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Battle of Raukos

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Battle of Raukos
Conflict Indomitus Crusade
Date ~12.M42[2]
Location Pit of Raukos
Outcome Imperial victory
Combatants
Imperium Forces of Chaos
Commanders
Roboute Guilliman
Tribune Maldovar Colquan
Unknown
Strength
Ultramarines
Aurora Chapter
Silver Skulls
Unnumbered Sons
Imperial Guard
7 Imperial Navy Battlegroups
3 Sisters of Battle convents
Skitarii
Legio Metalica
Sisters of Silence
5 Custodes
Word Bearers
Black Legion
Iron Warriors
Lords of Pain
Cultists
At least 4 Grand Cruisers
Casualties
Unknown Almost all destroyed

The Battle of Raukos was one of the important battles of the Indomitus Crusade.[1]

Overview

Spoiler!
This page contains spoilers for: Dark Imperium (Novel)

The battle was one of many waged by Roboute Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade as it attempted to counter the advances made by Chaos after the formation of the Great Rift. In this case, Guilliman hoped to eliminate the Chaos forces around the strategically important Pit of Raukos. It was one of the most important battles of the Indomitus Crusade, waged as Chaos forces were already reeling from Guilliman's campaigns.[1]

Commanding his vast host from the refitted Macragge's Honour, Guilliman sought to corner, out-maneuver, and annihilate the besieged traitor fleet above the Pit of Raukos. To prevent the Chaos Space Marine fleet from summoning Daemonic reinforcements, Sisters of Silence null-ships were deployed to jam their access to the Warp. Guilliman's next act was to send Space Marine vessels past the Chaos lines to deliver their troops on 108/Beta-Kalapus-9.2.[1]

As the troops were being deployed to the planet below, Guilliman's fleet kept the Chaos vessels occupied. The Imperials were not only better led, they outnumbered the Chaos fleet and were in better physical condition. Guilliman ultimately made short work of the Chaos vessels before moving onto the orbiting Word Bearers Temple. With the combined power of the Imperial fleet, the station was quickly destroyed.[1]

Meanwhile on 108/Beta-Kalapus-9.2, the orbital assault was being led by Primaris Space Marines drawn from the Unnumbered Sons. They were not alone in the first wave, accompanied by regular Space Marines from the Silver Skulls. The Marines landed on a fortress-complex manned by the Iron Warriors. The first troops to hit the planet's surface were Primaris Inceptor Squads dropped from orbit. They moved onto the roofs of the Iron Warriors' fortresses to neutralize their anti-aircraft batteries, allowing for waves of drop ships to arrive in their wake. Heavy vehicles such as Repulsors were delivered as well as Titans from the Legio Metalica. This quickly overwhelmed the traitor forces, and the fortress ultimately fell 5 hours after the elimination of its air defenses.[1]

In the aftermath of the victory on Raukos, Guilliman decided to disperse the Unnumbered Sons[2] with a Triumph much like the Emperor had done at Ullanor. At the ceremony, 20,000 Primaris Space Marines, 40,000 Firstborn Space Marines, 3 Sisters of Battle convents, Skitarii, Titans, Knights, Custodes, Sisters of Silence, and two million men and women of the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy were present. Guilliman announced his decision to disperse the Unnumbered Sons throughout the Imperium and that he was going to Ultramar to face his brother Mortarion.[1]

Notes on Chronology

Originally as outlined in the Dark Imperium novel series, the Indomitus Crusade lasted roughly 100 years and ended with the Plague Wars. However in 2021 Black Library retconned the events of the novels to take place only 12 years after the Crusade had begun with no end-date set. The Battle of Raukos now marks the end of the first phase of the Crusade, when Guilliman broke up the Unnumbered Sons.[18]

Sources