Revenge Operations - Mandragora

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Desperate Raid.

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

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Raise The Banners High, and The Long Vigil.

Following the recent engagement, reinforcements were deployed from orbit to bolster the ground forces. Believing a nearby sector to be secure, Arthurus relocated his battle brothers to the location and met up with the new reserves. Involving the entire chapter this time, a plan was drawn up to attack the Deathwatch landing site on the eastern plains. A detachment was given over to Lieutenant Agrippa to attack the landing field while the rest of the chapter attacked the main body of the Deathwatch forces. Both Rift Warden detachments advanced forward utilising a series of deep gullies. As the Rift Wardens advanced, they became separated while trying to outflank Deathwatch strong points and found themselves in unfamiliar terrain. Under heavy weapon fire from the Deathwatch outposts, the attack was stopped. The chapter held position and would not advance further until the next day.

The attack continued at dawn the next day and the Rift Wardens managed to reach a position just south of the Deathwatch base of operations. Late in the afternoon, Agrippa's force advanced quickly over open ground. Amidst small arms fire and blasts from low flying aircraft, Agrippa's force gained ground only to falter just short of their target taking severe casualties. Agrippa was forced to give up on his orders and instead, led the survivours of his detachment to link up with the main chapter, who had advanced enough to occupy a point overlooking the Deathwatch base. Arthurus suspended the attack and ordered his chapter to dig in, having failed to inflict a swift victory.