Tag: Champions of Fenris

Torleif crouched low in the ruin and moved stealthily among his new packs. He was still unused to the added bulk and strength of his new Primaris body, but at least the chronic pain from the surgeries had disappeared. He was now in a better state to lead his new Vanguard Space Wolves, or the Beaststalkers, as they had started calling themselves. They were a mix of Terran veterans fresh from the Indomitus Crusade, and the first batch of Primaris Space Wolves hailing from Fenris. He still had a decade of experience over the most senior of them, but felt good about teaching them how to hunt and kill as a Space Wolf. This was to be their inaugural battle under his command, but he had trained with them enough during the last weeks to be confident in their abilities. Their objective was to lure out and cripple the Necron leadership, supported by Fander Quicksilver’s packs. Fander was a Wolf Guard Pack Master, also a Terran transferred from the Indomitus Crusade, where he had served as a Lieutenant.

As the dawn fog lifted from the ruins, the Necron and Space Wolf forces were revealed. Fander led Rost’s Intercessor pack, the Gorefists, Ulven’s Wildclaws, and the Aggressor Pack Frode’s Stormlords on the left flank, with the Fenrisian wolves further out. Alrik’s Wyrmslayers, the Long Fangs, had setup in the centre ruins, with a good line of sight and supporting a small pack of Grey Hunters from Ragnar Blackmane’s Great Company. The Blood Claws from the Blackmanes were deployed in the Rhino on the right flank. The Monolith took central position for the Necrons, surrounded by Warriors, Immortals, a Cryptek, a C’tan Shard of the Nightbringer, and the Necron Overlord. The Doomsday Ark deployed on the Necron left flank, surrounded by Necron Warriors. The Annihilation Barge deployed on the right flank, close to the Nightbringer. The last of the fog revealed Torleif, Rune Priest Hrafn Shadowstorm, the Infiltrator Pack Jarek’s Nightstalkers, and the Eliminator Pack Skule’s Farslayers, hiding in the ruins closest to the Doomsday Ark.

Fander led the Wildclaws and Gorefists forward, behind the thunderous fire of the advancing Aggressors. The Grey Hunters advanced and took cover behind a wrecked Predator in front of the Long Fangs. Jarek’s pack moved up and took position in the ruins, aiming at the Doomsday Ark. Hrafn sped their advance by creating a Temporal Corridor. The Farslayers found their primary target in the form of the Necron Overlord and ended his life with accurate head and heart shots from their bolt sniper rifles. The Wyrmslayers poured fire and flakk missiles into the Monolith, which absorbed most of the punishment with a minor scratches.

Surprised by the death of their Warlord, the remaining Necrons advanced cautiously. The Monolith hovered forward, as the Annihilation Barge moved through the ruins to target the Fenrisian wolves. The Monolith unleashed its weapons, killing all of the Wulfen except Ulven himself. The Doomsday Ark opened fire with its gauss weapons on the Infiltrators in cover. However, the Primaris were difficult to shift. The Fenrisian wolves fled after they had been decimated by the Tesla weapons of the Annihilation Barge.

The Blood Claw Rhino sped forward under the cover of a smoke cloud, as the Night Terrors arrived in the ruins where the other Beaststalkers were. Fander recognised the threat of the Nightbringer, looming in the ruin before him, and his surrounding packs stopped their advance. Only Ulven made a suicide approach on the Necron Warriors before him, but was cut down. Jarek and his surviving pack member fired on the Warriors surrounding the Doomsday Ark, while the Wolf Priest Adept Alrik desperately tried to save some of his wounded brethren. Meanwhile, the Farslayers calmly picked their next target in the exposed Cryptek, and killed him with the same accurate Mortis rounds to the head and body, that they had used to end the Overlord. The Wyrmslayers kept up a steady stream of krak missiles on the Monolith, blowing off chunks of the Necron construct, only to see it heal again.

The damaged Monolith opened the translucent gate at the centre and the Immortals disappeared from the back of the lines and stepped out of the gate. The Nightbringer flowed over and through the ruins and destroyed an Aggressor with his unnatural powers. The Immortals and Monolith poured fire into the remaining Aggressors, Long Fangs, and Eliminators. The Aggressors were killed and but the Long Fangs and Eliminators, who were excellently concealed by their camo cloaks, were unharmed. The Doomsday Ark and Necron Warriors finished the last of the Infiltrators. The Tesla destructors of the Annihilation Barge fried two members of the Gorefists.

