Chaos drive towards Southbourne

While their defences collapsed in the west, Lord Raziel, in command of the Chaos alliance in the south remained convinced his next attack would turn the tide. Months earlier the Orks on Sartano had been utterly destroyed, or so the Imperials thought. In actual fact thousands had been captured and, with little encouragement required, were swiftly inducted as ad hoc mercenaries working for Raziel.

In addition Raziel had massed several regiments of rebel Guard, and more than a legion of traitor marines, all aligned to the Night Lords’ banner. Now Raziel planned to use this force to strike east and south, annihilating the Imperial defenders and clearing the second front the southern theatre was facing.

On 0602.009M42 the expected attacked began, the Ork horde pouring out in front of regiments of well ordered Traitor Marines. The pace of the advance, led by Gargants and Chaos titans was swift, as Raziel knew the Ultramarines had landed at Southbourne a week previously.

On the broad plains between the tributaries of the Sarto river, the two forces met. In the north a huge tank battle erupted as Land Raiders and Predators fought with Ork Gun Wagons and traitor Land Raiders. In the southern portion of the battle fierce hand to hand assaults erupted as the Orks attacked first, annihilating themselves while inflicting horrendous casualties on the defenders. Then the Chaos Marines moved in and mopped up.

The Imperial forces fought furiously, massacring the Orks in an orgy of destruction, but behind them the Chaos Marines moved in, forcing the Ultramnarines and their allied contingents to withdraw after days of bitter fighting. Titans were employed on both sides, but once again they did not fight one another.

By 0902.008M42 the Chaos attack had taken the north of the Island continent and had advanced to within twenty Miles of Southbourne, cutting off the eastern Island chain and occupying most of the plains north of the Sarton Mounts. However to the south the lifeline to Southbourne was kept open, thanks to the Trebbians. Raziel had reduced the number of fronts to one, but that front now stretched along four hundred miles of mountainous terrain, all occupied by the Imperial defenders, who dug in.