Sweeping Engagement - Grendel

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Sweeping Engagement / High Octane.

Primary Objective: Burden Of Trust.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force

Opponents Detachment: Warpbane Task Force.

As day turned into evening, the Rift Wardens found themselves under assault once more. To counter this threat, chapter master Arthurus ordered a heavy force to charge the Grey Knight flanks. After a huge clash, the Grey Knights fell back towards Apothe Gate.

After a brief lull, the Grey Knights managed to finally break through the Rift Warden defensive line and pushed into the streets they were fighting. Numerous space marines were slain and Arthurus ordered a retreat. In doing so, they spotted a second Grey Knight force led by Castellan Crowe, emerging from the hab blocks of the north east.

The two Grey Knight companies united under Crowe and formed a strong line, but did not initiate an assault. Arthurus ordered all forces to launch an all out assault before the Grey KNights could start their attack. A host of dreadnoughts made a frontal charge, while chief librarian Uther was ordered to flank attack to the left of the Grey Knight lines. The counter attack was initially successful but within half an hour, the Grey Knights received reinforcements from their orbiting starship. Arthurus has no option but to once again call a retreat.

The Battle of Apothe Gate - Grendel

Points: 1800.

Mission: Outflank.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Teleport Strike Force.

Agendas: Drive Them Back, Malefic Hunter and Recover Blackstone Data.

Opponent's Agendas: Headhunters and Reap A Tally.

Following the battle of Black Fields, it was clear that the breakthrough attacks in the fields outside Ascension Hive, and the Grey Knights were ordered to begin the siege of the hive city by attacking the Rift Warden defences at Apothe Gate, supported by dreadknights. These attacks continued late into the night and throughout the next day, when continued teleport assaults and aerial bombing forced the space marines to disengage. The Rift Wardens led by chapter master Arthurus, retreated from the Apothe district towards the heart of the hive, leaving a rearguard to defend the gate. The gate was captured, while devastating aerial bombing of the surrounding area blocked their own line of retreat. As all objectives had now been won, no further attacks were required at this point, and the Grey Knights slew the surviving rearguard and witnessing civilians.

The Black Fields Aflame! - Grendel

 

Points: 1500.

Mission: Kicking The Nest.

Detachment: Anvil Strike Force.

Opponents Detachment: Teleport Strike Force.

Agendas: Central Position, Duel of Honour and Malefic Hunter.

Opponent's Agendas: Headhunters and Reap A Tally.

The Grey Knights command refused Crowe's demands to continue the Black Fields offensive, as it was felt that the attack was faltering as the Grey Knight forces outran their supplies and tank support, and the Rift Wardens reserves were being moved to reinforce Ascension Hive. Instead, Crowe was ordered to plan an offensive to take the hive city.

Crowe's forces launched the next phase of the campaign by assaulting what was left of the space marines in the Black Fields. The assault was widened by further reinforcements in the next few days. During the next week, the Grey Knights pressure along the entire front was heavy and unrelenting. For the Rift Wardens, each day was spent in bloody fighting against an ever on-storming enemy force.

The second battle began shortly thereafter, with a new offensive north of the hive city itself. That developed into an advance which pushed the Rift Wardens, under chapter master Arthurus, back from the fields and into the walls of Ascension Hive. The Grey Knights then widened the attack to include the fields south of the hive sprawls. The Grey Knights breached the outer walls a couple days later at the battle of Apothe Gate. 

The following morning, the Grey Knights seized control of the outer fields. Space marine casualties were heavy while the Grey Knights suffered far fewer losses. By noon of this day, Arthurus ordered his battle brothers into the city. Here they would make their stand.

Faced with these advances, Arthurus issued fresh ordered to hold the outer gates. With this, the Rift Wardens ceded control of the now burning fields to the enemy. They had to admit defeat at this time. Within three days, the Rift Wardens were forced back into the hive proper. Now, unless the situation changed, the Rift Wardens were forced into a vicious city fight for their own survival.

Second Battle of Black Fields - Grendel

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Sweeping Engagement / Smoke And Mirrors.

Primary Objective: Burden Of Trust.

Detachment: Anvil Siege Force

Opponents Detachment: Teleport Strike Force

The second battle of Black Fields was a successful attack by the Grey Knights, supported by Imperial Knights, against the Rift Wardens positions in and round Black Fields. The attack was planned and commanded by Castellan Crowe.

