Special operations lead to four way clash on Sulidaan

Sulidaan, a desolate and uninhabited world, had remained shrouded in mystery since its initial cataloguing in M36 by an Adeptus Mechanicus explorator fleet. Identified as a dead world with xenos ruins of indeterminate origin, it was long ignored by the Imperium. In the tumultuous 41st Millennium, however, the ruins were confirmed to belong to the Necron Harakhty Dynasty, which stirred to life during their awakening. Sulidaan became a dormant but significant waypoint in the broader conflict for dominance in the Perseus Deeps.

In 024.M42, General Veers spearheaded a massive Imperial Crusade to secure the left flank of the Imperial advance into the Perseus Deeps. The campaign targeted three key worlds: Enaloth, Gamordal, and Sulidaan, with the goal of solidifying control over vital warp routes. While the initial conquest of Enaloth was swift, the campaign faltered amidst protracted battles on Gamordal, forcing Veers to redirect his attention.

Deeming Sulidaan a potential threat and needing critical intelligence, Veers dispatched scouting forces from the Aleph Wardens Regiment. These seasoned guardsmen were tasked with investigating the Necron site known as the Obelisk of the Silent Veil, a towering and ominous structure that dominated the planet's surface.

The Aleph Wardens landed near the Obelisk and found Sulidaan's surface eerily quiet, with no sign of active Necron forces. Their cautious advance into the tomb complex, however, quickly revealed Sulidaan's deadly secrets. Deep within the catacombs, the Imperial kill team encountered unexpected resistance: the Death Guard, foul agents of Nurgle, had also come to Sulidaan, drawn by the promise of untapped Necron technology and ancient power. As the two factions manoeuvred through the ancient corridors, their clash triggered a response from the tomb's dormant defenders. The Necrons awakened swiftly, dispatching their Canoptek constructs and Immortals to purge all trespassers. The Death Guard, though formidable, were almost entirely annihilated by the Necron onslaught, their bloated forms no match for the unrelenting firepower of the tomb's defences.

Just as the Aleph Wardens prepared to engage the Necrons, the situation grew even more perilous. A troupe of Aeldari Harlequins emerged from the shadows, their arrival as sudden as it was theatrical. Their motives were clear: to prevent any faction—Imperial, Necron, or Chaos—from exploiting the tomb's secrets. Despite their agility and esoteric weaponry, the Harlequins struggled against the combined might of the Necron defenders, the scattered remnants of the Death Guard, and the disciplined firepower of the Imperial agents. Recognising their disadvantage, the Harlequins retreated, leaving the remaining combatants to face the Necron tomb's automated defences alone.

With the Harlequins gone and the Death Guard eradicated, the Aleph Wardens found themselves isolated against the Necron forces. Understanding the overwhelming strength of the tomb complex and having gathered sufficient intelligence, the squad commander made the prudent decision to retreat. The Imperium now had confirmation that Sulidaan remained a formidable Necron bastion, its defences unbroken and its tomb world ready to respond to any perceived threat.

The events on Sulidaan revealed much about the world’s strategic significance. Not only did the Necron Harakhty Dynasty maintain a stronghold here, but the presence of the Death Guard suggested that Chaos forces were also probing the region for opportunities to exploit. The intervention of the Harlequins, while ultimately ineffective, underscored the galaxy-spanning ramifications of Sulidaan’s ancient secrets.

For General Veers, the skirmish served as a disappointing reminder of the challenges facing the Crusade. Sulidaan remained firmly under Necron control, its tomb complex bristling with defences, and the forces of Chaos and the Aeldari posed additional threats to any future Imperial attempts to claim the world. The battle for the Perseus Deeps was far from over, and Sulidaan stood as a silent testament to the dangers lurking in the shadows of the ancient galaxy.

Mordecai Primaris: Imperial sectors reunited again

The gruelling war for Mordecai Primaris saw no respite in late 12.024M42, as the Imperium sought to consolidate its fragmented holdings on the beleaguered world. After a series of costly setbacks, whispers of discontent grew louder within Imperial Command, with some questioning the strategy of General Kutuzov, the commander overseeing the campaign. Despite the criticism, Kutuzov remained steadfast in his vision: the hive cities of Westosa and Menoria must be united.

