Operation: Retrieval - Santorini (Industrial Zone)

Points: 1000.

Mission: Data Drip.

With Nivis Prime Mining Conglomerate having been taken over by the loyalist Rift Wardens, other nervous consortiums became very nervous. They made contact with a war band of renegade Blood Angels, and in exchange for regular Cryo-Stallite payments. they requested that the Blood Angels protect their holdings. This led to an engagement in the Industrial Zone, as the Rift Wardens and the renegade space marines went looking for data collection units.

The Blood Angels had the upper hand in the initial clashes. Librarian Quirion took his main forces and began their advance on the ruined structure that housed the data cores, but were beaten back twice by Blood Angel resistance. They eventually broke through, cutting down many enemy marines in close quarters combat in the streets. The Blood Angels commander, a librarian in gravis armour, pulled his remaining battle brothers back to regroup.

The Rift Wardens quickly took the now deserted area and awaited reinforcements. However, even with eradicator squads scouring the adjacent sectors, they made slow progress against enemy strongpoints and casualties were soon mounting. Quirion's forces were ambushed in the alleyways and although they fought their way clear, the loyalists took casualties. The Blood Angels then launched an attack directly against the Rift Wardens, supported by dreadnoughts. The Rift Wardens held out for the night until the anti-tank units could be brought in to engage them.

The Blood Angels librarian knew how important this skirmish was and drew up plans to push the loyalists out of the zone completely and allow his own techmarine's to recover the data. However, Librarian Quirion's tactical mind was superior and under his guidance, the Rift Wardens counter attacked and stalled the Blood Angels operations.

This was the crucial moment in the night's engagement. It allowed the Rift Warden scouts the opportunity to access the data cores and retrieve as much as they could safely get and then detonate the remaining devices, leaving the Blood Angels empty handed.

Blood On The Streets - Dirkden Hivesprawl

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Opposing Forces.

Primary Objective: Duel.

This skirmish was a week of significant street battles in Dirkden that marked the beginning of the fall of Dirkden. Six months after the Vigilus crusade started, the cult members were now ready to overthrow their Imperial oppressor's. 

The Rift Wardens and the remaining Astra Militarum joined the battle, but once the cult assaulted the Imperial command bunkers through the sewers and supply runnels, the loyalist resistance soon fell apart. Chapter Master Arthurus ordered an evacuation of the hive, deeming it presently lost to the Emperor's Grace.

The Fall of Mortwald - Mortwald

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Relic Hunt.

The Fall of Mortwald is described in Imperial Records as a series of engagements around the hive city which ultimately led to the Imperial defenders abandoning the city. The Rift Wardens sought to evacuate as many Astra Militarum as they could while taking any available munitions and supplies as could be carried. Ultimately, the Death Guard forces present proved too strong and the space marines abandoned their human allies to an horrific end at the tentacles and plagues of Grandfarther Nurgle. 

Initial Assault - Calypsos

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Ground War.

Primary Objective: King of the Hill.

Calypsos, a fallen hive world within the Osirian Triangle. The planet fell to chaos forces a decade ago and as lain abandoned ever since. Recently rogue trader vessels passing the system have detected ramshackle ships in orbit and numerous shuttle craft ascending and descending from the surface. The Rift Wardens have been reassigned from their patrol routes to investigate. What they found was a hive of gretchin ships stripping the planet for anything valuable

 The space marine flotilla engaged and destroyed most of the gretchin ships with ease. A few escaping into a nearby asteroid field. A task force of battle brothers under the command of chaplain Leonidis descended by drop pod into the heart of the gretchin activity. The orbiting ships then commenced an orbital bombardment of the gretchin held sites.

The main reason for this was to assist the battle brothers deployed against the gretchin forces present, and to shock the enemy into submission. If the enemy sustained multiple casualties then that was a purging of the xenos.

Ultimately, the attack did little against the sheer number of gretchin present in the vicinity as there was always more to replace any losses. However, Leonidis' attack did pave the way for further space marine landings and a purge of the alien menance.

Dawn Of War - Santorini (The Barrens)

Points: 1000.

Mission: Strut Your Stuff.

