The invasion of Megiddo Prime has begun! Planetary assaults have begun in earnest, the forces of Imperium and Chaos dueling it out in the stars above the planet while contrails of landing craft and assault boats litter the skies above the stark white world. The atmosphere above Megiddo Prime is now a graveyard of ruined ships and asteroids, the Explorator Fleet no match for the Chaos cruisers that prowl the space lanes. Space Marine Battlebarges still duel with their twisted brethren, lending even more wreckage to the growing flotsam in orbit, many plummeting into the atmosphere, to burn up as if falling stars. The war on the surface rages on as well, the snowy plains shaking under the tramp of feet and the rumble of tanks. The Virgrid Plains, and the remains of Hive Artemis, are even now under siege. Forces of the Night Lords, World Eaters and more Traitor Marines have landed in force. The World Eaters, under a daring Deathclaw night assault, overran regiments of the 46th Valhallan IG and have gained possession of McCready Airfield. Using the only operational airfield, the Blood God's warriors are now in position to threaten the flanks of the beleaguered Ultramarines to the north.

Meanwhile under a coordinated battleplan, forces of the demon prince Slaneesh, the Angels of Rapture, overwhelmed a garrison of Blood Angel Marines as they sought to fortify the ruined Ironfist Marine Bastion squatting the shadow of Hoarfrost Ridge. Elements of the Night Lords, again under the cover of darkness, seized Hoarfrost Ridge itself, bringing online the massive ordinance batteries bastioned there. Soon enough the guns were trained on the Imperial forces to the south and the night skies were lit up with massive bombardments. The forces of the Imperium have been forced to dig in as their positions continue to be shelled by the massive weapons of Hoarfrost Ridge. Commanders even now are organizing commando teams to lead a coordinated land & airborne assault to retake the Ridge. Regiments of the 304th Cadian Rough Raiders, Chausers Chosen, under the command of Commissar Alexander (The Hammer) Micah are gathering for an all-out cavalry assault on the entrenched Traitor Legions even as swarms of Valkeries make ready to assault the peaks. The war for the Imperium grinds on into its third month now, the reclamation of Megiddo Prime now an afterthought in the face of the Traitor Legions assault. Companies of Ultramarines, Blood Ravens and Blood Angels are now reverting to Thunder Hawk assaults and hit & run tactics against the Traitor Legions, as the tide of Chaos grows larger. Imperial Guard regiments, including the Valhallan 46th, have seized several Morpheus factories complexes and drilling platforms, as well as curing the listening arrays of the Emperor's Peak. Using the massive auspex arrays there the Imperial commanders now have a much better picture of the traitor forces. Most of the Chaos forces have massed to the north of Artemis Hive where they are even now fortifying their hold on Hoarfrost Ridge. 

While the surprise attack of the World Eaters took them by surprise, the IG was quick to respond. A company of Leman Russ, under the command of Captain Orpheus “The Fury” Bane, has been dispatched to McCready Airfield with orders to root out the World Eaters and retake the airbase. Day in and day out now, their ground forces are being pounded by a constant bombardment from Hoarfrost Ridge and the battle plan to retake the airfields now hinges heavily on the Loyalists retaking the gun emplacements from the Traitor Legions. The forces of Chaos seem motivated, ready to sell their lives dearly. What is driving this fervor is only speculation at this time… Disturbing reports have begun trickling in from the fringes as well. Reports of slain patrols, ruined settlements and atrocities committed upon settlers are reaching the ears of the Imperial commanders. 

Short on manpower Lord Marshal Londras Cantrell, leader of the Explorator forces, has placed the Adeptus Arbites patrols on high alert, the grim judges tasked with finding the source of these attacks and hunting down the perpetrators. The black armored forces have taken to the streets, martial law in effect and the Arbitrators dispensing summary justice upon the streets of the temporary Hab Blocks. As the first year of the war for Megiddo Prime comes to an end, the forces of Chaos seem to have the upper hand as they stretch the forces of the Space Marines to the limit. Imperial Guard regiments continue to fight the bulk of the traitor armies, the mutants, and renegade guardsmen. In space, the depleted forces of both the Imperium and Traitor Legions have come under attack from unknown forces, the pirates playing a game of hit and run, using the asteroids to mask their approach. And the war grinds on......