The ork attack on the Imperial right flank was supported by a Deff Dread and three Killa Kans.

“Recon Two to Command One. Recon Two to Command One. We have ork walkers marching down the Corinthian Byway—a Deff Dread and three Killa Kans. Request anti-armor assets immediately. Tank, autocannon, anything. We’ve nothing that can stop them.“—Communication to Alpha Company Headquarters, 19th Barad Mine Volunteers, during the Battle for the Achaeon Suburbs

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IMPERIAL VOXCAST (3 932 741.M41)—Ork troops inside the western defensive lines of Susa City launched a major attack against the Achaeon Suburbs today, no doubt in an attempt to break through the makeshift Imperial defenses in the area and reach the core of the capital city.

The orks were stopped dead in their tracks.

“Elements of the Alpha Company, 19th Barad Mine Volunteers, did an outstanding job of rebuffing the greenskin attack,” General Tiberius Vectrix announced in a press conference earlier today.

“The orks were stopped all along the defensive line, and one platoon of Alpha Company  destroyed the greenskin forces in front of it and advanced, turning the flank of the ork attack and causing significant casualties.”

The Achaeon Suburbs is one of the more affluent neighborhoods in Susa City. Largely untouched by enemy artillery fire, it would end the day in ruins.

Prelude

Two months ago, after the orks broke through Bastion 19A-6 and shattered the Imperial defenses to the west of Susa City, tens of thousands of orks advanced into the suburbs and gained a stolid foothold in the capital city.

Naturally, Imperial military leaders rushed reinforcements to the area, hoping to create a cordon and prevent the ork’s beachhead from advancing any deeper.

On 3 932 741.M41, the orks launched an attack against these improvised Imperial defenses. Due to the dense urban terrain, this greenskin attack consisted mostly of infantry, supported by Deff Dreads, Killa Kans, and Meganobz.

Imperial forces also were mostly infantry, supported by Hellhounds, mechanized artillery (Wyverns), and Armored Sentinels. To compensate for the inevitable close-in fighting, each infantry squad was equipped with as many flamers as possible.

Orks advance under cover, taking advantage of the warren of alleys and courtyards in the suburbs.

Initial Attack

The ork attack began at 05:18, 30 minutes before dawn. With visibility poor, the orks simply advanced at a run. The weight of their attack was focused on the Imperial right flank, which the greenskins had cunningly realized was the weakest part of the Imperial defenses.

The Imperials launched flares to allow the defenders to fire. Alas, there were few orks visible within the maze of adobe buildings of the Achaeon Suburbs. Imperial artillery did not hesitate, however, to bombard what senior officers believed to be the most likely paths of the ork attack.

This blind fire continued until 05:48, when the first hint of sunlight appeared on the horizon. On the right flank, 4th Platoon, Alpha Company, 19th Barad Mine Volunteers, found itself surprised by a mob of ork Kommandos, which somehow had infiltrated the platoon’s flank. Half a squad of men were killed in the initial ork charge, leading the rest of the surprised squad to flee.

The rest of 4th Platoon performed more admirably, however,  advancing on the ork intruders and engaging them with flamers. The orks were pushed out of the Imperial lines.

As this fighting was going on, a Veteran squad of the 728th Cadian Regiment, supported by three Bullgryns, also infiltrated the ork lines. As a mob of Burnaboyz prepared to join the attack on 4th Platoon, the Veterans ambushed the greenskins and, in an ironic twist, used flamers and heavy flamers to wipe them out.

To 4th Platoon’s left, the ork vanguard—a Deff Dread and three Killa Kans—reached a walled compound defended by 6th Platoon, Alpha Company. Flamers on the Killa Kans killed 14 men, including the platoon commander.

As the company commander attempted to rally 6th Platoon, a mob of ork boyz charged into the compound and began slaughtering the remaining Volunteers in a bloody melee.

An ork Kommando unit managed to infiltrate the Imperial lines, but 4th Platoon, supported by two Armored Sentinels armed with heavy flamers, quickly ended the enemy threat.

Volunteers Hold

To their credit, the Volunteers—consisting of hastily trained miners and refinery workers from the now-lost Barad Mine—proved astonishing resilient for a militia unit. Having lived a hard life in the mines, the Volunteers were tough and stubborn, and they fought as fiercely as the orks, even though the greenskins had the advantage of size and strength.

Thus, to the relief of senior officers, 6th Platoon stood its ground, albeit barely.

The 4th Platoon accomplished more. Having dealt with the Kommandos, the platoon counterattacked an approaching mob of orks to their front. Supported by two Armored Sentinels, equipped with heavy flamers, they drove back the mob and, although unnoticed at the time, also killed the Warlord leading the attack.

Meanwhile, the Veterans—having wiped out the Burnaboyz—slammed into the orks retreating from 4th Platoon. With their flamers and the hand-held mortars of their Bullgryn, the Veterans slaughtered the fleeing greenskins.

To the left of 6th Platoon, on the far left flank, the 3rd Platoon of Volunteers realized that the ork line to their front was relatively quiet, with only the occasional ork firing his Shoota. The platoon commander deduced that the ork weight of numbers was directed at the rest of the company, and he had an opportunity to attack and, if lucky, turn the ork flank.

Commandeering a Hellhound and two Armored Sentinels, he ordered an advance. The Hellhound’s Inferno Cannon and the Sentinels’ heavy flamers led the attack and immediately targeted an ork-held Administratum building. After setting the entire building aflame, and incinerating scores of orks, the greenskins inside retreated.

Click here to read the conclusion of this battle.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.