Many of the tactics employed, such as the teleport strike teams, allowed the Grey Knights to achieve their objectives in just a couple of hours, only a short duration longer than anticipated. The Rift Wardens defence crumbled and the day belonged to the Grey Knights.

The Black Fields Campaign Begins - Grendel

Points: 1000.

Deployment and Mission: Hammer And Anvil / Scrambler Fields

Primary Objective: Scorched Earth

Detachment: Gladius Strike Force.

Opponent's Detachment: Teleport Strike Force.

The Black Fields campaign took place over two weeks following the initial battle of Black Fields just days previously. Initially, the Grey Knights committed to large incursions into Rift Warden held territory. Firstly the main trade road into Ascension Hive was successfully captured over two days, followed by the capture of overlooking escarpments. The first battle for the larger Black Fields took place over several days when the Grey Knights mounted a large teleport strike, reinforced with terminator squads and dreadknights.

The Rift Wardens command base located in the Black Fields was strongly garrisoned and during the battle received reinforcements from units of eradicators coming from Ascension Hive itself. Their presence on the battlefield proved effective and eventually forced the attacking Grey Knights to retire back to their own lines. Their retreat and other victories here allowed the Rift Wardens to consolidate their positions. The front line was adjusted to compensate for expected teleport assaults.

After several unsuccessful attempts by the Grey Knights, a new attack was led by grand master Voldus against the main trade road once more. The Grey Knights under his command came under heavy fire from the entrenched Rift Wardens but they fought through to reach the space marines, and under Voldus' leadership they began recapturing former positions.

Meanwhile strike teams and purifiers marched north and south of the main assault. Their objective was to effectively cut the space marines supply lines from Ascension Hive. That supply line was strongly defended by the Rift Wardens and their positions had been reinforced to better repel the Grey Knights. The strike squads and dreadknights were sent forward to bolster the attack to the north but this took considerable time to organise. Athought the combined force of Grey Knight battle brothers with dreadknight support made a determined attack but Voldus was forced to withdraw them when it became clear that the defenders were too strong, making it difficult if not impossible to achieve the operation's objective. After days of fighting, the only territorial gains the Grey Knights achieved were minimal.

Battle Of Black Fields - Grendal

Points: 1000.

Mission: Rotting Biomass.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Teleport Strike Force.

Agendas: Malefic Hunter and Retrieve Mission Archive.

Opponent's Agendas: Battlefield Survivors and Headhunters.

The Battle of Black Fields was a battle fought in the agri-fields surrounding Ascension Hive. The battle was fought in two flanks, one to the north side if the hive and one to the south. The engagement was hindered by persistent rain, smoke and the volume of artillery fire had reduced the fields to a crater field swamp. Both sides in the conflict found these conditions made transporting fresh munitions and supplies extremely difficult.

The Grey Knights on the southern flank managed a recovery after a string of defeats, with fresh companies arriving by teleportarium to replace exhausted and wounded squads, Aircraft, tanks and fresh ammunition allowed the Grey Knights there to challenge the Rift Wardens air superiority and to support their own forces with artillery observation and increased combat patrols.

The Grey Knights to the North, lost much less ground and suffered fewer casualties but the proportion of casualties was in excess to those fighting south of the hive. Terrain and weather conditions were a lesser problem for the Grey Knights, who were able to teleport around the battlefield and pushed the Rift Wardens back on several occasions. The space marines who had greater numbers were however, reduced to progressively local operations.

While their battle brothers fought for dominance within the hive itself, those in the Black Fields fought for survival and refused to give up.

Mind War - Grendal

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Hammer And Anvil / Supply Lines.

Primary Objective: The Ritual.

Detachment: Gladius Strike Force.

Opponent's Detachment: Teleport Strike Force.

This battle was the first large scale offensive of the Grey Knights during the war for Ascension Hive. The attack was intended to benefit from assistance by freeblade knights led by Canis Rex in the hours after the initial attack. The battle was fought in the streets of the lower outer levels of the hive, and areas overlooking territory claimed by the Rift Wardens.

