Operation Judgement: Aftermath - Vigilus Wastelands

 

Points: 1000.

Deployment and Mission: Sweeping Engagement / Chilling Rain.

Primary Objective: Supply Drop.

Detachment:  Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Berzerker Warband.

This battle was an operation to secure the Imperial right flank, while the Rift Wardens advanced to capture certain vital positions. After the main battle, the offensive evolved to the capture of fortified outposts, hills and other terrain that offered observation for desolation squads, jumping-off points for more attacks and other tactical advantages. The mutually costly fighting eventually secured the Imperial flank and marked the arrival of terminator squads from orbit. Although the space marines secured the targets and drove the servants of the Blood God back into the wastes, it was costly in terms of lives lost for the space marines.

The Trenches of Hell's Point - Pariah Nexus

Points: 1000.

Deployment and Mission: Crucible Of Battle / Sweep And Clear.

Primary Objective: Purge The Foe.

Detachment:  Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Awakened Dynasty.

This battle was a subsidiary attack to support the Astra Militarum to the south of the main battle front, to exploit the weakening of the Necron defences opposite. Preperations for the attack were rushed, the Rift Wardens hastily dug trenches and the power of the Necron defence was sorely underestimated with the Imperial forces being outnumbered two to one. The Necron command anticipated the offensive and pulled their troops back to their own defences, The battle inflicted some losses on the Necron defenders but gained no ground and deflected few enemy warriors bound for the main battle front. 

The Siege of Hell's Point - Pariah Nexus

Points: 2000.

Mission: Conversion.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Warp Ritual.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Retrieve Battlefield Data and Treasures of Aeons.

The Rift Wardens attacked a Necron defensive position, leading a vanguard strike. The objectives of the attack were several fortifications. The attack was made by four hundred battle brothers in the early hours using the long night to cover their approach. Desolator missile fire then created a creeping barrage and the battle brothers advanced up close behind it, leaving them only a short distance to cross when the barrage lifted. Most of the objective was captured and the Necron defence south of the fortificiations was put under great strain. Unfortunately the chapter had suffered a great number of casualties and were unable to push further.

Operation Annihilation: Battle For Orks Drift - Vigilus Wastelands

 

Points: 2000.

Mission: Data-Scry Salvage.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Shock Tactics and Warp Ritual

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Get Da Good Bitz and Grind Them Down.

The Battle of Orks Drift lasted nearly six months with the Imperial assault throwing everything into the scrap cities of the Orks. The attack was made by five regiments of Astra Militarum supported by the Rift Wardens and Ultramarines. The Ork defence mostly collapsed and the space marines had a "complete success" in their frequent vanguard strikes. On the south side of the battle zone, the Ork defence was made incapable of resisting another attack and a substantial retreat began. The greenskins fell back into the heart of the scrap cities. However, to the north, the Ork defenders commanded the high ground and inflicted a huge defeat on the Rift Wardens, who took an unprecedented number of casualties.

Operation Annihilation: Battle of Gork's Landing - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1000.

Mission: Cleanse The Land.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Oaths Of Moment and Shock Tactics. 

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, No Prisoners and Stomp Em Good.

The battle of Gork's Landing was the first two weeks of the Imperial offensive known as Operation Annhiliation, The Imperial forces launched an artillery bombardment and the Rift Wardens attacked from the south. The space marines inflicted a considerable defeat upon the greenskins while the Dark Angels to the north suffered a significant disaster, while the Astra Militarim regiments suffered over half a million casualties. Against Imperial commands wishes, the Dark Angels abandoned the northern offensive to reinforce the Rift Wardens in their successes to the south, where they pressed forward into the Ork lines. Despite the initial failures of the Imperial attack, the Rift Warden offensive turned the tables.

Operation Annihilation - Vigilus Wasteland

Points: 1000.

Mission: Reconnaissance Mission.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts and Oaths Of Moments. 

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Get Da Good Bitz and Grind Them Down.

Operation Annihilation was the beginning of the second Imperial campaign against the Ork scrap cities. The campaign was largely made up of Astra Miliatarum regiments, Mchanicus maniples, several space marine chapters and several knightly households. The first objective of the attack was to capture the outer defensive ring. The Rift Wardens were the vanguard of an assault from the south.

 The Ork defence to the south mostly collapsed and the Rift Wardens had complete success as did the Ultramarines and Dark Angels on the west and northern fronts. The Ultramarines reached all their objectives, while the Dark Angels suffered heavy casualties during the attack. The Astra Militarum then captured the earthwork fortifications to the west, failed to the north and only had a temporary success when backing up the Rift Wardens, where the Orks were overrun.

Ork counter-attacks during the recaptured most of the lost ground while more Imperial attacks were costly failures. To the north the attack was a disaster, with a large number of Dark Angels casualties. The Rift Warden attack was also costly, with only a partial advance. The Ork defeats against the Ultramarines were incapable of resisting another attack. 

Danse Macabre - Bellaraphon

Points: 1000.

Mission: Deliverance.

Secondary Objectives: Bolster Barricades, Bring It Down and Grind Them Down. 

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: A Deadly Performance, Retrieve Battlefield Data and Take Your Places.

In response to appeals for help from captain Andred, Arthurus organised a company of battle brothers to assist Andred in launching a counter-attack against the Harlequins. Arththurus moved to a northern flank, while Andred's squads continued to maintain pressure against any of the alien raiding parties.

For the next two days, the Harlequins advanced upon the space marine positions, forcing many squads to retreat under heavy shuriken fire. The aliens forced the space marines to commit their reserves and left few areas where the battle brothers could aid one another. On the fourth day of the battle, the Rift Wardens began to bolster the forest around their lines although frequent casualties left the space marines a shadow of their former numbers. Andred prepared a counter-attack by the Harlequins were ready and the front lines remained unchanged.

The Harlequins moved westward and tried to encircle the space marines to the south, and by day four they were assaulting the Rift Warden defences and inflicting heavy casualties. After nearly two weeks the Harlequins were pushing the space marines out of the forests and back into territory controlled by the Mechanicus. Once on the borders of their territory, the Rift Wardens bolstered and held their ground.

The Harlequins had captured several locations within the forest and it soon became aware to space marine command that the enemy was driving them back in order to secure specific locations although it was not known why.

After a month of rearming and reinforcing their numbers from the orbiting fleet, Andred led a counter-attack concentrating their efforts towards the nearest location held by the enemy. After three days of heavy fighting, little had changed in the position of the front line.

Fort Arctos - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 1500.

Mission: Conversion.

Secondary Objectives: Codex Warfare, Engage On All Fronts and No Prisoners.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Scout The Enemy and Scry Futures.

With Captain Oberon and his force stuck in Fort Arctos following a retreat from the webway war zone, the Aeldari command used the opportunity to hurriedly reinforce their numbers around the fort - bringing in several wraith constructs and a wraithknight. By this time Oberon's force was reduced down to around 40 battle brothers.

When the Aeldari assaulted the fort, they breached the walls with ease and the space marines fell back to the center of the fort and prepared to defend the fort with their lives.

After two days of consecutive assaults the Rift Wardens numbers had been halved. Four separate waves of attack were repulsed with heavy casualties. In some places the Aeldari reached the space marine positions before being forced back by massed bolter fire. The attacks stopped in the early hours after four days, having failed to defeat the space marines. Even so, Oberon finally had to withdraw his forces due to the towering wraithknights, giving up the territory to the alien attackers.