Bendigo Besieged 2026 - Part 2

This is the second part of my report of the recent 8th edition Warhammer Fantasy tournament, Bendigo Besieged. You can find the previous part here.

Game 2 - Dawn Attack
Karl Bonwick - Warriors of Chaos

• Daemon Prince (Level 4, Lore of Metal) of Tzeentch with Chaos Armour, Daemonic Flight, Flaming Breath, Scaled Skin, Soul Feeder, Charmed Shield
• Exalted Hero (BSB) of Tzeentch on Daemonic Mount with Great Weapon, Shield, Burning Body, Third Eye of Tzeentch, Barding, Talisman of Preservation
• 25 Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch with Shields, Full Command, Standard of Discipline
• Chaos Chariot of Tzeentch
• 5 Chaos Warhounds
• 10 Chaos Knights of Tzeentch with Ensorcelled Weapons, Full Command, Banner of Swiftness
• Chimera with Flaming Breath, Regenerating Flesh
• Hellcannon

This was more like the sort of list I was worried about running into, with characters I was going to struggle to deal with. But the Daemon Prince wasn't immune to flaming attacks, so really there was just one plan there - Searing Doom...

Dawn Attack requires you to roll for each unit do determine whether things would start on the left, right, or centre. My deployment looks remarkably normal by my standards - I have some history with this scenario doing terrible things to me.

Big Old Grudges Aftermath - Part 4

This is the fourth part of my account of the recent Big Old Grudges tournament. You can find the previous part here, or go back to the start here.

Round 4: A Chance Encounter (Baggage Train; Domination)
Geoff Googe – Warriors of Chaos

• Chaos Lord (General) on Gorebeast Chariot with Mark of Nurgle, Great Weapon, Favour of the Gods, Talisman of the Carrion Crow, Potion of Foolhardiness
• Sorcerer Lord (Level 3, Daemonology) with Mark of Nurgle, Spell Familiar, Tome of Spellcraft, Brazen Collar, Favour of the Gods, Enchanting Aura
• Exalted Champion on Chaos Steed with Mark of Nurgle, Great Weapon, Diabolic Splendour, Brazen Collar, Favour of the Gods
• Aspiring Champion Battle Standard Bearer with Mark of Nurgle, Shield, Favour of the Gods, Enhanced Reflexes
• 30 Warriors of Chaos with Mark of Nurgle, Shields, Full Command, War Banner, Enhanced Reflexes
• 9 Marauder Horsemen with Flails, Horsemaster, Unnatural Fortitude, Mark of Chaos Undivided
• 5 Warhounds with Vanguard
• 5 Warhounds with Vanguard
• 7 Chosen Chaos Knights with Mark of Nurgle, Drilled, Full Plate Armour, Lances, Full Command, Totem of Wrath, Dark Hearts
• Spawn of Nurgle (Gerald)
• Spawn of Nurgle (Helga)
• Gigantic Spawn of Chaos (Gunther) – Nurgle

This scenario asked for weird deployment zones in diagonally opposite table corners, with a dead space in the centre. There's meant to be a special feature in the middle, but it was an oversight in the player pack. This picture was after the Warhound units used vanguard. The slightly dark blob in the centre is the Marauder Horsemen on a hill, with the Chaos Knights in front of them.

With the Sorcerer Lord and BSB in there, this unit was worth something close to 1000 points before bonuses. It was also likely to be a hard nut to crack.

Cancon 2025 Aftermath - Part 2

This is the second part of my Cancon report. You can find the first part here.

Game 2 - Break Point
Nick Kylling - Warriors of Chaos

• Chaos Lord with Full plate armour, Shield, Chaos Steed, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Ogre Blade, 2x Favour of the Gods, Enchanting Aura
• Sorcerer Lord (Level 4, Battle Magic) with Heavy armour, Chaos Steed, Mark of Tzeentch, Spell Familiar, Infernal Puppet, Ruby Ring of Ruin
• Sorcerer Lord (Level 4, Daemonology) with Heavy armour, Chaos Steed, Mark of Tzeentch, Rod Of The Damned, Lore Familiar
• Aspiring Champion (Battle Standard Bearer) with Lance, Heavy armour, Shield, Chaos Steed, War Banner, Favour of the Gods
• 10 Chaos Knights with Lances, Shields, Heavy armour, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Full Command, Banner of the Dark Powers
• 7 Chaos Knights with Lances, Shields, Heavy armour, Mark of Tzeentch, Champion
• 5 Chaos Warhounds
• 6 Chosen Chaos Knights with Lances, Shields, Full plate armour, Mark of Chaos Undivided, Drilled, Standard Bearer, Champion with Brazen Collar
• Dragon Ogre with Great weapon, Heavy armour
• Dragon Ogre with Great weapon, Heavy armour
• Dragon Ogre with Great weapon, Heavy armour
• Gigantic Spawn of Nurgle

So I was only one game into the tournament, and I was already too high up on the tables. Nick had devised a far more competent list than mine, and it didn't look like a great match-up for my army. The Bloodthirster was still scary and the Daemon Prince was good at armoured targets, but my units... Also Nick's army was absolutely loaded with anti-magic tricks, so that was likely to interfere with anything I might be able to do there. I celebrated this by rolling the worst spells I possibly could for my backup wizard, and off we went.

There are so many points in that unit. The Chaos Lord, one of the Sorcerer Lords and the BSB are all jammed in there. I wasn't sure what I could do about that, with the Chaos Lord having the Ogre Blade and an aura that would make the Bloodthirster strike last.