Kutuzov understood that securing the territory between the two hives was essential for creating a consolidated bridgehead. This would provide the Imperium with a stronghold from which to launch further offensives into Chaos-held territory. The reunification of Westosa and Menoria would be symbolic of Imperial resilience and a practical step toward reclaiming Mordecai Primaris.

Determined to execute his plan, Kutuzov committed his Questoris Knights to the offensive. These colossal war machines, assigned to his forces by the Adeptus Mechanicus, proved instrumental in the next phase of the campaign. The Knights advanced across the plains between Westosa and Menoria, targeting entrenched Word Bearers positions and their heretical warbands.

The flat terrain proved advantageous to the Imperial Knights, whose firepower and close combat capabilities devastated the Chaos defenders. The Word Bearers, despite their fanatical resistance, were unable to stand against the combined might of the Knights' relentless assaults and the supporting firepower of Kutuzov's ground forces. The battle culminated in a rout, with Chaos forces retreating in disarray, leaving the Imperium in control of the critical region.

By the end of 12.024M42, Kutuzov had achieved his immediate goal. For the third time in the campaign, the Imperium held the land between Westosa and Menoria, reuniting the two hive cities and establishing a unified sector of Imperial control. The success bolstered morale among the beleaguered Imperial defenders and silenced some of Kutuzov’s detractors—at least temporarily.

However, the victory was tempered by the harsh realities of war on Mordecai Primaris. The tenuous gains could only be sustained if the Imperium managed to fortify the newly reclaimed lands and repel inevitable Chaos counterattacks. The Word Bearers, driven by their unholy devotion to the Ruinous Powers, had proven time and again their ability to regroup and strike back with devastating force.

As the year drew to a close, the Imperium stood at a crossroads on Mordecai Primaris. The reconnection of Westosa and Menoria was a significant achievement, but it remained to be seen whether Kutuzov’s forces could capitalise on this hard-fought victory or if the war would once again descend into stalemate and attrition. For now, the bridgehead stood firm, a fragile bulwark of hope in a world steeped in Chaos.

Gamordal: Another setback for Veers

In the 42nd Millennium, Gamador had been identified by General Veers’ Crusade as a vital target in the Imperium's campaign to reclaim the Perseus Deeps. The planet’s position on key warp routes, coupled with its ancient infrastructure, made it an essential foothold in the region. However, despite the allocation of immense strategic resources, the campaign faltered. The Imperial Guard, alongside Adeptus Mechanicus cohorts, found themselves mired in an unyielding conflict against an implacable Necron foe.

By late 024.M42, the situation for the Imperium had grown increasingly dire. The capital city of Gamador, a once-thriving metropolis now reduced to a hollowed ruin, had been reached by Veer's crusade in 011.024M42. Its towering spires were repurposed for defensive emplacements, and its streets were fortified with trenchworks and barricades. Yet beneath the city’s foundations, the ancient Necron tomb complex stirred with malevolent purpose.

In 12.024.M42, the Necrons launched a devastating counteroffensive. Led by a coalition of Overlords and Crypteks, the Necron assault overwhelmed Imperial positions with precision and overwhelming firepower. Monolithic constructs and phalanxes of Immortals advanced relentlessly, supported by Canoptek constructs that scoured the ruins of Imperial resistance.

Recognising the severity of the situation, the Imperium called upon the Adeptus Custodes, deploying a detachment of the Emperor’s golden warriors to spearhead the defence of the city. Their arrival reinvigorated the beleaguered defenders, and for a time, the Custodes held back the Necron tide through their unmatched martial skill and unshakable resolve. Yet the sheer weight of Necron forces proved insurmountable.

The Custodes and their allies were subjected to withering fire from gauss weaponry and the inexorable advance of Necron war machines. Their sacrifices allowed for an orderly retreat of key Imperial forces, but it was clear that the city could no longer be held.

