M37.779; The Godbirth War
Controlling a Crusade of billions of soldiers was, above all, unwieldy. The forces of the Imperium had – as planned – established a solid foothold in the border worlds by the end of the first year of the war, and the second year saw the Imperial Guard deployed en masse across a number of systems in pacification campaigns and even to spearhead invasion where Astartes pledges were held as mobile reserves and special strike forces.

The annexation of the Grogskag system in the second year of the Purges had been planned in outline before the first Imperial soldier entered the fringes of orkspace. Grogoff was a major ork centre, held by a powerful group that later became known as the technorkracy; owing to their use of heavy war engines and massive militaro-industrial strength.

Fatefully, the planet became known to the Adeptus Mechanicus, whose inscrutable spy network reported outrages of xeno-abuse against machinery. Two years before the Purge was publically announced, the Archmagos Veneratus Hebrian Lucas Zion sent a petition to Lord Commander Ultima Yves Abattol; pledging the support of regiments of skitarii and the might of the Legio Validus if the upcoming Crusade would break the orks on Grogoff. Politically shrewd, the Lord Commander accepted on the condition that the Legion itself prosecuted the campaign. This condition was eagerly siezed upon, and the forgeworld Braun VI began construction of a new Reaver Titan – the Mercato Stipent– to honour the occasion.

The war over Grogoff later became known as the Godbirth War; and it had profound consequences on the rest of the campaign and beyond. Prior to this period, Gargants were largely unknown in orkspace; the War Engines of the orks rarely being much larger than a superheavy tank. Having seen the mighty engines of Legio Validus waging war across their planet, the meks of the planet were inspired. A diaspora of meks spread throughout the system, leading to warbands and tribes throughout orkspace laying their hands on or constructing progressively more powerful war machines.

One such mek was the infamous Kilkart, leader of the Krushin' Kans. His defence of a fortified ork township saw the first Engine on Engine conflict of the war, and doubtless fuelled the greenskin's thoughts...

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The Imperial battleline advances on Orktown.


Eager for a scrap, the orks boil out from deeper in the city.


Kilkart orders the biggest and most impressive warmachines forward. His pride and joy, the supastompas, are the largest and most heavily-armed machines known to ork-kind at this point in the history of the sector.


The brave men and women of the Anchorpoint 1703rd advance, while the Reaver Mercato Stipent hoves into view through the mist.


The main road into orktown sees the supastompas face off against the might of the Varan's World Armoured Brigades.


As long-range fire peppers the big guns, the supastompa and accompanying megadreads advance.


Ork mechanised infantry sweeps forward into the cover of ork construction work.


Mercato Stipent makes the presence of the Machine God felt.

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Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Amongst the outlying buildings, battle is joined in earnest. Humans and orks clash in bloody conflict.



Brigadier 'Guts-deep' Godon leads the advance; striking forward with his mechanised infantry to claim the centre.



The ork frontline is sent packing, rippling explosions sending green bodies tumbling through the air – and the survivors fall back.



Left isolated, the rearguard infantry company are pounced upon by an opportunistic warband in a ork landing craft. The infantry are torn to pieces.



The Titans of Legio Validus face off against the supastompas while the infantry war rages around their feet.



As the battle reaches its midpoint, the orks have been scattered. Brigadier Godon orders his men to drive forward – a poor decision...

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Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

The confusion of battle begins to tell on the tired Anchorpoint footsoldiers. They remain largely disrupted, struggling to resetablish lines of command.



The orks make full use of the reprieve, with Kilkart rallying a stompa mob and sending it forward to claim an important bunker objective.



A second Supastompa emerges through the gates of orktown, eager to test himself against the human's machineries of destruction.



Bereft of support, Godon's company begin to come under fire.




Attempting to break out, Godon's company are surrounded by a cackling kult of speed.




A Varan's World Leman Russ company advances to brace the line, adding a steel spine to the wavering Anchorpoint infantry...




...but the stompa mobs shrug off the heavy firepower and remain spoiling for a fight!




The orks begin to close their net, but as their line constricts, weaknesses begin to show.

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Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

The trap closes around Godon, and the ork army devastates the company. Huge macroshells, fizzing energy beams and ork aircraft attack runs mercilessly punish the overextended commander. Bleeding, he orders the falls back; retreating at speed down the road as ork laughter rings in his ears.



The Imperial air defence is shut down by confusion and ork jamming. This understrength infantry company pins the left flank; holding firmly against the weakened ork front.



Rallied by Kilkart's 'encouragment', the ork second wave is determined... but do they have the strength?



The Kult of Speed break off pursuit of Godon's company to sweep into the Shadosword company... to little effect. Slightly disrupted, the capable company commander holds his nerve and drives off the Kult of Speed in a largely bloodless engagement.



Ork airpower rules the skies. Uncontested, waves of fighta-bommas rush overhead, harrying the broken supreme commander.



The remaining supastompa advances down the centre.



Princeps Catachresis Iones smiles coolly. At his command, ravening bolts of energy from the turbolasers down the ork supastompa. Iones chalks up the first Engine Kill of the new Reaver's life.



'Cor, dat's ded killy!' think the orks; and continue the advance, keen to see the Reaver up close.



Both sides' infantry is in tatters, but the Imperial War Engines and Armour are largely untouched. The Imperials have castled their forces successfully; but do they now have the speed to capitalise on their success?

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Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

The Warhound Orientis makes a break for the gate, and the orks turn to stop him. With the battle slipping away from him, Kilkart is keen to drag down one of 'da Emprah's big killas' to see what makes it tick.




Imperial infantry falls back from the centre to claim the nearby objectives, while the orks redeploy to attack the Warhound.



The experienced Princeps ducks under the gate for shelter, pausing only to immolate the defending big guns with its inferno gun as she passes.



The ork battleline swings towards the centre; the orks all but abandoning their city in their attempt to kill the Titan.



The Warhound crew are startled by proximity warnings, barely dodging a Landa as it sweeps suicidally under the gate. Miraculously, both survive, though the Warhound staggers backwards.



Mercato Stipent steps forward as the Imperial line reasserts itself. The orks are defeated; the city has fallen.




Kilkart prepares to make himself scarce, vowing revenge!



Godon, bleeding but triumphant, hoists the colours of Anchorpoint – and the Imperium – over the city.



Imperial Victory
2–0 on objectives

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Industrious, red-robe wearing member of the PCRC

Cool, thanks for the report.

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Fantastic report, well written, ta for sharing.

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nice! thanks

Enjoyed this alot.