The Shadows Return: Game 10

And now for something a little different, we found an excuse to use one of the original scenarios from the Dark Shadows campaign book. It was another Ambush using the rules from the 6th edition rulebook (yes I know, this should be ringing alarm bells already given our previous ambush attempts). The difference here was that the defending army is trying to force its way through the narrow passage past the mountains to the north of the island, and they are set upon by a pack of monsters. 

We had great fun digging through my pile of available monsters the evening before, picking things that seemed reasonable from the Storm of Magic book and giving them various upgrades. We tried not to take anything that seemed unreasonably powerful, and ended up with something like the following:

• Giant
• Giant
• Giant
• Griffon (with ASF and Devastating Charge)
• Wyvern (with Killing Blow)
• Wyvern (with Tail Attack)
• Wyvern (with Impact Hits)
• Young Dragon
• Arachnarok
• Pack of 3 Sabretusks
• Pack of 3 Sabretusks
• Troll

Somehow we got carried away explaining why such an eclectic band of monsters would be banded together in this way, and it seems that Owen took them to heart as he wrote up the account that follows:

Game 10: The Giants' Causeway

It was mid afternoon when Edna the troll saw him. The most handsome, most ripped, most utterly adorable thing she’d ever seen. He was dressed in ragged trousers, and was striding across the stony ground effortlessly carrying a great ogham stone above his head, following the big shiny red men with a look of intense concentration. Just one look was all it took, and Edna was in love, but how could she make this handsome and virile adonis notice her? She looked about her blankly, her gaze falling on a crumbling stone idol, which lay fallen on the ground. Picking this up and raising it above her head in imitation of her beloved, she set out after him, drooling quietly, the world around her much fuzzier and pinker than usual.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Edna follows her dreamboat into battle.

The Shadows Return: Game 9

The campaign is continuing, and I am gradually falling further behind in my reporting. In an effort to speed things up a little, I am going to lean more heavily on Owen's note-taking for Game 9. Instead of writing the whole thing up narrative-style and then including his notes at the bottom, I am going to build the report around his notes and then including my own stuff in the captions. I'll also clarify some stuff in italics.

Consider this a warning, I guess...

The marshes were eerily quiet as Mana-mana crept through the slimy undergrowth to Qur'myt's position under a drooping swamp tree. He stopped next to the Slann's palanquin and waited to be acknowledged. Eventually the Skink perched upon the arm of the palanquin turned to looked at him and nodded.

"All forces are in position, Lord Qur'myt," he reported. He paused a moment, then went on in a rush, "We are not ready for this engagement, Lord Qur'myt. We have only just regathered after our encounter with the Druchii. We need more..."

He was cut off abruptly by the Slann's voice booming in his mind, DO YOU DOUBT MY JUDGEMENT, YOUNG PRIEST?

"No my lord, but perhaps we need more..."

THAT CERTAINLY SOUNDS LIKE DOUBT. DO NOT FORGET WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THIS HUNTING PACK. GO BACK TO YOUR POSITION AND AWAIT MY SIGNAL.

Mana-mana scurried off quickly. He cursed himself for his foolishness. Qur'myt was a mighty Slann Priest, thousands of years old and the veteran of countless battles. He was fortunate to have received such a light reprimand for his temerity.

As he passed Ivyl-Knivyl however, his doubts redoubled. The fearless Chieftain was wrapped head-to-toe in bandages a he sought to recover from the battering he so recently received. A lesser Skink would have perished, but Ivyl-Knivyl was no lesser Skink. Nevertheless he swayed atop the back of his new Stegadon mount like a little drunken mummy.

Mana-mana knew in his heart - they were not ready for this ambush.

*****

Char'Drex stomped through the swamps at the head of the column. Each step of his blisteringly hot daemonic hooves caused the marsh water around him to boil and hiss. He paid little attention to picking the safest path. He had no fear of a mis-step. And if those behind him were unable to follow where he led... well they were not worthy to follow him, were they?

The sound of beating wings approaching caused the daemon prince to look up overhead. A Manticore swooped down and landed on some of the marginally firmer ground nearby. Peter, the army's sorcerer, sat upon the back of the beast. "Lord Char'Drex, I believe we are about to be ambushed. Lizard creatures have surrounded our column."

The daemon prince snorted in amusement. "Do they mean to attack us, or do we need to go and look for them?"

"I believe their attack is imminent, my lord."

Char'Drex smiled. "Good!"

Right then, on we go!

The Shadows Return: Game 7

The hours after the battle with the Dark Elves were a blur for Korhiel. He rode blindly through the swamps in the gathering darkness, trusting in his elven steed’s instincts to guide him safely. He gave little thought to the perils of the terrain; he was mainly trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the battlefield. He needed to get away. Away from the enemy. Away from those lunatic Witches and the psychotic hatred in their eyes. Away from where Eldain had fallen.

It took him a long time to calm down enough to realize that the enemy had not pursued him. Perhaps they had realized that they would not overtake him on foot. Or perhaps they were content to let the deadly swamps do their work for them. This was entirely possible, Korhiel realized – by the time he stopped, he had no idea where he was and he realized he was very fortunate to have made it this far without accident. Tired and heartbroken, he eventually dismounted, dressed his wounds as best he could, and lay down to wait out the darkness.

He awoke from a fitful sleep in the dim light before dawn to discover that he was no longer alone. His trail through the swamps had been followed after all. A sorry band of battered High Elves was working its way toward him. Swordmasters, White Lions, Silver Helms on foot – the other survivors of the previous day’s battle. At their head was the banner bearer of the Sea Guard, however he no longer carried his regiment’s standard. Instead he carried the muddied and tattered banner of Lord Eldain – the very same banner that Korhiel had lost as he fled the field.

