Aleph Sector 40K Campaign
Welcome to the Aleph Sector Campaign blog, Sheffield University Wargames Society's narrative based campaign set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe. If you are new here, have a read of the Aleph Sector Campaign System. This will explain what the campaign is, how it works etc. If you are really keen you can download the entire ten year history of the campaign! If you are a new student in Sheffield, visit the Wargames website from the links section on the right to get involved!
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Mordecai Primaris: Imperial sectors reunited again
Zadoc: World Eaters lead the charge
Hylas: Van Dorn's Winter Offensive
Wednesday, December 04, 2024
Tyranids rampage on Helos Majoris
Maximus’ plan was straightforward: use the big guns of the Novgorod to blunt the Tyranid advance and drive the xenos back into the hinterlands, buying time for reinforcements to arrive. However, the execution of this strategy revealed glaring weaknesses in the Imperial forces.
The Novgorod Deployment
The Novgorod regiments deployed to Helos Majoris were equipped with reserve stockpiles, including older-model Leman Russ tanks, aging Hydra flak tanks, and artillery pieces that, while functional, lacked the reliability and advanced targeting systems of newer equipment. Infantry were similarly hampered by aging lasguns and inadequate supplies, including ammunition and rations ill-suited for a protracted engagement against Tyranid hordes.
Despite these limitations, the Novgorod forces established fortified positions around key outposts, supported by heavy artillery batteries and tank formations. Initial engagements were promising, as volleys of coordinated fire cut down waves of smaller Tyranid bioforms, and the first xenos assaults were repelled with heavy losses to the enemy.
The Tyranid Counterattack
The tide turned when larger bioforms—including Carnifexes, Trygons, and Tyrannofexes—joined the fray. These monstrous creatures absorbed immense amounts of firepower while spearheading relentless charges against the Novgorod gunlines. The reserve equipment of the Guard, effective against infantry and lighter vehicles, proved inadequate against the durability and sheer strength of these Tyranid organisms.
The Imperial armoured units managed to hold for a time, their Leman Russ tanks destroying multiple bioforms with concentrated fire. However, as the Tyranids closed the distance, these tanks were overwhelmed by toxic sprays, acid projectiles, and living ammunition that bypassed their armour. Imperial artillery was silenced as bioforms breached the rear lines, while infantry positions were overrun by Hormagaunts and Genestealers.
The Collapse
The xenos advance was relentless, and Novgorod casualties mounted rapidly. At least one outlying base was completely destroyed by swarms of Tyranid bioforms, while another suffered critical damage, leaving it vulnerable to further attacks. Surviving units were forced into a disorganised retreat, abandoning artillery pieces and vehicles to the encroaching Tyranid swarm.
The Imperial Strategica, analysing the unfolding disaster, predicted that at the current rate of attrition, Helos Majoris would fall within three months. Without reinforcements, the planet’s vital bases and settlements would be consumed by the Hive Fleet, and the Imperium would lose a critical foothold in the Rifts of Hecate.
A Growing Crisis
The failure of the Novgorod counteroffensive marked a grim chapter in the defense of Helos Majoris. General Maximus, already under scrutiny for his handling of the Tyranid threat, now faced mounting pressure from Imperial High Command to produce results. The deployment of reserve forces, while necessary, underscored the logistical challenges and lack of preparedness facing the Imperium in the Eastern Fringe.
As Hive Fleet Poseidon continued its inexorable advance, it became clear that only a bold and innovative strategy—or a significant influx of reinforcements—could prevent the planet’s complete annihilation. Helos Majoris stood on the brink, its fate hanging precariously in the balance.
