3/307/942.M41 – Twelve Weeks Later

Invasion +3 months: The Blackest Season

Helsreach Hive Defence: Legionnaire J.Kekełrr, 39th Levy Reserves, Activated 942.  
@imperialis.munns

Timeline: 3/307/942.M41 [+3 months – Game turn 2]

The Orks crash through the new Imperial line. Sweeping round the Palidus mountains, Ork forces surround Infernus hive, which surrenders without a fight. Ork columns reach the outskirts of both Hades and Helsreach hive clusters. Hive gangs are conscripted and formed into polyglot armies that are hurled into the front line. Overlord Strab unleashes his secret supply of virus bombs, but they are largely ineffective against the hardy Ork hordes. An Ork assault on Helsreach, aided by a psychic storm created by Ork Weirdboyz, smashes its defences and the hive falls. However, an assault on Hades commanded by Ghazghkull is turned back, largely thanks to the efforts of Commissar Yarrick. The warp storms end and communication with the Imperium is re-established.

The Palidus line is breached, Infernus falls, and orks flood across both the north and the south of Armageddon Secundus.

As detailed in the article on the Timeline of the Second Armageddon War, the start of the campaign was an unqualified success for the orks, with the three ork tribes breaking through the first line of Imperial defences. In the north, Imperial casualties were near-total, as detailed here. The Border Defence Forces were destroyed along with the 4th and 5th Army Groups – swept away by the Bad Moons tribe. 

Famously ostentatious, the power armour equivalents that many Bad Moons Nobs were able to use often made a critical difference in their survivability.
@edpaintsminis

In the south, portions of the 6th were able to retreat – and while some like the later-famous 'Firesweep' were trapped behind enemy lines, the mass were able to regroup on the banks of the Helsreach river. The 7th, however, found themselves completely surrounded by the Evil Suns and despite frantic efforts to break out, were lost as a strategic consideration as supplies run out.

Broken 1st Army Group forces retreat from Infernus hive in the face of overwhelming forces led by the 'green devil' himself: Warlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka .
@death_of_a_rubricist

***

Kurov was a brave soldier and capable field commander, but was so rigid in his indoctrinated obedience to authority – an Imperial virtue – that he proved servile in an almost fatal degree in his role as overall commander of the Steel Legion.

Governor Von Strab was alternately dismissive and belligerent when presented with these reports, and maintained that the ork advance was sure to stutter and fail. Despite his misgivings, General Kurov acted faithfully on these orders, and marshalled his second line of defence. 

Relying on the ancient wisdom of the Tactica Imperium, Kurov's standing orders to his scattered forces were for Army Groups to hold critical choke points – his aim to offset or eliminate the advantage of numbers Waa-Ghazghkull enjoyed. Unfortunately for the old campaigner, the sheer scale of the empty wastes of Armageddon Secundus limited the effectiveness of such a strategy, particularly when combined with the orks' speed and mechanisation. In the cases of both the Evil Suns and Bad Moons, the mounted orks were able to simply bypass such attempted blockades.

***

The North: Assault on Hades

1st Tank Division, Chimera 'No.4'
@the_steel_legion

The Steel Legion was not passive in its defence, however. The Command Staff knew that tactical mobility was an advantage, and were also clear in their intent to slow the ork tide where possible – even if it meant their destruction. As an example of this, a sally by Marshal Leichenberg – a charismatic if flawed commander – was able to prevent the fall of Hades early in the war. 

Leichenberg had overall command of the 3rd Army Group and 1st Tank Division, and his preferences were clear. Abandoning their garrison of Diablo Meridiem Manufactorum-Complex, south of the Diablo Mountains, he struck north to Hades Hive.

Snazdakka's own forces were substantial – and at least one column made it into the outskirts of Hades Hive itself. They were driven off by a then little-known Commissar Yarrick; and escaped to tell the tale.
@grinnialvex

Impatient with the progress of the 3rd Army Group – hampered as it was with also tending to scattered remnants of the 4th Army – Leichenberg split his forces; directing the 3rd back to the Manufactorum-Complex and putting his trust entirely in the capabilities of the famed 1st Tank Division.