They looked to Korhiel to lead them, as the highest ranked survivor. This was embarrassing given his lack of experience and his panicked flight from his first battle, but he swallowed his doubts in the face of their need. He did refuse to take back the banner, however. “You saved it from the field, the honour is now yours,” he told him.

Together they made their way through the swamps, in the direction Korhiel best guessed might lead them back to their ships. There were only a score of them, but if they could reach the beaches they would be able to be reinforced. They were certainly in no condition to continue their campaign at they were. It was unfortunate then, that they stumbled straight into a band of Nurgle worshippers as they played in the foul mud of the swamps…

*****

Lord Scroltch and his followers were frolicking in the mud when the High Elves came into view. The Chaos Warriors were absolutely coated in filth. The weapons were lying all over the place, and their shields had been left behind somewhere (nobody really seemed sure where). On the bright side, they had constructed a glorious array of mud castles, complete with moats, drawbridges made of rotting wood and flagpoles using leaves.

Upon sighting the Elves, Lord Scroltch gurgled delightedly. The Elves were muddy and disheveled. Clearly they liked playing in the swamps too. He splashed forward through the fens toward them, his warriors charging alongside enthusiastically, roaring in their excitement.

*****

In the swamps not far away, a pair of giants were lumbering along behind a Truthsayer. The druid took care as he walked, making sure to find a safe path through the marshes. The giants were less concerned with where they stepped, sploshing through and trusting in their immense size to protect them from any potential hazards.

The three of them stopped suddenly when they heard the roaring of the Chaos Warriors. The Truthsayer’s eyes widened in alarm. It sounded like the enemy had found his target before he could. They would have to hurry.

Nick Gentile's High Elves had been soundly thrashed in their first game against the Dark Elves, so they were clearly on the back foot. It might seem unfair that they then have to face Owen's victorious Chaos Warriors, but these games are not as much about even battles as they are about telling a story.

This game was another unusual scenario. The High Elves started with a miserable 500 points or so of survivors, deployed first and got the second turn, however they then had 1500 points of reinforcements arrive in Turn 1. The Fen Beasts were permitted to deploy in any swamp, whilst the Giants and Truthsayer had to walk on from a table edge.

Game 7: With a Little Help From My Friends

500 points vs 2000. It's funny, but it doesn't look that uneven on the table. Stupid expensive Chaos characters.

The Shadows Return: Game 2

At the same time as Game 1 was taking place, Game 2 was being played on a nearby table. In order to prevent her Empire "allies" from being summarily crushed by a vastly superior Chaos force, the Vampire had moved to the rear of the Chaos advance and ambushed it using what resources she could dredge from the rotting swamps around her.

This game was fought using another scenario we threw together for the occasion: Ambush!

As I was largely distracted by the other game, Owen generously offered to write up a rough account of what happened from the perspective of his Chaos army. Don't say I never did anything to you. Umm, I mean for you. Obviously...

Game 2: The Battle of Briny Bog

Lord Scroltch the Deliriously Pustulent wriggled happily and squelched the delightful mud between his tentacles. Lord Nurgle had recently seen fit to reward him by transforming him into a giant mutated octopus beast of revolting aspect with a really amazing collection of skin diseases, and then sent him to this delightfully muddy island which smelled of mold and rot with a piquant hint of week-old fish. About him gamboled his finest followers, great bloated and diseased knights mounted astride some really quite startlingly handsome slugs and giant flies. The slugs clearly enjoyed this new environment, and he could hear them purring like great self-satisfied pustulent cats. All about him his warriors and marauders cavorted with the sheer joy of such a vile smelling place. One of them had even started to make a mud castle. Really, this was quite the best holiday he’d had in years. Or it would’ve been if not for that distressingly offensive Kragan, the Destroyer.

Lord Scroltch. Who only got a game because Owen forgot the proper model of Chaos Lord on unsightly large toad. I like this guy better.

The Shadows Return: Game 1

Every campaign needs to start somewhere. In our case, our story starts on the shores of Albion, where the Empire army has arrived only to be immediately confronted by a Chaos army. The Chaos worshipers had arrived first and wasted no time in heading off the Empire forces. It was almost as if they knew where they were going to land…


We don’t actually have any terrain that really represents a beach at the club, so I figure the action takes place marginally inland from where the sands and ships can be found. We put together a rough new scenario to represent the situation. The game was fought using the Foothold scenario, found here.

Game 1: Fight Them on the Beaches

Dahvit the Really Really Dark Grey, brother of Stefan the Black and second-in-command of the Murder of Crows, shouted orders rapidly at his men as they scrambled for their gear and set off inland toward the sound of the enemy horns. They had been expecting a fight, but this had been even sooner than they were prepared for. Most of their strength had not yet had not yet disembarked from the ships. And now they were out of time, and would have to meet the enemy with whatever was ready.

The beach was no place to try to maneuver an army, and they did not want the enemy within arm’s reach of their vulnerable ships. In fact, the ships had ceased disembarking troops the moment the horns had started. If their foes reached the ships, there would be no way home for any of them. The ships were preparing to withdraw. They were merchant vessels that had been hired for the voyage; they lacked the means to support the men already on the beach and so they were better off steering clear. The men already under Dahvit’s command would be on their own. If they successfully defended the beach, the ships could return and safely unload the rest of their company.