Grey Knights decapitate Tau command on Hylas
Chaos: Balance of Power shifts to the Death Guard
The Struggle for Kendrenec: The Ascendancy of Nurgle in the Aleph Sector
By the end of 12.024M42, the Chaos war effort in the Aleph Sector had entered a state of disarray. The once-cohesive campaigns orchestrated by the Emerald Serpent had faltered, their influence waning as their leader’s grasp on power slipped. Meanwhile, the withdrawal of Warsmith Stahl and his Iron Warriors from the region left a strategic vacuum that the remaining warbands sought to exploit for their own gain. This fragmentation reached its zenith on Kendrenec, the de facto capital of Chaos forces in the sector, as two rival powers vied for dominance: the Death Guard, champions of Nurgle, and the World Eaters, devoted to Khorne.
The Battle for Kendrenec
The conflict erupted in the ruins of Kendrenec’s once-mighty fortresses, where the World Eaters, led by Lord Invocatus, sought to assert their mastery through sheer martial supremacy. The Death Guard, under the command of Typhus, countered with unyielding resilience and devastating firepower. The stakes were clear—whoever emerged victorious would claim the title of Master of Chaos in the sector and dictate the future of the war against the Imperium.
The battle was heralded by the dramatic intervention of Angron, the Daemon Primarch of the World Eaters, whose wrath knew no bounds. The daemon lord launched the assault with terrifying fury, obliterating a Death Guard War Dog in a single devastating blow. His rampage, however, was short-lived. The relentless firepower of the Death Guard’s daemon engines and corrupted artillery overwhelmed even Angron’s considerable might, banishing him back to the warp. Despite their Primarch’s fall, the World Eaters fought on, undeterred and frenzied by Khorne’s unquenchable thirst for blood.
The Turning Tide
The battle raged with savage intensity. The World Eaters unleashed their most devastating war engines, including a mighty Lord of Skulls, whose infernal power laid waste to the Death Guard lines. However, the slow, methodical firepower of Nurgle’s followers proved decisive. Plagueburst Crawlers, Blightlords, and daemon engines blanketed the battlefield with pestilence and destruction, grinding down the berserkers’ reckless assaults. Even as Lord Invocatus led a final, frenzied charge that drove Typhus from the field, the World Eaters found themselves unable to break the Death Guard’s implacable defense.
The climactic moment came when the Lord of Skulls, a towering avatar of Khorne’s fury, was destroyed in a hail of corrosive plague missiles and blighted energy. Its fall marked the turning point of the battle, as the remaining Khornate forces faltered under the relentless attrition of Nurgle’s chosen.
The Aftermath
With their forces shattered and Angron absent, the World Eaters were forced to retreat, leaving the Death Guard in undisputed control of Kendrenec. Though Typhus had been driven from the field, the victory cemented Nurgle’s supremacy over the Chaos forces in the Aleph Sector. From this point forward, the war against the Imperium would be waged according to the Grandfather’s inscrutable designs.
The battle for Kendrenec marked a turning point in the sector’s chaotic struggle. The disorganized warbands of Chaos began to align, however tenuously, under the banner of Nurgle. The House of Eschar, the Blighted Host, and other Nurgle-aligned factions now took their place as the dominant forces in the sector, preparing for a protracted and insidious war against the Imperium. For the Imperium, the defeat of Khorne’s champions only heralded a new, more methodical and attritional threat, as the Death Guard and their allies began consolidating their power with the grim patience of their patron.
Imperial Agents removed from Ork Fort Aerin
Imperial Offensive on Gamordal
As the Perseus Deeps Crusade continued into 012.024M42, General Veers sought to restore momentum following the loss of the Southrine Mines to a Necron counteroffensive. Criticised for his earlier setbacks and faced with a crucial strategic need to secure the world of Gamordal, Veers planned an aggressive operation to break the Necron hold on the planet.
On 0212.024M42, the Imperial Guard launched a massive armoured assault spearheaded by the Novgorod Regiments, supported by numerous Leman Russ battle tanks, mechanised infantry, and mobile artillery. The strategy aimed to shatter the Necron defensive lines north of Southrine and exploit any breaches to seize key locations, including Port Primaris, a vital hub for supply lines, and the Southrine mines themselves.