The desert planet of Santorini is a fringe world of the Imperium. Governed by outdated corporations who owned the legitimate planetary governor through money, bribes, and threats. Santorini has one mega hive built into the slopes of a long dead volcano along the equatorial deserts. Mining gangs and Mechanicus cults mine this vast peak and the lava tubes below for rare and exotic minerals and compounds. The largest corporation is the Nivis Mining Consortium and Inquisitorial concerns had drawn them to call upon the Rift Wardens to seize control of the company and the planet fully for the Imperium.

A small force, designated Task Force Tantalus, led by librarian Quirion was dispatched by drop pod to initiate a tactical and literal hostile take over. The drop pod smashed through the plexiglass canopy of the boardroom and the space marines opened fire on any who attempted to flee or put up a fight. Within minutes the site was secured. But it was not to last.  Aerial patrols over the outer barrens, the last inhabitable zone before the desert reclaimed the original settlement, detected Death Guard forces moving through the streets. Quirion left a skeleton force and relocated his marines to engage these unexpected enemies. It soon became obvious that the plague marines target was a water supply station and that they sought to contaminate the hives drinking water.

The water supply station came under swift attack. Quirion made contact with the orbiting strike cruiser requesting reinforcements as hostile forces had been uncovered. Those incoming forces were turned back by flights of Heldrakes that burst forth from the warp in low orbit. Without these immediate reinforcements, Quirion's marines were on their own and low on munitions.

Quirion dispatched scouts to capture and hold the water supply station but they ultimately failed. The Death Guard, supported by a horde of plague zombies managed to reach the site following the deaths of the scouts.

Task Force Tantalus, although determined, struggled to withstand the enemy assault due to limited forces and supplies. The Death Guard were able to cut off escape routes and effectively isolate the area from easy evacuation. Intense close quarter fighting and the supernatural resilience of the enemy, eroded the space marine operation. However, the losses inflicted by the Rift Wardens was enough to just about prevent the Death Guard from being successful. Without the means to adequately contaminate the hive's water supply, they fell back into the Barrens. Task Force Tantalus had little option but to fall back as well.

Resurgence - Dirkden Hivesprawl

 

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Opposing Forces.

Primary Objective: Duel.

At dawn just days after the evacuation of Direkden Hivesprawl, in the shadowy hours before the sun arose, the Genestealer Cult attacked the last force of Imperial defenders along the outer wall. The Cult attacked with thousands of cultists armed with a variety of a small arms and machine guns, a couple fast moving buggies. The defenders were a handful of Rift Warden squads and a lone Knight..

Initially the attack was repulsed with heavy losses. One by one the Cult's vehicles were destroyed or rendered immobile. The Cult regrouped and attacked again later that morning. This time, the Cult attacked in multiple locations, wearing down the space marine resistance, cutting through the defences and engaging the Rift Wardens in close combat offensives. With such few forces left, the Rift Wardens found their position untenable and the survivours were evacuated, finally leaving the Hive in the hands of the cult.

Purge The Streets - Dharrovar

 

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Opposing Forces.

Primary Objective: Domination.

The Rift Wardens forces for this brief engagement were formed from surviving squads of previous battles brought together rapidly by chaplain Camelair the day before. This was a sudden and unplanned attack, as the majority of the Rift Warden forces were engaged elsewhere against enemy positions. At the last minute, he was joined a pair of knights who offered their support.

The first fight took place in the streets and transit roads leading out of the Gothos religious center. The incoming convoy of Astra Militarum found themselves ambushed as the loyalist forces poured fire into the oncoming transports. The guardsmen quickly took to the field, but unaware of the exact space marine forces opposing them, their counter-attack halted as they waited for orders. But the shock and awe of the surprise attack stymied the commanders reactions.

This hesitation was fatal, however. With the knight reinforcements gunning down large numbers of guardsmen. When the Militarum commander finally took to the field with a rousing speech, they were able to launch a counterattack and did gain some strategic positions back.

Eventually, the situation resulted in a heavy bogged down firefight, but it was obvious that the space marines were in the better position, The Militarum commander continued to really his men and women but soon, he had no choice but to withdraw for now.

Assault on Corinth City - Corinthia

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Disordered.

Primary Objective: King of the Hill.

