Action in the Rifts of Hecate

As the Tyranids continued to ineffectually throw themselves on the defences of Helos Majoris, in late 023M42 they did achieve a decisive victory against the Thousand Sons Legion elsewhere in the Rifts of Hecate. The small garrison defending Phyro Zeta found itself overwhelmed by the insatiable Tyranid swarm, and were forced to call for aid from the astartes legion else be annihilated. Despite the arcane powers of the Thousand Sons, the Tyranids, driven by an unrelenting hunger, swept through the chaos defences, leaving the garrison utterly destroyed and the Thousand Sons suffering heavy casualties. As Phyro Zeta fell to the Tyranids, the forces of chaos faced a shattering defeat, leaving them with only Calthinghum as a forward base in the region.

Meanwhile General Maximus was growing tired of the constant raids on Helos Majoris by elements of Hive Fleet Poseidon. Imperial strategists, driven by an equally resolute determination to cleanse the region of the alien menace, assembled a formidable coalition of regiments, Space Marine companies, and Inquisitorial forces to gain a foothold on Lodax, a system where the Tyranids were entrenched but had not yet consumed the world.

After a week in the warp, the landings on Lodax were uneventful, but the Novgorod Imperial Guard soon came into contact with the Tyranid swarm. Employing a combined arms force of cavalry and tanks the Novgorod, by now no stranger to the alien menace, set about the task of eliminating the xenos creatures. The powerful tanks of the Novgorod forces unleashed devastating volleys, precision-guided by expert tank commanders, decimating key Tyranid synapse creatures and even the colossal Norn Queen in the opening salvos.

The Tyranid anti-tank bioforms seemed to struggle with their aim, providing a fortunate respite for the Guard's armoured units. As the lines finally closed to point blank range, the disciplined cavalry and infantry of Novgorod gained the upper hand. In a pivotal moment, the renowned Death Leaper and a bioform known as "Old One Eye" met their demise at the hands of expertly coordinated strikes. The battlefield, strewn with the remains of the Tyranid swarm, reflected the Guards' triumph, as the xenos were purged from the planet.