The Magnificent Stone is a super-massive mobile fortress of the Necrons, similar in appearance to a Monolith but much larger.
It can carry multiple Monoliths internally and deploy them to the battlefield.
At the same time, it also possesses the same teleportation capabilities as the Monolith.
However, unlike the Monolith's portal, which can only transport infantry units, the Magnificent Stone's portal can deploy vehicles and large units.
In addition, the Magnificent Stone is equipped with devastating Gauss Weapons and particle weapons, and possesses the ability for space navigation and planetary hard landings, usually serving as the core force and starting point for a Necrons global assault.
During the conquest of Uttu Prime in the late 41st Millennium, Overlord Zahndrekh's Magnificent Stone and his forces completely destroyed three Catachan Jungle Fighter Regiments and three full companies of the Imperial Fists Chapter that the Imperium used for defense.
This brutal battle made the Imperium wary of the Magnificent Stone; thereafter, when facing this war machine, the Imperial Army often chose to avoid its sharp edge, eschewing direct confrontation.
With its formidable firepower and almost invincible defensive capabilities, the Magnificent Stone is virtually unstoppable on the battlefield.
Facing such a terrifying war machine, the Imperial Army often had no choice but to retreat or adopt flanking tactics, trying to avoid direct conflict to reduce unnecessary casualties.
(3rd Edition Monolith, the Magnificent Stone likely has a similar shape to this, but was only mentioned briefly in the 5th Edition book.)
(9th Edition Monolith)
(Magnificent Stone Appears)
The sudden arrival of the Magnificent Stone caught the unprepared Rostov garrison off guard.
Although the space battle in the sky had already made the populace nervous, having experienced a similar battle not long ago, everyone's emotions were relatively stable.
Under the command of the Governor's Office, most civilians quickly entered a state of refuge, and the army also urgently assembled, preparing to respond to a possible ground war.
After all, the last time the Necrons launched ground forces simultaneously with a space fleet battle, it caused heavy losses to Rostov.
However, just as the Rostov Defense Force completed its assembly and deployed defenses around the city, a colossal Magnificent Stone descended from the sky, crashing heavily onto the black wasteland where the Necrons forces were orbitally bombarded last time.
Immediately following, several Monoliths were released, quickly opening their teleportation gates, and began deploying large numbers of Necrons ground forces onto the surface of Rostov.
This time, the attackers were not just ordinary Necron Warriors, but a composite army composed of various units such as Immortals, Destroyers, and Canoptek Constructs.
Their appearance immediately caused huge casualties to the frontline Defense Force.
The Rostov Defense Force's Fourth Regiment was routed in less than ten minutes, forced to abandon the first line of defense and retreat urgently.
The other six regiments of the Defense Force that subsequently assembled quickly used heavy weapons for fire support, and after a barrage of bombardment, they barely managed to slow down the Necrons' offensive, temporarily stabilizing the front line.
However, with the successive deployment of Monoliths, Canoptek Doomstalkers, Tomb Blades, Annihilation Barges, and even Ghost Arks and Doomsday Arks, the human side's positions began to become precarious.
The Necrons' assault surged like a tide; although the Rostov Defense Force resisted desperately, under the opponent's overwhelming firepower and numerical superiority, their defensive line gradually collapsed.
Every second of delay meant more casualties, and the Necrons' mechanical army seemed endless, showing no signs of stopping.
At the same time, the space battle in orbit also entered a white-hot stage.
Although the Imperial Fleet commanded by Alex fought hard, the Necrons Fleet's mobility and firepower advantage made the battle extremely difficult.
While the Starport's defensive facilities temporarily held back the enemy ships' attack, with the appearance of the Magnificent Stone, the pressure from the ground battlefield rapidly transmitted to orbit.
Alex realized that if the crisis on the ground battlefield could not be resolved quickly, Rostov's entire defense system would face the danger of complete collapse.
Under this dual pressure, Rostov's garrison and civilians fell into an unprecedented predicament.
The Necrons' mechanical army not only rampaged on the ground but also continuously reinforced through Monoliths, while the Imperial Fleet in orbit was also struggling to hold on.
Alex had no choice but to divide his forces, on one hand continuing to command the fleet to maneuver against the Necrons Fleet, and on the other hand urgently mobilizing reserve forces and Battle Sisters to support the ground battlefield.
However, facing the Magnificent Stone and the massive Necrons army it brought, Rostov's defensive line remained precarious.
(Canoptek Doomstalker)
(Tomb Blade)
(Ghost Ark)
(Doomsday Ark)
Just then, several orbital drop pods descended from the sky, crashing in front of the Defense Force's positions.
Space Marines from the Ash Knights and Blood Angels had finally arrived in time for reinforcement.
With the assistance of the Astartes, the Defense Force's rout was finally halted, and the Armageddon Steel Legion and Tallarn Desert Raiders had also arrived as reinforcements.
With the heavy armored units and Astartes on the field, the Rostov Defense Force finally stabilized its front line.
Behind them, five regiments of Defense Force recruits had already assembled.
Although they had not completed their training, there was no time to complete their training now; the battlefield was the best training ground, and actual combat was the best training.
"As long as you can survive the battlefield, or last fifteen hours without dying, nothing else will be able to take your lives after that!" the veteran non-commissioned officer educated the recruits.
Although everyone knew that the rumor that recruits would not die after surviving fifteen hours was pure nonsense, this did not prevent the veterans from instilling this concept in the recruits, making them last longer on the battlefield.
In fact, facing the brutal battlefield, even the veteran Defense Force soldiers almost wet their pants.
If it weren't for the fact that most veterans had experienced the previous battle with the Necrons and had some understanding of them, a rout would probably have occurred by now.
Nevertheless, under the command of these veterans, the Defense Force recruits, with trepidation, gripped their weapons and crouched on the second line of defense, ready to be deployed into battle at any moment.
Behind these Defense Force recruits were the militia units still in the process of assembling.
Although they were even less capable than the Defense Force recruits, these young people all possessed a surge of courage, wanting to protect their homes.
However, if they were to encounter the Necrons forces, they would merely add to the cannon fodder.
The perilous situation of war forced Gutierrez, who led his Kill Team to the battlefield, to send a distress signal to Alex.
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