Hunt The Traitor - Corinthia

Points: 2000.

Mission: Custom / Narrative.

Inquisitor Rosalyn Rosarius of the Ordo Xenos approached Arthurus and informed him that she had learned who was responsible for the Tau invasion. Planetary governor Argustus Bale had spent years reaching out to the Empire and syphoning resources off them as overtures to Corinthia joining them. Rosalyn had come to understand that the Empire was preparing to evacuate Bale and she knew where the meeting was going to take place. While the majority of the Rift Wardens chapter engaged the Tau forces, Rosalyn with Master of Sanctity Mordred would take a strike force to the meeting point and capture the traitor.

The battle against the Tau began with the bulk of the Rift Wardens conducting holding attacks while the strike force advanced towards the meeting point. The Tau rushed forth to form a bulwark against the space marines. Supply lines were implemented to provide a constant supply of ammunition to the space marines. A smaller force attacked on the right flank to the south, to draw some fire from the main spearhead.

By dawn of the next day, the battlefield was blanketed by thick smoke from multiple fires and burning wreckage. By nightfall, the strike team had been successful. The Tau ethereal had been slain and the traitor captured. With the loss of their leader, the Tau began to suffer from low morale. The Rift Wardens were able to push forwards and capture a wide swath of territory. Advances to the south began to push the Tau army into a tight pincer, surrounded on two sides by the champions of the Emperor. Artillery fire from whirlwinds, predators and repulsor tanks punished the weakened Tau lines. The alien forces attempted to rally but it was too late and under extreme firepower, the Tau fell to a man.

The Tau presence in the area had been destroyed and the traitor captured. Today was a good day for the Rift Wardens, Mordred's name would go down in the history of the chapter for his deeds this day. Meanwhile, Inquisitor Rosarius took the traitorous governor away but pleased with the chapter's actions this day, promised to return to them in the future.

Battle of Hindelgeist Highway - Dharrovar

Points: 1000.

Mission: Desperate Raid.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Grind Them Down and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Boots On The Ground, By Lasgun And Bayonet, and Inflexible Command.

The battle of Hindelgeist was an Imperial advance bolstered by the Rift Wardens. While the main force approached the main city gates, the Rift Wardens split to approach from the left flank. The small city of Hindelgeist was defended by a veteran Militarum force that had sided with the traitorous King Kaligius. The day had been cloudy and blanketed by thick clouds of smoke. Attempts to reconnoitre the Imperial positions during the afternoon had not observed any troop movements. It was only when the defenders intercepted transmissions that they knew that they were under attack. The defenders made the decision to attack first and although early progress it began to buckle with the arrival of the Rift Wardens who attacked unseen out of the smoky battlefield. That flank, although badly organised and poorly supported, were able to repel the initial space marine attack.

Further north, Arthurus' assault was pushed back and by nightfall the battle brothers under his command were dug in makeshift trenches along the western highway. The Militarum defenders closed the cap with reinforcements from within the city proper. The next day saw the defenders counter-attack as the battle intensified. More and more guardsmen and tanks poured from the gates to assault the Rift Wardens position. The space marines killed hundreds of guardsmen but more continued to attack. Eventually the Rift Wardens position became untenable and Arthurus ordered a retreat to regroup.

Assault The Hive - Talos

Points: 1000.

Mission: Deliverance.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Grind Them Down and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Grind Them Down and Raise The Banners High.

A decision was made to launch an attack upon a spawning hive close to the main battle lines. The plan being to destroy the Tyranids easiest method of reinforcing their ground troops. The Rift Wardens launched the attack swiftly and efficiently, but despite causing many casualties, the Tyranids held the site against them. Imperial command made it very clear to the chapter that taking out this side was of paramount importance.

Two days later the Rift Wardens attacked again and this time they overran the outer defences. Their objective was at hand! They captured and incinerated several of the outer spawning sites whilst fending off repeated counter-attacks.

The Rift Wardens established a small bridgehead despite the sheer number of bio-organisms arrayed against them. The Tyranids managing to keep the attacking space marines from the centre of their hive. The Hive Mind planned to divert attacking organisms from the front lines to bolster the defence, which would trap the space marines between them, or at least abandon their activities. 

