Tactical squad advancs on the Necron right flank, while two assault squads descend behind the advancing xenos. This concentration of force quickly wiped out the alien menace.

“The Knights of Altair won a decisive victory over Necron invaders on the industrial world of Myopolis, according to Imperil authorities. The xenos suffered heavy casualties and were forced to withdraw 15 kilometers—allowing Imperial Guard units to re-establish their defensive line around the hive city of Xintorgo.“—Imperial Voxcast, 6 701 744.M41

* * *

The 1st and 2nd companies of the Knights of Altair Space Marine Chapter ambushed a Necron force and inflicted severe casualties on the xenos, Major Vilt Brennus, public information officer for the Myopolis Planetary Defense Force, announced today.

“The regimental-sized force of xenos advanced on the planetary capital in what appeared to be a reconnaissance mission testing Imperial defenses,” he said.

“High Marshal Adrias Ioculus of the Knights of Altair deemed the threat an opportunity to use his Astartes in a surgical strike against an unsupported force.”

The high marshal’s enthusiasm for attacking is understandable after an encounter weeks earlier with the Necron invaders, one in which the space marine chapter fared poorly and lost a highly respected relic, a Sicaran Battle Tank whose history of service extended back to the God-Emperor’s Great Crusade of M31.

The assault squads ignored the well-armored xeno vehicles and concentrated on the destruction of the Necron warriors.

The battle began as the Necrons advanced across open desert toward Xintorgo, and the Space Marines—hiding half-buried in the sand—rose up as the xenos reached their position.

“One squad of tactical marines struck the xenos’ left flank, two advanced on the right flank, and several Predator tanks and Destroyer Squads appeared from behind sand dunes to the xenos’ front,” Brennus said.

At the same time, two assault squads supported the attack by descending from Stormraven gunships flying overhead.

On the Necron’s left flank, tactical and destroyers squads strike at the xeno warriors, leaving the chapter’s armor assets to deal with the Necron vehicles.

“The battle was brief and bloody for the xenos,” Brennus said. The Astartes’ accurate firepower mowed down the Necron warriors and destroyed several vehicles. Although the xenos had one of their powerful Monolith skimmers with them, the Space Marines kept their distance from the massive vehicle until the xeno infantry was decimated—and the entire two companies could bring their combined firepower against it.”

In the end, he said, it appeared the xenos didn’t wish to lose their most powerful asset and retreated.

“The commander of the force disappeared into the Monolith, and the vehicle began to withdraw—just as xeno aircraft arrived to provide covering fire.”

The Space Marines’ attack on the left flank wiped out the Necron infantry but came under severe fire from xeno vehicles. Here, Sgt. Simon Huguet with what remains of his assault squad strike at the last survivors of the Necron right flank.

No Space Marines were killed, although half a dozen received minor to moderate injuries. Necron casualties are uncertain, as the xenos’ carcasses appear to self-destruct, leaving no remains at all—a phenomenon that sparks much debate by members of the Mechanicus.

TheGM: I confess this scenario was imbalanced in favor of the Space Marines.

After the Knights of Altair were defeated in their last match-up with the Necrons, I wanted a properly narrative second fight. But I didn’t see Space Marines retreating in a “fighting withdrawal” or “digging in” and surrendering the initiative.

So, I pulled out my old Codex Supplement “Angels of Death” and found a scenario called, fittingly enough, “Angels of Death.”

It involved a surprise attack where the defender (Necrons) deploy in the center of the table, and the Space Marines can enter the fighting anywhere they want. I liked that, as it demonstrated the strengths of the Astartes: flexibility, audacity, and the ability to launch a surgical strike against a high-stakes target.

Essentially, it was an ambush—with the Space Marines entering the table as close as 12″ from the Necrons.

That put the xenos on the back foot, and they just got slaughtered. Indeed, beset by all sides, the Space Marines could concentrate their forces on a target, while the Necrons were forced to divide their firepower in multiple directions. It was so one-sided that I considered refighting the battle with a new scenario.

But, hey, what happened, happened. It was just the kind of narrative  surprise that makes for a good story.

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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.