The blips were coming in remarkably fast and Strategos Buke Es ordered his forces to meet the enemy as they streamed toward the PHR beachhead.
"We have to turn them back before they get into our landing site. If we're overrun here the whole invasion stops."
The attack was coming four city blocks wide. It was tough to tell what was coming and where. Buke Es moved forces to counter all enemy in the sector with the view of grabbing up some terrain to block any further incursions and stabilizing the beach head.
With Scourge forces flying in at such a high speed it was critical to act quickly but it was tough to know where the main threat was.
Buke Es ordered the troops to advance to establish a line and occupy some buildings near where the enemy screamed into sight.
PHR forces landed and set up blocking detachments across most of the major streets leading towards the beachhead.
Airstrikes were called in to drive off the Scourge as quickly as possible and ground AA support coordinated with them to try to stop the threat before it threatened the whole campaign.
Seeing their opponents deployed the Scourge on the far left of their line quickly banked right to concentrate their forces to destroy the PHR troops piecemeal.
Buke Es orders troops to take up position in a building on the street that the Scourge are moving down. By taking the corner he hopes to be able to fire both ways without moving the infantry.
Scout walkers are deployed to provide valuable air cover for the infantry. They are not enough as Scourge tanks hunt them down and melt through their lighter armour easily.
Having no choice but to reembark to get back into the fight the PHR right wing starts moving to support their beleaguered left but the Scourge have anticipated this move and have set up a literal cordon of death in their flight path. The PHR are forced to deploy again wasting valuable time but not wanting to risk losing a fully loaded dropship to the deadly Scourge AA tanks.
Scourge vehicles concentrate on the walkers protecting the building that houses the PHR infantry, hoping to cut them off.
And the cavalry is not coming:
The infantry try to defend themselves as the walkers are cut down one by one.
After stranding the reinforcements far from the critical area of the battle the Scourge Reapers head away to seek fresh targets, leaving the Scourge infantry to face the slow, relentless advance of the PHR walkers.
The reinforcements engage the Scourge infantry inflicting heavy damage on the building that is occupied but it is too little too late.
With the walkers gone the Scourge focus on the building the PHR infantry have occupied and bring it down around them.
With little but rubble to hide behind the PHR infantry are easily picked off by the powerful plasma weaponry of the Scourge and Buke Es calls for a strategic withdrawal to a shorter line closer to the beachhead. With Scourge infantry in buildings overlooking the beachhead it will be difficult for the PHR to continue their invasion.