The Rift Warden positions were well fortified and the space marine defenders fought with great determination but the this soon declined due to the confusing nature of the close quarters fighting in the maze of streets, make-shift trenches, dug outs and shell craters. The final Grey Knight objectives were not reached until their forces reorganized and teleported into the marine positions. Organisaional difficulties and deteriorating weather frustrated the Grey Knight command, and even their forces soon became disjointed and declined in effectiveness, at the same time as the Rift Wardens were bolstered by the chapter's librarians who brought much needed psychic strength to the conflict.

The Grey Knights struck hard in response with multiple teleport strike teams, heavy firepower from their freeblade allies and focused strikes. The Rift Wardens struggled to withstand the Grey Knight forces fielded against them at this time, despite the psychic reinforcements. The battle became a costly one in casualties for the space marines.

Surprise Assault - Grendal

Points: 1000.

Deployment and Mission: Search And Destroy / Chilling Rain.

Primary Objective: Supply Drop.

Detachment: Gladius Strike Force.

Opponent's Detachment: Teleport Strike Force.

Lorgraine led a small combat patrol into the streets held by the Grey Knights, and surprisingly they found the are weakly held, When the attack was launched, the Grey Knights managed to halt the attack on their right flank. The Rift Wardens brought up a Ballistus Dreadnought to lay down a heavy weapons strike. The Grey Knights attempted to counter-attack with a Dreadknight but they were failing alone the front. During this fight, a small scout team snuck in and planted explosives which destroyed several ammunition stockpiles. With the mission completed, the Rift Wardens fell back, leaving the Grey Knights with a bloodied nose.

Battle of Saint's Landing - Grendal

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Desperate Raid.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, No Prisoners, and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Teleport Assault and Warp Ritual.

The battle of Saint's Landing was an orbital landing made at the Ascension Hive's space port. It was part of the Rift Warden's attempt to break the Grey Knight's defiance. The landing, which commenced as night fell across the hive, was intended to support the space marine detachments fighting the Grey Knights throughout the hive.

Although initially successful, against light opposition, the landing was mismanaged from the outset and quickly reached the stalemate conditions that prevailed between the fighting forces in the hive. A week after the landing, the Rift Wardens were still contained within the space port while their battle brothers attempted to fight through to join them.

Teleport Assault - Grendal

Points: 1000.

Mission: Ascension.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Raise The Banners High and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Teleport Assault and Warp Ritual.

In an attempt to end the conflict swiftly, the Grey Knights teleported a company into the middle of the Rift Warden head quarters within Ascension Hive. The post was only defended by a handful of battle brothers and chapter master Arthurus, many of whom were killed as the attackers occupied the site and forced the Rift Wardens to retreat. The Grey Knights were now in a position to observe and bring down fire upon the Rift Wardens positions. However, Arthurus gathered some of his forces and launched a counter which drove out the attackers.

Further down in the hive, an outpost defended by a number of heavy intercessor squads came under attack at this time, as once again the enemy teleported in for a surprise assault. The resulting fire fight lasted for over an hour. As elsewhere, the Rift Wardens were stopped by the weight of psychic power cast into their lines. Three more outposts were captured in a similar fashion.

The Grey Knights then attacked the space marine reinforcements hastening to halt the attack. The Grey Knights opened fire and then assaulted their foes, cutting them down before they could reach the front lines. 

Battle of Ascension Hive (Outer District) - Grendel

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Ascension.

Secondary Objectives: Grind Them Down, Raise The Banners High and Warp Ritual.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Raise The Banners High.

The settlement of Ascension Hive was in the rear of the Rift Warden territory but after recent engagements it now became the front line. Some of the first fighting in the outer district involved the stand of chapter master Arthurus. The chapter master went out with a handful of battle brothers and a lone dreadnought preventing advancing Grey Knights from reaching their flanks.

On the morning, the Grey Knights assaulted the Rift Wardens west flank. Despite a hard fought engagement the Rift Wardens were pushed into the interior of the hive city, and the Grey Knights captured the outer the districts. Over the next three days the Rift Wardens attacked the Grey Knights repeatedly but each time they were forced back. Despite many casualties, the chapter participated without respite in the battles in the north and south districts. Unfortunately the chapter was now surrounded and the war took to the streets.

A New Front - Grendel

Points: 1000.

Mission: Ascension.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Assassination and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Grind Them Down, Psychic Interrogation and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

The first day of battle the Grey Knights carried out several attacks on the sector of the front south of the Rift Wardens base of operations. After two hours of heavy weapon the Rift Wardens were forced out of their defence lines by a direct assault by the Grey Knights. Captain Gwaine ordered to organise a counter-attack with the troops at his disposal. However, until nightfall, the Rift Wardens failed to recapture the lost defences.

