Command Squad w/ Junior Officer (40), lascannon team (25), medic (5) = 70
• Infantry Squad (60), lascannon team (25), plasma gun (10) = 95
• Infantry Squad (60), melta gun (10) = 70
• Infantry Platoon
• Command Squad (not enough models)
• Infantry Squad (60), missile launcher team (15), plasma gun (10) = 85
• Infantry Squad (60), missile launcher team (15), plasma gun (10) = 85
• Leman Russ with battle cannon (140), lascannon (15) = 155
• Leman Russ with battle cannon (140), lascannon (15) = 155
• Leman Russ Demolisher with Demolisher cannon (150), heavy bolter (5) = 155
• Regimental doctrines: Chem-inhalers (80); carapace armor (160); hardened fighters (120)
• Total: 1562

Detachment D-99 Drop Troop Veterans - Bug Hunters

• Veteran Command HQ w/ Senior Officer (75), Power weapon (5), carapace (5), refractor field (15), missile launcher team (15), vox (5), medi-pack (5) = 125
• Veteran Command HQ w/ Officer (60), power fist (20), carapace (5), grenade launcher (8), medi-pack (5) = 98
• Special Weapons Squad (60), 3 x melta guns (30) = 90
• Special Weapons Squad (60), 3 x melta guns (30) = 90
• 10-man Veterans Squad (105), demo charge (10), melta gun (10) = 125
• 10-man Veterans Squad (105), 2 x grenade launchers (16), missile launcher team (15) = 136
• 6-man Veterans Squad (65), missile launcher team (15) = 75
• 2-unit Drop Sentinel Squadron (70), 2 x multi-melta (40) = 110
• Tauros (40) with grenade launcher (5) = 45
• Sentry Gun Battery with heavy bolters (45) = 45
• Sentry Gun Battery (45), with lascannons (30) = 75
• Valkyrie with multi-laser and two heavy bolters (140), with rocket pods (50) = 190
• Vulture Gunship with heavy bolter (100), 2 x twin-linked lascannons (45), 2 x hellstrike missiles (20) = 165
• Total: 1369

Codex: Imperial Guard - Xhorik 87th Drop Troops

• Command Platoon
• Heroic Senior Officer and Command Squad (70), carapace (5), power weapon (5), bolt pistol (1), refractor field (15), medic (5). standard bearer (5), 2 x grenade launcher (16) = 117
• Anti-tank squad (35), 3 x missile launchers (60) = 95
• Anti-tank squad (35), 3 x missile launchers (60) = 95
• Fire Support Squad (35), 3 x heavy bolters (45) = 80
• Infantry Platoon
• Junior Officer and Command Squad (40), carapace (5), power fist (20), medic (5), 3 x melta guns (30) = 100
• Infantry Squad (60), melta gun (10) = 70
• Infantry Squad (60), grenade launcher (8) = 68
• Infantry Platoon
• Junior Officer and Command Squad (40), carapace (5), power fist (20), medic (5), 2 x melta guns (20) = 90
• Infantry Squad (60), plasma gun (10) = 70
• Infantry Squad (60), plasma gun (10) = 70
• Infantry Squad (60), missile launcher team (15) = 75
• Infantry Squad (60) = 60
• Storm Troopers with hellguns (100), veteran sergeant (6), power weapon (5), plasma pistol (10), plasma gun (10), melta gun (10), deep strike (10) = 151
• Storm Troopers with hellguns (100), veteran sergeant (6), power weapon (5), 2x flamers (12), deep strike (10) = 133
• 10-man Veteran Squad (85), 3 x melta guns (30) = 115 
• 2-unit Sentinel Squadron (70), 2 x lascannons (40) = 110
• Doctrines: Storm Troopers, Drop Troops
• Total: 1499

Orks

• Warboss (60), power klaw (25), 'eavy armor (5), boss pole (5) = 95
• Weirdboy (55), warphead (30) = 85
• 3-boyz Meganobz (120) = 120
• Trukk (35), rokkit launcha (5), reinforced ram (5) = 45
• 7-Tankbustas (75), nob (10), 'eavy armor (5), bosspole (5) = 95
• 10-Kommandos (100), burna (15), nob (10), power klaw (25), boss pole (5) = 155
• 19-Ork Boyz with choppas and sluggas (114), rokkit launcha (10), nob (10), power klaw (25), boss pole (5) = 164
• 14-Ork Boyz with shootas (84), big shoota (5), nob (10), boss pole (5) = 104
• 11-Ork Boyz with choppas and sluggas (66), eavy armor (44), nob (10), power klaw (25), boss pole (5) = 150
• Trukk (35), rokkit launch (5), reinforced ram (5) = 45
• 17-Gretchin (51), runtherd (10) = 61
• Warbuggy (30), twin-linked rokkit launcha (5) = 35
• Warbuggy (30), skorcha (10) = 40
• 7-Warbikers (175), nob (10), power klaw (25), boss pole (5) = 215
• Killa Kan with ccw (35), rokkit launcha (15) = 50
• Total: 1459

Operation Downfall Battle Report 5: Maelstrom of War

  "An alliance lasts exactly as long as it is advantageous to both parties. In war, survival is everything and I do whatever it takes."

