Terror at Tartarus

The defenders of Hive Taratarus never even had a chance to send out any reconnaissance before the Greenskins were upon them. The outer city hab blocks and outer manufactorum were rapidly abandoned as the defenders were terribly outnumbered.  Two horrendous days of orkish bombardment followed while the Imperials made ready to sell their lives dearly in an attempt to give their people some time to withdrawal to the hoped for protection of the inner hive. Hope was that somehow a message had been sent by Commissar Yarrick and reinforcements were on their way.

View of the inner wall of Tartarus with the wall itself on the right. 3 squads each drawn from the Valhallan Ice Warriors and Ventrillan Nobles and supported by a squad of Battle Sisters led by Sister Superior Calpheron. Below, you can make out the Nobles on the wall with Platoon HQ in ruined building across the street. The Ice Warriors are out of sight at top of photo, both on the wall and in buildings to right. The Sisters can be seen at far left of photo. The Imperial heavy weapons seen at base of the wall are actually housed within the towers. The Orks are to the right of the wall...

A view from the opposite side of the field, the Ice Warriors clearly present. The start of the Ork attack can be seen in top left corner...

The Orks Are Coming! These belong to Bad Moons WarBoss Drekknut's Waaagh! He has despatched the Boss Slugtoof and his Stompas to take the city. (or at least to absorb the defenders fire with their bodies so HIS orks can gain the glory!) There are five Boyz Mobs, nine Killa Kans and a Dreff Dread. Lurking at the top edge of the photo is a massive Kill Tank lobbing shells into the walls; having already made two breaches...

The first wave of Bad Moons in the south, with the Deff Dread at top...

The first Bad Moon volley drops three Nobles on one portion of the wall...

Three more Nobles go down above the gate. The die records the number of hits remaining on the gate...

The Nobles in the south only succeed to taking down one Ork...

Five Nobles pay the ultimate price. The Greenskins are shooting lights out today...

Two Orks are taken down this time, but the Imperials have to do better if they are going to keep these beast out of their city...

The Deff Dread makes it to the breach as two heavy weapons teams are destroyed in their towers while one more Ork is eliminated...

The attack begins to make itself felt as this squad of Nobles is nearly wiped out!

The Imperials do destroy one of the Killa Kans as the double strength Boyz Mob closes in...

Yet two more Nobles are lost on the southern wall...

The Wall and a Noble take some hits...

Another Imperial Heavy Weapons team is lost as the large Boyz Mob reaches the 2nd breach...

A Squad of Ice Warriors facing the southern breach takes their first loss...

The Bad Moon's luck still holds as they lose just one member...

Yet more Nobles are lost above the gate...

Two Ice Warriors in a ruined buildings 3rd floor are lost...

And then the Ice Warriors suffered...

A Heavy Weapons team doesn't quite die! but more Nobles do...

As the Bad Moon Boyz reach the southern breach; two don't quite make it...

On the southern portion, all the Bad Moon's have reached or passed the breach...

The Imperials finally trying to make the Bad Moon's pay...

The Deff Dread destroys the Ventrillan Noble Platoon HQ AND a Heavy Bolter team...

The Orks have now gained one of the towers and poured onto the wall, eliminating this group of Nobles above the gate. Hope the Kill Tank team realizes the friendlies are on the wall...

The large Mob in the north charge during the declared Waaargh! and destroy an entire squad of Ice Warriors. The Heavy Bolter team have to be a little worried though...

One lone Noble charges the Boyz above the gate from the northern wall and gets one...

The Deff Dread now charges into the Sisters...

The lone remaining Ice Warrior is gunned down...

That brave Noble is no more...

The Sisters fight back putting some hits on the Deff Dread...

The Deff  Dread has only one hit remaining, but its gets support from some Boyz who finish off the Sisters...

The final batch of Ice Warriors high up in a ruined building are then unceremoniously gunned down. The Greenskins are now inside Tartarus!

The Story will continue...

    

The 4th War for Armageddon

A new Campaign started this August, as numerous members take on the various factions that fight over the war-torn planet of Armageddon. Astartes, Mechanicus, Militarum, and even Squats are facing off against the greenskins, the Orks! From the blasted of the Fire Wastes to the frozen territory of the Deadlands and Prime and Secundus in between, the struggle will be raged! It promised to be epic, so strap in and ready for the war!

