Tuesday 24 July 2018

Wurrshuv's Revenge - Week 12

Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign 

Week 12 



The titanic struggle between the Tau and Orks on M-88 has now reached its apocalyptic climax. The Ork tellyporta arrays are almost operational, and the Tau have thrown every available force they have at the Orks in a desperate bid to destroy them before they are activated. Many arrays have been lost, but more still remain intact, and even one holds the capacity to infest a region with Greenskins to the point where it will never be free. The Orks in turn have fought back with unbridled ferocity, defending their homes from Tau attacks and assaulting Tau forces with fanatical drive, sensing that their victory is now within grasp. Wurrshuv himself has taken to the field of battle aboard his personal battlefortress intent on hunting down his hated enemy. The fate of M-88 now hangs in the balance. 

In space the Tau fleet has found itself stretched thin once again. The Orks continue to press further into the system, using the Ork-infested outer reaches to resupply and repair their ships where the Tau cannot retaliate. Losses have been high on both sides, but the Orks have managed to close another of the Enclave reinforcement corridors to M-88, taking advantage of Tau efforts to reopen the lost Empire reinforcement corridor compromised in the previous week. The Tau can at least take solace in their fleet's successes with reopening the Empire reinforcement corridor and shielding M-88 from further Ork Rok impacts, but the numbers of Greenskin spacecraft pouring into the inner biosphere of the system seem endless. 

Situation Updates - All Sectors 

He'Sho Seas - ORK CONTROLLED 

The raids performed by the Tau landing forces in the He'Sho Seas have weakened the local Intacepta Rokkit network enough that the Tau, with their bolstered air power, have become confident enough to launch airstrikes into the region once again. The aircraft flying these missions have been the first Tau aircraft below Manta class to return to the He'Sho Seas in some time. The Tau still lack numbers in the air, and so these missions remain limited to operations in the poorer weather of the Lake Season when the Orks cannot bring to bear their overwhelming numerical superiority. Nonetheless, the Tau air raids have been a welcome boon to a Tau force in dire need of support, and the Air Caste assistance has allowed the Tau to fully reclaim the foothold they managed to carve around FFG355Y. 

This success is likely to be short lived. Endless Ork reinforcements are pouring into the He'Sho Seas, including multiple Gargant mobs and Mega-Gargants. The Ork defensive bombing campaign, Linebakka, has been expanded to include the He'Sho Seas region and swarms of Ork fighta-bommers relentlessly pummel Tau positions around FFG355Y during periods of fair weather. Bounty Hunters and Pirates under the employ of Wurrshuv continue to lurk throughout the region. With their options quickly running out, the Tau commanders in the He'Sho Seas and at Enclave Command are now debating what to do with the remaining Tau air-landing troops: leave them to inflict as much damage as possible on the Orks, or withdraw them from the region so they can live to fight another day. 

Ork Points: 83 
Tau Points: 17 

Mo'Hav Plains - ORK CONTROLLED 

The forces of Operation MONSOON have broken through the Ork counteroffensive, striking out at the weaker mechanised warbands in the east and breaking them decisively in a number of engagements on the Mo'Hav Plains. The second echelon reserves of Operation MONSOON have also been committed, reinforcing the Southern quadrant of the Tau salient against the Ork armoured counterattacks from that direction. These actions have stabilised Tau positions and allowed Operation MONSOON to continue advancing further into the Mo'Hav Plains, storming all Ork settlements encountered to destroy the tellyporta arrays under construction. The forces of Operation MONSOON are growing increasingly experienced in fighting within the confines of Ork towns and fortresses, and their tempo of combat operations is increasing. 

Leaving Shas'el Kiv'ra'ka'nan to handle the Tau defence against Ork counterattacks, Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li has spearheaded the drive to clear out Ork settlements, and has personally led his cadre to victory in a number of stronghold assaults, with Len'li receiving a number of commendations for his efforts and courage in the face of extremely hard and brutal combat. The Tau assaults are frequently supported by Lake Scorpion elements raiding Ork supply lines and drawing Ork reinforcements away prior to attacks. 

Nonetheless, fighting through the Ork counterattacks has cost Operation MONSOON valuable time. Tau intelligence indicates that the remaining tellyporta arrays are within days of being activated, and the Orks have constructed dummy tellyporta arrays at a number of decoy sites to fool Tau reconnaissance. Ork airstrikes under Linebakka continue to bombard Operation MONSOON's rear echelons during fair weather periods, and the northern Ork counterattack of Gargant mobs has resumed its course towards the Tau salient, the Sa'cea cadres no longer able to divert it further. Orbital and aerial surveillance indicates that Mega-Gargants have now joined this extremely powerful force, further adding to its firepower. It is now a race against time for Operation MONSOON as the Tau seek out the Ork tellyporta arrays and prepare to weather the coming storm. 

Ork Points: 74 
Tau Points: 26 



"It'z dem, blast 'em!" 

- Nob Skarrgog, chief watchman during the Tau assault on Gork's Gate 


Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK CONTROLLED 


Wurrshuv's finest warriors and personal warbands now surround the Guards Cadres of Operation IO. The Orks have adapted to the Tau deception measures and adopted new methods to counter them. Chief amongst these is the employment of the large contingent of Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee forces fighting as part of the larger Greenskin war effort. Lured to M-88 by Wurrshuv's promises of new armaments and the chance to seize advanced Tau technology for their cause, the rebel Grots have fought in all fronts of the Campaign and are now being used to picket against operation IO. Screens of GRK forces, especially the more heavily-armed Republikan Guardz formations, are deployed ahead of each of the roving clusters of sensa contacts, engaging the unidentified returns when encountered and sending word on which groups are decoys. Inevitably the Guards Cadres are able to swiftly overpower the Gretchin Revolutionary Komittee units, but the sacrifice of the GRK has slowed them down enough for more Ork forces to be massed around Operation IO. 

The result has been a massive increase in the amount of resistance Operation IO is facing. The Guards Cadres now find themselves forced into open battles more often than assaults on Ork defence sites, while the power of the Orks' first-rate warbands combined with their overwhelming numbers has left the Tau facing an increasingly uphill struggle. Wurrshuv's personal Stormboy Korps, the Scream'n Squighawkz and Da Green Devulz, have been recalled to the Krunch region and have proven an effective rapid-reaction force, swiftly deploying in support of the GRK formations to counterattack the Tau, and both armies have gained a formidable reputation amongst the Tau. Wurrshuv's own warbands have also engaged the Guards Cadres on numerous occasions, with the Tau only narrowly managing to escape the attacks of Wurrshuv himself. 

In light of climbing casualty rates and exponentially growing Ork resistance, Guards Cadre commander Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk has determined that his forces have achieved all they can, and has initiated the final stage of Operation IO. The Guards Cadres and their supporting elements are now making their way back towards Tau territory, where they plan to break through the Ork artillery positions from the rear where they cannot be targeted by the Ork guns and run the pursuing Ork forces directly into Tau reinforcements in a large-scale Kau'yon action. Many of the Tau forces regret not being able to rescue the Tau prisoners still held within the strongholds around Wurrshuv's Krunch, but without further support there is little they can do. 

Ork Points: 100
Tau Points: 0


"I'z got ya now, hurr hurr hurr. Get ready Dannik, now I'z coming for ya!" 

- Attr. Wurrshuv


Saal'vesa Training Grounds - TAU CONTROLLED 

With their production sites around Wurrshuv's Krunch left largely unmolested, the Orks have managed to construct enough Gargants to begin sending them on offensive missions outside of counter-attacks. The first of these has been a renewed Ork offensive into the Saal'vesa Training Grounds. Spearheading the attack, the Gargant Mobs have devastated the unprepared Tau forces, scattering Tau cadres before them and enabling the following Ork forces to secure territory and spread into Tau rear echelons with little resistance. The local Tau forces have not been expecting to face such large numbers of the Ork titans, and are now struggling to form a counterattack to stall the Ork advance. 

While their conventional defence is in crisis, Tau forces in the Saal'vesa region have seen much more success on a smaller scale. Tau special operations forces deployed to counter Ork Spekta activities have engaged and destroyed numerous Spekta mobs operating in the Empire Sector, and have managed to recover a significant amount of stolen Tau technology. The Enclave Gue'vesa operatives of Covert Ops Team 24-C have proven instrumental to these efforts after being redeployed to the Saal'vesa training grounds, The Gue'vesa operatives managed to make a key breakthrough in combating the Spektas by discovering the default spectra configuration of their looted cloaking fields, and have managed to eliminate a number of Spekta mobs by picking their members off one by one. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed however, and rumours have started to spread that Da Predata, Wurrshuv's top assassin, is now hunting them...

Ork Points: 26
Tau Points: 74

Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED

The Farsight Enclave forces active around Training Centre Or'vesa have ralied and are now counterattacking against the Orks. Inspired by the early successes of the He'Sho Seas offensive, Enclave Command has assumed command over the remaining auxiliary forces in the north and reformed the shattered auxiliary elements into a number of new 'composite contingents' with the manpower needed to form a stable battle line the mobile Enclave cadres can pivot around. Progress remains difficult for the Tau due to surprisingly well-coordinated Ork actions. Over the course of the campaign the disparate warbands of the Northern Raiders have grown close together, and each Ork force now fights alongside others in ways that cover their respective weaknesses with a level of synergy all but unheard of amongst the Greenskins. 

This development has not gone unnoticed by Wurrshuv, who has rightfully come to view the Northern Raiders as a serious threat to his power. Enormous numbers of Wurrshuv-loyalist 'reinforcements' have now been massed along the border between Wurrshuv's Krunch and Da Fang, while Tech-Nob enforcers have begun to crack down on dissident chieftans with increasing brutality, instituting 'Marteeul Law' in more and more settlements. It would appear that the simmering tensions between the Ork factions are beginning to reach boiling point...

Ork Points: 35
Tau Points: 65

Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED

The Spekta mobs operating around Fio Starport are becoming increasingly bold with their attacks, and have now begun mounting raids on Fio Starport itself. These raids are limited and low-level in nature, largely based around ambushing fresh Tau troops departing to other regions, destroying supply concentrations and assassinating Tau leadership figures. Perhaps most notable among these attacks are a number of Spekta mobs making use of looted Tau air-defence missiles to shoot down Tau transports and dropships as they prepare to land at the starport. Analysis indicates that the IFF systems on the missiles and targeting equipment is tampered with to enable their use against Tau targets, and that the captured missiles are fired from static positions using a variety of simple and often improvised tripod mounts. The launch sites are used only for the duration of a given attack, after which the Spektas abandon them. 

These raids have inflicted no serious damage on the starport, but have begun to disrupt Tau logistics. Their chief effect, however, has been psychological. The Spekta mobs performing the raids see them as an enormous source of pride, taking great honour in being the first Orks to start attacking the main Tau stronghold from the ground. The images of Tau dropships crashing down in flames after being hit by missile fire has become a potent reminder that nowhere on M-88 is safe from Wurrshuv's wrath, and that even in the heart of their greatest fortress the Tau remain vulnerable. A number of the shoot-downs have been recorded by the Orks, and footage has been shown in all major settlements and on the front-lines via audio-visual propadanga wagons. The footage has also been leaked onto Tau frequencies where it has again disturbed many in the wider Tau populace. 

The latest wave of Tau reinforcements to reach M-88 has included a full complement of combat-engineering units and minesweeping equipment, in order to counter the massive number of landmines, improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs employed by the Orks. In an attempt to expand Tau airpower all reconstruction efforts have been directed to establishing more Tau airbases. The Tau airfield network around Fio Starport has now been largely restored, enabling the Tau to secure the airspace over the region, and the Earth Caste is now beginning to build new airbases in the neighbouring Saal'vesa and Or'vesa regions to expand the range of Tau air operations and accommodate more air cadres. 