The Imperial armoured columns surged forward in a relentless blitzkrieg. The Necron defenders, primarily composed of Warriors, Immortals, and a scattering of Lychguard units supported by a Monolith, were initially caught off guard by the sheer speed and ferocity of the assault. While the Lychguard and Monolith proved formidable in close combat and in weathering heavy fire, they lacked the mobility to counter the rapid strikes of the Imperial armour.
After breaking through the Necron lines, the Novgorod regiments exploited their advantage with precision. Imperial tanks manoeuvred to encircle the Necron positions, cutting off retreat paths and isolating key defensive strongpoints. By 0312.024M42, the Guard had overwhelmed the defenders at Port Primaris, securing the strategically vital location. The Southrine mines were also retaken, ensuring access to their valuable resources and denying the Necrons their use.
The Necrons mounted several counterattacks, with Lychguard phalanxes attempting to push back the encroaching armour. However, the volume of fire from battle tanks, supported by Basilisk artillery and Valkyrie-deployed Storm Troopers, steadily wore them down. The Monolith’s gauss flux arcs wreaked havoc on one Novgorod armoured battalion, but the machine’s eventual destruction by concentrated Vanquisher cannon fire broke the back of the Necron resistance.
With the Necron forces reeling, the Imperial offensive pushed further into the heart of Gamordal, targeting the outskirts of the capital city. Here, the dense urban terrain slowed the advance, forcing the armour to pause and consolidate their gains. Nonetheless, the swift and decisive victories in the Southrine region restored momentum to the campaign and silenced many of Veers’ critics.
By the end of the first week of 12.024M42, the Imperial forces had secured key objectives, regained control of critical infrastructure, and inflicted significant losses on the Necron defenders. The success of the operation brought the Crusade back on schedule, renewing confidence in Veers' leadership. However, the Necron threat on Gamordal remained far from neutralized, and the Imperium prepared for the next phase of the campaign, knowing that the Necrons' resilience and capacity for sudden counterstrikes could not be underestimated.
Saturday, November 30, 2024
Tyranid offensive on Helos Majoris
On Helos Majoris, a key Imperial base in the Rifts of Hecate, the hope that the tyranid threat was now over was dashed in late 11.024M42. Despite the apparent success of Admiral Gorshkov’s orbital bombardment in temporarily scattering the Tyranid forces of Hive Fleet Poseidon, the xenos menace proved far from defeated. Emerging from the hinterlands of the planet, vast swarms of Tyranids launched a renewed assault, besieging Imperial settlements and military installations with unrelenting ferocity.
By late 11.024M42, the Tyranids had surrounded Helos Prime, the planet’s largest city and key strategic hub for the Imperial war effort in the region. Recognising the importance of holding this stronghold, the Blood Angels Chapter deployed to the planet to spearhead the defense. Under the command of Captain Arceus, the Blood Angels initiated a counterstrike aimed at decapitating the Tyranid invasion by eliminating their hive node synapse creatures, the psychic linchpins of the xenos swarm.
To bolster their efforts, the Blood Angels were supported by an elite Vindicare Assassin, whose mission was to target and eliminate the most dangerous Tyranid bioforms leading the assault.
The Blood Angels engaged the Tyranid swarm on the open plains outside Helos Prime, seeking to prevent the xenos from reaching the city’s defensive walls. Their strategy centered on precision strikes to disrupt the hive mind’s cohesion by eliminating the Tyranid Warriors, Zoanthropes, and other synapse creatures directing the swarm.
Initially, the Blood Angels’ assault met with success. Tactical squads and Baal Predators cut through the lesser Tyranid bioforms with disciplined fire, while Death Company marines tore into the xenos with chainswords and bolt pistols. The Vindicare Assassin, hidden within the ruins of a nearby manufactorum, delivered a stunning blow to the Tyranid hierarchy by eliminating a Swarmlord, its perfect shot piercing the bioform’s thick carapace and destroying its brain in an instant.
