New Ork Warlord pushes north on Hylas

Despite the Imperium gaining control of Hylas space in late 013M42, this didn't immediately translate into success on the ground. The Adeptus Mechanicus soon departed the Hylas system, leaving the Imperial fleet depleted. Only a handful of vessels remained close at hand to provide naval support to Van Dorn's hard pressed troops, and orbital bombardments against orks are often futile.

In early 014M42 the orks once again took the initiative on the ground. Na'Porkleon's gains into West Coast had been halted by 01.014M42, but new forces, delivered by Da Verminator's fleet before it was defeated, soon made their presence felt. A new Warlord, known as "Koghk", led his Bad Moons against Van Dorn's lines on the plains to the west of Mount Flynn. The Librian forces opposing the orks held a very straight defensive line, but had had little opportunity to dig in. On 2201.014M42 they ran out of time, as Koghk's forces powered across the landscape.

The ork force was similar to those faced on Hylas by Van Dorn's men, but contained a notably higher number of battlewagons. These ungainly looking constructs were none-the-less fast and well armoured, and the Librian forces found them extremely tough opponents. This armoured protection largely resulted in the orks reaching the Librian lines, although hellhound tanks proved lethal to any mobs who disembarked for too long.

With the Bad Moons now intermingling in the imperial lines, the librians began suffering heavy casualties, and air support proved impossible to direct. Van Dorn realised his line was untenable and ordered a retreat, allowing the new ork warlord to advance over a great swathe of the plains of West Coast. The imperial general now risked his forces being cut in two, with some forces withrdrawing towards North Eaton on Etonia, and others retreating east. Only the treacherous shifting isles linked the two imperial forces by 2901.014M42, and Van Dorn desperately needed time to dig in or blow the bridge from West Coast to Etonia. Special mission: The next Imperial vs. Ork game should focus on the capture/demolition of the Etonia bridge