Operation Thunderstorm

+ + + Transition to all Imperial forces fighting on Fratribusia + + +

Men and women of the Imperium of man.

This is the week you have all been waiting for.

No longer will the Imperium be on the back foot, for now we take the fight to the alien.

The Astra Militarum stand ready. 

The Adeptus Sororitas stand ready.

Solblades from the Dark Angels and Ossuary Brotherhood, sent personally by the Lord Regent Roboute Guilliman, stand ready.

Today we launch Operation Thunderstorm.

Let us destroy the aliens as they sought to destroy us.

Thought of the day: By might shall we been redeemed.

+ + + End of transition + + +

   With three games booked for the same week - a first for this year(?) - and with fresh reinforcements, it was time for the Imperium to launch Operation Thunderstorm, their big push into the jungle to deal with the Tyranid Menace.
   Operation Thunderstorm devised by Militant-General Von Collard, comprised multiple bait and ambush attacks designed to draw the strength of the Tyranids into the open to allow the newly arrived Adeptus Astartes solblades to cut the head off the beast. With the fall of Oghram in their minds, the loyal servants of the Emperor knew they could not fail on Fratribusia.

   The first set piece was launched by the Adeptus Sororitas of the Order of the Fallen Angels coupled with Dark Angel support which had the aim of killing the most prevalent Hive Tyrant and wiping out a particularly virulent swarm.

   With the swarm initially looking overwhelming, the Adeptus Sororitas held firm, weathering the storm before the Deathwing dropped and turned the tide. Cutting the Hive Tyrant down as it tried to make it's escape.

   The first major victory had been secured.

   The second attack was an unexpected one for both sides. A solblade from the Aurora Knights made planetfall in the middle of the jungle at one of the Tyranid breeding sites and fell on the remaining defenders.

   The Tyranids tried an ambush on the engaged space marines but the might of the Primaris showed through and the alien mind was thwarted.

   In a dark moment for the planet, in what was already a dark period of it's history, in the wake of planting mines on the breeding pods the Aurora Knights claimed victory and took 10% of the population of the nearby mining settlement of Dimbreech as is their tithing rights, vanishing into the dark of space with Fratribusia still on the brink.

   The last game was supposed to be the last Space Marine player with my guard to boost their points vs the other Tyranid player, however the marine player dropped out leaving my guard to face off with the Tyranids.

   When we picked missions the Imperial Guard got a secondary mission of deploying teleport homers to allow a fleet in space to set up an invasion, which felt quite fluffy.

   The last attack in the opening stages of Operation Thunderstorm was a mass mobilisation of the Astra Militarum across the remaining front to plant teleport beacons at crucial points in the defence of the planet, to allow the marines of the Ossuary Brotherhood to make planet fall and cut the head of the beast. Much as the brave men and women of the Imperial Guard stood against the foul alien and teleport homers were planted, no marines appeared, and vast numbers were cut down as they eventually broke.

While Operation Thunderstorm has turned the tide marginally in Imperial favour, key points have been over run and the planet is far from saved.

Thanks for reading