Captain Galba deployed a powerful armored force in the center of his battle line, as the open fields to the front of the tanks dominated the battlefield. The tanks were supported by a Devastator Squad.

“Billions have died, and yet more billions will follow. But it matters naught. We put our faith in the God-Emperor of Man. We offer nothing but disdain—and defiance—to the followers of the Ruinous Powers. We will drown the invaders of our world in an ocean of blood, if that be what it takes.“—High Marshal Mikhail Botha, supreme commander of Imperial forces on the Death Guard-invaded world of Dozaria.

* * *

After their defeat at the Battle for Diaspar, the Death Guard  withdrew  50 kilometers from the city to reorganize their defeated army—and replenish their troops for a second attack.

The victor of the battle, Captain Alaric Galba of the Knights of Altair space marine chapter, had wanted to pursue the enemy and destroy them. But he was persuaded that a threat to the hive city of Alicante demanded the attention of his Astartes, and he reluctantly led his warriors to the new battlefront.

By mid-743.M41, the threat to Alicante was neutralized, and the Dozaria High Command advised Galba that the city of Diaspar yet again needed his aid. The Death Guard had rebuilt their forces, and another attack by the traitors was expected. Galba agreed to come to the city’s aid.

When elements of the 1st and 3rd companies reached Diaspar, the city’s defenders reported a complete shutdown of their intelligence-gathering assets. A toxic haze had fallen over the Death Guard’s army, hiding their activities from orbital satellites and poisoning any reconnaissance patrols that sought to enter the miasma. At the same time, surveillance drones were being downed by clouds of Rot Flies and Plague Drones.

Unable to discern the enemy’s intentions, Galba decided to lead his warriors forward in a massive reconnaissance mission. On 6 437 743.M41, advancing scouts provided the Astartes officer with a rough idea of the enemy’s deployment.

That convinced Galba to seize the initiative before the Death Guard launched its attack on the city. He led his warriors forward into battle.

The Death Guard warlord, Ghaz Tak, recognized that his sizable contingent of cultists were unreliable troops. He deployed them around the objective in his deployment zone, ensuring the Knights would have a tough job dislodging them should his Death Guard need to rush back to the objective’s defense.

Battlefield Deployment

The battle was fought in a lightly wooded area to the northeast of the shattered ruins of the Diaspar suburbs. A small stream, running south to north, divided the battlefield into two distinct halves.

The scenario was “The Emperor’s Will,” and there were only two objectives on the table—one in each combatant’s deployment zone. That suggested that, unless one player could launch a successful attack on his opponent’s objective, the fight would likely be decided by secondary objectives (First Blood, Linebreaker, or Slay the Warlord).

The Death Guard was required to deploy first. Uncertain as to the intentions of the Knights of Altair, the Death Guard commander, the infamous Ghaz Tak, opted for a mix of conservative and aggressive strategies.

On the west flank, a sizable mob of cultists were deployed atop the Death Guard objective in some woods. Their numbers (35) ensured the cultists would enjoy some durability and pose a tough nut to creak if the Knights attempted to dislodge them from the objective.

To the front of the cultists, the Death Guard positioned a Vindicator tank, a Rhino transport with two Obliterators aboard, and a Tactical Squad of traitor Astartes led by the Sorcerer Necrosius.

Farther east, Ghaz Tak personally led a squad of Plague Marines, deployed in woods in the center of the battlefield. Their mission was to use the nearby woods to screen their advance on the Knights’ objective. They would be supported by a Tactical Squad (in a Rhino transport) and a Predator tank that would advance along the other side of the stream and attempt to turn the loyalists’ flank.

Forewarned of the traitors’ deployment, Captain Galba made his plans. To the west, Galba decided to lead his Command Squad, along with a Crusader Squad and an Ancient Dreadnought, Brother Mðestra, into the woods in front of him. His goal was to advance on the Death Guard objective, although even he admitted that unless circumstances changed during the battle, he would be limited to a demonstration attack to lock down the main Chaos force.

To the east, Galba positioned another Crusade Squad to defend the Knights’ objective. Most importantly, the center was held by a Sicaran Relic Tank, a Predator tank, and a Devastator Squad. Their mission was to provide long-range support to Galba’s attack, then turn and repulse the Death Guard’s attack on the Knights’ objective.

If that attack were repulsed, the armored force would advance to support Galba.

Part of Ghaz Tak’s plan was to send a mechanized force around the Knights’ east flank. Here, two Death Guard vehicles roar through a meadow separating the forest.

Opening Moves

The Death Guard entertained the idea of advancing its sizable forces on the west flank to meet the attack by Galba. But the Knights’ armor had a clear line of fire at the open terrain the traitor Astartes would have to cross, and the likelihood of heavy casualties convinced Ghaz Tak to go on the defensive on this flank.

Still, the Death Guard commander wanted to distract Galba’s forces, so that Galba could not return to the center if the Death Guard’s attempt at an envelopment of the Knights’ east flank prove successful.

Thus, Ghaz Tak ordered forward the Rhino with its two Obiliterators to close on Galba. Moving Flat Out!, the transport quickly crossed the open ground and managed to gain some cover before the Knights’ tanks could fire.

Meanwhile, Ghaz Tak and his Plague Marines advanced forward, and the Predator and Rhino on the east flank used a copse of woods to allow them to advance in safety.

The Knights responded cautiously. Also leery of the open ground between the two combatants—and the traitor Vindicator tank skulking in some nearby woods—Galba and his force advanced slowly through a copse of woods on the west flank.

As both sides were using terrain to screen their troops, only Brother Mðestra fired: he had a partial sighting of the enemy Rhino. But the dreadnought’s multi melta misfired.

Click here to read Part 2 of this battle.

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The Corvus Cluster is a Warhammer 40K blog documenting our gaming adventures in the fantastical sci-fi universe of Games Workshop.