Surprise Assault - Pelucidon

Points: 1000.

Mission: Desperate Raid.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Oaths Of Moment and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Codex Warfare and No Prisoners.

The cause for the conflict between the Rift Wardens and the White Scars, and several of their successors, has been expunged from chapter records. Only the Librarians and Chaplains of the chapter know the truth. All that is known is that the Rift Wardens had aided their fellow space marines in a sizeable crusade against a force of Thousand Sons on the world of Pelucidon.

The battle began at noon, when a force of Red Hunters launched a full heavy weapon assault on the Rift Wardens with grav weapons. There was a brief pause in the attack for the Red Hunters to pull back into defences, before they continued their barrage. The Rift Wardens decimated by the attack. The Rift Wardens, enraged by the betrayal, attempted to advance on the enemy positions but were almost wiped out in doing so, losing nearly an entire companies worth of battle brothers.

Chapter master Arthurus advanced along the side of the battlefield to strike back first hand, but lost contact with the other squads likewise trying to counter-attack. Elsewhere, squads were halted and contained by wave after wave of marine bikes. Caught by surprise, the Rift Wardens were forced onto the back foot.

Arthurus' advance was, by Rift Warden standards, very successful, quickly reaching the first objective of the Red Hunter defences. The attack was made almost immediately but Arthurus and his forces were soon locked in position with the Red Hunters surrounding their position. A second advance led by captain Lamorak managed to reach and capture several enemy defences. However, when they attempted to continue the advance, they were caught in a crossfire of enemy grav weapons. Two squads of heavy intercessors was utterly annihilated. Further attempts to reach the second objective were successful, but the position became untenable, and within a couple hours the Rift Wardens were forced to pull back.