Battle of the Helghast District - Paragon Secundus

Power Level: 25.

Mission: Assassination.

Agendas: Angels of Death. 

Bad weather and difficult terrain hampered the Ultramarines efforts to regroup after the recent conflicts with the Rift Wardens. On this occasion as several Ultramarine squads moved ahead of the main company force, they came under fire from Rift Warden marines hidden in nearby ruins. This started a three day battle for the site. When captain Demeter arrived, the Ultramarines gained an overwhelming advantage, forcing the Rift Wardens to withdraw further into the ruined city/

On the second day, as the Ultramarines moved south around the Helghast district they came again under fire from from Rift Warden positions in overlooking tenement ruins. The Ultramarines charged in and took the advantage in hand to hand combat. 

Due to the collapsed and ruined streets of Helghast, the Rift Wardens were lacking in heavy ordinance. Only a single redemptor dreadnought was present to back up the intercessor squads. In this instance, the Rift Wardens lacked the overwhelming numbers present previously. During this battle, the Rift Wardens lost a newly promoted captain to the blade of captain Demeter. A revenge stroke for the loss of their own captain just days before.

Although they lost this engagement and forced to retreat, the battle showed the Ultramarines that the Rift Wardens were still a force to be reckoned with. If a reconciliation was not soon coming this war might drag on for weeks or even months.

Assault the Scrapcities - Vigilus Wastelands

Power Level: 60.

Mission: Ambush.

Agendas: Breakthrough, Cull the Hordes and Kingslayer. 

The time had finally come and the war effort was directed to the growing scrap cities in the wastelands. With the constant influx of traitor astartes flooding into Vigilus, the ork menace had to be contained as much much as possible. The Rift Wardens were once such chapter tasked with destroying the scrap cities and their greenskin defenders eradicated.

The Rift Wardens advanced on one scrap city outpost ahead of the main force. It had been estimated that the Orks numbered over 20,000 within. The chapter was to conduct a series of limited offensives, mainly to draw the main body of the Orks to the edges of the encampment. Tje chosen area featured two major fortifications, along with several smaller forts that guarded the approach. These were equipped with artillery emplacements, bunkers, trenches and barbed wire.

The Rift Wardens entered the perimeter around midday capturing two of the smaller forts. The Orks counterattacked initiating a major bloodbath and the space marines were forced back by overwhelming numbers. After regrouping with the their fellow chapters, the Imperial forces went on the offensive again. This time the combined space marine forces were able to establish a breach but it had cost the Rift Wardens dearly in the lives of their battle brothers.

Battle for Mount Sybo - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1000.

Mission: Crossfire.

Secondary Objectives: Linebreaker, Oaths of Moment and Slay The Warlord.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Attrition, Engage On All Fronts and Mutate Landscape.

When Imperial Navy patrols detected activity at the abandoned geothermal mining station at the base of the active volcano Mount Sybo, they reported it to command. Further patrols confirmed the presence of Thousand Sons traitor marines at the site. As the closest Imperial strike force to the site, the Rift Wardens were dispatched the handle the traitor threat and determine their activities within.

The initial clashes were around the defensive gates at the base of the volcano on the northern side. The Thousand Son attacks were irresistible and the Rift Wardens were prevented from making progress. Chapter master Artherus attempted to split his forces into two companies but the effort was stopped by a swift counter attack by the enemy forces. What should have been a swift battle has bogged down into a stalemate with neither side granting ground to the enemy. Unwilling to retreat any further, Artherus has elected to stay and fight to the bitter end.

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.

Return to Antares - Antares

Points: 1000.

Mission: Forward Push.

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

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Attrition, Auric Mortalis and Engage On All Fronts.

In the aftermath of the Vigilus crusade, the war weary Rift Wardens have translated their fleet to Antares. one of the recruitment worlds used by the chapter. Upon arrival, the chapter find the planet has been occupied by forces of the Adeptus Custodes who have called quarantined it. When chapter master Arthurus requested an explanation the Custodes informed him that the planet was out of their hands now and they should move on. Arthurus, in his usual arrogance, refused. The chapter deployed to the surface and a new war began.

That morning, the Custodes began their assault on the Rift Wardens initial deployment zone. The Custodes attacked the Rift Wardens main force frontally, their advance hampered by heavy weapon fire and the maze of ruined streets. In the meantime, a detachment of jetbikes conducted a flanking manoeuvre from the west with the intention of cutting of their potential retreat. 

