Tagged: vampire counts

Mighty Empires – Juhn of the Shrieking Fox

Note: Rather than running this turn 1 player at a time, we opted to try a 1 phase at a time approach. Things are a little more reactionary, but I will still be describing the actions of one faction at a time. Just so it makes sense when I mention things happening in response to something I haven’t yet mentioned.

image

The end of Juhn.

The tribe of da Squig Teef grew even bolder in Juhn, expanding da Gobbolands to the north and east. Hot off their victory over the helpless villagers of Gromville, banner C (we really need cooler names for these banners) scouted Gutsticken, the fortress west of Gromville. Banner D sent scouts to spy on the Amberkill skaven banner in Deadwood, discovering their secrets and then slipping back to warn the rest of the goblins. Banner A fled the wizard’s tower of Vicious Tim into their expanded Gobbolands, B similarly advanced into the barrens, and D opted to stay put after learning what awaited them in Deadwood. C, not realising that the Amberkill skaven had sent scouts into their midst, advanced upon Gutsticken. When the local skaven militia retreated into the fortress and prepared for a siege, the goblins proceeded to attack the walls with a combination of thrown boulders and ballista fire.

Clan Spearhavok, plagued by the Black Skull Empire in the north and da Squig Teef tribe in the east, split their scouts between unknown territory and reconnaisance. Amberkill banner sent scouts into Gromville, learning the details of the goblins deployed there and returning undetected. Batterskull discovered more barren territory southeast of Khorne’s End while the Doomrat scouts followed the river to find an easily subjugated village to the west of Foundwater. Naming it Riverspitz, the scouts returned to their banner. The Cravenfur banner sent scouts to the northwest, where they discovered a small series of villages on the river; they submitted immediately to Clan Spearhavok’s rule. After returning to their banner, the scouts learned that the villages had soon after been visited by the Black Skull Empire, and had switched allegiances without a thought! Naming the villages Traitorgulch, banner Cravenfur advanced into the village, daring the Black Skull to return in number. Amberkill, left alone by the goblins of banner D, advanced upon Gromville – now devoid of any serious Squig Teef presence – and claimed it as their own, simultaneously cutting off the potential escape route of the goblins besieging Gutsticken. Batterskull opted to remain in Khorne’s End, ready to provide backup to Gutsticken should it be needed, and the Doomrats remained in Foundwater, satisfied that Rivespitz was well protected from the Black Skull Empire by Death Drop Chasm to the north.

Upiria devoted its energies to expansion during the month of Juhn, discovering and claiming the city of Nilbog northwest of Thorns, and the village of Dimtide on the southern cape of Upiria, just south of Lachrymarum. Banner A discovered that the Fallow continued to the east, and opted to remain where it was, and banner D’s scouts located a city of High Elves to the east! Attempting a surprise attack, D crept in across the one time battlefields of the Fallow, only to be stumbled upon by withdrawing Elven forces that had spotted Upiria’s scouts. Battle erupted with neither side fully prepared, and the bloody mess lasted for several days, but in the end the High Elves were able to fight the Upirian banner to a draw, with heavy losses on both sides. The Elves retreated into the city of Athanel, and Upiria’s D banner retreated back into the Fallow.

The Black Skull Empire opted for an aggressive month, expanding east towards the Kingdom of Ogredeblarg and south towards Clan Spearhavok. Banners A and C found and advanced upon two villages, naming them Dalton and Vile. Banner A was only too happy to leave the brigands of the Cursed Passage behind them. Banner B sent scouts into a series of villages southwest of them that had been newly-claimed by the skaven of Clan Spearhavok, briefly winning over the villages until the Cravenfur banner returned later in the month. Not to be so easily dismissed themselves, Banner B advanced upon Traitorgulch. Banner D discovered a surviving village-state of Kristanzians on the river southeeast of the Pillar of Skulls, and proceeded to launch an attack of their own, only to be repelled by the Kristanzians after their battle resulted in a draw. Black skull casualties were fairly light. The battle of Traitorgulch went even less smoothly, with the Black Skull Empire suffering fairly heavy losses, and the Cravenfur banner losing a number of stormvermin, including Fangleader Gristlekill. After a bitter and bloody conflict, both sides were forced to withdraw from Traitorgulch, but the villages remained a part of Clan Spearhavok’s growing empire.