Yet, the death of the Swarmlord did little to halt the swarm. Driven by an instinctive hunger, the Tyranids adapted quickly, surging forward in overwhelming numbers. Even without centralised guidance, the sheer mass of Hormagaunts, Carnifexes, and other monstrous creatures soon overwhelmed the Blood Angels’ positions.
Despite their superior training and equipment, the Blood Angels could not hold back the tide. Tyranid Gargoyles descended from the skies, ripping apart devastator squads, while ground forces encircled and annihilated the Blood Angels’ vanguard. Captain Arceus personally led a desperate charge into the heart of the swarm, cutting down dozens of xenos before being struck down by a Tyrannofex’s acid spray.
The Vindicare Assassin, despite eliminating several more synapse creatures, was eventually overrun when his position was discovered by a Lictor. The assassin’s death marked the final turning point in the battle, as the remaining Blood Angels were engulfed and slaughtered by the swarm.
By the end of the engagement, the Blood Angels had been annihilated, and the Tyranids advanced to within striking distance of Helos Prime. While the city’s defences held for the time being, the loss of the Blood Angels and the failure to disrupt the hive mind’s coordination left the Imperium on Helos Majoris in a perilous position.
The battle demonstrated the true scale of the threat posed by Hive Fleet Poseidon. Even in the face of orbital bombardments and elite Astartes forces, the Tyranids displayed their infamous adaptability and relentless hunger. With Helos Majoris once again under siege, General Maximus was forced to acknowledge the inadequacy of his initial assessments. The survival of the Imperium’s presence in the Rifts of Hecate now hinged on reinforcements and the development of a more cohesive strategy to combat the xenos menace.
Monday, November 25, 2024
Eccentric ork attack on Haven thwarted by Dark Angels
Veers crusade suffers setback on Gamordal
The Necron Counteroffensive
Initially, Gamordal had been assessed by Imperial strategists as only weakly defended, its tomb complexes believed to hold a minor Necron presence. However, in late 11.024M42, it became clear that the ancient xenos had underestimated neither the threat posed by the Imperial invasion nor the importance of the mines near Southrine. These facilities, vital for both material extraction and planetary control, became the focal point of the Necrons’ response.
The Necron forces, emerging in great numbers from previously dormant tombs, overwhelmed the Imperial Guard garrison units stationed at the mines. Their precise and methodical attacks were bolstered by swarms of Canoptek constructs, legions of Immortals, and Lychguard phalanxes. Despite the resistance of the Imperial forces, the Necrons’ relentless advance pushed the Imperium onto the back foot.
Custodes’ Failure to Hold
Recognizing the dire situation, General Veers ordered the deployment of a small detachment of Adeptus Custodes, elite warriors tasked with holding the line against the xenos tide. The Custodes, led by Shield-Captain Velorius, struck hard at the advancing Necrons, targeting their commanders and command protocols with precise force.
However, the Necrons proved highly resilient. The Custodes found themselves outnumbered and outmaneuvered by a foe that simply reanimated itself after every engagement. Canoptek Reanimators and Crypteks restored damaged Necron forces, rendering the Custodes’ valor insufficient to halt the assault. The mines fell after a grueling two-day battle, with heavy losses on the Imperial side.
Retreat to Southrine
The loss of the mines compelled the remaining Imperial forces to retreat to the urban defenses of Southrine. The city, already strained by weeks of war, now faced a Necron siege as the xenos forces advanced methodically, encircling the Imperial defenders. Supplies dwindled, and morale among the Astra Militarum sank as the reality of their enemy’s resilience became apparent.
Strategic and Political Fallout
The setback at the mines raised serious questions about General Veers’ leadership and the Crusade’s overall planning. The intelligence failure regarding Gamordal’s defenses sparked outrage among high-ranking officials within the Crusade command. Many questioned whether Veers had underestimated the Necrons or had been too hasty in pursuing an offensive against a world of such strategic complexity.