Kin Slayer, Destroyer Tank Hunter of the 1st Tank Division. Note the red thunderbolt on white field marking – the 1st Tank Division shared the off-world markings used by the Fighting First.
@225thsteellegion

While perhaps ill-planned, Leichenberg's decision proved fortuitous: the Tank Division arrived just in time to prevent a full-scale assault on Hades led by Mega-Admiral Snazdakka's Dirt-Armada, Tribeboss of the Bad Moons and one of Ghazghkull's principal commanders.

3/282/942.M41 – Note retreating remnants of the 4th Army Group and 1st Rough Rider Brigade. The 3rd Army Group moving to interdict.

The Eumendes River proved pivotal in this battle, slowing the invaders enough for Leichenberg's massed armour to prove decisive, and reducing one of the ork's Battlewagon Armies to scrap. Overriding the Hive Governor's request for the Tank Division to remain in place, Leichenerg's weary forces pursued the reeling orks westwards, north of Mount Diablo.

Trooper (Mechanised Specialist) Bute, 3rd Army – part of the 314th 'Saviours'. KIA.
@death_of_a_rubricist

This decision was to prove disastrous, as the wily – and indignant – Snazdakka was able to string out the 1st Tank Division along the coast, where a warband known as Kaptin Flash's Ardnuts [Stratego-designate: Bad Moon Nobz 1] was able to outflank and destroy them.

3/292/942.M41

Shaken by the apparent loss of their Commander, the march back to Diablo Meridiem Manufactorum-Complex suddenly became critical: The 3rd Army was the only force anywhere near the region that was able to stymie the ork advance. Burning through fuel at a prodigious rate, the 3rd were ordered to abandon the 4th Army Remnants. Ordered to make their way east towards Hive Acheron, many volunteered instead to accompany the flying column – their reasons varying from fearing roving ork marauders, the myriad  native dangers of the wastes, or the very real belief. 

33rd Regiment, 4th Army
@duckcalledsue

The 3rd were met by orks buoyed by the fighting and the destruction of the 1st Tank Division, and despite reducing Kaptin Flash's Ardnuts to an irrelevance, the bone-tired 3rd were also destroyed and the Manufactorum Complex occupied by the orks.

Diablo Meridiem Manufactorum-Complex – garrisoned by the 3rd Army. The 3rd's bravery undoubtedly slowed the march on Hades Hive, but the orks were in the ascendant, and much better able to weather the losses than the Imperials. 

The hard fighting had given Hades its first taste of war and bloodily driven back the Bad Moons, but the cost had been colossal. All the northern land armies of the Steel Legion – infantry and armour alike – were combat ineffective. Hades stood to face a rising green-and-yellow tide in short order.

***

Infernus burns

Ugrag, Warboss of the Eadsnappas warband
@tiny.workspace

We don't fight fer food, or fer teef, or guns, or cos we's told to fight.
We fight cos we woz born to fight. And win.

–Grukk, ork boy

The plains around Infernus were the site of one of Overlord Von Strab's most famous errors of judgement: the squandering of the Iron Skulls Titan Legion. As reports came in of the Blood Axe and Snakebite tribes burning Armageddon Prime, Kurtiz Mannheim, Princeps Prime of the Legio Metalica, had urged the Planetary Government vociferously to prepare for an invasion – but had been ignored. It seemed Von Strab had a plan. Even as Armageddon Prime fell and Von Strab fled to Tartarus, the Governor announced that he would counter-attack – and he turned to Mannheim to effect this.

His combined force included:

• Iron Skulls: Legio Metalica
• 'The Fighting First' 1st Army Group
• 2nd Rough Rider Brigade

... and on the face of things, this was certainly a formidable force indeed – particularly positioned as Mannheim and Kurov had planned, on the east bank of the Infernus, encamped within range of the hive's supporting artillery.

Virtus Veritas, Reaver of the Legio Metalica, witnessed the fall of Steel Hammer.
@hobby_kiste

As was recorded in the official history:

Mannheim protested that fighting a holding action until the warpstorms calmed and reinforcements arrived was the better course of action, but he was overruled – Von Strab screamed that he needed no help. Under oath to the Overlord, Mannheim could say no more. He put on his best dress uniform, thanked his staff for their loyalty, said goodbye to his wife and children, and then boarded Steel Hammer, his Titan.