The Rift Warden pressure on the Tyranids was so great that the Hive Mind was forced to pull more and more of it's bio-organisms from the front lines. A steadily increasing number of bio-organisms, ranging from gaunts up to monstrous creatures descended upon the Rift Wardens. With a such a force threatening to contain and overrun them, the Rift Wardens fell back to the Imperial lines. Although the mission had not gone to plan, the damage had been done and the front lines were able to breath a sigh of relief for a short time.

Battle of the Vestigia River - Grendel

Points: 1000.

Mission: Rise Of The Machine Spirit.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Assassination, and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Psychic Interrogation.

The Rift Wardens reached the Vestigia River as they pursued the Grey Knights they defeated earlier that day. The Grey Knights had a handful of firebases on the west bank which were fully occupied. Even so these were excellent targets for the long range space marine firepower. Castellan Crowe, commander of the Grey Knights present, sent forth his troops to attack the Rift Wardens left flank. Due to intercepted Grey Knight communications, the Rift Wardens were prepared for this attack. As the Rift Wardens approached, the Grey Knights charged from their positions along the river's edge. 

It now became the intention of Arthurus and his captains to try and tie down as much of the Grey Knight strength as possible. He ordered the third and fourth "companies" to cross the river but after two days they had failed to breach even the banks as the Grey Knights fought back hard. Unlike their previous encounter, this time the Grey Knights poured their hatred into their psychic attacks slaying many battle brothers. From the enemy fortifications on the far side of the river, massed bolter fire continued to poor into the space marines.

Arthurus was forced to sent more intercessors to reinforce those battle brothers trying to cross the river. The Grey Knights however, had the advantage and cut down many before they could achieve their objective. After two days of heavy fighting the Grey Knights gave up their fire bases and crossed to engage the Rift Wardens in brutal close combat. Arthurus was requested by his captains to withdraw to the southwest and regroup but by the time he agreed, Castellan Crowe with Grey Knight reinforcements had cut him off from the south. Arthurus ordered a retreat back to their base of operations. Crowe ordered the Grey Knights to pursue.

Soon the Rift Wardens found themselves under assault and by a force too powerful to dislodge. Piecemeal they had to fall back. Arthurus planned to try and ambush the enemy closer to their base of operations where the chapter had the numbers. However, those reinforcements were unable to successfully execute such a manoeuvre due to enemy numbers. The Grey Knights had enough battle brothers at their disposal to drive them back but for now not to assault the Rift Wardens base of operations.

The initial victory had been undone all too easily.

Siege of Fortress Delta - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1000.

Mission: Reconnaissance Mission.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Nourished By Terror and Reality Rebels.

The siege of Fortress Delta was an engagement between the Rift Wardens and a host of Slaaneshi daemons around an ancient fortress. Daemons led by the infamous Shelaxi besieged a garrison of space marines. Fortress Delta was ringed by a serious of minor fortifications but these had fallen to the daemonic attackers in the days before this battle.

The daemonic attack began with their hordes attacking the surrounding fortifications. Fortress 1 was almost immediately overrun, Fort 2 was destroyed by the arrival of Shelaxi and a attendant host of greater daemons and the others captured by daemonettes. A counter-attack failed and the Rift Wardens withdrew to the more easily defenders Fortress Delta. Arthurus ordered a number of battle brothers to withdraw to Hyperia Hivesprawl to alert them to the growing daemonic presence in the wastelands.

The daemons then concentrated their attacks upon the Rift Wardens, casting their psychic might into the very walls of the redoubt. Many went mad and had to be put down by their battle brothers. At this time there was no attempt by the daemons to breach the walls and neither did they pursue the withdrawing squads.

By the third day ammunition was running low and Arthurus prepared the marines present to repel any attackers in close combat. On the next day Shelaxi and the other keepers of secrets began to attack the gates of the fortress. The Rift Wardens had prepared defensible barricades at the entrance, and were able to bog the attackers down in a confined position. Eventually daemonic attacks forced the Rift Wardens back giving them access to the courtyard.

