Warzone Octarius: Pankallis Assault - Phase 1 Stage 1: Battle 6

 Captain Arastos had been expecting to ambush a T'au force known to be operating in this area. But now, Aeldari. Brazen as only Xenos could be. Zipping along with their foul technology and speed. He did not have time to reposition Squad Hektor. They would have to make do with their current location. He knew they would hold the line. Or die trying.

Battle Size: Combat Patrol

Mission: Supply Drop

Mission Victor Bonus: +2 RP

Strike Force Arastos: Know No Fear (+2 XP per passed Morale test)

Aeldari Saim-Hann Agenda: Survivor (+ 4 XP to survive battle, 2 XP if 1/2 wounds or less)

Warzone Octarius: Pankallis Assault - Phase 1 Stage 1: Battle 5

Cadre Fireblade Sul'an scanned the incoming data feed as the info flashed up on the heads up display inside his helmet. A new force had been discovered, and it was moving on an intercept vector with his Hunter Cadre. Aeldari. What were they doing in this system? Where had they come from so suddenly, as if they could spring out of the very ether wherever they chose. Regardless, this system would be the initial stronghold of the T'au in this sub-sector. The Ethereals had declared that the Lok'tok system would be taken. For the Greater Good. 

Battle Size: Combat Patrol

Mission: Sweep and Clear

Mission Victor Bonus: 2 units can be Marked for Greatness

T'au Sept Agenda: Outflank and Encircle (+1 XP per unit in opponent deployment zone, max 3)

Aeldari Saim-Hann Agenda: Priority Target (+2 XP per vehicle killed)

Warzone Octarius: Pankallis Assault - Phase 1 Stage 1: Battle 4

 A sudden withdrawl of Hive Fleet Kraken lessened the pressure momentarily on the Imperial Fists 1st and 3rd Company detachements defending the Pankallis System. But a new threat emerged shortly after the Tyranid withdrawl, a T'au Exploratory and Colonization Fleet entered the system.

Thanks to the T'au Crusade rules, we now know a lot more about the Pankallis System, which the T'au call the Lok'tok System. It is ruled by a Dictatorship (The Imperium of Man). It is comprised of 5 planets. Lok, the core planet, is an Agri-World. Mak is a Civilian World. Kam is a Militarized World. Alat is another Civilian World. And finally Alath'yaras is orbited by a Fleet Installation.

There might be some difficulty reconciling the T'au Crusade rules with the overall Warzone Octarius Pankallis Assault rules, but we'll see how things play out and deal with problems as they arise.

As a first probing move, the leader of this leading element, Shas'vre T'au Sul'an Zol Resk, leads a small detachment to clear out a suitable landing zone and establish an initial beach head.

Battle Size: Combat Patrol

Mission: Sweep and Clear

Mission Victor Bonus: 2 units can be Marked for Greatness

T'au Sept Agenda: Protect the Leadership - +D3 Diplomat points if 1 Leader survives, +3 if both.

Imperial Fists Agenda: Know No Fear - +2 XP for each tally the unit passes Morale tests.

**Note** The Armour of Contempt, and all other rules from the April 2022 Balance Dataslate are in effect.

Warzone Octarius: Pankallis Assault - Phase 1 Stage 1: Battle 3

Captain Arastos, still recovering from the wounds received in his last engagement, is dispatching Terminator Chaplain Lexandro Aximov and Terminator Assault Squad Thanatos to engage and destroy the Ork menace. Equipped with Tactical Dreadnought Armour, and outfitted to take an Ork charge head on, these heroes, while heavily outnumbered, can deal death in close combat like few others are capable of. 

Battle Size: Combat Patrol

Mission: Sweep and Clear

Campaign Victor Bonus: Strategic Gambit

Mission Victor Bonus: 2 units can be Marked for Greatness

Goffs Agenda: Krumpin' Spree - +2 XP per Character/Monster/Vehicle kill

Fists Agenda: Know No Fear - +2 XP for each tally the unit passes Morale tests.

Warzone Octarius: Pankallis Assault - Phase 1 Stage 1: Battle 2

 In the second battle, the Broodlord (do Tyranids give names to their heroes?) who has been hiding for decades as he (it?) slowly turns the population of Pankallis against the Emperor, finally leads his Genestealer shock troops in overt action against the citizens of the Imperium. Unfortunately for them, they run straight into a patrol of Imperial Fists, who, having extensive experience dealing with Xenos, were aware of some kind of nefarious power turning the people against the Imperium and searching for it, for eradication. 

Battle Size: Combat Patrol

Mission: Sweep and Clear

Mission Victor Bonus: 2 units can be Marked for Greatness

Kraken Agenda: Consume Biomass (+3 XP for each unit alive if the enemy is wiped out)

Fists Agenda: Angels of Death (+3 XP for each unit alive if the enemy is wiped out)

Warzone Octarius: Pankallis Assault - Phase 1 Stage 1: Battle 1

 Captain Darsway, of the Imperial Fists, readies his men to hold the line against the Goff menace of Warboss Bonekleava in this first clash in the Octarius warzone. 

In the outskirts of the city, an Ork lander (a rok) has smashed its way to the planet surface. Determined to cleanse the xenos filth before it can get a toehold in the city, Strike Force Darsway searches for the enemy.

Battle Size: Combat Patrol

Mission: Sweep and Clear

Mission Victor Bonus: 2 units can be Marked for Greatness

Goff Agenda: Krumpin' Spree (+2 XP per Character/Monster/Vehicle killed by Bonekleava)

Fists Agenda: Angels of Death (+3 XP for each unit alive if the enemy is wiped out)

The Battle for Warzone Octarius is about to commence.

 After my break from hobby blogging, I thought I would be getting back into a more competitive mindset.

Nope.

It seems that with the completion of painting Ghaz, the Narrative bug has struck again! Not that I can use him in Crusade games. Damn!

Anyway, I've gotten Warzone Octarius into my hands, and decided a 3 stage invasion of the Octarius sector by the Orks and Tyranids was in order, with various Imperial forces as defenders.

So here's the setup. Orks and Tyranids and Tau are the Attacking Alliance, but they are not friendly to each other.

The Defending Alliance will be two different forces of Imperial Fists, since unfortunately my Krieg force is nowhere near table top ready.

Here's the layout of Stage 1.

So that's what's on the near horizon. We'll see how long the Crusade bug lasts. It might depend on how much extra work and record keeping the additional campaign rules invoke.

As you can see above, we are starting small, and working our way up, in terms of Power Level. Let the Heroes have a chance to truly shine before the forces start to get too big for their heroics to matter as much.

That's it for now. Until next time, happy gaming!