The Battle for Ryza

The Battle for Ryza Secundus: Last Stand

Ryza Secundus was the first to feel the wrath of the Traitors when the Warmaster's allies descended upon the Forge World. Constructed during the Age of Strife, Ryza Secundus was, in scale, more a moon than a space station, its colossal structure only swelling in size throughout the millennia and in the wake of the prosperity brought by the coming of the Great Crusade. Concealed within its form were vast cargo and docking bays capable of sustaining all but the largest of Expeditionary fleets, the station's interior so cavernous that battlegroups of Titans could stand tall within if so desired. Connecting these bays was a honeycomb of tunnels and accessways, some suitable only for the passage of a servitor while others allowed the Knights of the Questoris Familia to walk three abreast, all while mag trains ferried supplies across Ryza Secundus through the same passageways.

Ryza Secundus did not merely serve a logistical purpose, for it stood sentinel over the approach to the planet, the nerve centre of smaller defence satellites scattered around the Forge World. Interlinking rings encircled the central structure bearing extensive arrays of weapon batteries chosen to combat any conceivable threat that might encroach upon Ryza's sovereignty. These defences were supplemented by larger batteries, located on the central structure, of a scale more often seen on the largest battleships of the Imperium's fleets. Some were unique in design, forged by the hands of the Omnissiah Igvita using knowledge gleaned from millennia of innovation and refinement. As an entity, Ryza Secundus ensured the Forge World was all but unassailable by direct means, for even were a force to overwhelm it, they would likely no longer possess the numbers required to claim the surface.

It is for this reason that the advancing Traitors, led by Yuritus Omicron, Fabricator-Locum of Estaban VII, looked to subtler means to secure their prize. Hampered by the Fabricator-Locum's desire to leave as much of Ryza untouched as possible, to better claim the Forge World as his own, the Traitors launched a dozen vessels far in advance of their main fleet, each one a modified cruiser laden with troops intended for Ryza Secundus. These vessels slipped into the Ryza system over a period of weeks, each one powering down their systems to avoid detection by patrolling ships. Thus concealed, the Traitor vessels slowly made their way towards Ryza Secundus, powered by momentum alone. By virtue of meticulously calculated trajectories, this vanguard fleet was in range when the remainder of the Traitor fleet transitioned into the Ryza system. When battle was joined the vanguard unleashed thousands of boarding craft upon the station, flooding its hallways with Traitor troops. Such numbers were swelled by the Knights of House Morbidia as more of the station was lost to the defenders and its defences powered down. Opposing them were a handful of Knights of House Vornherr and, when defeat seemed inevitable, the Loyalists retreated inwards, selling their lives dearly so the guns of Ryza Secundus could sound for a few more hours.

Battlegroups

One player controls the forces of House Morbidia while their opponent controls those of House Vornherr. Each player selects a Knight Household force as described on page 174. Both players' forces should have a Battle Rating of up to 1,250 points. Neither Household force may have supporting Titans.

Battlefield

The battle is played on a 4'×4' board. In the centre of the board, mark out a 24"×24" section, representing the central control station of Ryza Secundus. This area should be sparsely populated by cargo crates and other industrial scenery. Several sections of the remaining board area, each at least 6"×6", should be designated as station walls and count as blocking terrain. There should be at least one clear route between each board edge and the central area.

Stratagems

The House Morbidia player has no Stratagems for this battle. The House Vornherr player has 2 Stratagem points which can be spent on Battlefield Assets (see the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).

Mission Special Rules

Silence Falls: As more of the station falls under the control of the Traitors, Ryza Secundus' guns fall silent, allowing further landing craft access to the station. At the start of the battle, divide the central control station area into four sections of equal size. In the End phase of each round, determine which player controls each section. To do this, both players should calculate the total Scale of each player's models in a section; each Knight should be calculated separately (i.e., a Banner of three Questoris Knights would count as a Scale 9). The player with the highest Total Scale controls that section. If both players have the same Total Scale, or neither player has units in a section, the House Vornherr player controls that section.

