Battle of Sector 14 - Hesperous Prime

Power Level: 30.

Mission: Assassinate.

Agendas: Kingslayer.

While the Rift Wardens fought for survival in Sector 12 of Hesperous City, Librarian Ramirez was tasked with tracking down the Dark Angels command in the neighbouring sector. Taking a small contingent of marines with him, he hunted down the Dark Angels captain in the narrow confines of the city.

Ramirez' forces threaded their way through the ruined city from the west, while Aurthurus' forces fought the main battle way behind him.  Ramirez' forces encountered the Dark Angels forward fire base with ease and launched a sudden attack which initially took the enemy by surprise.

Unfortunately the battle was far too brief, as the two forces locked into combat in the sprawling alleyways. Within minutes, before they could even get close to the enemy captain, Ramirez had been slain and his battle brothers with him. The Rift Wardens had lost a hero for no gain in the war.

Battle for Sector 12 - Hesperous Prime

 

Power Level: 30.

Mission: Sweep and Clear.

Agendas: Reaper.

Following the previous betrayal by the Dark Angels, the Rift Wardens had fallen back to regroup and organise a counter attack. The initial plan was to perform a sweep and clear of the surrounding sectors to ensure that the enemy were contained away from the chapter's base camp. The detachment assigned to Sector 12 was the first to encounter the Dark Angel advance.

The engagement opened with the Dark Angels attacking from the cover of ruined habitat complexes, catching the Rift Wardens in a perfectly executed pincer attack. Reports came in that the enemy were attacking other scout patrols. 

By midday the battle for Sector 12 was largely static, with both forces hunkered down and trading bolter fire at a distance. The Dark Angels attack had made advances but they suffered heavy casualties doing so. Chapter Master Arthurus arrived to bolster his battle brothers and sent a team led by Librarian Ramirez forward to strike a blow against the Dark Angel command forces. Arthurus arrival helped but the Rift Wardens had taken severe causalities and Arthurus was forced reluctantly to withdraw his forces, leaving only a small group to cover their retreat.

The Dark Angels captain ordered his troops to pursue and destroy with extreme aggression. The Rift Wardens retreat was blocked by fallen masonry and they were forced to try and find other routes back to their command base. The Dark Angel pursuit was hampered by stiff resistance and heavy fire from the Rift Wardens honoured dreadnoughts, resulting in more casualties.

After heavy fighting the Dark Angels succeeded in pushing into assault range, causing the Rift Wardens lines to collapse and their left flank partially cut off from reinforcement. At the same point, further tactical squads arrived from Sector 13, enabling the Dark Angels to encircle the surviving Rift Wardens.

All but encircled and with no hope for victory, Arthurus gave the order to retreat. The Rift Wardens withdrawal was complicated by the sheer number of enemy marines in their path, and soon it turned into an organised rout. 

Purge The Heretics - Otek Hivesprawl

Points: 2000.

Mission: Retrieval Mission.

Secondary: Engage on All Fronts, Oaths of Moment and Slay The Warlord.

In response to their previous defeat, Arthurus issued orders to his battle brothers to attack the genestealer cult forces in a manoeuvre to outflank their vanguard and drive them back into the tunnels before further reinforcements could arrive. However, due to cult sabotage some companies were blocked from arriving in time. 

The battle began with an attack on a fortified stronghold of the cult leaders. The battle was swift and decisive but the Rift Wardens took severe casualties. Outrider squads intended to surround the enemy found their routes mined or blocked, and were forced to find other, more lengthy routes to get to their intended way points. A number of intercessor squads were lured away by the sudden arrival of cultists from storm drains and service hatches. These diversions soon forced the space marines to pull back

By the next morning, the Rift Wardens forces had been split up by the cult diversions and with further reinforcements, the chapter was at a severe disadvantage. Even so, Arthurus insisted that they continue the offensive. Even his lieutenants and captains could not sway him from this course of action.

Over the next two days, the Rift Wardens were able to secure forward territory for the Astra Militarum forces behind them but it cost the chapter dearly in manpower and equipment. A pyrrhic victory at best. 

Brother vs Brother - Iago

Points: 2000.

Mission: No Man's Land.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Oaths of Moment and Secure No Man's Land.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts, and Secure No Man's Land.

For several weeks the Rift Wardens have been fighting alongside their brothers, the Crimson Fists, against the greenskin menace occupying the Iago system. A hard fought engagement that finally saw the Emperor's finest seizure these vital worlds back from the enemy although at great cost. Unfortunately events took a downturn at the end of the crusade when the two chapters came to blows over the treatment of the surviving Imperial citizens.

The situation took a turn when the last surviving orks took refuge in an overpopulated settlement. Rather than use scouts and eliminators to remove the last remnants of the ork threat, the Rift Wardens charged in. They killed orks and Imperial citizens alike in their crusade to eradicate the greenskins. In retaliation for the slaughter, Pedro Kantor led his battle brothers against the Rift Wardens.

As the Rift Wardens scoured the area of their last battle for signs of any remaining orks, the Crimson Fists dropped an ambush upon them. Drop pods fell from the skies and stormtalons roared in across the wastelands. The Rift Wardens weathered a storm of bolter fire that halted their search. They held their ground and returned fire, enraged that their fellow battle brothers would turn on them.

The element of surprise worked in the Crimson Fist's favour ultimately and they were able to deal a fatal blow the Rift Wardens present. Word had reached the Rift Wardens command though and chapter master Arthurus vowed revenge upon Kantor!