Legio Astraman - Notable Campaigns: Battle of Beta-Garmon, "The Titandeath" (006-013.M31) - The Legio Astraman took part in the long and savage Beta-Garmon campaign, which included hundreds of war zones across dozens of worlds. During this conflict, the Legio Astraman was supported by the Knights of House Moritain. Even before the greater armies of the Warmaster Horus reached the star cluster, the battle lines had long since been drawn, and fighting had been going on for many Terran years. It was a cauldron of battle that would consume millions of lives before its end and see the demise of entire Titan Legions, earning this campaign the dire moniker of the "Titandeath." The Beta-Garmon Cluster, also known as the gateway to the Throneworld of Terra, was the last hurdle that the Warmaster Horus' forces had to overcome before they reached the Imperium's capital world. Heavily fortified by the Loyalists, Beta-Garmon would become one of the greatest and bloodiest battles of the Horus Heresy, as well as one of the longest-lasting.Cataclysm of Iron (010-015.M31) - Across border sectors of the Segmentum Tempestus and the Segmentum Pacificus are located numerous lesser Forge Worlds known collectively as the "Belt of Iron." Since the sundering of the Imperium, many declared for the Traitor cause at the engineering of the fabricator-general of Mars, while others remained loyal to Terra or sought to remain as aloof as possible from the conflict. Strife and tentative conflict between these once-aligned worlds erupted into full-scale war in 010.M31, pitching the Mars-aligned Forge Worlds of Incunabula, Urdesh, Valia-Maximal and Kalibrax against the forces of the Loyalist worlds of Graia, Arl'yeth and Atar-Median, while Arachnis and Jerulas Station both fell into civil war. The resulting conflict, later known as the "Cataclysm of Iron," saw the forge lords, their armies and allied Titan Legions and Knight houses turn on each other in protracted warfare, with scores of Human-inhabited worlds in the region suffering as they became the battlegrounds upon which they fought.Battle of Pioro III (010.M31) - By 010.M31, all communication with Jerulas Station had ceased, while the Forge Empire of Arachnus closed its borders as its people argued amongst themselves, unable to decide if they should aid the Imperium or forge their own path. Upon Pioro III, 14 Titans were felled as the clashes between the Legio Laniaskara and Legio Astraman escalated. Of the millions caught in the crossfire, few survived.Invasion of Ny'Drinah (302.010.M31-552.010.M31) - Navigation records extracted from the databanks of the Paradonal fleet anchorage, located within the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector, note that Warp disturbances, suggesting the movement of a significant number of vessels heading towards the system, were detected 17 solar standard days after Atar-Median first entered the Findari Spoil. Mere solar hours later, several hundred vessels, bearing the livery of both Urdesh and Kalibrax, emerged from the Warp within the Paradonal'ny System, obliterating its defence stations with minimal losses and laying claim to the fleet anchorage. Acting upon preordained strategies, the Traitor Forge Worlds moved to lay claim to the valuable worlds of the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector. The subsequent conquest of the sub-sector proved swift. Having secured a base of operations through their capture of the Paradonal'ny System, the Traitor fleet moved to seize their secondary targets. The core of the Traitor force consisted of Titans drawn from both the Legio Damicium and Legio Kulisaetai, of which varying strength estimates place as between 25 and 70 Traitor god-engines committed to the conquest and whose considerable might far outstripped the defenders scattered across the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector. This timing was no doubt meant to exploit laws which ensured that only a token force from each petitioning Forge World was allowed entry to the sub-sector, lest accusations of external pressure influencing the negotiations be levied against the process. In accordance with such an edict, less than a decad of Loyalist Titans, consisting of a mixture of Legio Atarus, Legio Venator and Legio Astraman god-engines, stood within the sub-sector when the Traitors began their invasion and represented the sole force capable of besting an assault led by a Titan Legion. Facing a Traitor force capable of assaulting several worlds at once, the Loyalist Titans were quick to accept the inability of their numbers to defend the entire sub-sector and redeployed to the Xiloci'ny System, mustering to defend the sub-sector's capital world and await relief from allies further afield.Conquest of Xiloci II (O10.M31) - In the solar weeks following the fall of the Paradonal'ny System, the Traitors secured their hold upon the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector, seizing control of four further systems before attempting to conquer the Hive World of Xiloci II. Here, the Traitor advance stalled, their