Slow progress to Corunus victory

Back on Coronus the Imperial fleet had been recalled to Caitlen Station. This meant leaving their regiments of Imperial Guard behind and four were deployed alongside the Space Marines of the Dark Angels chapter on the surface of the planet. In an effort to impress their Astartes allies, the Librian Guard units immediately made plans for an attack on the Ork forces to the north of the Dark Angels’ base, but the Orks attacked first.

Nazghat sent his troops, mainly on foot, across the low hills and wetlands of the planetary surface, and realised quite soon that his nemy was Guard, not Marines. Seeing this as an opportunity, the Orks attacked at first light.

Initially the Imperial Guard of the Librian 21st Infantry regiment were caught off guard, and they were hard pressed to hold the tide of green approaching them. However within minutes heavy armour arrived in the shape of Leman Russ main battle tanks and hellhounds, which caused incredible casualties amongst the greenskins. Even so enough got through to put several flame tanks out of action.

The main attack came in the form of mega-armoured Nobz assaulting the main Imperial positions of the Librian forward base. As the sideshow of outflanking sentinels versus Ork dreadnoughts raged in the distance, the main fighting became desperate in the narrow confines of the Imperial base complex. The Ork Nobz refused to die despite withering fire from the humans, and an ill-fated assault by the commanding officer did nothing to raise Imperial morale.

Despite this the Imperial Guard infantry fought doggedly, and finally a unit from the 57th Grenadiers managed to finish off the Ork warboss in charge of the assault and hold on to the forward base. Their leader broken, the Ork attack became sporadic and finally petered out. It had been a successful, if bloody first encounter with Waagh! Nazghat on Coronus, and the Imperial forces began to believe they would eventually secure the world for the Emperor.