STRIKE FORCE ATRA ANGELUS By Jan van Putten (Capt Bannockburn) |
BATTLE COMPANY STRIKE FORCES |
These images reproduced here with the kind permission of Jan van Putten |
The Strikeforce Atra Angelus was deployed in order to relieve the industrial world of Kashya of an incoming Tyranid attack. It consists of elements of the 4th Battle Company of the Dark Angels Chapter and a small Ravenwing detachment of the famed 2nd Company. It was originally lead by Company Master Duma, with Interrogator Chaplain Belrasid as his second in command. The strikeforce made planetfall in the planetary winter only a few days before the Tyranids while their strike cruiser, the Hammer of Gabriel, was forced to retreat due to the overwhelming numbers of the Tyranid space faring bioconstructs. As a result, the force was cut off from reinforcements, until they were able to decimate the Tyranids sufficiently. Knowing this, Duma equipped the force to be highly mobile as well as being able to dig in and lay down a withering hail of fire. Upon their landing however, they discovered that other parties were interested in Kashya. Being ambushed from a Necron force, the Dark Angels were barely able to get to safety, but after a short and brutal firefight, the robotic xenos teleported away. There was no respite though: A mere two hours later, Dark Eldar pirates came down upon the wounded convoy and forced Duma and his detachment under heavy losses to take shelter in an abandoned tunnel system of the planetary guard. Duma himself was grievously wounded by the pirate lord but his apothecary was able to stabilize him. Interrogator Chaplain Belrasid gave the order to fortify the positions and take respite until they were combat worthy again. It proved to be a blessing, although Belrasid wouldn't be able to see it. In the first fight against the Tyranids he fell to the claws of a Carnifex, but the marines nevertheless won a crushing victory killing each and every of the creatures. Duma took command again and ordered the strikeforce to break through the enemy lines. While attempting this, the strikeforce met and joined up with fellow space marines, part of the assault oriented Stone Guardians chapter. Together the highly mobile force tore through the tyranid battle line with ease and arrived in time to save an Inquisitor and elements of the planetary guard. Duma ordered to guard the retreat to a better fortified position and under the hail of fire from squads Remiel and Cassiel as well as Venerable Brother Elias, the pursuing Xenos were wiped out completely, thus enabling the rest of the loyal forces on the planet to band together in a heavily fortified bunker system. What Duma hadn't told his fellow brothers however, was that he found the Dark Eldar Lord carrying an artifact clearly of Dark Angels heritance, yet it was twisted and the part of the armor it was attached to was black, not green. Taking this as a hint of Fallen activity, Duma used the long range communicator of the bunker system and only a few days later, a large part of the Deathwing and Ravenwing arrived. |
Chaplain Sandalphon: Sandalphon was to be trained in the field while attached to strikeforce Atra Angelus. When in early fights on Kashya Interrogator Chaplain Belrasid fell to Carnifex, Sandalphon was required to take up the office. Nevertheless, after Belrasid's geneseed was recovered, his Crozius and the skull mask, f |
Command Squad of the 4th Battle Company Duma's Command Squad consists of five hardened veterans: Syth is an accomplished sword fighter, carrying a power weapon and a plasma pistol. Nuriel is a physically imposing figure, being more than a hand larger than most other marines. Partly due to his great strength, he prefers a power fist as his weapon of choice and carries a bolt pistol. s the current company champion, Uriel carries a combat shield with bolt pistol and a power sword. The standard bearer of the 4th is Barakiel who stems from the same world as Duma himself. He carries a plasma pistol and a chain sword. Apothecary Malachias tends to all wounds of strike force Atra Angelus and harvests the geneseed of fallen brothers. He is armed with a bolt pistol and a chain sword. uma, Sandalphon and their command squad ride to battle in the Land Raider Gladius, the 4th Land Raider of the armoury of the rock, permanently attached to the strike force. |
his office, were buried with the remains. Thus, Sandalphon is not fully anointed and bears neither a skull helmet nor a real crozius, carrying a power mace instead. He is still a renowned fighter and killed the bioconstruct single handedly in a fit of righteous rage. The men of the task force accept him fully and he is well able to see to the morale of his battle brothers. andalphon carries a plasma pistol as his sidearm |
