Into the Plague City - Mortwald

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Anomalous Readings.

Secondary Objectives: Oaths of Moment, Shock Tactics, and Slay The Warlord.

In an attempt to defeat the Death Guard forces currently encamped in the Mortwald hive city, captain Lorgraine lead a company of Rift Wardens into the city and the enemy positions. The Death Guard had the possession of high ground and some artillery. Rather than joining his forces with the surviving planetary defence forces, Lorgraine ordered two thirds of his forces to accompany them, while he led a smaller force to envelop the Death Guard along their right flank. Although the Death Guard detected their presence, Typhus decided to deal with this threat himself and took a couple plague marine squads to counter Lorgraine's manoeuvre. 

The battle began with artillery engagement as a basilisk detachment in the wastelands opened fire on the Death Guard positions. Plague mortars attempted to return fire but were way too inaccurate in the close city confines to adequately target either the oncoming space marines nor the basilisk detachments. The Imperial artillery had a significant effect on the battle, causing a great many casualties among the enemy.

As the Rift Wardens and their PDF allies reached the Death Guard lines, a skirmish commenced between the two forces. Typhus confident in his abilities ignored the main battle in favour of engaging captain Lorgraine. It was a costly mistake.

The battle continued late into the night and it was as dawn began to rise over the wastelands, Lorgraine called in his reinforcements. Typhus was so intent on his flank that he failed to dispatch orders to his commanders on the main line and despite inflicting heavy causalities on the Astra Militarum forces, the Death Guard were left disorganised and forced to retreat deeper into the hive. Lorgraine engaged Typhus in an impressive melee but he was felled by the Traveller, and had to be dragged to the apothecary before the effects of Nurgle's Rot could take hold. In retaliation Typhus was grievously wounded by a dreadnought and forced to retreat himself.

With this battle, the Astra Militarum were able to set up defences while the Rift Wardens prepared to hunt down the plague forces hold up within Mortwald's core.