Ambush on Espandor

The Ambush on Espandor was a battle of the Horus Heresy.^[1]

Waged during the Crusade of Iron, the battle began when Princeps Ultima Dae Vergos and her allies felt bolstered by the earlier loyalist victory at Ulixis. After learning from Space Marines that Traitor Titan Legions were gathering to assault Espandor. The Legio Praesagius Princeps deployed her Titans to wait in ambush for the traitors alongside allied Legio Oberon and the Psi-Titan Occedentalis-Damysus. Vergos' plan was to lure the Traitors into the Boreaus Agri-Sprawl where their numbers would count for little in its close confines. When the Dark Mechanicum fleet carrying the Legio Infernus and Legio Audax under Princeps Tesarius Orcan Rex arrived, they swept past token loyalist defenses and landed at the otuer reaches of the agri-sprawl. Orcan led the effort from his own Warbringer Titan God Hammer, scattering the Espandor Imperial Army before him. Titan-hunting heavy infantry and super-heavy tanks slowed the enemy advance, but were ultimately obliterated one by one. The Fire Masters own supporting Secutarii moved out into the ruins left in the Titans wake, rooting out any stragglers.^[1]

As the traitors advanced, the Occedentalis-Damysus advanced upon the city, cloaked in a shroud of psychic energy. However the Psi-Titan's psychic assault was met by an equally powerful psychic shield from a cadre of enemy Rogue Psykers. Worse, the assault altered the traitors to Vergos' force. At extreme range, titans began exchanging fire. The Occedentalis-Damysus attempted to bring its devastating weaponry to bear, only to walk into a Legio Audax ambush. Despite taking down two Warhounds, the Psi-Titan was brought down by Ursus Claws. Meanwhile, the remaining Loyalist Titans advanced from the woods. During the exchange of fire the weather control coils of Boreaus was hit, causing the planets raging storm to spill forward onto the battlefield. The two Traitor Legions moved to envelop Vergos' battlegroup, but Vergos' resolve endured. A Legio Audax maniple charged straight into a thermal minefield, losing half of its Titans and forcing them to retreat in the face of Imperial Army artillery. Throughout the ruins of Boreaus, weapons platforms and Titan Hunting tanks were revealed. They gave Vergos her chance to strike. From her own Warlord Titan Pride of Konor Vergos charged into the enemy ranks, destroying an enemy Reaver Titan and Knight in short order. Vergos advanced on Orcan's Warbringer, decapitating it with her Titans Power Claw. However despite the death of Orcan, the loyalists were still badly outmatched. With the loyalist fleet in orbit heavily engaged, Vergos agreed with calls to retreat. Some Titans of the Legio Oberon sacrificed themselves to cover the loyalist withdrawal.^[1]

Sources

• 1: Adeptus Titanicus: Shadow and Iron pg.11-12