Titan Legions contested by the considerable defenses of the hive cities and the valiant retaliation of the vastly outnumbered Loyalist Titans. In an effort to break the developing stalemate, those worlds captured by the Traitors were turned towards fuelling the conquest of Xiloci II. By 552.010.M31, only the Xiloci'ny and Uridoci'ny Systems remained defiant in the face of invasion, with their worlds dispatching frequent calls for aid.Turning Point (874.010.M31) - The main Loyalist force, dispatched from Graia with two demi-legios of Legio Astraman god-engines and commanded by Magos Dominus Xixos, chose the Uridoci'ny System as their first target. On Uridoci VI, a mining world reliant upon the exploitation of phosphorite deposits, a solar month-long conflict between the Legio Astraman and Legio Kulisaetai brought the world's industry to ruin, with eight Titans felled, and 13 others requiring extensive repair. The final blow for the Traitors came upon the Agri-world of Uridoci III. Against the small garrison of Gatekeeper Titans, Graia sent a score of Morning Stars in a show of overwhelming strength designed more as a symbolic gesture than a tactical necessity. In an act of spiteful retaliation, the Impalers refused to meet the Loyalists in open battle, instead detonating hundreds of nuclear warheads across the surface resulting in a radical change in the planet's atmosphere and the death of the world's entire population. This act proved tailored to demoralise the resistance of those still loyal to the Emperor across the Belt of Iron, with the death of Uridoci III broadcast across the region as a warning to any who stood against the Warmaster Horus.Relief of Xiloci II (924.010.M31)  - The main objective of the Loyalist force was the seizure of Xiloci II, reasoning that, by securing the sub-sector's capital, they would rob the Traitors of the ability to secure victory within the region. To this end, three detachments of Legio Astraman Titans, numbering a total of 25 god-engines, landed upon Xiloci II within landing zones secured by Loyalists already embedded upon the surface. In response, the Traitors moved their forces to secure their siege lines, creating reinforced fortifications around unconquered hive cities. In doing so, the Traitors sacrificed their momentum, forming isolated pockets of resistance which the Loyalists could attack at their leisure. Capitalising on this, the Legio Astraman led a campaign of methodical conquest, forming three prongs that assailed hive cities in close proximity to prevent the Traitor positions from reinforcing one another. The resulting conquest recorded only minimal losses for the Legio Astraman, with the Morning Stars relying upon maniples consisting largely of Reavers and Warlords capable of engaging the strongest elements of the Legio Kulisaetai and pushing through to break open Traitor lines. After three solar months of protracted warfare, the Traitors were ousted from much of Xiloci II, with their ground forces holding only a handful of hive cities after Kalibrax had evacuated the surviving elements of the Legio Kulisaetai. The last resistance to Loyalist control was quashed after a determined assault upon the hive city of Tartunrus Spyre which Xixos himself took part in, directly commanding the conflict from within the Morning Stars Warlord Titan Grace of Wrath. Unwilling to expend time and lives upon another siege, the fate of Tartunrus Spyre was sealed when the guns of the Legio Astraman were turned upon the mountain around which the city was constructed, burying it beneath an avalanche of stone. Once dominion over Xiloci II was secured, the Knights of House Col'Khak were tasked with rooting out any remaining resistance while Xixos committed his forces to regaining control of the remaining worlds within the Xiloci'ny System and beyond.Siege of Graia (441.011-642.013.M31) - The conflict across the Belt of Iron was not confined to the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector during the opening years, and in the eastern area of the region the sporadic conflict between Graia and Valia-Maximal had escalated into all-out war. The advantage lay firmly with Valia-Maximal, for a significant portion of Graia's forces were committed both to the conquest of the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector and the escalating conflict within the Beta-Garmon System. The role Graia played in the conquest of Valia-Maximal during the Great Crusade is well recorded, as are the numerous denied petitions by Valia-Maximal demanding reparations for the damage the Morning Stars inflicted upon their world. In a desire to claim vengeance for such losses, Valia-Maximal unleashed its forces upon three star systems neighbouring Graia, conquering them in swift succession and denying the Loyalists access to several well-developed, industrial worlds that aided the production of additional Morning Stars god-engines. In response, Graia swiftly dispatched maniples to the three systems while also recalling much of their forces committed elsewhere in the galaxy, forcing their