Ork Points: 0
Tau Points: 100



Ork Campaign Points: 4 
Tau Campaign Points: 4


+++INCOMMING TRANSMISSION+++ 
+++TRANSMISSION RECEIVED+++ 

TO: ATT Shas'ar'tol 
AUTHOR: Por'vre'Tau'n Doran'ro'Elro 
SUBJECT: Wurrshuv 

Tau'fann, 

With the recent combat operations near the Ores'la landing site, we have now managed to gain a glimpse of the Ores'la warlord leading this invasion, known as 'Dregmek Wurrshuv' or more commonly simply 'Wurrshuv'. In an attempt to help better combat this menace, I have compiled this report from data gained during our recent offensive into what has been named 'Wurrshuv's Krunch' and several other sources for verification. I feel a heavy burden in compiling this report, as I understand that many good souls and valiant heroes died to bring this insight. I pray that I might be able to honour their sacrifice. 

Previous intelligence reports have focused on Ores'la technology or tactics. In contrast, this report is to focus on one of the Ores'la themselves. It has been my assignment for the last two kai'rotaa to profile Wurrshuv so that the Tau Empire might better understand how to fight against him, and over this time I feel I have learnt much about what makes this creature tick. I am deeply disturbed by my findings to say the least. My other work in profiling this warlord have been submitted to a higher level of the overall Coalition Command, and may be accessed via appropriate channels, and instead this report will focus specifically on Wurrshuv's performance in battle, as this information is most immediately relevant to military contexts. 

The report will be divided into two sections, one covering the wargear and practices of Wurrshuv himself, the other covering what appears to be his preferred form of transportation in the field. I must admit that such military matters are largely outside of my area of expertise, and so I have drawn on the counsel of a number of respected analysts from among the Shas to lend assistance. Much of the following content has been shaped from their words, not mine, and so I give credit to them here. 

Wurrshuv 

There has in recent Kai'rotaa been some confusion in regards to how Wurrshuv himself appears on the battlefield. The Ores'la warlord was reported as being present during an Ores'la assault on the remnants of the ORBIT forces as they attempted to recover following a disastrous Ores'la ambush near the border of the Saal'vesa training grounds. Later analysis indicates that this Ores'la was indeed almost certainly Wurrshuv, yet the Ores'la in question was seen employing wargear that has not been attributed to Wurrshuv in any previous recorded instance I or my team could access. There are several possible explanations to this discrepancy. It is possible that Wurrshuv was travelling in disguise to avoid drawing unwanted attention from our troops or rival Ores'la chieftans. Alternatively Wurrshuv may have been taking the opportunity to field-test newly developed equipment. Perhaps both are accurate, or the truth lies somewhere in between. 

Regardless of what the case may be, it would appear from the latest reports and image-captures from Operation IO, our military offensive into the Ores'la-held Wurrshuv's Krunch region, that Wurrshuv has since returned to employing his preferred selection of wargear, which is consistent with several dozen accounts from a variety of sources across the Eastern Fringe, primarily of Tau and Gue'la origin. Much of this equipment is unique to Wurrshuv, or at least has not been encountered in use by other Ores'la thus far, and it is believed that Wurrshuv jealously guards the design details of each item to prevent their proliferation among his potential rivals. Such behaviour is typical of the Ores'la scientist/engineer caste known as 'Meks', to which Wurrshuv belongs, the members of which frequently keep their best creations for themselves, putting their own self-interests ahead of the common good of the whole. 

For personal protection Wurrshuv most commonly sports body armour of his own design, which is apparently referred to as 'Kustom 'Eavy Armour' by Wurrshuv and other Ores'la. The armour is segmented in design, being vaguely reminiscent of Fire Warrior combat armour, though it lacks the enlarged pauldron common to combat armour and is of a far cruder make. The most notable feature of this Kustom 'Eavy Armour is the material from which it is constructed. Wurrshuv himself appears to refer to the material as 'Miffrull', and considers it a 'mireekul elumant', but it will be far better known to Tau as Iridium armour plating, salvaged from advanced examples of our battlesuits. The use of Iridium plating in the armours construction gives it an enormous level of protection, allowing Wurrshuv to shrug off all but the heaviest weapon strikes with contemptuous ease, but unlike Ores'la 'Mega Armour' powered exoskeletons the Kustom 'Eavy Armour has no additional penalty in weight and allows its wearer a full range of movement. It is for these reasons that Wurrshuv appears to consider his Kustom 'Eavy Armour a superior design to Mega Armour, and will typically prioritise its use accordingly. It is likely however that he is aware of its close association to himself, and this is a possible reason why he has been observed without it on previous occasions during the conflict. 

The protection of Wurrshuv's Kustom 'Eavy Armour is further supplemented by a personal energy shield generator of Wurrshuv's own design, belonging to the class of Ores'la energy shields known as 'Kustom Force Fields'. The device is back-mounted, and shares a number of characteristics with other examples of these Kustom Force Fields, but a key difference is the incorporation of a number of scavenged shield generators of Tau manufacture. The most notable feature of this device is that it appears to be capable of two modes of operation. The standard setting functions in much the same way as other Kustom Force Field devices, projecting a hemispherical bubble-type energy shield over a wide area to provide moderate-level protection for nearby allies in addition to the bearer. The second mode, however, acts more like a conventional personal shield, projecting a more concentrated energy shield purely around the user themselves. Combined with the aforementioned Kustom 'Eavy Armour, this would make any attack on Wurrshuv himself an extremely difficult proposition. 

For offence, Wurrshuv's weapon of choice is a firearm of his own design, belonging to the broad class of Ores'la personal energy weapons known as 'Kustom Mega-blastas'. Wurrshuv's example shares much overall architecture in common with many other examples of Kustom Mega-blastas, but is exceptional in that it incorporates a large number of Tau weapon components in its construction. These components appear to primarily originate from battlesuit weapon systems, and when analysing image captures my team was able to identify components from plasma rifles, fusion blasters and flamers in the weapon's design. Wurrshuv's Kustom Mega-blasta appears to have similar performance characteristics to other examples of the weapon type, featuring excellent stopping power and armour penetration characteristics at a cost in rate of fire. The use of Tau components appears to afford the weapon greater reliability, but battlefield scans indicate that much like other examples the weapon remains dangerously unstable. 

The most notable feature of Wurrshuv's Kustom Mega-blasta, besides its construction, is that it incorporates a retractable close-combat attachment. As you will undoubtedly already be aware, in stark contrast to our civilisation the Ores'la relish hand to hand combat, so it would seem only natural that Wurrshuv would design a weapon with the capability to be used in close quarters as well as at range, and the ability to both shoot and fight in hand-to-hand combat is undoubtedly seen as a source of much convenience for Wurrshuv and his peers. The close-combat attachment itself is mounted towards the muzzle of the weapon, similar to a primitive bayonet, and takes the form of a large axe head with a motorised cutting blade. Examples of similar weapons have been encountered in frequent use by Mont'Gue'la raiders and more limited use with the Ores'la themselves, though it is unknown if either of these were the original source of inspiration for the feature. It appears that the motorised cutting blade includes cutting teeth formed from sharpened Iridium Armour shards, possibly leftovers from Wurrshuv's Kustom 'Eavy Armour, to enhance its cutting performance. It is theorised that the weapon may also include a disruptive energy field, but my team has thus far been unable to confirm this. 

In addition to these items of equipment, Wurrshuv appears to always carry the usual assortment of items common to Ores'la Meks, including an extensive array of tools for manipulating and repairing mechanical devices. Doubtless such tools could also be used to inflict considerable havoc on opposing machinery if allowed the chance. Wurrshuv has also been seen displaying an excellent grasp of hand-to-hand combat, as well as surprisingly advanced knowledge of mechanical and engineering concepts, and appears to have adopted a form of the Scientific Method. Naturally, all these factors make Wurrshuv an extremely deadly adversary on the battlefield. 

Wurrshuv's Battlefortress

In addition to his own wargear Whurrshuv has been observed in all recent encounters commanding a large vehicle that appears to be his own personal transportation, belonging to the superheavy Ores'la vehicle class known as 'Battlefortresses'. Like many examples of its kind, Wurrshuv's Battlefortress is of immense size, easily matching our Manta missile destroyers in mass. Indeed, analysis has indicated that Wurrshuv's Battlefortress incorporates a significant number of salvaged Manta components in its design. The most notable of these is a battery of four salvaged Manta engines at the rear of the vehicle, which it uses for propulsion. Close analysis of scans and image captures indicate that the vehicle also incorporates two salvaged Manta powerplant reactors for an energy supply. 

The vehicle itself is extremely large and rectangular in shape, with it's hull being somewhat reminiscent of the hull design used in Gue'la superheavy tank designs, albeit shorter and wider when viewed from above. Unlike many other Battlefortresses, Wurrshuv's example is unique in that it eschews the use of wheels or continuous treads and instead uses an anti-grav skimmer drive for movement. Despite using multiple scavenged Manta engines, the immense weight of the vehicle makes it incapable of true flight (in much the same manner as our own Scorpionfish weapons platforms), so it instead hovers a few tor'lek above the ground like one of the gunships used by the Fire Caste. The skimmer drive itself is located on the underside of the vehicle, and consists of  a large number of grav-repulsor assemblies salvaged from Tau vehicles built on the TX-6-7 universal combat platform such as Devilfish, Hammerheads and Skyrays. The method in which these components has been salvaged is, typical of the Ores'la, extremely unsophisticated - it appears that the Ores'la have simply ripped out the underside of the targeted vehicles (or possibly ripped off the upper structure) and used the whole bottom assembly as it is, minus the standard chin-turret common to the TX-6-7 universal combat platform. Each of these vehicle undersides serves as a grav-repulsor plate, which crackles with a vivid corona of energy when active, and each is mounted on its own independent hydraulic articulator assembly. This in turn means that each grav-repulsor array is capable of independent 3-D vectoring, giving the vehicle a surprising amount of manoeuvrability, while the enormous number of such assemblies provides a high level of system redundancy - it is estimated by my team that Wurrshuv's Battlefortress could have up to 75% of its grav-repulsors disabled or rendered non-functional and suffer no significant loss in mobility. 

The primary armament of Wurrshuv's Battlefortress is a battery of three large mass-drivers mounted in a massive turret located on a slightly raised superstructure in the centre of the vehicle's top deck. The vehicle's engine intakes are located on the underside at the rear, giving the weapons turret a full 360 degree field of fire. The mass-drivers themselves are clearly constructed from components used in our own railguns and heavy railguns, but are of considerably larger size than either. They are of a 'tuning fork' design, with no connective structure between the electromagnetic rail assemblies past the base of the weapon, and crackling streams of energy run between the rail assemblies when powered up. This in turn suggests a rather unstable energy modulation scheme. Regardless, the mass drivers are employed as an electromagnetic launch system for different payloads, which are stored in a large bustle structure to the rear of the turret. 

The main payload typically launched by these mass-drivers is the Ores'la single-seat rotary wing attack craft known as 'Deffkoptas'. The Ores'la piloting these machines appear to find travelling at extremely high speeds utterly exhilarating, so Wurrshuv is never short on volunteers for this dangerous method of attack. The Ores'la wishing to be launched have their machines retrofitted with a pair of ferromagnetic connector pieces to enable them to complete the firing circuit, after which they are then loaded into one of the mass-driver assemblies and fired directly towards the enemy target. 

The immense energy discharge of the mass-drivers combined with the Deffkopta's own organic propulsion means that Deffkoptas launched in this way reach truly fantastic velocities, even when carrying a heavier than normal weapons load, and so these Deffkoptas are typically also fitted with a pair of large high-powered bombs or external rockets which they use to attack the designated target they have been fired at. Some Deffkoptas even feature an integrated motorised chain or rotary blade assembly on their prow which they can use to slash at the enemy target in high-speed passes. Such a tactic is nigh-suicidal at such speeds, but the Ores'la appear unhinged enough to relish the prospect. It is a testament to their latent piloting skills that a surprising number of Deffkopta pilots even manage to survive more than one of these passes. 