In this mission, when a House Morbidia Knight Banner is destroyed, place that Banner to one side. Once possession of the control station sections has been calculated, the House Morbidia player may return a single destroyed Knight Banner to the battlefield for each section they control. When a unit arrives in this way, they are placed within 3" of a board edge.

Deployment

The House Vornherr player deploys their Knight Banners anywhere within the area denoting the central control station area. The House Morbidia player then places their Knight Banners within 6" of any board edge.

The First Round

In the first round, the House Morbidia player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.

Battle Length

The battle lasts for five rounds, after which either the House Vornherr player has fallen, or they have stood defiant long enough for the guns of Ryza Secundus to severely damage the Traitor fleet. If all units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.

Victory

At the end of the battle, calculate which player controls each section of the central control station area. Whoever controls the most sections claims victory. If both players control the same amount of sections, the game is a draw.

6"

24"

House Vornherr Deployment Zone

24"

48"

House Morbidia Deployment Zone

The Treachery of House Ioeden: Ambush

With the fall of Ryza Secundus the way to the Forge World was open, yet it did not stand unguarded. Across the surface of the world orbital defences were spurred into life, their barrels turned upwards to the skies in anticipation of the impending invasion. The loss of Ryza Secundus had left Ryza isolated from the wider galaxy but it had not left the world unprotected. Initial forays by the Traitors were easily repelled, many of the landing craft blasted from the sky and what remained proved easy pickings for the Loyalist forces stationed across the world. Once more, when direct methods proved untenable the Traitors moved to more duplicitous means, calling upon those whose allegiances were not as they appeared.

The arrival of the Traitor fleet had served as the herald for dissidents to emerge from the shadows and soon sporadic warfare broke out across Ryza, an angered minority seeking to upend the current order and replace it with another, far more sinister one. In reality, hastily assembled forces of manufactoria workers and rebel Tech-Priests were of little threat to the power of a Titan Legion or the vast ranks of the Mechanicum Taghmata but they did much to hinder the efforts of the Loyalists, spreading their forces thin across Ryza as the Hierophant Technis sought to impose order upon the planet once more. In this, the dissidents achieved their goal, for their desire was not conquest but distraction, splitting up the defenders until a vital target proved vulnerable enough for the Traitors in orbit to exploit.

Such an opportunity presented itself at Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega, an expansive spaceport located on the southern continent. A vital hub of transport and storage, Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega was the largest of its kind on Ryza, used as both a centre of export and a staging ground for military forces, capable of supporting vast legions of troops should it be required. At the time of invasion, Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega was garrisoned by a battlegroup of Legio Honorum Titans and the Knights of House Ioeden, a minor House known for their actions as raiders - skills that had proved helpful to Ryza when they had sought supplies to fuel their industry in the preceding years of the Horus Heresy. When insurrection saw the fall of a forge-fane near Salvation Isthmus, the threat was deemed considerable enough to require the attentions of Legio Honorum. Led by the Princeps Seniores Galexu, the Titans of Legio Honorum moved to recapture the forge-fane, safe in the knowledge that the orbital defences of Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega, in conjunction with the Knights of House Ioeden, would ensure the spaceport's safety in their absence. It was only upon returning to the spaceport, as a cacophony of warnings announced the impending descent of the Traitors upon Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega, that Galexu realised his mistake, one that would ultimately prove fatal to himself and much of Ryza.

Battlegroups

One player controls forces of House Ioeden while their opponent controls those of Legio Honorum. The House Ioeden player selects a Knight Household force as described on page 174. The Legio Honorum player selects a battlegroup as described in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The House Ioeden player should have a Battle Rating of up to 1,500 points, and cannot include any supporting Titans, while the Legio Honorum player should have a Battle Rating of up to 2,000 points, and cannot include any Knight Banners or Psi-Titans.

Battlefield

The battle is played on a 6'×4' board. The House Ioeden player chooses a short board edge - this is the escape route. The opposite short board edge represents the walls of Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega. The area within 12" of the escape route should contain minimal terrain. The rest of the board should be set up with a dense amount of terrain, representing the warehouses that surrounded the spaceport, with empty sections running between the short board edges representing roads.

