Deathwing Assault - Hesperous Prime

Points: 1000.

Mission: Surge of Faith.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Oaths Of Moment and Shock Tactics

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Oaths of Moment and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

The war had raged on for weeks and Arthurus was becoming frustrated that the Dark Angels had not capitulated despite suffering heavy casualties and frequent defeats. He devised a plan to secure the ground in Sector 971 and push the offensive into the Dark Angel lines once again. By this time, both sides had been reinforced. The Rift Wardens planned to  send to fresh companies in ahead while an outrider force advanced in from the north-west. A third offensive would be made from the north advancing the ruined streets and thinly defended hab-blocks. The Outriders attacked first followed swiftly by the remaining companies although they did so under heavy fire. Overhead both chapters engaged in frantic aerial battles as their aircraft vied for aerial supremacy.

The main Rift Warden attack faced only light opposition, even so the chapter's captains were cautious and this limited their early objectives and failed to forcefully push into enemy territory. The Dark Angels were able to bolster their defences, preventing the Rift Wardens from penetrating too far into their territory. Swiftly the assault had stalemated into static "trench" warfare. The outriders however, managed to further in from the north, capturing territory from the Dark Angels and diverting enemy forces from the west to attack them.

Lieutenant Agrippa's strike force came close to seizing their target but was not able to claim it until the following the morning. On that morning, Agrippa led an attack on a narrow front to coincide with an outrider assault on the rear of the Dark Angel defences. The Dark Angels were well prepared and Agrippa's attack was a costly failure. The outriders had been slain during the night and individual squads that had supported them had become trapped behind enemy lines. Attempts to resume the attack were repulsed as the enemy introduced their secret weapon; the teleport deployment of teminators and deathwing knights. Throughout the Rift Warden lines, terminators materialised and the chapter suffered many casualties. The Rift Wardens held out for a further two days before the Dark Angels attacked en masse, led by librarian Ezekial. The Dark Angels recaptured lost territory and the Rift Wardens best hope of victory this time was lost.

Revenge Operations - Mandragora

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Desperate Raid.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Raise The Banners High, and The Long Vigil.

Following the recent engagement, reinforcements were deployed from orbit to bolster the ground forces. Believing a nearby sector to be secure, Arthurus relocated his battle brothers to the location and met up with the new reserves. Involving the entire chapter this time, a plan was drawn up to attack the Deathwatch landing site on the eastern plains. A detachment was given over to Lieutenant Agrippa to attack the landing field while the rest of the chapter attacked the main body of the Deathwatch forces. Both Rift Warden detachments advanced forward utilising a series of deep gullies. As the Rift Wardens advanced, they became separated while trying to outflank Deathwatch strong points and found themselves in unfamiliar terrain. Under heavy weapon fire from the Deathwatch outposts, the attack was stopped. The chapter held position and would not advance further until the next day.

The attack continued at dawn the next day and the Rift Wardens managed to reach a position just south of the Deathwatch base of operations. Late in the afternoon, Agrippa's force advanced quickly over open ground. Amidst small arms fire and blasts from low flying aircraft, Agrippa's force gained ground only to falter just short of their target taking severe casualties. Agrippa was forced to give up on his orders and instead, led the survivours of his detachment to link up with the main chapter, who had advanced enough to occupy a point overlooking the Deathwatch base. Arthurus suspended the attack and ordered his chapter to dig in, having failed to inflict a swift victory.

Into The Core - The Core

 

Points: 1000.

Mission: Display Of Spiritual Might.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Grind Them Down, Grudge Match and Lay Claim.

Inquisitor Rosalyn Rosarius, a long time ally of the Rift Wardens, made contact with concerns that a series of lost Mechanicus mining facilities close to the galactic core had fallen under the sway of a xenos threat. Having been given the co-ordinates of these facilities, the chapter made way through the gravitational anomalies surrounding the Core towards the nearest location. The chapter landed upon a large asteroid and scouted out the complex. An unknown vessel drifted towards them and demanded they leave this sector, claiming it under the flag of the Votann, or be destroyed. 

