Necrons – Frostfang

29/12-2022 – Anomalous readings

Koryo carefully made his way towards the end of the ruin and peered out.

”Those are the nodes that fill our scanners with anomalous readings and hide the enemy movements in this area, Autarch,” said the Ranger leader Haranor and indicated two strange looking objects of Necron design further into the ruins in front of them.

”Then those are the targets. We must destroy them, or at least shut them down. Any enemy forces or other things in the area?” Koryo replied.

”This area is as unsettling and still as the previous. There is an unnatural dread here, brought on by the Necrons and their devices. My men are on the edge, but holding so far. We have spotted a large group of Necron Warriors on approach from the opposite woods.”

”This unsettling horror unnerves every one of our warriors,” Exarch Iiloran Mournsong of the Warp spiders added. ”Warlock Daranael still suffers from some kind of suffocating madness and the Guardians are extremely unnerved since our last skirmish.”

”Farseer Embarath does his best to calm and guide them,” Koryo ensured. ”But we may not be able to depend on them as much this time. A strange form of inertia and exhaustion has stalled our advance and our forces are still far behind. But we must strike now, before more Necrons have time to arrive, even if our reinforcements will arrive in stuttering groups. Move out!”

The Rangers had secured a good vantage point from the tall ruins on the left Aeldari flank, as a Cryptek Technomancer lead twenty Necron Warriors on to the battlefield from the other side of a forest.

The Necron Warriors marched steadily forwards intent on holding one of the nodes. The Rangers were out of range and could not fire their sniper rifles.

The Necron Warriors moved relentlessly closer to the first node, as the Necron Overlord made his way through the forest. Exarch Khirigin Blademoon lead the Moonglow Dire Avengers onto the battlefield and advanced to get the Necron Warriors into range of their avenger shuriken catapults. Farseer Embarath Dreamweaver moved up in support and used his psychic powers to guide their aim. With a timely intervention, Autarch Koryo and the Ghostweaver Warp Spiders of Iiloran Mournsong made a sudden assault, materialising onto the central ruins. The Necron Warriors came under intense fire, with a bladestorm of shuriken from the Dire Avengers, sniper fire from the Rangers, and the death spinners from the Warp Spiders wiping them out so completely that they could not reanimate.

The enraged Overlord advanced towards the Warp Spiders, while the Technomancer retreated into the woods to meet up with the delayed Necron Immortals. The Immortals and the Overlord fired on the Warp Spiders and left only Iiloran and Koryo standing. The two moved further back with their sights still on the Overlord, as Daranael and the Guardians arrived and advanced on the second node. The Dire Avengers and Embarath advanced towards the first node. Dire Avengers defensive tactics enabled them to deactivate the node and revoke it’s targeting disruption and still fire on the Overlord, wounding him. Koryo’s dragon fusion gun failed him, as the Overlord phased through the blast. Finally, the Rangers managed a headshot that even the Overlord’s Resurrection Protocols couldn’t bring him back from.

The Immortals moved through the forest to get in range of their weapons, and cut down Iiloran with their gauss blasters and severely wounded Koryo. Koryo teleported back and away from the Immortals, as the Dire Avengers moved up and the Guardians protected by Daranael advanced towards the second node. Embarath guided the Dire Avengers again and their bladestorm cut down a few Immortals, who immediately resurrect and stood back up.

The Immortals took out all of the Dire Avengers, except Exarch Khirigin. The Guardians and Daranael advanced and deactivate the second node, while fire from the scatter laser and Khirigin hammered into the Immortals, but again they rose back up.

Seeing the many Aeldari closing in on them, the Technomancer ordered the remaining Necrons to retreat, leaving the victorious Aeldari time to permanently disable the Necron nodes.

”Well done!” Koryo exclaimed to his gathered troops after the battle. ”Despite this unnatural dread, we managed to destroy the nodes and the Necron’s stillness effect is already diminishing. Now we can more safely bring in more troops and find the main Necron Pylons and destroy them. I would especially congratulate the Ghostweavers, for their well timed ambush and they are now truly battle-tested and, I think, marked for greatness. Exarch Iiloran has showed that he really is an exemplar of the shrine! But the Necrons have surely taken note of our activities now and will gather in greater numbers. We will need to move swift to avoid being caged in by them.”

15/5-2022 – Eiyoltan arrives on Sepulchre

The Webway gate on the planet Sepulchre opened and Autarch Koryo Stormshadow stepped through, followed swiftly by alert Asuryani warriors of the Eiyoltan Craftworld.