Stratagems

Both players have no Stratagems for this battle.

Mission Special Rules

Ambush: The forces of Legio Honorum splintered in the race to reach the spaceport before the Traitors landed, ignorant of the impending betrayal which left them disorganised when the ambush was sprung. No Orders may be issued to Loyalist units during the first round.

Traitors' Descent: The landing craft of the Traitor force descended upon Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega as House Ioeden enacted their ambush, buying time for their allies to disembark. Starting from the fourth round, instead of activating a Knight Banner the House Ioeden player can make up to two attacks against an enemy Titan. These attacks are resolved as if originating from a Warlord Belicosa Volcano Cannon Arm Weapon, measuring the range from the spaceport walls board edge. If the target unit is within 12" of the escape route board edge, the attack is presumed to be 25% obscured. Otherwise, the target is presumed to be at least 50% obscured.

Deployment

The Legio Honorum force is deployed first. To do this, players take it in turns, starting with the Legio Honorum player, to place a Titan, or Titan Squadron, anywhere on the battlefield more than 12" from the escape route board edge and at least 6" from any Legio Honorum unit already deployed - Titans that are part of the same Squadron may be deployed at least 3" away from each other instead of 6". If, for whatever reason, a unit cannot be placed in this way, they are deployed anywhere within 24" of the spaceport walls board edge.

The House Ioeden player then deploys their force, placing their Knight Banners anywhere on the battlefield more than 12" from the escape route board edge and at least 12" from an enemy unit. Any Banner that cannot be deployed in this manner is placed touching a board edge of the House Ioeden player's choice, as long as the unit is more than 12" from the escape route board edge.

The First Round

In the first round, the House Ioeden player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.

Battle Length

The battle lasts for six turns, after which either Legio Honorum has broken free of the ambush or House Ioeden has succeeded in running them down. If all the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.

Victory

At the end of the battle, calculate the total points value of Legio Honorum Titans within 12" of the escape route board edge; a Titan which has not been destroyed but which is Structurally Compromised is worth only half their points (rounding up). If the total points value is at least 50% of Legio Honorum's starting Battle Rating, the Legio Honorum player claims victory. Otherwise, the House Ioeden player claims victory.

If the battle ends because all of the House Ioeden's units have been destroyed, the Legio Honorum player needs only have 25% of their total starting Battle Rating within 12" of the escape route board edge to claim victory.

Battlefield diagram labels:

Escape route
12"
Legio Honorum Zone
60"
48"
72"

A Road Less Travelled: Assault Upon the Fortress

Thanks to the treachery of House Ioeden, who had masqueraded as allies to Ryza for three standard years, Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega had fallen, allowing the Traitors to bring the full weight of their forces down upon the planet. The Loyalists made attempts to retake the captured land but such efforts were in vain, for the defenders lay scattered across Ryza and fear of further betrayal lent caution to their actions, unwilling to amass in force lest the Traitors secure another landing zone. Faced with no organised resistance, the Traitors were able to consolidate their conquests, seizing ever more territory in their quest to dominate all of Ryza. Their first goal was to secure passage to the northern continent, forcing the Loyalists to fight a war on two fronts.

To achieve such a goal, a significant proportion of strength from both Legio Vulturum and Magna was assembled, placed under the command of Princeps Ultima Scrindus Tepfra. While their allies gathered at Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega to secure their ill-gotten gains, the combined battlegroup marched for Salvation Isthmus, an artificial stretch of land that spanned the oceans of refuse between the northern and southern continents. One of many isthmuses to connect the two continents, Salvation Isthmus was the most important, not only due to its proximity to Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega but also because it played host to a string of manufactoria that worked to recycle discarded products extracted from the Sea of Reclamation, a vast ocean of industrial run-off and effluent that spanned much of the world. The loss of Salvation Isthmus, combined with the fall of Ryza Secundus, would be a potential fatal blow to the Loyalists for it would then only be a matter of time before a war of attrition would drain the Forge World's reserves, leading to the fall of its defenders.