On the night of day 2, the Rift Wardens having made several attacks, took the enemy in pincers and them the Grey Knights out of those defences that they had captured the day before. Attempts by the Grey Knights to resume the offensive until the evening were repulsed by fire from heavy intercessors. The Rift Wardens managed to advance forward slightly in two days of stubborn battle.

For a new attack, the commander of the Grey Knights concentrated his troops on the centre of the Rift Wardens lines. On the left, the attack was supported by dreadknights and on the right by whatever tanks the Grey Knights had available. But in connection with the concentration of Grey Knights marines to the south, Arthurus ordered to strengthen this point in their lines with aggressors and bladeguard veterans.

Two weeks later, the Grey Knights has concentrated six companies in the breakthrough area. The Rift Wardens were also reinforced, but the Grey Knights managed an overwhelming superiority in dreadknights and dreadnoughts. Going on the defensive was seen as the only means to wear the enemy down and gather strength for a new offensive. Both armies were ordered to gold their positions at all costs.

Finally, heavy weapons fire was opened on the Rift Warden positions close to where the initial attack had taken place. The Rift Wardens were knocked out of their defences quickly but repeated counter-attacks did not bring success to the chapter.

On the 16th day of battle, the Rift Wardens launched another counter-attack, which, despite the addition of assault intercessors into the battle, was unsuccessful. The Grey Knights brought up land raiders and with great destructive force, destroyed the bolstered fortifications of the Rift Wardens and resumed the offensive, attacking the left flank with a wave of infantry. By nightfall, most of the Rift Warden attacks were repulsed and new reinforcements brought into battle stopped the advance. By this time the chapter had sustained significant casualties.

On day 18, the Rift Wardens attacked the left flank. Eliminators were brought in to reinforce that side and remove any Grey Knight command staff. With their support and distracting fire, the chapter organised a defence and held the line. By the night of day 18, the position of the Rift Wardens on that flank was partially restored and some defenceworks reoccupied but the main strongholds could not be restored in time. In the morning, the Grey Knights once again went on the offensive, pushing back many points in the space marine lines.

The actions of the Rift Wardens veterans were more successful. All were involved in the offensive and as a result elements of the Grey Knights were pushed back. An unexpected blow from the northern flank, which ended in a heavy defeat of the Rift Wardens, forced the chapter to stop attacks. After nearly three weeks of battle, the engagement was finally running down.

Battle of the Vestigia River - Grendel

Points: 1000.

Mission: Rise Of The Machine Spirit.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Assassination, and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Psychic Interrogation.

The Rift Wardens reached the Vestigia River as they pursued the Grey Knights they defeated earlier that day. The Grey Knights had a handful of firebases on the west bank which were fully occupied. Even so these were excellent targets for the long range space marine firepower. Castellan Crowe, commander of the Grey Knights present, sent forth his troops to attack the Rift Wardens left flank. Due to intercepted Grey Knight communications, the Rift Wardens were prepared for this attack. As the Rift Wardens approached, the Grey Knights charged from their positions along the river's edge. 

It now became the intention of Arthurus and his captains to try and tie down as much of the Grey Knight strength as possible. He ordered the third and fourth "companies" to cross the river but after two days they had failed to breach even the banks as the Grey Knights fought back hard. Unlike their previous encounter, this time the Grey Knights poured their hatred into their psychic attacks slaying many battle brothers. From the enemy fortifications on the far side of the river, massed bolter fire continued to poor into the space marines.

Arthurus was forced to sent more intercessors to reinforce those battle brothers trying to cross the river. The Grey Knights however, had the advantage and cut down many before they could achieve their objective. After two days of heavy fighting the Grey Knights gave up their fire bases and crossed to engage the Rift Wardens in brutal close combat. Arthurus was requested by his captains to withdraw to the southwest and regroup but by the time he agreed, Castellan Crowe with Grey Knight reinforcements had cut him off from the south. Arthurus ordered a retreat back to their base of operations. Crowe ordered the Grey Knights to pursue.