On day one of the battle, six battalions of Votann deployed to the surface of the asteroid and attacked the Rift Wardens at the complex. With support of their fleet, the chapter held back the Votann throughout the night. The following day saw reinforcements translate in system and bolstered the chapter's forces on the ground. The second day was a ferocious battle to control the Mechanicum facility. Arthurus made a plan which proved overly complex and was poorly communicated to his captains. The Votann surrounded the Rift Wardens and prevented their escaping the facility, inflicting heavy casualties.

As more Votann reinforcements arrived, the possibility of a swift victory for the space marines disappeared and the battle became one of simple attrition. On day four, the remainder of the Rift Warden fleet translated into the system and came to the assistance of their beleaguered forces. The Votann Kâhl, believing that the space marines were on the verge of defeat, put out a call for further reinforcements from his fleet and more arrived on the surface within hours. These reinforcements bolstered those already fighting but subsequent attacks were repulsed by massed bolter fire. The following night, Arthurus ordered Lieutenant Agrippa to lead an attack pushing out of the fallen facility and out into the field. Covered by plasma fire and some support from the orbiting starships, these marines advanced a short distance before being separated from the main force. They came under massed small-arms fire and were pushed back, suffering many casualties. 

The Rift Wardens had lost any element of surprise and although the chapter would survive this engagement, their war against the Leagues of Votann had begun.

Battle For Fort Angelis - Lucifuge

Points: 1000.

Mission: Secure Missing Artefacts.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Engage On All Fronts and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Fury Of The Lost, Psychic Interrogation and Relentless Assault.

Confident that his forces could capture the Blood Angel held fortification of Fort Angelis, captain Gwaine prepared his battle brothers as the evening began to fall. The Rift Wardens surrounded the fort without raising the alarm and then Gwaine gave the order. The battle brothers to the south launched the attack at the fort. Gwaine and his forces advanced while the remaining intercessors provided covering fire. Along the fortresses southern fall was a small gatehouse which lead directly into the fort grounds. The Rift Wardens had brought along a deimos pattern predator whose magna-melta cannon made short work of the gatehouse. As Gwaine and his brothers charged inside the Blood Angels opened fire.

When the attacking squads exited the gatehouse tunnel, they opened fire upon an estimated sixty marines of the Death Company. Combat lasted for around 15 minutes before the majority of the Blood Angels lay dead. Astorath and LeMartes, the commanders of the fort, fled as the last few marines were gunned down. Gwaine let them go as their deaths would only have inspired the enemy. Fort Angelis was in the hands of the Rift Wardens and although this was a minor victory, it was a victory all the same.

Cleansing Action - Mandragora

Points: 1000.

Mission: Cleanse The Land.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Shock Tactics.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Grind Them Down and The Long Vigil.

Watch Captain Artemis strong believed that the conflict between the Deathwatch and Rift Wardens would be won by a brutal and focused conflict where they could wear down the space marine chapter and force them to surrender. He brought the entire Deathwatch force together to achieve this outcome.

Artemis lead an attack from the eastern plains under cover of heavy weapons fire. The Rift Wardens counter-attacked with everything they had but losing many brothers over the three days of fighting. To the east, further attacks by the Rift Wardens were blocked by a series of trench lines held by elements of the Proteus kill teams.

Several days later the area was hit by a extreme weather, high winds and driving rain, which was strong enough to impact both armies ability to fight. Artemis launched a surprise attack against the Rift Wardens arrayed before him. The weather slowed their progress but they inflicted considerable casualties upon the Rift Wardens.

Arthurus ordered his forces to pull back and form a new defensive line. They directed their attacks primarily towards the Deathwatch kill teams coming at them from the north. Over the next few days the weather eased up but the countryside had been reduced to thick boggy ground. Once again the chapter was forced to pullback, hindered by the thick mud and hounded by the kill teams of the enemy.