For the Imperium, the retreat to Southrine marked a major challenge to its efforts in the Perseus Deeps. With the mining assets lost and their foothold reduced to a besieged city, the Imperium’s ability to press forward on Gamordal was now severely constrained.
The Shadow War on Mordecai: Operation Shroudstrike
Admiral Gorshkov delivers blow to Helos Majoris Tyranid invasion
More setbacks for Kutuzov on Mordecai Primaris
The Assault from Harian Mesa
The attack began with a sudden and overwhelming push into the vulnerable Imperial flank that connected the hives of Westosa and Menoria. The Dark Angels, assigned to monitor the region, were caught entirely off guard by the Thousand Sons’ maneuver. Using their mastery of teleportation sorcery and psychic manipulation, the traitor legion bypassed early warning systems and key defensive choke points.
The Thousand Sons’ Rubric Marines, supported by an array of daemon engines and even a psychic projection of Magnus the Red, swept through the open plains that had previously provided a secure corridor for Imperial reinforcements. Their attacks were precise and devastating, targeting vital supply routes and command nodes. Entire companies of Astra Militarum were annihilated in a matter of hours, with scattered survivors reporting the chilling effects of the Thousand Sons' warp-fuelled weaponry and psychic assaults.
Cutting the Corridor
By 1511.024M42, the Thousand Sons had severed the link between Westosa and Menoria, leaving the two hive cities isolated from one another once more. Imperial forces in both hives now relied entirely on the defensive capabilities of their sprawling urban centers, as the Thousand Sons established control over the surrounding plains and began fortifying their new positions.
The loss of the corridor was yet another blow to the Imperial Crusade on Mordecai Primaris and questions around General Kutuzov's competency was once again brought into question. The hives, already strained by relentless Chaos assaults and supply shortages, became logistical and tactical liabilities for the Imperium. Westosa and Menoria remained under Imperial control, but their isolation made coordinated operations exceedingly difficult.
Tyranid Escalation in the Rifts of Hecate
The Heloris Majoris Infiltration
Heloris Majoris, the Imperium's primary military hub in the Rifts, became a focal point of Tyranid infiltration. The xenos, using bio-adaptations designed for stealth and subterfuge, evaded the orbital picket fleets and embedded themselves within the planet's defenses. Despite early reports of missing patrols and strange biological anomalies, General Maximus dismissed the warnings as exaggerated, attributing them to heightened tensions in the theatre.
In response to emerging reports of Tyranid presence, Maximus deployed only a modest force of Astra Militarum patrols, believing the infestation to be minor. This miscalculation proved disastrous. The Tyranids struck with ferocity, ambushing the Guard units and exploiting the dense terrain of Heloris Majoris to devastating effect. The patrols were annihilated piecemeal, and reports of missing personnel and expanding bio-organic growths near key outposts indicated the xenos were solidifying their presence.
The loss of experienced regiments and vital supply caches left Heloris Majoris exposed. Though the xenos had not yet overrun the world, the failure to contain the infesation cast doubt on the Imperium’s ability to hold its strategic base.
The Invasion of Garmenes
While the Imperium struggled on Heloris Majoris, the Tau Empire faced its own crisis on the world of Garmenes, a vital colony within the Rifts of Hecate. Hive Fleet Poseidon launched a full-scale assault on the planet, overwhelming the Tau defenders with sheer numbers and adaptive ferocity.
Despite deploying significant assets, including two KV128 Stormsurge ballistic suits, the Tau forces found themselves outmanoeuvred and outmatched. The Stormsurges unleashed devastating volleys of firepower, obliterating swathes of the Tyranid swarm. However, Poseidon’s endless waves of organisms, including specialised burrowing units, circumvented the Tau's firepower by outflanking their lines.