The Deffkoptas employed in this way continue to attack the target after their initial pass, swarming and strafing it in a manner reminiscent of a naval carrier's attack craft squadrons. The rear turret bustle of Wurrshuv's battlefortress contains a small open-topped hangar deck in which Deffkoptas may be prepared for launch, and the machines may land there vertically. 

Should a more direct attack be desired, the mass-drivers are also capable of firing the Ores'la rocket-propelled suicide vehicles known as 'Grot-bombs'. A supply of these crude manned missiles is also stored in the battlefortress's turret bustle. These too are modified with ferromagnetic connectors to enable them to be fired from the mass-drivers, but otherwise differ little from the typical models of Grot-bomb. The immense velocity they are fired at combined with their own explosive warhead gives them tremendous hitting power, with a volley of Grot-bombs fired from the battlefortress's mass-drivers being easily able to cripple another superheavy target. It is theorised that these Grot-bombs may feature an additional armour-piercing cap in their nose to aid in attacking hardened targets, but my team cannot confirm this. 

In addition to its turret-mounted armament, Wurrshuv's battlefortress features a number of secondary weapon systems mounted in or on its prow. the first of these is an array of energy weapons integrated into the prow itself. These weapon systems are all of Wurrshuv's own design, and include one enlarged version of the 'pulla-aparta' and one enlarged 'traktor-grappla'. I understand the nature of these weapon systems has been covered in a previous report, so I will not repeat it here, suffice to say that they have a long range and pose a considerable hazard to larger targets. The traktor-grappla is sandwiched between the two pulla-aparta assemblies, an innovative feature that saves on space. 

Perhaps of more note is the other weapon system mounted on the battlefortress's front. In keeping with the Ores'la obsession with hand-to-hand combat, Wurrshuv's Battlefortress sports an array of large powerful mechanical close combat weapons on its front. These weapons are mounted on large articulated mechanical arms attached to the underside of the vehicle's prow, and include large rotary blades, chainblade assemblies, enormous mechanical claws and pincers, industrial shears and other cutting tools. Each is controlled by an Ores'la operator, and enables the battlefortress to engage other targets in close combat. The array is particularly effective against large targets, especially enemy superheavy units, and is capable of dismantling even superheavy vehicles in very short order (the process of which is gruesome to say the least). Many of these weapons are too large and slow to effectively engage Tau-sized targets, but their numbers make contact likely, and it should not need mentioning that even one such weapon is more than capable of killing a Tau with a single blow. The effectiveness of these close-combat weapons is further enhanced by the vehicle's integrated traktor-grappla, which enables it to drag suitable targets within striking range of the close combat array. The Gue'vesa attaches of my team have nicknamed the vehicle's traktor-grappla 'The Scorpion' for this reason, though the exact reasoning behind the reference eludes me. 

Finally, Wurrshuv's battlefortress sports a large and wide variety of tertiary armaments located across its hull, top and undersides placed in overlapping fire arcs close defence against multiple threat types. The most notable of these is a number of multiple-barreled anti-aircraft artillery systems known to the Ores'la as 'Flakka-dakka guns' located at strategic positions which are effective against infantry and light vehicles as well as low-flying aircraft. The battlefortress also mounts an enormous number of other Ores'la heavy weapons typically encountered including 'big shoota' automatic guns, 'rokkit launcha' anti-tank weapons and 'skorcha' flamethrowers, as well as the primitive Ores'la grenade launchers known as 'stikkbomb chukkas'. Most of these heavy weapons are placed on pintle mounts on the vehicle's top decking, and are served by Ores'la gunners. Only the Flakka-dakka guns are mounted on full motorised turrets. 

Wurrshuv's battlefortress is extremely well protected. In addition to the immense bulk and considerable multiple system redundancies common to Ores'la vehicles of its size, the battlefortress sports armour plating of immense thickness as well as internal armoured 'bathtubs' around key internal subsystems and reinforced internal structures, making it extremely durable. It is believed that a large amount of this armour is composed of scavenged Fio'tak composites in addition to Gue'la materials such as adamantium and ceramite. We have also noticed a number of armour appliques composed of Iridium plating featured on the hull and turret of the battlefortress, further enhancing its protection level. In addition to conventional armour protection, Wurrshuv's battlefortress features a number of the Ores'la superheavy deflector shields known as 'power fields', the same technology used on the Ores'la 'Gargant' superheavy walkers. It is believed that these power fields have been constructed from scavenged Manta shield generators, but unlike our own energy shields these power fields are 2-D shields that protect the vehicle only from attacks originating at medium and long ranges - units can attack at short range within the shield perimeter to strike at the vehicle directly. The power fields also appear to have a maximum limit to the amount of energy they can absorb from incoming attacks, after which they will collapse and it appears the Ores'la are unable to raise collapsed power fields during combat conditions. It should be noted however that should Wurrshuv be aboard his battlefortress then his own Kustom Force-field will cover the battlefortress itself, providing the vehicle with energy shield protection at every possible engagement range. 

In addition to its weaponry, mobility and protection, Wurrshuv's battlefortress sports a number of other notable features. The battlefortress is able to transport a considerable number of Ores'la troops, and is a rare example of an Ores'la vehicle able to transport its passengers entirely under armour. A number of cunningly-designed access hatches located across the vehicle's front and sides allow the Ores'la passengers to disembark with ease, and they can also fight from the vehicle's top decking to fight off close-assaults or assist against short-range targets. It is for this reason that my team has chosen to classify this vehicle as a battlefortress rather than the 'gunfortress' class of Ores'la superheavy vehicle. 

The battlefortress also mounts its own sensa array, integrated into the main weapons turret, which has an extremely long range (well past the horizon) and covers virtually every spectrum frequency. It also appears to be able to detect units using cloaking fields. The sensa array appears to perform both battlefield surveillance and fire-control functions, and enables the battlefortress to engage targets beyond visual range with its main weapon systems in addition to enhancing the crew's situational awareness. 

Finally, the battlefortress contains full living quarters for its crew and passengers, as well as enough supply stores for extended operations over at least a Kai'rotaa. Needless to say, Wurrshuv's battlefortress is an impressive feat of engineering and a formidable battlefield weapon. It is fortunate then that it appears to be entirely unique to Wurrshuv. We have been unable to find any record of any other examples of such a vehicle existing at any point in time, and it would seem that Wurrshuv jealously guards its design secrets from others. 


This concludes my report. Given the information gleaned I feel that Wurrshuv is an extremely dangerous force on the battlefield, and any military forces should use extreme caution when facing his forces. 

Wednesday 18 July 2018

Wurrshuv's Revenge - Week 11

Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign 

Week 11 





It is now a race against time for the Tau as they attempt to seek out and destroy the Ork tellyporta arrays under construction before they can become fully operational. Knowing that their activation could swing the balance of the conflict decisively in favour of the Orks, the Tau have begun to shift priority to the destruction of the tellyporta construction sites. While some outlying arrays have been successfully eliminated with tracer missile strikes and Tau raiding parties, the bulk of the tellyportas under construction are being built nestled in the safety of major Ork fortresses and strongholds, and thus the Tau have been forced to take the fighting to the twisted streets and motley dwellings of the Ork settlements themselves if they are to succeed in shutting down this threat. 

In space the Ork naval offensive continues to drive relentlessly into the Tau controlled regions of the system. The network of Tau orbitals is acting as a considerable force multiplier, providing bases for ships to repair and resupply, providing additional firepower in fleet engagements and giving the Tau early warning on Ork fleet movements, but the sheer number of Freeboota warships is overwhelming, and the Tau fleet can no longer be in every place at once. While Kor'vattra Fleet K-42 continues to shield M-88 from incoming Ork Roks, Operational Group Or'res'tel'K has managed to reclaim the lost Enclave reinforcement corridor to the world. The victory has come at a heavy cost however, leaving Operational Group Ore'res'tel'K badly damaged, and while they have been thusly occupied the Orks have managed to sever one of the two Empire reinforcement corridors to M-88, further damaging Tau logistics. 

Situation Updates - All Sectors 

He'Sho Seas - ORK CONTROLLED 

Following their success in the previous week, the Tau forces in the He'Sho Seas have fought a series of raiding operations against outlying Ork Intacepta Rokkit sites in the region. These actions have followed the model of their initial strike against an Intacepta Rokkit battery, with the Tau quickly storming the Intacepta Rokkit sites and seizing control of them just long enough to fire the stored Intacepta Rokkits at Ork targets within range before sabotaging the battery's fire control systems and withdrawing. While most of these Intacepta Rokkits are fired at large Ork ground units and concentrations of Ork troops, the Tau are also beginning to target them on Ork mining and fossil fuel infrastructure to inflict as much damage as possible on the Ork resourcing operations in the region. 

Though effective, there is currently little else the badly depleted Tau forces in this region can do. They no longer have the manpower to effectively secure and hold territory, and almost all of their auxiliary and mercenary allies have either fled the He'Sho Seas or been killed. Tau air support remains sporadic at best, while more and more Orks arrive in the region each day. With the recent news from the Mo'Hav Plains and the delays encountered by Operation MONSOON, Tau morale in the He'Sho Seas has dropped to a new low. Some commanders in the region are beginning to doubt that their resources are sufficient for the task at hand, and are now wondering if withdrawing from the region may be the best course of action. 

Ork Points: 83
Tau Points: 17

Mo'Hav Plains - ORK CONTROLLED 

Ork counterattacks have smashed into the flanks of Operation MONSOON from two directions. In the south-west armoured forces attacking out of the Ork staging areas at Test Range Ekko have struck at the bottom of the Tau salient in the Mo'Hav Plains, engaging the rear echelons of Operation MONSOON and threatening to cut off the main Tau strike forces and sever their supply lines. The Ork Gutrippa, Bonebreaka and Bonecruncha battle tanks and Lungbursta assault guns that comprise these armoured formations are ideally suited to mobile warfare on the wide open Mo'Hav Plains, and their continuous track propulsion is less affected by the soft ground conditions of the Lake Season. The Tau also face attacks by mechanised Ork warbands using vehicles with trakk-mods and leg-mods moving in from the eastern Mo'Hav Plains, which remain firmly in Ork hands. 

The Ork counter-attacks have been further supported by a new Ork air offensive, known to the Greenskins as 'Linebakka'. This bombing campaign is defensive in nature, and the weather of the Lake Season has limited the number of sorties the Orks can fly, but the effects have nonetheless been devastating, with Ork fighta-bomemrs swarming over the Tau salient in vast numbers during periods of clear weather to hammer Tau rear echelon infrastructure such as supply convoys and communications hubs. Incoming Tau reinforcements have also found themselves targeted by fighta-bommers. 

The Tau have fought back hard, determined to continue clearing out the Ork settlements in the Mo'Hav Plains and destroying the tellyportas under construction within them. Mobile elements of the Sa'cea cadres continue to delay the advancing Gargant mobs in the north with harassing actions and hit-and-run raids, while Operation IO has drawn away Ork forces that could be used to attack from the west. Tau Lake Scorpion raiding parties continue to meet with success as they mercilessly destroy Ork supply convoys and pockets of Ork reinforcements en route to the front lines. Nonetheless, the Ork counterattacks have managed to stall the progress of Operation MONSOON. 

Ork Points: 75
Tau Points: 25

Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK CONTROLLED

Elements from the Tau Guards Cadres taking part in Operation IO performed a major triumph for the Tau when they successfully destroyed the first of the Ork Mega-Gargants deployed at Wurrshuv's Krunch. Employing the same tactics used by the 42nd T'au Guards Cadre to destroy Tyranid Dominatrices on Doran'Cha, motorised Pathfinder teams mounted on Tetras were used in a series of hit-and-run actions to guide in long range tracer missile fire on the Mega-Gargant, eventually destroying it over a week of concentrated bombardments. Though largely unreported by the wider Tau media, this success has raised the spirits of the Tau fighting on M-88, proving that the Ork titans are not invincible. 