Fander and the remaining Gorefists ran towards the Annihilation Barge and away from the Nightbringer. The Blood Claws disembarked from the Rhino and moved towards the Necron Warriors surrounding the Doomsday Ark, while Hrafn and the Night Terrors also approached through the ruins. The Wyrmslayers kept up the fire on the now pretty damaged Monolith, but were unable to take it down. The Farslayers in the ruins spotted a small crack in the Monolith power crystal and put another set of accurate rounds into the breach, cracking the crystal and causing a catastrophic explosion. Fander was unable to damage the flying Annihilation Barge enough to cripple it, and the last Gorefists did not reach it. Hrafn led the Blood Claws and Night Terrors into the Necron Warriors, killing them easily with his glaive Shard of Ryne. The Wolves swiftly took down all the Warriors and consolidated into combat with the Doomsday Ark.

But the Ark simply flew away, targeting the Rhino, but not managing to destroy it. The Annihilation Barge moved away from Fander and shot down the last of the Gorefists together with the relentless Nightbringer. The Immortals targeted the Long Fangs and felled many with sheer weight of fire.

Fander chased after the Annihilation Barge. Hrafn led the Night Terrors and Blood Claws after the Doomsday Ark. The Long Fangs returned fire on the Immortals, and the Eliminators switched to hyperfrag rounds and proved that the Immortals were no such thing. The Doomsday Ark was easily destroyed in close combat. Fander did not fare as well, not managing to do much damage to the Annihilation Barge, and being acutely aware of the looming Nightbringer.

The Annihilation Barge moved forward and destroyed the last of the Long Fangs in power armour, with only the Terminator Wolf Guard left standing. Nightbringer charged Fander and made short work of him, as the last of the Necron Warriors moved through the central ruins.

The Blood Claws were eager to get to grips with the enemy again and Hrafn helped them moved up to the Necron gunline. However, the Blood Claws overestimated their resilience and fell to massed fire by the Necron Warriors, Annihilation Barge and powers of the Nightbringer.

But the Necron tactics final caught up with the death of their Warlord and the teleported away. The standing, but badly mauled, Beaststalkers recovered what they could. They had managed to slay the Necron Warlord, but were unable to kill the powerful C’tan shard. Satisfied with the kills and needing to take care of the wounded, the Space Wolves signalled the Frostfang and its transport soon arrived to evacuate the Wolves. Torleif spent the rest of the week contemplating ways to destroy the C’tan. He was in his quarter when he got the news: an Inquisitor named Ashfall Rain had arrived on a small ship and requested an audience with the lord of the Frostwolves.

Torleif looked upon the relic weapon in his hand. It was an ancient frost blade, made from some kind of ancient bone and very hard and sharp. It would make a great gift for Ragnar to present to the Frostwolves. Once again, Torleif wondered why the Necrons were so interested in a Space Wolves weapon. But it made for a great bait and Torleif had made sure that the tracks of the Space Wolves were easy enough to follow. Morven and his Reivers had stayed behind to watch the Necrons and he confirmed that the vile Xenos were indeed following the trail. Once again, Torleif found himself thinking again about the new Primaris. The Necron Destroyer Lord had cut down Morven’s Night Terrors when they last met, but the marines had recovered in record time. They were indeed powerful. Torleif committed himself to speak to the Wolf Priest Folke Grimfrost about crossing the Rubicon Primaris after this mission. It was indeed good fortunate that the veteran Wolf Priest had chosen to accompany his troops this day.

’Huskarl! Better get ready. They are here.’ said Ove Stormwolf, the Rune Priest accompanying Torleif. He had also recovered well, but had fresh scars from his fight with the Flayed Ones.

The Necrons approached through the ruins again, spreading out along a wide line. The Necron Warriors held one flank each, and the Immortals and Lychguard advanced down the centre, with the Destroyers hanging back to wait for a good target.

The Space Wolves deployed left flank heavy, with the right anchored by the Predator and Nils the Reaper. The centre was held by the Grey Hunters in a Rhino, supported by Torleif, Ove, and Folke on foot in the ruins. A second Grey Hunter Pack from Ragnar Blackmane’s Great Company took overwatch position in a ruin. The eager Blood Claws sat in a Rhino on the left flank, in support of the Wulfen and Fenrisian wolves.

The Scarabs swarmed forwards, as the Immortals and Lychguard reluctantly trudged forward to take positions. Still at extreme range of most guns, the Necron fire had little effect.

