Double Jeopardy
A 600 strong force under Overlord Cre’Essus was holding position north of the main Tirallian Battle Group on Sescus III when a Blood Angel strike was made against him.
Three squads of warriors were dispersed between the main objective in the South East sector, a lesser objective close by amongst ruins, and the Ghost Ark NNV Silent Witness on the western flank. Over on the right he could call on the Annihilation Barge NNV Javelin of Lightning.
A drop pod fell right infront of Sescus and his squad disgorging a walker which attacked at once, destroying the Javelin of Lightning at point blank range with its melta. Meanwhile a huge so called death squad advanced across the centre towards our right under fire from our other units all the way.
The gauss fire of our side damaged the enemy walker and picked off a few marines each turn but the walker got amongst our HQ squad who were unable to hit the walker and they were destroyed. The main enemy squad meanwhile was having trouble with grenade attacks on the Silent Witness which had moved west towards secondary objectives in that direction.
The enemy warlord now detached from the main squad and fell back towards the central squad in the central ruins. Cre’Essus had reanimated but was picked off by the still rampant walker; however, it was wrecked by fire from our central squad.
The enemy HQ was having trouble assaulting the central squad but eventually made it to the first floor position of its survivors. They held out for a short time but eventually fell. The squad from the Silent witness disembarked at last and took the western objective. The few surviving marines assaulted decisively and destroyed them leaving the Silent Witness our only survivor to withdraw.
The lost of every asset except the ghost ark meant a loss rate of over 80%. Whilst the enemy failed to hold any objective, they won three nil on secondary objectives. The enemy had lost just the walker and half of its marines, a loss rate of perhaps 50%.
Second Chapter
After the surviving Angels had withdrawn to counter an attack in the adjacent sector overlord Manaphaket re-occupied the area with three squads of Immortals and three destroyers.
The destroyers occupied a ruin on our right flank with the Overlord and his team holding the main objective behind in another. The remaining immortals dug in across our front. Total strength was 593.The Imperium sent Space Wolves this time; a heavy support squad stayed well back. Three transports moved in concert against our centre.
The enemy moved up and met heavy fire but despite the lead transport being knocked out the destroyers too were quickly eliminated and immortals began to fall. The wrecked transport allowed two wolves and a lone wolf out to assault our gauss armed immortals in the centre.
The assault broke the immortals and the survivors fled but rallied. They were destroyed as the left hand transport now released its squad against our depleted left and took the central objective. The lone wolf and wolf attacked our right hand squad and were destroyed at last but more marines were attacking from the final transport that had crept up on the right.
The last immortal on our left fell and the marines attacked our right engaging our Overlord hand to hand. The fighting was indecisive both sides taking losses and the overlord was wounded. Some successful mindshackle scarab work helped but the long engagement ended with our last few survivors holding their own.
We had lost nearly two thirds of our forces and the enemy had a clear strategic win, eight one with only first blood falling to us. The marines had lost two units with damage to a third, plus a couple of glancing hits on their remaining transports. Two squads were fully intact, a loss rate of perhaps 30% at best. Pesky marines!
29.6.13
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