22nd Vostroyan Royal Rifle Regiment: The Taros Campaign

(WARNING: To all those who have and havent read the Taros Book, I apologize. We are rewriting it somewhat to fit the current armys and models we have.)

Campaign Score
Imperium : 3
Tau : 2

The Taros Campaign

Taros' darkest day will be mans finest hour.

998 M41- precipitated by The Denab Incident- the Taros Campaign pitched Imperial Forces against the Taros Planetary Defence Forces, the Tau, and their Kroot mercenary allies in a series of battles over the planet Taros. Prior to the campaign, Planetary Governor Aulis, head of the Taros government, developed friendly trading relations with the Tau, and sought to defect to the Tau Empire with the support of much of the planetary population.When his treachery was unveiled, the a combined Task Force of Raptors and Dark Angels Space Marine Chapters were called upon to assassinate Governor Aulis in what was to be the "First Taros Intervention". The Combined Space Marine Task Force was unable to carry out the assignment after suffering tremendous losses including one Dreadnought at the hands of the Tau forces already assigned to protect the capital Tarokeen and the governor.Following the assassination attempt the Tau officially annexed Taros while the Imperium gathered the 4621st Imperial Army to reclaim the planet.A large scale invasion followed including fleet actions within the Taros System however in the end Imperial forces were forced to retreat after suffering heavy losses including more than five complete Imperial Guard regiments' worth of troops, one Warhound Titan and several fleet vessels.

Scenario 1 - The Denab Incident

The Skirmish in the Denab Incident sparked the Taros War. At the time, the attacking Patrol Group Ravanor did not have any idea what the discovery of a rogue transport squadron docked at a Tau waystation would eventually lead to. The surprise attack, lead by Captain Darillian on board the Dauntless light cruiser Lord Ravanor, was a complete success. His attack destroyed the waystation and an unwitting Tau supply convoy in the process.

Scenario 2 - The First Taros Intervention: Attack on the Governor's Palace

The Raptors attempt to kill the Taros Planetary Governor resulting in a two day battle for the Governor's Palace. After their intial drop pod assault, the space marine strike force found that Planetary Governor Aulis was not present, and came under sustained attack from strong Tau forces, which they had not expected to encounter on Taros. Outnumbered and forced onto the defensive the Space Marines never found their target and were eventually forced to evacuate after heavy fighting and casualties.

Objectives:

Tau & Guard Forces must eliminate the Space Marine force or keep the administrators alive to turn 8.
The Space Marines must successfully kill all 5 Administrative personal in attempt to find and kill Governor Aulis.

The Governors Palace in Tarokeen

The Deathwind Drop Pod makes land fall. Sadly only killing 2 guardsman.

Wave 1 of the Raptor assault lands.

Tau forces arrive to aid the Taros Guard.

Captain Orelius and the rest of the Raptors begin to garrison the building under heavy fire.

As wave 2 of the Raptors arrive so does the hell raising Barracuda.

After destroying several drop pods the cmbined Tau and Guard force begin to encircle the Raptors. Forcing pockets of resistence the wounded tactical squads fight to by time for Captain Orelius to complete the mission.

Captain Orelius clears the first floor and calls in the Deathwing via his teleport homer.

Wave 3 of the Raptors arrives to provide a little buffer between the objectives and the crushing firepower of on coming Tau forces.

Last of the Raptors arrive Brother Dreadnought Hakael.

Captain Orelius personally leads the charge.

A Barracuda comes in for a pass.

Brother Hakael is cut down but railgun fire.

With the 5 Imperial Administrators cutdown and none of them confirmed to be the Planetary Governor Aulis and suffering almost 80% casualties, Captain Orelius orders the evacuation by thunderhawk. The mission is accomplised by the Raptors but at what cost and to what end.

Z-Hour - 105

ODAR-91 secures DZ.

The Imperial invasion was set with all timmings for operations as Z Hour as the base. At Z Hour - 105 a drop pod of Scouts from the Raptors would drop onto Taros during the cover of night. Within the inner workings of Lord Marshal De Stael's command office the Lord had pushed for a large build up of Imperial Guard forces to be made at Z Hour instead of the usual Stormtrooper company. A Stormtrooper company offered good infantry but could not provide the heavier equipment. General Barim-Abas of the Cadian 17th felt that his men had the experience, training and equipment to perform the mission admirably.

Regardless of this at Z Hour -90 a flight of 2 Sky Talons, callsign "Claws 1&2" left the transport ship "Star of Cassiopeia". The mission came directly from Staff Colonel Scheja (Director of Intelligence), ordered to make land fall on Taros and then observe the MSR or Main Supply Route leading from Tarokeen to the primary Space Marine target the Taros missile silo codenamed "Decima".

