The highly mobile Howler class titan inspects a fallen enemy

Things had certainly changed in that time. To take his mind off the carnage below, he pulled out his PDO (Personal Data Organiser), ran his thumb over the authenticator and began reading the battle log section....

Blood Angels HQ Assault(319-374)

Stomper War East (381 - 461)

Sidhe Scuffle (461-466)

Mavericks and Tantalus Skirmish (477 - 484)

The Righteous and ORZ Slaughter (486 - 506)

Mercenary and his many friends (505 - 519)

Hurray! At last! I got my posting today, finally some active duty! I'll be 2IC to Harald Heimdall which is a great promotion for me. They must have liked what I did in the Eldar War!

Got the Scout Sitreps back and they look promising. The area is clear and the gates virtually unused. Our target is going to be the Blood Angels clan though I do not know much about them at all. I'll task Intel to find out out more.

I must admit to being a bit nervous at the magnitude of the task ahead but here goes!

I've arrived with the first factory titans

Harald will arrive in two weeks to oversee the BA gate assault. Intel report that they are a mainly defensive clan that prefer large titans. That means a high number of guns and I can understand why some of the men think a gate attack is doomed to failure if we're going straight in and under their guns.

I can't tell them the method to which they're going to be employed until Harald tells me. Hopefully it will be soon.

Still no sign of any BA scouts and we're now covering most the hills in our area. We're ahead of schedule and Randwulf is reported to be pleased with our progress so far. Another promotion could be on the way if I can keep this up!

We started laying border drones because if BA doesn't know we're hostile yet then he won't cross our borders. The surprise should be complete!

Harald arrived today as the borders were completed. He gave such a rousing speech that the lads are itching to get to battle. However, he showed me his nasty side and berated me severely for allowing non wolfshield units within our borders. I have asked them to leave.

Randwulf has sent through our designation at last, AGE (Army Group East).

Harald will return to WolfHolme in a few days to petition Randwulf for more reinforcements. In the meanwhile I have been tasked with forming up the jump troops at one of the gates. No doubt they'll be used to open up a second front once we engage BA's outlying titans to the west.

Harald arrived back from WolfHolme in a foul mood today. He immediately summoned the Comms engineers and had a private meeting with them. Whilst he left the conference hall in a jubilant mood the engineers looked shaken and would not divulge what had been discussed.

Once our force was assembled at the gate Harald revealed our target. A surprise assault directly onto the BA HQ mount! This is not the way of Clan WolfShield, no declaration of war has been made yet. I tried to get order confirmation from WolfHolme but our global comms are down. I cannot help but think that Harald's meeting with the comms team has some bearing on this.

This evening Harald sent a drone onto the BA HQ mount and I was the only other member of our force to see the contact data. What he proposes is sheer madness! The defense on that mount is formidable and I can only hope the Great She Wolf makes him see sense and call off the attack. If he doesn't, a lot of good men will meet their end upon that hill. Surely Randwulf would not condone this?

Comms were not established and Harald was pretty vehement in getting the attack underway so it was executed (pun intended) at dawn. May the Great She Wolf have mercy upon those lads, I cannot see any of them making it back.

Sitreps came back today about how the battle went. In short, it was a disaster. Many brave men were killed today and any survivors are not expected to be able to retreat to safety. Recce of BA's HQ reveal only one shell managed to penetrate its armour.

Harald looked quite nervous on receiving the sitreps, I suspect his action does not have the full backing of the council. With Global Comms still not available I must follow what he orders.

More orders followed this evening. Under the cover of darkness our entrenched positions were vacated and we all advanced on the BA homeland.

I have a bad feeling about this.

Comms are still down. I don't have much time to write so can only quickly say that a clan to our north, Cameleons, has started to invade BA's northern borders. This is quite fortunate as the BA resistance is unusually stiff and we have found the going very tough.

Due to Cameleons' actions BA has pulled back allowing us to push on and over his borders.

I still can't get rid of that nagging feeling that all is not quite right.

My gut tells me testing times are ahead.

We made some progress but as soon as we hit the hill beside his HQ mount all hell broke loose! The withering fire we sustained decimated our lead attack group that I was commanding. The Great She Wolf smiled upon me and I was rescued by the second attack wave.

I, like most the men, am beginning to question Harald's orders. He's got the comms engineers aboard his Scout mech and we haven't seen any of them in over a week. Why aren't the Comms up yet?

Enough is enough. I'm going to demand that Harald releases the engineers. I have the backing of the men but I hope this isn't going to be classed as mutiny.

Harald, as if sensing something is afoot, has not been seen in the past three days but at least today we learned the truth and peace has been made with BA!