By the end of the battle, the Tau defenders had sustained crippling losses, including the destruction of one Stormsurge and the retreat of the other. The remnants of the Tau army were forced to withdraw to fortified positions near their planetary bases, ceding vast swathes of Garmenes to the xenos. By 3011.024M42, the Tyranids had entrenched themselves firmly on the planet, turning Garmenes into yet another hive-world in the making.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
The Fall of Waystation S-192
On 1511.024M42, the Eldar, acting with their characteristic precision and speed, launched a decisive assault on the Imperial-held waystation. The attack came without warning, as the xenos exploited their superior understanding of the void environment and the station’s layout. The Eldar forces, reportedly composed of Aspect Warriors supported by Rangers and Warp Spiders, struck hard and fast, targeting key defensive positions and cutting off communication lines within the station.
The Imperial Guard special operations unit, despite their valiant defense, were ill-equipped to hold against such a coordinated and technologically superior force. The Eldar’s use of advanced weaponry and their uncanny ability to predict and counter the Guard’s movements, overwhelmed the defenders. The firefight was intense, with heavy casualties sustained on both sides, but the outcome was inevitable.
Recognising the futility of further resistance, the commanding officer of the Imperial unit ordered a retreat. The surviving Guardsmen abandoned the waystation, their numbers diminished and morale shaken. By the end of the engagement, the Eldar had reestablished control over Waystation S-192, denying the Imperium a critical asset in the Nebula.
The loss of Waystation S-192 was a significant blow to the Imperium’s efforts in the Mabb Nebula. The waystation’s position was vital for securing supply routes and coordinating fleet movements in the contested region. Its recapture by the Eldar not only disrupted Imperial operations but also underscored the Imperium’s inability to maintain lasting control over strategic positions in the face of persistent xenos interference.
Monday, November 18, 2024
The Invasion of Gamordal: Operation Steel Veil
Initial Landings
On 1511.024M42, the Novgorod Guard, reinforced heavily with armoured and cavalry units, commenced the invasion of Gamordal. The Imperial Navy, under the command of Admiral Stark, had scoured the system and reported no Necron naval activity, enabling the Guard to secure a landing site on the South Plateau without serious opposition. Once ground forces were deployed, the Novgorod regiments set their sights on the industrial city of Southrine, home to vital mining facilities critical for supplying the ongoing Imperial war efforts on the world.
The Assault on Southrine
The Necron defenders of Gamordal were formidable, comprising legions of Immortals, Canoptek constructs, and Doom Scythe aerial support. Despite the absence of spaceborne interference, the ground resistance was fierce, and General Veers knew a direct strike on the Necron capital of Gamordal Prime was unfeasible. Instead, he ordered a systematic campaign to weaken the Necron presence by seizing critical resource hubs like Southrine.
The Novgorod cavalry, renowned for their fearless charges and self sacrifice, were the first to engage the enemy. In a bold but reckless maneuver, Colonel Lobanov led his regiment in an attempt to break through the Necron phalanx. Unbeknownst to the Imperials, the Necron force included a C’tan Shard, a fragment of a star god harnessed by the Necrons. As the cavalry approached, the C’tan unleashed a cataclysmic burst of energy that annihilated the regiment, including Colonel Lobanov himself, in moments.
The loss of the cavalry regiment was a devastating blow to the morale of the Novgorod forces. However, the Imperial armoured units responded swiftly. Leman Russ battle tanks and Basilisk artillery unleashed relentless firepower, methodically dismantling the Necron formations. Despite the C’tan’s formidable presence, the sheer weight of fire from the Imperial war machines eventually overpowered it, shattering its corporeal form and forcing its retreat into the Immaterium.
Victory in Southrine
With the destruction of the C’tan shard and the collapse of the Necron defenses, the Novgorod Guard pushed into the heart of Southrine. The mining city fell after several days of brutal urban combat, with the Imperial forces systematically dismantling remaining Necron constructs and silencing the eerie, automated defense systems. By 1611.024M42, Southrine was firmly under Imperial control, and the mining assets were secured for the Imperium.