allies to finish the conquest of the Ny'Drinah Sub-Sector. However, unknown to the Loyalists, the Traitors made their true intentions known when they moved upon Graia itself. Though devoid of much of its fleet and Titan Legion, Graia was not left defenceless, with its network of orbital defences capable of leveraging considerable firepower against the invading fleet. To counter this, Valia-Maximal had refitted several of its battleships with heavily modified Nova Cannon intended to outrange Graia's orbital stations. As the battle raged in orbit, a strike force of Legio Laniaskara Titans was unleashed upon the Forge World itself, securing a wide swathe of forge-fanes before an efficient defence could be mustered. Attempts to land additional ground forces proved unworkable, with some reports suggesting movement amongst the network of space stations, despite no record of their capability to do so, in direct counter to Traitor fleet movements. In time, the Traitor fleet retreated from the Graia System, leaving over 30 Legio Laniaskara Titans deployed upon the Forge World that engaged in a sustained campaign of destruction across the surface of Graia.Protectorate of Unsubdued Steel (584.011.M31) - Those split between loyalty to the Emperor and the Warmaster were not the sole combatants during the Cataclysm of Iron. Across the galaxy all manner of lost, destitute and abandoned souls looked for new purpose, with many choosing to forgo swearing allegiance to any but themselves. Within the Belt of Iron, the Forge World of Arl'yeth became a target for one such  opportunistic force after many of the Legio Astraman Titans left to defend the world were recalled in response to the invasion of Graia. Soon after, Arl'yeth was amongst the first to feel the tread of Titans sworn to a rising Forge Empire known as the "Protectorate of Unsubdued Steel." Thirteen Titans, bearing the defaced livery of seven different Titan Legions, including the Legio Astorum and Legio Damnatus, landed upon Arl'yeth, demanding the planet's subservience and threatening conquest if refused. Though Arl'yeth proved steadfast in its defiance, the world itself was guarded by ill-experienced battalions of Mechanicum Taghmata supported by three Legio Astraman god-engines. Six solar hours after battle was joined, the final Morning Stars Titan fell to the guns of the invading engines and Arl'yeth surrendered, joining over a dozen other worlds that had previously been incorporated within the Protectorate. In the solar months following the fall of Arl'yeth, multiple encounters with Titans associated with the fledgling Forge Empire were reported, many of which are noted to have quickly escalated into violence as the Protectorate sought to expand their domain.Battle of Paradonal'ny (012.M31) - The Loyalists assailed the Paradonal'ny System, committing 50 Titans, of both the Legio Atarus and Legio Venator, to besiege the Traitors entrenched around the orbital elevator upon Paradonal I linked to the fleet anchorage in orbit. The subsequent siege, which saw 18 Titans fall, ended when the Traitors turned their guns upon the orbital tether itself, severing the link between the fleet anchorage and the planet. The resulting debris fell upon the Traitors' position, claiming the life of Magos Dominus Xixos and nine Loyalist Titans along with the few remaining Traitor Titans while causing catastrophic damage to the planet's biosphere. This final act of spite, committed as the remaining Traitors withdrew, left the Loyalists in control of a ravaged sub-sector, its industry and populace severely reduced when compared to its pre-invasion status; censuses taken two solar decades after the invasion of the sub-sector report a 64% decrease in population, and 76% decrease in industrial output, relative to the numbers recorded before the Horus Heresy began. Though no longer capable of supplying the Loyalist Forge Worlds as it once had, the sub-sector still proved strategically viable, not least because it awarded the Loyalists a stronghold from which they could assault the Traitor Forge Worlds directly. Importantly, victory within the sub-sector also served to shore up the morale of the Loyalist forces, prompting many across the Belt of Iron whose allegiance had previously been undetermined to announce their support for the Emperor, undermining the Traitors' attempts to find new allies.Battle of Nariindi (012.M31) - Throughout the Cataclysm of Iron, the vital Agri-world of Nariindi, one of the principal suppliers of food to the Forge World of Graia, was plagued by widespread rebellion. This resulted in several maniples of Legio Astraman Titans being deployed to placate the world. Contact was lost in 012.M31, and it was only upon the rediscovery of the some of the hollowed-out shells of Legio Astraman Titans upon the abandoned Forge World of Valia-Maximal two standard years later that their fate became known.Censure of Urdesh (149.012.M31-856.012.M31) - The fall of the Ny'Drinah Sub-sector secured a nexus of industry that, though severely damaged, proved sufficient enough to facilitate the rapid