”Greeting! It is good to see you back on your feet, Autarch,” Iiloran Mournsong, the Warp Spider Exarch said as he approached.

”The war with the ravagers of the Purple Pox cost us all a great deal,” Koryo replied to his friend. ”You became as sick and injured as I was. How are you healing?”

”As well as can be expected. The wraithbone grafts are necessary to halt the spread of the pox and they make us much more resilient, but they take time to adapt to. I feel like a newcomer to the Shrine again. Do you think we will find a cure for the pox in this accursed realm?”

”Yes, the survivors of the Eiyoltan Farseer Council have scried the future paths and seen that we will find an answer here. The Necrontyr is projecting a field of unnatural dread that affects even us and most of the troops are new recruits to cover for the losses from the Purple Pox invasion. But we need to survey and secure the indicated sites in these mon-keigh ruins. Take your positions and stay alert, I predict we will have company soon. And tell Warlock Daranael that we need a psychic beacon to alert the rest of our forces.”

The nervous Guardian Defenders took position on top of the tank in the central ruins, with good lines of sight of the opposite street and the Necron Immortals skulking there. The Rangers ghosted forward towards a vantage point in the ruins on the opposite flank, with Koryo Stormshadow and the Iiloran’s Warp Spiders in position to secure the ruins behind them. The Warlock Daranael led the Dire Avengers into cover in the centre. Opposite them, the Skorpekh Destroyers and the Technomancer hid in the ruins opposite the Dire Avengers, with the Necron Overlord and Immortals out on the flank opposite the Guardians.

The Necron Overlord and Skorpekh Destroyers moved forward under cover from the ruins as the Immortals fired on the Guardians. Daranael protected the Guardians by jinxing the Immortals’ weapons and only two Guardians fell. The Dire Avengers moved towards the ruins with the Guardians as the Warp Spiders secured the first site. The Rangers and Guardians fired on the Immortals and massed shuriken fire from the Dire Avengers cut apart the first Skorpekh Destroyer.

The Overlord kept advancing into cover in the ruins below the Guardians and the Destroyers retreated back to secure a site. The Immortals hit back hard against the Guardians, despite being jinxed again by Daranael, and the surviving unnerved Guardians fled.

The Dire Avengers tried to take their name literal and their matchless agility enabled them to traverse the ruins and target the Overlord. But despite their immense shrunken fire, they only managing to wound him and his living metal body regenerated. The Warp Spiders advanced on the right flank towards the Destroyers. The Ranger’s long rifles didn’t have any effect on the Skopekh Destroyers, but Koryo teleported closer and melted another construct to slag with his Dragon fusion gun.

The Overlord, Immortals and Technomancer shot and killed three of the Dire Avengers before the Overlord charged. But in order to have range to the Dire Avengers, the Technomancer and his bodyguard Crypthralls exposed themselves out of cover. Against the odds, two of the expertly trained and equipped Aspect Warriors survived the blows of the Overlord. The last Skorpekh Destroyer moved behind cover towards the Immortals and Koryo secured the site that had just been secured by the Skorpekh Destroyer. The Warp Spiders teleported into cover closer to the Technomancer. The Dire Avengers feigned a retreat from the regenerating Overlord and instead targeted the Crypthralls, killing one. Daranael and the Rangers also targeted the Technomancer, but their shots were intercepted by the last Crypthralls, who died protecting their master.

The Overlord chased after the Dire Avengers, and combined fire with the Technomancer to wipe them out. The Immortals targeted Daranael and took him out of action. Koryo used the distraction of the Dire Avengers and Daranael to teleport behind the last Skorpekh Destroyer and melt it with a well placed fusion blast. The Warp Spiders had also teleported into firing range and used their death spinners to destroy the Technomancer. However, the destruction of the mechanoid activated its resurrection protocols and brought him back from the brink of death.

The Overlord and Technomancer retreated out of sight behind the tank, as Koryo and the Warp Spiders advanced on the Immortals. Death spinners and long rifles did not manage to kill all of them, and a charging Koryo failed to take any more down. But the Overlord acknowledged that the Aeldari had the upper hand and teleported his troops away. The Asuryani had a close win, as the cost in Aeldari life was steep.

Koryo was surveying the surrounding area from the peak of a ruin, as Iiloran approached again.

”Daranael will recover, but I sense a growing anger within him after his injuries. The Guardians are even more unnerved after their casualties, but will recover physically,” Iiloran reported.