Operation IO continues to burn a path across the Krunch region, alternating between targeting Intacepta Rokkit batteries and Ork airbases before being resupplied by Mantas at a cleared Ork airbase at the end of the week. Resupply operations also include a fresh set of decoy formations to foil Ork efforts to track Operation IO. The Guards Cadres have adopted a new tactic known as the 'Interceptor Drill' to mitigate losses to Intacepta Rokkit strikes when travelling, the Tau formations scattering as soon as the Intacepta Rokkits are detected by Tau sensors or are sighted on the horizon. Though the Interceptor Drill slows the rate of advance for Operation IO, it has minimised losses to Intacepta Rokkit attacks by preventing the missiles from impacting among dense concentrations of targets. 

While the priority targets of Operation IO remain the outlying Ork airbases, sensa arrays and Incacepta Rokkit batteries located outside the main Ork strongholds, the Guards Cadres have nonetheless found themselves increasingly drawn into fierce mobile battles with the top-rate Ork forces drawn in to contain and eliminate them. Thus far the forces of Opreation IO have been victorious in these engagements, but casualty rates and the rate of supply consumption both remain high. The vehicle mounted multi-trackers that the Guards Cadre vehicles are equipped with have proven to be a major advantage in these engagements, allowing the Tau forces to effectively engage the Orks on the move. The 1st Fo'tan Guards Cadre has fought with distinction during these actions, becoming feared amongst the Orks and earning great respect from Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk and the 42nd T'au Guards Cadre. 

Operation IO's attacks on Ork airbases have begun to inflict serious damage on the Ork airforces as entire squadrons of fighta-bommers are destroyed on the ground by Tau troops. While replacing the airframes is a relatively straightforward matter for the Orks, finding replacement pilots for them is far more difficult. The Guards Cadres' attacks on Ork airbases have seen a significant number of the veteran Ork flyboys killed at their bases, including some of the best Ork aces on M-88. As the Orks do not rotate their pilots for training purposes, this has made such losses irreplaceable, with the expertise of these pilots now lost forever. 

Nonetheless, the Ork settlements and strongholds around Wurrshuv's Krunch remain unharmed, bypassed by Operation IO despite the continued killings of Tau captives from the Saal'vesa training grounds being broadcast openly on Tau frequencies, and Ork warbands continue to pour from them to combat the Tau invaders. Aerial and orbital surveillance shows vast clouds of thick black exhaust circling the decoy formations and Operation IO itself like cyclones. Intelligence has confirmed that Wurrshuv himself is now hunting the Guards Cadres, commanding his personal armies from his own enormous kustom battlefortress. 

Ork Points: 100
Tau Points: 0

Training Ground Saal'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED

Following the successful raid in the previous week, Ork Spektas have begun to attack other Tau research outposts in the Saal'vesa region, identified by previous Ork attacks. In many cases the method of attack is the same - the Spekta mobs will hijack Tau vehicles for transportation, which they will then use to gain access to the target installation. Once within the defensive perimeter the Spektas ditch the captured vehicles and spread out into the base, using their looted stealth field equipment for concealment and attacking the Tau at close quarters. Once they have achieved their objective, the Spektas break out of the outpost and melt back into the surrounding wilderness. Occasionally the Orks will fill one or more of their hijacked Tau transports with explosives to use as a distraction, detonating them after exiting to cause chaos amongst the Tau defenders. 

The object of these raids varies, and appears to be largely subject to the whim of the Spekta mobs conducting them. Some have focused on sabotaging Tau research and development, while others have been performed to assassinate Tau researchers, and several prominent Earth Caste scientists have been slaughtered by Wurrshuv's Spektas. Most, however, have been to steal Tau technology and research projects, with a growing number of advanced prototype equipment being seized by Spekta mobs. It is feared that these items may find their way back to Wurrshuv and his Mek acolytes. Regardless of their intention, these raids have been highly effective, with the Orks managing to attain their goals with the Tau research stations through the use of covert actions after their conventional attacks were thwarted. 

At the forefront of the fighting in the Saal'vesa region the front lines have not shifted greatly in either direction. The Ork offensive has had its progress stalled by Tau counter-attacks, but has manged to inflict heavy losses on the defending Tau forces. The Tau have, in turn, been unable to fully repel the attacking Ork forces, in no small part due to Tau reinforcement and resupply efforts being hindered by the vast number of Ork minefields that have been seeded in Tau territory. 

Ork Points: 26
Tau Points: 74

Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED

Ork forces continue to push into the northern Enclave sector, slowly but relentlessly gaining ground against furious resistance from the Tau forces around Training Centre Or'vesa. Much like the Saal'vesa training grounds in the south, the Or'vesa region is now thoroughly riddled with dense Ork minefields, complicating Tau logistics in the region. Enclave forces have fought back tenaciously, and left several small salients in the forward Ork lines. The additional close combat training practised in the Farsight Enclaves has proven invaluable in the latest fighting, with many Enclave warriors managing to survive to fight another day after the combat has devolved into a brutal and frantic melee. 

Gitsnagga's Speshul Opz Kommandos continue to undermine the Tau defences in the north, competing with the Spekta mobs deployed to the Or'vesa region for who can perform the most daring raids and destructive ambushes. Gitsnagga has employed every stratagem he knows to match the looted cloaking fields employed by his Spekta rivals, most notably recruiting Lootas armed with captured sniper rifles to his warband. These Ork sharpshooters have proven deadly against Tau commanders unprepared to face Greenskin marksmen. 

In addition to the ever present Snakebites, the Ork offensive in the north has also seen Gargdreg's Goff armies and Grimfing's Dredmob engaged in heavy fighting. Being mostly comprised of foot infantry and mechanised walkers respectively, these Ork forces have been largely unaffected by the Lake Season's ground conditions, allowing them to keep pace with the Snakebites during offensive actions. Tau forces fighting in the Enclave Sector have learnt to fear the forces of both Ork warbosses. 

As the Ork presence in Da Fang continues to prosper, sentiment against Wurrshuv is slowly growing, and many Ork settlements in Da Fang are expressing increasing unrest against the Big Mek. Whispers are beginning to circulate that Da Fang may attempt to secede from the rest of Wurrshuv's invasion. Coinciding with the growing unrest, large numbers of Ork armoured units loyal to Wurrshuv have been dispatched to Da Fang. Ostensibly to support the northern offensive, these 'reinforcements' are instead stationing at Ork settlements within Da Fang, supporting an ever increasing number of Tech-Nob enforcers placed within Da Fang. 

Ork Points: 35
Tau Points: 65

Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED 

Ork Spektas continue to raid Tau reconstruction efforts around Fio Starport, sabotaging construction sites and ambushing Tau combat patrols sent after them. Tau sensor arrays are a priority target for the Spektas, and the Orks put great effort into destroying Tau sensor equipment before it can be deployed wherever it is found in order to maintain their stealth advantage. Defence systems en route to their deployment locations are also targeted, as are supply concentrations and Tau reinforcements moving to the front lines. Numerous Stealth units have been called for to defend against the marauding Spekta mobs, but none have thus far been committed. 

The fungicidal units and equipment that arrived in the previous week has now arrived at their deployment locations on M-88, and begun fungicidal operations against Orkoid lifeforms wherever possible. Their progress has been hampered in the Mo'Hav Plains by the recent Ork counterattacks in that region, with a number of terraforming rigs being lost in the fighting. 

With Fio Starport itself now largely restored to full functionality, Earth Caste reconstruction efforts have shifted to the outlying Tau airbases destroyed in the grav-smasha strikes. A small handful of Tau airbases have been rebuilt, many at new locations not yet identified by the Orks, while older Tau airbases have been repaired and refurbished as dummy locations to foil Ork intelligence gathering. The newly built airbases now provide the Tau with areas to base aircraft in, and the first new air cadres to reach M-88 have now been stationed at them, the green Tau pilots having been trained over the last few weeks by the few veteran Tau pilots to have survived the conflict. The numbers of Tau aircraft remain low however, and so their operations have thus far been limited to periods of poor weather where the superior avionics of the Tau aircraft give them a decisive advantage. 

Ork Points: 0
Tau Points: 100



Ork Campaign Points: 4 
Tau Campaign Points: 4 








Rain cascaded through the darkness, thrown about the night by the roaring wind of the storm outside, buffeting the walls with the force of a squiggoth. Both the pelting rain and howling wind were violent enough to be audible over the distorted electric melody of Goff Rok which blasted through the cosy rustic warm-coloured shabby interior of the tavern. It was readily apparent to a visitor that the establishment was an unsubtle place, a wildly unkempt mass of nooks and booths enclosed by a motley assortment of wooden planks, baked mud bricks and many-coloured scrap material. The eclectic walls were liberally adorned with a collection of trophies mounted on rough wooden plaques, ranging from tusks, claws and fangs from enormous alien beasts to weapons and armour from vanquished enemies. Many were examples of Tau technology or remains of Tau themselves or their allies. Roughly near the heart of the building was a large U-shaped bar beneath a massive alien skull surrounded by the skulls of Tau and Kroot and suspended over a Tau pulse rifle and Kroot rifle crossed over one another. Far to one corner lay a sheltered side-warren where three monstrous green figures sat around a large rough-hewn table. 

"Ya know wot Urk, I'z fink dis 'az been a real gud place ta fight," said one of the Orks. He was one of Old Smashafist's Snakebites, a hulking mass of gnarled green muscle as wizened and tough as the dirty weather-beaten parched tan leathers that adorned his form. Despite being nominally at rest, he remained bedecked in an arsenal of ropes, tools, knives, hooks, hatchets, supplies and ammunition belts, further equipment protruding from the bulging pockets scattered across his leathers. At his side, propped up against the chair he sat in, was a vicious-looking shoota, a hefty weapon fashioned from harsh metal embedded in rustic wooden furniture covered in carvings of glyphs and spells of protection. A leather strap hung from the shoota, a tan sling adorned with feathers, totems and a tarnished Tau helmet aerial. A vividly crimson Kobra, stripped with black and twice as large as a man's arm, coiled around one of his arms while the other rounded up a fistful of fungus crisps from a bowl on the table. 

"I dunno Grog," replied Urk as he chewed on a spitt'n squig. Like Grog, Urk was also a Snakebite, hailing from the plains and deserts of Gnarlborrow, a world known to the Orks as a place of adventure and bloodshed where danger lurked around every corner. Orks from there were widely held as an exemplar of Greenskin society, and Urk certainly looked the part. He was easily the largest of the three Orks, but was confident enough not to flaunt his size as he instead calmly reclined back in his chair, shifting the spitt'n squig around his fang-lined maw beneath the wide brim of the hat sunk over his face. A collection of Tau optic pieces hung from various areas of his clothing. There were no weapons visible, save for the brutal rust-strewn spiked knuckle dusters clutched in one of his massive green fists and a simple well-used six-shoota holstered at his side. A diamond-patterned rattla lazily wound its way around his thick green neck. 

"Wot'z not ta like?" asked Grog, "Sure it'd could be betta, I meself wud 'av been happier wif sum real gud big mountainz ta fight in. Dey'z me favourite fight'n place afta all. But I'z sure we'll get ta dem eventually. Dere'z gotta be sum gud big mountainz around on dis planet sumwhere. But in da meantime dere'z been plenty 'o' gud scrapz ta get into. Just fink ov 'ow much 'arder da Grey Gitz up in da norf are ta da runtz in da souf. If ya ask me, I'd say we'z got da betta end ov da stikk dere." 

