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+++ INTRODUCTION +++ The Defence of Dakota Minor was a series of conflicts in 884M41, that saw the Imperium defending the Matteus Subsector’s primary food provider against invaders. With only a token battlefleet and planetary defence force to protect it, Dakota Minor was expected to fall to the invaders in less than three months. Fortunately, intervention by local Astra Militarum regiments and the Adeptus Astartes saw the invasion quelled and the planet secured for the Imperium. The first theatre of conflict was the defence of the city Dakota Primus, which saw the arrival of the Salamanders Space Marine Chapter amidst the Ork siege. The Anvilbreakers (2nd Company 2nd Tactical Squad) charge the greenskins, engulfing them in burning promethium +++ DESCENT OF ANGELS +++ Salamanders Captain Ikarus R’Keth could not ignore the astropathic plea for assistance for the nearby world. Additionally, their Chaplain Kessus Numastus expressed concern for the lacking faith amongst their battle-brethren after the failure of the Yttrius Crusade. Both saw an opportunity to find atonement and redemption in the defence of Dakota Minor. Meanwhile, the beleaguered DMDC forces were being overwhelmed at every turn. Even the Ork servant races were proving to be superior to the underequipped and poorly trained PDF soldiers. DMDC troopers engage a gretchin horde and one of their many scrap-vehicles. The Salamanders Arrive: Day 14 With their drop pod pool depleted from their previous campaign, the Astartes mobilised to the surface via Thunderhawks and Stormravens. This delayed their efforts to bolster the local defences, taking eighteen hours to fully deploy from orbit. Their first target of priority was the Orks moving towards the hive centre along St Celestine's Highway. A strike force of Astartes skimmers, bike squadrons and aircraft engage the Ork flyers that had persisted in guerrilla strikes throughout the conflict. Though the Salamanders rack up an impressive kill tally, they exhaust their ammunition quickly. They are forced to withdraw for resupply and are ultimately unable to stop the flow of innumerable Orks through the outer hive districts. Salamanders Bike Squadron "Quicksliver" (5th Company 9th Assault Squad) engage enemy units along St Celestine's Highway. The remaining Salamanders units would deploy deeper within the Imperial battlelines. The action is not a tactical one but an inspirational one; to restore the morale of the panicking DMDC forces, who had come to believe they were forsaken by the God-Emperor. +++ WITHDRAWAL INTO THE CITY +++ We must turn about this disaster you have set for yourselves. The greenskins are flowing like hot slag through the city. We can slow them down here, until their momentum breaks. - Captain R’Keth, directing the Dakota Minor command staff on the chokepoint strategy. Captain R'Keth met with the DMDC command staff, and together they devise a strategy to create a series of strategic chokepoints within the city to delay the Ork advances. The Chokepoints: Day 18 to 45The majority of the chokepoints were positioned on arterial roadways leading from St Celestine's and St Arabella's Highways. Each were designed to funnel the greenskins into Imperial kill-zones. In addition, numerous narrow passages, bridges and tunnels were closed to redirect or delay the Ork advances. In many cases, these access ways were demolished by the DMDC with explosives. Tactical map of Dakota Primus, displaying Ork and Imperial movements after the implementation of the chokepoint strategem. With the Salamanders now distributed amongst the local defences, the Imperial forces prepared for prolonged defensive actions. As the Orks confidently marched through the narrow road sections, they are savaged by fusillades of Imperial lascannons and missile launchers. The resulting wreckage formed their own roadblocks against the xenos advance, though it was a double-edged sword: the Imperials were also blocking themselves in. All chokepoints would hold for twenty-five days. The frustrated Orks eventually make a concerted push on foot, abandoning their mechanised assault. The rush of greenskins through the hab blocks, sewer pipes and structures, saw many Imperial chokepoints overrun on the forty-third day. Many Astartes and DMDC armour had depleted their fuel and ammunition, and their crews were forced to abandon their vehicles. As a result, Captain R’Keth ordered a fighting withdrawal towards the city’s centre. Meanwhile, Imperial air forces were persistent in intercepting Ork flyers, to maintain air superiority over the hive. By the forty-fifth day, they are successful in securing the airspace, but are of limited assistance within the depths and narrow passages of Dakota Primus. Salamanders Stormhawk Interceptor "Ember One" executes a strafing run on Ork infantry formations Reinforcing The Bastion: Day 50 to 54 For the next five days, the Imperial forces rallied at the “Bastion”, the central Administratum hub at the heart of the Dakota Primus. Lord-Governor Hastings Freeman convened with the Salamanders Captain and the DMDC command staff, to prepare a last stand. Meanwhile, the greenskins continued to march unto the Bastion on foot… +++ ARTICLE CONTINUES IN PART III +++

