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.