Hive Tartarus : The Ash Wastes
Imperial Guard v. Orks : approx. 1500pts
Win for Imperials
A company of praetorians led by col. Gram Broker have been sent out to protect and to build up defences for a forward space marine landspeeder base. They are also responsible for protection of the supply lines to the base. Although the base is operative, all space marines have been called out to other duties. The company consists of 2 platoons with in all 7 squads of infantry plus 3 anti tank heavy weapons squads. Accompanying them are 4 kommissars, a Leman Russ and a Vanquisher.
At present the base is sparsely protected by tank traps and barbed wire. Between the base and the woods is an old religious stone ruin which is being used as temporary lodgings. All foliage has been cut back to a distance of about 500 yards leaving only a few minor rocky outcrops between the woods and the base. These rocky outcrops have been occupied by ratling snipers serving as forward observers.
"Defcom4 to Red7, over"
"come in Red7"
"Red7 here, go ahead Defcom4"
"Apart from a few skirmishes along the supply route, at present all is quiet. Supply route is still open.Defence construction is on schedule. Only light casualties as yet. However as skirmishes along the supply route have been slowly encroaching on the base, we're awaiting a major attack from these green scum any day now. Skirmishes indicate that this is a purely reconnaissance force with no armoured back-up. Over and out"
Dawn next Day..
"Defcom4 to Red7, **ZZZZZFFFFFzzzz me in Red 7, BIIIIPPPZZZZzzz are under attac ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz, .... air cover immediately repeat, request **BBBOOOOPPP** cover immediately **ZZZZXXXPPP** ....DAKKADAKKADAKKA…"
The orks shot out of the woods, their buggies and bikes growling like fierce monsters, belching black clouds of soot and smoke into the cool damp morning air. This in complete contrast to the thin read line of praetorians spread out in front of the hangers, the leman russ and vanquisher driven out to protect the flanks. The dashing bikers on the ork's left flank, in a swift fly-by manouvre, get the first score as 3 guardsmen fall to their twin linked shootas.
In return the leman russ drops 3 ork bikers with a well aimed shot from its battlecannon.The platoon H.Q. heavy weapons squad lets loose with its autocannons and more orks drop limp in the dust. The ork warboss, recognisable from his flailing banner as IzNibz, and his bodyguard jump to safety as the vanquisher on the imperial right flank takes out the warboss' trukk with a glancing blow. As the ork bikes career on towards the leman russ, the orkboss and his entourage, now laboriously advancing on foot in their mega armour, blast the crew of an imperial lascannon into the void and pick up the halfling marksmen in their visier. In return the leman russ makes a direct hit on a buggy, killing all on board. In revenge for their lost gun crew the IG ranks fire on the ork boss' bodyguard, killing all but the boss himself who in a frenzy charges on alone towards the imperial lines, killing 3 of the ratling snipers on his way.
The ork bikes hit the 5th squad on the imperial left flank and although reduced to a third strength, they bravely hold their ground. This may have had something to do with the kommissar in their ranks. In the meantime bands of orks with killercan support advance on the imperial right flank. Taking up the middle of the field, 3 buggies, with orks hanging on for grim death, dash towards the IG lines. The vanquisher blasts one of the buggies off the planet and brings another to a halt in its tracks. Amazingly, when the smoke clears, bodies can be seen climbing out of the wreckage. The Leman russ takes out another buggy from the orkboss' bodyguard, again miraculously all orks aboard manage to jump to safety before an ear rendering explosion rips the buggy to pieces. It must have been carrying some sort of infernal ork explosive device, perhaps designed to destroy the hangers. Seeing these orks advancing on the remnants of the fifth squad and then wiping them out in hand to hand combat, the leman russ commander fires up his engines and charges the ork band. At the sight of this mammoth heading towards them the orks break and run.
A band of grots breaks away from the main ork mob advancing on the imperial right wing and swing toward the old ruins. After picking off half the IG squad occupying it with uncannily accurate shooting, the IG squad decides for the better part of valour and, vacating the ruins, head back to their own lines. The IG lines give them covering fire and reduce the grot band to about half their number.
IzNibz. undeterred by the fact that he is all alone, is now headed hell for leather for the landspeeder hangars. In a desperate attempt to hold him off, the 4th squad, egged on by their accompanying kommissar, join in close combat. The melee is short but miraculously victorious. Both the kommissar and ork boss are left lying in the blood stained dust, but half the squad are still standing. At the sight of their boss hitting the ground, the grots break, fleeing into the ork bands behind them which also turn and head for the hills.
..Nightfall
"Defcom4 to Red7, over" "come in Red7" "Ork raiding party in retreat. Mopping up parties sent out. Landspeeder base intact. Repeat intact. Request medical supply drop. Over and out".
Hive Tartarus : The Ash Wastes
Imperial Guard v. Dark Eldar : approx. 1000pts
Standard mission - Wounded IG on a hill have to be rescued by Praetorian Guard. Dark Eldar have to take wounded prisoner.
Win for Dark Eldar
Both sides consist of infantry; vehicles involved are a dark eldar talos, a unit of 4 dark eldar jetbikes and an imperial Leman Russ tank. The IG HQ unit has a supporting anti tank unit consisting of 3 lascannons.
A company of praetorians led by Col. Gwillam Apakamra were wiped out by dark eldar pirates whilst trying to rescue wounded guards from the top of a hill in no-mans land. Attempts by the dark eldar to take the hill and capture the wounded were thwarted as the praetorians held their ranks and with expert marksmanship, continuously shot down any dark eldar who approached the hill. The Leman Russ did an excellent job of taking out the talos with a single shot in the first move.
By the third move the anti-tank unit had taken out 3 of the dark eldar jet bikes.
Realising they could not take and hold the hill, the dark eldar changed their tactic and charged the praetorian positions. Although they fought bravely as Col. Apakamra himself led them into the fray, in the hand to hand combat that followed the praetorians were no match for the nimble and cunning dark eldar. Prefering death rather than fall into the hands of such a fiendish foe, they were wiped out to a man.
The only thing left of the praetorians in the end was the Leman Russ which had continuously pounded the
dark eldar lines throughout the battle.