Polar War - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Tipping Point / Inspired Leadership.

Primary Objective: Scorched Earth.

Detachment: Anvil Strike Force.

Opponents Detachment: Warhost.

In one of the last engagements against the Aeldari on Vigilus, a strike force of their forces emerged from the Webway. These forces comprised hundreds of guardians, aspect warriors, wraith constructs and a fiery Avatar of Khaine. Behind them came a flotilla of grav tanks and jetbikes.

The battle between the Aeldari and the Rift Wardens took place under harsh winter weather conditions. The area around the webway gate was covered in over 3 feet of snow and the temperature dropped below -25 degrees, which gave the alien invaders the advantage. The assault came as a surprise and was devastating enough that it forced the space marines to retreat turning the area over to the Aeldari.

Skirmish On The Ice - Kaelac's Bane

 

Points: 1500.

Deployment and Mission: Search And Destroy / Supply Lines.

Primary Objective: Take And Hold.

Detachment: Vanguard Spearhead.

Opponents Detachment: Battle Host.

This small engagement took place over the course of a week between Aeldari forces and the Rift Wardens garrisoned around the ice mines of Kaelac's Bane. The battles were nothing but brief skirmish raids, but ultimately proved to be the final conflicts between the two forces in this region. The Aeldari sought to take their vengeance out on Hyperia Hivesprawl before joining forces with the Imperium briefly, against the Black Legion, ultimately driving Abaddon's forces from the surface of Vigilus.

Munitions Raid - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Sweeping Engagement / Chilling Rain.

Primary Objective: Deploy Servo Skulls..

Detachment: Stormlance Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Waaagh! Tribe.

Coming out of a sudden snowstorm, the Orks led by Ghazkull Thrakka, launched a surprise raid on one of the remote arctic munitions storage depots. After an initial aerial bombardment, small bands of greenskins attacked. An hour late, captain Mallegant of the Rift Wardens arrived with a force of outriders to aid in the defence. The Orks breached the defences with ease, and follow up units took over the attack. Ghazkull advanced deep into the depot, breaking the defensive lines and slaughtering the defenders, Mallegant was unable to repel the attack and pulled back, leaving the regimental survivours to look to their own defence. The Orks gathered up all they could loot and returned back to the frozen wilderness.

Battle of Heinlain Ridge - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Dawn of War / Hidden Supplies.

Primary Objective: Take And Hold.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Battle Host.

The battle of Heinlain Ridge was fought after captain Lorgraine made plans for the Rift Wardens to take the area east of their present location, with captain Andred leading an attack on the Aeldari from the north. Anred's force attacked to complete the capture of Heinlain Ridge, during which sudden snowstorms caused great hardship and delay. The Aeldari bolstered by fresh forces from the webway, counter-attacked frequently and the Rift Wardens were unable to secure their objectives.

Containment Operation - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 2000.

Deployment and Mission: Crucible Of Battle / Scrambler Fields.

Primary Objective: Vital Ground.

Detachment: Gladius Task Force.

Opponents Detachment: Battle Host.

This engagement was an attack by the Rift Wardens on the Aeldari forces, in an attempt to contain them to the icy realm of Kaelac's Bane. It was led by captains Lorgraine and Andred. The attack was postponed so that both captain's could combine their forces. This attack was also intended to deprive the Aeldari defenders along the outskirts of reinforcements. Several key objectives were recaptured and a number of tanks joined in the battle as the day advanced. Many casualties were inflicted on the alien battle host, but the space marines made slow progress. The Rift Wardens pushed inwards managed to contain a large number of enemy units, and left the Aeldari in severe difficulties.

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.

Wrath of the Aeldari - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 3000.

Mission: Field of Glory.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, No Prisoners and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: No Prisoners, Raise The Banners High and Scry Futures.

Before the latest offensive, Arthurus had expected the Iyanden artillery tanks would be suppressed by counter-battery fire but this failed. The chapter master of the Rift Wardens set up specialist artillery forces to counter the prism cannons arrayed against them. This failed due to swiftly mounting space marine casualties. Arthurus' captains requested more units to contain the enemy arriving from the webway but Arthurus refused, because those forces were needed elsewhere across Vigilus. A pause in the Rift Warden attack led to the Aeldari receiving more and more wraithguard reinforcements.

The forces of Iyanden marched forward into the Rift Warden lines, led by wraithguard and supported by a powerful wraithknight. The space marines present put up a heroic defence and although they did inflict many casualties and destroyed a number of wraith units, they were unable to halt the Aeldari advance out of the icy wastes into the deserts of Vigilus. Arthurus ordered his battle brothers back and communicated to the Imperial command that Kaelac's Bane was most assuridly lost to the Imperium at this time.

Battle of Venstran Crater - Kaelac's Bane

Power Level: 50.

Mission: Recon Patrol.

Agendas: Angels of Death and Reaper.

Opponent's Agendas: Lord of the Warp and Paths of Fate.

In the early evening, a force of Aeldari emerged from the webway and launched an attack upon the Rift Warden force searching for the gate's location. Initially the Rift Wardens suffered heavy casualties from the surprise attack and the chapter's units found themselves separated among the ice sheets with large areas left undefended. The Aeldari then deployed a variety of aspect warriors to further gun down the space marines.

Casualties were heavy but the further the Aeldari progressed the more they over-extended themselves and this would prove to be their downfall. Chapter master Arthurus arrived on the Aeldari left flank with a dreadnought and his own bladeguard bodyguards and they leapt into the fray against the alien aggressors. Together they counter-attacked the Aeldari. Some small arms fire was exchanged but the Aeldari could not down enough of them and soon the tables were turned. 