Strategic Significance
The capture of Southrine provided the Imperium with a vital foothold on Gamordal. The city’s industrial capabilities were swiftly repurposed to support the ongoing campaign, with resource extraction diverted to fuel the Novgorod war machine. Furthermore, the victory demonstrated the adaptability and resilience of the Imperium’s forces against the Necrons’ technological superiority.
However, the campaign for Gamordal had only just begun. General Veers now faced the challenge of advancing toward Gamordal Prime, a stronghold thought to house advanced Necron tomb complexes and heavily fortified defensive positions. Despite the success of Operation Steel Veil, the cost had been significant, and Veers knew the Necrons would not allow another foothold to be taken without unleashing even greater horrors.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Zadoc Subsector: The Defensive Gambit of General Van Dorn
The Awakening on Ferrosiun Prime and the Garmenes Incident: 10–11.024M42
The Ferrosiun Prime Device
Ferrosiun Prime, an ork-dominated world in the Rifts, had long been a contested planet, rich in both strategic value and ancient ruins. The orks had claimed the planet for their own, fortifying it with crude but effective fortresses and war machines. Beneath the surface, however, lay dormant Necron machinery, likely a relic of the planet’s forgotten past as part of the Necron dynasties.
In 10.024M42, a small ork kill team—likely under orders from a particularly ambitious warboss—attempted to sabotage a mysterious Necron apparatus they had discovered during their excavations. The orks, while uncharacteristically focused, underestimated the power of the Necrons guarding the site. The Necron defenders, perhaps aware of the orks’ intentions, activated the ancient machinery, unleashing devastating seismic and energy pulses that obliterated several nearby ork fortifications. Though the orks regrouped and reinforced their positions, the activation of the device established Necron control over a significant swath of Ferrosiun Prime.
The destruction of the ork strongholds created a power vacuum on the planet, with Necron forces steadily increasing their presence. The fate of the planet’s surface was thrown into question, as neither the orks nor other factions appeared capable of challenging the awakened Necrons.
The Garmenes Incident
Meanwhile, in the Rifts of Hecate’s eastern limit, the Tau Empire had established a research base at Garmenes, a frontier world where archaeological finds hinted at ancient xenos civilisations. The base served as a hub for the Tau’s diplomatic and military operations in the region, and in 11.024M42, it received an unusual delegation from the Federacy.
This delegation, comprised of Federal scientists and engineers supported by Votann Kin warriors, sought Tau collaboration to explore and exploit the Necron tombs beneath the planet’s surface. The Kin, known for their technical acumen and battle-hardened infantry, were well-equipped for such an expedition, and the Tau saw an opportunity to deepen their alliance with the Federacy while expanding their understanding of Necron technology.
However, the tomb on Garmenes was no dormant relic. Upon breaching its outer chambers, the Votann and Federal team inadvertently activated its defenses. The Necron constructs within awoke swiftly, cutting off the intruders’ retreat. Despite the formidable capabilities of the Kin warriors, the Necrons overwhelmed them with relentless precision. Reports indicate that Necron Deathmarks and Flayed Ones, supported by Canoptek constructs, systematically hunted down and destroyed the Votann forces within the tomb’s confines.
The Tau, unwilling to risk their own troops against such a relentless foe, declared the tomb off-limits and withdrew their personnel from the area, leaving the Necron site undisturbed. The Federacy’s losses were significant, and relations between the two allies were strained as the Kin accused the Tau of underestimating the danger.
Conclusion
By late 11.024M42, the Necrons had reasserted their presence in the Rifts of Hecate, not as major participants in the larger conflict but as a disruptive force capable of derailing the plans of their would-be usurpers. On Ferrosiun Prime, the orks found themselves forced to adapt to the sudden loss of key strongholds, while on Garmenes, the Federacy and Tau were reminded of the peril inherent in disturbing Necron tombs.