Tepfra was not the only one to recognise the importance of Salvation Isthmus and even in times of peace the Titans of Legio Crucius had garrisoned the isthmus, a Titan Legion fortress constructed along the northern coast line. This fortress proved vital to the Loyalist defence, for it possessed numerous repair cradles that allowed the Warmongers to withdraw engines from the front line for repair, replacing them with reinforcements already tended to by the ministrations of the Titan Legion's Tech-Priests. Combined with the narrowness of Salvation Isthmus, the superior numbers of the Traitors mattered little, grinding the conflict to a halt with neither side able to claim victory. Seeking to break the stalemate, Tepfra devised a new plan, sending the Flaming Skulls forwards to tie up the Warmongers upon Salvation Isthmus. Meanwhile, the Gore Crows submerged themselves beneath the Sea of Reclamation, their Titans resistant to the heat and caustic nature of its contents. Though several engines of Legio Vulturum were lost to the sea's hazards, enough emerged on the northern shore to present a viable threat to the Legio Crucius fortress. If the fortress were to fall it all but guaranteed the conquest of Salvation Isthmus, with the Traitors able to descend upon its defenders from both sides. Though battered by days of war and unprepared for the sudden assault, the Warmongers engaged their foe, hoping to drive them back into the sea they had emerged from.

Battlegroups

One player controls the forces of Legio Vulturum while their opponent controls those of Legio Crucius. Both players select a battlegroup as described in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Legio Vulturum player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 3,000 points, while the Legio Crucius player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 2,000 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple. The Legio Vulturum player's force may not include Knight Banners.

Battlefield

The battle is played on a 4'x4' board. The Legio Vulturum player chooses a board edge. The opposite board edge is the Legio Crucius board edge. The battlefield within 8" of the Legio Vulturum board edge represents the Sea of Reclamation and counts as Difficult terrain. The area within 18" of the Sea of Reclamation board edge should contain a sparse amount of terrain representing industrial debris and rocky outcrops. The rest of the board should contain a moderate amount of terrain, representing the fortress of Legio Crucius. Any walls should have multiple breaches, representing a sudden barrage by the Gore Crows as they emerged from the sea.

Stratagems

The Legio Vulturum player has no Stratagems for this battle. The Legio Crucius player has 3 points which can be spent on their choice of Battlefield Assets (see the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook).

Mission Special Rules

From the Depths: The fortress of Legio Crucius was constructed upon the coast of the Sea of Reclamation, strategically close to Salvation Isthmus, the sea itself deemed impassable - a theory Legio Vulturum proved wrong. At the start of the battle, only some of the Legio Vulturum force had emerged from the sea, the rest kept in reserve and surfacing as the battle progressed.

At the beginning of the second round, and each round after that, before determining the First Player, the Legio Vulturum player may roll 2D10 to see how many of their reserves have emerged from the sea. They may then bring on a number of units kept in reserve whose total Scale is equal to or less than the number rolled. For example, if a 13 was rolled, the player could bring on a Warlord Titan (Scale 10) or two Warhounds (total Scale 12).

When a unit arrives in this way, it can be placed anywhere within 8" of the Legio Vulturum board edge more than 4" from an enemy unit, and activates normally that round.

Repair Cradles: After the board has been set up, but before either player deploys any units, the Legio Crucius player chooses two buildings at least 12" from their board edge and more than 15" from one another. These are Repair Cradles, vital pieces of infrastructure that enable Tech-Priests to repair the Warmonger Titans with relative ease before sending them back into battle. The destruction of these would do much to push the Loyalists back.

Repair Cradles count as Battlefield Assets (see the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook), with the exception that Hit rolls do not suffer the penalties normally applied to Battlefield Assets, i.e., -1 for Short Range and -2 for Long Range. In addition, Repair Cradles have a number of Structure points that must be lost before rolling to see if they are removed. Each Repair Cradle has 8 Structure points. A Repair Cradle loses 1 Structure point when it suffers a Glancing Hit and 3 Structure points when it suffers a Critical Hit.