By the end of 024.M42, the capital city was firmly back in Necron hands. The loss marked a humiliating blow for Veers’ Crusade and a grim reminder of the Necron dynasty’s unyielding strength. The tomb world of Gamador remained a bastion of Necron dominance, its surface once again returned to their cold and unyielding control.

The failure to retake Gamador quickly underscored the immense challenge of fighting the Necrons: an enemy immune to fear, tireless in war, and unrelenting in their quest to reclaim their ancient empire. For the Imperium, the defeat was a bitter reminder of the cost of underestimating such a foe, and the sacrifices of the Custodes and countless guardsmen would serve as a sombre footnote in the history of this relentless campaign

Zadoc: World Eaters lead the charge

After over a year of stalemate, the war on Zadoc was reignited in 12.024M42 with a devastating Chaos offensive led by the Word Bearers and their newly arrived allies, the World Eaters. The Tau occupation of the planet, part of their broader expansion efforts, had stalled in 024M42 due to severe resource constraints. The Tau-Federacy alliance, stretched thin by simultaneous campaigns in the Mabb Nebula and the Hadron Expanse, was unable to sustain the logistical and military demands required to maintain their foothold on Zadoc.

In the Tau High Command, disagreements over the prioritisation of their Fourth and Fifth Sphere expansions created further delays. With resources diverted elsewhere, the campaign on Zadoc languished, leaving the planet in a tenuous stalemate throughout 024M42.

The arrival of the World Eaters in 01.012M42 dramatically altered the balance of power. Chaos forces on Zadoc, previously limited to scattered chaos warbands and local cultist militias, were reinvigorated by the World Eaters' ferocity and leadership. The offensive was spearheaded by a daemonic projection of Angron, the Daemon Primarch of the World Eaters, whose presence struck terror into the hearts of the Tau defenders. Angron's arrival was pivotal. The Storm Surges, which had previously dominated the battlefield and stymied Chaos advances, were no match for the Primarch's sheer power. Angron tore through their ranks, shattering key Tau defensive positions and leaving their forces in disarray.

The Chaos assault swept through Tau-held territory, reclaiming swathes of land for the Ruinous Powers. The Word Bearers, emboldened by Angron’s presence, capitalised on the momentum provided by the World Eaters. They rallied their cultist armies and deployed artillery to bombard Tau positions relentlessly. The offensive culminated in Chaos forces advancing perilously close to Chettalo, the largest Tau-controlled city on Zadoc. Though the momentum of the attack waned after Angron was banished back to the Warp, the Chaos artillery now had Chettalo’s suburbs within range, launching intermittent bombardments and further destabilizing the Tau hold on the planet.

The renewed Chaos offensive inflicted significant losses on the Tau and left their position on Zadoc increasingly precarious. However, with Angron no longer present, the Chaos forces lacked the cohesion and overwhelming power to press their advantage further. For the Tau-Federacy alliance, the setback on Zadoc was yet another symptom of their overextended resources and fractured strategic priorities. While the Tau retained control of Chettalo and several key strongholds, their inability to adequately reinforce their position left them vulnerable to further Chaos incursions.

Meanwhile, for the forces of Chaos, the offensive demonstrated the continued potency of the World Eaters, whose brutal tactics and daemonic leadership gave them a decisive edge in combat. The war on Zadoc, once stagnant, was now a furnace of blood and fire, threatening to spiral into even greater carnage as both sides scrambled to adapt to the changing tide.

Hylas: Van Dorn's Winter Offensive

In 12.024M42, General Van Dorn initiated a decisive winter offensive on Hylas in a bid to reclaim lost ground from the Tau and turn the tide of the conflict. Drawing on an unprecedented level of coordination among Imperial forces, Van Dorn assembled a formidable coalition of the Novgorod Guard, Questoris Knights, Dark Angels, and Grey Knights. This multifaceted operation aimed to dismantle the Tau’s grip on the region and deliver a crippling blow to their command structure.

The Diversionary Assault on New Cerberex

The operation began with a diversionary strike led by the Dark Angels. Stationed at their fortress-monastery on New Cerberex, the Dark Angels launched a ferocious assault into Tau positions, drawing significant xenos forces away from the primary Imperial effort on Hylas. This manoeuvre proved highly effective, forcing the Tau to divert resources and creating an opening for the main offensive.