*****

Char’Drex, Despoiler of Balance, bellowed a challenge as he strode forth from the stunted trees and spotted the Empire forces hurriedly taking up a position above the beach. The grass nearby withered and hissed where his cloven hooves drove themselves into the soft earth, and everything around him shimmered as though the air itself was rebelling against his presence. He was an agent of the Dark Gods, an unnatural being that had no place in the natural world. But he was here anyway, and he was going to kill everyone else who was there too. He was nice like that.

Behind him clattered a cacophony of steel and brass as his minions hurried to keep up with his monstrous stride. Warriors of all four Chaos Gods were presented in his retinue. As the Despoiler of Balance, it amused Char’Drex to use balance to despoil things. He knew at a glance that the pitiful mortal force before him stood no chance against the army that followed him. He paid no heed to the noises that had started to filter through the trees further behind him – almost like the sounds of battle. Most likely his warriors were having another disagreement. He also disregarded the fact that less than half of his army actually emerged from the trees behind him. What difference did it make? He could handle these foolish mortals all by himself. The warriors behind him were little more than an audience…

A chorus of dismay went up from the Empire lines as the mighty Daemon Prince emerged from the trees. Men were already cursing this forsaken island, and they had only just arrived! Dahvit bellowed orders and tried to restore order, even though his own heart sank at the sight of the enemy monstrosity. Ranks of heavily armoured Chaos Warriors appeared behind the daemon. Dahvit knew how tough an opponent a Chaos Warrior was, and yet their presence barely registered in the shadow of their leader. He really didn’t pay much attention to the later arrivals, until the Hellcannon rolled forth. The daemonic war engine writhed in its chains and snapped at its attendants, a baleful glow emitting from its toothed maw. Dahvit sighed. This day was not getting any better.

He forced himself from the thought pattern that was rapidly taking a downward spiral into despair. His men needed leadership, and that was what he would give them. He ordered the Cannon to prepare and aim for the Daemon Prince. If it couldn’t take down the brute, Sigmar alone knew how they were going to stop it.

Deployment

Shattered Dreams and Hopes Lost

My last post described the rules we would be using for a moderately large game last weekend. The intent was to try to break the pattern that we commonly see in multiplayer games, when the larger game turns into several smaller parallel one-on-one games with little interaction between them. Well we tried things out, and this is how they went.

This was never intended to be a really fancy report and I was playing at the same time as taking pictures, so the presentation is not all it could have been (some of the photos are really blurry). Oh well.

We played with about 17,000 points per side, with each player commanding a little over 6,000 points. It was all kind of thrown together with the models that I already had at my place, so the composition of the armies might not have been all that it could have been.

Armies 
High Elves (Empire West)

• Prince on Star Dragon with Shield; Armour of Destiny; Star Lance
• Teclis (Lore of High Magic)
• Archmage (Level 4, Lore of Death)
• Annointed of Asuryan
• Noble with Battle Standard; Halberd; Armour of Caledor
• 50 First Spearmen with Full Command
• 40 Lothern Seaguard with Full Command
• 15 Silver Helms with Shields; Full Command
• 12 Archers with Standard; Musician
• 12 Archers with Standard; Musician
• 15 Dragon Princes of Caledor with Full Command
• 40 Swordmasters of Hoeth with Full Command; Razor Standard
• 30 White Lions of Chrace with Full Command; Gleaming Pendant
• 40 Phoenix Guard with Full Command
• Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower
• Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower
• Frostheart Phoenix

Empire Centre

• General on Imperial Griffon with Great Weapon; Full Plate Armor; Talisman of Endurance; Dragonhelm
• Balthasar Gelt
• Wizard Lord (Level 4, Lore of Life)
• Captain with Battle Standard; Barded Warhorse; Full Plate Armor; Shield; Sword of Might; Dawn Stone
• Warrior Priest with Great Weapon; Heavy Armour
• 30 Knightly Orders with Great Weapons; Full Command
• 16 Reiksguard Knights with Full Command; Banner of Swiftness
• 60 Greatswords with Full Command
• 60 Halberdiers with Full Command
• 40 Swordsmen with Full Command
• 5 Demigryph Knights with Full Command
• 20 Handgunners with Standard; Musician
• Great Cannon
• Helblaster Volley Gun
• Celestial Hurricanum
• Steam Tank

Empire East

• Arch Lector on War Altar with Armour of Destiny; Mace of Helstrum
• General on Imperial Griffon with Great Weapon; Full Plate Armor; White Cloak of Ulric
• Wizard Lord (Level 4, Lore of Heavens)
• Wizard Lord (Level 4, Lore of Light)
• Captain with Battle Standard; Barded Warhorse; Full Plate Armor; Shield; Opal Amulet; Sword of Anti-Heroes
• Warrior Priest with Great Weapon; Heavy Armour
• Master Engineer
• 30 Knights of the Inner Circle with Full Command; Steel Standard
• 30 Knightly Orders with Full Command
• 60 Flagellants
• 60 Halberdiers with Full Command
• 60 Halberdiers with Full Command
• 40 Spearmen with Full Command
• 20 Handgunners with Standard; Musician
• 16 Crossbowmen with Standard; Musician
• 16 Crossbowmen with Standard; Musician
• 5 Demigryph Knights with Full Command
• 40 Greatswords with Full Command
• 5 Outriders with Sharpshooter
• Great Cannon
• Great Cannon
• Helblaster Volley Gun

