Planning Hel Fenn

The artwork for the Battle of Hel Fenn, as found in the Empire at War source book

I've written a number of times about my intention to recreate the Battle at the Gates of Kislev, and how this is one of the driving forces behind my continued efforts in painting my Empire army. It's a long road if I am to get the army to the size I want, and the game has now been a long time coming. Discussing this with my friends, we came to the conclusion that we needed some sort of stepping stone rather than simply going all-out at some ultimate and still far-distant target (after all, the Kislev battle is meant to be the largest ever seen in the Old World). Thus we started to consider other, more achievable targets for the near future. And we came up with a plan. We would recreate the Battle of Hel Fenn.

I suspect most Warhammer players will have at least heard of this battle, even if they don't know all the details. Indeed, as with all such "historical" encounters in the game, the actual details are a bit vague, and tend to conflict depending upon where you read them. But there are some basic details that are consistent, and those are what we shall work with.

Hel Fenn came at the end of more than a decade of conflict known as the Winter War, in which Mannfred Von Carstein had invaded the Empire with his undead army and unsuccessfully attacked both Marienburg and Altdorf. Pursued by a combined army of the Empire and the Dwarfs, Mannfred eventually turned to fight at Hel Fenn, within the borders of Sylvania. In the ensuing battle, Mannfred met his demise at the hands of Count Martin of Stirland, and his army was destroyed.

Depending upon which version you read, there may have been High Elves present as well, or the Archmage Finreir may have been using his great powers to assist the allied forces from afar. Some accounts have the Dwarfs arriving late to the battle, and likewise some of the Empire army, including the Knights of the Divine Sword.

Mannfred was eventually cut down by Count Martin's Runefang, however you would normally expect a Vampire to be able to handle a mere human general. Martin's triumph may have been caused by Mannfred's exhaustion from controlling a vast army of the dead in the field, or it may have been brought about by the intervention of a third party - a rogue Vampire named Jerek Von Carstein, who had once been Grand Master of the White Wolves (other accounts state that Jerek was never raised into undeath, and his corpse was found at the foot of cliffs around Middenheim, drained of blood).

As you can see, the variety of accounts leaves things a bit open to interpretation. We'll be keeping things relatively simple, as there will be enough interest in the game due to its sheer size. The game will be 20,000 points per side of fully painted models, making it one of the largest games I've ever heard of, and it should make for quite the battle report. 

The models will come from 6 different owners and involve a variety of colour schemes, which largely dictates the unit types and sizes that will be used. I collated what we had available and arranged it into usable forces, which should help things work on the day. One point to note in this battle is that it was in the year 2145 - some 150 years before the formation of the Colleges of Magic. As a result, the Empire army contains no wizards.

Below is the "player pack" that we will use for the game. It will be taking place on the 30th/31st of this month, so this is no long-term pipe dream - it's happening in less than 2 weeks...

Owen has been busily preparing terrain specifically for the battle, and has also found time to whip up the logo you see below:

Hel Fenn was the final battle in the 13 year-long conflict known as the Winter War, between the armies of the Empire and the undead legions of the last of the great Vampire Counts of Syvlania, Mannfred Von Carstein. Mannfred had marched his forces all across the Empire, besieging both Marienburg and Altdorf, only to be turned back by unexpected magical resistance in the form of the great High Elf Archmage Finreir and the Grand Theogonist Kurt III, who had in his possession the Liber Mortis.

His plans foiled, Mannfred staged a fighting withdrawal, eventually falling all the way back to Syvlania. Pursued by a combined force of Men and Dwarfs, he turned to make his stand at the edge of the marshes of Hel Fenn. With their quarry finally cornered the allied forces prepared to put an end to the foul Vampire Lord, however facing the undying Lords of Sylvania on their home ground is fraught with peril...

The Battle of Hel Fenn is a 20,000 point battle between the Vampire Counts of Mannfred Von Carstein and an allied force of the Empire and Dwarfs. The game is intended to be played by 6 players, with 3 commanding either side.

