STRIKE FORCE PUGNUS LEONIS By Thomas Neth (Nostromo) |
BATTLE COMPANY STRIKE FORCES |
These images reproduced here with the kind permission of Thomas Neth |
At 4999323.M41 Azrael, Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels, received an emergency call from the Rufus system, reporting of open rebellion of the system's imperial defense forces. Indications of the ruinous powers' presence lead to his decision to immediately detach a strike force formed from part of the Dark Angels fleet to eradicate the heretics in the Rufus system in a quick and merciless blow. Azrael received the call from Rufus III during the Medusa campaign debriefing with the members of the inner circle on the battle barge Pugnus Leonis on the flight back from Medusa V to the tower of Angels. Since no other larger vessels of the Unforgiven have still been in the proximity, Azrael decided to lead the whole formation consisting of the battle barge Pugnus Leonis and it's allocated formation with boarded detachments of the first, second, third and tenth company in person and to take the present members of the inner circle with him on the mission. Thus, the strike force was simply named after the battle barge Pugnus Leonis. Pugnus Leonis turned out to be only one of the parties returning from the Medusa system that took part in the Rufus conflict - a war that began as the purging of an imperial colony from a chaos cult system and escalated into a series of battles against renegade imperial planetary defense forces, eldar from the Alaitoc craft world, traitors from the Thousand Sons Legion and surprisingly even the remains of a tyranid swarm. The photos in this section shows strike force Pugnus Leonis shortly after planet fall on Rufus III, the only inhabitable world of the Rufus system and the primary battlefield of the campaign. |
Chaplain Azazael Chaplain Azazel, prevously assigned to the 5th company, replaced brother chaplain Batrael as the 3rd company chaplain. The picture shows him with the instruments of his office - the rosarius and the crozius arcanum after the fashion of the Unforgiven. Chaplain Azazel campaign mission log file: 3999345.M41 - Craftworld Alaitoc Eldar 3999360.M41 - Thousand Sons |
Master Mermon Memnon is the current Master of the Deathwing and lead most of the missions in which Deathwing squads were involved during the Rufus campaign. He was promoted to his current position in 2939.M41 when Azrael, his predecessor as Master of the Deathwing, became supreme grand master of the chapter and the legion of the Unforgiven. As with most of his predecessors, he wields the Sword of Silence and storm bolter. Master Memnon campaign mission log file: 3999344.M41 - Rufus III planetary defense forces 3999350.M41 - Thousand Sons 3999360.M41 - Thousand Sons 3999361.M41 - unidentified Tyranid swarm 3001001.M42 - Rufus III planetary defense forces |
Supreme Grand Master Azrael Little needs to be said about Azrael, supreme grand master of the first chapter and the allied forces of the descendants of the first legion, keeper of the truth, wielder of the sword of secrets and supreme commander of Pugnus Leonis. As usual he carries the ancient weapons of his office - the sword of secrets, the protector, the lion's helmet and the lion's wrath. During the campaign, Azrael was accompanied by squad Mikhael, serving as his personal honor guard. Squad Mikhael consists of 5 veteran close combat specialists including veteran sergeant Mikhael, a brother of renown with an exceptional skill |
handling the twin lightning claws. Two brethren in the squad are equipped with a power sword, the remaining two carry each a chain sword. Squad Mikhael was formed during the Medusa campaign from the survivors of the 5th tactical of the 3rd company and the honor guard of Batrael, chaplain of the 3rd company, who fell at the hands of traitors from the world Eaters legion. Both squads extinguished the traitors in a furious counter assault. Mikhael and Nadiel, the only surviving members of Batraels honor guard have attached pieces of the World Eaters armour to their shoulder pads as a reminder to their valiant former leader. During the Rufus campaign squad Mikhael took not a single casualty - surely due to the protection granted by the Lion Helmet. During their first encounter with the legion of Magnus they eradicated 2 full squads of traitors. |
Azrael and Squad Mikhael combined campaign mission log file: 3999342.M41 - Rufus III planetary defense forces 3999345.M41 - Craftworld Alaitoc Eldar 3999349.M41 - Thousand Sons 3999350.M41 - Thousand Sons 3001001.M42 - Rufus III planetary defense forces |