Providing a screen line of observation to aid in advance warning of any Tau counter attack.

At Z Hour -80, Alpha section of Stormtrooper team ODAR-91 gets boots on the ground, unofficially the invasion of Taros had begun...

ODAR-91 heads towards Tarokeen

Scenario 3 - Assault on missile silo "Decima"

Thunderhawks break atmoshpere at over 1,600 Celsius.

Missile silo "Decima" was the single greatest threat to the invasion fleet, and it fell to the Dark Angels Chapter to destroy the silo before the main invasion could begin. The attack involved the third company deploying from a thunderhawk gunship and targeting the silo with demolition charges. For the assault, the company was organised into four strike forces - codenamed A, B, C and D, each with their own objectives for the attack. The first to land was Strike Force A, an assault squad who would clear a landing zone and if possible clear out the anit aircraft defences to clear the way for the following thunderhawk gunship.

The following strike forces would atack the ground defences and the silo itself. Meanwhile, in the underground command centre, the missile was being readied to fire at the orbiting strike cruiser. It was vital that this was not allowed to occur, so the Dark Angels had to move swiftly.

Objectives:

The Space Marines must destroy the silo before the missile launches at the end of the defenders 4th turn.
The Taros guard must stall the marine attack long enough to shoot the missile.

Dawn at "Decima"

Objective "Decima"

The opening slavo from the "Sword of Caliban" yields little result.

Taros guard spring to life.

Veteran Sergeant Igis lands from a high drop thunderhawk pass, the electric whine of the jetpacks scream as they touch down.

With an opening blast of bolt pistols Igis and his men cut down 7 guardsmen.

Thunderhawk"3" lands under fire at the silo.

Withering gunfire from both the tactical marines and the thunderhawk lay down devastating firepower in all directions.

As the thunderhawk lifts off the guard try to mount a counterstrike but the one-sided battle has taken the guard too of guard.

finally with the missisle silo under control...

"Arch Angel, this is Bravo 6, break....

Decima 1 is secured, break....

the DZ is open over!"

The First Offensive - Sixty Days to Tarokeen.

Cadian 812th assembles near the Decima landing zone.

At 514998.M41 Colonel Edington ordered his regimental commanders to begin the long drive towards Tarokeen.

Day One.

The offensive began with a sustained rolling artillery bombardment all along the front line. Mortasr, battle cannons, Earthshaker cannons and Griffons began an intense barrage. It was as if the gods themselves were hurling thunderbolts across Taros.The advance moved deeper into the desert, a staedy march that continued all day, and still no sign of any resistence.

Day Two.

Cadian 812th's Vanguard scout ahead.

The night was bitterly cold as the day was stifflingly hot. Ice had formed on many of the Imperial Guardsmen's weapons during the short hours of darkness, although it soon melted with the dawn sun.

The Tau had been waiting for the advance since the landings on Taros. Their Pathfinder squads and Stealthsuit units had already scored a significant success before a shot was fired, by observing the locations of Imperial Guard units and alerting the Hunter Cadre commanders as to the likely routes of advance for the Imperial Guard's armour.

It was finally judged that the time had come on the second day of the Imperial offensive. The Imperial Guard infantry and tanks had left their perimeter defences of sandbags, razorwire and minefields behind, and were now in the open...

Scenario 4 - Encounter at Tungusta Chapel

At first light, the Cadian 812th regiment's vanguard began a general advance across its entire front. At the command of their officers the men rose from their quickly dug foxholes and trenches, whilst tanks reversed from their scrape holes, gunned their engines and began to grind slowly forwards. Behind them the artillery opened fire, hitting pre-planned targets all along the front. The regiments three armoured companies formed the cutting edge of the regiments advance, with squadrons of Leman Russes rumbling across the desert sands. Lacking enough Chimeras, the advance would be at a walking pace.

Elements of 812th Vanguard approach Tungusta Chapel

At midday, as the combined force of 1st Armoured company tanks and cadain infantry moved along across the open desert they encountered elements of Hunter Cadre Shi'Eldi. These were rapid response forces, which had sped to intercept the tanks. A force of Hammerheads and Firewarriors were tracking the Imperial forces movement through Pathfinder observer teams, and had arrived in the vicinity of old Tungusta Chapel only minutes before.

The battle became typical of Tau actions all along the Imperium's front during their offensive towards Tarokeen. Rapid, hard hitting counter-attacks stalling the advance and draining the Imperial Guard of men and fighting machines before using their mobility to withdraw into the desert and disperse, making it difficult for Imperial artillery to react in time or find concentrated targets, but the Tau neverstand and hold the ground. Tungusta Chapel was not the only counter-attack in the first days of the advance, but it was the hardest fought.