The Emperor’s Angel of Death

In addition to the command communication equipment, the Ur-Khan-class Rhino command vehicle is also equipped with a silent transmission beacon, which can provide extremely precise coordinate locking for any teleporting troops in a signal-concealed state, making deployment safer. It also has a cracking engine for cracking enemy communications and transmission decoders, and the ability to collect the vital signs data of battle monks through their power armor, which can help commanders of combat troops better understand the status of their battle monks.

Such a complex vehicle naturally requires more specialized personnel to operate. In addition to a servitor driver, each vehicle is equipped with two weapon operation servitors, a data priest, and two company command team members—the command vehicle's chief and deputy tactical officers, responsible for tracking and processing real-time enemy and friendly dynamics on the battlefield and providing data intelligence to frontline commanders. It also needs to be equipped with a Tech-Sergeant to better use the command vehicle's complex equipment.

In other words, a command vehicle requires at least two veterans, one Tech-Sergeant, and one data priest to function fully. The manpower cost is obviously extremely high, but it is all worth it.

Because multiple command vehicles can connect all forward troops, forming a highly unified combat network.

Soyan envies the Eldar seers for this incredibly efficient battlefield command and coordination "device." Since humans don't have this ability, he tries to make the chain of command as tight as possible, striving to cover every combat unit first, which is why he requested the deployment of five Ur-Khan-class Rhino command vehicles on the front lines.

Generally, a chapter might only have one or two of these command vehicles, which incorporate a large amount of advanced communication and data technology, because the large number of cutting-edge precision equipment brings extremely high costs. Although it has almost no combat power itself, its value is twelve times that of a regular Rhino transport vehicle. At the same time, its extremely high value and extremely fragile body make deploying it very risky, and many chapters, especially ship-based chapters, simply cannot afford this cost and risk.

The advantages of an efficient data link quickly became apparent. Tactical squads, broken down into smaller units, were able to detect the enemy's deployment in a timely manner through data connections with the sky's flight formations, and quickly organized a new offensive targeting weak points in the enemy's defenses.

Thunderhawks quickly transported squads from their original positions to the attack area through rapid takeoffs and landings, and quickly formed a company command network. Then, under the cover of armor and low-altitude firepower, they quickly broke through the enemy's defenses, occupied the key node, and cut off the enemy's transportation lines for troops and ammunition. Immediately afterward, infantry squads quickly deployed a large number of automated weapon turrets and sentry armed servitors in the occupied area via drop pods, forming a preliminary defensive stronghold.

After about twenty minutes of deployment, the Thunderhawk detachments were dispatched again, dispersing the concentrated infantry into tactical squads and dropping them deeper into the enemy's rear to key points. They quickly formed new breakthroughs with rapidly mobile ground armor, attacking from points to areas, and nipping the enemy's defensive forces in the bud before they could organize.

After a combined firepower strike by the sky and ground armored assault groups, the enemy's front-line defense system was basically paralyzed.

Only one key enemy material and ammunition storage point was discovered to have nearly thirty Chaos Space Marines, who were organizing defensive forces to counterattack. Because they had very strong alloy underground bunkers, they were not destroyed by the airstrikes, so the vanguard's assault was blocked.

In a critical moment, a Stormbird, under the cover of a Stormtalon, roared in close to the ground, quickly hovering, landing, and steadily stopping behind a small hill to the left of the enemy's stronghold. Ten Deathwing Terminators using plasma weapons emerged from the Stormbird and, with the aid of covering fire, charged into the enemy's stronghold from the side. The tactical squad followed up and quickly wiped out the remaining enemies.

After eliminating the enemy, the Terminator squad commander used the command terminal to summon the airborne Stormbird, and the transport plane immediately descended in altitude, quickly landed, and reloaded the Terminator squad into the cabin.

In another direction, a ground armored assault group composed of Land Speeders and Rhino transport vehicles encountered stubborn resistance from the enemy in a valley, and the attack was blocked. After receiving the data, the command vehicle immediately mobilized nearby Terminator squads to provide support, and at the same time called in two detachments of StormClaws to form a ground strike formation to enter the battlefield and pre-emptively strike the enemy.

During the strike, the Terminators landed behind the enemy's defenses, and the enemy's defenses quickly collapsed and were wiped out in a pincer attack. Before all the enemies were eliminated, the Terminators boarded the transport plane again.

They were required to stay on the ground only during combat, and to remain airborne waiting for instructions at other times, in order to achieve maximum flexible deployment. The Stormbird's long endurance allowed the entire Terminator squad to maintain airborne mobility for 36 hours. There were also two spare Terminator armors and a set of equipment replacement equipment in the cabin, as well as a dozen standby servitors, so that if a Terminator armor in the squad was damaged, parts could be replaced in time or a new armor could be put on directly.

This Stormbird, which is specially equipped to carry Terminators for mobile deployment and even provide maintenance and replacement functions, is also a new tactical concept. Its guiding ideology comes from Soyan's "solve all problems on the battlefield as much as possible." Of course, some people would think that putting a team of Terminators plus two spare armors on a Stormbird is too risky, and the loss would be huge if it occurred.

But this is the role of air supremacy that Soyan emphasizes. As long as you hold air supremacy, you can minimize the risk.

Seeing that the offensive was going smoothly and the warriors were gradually getting a feel for this more efficient new joint operations, Soyan didn't plan to make everyone so "comfortable"—

When he picked up the communicator, various "accidents" began to appear on the battlefield.

First, an announcement was made that the enemy fleet was approaching the planet, and orbital support was forced to stop.

Soon, all sorts of outrageous things began to happen, such as—

Thirty Hellions appeared on the battlefield, and air support was forced to stop.

Traitors appeared among the Chapter's mortal servants, and the rear field airport was severely damaged, requiring redeployment.

The enemy summoned a large number of daemons, three of the five command vehicles lost contact, and the remaining two had to perform all the data connection tasks, and they had to judge which one should be prioritized in the massive amount of combat data.

The armored forces were ambushed by the enemy's unplanned super-heavy armor, including traitorous Baneblades and Knights.

The rear artillery positions were shrouded in a cloud of eerie blood mist, and had to move several kilometers to redeploy and provide support.

An unknown number of powerful psykers appeared on the enemy front, and the Deathwing Terminators rushed out to solve the problem, only to run into three Khorne Berserkers as soon as they got off the Stormbird.

Due to defensive negligence, the command post was attacked by the enemy's lurking troops, and half of the commanders were ruled out of the game and left the battle.