At dawn on the fifth day, a sizeable host of Slaaneshi daemons manifested from the Warp beyond the walls and came under fire from the battle brothers on the battlements. For a short time, these Intercessors were able to hold them bac but the continued flow of daemonic assailants became too much to stop. Arthurus decided that the Rift Wardens must continue to defend the fortress, containing the enemy until reinforcements or evacuation transports arrived. For a short time the courtyard was recaptured but again were again forced to withdrew into the central keep under sheer weight of numbers.

Further north, daemons engaged the reinforcements dispatched to bolster the beleaguered space marines. With those troops bogged down in brutal fighting, the much needed reinforcements failed to arrive. Likewise, this blocked any escape route north to Hyperia Hivesprawl and offered nothing but a swift death. Thankfully, when word of this blocked aid reached the command sprawl, a squadron of Ultramarine thunderhawks was dispatched to airlift the survivors out. The chapter was severely bloodied and dishonoured by this engagement.

The Walls of Mortwald - Mortwald

Points: 1500.

Mission: Death And Zeal.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: A Fitting Challenge, Grind Them Down and Ruthless Tyranny.

On this occasion, a force of Chaos Knights arrived at the outer walls of Mortwald in response to the heretic astartes breaching those same walls to occupy parts of the city. Despite a strong Astra Militarum presence who sought to stop them, the Knights breached the walls and proceeded to disperse, occupying multiple city districts, as more of their number were detected on the horizon. With their arrival, the breach in the walls were isolated and vulnerable to attack by the titanic walkers.

The Rift Wardens were hurriedly dispatched to reinforce the beleaguered defenders. Three companies supported by tanks and dreadnoughts entered the battle that now spread through the streets. The Knights immediately turned their attention to the space marines and the savagery of their counter-assault surprised even the space marines.

The defenders began engaging the smaller karnivores that stalked the empty streets when the larger knights appeared from the southwest. As night fell and the great rift became visible in the night sky, fighting intensified with the enemy reinforcements. Enjoying their supremacy over the ground troops they faced, the Chaos Knights struck the flanks of the Rift Wardens, who had lost the capacity of breaking away from the engagement. They did achieve several small victories but the Rift Wardens and the depleted Astra Militarum forces were soon scattered.

By morning, the Chaos Knights attempted a second assault but were forced to retreat after a handful of loyalist knights arrived to bolster the defenders and were able to take down several of the larger enemy walkers. This unexpected aid allowed the Rift Wardens and surviving guardsmen to retreat to safer ground, leaving more of Mortwald in enemy hands.

The Battle of Darkhold Keep - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 400.

Mission: Outriders (Solo Game).

Following their recent successes against the Black Legion, the Rift Warden moved against other enemy holdings in the wastelands. The advance was soon repulsed but the initial conflict was extremely successful. Under Arthurus' leadership, the Rift Wardens overwhelmed the Black Legion forces encountered. The fortress of Darkhold was the only Black Legion position that held out and was soon completely surrounded by the loyalist marines. The Rift Wardens were now in a position to threaten the Black Legion holdings in this part of the wastelands.

Darkhold Keep was protected by multiple trenchworks and miles of razor wire to ward off enemy attacks. Inside the fortress, the Black Legion held a garrison of some two hundred legionnaires and Khornate berserkers. For several days, the Rift Wardens bombarded the trenches and walls with whirlwind artillery strikes. As the death toll increased, the Black Legion marines sought to escape the confines and take the fight to the Imperial dogs!

Arthurus began the siege of the fortress with six companies of his battle brothers. After a brief artillery bombardment, ordered a full-scale assault on the fortress. For three days the Rift Wardens attacked and accomplished nothing at the cost of many fallen battle brothers.

Within a week, the Black Legion armies were pulling out of the area and moving towards Mortwald Hivesprawl. At this time, a second siege of Darkhold began. This time Arthurus decided not to launch any frontal assaults, but instead settled on pounding the fortress to rubble with whirlwinds. For the next few days, the fortress was blasted by ceaseless artillery fire until at last it collapsed killing or entombing the traitor marines forever.

Against The Despoiler - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 400.

Mission: Incisive Attack (Solo Game).

With the arrival of the Vengeful Spirit in the skies above Vigilus, Arthurus' arrogance led him to declare that the Rift Wardens would be the ones to bring low the great despoiler. Gathering around him a small strike force, Arthurus led his battle brothers out into the wastelands on the hunt for the Black Legion.