The Assault on West Hallen

With Tau attention divided, the Questoris Knights and Novgorod Guard surged out from their prepared positions in the rugged terrain of West Hallen. The towering Questoris Knights laid down devastating firepower, dismantling Tau fortifications and neutralising defensive strongpoints with methodical precision.

Once the Tau positions were sufficiently degraded, the Novgorod Guard, bolstered by Hellhammer super-heavy tanks, advanced. Their armoured columns closed the gap, delivering a thunderous cavalry charge that smashed into the Tau lines. The charge overwhelmed key Tau units, including Broadsides and Crisis Suits, whose advanced weaponry and mobility were insufficient to stem the tide of Imperial armour and infantry.

Grey Knights Strike at the Heart

While the ground forces dominated the battlefield, the Grey Knights undertook a daring deep strike into the Tau rear echelon. Teleporting directly into the heart of Tau-controlled territory, the elite astartes sought to decapitate the xenos command structure.

Under the leadership of a Grey Knights Librarian, the strike force unleashed devastating psychic powers, annihilating the Tau high command and throwing their forces into disarray. Reports indicate that Inquisitorial agents accompanied the Grey Knights during this raid, though their precise role remains unclear. Their apparent lack of significant contribution has since raised questions within the Imperial hierarchy.

The Liberation of Desmond and Finlay

The coordinated attacks succeeded in reclaiming the cities of Desmond and Finlay, critical urban centres that had been under Tau control. The Tau, reeling from the loss of their command infrastructure and unable to regroup effectively, were forced to retreat to Benger, their final stronghold on Hylas.

Strategic Consequences

Van Dorn’s winter offensive was a resounding success, securing vital territory and delivering a severe blow to Tau forces on Hylas. The operation highlighted the effectiveness of Imperial unity and combined arms tactics, with each element of the coalition playing a crucial role in the victory.

However, the campaign also exposed lingering challenges. The Tau retained control of the orbital space lanes, preserving their strategic advantage in the wider conflict. Additionally, questions surrounding the role and efficacy of the Inquisition during the operation remain a point of contention among Imperial command.

Aftermath

By mid-12.024M42, the Imperium had regained the initiative on Hylas, with the Tau on the defensive and their forces confined to Benger. While the war was far from over, Van Dorn’s offensive marked a turning point, demonstrating that even in the face of advanced xenos technology, the Imperium’s resolve and coordinated might could achieve significant victories.

Tyranids rampage on Helos Majoris

In the wake of the Blood Angels’ defeat at the hands of Hive Fleet Poseidon, General Maximus was left with few options to contain the Tyranid threat on Helos Majoris. With elite forces depleted and reinforcements from Sector Command delayed, the general turned to the Novgorod Guard, a regiment known for its resilience and sheer weight of firepower.

Maximus’ plan was straightforward: use the big guns of the Novgorod to blunt the Tyranid advance and drive the xenos back into the hinterlands, buying time for reinforcements to arrive. However, the execution of this strategy revealed glaring weaknesses in the Imperial forces.

The Novgorod Deployment

The Novgorod regiments deployed to Helos Majoris were equipped with reserve stockpiles, including older-model Leman Russ tanks, aging Hydra flak tanks, and artillery pieces that, while functional, lacked the reliability and advanced targeting systems of newer equipment. Infantry were similarly hampered by aging lasguns and inadequate supplies, including ammunition and rations ill-suited for a protracted engagement against Tyranid hordes.

Despite these limitations, the Novgorod forces established fortified positions around key outposts, supported by heavy artillery batteries and tank formations. Initial engagements were promising, as volleys of coordinated fire cut down waves of smaller Tyranid bioforms, and the first xenos assaults were repelled with heavy losses to the enemy.

The Tyranid Counterattack

The tide turned when larger bioforms—including Carnifexes, Trygons, and Tyrannofexes—joined the fray. These monstrous creatures absorbed immense amounts of firepower while spearheading relentless charges against the Novgorod gunlines. The reserve equipment of the Guard, effective against infantry and lighter vehicles, proved inadequate against the durability and sheer strength of these Tyranid organisms.

