Points: 2000.
Deployment: Front Line.
Primary Objective: Duel.
Following the Battle of Olatu Valley, the Hive Mind launched a surprise attack on the Rift Wardens fire base at the western end of the valley. As a result of the subterranean assault, the space marines were forced to evacuate despite repelling most of the alien attack.
Deployment: Front Line.
Primary Objective: Duel.
This engagement arose when the Imperial defenders, already stretched thing, failed to maintain control over the Olatu Valley which ran between two of the surviving Hive Cities. The Tyranids overran the area and skirmished with Imperial defenders. The hive mind initiated a punitive cleansing of the few defending forces. The Tyranids invaded from the eastern half of the valley, blocking off ground assistance from that direction. The actual engagement was extremely brief and eventually the Rift Wardens determined that for now, the Olatu Valley was not a priority and withdrew from the battle grid.
Deployment and Mission: Hammer and Anvil / Point Blank.
Primary Objective: Take and Hold.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Lions of the Emperor.
The Adeptus Custodes battle companies reached the area around a small fortress hive named GrayKeep. They immediately engaged in a battle with the Rift Wardens guarding the nearby crossings. The Custodes tried seize the crossing points but were repelled by heavy bolter fire.
After a short resupply break, Trajan decided to carry our two simultaneous attacks - targeting the crossing site and GrayKeep itself. He dispatched three companies south to bolster their forces there near KastleHall. Soon afterwards, two Custodes companies captured the crossings and the Rift Wardens abandoned the site.
The first stage of the battle ended with a Custodes victory, but the Rift Wardens continued to control the surrounding countryside, and prevented the Custodes from pulling back to their staging zones. Trajan requested reinforcements and then renewed their assault on the space marines. The Rift Wardens were ready and met the Custodes with renewed heavy bolter fire. Trajan ordered his troops to engage the Rift Wardens in close quarters combat. Neither side took prisoners, and after several hours the Rift Wardens were forced to retreat.
Deployment: Front Line.
Primary Objective: Duel.
After several recent engagements along the front line where the Rift Warden and Deathwatch faced off, on the eastern flank, the Deathwatch commander decided to create a bridgehead over a fast flowing river that split their forces. After a recent assault by outriders and jump pack assault squads had been repelled, the Deathwatch commander feared that the Rift Wardens might try and assault the bridgehead directly. To prevent this and to disrupt any preparations to do so, an assault group was formed from the best veterans the commander had to hand. These were swiftly loaded into cargo transports and flown into the enemy positions on the other side of the river.
In the early morning, the Deathwatch landed and assaulted the Rift Warden positions, where the chapter was preparing for the foreseen assault. Although numerically inferior, the Deathwatch managed to take the space marines by surprise, and after a short skirmish, the Rift Wardens withdrew towards the center lines of the battle. After taking what supplies they could quickly carry on to the transports, the Deathwatch returned to their own forces.
Although the losses on both sides were low, the assault managed to disrupt the Rift Warden preparations for the assault on the bridgehead,
Points: 2000.
Deployment and Mission: Defensive Line / Night Fighting.
Primary Objective: Purge The Foe.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Soulforged Warpack.
The second battle of the Vangalt Defence Line was part of an ill-fated offensive by the Rift Wardens on the Black Legion occupying this strategic site after the recent battle. In this case, they found that Abaddon had summoned Vashtorr the Arkifane, and they would be forced to deal with his followers as well.
The Rift Wardens assault with the aim of cutting off one division of Black Legion and encircling them. One of the assaulting forces, managed to breach the front line and assaulted a fortified bunker, defended by a small number of cultists. After a brief skirmish, the chapter had captured a suitable command position, As the Rift Wardens took no prisoners, they slaughtered hundreds of traitor marines and even brought down Vashtorr, banishing back to the Warp. Following this, Abaddon joined the battle was forced to teleport back to the Vengeful Spirit having suffered grievious wounds from Chief Librarian Uther. The Rift Wardens had suffered minimal casualties as now the Black Legion lacked enough firepower to repel the loyalist forces and their counter-attack was repelled. Over the next twenty four hours the Rift Wardens broke through the defence line and obliterated the enemy forces. A significant victory had been achieved.
Deployment and Mission: Last Stand / Lords of War.
Primary Objective: Burden of Trust.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Skysplinter Assault.
While the chapter's various companies moved out to engage the Drukhari, Captain Pellenor and his battle brothers attacked the Drukhari positions on the Hellfire Bridge. The area was defended by many warriors with ravager and raider support, and were led by Lellith Hesperex. The Drukhari under her leadership formed strong pockets of resistance, a tactic that proved superior to their usual massed assaults.