The Grey Hunters disembarked, before their Rhino sped forwards between the buildings, firing its smoke launchers to block the line of sight of the Immortals and Lychguard. The Grey Hunters instead advanced with Torleif, Ove, and Folke. Ulven Wildclaw, Pack Leader of the Wildclaws Wulfen Pack, was true to name and reputation, as the Wulfen quickly advanced towards the emerging Necron Warriors. They were followed by the impetuous Blood Claws and Fenrisian Wolves. Blackmane’s Grey Hunters provided covering fire and the Predator and Nils opened fire on the hovering Destroyers. Torleif and Folke were quicker then the Grey Hunters and Ove, and charged the Scarab swarm, a Litany of Hate on Folke’s lips as he swung his crozius arcanum among the Scarabs, while Torleif raked with his wolf claw until no Scarab was left. The Wildclaws and Blood Claw’s Rhino braved the gauss fire of the Necron Warriors, but made it into combat with minimal casualties and started wreaking havoc.

The Immortals and Lychguard moved up to position themselves better to pour gauss fire onto the Predator and obscured Rhino, while the Destroyers fired on Nils and the Predator. Nils and the Predator were damaged and the Rhino completely destroyed. Meanwhile, the Necron Warriors retreated from the Wulfen and tried to finish them from afar with little success.

Folke and Torleif chased the retreating Necrons, as the Wildclaws spotted their new prey: the Lychguard emerging through the destroyed Rhino. The Blood Claws reembarked on their Rhino, as it sped closer to the Lychguard, while the Fenrisian wolves advanced behind them. Morven’s Night Terrors entered the battlefield behind the Destroyers. Ove led the Grey Hunters rapid fire into the Lychguard, as the Night Terrors, Nils and the Predator focussed their fire on the Destroyers. Once again, a Litany of Hate was uttered by Folke as he followed Torleif in finishing of the Necron Warriors, supported by the Fenrisian wolves. The Grey hunters joined the Wildclaws in the assault on the Lychguard and between them, they left only two of the squad standing.

The Canoptek Spyder and Destroyer Lord retreated back, while the Immortals slowly advance again. The Destroyers took out the last of the Wildclaws with gauss fire and the Destroyer Lord wanted a rematch against the Night Terrors. But Morven’s warriors had learned from their last encounter, and the Destroyer Lord made little damage.

Summoning a mighty storm to shield his allies, Ove and the Grey Hunters advanced on the Necron Lord and Immortals in the centre. The damaged Blood Claw Rhino sped forward and Torleif, Folke and the Fenrisian Wolves moved to support Morven’s men. Torleif was cut down by the Destroyer Lord, but the vile Xenos fell to the might of the wounded Folke’s crozius immediately after. Ove and the Grey Hunters fired on the Necron Lord, before finishing him off in close combat and engaging the Canoptek Spyder and Destroyers in close combat, killing the Destroyers. The Fenrisian wolves and Folke then took cover behind a building to avoid the return fire from he Necron Warriors.

The Blood Claws disembarked their damaged Rhino and ran towards the Necron lines, as Folke led the Night Terrors and the Fenrisian wolves against the last Necron Warriors. Ove kept leading the Grey hunters and they fell upon the last of the Immortals, finishing them off in close combat. The remaining Canoptek Spyder and Necron Warriors realised the futility of continuing, and teleported away from the Space Wolves victory.

After the battle, the wounded Torleif walked up to Folke, as he was applying healing balms to the injured.

’Brother Wolf Priest,’ Torleif said. ’I am ready to try to cross the Rubicon Primaris.’

Folke paused in his work and turned a sincere face towards Torleif.

’You are aware of the risks this involves?’ he replied.

’I am.’

’Ulrik the Slayer saw to it that the Frostfang was equipped with the necessary equipment to cross the Rubicon. Come to the medical deck when we are back onboard,’ Folke finished, returning to his patient and dismissing the Battle Leader.