+++ INTRODUCTION +++ The Defence of Dakota Minor was a series of conflicts in 884M41, that saw the Imperium defending the Matteus Subsector’s primary food provider against invaders. With only a token battlefleet and planetary defence force to protect it, Dakota Minor was expected to fall to the invaders in less than three months. Fortunately, intervention by local Astra Militarum regiments and the Adeptus Astartes saw the invasion quelled and the planet secured for the Imperium. The first theatre of conflict was the defence of the city Dakota Primus, against the opportunistic and nimble Ork Waaagh! ChoppaTide. Imperial forces counter-assault a rabble of Orks after they breached the outer defences of Dakota Primus. +++ ORK INVASION OF DAKOTA MINOR +++ It is unknown why Waaagh! ChoppaTide showed such interest in the fecund world of Dakota Minor. As a minor civilised world with significant foodstuff production (albeit far lower than a true Agri-World), it is suspected they were simply enthusiastic about the food supplies on the planet, as well as seeing a good opportunity to engage in the “sport” of war. An Ork Stormboy charges head-on into a squad of DMDC guardsmen. The Warning: Day minus 13 Local astropathic choirs intercepted the Ork psychic missives detailing an intent to “pillage a food-stuffed world”. The planet's Lord-Governor, Hastings Freeman, was convinced of the threat and ordered a Sector-wide astropathic alarm calling for assistance. The Navis Imperialis forces were the first to arrive in orbit ten days later. The Matteus Delta Battlegroup (a detachment of Battlefleet Agripinna) formed a defensive perimeter in anticipation of Ork arrivals from the expected Mandeville points. Meanwhile, the Asokan Rifles and Sartorian Rangers regiments of the Astra Militarum declared their intent to aid in the defence, but would take several weeks to arrive. For now, the only surface defenders were the Dakota Minor Defence Corps (DMDC). The Incursion: Day Zero The Ork scrap-fleet of Waaagh! ChoppaTide approached Dakota Minor from the blind side of the parent gas giant, triggering the planet’s orbital alarms. The Matteus Delta Battlegroup were forced to quickly redeploy their battleships in attempt to intercept the Ork fleet. Physical map of Dakota Primus and surrounding regions, with force deployments and movements in the first few days of the Ork invasion (884M41). The Orks seized the advantage and charged past the meagre Imperial defences, making planetfall via their Roks. Landing in the Adatok Wastelands, they assembled their tribes and scrap columns, and advanced on the human settlements. A small contingent of Orks marched north-east towards the hydroponic hive 2-Xi, but would be promptly interdicted by the stationed DMDC regiments. The bulk of the Ork Waaagh! headed south towards Dakota Primus. The remaining Ork kroozers and gunboats continued to engage the Imperials in orbit. Despite preparing for a head-on engagement, the Imperial fleet were instead drawn into a series of hit-and-run maneouvres that lasted eighty days before a victor was determined. The Amassing: Day 2 to 8 The bulk of the Orks rallied for eight days in the Adatok Wastelands, just at the outskirts of Dakota Primus. Their leader, Warboss Gruzka Koptadrilla, was intent on building their strength before committing to an all-out assault on the hive. Imperial forces, equally unconfident, prepared their defences in anticipation of an assault. Many skirmishes, artillery barrages and air raids occured between the armies in the interim, but were inconsequential. An Ork fighter-bomber begins a strafing run on the outer defences of Dakota Primus It was on the eighth day that the Lord-Governor’s astropathic pleas were responded to by an unexpected ally: the Salamanders chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. The DMDC high command were excited by this development, and could not help but spread the word: the Emperor's Angels were coming. +++ SIEGE OF DAKOTA PRIMUS BEGINS +++ Lookie there at all da grub deez ‘umies have for us! Mount up, lads! Da mighty feast awaits us! - Warboss Gruzka Koptadrilla, addressing his tribes before setting out to Dakota Primus. Aboard his "kustom deff-kopta", Warboss Gruzka Koptadrilla warcry marked the start of the Dakota Primus siege. Squadrons of rotorcraft, scrap-vehicles, and jetpack-equipped warriors hurled themselves at the scrambling Imperial defences. Siege of the North Wall: Day 9 to 12 The Ork assault began on the north defensive wall of Dakota Primus. As Ork artillery pummeled the wall sections and emplacements, a combination of hit-and-run attacks by skimmers and foot-slogging warriors wittled away at the defenders. The DMDC forces did their best to hold them off for three days, but were eventually overwhelmed. The lack of experience and armaments made it impossible for the Imperials to hold back the tenacious invaders. The North Wall Breached: Day 12 to 15 The northern gate was breached on the twelfth day, giving the Orks free access to the city centre via St Celestine's Highway. Having exposed the weakness in the Imperial’s defences, Warboss Koptadrilla convoyed his forces through the highway and deeper into the hive. The invading forces of Waaagh! ChoppaTide charge forward into the hive of Dakota Primus along St Celestine’s Highway With the promise of "His Angels' intervention" yet to come to fruition, morale amongst the DMDC was shattered. Commanders struggle to rally their forces, resulting in disordered fighting withdrawals deeper into the hive. Strategic estimates were re-evaluated to five days until Dakota Primus fell to the Orks. Unbeknownst to the people of Dakota Minor, divine intervention was not far away… +++ ARTICLE CONTINUES IN PART II +++