One of his titans approached us under parley and I met it. Their commander, who's name I forget, brought up comms with WolfHolme and I spoke with the great leader myself!

Randwulf had been trying to contact us ever since the day of the jump assault. We were not to proceed with an unannounced gate attack. Harald knew this but went ahead anyway.

Until a replacement Commander is found I will take charge of the whole of AGE as I've been doing that for the past week anyway!

This is a proud day for me and is only marred by my first order which is to detain Harald for shipment back to the homeland to face treason charges.

I hope this is the beginning of a new era for AGE.

Drone Class

Uses: Disposable Remote Pilot Intel (DRPIn)

Shielding: None

Weapons: None

Status: Current

According to the Genesis alliance Harald fled into the Blight Zone today. Randwulf has put a price on his head and the lower tech clans have been asked to hunt him down. Shame, he was a good warrior though a little unhinged. Randwulf has told me not to go in after him.

AGE's next assignment is to carry out a simple search and destroy mission with the Bac Ho clan being the quarry. Intel rate them as a dangerous opponent with skilled friends.

I have formed the troops up at the gate for a jump westwards where I suspected him to be camped. This new area has already been dubbed Staging Area 2 by the troops.

Hopefully we will fare better than we did in the BA campaign!

Contact!

One of our lead units encountered a Bac Ho unit today and opened up on it. Hopefully, the attack on his forces should bring him to us. The main battlegroup is advancing to contact in anticipation of his arrival!

This will be my first battle in command of a whole Army Group. I hope I'm up to the task.

Two of Bac Ho's allies, Ratsgut and Dark Angels fired on recce units so it seems Bac Ho will not be our only adversary.

This is worrying as our units are not only of lower tech than the Stomper Units we've seen so far but should all his allies join in against us then we will be outnumbered too.

Our western most scout has discovered an incoming Stomper battlegroup. An additional two Bac Ho allies are present, Kreig Machine and Zildjian.

That now brings the count of potential enemies to five.

More worringly is the presence of Border markers. Have I just ordered an attack on Bac Ho just outside the famed StomperLand? I hope not because I doubt we have the resources to win a war against the whole alliance.

Zildjian and Kreig Machine have held their fire so maybe these Stompers have honour and will limit the numbers arrayed against us.

The Stomper battlegroup advanced further towards us today and trapped the forward recce group. I've asked them to withdraw but I doubt they'll make it back. At least they've confirmed that we are on the StomperLand border.

I can't help but think we've just stirred up a hornet's nest.

So much for honour! Zildjian fired on me but Kreig Machine keeps advancing towards a ridge. I'm hoping he's going for the gate behind it.

The Stompers are all over our horizon. There's no way we're going to be able to hold our ground let alone advance.

I need an ally and fast. Cameleons are to the northeast so I have asked WolfHolme for permission to begin a dialogue.

Clan Cameleon units are in range again and I asked if they considered a joint venture against the Stompers.

Politics back at WolfHolme favour Cameleons as an ally so we are being encouraged to work together.

I am glad of the help as the Stompers are looking like they intend to hit us in great waves swamping our positions with superior numbers.

However, even with their help we will be hard pushed to make headway if we do not get higher tech reinforcements within the next few weeks. I have already sent the request but Randwulf is also fighting the Stompers in the west so they will take precedence no doubt.

The Stompers continue to advance and we continue to stubbornly defend.

If I continue to pursue this static line defence policy then my men will continue to fold under the weight of numbers. I need to start trying to stretch the Stompers. Cameleons has started to increase his number of defenders in the north and I will try to leave him that area to attack.

I will concentrate in the south so a regroup is necessary. For that purpose I had to relinquish our control on The Lonely Spire (322,241)

I hope this can turn the tide.

Reports of mixed gains came in from scouts today.

Strategically, I needed to take the Razorback Ridge (333,257) which was achieved last night with little loss. I now have a good solid southern base from which we can attack from and, more importantly, gate HQ produced factory titans to. Randwulf informs me I should have some in little over a week so we'll have to hold the ridge for that long.

However, my resources are finite so I had to reduce support on the Northern Hill (321,230) and the Stompers are slowly pushing ours and Cameleon units off of it.

Losses are heavy in the north but thankfully it's more hardware than personnel.

I need to create a buffer zone in case the Stompers make a SE push for the ridge so have made a thrust to retake The Lonely Spire. Hopefully, this will make them pause for thought and give me the time I need to get the expected new generation factory titans into our rear echelon.

Maybe the tide is actually turning!

The Lonely Spire is gradually yielding to a sustained assault though losses are mounting.