"Da Grey Gitz an' da Bird Boyz wot fight wif dem might be 'arder up dis way," Urk replied, "But dey'z still Grey Gitz, and all Grey Gitz are still runtz. Dere'z just no real fun in it if ya ask me. All dey want ta do is shoot an' shoot an' shoot sum more, like dat'z all dere iz ta fight'n, but it'z not. Wot I wudn't giv fer sum gud Beekeez'r sumfink. Da Bird Boyz are al'right, I'spoze, but even den dey run 'n' hide too much. An' da snakez! Wot kind of a gud planet dozn't 'av a gud kind 'o' snake'r too? Da snakez 'ere iz ded runty dey are. An' den dere'z da mud 'n' rain." 

"Iz a bit ov worta too much fer a big tuff Squig-herder?" sneered the third Ork. Though he was a Snakbite of the Green Mambaz warband, the serpent wrapped around his arm was black as obsidian, save for two venomous green eyes that glared straight through onlookers. This greenskin was covered in all manner of scars, some ritual, but most inflicted over the course of a lifetime of warfare. A necklace of Tau helmet aerials hung around his neck, while a choppa, an enormous broad-headed axe, lay propped up against the table next to him. 

"You'z sure ya want ta go down dat path Skug?" Urk said before sending the challenger slinking back with a stern glance and subtle shift in stance, the rattla around him shaking its tail furiously as it sensed the tension. In another time and place the two would have almost certainly come to blows, but it was late and the three Orks had been satisfied with the amount of violence they had enjoyed during the day. Now was not the time for fighting. 

"All I'z say'n," Grog said, "Iz dat we'z could certainly 'av it a lot worse. 'Sidez, da Grey Gitz iz start'n ta get betta wif fight'n. Look at wot'z goi'n on in Da Mov'in Plainz at da moment, da Grey Gitz are gett'n stuck in real gud down dat way. Almost makez me fink we might 'av piked da wrong place ta go fight'n in." 

"Shame 'bout da bossez though," said Urk, "Ourz iz gud I'z rekon. Dey 'av da right stuff. But most ov da bosses 'ere 'av been rubbish. Dey shud be smash'n Grey Gitz left right an' centa wif lodsa kunnin planz, but instead most ov dem 'av just been mukk'n about! Weren't we 'sposed ta be gett'n a whole load ov cyborkz down dis way? Wot 'appened dere!" 

"Fink about da big pikturr," Grog retorted, "Dem bosses might not 'av smashed az many Grey Gitz az dey might 'av, but 'av da Grey Gitz beat us? No! Dey'z been stuck gett'n pushed around by us, which makez sense since we'z da biggest an' da best, but dat'z besidez da point. Wot I'z say'n iz, we'z still 'ere gett'n stuck in, an' dat'z not nuffin." 

"It'z not like da Grey Gitz bossez 'av been any betta," added Skug, "Afta all dey 'avn't been able ta take Da Fang 'av dey? You'z heard about da 'unz in da souf? Da Goff Wannabeez?" 

Urk spat out his spitt'n squig, which shot through the air before impacting the opposing wall of the room with a wet splat and trickling down to the floor. "Dey'z a joke dat lot," he said, "Dey'z sum ov da runtiest Grey Gitz dere iz! Dey neva want ta get da hand'z dirty at all, all dey want ta do iz blow stuff up wif no appreciation ov da valyoo ov it. No undastand'n of fight'n at all wif dem." 

"Aww da Goff Wannabeez ain't so bad," Grog said, "Dey'z can make sum big an' blasty enuff 'splosionz, when dey want. 'An dey certainly 'av sum real scrappy spirit. Da real problem dere, if ya ask me, iz dat dey don't appreciate da fight fer wot it iz." 

"Dey'z certainly try," Skug added, "An' dat'z not nuffin. I'z rekkon if dey learn more dey'd be right 'ard. An' dey know ta try dressin like da Goffz." 

"Dat'z sumfink," Urk conceded, "Da Goffz are da next 'ardest klan afta us." 

"An wot about Da Krunch?" Grog asked, "I'z hear dere'z sum real gud fight'n go'in on down dere at da moment!" 

"Dannik's boyz certainly seem right 'ard," Skug said, "Now dey really know 'ow ta fight. Gett'n stuck in, load'n up their trukkz an' wagonz wiff lodsa gubbinz an' gear, dat'z da right stuff alright. Shame Wurrshuv's Boyz iz hogg'n dem all to demselvez." 

"Wurrshuv," Urk grumbled, "Now dat'z a naff 'un if eva I'z seen. 'Ez alwayz want'n more teef an' nosh from us, but doez he come out an' get stuck in wif da rest ov Da Boyz? No! 'E just sitz around mukk'n about wiff stoopid Grey Gitz bitz an' push'n us around fer no reason! An den right when it sootz 'im 'e just strutz in an' takez sum ov da best fight'n all ta himself! Wot a skab!" 

"Wot'z 'e want all dem Grey Git bitz for anywayz?" asked Skug, "Dere'z plenty ov gud proppa wayz ta fight az it iz wiffout us'n a load ov runty gubbinz from a bunch ov runtz. I'z rekkon dat dere'z no kill'n 'un ov Wurrshuv'z stoopid kontraptunz could do dat couldn't be done wif me choppa!" 

"An' me shoota!" added Grog. 

"An' me fistz!" added Urk. 

"'ERE 'ERE!" the three bellowed in unison before raising their mugs of fungus beer and violently clinking them together. 

It was then that the front doors of the tavern flew open with a crash of lightning. From the storm outside marched in the dripping form of a towering brutish Ork, clad in a carapace of dirty white segmented armour festooned with stikkbombs, knives and ammunition magazines. A dirty white helmet framed the beast's head in a T with its faceguard, while an anti-tank rokkit protruded from a backpack fashioned from Tau jetpacks. One hand grasped a bulky slugga, the other ended in a colossal crackling power klaw. His appearance betrayed him as one of Wurrshuv's Tech-Nobz. 

The Tech-Nob stomped one of his mud-spattered white armoured boots on the floor and snapped his power klaw menacingly. "Listen up you lot!" he barked, "Dis 'ere iz Wurrshuv'z planet an' he don't like da way you lot iz mukkin about on it! Sum ov youz iz still 'old'n back on yer teef fer Wurrshuv, an' 'e don't like dat 'un bit! Dat'z why Wurrshuv'z Boyz iz comm'n 'ere an' fingz'll be right diffrunt when dey get 'ere! Dere'z a noo orda in town!"

Wednesday 11 July 2018

Wurrshuv's Revenge - Week 10

Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign 

Week 10 




War rages across the entirety of the theatre of operations on M-88. The Tau continue to push onward with their central offensives, Operation MONSOON and Operation IO, battling Orks at every turn as they advance further into the heart of Wurrshuv's dominion on the planet. The stakes have never been higher, as the Tau now face the prospect of areas of M-88 becoming permanently Ork-infested should the Orks' network of tellyportas become operational. Responding in kind, the Orks have mounted renewed assaults into Tau-held areas, seeking to break Tau resistance once and for all. The Greenskins have adjusted to the new circumstances of the Lake Season, and their forces now sport new equipment and weaponry upgraded by Wurrshuv and his Mek acolytes. 

In space, the long-feared Ork naval offensive has struck with extreme force. Operating from secure bases in the system's outer reaches, Ork freeboota warships have spilled into the inner system in the hundreds of thousands and smashed into the Tau system defences with a series of devastating fleet actions. Ork space forces remain incapable of reaching M-88 itself, but the Greenskins have nonetheless managed to compromise one of the two Enclave-controlled reinforcement corridors leading to the planet, dealing a heavy blow to Tau logistics. Tau fleet units are scrambling to mount a counteroffensive. 

Situation Updates - All Sectors 

He'Sho Seas - ORK CONTROLLED 

Inspired by the success of Operation IO, the Tau forces in the He'Sho Seas have begun to shift their focus to the Intacepta Rokkit batteries constructed by the Orks in the region. In one of their most daring raids yet, the Tau seized a nearby Intacepta Rokkit battery in a bold night-time attack, driving the Orks out and capturing the Intacepta Rokkit sites relatively intact. The Tau then proceeded to fire Intacepta Rokkits at the pursuing Ork forces until the local supply of the munitions was depleted. Heavy damage was inflicted on the Orks, most notably crippling or destroying a number of Gargants in pursuit of the Tau. Once all available missiles had been spent, the Tau forces destroyed the Intacepta Rokkit sites and the looted drone controller at their heart, preventing the battery from being used by the Orks for the immediate future. 

The success of this operation has yielded a positive test case for the badly depleted Tau air-landing forces in the He'Sho Seas, providing them with a new strategy for surviving until their relief, and reconnaissance elements are already evaluating other Intacepta Rokkit batteries in the area for subsequent raids. Nonetheless, manpower shortages remain critical, and every Tau warrior remaining in the region has become almost completely irreplaceable. Tau commanders in the He'Sho Seas continue to petition the higher levels of Tau command for immediate reinforcements if they are to hold out against the Greenskins. 

Ork Points: 83 
Tau Points: 17 

Mo'Hav Plains - ORK CONTROLLED 

Operation MONSOON continues to push deeper into the Mo'Hav plains.Having crippled much of the remaining Ork transport infrastructure in the region, the Tau forces have begun to mount full-scale assaults on the Ork settlements that dot the Mo'Hav Plains. So far these attacks have proven successful, and a swathe of Ork outposts and Trukk Stopz have fallen before the Tau. In one particularly notable incident Tau troops under the command of Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li stormed a major Ork settlement in the path of Operation MONSOON. Defensive Ork artillery and heavy weapons inflicted considerable damage on the attacking Tau, but once within striking distance the settlement fell swiftly. Firestorm Cadre elements have followed close behind these attacks on Ork habitation, moving in behind the main force to scour the area of Orkoid life. 

Tau forces have also seen success further north of the main thrusts of Operation MONSOON. Advance elements from the Sa'cea cadres assigned to Operation MONSOON have ranged ahead and begun to engage the lead elements of the advancing Ork counterattack from Wurrshuv's Krunch in a series of hit-and-run raids intended to delay the advance of the Ork Gargant formations. These operations have also seen success, with Sa'cea cadres engaging and destroying a number of Stompas and Mega-dreads scouting ahead of the Gargant mobs. This has in turn diverted the Gargant formations as they seek to chase down the mobile Sa'cea cadres, buying Operation MONSOON valuable time. 

As part of the efforts to disrupt Ork supply lines in the Mo'Hav Plains, Shas'el Kiv'rai'ka'nan has authorised the deployment of a number of specialised long-range raiding elements. Ranging in size from mission groups to small cadres, these Tau forces are issued with equipment specially modified for use and travel underwater, and have been trained to infiltrate hostile territory using the network of underground waterways that honeycombs the entire theatre of operations being fought over. The size of the majority of the waterways precludes the use of anything larger than a crisis battlesuit, and so these raiding forces are only lightly equipped, but are still capable of attacking and destroying vulnerable Ork supply trains. These raiding forces have thus far met considerable success, earning them the nickname 'Lake Scorpions' from other Tau forces after the predatory creatures that inhabit the seasonal lakes of the area. 

In light of its continued success and the setbacks in the Saal'vesa training grounds, Operation MONSOON has become the new focus point for Tau media coverage of the conflict. Water Caste correspondents have been attached to the Tau offensive in considerable numbers, and the Por have lauded the Tau troops taking part in Operation MONSOON as heroes of the Empire, with a new propaganda campaign based around the offensive now underway. Across the Tau Empire, citizens following the conflict now eagerly await further news of the valiant Tau driving the Ork invaders back in the Mo'Hav Plains. 

The danger is still far from over for the Tau however. The south-western counterattack of Ork armoured formations from Test Range Ekko has almost reached the operating sector of Operation MONSOON, and is in a prime position to hit the southern flank of the Tau offensive. The Tau now also face additional counterattacks from Ork forces moving in from the East. The Orks have compensated for the wet surface conditions of the Lake Season by replacing the wheels of their vehicles with continuous tracks or mechanised legs. Known by the Orks as 'Trakk Modz' and 'Leg Modz' respectively, these upgraded vehicles are less affected by the softer ground, and have allowed the Orks to resume attacking with full force.  