In the days after Operation Stormstrike failed, Arthrurus finally committed his entire chapter to an assault against the Tau lines. The Rift Wardens swiftly made contact with the enemy. This advance included an outflanking maneuver around the battle grid to the north of the twin cities through the grass wastes. They captured outlaying fire bases providing some protection from the north. 

The battle between the Rift Wardens and the Tau took over two weeks with much of the fighting taking place over the same recent firefights. The Tau leadership fortified itself within Corinth City, and protecting themselves with troop reinforcements from orbit.

A couple days later, the Rift Wardens attacked all along the edges of Corinthi City. Pushing the Tau back, the space marines fought their way up into the outer districts, where every defensive point had to be stormed against entrenchments and withering fire.

After a month, the outer districts were in the space marine handsm but once the enveloping movement against the Tau left flank failed, the battle descended to a typical head to head confrontation of infantry, battle suits and knights. Arthurus launched his main attack into the center of the TAu lines, and was initially successful in pushing them back. For the Rift Wardens, this was the peak of their achievement in the battle.

For days during this battle, ammunition failed to reach the front because of successful harassment of the space marine fire bases and raids by Tau aircraft intercepting the supply shuttles. The entire chapter had been deployed but fresh firewarriors and battle suits were arriving daily from the orbiting Tau ships. All of this ended the initial success of the space marine attack. 

The situation became so desperate for the previously successful space marines that Arthurus was reluctantly forced to recall the surviving marines back to almost their original position. Cursing the alien, he began to plot a new strategy to take the twin cities back.

The Second Battle of New Horizon - Dontoria Hivesprawl

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Ground War.

Primary Objective: Breakthrough.

On the eve of the battle, the Rift Wardens that remained occupied a single district of New Horizon. These were mainly basic battle brothers with a handful of scout units scattered about as advance warning. In addition, a handful of allied Knights provided backup. All of this was under the command of Chaplain Ramius.

Five days after the first battle, the Rift Wardens were attacked by hordes of plague zombies supported by pestilent daemon engines. With ammunition low and the scout forces overrun, Ramius decided a withdrawal back towards the hivesprawl's outer walls would provide a tactical defence line. Ramius dispatched back to Arthurus in the capitol his intentions and requested extraction at the first opportunity. By mid-morning, the space marines were marching from their position to the outer walls. But a lack of supplies and constant hounding by plague drones, forced the usually disciplined space marines into a disorganised rout, with squads splitting up to avoid concentrated enemy fire. During this time, the Death Guard pushed thousands of plague zombies - former civilians, astra militarum and arbites - into a relentless pursuit. Any who stood to fight were pulled down and devoured by the flesh eating undead. Only Ramius' forces, with one Knight for fire support, kept formation and was able to conduct a fighting retreat although they suffered heavy casualties..

At this point, the overrun and decimated Rift Warden forces in Dontoria crumbled. After the battle, the Death Guard had captured the entire hivesprawl. Any survivours were struck down by plague and reanimated as zombies. One hivesprawl had fallen to enemy forces within the first few months of the war.

The First Battle of New Horizon - Dontoria Hivesprawl

 

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Disordered.

Primary Objective: Seize Ground.

After a series of consistent victories in Dontoria, Typhus decided to make a new offensive to capture the northern most corners of the hive, a region known as New Horizon. Typhus dispatched one of his foul sorcerers to lead the fight and ensure victory.

The Death Guard managed to break through the Rift Warden resistance and occupied the first districts, together with controlling the transit tubes that linked New Horizon to the rest of Dontoria.

The Rift Wardens despite their defeat managed to avoid encirclement and made a strategic retreat, covered by a maniple of Imperial Knights, towards the eastern edge of New Horizon. During this battle, Typhus' sorcerer was slain by the Rift Wardens as he crawled out of his blasted Rhino APC.

The Death Guard captains debated now, the future of this campaign. These commanders, impressed by their victories so far, failed to consider the strategic situation that did favour the space marines. Instead they talked themselves into a risky decision to pursue an engagement with the Rift Wardens on their last line of defence, close to the Ankara Gate. Only a few dissenting voices were raised but their protests were ignored.

After that brief delay, that gave the space marines and their Knightly allies adequate time to prepare a defence, the Death Guard marched on their position.