Battle For Fort Angelis - Lucifuge

Points: 1000.

Mission: Secure Missing Artefacts.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Fury Of The Lost, Psychic Interrogation and Relentless Assault.

Confident that his forces could capture the Blood Angel held fortification of Fort Angelis, captain Gwaine prepared his battle brothers as the evening began to fall. The Rift Wardens surrounded the fort without raising the alarm and then Gwaine gave the order. The battle brothers to the south launched the attack at the fort. Gwaine and his forces advanced while the remaining intercessors provided covering fire. Along the fortresses southern fall was a small gatehouse which lead directly into the fort grounds. The Rift Wardens had brought along a deimos pattern predator whose magna-melta cannon made short work of the gatehouse. As Gwaine and his brothers charged inside the Blood Angels opened fire.

When the attacking squads exited the gatehouse tunnel, they opened fire upon an estimated sixty marines of the Death Company. Combat lasted for around 15 minutes before the majority of the Blood Angels lay dead. Astorath and LeMartes, the commanders of the fort, fled as the last few marines were gunned down. Gwaine let them go as their deaths would only have inspired the enemy. Fort Angelis was in the hands of the Rift Wardens and although this was a minor victory, it was a victory all the same.

Cleansing Action - Mandragora

Points: 1000.

Mission: Cleanse The Land.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Grind Them Down and The Long Vigil.

Watch Captain Artemis strong believed that the conflict between the Deathwatch and Rift Wardens would be won by a brutal and focused conflict where they could wear down the space marine chapter and force them to surrender. He brought the entire Deathwatch force together to achieve this outcome.

Artemis lead an attack from the eastern plains under cover of heavy weapons fire. The Rift Wardens counter-attacked with everything they had but losing many brothers over the three days of fighting. To the east, further attacks by the Rift Wardens were blocked by a series of trench lines held by elements of the Proteus kill teams.

Several days later the area was hit by a extreme weather, high winds and driving rain, which was strong enough to impact both armies ability to fight. Artemis launched a surprise attack against the Rift Wardens arrayed before him. The weather slowed their progress but they inflicted considerable casualties upon the Rift Wardens.

Arthurus ordered his forces to pull back and form a new defensive line. They directed their attacks primarily towards the Deathwatch kill teams coming at them from the north. Over the next few days the weather eased up but the countryside had been reduced to thick boggy ground. Once again the chapter was forced to pullback, hindered by the thick mud and hounded by the kill teams of the enemy.

Things did not fair well for the Deathwatch either however, as the thick mud and slurry prevented them pursuing their enemy. Only strafing runs by the Blackstar's were available and even they could only do so much. The Rift Wardens had gained a reprieve for the time being but they had no base of operations and were forced to keep on the move.

Battle for Sector 17 - Hesperous Prime

Points: 1000.

Mission: Surge Of Faith.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Martial Interdiction, Psychic Interrogation and Stubborn Defiance.

The Rift Wardens had assembled a force of 600 marines in sector 17, under the command of captain Lorgraine as a planned invasion of Dark Angel held territory. The Dark Angels under the direct command of chapter master Azrael had taken this territory as a operations base. His forces consisted of around 200 battle brothers and a handful of veterans in terminator armour. Azrael's forces had taken this ground despite incoming artillery strikes and even succeeded in capturing a small Rift Wardens outpost along the main highway. The Rift Wardens had managed to position themselves either side of the enemy positions Azrael, realising that the counter-attack was imminent, ordered his battle brothers to withdraw. As they did so, Lorgraine activated the trap and a phenomenal amount of bolter fire poured into the Dark Angels. Enemy eliminators and heavy weapons returned fire but they soon fell silent as the rearguard were destroyed. The Dark Angels fell back to territory they could hold. There were two more attacks by the Dark Angels on the border but both were repulsed with heavy losses.

A New Front - Grendel

Points: 1000.

Mission: Ascension.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Assassination and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Grind Them Down, Psychic Interrogation and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

The first day of battle the Grey Knights carried out several attacks on the sector of the front south of the Rift Wardens base of operations. After two hours of heavy weapon the Rift Wardens were forced out of their defence lines by a direct assault by the Grey Knights. Captain Gwaine ordered to organise a counter-attack with the troops at his disposal. However, until nightfall, the Rift Wardens failed to recapture the lost defences.

