Occasional Beastmen raids are a part of life in a heavily wooded and vast province like Talabecland, but recently they have been increasing in frequency. This has led many farmers from the outer reaches of Talabecland to give up their homes and make the journey to Talabheim for refuge.
While refugees in Talabheim are a fairly normal site, the sheer amount of them is disconcerting the the city's council. Something is stirring in the forests of Talabecland. Reports are filtering in of a Beastmen horde that, if left unchecked, could ravage the land severely destroying much needed agricultural supplies. With the realisation that harvest is only a month or two away and that it has been predicted that there will be a long and cold winter, the council acts.
Johann Miegel, Lord Commander of the Talabheim 6th Regiment, has been tasked with finding and eradicating the Beastmen Horde. Time is short and The Lord Commander orders a forced march south to Obelheim. The town is all but deserted and its people fled north. A pillar of smoke rises lazily to the east towards Horno. Riders are sent out and a few hours later they report back saying that the town has been razed and that the horde was already on the move northwest through the forest, heading for Badau. Quickly the Lord Commander orders his host to form up and the march to battle begins.
Talabheim 6th:GotE - Ogre Blade, DragonHelm, The White Cloak of Ulric, Shield, Full Plate.
WL - Lvl 4, Death, Book of Ashur.
CotE - BSB, Enchanted Shield, Talisman of Preservation, Full Plate.
WP - Heavy Armour, Shield.
WP - Heavy Armour, Shield.
ME -
ME -
48x Halberds - FC
detach 20x Swords
5x Knights - Champion
6x IC Knights - Champion, musician
40x Greatswords
detach 20x Swords
HBVG
HSRB
Sidenote: I realise this is not a particularly strong force. I was trying to try out the new detachment system, the new priest system, the new Hold the Line system and the engi-warmachine system all in 1 go.
Beastmen:Doombull - Heavy Armour, Axe of Swift Slaying, Talisman of Preservation, Gnarled Hide, Ramhorn Helm.
Great Bray Shaman - Lvl 4, Shadow, Chalice of Dark Ruin.
GoreBull - BSB, Additional hand weapon, pelt of the shadowgave.
Bray Shaman - lvl 2, Dispel Scroll Beasts.
Bray Shaman - lvl 2, Beasts
26x Gors - FC, additional hand weapons.
20x Gors - FC, additional hand weapons.
20x Gors - additional hand weapons.
20x Gors - additional hand weapons.
6x Minotaurs - FC, additional hand weapon.
Jabberslythe
Terrain:As the column approached a ruined keep Commander Johann called a halt. The engineers began moving the volley gun they had brought into the small outpost tower just south of the ruined keep. The troops troops stood waiting nervously as the sound of hooves became louder from the north. A group of scouts came thundering in their horses frothing at the mouths. It was dire news indeed, the beastmen force was large and it was only just of the crest of the hill to the north and approaching quickly. Commander Johann gave the command and battle lines were formed.
We were only playing on a 4'x4' table so we rolled d3+4 pieces of terrain resulting in:
a ghost fence (the actual fence),
Arcane Ruins,
2 buildings - A watchtower and a Manor,
A Blazing Barricade (the stone fence),
and 2 normal hills (we just used the ones built into the board).
Deployment:Empire:
The Empire forces were to the south, so left to right:
IC Knights (red with black horses),
detachment 20 swords,
Greatswords with General and Warrior Priest,
Wizard Lord,
Rocket Battery,
Helblaster,
Halberds with BSB and Warrior Priest,
Detachment of Swords,
Knights (poorly painted panther).
Beastmen:
From Left to Right
2 units of ambushing gors (off the table),
Gors
Minotaurs
Gors
Jabberslythe
Truth be told I felt really confident from the outset. I figured that my knights and greatswords with detachment could easily take care of their side. I was a little worried about my right side as I had little to deal with the Jabberslythe apart from the volley gun. I figured I'd just wait and shoot it when it came into the open.
We rolled for first turn and it went to the Beastmen player.
Turn 1 - BeastmenMovement:
His first ambushing rolled a 1 and I let them come in on my right thinking that they would either be blocked by the Jabberslythe or chargeable by my knights. He brought them on in front of the Jabberslythe.
The second ambushing unit rolled a 6, but there was no-where to come on behind my line and he brought them on to the right.
Both ambushing units reformed to face my line.
The Rest of his army moved up.
Magic:
Beastmen got 5 dice with 1 channel.
Empire had 2 dice with no channel.
Wyssanns cast on Minotuars - unchallenged.
Wyssanns cast on the front (my) left gors - dispelled.
Combat:
No Combat
Turn 1 - EmpireMovement:
Both Knight units successfully charge (pictured).
Magic:
Empire 9 dice no channel.
Beastmen 7 dice with 1 channel.
Purple Sun (lesser) is cast on 5 dice at 30 but dispel scrolled.
Both Warrior Priest fail on 2 dice to give their units 5+ wards. (2 double 1's, I hate rolling poorly!)
Shooting:
The Volley Gun fires 16 shots and kills only 5 gor from the rear (my) left unit.
The Rocket Bettery fires 2 rockets and kills 3 gors from the front (my) left unit. (It scattered from the unit behind it).