Fresh from Battle: The Legio Crucius Titans are fresh from battle and awaiting repairs. At the start of the first round, before determining which player is the First Player, the Legio Crucius player rolls a D6 for each Legio Crucius Titan; the result is how many Structure points the Titan loses. The Legio Crucius player can choose which location these are lost on and can spread the Structure points across multiple locations. If a 6 is rolled, the Titan instead loses 3 Structure points and suffers 1 point of Critical Damage to its Head, Body, or Legs, determined randomly.

Deployment

The Loyalist player deploys half of their force anywhere at least 18" from their board edge. The Legio Vulturum player then deploys half of their force anywhere within 8" of their board edge.

The First Round

In the first round, the Legio Vulturum player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.

Battle Length

The battle lasts for six turns, after which either Legio Vulturum has destroyed the Repair Cradles or Legio Crucius has pushed the Gore Crows back. If the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.

Victory

At the end of the battle, if both Repair Cradles have been destroyed, the Legio Vulturum player claims victory. If one Repair Cradle has been destroyed and the other has 4 or fewer Structure points remaining, the game is a draw. Otherwise, the Legio Crucius player claims victory.

Legio Crucius Board Edge

18"

Legio Crucius Deployment Zone

Repair Cradle

48"

8"

Legio Vulturum Deployment Zone

Legio Vulturum Board Edge

48"

Death of Salvation:

The Defiance of Legio Crucius

The loss of the Legio Crucius fortress was a devastating blow for the Loyalists and all but opened up the way for the Traitors to seize Salvation Isthmus. In many ways, the Traitors hoped Legio Crucius would withdraw, sparing both sides from further conflict upon the isthmus, as what had been intended to be a quick victory had devolved into an extended mire of devastating warfare. In this hope, they were to be denied. Led by Princeps Ultima Hendril, the handful of Legio Crucius Titans currently stationed on Salvation Isthmus watched as the Flaming Skulls they were engaged with withdrew, offering a moment of respite to the Loyalists, the first in many days. Cautious at this new development, Hendril's fears were confirmed when reports reached him of the attack upon the Warmonger's fortress on the northern shore. Unable to support them without giving up ground to Legio Magna, Hendril could only listen as those of his Legio fought and died against Legio Vulturum, the fortress falling to the sudden assault.

A veteran of a century of warfare, Hendril knew that to retreat was to simply cede all he had fought for, manoeuvring his forces into the waiting Gore Crows no doubt already securing the northern edge of the isthmus. It was then that the Princeps vowed to make a stand, knowing that to do so meant his death and the death of all beside him. Contacting those of his Legio who had survived the fall of the fortress, he ordered them to retreat to the city of Prosperity, gathering allied forces to stand against the Traitors before its walls. To his own battlegroup he relayed the grave news, their only option a final act of defiance against the Traitors who sought to poison their world. It is a testament of much note to the spirit of Legio Crucius that only those ordered to retreat objected, demanding they be allowed to stand with their Princeps. Hendril's final order was to deny this, appointing them a new commander before forcing them to withdraw.

What followed was etched into the legacy of Legio Crucius for eternity. Hendril and those under his command used as an example for newer Princeps to understand what it meant to serve Ryza. As predicted, the Gore Crows did not pursue the retreating Warmongers, seeking instead to secure the isthmus. As they advanced down its length from the north, Legio Magna marched from the south, the two Traitor forces moving to crush their foe in an act of swift brutality. Once more they were to be denied for Hendril refused to go quietly, knowing that for every minute he stood was another minute the Traitors moved no further. Surrounded and vastly outnumbered, the Warmongers screamed their hatred, voicing their anger through weapons that had toppled worlds and reminding the Traitors that even creatures as degenerate as they had something to fear.

Battlegroups

One player controls the Traitor force while their opponent controls those of Legio Crucius. Both players select a battlegroup as described in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. The Traitor player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 4,000 points, while the Legio Crucius player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 3,000 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple. The Legio Crucius player's force may not include Knight Banners.