After the initial invasion of Armageddon by the forces of the great Ork Warboss of all bosses, Ghazghul Mag Uruk Thraka, the Imperials were immediately on the back-foot. Outnumbered and outgunned, the defenses were hard-pressed to even slow down the massive Ork forces arraigned against them, suffering numerous defeats. The first such engagement was fought as the Orks pushed towards the Hive City of Volcanus...

The Imperials defending the Hive City had little infomation to go on, other than reports of massive 'Greenskin movement'. A strong reconaissance force was dispatched to gain further information. Led by a full lance of Knights from House Taranis, a squadron of Dracothine 8th Cavalry (center), and 2 squads each from  Cadian Shock Troops (left), Armageddon Steel Legion (center), and the Miasman Redcawls( right) moved out from Volcanus. Cresting a small ridge, they were surprised to see a group of Orks and Squigs. These belonged to Bloodrroot TankKrakkaz..

First blood to the House Taranis, as their Armigers blast down several of the smaller Squigs...

A number of hits were put on the Valiant as well as one of the Armigers...

The Squigboyz and the herd of Squigs charged into the Knights...

The commander of the Knights quickly ordered his lance to break off and withdrawal immediately. The Cadians were ordered to form a rearguard to screen the Knights. They suffered heavy casualties to the Squigboyz...

The Armageddon Steel Legion also charged in and destroyed some Squigs...

The Dracothine Cavalry next smashed into the Squigs as well...

Despite the brave attempts by the Cadians to slow them down, the Squigboyz caught up to the damaged Armiger and destroyed it!

Next, the Squigboyz overran the second Cadian squad although the Cadians did bring down one...

A Wartrike, Bikes, belonging to Wazdrakka's Smog Rockkets, and the Squigboyz next wipe out the Imperial Cavalry. The hint of what forced the Knights to withdraw is in the upper left of the photo...

Leaving the surprise to the last, a Stompa, Gorkanaught, and Killa Kans move against the last Imperials. None of the Imperial infantry escaped, and one Armiger as well. A total disaster! First round to the orks!

The Final Struggle Against the Tyranid Invasion

The last remaining 'Nid force left on the planet, are fronted by the newly arrived Salamanders. This would determine the control of Ulant. It is a massive  body as is normal when facing a Tyranid Invasion. 

The battle will be fought across blasted ash wastes with the Tyranids on the left...

View of the "Nid right, with Warriors, Genestealers, a Pyschophage, and Carafexes and Termegaunts...

At the center we can see a Neuragaunts up front, a Biovore,  a massive Tryanofex and Hormagaunts...

At the left-center, A Killer Screamer, and more Neuraguants and Hormagaunts with Genestealers...

Finally on the left, more Warriors, Termagaunts, another Phschophage and an Exocrene...

Opposing these formidable creatures are the Salamanders with Heavy Weapon Towers that will attempt to break this infestation once and for all...

Included in the defense line was a massive bunker with Rockets and Heavy bolters...

Further down the line...

The struggle begins with a massive Imperial barrage of lascannons, Autocannons and missiles that slice through the Barbgaunts and the Biovore...

On the far right, the Pschophage takes some serious hits...

At the left, the second Pschophage and more Barbgaunts take hits...

The Salamanders do not escape punishment, losing a Dreadnaught and Marines...

And after only a single barrage, the Bunker is completely destroyed the the Trannofex and Exocrene...

The Salamanders however strike back...

The Pschophages were a prime target as the second goes down...

As a lone Hormagaunt reaches (and dies) the Salamanders, the Marines begin to put down Genestealers, Hormagaunts and Warriors...

The Hormagaunt somehow takes down a Marine!

A second horde of Hormagaunts takes down some more Marines, but are wiped out...

More Hormagaunts are overwhelmed...

Another Salamander is lost, but they are clearing the field of the 'Nids...

While some of the Swarm still stand, with the deatruction of the Genestealers on the left, the Imperials have destroyed the Tyranids after a very long struggle in the SubSector. In over a year of games, with ups and downs for the Imperials, the threat has been turned away...at least for now.