Following the order was, as all the horrified Iron Skulls' Princeps could see, little short of suicide. Mannheim did what little he could to preserve his beloved forces; by ensuring that Maniples and individual Titans already on manoeuvres would not be seconded to the assault – but did his duty with the bulk of the force and concocted a plan that gave them at least a shot at victory.

Combined into a supposedly unbeatable force, the 'Fighting First' 1st Army Group and Iron Skulls fatefully followed orders to cross the defensive Infernus river and move into the Ash Deserts to confront Zuggluk's Krusha Mob and the surging mass of Goffs following their god-engines into war.

Following Von Strab's orders, Mannheim therefore led his Legion and their allies against the greatest concentration of Goff forces – Ghazgkull's own elites, headed by the hulking Goff Gargant Bigmob: 

• Kaptin Zuggluk’s Krusha Mob
• Whitetusk's Howlas
• Ugrag's 'Ardeadz

The presence of Ghazghkull himself to the south was little comfort, particularly when his personal household armies were also jockeying for position to attack. The resulting conflict was a colossal concentration of military force, with the cream of Imperial soldiery being pitted against the best that the orks could offer:

Frontline Goff assault infantry – such boyz formed the core of Ghazghkull's personal tribe, and fought all the harder knowing that Infernus was in sight.
@the_belligerent_duck

The resulting battle will be detailed in a future article; suffice to say here that the Goffs were triumphant, the Iron Skulls were scattered and the 1st Army forced to retreat across the Infernus River into the hive. 

Infernus would offer scant comfort to the Imperial military, however, as the Hive Governor, Osseos Elagabal, had decided to sue for peace. Elagabal was no coward, nor a weakling, so his actions were surprising. Perhaps he hoped to spare the populace, the hive's many holy sites, or ensure the survival of his dynasty. Perhaps he was simply overcome with despair at the reports of the Legio Metalica's failure. 

Whatever the reason, in the face of the Iron Skulls' destruction, surrender was a desperate but understandable ploy in the face of such destruction – and one that was met with scorn by the massing orks. Ghazghkull himself, however, had a more considered view. Capturing Infernus largely intact would maintain his forces and render the hive a valuable resource complete with ample slave labour. 

Just as critical a factor in his decision was the fact it would leave the Goffs hungry for more victories. Ghazghkull therefore accepted Elagabal's surrender and moved from the wreckage of the Manufocturm-complex on the banks of the Stygies to claim Infernus. All that stood between Infernus and its new lords were the few God-Engines and Regiments of the 1st that had escaped the destruction in the Ash Waste Desert – too few to offer meaningful resistance.

Kurov, himself lightly injured, made the reluctant decision to order a retreat eastwards – but the canny ork Warlord had sent another army to encircle the city, keen to ensure his victory was total. Resistance was limited, divided and critically undermined by Elagabal's decision. The fate of the Hive-Governor was to remain unknown for a long time.

A Legio Metalica Warlord looks over a retreating 1st Army Group column in the retreat from Infernus. Not part of Steel Legion command, the Legio Metalica was beholden to none save the Imperial Governor himself – but it was this exceptionalism that led to their near-destruction early in the war. 
@death_of_a_rubricist

***

Sundown on Helsreach

Evil Sun warbiker
@ork.bot

Evil Sunz like two fings most: Going fast and krumpin' stuff. Dat's why we'z so good at it.

–Lugnut of da Bladed Wheels

Frustrated during the journey through the equatorial jungles, and slowed during the crossing of the River Styx, the breaching of the Palidus Line meant that the Evil Suns now found themselves in their element. The wide open plains of south Armageddon Secundus lent themselves well to the speed-loving greenskins, who found an ork paradise of traversable terrain from horizon to horizon – and at the end of the journey, a hive full of defiant Imperial Guardsmen to fight.

The Gargants – the Red Skull Tramplaz – pressed eastwards, straining to cross the Stygies before the Imperials could re-gather their forces.