In an effort to reduce those losses I have made a bid for Four Ranges Hill (308,245). The Stompers will want to hold it as the hill allows me a spring board into StomperLand and to assault Gateway Hill (309,235). If that hill falls then StomperLand will be breached and they will be on the defensive. I doubt they'll let that happen so may see The Lonely Spire as a secondary objective.

I wish I had those reinforcements now!

The new high tech factory titans have been arriving so to keep the Stompers away from them we have been rushing the Stomper borders resulting in our first unit crossing it today.

Morale is understandably high!

I'm proud of my men. Though outgunned and outnumbered, they still do all that I ask of them. The clan has never been so blessed with such fearless courage!

Crossing into StomperLand seems to have renewed the enemies' resolve to sweep us away.

Another large host of Stomper troops stormed out of their lands and have reclaimed Four Ranges Hill forcing us to retreat and dig in on the other hills we have claimed.

The front seems to have calmed down. I'm in no rush to attack yet as I want to have my new tech fighters as a secondary wave. This will take time but the Stompers seem to be plotting something themselves, possibly rebuilding too.

We charged them today!

The veterans engaged Four Ranges Hill backed up with the green but eager superior teched new arrivals. Initial volleys have proved very effective against the dug in defenders.

I have sent the remnants of the northern attack group in a flanking NW move to try and relieve some of the pressure on Cameleons.

Since I have more high tech reserves on the way I think the Stompers are in for a hard time!

The attack is going well and we have managed to clear most of Four Ranges Hill.

Lead units have started firing on Gateway Hill as well. If this momentum keeps up then we can take these hills!

The past week has seen some frantic action!

The Stompers put up some heavy resistance but the new generation assault titans have done their job and Four Ranges Hill is now finally ours.

I don't want to pause for a moment and have ordered the immediate taking of Gateway Hill. We have a foothold there but more enemy units continue to pour from StomperLand.

I have asked Cameleons to support my assault but Zildjian has executed an assault of his own and will no doubt tie up my ally's troops.

This Zildjian is proving a most capable opponent! Patrol scouts discovered a pocket of his forces behind our rear echelon, no doubt wanting to execute a coup de gras. He was joined by Dark Angels factory titans but in their newly gated shieldless state they were quickly dispatched by the reserve group I have sent in after the scout.

StomperLand has been breached again and their factory titans are within range.

Gateway Hill remains contested and is proving difficult to take without Cameleons' help. However, a second wave is being lined up to move between the hills and make its way into StomperLand with the purpose of ripping into enemy factory titans.

Zildjian's surprise attack has been all but crushed so the reserve group will reinforce the hills.

Finally we can start pushing towards the suspected Stomper HQ mount positions.

Wolf Class

Uses: Standard battle unit

Shielding: Medium

Weapons: Medium

Status: Current

Peace!

Politics are a fickle business. Randwulf has been replaced by Eothan son of Harald my former commander no less!

I double checked with the council and they confirm this set of events.

We have now allied our clan with the ruthless Genesis alliance.

For this I am glad for if there is anything I have learnt in the Stomper war it is that there is safety in numbers.

I have been ordered to stop firing on the Stompers with immediate effect and to fire on Sidhe who is attacking factory titans of our new allies.

For once I outnumber the new enemy so I foresee no problems in his extermination.

I'm frustrated with the enforced peace because my troops have worked hard these last months but news reached me that the Stompers were seriously threatening WolfHolme before the peace so on the whole, I suppose, it is good for our clan.

Another restraining comms message came in today ordering the hunt for Sidhe to be stopped as he has allied himself with the Stompers. We have acquitted ourselves in this scuffle as we can claim many enemy losses for not a single loss of our own. The crews of our titans are beginning to reap the benefits of experience.

We'll be allowed a few days rest before having to relocate west and begin another staging area on the far side of StomperLand.

Enemies of Genesis can be reached from that base of operations. I'm awaiting a list from Eothan of who those enemies are but, considering the history of our battle group, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.

Growler Class

Uses: Mobile artillery

Shielding: Light

Weapons: Heavy

Status: Retired. New prototypes in development

The staging area is now established and I'm told higher tech factory titans will be with us over the next few days. The rest of AGE continue to gate westwards.

Peace never lasts long in this world!

Our lead scout at the new staging area was attacked by Maverick and Tantalus forces this afternoon. I have already dispatched units to punish them for this action.

Another scout south of Staging Area 2 was fired upon by ORZ titans. The remainder of AGE who are too slow to gate to the new staging area will advance on them. That will be a test of ORZ technology versus Wolfshield experience!

The new factory titans have arrived.

Mavericks and Tantalus have been engaged. Their lower tech titans are starting to fold under the fire they are sustaining.

I'm attempting to send flanking units around to their south. With luck I may catch a HQ or two!

