Tag: Space Marines

3/1-2023 – Debut of the Dragonheart Corsairs

”Ah, it feels great to be out again! It’s no fun at all hiding from those pesky Ork and Tyranids! But nice of them to leave us some useful loot to pilfer,” said Jaxxarath Dragonheart, Felarch of the Dragonheart Corsairs.

”Yes, Felarch,” his first mate Texatar Darkstorm agreed. ”But we seem to have company.”

”What is this you say? Mon-keigh Space Marines? They always spoil the fun! Gather what you loot can and hide! We’ll give them a warm welcome!”

In the Octarius sector, war still rages between the Orks and the Tyranids. Opportunistic warbands from all over the galaxy came to loot the spoils of the ongoing war, coming into conflict with both sides and other forces in the area. The Dragonheart Corsairs, a small band of Voidscarred crewing the Hemlock class escort the Dragonheart, are led by Felarch Jaxxarath Dragonheart and sail under the banner of the Void Dragons, one of the largest Aeldari Pirate Fleets, also called Anhrathe.

On the ground on Octarius, the principal planet in the Octarius sector, Primaris Vanguard Space Marines from the Red Scorpions Chapter had been avoiding Ork and Tyranid patrols for weeks and were in need of supplies. The Space Marines came upon a ruined Ork settlement which had seen recent fighting, but still held a large cache of equipment scattered around the ruins. To the dismay of the Space Marines, they also spotted the Voidscarred of the Dragonheart Corsairs. Wary of these Aeldari pirates, the Red Scorpions Infiltrator Sergeant immediately ordered his squad to fan out and approach in cover. Felarch Jaxxarath was alerted of the approaching Space Marines and ordered his troops to loot and salvage as much as possible while engaging the humans.

The Phobos armoured marines approach stealthily and the swift Aeldari dashed to loot the caches spread around the area before moving out of sight to attack. The Way Seeker tried to outflank the Red Scorpions and unleashed a lightning strike on the hiding Infiltrator Sergeant, but failed to do any harm. Fearing the counterattack, he then summoned a warding shield on himself. The Infiltrator Sergeant used his marksman bolt carbine and bolted discipline to great effect, severely injuring the Way Seeker with a flurry of bolts through the warding shield. The Incursor Marksman climbed up on the ruins on the opposite flank to gain a vantage point and took out the looting Voidscarred Fate Dealer below. The Infiltrator Veteran scaled the ruins on the flank next to his Sergeant and fired down on the Kurnite Hunter, injuring him.

However, the Voidscarred had collected enough loot to proclaim a flawless raid, and deftly switched to counterattack. The brash Jaxxarath bravely charged the Reiver and both fighters cut each other down. However, the nearby Helix Adept managed to save the Reiver’s life. The Shade Runner ghosted straight through the intervening ruins to stab the Infiltrator Commsman in the gut. On the upper levels of the ruins, the Voidscarred Gunner fired his blaster, obliterating the Incursor Marksman taking cover in the ruins across from him. The Starstorm Duelist and the injured Kurnite Hunter fired their shrunken pistols, taking out the Infiltrator Veteran holding a vantage point on top of the ruin.

On her own, the Soul Weaver turned the corner and shot down the Reiver again. As before, the Helix Adept managed to save him. The injured Reiver returned fire with his special issue bolt pistol and took out the Soul Weaver. The Sergeant shot down the injured Way Seeker, before being injured by fire from the Starstorm Duelist and Kurnite Hunter. The Voidscarred gunner finished him with a devastating shot from his blaster.

Laying down suppressive fire and smoke grenades, the remaining Red Scorpions retreated with their wounded, leaving the victorious Dragonheart Corsairs to recover their incapacitated fellows and gather the remaining loot.

”Ouch! That hurt! How interesting! These mon-keigh are something new. Bigger and stronger than the ones we’ve met before. Let’s not underestimate them again. But we got the loot so all is good!” Jaxxarath exclaimed as Shiena Moonbeam, the Soul Weaver weaved her powers to heal him. ”Call for the transport and let’s be off!”

