Upon arrival at Agrona, the Imperial fleet had seen that they were too late. Approximately twenty Chaos warships of various classes were already in orbit around the target planet. Sensor arrays and magna-optics revealed that heretics were already sending streams of landing craft to the surface. There wasn't any time to lose. Ship Captains immediately gave orders to engage the enemy. As both fleets closed the distance and fired upon each other, the Imperial ships launched their own heavy landers toward the surface.Planet fall was a disaster. Many landers were blown apart by enemy fighters or crushed against Agrona's debris field. However, the Imperial forces endured the casualties. Securing key ground objectives before the heretics was of vital importance. The first wave of landers suffered approximately fourty-five percent loss of troops and equipment.
Once on the ground, the Imperium gathered as many remaining survivors as they could. Various forces were able to move toward objectives immediately and some were still trying to reorganize themselves. Due to the high level of experience the Adeptus Astartes possess, their planet fall did not suffer as many losses as other Imperial forces.
Forces available for immediate action:
Objective A "Blackstone Island"
Black Widows - Adeptus Sororitas
Dark Angels - Adeptus Astartes
Ebon Sun - Adeptus Astartes
Objective B "Howling City"
Cadian 110th Shadow Corps - Imperial Guard
Dark Angels - Adeptus Astartes
Ebon Sun - Adeptus Astartes
Ultramarines - Adeptus Astartes
Forces regrouping or redeploying:
Landing Zones 11, 18, 26
Azurite Order - Adeptus Sororitas
Cadian 420th Red Eye Crusaders (inducted into service by Inquisitor Cazares) - Imperial Guard
Death Korps of Krieg 121st - Imperial Guard
Forces currently unaccounted for:
Unknown Status and Locations
Death Korps of Krieg 112th (inducted by special Ordo Malleus psyker team Zwyer's Choir) -Imperial Guard
Storm Dragons Reconnaissance Team - Adeptus Astartes
Since the battle had begun immediately upon arrival at Agrona, the various leaders of the tactical council had very little time to plan a proper landing operation. Hurried discussions were based off visual images spied from orbit between torpedo volleys. One image showed an island that was dominated by several districts of industrial factories and similar facilities. The structures were of Imperial design. Agrona had clearly been an established colony at some point in the distant past. Considering the estimated length of time that had passed since last any Imperial ship had visited the world it was highly likely that any of the machinery were still operational.
Before the island was dismissed, an Adeptus Mechanicus representative recognized the era of construction of the facilities and noted that, despite the gulf of time, any of the power plants underground would still be quite usable. If his adepts were allowed to gain access, they could awaken the dormant machines. It was then decided that the island would be an excellent location for landing operations and resupply. If brought back to operational status, the power plants there could provide a source for fuel and other resources on the surface. This would be an important asset due to the councils growing doubts on how reliable actual shuttle supply runs would be through Agrona's debris field.
There were to be two primary objectives. The industrial island (nicknamed Blackstone due to how dark the island looked from orbit) and another location that looked like it was once the capitol city. Upon rallying on the surface, detachments from the Dark Angel Marines and the Ebon Sun Marines split their forces in two. One group would participate on the securing of the capitol city and the second group would join with the Black Widow Sisters and move toward Blackstone Island. Upon moving onto the island, forward scouts spotted a tall cylindrical structure amongst the ruins. It seemed to be an access shaft that would lead down to the island's power plant below ground. This became a high priority target.
As the Imperial forces closed in on their objective, the air was suddenly filled with a cacophony of noise that sounded simultaneously like the roaring of broken engines and thousands of tortured screams. As the noise rose, a dust cloud appeared on the horizon. The Imperial forces were given orders to halt and take cover. As the cloud drew closer, random pulses of ghostly light flickered inside. Suddenly a shock wave of psychic energy erupted from the cloud and washed over the Imperial lines. Astartes and Sororitas Sisters alike were momentarily stunned as sensations of agonizing death and deep despair assaulted their minds.
Due to the mental fortitude of both the Astartes and the Sororitas, the psychic shock wave did not have a lasting effect. However, it bought the forces of Chaos enough time to charge out of the mysterious cloud and close the distance.
Apocalypse Battle "Blackstone Island"
Points: Approximately 3500 per side
Heavy losses on the left flank as the Dark Angels took the brunt of fire from the Iron Warriors. Even though Chaos was inflicting heavy losses on the left, their advance was stalled once a trio of Penitent Engines charged into their lines to make a mess of things. In combination with support fire from Space Marine Land Raiders and Imperial Guard Leman Russ Tanks, the Chaos left flank did not advance past Objective 2. Realizing this, Chaos units pulled back to Objective 1 to claim it. While that was being done, other units moved onto Objective 2. However, despite taking heavy casualties, the last survivors of a Sororitas unit moved close enough to the Teleport Pad to contest it.
Meanwhile in the center field, a Chaos Havoc squad failed to do any meaningful damage to the advancing Imperial war machines. A nearby squad of Chaos Marines move to the right to help claim Objective 5 once a squad of Deathwing Terminators teleported into the back field and started to move toward it. The Terminators inflicted heavy casualties and got close enough to contest the Chaos Obelisk with the remaining enemy models nearby.
On the right flank, things were looking grim for the Imperials as there was still a Greater Daemon (no model was available so an Eldar Avatar was used as a "counts as"), Daemon Prince, and an Iron Warriors Chaos Lord in the process of finishing up the last of the Imperial Guard Sentinels. Then, afterward they would move to help out the Death Mage Sorcerer and his host of Chaos Bikers that were still mixing it up with the remaining Ebon Sun Marines at the base of Objective 6. However, time ran out and the Elevator Access Tower was contested.
On the north end of the battle zone, the Imperials managed to push off the Chaos Chosen team that had infiltrated into the far back field to grab Objective 4. At the last moment, an Ebon Sun Predator Tank gunned its engines and got close enough to grab the objective.
"Blackstone Island" final scores:
Chaos: 1 Objective (Ruins)
Imperials: 2 Objectives (Surveyor Equipment, Sacred Fountain)
Number of objectives scored in this Apocalypse Battle are added to the score of the second battle for the capitol city (aka "The Howling City"). The total of both battles will determine the winning side. Winners will be able to choose their starting locations on the campaign map first. Losers pick second.
