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!
Friday, March 28, 2025
The Battle for Corredon Outpost: Silver Templars Strike
The Eldar Intervention on Hylas
In pursuit of this goal, the Eldar had long maintained an alliance with the Tau Empire and the Federacy, subtly guiding their expansion efforts while working to undermine the Imperium wherever possible. However, by 03.025M42, the Imperial resurgence in the Zadoc subsector threatened not only the Tau’s long-term viability but also the hidden Eldar shadow worlds of the Mabb Nebula. Faced with the potential collapse of the Zadoc Expansion Sphere, the Farseers of Kel Sandros decreed that intervention was necessary.
The Eldar Assault on Hylas
The Imperium had gained momentum on Hylas, pushing the Alliance forces back to their original landing zone. In response, the Kel Sandros Eldar launched a devastating assault on the Imperial forces holding the cities of Benger and Desmond, striking at the Aleph Wardens regiments stationed there.
The Imperial defenders, highly mechanised and well-equipped, were confident in their armoured superiority—but they were unprepared for the speed and lethality of the Eldar warhost.
The Eldar Aspect Warriors executed flawless ambush tactics, using the terrain and their superior mobility to outmanoeuvre and devastate the Imperial armour. Fire Dragons made short work of Leman Russ tanks, their melta weaponry turning steel into slag in seconds. Meanwhile, the Eldar Jetbikes tore through Imperial formations, cutting down infantry and mechanised units alike with deadly precision.
At the heart of the assault, the Avatar of Khaine strode through the battlefield, an unstoppable force of destruction. The Imperial defenders threw everything they had at the incarnation of the Bloody-Handed God, but fate itself seemed to favour the Eldar warform. Lascannon blasts, battle cannon shells, and plasma fire that should have felled even a Greater Daemon were shrugged off as the Avatar rampaged through the enemy ranks, cutting down entire squads of Guardsmen and tank crews with every sweep of the Wailing Doom.
The Fall of Benger and Desmond
Despite their superior numbers and firepower, the Imperial forces were shattered by the relentless Eldar assault. The Aleph Wardens, unaccustomed to facing such fast-moving and highly disciplined xenos warriors, crumbled under the onslaught. By the end of 03.025M42, two full regiments of mechanised Imperial Guard had been all but annihilated, and the cities of Benger and Desmond had fallen to the Alliance.
As swiftly as they had appeared, the Eldar melted back into the Webway, leaving the Tau forces to occupy the newly reclaimed ground. The Kel Sandros warhost had achieved its goal, striking a blow against the Imperial resurgence and prolonging the survival of the Tau Expansion Sphere.
The Tau-Federal alliance—reeling from its previous losses in the subsector—gratefully accepted the Eldar assistance, consolidating their hold on Hylas. Meanwhile, the Farseers of Kel Sandros, satisfied with their intervention in the strands of fate, withdrew to plan their next move in their centuries-long war against the Imperium of Man.
The Tyranid Onslaught in the Rifts of Hecate: The Battle for Helos Majoris
Monday, March 10, 2025
Shadow War on Fort Sparcos escalates
A Chaotic Warzone
As the Necrons emerged, the situation deteriorated further when a force of Black Templars arrived, their presence linked to General Van Dorn’s wider operations in the Zadoc subsector. Sent to reconnoitre the system and assess enemy strength, the Templars instead found themselves drawn into a brutal four-way battle.
The fighting inside Fort Sparcos was fierce and unrelenting. The Necrons, despite being outnumbered, weathered the combined assault of both the Black Templars and the Death Guard, proving their resilience and cutting down scores of warriors from both factions. The Death Guard, unwilling to relinquish their hold over the fort, committed their corrupted Astartes to the slaughter, while the Templars, undaunted, sought to purge both xenos and traitors alike.
Curiously, the Votann forces remained largely unscathed, despite being active participants in the battle. Whether this was due to sheer luck, advanced tactical manoeuvres, or something else entirely remains a mystery, but their effectiveness in direct combat was questionable at best. They failed to make significant gains, though they did manage to carve out a small foothold within the fortress.
A Pyrrhic Victory for Chaos
When the battle finally subsided, Chaos had emerged as the nominal victor. The Death Guard, despite suffering substantial casualties, had managed to reassert control over key sections of the Labyrinthine complex. The Necrons and the Votann retained isolated bridgeheads within the fortress, but neither faction had managed to dislodge the Chaos forces entirely.
The Black Templars, despite their zealous assault, were ultimately forced to retreat, unable to establish a foothold against the overwhelming tide of enemies. Their withdrawal marked a significant setback for Imperial operations in the region, as Van Dorn’s strategy for the Zadoc subsector now faced a growing and unpredictable threat at Fort Sparcos.
