Gaming Arena March 2026 Aftermath - Part 3

This is the third and final part of my account of the recent one day tournament at Gaming Arena. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

Game 3 - A Chance Encounter
Nicolas Hellstern - Bretonnian Errantry Crusade

Duke on Barded Pegasus with Heavy armour, Shield, Crusader's Lance

Lady Élisse Duchaard (Level 3, Elementalism) with Chalice of Brionne, The Staff of the Elements

Paladin Battle Standard Bearer on Bretonnian Warhorse with Heavy armour, Shield, War Banner, Crusader's Clarion

12 Knights Errant with Lances, Shields, Heavy armour, Barding, Full Command, Banner of Châlons
12 Knights Errant with Lances, Shields, Heavy armour, Barding, Full Command
12 Squires with Longbows, Scouts
12 Squires with Longbows, Scouts
5 Pegasus Knights with Lances, Shields, Heavy armour, Barding, Full Command, Errantry Banner

6 Grail Knights with Lances, Shields, Heavy armour, Barding, Full Command, Crusader's Tapestry

There must have been another item or two in there, as that's not quite the right points total. But it's close enough.

I had enormous difficulty with the deployment in this scenario. The strange, narrow shape of what is effectively the "front" of the zone and the impassable terrain everywhere (including the special feature in the middle) left me feeling like I couldn't deploy anything where I wanted it. I compensated for this by deploying very badly, with units overlapping and blocking each other, and generally not thinking well enough ahead. Didn't help that I wasn't sure how I was going to face an army that could get through the gaps, charge further than me, and mess my units up... Nicolas placed a scouting unit behind me, near the baggage train.

Big Old Grudges Aftermath - Part 2

This is the second part of my account of the recent Big Old Grudges tournament. You can find the first part here.

Round 2: Drawn Battlelines (Strategic Locations 3; Baggage Train)
Michael Solari - Kingdom of Bretonnia

• Lady Élisse Duchaard
• Baron on Royal Pegasus, Lance, Shield, The Knight's Vow, Virtue of Heroism
• Duke on Hippogryph, Shield, Virtue of Knightly Temper, General, Barding, Ogre Blade
• Paladin on Barded Pegasus, Lance, Shield, The Knight's Vow, Banner of Chalons, Obsidian Lodestone
• 22 Knights of the Realm on Foot, Shield, Great Weapon, The Knight's Vow, First Knight, Obsidian Lodestone, Standard Bearer, War Banner, Musician
• 12 Mounted Knights of the Realm, The Knight's Vow, First Knight, Obsidian Lodestone, Standard Bearer, Monster Hunter's Tapestry
• 15 Peasant Bowmen, Defensive Stakes
• 15 Peasant Bowmen
• 3 Pegasus Knights, The Knight's Vow, First Knight
• 9 Grail Knights, Grail Guardian, Obsidian Lodestone, Standard Bearer, Banner Of Swirling Wind

This list worried me a bit. There were a couple of characters who could really threaten my Stonehorn, and they flew...

We each lost a unit into reserve. I lost the smaller Mournfang unit, and Michael lost some Peasant Bowmen. Hardly seemed a fair trade... Anyway, I set up fairly warily in terms of the Stonehorn, trying to make sure that he wouldn't just get swept off the table cheaply. I possibly didn't give enough thought to control of the objectives, but I was more concerned about things that might just remove my units.

Cancon 2024 Aftermath - Part 4

This is the continuation of my report of a recent 6th edition Warhammer Fantasy tournament. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

After 3 wins, I was getting perilously close to the top of the tables. By this point however, I had realised that there was only one Daemonic Legion list in the entire tournament, and I was not going to have to play it (which was nice, because they were basically kryptonite to a forest spirit army). I don't know where all the daemons had gone, but maybe we could win this thing!

Game 4 - Steal Their Supplies
Kieran Pink - Bretonnians

• Bretonnian Lord on Warhorse with Gauntlet of the Duel, Gromril Great Helm, The Heartwood Lance, Virtue of the Joust, Shield, Grail Vow
• Damsel of the Lady (Level 1, Lore of Life) on Warhorse with Dispel Scroll
• Paladin Battle Standard Bearer on Warhorse with Banner of the Lady, Questing Vow
• 6 Knights Errant with Musician
• 6 Knights Errant with Musician
• 6 Knights of the Realm with Standard Bearer
• 5 Mounted Yeoman with Shields
• 5 Mounted Yeoman with Shields
• 3 Pegasus Knights with Musician
• 8 Questing Knights with Standard Bearer, Banner of Chalons
• 8 Grail Knights with Musician, Standard Bearer, War Banner
• Field Trebuchet

This scenario involved 2 objectives. One didn't move and needed to be controlled at the end of the game. The other was a little cart that could drive around each turn and could be captured and carried with you. Control of those objectives at the end of the game dictated the bonus points.