-General Titus Ghoulv, Commander of the Iron Battalion 

Background:

Operation Downfall was the Loyalist codename for an attempt to establish a secure landing zone on Xhorik Prime using a planetary drop force from Xhorik Secundus with an attempt to rendezvous with the remnants of the White Scars garrison on the capital planet of the system. 

Battle 5 - 1: Night Drop

Battle 5 - 1: The Battle for Alteron Bridge

Battle 5 - 3: War Train Raid

Battle 5 - 4: The Last Bastion

At this point, the Loyalists have the upper hand with two wins, a loss and a draw. They also have the momentum after their most convincing win yet.

After taking heavy casualties and seeing the Traitor Legions distracted by the Loyalist marines, the Chem Dogs decide to do some pillaging to resupply.

Scenario: Maelstrom of War

Victory Points are earned at the end of each player turn for meeting the criteria listed on the mission cards. Each player has three mission cards to start the battle and when one is achieved, it is turned in and replaced. At the end of each player turn, the player can voluntarily discard one card and replace it with one from the deck. VPs can be earned by holding specific objectives, destroying certain types of units in certain ways, or achieving other miscellaneous feats. 

Belligerents:

Death Guard: Pete

Rite of War:  The Reaping

Commander: Praetor Wolfgang - 

2000 points

Traitor Militia: Bill

General Titus Ghoulv’s Iron Battalion:

“The Marauders of Meddeon VII”

“The Pirates of the Northern Fringe”

“The Chem Hounds”

Provenances of War: Alchem Jackers, Industrial Stronghold, Warrior Elite

Commander: General Titus Ghoulv - Robber Baron

2300 points

Loyalist Militia: Phil

Xhorik 87th Drop Troopers, 3rd Company:

"The Firebirds"

Provenances of War: Warrior Elite, Legacy of the Great Crusade

Commander: Captain Skander Xhaer - Marcher Lord

2300 points

Battle:

Some key moments and themes from the battle:

The Contemptor was dominant, almost single-handedly destroying the Chem Dogs' right flank.

There is something wrong with the rules when this giant tank is so utterly bested by this walker.

The OGRE Mech Suits faced off against Wolfgang and the Deathshroud.

The Sentinels were one of the few effective units the militia had.

The OGREs attempted to Hold the Line, but failed morale, then failed again when charged and fled. Should have used Overwatch!.

The Chem Dogs and Xhorik 87th face off over Objective 1. The grenadiers would wreck the Leman Russ in melee with krak grenades.

The Chem Dogs "Ogryn" mercenaries attempted to engage the Death Guard Contemptor but were shot up going in and then easily defeated by the dreadnought. 

The Deathshroud are brought down by concentrated fire from most of the Xhorik forces, but Praetor Wolfgang survives.

The Praetor charges and single-handedly destroys a grenadier squad with a discipline master.

The Xhorik fliers arrive, but the Arvus is shot down before it can deliver its transported unit to the objective. 

The Chem Dogs make a push for Objective 1, finally getting some VPs in the last few turns.

The Death Guard infantry finally move in and easily wipe out the Chem Dogs grenadiers.

Captain Xhaer survives the fray. 

Final Victory Points: 

Death Guard: 7

Xhorik 87th FIrebirds: 7

Traitor Milita Chem Hounds: 4

Draw!

Post-Game:

This battle made clear just how inferior the militia rules are compared to the Legions. Even with 15% more points for the militia armies, the Death Guard easily controlled the game. The Xhork militia managed to keep up in VPs due to swarming the board with Line units and getting lucky enough to draw some objectives on their side of the board. The two militia sides also threw most of their best stuff against the Legion and only skirmished with each other by comparison. The tanks of the Traitor militia really struggled to do any damage against the Death Guard due to the massive de-buffs on the militia ordnance weapons. 

The result being a draw between the Xhorik Drop Troopers and the Traitor Death Guard mean the Loyalist results for the Operation Downfall phase of the campaign stand at 2-1-2. I think the next battle could serve as as suitable finale for the campaign, determining the result of the Loyalist attempt to establish a beachhead on the Traitor-controlled planet of Xhorik Prime.