Due to this, the Rift Wardens could not fully exploit their numerical advantage. In addition, poor command decisions caused the marine squads to begin their attacks on the Drukhari in a piecemeal fashion. In addition, Pellenor had ordered his forces to attack the enemy frontally across the narrow bridge. After the initial assault was repelled by heavy dark lance fore, the Drukahri counter-charged the Rift Wardens, and an intense hand to hand ensued. Both sides suffered major casualties, including the loss (for now) of Hesperex herself. When Drukhari reinforcements arrived from the under hives, Pelenor ordered a retreat from the field.
Deployment and Mission: Pincer Attack / High Octane.
Primary Objective: Linchpin.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Mortarian's Hammer.
Following their defeat at the hands of the Death Guard reinforcements, the Rift Wardens had fallen back to the southern city walls to rearm and resupply. Unfortunately this meant that the Imperium had to given up vast amounts of territory to the enemy forces but they still retained enough forces to contain the Death Guard within the vast hive city.
By this time, over 70% of Dontoria lay in Chaos hands and the population dead or mutated by plague. The Rift Wardens and their allies were struggling to save the hive.
Deployment and Mission: Dawn of War / Martial Pride.
Primary Objective: Take and Hold.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Mortarian's Hammer.
Bursting from the roiling energies of the Great Rift, a small Death Guard flotilla emerged and pushed through the orbital war to breach the atmosphere above Dontoria Hivesprawl. The Imperial defenders were taken by surprise as the descending starships opened fire upon their lines before smashing into the city, crushing entire districts under their swollen bulk. From the derelict wreckage, reinforcements for the Death Guard emerged and slammed into the Rift Warden lines. The space marines attempted to counterattack but were repelled by artillery fire from plagueburst crawlers. Captain Pelenor ordered his forces to pull back even though it allowed the plague marines to expand their area of control.
Mission: Polarising Energies.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Peerless Bladesmen.
Agendas: Calculated Destruction, Drive Them Back and Recover Blackstone Data..
Opponent's Agendas: Feeding the Addiction and Draught of Despair.
Having been warned by Inquisitor Rosarius that a sizeable warband of the Emperor's Children was rampaging through the subsector, Arthurus ordered his chapter to the factorum world of Tyrannus Secundus where they fortified key locations ready for the traitor legions arrival. They did not have long to wait.
The initial enemy planetary landings, those transports which survived the anti-orbital firepower from the surface, landed in the misty swamps surrounding the planet's primary power generation facility. The Emperor's Children's first task was to seize control of this site and it's adjacent star port, a location bolstered by the Rift Wardens.
The enemy landing occurred just before dawn and the Emperor's Children marched through the swamps towards the facility, supported by tanks and daemon engines. After a few hours, they were intercepted by the Rift Warden patrols but the loyalists suffered casualties and were forced to retreat. The enemy commander divided his forces into two groups. The first, led by himself, would launch an attack directly at the space marine positions. The second was ordered to circle around and attack from the west.
The Emperor's Children left their positions as night began to fall. The first group clashed at the main gates with the Rift Wardens, breaching the walls and broke through the space marine lines, opening the way for reinforcements. The second force was delayed due to a significant defence by the Rift Wardens, but they did breach the walls after a couple of hours.
Despite stiff resistance, the Emperor's Children, supported by their daemon engines, seized large sections of the factorum complex. With the Rift Wardens pushed back towards the space port, the traitors assaulted them in brutal close quarters fighting, forcing Arthurus to order a retreat. The battle quickly turned into rout, as the Rift Wardens were forced to flee leaving the site in enemy hands.
Deployment and Mission: Last Stand / Adapt or Die.
Primary Objective: The Ritual.
Detachment: Anvil Siege Force.
Opponents Detachment: Righteous Crusaders.
The Hadex Offensive was a major part of the war between the Rift Wardens and the Black Templars. It was an attempt by the Rift Wardens, led by Captain Pellenor, to seize the territories under the control of their rival chapter.
The two chapters classed and the Rift Wardens managed to advance into the disputed districts of Hadex City. Early on, Pellenor concentrated on preparations for a strike deep into enemy held territory. He anticipated that this would lead to the destruction of a great many Black Templar sword brethren and force them to concede this corner of the city.
The campaign was conducted over several weeks. At first, the war was successful for the Rift Wardens, who did successfully recapture territory, but soon the campaign's momentum halted and was dramatically revered, due to High Marshall Helbrecht leading a counter-offensive. In the wake of this advance, the Black Templars managed to create a new front and no man's land.
Points: 2000. Deployment: Opposing Forces. Primary Objective: Duel. This skirmish was a week of significant street battles in Dirkden tha...