Bretonnians had the potential to be a problem for my army. My armour penetration was only so-so, Bretonnians can easily add a rank or two to my none, and they would generally out-charge me. The Grail Knights in particular could probably kill anything in my army, especially on the charge. On the bright side, a single Damsel with one dispel scroll is not a lot of anti-magic... This game was also notable for being the only time all tournament that one of my spellcasters rolled The Call of the Hunt (a movement spell).

How we setup. I decided to keep a small unit of Dryads in reserve, given there was a forest right in the middle of the Bretonnian deployment zone. If nothing else, I thought it might mess with my opponent.

Slow Grow Catch-up

After spending an eternity painting the Anvil of Doom (and playing Total War), I had not only allowed it to take its whole month (which was more than I had really expected), but it also took a fair chunk out of the following month, in which I was meant to be working on something else. It meant I was quite a bit behind, and had some catching up to do.

Late last week, Tim had suggested that we play a Slow Grow game at the club on the Saturday. I agreed, but wanting to actually take the new anvil for a spin, we needed the game to be a bit larger. We agreed to stretch to 1500 points, which meant I really needed more core troops if I wanted to field a legal army. I had only just started painting a group of Warriors, so I needed to get them to a point where they wouldn't look completely embarrassing on the table.

I also decided that I really wanted a battle standard bearer - one on an oath stone, because I already have a painted Dwarf battle standard, and the oath stone would help justify having a second model to choose from. I didn't have a suitable model, so I decided to print one. On Friday. When the game was on Saturday. Because I am stupid.

Anyway, by 1am on Saturday morning, this is how things looked...

A dozen base-coated Warriors, and a BSB on oath stone who only existed as a puddle of liquid resin earlier on Friday.

Convic 2014 Aftermath – Part 2

This post is a continuation of my account of Convic 2014. You can find the first part here.

Going into game 3 I was on 34.1 out of a theoretically possible maximum of 60 points. Nothing special, but I was thus far managing to avoid the bottom tables. Hopefully I could continue that trend.

Game 3 – Meeting Engagement

Sam Morgan, Bretonnians

Comp score: 0.7

• Bretonnian Lord on Royal Pegasus with Virtue of Heroism, Sword of Swift Slaying, Gromril Great Helm, Dragonbane Gem, Shield
• Bretonnian Lord on Barded Bretonnian Warhorse with Virtue of Duty, Dawnstone, Falcon-horn of Fredemund, Lance, Shield
• Paladin (BSB) on Barded Bretonnian Warhorse with Virtue of the Impetuous Knight, Enchanted Shield, Luckstone
• Paladin on Royal Pegasus with Dragonhelm, Wyrmlance, Gauntlet of the Duel, Shield
• Damsel (Level 2, Lore of Life) on Bretonnian Warhorse with Silver Mirror
• Damsel (Level 2, Lore of Life) on Bretonnian Warhorse with Scroll of Shielding
• 9 Knights of the Realm with Full Command, War Banner
• 10 Knights Errant with Full Command, Standard of Discipline
• 10 Peasant Bowmen with Braziers, Musician, Standard Bearer
• 10 Peasant Bowmen with Braziers, Musician, Standard Bearer
• 3 Pegasus Knights with Champion
• 3 Pegasus Knights with Champion
• 3 Pegasus Knights with Champion
• Field Trebuchet
• Field Trebuchet

I'm afraid that Sam didn't bother laying his army out properly for the beauty pageant (probably because of all the riderless carpets), so I never got a decent shot of it. Each one of those rugs is a Pegasus Knight, and the genies up the back right are the flying characters.