1/1-2020 – Bjorn the Fell-handed tests the Frostwolves

Acknowledging the need for his expertise, the recent strife has necessitated the waking of Bjorn the Fell-handed. In order to test the mettle of the Frostwolves, Bjorn led fellow Space Wolves from Ragnar Blackmane’s and Jorin Frostwolf‘s Great Companies in a much battle against the Cartonian Dragoons.

True to form, the Dragoons deployed in a high and fortified position in the city ruins on a training planet near the Vigilus system. A Rhino with Tactical Marines, a squad of Intercessors and a squad of Infiltrators deployed in a forward position. Using the cover of the buildings, the Blood Claws led by the Terminator Battle Leader and Bjorn advanced on the opposite flank, while the smaller Grey Hunter packs deployed covering two objectives and the Fenrisian wolves outflanked. The Long Fangs were delayed and arrived late.

The buildings covered the Space Wolves advance, until the Blood Claws could assault the Infiltrators. Bjorn damaged the Rhino and the Tactical Marines that disembarked. The Space Wolves Reivers known as Morven’s Night Terrors arrived, but chose to skulk around behind a building, rather than face the guns of the Centurions.

The Infiltrators made a tactical fall back, and left the Blood Claws exposed in the line of sight of the Centurions and Devastators. The Rites of Battle of the Captain combined with the firepower of these units made short work of the exposed Blood Claws. The Fenrisian wolves and Long Fangs arrived close to the Space Wolves deployment, as the Omni-scrambler of the Infiltrators made it difficult to approach. The Long Fangs shot out the Rhino and Bjorn finished the Tactical Marines.

Unable to cover the ground to the Centurions, the Space Wolves kept in cover and failed to hold enough of the objectives. The Dragoons won the training session by a slight margin.

1/1-2018 – The Stormshadow strikes

The Eiyoltan Craftworld had revoked its expansionist policy in the Virago sub-sector after multiple defeats and had withdrawn all of its forces back home. After the disgrace of his defeats on Rhoie, Autarch Koryo had spent the last years training and meditating in the Shrine of the Stormshadow, his old Warp Spider shrine. Contemplating surprise tactics and honing his mastery of the Warp Jump Generator, he gained new insights and perfected his flickerjump.

This new understanding proved instrumental in defence of the Craftworld, when the opening of the Great Rift enabled a Nurgle Daemon force attack. The invasion was led by the inventor of the Purple Pox, the Great Unclean One known as Poxvirid Purpur Variol. Koryo, once again leading the 4th Eiyoltan warhost as an Autarch, and the Warp Spiders of the Shrine of the Stormshadow executed precision attacks on the daemonic assailants. Koryo and four squads of Warp Spiders managed to banish Poxvirid, effectively ending the invasion. This victory redeemed Koryo in both Eiyoltan’s Autarch and Seer Councils. In recognition of his bravery and deeds during the invasion, he was renamed Koryo Stormshadow. However, the victory was bittersweet. Poxvirid had managed to infect Eiyoltan’s population with the Purple Pox. Humans infected with the Purple Pox slowly turn into Poxwalkers. The effect on Aeldari, however, was to weaken and rot their limbs. Eiyoltan responded by setting themselves in quarantine and focus all research on finding a cure. It was soon found that wraithbone slowed the spread of the disease. It swiftly became custom to graft plates of wraithbone directly into their skin. This was done as a preventive measure, to slow the spread of infections, or even replace lost limbs. The Daemon invasion and subsequent epidemic reminded the Aeldari of their mortality, steeling their will to live. This made the Eiyoltan Aeldari extremely durable in combat and its troops could even ignore otherwise fatal wounds.

While the majority of the ravaged Eiyoltan was rebuilding, Koryo was sent by the Seer Council to divert the Imperial Fists Successor Chapter Cartonian Dragoon forces to attack the daemonic forces of Poxvirid and his Death Guard allies.

Koryo Stormshadow and his warhost arrived back on Rhoie in the ruins of a city demolished by Chaos forces. Koryo’s long standing advisor Farseer Embarath Dreamweaver deployed on a raised platform with the Dark Reapers, overseeing the battlefield. True to form, the Space Marines reacted swiftly to the new threat. The Rhino, Dreadnought, and two Land Speeders advanced and killed the Rangers hiding in a centre ruin. The remaining Ranger squad sniped the Space Marine Lieutenant in retaliation. Farseer Embarath guided the Dark Reaper’s fire, killing half the combat squad shielding the Space Marine command officers.

