Purge The Streets - Dharrovar

 

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Opposing Forces.

Primary Objective: Domination.

The Rift Wardens forces for this brief engagement were formed from surviving squads of previous battles brought together rapidly by chaplain Camelair the day before. This was a sudden and unplanned attack, as the majority of the Rift Warden forces were engaged elsewhere against enemy positions. At the last minute, he was joined a pair of knights who offered their support.

The first fight took place in the streets and transit roads leading out of the Gothos religious center. The incoming convoy of Astra Militarum found themselves ambushed as the loyalist forces poured fire into the oncoming transports. The guardsmen quickly took to the field, but unaware of the exact space marine forces opposing them, their counter-attack halted as they waited for orders. But the shock and awe of the surprise attack stymied the commanders reactions.

This hesitation was fatal, however. With the knight reinforcements gunning down large numbers of guardsmen. When the Militarum commander finally took to the field with a rousing speech, they were able to launch a counterattack and did gain some strategic positions back.

Eventually, the situation resulted in a heavy bogged down firefight, but it was obvious that the space marines were in the better position, The Militarum commander continued to really his men and women but soon, he had no choice but to withdraw for now.

Assault on Corinth City - Corinthia

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Disordered.

Primary Objective: King of the Hill.

In the days after Operation Stormstrike failed, Arthrurus finally committed his entire chapter to an assault against the Tau lines. The Rift Wardens swiftly made contact with the enemy. This advance included an outflanking maneuver around the battle grid to the north of the twin cities through the grass wastes. They captured outlaying fire bases providing some protection from the north. 

The battle between the Rift Wardens and the Tau took over two weeks with much of the fighting taking place over the same recent firefights. The Tau leadership fortified itself within Corinth City, and protecting themselves with troop reinforcements from orbit.

A couple days later, the Rift Wardens attacked all along the edges of Corinthi City. Pushing the Tau back, the space marines fought their way up into the outer districts, where every defensive point had to be stormed against entrenchments and withering fire.

After a month, the outer districts were in the space marine handsm but once the enveloping movement against the Tau left flank failed, the battle descended to a typical head to head confrontation of infantry, battle suits and knights. Arthurus launched his main attack into the center of the TAu lines, and was initially successful in pushing them back. For the Rift Wardens, this was the peak of their achievement in the battle.

For days during this battle, ammunition failed to reach the front because of successful harassment of the space marine fire bases and raids by Tau aircraft intercepting the supply shuttles. The entire chapter had been deployed but fresh firewarriors and battle suits were arriving daily from the orbiting Tau ships. All of this ended the initial success of the space marine attack. 

The situation became so desperate for the previously successful space marines that Arthurus was reluctantly forced to recall the surviving marines back to almost their original position. Cursing the alien, he began to plot a new strategy to take the twin cities back.

The Second Battle of New Horizon - Dontoria Hivesprawl

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Ground War.

Primary Objective: Breakthrough.

On the eve of the battle, the Rift Wardens that remained occupied a single district of New Horizon. These were mainly basic battle brothers with a handful of scout units scattered about as advance warning. In addition, a handful of allied Knights provided backup. All of this was under the command of Chaplain Ramius.

Five days after the first battle, the Rift Wardens were attacked by hordes of plague zombies supported by pestilent daemon engines. With ammunition low and the scout forces overrun, Ramius decided a withdrawal back towards the hivesprawl's outer walls would provide a tactical defence line. Ramius dispatched back to Arthurus in the capitol his intentions and requested extraction at the first opportunity. By mid-morning, the space marines were marching from their position to the outer walls. But a lack of supplies and constant hounding by plague drones, forced the usually disciplined space marines into a disorganised rout, with squads splitting up to avoid concentrated enemy fire. During this time, the Death Guard pushed thousands of plague zombies - former civilians, astra militarum and arbites - into a relentless pursuit. Any who stood to fight were pulled down and devoured by the flesh eating undead. Only Ramius' forces, with one Knight for fire support, kept formation and was able to conduct a fighting retreat although they suffered heavy casualties..