”Sad news for such great warriors,” Koryo replied. ”We shall keep an eye on them. But we learned a great deal about these new Necron types. I am glad we never had to face those three-legged machines in close combat, they looked utterly lethal. We will return to the Webway gate to await reinforcements and then investigate these anomalous readings the Rangers found ahead of us.”

12/9-2020 – The Purebloods arrive on Sepulchre

The Styx class heavy cruiser Bringer of Sorrow violently ejected from the Warp in the system designated 89831030/4. The system only had one planet: Sepulchre. The Bringer of Sorrow belong to the Thousand Sons warband the Purebloods. The shipmaster of the Bringer of Sorrow, the Exalted Sorcerer Pharon Xander, rose from his throne and summoned his command staff.

”This is the system the anomalies emirate from. Can you feel it brothers? The Warp is almost dead here. We must find the cause of this. You know your orders: land on the planet and seek out what is causing this!”, Pharon proclaimed.

”Your will be done,” the Sorcerer Ratash Mor replied. ”My forces will be the vanguard. I will depart immediately through the webway.”

”My troops will secure the landing site,” the Sorcerer Imigur Kazemde continued.

The last of the sorcerers, and Pharon’s greatest rival, Ishmael the Wanderer, said nothing, but gave a slight nod.

”Depart immediately,” Pharon ordered and dismissed his commanders.

Ratash Mor, impetuous as befitting a former member of the Pyrae cult, was true to his word and was the first of the Thousand Sons on the desolate world. Mor’s mastery of the webway made it unnecessary to use a lander, as he and his troops simply walked between the locations. His forces immediately detected a Necron presence in the ruins of an unknown town and moved to investigate.

The Necron and Thousand Sons forces deployed opposite each other in cover of the ruins, and Mor ordered the Rubric Marines to fire. The Necron Warriors suffered heavy casualties, but almost immediately regenerated and stood back up. The Spawn sent forwards were met by a Scarab swarm and the Skorpekh Destroyers. The Spawn had no chance and were cut down before they could even attack.

The eager Destroyers then turned towards the decimated Rubrics and charged. Mor realised their predicament and teleported the Rubrics away to safety, as he himself fought the Skorpekh in close combat. Despite fighting well, Mor was overwhelmed by the frenzied attacks of the mad machines.

The Skorpekh Lord chased after the teleporting Rubrics and slayed them, as fire from the Necron Warriors and multiple attacks from the Scarabs decimated the remaining Rubric Marines. Mor used his last energy to teleport his remaining troops away, leaving the area to the victorious Necrons.

A badly wounded Mor limped out of the webway and was met by Kazemde and Ishmael.

”The Necrons are here,” Mor managed to say before drifting into unconsciousness.

12/9-2020 – Recon on Sepulchre

Meanwhile, on the other side of Sepulchre, the Beaststalkers disembarked the Frostwolves Thunderhawk.

”Stay sharp,” Torleif Beaststalker said to his troops, as they spread out. ”Magnus’ traitors are here, as well as whatever foe is responsible for this malaise we are all feeling. Inquisitor Rain believes it has something to do with the Necrons. We are here to find out and cut off the head of the Necron command, if they are here.”

The Thunderhawk lifted off again and the Frostwolves advanced towards the ruins of a supply outpost in the distance.

Torleif and Jarek’s Nightstalkers cautiously advanced through the woods on one side of the supply outpost, as Hrafn Shadowstorm led Morven’s Night Terrors around the other side. Skule’s Farslayers took position in another wood further away from the outpost. They had spotted a large group of Necron Warriors in a wood on the opposite side, performing some kind of ritual. They seemed to be erecting some form of obelisk made out of blackstone.

The Necrons became aware of the approaching Space Wolves, and the Plasmancer followed the Canoptek Reanimator on the flank. The Necron Warriors continued their ritual, guarded by the Necron Overlord and Royal Warden.

The Nightstalkers advanced through the woods as did the Night Terrors on the other flank. Hrafn summoned the powers of Fenris and opened a chasm under the feet of the surprised Plasmancer. The Necron character did not have time to move, and was swallowed by the earth.

In response, the Reanimator advanced on the Night Terrors, followed by the Overlord. The Warriors finished their work and strode out of the wood towards the Space Wolves.

Hrafn and the Night Terrors did not fear the towering Reanimator, and demolished it with psychic powers and small arms fire. This revealed the Overlord behind, and the Frostwolves did not hesitate to engage in close combat. But the Overlord was a formidable opponent, and immediately struck down Hrafn. The Nightstalkers and the Farslayers on the other flank opened up on the Necron Warriors, but hardly made a den’t in their numbers.

