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.

Battle of Mining Station 715 - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 2000.

Mission: Retrieval Mission.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Mental Interrogation and Oaths of Moment.

While the Imperium waged it's wars against the invading Chaos and Xenos forces, the Genestealer Cult on the planet Vigilus took control if a major mining station out in the wastes. It's loss could cause significant disruption to the Imperial defenders. The Cult took the site with ease and began to convert the site to a firebase outside the great hive cities.

The Rift Wardens were dispatched to retake the site, burn the Cult out and restore Imperial control. The Cult was far more prepared, and deeply ensconced in the facility. The space marines fought valiantly, even inflicting significant damage to the Patriarch but ended up outflanked and surrounded. The battle brothers fought bravely to the end but were wiped out to a man. Mining station 715 remained in xenos hands.

Plague War - Dontoria Hivesprawl

Points: 1000.

Mission: Centre Ground.

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

After several days with no sight of the Death Guard, Imperial strike teams investigated but could find no sign of the traitor marines. Imperial command became concerned and dispatched the Rift Wardens back to the hive sprawl with orders to scour deep into the hive and find the Death Guard. 

The Rift Wardens had barely entered the hive when a sudden bombardment from hidden plagueburst crawlers fell down upon their position. Likewise, similar bombardments fell upon the Astra Militarum lines behind them.

Simultaneously, a large number of plague marines emerged and attacked the space marines largely unopposed as many succumbed to the warp-fuelled diseases released. Captain Galadus quickly took charge of his battle brothers and quickly counter-attacked capturing a strip of ground between the two forces. From this point, the Rift Wardens attempted to push forward to retake territory and occupy high ground. A second force of Death Guard terminators teleported in behind the Rift Wardens but were repelled by heavy bolt rifle fire.

The battle waged on for hours and the Death Guard pushed the Rift Wardens back and secured the area. At this point a horde of plague zombies emerged from the sewers and ruins, spilling out into the streets. It was at this time that the Death Guard commander made an appearance and led his forces into close assault with the space marines. The Rift Wardens laid down heavy fire and for a time were able to halt the enemy advance. 

Captain Galadus arrived at this time with reinforcements but were unable to dislodge the plague marines. The enemy commander then proceeded to advance and attack Galadus' position supported by further plagueburst bombardment. The engagement, now in vicious hand to hand, was now very much in the hands of the Death Guard. 

Galadus attempted one final attempt to halt the Death Guard but after losing his bladeguard bodyguards he found himself outnumbered. Although he was pulled down by the enemy forces, in the aftermath of the battle he was recovered and returned to the Rift Wardens firebase where his injuries were treated. Unfortunately, with the Rift Wardens defeated, the Astra Militarum troops were easy prey to the Death Guard. Dontoria Hivesprawl remains in the hands of the Death Guard.

Devastation - Vigilus Wastelands

Points: 1000.

Mission: Forward Push.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Oaths of Moment and Raise the Banners High.

The defenders of Vigilus desperately need a victory over the enemies arrayed against them. Captain Lorgraine gathered together a strike force of his battle brothers and headed into the wastelands to where the Ork scrap cities lay. The strike team came upon a Freebooterz camp and launched their attack. The space marines slaughtered their way through the greenskins. Ultimately the damage caused by the attack triggered a catastrophic explosion among the Ork machinery and the site detonated, spreading debris and radiation across the surrounding wastelands. 

In the aftermath, Lorgraine gathered his surviving battle brothers and returned to base. It was a victory, a small victory but anything which boosted morale was worthwhile.

Brother vs Brother - Paragon Secundus

Points: 1000.

Mission: Crossfire.

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

In the aftermath of the Plague Wars, the Rift Wardens assisted the Ultramarines in cleansing the Paragon system of the Nurgle infestation. Concerns had been raised that the Rift Wardens had been overzealous in their efforts to purge the chaos presence, killing innocent Imperial citizens. Chapter Lorgraine made the case that the only way to ensure that the taint of the ruinous powers was cleansed from Paragon Secundus was to eradicate the population and start again. Despite Ultramarines captain Chrissus requested a hold on the purge Lorgraine continued to decimate the civilian population.

This lead to Chrissus leading an attack on the Rift Wardens attempting to force a stay of execution. Lorgraine saw this as an attack on the chapter and unwarranted, and retaliated with extreme prejudice. The battle was brief and saw the Ultramarines killed to a man, including captain Chrissus. The Ultramarines, seething with anger, mobilised and brought the two chapters to war.

Battle for Avalonia - Dharrovar

 

Points: 2000.

Mission: No Man's Land.

Secondary Objectives: Engage On All Fronts, Oaths of Moment and Secure No Man's Land.

The next target in the Dharrover campaign was the city state of Avalonia. The Rift Wardens were deployed to the Avalonian space port in anticipation of an arrival of Astra Militarum forces arriving from orbit. The space marines were tasked with preventing the arrival of supplies and reinforcements ahead of the Imperial assault.

Avalonia was defended to two main fortresses, one on each of the east and west side of the city, as well as several smaller fortifications around the space port. Due to the surprise Imperial attack, these smaller fortifications were only partially manned. Orbital bombardments took down the void shields and decimated the city's fortifications. The Rift Warden attack was swift and sudden. Few of the defenders had survived the initial attack, with only a few sporadic groups of enemy guardsmen putting up a defence. Imperial command ordered the Rift Wardens to hold and occupy the space port ahead of the main landing.

Chapter Master Arthurus, took command of three companies to patrol the parameter of the landing zone. The Astra Militarum defenders attempted to launch a counter attack supported with what few artillery units they had left. Immediatly the Rift Wardens organised a defensive line to safeguard the landing zone. After two hours of trading small arms fire, Arthurus decided to lead his battle brothers in a direct assault, weathering the storm to bring down the traitorous guard and their artillery units. Although the defenders were supported by handful of lemun russ battle tanks, they were unable to hold back the space marine attack, an were cut down to a man. When the loyalist guardsmen arrived, they found a space port already pacified by the Rift Wardens.