At this point, the overrun and decimated Rift Warden forces in Dontoria crumbled. After the battle, the Death Guard had captured the entire hivesprawl. Any survivours were struck down by plague and reanimated as zombies. One hivesprawl had fallen to enemy forces within the first few months of the war.

The First Battle of New Horizon - Dontoria Hivesprawl

 

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Disordered.

Primary Objective: Seize Ground.

After a series of consistent victories in Dontoria, Typhus decided to make a new offensive to capture the northern most corners of the hive, a region known as New Horizon. Typhus dispatched one of his foul sorcerers to lead the fight and ensure victory.

The Death Guard managed to break through the Rift Warden resistance and occupied the first districts, together with controlling the transit tubes that linked New Horizon to the rest of Dontoria.

The Rift Wardens despite their defeat managed to avoid encirclement and made a strategic retreat, covered by a maniple of Imperial Knights, towards the eastern edge of New Horizon. During this battle, Typhus' sorcerer was slain by the Rift Wardens as he crawled out of his blasted Rhino APC.

The Death Guard captains debated now, the future of this campaign. These commanders, impressed by their victories so far, failed to consider the strategic situation that did favour the space marines. Instead they talked themselves into a risky decision to pursue an engagement with the Rift Wardens on their last line of defence, close to the Ankara Gate. Only a few dissenting voices were raised but their protests were ignored.

After that brief delay, that gave the space marines and their Knightly allies adequate time to prepare a defence, the Death Guard marched on their position.

Battle of the Omnissiah's Shrine - Megaborealis

Points: 1500.

Deployment: Front Line

Primary Objective: Duel.

The shrine with the holy shrine to the machine god, was strategically significant  as from it's position, the whole of Bore-Hive Ultris could be seen and dominated. Arthurus decided to send in three companies worth of battle brothers to reclaim this site from the foul daemons of Slaanesh.

The Rift Warden attack began in the dark of night, and was led by Arthurus himself. The chapter master brought split his companies worth to form left and right flanks. They launched their attacks against the outlying defensive cordon of demonettes. The space marines lacked dreadnoughts or vehicles, and the fighting was fierce. Bladeguard were able to defeat counterattacks in brutal close quarters combat.

After several hours of heavy combat, the Rift Wardens managed to force the daemonettes forced to withdraw into the shrine itself. The space marines used this brief lull in the fighting to bolster other depleted formations. 

As midday approached, the Riift Wardens began a coordinated advance on the shrine from three separate directions. Under heavy pressure, the daemons, after heavy hand to hand combat, withdrew eastwards. They ran into Arthurus' detachment and this combat was viewed as the first significant victory of the assault.

At the end of the day, the daemons of Slaanesh established defensive positions. Subsequent attempts by the space marines saw their numbers reduced by the savage attacks of the defending daemons. By the next afternoon, the daemons pushed the Rift Wardens back into the bore hive.

On day three, roaming bands of daemons attacked and took back control of the districts around the shrine, and fought back numerous counterattacks by the space marines. After regrouping and strengthening their numbers, the daemons initiated a strong attack but it was repulsed by Arthurus' depleted forces, although the demons likewise suffered heavy casualties.

Operation: Razorback

 

Points: 3000.

Deployment: Long Haul.

Primary Objective: Breakthrough.

The Imperial forces were determined to make up for the setbacks suffered in the last few months, and organised a much larger force, outnumbering the oncoming Tyranids significantly.

The Imperium regrouped it's forces into several strategic locations in the path of the oncoming Tyranid horde. In response, the Tyranids focused on a single perceived weak point in the Imperial lines, where the Rift Wardens were garrisoned. This forced the space marine commander, chaplain Quintos, to make immediate localised changes to the battle formation he had been assigned to.