refitting of the Loyalist Titan Legions in preparation for the next stage of conquest. Although numerous conflicts raged across the Belt of Iron, the Loyalists set their sights upon the Traitor-held Forge Worlds of Urdesh and Arachnus. The assault upon Urdesh was not solely motivated by the desire to punish the Traitors, for messages from Terra itself had reached Graia calling for the censure of the planet for its efforts in ferrying supplies to the Segmentum Solar. The force dispatched by Graia in answer to these calls included over 40 Morning Stars god-engines and 60 Knights of House Moritain within their number, yet those upon Terra dared not risk the failure of such an important mission. To this end, assistance was sent both in the form of martial strength, with Terra dispatching an octad of Legio Ignatum god-engines, redeployed from the outer sphere of defences across the Segmentum Solar, to Urdesh and relating broadcast codes, gathered by agents of Malcador the Sigillite scattered throughout the galaxy, that masked the Loyalist approach as a fleet under service to the Warmaster rather than sworn to Graia. Such duplicity proved worthwhile for the arrival of Graia's fleet caused no alarm upon Urdesh, its people celebrating the apparent arrival of allies to help in the conquest of the region. En masse, the Loyalist landing craft descended upon the world, directed to landing zones across the surface of the Forge World. Having inadvertently invited their foe onto their world, the ruling caste of Urdesh gathered to greet the representatives of the Warmaster, flanked by a token guard drawn from the Legio Damicium. Their attempts at hospitality were met with death, Morning Stars Titans standing proud before the Traitors as the landing vessel ramps lowered and, with a single devastating salvo, eradicated the upper echelons of Udresh's leadership. Across the Forge World, similar scenes played out and in quick succession a series of landing zones had been secured by the Loyalists, allowing further reinforcements to be ferried to the surface. The complete subjugation of Urdesh proved far more troublesome.Onwards: Silence Amongst the Stars (211.013-461.014.M31) - The siege of Arachnus, fall of Urdesh and blockade of Kalibrax all but brought an end to the Traitor threat within the Segmentum Pacificus region of the Belt of Iron. The Belt of Iron was not free of war, however, for Graia remained locked in seemingly endless war against Valia-Maximal. The Loyalist Forge World had suffered greatly at the hands of the Traitors as Legio Laniaskara Titans still walked the surface of Graia while others of their ilk brought death down upon the world they had sworn to protect. The Loyalists faced a methodical campaign of attrition orchestrated by Magos Dominus-Alpha Hieroneyum that sought to disperse the strength of Graia through a series of feints and rapid assaults. It was only with the death of Hieroneyum upon the industrial world of Nalindeer that the tide of war turned, the traitorous magos killed when a trio of Morning Stars Warhound Titan, bearing the names Forge Beast, Faithful Sire and Venator Ultima, sacrificed themselves to destroy the Ordinatus Valia within which he rode to war.Imperial Muster at Beta-Garmon (012-013.M31) - For reasons only understood later in the war, the Ruinstorm that had been invoked by Lorgar, primarch of the Word Bearers, several standard years earlier during the Battle of Calth, began to abate across vast swathes of the galaxy. Loyalist high commanders were able to utilise the potent astropathic relay at Beta-Garmon to contact and recall formerly lost or stranded forces from across the war-torn reaches of the northern Imperium. The Imperial Muster at Beta-Garmon rapidly escalated into the largest gathering of Loyalist might since the early years of the war, a concentration of forces so mighty that the Traitors had to respond in kind. The resulting clash of arms would become known as the Great Slaughter, a theatre of war of such scale that it would encompass the "Titandeath" and the Sea of Fire campaigns, each major campaigns in their own right. By its end, both sides were so badly bled that their only remaining option for ultimate victory was to force a final, decisive confrontation. As history related, the final battle would be fought at Terra, but only after the weighty butcher's bill of the Great Slaughter was paid in full.Reconquest of the Forsarr Sector (999.M41) - Three standard years after the fall of the sector's vital Hive World capital of Forsarr in the Segmentum Tempestus, the Administratum finally recognised the true threat posed by WAAAGH! Garaghak. The Aurora Chapter joined a powerful coalition with their brethren of the Revilers and the Death Eagles as well as a demi-legio of Titans of the Legio Astraman and several regiments of Astra Militarum and Ecclesiarchal troops. They took the fight to the Orks and reclaimed the Forsarr Sector for the Emperor. It is unknown if the fact that the Raven Guard's homeworld of Deliverance is also located in the Forsarr Sector prompted this deployment.