Massive eldar advance on Ares

After over a year of hard but inconclusive fighting in the Caeralon valley, at the start of 11.013M42 the eldar launched a massive offensive on Ares. Never before had Vassilevsky faced such a concentration of force, and there was no warning of the attack. Suddenly his forces were in full retreat from Hellebron, and his imperial guard units found themselves outgunned and out manouevered by an enemy fielding no fewer than three massive titans.

The Legio Gryphonnicus and the Salamanders attempted to rescue the situation. In the north on the road to Pallian the alien titans were confronted by three imperial warmachines, massive warlord titans not fielded in such numbers in the Perseus Deeps before. However the eldar ground down the imperial defenders and by 0411.013M42 the imperium had withdrawn from Pallian and were retreating towards Forbestown.

Worse was happening further south as the Salamanders faced the eldar alone without titan support. Sindon Station fell after a brutal eldar attack, which saw the half company of Salamanders blocking the road wiped out to a man. The southern settlement of Gorballs fell a day later after the last Salamanders to face the Rillietan attack withdrew from the town. The astartes forces regrouped, but recent fighting had taken their toll and the chapter master warned the imperium of his chapter's fading strength.

On Ares Vassilevsky had lost all of the settled territory barring Forbestown by 0611.013M42. After a year and a half of hard fighting it was a bitter pill to swallow for the Imperium. Now General Veers had to decide whether to fight to regain the planet or withdraw to strengthen his defences elsewhere in the Deeps. With the situation on Zadoc, it was certain any request for reinforcements would be denied.