The Table
The Battle of Hel Fenn is fought on a 12x6' table, laid out as shown in the diagram below. Some hills may be added on the Empire side of the table, however none should be included on the Vampire Counts side due to the flat terrain of the fenland. Some forests can also be included, however they should generally be kept towards the edges of the table. Any forests on the Vampire Counts side should ideally be sickly and twisted due to the unsavoury effects of the dead-infested swamps around them. Accounts of the battle put a fortified farmstead somewhere on the Empire right and a ruined fort further to the left, and we will represent these as we see fit.

A basic layout of the table. Hills, forests and sundry other details will be added to taste.

Deployment
The Vampire Counts players deploy first. Once they have finished all deployments, the Empire and Dwarf players deploy all their forces.

Who Goes First
The Vampire Counts get the first turn.

Game Length
As this is a  very large game, the length should be for an agreed number of turns, or until time runs out.

Victory Conditions
Victory is determined by the following criteria:

Empire/Dwarf Alliance

• 2 points for killing Mannfred Von Carstein. This becomes 10 points if he dies in close combat or as a result of combat resolution (the only way to be sure he's dead is on the end of a blade).
• 2 points each for killing Adolphus Krieger and Gothard the Undying
• 1 point for each full 1000 points slain from the enemy army

Vampire Counts

• 4 points for killing Count Martin of Stirland
• 2 points each for killing Kallad Stormwarden and Grand Theogonist Kurt III
• 1 point for each full 1000 points slain or fled from the enemy army
• 5 points if Mannfred escapes the field via the enemy table edge*

NOTE: If Mannfred decides to leave the table, the game automatically ends. Even if the Vampire Counts would win by more than 5 points however, the best result they can achieve is a Marginal Victory in the table below.

Tally up the points and compare the difference to the table below:

• 0 - 2 points difference: Stalemate
• 3 - 5 points difference: Marginal Victory/Minor Setback
• 6 - 9 points difference: Strong Victory/Severe Loss
• 10 points or more difference: Absolute Thrashing/Catastrophic Defeat

Special Rules
Magic
Due to the size of the game, the magic phase consists of 4D6 power dice, with the highest 2 rolls going to the dispel pool. The power pool is capped at 24 dice.

Grand Alliances
The armies in this battle count as Grand Alliances. As the Supreme Commanders of their respective forces, Mannfred Von Carstein and Count Martin of Stirland increase their Inspiring Presence range to 24". Note that this does not increase the range for determining which Undead units can march - that remains at 12". 

As the subcommanders, the following characters also count as Army Generals for the purposes of Inspiring Presence and allowing Undead units within 12" to march:

• Adolphus Krieger
• Gothard the Undying
• Grand Theogonist Kurt III
• Kallad Stormwarden

Note that the Undead units only have to test for a Slain General if Mannfred falls; Adolphus and Gothard are merely his most trusted lieutenants - they are not the force that holds the army together.

Each of the commanders listed above will also have their own Battle Standard Bearer. In all cases, any unit can benefit from being within range of a friendly BSB and General, regardless of which player controls the models - so the Empire forces can use the Kallad's leadership and his BSB's rerolls, and so forth.

Home Ground Advantage
Mannfred may have been retreating prior to this battle, but that does not mean he is unprepared. The marshes of Hel Fenn contain more than just muddy water and sickly plants.

Prior to the battle, the Vampire Counts players must decide which Skeleton and Zombie units they wish to deploy in the marshes. These units are not placed on the table during deployment. Instead, the players should note down which of the numbered marshes contain which units (more than one unit may be allocated to a given marsh).

During any of their turns, the Vampire Counts players may choose to reveal any of their hidden units in the Remaining Moves phase. They are placed as per units leaving a building, however they may also be placed partly or wholly within the marsh if the players wish.

A Master at His Limits
Mannfred is one of the greatest practitioners of Necromancy ever seen in the Old World. Hel Fenn saw him at the heights of his powers, however commanding so vast an army of the undead was still tiring.