Ork Points: 75
Tau Points: 25

Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK CONTROLLED

One week from its beginning, Operation IO has now completed its first objective, with the Tau Guards Cadres capturing and securing an Ork airbase near the border with the Empire Sector to the south. There the Guards Cadres and their supporting units have been resupplied and reinforced by several waves of mantas flown directly from the ATT Orbital. As soon as the resupply and reinforcement been completed The mantas returned to the station and Operation IO abandoned the Ork airbase, leaving nothing but Ork wreckage behind them. 

Such an action is typical of the combat seen in operation IO as the Guards Cadres push deeper into the Krunch region. Moving at night or under the cover of storms to reduce the threat of Ork air power, the Guards Cadres have moved from target of opportunity to target of opportunity, attacking a single outlying airfield or Intacepta Rokkit battery with overwhelming force, destroying it, then moving on before a significant Ork counterattack can arrive. The Orks can swiftly reclaim these fallen sites, but only after the Tau have inflicted significant damage, costing the Greenskins lives and equipment. When attacking Intacepta Rokkit sites the Tau have also made it a priority to remove and recover the captured drone controllers use to guide the Ork missiles, preventing future use of the site by the Orks without a replacement. If allowed to continue, this tactic will eventually begin permanently reducing the coverage of the Ork Intacepta Rokkit network around Wurrshuv's Krunch. 

Since their initial attacks the Ork sensa network has been largely restored, which has raised a serious issue for the Guards Cadres as retaining the element of surprise is a key factor for the continued success of Operation IO. At the suggestion of one of the Kel'shan Guards Cadres, part of the latest delivery of reinforcements has included five formations of extremely sophisticated decoy drones, each one outfitted to match the exact force disposition of Operation IO. The drones themselves are equipped with reflector arrays to amplify their signal on active sensors, giving the same return as a battlesuit or vehicle, as well as holographic projectors to mimic the appearance of the Guards Cadres units on visual spectra. The drones are even capable of replicating weapons fire and broadcasting prerecorded engine noise to fool sound-detection efforts. These decoy formations have been dispatched along a number of axes of advance separate to that of Operation IO, continuing to prevent the Orks from massing counterattacks in any one place. 

Although their cautious but efficient advance has mitigated losses and prevented them from falling into catastrophic traps, by the time of their resupply most of the initial supplies carried by Operation IO had been depleted, and many of the Guards Cadres were in need of reinforcement, a testament to the extremely hard fighting encountered in the heart of Ork territory. Nonetheless, the Guards Cadres have gained great respect amongst the Orks for their aggression and tenacity (as well as the plethora of additional gear carried on their vehicles), and the forces of operation IO have earned the nickname 'Wyvern Rocs', after the apex predator of the Lake Season biome, among Tau with experience on M-88. 

Nonetheless, resistance is expected to grow exponentially now that news of the Tau incursion has circulated through Ork territory. Orbital and aerial surveillance shows Ork warbands pouring out from the fortresses and strongholds of the Krunch region in vast numbers, and the latest intelligence indicates that Wurrshuv has activated almost all of his top-rate forces and mobilised them against Operation IO, including most of the veteran armoured formations of Firty-Sevin Orking which have been recalled from their operations in the Saal'vesa training grounds. Tau signals intelligence also indicates that Wurrshuv himself has taken personal command of the Ork counteroffensives at Wurrshuv's Krunch, and is now moving against Operation IO. 

In addition to continued war production, the Orks have finished upgrades on much of their equipment. Chief amongst these is a new form of Beepy Gubbinz, featuring an adjustable signal strength to circumvent the reconfigured Tau IFF systems, which has just begun to enter service with the Orks. The Greenskins have also continued their propaganda efforts, brutally executing another captured ORBIT warrior in gruesome and creative fashion. Once more, footage of the death has also been broadcast on certain Tau frequencies, where it has caused further concern amongst both the Tau forces on M-88 and the wider Tau populace. 

Ork Points: 100
Tau Points: 0


"You Ores'la think this is the real us? Because it is!" 

- Anon. Shas'la of the 8th Vior'la Guards Cadre, overheard during the assault on Ork Airbase L-7732


Training Ground Saal'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED

Renewed Ork offensives from Wurrshuv's Krunch and Test Range Ekko have smashed into the Tau Empire forces in the Saal'vesa training grounds once more, determined to cut off the Tau offensives of Operation MONSOON and Operation IO. Though many of the higher calibre Ork warbands have been recalled to the Mo'Hav Plains and Krunch region, the Greenskin hordes attacking the Empire Sector retain enough mass and numerical superiority to attack with enormous force, and morale remains high from Wurrshuv's propaganda efforts. Tau forces have fought back hard, but are struggling to contain the renewed Ork assaults. 

Far behind the front lines in the Saal'vesa region, the Tau have suffered a catastrophic setback when one of the Tau research facilities in the region was raided by Spektas. Using a number of captured Tau vehicles to infiltrate the compound, the Spektas were able to inflict heavy damage on the installation and slay a number of important Tau scientists before stealing a number of samples of 'smart virus' biological weapons and successfully escaping into the wilderness. It is unknown what designs if any the Orks have for the bioweapon samples, but the incident has caused serious concern for Tau commanders on M-88 as well as the wider Tau public. 

Ork Points: 26
Tau Points: 74

Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONROLLED

Acting in tandem with their bretheren to the south, Orks have poured forth from Da Fang in a fresh offensive into the wider region surrounding Training Centre Or'vesa. Unlike the Orks to the south, which are under Wurrshuv's direct authority, the Northern Raiders have retained their veteran and high calibre warbands, and have inflicted devastating losses on those Tau forces thus far encountered. Gitsnagga and his Speshul Opz Kommandos have been instrumental in the initial successes encountered by the Northern Raiders, the notorious Blood Axe warband determined to prove that old fashioned Kunnin' can achieve results without the fancy Stealf Gubbinz employed by their Spekta rivals. 

Ork aviation has also yielded impressive results in a number of engagements. In the short periods of calm weather Ork fighta-bommers swarm across the skies of the Enclave Sector, adopting a new tactic known to Ork pilots as the 'Weel 'O' Deff' to provide continuous close air support to Ork forces on the ground. It is theorised by some that the northern Or'vesa region may have become prioritised for Ork airstrikes as a precaution against internal threats. As the Ork presence within Da Fang grows more and more developed, independent sentiments and dissension is beginning to rise amongst the already strongly defiant Northern Raiders. A slowly growing number of northern Ork chieftains and bosses are beginning to tire of constantly paying tribute to Wurrshuv, and it is suggested that the increased level of air attacks in the north has been a deliberate move to remind these dissident Greenskin leaders of the might that Wurrshuv commands. That the bulk of the Ork fleet of Squighawk stealth fighters has been reassigned to the region around Training Centre Or'vesa, having secured air supremacy over the Saal'vesa training grounds, would further support such a hypothesis. 

Ork Points: 35
Tau Points: 65

Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED 

With the Tau defence networks around Fio Starport shattered, the unthinkable has finally happened - Orks have arrived in the heart of Tau operations on M-88. Taking advantage of the lack of sensor coverage in the region following the grav-smasha attacks, Spekta mobs from the neighbouring Saal'vesa and Or'vesa regions have begun to make their way into the areas surrounding Fio Starport. These elements represent the furthest any Ork has thus far travelled into Tau territory. As a result many of the infiltrating Spektas have taken great pride in setting up near Fio Starport, considering themselves the tip of the Ork spear. 

Struggling in the face of continued bad weather, Earth Caste teams have managed to repair most of the damage inflicted on Fio Starport itself, allowing Tau reinforcements to continue arriving on M-88 unimpeeded. The latest wave of reinforcements has included a full complement of advanced fungicidal chemicals and mobile terraforming rigs requisitioned by the ATT Shas'ar'tol. The fungicide agent is G388X7, a standard mainstay of Tau terraforming operations for decades that has been proven to have no serious environmental hazards or health risks for Tau and most auxiliary species. As well as being sprayable by ground units, the substance can also be deployed as a missile payload, and a number of specialist long-range missiles with chemical warheads have also been included in the reinforcements. Together with the fungicide-equipped terraforming units, it is expected that this will provide an effective solution to containing the ecological damage wrought by the proliferation of Orkoid lifeforms. 

Ork Points: 0
Tau Points: 100


Ork Campaign Points: 4 
Tau Campaign Points: 4 


Wednesday 4 July 2018

Wurrshuv's Revenge - Week 9

Wurrshuv's Revenge - An ATT Campaign 

Week 9 



The nature of the strange cargo arriving on M-88 the previous week has now been revealed in spectacular fashion. In a series of daring and extremely dangerous raids, Tau Special Insertion Threat Containment teams have infiltrated the heart of Ork territory and detonated a series of  nova charges at key defence sites at Wurrshuv's Krunch. The cataclysmic exotic-matter munitions have inflicted grievous damage on the defence lines around the Krunch region, and while the Ork settlements, airbases and artillery in the area remain unharmed, the defences covering air and land approaches into the region have become seriously compromised. 

Ork retaliation has been swift. as soon as the unfathomably powerful explosions were registered, Wurrshuv's semi-automated counter-strike system, referred to by the Orks as 'Ded 'Hand', fired a barrage of long-range 'Strateegik Rokkitz' tipped with grav-smasha warheads at the main Tau base of operations at Fio Starport. Long-range Ork 'Stratabommerz' based off Wurrshuv's Anargla Gork prototype have followed up the attacks with air-dropped grav-smasha munitions. leaving the Tau infrastructure around Fio Starport devastated. 

In space, the network of Tau orbitals and waystations commissioned by Kor'O'T'au Kais'Y'eldi'Aloh has been completed, and SX-8 modular orbitals now line the reinforcement corridors to M-88 and are liberally seeded in the primary biosphere of the system. These orbitals and waystations are a major force multiplier for the Tau fleet, providing vastly enhanced logistics support and forward bases at which Tau ships can repair and resupply. Heavily armed defence orbitals also provide an additional layer of defence against incoming Roks. However, the Tau fleet remains ever vigilant against continuing attacks by Ork Freebootas and waves of Roks. Concerns are still high that a major Ork naval offensive may be imminent. 

Situation Updates - All Sectors 

He'Sho Seas - ORK CONTROLLED 

As feared by several Tau commanders active in the region, the Orks have begun deploying Gargants against the Tau in the He'Sho Seas. Several newly-minted Gargants have now arrived at the front lines in the He'Sho Seas, where the shock of their initial engagements and massive firepower has resulted in heavy losses on Tau forces that can ill afford to loose more manpower. In response, the Tau forces in the He'Sho Seas region have adopted a more mobile and fluid strategy. Destroying all permanent equipment and infrastructure that they could not take with them, the Tau air-landing forces have abandoned their hard-fought positions around FFG355Y and dissolved into the wilderness, beginning a series of hit-and-run operations against the pursuing Orks. 

Such guerilla tactics are well-known to the Enclave troops in the He'Sho Seas, who have honed them over many Tau'cyr of bloody insurgency on the Eastern Fringe. So far these new tactics have proven successful in preserving Tau lives, and further Tau losses have been minimal. The battlelines in the He'Sho Seas have now disintegrated entirely, becoming an entirely decentralised flow of constantly shifting Tau positions around FFG355Y as the surviving Tau evade what Ork forces they cannot outgun and slaughter what Ork forces they cannot evade. Nonetheless many are questioning how long such a situation can be sustained, and Tau commanders in the He'Sho Seas are once again calling for immediate reinforcements to ensure the Tau offensive in the He'Sho Seas survives long enough to reach Operation MONSOON. 