With the Black Legion making planetfall in the wastelands, Arthurus main military objective was to seize control of one landing site to ensure that at least in one area, the Black Legion would be reduced in numbers. Within two days, Arthurus and his chapter had successfully captured their primary objective.

They had begun by utilising whirlwinds to shell the site prior to launching a direct assault. The small force encountered fire from Black Legionnaires who were entrenched in the ruins and on higher ground. As the engagement progressed, Rift Warden reinforcements arrived from Hyperia Hivesprawl and assistance in the assault. The Black Legion now came under increasing heavy fire and as the day wore on, the Rift Wardens launched a major assault into the survivours and the enemy were finally defeated. The initial campaign against the Black Legion was off to a good start.

Battle of Electros Hive - Mortwald

Points: 1500.

Mission: Data Scry Salvage.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Exalt The Dark Gods, Rise To Glory and Warp Ritual.

When the invading forces of Chaos turned to face the Imperial forces, they held one of the most important locations on Vigilus. Mortwild Hivesprawl was the primary food source for the population on Vigilus. Unless the hive was recovered then the billions would starve to death. A force of Word Bearers settled themselves in the path of the Rift Wardens within a blasted collection of ruins covering an advance where the space marines had little concealment. The Word Bearers commanded a wide field of fire.

Under the cover of dense smoke from burning buildings, most of the Rift Wardens advance force approached the Word Bearers position. Contact was soon established with the enemy, and the Rift Wardens made negligible progress beyond this position. Under the cover of thick smoke, a small force led by Arthurus himself, advanced through narrow streets up to the traitor's position. When the Word Bearers detected their approach, the Rift Wardens were mercilessly raked by massed firepower. The main Rift Wardens force fared little better.

It soon became clear that neither side could budge the other and since neother chose to retreat, the impasse hardened into a stalemate, that would lock the two antagonists into a relatively narrow stretch for the next four weeks. Arthurus ordered his battle brothers to to entrench as much as possible within the ruins. The marines dug in and prepared for a lengthy siege. 

Siege warfare was an unexpected option for the Word Bearers who preferred a more straight forward battle plan, but they adapted quickly. They used powerful daemon engines to unleash a constant stream of firepower into the Rift Wardens location to both hold them in place and to inflict heavy casualties.

The early loss of their dreadnoughts and tanks handicapped the Rift Wardens. Only some relic deimos pattern predators were powerful enough to shell the enemy positions and they proved inferior to the daemon engines. Reinforcements were requested and rushed to their side but for now the two forces were locked into their stalemate.

Battle For Comms Station Zebra - Talos

 

Points: 1500.

Mission: Ascension.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Retrieve Nephilim Data and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Raise The Banners High and Warp Ritual.

The Tyranid advance began along the fringe of a dense rocky canyon towards the Comm Station where the Rift Wardens were bunkered down. The Tyranids avoided any open areas wherever possible to cover their advance. By morning they had penetrated deep into the canyon and with the rocks becoming denser, small scout forces of gaunts were sent forward. They surprised a group of intercessors who were lying in ambush, awaiting the oncoming Tyranids. The skirmish was brief and the space marines slain or forced to flee back towards the comms station.

The hive mind realised that the advance was going to be contested and diverted other bio-organisms from nearby battle zones to bolster the advance in the canyon. The communications tower needed to be destroyed in order to further hinder the Imperial defence on this world. As the Tyranids pushed forward they were once again fired upon by the well concealed space marines, as well by eliminators on higher elevations. As the morning progressed the situation became grave for the Tyranids and they began to take take severe casualties.

The reinforcements arrived a few hours later, and now the Tyranid situation was stabilised. The advance was subsequently resumed but the Tyranids had barely gone more than few hundred yards when they encountered the Rift Wardens defences around the tower. The hive mind directed it's forces in an attempt to outflank the space marines. Despite this, the Tyranid force continued to take heavy casualties.

The Tyranids advanced rapidly and soon the two forces were engaged in brutal hand to hand combat. By sheer luck, the Tyranids had managed to avoid a series of mines and booby traps that had been set up in the canyon, and this would lead to the space marines becoming overwhelmed by the alien horde. Unable to adequately defend the communications tower, the remaining space marines were forced to retreat and regroup. The Tyranids tore down the structure and depriving the Imperial defenders of a vital facility.

