Mordecai Primaris: Breakout from Westosa

By early 023M42 the Imperium had established two footholds on the world of Mordecai Primaris. Having built up supplies in early 02.024M42 General Kutuzov was coming under pressure to make progress, and despite his reservations about the task ahead, he recognised he had to deliver victory soon otherwise the morale of the army would start to diminish.

The stage was set in the desolate wastelands east of Westosa, where General Kutuzov devised a daring plan to strike out towards the Menoria Hive Sprawl via the strategic Harian Mesa. His vision: a lightning advance that would shatter the defenses of the chaos forces between Westosa and Menoria, securing a vital foothold in the ongoing struggle for dominance.

However, fate had other plans, for awaiting Kutuzov and his Novgorod Guard was a formidable force of the Death Guard, known ominously as the House of Eschar. Like a dark and diseased spectre, they blocked the path to Menoria, their ranks bolstered by the taint of Chaos and the stench of decay.

The clash that ensued was brutal, with both forces engaging in close quarters fighting. A fierce battle erupted as both sides unleashed the full fury of war upon one another. The ground trembled beneath the thunderous advance of Leman Russ battle tanks, stalwart symbols of Imperial might, their adamantine hulls proving resilient against the weaponry of the Death Guard.

Yet, for all their might, the Novgorod Guard faced challenges of their own. The accuracy of their Vanquisher tanks faltered, their shots falling short against the corrupted armour of the Death Guard. On the front lines, Novgorod cavalry charged valiantly, only to be met with unyielding resistance as the Death Guard weathered the storm of their assaults with grim resolve.

In a fateful turn of events, Kutuzov's meticulously laid plans were disrupted by a devastating teleport strike from Death Guard Terminators. Like avatars of death, they materialized behind Imperial lines, their merciless advance laying waste to Imperial artillery and sowing chaos amidst the ranks.

As the battle raged on, both sides endured heavy casualties, their forces depleted and their resolve tested to its limits. Yet, in the crucible of conflict, Kutuzov's superior numbers and logistical advantage proved decisive. Despite the toll exacted by the battle, the Harian Mesa fell under Imperial control, a hard-won strategic victory in the face of overwhelming adversity, although at great cost in manpower and resources.

The campaign was far from over however. As the dust settled and the echoes of battle faded, General Kutuzov knew that another offensive would be needed to reach the second imperial foothold at Menoria Hive. The struggle for dominance in the war-torn Mordecai system continued unabated, each victory and defeat shaping the fate of the campaign and the course of the sector's history.