Battlefield

The battle is played on a 5'×3' board. A 24" wide section of the board runs down the centre - this is Salvation Isthmus and should contain a moderate amount of scattered buildings and industrial terrain. The rest of the board is the Sea of Reclamation and counts as Deadly Terrain - units may not voluntarily move into the sea.

Stratagems

The Traitor player has no Stratagems for this battle. The Legio Crucius player has access to the Noble Sacrifice Stratagem and may play this Stratagem once per round instead of once per game.

Mission Special Rules

Last Stand: The crew of the Legio Crucius Titans know that survival is impossible and will fight to the bitter end. During the battle, Legio Crucius Titans may be issued Orders on a 2+, ignoring any modifiers. However, no Legio Crucius Titan may be issued an Emergency Repairs order; any they are issued with are automatically discarded before taking effect. In addition, Legio Crucius Titans may not voluntarily be issued Shutdown orders, although they can still receive them from Stratagems targeting them or other sources (such as weapons with the Shock trait).

Endless Number: Those of Legio Crucius were vastly outnumbered, the Traitors coming in seemingly endless waves to ensure the eradication of their foe. In this mission, when a Traitor Titan or Knight Banner is destroyed, place it to one side. At the beginning of the round, before determining the First Player, the Traitor player may roll 3D10 to see how many of their reserves have reached the battlefield. They may then bring on a number of units whose total Scale is equal to or less than the number rolled. For example, if a 13 was rolled, the player could bring back a destroyed Warlord Titan (Scale 10) and a Knight Banner (Scale 3), or four Knight Banners (total Scale 12). Units returned to the table arrive fully healed of any damage they have suffered and, in the case of Knight Banners, with their full complement of models.

When a unit arrives from reserves, it can be placed anywhere within 3" of a board edge and activates normally that round. Titans returned to the battlefield during the same turn may be formed into maniples (as long as they meet the maniple's required components) or squadrons. Note that no Titan can be deployed within the Sea of Reclamation (you cannot intentionally destroy your Titans!).

Deployment

The Legio Crucius player deploys their force within 8" of the centre of the battlefield. The Traitor player than deploys half their force within 12" of each short board edge. No unit on either side can be deployed within the Sea of Reclamation (again, you cannot intentionally destroy your Titans).

The First Round

In the first round, the Legio Crucius player chooses who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.

Battle Length

The battle lasts for seven rounds, after which either Legio Crucius still stands defiant or only their broken remains are left to tell their story. If all of the units controlled by the Loyalist player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.

Victory

At the end of the battle, if all Legio Crucius units are destroyed the Traitor player claims victory. Otherwise, the Legio Crucius player claims victory.

24"

Traitor Deployment Zone

12"

Legio Crucius Deployment Zone

8"

Traitor Deployment Zone

12"

60"

36"

Honour and Glory: The Relief of Endeavour

The fall of Salvation Isthmus opened a path for the Traitors to fall upon all of Ryza. Splitting in two, the Traitor forces laid siege to both continents, still desiring to claim as much of the world intact as possible. To the north, Legio Magna embarked upon a campaign of brutal assaults, relying upon lightning attacks to overwhelm their foe before the Loyalists could regroup. This campaign achieved much success, splintering the forces of Legio Honorum and Crucius that stood against them. Their advance was halted at the forge city of Prosperity, where the two Loyalist Titan Legions met their foes before the city's walls and blunted their advance, momentarily throwing Legio Magna back. This victory was to be short-lived, for dissent swept across Prosperity and malign powers were unleashed, all within consumed in a single night of bloodshed that left the city tainted, the Loyalist force abandoning it to their foe.

