Warriors of the Knights of Altair Space Marine Chapter assault a Necron anti-aircraft battery in the town ruins of Frontera.

“That we, in our arrogance, believed that Humankind was first among the races of this galaxy will be exposed as folly of the worst kind upon the awakening of these ancient beings. Any hopes, dreams, or promises of salvation are naught but dust in the wind.“—Excerpt from the Dogma Ommiastra 

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Astartes destroy Necron pylon on Myopolis

IMPERIAL VOXCAST (6 054 744.M41)—Imperial authorities announced today that a xeno anti-air weapons system was destroyed today in a raid by the Knights of Altair Space Marine chapter.

“A small force of the 6th Company of the Knights of Altair stormed the xeno-held town of Frontera at 0600 this morning,” announced Major Vilt Brennus, public information officer for the Myopolis Planetary Defense Force, in a media briefing this afternoon.

“After a brief fight with the xeno warriors, Space Marines destroyed a weapons system known as a Necron pylon. With this xeno weapon destroyed, Imperial aircraft once again can attack Necron forces in that region without fear of being shot down.”

The deployment of the xeno weapon proved a significant problem for the Imperial defenses outside the capital city of Xintorgo, Brennus said.

“The pylon proved an extremely effective anti-air weapons system and, after suffering severe losses, the Imperial Navy suspended aircraft deployments in that area,” he said. “We simply could no use our extremely effective fighter and  bomber squadrons to challenge xeno attacks in that area.”

After determining that the Necron pylon had to be destroyed, Imperial authorities requested the aid of a small recon force of the Knights of Altair, whose strike cruiser had entered the Myopolis System three weeks earlier after dealing with Eldar pirates in the Bactia Wastes.

One team of Astartes attempted to storm a Necron-held ruin near the xeno pylon. Powerful and accurate fire repulsed the Space Marines.

Initial attack ends in tragedy

A contingent of Scouts used stealth to approach the Necron-held town and gather intelligence for the attack, Brennus said. After part of the town’s garrison marched south and weakened the defenses, the Scouts gave coordinates for fully armored Space Marines to deploy by Drop Pod.

“Upon landing, the Drop Pod opened and a force of veteran Space Marines moved quickly along the perimeter of the town in a bid to reach the pylon quickly,” he added. “At the same time, the Scouts entered the town from the north and aggressively pushed forward in an attempt to confuse the xeno garrison’s countermeasures.”

Xeno warriors fought fiercely. At one point, the Space Marines were counterattacked by elite xeno warriors known as Lychguard. “Tragically, the veteran sergeant in command of the operation was killed in battle with these warriors.”

When another Marine was killed, and the Scouts found their advance stymied by stiffening xeno defenses, it looked as if the mission would fail, Brennus said. “The xeno weapons were powerful, and there were simply too many xenos for the small Space Marine force to fight.”

In a desperate bid to reach the pylon, two jetpack-equipped Astartes leapt to the top of a building ruin. Although the target of significant enemy fire, they managed to lob krak grenades at the xeno edifice until it exploded.

Bold bid for victory

Victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat when a Veteran Marine, equipped with a jetpack, made a bold effort to leap to the roof of a ruined building near the pylon.

“This brave Astartes became the target of numerous xeno weapons but, with the protection of the God-Emperor, he reached the roof and threw a Krak grenade that managed to damage the xeno edifice,” Brennus said.

All xeno fire turned on this Veteran Marine, and it seemed inevitable that he would be brought down before he could destroy the pylon. But then a second Veteran Marine, also equipped with a jetpack, leapt to the roof.

“The xenos were forced to divide their fire between these two threats,” Brenuus said. “Both Marines were struck many times by xeno fire, and they were knocked to the ground several times by the power of the xeno weapons.”

In the end, however, one of the Marines managed to toss a second Krak grenade, which apparently overloaded the device’s power source, and the pylon was destroyed in a powerful explosion.

The Astartes didn’t just destroy the enemy pylon. The damage of their krak grenades caused a failure in the xeno power core, resulting in a massive explosion that wiped out half the Necron garrison.

Success!

Not only was the pylon destroyed, but the size and ferocity of the explosion, consumed the Necron commander and half the xeno defenses in the town. Both Marines on the roof of the nearby buiding were thrown 30 meters away from the explosion and, although injured, they are expected to make a full recovery.

“This was a very successful operation,” Brennus concluded. “While the loss of an Astartes commander is a grave blow, the destruction of the Necron pylon means that Imperial Navy fighters and bombers once again may launch attacks on the xenos. The defenses of Xintorgo are greatly enhanced by the blow against the xenos.”

TheGM: This battle was well fought by its participants, but I must give kudos to the Space Marine commander who used his jetpack-equipped Marines in a bold, if not reckless, manner. It was a roll of the die, his decision to send Marines deep inside enemy lines, but it worked.

And it will have its impact. In the next full-fledged 40K battle on Myopolis, the Imperial player(s) will be given a bonus to their force: one aircraft can be chosen without having to pay points for it.

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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.