Our ogre general is still MIA, so the Kingdom of Ogredeblarg had another fairly low key turn, expanding its borders without conflict. With da Squig Teef advancing from the south and the Black Skull growing more aggressive in the west, however, it looks unlikely that Ogredeblarg will be able to maintain its policy of non-aggression come Juhlii.

Mighty Empires: the Saga Begins

Note: A few names and places are likely to change before too long…

The year of the Shrieking Eagle was a dark one for the failing Kristanz Empire. A winter filled with bad omens and mysteriously slain livestock led to infighting amongst the royal family, eventually resulting in a major schism. Betrayals and backstabbings quickly ramped up into formal attacks, and the lesser lords – faced with an imminent civil war – opted to break off into independent city-states in and effort to avoid being drawn into the battle. By midsummer, the Kristanz Empire was no more, having dissolved into a war-torn nightmare.

The lesser lords of Kristanz were not the only ones to respond to the civil war, but where they saw disaster, various other factions saw opportunity. As the equinox approached, dark forces rose up to carve out realms of their own.
image
In the far North, the Ogre Kingdom of Blargdeblarg expanded their plateau-based mercenary camps to conquer the surrounding area.
image
The Binkeldebap goblin tribes exploded out of their caves in the central highlands to claim a territory of their own.
image
An army of the undead rose up out of a former battlefield in the South Eastern peninsula, driven by the Upirian vampires.
image
Finally, what had appeared to be small, isolated skaven raiders in the South West turned out to be Clan Skitterblood’s advance scouts; it took less than a week for them to carve out a realm of their own.

The winter season provided more than enough time for each of these factions to cement their hold, while preventing any sizable retaliation by the former Kristanzians.  With the spring equinox near at hand, each faction prepares to make their move. The year of the Shrieking Fox is upon this once-glorious empire. What will the next several months bring? Glory? Panic? New Dark Overlords? Only time will tell.

Super fast fantasy update

Ready. Set.
2700 point each 3 player scenario Sunday night, high elves vs vampire counts vs skaven. Points were determined such that peter could bring his zombie dragon into the mix; he ended up drawing the short straw and getting stuck in the middle.
image

Highlights include:
image

Peter’s zombie dragon!
image

My warp lightning cannon guns down a gryphon.
image

My abomination stood firm against a large ghoul unit, and my storm banner lasted 3 turns, allowing my rat ogres to charge a frost phoenix (a phoenix that wrecked a warp lightning cannon) before it could flank them.
image

My abomination settling into the flank of a draconic challenge, to await its opportunity.
All in all, a super fun battle. The zombie dragon won the day by simultaneously holding 2 objectives, my skaven came in second.
I took the thanquol and boneripper to medium effect. I’d try them a second time.

My First Warhammer Fantasy Battle

image

Had my first wfb experience last night. I packed up some skaven and met a couple friends in the university basement. One brought 750 points of vampire counts; the other brought his big rulebook (he was to be our referee, while we muddled through our battle).

Vampire Counts:
Some direwolves.
A necromancer, linked up with a bunch of skeletons.
More skeletons.
A varghulf.

Skaven:
20 skavenslaves.
20 clanrats.
Warlord.
Chieftain / battle standard bearer
Warlock engineer
6 gutter runners

Game went pretty well. I took too long to eliminate the necromancer, but overall a good experience. Got a handle on most of the basics (and what’s different/the same as opposed to 40k), and started to get a feel for my rats. The skavenslaves did okay, but ended up being used largely as an actual combat unit, which isn’t their strong suit. The gutter runners arrived only to flee the varghulf’s charge, so iwas alittle disappointed there, but the clanrats with characters attached did well. Killed the necromancer (warlord), most of the skeletons (clanrats), and the direwolves (the chieftain’s banner of the under empire did most of the work there). Even dented the varghulf. Eventually broke and fled, unfortunately, and we’re then charged by the varghulf.
End result?

image

Skaven were wiped out, vampire counts were pretty much down to the varghulf. A good time was had by all; probably 40k next, but I have some hope for another fantasy battle.