On the southern continent the war progressed differently, perpetrated as it was by Legio Vulturnum and a demi of Legio Mortis Titans sent by the Warmaster himself to assist the invasion. The Gore Crows practiced a far more methodical form of war than Legio Magna, preferring to savour their kills as they ground all beneath their heel in merciless conquest. As they moved further across the continent word reached Tsaue, Princeps Magnus of Legio Mortis, that the Hierophant Technis was located within the forge city of Endeavour, directing the Loyalist defences from there. Desiring to sever the head of the Loyalist forces, Tsaue gathered his Legio within the shadow of Mount Causcaut, working in concert with House Morbidia to seize control of monitoring stations constructed atop the mountain and deny warning to Endeavour of the Traitors' advance. From there, Legio Mortis assailed the city, breaking the back of those few Legio Osedax Titans left as guardians. As maniples of Gore Crows moved to rendezvous with Tsaue and secure the city, Dark Mechanicum forces swarmed its streets, determined to find the Hierophant Technis and claim her head.

In the days following the fall of Endeavour, what Loyalist Titans were able moved to recapture the city. Few in number and drawn mostly from Legio Osedax, they were faced with a wall of Titans standing atop the broken fortifications of the city. Endeavour itself was surrounded by barren plains that offered little cover, ensuring any assault upon the city would be in full sight of the Traitors and, against such numbers, Legio Osedax had little chance of survival, even with the assembled might of House Taranis and Zavora by their side. Torn between duty and pragmatism, the commanders of Legio Osedax moved to debate their options, proposing a retreat and the appointment of a new leader. This course of action was not condoned by the Knights of House Taranis and Zavora, for they were loathe to see another world they protected burnt in the fires of the Warmaster's ambition.

As the sun rose on a new day, the Knight Houses assembled and, as one, charged across the empty plain towards Endeavour, directly into the teeth of the Traitors' guns. Few of the charging Knights survived but those that did broke the Traitor line, using the confines of the streets to even the odds and bring down superior foes. Outside of the city, Legio Osedax moved into action, hoping their numbers could tip the battle in the Loyalists' favour and push the Traitors from the city.

Battlegroups

One player controls the Traitor force while their opponent controls those of the Loyalist. The Traitor player selects a battlegroup as described in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook, while the Loyalist player selects two forces, one of which is a battlegroup and the other of which is a Knight Household force. The Traitor player's force should have a Battle Rating of up to 2,500 points, while the Loyalist player's forces should have a Battle Rating of up to 1,250 points and 750 points respectively. Each battlegroup must consist of at least one maniple. The Traitor player may not include more than one Knight Banner per maniple.

Battlefield

The battle is played on a 4'×4' board. The Traitor player chooses a board edge to represent the route into Endeavour. The area within 12" of that board edge should have a dense amount of terrain representing the city itself, with one or two clear areas representing roads. The rest of the board should be sparsely populated with industrial debris and rocky outcrops.

Stratagems

The Traitor player has 2 Stratagem points to spend on Battlefield Assets (see the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook). The Loyalist player has 3 Stratagem points to spend on Legio Specific Stratagems and Noble Tactics (see page 179).

Mission Special Rules

Knightly Charge: The Knights of Houses Taranis and Zavora have entered Endeavour following their brave and costly charge towards the city. In this battle, the Loyalist forces' Knight Banners are not deployed as normal. Instead, at the start of the first round, before determining who is the First player, the Knight Banners move on from the Traitor player's board edge. Each Banner can only move up to 8", and cannot move (but can still be activated) in the Movement phase of the first round.

Into the City: The Titans of Legio Osedax are hoping to push through the Traitor line and force their way into the city, where numbers matter little and the surviving defenders can be rallied. From the end of the third round, if a Loyalist Titan is in contact with the Traitor board edge at the conclusion of the End phase, remove it from the battlefield. The Titan does not count as destroyed but takes no further part in the battle.

Deployment

The Traitor player deploys their forces first, anywhere between 6" and 12" of their board edge. The Loyalist player then deploys their Titans within 12" of the opposite board edge.

The First Round

In the first round, players roll off to see who will take the Opus Titanica and be the First Player.

Battle Length

The battle lasts for six rounds, after which either Legio Osedax has broken through or the Traitors have thrown back the assault. If all of the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.

Victory

At the end of the battle, if any Loyalist Titan has moved off the battlefield, the Loyalist player claims victory. Otherwise, the Traitor player claims victory.