Contemptuously, the Overlord disengaged from the Night Terrors, as the Necron Warriors turned their attention on them and gunned them down.

The remaining Frostwolves poured all the fire they had into the Necron Warriors, but they were too few to make an impact. Torleif gave the order to withdraw and the Beaststalkers faded into the shadows.

The defeated Frostwolves regrouped at their temporary camp, the severely wounded Hrafn having just managed to use his powers of obfuscation to help the Night Terrors and himself to escape.

”Well, the Necrons are definitely here,” Hrafn said to Torleif, as the Wolf Priest Adept, Alrik, tended to Hrafn’s wounds.

”Yes,” Torleif agreed. ”I tried sending word to the Frostfang, but the Necrons seem to be jamming our signal. After you are patched up, we need to find a signal boost or the jamming device. But for now: rest and recover, brother.”

21/7-2020 – Planetfall

’The C’tan and Necrons are a great threat to this sector.’ Inquisitor Ashfall Rain exclaimed. Ragnar Blackmane and Torleif Beaststalker murmured their agreement, while Dynos Castor, the Deathwatch Sergeant of the Imperial Fists, remained silent.

’What we propose is a planetfall attack on what we suspect is the entrance to their main tunnel to destroy the C’tan shard, and a simultaneous surgical strike by Kill Team Castor here, tasked with dropping a nuclear bomb into the tunnel. Our augurs show that the tunnel leads all the way to their tomb complex below and not even that will survive a direct nuclear blast.’

’Agreed. It is a good plan.’ Ragnar replied. ’I will lead the Blackmanes and Frostwolves in a drop assault. Our transports will stand by for a swift retreat as soon as the objectives are met. Let’s finish these abominations once and for all on Vigilus!’

As the Space Wolves departed, Inquisitor Rain turned to the Deathwatch Sergeant.

’Prepare your squad for combat, Sergeant. This will be a difficult task,’ Rain said.

’It always is. My Kill Team may be newly commissioned, but they are all veterans and we will prevail.’ Castor replied confidently and walked out of the room.

’For all our sakes, I hope you do.’ Rain whispered to himself, as he watched Castor depart.

The entrance to the Necron tomb was in another part of the city ruins. Imperials troops had once occupied this area, and three bastions still remained. The augur jammers employed by the Necrons meant that the only thing the Imperials knew for sure was that one of the bastions hid the main entrance. But the Deathwatch had to investigate each bastion to find the correct one. Necrons forces were spread throughout the ruins, with Torleif, Skule’s Farslayers, Alrik’s Wyrmslayers, and Jarek’s Nightstalkers occupying a ruin in one corner, close to the Space Wolves landing zone. The Nightstalkers had immediately detected several high value targets: both the Deceiver and Nightbringer C’tan, the now rebuilt Necron Overlord identified as Nemesor Ramanthep the Thrice Defeated of the Lamahshar dynasty, Cryptek Zeramap the Builder, and Illuminor Szeras.

After a heavy initial bombardment, which damaged several Necron units, the Space Wolves drop pods landed. Ulrik the Slayer’s Blood Claws and the Grey Hunters deployed close to the Space Wolves-occupied ruins and Bjorn the Fell-handed himself stepped out of his drop pod on the right flank. The impetuous Ulrik charged the Destroyer Lord close to him, but outpaced the Blood Claws and had to face the Necron himself. The Grey Hunters damaged the closest bastion with their melta guns, but otherwise, the Space Wolves fire did little damage. Ulrik and the Destroyer Lord pelted each other with blows. But to Ulrik’s dismay, the Destroyer Lord regenerated all damaged and struck down a wounded Ulrik.

The Necron forces slowly moved towards the Space Wolves lines and the Blood Claws were charged by the Destroyer Lord and Scarabs, while the Grey hunters took heavy fire.

Teleporting reinforcements arrived on the far side of the battlefield in the form of Ulven’s Wildclaws, Ragnar Blackmane, Hrafn Shadowstorm, Rost’s Gorefists, Kill Team Castor, and Inquisitor Ashfall Rain. Frode’s Stormlords walked in from the Space Wolves landing zone, unleashing punishing salvoes on the Necron Warriors hiding behind the barricades between two bastions. Kill Team Castor shot and assaulted the closest bastion, while the Wildclaws jumped from the ruins to reach the floating Doomsday Ark. The Gorefists assaulted the Wraiths, but neither Ragnar Blackmane nor Hrafn reached close combat. Bjorn peppered the Nightbringer with assault cannon shots, before eviscerating him with sweeps of Trueclaw.

