Fields Of Fire - Dharrovar

Points: 1000.

Mission: Quantum Siege.

Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.

Opponents Detachment: Noble Lance

Agendas: Drive Them Back, King Slayer and Recover Blackstone Data.

Opponent's Agendas: Kingslayer and To The Last.

This engagement, known as the Fields of Fire, took place over several weeks following the recent battle in Gothos against the enemy Knights. The successive engagement was fought against the fleeing Knights by the Rift Wardens, later assisted by allied Knights. The loyalist forces won a significant victory here before returning to Gothos, continuing to purge the enemy forces still within the walls.

Battle for Gothos - Dharrovar

Points: 2000.

Mission: Supply Run.

Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.

Opponents Detachment: Noble Lance

Agendas: Drive Them Back, Monstrous Targets and Recover Blackstone Data.

Opponent's Agendas: Cut Off The Head, Raise & Ruin, Strategic Dominance, and Strike & Purge.

The Battle for Gothos was a campaign by the Knightly houses of Dharrovar to recapture the city of Gothos. The city held significant value, especially with regards to the ammunition stores located beneath the streets. The battle was also a critical point in the Dharrovar crusade, as the loyalist forces were close to seizing control of the planet.

Marching forth from their mountain strongholds, the Knights launched an attack that breached the walls. They saw a number of victories on the way to Gothos and when they breached the walls, Imperial command feared that they might lose control of such a vital strongpoint. Chapter Master Arthurus personally arrived to oversee the fortification of the city, and to ensure that supplies reached the defenders.

The Knightly advance stall and was soon reversed. The Knights were forced to fall back under heavy fire. The traitor advance began to disintegrate across the city. Many fled back out into the devastated warzones, while a few tried to bunker down in the streets eager to continue the fight.

Battle of the Tabor Fields - Pelucidon

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Hammer and Anvil / Raise Banners.

Primary Objective: The Ritual.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

During the Battle of the Tabor Fields, the Rift Wardens attacked the entrenched White Scars and their Knightly allies defending the Tabor defences. These defences were located in the middle of the rival space marine's lines. The Rift Wardens attacked in a three pronged assault, and these developed into a major set piece offensive. Finally the main force, led by the chapter's Judiciar, smashed through the defences and led to a major defeat for the White Scars.

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.

A Friendly Fire Incident - Dharrovar

 

Points: 1000.

Deployment and Mission: Search And Destroy / Hidden Supplies.

Primary Objective: Priority Targets.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Noble Lance.

In the deep southern deserts a detachment of Rift Wardens were relayed incorrect information from Imperial Navy pilots about the disposition of enemy forces and led to them coming into conflict with their own allies.

Having detected the supposed enemy forces, the Rift Wardens engaged in a series of fast hit and run strikes, preventing the enemy from recovering easily. However, the return fire and counter-attacks led to significant casualties among the space marines. It was only after an hours fighting, and the destruction of a team of Inquisitorial henchmen that the space marines realized the error of their ways and brought a halt to the fighting.

Despite the death and destruction on both sides, the situation was rectified in parlay, and the chapter offered their services to their Knightly Household in a future engagement. No one told the Inquisitor what happened to to their henchmen.

Battle Of The Deep Desert - Dharrovar

Points: 1000.

Deployment and Mission: Search And Destroy / Chilling Rain.

Primary Objective: Take And Hold.

Detachment:  Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Noble Lance.

The Battle of the Deep Desert was fought between the Rift Wardens and a force of traitorous Imperial Knights, on the southern continent of Dharrovar.

The battle took place in the southern deep deserts following a series of Imperial victories in the coastal city hives. The Rift Wardens under the command of Lieutenant Tristanm was tasking to engaging a retreating lance of Knights. Outrider patrols discovered them after a couple of days and the remainder of the force got into position to attack the next day. The assault was launched at dawn and became a day of attack and counter-attack. Finally, in the early evening, Tristan, commanding what remained of his Hellblasters, ordered his force to withdraw leaving the Knights force in command of the battle ground.

Battle of KastleHall - Antares

Points: 2000.

Mission: Conversion.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, No Prisoners and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Grind Them Down and Raise The Banners High.

The battle of KastleHall was the besieging of the Rift Wardens garrison at a small fortress south of the immense Antares Majoris hive sprawl. Over 600 of the space marines were garrisoned there. When the Custodes attacked in force with knightly allies they managed to breach the walls with ease and laid waste to many battle brothers. In the records of the Rift Wardens it goes down as the worst defeat of the chapter to date. 