Things did not fair well for the Deathwatch either however, as the thick mud and slurry prevented them pursuing their enemy. Only strafing runs by the Blackstar's were available and even they could only do so much. The Rift Wardens had gained a reprieve for the time being but they had no base of operations and were forced to keep on the move.

Battle for Sector 17 - Hesperous Prime

Points: 1000.

Mission: Surge Of Faith.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Martial Interdiction, Psychic Interrogation and Stubborn Defiance.

The Rift Wardens had assembled a force of 600 marines in sector 17, under the command of captain Lorgraine as a planned invasion of Dark Angel held territory. The Dark Angels under the direct command of chapter master Azrael had taken this territory as a operations base. His forces consisted of around 200 battle brothers and a handful of veterans in terminator armour. Azrael's forces had taken this ground despite incoming artillery strikes and even succeeded in capturing a small Rift Wardens outpost along the main highway. The Rift Wardens had managed to position themselves either side of the enemy positions Azrael, realising that the counter-attack was imminent, ordered his battle brothers to withdraw. As they did so, Lorgraine activated the trap and a phenomenal amount of bolter fire poured into the Dark Angels. Enemy eliminators and heavy weapons returned fire but they soon fell silent as the rearguard were destroyed. The Dark Angels fell back to territory they could hold. There were two more attacks by the Dark Angels on the border but both were repulsed with heavy losses.

A New Front - Grendel

Points: 1000.

Mission: Ascension.

Secondary Objectives: Abhor The Witch, Assassination and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Grind Them Down, Psychic Interrogation and Retrieve Nephilim Data.

The first day of battle the Grey Knights carried out several attacks on the sector of the front south of the Rift Wardens base of operations. After two hours of heavy weapon the Rift Wardens were forced out of their defence lines by a direct assault by the Grey Knights. Captain Gwaine ordered to organise a counter-attack with the troops at his disposal. However, until nightfall, the Rift Wardens failed to recapture the lost defences.

On the night of day 2, the Rift Wardens having made several attacks, took the enemy in pincers and them the Grey Knights out of those defences that they had captured the day before. Attempts by the Grey Knights to resume the offensive until the evening were repulsed by fire from heavy intercessors. The Rift Wardens managed to advance forward slightly in two days of stubborn battle.

For a new attack, the commander of the Grey Knights concentrated his troops on the centre of the Rift Wardens lines. On the left, the attack was supported by dreadknights and on the right by whatever tanks the Grey Knights had available. But in connection with the concentration of Grey Knights marines to the south, Arthurus ordered to strengthen this point in their lines with aggressors and bladeguard veterans.

Two weeks later, the Grey Knights has concentrated six companies in the breakthrough area. The Rift Wardens were also reinforced, but the Grey Knights managed an overwhelming superiority in dreadknights and dreadnoughts. Going on the defensive was seen as the only means to wear the enemy down and gather strength for a new offensive. Both armies were ordered to gold their positions at all costs.

Finally, heavy weapons fire was opened on the Rift Warden positions close to where the initial attack had taken place. The Rift Wardens were knocked out of their defences quickly but repeated counter-attacks did not bring success to the chapter.

On the 16th day of battle, the Rift Wardens launched another counter-attack, which, despite the addition of assault intercessors into the battle, was unsuccessful. The Grey Knights brought up land raiders and with great destructive force, destroyed the bolstered fortifications of the Rift Wardens and resumed the offensive, attacking the left flank with a wave of infantry. By nightfall, most of the Rift Warden attacks were repulsed and new reinforcements brought into battle stopped the advance. By this time the chapter had sustained significant casualties.

