Defense of Gideon Fields

And so we begin Phase 2 of the Gydisk Sigma Campaign! After a narrow Imperial victory in Hive Gaia, the Imperium now moves out to fefend the Gideon Fields from planetary invasion forces. Tyranid hordes rain down on the biomass rich fields in order to spawn more of their ravenous brethren, and the Imperium must put a halt to their feeding frenzy, lest Hive Fleet Leviathan overwhelms them with sheer numbers. In addition to the invading Tyranids, the forces of Chaos have also struck in order to destabilize the world, having taken advantage of the chaos to disrupt the defense and bring ruin to the Imperium.

The Death Guard, led by Rhegorn, Chosen of the Seventh, broought the plague to Gydisk Sigma, intending to sow the seeds of the Bloom to infect the world and spread Grandfather Nurgle's gifts to the material universe. They were aided by forces of the Blood Pact, the Traitor Guard regiment besieging the beleageuered Imperial forces near the fields in an attempt to distract them from the real threat - the Tyranids. Fortunately, the Grey Knights appeared, their Strike Cruiser hurtling through the Warp to answer to the threat of Chaos. Having foreseen the ill effects of the Bloom, two Brotherhoods joined forces to combat the Death Guard. Think Chaos Gate, heh.

In any event, the Grey Knights succeeded in containing the Death Guard and wiping them out, but at great cost. The Grey Knight strike force was decimated, with only two Dreadknights and a single Techmarine surviving the vicious battle. The rest of the valiant Knights had fallen in battle, overwhelmed by sickness and rot.

The presence of the Grey Knights remained unknown to the defenders of Gydisk Sigma. The Argent 388th Regiment fought a bloody battle against the Blood Pact, with mechanized forces and armor dueling on the open fields dotted with ruins. A single Argent Baneblade was able to stem the tide, though the two Guard forces ground out to a bloody stalemate. Most of the infantry and Leman Russ tanks were annihilated, with only the Baneblade and a few light tanks remaining. Neither could prevail over the other, and both forces retreated without a victor in sight. On the other hand, the stalemate meant that neither force was defeated either.

While the Loyalist Argent Imperial Guard held the Traitor Guard regiment at bay, the Black Templars confronted the invading Tyranids in Gideon Fields. Mobilizing heavy armor and dispatching Redemptor Dreadnoughts, they were able to halt the teeming tide of chitin and claws. The two Repulsor Executioners blasted holes in the Tyranid ranks, incinerating monsters and light creatures alike, while the Redemptor Dreadnoughts punched bloody holes through a Maleceptor and a Carnifex. Alas, the Emperor's Champion fell when he confronted the Broodlord that led the brood, his body torn apart by its claws. Fortunately, the Marshal of the Crusade avenged him, hacking down the triumphant Broodlord in turn before turning his wrath upon the Termagaunts that were swarming over his Badeguard Veterans. The Black Templars suffered losses, with one of the ancients falling to the Broodlord as well, but they eventually prevailed and drove the Tyranids out of Gideon Fields.

However, this simply marked the beginning. The Tyranids' numbers were endless, and the Traitors continue to scheme in the shadows. The Death Guard might have retreated for now, but the Thousand Sons have plotted a dark strategy while rallying the surviving Blood Pact to their cause. With this victory, the Imperium has earned a slight reprieve, but there is no telling when the next invasion wave will land. And when it does, they would find their forces depleted yet again against the countless hordes of the swarm.

For now, the score stands at Defenders: 14 Attackers: 6. Looking forward to the next Crusade battle in two weeks!

Oh, and I built a second Repulsor Executioner! Even gave it the multimelta upgrade! Because Black Templars, yeah.