Battle of Outpost 12 - Vigilus Wastelands

 Points: 1500.

Mission: The Scouring.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Nourished By Terror, Psychic Interrogation and Reality Rebels.

A week prior to the battle, the Rift Wardens occupied an abandoned fortress on the edges of the great wasteland. Outpost 12 was in a perfect position to monitor any enemy advance towards Hyperia Hivesprawl. In the very early hours the great rift in the night sky seemed to pulse and twist to the eyes of any watching and within seconds, the space marines found their position surrounded by a host of foul daemons. With the element of surprise, the daemons of Slaanesh attacked. The Rift Wardens successfully repulsed the initial attack but in the process exhausted most of their ammunition. 

Another daemonic attack occurred as the sun rose above the distant horizon, this time the foul horrors materialising inside the fortress walls and corridors. The Rift Wardens could not repulse this one due to their lack of ammunition and attempted to break out through the enemy forces surrounding the outpost. The result was disastrous. The space marines lost around half of their battle brothers and almost lost Arthurus to a savage Keeper of Secrets. The daemons too took heavy casualties, enough that they were not able to pursue the space marines and instead fell back into the Warp. The Rift Wardens successfully retreated back to the safety of Hyperia Hivesprawl.

Battle of Helhold Hollow - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1000.

Mission: Cleanse The Land.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Grind Them Down, Ruthless Tyranny and Storm of Darkness.

Late in the day, the forces of House Vextrix marched eastwards towards Hyperia Hivesprawl, the seat of power for the Imperial forces on Vigilus. A smaller maniple attacked from the south with a force of Black Legion traitor marines  protecting their flanks. On the second day, fighting occurred as the Knights encountered heavy Astra Militarum resistance. That morning they encountered outrider forces of the Ultramarines. Seizing the opportunity House Vextrix and their Black Legion allies attacked the Ultramarines and Militarum forces, pushing them back to the walls of Hyperia. Overnight, those forces fell back into the city and took up defensive positions. House Vextrix began to spread out to assault multiple sections of the shield wall.

The Imperial defenders began to redeploy to combat this threat. This prevented the enemy from using their vast firepower to undermine the walls piecemeal and was perhaps instrumental in holding off the enemy attack. The Vextrix operations had however split their forces up in smaller maniples which could, in theory, be more easily dealt with. Navy spotter aircraft observed more heretic Knight forces advancing north and spotted a suitable gap in their lines. Given the potential threat arrayed against them, a ceasefire was put in place between the Rift Wardens and the Adepta Sororitas, who had been fighting among themselves in parts of the city. Marneus Calgar put an immediate stop to the fighting and redeployed the Rift Wardens to an area of wasteland known as Helhold Hollow. Here they duty was to slow down if not stop the Vextrix advance. 

The traitor Knights of House Vextrix quickly adapted their strategies with the arrival of the Rift Wardens in their path. A small maniple attacked ahead of the advancing army and pinned them in place. The rest advanced over the next three days with some stopping to engage the space marines and the rest moving in on Hyperia Hivesprawl. The inability of the Rift Wardens to hold the Knight advance caused some anger among the Militarum commanders on the city walls, who had expected them to be delayed much longer. The Rift Wardens did succeed in initially bringing down seven Knights but the force arrayed against them was much more significant and beyond their means to handle.

Vextrix reinforcements arrived on the fourth day and this forced the Rift Wardens to withdraw back towards the Hivesprawl. As more and more Chaos Knights crossed into Helhold Hollow, chapter master Arthurus contacted Hyperia to report that the enemy presence was too much to contain and that they would be returning to hold defend the city. Arthurus still had hopes of bringing down more of the enemy but continued Vextrix reinforcements  made this impossible. Hundreds of traitor war machines were on the move.

On day six, Thunderhawks were dispatched to bring the survivors back to Hyperia. Six hundred battle brothers made it back safely but many more lay where they fell in the sands of Helhold Hollow. However, the arrival of those six hundred bolstered the walls of Hyperia Hivesprawl enough that the initial attack was repulsed. It was a costly battle for the chapter however.