The Rift Wardens were outnumbered and the Custodes outflank successfully blocked the space marines off from any potential escape route. The jetbikes swooped in and easily overcame the stiff resistance presented against them. They failed to get into the heart of the Rift Wardens encampment due to increased heavy weapons fire by the chapter's dreadnoughts. As the battle wore on into the afternoon, the main bulk of the Custodes artillery was brought into the battle. The Custodes halted some 1000 meters from the Rift Wardens base of operations.

The Custodes commander demanded that the Rift Wardens stand down but Arthurus, enraged, refused and ordered his battle brothers to assault the enemy. The battle swiftly booked down in a bloody battle and against such powerful opposition, the space marines faired poorly. Many of their already limited numbers were slain before Arthurus finally called to the orbiting fleet for evacuation. 

Calling his command staff to him, Arthurus began drawing up plans to defeat the Custodes and liberate Antares.

Defend The Shrine - Hyperia Hivesprawl

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Crossfire.

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

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Attrition, Defend The Shrine and Slay The Warlord.

The battle of the Bloody Rose was a significant engagement between the Rift Wardens and the Adepta Sororitas during the Vigilus Crusade. 

Having escaped the ambush set by the Sisters of Battle just hours earlier, Arthurus, chapter master of the Rift Wardens, led his battle brothers to attack and capture a shrine devoted to the Order of the Bloody Rose. The Sororitas requested parley but Arthurus refused to surrender to them, countering that his chapter has done no wrong and that the sisters would pay for their aggression. The sisters of the Bloody Rose were left with no choice but to assault their own shrine, recapturing it from the Rift Wardens. Arthurus escaped swearing righteous vengeance against the sisters.

Turn of the Tide - Corinthia

Points: 1000.

Mission: Crossfire.

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

The battle of Corinth Starport was a small engagement that saw lieutenant Aurelius become a legend among the honours of the Rift Wardens chapter. 

The Tau arrived at Cortinth in a high flying manta aircraft and invaded the city without encountering any serious opposition from the local defence forces. The Rift Wardens forces within the city were led by lieutenant Aurelius and under his command, he organised his battle brothers to lead the defence of the space port.

In the first week of fighting, the Tau captured and overtook the Heingeist district close to the main space port landing site. They busied themselves digging trenches and preparing fortifications while they waited for further reinforcement.

The Tau commander foresaw that the space marines present would jeopardize the Tau position. As such, he ordered the troops under his command to attack the Imperial positions as soon as possible to prevent the space marines from attacking the Tau command positions. At the same time, the Aurelius led his battle brothers to attack the Tau in the very fashion that the enemy commander feared. The Rift Wardens used the cover of night to advance, and just before dawn they attacked. The Tau were surprised and responded in a disorganized fashion without the benefit of any heavy weapons. The Tau were defeated in under two hours and the space port was returned to Imperial control.

Although Aurelius was gravely wounded, he survived and was honoured by the chapter for his daring. 

Battle of Outpost Alpha-Zin - Paragon Secundus

 Points: 1000.

Mission: Shifting Front.

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

In response to the previous engagement, Chapter Master Arthurus led a small force to Outpost Alpha-Zin, a forward firebase used by the Ultramarines during the original war against the Death Guard and still occupied by a small force of the Ultramarines. It was chosen as a target simply to drive home the point that the Ultramarines were in the wrong by their actions and that the Rift Wardens were in a superior position. Arthurus hoped that with this action the Ultramarines would back down.

Arthurus force carried out a frontal attack under fire from Ultramarines dreadnoughts and gladiator tanks, countered by the Rift Warden's own dreadnoughts. The Ultramarine defenders, led by the phobos librarian commander, attempted some counterattacks, but these were repelled. The Ultramarines, threatened by the overwhelming attack, started to withdraw, abandoning the site. The Rift Wardens then occupied the outpost. During the next day, Rift Warden patrols mopped up the surrounding area, bringing down any Ultramarines discovered.

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. 

Massacre at Mining Station 715 - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1500.

Mission: Forward Push.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Forward Push and Oaths of Moment.

In retaliation for the loss of their battle brothers just days before, a strike team was assembled and sent into Mining Station 715 to slaughter the Genestealer Cultists hold up within. In the days since the initial takeover, local authorities had lost control of the region and it was a vital gesture that the Rift Wardens reclaim the site.

When no word returned of the strike team, a third was dispatched and found the colony a site of brutal slaughter. The bodies of the slain marines were everywhere. Their bodies desecrated and defiled. Of the cultists there was no sign. Despite it's value to the Imperial war effort, the decision was made to recover the bodies of the fallen and destroy the mining station with explosive charges.

The chapter kept these defeats a secret and blamed the destruction of the colony on the xenos.