Battle of Sentinel Hive - Oteck Hivesprawl

Points: 1750.

Mission: Overrun.

Secondary: Assassinate, Engage on All Fronts and Oaths of Moment.

The Battle of Sentinel Hive was a major battle fought during the early days of the Vigilius Crusade, between the Rift Wardens and the growing Genestealer Cult. It occurred as the chapter marched into the Sentinel Hive district to bolster the defenders. After recent cult victories across the planet, the cult's leaders planned to conquer the whole hive while the Imperial forces were occupied with the Chaos invasion. The battle ended with a cult victory as the Rift Wardens were forced to retreat back into the wastelands. The cult looted the space marine dead for equipment which enabled them to further their cause in the Hivesprawl. The Rift Wardens regrouped and reported the increased xenos presence within the hive.

The Tables Turned - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1750.

Mission: Ambush.

Secondary Oaths of Moment, Psychic Ritual and Slay the Warlord.

The great rift pulsed with the arrival of Abbadon's forces, and hideous daemons of Chaos materialised across the wastelands of Vigilus. Chapter Master Arthurus of the Rift Wardens sought permission from Marneus Calgar to take the fight to these horrors. After all that was what the chapter had been created to do. Permission was given and Arthurus sought to entrap a marching force in an ambush of massed firepower and whirring chainswords. However, the chapter master of the Rift Wardens had not counted on the presence of the infamous Keiros Fateweaver being in the number, nor for the fact that the greater daemon of Tzeentch had forseen this very act.

Fateweaver's plan to turn the tables on the space marines began with a careful build up of amassed daemonic forces. Ultimately the daemon intended to push his forces forward towards the Imperial lines and cause as much devastation as possible while the Despoiler committed his forces to his own schemes. 

As Fateweaver had foreseen, the Rift Wardens maneuverered into set pincer positions ahead of the daemonic advance. He marched his forces into that line of fire before screeching into the dusty air. Immediately the daemons raced to the sides, assaulting the space marines who had been confident of their planned attack.

One flank of the Rift Wardens pincer was quickly decimated by waves of flamers and bloodletters. Many marines died but the rest proceeded to retreat into the desert drawing some of the daemons out with them, and away from the main space marine force. Taken by surprised an unprepared for such savagery, the Arthurus ordered a hasty retreat when even he could not fell the mighty Fateweaver. Their one victory was the defeat of the khornate hearld, Skulltaker, who was banished back into the Warp.

Fateweaver had won a tactical victory by defeating the space marines, but his forces had suffered such losses that they could do little more than be a nuisance to the Imperial forces scouring the deserts of Vigilus. A pyrrhic victory at best for both sides. 

Return to Armageddon - Armageddon

Points: 1750.

Mission: Battle Lines.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Thin Their Ranks and Vital Ground.

Following the appearance of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the world of Armageddon, still recovering from it's third war, was suddenly swamped with hordes of chaos daemons. The world was devastated as the Imperial defenders fought orks and daemons alike. With the aid of various space marine chapters, including the Rift Wardens, the Imperium has begun to turn the tide of battle.

The Rift Wardens had been operating under the command of a High Inquisitor of the Ordos Malleus, an infamous and heartless man named Butlerian. Before departing the system, Butlerian instructed captain Lorgraine to deal with a particular Cadian force lead by tank commander Pask. The inquisitor felt that this force had seen too much of the daemonic incursion and had most likely become corrupted. Better to see them burn than fall from the Emperor's Light. Vulkan He'Stan of the Salamanders chapter refused to follow this order, seeing the truth of the situation and warned that following Butlerian's orders would bring brother against brother. Lorgraine warned He'Stan that the Rift Wardens would do whatever was necessary, and if the Salamanders stood against them, they would suffer for it.

Vulkan and his battle brothers sided with the Cadians, lending their bolters to the defence of Pask's men. The Rift Wardens battled in the ruins of a fallen hive city for ten hours, fighting valiantly to achieve their aim but were unprepared for the sheer number of tanks and mortar teams deployed against them. Pask's command tank was destroyed but he himself was dragged unconscious but alive from the burning wreck. Lorgraine and Vulkan duelled in the ruins before both commanders were felled, and pulled from the conflict. With Lorgraine temporarily out of action, lieutenant Gaheris, a man of calmer mind, sued for peace and parley. With his council, Vulkan and Lorgraine both agreed to halt the conflict. Vulkan eventually convincing the Rift Wardens captain of the ill conceived nature of Butlerian's orders.