The Imperial armoured units managed to hold for a time, their Leman Russ tanks destroying multiple bioforms with concentrated fire. However, as the Tyranids closed the distance, these tanks were overwhelmed by toxic sprays, acid projectiles, and living ammunition that bypassed their armour. Imperial artillery was silenced as bioforms breached the rear lines, while infantry positions were overrun by Hormagaunts and Genestealers.

The Collapse

The xenos advance was relentless, and Novgorod casualties mounted rapidly. At least one outlying base was completely destroyed by swarms of Tyranid bioforms, while another suffered critical damage, leaving it vulnerable to further attacks. Surviving units were forced into a disorganised retreat, abandoning artillery pieces and vehicles to the encroaching Tyranid swarm.

The Imperial Strategica, analysing the unfolding disaster, predicted that at the current rate of attrition, Helos Majoris would fall within three months. Without reinforcements, the planet’s vital bases and settlements would be consumed by the Hive Fleet, and the Imperium would lose a critical foothold in the Rifts of Hecate.

A Growing Crisis

The failure of the Novgorod counteroffensive marked a grim chapter in the defense of Helos Majoris. General Maximus, already under scrutiny for his handling of the Tyranid threat, now faced mounting pressure from Imperial High Command to produce results. The deployment of reserve forces, while necessary, underscored the logistical challenges and lack of preparedness facing the Imperium in the Eastern Fringe.

As Hive Fleet Poseidon continued its inexorable advance, it became clear that only a bold and innovative strategy—or a significant influx of reinforcements—could prevent the planet’s complete annihilation. Helos Majoris stood on the brink, its fate hanging precariously in the balance.

Grey Knights decapitate Tau command on Hylas

As 012.024M42 dawned, the Imperial forces on Hylas, under the command of General Van Dorn, were teetering on the brink. With the Tau Empire pressing their offensive and the Imperium struggling to maintain its foothold in East Hallen, the situation seemed increasingly dire. However, unexpected reinforcements arrived in the form of the Grey Knights, whose ongoing mission against the forces of Chaos in the Zadoc subsector had brought them near the embattled world.

Recognising the strategic importance of holding Hylas, the Grey Knights agreed to assist Van Dorn, albeit temporarily. Their intervention proved decisive in halting the Tau advance and buying the Imperium precious time to reorganize and reinforce their defensive lines.

A small but elite detachment of Grey Knights, equipped with their potent psychic abilities and sacred wargear, launched a lightning-fast raid deep into Tau-controlled territory. Their objective was clear: disrupt the Tau chain of command and eliminate critical assets, destabilizing the xenos offensive long enough for the Imperial forces to regroup.

The raid was executed with surgical precision. Guided by divination rites and combat telemetry, the Grey Knights bypassed Tau defenses, targeting key HQ units and advanced support platforms. Their psychic might and close combat prowess overwhelmed the Tau defenders, who struggled to adapt to the unexpected and brutal assault.

The highlight of the raid came during an engagement with a Tau Stormsurge, one of the xenos’ most formidable heavy battlesuits. The Captain of the Custodes, accompanying the Grey Knights as part of his sacred oath, personally led a charge into the massive war machine. His Guardian Spear, imbued with the Emperor’s light, pierced the Stormsurge’s armor and crippled its core systems, reducing the towering construct to smoldering wreckage.

This act of valor not only showcased the Custodes’ unmatched skill but also struck a demoralizing blow to the Tau, who relied heavily on their advanced war machines to dominate the battlefield.

With their HQ units disrupted and their heavy firepower diminished, the Tau were forced to pull back from their positions, abandoning key gains in East Hallen. This withdrawal allowed the Imperial Guard to fortify their lines, reinforcing the critical region and stalling the Tau advance.

While the Grey Knights departed soon after to continue their mission against the Ruinous Powers, their intervention on Hylas left a profound impact. General Van Dorn used the reprieve to regroup his forces, bolster supply lines, and prepare for the next stage of the campaign.