Chaos West

• Daemon Prince of Khorne with Chaos Armour; Daemonic Flight; Exalted Gift (+3 Strength)
• Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury with Greater Gift (+2 Strength?); Greater Gift (+1 Toughness)
• Keeper of Secrets (Level 4, Lore of Slaanesh) with Greater Gift (+2 Attacks); Greater Gift (something)
• Herald of Slaanesh with Battle Standard; Greater Locus of Swiftness; Greater Gift (2+ Armour)
• Herald of Nurgle with Lesser Locus of Virulence; Greater Gift (Fencer's Blades)
• Karanak
• 30 Daemonettes of Slaanesh with Full Command
• 20 Bloodletters of Khorne with Full Command
• 40 Plaguebearers of Nurgle with Full Command
• 10 Pink Horrors of Tzeentch
• 6 Beasts of Nurgle
• 6 Fiends of Slaanesh
• 23 Flesh Hounds of Khorne
• 4 Bloodcrushers of Khorne
• 5 Seekers of Slaanesh
• Soul Grinder of Slaanesh with Daemonbone Claw; Phlegm Bombardment

Chaos Centre

• Belakor 
• Chaos Lord of Tzeentch on Daemonic Mount with Barding; Shield; Hellfire Sword; Talisman of Endurance
• Sorcerer Lord of Tzeentch (Level 4, Lore of Fire (yes I know)) on Disc of Tzeentch with Talisman of Preservation, Sword of Anti-Heroes, Scaled Skin
• Exalted Hero of Tzeentch with Battle Standard; Shield; Barded Chaos Steed; Dawn Stone; Sword of Might
• 30 Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch with Halberds; Shields; Full Command
• 20 Chaos Warriors of Khorne with Shields; Full Command
• 25 Chaos Warriors with Halberds; Full Command
• 40 Chaos Marauders of Slaanesh with Flails; Full Command
• 20 Chaos Knights of Tzeentch with Ensorcelled Weapons; Full Command
• 12 Chaos Knights with Ensorcelled Weapons; Full Command
• 8 Dragon Ogres with Great Weapons; Light Armour
• Hellcannon

Chaos East

• Galrauch, The Great Drake
• Great Bray-Shaman (Level 4, Lore of Beasts)
• Wargor with Battle Standard; Great Weapon; Trollhide Armour
• 50 Chaos Warriors of Slaanesh with Halberds; Full Command; Banner of Swiftness
• 40 Gor Herd  with 2ndWeapon; Full Command
• 3 Chaos Chariots (operating as a single regiment to keep things tidy)
• 28 Chosen with Great Weapons; Shields; Full Command
• 10 Chaos Ogres of Slaanesh with Great Weapons; Heavy Armour; Full Command
• 1 Doombull with Great Weapon; Armour of Destiny; Gnarled Hide
• 11 Minotaurs  with Great Weapons; Light Armour; Full Command
• Dragon Ogre Shaggoth with Great Weapon; Light Armour
• Dragon Ogre Shaggoth with Great Weapon; Light Armour
• 10 Chaos Knights of Slaanesh with Lances; Full Command

Deployment
There was some debate over how best to handle deployment. In the end it was a roll-off. The losing side had to deploy one of its 3 contingents first. Then the winning side had to deploy 2 of theirs, then the losing side had to deploy both of their remaining contingents before the winners placed their 1 remaining force. In this case the Empire won the roll-off, so the last thing deployed was the Empire centre (me).

The forces lined up along the table. The circles show the area of the rifts if they are opened (control comes from unengaged units standing on the marker in the centre at the start of their turn).

Axemaster 2015 Aftermath - Part 4

This is the 4th and final part of my tournament report. You can find part 3 here.

Game 5
Stuart Murray, Warriors of Chaos

• Chaos Lord of Khorne on Manticore
• Throgg the Troll King
• Festus
• Exalted Hero of Nurgle on Daemon Steed with Battle Standard
• Mounted Sorcerer (Level 2, Lore of Metal)
• Sorcerer (Level 2, Lore of Slaanesh)
• 15 Chaos Warriors of Nurgle with Shields
• 15 Marauders of Slaanesh
• 5 Marauder Horsemen of Tzeentch
• Chimera

Comp Score: 3

My Mission: Control table quarters

It was game 5 and I would be playing someone else I had never played before. Stuart's army looked like something that had escaped a previous edition of Warhammer - a Chaos army laden with characters and with almost no models. Looking at it, my main hope was to knock off the units and hopefully minimize the damage the Chaos Lord could do (as he and his beast promised too much punch at high speed for me to handle).

Deployment

The Battle of Blood Valley - Part 3

This is the third and final part of our battle report. You can find the previous part here.

Empire Turn 4

Empire Turn 4

The toll was mounting on both sides as the battle continued. Despite their pursuers having lost interest, the morale of the few remaining Halberdiers was too badly shattered for them to regroup and they fled the field entirely. The Handgunners fired a volley through the windows of the house, but the Ogres hiding inside were difficult to pick out and they took little real damage. The Cannon crew noticed the commotion and turned their machine to fire across the field. The shot blasted through the upper floor, killing the already-wounded Ogre who had been making his way upstairs.

"Kill me first, Mr Daemon Prince!" "No, I demand my doom first!" "Wait your turn!"

The Battle of Blood Valley - Part 2

This is a continuation of the Battle of Blood Valley battle report. You can find the first part here.

Empire Turn 2

Empire Turn 2

The Empire general and army standard had fallen. They and the Knights escorting them had fallen prey to Reichardt's own hubris and needless aggression. Their skulls would be added to Khorne's collection, but the battle was not yet over.