The battle began with the Tyranid assault on the Rift Warden positions. It took four days for the Tyranids to break through due to superior delaying actions ordered by Quintos. The Tyranid swarm pushed through seizing a strategic site. A night time counter attack by a force of Knights from House Avalon failed to retake the location. Reinforcements from both the orbiting Rift Warden and House Avalon starships helped bolster the line though. The Rift Wardens suffered surprisingly minimal casualties whist holding the alien hordes back, potentially safeguarding numerous vital Imperial cities and installations. 

Operation: Stormstrike - Corinthia

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Duel.

A Rift Wardens reconnaissancce force led by chapter master Arthurus began to move from their fire base in the fields of Corinth, in the direction of Sparta. The battle began with an assault on one of the Tau outer defences, and the fighting lasted until nightfall. During this time, a secondary force marched around to flank the Tau.

The space marines took advantage of the terrain and destroyed vehicles managed to push back the Tau and this allowed them to capture territory closer to the twin hive cities. The Tau commander, following recommendations from the Ethereal leaders, gave the order to pull back to the outer cities and prepare to defend them against the Imperial aggression.

After capturing the main transit roads into and out of the hive cities, Arthurus ordered his brothers to halt the attack and dig in. He had observed the Tau positions and realised that they would hold there and not fall back further. Arthurus left half a company to hold this position while he pulled the rest of his forces back to regroup and rearm. Meanwhile, the Tau were unable to launch an attack only due to exhaustion and a lack of supplies and manpower. In addition, the Tau FireWarriors were required to suppress the human civilians within the hive. 

Ultimately, although the Rift Wardens were successful on the battlefield, their goal of recapturing the twin hive cities had met a solid wall under potential Tau defences.

Wasteland Firefight - Vigilus Wastelands / Hyperia Hivesprawl

 

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Duel.

Having suffered significant losses over the last several months, Guilliman ordered the weakened Rift Wardens back to Hyperia Hivesprawl due to civil disobedience in the hive. Wandering Ork patrols realised this when they saw a patrol outside the city walls, and launched an attack against the walls. Even though the greenskin's operation was initially a success at the start, with reinforcements from the hive city, the Rift Wardens repelled the Orks back into the wastelands.

Right Flank Collapse - Mandragora

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Pitched Battle.

Later that day, Deathwatch forces launched a massive strike on the Rift Wardens right flank. Rather than continue fighting and losing more battle brothers, the space marines retreated. Their battle line had collapsed.

Battle of Transit Station Beta Kappa 12 - Antares

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Opposing Forces.

Primary Objective: Seize Ground.

At this point in the conflict, both sides had forces in and around the area of Transit Station BK12. In the early hours, a large Rift Warden force advanced to the transit station without encountering any resistance from the Custodes. Further forces advancing from the north met with resistance but managed to advance forward with minimal casualties. By noon, all space marine forces had reached the target. Custodes reinforcements arrived shortly after forming a wall of golden bodies.

The Rift Wardens north of their position received intense fire from the Custodes. Both sides concentrated their destructive firepower and both took heavy casualties. Ultimately after several hours fighting, both sides retreated to rearm and resupply.

Fall of Hive Karston - Talos

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Duel.

The battle for Hive Karston was one of the largest battles of the campaign. It was fought by the main bulk of the Tyranid forces and the Imperial defenders. The Tyranids broke through the city walls after launching an unprecedented assault, taking minor casualties while slaughtering hundreds of thousands of defending guardsmen, including several high-ranking military officers. The swift overrrun of the Hive City opened the path for the Tyranids to advance further en mass into the Imperial lines, and allowed the hive mind to consolidate a vast swath of territory.

Battle of Hive Haragon - Paragon Secundus

Points: 1000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Duel.