Ork Points: 83 
Tau Points: 17 

Mo'Hav Plains - ORK CONTROLLED 

Having amassed their forces in the Mo'Hav Plains, the Tau have sprung Operation MONSOON in force. Seven hundred and twenty Tau cadres have formed the initial spearhead, with more amassing in staging areas as reserves and follow-on forces. Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li and Shas'el Kiv'rai'ka'nan have studied the area well and deployed a large number of mechanised and armoured cadres, which they have used to devastating effect by engaging Ork forces isolated by the Lake Season and defeating them in detail through their superior mobility. Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li has deployed his own cadre to the forefront of the fighting, ranging ahead of the main force to sabotage the Ork roads that remain usable. These raids have so far proven successful, with Tau forces destroying the roadways with mouldable explosives and crippling an already hamstrung Ork transport infrastructure. Current estimates indicate the Ork road network to now be at 30% of its peak capability. 

Covert Ops Team 24-C has also resurfaced in the Mo'Hav Plains, having been personally requested from Enclave Command by Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li. The illustrious Gue'vessa operatives have been inserted ahead of the advancing forces of Operation MONSOON where they have begun running counter-insurgency operations against marauding Spekta mobs and lending assistance to nearby Tau units encountering unexpected resistance. Shas'O'Tash'var Len'li and Shas'el Kiv'rai'ka'nan have also created a new form of Tau cadre. Named a 'Firestorm' cadre, this formation has been specifically formed for the express purpose of countering the ever-pervasive Orkoid lifeforms infesting the Mo'Hav Plains, as a temporary stop-gap until more specialised measures can be provided. 

Operation MONSOON has made good progress, and carved a Tau salient into the Mo'Hav Plains. However, resistance is stiffening quickly. Mines, roadside explosives and traps remain an ever present danger to the advancing Tau, as do ambushes from camouflaged or concealed Big Gunz batteries set up to cover the roads and approaches to Ork settlements. Gargants constructed at Wurrshuv's Krunch have reached the Mo'Hav Plains and are now marching on the Tau from the north alongside ranks of Stompas, while Ork armoured formations from staging grounds at Test Range Ekko are now moving against Operation MONSOON from the southwest. The Tau will need to respond quickly if Operation MONSOON is to avoid being caught in a pincer movement by these two powerful forces. 

Ork Points: 77
Tau Points: 23

Wurrshuv's Krunch - ORK CONTROLLED

The devastating attack on the Ork defences around the Krunch region was only the beginning. After weeks of anticipation, the Guards Cadres on M-88 have at last been deployed in combat, and have done what few imagined would be possible - launch a direct assault on Wurrshuv's Krunch, the heart of Ork territory on M-88. 

Under the command of Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk, 68 of the 72 Guards Cadres on M-88 have been deployed in Operation IO, a daring offensive into the Krunch region masterminded by Da'Anuk himself to guard the north-western flank of Operation MONSOON. Supported by a further four top-rate hunter cadres from T'au, the Guards Cadres have crossed the border into the Krunch region from the Tau salient in the Mo'Hav Plains and pushed deep into Ork territory. Lacking the manpower and mass to hold ground, the objective of the strike force is instead to draw Ork forces away from Operation MONSOON and inflict as much damage to vulnerable Ork infrastructure in the Krunch area, especially Intacepta Rokkit sites and Ork airbases. 

In many ways Operation IO has built on the success of other Tau actions, with Da'Anuk timing the offensive to exploit the demolition missions of the Special Insertion Threat Containment teams as well as the progress of Operation MONSOON. Well known for the careful planning put into his operations, Da'Anuk took great effort to learn from the experiences of other Tau forces already committed to the fighting as well as studying all available intelligence on Wurrshuv's forces. Mindful of the crushing defeat inflicted on the ORBIT cadres operating near the Krunch border, Da'Anuk ordered the Guards Cadres to stay well outside the range of the Ork artillery and instead used the salient formed by Operation MONSOON to enter the Krunch region from the south-east, outflanking the massed Ork guns facing the Empire Sector. 

The attack began with a massive barrage of missiles fired into the Krunch region ahead of the advancing Tau forces. Requisitioned by Da'Anuk to nullify the extensive Sensa arrays deployed throughout the area, over a dozen long-range missiles fitted with specialised sensor-jamming ECM warheads were fired into the region, blinding Ork sensa arrays as they passed overhead. Fired a few seconds afterwards was a wave of tracer missiles modified with counterstrike guidance systems to home in on active sensor emissions, which impacted on their targets immediately after the ECM missiles had passed. 

The net result left the Ork sensa network crippled, and the Orks completely blind along four large interconnected corridors of advance. Only one was to be used, with the remaining three acting as decoys to keep the Orks guessing as to where the offensive would fall and prevent them from massing counterattacking forces in one place. As the final missiles landed, the Guards Cadres and their support launched into the attack with meticulous efficiency, advancing hundreds of kilometres into the Krunch region and crushing any resistance they encountered, moving under the cover of rainstorms to mitigate the amount of Ork airpower that could be brought to bear against them. Those few Ork aircraft able to reach the attacking Tau forces through the poor weather were swiftly downed by the air defence assets attached to the Guards Cadres, upgraded with reconfigured IFF systems to counter Ork Beepy Gubbinz countermeasures.  

Da'Anuk has considered every possible factor he can think of into his planning, and the Tau commander is confident that his forces are equipped to handle any situation they may encounter in Wurrshuv's Krunch. A large number of specialist vehicles have been attached to the Guards Cadres to provide assistance in unusual circumstances, most notably a contingent of the renowned Masonshark Combat Engineering vehicles to deal with the large numbers of mines, traps, strongpoints and obstacles expected. Logistics have not been neglected, and to minimise the amount of rear echelon supply trains that would be vulnerable so deep inside Ork-held territory, Da'Anuk has devised a novel solution nicknamed 'Nomad'. Instead of a fixed supply line back to Tau territory, Operation IO is supplied from a large number of supply transports accompanying the strike force. These transports are to follow closely with the main combat force, with the entire operation moving as a single cohesive unit. When supplies begin to run low, the strike force is to assault and sieze the nearest Ork airbase, from where it will then be resupplied by mantas. In order for such a gambit to work Da'Anuk knows that the Tau forces will need every last supply they can bring with them, and the vehicles of the Guards Cadres have had their maximum carrying capacity pushed to the limit, with every last gram being given over to carrying either warriors or extra supplies and equipment. This has left the Guards Cadre vehicles with a distinctive appearance from the extra provisions loaded on top of them, and the image of hundreds of the Guards Cadres and their vehicles covered with additional stowage tearing across the landscape has quickly become an icon of the conflict. 

Da'Anuk knows that his forces are insufficient to secure territory for any meaningful amount of time. Instead his plan makes full use of the mobile warfare that is the hallmark of Fire Caste doctrine, using his highly mobile strike force to bypass the Ork strongholds and fortresses and instead engage the more vulnerable outlying Intacepta Rokkit sites and Ork airfields. In doing so they will not be able to claim ground in the region, but can inflict enough damage on the Greenskins to disrupt their operations in other areas and keep Wurrshuv's Krunch open to subsequent attacks. Due to the high-risk nature of Operation IO, Da'Anuk has insisted that Water Caste coverage of the offensive be minimal, with only Por'vre'T'au Ma'caor'Aun'T'au'Retha, the journalist embedded in the 42nd T'au Guards Cadre, being present to chronicle the operation. 

News of the attack has been slow to filter through the wider Ork population, which has so far largely carried on as normal. Great Gargants are now en route to the various warzones on M-88. Worse still for the Tau, the first of Wurrshuv's newly constructed Mega-Gargants have also become operational, being dispatched towards the Mo'Hav Plains. Though the border defences have been crippled, the artillery massed by the Orks along the borders with the neighbouring Saal'vesa and Or'vesa regions remains unscathed, and the Orks continue to seed minefields across the Empire and Enclave Sectors. 

In response to the recent controversy amongst the Orks surrounding the so-called 'charge of the Ork brigade', Wurrshuv has authorised the public execution of Tau prisoners. The first of these has been a well-regarded Shas'vre of the 115th ORBIT cadre and a highly-admired Shas'ui from the 155th ORBIT cadre, both captured in the aftermath of the Ork victories at the Saal'vesa border. Both were gruesomely terminated in front of a live audience of hundreds of Orks, the Shas'vre being fed to ravenous Squigs and the Shas'ui being ripped limb from limb by two of Wurrshuv's Nobs, and footage of the executions was relayed across public AV screens in every Ork settlement, as well as mobile AV wagons on the front lines. The footage has bolstered Ork morale, with the Greenskins revelling in the savage death of their enemies and the knowledge that even now they can still be killed. The footage was also broadcast on a number of Tau transmission frequencies, interrupting regular transmissions and disturbing large numbers of the Tau who witnessed it. 

Ork speaker towers and AV screens also continue to broadcast news of other Ork victories, as well as messages and images of the vast numbers of Ork warriors, weapons and war machines being deployed on M-88, reminding the Greenskins that a few hundred casualties is but a drop in the ocean for them. 

Ork Points: 100
Tau Points: 0


"Mal'caor'Aun'T'au'Retha has proven he can handle himself on numerous occasions, but the fewer Por that travel with us the better. Where we're going is no place for a correspondant." 

- Shas'O'T'au Kais'ka'Eoro'Da'Anuk, prior to Operation IO


Training Ground Saal'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED

The ORBIT forces have begun to recover their strength, and have now resumed combat operations in the Saal'vesa training grounds. The first test for the reconsituted ORBIT cadres has been the defence of a Tau outpost sheltered in a series of gullies and canyons, where Earth Caste scientists have been testing biological weapons for use against the Orks. As part of the renewed Ork offensives in the region a large force of Greenskins had descended on the installation with the intent of plundering it and offering the technological secrets held within to Wurrshuv as tribute. 

Spearheaded by the warband's own Stompa known as 'Da hand of Mork and Gork', the Ork assault initially proved relentless, inflicting considerable losses on the Tau forces and pushing them back to the core facilities of the outpost itself. Salvation ultimately came in the form of the 'Charge of the Ork brigade', a massed attack by several waves of Orks that was repelled repeatedly by disciplined defensive fire from Tau infantry forces. The successful breaking of this push enabled the Tau to rally and drive the Orks from the perimeter of the compound and stabilise the situation, but the Orks continued to attack with ferocious abandon and the Tau were ultimately forced to call down fire from the ATT orbital to decisively break the Ork attack. 

The outpost has been saved, and the research contained within it has now been evacuated. The victory has proven that the ORBIT forces are in a position to renew offensive actions, though many of their cadres remain badly under-strength. The ORBIT forces have also begun to draw criticism from a number of observers, with many in the Tau Empire beginning to question their methods. Repeated use of orbital weaponry on the Orks has begun to raise growing concern that the ORBIT commanders may be employing excessive force in the conflict, and some are beginning to call for their censure. A number of civilian analysts and commentators have pointed out that a considerable number of the tactics used by ORBIT forces thus far in the conflict would be considered atrocities if they were performed on other galactic powers such as humans or Eldar, and citing the recent successes of Operation MONSOON using conventional weapons as a contrast. Public spotlight has also been drawn to the 'smart-virus' biological weapons being developed on M-88 nominally under ORBIT authorisation and questions have been raised over the ethics around them. 

Ork Points: 26
Tau Points: 74

Training Centre Or'vesa - TAU CONTROLLED

Ork warbands continue to spill out from Da Fang into the wider Or'vesa region, seeking bloodshed and plunder in territory that has been home to what is unquestionably the bloodiest and most hellishly brutal combat of the entire conflict on M-88. Tau counterattacks meeting these errant warbands has resulted in swirling engagements all across the Enclave Sector as hunter cadres elminiate one warband only to find themselves beset upon by two more. It is said that the only true victors in the north are carrion scavengers, and plants fertilised on blood. 

