The Chaos Space Marines defending Badab Prime numbered sixty thousand, scattered across nine Ritual Nodes on the planet's surface.
Each Ritual Node had a fortress built around it, where Space Marines, Chaos cultist forces, and mortal slaves gathered as ritual materials. Ninety-nine slaves were sacrificed every minute, every second.
The two strike fleets couldn't provide direct fire support.
First, the planet's surface was covered in layers of Void Shields. Second, apart from personnel, no other attacks could penetrate the atmosphere.
The Burning Falcons launched a direct assault on the Ritual Node near the planet's south pole.
They lost several thousand warriors during their descent before landing inside the fortress and engaging the Chaos defenders in a bloody battle.
The other Chapters' ground companies were also deployed to the remaining Ritual Nodes.
The Ritual Node inside the Palace of Thorns on Badab Prime was too heavily defended. They could only wait until the other Ritual Nodes had been destroyed before gathering their forces to attack it.
As the Alliance's Chapter best at siege warfare, the Iron Guard Chapter had sent all three thousand of its warriors to fight at the Fourth Ritual Node.
Its defenses were second only to those of the Palace of Thorns.
After landing, the Iron Guard were pinned down by the fortress's defensive guns. Shells poured down around them like rain.
The Iron Guard Chapter could only take cover in the valley they'd landed in. They had no way to charge out and assault the fortress.
The Iron Guard's acting Chapter Master, the First Company Captain, roared a demand over the vox channel to the Alliance flagship.
"Where are the Titan Legions and the auxilia who were supposed to help us break through?! Where are they?!"
The command deck of the Judgement Day.
Apart from the Chapter