[Second battle report from the set of Shrine World Planetary Invasion games that I’m playing with some friends. For part one, see here: https://orksesneverdefeated.com/2022/05/27/world-of-teef-1-da-tellyporta-attack/ ]
After blunting the initial teleporter-based Ork strikes, the Imperial forces moved to consolidate gains across the planet–hoping to whittle down the remaining pockets of Ork resistance. In one sector, the red-daubed forces of one Warband mingled with the mustard yellow of another, the survival situation of being pressed on all sides meaning more than clan affiliations. Their backs were against a literal wall, a big intractable section of collapsed cathedrals meant their only way out was to push back against the forces of Space Wolves and Sisters of Battle that had been hemming them in. And like any cornered beast, this made the Orks more dangerous.
As it was a Shrine world under assault, and the most dire of emergencies, it is no surprise that another incarnation of Saint Celestine awakened amongst the faithful. A figure born and reborn in times of strife, she appeared amongst the Sisters lines and encouraged the Space Wolves to unleash themselves in pure pursuit of the Ork forces. Squads of Space Wolves primaris stalked through the ruined streets, closing the gap on the Ork menace.
The Adeptus Sororitas was also helping close the net, with squads of Battle Sisters and their deadly Paragon Warsuits taking the more defensive posture with firepower. They finished a set of vows that the holy shrines celebrating their most valiant martyrs and heroes would not fall to the Ork predations on their watch: burning incense, lighting candles, and general other offerings to the Emperor. As the husks from the burnt offerings drifted on the wind, they marched forward toward the Ork line.
The Space Wolves were joined by a Knight, Canis Rex, a freeblade Knight piloted by Hekhtur Cereberan. Hekhtur had been working with the Space Wolves to find an enclave of Iron Warriors heretic marines and extinguish them, when the call to defend the Shrine world came. He gladly accompanied the Wolf lords to the surface to lend his Knight’s might against the Ork menace.
It was Canis Rex that led the core of the charge into the Ork lines, and while his massive las-impulsor blew the Orks’ massive Battle Fortress apart right away, it was smaller threats that started to take their toll on the mighty war machine. Squads of Tankbusta boyz loosed their rokkits into the mighty war machine, followed by a bomb squig laden with explosives that damaged the Knight’s right shinguard.
Elsewhere the spearhead of warsuits hitting the Ork lines were making progress. The Bad Moonz had to call their Warboss to the fore to help take out the marauding warsuits, only to eventually be grievously injured by the Wulfen dreadnaught’s scything axe blade.
Canis Rex shattered a Trukk and started turning its sights on the boyz that piled out, only to find a gang of Meganobz with Killsaws come rumbling toward it. With brutal efficiency their saws began carving pieces of the mighty war machine, and it had to cede the field to seek repairs lest it be overwhelmed and demolished. The Meganobz howled with frustrated triumph in its wake.
By choosing to attack headlong, the Imperial forces left their back lines open to the squads of Orks that were escaping the press of the cordon. A mob of Trukk boyz managed to get to grips with Saint Celestine, killing her attendants and gravely pressuring her own defenses. While she cut them down, they had pinned her in place long enough that the tide of Meganobz that followed the Trukk ran her into the ground with their devastating attacks.
The Space Wolves’ Librarian had taken some incidental fire during the battle, and was relocating back to the strategic objective spot to support the Battle Sisters’ lines. A marauding Trukk scored a hit on him with its Big Shoota, and in turning to face the vehicle he dropped his guard for just a second… when a lone surviving grot from a squad of Gretchin tossed a cluster of stikkbombz his way. The shrapnel from the explosions caught him right where his battle plate was already damaged, and a lethal shard of metal carved through both hearts striking him dead.
With the forces that led the attack on the Ork lines broken, the waves of Orks remaining spread out to the reserve spots where Space Wolves and Sisters of Battle squads of the line were holding key objectives. The firefights were valiant, but when the Orks reached their lines the savagery of their assaults finished off the stalwart defenders.

While the Orks had been hard-pressed during the tellyporta attack due to being spread out, they proved that when they could work in concert they were a force to be reckoned with. The third and final phase of the war for the Shrine World was about to commence: the protracted fight where each side tried its best to grind the opponents into dust and ashes. Too much of the world had been already trampled for the Imperials to call it a clean victory, but the Ork Waaagh was still not in firm control of the planet either. The fate of all hung in the balance as both sides raced toward the final confrontation.
Painting Progress
Got a fair amount done this phase. Finished a classic Rogue Trader era Weirdboy (with his Minderz firing him like a gun). I liked the idea of looting another Clan’s weirdboy, so my red and black Orks stole a Bad Moonz weirdboy to use for their forces. Really pleased with how it turned out.
The karma of finishing up units paid off in the game, as the Grot with the stikkbomb was clutch in the battle. Glad to get these done so I can have them to round out the Battalion.
And I did up a second unit of Gretchin just to keep that flow going. Good to get some of the horde aspects of the army painted up.
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Orks Power Level Painted: 72/365