The Land Speeders redeployed to secure a flank objective, while Koryo and the Warp Spiders advanced out of sight behind a ruin. The wounded Lieutenant was fully healed by the Apothecary. The Guardians hunkered down in the ruin around another objective, next to the Dire Avengers. Both remained there for the entire battle. The Fire Dragons deployed from a Webway portal to destroy the Land Speeders, doomed by Embarath. However, one severely damaged speeder remained after the attack. The guided Dark Reapers finished off the remaining combat squad in the ruins. The Rangers sniped the Lieutenant again.

A full Tactical squad disembarked from the Rhino and opened fire on the Howling Banshees in the ruins, killing all but two. The Space Marine Captain (resembling Vulkan He’stan of the Salamanders), Lieutenant, and Apothecary left the ruins and hid out of sight. The Lieutenant was again restored by the Apothecary. The damaged Land Speeder opened fire with heavy bolter and assault cannon on the Fire Dragons, killing half the squad. The Fire Dragons then executed a feigned retreat, falling back only to reverse and blast the Land Speeder to pieces. The Warp Spiders advanced around a building and killed three Tactical Marines. The Rangers switched target to the annoying Apothecary, wounding him. The Howling Banshees exited cover, damaged the Dreadnought with a lucky shot from a shuriken pistol, and then assaulted the remaining Tactical Marines together with Koryo. Unable to overwatch after being hit by the Banshees’ howl, four marines were cut down by the Aeldari Aspect Warriors.

The depleted Space Marines made a tactical retreat into the reversing Rhino, taking them out of grasp of Koryo and the Howling Banshees. The Dreadnought took their place, charging both Koryo and the Banshees. But the Dreadnought overestimated himself, as he failed to inflict any damage. In turn, Koryo’s mandiblaster wounded the ancient warrior and the Howling Banshee Exarch finished him with precision strikes from her executioner axe. The guided Dark Reapers almost destroyed the Rhino. The triumphant Howling Banshees assaulted a Tactical combat squad emerging from an objective in the rear ruins.

The Space Marine Captain charged and killed the Fire Dragon Exarch, claiming an important objective, but leaving him vulnerable to the Dark Reapers. The last three members of the Tactical squad disembarked from the Rhino, firing on, assaulting, and wounding Koryo. The Lieutenant charged the Howling Banshees and killed one, while the Banshee Exarch finished off the combat squad.

As a final act, the Warlock destroyed the Rhino with psychic power, the guided Dark Reapers annihilated the Captain, the Apothecary was liquified by a web of death spinner monofilament wires, Koryo cut down the last marines, and the Banshee Exarch beheaded the Lieutenant.

With these deaths, the Aeldari forces had total control of the battlefield. Now the final step of the plan begun. Koryo’s forces moved swiftly around the battlefield, covering their own tracks and planting evidence that the Death Guard were behind the attack. Satisfied, Koryo led his warhost back into the Webway, leaving a false trail for the imperials to find.

30/12-2003 – Inquisitor Seraph

Teaming up with the local Chaos cultists in Andeonium Hive, the self-proclaimed Omega Soldiers, an Alpha Legion force was tasked with the ambush of a reinforcing Blood Angel detachment from the East. The elite Blood Angel Terminators met stiff resistance from the Alpha Legion Commander Agamemnon, who defeated the Librarian in combat, before he was in turn defeated by a Dreadnought. The Blood Angel Chaplain led the Death Company on a rampage through the Chaos flank, and slaughtered their way through two Cultist units as well as the Raptors. Flamers of Tzeentch, summoned by the Cultists, seemed impervious to plasma, as they where bathed in the plasma cannon of the Dreadnought, but remained unharmed. At the end of the day, the Blood Angels were halted, but at the cost of the entire Alpha Legion force.