Lost in the mindless stampede as they ran down the fleeing Empire commander, the Chaos Knights were oblivious to the charge of the Greatswords into their exposed flank until it was too late. The Skullcrushers were also unexpectedly flanked when the Chaos Hounds blocking the path of the Outriders decided to turn tail and flee when they charged. As the Hounds made their escape through their own lines (and ultimately from the field entirely) the Outriders altered their course and charged the monstrous Skullcrushers instead. What they thought about this sudden change of opponents is probably best not recorded.

The Chaos Knights ans Skullcrushers find themselves flanked mid-celebration. How unsporting. The Outriders were meant to be getting out of the way for the Steam Tank to charge the Skullcrushers, but compulsory movement occurring later meant the Outriders had already maximised and left no room.

The Battle of Blood Valley - Part 1

A 3,250 point Warhammer Fantasy Battle 8th edition battle report with Aaron Graham.

It has been a while since I posted a proper battle report, so I thought I would put out the call and see who was interested in these disturbing and Age of Sigmar-laden times. Aaron put up his hand, and we set about planning a game. Things were largely dictated by what he had available (hence the slightly strange points limit). I tried to make an army that might face off fairly evenly against the sorts of units he would be fielding, and away we went.

Unfortunately the lighting at the club is really not great, so some of these photos are pretty dark despite my efforts to adjust the camera. In the end (as the afternoon got even darker) I wound up resorting to the flash. Sorry about my shoddy photography skills. Anyway, on with the game!

Prologue
Smoke smeared the horizon as Grand Master Reichardt called his column to a halt at the top of a gently rolling hill. They stood on the lip of a green valley. The farmhouses occupying the area had all been abandoned for a while. The Chaos warband that was rampaging in this direction was hardly the first threat to the area in recent memory. In truth, the whole region was a war zone. A tide of warriors had been arriving from the north, and there was a limit to how many armies Elector Count Valmir von Raukov could dispatch to combat the problem. 


Reichardt's task force was one such force. He had been dispatched with the specific purpose of intercepting and destroying this latest warband before its southerly course took it beyond the Elector's reach and deeper into the Empire. This was not the first such sortie that the Grand Master and his men had been on. Every fighting man in Ostland was a veteran by now; there was no room for idle men.

A forced march had brought them to this valley, which Reichardt had identified as the best place to halt the northerners. They were arriving toward the later part of the afternoon however, and the sun would soon be setting. It would have been time to make camp, however the sounds from the other side of the valley suggested that there would be no time for that. The battle would take place now.

Already the lead elements of the Chaos force were emerging from the trees on the far side of the field. As the sun began to set behind them and the smoky sky overhead began to turn red, the gathering Northmen took up a chant as they formed ranks across the valley from the hastily deploying Empire forces. The chant was simple, but it simultaneously struck fear into the hearts of their enemies and praised their malevolent master.

"Blood! Blood! Blood! BLOOD!"

The Battle of Heffengen - Part 6

This post is the final part of the report on the Battle of Heffengen. You can read part 5 here.

Chaos Turn 6

Chaos Final Turn

The Empire army had been pushed back. It was time for the Chaos forces to land a decisive blow.

The steam tank finds itself fighting both skullcrushers and blood knights

The Battle of Heffengen - Part 5

This post is part 5 of the report on the Battle of Heffengen. You can read part 4 here.

Apologies if the photos are starting to get worse. As evening fell and the light deteriorated a bit, it got harder to take decent shots without a flash.

Chaos Turn 5

Chaos Turn 5. The comet finally arrives!

The Battle of Heffengen - Part 4

This post is part 4 of the report on the Battle of Heffengen. You can read part 3 here.

Chaos Turn 4
Walach Harkon's Blood Dragons

• Wal Walach Harkon
• Ter1 Terrorgheist
• Ter2 Terrorgheist
• Ter3 Terrorgheist
• Ter4 Terrorgheist
• BK1 7 Blood Knights
• BK2 5 Blood Knights
• BK3 5 Blood Knights
• Blk1 15 Black Knights
• Blk2 10 Black Knights
• Blk3 10 Black Knights
• BC Black Coach
• Vg1 Varghulf
• Vg2 Varghulf
• Geist1 8 Vargheists
• Geist2 7 Vargheists

Chaos Turn 4. The Blood Dragons arrive.

The Battle of Heffengen - Part 3

This post is part 3 of the report on the Battle of Heffengen. You can read part 2 here.

As noted at the end of the notes for turn 2, a decision was made at the start of turn 3 that from turn 4 onward, the Chaos players would be permitted to target Karl Franz with shooting attacks. The decision seemed logical as the reason I gave for protecting him was that Gurug’ath wanted the satisfaction of killing him personally, and Gurug’ath was long gone. Also, the great and glorious Emperor looked set to not move for the entire game, and I figured it might encourage him to get a bit more involved.

To cushion the blow a bit, we decided that units wishing to shoot at him had to pass a Ld test first, as they struggled to overcome their standing orders.

Chaos Turn 3

Chaos turn 3.

The Battle of Heffengen - Part 2

This post is part 2 of the report on the Battle of Heffengen. You can read part 1 here.

Before we continue, I should mention that there are a great many characters involved in this game, however most of them are moving as part of larger units, and so I didn't note them down. There was also a Tzeentch sorcerer kicking about on a flying disc who I didn’t bother to track (because, you know, priorities). You’ll just have to bear with me and accept that some of the detail didn’t make it onto the maps.

Chaos Turn 2

Chaos Turn 2

Time to engage

The Battle of Heffengen - Part 1

Welcome to the first part of our battle report recreating the Battle of Heffengen from the End Times: Nagash source book. This was a 40,000 point per side game, with 8 players. We had 2 photographers, 2 scribes fighting over the same Google Doc on separate computers, and several others on hand to help and distract as needed.

