The chase is on….

They’d been found. Months of meticulous planning had gone up in smoke due to bad luck. Equipment failure had taken out two of the field dampening generators that had been masking their presence. They weren’t down long but sadly long enough to mean detection.

The subsequent assault was expected and Luna Wolves had put their contingency plans into action withdrawing quickly and quietly after the first wave of assault troops had retreated. Taking the dampening field generators with them to hide their departure the entire force slid into the night.

The contingency base was not as secure as the underground complex being little more than a staging post but it would have to suffice whilst the new situation could be assessed and a new strategy drawn up.

Stealth tech and heavy foliage is good for hiding a base but not enough to stop a ground patrol blundering upon it and it became apparent as they approached that this had happened. This mission seemed cursed with poor luck! The area was laced with caches of equipment, supplies and weapons.

The reserve site was already lost due to its discovery by the Iron Warriors but those supplies were essential and had to be recovered if there was any chance of pulling any hope of withdrawal from the rapidly worsening situation. The base must be taken back, albeit briefly, to get to the cached 

equipment.

Breaking from the surrounding jungle the Luna Wolves barrelled forward into the base, dashing to cover as much ground as they could before their arrival was noticed however it didn’t take long…

The Iron Warriors had the advantage of cover but the Luna Wolves pressed the attacked gunning down one heavy support squad of Iron Warriors whilst they tried to position their Las-cannons. (1)

A Luna Wolves breaching team drew the fire of a heavy bolter team perched on the base superstructure and their heavy shields stopped most of the shots but increasingly the powerful explosive rounds got through.

Catching the beleaguered marines in a cross fire, an advancing Iron Warriors squad gunned down the last of them leaving crumpled bodies and dis-guarded shield littering the open ground between buildings.

Unseen by the newly arrived Luna Wolves, Iron Warriors within the complex began to move through the buildings keeping themselves sheltered from the firefight raging in the compound outside.

The counter attack had left the Iron Warriors left flank dangerously exposed. A tactical flaw that did not go unnoticed and with massive strides the huge form of a Contemptor dreadnought forged across the courtyard raking the enemy positions with a torrent of fire from its assault cannon.

With practiced efficiency the Luna Wolves capitalised on the moment, rising from their cover and pouring fire into the Iron Warriors. Plasma fire and bolter rounds tore through them. There was only one option left for the survivors of the unit and the last few fell back.

Trying to seize back the initiative, heavily shielded Iron Warriors broke forth from the building hoping that attack from a different direction would stall the Luna Wolves assault and give the iron Warriors a chance to remove the threat of the plasma gunners whose fire had proven so devastating.

All the Luna Wolves were familiar with the base and as such this manoeuvre was fully anticipated. The Iron Warriors were met with a storm of fire as they left the safety of the building and many were cut down as they closed for hand to hand combat. They pushed on hoping the momentum of their charge would carry them to the enemy.

The charge faltered and the comms were alive with the roared orders from command…..(2)

But it wasn’t enough as the last of them were seared and blasted by the combined horrors of explosive rounds and blazing plasma bolts. (3)

The last of the Iron Warriors patrol force were beaten back and the Luna Wolves began to retrieve the much needed caches. Time was against them and they would need to move quickly to cover enough ground to have a chance of evading the inevitable Iron Warrior re-enforcement's.

Solid Win 8-3 to Junta and his Luna Wolves using the tactical objective cards.

TTFN

(1)    Bugger. I needed them to stop the dreadnought!

(2)    Bugger. Ah well, I can use some re-rolls.
(3)    FML.