Meanwhile, two Death Cult Assassins tried to launch a pair of missiles into the Andeonium Hive. Their efforts were thwarted by Inquisitor Seraph, who suspected an attempt to launch or destroy the missiles and had thus stationed himself and his followers Mad Dog McGree and Argyle the Arco-flagellant. Simultaneously, an Aeldari Ranger and an Aeldari Pirate Princess arrived with a mission to destroy the missiles, who were targeting a hidden Webway gate unaware to the imperials. As the assassins neared the missile site, they came under fire from the Aeldari sniper, and had their priestly escort and his cyber mastiff sliced to pieces by the pirate. Enraged, one of the assassins charged the sniper, but was shot and killed before she could reach her target. The other assassin engaged in combat with the Arco-flagellant, but was crushed to a pulp after failing to dodge his decapitator. The victorious flagellant and the awakened Inquisitor then tried to dispatch the Aeldari, but failed as a malfunctioning melta bomb was placed on one of the missiles and blew the entire emplacement to pieces.

26/10-2003 – Andeonium Hive’s defences breached

Led by the injured Daemon Prince Phaedron, his World Eater force supported by a contingent of Drukhari, assaulted Andeonium Hive. The defenders made their stand at the West walls, but suffered heavy casualties after the initial bombardment. A large force of Imperial Guard and Black Templars held the wall for a few bloody hours, but was overrun by the Khornate minions in the end. Phaedron was wounded yet again after destroying a Rhino, being hit by a Ratling’s sniper rifle and a point-blank hit from a lascannon. The newest Emperor’s Champion had his head torn off by a Greater Daemon of Khorne. The Drukhari Archaon Kael was shot by a Commissar when he and his retinue stormed the defence walls. With this victory, Chaos had entered Andeonium. They immediately fanned out and tried to move towards the centre of the hive, where the imperial palace stood.

21/9-2003 – Anarchy on Rhoie

In the aftermath of Abaddon’s 13th Black Crusade, war still lingered on many of the neighbouring planets and systems. Cut off from the higher command that had been Abaddon, the many warbands that his army consisted of reverted to follow their own agendas.

On Rhoie, a World Eater force supported by Daemons attacked an imperial-held power plant in order to cripple the force field surrounding Andeonium. Defended by a stalwart force of Space Wolves, the imperials managed to stall the attack long enough for a force of Black Templars to reach the area and drive the bloodcrazed followers of Khorne back. The World Eater Daemon Prince Phaedron was defeated in close combat by a charging squad of Blood Claws, led by Wolf Priest Hjalmar the Brave. The Emperor’s Champion held true to his title and claimed the lives of many traitors. The Black Templar Chaplain Holmbaud bravely held his ground, but was pulled down and taken out of action by the vicious World Eaters, moments before the Emperor’s Champion arrived. But in the ensuing mêlée the Champion was bested by the Berzerkers, although the victory was still imperial.

15/4-2003 – Abaddon departs

The Blood Angels and Black Templars pursued the Orks and Alpha Legionnaires, and finally got a confrontation between them in a rocky region of the area. The Greater Daemon of Ork killed the Grand Master of the Grey Knights, but was in turn killed by the Grey Knight Terminators. It was a close call, with the battle switching from a certain victory for Chaos and Orks in the beginning to a minor victory for the imperials.

After this defeat Abaddon returned to the Eye of Terror to consolidate his forces gathering there. His forces on Rhoie and Messen dug in, as did the imperials during the events that would later be known as the Eye of Terror campaign.

11/4-2003 – Alpha Legion lure Orks to attack

An unholy alliance between Alpha Legion and Orks are driven off by a contingent of Blood Angels and Black Templars. A greater Daemon of unknown origin, but very much bearing the resemblance of one of the Ork gods appeared. This prompted a squad of Grey Knights to teleport in and deal with it.

2/1-2003 – Andeonium Hive

Andeonium Hive is roughly circular, with large habunits and mining facilities on the lower floors. The main Chaos force attacked from the South, with contingents of Alpha Legion and World Eaters circled round and advanced from the East and West. PDF troops held the city, but were harassed by Daemon and guerrilla forces. The Aeldari arrived from the Northwest at the same time as the loyalist Space Marines arrived from the East.

From an unknown source, a formidable force of Tyranids appeared in the western part of the research facilities on the upper levels, as well as some Drukhari raiders.