As with the previous large battle reports of Hel Fenn and Finuval Plain, I will present the game in a narrative style, covering the important events of the game in the story. Hopefully it won’t be too hard to follow (or take too long to read).

This time I have also included the bullet point notes taken during the game, down the bottom of the page. So if you don't want to read the story, you can go down there and get confused. Good luck.

Introduction 

The situation was desperate. The great Auric Bastion to the north had been breached, and a Chaos horde now rampaged through the Empire. The Emperor was scrambling to muster a defence. The hastily assembled force was mighty indeed, however it was by no means guaranteed to be enough to halt the enemy’s advance. Karl Franz knew  this, but he also knew that he was out of time. They could wait for no more reinforcements; they had to make their stand. The battle would take place a mile north of the city of Heffengen, on the banks of the river Revesnacht.

The Empire army had been in position for less than a day when the Chaos tide was upon them. Rain had been descending in a constant drizzle, dampening spirits and turning the fields to mud. There was little grass to be seen now, with the damp weather and oppressive lack of sunlight becoming a regular feature in these generally dark times.

The Empire forces were already arrayed for battle as the enemy approached. A stream of scouts and refugees had given them ample warning of what was coming. The Emperor stood upon a low hill behind the centre of the line, his hand idly stroking Deathclaw’s feathered head. The mighty griffon rested next to him, glaring toward the horizon as the Chaos legions advanced. Doubtless his keen eyesight could make out far more than the humans waiting anxiously around him.

Kurt Helborg, Grand Master of the Reiksguard and Marshall of the Empire’s armies, strode up the hill toward Karl Franz. “My lord, the army stands ready.” He hesitated slightly before contining hurriedly, “I would ask you again my lord, please reconsider your position. It’s not safe to fight from the back of a beast such as this,” he gestured toward Deathclaw, who finally turned his gaze from the distance to glare at the presumptuous, outrageously moustached human instead. Helborg pressed on, “It is the duty of the Reiksguard to protect the Emperor. We cannot do this if you are out of our reach.”

“We have had this discussion already, Master Helborg. Nowhere on a battlefield is truly safe, and I prefer the vantage point that Deathclaw provides. He has protected me in countless battles before,” Karl Franz continued to distractedly scratch the griffon’s head, whose expression seemed to Kurt to become somehow smug as he continued to stare at the leader of the Emperor’s bodyguard. Helborg opened his mouth to continue his protest, but Karl Franz finally turned to look directly at him and stifled his protests with a raised hand. “The other commanders are ready to report,“ he said.

General Gotfrei Talb of Ostermark and Garrat Mecke, Lord General of Talabheim, arrived simultaneously from either direction, dismounting as they approached. Talb was a no-nonsense man who Karl Franz knew would command dutifully and bravely. He bowed briefly before reporting, “My lord, the east flank stands ready. The river anchors our flank, and the Ogre mercenaries are prepared. The priest Luthor Huss assures me that the doom-seeking fanatics in the front lines will give the enemy hell.”

Mecke was slightly less efficient in his presentation, clearly revelling in this opportunity to display his credentials for the vacant position of Elector Count of Talabecland. “My lord, the assembled soldiery of Talabheim stands ready on the western flank. The artillery and ranged troops are arranged to make maximum use of the hills, and my troops stand ready to crush these Chaos upstarts with a series of counter-charges of my devising. I assure you, the west flank is in capable hands.” 

He looked set to continue, but the Emperor cut him off, “Thank you, generals. I’m certain the battle preparations are well in hand. You’d best return to your positions, however,” he said with a quick glance at the enemy lines, which seemed to be approaching at pace.  “I don’t think we will have long to wait.”

*****

Gurug’ath, Great Unclean One of Nurgle and Baron of the 6th Pestilential Circle, chuckled happily as he hauled his immense, grotesque bulk toward the waiting lines of Empire soldiers. Legions of daemons surrounded him, and his forces stretched almost out of sight to the east and west as they formed a line of battle, even as they advanced. There would be no pause before the opening of hostilities, no calm before the storm. The Chaos forces had spent far too long pent up behind the humans’ bastion to the north, and Gurug’ath himself had spent months trapped within the very fabric of the wall. The frustration had been overwhelming for all of them, and the swathe of destruction they had carved as they rampaged south had done little to assuage their irritation.

The coming battle looked promising, however. Nurgle whispered constantly in Gurug’ath’s rotting ear. The human emperor would command the coming battle, and victory here would leave an open path into the Empire’s undefended interior. Thousands of disgustingly healthy humans awaited the pestilential gifts that Gurug’ath would generously bestow. Whole cities would receive from Nurgle’s wondrous bounty of plague and disease. It would be beautiful.

Gurug’ath could hardly contain his joy at the promise of what lay ahead, but first there needed to be a reckoning. His pride demanded it. He had spent months trapped within the Auric Bastion, and it had been very, very boring. Someone would pay for wasting so much of his time, and the leader of the human Empire would suit well enough.

“The human Emperor is mine to toy with,” he boomed in a deep, reverberating voice. “None shall touch him but me. You can have your fun with his followers instead, my children.” He looked around him at the hundreds of deamons leaping, shambling and crawling towards their human victims. He could tell they were almost as excited as he was.

