Changes

The '''Raid on Kastorel-Novem''' was a botched [[Imperial]] attempt to end the [[Waaagh!]] of the [[Ork]] [[Warboss]] [[Garaghak]] in late [[M41]].{{Fn|1}}

In 952.M41 [[Waaagh! Garaghak]] had invaded the [[Forsarr Sector|Kastorel-Novem Sector]] and transformed its capital, [[Kastorel-Novem]], into the Ork base of operations and manufacturing world by enslaving the local population. Garaghak had much bigger ambitions however, and in 988.M41 began assaulting the [[Forsarr Sector]]. Worse still, the Greenskins were backed by heavy weapons, [[Stompa]]s, and [[Gargant]]s due to the mechanical genius of Garaghak's trusted lieutenant, [[Mekboy]] [[Buzzgob]]. Determined to stop Garaghak with a surgical strike on his base of Koastrel-Novem before he could cause anymore damage, the Imperium deployed elements from 4 [[Space Marine Company|companies]] of the [[Raven Guard]] under [[Shadow Captain]] [[Korvydae]] while the [[Departmento Munitorum]] provided the [[181st Elysian Drop Troops Regiment]] of the [[Imperial Guard]].{{Fn|1a}}

The raid began in 992.M41 and intended to both eliminate Mekboy Buzzgob and destroy the Ork fuel deposits on Kastorel-Novem, hopefully seizing the initiative from the Greenskins. The first strike of the battle began when Raven Guard [[Chaplain]] [[Eitath]] launched a [[Drop Pod]] assault on the Ork fuel refineries. Initially only encountering sparse resistance, Eitath's forces were successful in destroying the Greenskin refineries. Meanwhile, the rest of the Imperial forces were waiting for visual confirmation from [[Space Marine Scout|Scouts]] of the location of Buzzgob so the main strike of the operation could begin.{{Fn|1b}}

However Korvydae's noble action had seized the initaitve away from the Imperial forces, and soon Ork [[Stompa]]s had been activated and were assaulting the Elysian and Raven Guard positions. Attempting to evacuate both the Raven Guard and Imperial Guard forces, Korvydae launched a diversionary attack against the Ork Stompa's and [[Deff Dread]]s to try and buy time for the retreat. Succeeding in holding back the Greenskins initially, Korvydae was stranded on the field of battle after his [[Land Raider]] was destroyed by Ork fire before being rescued by [[Thunderhawk]]s. The surviving Elysian troops then withdrew via [[Valkyrie]]s with the remaining Raven Guard. Though they had managed to survive total annihilation, the Imperial Raid had been a failure.{{Fn|1d}}

Roughly 70 Raven Guard and 2,500 Elysian Drop Troops lost their lives in the botched raid, worse still much of the Imperial heavy weaponry could not be evacuated in time and was left behind to be looted by the Orks. Failing to blunt Waaagh! Garaghak, the Forsarr Sector fell to the Greenskins in 996.M41, leaving the Raven Guard's own [[Adeptus Astartes Homeworld|Homeworld]] of [[Deliverance]] vulnerable to the Ork advance. Waaagh! Garaghak has still failed to be blunted and Buzzgob continues to churn out heavy weaponry for the Warboss. For his failures during the raid, Korvydae served two years in the [[Deathwatch]].{{Fn|1e}}

*{{Endn|1}}: [[Imperial Armour Volume Eight - Raid on Kastorel-Novem]] {{Cite this}}

**{{Endn|1a}}: pgs. 7-29