On the night of day 2, the Rift Wardens having made several attacks, took the enemy in pincers and them the Grey Knights out of those defences that they had captured the day before. Attempts by the Grey Knights to resume the offensive until the evening were repulsed by fire from heavy intercessors. The Rift Wardens managed to advance forward slightly in two days of stubborn battle.

For a new attack, the commander of the Grey Knights concentrated his troops on the centre of the Rift Wardens lines. On the left, the attack was supported by dreadknights and on the right by whatever tanks the Grey Knights had available. But in connection with the concentration of Grey Knights marines to the south, Arthurus ordered to strengthen this point in their lines with aggressors and bladeguard veterans.

Two weeks later, the Grey Knights has concentrated six companies in the breakthrough area. The Rift Wardens were also reinforced, but the Grey Knights managed an overwhelming superiority in dreadknights and dreadnoughts. Going on the defensive was seen as the only means to wear the enemy down and gather strength for a new offensive. Both armies were ordered to gold their positions at all costs.

Finally, heavy weapons fire was opened on the Rift Warden positions close to where the initial attack had taken place. The Rift Wardens were knocked out of their defences quickly but repeated counter-attacks did not bring success to the chapter.

On the 16th day of battle, the Rift Wardens launched another counter-attack, which, despite the addition of assault intercessors into the battle, was unsuccessful. The Grey Knights brought up land raiders and with great destructive force, destroyed the bolstered fortifications of the Rift Wardens and resumed the offensive, attacking the left flank with a wave of infantry. By nightfall, most of the Rift Warden attacks were repulsed and new reinforcements brought into battle stopped the advance. By this time the chapter had sustained significant casualties.

On day 18, the Rift Wardens attacked the left flank. Eliminators were brought in to reinforce that side and remove any Grey Knight command staff. With their support and distracting fire, the chapter organised a defence and held the line. By the night of day 18, the position of the Rift Wardens on that flank was partially restored and some defenceworks reoccupied but the main strongholds could not be restored in time. In the morning, the Grey Knights once again went on the offensive, pushing back many points in the space marine lines.

The actions of the Rift Wardens veterans were more successful. All were involved in the offensive and as a result elements of the Grey Knights were pushed back. An unexpected blow from the northern flank, which ended in a heavy defeat of the Rift Wardens, forced the chapter to stop attacks. After nearly three weeks of battle, the engagement was finally running down.

Battle of Bitter Lake - Lucifuge

Points: 2000.

Mission: Recover The Relics.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Blade of Sanguinius, Fury Of The Lost and Relentless Assault.

Following the initial confrontations, the Rift Wardens constructed a forward operation base on the shores of body of water known as Bitter Lake. The base of operations was hastily constructed and the chapter expected an imminent attack. Almost the entire chapter was present to reply the "considerable" forces arrayed against them.

The Blood Angels vanguard, approached by night and believed themselves unnoticed as the Rift Wardens had not reacted to their approach. A second force of jump pack assault marines and death company marines approached from across Bitter Lake in the early hours.

As the sun rose slight forward movements revealed the presence of the attacking Blood Angels and it looked like they were preparing to attack the central portion of the Rift Wardens base. Instinctively, the Rift Wardens moved to the most vital points and prepared to repel the enemy.

The enemy assault marines were detected first and were fired upon heavy intercessors squads in the spotter towers and eliminators closer to the lakeshore. This stopped that assault although briefly. Further attempts further north along the lakeshore crossed successfully despite incoming bolter and heavy weapons fire. As they landed however, the Rift Wardens laid down a withering fusillade of bolter fire and the incoming assault marines were killed or so significantly wounded that they were out of the fight. The Blood Angel assault across Bitter Lake was a total failure.

The main Blood Angels force then attacked from inland, supported by dreadnoughts and ATVs. The Rift Wardens marines relocated to defend the inland defences and opened fire on the approaching squads of enemy marines. Most were cut down due to the lack of intervening cover. One squad of Blood Angels tactical marines did managed to overrun and capture some forward trenches but a force of boltstorm aggressors counter-attacked during the opening hours of the battle and the trenchworks were recaptured.