For now, Chaos remained in control, but Fort Sparcos was no longer the secure bastion it once was. With Necron, Votann, and even Ork warbands contesting sections of the installation, it seemed inevitable that the fortress would continue to be a battleground for some time to come.
Tau Base on Garmenes lost
As the Tau fought desperately to stem the tide of Tyranid monstrosities, a new threat emerged—the Emperor’s Children. The traitorous warriors of Slaanesh, ever drawn to excess and opportunity, descended upon the war-ravaged world, not to defend it, but to loot and sow further destruction. They raided Tau bases, stealing technology, weaponry, and valuable resources, while slaughtering both the defenders and any surviving civilians.
With the Tau forces already struggling to hold back the Tyranids, the sudden appearance of the Chaos warbands turned an already dire situation into a total catastrophe. Unable to counter two relentless enemies at once, the Tau lines crumbled, and their retreat quickly turned into a panicked evacuation.
By 1203.025M42, any Tau who could escape had already fled, abandoning Garmenes to its fate. The Emperor’s Children withdrew as well, having taken all they could from the shattered Tau infrastructure. With no meaningful resistance left, the Tyranids began the inevitable process of consuming the world, stripping it of all organic matter to fuel the hive fleet’s continued advance.
The fall of Garmenes marked the complete collapse of the Tau expedition into the Rifts of Hecate. What had once been an ambitious expansion effort had now turned into a desperate retreat. The remnants of the surviving Tau forces fled back towards Echo Reach, carrying with them a dire warning—the Hadron Expansion Sphere itself could now be in grave danger.
Hylas: Benger reclaimed by the Imperium
Friday, March 07, 2025
Tyranids land on Calthingum
Drukhari Raids Sow Chaos in the Hadron Expanse
Malkaor’s Offensive: The Purging of Chaos on Zadoc
Upon his arrival, Malkaor wasted no time in assessing the situation. While the Tau still held their bridgehead on the planet, their position was tenuous. The forces of Chaos, though fractured, were well-entrenched and threatened to turn the conflict into a prolonged attritional war. Malkaor rejected stagnation, opting instead for a decisive and fast-moving offensive, aimed at sweeping Chaos from the region in a single, devastating strike.
Malkaor’s forces struck south from the Tau stronghold at Chettalo, executing a meticulously planned Mont’ka (Killing Blow) manoeuvre. The Chaos warbands, still overconfident from their recent engagements, were caught completely off guard by the sheer speed and precision of the attack.
The Tau assault was spearheaded by mechanised Hunter Cadres, supported by Hammerhead gunships, Crisis Battlesuits, and a devastating barrage of artillery and air support. The cultist hordes and traitor militia were annihilated in the opening moments of the battle, their poorly organised defences obliterated under pinpoint railgun fire and withering pulse barrages. The more elite Chaos warbands, including a strong force of traitor Astartes, attempted to regroup, but Malkaor’s fluid battlefield command ensured that no Chaos force was allowed to consolidate its position.
With their forces in complete disarray, the Chaos armies collapsed, suffering catastrophic losses. The Tau advanced rapidly, sweeping southward and capturing key cities in quick succession. Within days, the strategic settlements of Antolovi and Guion had fallen, and Tau forces stood poised to claim the entirety of the southern continent.
The battle had been a masterclass in Tau warfare, demonstrating the effectiveness of speed, precision, and overwhelming firepower against an enemy reliant on brute strength and attrition. Commander Malkaor’s victory shattered the Chaos presence on Zadoc, solidifying the Tau foothold and allowing the Federacy to redirect resources elsewhere.
However, while the forces of Chaos had been broken, the Imperium remained entrenched. With the Dark Angels continuing their guerrilla war on New Cerberex, and Van Dorn’s offensive gaining traction, Malkaor’s success, though significant, was only one part of a far greater war, a war that was still far from over.
The Battle of the Harian Mesa: Securing the Imperial Corridor
The offensive was launched with multiple regiments of Astra Militarum, primarily composed of mechanised infantry and heavy armour units. However, the nature of the Harian Mesa—a rugged expanse of crumbling ridges, rocky canyons, and deep dust traps, made large-scale mechanised movement slow and arduous. The Death Guard, well-adapted to prolonged attritional warfare, took full advantage of the environment, using ambush tactics, entrenched fortifications, and chemical bombardments to grind down the advancing Imperial forces.
The fighting was brutal. The Death Guards' resilience, combined with the Mesa’s difficult terrain, led to massive equipment losses on both sides. Tanks, transports, and artillery pieces were destroyed in droves, reduced to smouldering wrecks by precision fire, airborne plagues, or simply breaking down in the harsh landscape. The Imperial Guard, however, maintained their greatest advantage; sheer numbers. Where the Death Guard relied on heavily armed and armoured formations, the Imperium could replace its losses far more effectively, with wave after wave of infantry pushing forward despite horrific casualties.