On day 18, the Rift Wardens attacked the left flank. Eliminators were brought in to reinforce that side and remove any Grey Knight command staff. With their support and distracting fire, the chapter organised a defence and held the line. By the night of day 18, the position of the Rift Wardens on that flank was partially restored and some defenceworks reoccupied but the main strongholds could not be restored in time. In the morning, the Grey Knights once again went on the offensive, pushing back many points in the space marine lines.

The actions of the Rift Wardens veterans were more successful. All were involved in the offensive and as a result elements of the Grey Knights were pushed back. An unexpected blow from the northern flank, which ended in a heavy defeat of the Rift Wardens, forced the chapter to stop attacks. After nearly three weeks of battle, the engagement was finally running down.

Battle of Bitter Lake - Lucifuge

Points: 2000.

Mission: Recover The Relics.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Grind Them Down and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Blade of Sanguinius, Fury Of The Lost and Relentless Assault.

Following the initial confrontations, the Rift Wardens constructed a forward operation base on the shores of body of water known as Bitter Lake. The base of operations was hastily constructed and the chapter expected an imminent attack. Almost the entire chapter was present to reply the "considerable" forces arrayed against them.

The Blood Angels vanguard, approached by night and believed themselves unnoticed as the Rift Wardens had not reacted to their approach. A second force of jump pack assault marines and death company marines approached from across Bitter Lake in the early hours.

As the sun rose slight forward movements revealed the presence of the attacking Blood Angels and it looked like they were preparing to attack the central portion of the Rift Wardens base. Instinctively, the Rift Wardens moved to the most vital points and prepared to repel the enemy.

The enemy assault marines were detected first and were fired upon heavy intercessors squads in the spotter towers and eliminators closer to the lakeshore. This stopped that assault although briefly. Further attempts further north along the lakeshore crossed successfully despite incoming bolter and heavy weapons fire. As they landed however, the Rift Wardens laid down a withering fusillade of bolter fire and the incoming assault marines were killed or so significantly wounded that they were out of the fight. The Blood Angel assault across Bitter Lake was a total failure.

The main Blood Angels force then attacked from inland, supported by dreadnoughts and ATVs. The Rift Wardens marines relocated to defend the inland defences and opened fire on the approaching squads of enemy marines. Most were cut down due to the lack of intervening cover. One squad of Blood Angels tactical marines did managed to overrun and capture some forward trenches but a force of boltstorm aggressors counter-attacked during the opening hours of the battle and the trenchworks were recaptured.

At dawn on the second day, a second attack was launched, this time by infantry assault to the north. The attack was checked by the defending intercessors and the long range weaponry of the Rift Wardens own dreadnoughts. The Blood Angel attack petered out and failed, and a full withdrawal was effected. 

Seizing an opportunity, the Rift Wardens launched a counter-attack which began to push the Blood Angels back into the surrounding countryside. A number of intercessors and heavy intercessors moved out to perform this operation while aggressors and outriders moved up the flanks in a lopsided pincer action. This attack caused the Blood Angels to fall back even further although they lost a number of squads doing so, including losing a number of command personnel. 

At this time another Blood Angels force led by Astorath the Grim advanced from the south of the Rift Wardens base of operations and soon occupied their own entrenched positions while they waited for drop pods to deploy from orbit. While many drop pods were destroyed on route or landed outside the target drop zone, several dreadnoughts did make planetfall within the Rift Wardens defences. They inflicted significant casualties but where soon in turn destroyed by the defenders own dreadnoughts.

Minor attacks were launched when bolter fire was exchanged by small detachments to the south while eliminators and dreadnoughts targeted Astorath's position. With the Blood Angels otherwise contained away from the chapter's base of operations, Arthurus ordered one of his chaplains to lead a strong attack against the enemy positions to the south. The engagement was brief with the Rift Wardens inflicting enough casualties that Astorath was forced, unwillingly, to retreat his brothers.