The Battle of Hive Haragon was fought between the Rift Wardens and the Ultramarines, under Captain Ventris. The Rift Wardens attacked the Hive City in order to find out if they had the means to compete with the Ultramarines stationed there. The battle showed that the Rift Wardens were unprepared ; they stood little chance in the confined streets of the Hive City.  The experiences gained in battle, led chapter master Arthurus to the conclusion that Hive Haragon had to be taken, and it became the target of the chapter's aggression going forward.

Battlefield Chaos - Talos

Points:32000.

Deployment: Ground War.

Primary Objective: Sabotage.

This engagement was one of two major battles that took place after six months of fighting in the Talos system. The battle began when several space marine forces fired artillery tanks against the massed Tyranid horde advancing. In response, the Tyranids turned on the space marines and forced them to retreat. The Rift Wardens called in all available reinforcements but were defeated once again. After eight hours of fighting the astartes had to be evacuated or be overrun.

The Battle of Golgotha - Gehenna Prime

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Sweeping Engagement / Point Blank.

Primary Objective: Terraform.

Detachment: Ironstorm Spearhead.

Opponents Detachment: Deceptors.

The battle of Golgotha was a conflict between the Rift Wardens and the endless forces of the Alpha Legions, fought on the fields of Golgotha. After the initial victory against the traitor legion, the Rift Wardens spread across the globe engaging the enemy, and inflicting significant casualties upon them. 

Under the command of Captain Lorgraine, his battle brothers attacked the massing Alpha Legionnaires at Golgotha. As a result of this successful engagement, the space marines annexed the area and surrounding hive cities. Any traitor marines found were put to the blade and bolter. No quarter was given or expected. 

Wasteland Skirmish - Omegon Theta

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Hammer and Anvil / Martial Pride.

Primary Objective: Purge the Foe.

Detachment: Ironstorm Spearhead.

Opponents Detachment: Warhost.

This brief engagement took place over two days, during the war for Omegon Theta. A patrol of Alaitoc craftworlds with Corsair backup clashed with a Rift Warden patrol. The battle took place in a petrified forest some miles from the dig site. The battle was light and brief, and resulted with the Aeldari pushing the space marines back towards their own lines.

Battle of Dig Site Gamma 12 - Omegon Theta

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Hammer and Anvil / Adapt or Die.

Primary Objective: Purge the Foe..

Detachment: Ironstorm Spearhead.

Opponents Detachment: Aspect Host.

The Aeldari attacked a Rift Warden outpost at a location around the buried craftworld known to the Mechanicus as Gamma 12. The Aeldari planned to annihilate all space marine forces present. Their rangers scouted out the area, it was a hilled area with deep ravines with a few Mechanicus digging machines scattered around. The Aeldari deployed their forces deep in the hills and claimed the high ground.

Meanwhile, an Aspect Host advanced through the wastelands towards the site, using the excavated vessel to hide their approach. Despite sustained firepower by the well trained space marines, the Aeldari advance managed to drive the space marines from their outpost, although poor coordination left the Aeldari left flank exposed, allowing the Rift Wardens the chance to regain some ground.

On the second day, the Rift Wardens occupied an abandoned dig site, opening up a gap between the two Aeldari forces, but found themselves isolated between those same enemy groups. Captain Gwaine used the opportunity to regroup his surviving forces, positioning them opposite the weakened right flank. Gwaine gave an inspiring speech which bolstered the marines morale.

That evening, a Rift Warden strike force carried out a feint attack against the Aspect Host, drawing them westward after a light skirmish, allowing the marines to relocate unharmed. In the early hours, the Aeldari appeared out of nowhere, launching an attack and swiftly gaining the upper hand, forcing the space marines back again. The tide of battle was once again in the Aeldari's favor. Flanking attacks followed by savage hand to hand fighting, pushed the space marines back further from the dig site.

Hold The Line - Talos

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Dawn of War / Ruinscape.

Primary Objective: Linchpin.

Detachment: Ironstorm Spearhead.

Opponents Detachment: Crusher Stampede.

