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.