At dawn on the second day, a second attack was launched, this time by infantry assault to the north. The attack was checked by the defending intercessors and the long range weaponry of the Rift Wardens own dreadnoughts. The Blood Angel attack petered out and failed, and a full withdrawal was effected. 

Seizing an opportunity, the Rift Wardens launched a counter-attack which began to push the Blood Angels back into the surrounding countryside. A number of intercessors and heavy intercessors moved out to perform this operation while aggressors and outriders moved up the flanks in a lopsided pincer action. This attack caused the Blood Angels to fall back even further although they lost a number of squads doing so, including losing a number of command personnel. 

At this time another Blood Angels force led by Astorath the Grim advanced from the south of the Rift Wardens base of operations and soon occupied their own entrenched positions while they waited for drop pods to deploy from orbit. While many drop pods were destroyed on route or landed outside the target drop zone, several dreadnoughts did make planetfall within the Rift Wardens defences. They inflicted significant casualties but where soon in turn destroyed by the defenders own dreadnoughts.

Minor attacks were launched when bolter fire was exchanged by small detachments to the south while eliminators and dreadnoughts targeted Astorath's position. With the Blood Angels otherwise contained away from the chapter's base of operations, Arthurus ordered one of his chaplains to lead a strong attack against the enemy positions to the south. The engagement was brief with the Rift Wardens inflicting enough casualties that Astorath was forced, unwillingly, to retreat his brothers.

The Rift Wardens were surprised to find that by dawn on the third day that the Blood Angels had, apart from a few scout snipers, fully retreated back into the wastes. Occasional attempts were made by small squads of Blood Angels to regain a foothold but these positions were untenable under the weight of incoming fire. Arthurus then directed a number of stormtalon gunships to harry the flanks of the enemy and ensure that the enemy were driven away from the territory now claimed by the Rift Wardens.

Arthurus chose wisely not to counter-attack the Blood Angels as they fled. He correctly assumed that spreading his forces out too thin would play into their hands. Best to rebuild and bolster their command base and seek suitable targets rather than relying in an all-out engagement.

The Mandragora Helix - Mandragora

Points: 2000.

Mission: Conversion.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Bolster Barricades and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Grind Them Down and The Long Vigil.

Over a series of months chief librarian Uther had a number of visions regarding an xenos artefact coming to be known as the Helix. The council of librarians gathered at his command and they scoured the Warp until they locked their psychic might upon a world on the fringe of Imperial space known in the records Mandragora. Although he knew not why, Uther counselled Arthurus that the xenos population must be purged and the artefact collected and studied. Arthurus redeployed the fleet this new world. The chapter then proceeded to purge the alien population over several weeks but the artefact was never found. Shortly thereafter, three strike crusiers from the Deathwatch translated in system and ordered the Rift Wardens to leave as they had come to recover the Helix as well. Uther advised against this and against his better judgement Arthurus refused which led the chapter into another conflict with a force meant to be their allies. 

The first engagement against the Deathwatch took place over two days in the ruins of the alien capitol city. The ruined city had been occupied by the Rift Wardens as they scoured the site for their prize but they were weakly spread out which would be their undoing. The Deathwatch commander decided to launch the attack rather than engage in diplomatic proceedings to prevent an unknown alien device falling into the wrong hands. An entire chapter's worth of Deathwatch gathered for the assault.

The battle was brief and fully in the favour of the Deathwatch. The Rift Wardens, reluctant to wage war against another space marine force fought with a lack of conviction. After two days of fighting, Arthurus called a retreat order and pulled his forces away from the city centre where the fighting had been thickest. Even so, both space marine commanders vowed to be the one to find and recover the Mandragora Helix.

Battle of New Vitae Docks - Mortwald

Points: 2000.

Mission: Tear Down Their Icons.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Exalt The Dark Gods and Warp Ritual.

The battle of New Vitae Docks was a Rift Wardens counter-attack against the Word Bearers occupying the site. New Vitae Docks was positioned on the eastern side of the hive sprawl. A large portion of the Rift Wardens had withdrawn to this position following frequent attacks by the Word Bearers and their daemon engines. Following the traitor marine assaults at Electros Hive, the Rift Wardens withdrew to the eastern walls. This allowed the Word Bearers to occupy New Vitae Docks unopposed. 