Chaos: Balance of Power shifts to the Death Guard

The Struggle for Kendrenec: The Ascendancy of Nurgle in the Aleph Sector

By the end of 12.024M42, the Chaos war effort in the Aleph Sector had entered a state of disarray. The once-cohesive campaigns orchestrated by the Emerald Serpent had faltered, their influence waning as their leader’s grasp on power slipped. Meanwhile, the withdrawal of Warsmith Stahl and his Iron Warriors from the region left a strategic vacuum that the remaining warbands sought to exploit for their own gain. This fragmentation reached its zenith on Kendrenec, the de facto capital of Chaos forces in the sector, as two rival powers vied for dominance: the Death Guard, champions of Nurgle, and the World Eaters, devoted to Khorne.

The Battle for Kendrenec

The conflict erupted in the ruins of Kendrenec’s once-mighty fortresses, where the World Eaters, led by Lord Invocatus, sought to assert their mastery through sheer martial supremacy. The Death Guard, under the command of Typhus, countered with unyielding resilience and devastating firepower. The stakes were clear—whoever emerged victorious would claim the title of Master of Chaos in the sector and dictate the future of the war against the Imperium.

The battle was heralded by the dramatic intervention of Angron, the Daemon Primarch of the World Eaters, whose wrath knew no bounds. The daemon lord launched the assault with terrifying fury, obliterating a Death Guard War Dog in a single devastating blow. His rampage, however, was short-lived. The relentless firepower of the Death Guard’s daemon engines and corrupted artillery overwhelmed even Angron’s considerable might, banishing him back to the warp. Despite their Primarch’s fall, the World Eaters fought on, undeterred and frenzied by Khorne’s unquenchable thirst for blood.

The Turning Tide

The battle raged with savage intensity. The World Eaters unleashed their most devastating war engines, including a mighty Lord of Skulls, whose infernal power laid waste to the Death Guard lines. However, the slow, methodical firepower of Nurgle’s followers proved decisive. Plagueburst Crawlers, Blightlords, and daemon engines blanketed the battlefield with pestilence and destruction, grinding down the berserkers’ reckless assaults. Even as Lord Invocatus led a final, frenzied charge that drove Typhus from the field, the World Eaters found themselves unable to break the Death Guard’s implacable defense.

The climactic moment came when the Lord of Skulls, a towering avatar of Khorne’s fury, was destroyed in a hail of corrosive plague missiles and blighted energy. Its fall marked the turning point of the battle, as the remaining Khornate forces faltered under the relentless attrition of Nurgle’s chosen.

The Aftermath

With their forces shattered and Angron absent, the World Eaters were forced to retreat, leaving the Death Guard in undisputed control of Kendrenec. Though Typhus had been driven from the field, the victory cemented Nurgle’s supremacy over the Chaos forces in the Aleph Sector. From this point forward, the war against the Imperium would be waged according to the Grandfather’s inscrutable designs.

The battle for Kendrenec marked a turning point in the sector’s chaotic struggle. The disorganized warbands of Chaos began to align, however tenuously, under the banner of Nurgle. The House of Eschar, the Blighted Host, and other Nurgle-aligned factions now took their place as the dominant forces in the sector, preparing for a protracted and insidious war against the Imperium. For the Imperium, the defeat of Khorne’s champions only heralded a new, more methodical and attritional threat, as the Death Guard and their allies began consolidating their power with the grim patience of their patron.

Imperial Agents removed from Ork Fort Aerin

In 10.024M42, the Imperium succeeded in establishing a precarious foothold on the contested world of Aerin, a planet plagued by an entrenched ork presence. The initial Imperial assessment deemed the orks as uncoordinated and disorganized, leading to a strategic decision to rely on small elite forces rather than deploying the overwhelming manpower and firepower typical of the Astra Militarum. The Deathwatch, specialists in xenos eradication, were selected to spearhead operations against the orks’ heavily fortified base.