Warhammer World Series 2013 Aftermath – Part 3

This is the third and final part of my account of the Warhammer World Series tournament held on the weekend. Below are the links to the first 2 parts:

Part1 (games 1 and 2)

Part2 (games 3, 4 and 5)

Game 6 – Rowan Keating

Table 8 – Aerial Duel

Scenario – Battleline

My army:

Bretonnians

• Bretonnian Lord
  • General; Heavy Armour; Questing Vow
  • Virtue of Heroism
  • Sword of Strife
  • Enchanted Shield
  • Royal Pegasus
• Paladin Battle Standard Bearer
  • Heavy Armour; Battle Standard Bearer; Questing Vow
  • Sword of Might
  • Gromril Great Helm
  • Warhorse
• Damsel of the Lady
  • Magic Level 1; Lore of Beasts
  • Warhorse
• 8 Knights of the Realm
  • Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Standard; Musician; Gallant; Barding; Knightly Vow
• 6 Knights of the Realm
  • Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Standard; Musician; Gallant; Barding; Knightly Vow
• 4 Pegasus Knights
  • Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Standard; Musician; Gallant; Knightly Vow
• 4 Pegasus Knights
  • Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Standard; Musician; Gallant; Knightly Vow
• 5 Mounted Yeomen
  • Spear; Bow; Fast Cavalry
• 5 Mounted Yeomen
  • Spear; Bow; Fast Cavalry

Rowan's army:

Vampire Counts

• Vampire Lord
  • General; Lore of Vampires; Lance; Heavy armour; Magic Level 1
  • Enchanted Shield
  • Dawn Stone
  • Quickblood
  • Hellsteed
• Vampire
  • Battle Standard Bearer; Magic Level 2; Lance; Heavy armour; Shield
  • Nightshroud
  • Hellsteed
• 5 Dire Wolves
• 5 Dire Wolves
• 27 Zombies
  • Standard; Musician
• 20 Crypt Ghouls
  • Ghast
• 4 Vargheists
• 4 Vargheists
• 6 Black Knights
  • Barding; Lance; Heavy Armour; Shield; Standard; Musician

This table was one of those constructed with a particular theme. In this case, it was as close as we could get to a workable “aerial duel” type of game. Rowan chose the Vampires and away we went.

After deployment and vanguard moves.

Warhammer World Series 2013 Aftermath – Part 1

The weekend saw the second running of that most unusual of tournaments, the Warhammer World Series. I was organising the event, however once things are up and running, the World Series is not the most difficult tournament to run. So I was also able to play the “bye-breaker”, which was needed because we had an odd number of players. So Baron von Gumby, most feared of non-competitive players, would ride once more! As usual, I took photos during my games and will give a bit of a run-through of how they went.

For those not following earlier, the World Series involves players arriving at a table and finding 2 pre-determined armies waiting for them. They then dice off to choose between the armies, the loser of the roll-off gets to choose table sides, and they play the scenario assigned to the table (generally Battleline). The full list of tables and armies has already been published, but I will repeat the ones I played on here for convenience as we go along.

Also, as I was the gumby player, I would not be rolling off with my opponent to choose armies – I would let them choose, and then we would roll off for table sides. Given I wrote nearly all of the pairings, it seemed the only fair way to do things. Besides, then I wouldn't have to try to choose what to use...

Game 1 – Nick Gentile

Table 5 – Family Feud

Scenario – Battleline

As usual, Nick is excited about being excited.

The Battle of Champignon

A 2500pt 8th Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle Report between Bretonnians and Warriors of Chaos.

Scenario: Blood and Glory

Bretonnians: Drew McLean

Warriors of Chaos: Nick Hoen

Scribe: Owen Top
Rubbish photographer and random narrator: Greg Johnson

A few notes before we begin. I had originally intended to write this battle report up in the same way as the last one (Battle of the Eerie Hills), however a couple of considerations changed my mind. The first was that this game did not turn out as close as one might have hoped for a battle report, which makes it harder to put in all the effort required. More importantly though, our noble scribe for the game, Owen, decided to infect his notes with his usual oddball humour. It seemed a shame to waste it, so I've decided to give it to you (more or less) as he wrote it. The notes vary in detail, so I shall make clarifications in red where required.

We were organised this time, and Owen even brought along a better camera so that we could take some decent photos. Unfortunately the photographer was me, and shortly into the game the camera decided to pack it in anyway (I maintain it was not my fault. Owen blamed his dad, but I failed to follow his logic). So most of the photos came from my phone, as per the last game. Sorry, folks.