While the Death Guard defenders inflicted staggering losses, the Imperial war machine proved inexhaustible. The sheer volume of infantry assaults, combined with constant artillery bombardments, eventually overwhelmed the Chaos forces, forcing them into a disorderly retreat. With their vehicles destroyed and their fortified positions overrun, the Plague Marines were unable to hold their ground, and Imperial forces systematically cleared the mesa, securing vital high ground and pushing Chaos remnants into the surrounding wastes.
By the end of the battle, the Harian Mesa had been fully taken, eliminating the Chaos salient that had so long threatened the Imperial corridor. At last, Menoria Hive and Westosa Hive were securely joined, forming a continuous and defensible Imperial sector in the heart of Mordecai Primaris.
With the Harian Mesa pacified, General Kutuzov and Imperial High Command were left with a difficult strategic choice. While their sector was now secure, it was surrounded on all sides by the hostile wastelands of Mordecai, with any further advance requiring long and vulnerable supply lines. The remaining Chaos strongholds - particularly the remaining hive cities of the planet - stood deep in the deserts, meaning any future offensive would be costly and logistically complex.
For now, the Imperium had secured a key victory, but the war on Mordecai was far from over. The next decision could determine the fate of the entire campaign.
The Battle for Fort Sparcos: A Shadow War Bloodbath
Monday, February 10, 2025
Special Operations in the Aleph Sector: 01.025M42
While the major warzones of the Aleph Sector remained embroiled in large-scale conflicts, the shadow war of special operations and clandestine engagements continued unabated into 025M42. Across multiple contested worlds, elite forces from various factions vied for control in brutal, close-quarters skirmishes that often proved as decisive as the grand campaigns raging elsewhere.
On Gamador, the Necrons launched a series of infiltration operations aimed at disrupting the T’au foothold on the world. Their silent advance into the depths of the Hasmakep Tomb Complex went largely undetected at first, until T’au forces encountered sudden disruptions in their supply chains and communications networks, indicative of a hidden enemy operating within the tunnels beneath them.
Recognising the deadly underground threat, the T’au called upon their Votann allies, the Kin of the Leagues of Votann, to assist in the ensuing vicious tunnel warfare. The Hearthkyn warriors, hardened by centuries of subterranean conflict, fought with determination, deploying advanced scanning technology and methodical fire discipline to counter the Necron infiltration teams.
However, the Necrons' advance proved difficult to halt. Their superior knowledge of the tomb complex, combined with their reanimation protocols, allowed them to overwhelm the Votann forces in several key areas. By the end of the campaign, the Necrons had successfully driven the Votann from critical sections of Hasmakep, weakening the T’au-Federal grip on the planet and threatening their strategic positions.
Meanwhile, on Hylas Reach, the Federacy found itself engaged in an intense battle against Ork Kommandos, who had infiltrated the station’s interior and begun raiding vital installations. As expected, the arrival of Votann Hearthkyn warriors had only increased the Orks’ interest in the station, as the brutal xenos relished the chance to test themselves against these stubborn and well-armed warriors.
The Votann kill teams, unwilling to tolerate the Ork menace, launched a ruthless clearance operation. Fighting room by room, they methodically pushed the Kommandos back, but the greenskins proved tenacious, forcing every engagement to the death. Despite their disciplined assault, the Hearthkyn found themselves in need of additional firepower to secure the final sections of the station.
At a crucial moment, Kroot Mercenaries arrived to reinforce the Votann effort, proving invaluable in the close-quarters combat against the Ork infiltrators. In one pivotal confrontation, a Kroot pistolier, renowned for his lightning-fast reflexes, executed a quick-draw kill, neutralising a key Ork leader just in time to secure a vital control terminal. This moment allowed the Federacy forces to lock out the remaining Ork Kommandos, effectively sealing off the key sectors of Hylas Reach from further greenskin incursions. With the station firmly under Alliance control, the Federacy had won an important victory in the shadow war of the Aleph Sector, ensuring Hylas Reach would serve as a critical staging ground for future operations.
While the larger wars in the Perseus Deeps, Hadron Expanse, and Zadoc Subsector continued to dominate military strategy, these small-scale but significant battles shaped the strategic landscape in ways few outside the elite circles of command could fully appreciate. Whether it was the Necrons chipping away at the T’au foothold on Gamador, or the Votann and Kroot working together to secure Hylas Reach, the shadow war of special operations remained a decisive theatre of conflict in 025M42.