Strangely, at the behest of the Emissaries Imperatus, all captured Rift Wardens were returned to the chapter unharmed but bearing the message that this world was no longer theirs. Arthurus railed at this warning understanding where it had come from but his drive and ego prevented him from accepting those worlds. The fighting continued.

Abortive Assault - Antares

Points: 1000.

Mission: Reconnaissance Mission.

Secondary Objectives: Codex Warefare, Oaths of Moment and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Auric Mortalis, Might of Terra and Stand Vigil.

Due to a shortage of tanks and artillery, the Rift Wardens counter-attack was split into two parts with the forces available being split to form a pincer attack. In addition to seeking revenge, Arthurus planned this battle to be a diversion to allow the rest of his battle brothers to deploy from orbit

The Rift Warden attack did manage to capture some territory from the Custodes, but these were quickly recaptured by the Emperor's Chosen. The Rift Wardens attacked again and once more successfully captured those same objectives before being driven out by the Custodes with Knightly allies. The arrival of the Freeblades ensured the chapter was unable to hold any ground and the chapter suffered many casualties. The Custodes then launched an attack of their own and forced the Rift Wardens out of their planned deployment zone. 

From here the Custodes repeatedly surged into the Rift Wardens. The fighting continued for several days before it finally subsided. Afterwards this battlefield would remain one of the busiest and more violent of the campaign.

The Defence of Hindelgeist - Dharrovar

Points: 1500.

Mission: Tide of Conviction.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Oaths of Moment and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Grind Them Down and Renew The Oaths.

With the Imperial forces pulling back from the hive city of Hindelgeist, the defenders opened the gates and marched out into the surrounding battle zone. One battle group of Knights reached the territory occupied by the Rift Wardens and effectively reinforced the beleaguered traitorus gaurdsmen, while a second group smashed into the Astra Militarum lines further north. After five days of heavy fighting, the Imperial forces had lost an uncounted number of foot soldiers and tanks. Arthurus proposed his marines launch an offensive towards the largely unprotected city gates. Partly this was an attempt to gain access but also to draw a number of enemy Knights away from the Imperial lines. The attack was postponed as the Rift Wardens command base fell under enemy attack. The space marines retaliated and were able to slowly push the enemy Knights back towards the city. After a brief lull to rearm and regroup, the Rift Wardens resumed their attack on the enemy and the gates. For four full days the Rift Wardens fought hard and valiantly.

With the space marines drawing the wrath of the enemy defenders, the Astra Militarum surged forth once more towards the city gates but were repulsed by massed small-arms fire from the battlements. The northern gates eventually did fall and the soldiers of the Imperium charged into the city streets where they found themselves checked by enemy guardsmen and more enemy Knights. The defenders were forced back by the Imperial assault but further attacks were repulsed, confining the Imperium to the gates. On the next day, an unprecedented bombardment fell upon the defenders from artillery platforms still beyond the walls. The Rift Wardens attempted to lead the vanguard into the city streets but Astra Militarum support was not forthcoming and their advance was contained several blocks in from the city gates. By this time both sides were exhausted and brief lull in the fighting came into effect. The number of Knights on the enemy side had been slashed in half but nearly a million guardsmen had died to breach the gates of Hindelgeist.

Battle of Tannhauser Gate - Dharrovar

Power Level: 45.

Mission: The Ritual.

Agendas: Angels of Death and Priority Target.

Opponent's Agendas: Honour Must Be Satisfied and Kingslayer.

A few weeks into the campaign, the Imperial forces began to advance upon the Tannhauser Hive City. The Rift Wardens are directed to take the centre of the defenders lines, as this was judged to be the weakest point. Little did they realise that the defenders were supported by Knight units. Inititally the Rift Wardens were successful and managed to take control of the Tannhauser Gate, the main entrance into the hive city, while the Astra Militarum pushed on and into the city proper. The Rift Wardens were able to limit the Knight advance, House Hawkshroud in particular, fighting with great tenacity. Imperial attacks across the city were repulsed however by traitor guardsmen. To force further into the streets, the Astra Militarum moved to the centre of the city from the flanks. This manoeuvre was exploited by the Knights and the guardsmen were forced back lest their be destroyed in the close confines of Tannhauser.

During the night, the Knights continued to decimate the Imperial attackers and they concentrated their efforts against the Rift Wardens. They then launched an early morning attack to back the Tannhauser Gate. The Knights attacked en masse against the forces defending it. The effort was a success but the Rift Wardens counter-attacked inflicting light losses upon the knightly house. Even so, this attack had a devastating effect on the Imperial morale who had expected a much easier engagement and should have been celebrating the liberation of the city. The Imperial lines were kept under almost constant bombardment and eventually the Imperial lines fell and retreated.