6" 6" 12" Loyalist Deployment Zone Traitor Deployment Zone Route into Endeavour 48" 48"

Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega: To the Death

Following the recapture of Endeavour, the Traitor forces upon the southern continent were thrown into disarray. The Death's Heads had fallen, Princeps Magnus Tsaue amongst them, while the Gore Crows were in full retreat, withdrawing before the wrath of the resurgent Loyalist forces. To compound matters further, the Hierophant Technis ordered the opening of Ryza's war vaults, giving her allies full access to the deadly, and once-forbidden, knowledge held within. The war entered a brief respite as the Traitors took stock of their losses and the Loyalists regrouped and rearmed. When the defenders of Ryza marched out once more, they did so with weapons capable of sundering even a Titan with terrifying ease. Alongside them came a whole new force - House Sidus, a Knight House previously unknown to the Imperium, consisting nearly exclusively of Mechanicum Knights and kept hidden away beneath Endeavour until such time as they were needed. So assembled the Loyalists went on the offensive, hoping to throw back the Traitors before they too could regroup.

In this, the Hierophant Technis and her forces were too late for the Traitors had already issued a withdrawal, forces on both continents falling back to Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega. As they enacted new orders given to them by Yuritus Omicron, the leaders of the invasion force decreed that if the Warmaster could not have Ryza then none could. As the Loyalists gave chase to their hated enemy, they did so over the ashes of their home, its industry and infrastructure reduced to rubble and blackened ruins by the Traitors' vindictive actions. Incensed at the pointless destruction, the Loyalists vented their fury upon any stragglers they came across, ruthlessly purging any Traitor force that failed to outpace its pursuers.

It was at Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega that the two forces were to meet in great numbers, the spaceport hosting the last battle of the invasion as it had the first. As the Loyalists had tried in vain to chase them down, the Traitors had moved to escape, their forces slowly returning to orbit destined for new warzones. Around two-thirds of the surviving Traitors had been evacuated and those remaining upon Ryza when the Loyalists descended were left to their fate, none wishing to die alongside their allies. Though most had escaped, the Loyalists contented themselves with punishing those Traitors that still remained, desiring nothing more than their obliteration, the surviving engines of all those Titan Legions upon the planet falling upon the spaceport. Neither side offered quarter and none was asked; death was the sole outcome of this battle.

Battlegroups

One player controls the Traitor force while their opponent controls those of the Loyalists. Both players select a battlegroup as described in the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook. Both players' forces should have a Battle Rating of up to 4,000 points. Each force must consist of at least one maniple.

Battlefield

The battle is played on a 6'x4' board. A 24"x24" section of the board in the lower right-hand corner represents Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega. This area should have a moderate amount of buildings and industrial terrain while the remainder of the board should have a light amount of similar terrain.

Stratagems

Both players have 4 points to spend on Stratagems (see the Adeptus Titanicus rulebook). Neither player may choose the Outflank, Orbital Lance Strike or Tertiary Objectives Stratagems.

Mission Special Rules

No Mercy: Neither side wishes to spare the lives of their foe nor ask for mercy in return. During this battle, units in both forces may always be issued with Full Stride and Charge orders on a 2+, ignoring modifiers.

Deployment

The Traitor player deploys their forces anywhere within Conveyance Terminus Nine-Omega. The Loyalist player then deploys their forces within 12" of the long and short board edges opposite the Traitor deployment zone.

The First Round

In the First round, the Loyalist player automatically takes the Opus Titanica and is the First Player.

Battle Length

The battle lasts for six turns, after which one side will have emerged victorious from the slaughter. If all the units controlled by either player are destroyed at any point before this, the battle ends immediately.

Victory

At the end of the battle, total up the amount of points each player has remaining on the battlefield. Structurally Compromised units or Banners below half strength give half their points. The side with the most points remaining claims victory. If both players have the same number of points remaining, the game is a draw.

72"

48"

Loyalist Deployment Zone

Traitor Deployment Zone