During the battle of Neiman Ford, Tyranid forces, where were led by the Swarmlord bypassed the space marine defences to engage the Rift Warden rearguard beyond the Neiman Ford. Their advance was slow due to the tenacity of the Rift Wardens. By the evening of the second day of the battle, the Swarmlord's forces had surrounded the rearguard and attacked.

The hills beyond the Ford were defended by 500 marines, who counter-attacked several times trying to halt the advancing swarm. After a day of fighting, the space marines were destroyed. Then they turned their attention on the main engagement. When they arrives, the battle was in full force. The Tyranids dominated the battle grid and the arrival of reinforcements trapped the space marines between two powerful detachments.

The Swarmlord and the monstrous creatures it had brought to bare, took the space marines by surprise, and after a short fight it was obvious that the Rift Wardens could not defeat such a foe. Captain Lorgraine took charge of the evacuation, managing to pull the majority of the surviving battle brothers to safety.

Battle for Survival - Carnos Expanse

Points: 2000.

Deployment: Front Line.

Primary Objective: Sabotage.

The Carnos Expanse was a collection of systems that found themselves on the edge of the newly torn Maledictum. Chaos forces spilled out of the Warp and laid siege to the Saurian controlled worlds of the expanse.

The initial assault on Carnos Prime saw the Starhost and Chaos Knights clashed in the wasteland deserts beyond the great ziggurat cities. A force of saurian warriors supported by large siege dinosaurs advanced forward to block the enemy. Over two days, the Saurians fortified their planned choke point and hunkered down ready.

When only four smaller knights appeared on the horizon, the Saurian morale improved. This was a force they felt they could handle. If the initial attack failed, it might slow the enemy invasion. The Saurians then launched their attack. At first, this initial attack was a success, but over an hour, the Knight resistance hardened. Saurian firepower was strong but the  enemy shields proved resistant. By nightfall, the Saurian's had failed to down even a single enemy Knight and the fight continued.

In the morning the Saurian veteran decided to move his forces forward and take the fight to the enemy. Reinforcements arrived from the ziggurat city to hold the defences while they advanced. This was a bold move and it surprised the Chaos Knights. One Knight was almost destroyed and this gave the Knights pause.

In the late afternoon, the Saurians regrouped and concentrated their attacks. Fighting continued well into the evening when the Chaos Knights began to receive reinforcements from their landing site several miles away. These walkers came in on the right flank to take up firing positions.

The third day began with renewed attacks by the Chaos Knights. This force was now much stronger than the Saurians, and they began to make significant advances, even breaching the Saurian lines before being repelled. That evening, the Chaos launched a massive barrage on the Saurian lines but the defenders inflicted significant return fire causing the Knights to take their first losses. Soon after, the left flank of the Saurian lines were broken as more enemy walkers slammed into them from the wastelands. The central Saurian lines held though and by evening, the Chaos Knights had retreated to regroup and rearm.

Second Battle of the Mekon Delta - Omega Theta

Points: 1500.

Deployment and Mission: Dawn of War / Rapid Escalation.

Primary Objective: Hidden Supplies.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Armoured Warhost.

The Rift Wardens defended themselves on a clifftop overlooking the buried Craftworld, but after the previous engagement the space marines ran out of ammunition and were subsequently massacred by the Aeldari. This was a major blow to the space marines but in the subsequent days, the chapter returned and extracted a dreadful revenge upon the Aeldari.

Battle of Neiman Ford - Talos

Points: 3000.

Deployment: Ground War.

Primary Objective: Relic Hunt.

The battle of Neiman Ford was a large battle fought against the Tyranids by the Rift Wardens chapter. It took place at the Neiman Ford between three of the surviving Imperial cities. After suffering incredible losses in recent campaigns, the Rift Wardens tried to force a defensive line to hold out against the inevitable Tyranid encroachment. The Tyranids outflanked the space marines, defeating them once again and after weeks of heavy fighting, the Rift Wardens fell back to the tri-cities to resupply.