Chapter 6: The Underhive

A second Genestealer Cult raid, this time on a small Arbites station located deep beneath the Ieaid Hive. The Station is seen to the right with a patrolling officer on upper deck to the left...

A Corpse Grinder Juve (lowest gang member) foolish stepped out of cover and was immediately put down by the overlooking Arbiters...

An overhead shot as the attack reached high gear...

Unfortunately (again) a camera glitz cost me the remaining photos. The raid was unsuccessful as well, with the raiders wiped out and only two Arbites going down. The Cultist need some seasoning!

 

Chapter 5: Planet Ieaid: The Wastelands

 Before the Task Force was sent to investigate the Space Hulk, trouble was brewing on Ieaid itself. Unknown to the Imperium, a small Genestealer Cult was growing in the shadows. Attempting to gather weapons, the Leadership of the Cult decided to raid an Ironhead Prospecting settlement deep in the Wastelands.

The small Promethium Drilling Site #325A6...

The Prospectors included a Charter Master (located just left of brightly colored crate at center), 2x Drill Masters (Champions), 2x Drill-Kyn (Gangers), and 3x Diggers (Juves). The titles see in parenthesis comes from the game Necomunda. The Cultists included 5x Acolyte Hybrids, 10x Neophyte Hybrids, and 4x Aberrants. The attack started poorly as the Cultists succeeding only in causing one Ironhead to temporarily go prone, while return fire dropped 2 Neophhytes...

A more detailed look at the Cultist casualties...

The Cultists charge in and while concentrated fire from the Ironheads drop one of the Aborrants (top center), another nearly reaches the back of one of the Diggers (bottom center)...

The Charter Master rushes out to save the Digger, attacking the Aborrant, while Ironhead weapons fire take down two Acolytes...

Fire brings down another Acolyte while a second Digger sees an Aborrant charging towards him unhurt by his fire...

The Charter Master takes down not one, but two of the Aborrants, but is himself cut down by the remaining Aborrant. It is the first loss to the Ironheads!

The struggle comes to a bloody finish, as the Aborrant smashes down a Digger, but then he and the remaining Cultists go down to accurate Ironhead fire...

The first attempt by the Cultist to gain strength has failed!

Space Hulk: A Tale: Chapter 4: Through the Gauntlet

 With the warning now passed among the Breachers, Skitarii and Terminators, it become a mad rush to escape this alien vessel so that they could teleport back to their ships. At one point, one of the Breacher squads was about to be overrun, even as the Magos arrived with his warning...

A disaster has occurred! All the remaining photos have been lost! It was an amazing finish as the majority of the Terminators remained in the cavern to fight with the Brood Lord and his Hive Guard. With the Apothecary restoring life not once but twice, and restoring wounds as well, the Brood Lord was put down and the remainder of the Tyranids lost their governance, allowing one Breacher Squad and the Terminators to withdraw to their ships. To find their ships are under attack...but that is another chapter...

Space Hulk: A Tale: Chapter 3: Into the Lair

As the Skitarii venture into the space illuminated by phosphorescent glow radiating from the walls and ceiling. Suddenly the chittering sounds of a recognizable foe, the despised Xenos Tyranids! 

Hormagaunts and Genestealers are swarming up the sides of the various pits in the cavern. and attacking the Skitarii..

Yet another group rising up from the depths...

Even as they gun down numerous Tyranids, additional creatures replace the dead...

Assistance finally arrives as Terminators push towards the cavern...

The Skitarii Marshal (left center) has taking a wound has the Terminators arrive...

The Captain and fellow Brother charge into the Tyranids, striking down many. What will turn out to be critical to this story is becoming apparent to the second Brother who was returned from stasis. His memory of why he was placed into that state is being restored...

s the struggle continues, the Navy Breachers locate a second entrance into the cavern. But this will not turn out to be such a great move...

Fewer of the Skitarii still stand against their enemy...

The first Brother goes down!

And now the Captain himself is swarmed and surrounded. Disaster approaching?