Although a good training exercise for the troops the gate that Mavericks and Tantalus were protecting has powered down. I have sued for peace and, unsurprisingly, got it.

We have sustained no casualties but have inflicted many. The troops are in a buoyant mood!

Prowler Class

Uses: Intel on heavily fortified enemy positions

Shielding: Heavy

Weapons: None

Status: Current

ORZ is reinforcing his position so I have decided to rejoin AGE by executing a pincer movement. I will tie up his forces with the older AGE units and quickly manufactured light designs from the old staging area then hit his rear with the newer staging area 3 troops. He should crumble quicker than a Mapmaker titan taking fire!

While trying to close the distance to ORZ the main AGE group encountered a mortal enemy of Genesis, Clan Righteous.

ORZ will have to wait for his destruction as Righteous has become my priority. I'll try flanking him from as many sides as I can manage.

Righteous has been surrounded by Genesis forces and his destruction is assured.

The ORZ battle group has been strengthened by some higher tech factory titans in case he tries to break out through the weaker force.

Righteous was quickly overwhelmed and the pincer move was continued.

Today we linked up with the remaining parts of AGE in the east.

ORZ is hopelessly outgunned and this looks like another encounter where no titans will be lost.

Guard Class

Uses: Defensive protection for targets of strategic importance

Shielding: Medium Heavy

Weapons: Medium Heavy

Status: Current

ORZ, seeing he has no chance, has destructed his breeders and his remaining fighters will be no more by dawn tomorrow.

With one enemy disposed of, another has taken its place. By now the men and I are getting used to it. This time it is Clan Mercenary. Intel report them to be supposedly neutral but spies in their camp believe them to be neutral so long as no one is attacking them. The moment that happens they are said to seek the nearest alliance and join them to fight their enemies so that they will not have to face even odds.

Regardless, I will punish him for this unprovoked attack on my forces.

Mercenary lead units are being decimated so I've used this diversion to slip through a mobile force that should have a straight run in onto his HQ mount.

I will hold back on the southern hills with the other units to further draw him away while the northern units will start to flank around him to go factory titan killing.

There's one potential problem that could seriously affect the plan which is the presence of Genesis enemies that our allies tell us are working in league with Mercenary to the south east. They are already firing on my northern most units but the number of them is too small to be of any consequence.

That potential problem has become a reality.

Mercenary confirms once again that our intel is reliable.

He has integrated his troops amongst the Genesis enemies and they have been pouring more troops into the area.

I'm not sure we'll be able to deal with this many so will aim to wheel around them to their north whilst the rest of my allies slow them to my south.

Factory titans are on route.

This has the makings of an epic battle!

Events are starting to go against AGE.

More unprovoked attacks last night. Clan Semprini opened up on the northern battlegroup whilst they slept. With shields down the incoming rounds caused a lot of damage. Even worse is Semprini's strategic position and numbers which puts the whole northern battle group in danger of being enveloped.

I've ordered the factory titans to retreat to the nearest high ground as they are one day away from coming under the guns of Semprini.

Intel had rated them as an "honourable" clan but have had to downgrade their appraisal to "opportunistic".

The final hammer blow is that the Genesis allies have offered no assistance in the battle and reports are coming in that their mechs have been left pilotless on the battlefield.

I have dispatched messengers and scouts to put an end to this foundless rumour.

We are in full retreat for the first time in the history of AGE!

Mercenary has many friends and our clan now has many less.

Catalyst has left Genesis and flown off world to settle more peaceful planets.

Superior and Kalorn Knights command bunkers lie empty and their titans disused. Their forces have been this way for 4 days now and there is talk that they will join Catalyst off world

Eldar, our only remaining ally prepares the defence of our homeland while my forces alone stand in the way of our enemies:

Righteous

Virtual Adepts

Templars

Mel Gibson

Bloodguard

Mercenary

Semprini

Two other clans have positioned themselves to the north of our homelands to guard the gates that lead north and west:

Blight

Sparhawk

Our scouts tell us that we can expect hostility from the following clans with some of them already closing in to join the host above:

Gimli

Cameleons

ORZ

Eothan has sent his best wishes but his tone tells me that he realises that the glory days of AGE may finally be over.

No one can stand against those odds.

May the Great She Wolf show us favour and aid our escape!

Seeing the gate clear again he slipped the PDO back into his pocket and boarded a factory titan. As the machine lumbered forward he looked back at the remnants of his once proud army. The celestial technicians had tinkered with the gates again and now the nanos used in weapons interfered with the accelerating mechanism making armed titans unable to jump. With tears welling up in his eyes he could not watch the slaughter any longer and quickly turned away.

It was some moments before he could give the order to accelerate...