Torleif Beaststalker looked out across the plaza through the window of the ruined building. The relic was hidden in the middle of the plaza below, but the Necrons were marching relentlessly through the ruins on the other side of the plaza. The relic was an ancient Space Wolves weapon, that Ragnar Blackmane was going to present to his new allies. Apparently, Trazyn the Infinite wanted it as well. Torleif had been asked by Ragnar to bridge the gap to the Frostwolves, the Lost Company that had recently returned. By the Allfather, the Space Wolves really needed reinforcements after the Thousand Sons’ invasion of Fenris. Arriving after the invasion, the Frostwolves had themselves been decimated by the Tyranid invasion that had wiped out the planet they had been stuck on. Great Wolf Logan Grimnar had assigned the Frostwolves to reinforce the Blackmanes, while both companies would get fresh new Primaris recruits. Ragnar had asked for volunteers to help the Lost Company reintegrate with the other Space Wolves. Many warriors had been eager to help and Torleif had been honoured to guide the new Primaris Vanguard sent to the Frostwolves. The newcomers needed to learn how a Space Wolf tracks with his senses, without relying on all this new technology. But Morven’s Night Terrors, as the Reivers in his new Greatpack called themselves, were tough. Torleif had to give them that! So much that he wondered about crossing the Primaris Rubicon himself. But the odds of success were not great. Several Blackmanes and Frostwolves had tried and died during the last years. But those who had made it had been strengthened, and now Blackmane himself had crossed. Movement in the ruins opposite the plaza drew him out of his reverie. With quick orders to deploy, Torleif quickly made his way to the Rhino waiting on the ground floor of the ruins. The Blood Claws in their Rhino anchored the left flank with the Fenrisian wolves. Torleif embarked on the Rhino with his pack of Grey Hunters, leaving another pack in the ruins above on overwatch duty. The centre was additionally strengthened by Rune Priest Ove Stormwolf, another pack of Grey Hunters, and the Wildclaws Wulfen Pack. The right flank was covered by Iron Priest Jann Ironmaster and his charges: the Dreadnought Nils the Reaper, a Predator, and a Whirlwind. Opposite, Necron Immortals deployed in a good position in a central ruin, flanked by Necron Warriors, Scarabs, and Destroyers.

The Necrons started by advancing the Scarabs and the Destroyers. The Destroyers fired and badly damaged the Predator, while the Necron Warriors were too far away to do any real damage. The Immortals used their Tesla carbines to pin the Grey Hunters in the opposite ruins.

Eager to engage the foe, the Blood Claws disembarked the Rhino and joined the Wulfen and Fenrisian wolves assaulting the Scarabs. Torleif’s Rhino advanced and stopped right by the relic in the middle of the plaza. Jann Ironmaster went to work repairing the damaged Predator, as the tanks and Nils returned fire against the Destroyers, killing three. The Wulfen, Blood Claws, and Fenrisian wolves made short work of the Scarabs, but were now caught out in the open, in front of the Necron Warriors.

The Necron Warriors closed and fired their dreaded gauss flayers, killing three of the five Wulfen taking cover behind their storm shields. The Destroyers resurrected a downed member and lived up to their name by wrecking the Predator. The Fenrisian Wolves found themselves under attack by the Necron Wraiths, who phased through a ruin and cut down all but two of the wolves. The Immortals killed the last of the Grey Hunters hiding in the high ruins on the other side of the plaza.

The Blood Claws joined the surviving Wulfen as they raced for the Necron Warriors, with the Rhino moving up in support. Morven’s Night Terrors appeared behind the Necron Warriors fighting the Blood Claws, preparing to strike. Ove Stormwolf ran to assist the last two Fenrisian wolves, sending bolts of lightning into the Wraiths. Torleif and his Grey Hunters disembarked the Rhino, grabbed the relic, and fired on the exposed Destroyers, while the Rhino moved to barricade the line of sight of the Necron Warriors. Nils the Reaper and the Grey Hunters caught the Destroyers in a crossfire with plasmas, bolters, and autocannons. The Wulfen were challenged by the Necron Lord and only a wounded Ulven Wildclaw, the Pack Leader, came out still standing. The Blood Claws fared no better, killing the Necron Warriors, but losing almost the whole pack. Ove hacked at the Wraiths with his runic blade, killing two.

Suddenly, the ground erupted as a squad of Flayed Ones clawed their way up and attacked Ove. The surviving Wraith disengaged and assaulted the Blood Claws, as the Canoptek Spyder assaulted Morven’s Night Terrors through a hail of shock grenades. The Destroyer Lord declared that he would kill Ulven and assaulted. The Immortals and Necron Warriors covering the centre first destroyed the Rhino shielding the Grey Hunters, and then most of the Grey Hunters around Torleif. The last Wulfen, Blood Claws, and Wraith fell, and the Destroyer Lord moved towards the Night Terrors, regenerating the little damage he had sustained.