But he is a Captain for a reason, a tremendous fighter. He lays low numerous feared Genestealers...

The Skitarii Marshal is successful as well...

The Brother now remembers; 'its a trap Captain. We must get and return to our ship. the ships are being attacked!'

Another Skitarii goes down. Its looking very grim for the Mechanicus...

The Genestealers are making the Breachers pay for their overly aggressive moves...

With losses mounting, the Breachers are finally able to remove themselves from the corridor, and the Terminators move in...

As his last Skitarii is lost, the Marshal holds his ground...

The Captain and his Brother have cleared their area only to have Ripper Swarms rise up, attack and wound the Captain!(who nows has two wounds)...

At the second entryway, the Terminators are making swift work of the Tyranids there...

But now a new enemy arises from the pits...Tyranid Warriors armed with ranged Bioweapons! (Those of you who play 40k may not recognize the original Warrior miniature here)

Additionally, facing the Captain,(who at least has eliminated those pesky Ripper Swarms), Termagaunts also with ranged weaponry make their appearance...

But even worse now occurs. The answer to those mysterious tunnels is now answered as more Tyranids appear to the rear. The Magos had just arrived (center right) with news of the attacks on the ships by Tyranid Bio Ships that are detaching from the Hulk!

The view taken from the Terminator's POV into the cavern...

At this point, here is the overhead view of the cavern with the Captain and Marshal at the top...

To be continued...

 

 

Space Hulk: A Tale; Chapter 2: A Truly Alien Atmosphere

 Deep coring equipment is brought up to the walls of the Xenos Hulk, and work begins. After some time, a breach is made, opening into a hideous alien atmosphere. The surfaces are soft and moist and the atmosphere is high in humidity...

Lead by the Terminators, the Skitarii and Breachers push into the Hulk...

As they push deeper, questions are still discussed concerning the mysterious circular opening. The passageways have arched/curved ceilings as well...

With a great deal explored (and more of the mysterious openings discovered) and still no contact. But the Skitarii make an amazing discovery (top/photo)...

The Skitarii on the verge of entering the immense cavern, but without support?

To be continued...

Space Hulk: A Tale; Chapter One: Enter into the Unknown

Organizing a campaign that will hopefully weave together aspects of Space Hulk, Necromunda, Genestealer Cults, and even a Tyranid invasion....

An unidentified object is scanned on the fringe of the Ieaid System, Segementum Obscurus, Scarus Sector, at the edge of the Galaxy. All that can be gleaned from early scans is that it is massive...

The orders went out...

The entryway for this mission is located at the bottom of photo. Numerous chambers and corridors have been cleared of hostile xenos...the hated Tyranids in the form of Homogaunts and Genestealers...

A closeup of the Dark Angel Terminators (left); Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii, with Magos (center); and Imperial Breachers (top center)...

The Skitarii are facing an ornate door to a Space Marine Chapel...

Meanwhile, the Breachers approaches another gate (left)...

The Skitarii Marshal (right) has been tasked to download from the Imperial ships computers...

Upon entering the Chapel, the Dark Angels find one of their own in stasis (green miniature) It all appears to have been here for centuries!

The Magos calls up more Imperial Breachers...

After clearing out yet another chamber filled with Tyranids (right), the Breachers throw caution to the wind, and even though they are unsupported, open another hatch( left)...

a large group of Tyranids...

A large portion of this area has been cleansed of the Tyranids!

Still trying to gain access to the vessel's bridge, the Breachers are blocked by damage caused by the colliding ships with the Hulk...

Fortunately for these stout hearted men for the Imperium, an intact elevator is located and the men take it up the command spiral...

The Magos is called to the front as the opening mechanism was no longer operating...

The Bridge is entered...

But emerging from the shadows of the upper deck, Termagaunts now make an appearance and with their bioweapons, destroy a Skitarri. The Terminators now enter the fray...

The Squad's Autocannon makes short work of the Tyranids!

As the survivors survey the scene, new orders arrive to breach the hull of the Xenos Hulk to further the exploration...

Part 1 is completed; to be continued...