Defense of Ryza

Ryza

When the Warmaster declared his treachery, Ryza was one of the first targets that the eye of Horus was set upon. A powerful and well-protected forge world in Ultima Segmentum, Ryza was a cornerstone of the Imperium’s defence in that region. The armies of Ryza were a significant threat – unless it fell, they could harry the traitors’ flanks when the march on Terra began. 

Kelbor Hal, the Dark Mechanicum’s Fabricator-General, had his own reasons for wanting to seize Ryza. The planet’s Tech-Priests were famed for their knowledge of plasma, used to power weapons and engines alike. Combined with the daemonic lore of the Dark Mechanicum, such expertise could be used to create fearsome weapons for the assault on the Throneworld.

The Attackers

The book details the Titan Legions and Knight Houses that marched alongside the vast Dark Mechanicum army raised to capture Ryza. Three Titan Legions – Legio Magna (Flaming Skulls), Legio Vulturum (Gore Crows), and Legio Mortis (Death’s Heads) – and Knight Houses Morbidia, Ioeden, and Oroborn are explored.

The Defenders

The Tech-Priests of Ryza had long expected an all-out assault, and their defences were formidable. You’ll find out about the mighty Legio Crucius (Warmongers), Legio Honorum (Death Bolts), and Legio Osedax (The Cockatrices), alongside Knight Houses Taranis, Zavora, and Sidus.

Ryza Secundus

The narrative starts not on Ryza itself, but on the orbital station of Ryza Secundus, which bore the brunt of the first assault – indeed, it had been created to do so. You’ll read about a stealth assault from the void that devastated Ryza’s small defence fleet, allowing traitor forces to swarm the station. Brutal battles between Imperial and Traitor Knights follow, with House Vornherr holding out for as long as they could before eventually falling. 

Treachery!

When communications from Ryza Secundus ceased, those on the planet below knew they would be next – but their defences were proof against any assault… or so they thought. You’ll find out how Horus had long prepared for this attack, seeding agents of discord into Ryza’s populace among fleeing refugees who rise up, giving the Warmaster’s forces a chance to strike, seizing a spaceport, and opening the door to Ryza.

Total War

The battles that followed are exhaustively detailed. You’ll discover how both sides won glory and committed terrible deeds as the Tech-Priests of Ryza opened their war vaults and used weapons of indescribable horror, while the Dark Mechanicum unleashed their daemonically-enhanced engines. 

Some of the fiercest battles on Ryza were fought between the Titan Legions, neither side willing to give any quarter whether they fought in the name of the Emperor or Warmaster. Alongside the detailed descriptions of these clashes, you’ll find narrative missions that let you recreate them. From the last stand of Legio Crucius Princeps Ultima Hendril to the battle to retake the spaceport, these scenarios will give you a taste of the desperate struggle for Ryza.