After losing heavy casualties, the Aeldari retreated to the webway portal and fled back inside. Not only had they lost many warriors but the Imperium know knew the exact location of the portal and would be ready for their return.

Last Stand - Kaelac's Bane

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Forward Push.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Forward Push and Oaths of Moment.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Attrition, Bring It Down and Herd The Prey.

This battle was of the heaviest battles against the Aeldari forces pouring through the ice-covered webway portal located at the heart of Kaelac's Bane. It was initiated as an attempt by the Rift Wardens to defeat and contain the alien threat pouring out. High casualties among the defenders forced them to retreat. The Drukhari and Craftworld Aeldari were now free to strike forth across the surface of Vigilus unopposed.

Alien Advance - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 1500.

Mission: Four Pillars.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Oaths of Moment and Slay The Warlord.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Slay The Warlord and Thin Their Ranks.

In the frozen wastes of Kaelec's Bane on Vigilus, the Aeldari objective was to destroy the Imperial forces in a decisive victory which would allow them open up their attacks across the planet. The Autarchs assumed that the Imperial forces would be deployed defensively in the wastes around their Webway portal. Their plan was launch an overwhelming assault in three waves to overrun those defences as quickly as possible.

Even before the start of the battle, there were frequent raids by the alien forces. The first wave poured from the Webway ahead of the main force and attacked the Rift Wardens position. The space marines counter-attacked, but they were forced back into their fire base. The fighting lasted for four days when the Rift Wardens were forced to retreat under continuous waves of Aeldari attackers. Once the space marines has fallen back the entire Aeldari force roared from the Webway and meeting little serious resistance decimated many of the Astra Militarum defenders.

Webway Incursion - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 1000.

Mission: Divide and Conquer.

Secondary Objectives: Domination, Lines of Demarcation, and Oaths of Moment.

When an Aeldari structure was discovered in the frozen wastes of the North was discovered by an Imperial Navy flyover, the Rift Wardens were assigned to guard the site until a team of Mechanicum xenologists arrived to examine it. After several hours on guard duty, the structure activated a webway portal, releasing a strike team of Aeldari warriors.

The Rift Wardens rallied to the defence but were outgunned by the grav tanks and jetbikes swarming the site. Chaplain Lucastus took charge of the situation and attempted to take the fight to the invading enemy. The Aeldari attackers proved too strong and the Rift Wardens were decimated to a man. No survivors and no prisoners. 

The Battle of Mortem Pass - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 1500.

Mission: Vital Intelligence.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts and Oaths of Moment.

Chapter master Arthurus had assumed command of the Imperial forces fighting the Drukhari raiders in the frozen polar region. His force of marines and 250,000 soldiers of the Astra Militarum held a location known as Mortem Pass, which was an ice route between mining colonies and a local space port. The guardsmen fortified the pass and began trying to fill suspected weak points in the defences with as many bodies as possible. The Rift Wardens had lost a number of battle brothers in recent engagements, were forced to divide their remaining squads present between the two ends of the pass. 

The Drukhari forces, led by Drazhar, awaited reinforcements from the webway portals before launching his attack. Guarding the strategic Mortem Pass, the Rift Wardens had three companies with artillery in addition to their own companies. Three days after their fortified the pass, the Drukhari launched a two pronged attack, striking at both ends of the path simultaneously. This force was supported by raiders and ravagers, which swooped over the Imperial positions, dropping off kabalite warriors and incubi.

Several hours later as the sun began to rise over the distant horizon, the Drukhari attack faltered which allowed the Rift Wardens to organise a retreat towards the nearest Imperial firebase. Casualties were actually light on both sides effectively but the retreat allowed the Drukhari to consolidate more territory and cut supply lines.

Battle of the Taraca Ice Flats - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 2000.

Mission: Vital Intelligence.

Secondary Objectives: Data Intercept, Engage On All Fronts and Thin Their Ranks.

The battle of the Taraca Ice Flats was a skirmish between the Rift Wardens and a raiding party of Drukhari in the snow flats of Northern Vigilus. The Rift Wardens had ventured out to secure a series of vital monitoring stations by request of the Adeptus Mechanicus when they came under fire from a realspace raiding party who appeared suddenly undercover of a snowstorm. 

The Drukhari surrounded the space marines and slowly whittled down their numbers with accurate firepower before the gladiatorial combatants charged into their lines. Although the Rift Wardens slaughtered many of the foul xenos in heroic hand to hand combat, they were hopelessly outnumbered. The Drukhari killed many marines and dragged several back to their dark city in esoteric chains.

Dig Site Alpha 12 - Kaelac's Bane

Points: 1700.

Missions: Ascension.

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

The battle of Dig Site Alpha 12 was a minor battle in which the Rift Wardens took part. Aeldari raiders had assaulted a Mechanicus ice mining station. They picked this target as it was lightly defended and they wanted to perpetrate an aggressive show of force against the Imperium. The major Craftworlds were engaged elsewhere so this was left to a minor craftworld.

The battle was short and the Aeldari successfully assaulted the dig site. They killed many and forced the majority of the counter attacking Rift Wardens to fall back to the nearest Mechanicus facility. The Aeldari planted their banners on the site atop bodies of the fallen as a message to the Imperium.

Victory to the Aeldari.