Within Da Fang itself the Orks are growing increasingly entrenched. Just as in the Mo'Hav Plains and He'Sho Seas, the Greenskins of the Northern Raiders have begun to establish more and more permament settlements in the Or'vesa region, cultivating the surrounding land with Orikoid fungus. The settlements of Da Fang are surprisingly sophisticated, and a thriving melting-pot culture has formed amongst the disparate factions of the Northern Raiders, with different Klans exchanging goods and services freely. These 'Fang Fortz' are generally considered by the Orks to be significantly more liberal than those under Wurrshuv's direct control, and the Northern Raiders take much pride in the spirit of defiance they share. 

Ork Points: 35
Tau Points: 65

Fio Starport - TAU CONTROLLED

The Ork grav-smasha attacks on Fio Starport have left the Tau headquarters on M-88 devastated. Though largely inaccurate, the blast-yields from the grav-smasha tipped Strateegik Rokkits have proven sufficient to obliterate much of the Tau infrastructure in the region. Follow-up attacks by Ork Stratabommers carrying free-fall grav-smasha munitions have inflicted further damage, using their somewhat greater level of precision to attack major Tau installations and Fio Starport itself directly. While many of the major supply depots and command centres in the region have been left relatively intact, the region's airbases, defence systems, sensor arrays, and communications hubs have been destroyed, and much of the starport itself has been severely damaged. The Earth Caste have worked like champions to mitigate the devastation, rescuing survivors, clearing debris, triaging wounded and extinguishing fires, but at this stage they can do little more than damage control. The situation has been further compounded by the weather in the region, which has been destabilised by the gravity-based weapons. 

The latest wave of reinforcements to reach M-88 has included a full contingent of air cadres, something desperately needed by the Tau on M-88. The wave of aircraft and their crews has the potential to restore much of the Tau's lost airpower, but has been hamstrung by the grav-smasha attacks on Fio Starport. Combined with the destruction of Tau airbases outside the Fio Starport region during Roll'n Thunda, this has left the new Tau air cadres with nowhere to station at. In light of these developments, and considering the lack of experience amongst the new air cadres, the Tau Kor'ar'tol has made the decision to recall all remaining Tau combat aircraft from the theatre of operations on M-88. Only Mantas and transport aircraft have been permitted to remain. This has left the Tau with no combat aircraft to use against the Orks until Tau airbases can be reestablished, but it will allow the few surviving Air Caste pilots with combat experience to lend their hard-earned knowledge with the new reinforcements as they train the fresh air cadres outside of the theatre of operations. 

Ork Points: 0
Tau Points: 100



Ork Campaign Points: 4 
Tau Campaign Points: 4 



As the conflict enters its third month, the Tau have become aware of a deadly new development on the battlefields of M-88. Tau aerial and orbital surveillance has shown a large number of unusual structures being built at settlements all across the Ork-held territory on M-88. The latest scans of these construction sites has confirmed the worst fears of the Tau Coalition Command on M-88 - each one of these structures is an Ork tellyporta array, identical in size and power to the one housed in Wurrshuv's Rok. If these devices are completed, they will increase the amount of Orks arriving on M-88 a thousandfold, and the Greenskins will be able to amass enough numbers to begin permanently infesting regions. It remains to be seen how the Tau will counter this new threat, if they are not already too late... 







Shadows flickered over the monstrous bulk of Wurrshuv as he brooded in the gloom of his audience chamber. The room was cavernous, carved out of a vast chasm of the Rok that had brought him to the planet of the ATT Boyz. The ceiling vanished somewhere distant above Wurrshuv's head, with only the lowest portions illuminated by the flickering torches and warm electric lights that shone across the room's walls and floor. The lighting had been cunningly arranged to leave Wurrshuv himself shrouded in half-darkness, the better to intimidate those who approached him in this sanctum. What was most visible were the walls of the chamber, lined with enormous banners proclaiming the glory and might of Wurrshuv, and the blood-curdling fate of anyone that dared to cross or offend him. Such claims were reinforced by the row upon row of trophies that decorated the walls, each one taken from an enemy Wurrshuv had defeated over the years. Some were the gargantuan skulls of ferocious alien creatures, others were chunks of massive war machines or fearsome weapons. All were testaments to Wurrshuv's prowess, and there were hundreds of them adorning the chamber. Wurrshuv was sure he could even remember how he had gained each one if he tried hard enough, though many of the stories behind them escaped his immediate recollection.

 The Big Mek himself sat on his grand throne, a mountainous edifice fashioned from the shattered remains of one of the Grey Gitz' largest combat walkers. It was a newer one, Wurrshuv knew, among the biggest they had made yet. Ded stompy it had been, and ded shooty too, with lodsa guns. The only fault with it had been a lack of implements to chop or smash with, not even arms, but that was hardly surprising. Wurrshuv had learnt long ago that Grey Gitz were generally shy about getting stuck in up close, likely due to their generally runty stature. Nonetheless, the wrecked upper chassis had made a fine basis for a throne, and Wurrshuv enjoyed being able to look down on others from its vantage point. It's padded seat was comfortable too. All in all it had been a fine gift to receive as tribute. Still, Wurrshuv never quite felt at home on the throne the way he did on his favourite chair, still sitting there in his workshop patiently awaiting his return. The sooner he could be done with the day's audience time the better.

Wurrshuv thought about the war he had waged on this world. He wondered how different it might have been if he had managed to reach the ATT Orbital like he intended. He thought about how much fun it would have been to crash straight into the station, to storm the ramparts with Da Boyz and break loose on one of the most formidable fortresses in the Eastern Fringe. It would have been the fight of the century! And afterwards he could loot the orbital and turn it into the perfect stronghold from which to command a galaxy-conquering WAAAAAAGH!!

But it had all worked out in the end, Wurrshuv supposed. The ATT planet was an excellent starting point for further conquests. There was plenty of wide open spaces for racing vehicles in and building forts and settlements on. The wind was great as well, a nice fast whooshing wind that was just the thing to have roaring at your back as you charged into battle. There were plenty of minerals and oil in the Heeshow Seaz, lots of space in the Mo'vn Plainz, and some choice Grey Git gubbinz to plunder in the Sallyvassa Stomp'n Grounds and the Orkvassa Fight'n Fort, to say nothing of the untold treasures that awaited Wurrshuv at the Foe Space Fort. Wurrshuv's head swam at the thought of all those Grey Git bitz lying around at that distant location, just waiting for him to loot and put to good use. Who knew what fantastic new stuff was there for him to discover? It was enough to make an Ork salivate.

Best of all were the ATT Boyz themselves. Wurrshuv had learnt from experience that the Grey Gitz were a cowardly lot, always avoiding fighting where they could. He had worried that they might simply keep away from the planet, content to stay hunkered down in their orbital fortress like a bunch of grotz. But much to Wurrshuv's joy the Grey Gitz had come straight down on the planet to battle his Ladz. And fight them they had. Wurrshuv had been on the planet for just over four months now, and not one of them had been peaceful. The first month had been a little touch and go, but after that the Grey Gitz had wasted no time in getting down to a good bit of combat, and had fought Wurrshuv's hordes all across this area of the planet. It had gotten to the point where Wurrshuv's Meks were making Mega-Gargants. Wurrshuv wasn't really surprised by much of this, he decided. After all, what else would he expect from Dannik's warriors.

 It hadn't been all good though. Just recently the ATT Boyz had done a truly Skab move. They'd carefully made their way all sneaky-like to the defences Wurrshuv had spent countless hours scheming up and devising for the big Grey Gitz attack, then blown them up with some kind of weapons of mass destruction. That just wasn't right. It was one thing to smash a whole load of gitz with a good Rok or two, but it was a whole other thing entirely to go and do something like that far away from the fighting before you were all good and ready to start fighting there too. It just wasn't proppa form. Still, Wurrshuv had planned for such a contingency, and he'd prepared a fittingly just surprise for the Grey Gitz if they tried something like that. After all, he had big blasty bombs of his own. And Wurrshuv was adamant that things should be kept fair an' square for this conflict. All the same, it seemed strange to Wurrshuv that Dannik's men would stoop to such a thing.

Wurrshuv sighed. Dannik. It always came back to Dannik in the end. Ever since he had come in and shot up all of Wurrshuv's matez on the Fire Islands nothing had ever quite been the same. It had opened Wurrshuv's eyes to what he had been looking for his whole life, that elusive secret spark of insparashun he needed to realise his full potential. More than that, it had given him purpose. And ever since that fateful battle Wurrshuv had been incapable of getting Dannik off his mind. The way he had just dropped into his life and caused such a seismic shift played on Wurrshuv. A gauntlet had been thrown down that had to be answered. If it was a fight that Dannik wanted, then by Gork and Mork it was a fight Dannik was going to get.

The only problem was that Dannik was nowhere to be found. For over three months Wurrshuv's armies had rampaged over the surface of the planet, but in not one instance had they brought Dannik to battle. Wurrshuv was at a loss. This was Dannik's stronghold was it not? Wurrshuv had learnt that Dannik had always returned here after his triumphs in battle, so logically it must be his home fort. Which would mean that the Grey Gitz he was fighting must be Dannik's boyz. So where was Dannik himself? Something didn't add up. Wurrshuv knew Dannik. He knew that Dannik wasn't the sort to shy away from a good scrap. He wouldn't just stand idly by while Wurrshuv slaughtered his boyz. But try as he might Wurrshuv couldn't find an explanation for Dannik's absence.

He thought he might have found Dannik in the Sallyvassa Stomp'n Grounds. For the last two months Wurrshuv had been hearing about a band of Grey Gitz there who had yet to see defeat. That certainly sounded like it could be Dannik, but when Wurrshuv had investigated further he had found that it was nothing more than a bunch of naff Goff Wannabez. Wurrshuv had been thoroughly unimpressed by those. He could tell from the first time he observed them that they tried to hard. They also didn't fight right. Always trying to prove that they were da 'ardest an' da killyest, but in true non-Greenskin thinking they never grasped that if they had to prove it then they weren't. And they tried to do it in all the wrong ways. They always tried to fight without getting their hands dirty, bombing running enemies from the air or space. They never got really stuck in like Dannik's boyz had on the Fire Islands. Now THEY were Grey Gitz that knew how to fight. No, Wurrshuv was convinced he had made the right decision with the Goff Wannabez. Keep feeding them expendable fodder and sending subordinates overeager to prove themselves after them, and leave them to it while the big bosses got down to the real fighting.

And recently it seemed like things were finally getting back on track. Wurrshuv had received news of a Grey Git assault on the Mov'n Plainz that sounded like it could very well be Dannik's ladz. It was certainly bold and aggressive enough. Wurrshuv's instincts told him that Dannik was definitely connected somehow, but he was unsure exactly where he fit into it. It was enough to drive an Ork mad. Wurrshuv had sunk an unimaginable effort into preparing the biggest, meanest, most awe-inspiring battle for Dannik, to finally getting vengeance for all his matez that perished on the Fire Islands by mercilessly crushing Dannik's boyz like Dannik had crushed them. But Dannik was a ghost, leaving Wurrshuv here, sitting in his throne, wondering why Dannik didn't want to fight him...

Wurrshuv could only reach one conclusion as to why this vexed him so much. There was only one kind of enemy that it was so complex to fight against, only one type of enemy that elicited such immense driving hatred, only one type of enemy that could hold such attention. Wurrshuv had found his Grod, he knew somewhere deep down that he had. Ghazghkull had Yarrick, and now Wurrshuv had Dannik. Funny how they both ended with the same letter. Enough! Wurrshuv was tired of all this mukk'n about. If Dannik didn't want to come out and fight him then that was fine. There was still loads of great Grey Gitz bitz and gubbinz to loot on the planet, and places to conquer. Not to mention loads of other great fighting to do. The Grey Git attack into the Mov'n Plainz seemed particularly promising. Those Grey Gitz knew how to fight too. They had certainly shown that they had da right stuff. 

Wurrshuv sank back in the throne chair and waited. It was nearly the end of his audience time for the day, and soon he would be able to retire back to his workshop where he could sort his thoughts out over a good bit of tinker'n. 

It was just then that an aide came in with news from the Krunch...