Unfazed by the overwhelming numbers, Torleif and the still standing Grey Hunters assaulted the Necron Warriors. The three surviving Grey Hunters from the centre hitched a ride in the Blood Claw’s Rhino, to shield themselves from the Immortals. The Whirlwind and Nils turned their weapons against the Immortals and started chewing through their cover. Torleif hit hard with his wolf claw, taking minor wounds in return, but there were just too many adversaries to kill them all.

Ove had cut down all but one of the Flayed Ones, but three rose again and sliced him down with their talons. Morven’s Night Terrors could not fend off the powerful Destroyer Lord and were cut down. The Necron Warriors wounded Torleif again in close combat, but were unable to take him down.

The Grey Hunters leaped from the Blood Claw Rhino to aid their Wolf Guard Battle Leader, as Jann Ironmaster also advanced to help his old friend. The Whirlwind and Nils gave covering fire, as the Iron Priest and Grey Hunters hit the Necron Warriors with a shock assault. The Grey Hunters and weakened Torleif took down a few adversaries, but Jann brought the full power of his fury to bear, killing everything before him, destroying the last Necron Warriors.

The Destroyer Lord realised he could not prevail with only the Flayed Ones and surviving Immortals, and decided to retreat. The Space Wolves recovered the relic and their wounded, and added another victory to the sagas of Torleif Beaststalker.

The Frostwolves deployed in a ruined city on Vigilus, after receiving intelligence that a Necron force led by Trazyn the Infinite was there. Wolf Guard Battle Leader Ingvald Flameheart led a numerically larger Greatpack against Trazyn, supported by Rune Priests Ove Stormwolf and Lage Stormcloud.

Ingvald led the Wolf Guard Terminators, the Frostguard, in the centre onboard the Land Raider, flanked by Grey Hunters and Blood Claws from Ragnar Blackmane’s Great Company in Rhinos. Wolf Guard Pack Leader Alrik Wyrmslayer led his Long Fangs from a high vantage point in a ruined building on the left flank, two smaller Grey Hunter packs secured the closest objectives, and a pack of Fenrisian Wolves outflanked. The Necron Destroyers on the right flank soared over the intervening building and immediately destroyed the Grey Hunter Rhino, forcing the Grey Hunters to hide in the nearby ruins. Reacting, the Land Raider and the Blood Claw Rhino advanced forward, trusting in their thick armour. One Long Fang loaded a flakk missile and downed a Destroyer, as the pack opened fire with their missile launchers on the flying Necron constructs.

Suddenly, Necron Deathmarks materialised opposite the Long Fangs and started to trade fire, as the remaining Necrons cautiously advanced. The Destroyers switched target to hammer the Land Raider together, but the ancient machine’s armour was damaged, but held firm. The doors to the Rhino and Land Raider opened wide and the Frostguard led by Ingvald and the Blood Claws charged out. The Long Fangs continued taking out the Destroyers, as the Grey Hunters from the annihilated Rhino engaged the Destroyer Lord with their plasma weapons. Ove Stormwolf summoned a mighty storm to disrupt the Destroyer Lord, but suffered an attack from the warp. Firing on the move, the Frostguard clashed with the Immortals and the Blood Claws engaged the nearest squad of Necron Warriors. The Wolf Guard Terminators made short work of the Immortals, but the Blood Claws were pinned down, as many of the Necrons that were struck down rose again. The Frostguard then moved to take out the Cryptic supporting the Necron Warriors and reinforce the Blood Claws, as the glory-hungry Ingvald Flameheart sprinted towards Trazyn. Trazyn proved to be a much more skilled adversary, immediately wounding Ingvald badly. The Grey Hunters engaged the Necron Lord, wounding him, but seeing his damage self repair. Trazyn easily struck down Ingvald with the Emphatic Obliterator, killing a Frostguard in the process.

The Scarabs and Canoptek Spyder moved to engage Lage Stormcloud, and the Deathmarks sniped a few of the Long Fangs. The Land Raider reversed out of combat with the Necron Warriors and Trazyn, as Ove engaged the Destroyer Lord in close combat. Lage destroyed the Scarabs with lightning, but failed to kill the Canoptek Spyder. Ove channeled his psychic might through his runic sword and struck the head of the Destroyer Lord from his shoulders, as the Frostguard and Blood Claws finished the last of the Necron Warriors and the Cryptek.

The Space Wolves closed in on Trazyn and the remaining Necron Warriors, as the Canoptek killed Lage, but was in turn destroyed by the Long Fangs and Land Raider. Trazyn realised that he was outmatched by the Space Wolves and teleported his remaining forces to safety.