The Wraiths fell back towards Inquisitor Rains, as the Necrons regrouped in the centre of the barricades to meet the new arrivals. Illuminor Szeras enhanced the Immortals close to him, as the Annihilation Barge and Doomsday Ark drifted closer, firing as they went. The Wraiths moved in on Rains and sliced him up with their vicious claws.

The Necron Warriors exited the damaged bastion and fired their gauss weapons on Bjorn, before Nemesor Ramanthep struck him down in close combat. Ramanthep was in turn pulped to scrap by the power fist of a vengeful Rost Gorefist. The Stormlords were killed by combined fire from the Necron Warriors and bastions. The Blood Claws held out against the Destroyer Lord, but had been slowly whittled down by the regenerating Necron. The Deceiver tried his mettle against the Wildclaws, but proved no match for the Wulfen warriors.

Outflanking Fenrisian wolves turned teeth and claws against the Destroyer Lord. The small squad of Grey Hunters on the other opposite side of the battlefield shot and engaged the Wraiths, but left the last one severely wounded, but still twitching. Blackmane, Hrafn, and Gorefist charged the Necron Warriors and decimated all they could reach. Kill Team Castor overrode the bastion doors and entered, realising the entrance to the Necron tunnels was below.

However, the Deathwatch squad had no time to arm the bomb, as the Doomsday Ark levelled the bastion around them. As they climbed from he rubble, they faced Illuminor Szeras. But Szeras’ overconfidence proved his downfall, as the Black Shield’s heavy thunder hammer knocked his legs from under him and Castor’s xenophase blade took his head. The Destroyer Lord on the other side of the battlefield fell back from the wolves to search for more valuable targets.

The surviving Fenrisian wolves turned their attention towards the Deathmarks instead. Hrafn entered the closest bastion, as Blackmane finished the last of the Necron Warriors. The Destroyers, who had been hovering in the ruins and killed most of the Farslayers and Wyrmslayers, moved position and eradicated the last of Kill Team Castor and the bastion around Hrafn. Two downed Wraiths rose again, but a charge from the second Grey Hunter squad finally took them down. The Deathmarks took damage from the Fenrisian wolves, but fell back for other units to fire on the wolves.

The fully regenerated Destroyer Lord floated into the ruins were Torleif hid with the last members of the Wyrmslayers and Farslayers. Blackmane and Hrafn charged the damaged Doomsday Ark and destroyed it with blades.

The Cryptek and Annihilation Barge moved away from Ragnar towards the Destroyers. The Necron Immortals fell back from Blackmane, as the Annihilation Barge and Destroyers shot Hrafn. The Destroyer Lord killed Torleif in close combat and reengaged Alrik, the Wolf Guard Terminator from the Wyrmslayers, weathering fire from mortis shells and Krak missiles.

As a final effort, Blackmane occupied the last bastion, reactivating its defence weapons to target the Necrons, who now dominated the area completely.

Ragnar Blackmane walked into the infirmary where Inquisitor Rain lay.

”The mission was a success so far as we managed to kill most of the Necron commanders, although our troops payed a heavy price,” Ragnar said, as Rain slowly raised the back of his bed. ”How are your injuries?”

”A few broke bones, but I’ll heal,” Rain replied. ”I’ll need a replacement for my bionic arm.”

”Glad to hear it isn’t worse.” Ragnar replied. ”I consider the threat of the Necrons here on Vigilus ended. Their leadership is destroyed and we detected a powerful energy spike similar to the ones they use to teleport their troops, lasting for several hours. When we sent infiltrators back to the ruins, the tomb complex was completely abandoned. All remaining Necrons and their weapons are gone and we don’t know where they went. I need to get back to my hunt for Ghazghkull Thraka. I have relayed orders from the Great Wolf to the Frostwolves for them to choose a new Wolf Lord and tasked them with helping you on their quest.”

”I will miss your sword when we next fight these abominations,” Rain replied sadly. ”I will consult with the Frostwolves and whoever they choose to lead. I think our first stop will be to go back through the Nachmund Gauntlet and resupply and rearm at Watch Fortress Hellsong.

”I will not be far off,” Ragnar said solemnly. ”If you need my forces, call for me. If I am not already engaged, I will come. You have my word. Until then I bid you farewell, Inquisitor.”

