Battlegroup 86
Battlegroup 86 is a combined force of under strength units operating in the Eridani sector. A Battlegroup in name only, in terms of strength it is little more than a task force. It includes:
- Cadian 177th Mechanised
- Cadian 53rd Armoured
- 3030th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing
- A lance of Imperial Knights of House Ulfir
Background
Battlegroup 86 was formed in the aftermath of the 13th Black Crusade and the Fall of Cadia. House Ulfir had sent a Lance of Knights to aid Cadia, led by High Justice Baron Rúna Vestrfjall. House Ulfir assisted the general evacuation of the planet, filling the space left open by their fallen Knights with as many of the men and vehicles of the Cadians they had fought alongside as they could and fleeing onto whatever transports were available, their own ship missing in action.
The disorganised retreat through the dire warp storms unleashed by the fall of Cadia, left the rag tag group in the neighbouring Segmentum Pacificus. Lacking any specific orders, the group transmitted its survival and location to Sector command and with no better destination in mind, headed back to the Eridani sector and Skogheim, homeworld of House Ulfir.
Before they could get there, new orders were received. The group was designated Battlegroup 86, under the command of Colonel Stone of the Cadian 177th Mechanised, and ordered to Samalut in the Achernar Sector. An Ork invasion had been blunted by Astartes intervention, but badly needed forces of the Imperial Guard to retake the planet.
House Ulfir is not technically subject to the Departmento Munitorum, and Baron Vestrfjall could have decided not to accompany them, but they were lacking in a ship of their own and she was unwilling to abandon their badly understrength Cadian allies. Therefore the Knights put thoughts of home and recuperation aside and headed to Samalut alongside the Cadians.
The war to retake Samalut was hard fought, but never really in question. Multiple regiments of Imperial Guard formed a defensive line around the major settlements in the west, and pushed the Ork forces back across the deadlands and deserts where the Orks had made planetfall. Occasional missions by Ordo Xenos Deathwatch Kill Teams ensured the Orks never gained a strong leader to unify them after the Astartes of the Blood Angels and Raven Guard had broken them.
Whilst Samalut will probably never be completely free from Orks due to the nature of their spore based reproduction, victory has been declared and dealing with the remaining xenos is considered pest control within the ability of the Samalutian PDF. Battlegroup 86 was partially resupplied, and reinforced with Samalutian volunteers. Baron Vestrfjall’s lance has not been reinforced, but they have been sent their own ship from Skogheim in the neighbouring sector, so they have regained their independence.
Since then, Battlegroup 86 has been routed to the neighbouring Eridani Sector. There they are much needed to support the sector reeling in the wake of the Season of Fire.
Missions