Once per game, the Vampire Counts players may choose to ignore the result of the Miscast table. Instead, the friendly magic phase ends, and Mannfred permanently loses 1 from each of his characteristics, to a minimum of 1. 

This rule has been added to help prevent a catastrophic miscast from bringing the game to a premature end. Should Mannfred persist in casting spells with Irresistible Force however, his luck will not hold forever.

The Armies
Vampire Counts
Vampire Count Centre:

• Count Mannfred Von Carstein - Rides a barded nightmare (554)
• Mannfred's BSB - Vampire (Level 2) on Barded Nightmare with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour, Dragonhelm, Dawn Stone, Red Fury (278)
• 50 Grave Guard with Full Command, Shields. Led by Wight Lord with Heavy Armour and Great Weapon (670)
• 35 Grave Guard with Great Weapons, Full Command (450)
• 26 Grave Guard with Full Command, Shields. Led by Vampire (Level 1) with Heavy Armour (425)
• 60 Ghouls with Ghast (610)
• 40 Ghouls with Ghast (410)
• 20 Ghouls with Ghast (210)
• 80 Skeletons with Full Command, Light Armour, Shields (430)
• 90 Zombies with Standard, Musician (280)
• 40 Zombies with Standard, Musician (130)
• 20 Wolves with Doom Wolf (170)
• 10 Wolves with Doom Wolf (90)
• 10 Black Knights with Full Command, Barding, Lances (290)
• 10 Black Knights with Full Command, Barding, Lances (290)
• 6 Wraiths with Banshee (325)
• 4 Wraiths with Banshee (225)
• 6 Bats (96)
• Varghulf (175)
• Varghulf (175)
• Black Coach (195)

Vampire Count Left Flank:

• Gothard the Undying Knight - Wight King with +1WS and A. On barded Skeletal Steed with Full Plate Armour (4+ save), Shield, Ogre Blade, Regeneration 
• Pledge of Vengeance - The Knights of the Divine Sword and their Grand Master Hate Gothard (200)
• Gothard's BSB - Wight King with Battle Standard on Barded Skeletal Steed with Armour of Fortune, Shield, Lance (174)
• Abraxas Von Carstein - Vampire Lord (Level 2) on Zombie Dragon with Red Fury, Quickblood, Fear Incarnate, Armour of Destiny, Ogre Blade, Ironcurse Icon, Shield (698)
• Necromancer (Level 2) (100)
• 50 Grave Guard with Full Command, Great Weapons. Banner of the Barrows. Led by Wight King with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour (670)
• Wight King with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour (90)
• 40 Grave Guard with Full Command, Great Weapons. Led by Wight King with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour (600)
• 80 Ghouls with Ghast (810)
• 24 Ghouls with Ghast (250)
• 45 Skeletons with Full Command, Light Armour, Shields (255)
• 60 Zombies with Standard, Musician (190)
• 23 Black Knights with Full Command, Barding, Lances, Banner of Swiftness (643)
• 7 Blood Knights with Full Command, Flag of the Blood Keep. Led by Vampire on Barded Nightmare with Heavy Armour, Shield, Lance (595)
• 5 Blood Knights with Full Command (285)
• 10 Bats (160)
• 20 Wolves with Doom Wolf (170)
• 3 Spirit Hosts (135)
• 3 Vargheists (138)
• 6 Wraiths with Banshee (325)
• Black Coach (195)
• Black Coach (195)
• Varghulf (175)
• Varghulf (175)

Vampire Count Right Flank:

• Adolphus Krieger - Master Necromancer (Level 4) with Staff of Damnation, Talisman of Preservation, Master of the Dead (305)
• Adolphus' BSB – Wight King with Armour of Silvered Steel, Great Weapon (160)
• Necromancer (Level 2) (100)
• 120 Ghouls with Ghast. Led by Strigoi Ghoul King with Red Fury (1520)
• 50 Grave Guard with Full Command, Shields, Razor Standard. Led by Wight King with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour  (715)
• 60 Zombies with Standard, Musician (190)
• 50 Skeletons with Full Command, Light Armour, Shields. Led by Vampire with Heavy Armour (389)
• 15 Skeletons with Full Command, Light Armour, Shields (105)
• 24 Skeletons with Full Command, Light Armour, Shields (150)
• 10 Bats (160)
• 6 Spirit Hosts (270)
• 10 Black Knights with Full Command, Barding, Lances (290)
• 10 Wolves with Doom Wolf (90)
• 5 Hexwraiths (150)
• 10 Wraiths with Banshee (525)
• Varghulf (175)
• Varghulf (175)
• Terrorgheist with Rancid Maw, Infested (250)
• Black Coach (195)
• Corpse Cart with Unholy Lodestone (120)

Empire/Dwarf Alliance
Empire Centre (Stirland):

• Count Martin of Stirland - Empire General on Barded Steed with Full Plate Armour, Shield, Runefang, Talisman of Preservation (261)
• Martin's BSB - Captain with Battle Standard, Armour of Meteoric Iron, Great Weapon (141)
• Gerhardt von Kristallbach - Empire General on Griffon with Full Plate Armour, Enchanted Shield, Sword of Bloodshed, Potion of Strength, Talisman of Protection (374)
• Axelbrand Wolfborn - Arch Lector on Barded Warhorse with Armour of Destiny, Mace of Helstrum (224)
• Master Engineer (65)
• 60 Halberdiers (Stirland) with Full Command. Led by: Captain with Full Plate Armour, Shield, Obsidian Blade; Warrior Priest with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour; Witch Hunter with Brace of Pistols (635)
• 59 Halberdiers (Krakenberg) with Full Command. Led by: Captain with Full Plate Armour, Sword of Strife; Warrior Priest with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour; Witch Hunter with Brace of Pistols  (617)
• 35 Free Company (Kossars) with Full Command (240)
• 40 Swordsmen (Krakenberg) with Full Command (310)
• 22 Handgunners (Krakenberg) (198)
• 18 Crossbowmen (Krakenberg) with Standard (182)
• 8 Archer Detachment (Halflings) (56)
• 20 Handgunners (Averland) with Marksman (190)
• 10 Crossbowmen (Averland) with Marksman (100)
• 60 Halberdiers (Averland) with Full Command. Led by Captain with Full Plate Armour, Shield, Sword of Battle and Warrior Priest with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour  (550)
• 43 Spearmen (Krakenberg) with Full Command (245)
• 29 Flagellants with Doomsayer (358)
• 35 Greatswords (Krakenberg) with Full Command. Led by Warrior Priest with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour (487)
• 33 Swordsmen (Averland) with Full Command (261)
• 24 Spearmen (Averland) with Full Command (150)
• 20 Greatswords (Krakenberg) with Full Command (250)
• 17 Handgunners (Altdorf) with Standard (183)
• 40 Martin's Knight Guard (Venators) with Full Command (910)
• Great Cannon (120)
• Great Cannon (120)
• Great Cannon (120)
• Great Cannon (120)
• Great Cannon (120)
• Mortar (100)
• Mortar (100)
• Mortar (100)
• Volley Gun (120)
• Volley Gun (120)
• Volley Gun (120)

Empire Right Flank (Knights of the Divine Sword):