Soon the Rift Wardens found themselves under assault and by a force too powerful to dislodge. Piecemeal they had to fall back. Arthurus planned to try and ambush the enemy closer to their base of operations where the chapter had the numbers. However, those reinforcements were unable to successfully execute such a manoeuvre due to enemy numbers. The Grey Knights had enough battle brothers at their disposal to drive them back but for now not to assault the Rift Wardens base of operations.

The initial victory had been undone all too easily.

Night Falls on Grendel - Grendel

Points: 2000.

Mission: Open War Deck.

In the aftermath of the event known as the Night of a Thousand Rebellions, somewhere in the Segmentum Pacificus, the Rift Wardens along with a dozen other chapters assisted the Grey Knights in cleansing world after world of the taint of Chaos. At the end of one particular Crusade, against the world known as Grendel, the Rift Wardens were privy to things seen and heard that none should be. Just as they had been on other worlds in recent years, the Rift Wardens found themselves fighting against former allies in an effort to survive.

As the war changed tact, captain Gwaine assumed control over two companies of his battle brothers. The Rift Wardens then entrenched themselves into strong defensive positions around a small fortification.

The Grey Knights under command of grand master Voldus and Kaldor Draigo attacked quickly, closing in on the Rift Warden positions. They used everything at their disposal to dislodge the Rift Wardens but the space marines held firm, and on several occasions allowed Grey Knights to advance. When the daemon hunters came into range, the Rift Wardens fought back hard, and repulsed the assault. The Rift Wardens held firm and morale grew substantially. 

Had the Grey Knights broken through the space marine defences, they might have doomed the chapter and destroyed them. This defensive victory, along with other successes at other attack sites to the north, protected them from immediate retaliation. The battle was won but it was only the start of the war.

First Shots of the War - Hyperia Hivesprawl

 Points: 2000.

Mission: Retrieval Mission.

Secondary Objectives: Assassinate, Raise the Banners High and Thin Their Ranks.

Upon their arrival into the Vigilus system, the Rift Wardens flotilla fought through the orbital battles, ready to deploy their force to the surface of the planet. While the chapter split to different war zones initially, chapter master Arthurus lead a company of marines to the edge of Hyperia Hivesprawl in response to a call from the Adepta Sororitas. The Sororitas shrine of St Keeler's Rest was under attack by a daemonic force brought forth by the sorcerers of the Black Legion.

The crusade to purge the shrine of the daemonic infestation was lengthy and brutal but finally with aid from the Grey Knights and Sisters of Battle, the Rift Wardens were successful in defeating it. However, certain elements within the Ordo Malleus and the Inquisition felt that the chapter had seen and experienced too much. They ordered the chapter to stand down for spiritual examination but chapter master Arthurus refused saying that his brothers were needed in defending Vigilus from the various threats assaulting the hive cities. A task far more threatening than what had been encountered here.

The defenders of St Keeler's Rest took this as a sign of corruption and began an attempted purge of the Rift Wardens. The conflict was short until finally the chapter master relented and the chapter was declared free of taint, and allowed to continue the Benthic crusade, although dealings with the defenders of the shrine world remained strained during that time.

While the Rift Wardens recovered after the defeat of the daemonic hordes, the Grey Knights, who had until this point been close allies, took up arms against the loyal space marines. In retaliation chapter master Arthurus employed a sweep and scour campaign to drive the Grey Knights from the area.

The Grey Knights used a three-pronged strategy in return. Firstly, they fought to prevent the separate companies of Rift Wardens reuniting. Second, the Grey Knights dealt with any communication issues so that the chapter could not adequately communicate and lastly, wear the space marines down to better defeat them.

During this campaign, the Grey Knights were reunited with Kaldor Draigo, who although requesting a cessation of hostilities could not convince the other grand masters that the Rift Wardens were pure. Instead, he was able to persuade them that capture was preferable to death in this situation. Draigo led a force into the mountains above the shrine to Saint Keeler where the Rift Wardens were believed to be regrouping.

The initial engagement was short lived, lasting only a few short hours. The Rift Wardens sustained casualties and a number of their battle brothers were captured and taken away for further study and interrogation. The others managed to retreat. During a brief engagement between chapter master Arthurus and Kaldor Drogo, the Grey Knight commander informed the Rift Wardens master that this campaign would continue until he relented and allowed the Grey Knights to assess their purity. Both sides being stubborn, neither would listen to the other.

Victory to the Grey Knights.