The Rift Wardens were surprised to find that by dawn on the third day that the Blood Angels had, apart from a few scout snipers, fully retreated back into the wastes. Occasional attempts were made by small squads of Blood Angels to regain a foothold but these positions were untenable under the weight of incoming fire. Arthurus then directed a number of stormtalon gunships to harry the flanks of the enemy and ensure that the enemy were driven away from the territory now claimed by the Rift Wardens.

Arthurus chose wisely not to counter-attack the Blood Angels as they fled. He correctly assumed that spreading his forces out too thin would play into their hands. Best to rebuild and bolster their command base and seek suitable targets rather than relying in an all-out engagement.

The Mandragora Helix - Mandragora

Points: 2000.

Mission: Conversion.

Secondary Objectives: Assassination, Bolster Barricades and Grind Them Down.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Cull Order, Grind Them Down and The Long Vigil.

Over a series of months chief librarian Uther had a number of visions regarding an xenos artefact coming to be known as the Helix. The council of librarians gathered at his command and they scoured the Warp until they locked their psychic might upon a world on the fringe of Imperial space known in the records Mandragora. Although he knew not why, Uther counselled Arthurus that the xenos population must be purged and the artefact collected and studied. Arthurus redeployed the fleet this new world. The chapter then proceeded to purge the alien population over several weeks but the artefact was never found. Shortly thereafter, three strike crusiers from the Deathwatch translated in system and ordered the Rift Wardens to leave as they had come to recover the Helix as well. Uther advised against this and against his better judgement Arthurus refused which led the chapter into another conflict with a force meant to be their allies. 

The first engagement against the Deathwatch took place over two days in the ruins of the alien capitol city. The ruined city had been occupied by the Rift Wardens as they scoured the site for their prize but they were weakly spread out which would be their undoing. The Deathwatch commander decided to launch the attack rather than engage in diplomatic proceedings to prevent an unknown alien device falling into the wrong hands. An entire chapter's worth of Deathwatch gathered for the assault.

The battle was brief and fully in the favour of the Deathwatch. The Rift Wardens, reluctant to wage war against another space marine force fought with a lack of conviction. After two days of fighting, Arthurus called a retreat order and pulled his forces away from the city centre where the fighting had been thickest. Even so, both space marine commanders vowed to be the one to find and recover the Mandragora Helix.

Battle of New Vitae Docks - Mortwald

Points: 2000.

Mission: Tear Down Their Icons.

Secondary Objectives: Bring It Down, Engage On All Fronts and Raise The Banners High.

Opponent's Secondary Objectives: Behind Enemy Lines, Exalt The Dark Gods and Warp Ritual.

The battle of New Vitae Docks was a Rift Wardens counter-attack against the Word Bearers occupying the site. New Vitae Docks was positioned on the eastern side of the hive sprawl. A large portion of the Rift Wardens had withdrawn to this position following frequent attacks by the Word Bearers and their daemon engines. Following the traitor marine assaults at Electros Hive, the Rift Wardens withdrew to the eastern walls. This allowed the Word Bearers to occupy New Vitae Docks unopposed. 

With the Word Bearers capturing territory this prompted a Rift Warden counter-attack to retake the docks. The chapter's librarians flooded the aether with psychic interference to impede enemy communications. The Word Bearers constructed a ring of defences around their forward positions. The Rift Wardens force of company strength attacked and was repelled after suffering significant casualties.

The space marine assault was conducted simultaneously on two enemy held positions. The Word Bearers has constructed numerous entrenchments and fortifications in preparation for the  Rift Wardens attack. A number of infantry assaults against the Word Bearers positions were carried out but each failed and after which the chapter withdrew.

The result of the battle was a successful Word Bearers defence in the region around the docks.It consolidated chaos marine control in the region and allowed further pushes towards the interior of the hive sprawl. Following this battle, Arthurus requested Imperial command that his chapter stop being spread so thin across the warzones of Vigilus as the chapter was suffering untenable losses fighting multiple opponents on multiple fronts.