Battle Report: The Iron Warriors hold on to the Bitter End

The Iron Warriors resumed their bitter rivalry with the Imperial Fists in the Cyrene System, winning what to others would be a Pyrrhic Victory, but for the IVth Legion, where all that matters is victory and not the cost, was a victory pure and simple.  The Iron Warriors won the first turn, and with their Warsmith electing to start the battle before dawn, but with the benefit of night vision, the IVth Legion had the upper hand at the start of the battle.  The Imperial Fists also made a crucial error by not advancing sufficiently aggressively, when they should have moved forward more quickly, allowing their Terminators to assault from their Spartan carrier and their jetbikes to cause havoc.

The VIIth Legion also made a tactical mistake by deep striking their melta support squad in their Terrax Pattern termite away from the main threats, choosing to single out the IVth Legion's Sabre Strike Tanks who were, admittedly posing a clear danger to the Fists' Arquitor Bombards.  The Bombards never got into the battle, finished off by the IVth Legion's Sicaran Arcus and Siege Tyrant Terminators.

Despite their early disadvantage and tactical errors, though, the Fists pulled themselves back into the battle.  While the loss of the Arquitors without firing a shot was painful, it meant that the fire that might have otherwise been aimed at their Leviathan or Scimitar Jetbikes was not.  The VIIth LEgion's Leviathan Dreadnought devastated the Siege Tyrant Terminators with its Phosphex bombs, and the jetbikes further thinned their ranks.  

Alexis Polux and his Tartaros Pattern terminators with vigil Pattern shields made light work of the Iron Warriors' quad mortars and Sicaran Arcus.  In the end, though, that wasn't enough and whilst both armies suffered horrific losses, and both generals survived to rue their mistakes, it was the Iron Warriors who claimed the victory as the VIIth Legion's Leviathan fell, followed closely by the Scimitar jetbikes, assailed on all sides by the IVth Legion's Contemptor Dreadnoughts.