”Good hunting,” Rain replied, before Ragnar turned and walked out of the infirmary.

21/6-2020 – Search for the damaged Overlord

Rurik Sureshot of the Frostwolves Nightstalker Infiltration Pack slowly moved his hand to the sight of his marksman bolt carbine. He had the Dire Avenger Exarch dead in his sight. But as the Aeldari Guardian Defenders were patrolling at street level below his sniper’s nest in the ruined tower, he would be unable to make a stealthy exit if he took the shot. His orders were to observe only, and he had been very surprised when Aeldari from the Eiyoltan Craftworld had appeared. He was expecting some Necrons coming back for their damaged constructs. It seemed there had been some kind of teleportation malfunction, as the Necrons normally teleported their dead and damaged away. This time, however, there were still a few damaged Necron constructs littered about the battlefield, where the Beaststalkers had defeated them a few days ago. The Nightstalkers had been ordered to remain and observe if the Necrons returned.

On cue, there was alarm among the Aeldari, and Rurik moved his scope to the other end of the street. A Kill Team of hulking Necron Immortals and Lychguard appeared, led by a Deathmark. The Dire Avenger Exarch and his three Dire Avengers swiftly scaled a ruin to get a better firing position, as the Guardian Defenders advanced down the barricaded street with the scatter laser weapon platform hovering before them.

The Exarch peppered the Deathmark with shuriken discs from his two avenger shuriken catapults, but the construct merely suffered minor damage before ducking out of sight behind the ruins. One of the Lychguard scaled the wall to the Dire Avengers and cut one in half with his warscythe. The Guardians shot down the other Lychguard, as he ran towards them, but they were soon pinned down by the return fire.

After most of the Guardians had been killed or lost their nerve, the Exarch signalled for a retreat and the last surviving Aeldari withdrew.

The Necrons did not pursue, and Rurik watched them dig around a few the piles of damaged bodies before the Deathmark triumphantly lifted the head of a Necron Overlord. It was the same head that the Farslayers had put a bolt through, and the damage was still evident. The Deathmark called the Immortals to his side and the larger Necrons dug up the rest of the Overlord’s damaged body. As the Necrons took their prize and departed, Rurik quietly voxed his pack leader.

’Jarek, I have their trail.’

21/6-2020 – Intelligence sweep

’It’s too open. I don’t like it,’ murmured Jarek Nightstalker under his breath.

Rurik had followed the Necrons to another part of the ruined city, where they had descended down into some subterranean tunnel. Jarek and the rest of the Nightstalkers had met up with him there. ’We need to see what those tunnels lead to,’ said Jarek. ’We move in and eliminate the guards. If the metal bastards bring reinforcements, we withdraw.’

This said, Jarek and Alarik snuck up the middle of the road, crouching behind cover. The sniper Rurik and auspex-equipped Dag deployed in some ruins on the left flank, covering the road and opposite building. Nord moved up the right flank in the cover of the containers.

But the guarding Necrons were immediately alerted and moved to intercept. A pair of Flayed Ones appeared out of a pile of debris in the building and advanced on Nord. Alarik gave Jarek a stimm-shot and he vaulted the cover to engage the Necron Warriors in close combat. Dag used his scanner to assist Rurik and both fired on the Necron Warrior on the other end of the road. Nord gained the higher ground by standing on top of the container and firing on the approaching Flayed One. Jarek ripped pieces of the Necron Warrior before him, but was unable to take him down.

The Nightstalkers ducked the Necron return fire, and Nord used his shock grenade to confuse the charging Flayed One, but only managed to wound the tough construct. The Necron Warriors fell back from Jarek and let the unengaged Warriors fire on him. Jarek was wounded several times, but denied death and stood firm. Alarik joined him and threw grenades into the Necron Warriors, but they proved tough to displace.

Another volley of fire brought a severely wounded Jarek down, and the Nightstalkers decided to withdraw. Nord seeded the battlefield with his remaining shock grenades and fled from the reanimated Flayed Ones he was engaged with, as Rurik and Dag covered Alarik, as he pulled the prone body of Jarek from the fighting.

’Fall back!’ Dag shouted into the comms, and fired his marksman bolt carbine again. Alarik had picked Jarek up and was running as fast as he could, while the rest of the Nightstalkers covered his retreat.

’The Necrons have a much greater presence here than we thought. It’s time to report back to command.’

7/6-2020 – Decapitation strike

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.

10/4-2020 – The Beaststalker’s trap

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.

15/3-2020 – The Beaststalker’s prize

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.