The desert was filled with pockets of resistance – ash waste milita, pioneer homesteaders, platoons of the retreating 6th and 7th Army Groups – and the hundred skirmishes involving these unsung fighters saw the butcher's bill rising as the cackling Evil Suns raced through the wastelands. 

The defiance of such warriors did little in isolation, but doubtless distracted the Evil Suns outriders and marauders long enough to allow the 6th Army Group to cross the Heslreach river and begin preparing positions.

6th Army Group survivor; part of the 62nd Regiment
@ulfskar

The Evil Suns reached and crossed the Stygies in short order, and moved to cut off the peninsula beyond the River Helsreach. Fortunately for the defenders, the complete encirclement enacted by the Goffs was impossible here – the Evil Suns possessed no navy capable of cutting off sea routes to Helsreach. 

A massive army of red-clothed orks gathered on the north bank of the River Helsreach and began trading long range fire with the 6th Army Group. The Evil Suns force was made up of:

• Da Rokkit Rampage Racers
• Vroomfang's Skorchaz
• Shreddaz of Zag

Ranged against the threat was the battered but defiant Firesweep – the surviving 6th Army Group, along with the substantial defences of Helsreach itself. 

Legionnaire A.Cħinniķ, 39th Levy Reserves, Activated 942.
The Helsreach Hive Defence Force was a mongrel group, ranging from pseudomilitia through to conscripted gang forces. The disparate parts of the HDF were organised quickly but efficiently; with names that simply referenced a peculiarity of the Hive lighting system that, in peace time, ensured worker's attendance at the docks – the famous 'Helsreach Shift Time'.
@imperialis.munns

This battle would be notable, for the 6th were able to fend off and destroy a substantial portion of the reckless attackers, then destroy the bridges. The Rokkit Rampage Racers, having committed a huge portion of their strength to the direct assault, were all but wiped out in a single glorious – but self-destructive charge.

While the battle saw them cut off from the rest of Armageddon by land, the triumphant 6th Army had bought themselves and Helsreach a little time to further prepare. It was unclear whether it would be enough...

Evil Suns boyz mob; spotted fighting alongside – or as part of – Vroomfang's Skorchas.
@giokahnni

***

Further west

Not all the Evil Suns moved to prey on the peninsula. Those armies ranged along the Helsreach river were backed up by many more orks poised just north. Many of these, particularly those with larger proportions of unmounted infantry, took the opportunity to pause and catch their strategic breath. In crude encampments, many of the orks here waited to see whether there would be good killing south, or to press on eastwards to Tartarus and the surrounding Manufactora Mega-complexes. 

Some, however, struck out further. Notably, Blacktoof’s Speed Freeks made it as far as the Hemlock River, where they sacked the Hemlock Estuary Manufactory Complex. This was curiously empty – and the Evil Suns were to find out why as they looked eastwards...

Designation: Oberon

Standing on the far bank of the River Hemlock was a military force unlike anything on Armageddon. The Ordinatus Armageddon stood, surrounded by bewildered magi of the Adeptus Mechanicus and a scanty Skitarii Cohort serving as honour guard. None amongst the tech-priesthood had been consulted by Von Strab or the Steel Legion, and they were seemingly unaware of the extent of the ork's advance.

This terror weapon – capable of ending conflicts by the brooding threat of its mere presence – was unprepared and inert. It seemingly offered the Evil Suns easy pickings – and as the Season of Shadows  passed into the Season of Storms, these outriders prepared to cross the river and assault.

***

The Season of Storms would open with a tempest unlike any Armageddon had seen in living memory, with the orks poised to overwhelm Armageddon Secundus – which was awakening to the threat; but agonisingly slowly.

***

The war looked bleak for the Steel Legion. Ghazghkull had scored a great victory in the centre, and his lieutenants were poised and eager to deliver news of their own triumphs. Infernus had fallen to the invaders, and it seemed Helsreach and Hades would not be far behind. 

Ork nobs storm the breach at Infernus – 'surrender' being a malleable concept to even the most subtle of greenskins, and not really registering with the Goffs.
@duckcalledsue