• Kurt III, Grand Theogonist - Arch Lector on War Altar of Sigmar with Jade Griffon (5+ ward save), Staff of Command (magic weapon, +2 strength whilst on the War Altar)
• Grand Theogonist – Adds +1 to attempts to cast prayers
• Spells of Unbinding – Kurt carries with him certain excerpts taken from the Liber Mortis, which remains safely concealed in Altdorf. These spells do not have the terrible potency of the Great Spell of Unbinding, however they are still effective in disrupting the power of necromancy. Undead units within 12” may not use the rules for Resurrecting Fallen Warriors. In addition, Undead units within 12” at the start of their turn must take leadership tests according to the Slain General rules. (400)
• Kurt's BSB - Captain with Battle Standard on Barded Steed with Full Plate Armour, Shield, Sword of Might, Talisman of Endurance (159)
• Dietrich Jaeger - Empire General on Barded Steed with Full Plate Armour. Magical Great Weapon that does not Always Strike Last
• Driven by Shame - Dietrich as affected by the rules for Frenzy (213)
• Captain on Pegasus with Full Plate Armour, Shield, Sword of Swift Slaying (138)
• 40 Knight of the Divine Sword (Inner Circle Panther) with Full Command, Steel Standard. Led by Grand Master with Giant Blade, Shield (1284)
• 40 Jaeger's Knight Command (White Wolves) with Full Command, Great Weapons. Led by Dietrich Jaeger (cost above); Warrior Priest on Barded Steed with Great Weapon, Heavy Armour  (998)
• 9 Knights of the Blazing Sun with Full Command. Led by Captain on Barded Steed with Full Plate Armour, Shield, Ogre Blade (352)
• 6 Freelance Knights with Full Command, Great Weapons (162)
• 6 Knights Panther with Full Command (162)
• 6 Reiksguard Knights with Full Command (192)
• 5 Demigryph Knights with Lances, Shields, Full Command (320)
• 5 Demigryph Knights with Lances, Shields, Full Command (320)
• 5 Outriders (Krakenberg) with Marksman, Musician (125)
• 5 Pistoliers (Krakenberg) with Outrider with Repeater Pistol, Musician (120)
• 5 Pistoliers (Stirland) with Outrider with Repeater Pistol, Musician (120)
• 5 Pistoliers (Averland) with Outrider with Repeater Pistol, Musician (120)
• 5 Pistoliers (Altdorf) with Outrider with Repeater Pistol, Musician (120)
• Steam Tank (Averland) (250)
• Steam Tank (Averland) (250)
• Steam Tank (Krakenberg) (250)

Dwarfs (Left Flank):

• Kallad Stormwarden - Dwarf Lord with Gromril Armour, Great Weapon with Kragg's Master Rune, Rune of Fury. Rune of Stone, Master Rune of Spite
• Last survivor of Karak Sadra - Hates all Undead (246)
• Belamir, Kallad's BSB - Thane with Battle Standard, Gromril Armour with Master Rune of Gromril, 2x Runes of Iron. Hand Weapon with Rune of Cleaving (165)
• Othtin, Dwarf Runesmith - Runesmith with Gromril Armour, Shield, 2 Runes of Spellbreaking, Rune of Cleaving, Rune of Burning (147)
• Burli Ironfist (155)
• Surli Dismalsson (135)
• Mologon (142)
• 50 Longbeards with Great Weapons, Shields, Full Command, Rune of Courage, Rune of Sanctuary (770)
• 50 Warriors with Shields, Full Command. Led by Thane with Gromril Armour, Rune of Stone, 2 Runes of Fury, Rune of Cleaving (617)
• 10 Thunderers with Shields (150)
• 10 Thunderers with Shields (150)
• 12 Quarrellers with Full Command, Great Weapons (193)
• 20 Hammerers with Full Command, Shields (290)
• 20 Hammerers with Full Command, Shields (290)
• 30 Slayers with Standard, Musician, 2 Giant Slayers. Led by Daemon Slayer with Rune of Fury, Rune of Cleaving (533)
• 30 Slayers with Standard, Musician, 2 Giant Slayers. Led by Daemon Slayer with Rune of Fury  (513)
• 12 Slayers (132)
• 20 Ironbreakers with Full Command (290)
• Gyrocopter (140)
• Gyrocopter (140)
• Grudge Thrower with Rune of Accuracy, 2 Runes of Penetration (170)
• Grudge Thrower with Rune of Accuracy, Rune of Penetration, Rune of Burning (150)
• Cannon with Rune of Forging (125)
• 10 Warriors with Great Weapons (100)
• Organ Gun (120)
• Organ Gun (120)