New Cerberex: Dark Angels continue breakout
By early 025M42, the once dominant position of the T’au Empire in the Mabb Nebula had begun to unravel. Just a year prior, the T’au had been poised to establish a Zadoc Expansion Sphere, having secured New Cerberex, launched an invasion of Hylas, and maintained a tense but stable front against Chaos on Zadoc itself. However, as the war expanded across the Zadoc Subsector, it became clear that the T’au and their Federal allies were overextended.
While the T’au had defeated the Imperial fleet and enforced a blockade within the Mabb Nebula their grip on the subsector was not absolute. Astartes fleets, refusing to engage in pitched battles, continued to operate freely, slipping past T’au naval patrols to deploy reinforcements and supplies. The T’au and their allies simply lacked the naval coverage to maintain control over three major war zones simultaneously—the Perseus Deeps, the Hadron Expanse, and the Zadoc Subsector. Seizing upon this weakness, General Van Dorn, now commanding the Imperial war effort in the Zadoc subsector, exploited the overstretched enemy. His offensive on Hylas forced the T’au-Federal alliance to divert precious resources, further weakening their defensive hold over New Cerberex.
Despite the T’au’s claim of having secured New Cerberex, they had never eliminated the Dark Angels or breached their fortress monastery on Mount Bone. Recognising the fragility of the T’au position, the Dark Angels Chapter launched a devastating assault in 01.025M42, striking from their stronghold on Deathwing Ridge. With speed and precision, the Astartes descended upon T’au defensive positions at Vincennes and Albert, their rapid-strike doctrine overwhelming the surprised defenders. The T’au attempted a counter-offensive, but their forces were soon bottled up in Albert, unable to manoeuvre effectively against the fast-moving Space Marine formations. With their defences shattered, the T’au were unable to prevent the fall of Vincennes, a vital settlement that cut their forces in two.
Despite this setback, the T’au still controlled the key strategic locations on New Cerberex, including New Feducia, New Grasx, and the spaceport, but the notion that the world had been fully integrated into the T’au Empire was crumbling. The Dark Angels’ lightning assault proved that the Imperium could still contest the world, and the illusion of T’au security was shattered. Now, the T’au-Federal alliance found itself fighting on two major fronts in the Zadoc subsector—against Van Dorn’s renewed offensive on Hylas and the Dark Angels’ resurgence on New Cerberex. With the war effort stretching their resources thin, the T’au’s grand ambitions in the Zadoc Expansion Sphere were beginning to collapse under Imperial pressure.
Mordecai: The Battle for south east Westosa
Recognising the need for decisive action, the Hammers of the Emperor—a Primaris Adeptus Astartes Chapter—launched an offensive to eradicate the entrenched Death Guard elements and ensure the security of the Imperial advance.
The Hammers of the Emperor initiated their attack with characteristic speed and aggression, deploying armoured transports to rapidly close the distance with the enemy. Understanding the dangers of prolonged engagement against the Death Guard’s infamous resilience, the Chapter sought to use shock and momentum to overwhelm the traitors before they could fully react.
Upon reaching the outer defences, however, the Loyalist Astartes quickly discovered that their foe was more entrenched than expected. The Death Guard, their corrupted power armour bloated with the blessings of Nurgle, absorbed tremendous punishment and fought with unrelenting tenacity. Even under sustained bolter fire and the devastating impact of Primaris bladework, the Plague Marines refused to yield easily.
The battle descended into gruesome, close-quarters combat, with Loyalist and Traitor Astartes clashing amid the ruins of Westosa’s outer districts. The stench of decay and corruption filled the air as the Hammers of the Emperor fought through toxic clouds unleashed by their foe, cutting down diseased monstrosities in relentless waves. Yet for every Death Guard warrior felled, another fought on, seemingly immune to pain or fatigue.
Despite the difficulty of the engagement, the Primaris Marines methodically pushed the traitors back, securing key fortifications and clearing large sections of the battlefield. However, their advance stalled when they encountered the Death Guard Terminators, led by a Chaos Lord of Nurgle. These elite warriors, heavily armoured and wreathed in foul warp energies, proved nearly impervious to conventional weaponry, shrugging off bolter fire and even sustained plasma barrages.
Realising that continuing the engagement risked unacceptable casualties, the Hammers of the Emperor consolidated their gains and withdrew to more defensible positions. The Death Guard Terminators and their Chaos Lord remained undefeated, holding onto a portion of the battlefield just south of the Harian Mesa, but the main body of the traitor force had been obliterated.
While not an overwhelming victory, the engagement successfully removed the immediate Death Guard threat from Westosa’s outskirts, securing the Imperial southern flank and allowing General Kutuzov to refocus his offensive as 025.M42 began. The war for Mordecai Primaris continued, but the Imperium had struck another blow in its long and bloody struggle to reclaim the world from Chaos.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Special operations lead to four way clash on Sulidaan
Mordecai Primaris: Imperial sectors reunited again
Gamordal: Another setback for Veers
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.