A question about the Second Black Crusade

[Visitor13]

Simple question - was the Second Black Crusade the first time Abaddon had to face a fortified Cadia?

[Razhbad]

According to the Lexicanum no. The 1st Black Crusade is, from what i just read this one runs rampant through the Imperium and seems quite succesful as Cadia did not have such high defences, it causes the Imperium to build up on Cadia. I do not how accurate this info is or how up-to-date either.

[Visitor13]

Right, what I meant was "Was the Second Black Crusade the first time Abaddon had to face Cadia the way it is now - a megafortress world?" This is what the Lexicanum implies, but I'd like someone to confirm or deny it.

 

Basically, if the Second Black Crusade had indeed been *primarily* a failed assault on Cadia itself, then its consequences would go a long way towards vindicating Abaddon as a leader. As the following Crusades don't seem to focus as much on Cadia itself but on surrounding areas, that would mean that Abaddon recognized that a frontal assault was a waste of time and resources, and focused on undermining Cadia by systematically laying waste to its surroundings. Following the Gothic war Cadia must have been sufficiently isolated for Abaddon to hazard a frontal assault again. And this time he was successful, or at least as successful as GW would let him be against their poster boys, the Imperium.