Mordecai: Ur'Ghar falls to chaos but Sathugar Mines retaken

On Mordecai Secundus the end of 02.022M42 saw a resumption of heavy fighting on the front lines between the forces of chaos and the Imperium under general Kutuzov. There had been a relative lull following the Fotta Rhan offensive, as both sides regrouped. Now however, both sides launched simultaneous offensives.

In the south, the Word Bearers joined the fray, launching a full frontal assault on the city of Ur'Ghar. This was an unexpected axis of advance by the chaos forces, and Kutuzov's armies were not ready to face such a determined assault on the imperial held city. The traitor astartes made rapid progress, and the loss of the imperial commander seriously hampered command and control during the defence of the ruined city. In a serious setback for Kutuzov he was unable to do anything meaningful as the imperial guard were first surrounded then annihilated by the Word Bearers. Another strategic city had been lost.

In the central sector however, news was better. Kutuzov had been planning a grand strategic offensive looking to take advantage of the large salient that had developed around Festergax since the Fotta Rhan offensive. The first blow fell in the south, as Valdorgrad guard - a full mechanised regiment, pushed north to secure the remaining Sathufgar mines, launching their attack directly into Emerald Serpent forces. This was where Kutuzov had deployed his best troops and greatest fire support, and while the Emerald Serpent attempted to counter attack with Terminator forces on the right flank of the advance, the left flank was unable to hold the imperial advance. As the battle wore on, accurate and heavy artillery and tank fire decimated large swathes of the elite chaos forces, while the imperial guard only suffered losses to their light tanks and armoured vehicles, as well as easily replaceable infantry. As a last ditch effort, two chaos sorcerers attempted to use their knowledge of the warp to make a surgical strike on the imperial tank commander. They were successful, but the rest of the regiment soon cut them both down, breaking the chaos counter attack and securing the important Sathugar mines for the Imperium once more.