Battle for Guttar Refinery part1

OPERATON SCIMITAR- The Kharkovian 8th Guards regiment continued to push on the Guttar hab block against increasing resistance from Stygian forces.  With the capture of the forward air base a battalion broke off on a secondary rive aimed at the Guttar refinery in an effort to starve the Stygian war machines of fuel and prevent reinforcements from reaching the Guttar hab zone from the north west.  Major Brusev led the drive and quickly reached the refinery.  As his forward battle group awaited on the outskirts, Major Brusev ordered two units of accompanying skittarii to scout forward.

Warpsmith Colseth watched the skittarii moving forwards.  His small garrison was vastly outnumbered according to the latest intel.  The Imperial offensive was at the refinery now and it would still be another three days before reserves could be brought forward to turn it back.  Still his duty was clear, resist and bleed the Imperials, with that in mind he ordered his forces to engage.  One group of militia moved up and with other militia on the Stygian left flank took the advancing skittarii under fire.  A hail of fire rained down on the skittarii by the pipeline.  Three skittarii fell never to get back up while the remaining two stood firm.

Also on the left flank the forgefiend spotted an Imperial tank lumbering into position.  The forgefiend brought it's twin rotary cannons to bear and unleashed a hail of fire.  Round after round slammed through the frontal armor killing the tanks crew and setting the vehicle ablaze.

The Defiler and a Helbrute with lascannon took aim at the Vanquisher tank.  Both fired with a heavy shell engulfing the tank scratching the paint and failing to penetrate while the lascannon hit a multi melta sponson and blew it off the tank completely.

The other two helbrutes targeted major Brusev's chimera.  Superheated energy from a plasma cannon lanced out through the refinery to slam into the tracks blowing them off while autocannon shells rained into the front hull.  Brusev gave quiet thanks to the emperor that the shells failed to punch through.

Special thanks goes out to Chris Edstrom (pictured below) for all his help and his choice to play the side of chaos this go round.