Defend The Shrine - Hyperia Hivesprawl

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Crossfire.

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

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Attrition, Defend The Shrine and Slay The Warlord.

The battle of the Bloody Rose was a significant engagement between the Rift Wardens and the Adepta Sororitas during the Vigilus Crusade. 

Having escaped the ambush set by the Sisters of Battle just hours earlier, Arthurus, chapter master of the Rift Wardens, led his battle brothers to attack and capture a shrine devoted to the Order of the Bloody Rose. The Sororitas requested parley but Arthurus refused to surrender to them, countering that his chapter has done no wrong and that the sisters would pay for their aggression. The sisters of the Bloody Rose were left with no choice but to assault their own shrine, recapturing it from the Rift Wardens. Arthurus escaped swearing righteous vengeance against the sisters.

Turn of the Tide - Corinthia

Points: 1000.

Mission: Crossfire.

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

The battle of Corinth Starport was a small engagement that saw lieutenant Aurelius become a legend among the honours of the Rift Wardens chapter. 

The Tau arrived at Cortinth in a high flying manta aircraft and invaded the city without encountering any serious opposition from the local defence forces. The Rift Wardens forces within the city were led by lieutenant Aurelius and under his command, he organised his battle brothers to lead the defence of the space port.

In the first week of fighting, the Tau captured and overtook the Heingeist district close to the main space port landing site. They busied themselves digging trenches and preparing fortifications while they waited for further reinforcement.

The Tau commander foresaw that the space marines present would jeopardize the Tau position. As such, he ordered the troops under his command to attack the Imperial positions as soon as possible to prevent the space marines from attacking the Tau command positions. At the same time, the Aurelius led his battle brothers to attack the Tau in the very fashion that the enemy commander feared. The Rift Wardens used the cover of night to advance, and just before dawn they attacked. The Tau were surprised and responded in a disorganized fashion without the benefit of any heavy weapons. The Tau were defeated in under two hours and the space port was returned to Imperial control.

Although Aurelius was gravely wounded, he survived and was honoured by the chapter for his daring. 

Battle of Outpost Alpha-Zin - Paragon Secundus

 Points: 1000.

Mission: Shifting Front.

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

In response to the previous engagement, Chapter Master Arthurus led a small force to Outpost Alpha-Zin, a forward firebase used by the Ultramarines during the original war against the Death Guard and still occupied by a small force of the Ultramarines. It was chosen as a target simply to drive home the point that the Ultramarines were in the wrong by their actions and that the Rift Wardens were in a superior position. Arthurus hoped that with this action the Ultramarines would back down.

Arthurus force carried out a frontal attack under fire from Ultramarines dreadnoughts and gladiator tanks, countered by the Rift Warden's own dreadnoughts. The Ultramarine defenders, led by the phobos librarian commander, attempted some counterattacks, but these were repelled. The Ultramarines, threatened by the overwhelming attack, started to withdraw, abandoning the site. The Rift Wardens then occupied the outpost. During the next day, Rift Warden patrols mopped up the surrounding area, bringing down any Ultramarines discovered.

Webway Incursion - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 1000.

Mission: Divide and Conquer.

Secondary Objectives: Domination, Lines of Demarcation, and Oaths of Moment.

When an Aeldari structure was discovered in the frozen wastes of the North was discovered by an Imperial Navy flyover, the Rift Wardens were assigned to guard the site until a team of Mechanicum xenologists arrived to examine it. After several hours on guard duty, the structure activated a webway portal, releasing a strike team of Aeldari warriors.

The Rift Wardens rallied to the defence but were outgunned by the grav tanks and jetbikes swarming the site. Chaplain Lucastus took charge of the situation and attempted to take the fight to the invading enemy. The Aeldari attackers proved too strong and the Rift Wardens were decimated to a man. No survivors and no prisoners. 

Massacre at Mining Station 715 - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1500.

Mission: Forward Push.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Forward Push and Oaths of Moment.

In retaliation for the loss of their battle brothers just days before, a strike team was assembled and sent into Mining Station 715 to slaughter the Genestealer Cultists hold up within. In the days since the initial takeover, local authorities had lost control of the region and it was a vital gesture that the Rift Wardens reclaim the site.

When no word returned of the strike team, a third was dispatched and found the colony a site of brutal slaughter. The bodies of the slain marines were everywhere. Their bodies desecrated and defiled. Of the cultists there was no sign. Despite it's value to the Imperial war effort, the decision was made to recover the bodies of the fallen and destroy the mining station with explosive charges.

The chapter kept these defeats a secret and blamed the destruction of the colony on the xenos.