Combat:
IC knights do only 1 wound (the poor rolling continues!) on the charge but the gors fail to wound and have 2 ranks left. Due to me charging and the fact that I have a musician I win combat by 1. The gors fail a re-roll-able 7, flee and are caught and killed by the IC Knights who overrun into the unit behind them.
The right Knights kill 5 gors on the charge and the gors fail to wound the knights, but hold due to steadfast.
Turn 2 - BeastmenMovement:
The Minotaurs and the middle gors move up.
The Jabberslythe moves in near the swords.
Magic:
Beastmen 10 dice, 2 channeled.
Empire 5 dice, 0 channeled. (sigh, you think with 3 channels a turn i'd have something!)
Melkoths is cast on the HBVG but is dispelled.
Wyssanns cast on minotaurs, dispelled.
Wyssanns is cast on the middle gors and unchallenged.
Combat:
IC Knights kill 1 Gor.
Gors kill 1 IC.
Knights Hold.
Knights kill 2 gors.
Gors kill 0 knights.
Gors hold.
Turn 2 - EmpireMovement:
The Greatswords charge the minotaurs but the swords fail to make the charge (needing 6, rolling 4, SIGH).
Magic:
Empire 6 dice, 0 channeled (sigh).
Beastmen 5 dice, 0 channeled.
Soulblight (2 dice) is cast on Minotaurs and dispelled.
Warrior Priest Fails to cast 5+ Ward on 2 dice, rolling double 1's again (SIGH!!!).
Other Warrior Priest fails to cast 5+ Ward, rolling double 1's again (DEAR LORD, SIGH!).
Sidenote: At this point I was gettin pretty downhearted. Nothing was working and it looked like my GS's would cop a beating.
Shooting:
I declare that I am going to shoot the Jabberslythe with my HBVG and my opponent interjects and tells me that he is using his Chalice of Dark Rain.
I roll 2 misfires and use the Engi re-roll to get another misfire! (SIGH!) The gun cannot shoot this turn or next turn.
The Rocket Battery fails to pass it's 4+ to shoot and cannot fire.
Combat:
The Beastmen BSB is killed, the Doombull takes 3 wounds, and 2 minotaurs die.
20 Greatswords die.
Greatswords roll (with Hold the Line!) a 6-6-5, and then a 6-5-5 and hold. Phew.
The IC knights kill 0 gors (FFS my rolling is so terrible),
The gors kill 2 IC knights,
IC Knights are all dead.
The Knights kill 0 gors,
gors kill 0 knights,
kngiths hold.
Turn 3 - BeastmenMovement:
(my) left gors move up.
The middle unit of Gors charges the Halberds who hold.
The Jabberslythe charges the Swords, who hold.
Magic:
Beastmen 9 dice, channeled 2.
Empire 7 dice, channeled 1 (finally!).
Pann's impentrable pelt is cast (3 dice IF) on the minotaurs (effecting only the Doombull); the Bray Shaman Explodes but is far enough from the unit that the s10 large template doesnt him anything.
Wyssanns is cast on the right gors with the remaining 6 dice (lvl 2) and even with the book of Ashur I fail to dispel it with 7 dice (and effective lvl 5, SIGHHHHH!).
Combat:
Swords do 0 wounds to the Slythe,
Slythe kills 4,
the swords hold and manage a reform.
14 Greatswords die, leaving only 6 or 7. They roll only 1 hit and 1 wound. General fails to hit.
Greatswords hold.
Knights kill 3 gors,
gors kill 0 knights,
gors hold.
Sidenote: I was disheartened before, but at this point I've nearly given up. I'm surrounded with no magic working, no shooting and piss-poor rolling.
Turn 3 - EmpireMovement:
No Movement
Magic:
Empire 6 dice, channel 1.
Beastmen 7 dice channel 3 (SIGH).
Soulblight on the Minotaurs is dispelled (2 dice).
Both Warrior Priests fail to cast 5+ ward on 2 dice each again. (...)
Shooting:
Volley Gun can't shoot.
Rocket Battery fires at the arcane ruins (the great bray shaman is inside). Rolls a 10 and all templates miss everything.
Combat:
Greatsword unit is destroyed along with the warrior priest, but the General lives.
The swordsmen fail to hit.
The General does 2 wounds and kills a minotaur.
Swords rout, General routs, minotaurs restrain.
Knights kill 0 gors,
gors kill 0 knights
knights hold.
Slythe kills many swords and swords do only 1 wound,
Swords run off the table.
Turn 4 - BeastmenMinotuars Charge the wizard who runs off the table,
redirect into general who runs off the table.
(my) left gors charge swords who flee and are caught.
Jabberslythe rear charges the halberds.
Magic:
Beastmen 10 dice.
Empire 6 dice.
Wyssanns dispelled on Gors.
Occams cast on gors (I fail to dispel).
Game conceded, victory to Beastmen.
Summary:
The engi seems necessary for the HBVG.
The engi doesn't seem necessary for the HSRB.
I should take dice rolling classes.
Knights are great for survival but crap at causing wounds.
I should have taken standards on the knights. +1 combat res would have been really helpful!