With the Word Bearers capturing territory this prompted a Rift Warden counter-attack to retake the docks. The chapter's librarians flooded the aether with psychic interference to impede enemy communications. The Word Bearers constructed a ring of defences around their forward positions. The Rift Wardens force of company strength attacked and was repelled after suffering significant casualties.

The space marine assault was conducted simultaneously on two enemy held positions. The Word Bearers has constructed numerous entrenchments and fortifications in preparation for the  Rift Wardens attack. A number of infantry assaults against the Word Bearers positions were carried out but each failed and after which the chapter withdrew.

The result of the battle was a successful Word Bearers defence in the region around the docks.It consolidated chaos marine control in the region and allowed further pushes towards the interior of the hive sprawl. Following this battle, Arthurus requested Imperial command that his chapter stop being spread so thin across the warzones of Vigilus as the chapter was suffering untenable losses fighting multiple opponents on multiple fronts.

Shanty Town Slaughter - Megaborealis

Points: 2000.

Mission: Tide Of Conviction.

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

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Grind Them Down and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

After the engagements out in the wastelands, the Rift Wardens have determined that Be'lakor's daemonic horde was headed towards Megaborealism, the Mechanicum's hivesprawl, the source of food and fresh water for the other hive cities. They alerted the Mechanicus and deployed via thunderhawk to an outlaying abandoned shanty town in the hopes in buying the Cult of Mars some time to bolster their defences.

The recent defeats at the hands of the Disciples of Be'lakor prompted Arthurus to face them again. The chapter needed a victory. Three days after the chapter had deployed, the librarians reported Warp interference and that meant that the daemons were near. The daemons had used their time to deploy as a ring in the wastelands around the space marine positions. Once in position, Be'lakor bellowed his commands and the daemons assaulted the space marines but were pushed back suffering significant casualties.

While the Rift Wardens fought to hold the enemy at bay, groups of daemons manifested in the streets behind and the space marines were forced into a defensive conflict on two fronts. The Rift Wardens defending the shanty had constructed a number of entrenchments and fortifications in preparation for the daemon attack. Arthurus ordered a number of battle brothers to assault the main force when it became apparent that holding the line would not work. A number of infantry assaults were carried but each failed and the Arthurus resolved to fight surrounded by the enemy. At least they were not attacking the city.

The eventual result of the battle was a successful daemonic incursion into the shanty. Under threat of extinction, the chapter evacuated via thunderhawks and stormravens. The daemons consolidated control in the region and allowed them to push into the walls of Megaborealis. The Mechanicus reluctantly requested a detachment of Rift Wardens to remain to provide additional fire support and Arthurus agreed. The daemons launched multiple attacks upon the walls but failed. For now, the Disciple's of Be'lakor were locked out of the city walls but once again had inflicted significant casualties upon the Rift Wardens.

Battle For Mining Station 112 - Vigilus Wastelands

 

Points: 2000.

Mission: Data-Scry Salvage.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Bring It Down and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Grind Them Down.

After recent events, Arthurus mobilized the chapter and marched forth to engage the Disciples of Be'lakor. They located them on the first day and launched an assault against daemonic defensive positions at the rear of their forces. The daemons pushed back and over the course of the next five days, both armies fought a series of battles under the shadow of frequent dust storms. Both sides suffered heavy casualties with the elements hampering both sides.

The Rift Wardens assault began at mining station 973, a strategically located mining colony south of the much larger and more important mining station 112. With mining station 112 in daemonic hands, it gave them the ability to outflank Imperial convoys making their way between the hive cities. Further south, the Rift Wardens attacked the main body of the daemonic army. During the assault, they made the mistake of attacking the stronger right flank and were met with the presence of Be'lakor and Fateweaver themselves, which prevented them from gaining any ground. The daemons were quick to reinforce their left flank and made any subsequent attack far less easy to repel.

During the night of day 3, the Rift Wardens moved into a position to carry out a further assault, which began the following morning. Their main goal was to break through the defences around mining station 973 and to drive the daemons into the wastelands while other companies assaulted nearby daemonic incursions which threatened their flanks. The Rift Wardens gained a foothold at station 973 on the evening of day 4 and seized higher ground from the daemons to the south. The daemons were forced to retreat the next day, which gave the space marines the ability to advance down the main supply roads leading towards station 112.