The Deathwatch’s mission was straightforward: infiltrate the ork stronghold, neutralize key defenses, and pave the way for follow-up extermination campaigns. Confidence was high, as the Deathwatch had carried out similar operations with success across the Imperium. However, their assumptions about the orks’ lack of organization were quickly proven disastrously wrong.

Upon breaching the fortress’ outer perimeter, the Deathwatch encountered fierce resistance in the form of well-coordinated ork kill teams. These greenskin squads demonstrated an uncharacteristic level of tactical discipline, using chokepoints, ambush tactics, and overwhelming firepower to stymie the elite space marines. Heavy losses were sustained as the Deathwatch squads fought to extricate themselves from the ork-infested corridors.

The unexpectedly high level of resistance forced the Deathwatch to withdraw from the fortress. Their reconnaissance revealed the ork base to be far more formidable than anticipated, with reinforced structures, kill zones, and a high concentration of ork warbands under a capable warboss. The Imperial presence on Aerin, centered around a small forward operating base, was deemed untenable without significant reinforcements. As a result, the foothold was abandoned shortly thereafter.

The failed assault on the ork fortress presented a significant setback for the Imperium on Aerin. Without the ability to deploy significant Astra Militarum forces or Titans to batter the fortress into submission, the Imperium was left scrambling for an alternative approach. The Deathwatch, though bloodied, provided vital intelligence on the ork forces, but their reports painted a grim picture: the greenskins were more organized and dangerous than previously thought.

Imperial Offensive on Gamordal

As the Perseus Deeps Crusade continued into 012.024M42, General Veers sought to restore momentum following the loss of the Southrine Mines to a Necron counteroffensive. Criticised for his earlier setbacks and faced with a crucial strategic need to secure the world of Gamordal, Veers planned an aggressive operation to break the Necron hold on the planet.

On 0212.024M42, the Imperial Guard launched a massive armoured assault spearheaded by the Novgorod Regiments, supported by numerous Leman Russ battle tanks, mechanised infantry, and mobile artillery. The strategy aimed to shatter the Necron defensive lines north of Southrine and exploit any breaches to seize key locations, including Port Primaris, a vital hub for supply lines, and the Southrine mines themselves.

The Imperial armoured columns surged forward in a relentless blitzkrieg. The Necron defenders, primarily composed of Warriors, Immortals, and a scattering of Lychguard units supported by a Monolith, were initially caught off guard by the sheer speed and ferocity of the assault. While the Lychguard and Monolith proved formidable in close combat and in weathering heavy fire, they lacked the mobility to counter the rapid strikes of the Imperial armour.

After breaking through the Necron lines, the Novgorod regiments exploited their advantage with precision. Imperial tanks manoeuvred to encircle the Necron positions, cutting off retreat paths and isolating key defensive strongpoints. By 0312.024M42, the Guard had overwhelmed the defenders at Port Primaris, securing the strategically vital location. The Southrine mines were also retaken, ensuring access to their valuable resources and denying the Necrons their use.

The Necrons mounted several counterattacks, with Lychguard phalanxes attempting to push back the encroaching armour. However, the volume of fire from battle tanks, supported by Basilisk artillery and Valkyrie-deployed Storm Troopers, steadily wore them down. The Monolith’s gauss flux arcs wreaked havoc on one Novgorod armoured battalion, but the machine’s eventual destruction by concentrated Vanquisher cannon fire broke the back of the Necron resistance.

With the Necron forces reeling, the Imperial offensive pushed further into the heart of Gamordal, targeting the outskirts of the capital city. Here, the dense urban terrain slowed the advance, forcing the armour to pause and consolidate their gains. Nonetheless, the swift and decisive victories in the Southrine region restored momentum to the campaign and silenced many of Veers’ critics.

By the end of the first week of 12.024M42, the Imperial forces had secured key objectives, regained control of critical infrastructure, and inflicted significant losses on the Necron defenders. The success of the operation brought the Crusade back on schedule, renewing confidence in Veers' leadership. However, the Necron threat on Gamordal remained far from neutralized, and the Imperium prepared for the next phase of the campaign, knowing that the Necrons' resilience and capacity for sudden counterstrikes could not be underestimated.