The Armies

Gurug'ath's Chaos Horde

• GUO Gurug'ath, Exalted Great Unclean One
• Blood1 60 Bloodletters
• PB1 50 Plaguebearers
• PB2 50 Plaguebearers
• Gor 60 Gor
• CWoS 46 Chaos Warriors of Slaanesh
• Chos1 40 Chosen of Nurgle
• CWoN1 40 Chaos Warriors of Nurgle
• Hor1 40 Horrors
• Mar 40 Marauders
• CKoN 20 Chaos Knights of Nurgle
• CKoT 20 Chaos Knights of Tzeentch
• CWoK1 30 Chaos Warriors of Khorne
• Chos2 30 Chosen
• DO 9 Dragon Ogres
• Troll1 16 Trolls
• Mino1 14 Minotaurs
• Mino2 12 Minotaurs
• Beast1 12 Beasts of Nurgle
• Crush1 6 Skullcrushers
• Crush2 6 Skullcrushers
• OgreK 10 Chaos Ogres of Khorne
• Ogre 10 Chaos Ogres
• CWoN2 30 Chaos Warriors of Nurgle
• Pest 30 Pestigor
• CW1 30 Chaos Warriors
• CW2 30 Chaos Warriors
• CKoK 13 Chaos Knights of Khorne
• HC1 Hellcannon
• HC2 Hellcannon
• HC3 Hellcannon
• HC4 Hellcannon
• SG1 Soulgrinder
• SG2 Soulgrinder
• MoK 32 Marauders of Khorne
• MoN 30 Marauders of Nurgle
• M1 25 Marauders
• Beast2 8 Beasts of Nurgle
• Dog1 18 Chaos Hounds
• Dog2 10 Chaos Hounds
• Dog3 13 Chaos Hounds
• Nurg 12 Nurglings
• Drone 6 Plaguedrones
• Cm1 through to Cm7 Chimeras
• C1 through to C16 Chariots
• G1 through to G4 Giants
• Shag Shaggoth
• Raz 3 Razorgor
• Un 24 Ungor
• Blood2 4 Bloodcrushers
• Troll2 6 Trolls
• MH 5 Marauder Horsemen
• CKoS 10 Chaos Knights of Slaanesh
• SC1 Skullcannon
• SC2 Skullcannon
• FH 10 Flesh Hounds
• DPoS Daemon Prince of Slaanesh
• DPoN1 Daemon Prince of Nurgle
• DPoN2 BONUS Daemon Prince of Nurgle
• Blood3 28 Bloodletters
• D 20 Daemonettes
• Beast3 5 Beasts of Nurgle
• Fskn1 20 Forsaken
• Fskn2 14 Forsaken
• F 15 Furies
• CWoK2 24 Chaos Warriors of Khorne
• CWoT1 25 Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch
• M2 24 Marauders
• CWoT2 18 Chaos Warriors of Tzeentch
• CWoK3 18 Chaos Warriors of Khorne
• Chos3 18 Chosen of Nurgle
• Fskn3 21 Forsaken
• Hor2 20 Horrors
• PB3 20 Plaguebearers
• WS Warshrine

Karl Franz's Empire Defenders

• KF Karl Franz on Deathclaw
• WWolf 60 White Wolves
• ICK1 40 Inner Circle Knights
• ICK2 40 Inner Circle Knights
• Hal1 72 Halberdiers
• Hal2 60 Halberdiers
• Hal3 60 Halberdiers
• Great1 60 Greatswords
• Sword1 50 Swordsmen
• Flag1 50 Flagellants
• Flag2 60 Flagellants
• Reik1 32 Reiksguard
• Demi1 10 Demigryphs
• Demi2 9 Demigryphs
• Ogre 18 Ogres
• IGut 13 Ironguts
• MF 4 Mournfangs
• Flag3 30 Flagellants
• Flag4 40 Flagellants
• Demi3 5 Demigryphs
• Demi4 3 Demigryphs
• Sp 40 Spearmen
• Sw1 40 Swordsmen
• Sw2 40 Swordsmen
• Great2 35 Greatswords
• Great3 36 Greatswords
• Hal4 35 Halberdiers
• LB1 4 Leadbelchers
• LB2 3 Leadbelchers
• Sword2 35 Swordsmen
• FC 30 Free Company
• HG1 30 Handgunners
• HG2 20 Handgunners
• HG3 20 Handgunners
• HG4 20 Handgunners
• XBow1 20 Crossbowmen
• XBow2 19 Crossbowmen
• XBow3 16 Crossbowmen
• Reik2 16 Reiksguard
• Sword3 19 Swordsmen
• Great4 20 Greatswords
• Ar1 21 Archers
• Ar2 20 Archers
• Ar3 10 Archers
• HG5 12 Handgunners
• HG6 10 Handgunners
• K1 14 Knights
• K2 10 Knights
• Pst1 12 Pistoliers
• Pst2 5 Pistoliers
• Pst3 5 Pistoliers
• Pst4 5 Pistoliers
• Pst5 5 Pistoliers
• Out1 5 Outriders
• Out2 5 Outriders
• GC1 through to GC8 Great Cannons
• M1 through to M4 Mortars
• HRB1 through to HRB3 Hellstorm Rocket Batteries
• VG1 through to VG6 Volley Guns
• WA War Altar
• ST1 through to ST5 Steam Tanks
• Hur1 through to Hur3 Celestial Hurricanums
• Lum Luminark
• Grf1 through to Grf4 Generals on Griffons
• Peg1 through to Peg5 Captains on Pegasus
• Ar4 8 Archers

Deployment

Both sides are deployed. We didn't even bother with a screen. Everyone was so busy placing things that nobody cared what was going on over the other side.

Right there is about 70,000 points of models, another cameraman and an elbow...