The Rift Wardens made a renewed attack against the daemons on day 6 and forced them back after a series of brutal engagements. The chapter then advanced through mining station 119 and aimed to drive the daemons from their positions there. The daemons withdrew from this site after three days of heavy fighting. Arthurus elected not to pursue and to allow the daemons to fall back. The chapter had suffered heavy casualties, and the intensity of the fighting had caused them to lose cohesion. As they advanced in to the wastelands, the terrain became increasingly difficult and slowed the space marines. While the daemons withdrew they continued to resist the space marine advance. Be'lakor directed the daemons under his thrall to reinforce station 112 which he sought to use as a base of operations with which to attack the space marines while the main daemonic force pushed out into the wastelands to the west. 

The Rift Warden advance convinced Arthurus that his chapter had the upper hand. He planned for his forces to pursue the daemons into the wastelands and predicted that Be'lakor would be forced to protect mining station 112, where Arthurus planned to encircle him and send the foul daemon prince back into the Warp. Combat on the outskirts of mining station 973 intensified once again as a result, and the daemons managed to repulse every Rift Warden assault despite their fewer numbers. The daemonic numbers were beginning to drop. Was victory in the hands of the Rift Wardens?

By day 9, Arthurus predicted that the daemons would be defeated within a matter of days. The Rift Wardens made further gains on day 10 and forced the daemons from station 973 with intense bolter fire. Also on this day, the chapter attempted to pursue the daemons into the wastelands and managed to inflict light casualties with their initial attack. The daemons turned and counter-attacked, forcing the Rift Wardens back. inflicting severe casualties. The space marine offensive ground to a halt. On day 11, the daemons attacked two operational mining stations and with the slaughter, impacted the Imperial supply lines.

Although the daemonic forces had put up a fierce resistance and inflicted heavy casualties on the space marines, Be'lakor grew concerned that his lines were being spread thinly. With Fatewaver's guidance, he began contemplating a strategic withdrawal in which mining station 112 would be evacuated. On the night of day 11 and 12, the Rift Wardens attacked all along the front and pushed deep into the daemon's lines. Defending along an overextended front, Be'lakor ordered his forces to abandon station 112. The Rift Wardens entered the mining station on day 13 and set about bolstering the defences.

It became increasingly clear to both Arthurus and Be'lakor that the space marine supply lines were overextended and so Arthurus ordered the bulk of his marines full back to the mining station and await resupply. This resulted in a short pause to all Rift Warden military operations. Fateweaver exploited this brief respite by summoning more daemons from the Warp to bolster their ranks. Be'lakor began preparing for a counter-attack.

On day 13, he ordered his hordes to attack the Rift Wardens all along the front. Be'lakor accompanied his forces from the front. The daemonic offensive caught the Rift Wardens by surprise and the chapter found itself defending an overextended flank. Arthurus knew that he could avoid a serious reversal on the battlefield by preventing the daemons from reaching certain strategic locations but the daemons were surging forth from multiple locations which made planning difficult. With limited heavy support options, the Rift Wardens could not focus enough heavy fire to break up the daemonic advance. Their numbers bolstered, the daemons pushed forward towards station 112. By the night of day 13, the daemons had pushed through the Rift Warden outer defences and inflicted heavy casualties despite a fierce resistance. 

Having suffered significant losses, the Rift Warden patrols did not have time to recover before the offensive resumed the following day. They fell back towards the safety of the mining station. That day, the daemons had broken the Rift Wardens at their centre and on their right flank. The chapter attempted to consolidate control on the mining station while fending off attacks around the outskirts.

On day 14, the Rift Wardens were forced to fall back. Fateweaver anticipated that the space marines would entrench themselves and attempt to halt the daemons, but it was not enough to block the daemonic offensive. The Rift Wardens attempted to lay down heavy weapons fire but this region of the wastelands lacked any significant defensive positions. The daemons exploited that weakness by encircling the space marines, though they suffered casualties doing so. That night the daemons broke through the defences and stormed the space marines en masse. With no hope of survival, Arthurus reluctantly once again called for thunderhawk evacuation from their orbiting battle barge. What had begun as a highly successful attack had ended as a humiliating defeat for the chapter.