Hello Fraters! Having lurked and occasionally posted over the last few months I have decided to create a WIP log to document my re-entry to the hobby. This was going to be a Raven Guard-based log as I have a Strikeforce to build but I have already paused that plan, bought Kill Team Octarius and started some terrain painting. This is very much WIP as I test out washes and contrast paints and basically learn to paint. I only painted a few minis when I was at school, I think it must have been around 1989/1990. Edit: title updated to reflect that I have now bought two KT boxes and have been painting Genestealers to refresh my v.1 Space Hulk game.

CRUSADE GAME 3 - TAU VS GROTS Fearful symmetry. After a wait, we've now had our second game day for our new Crusade. After a strong start, this was a rough one for the Recon Cadre, but hey, it happens. Regressing to the mean of my gaming by losing horrendously. Game 3 was against Kieran's Waaaagh! Grot-Snicker (or was that Grot-Snikah? Unclear) and a veritable horde of big robots and constructions. Killa Kans built from battlesuits, Grot Tanks built from who knows what, and a warboss built from... Well, a warboss. Messily. It's a fetching little army, and heavily converted, which I always love to see. They fly now. Anyway, this was a total blowout. Kieran stomped me into the dirt, taking minimal casualties. I believe I ended up taking down... 2 Killa Kans. And some grots. Not my proudest showing. Not much else to say, either. This was just a drubbing.

I think of this guy as "The Grey Hunter", out on a solo slog across Fenris to slay a monster between campaigns. Think he's probably the sole survivor of his pack, and maybe fresh home from a rotation in the Death Watch? Converted from a chaos warrior. Going to experiment with some snow effects to do up the base, and then weather the cloak to match. Would love c&c if you've got any - i know its not the best photo so might be hard to comment.

https://youtu.be/GxZOgct_BeA Cheers, Thoth