WARHAMMER: TOR HELETHION CAMPAIGN - GAME 1 - FIRST BORDER PATROL

My planned long-term Warhammer narrative campaign can finally begin. The two (three) armies are painted (and fully rebased), final units complete (OK, bits still to do, you never actually seem to finish), but good enough to start. I’m still learning the new rules, so the first game would be small, unambitious, using the old rules for a Border Patrol, basically, a 500 pt game with restrictions on characters and unit sizes. I’ve included the old rules below, and they work just fine with the Old World.

Story-wise… the winters seas calming, the Dark Elves have sent their first scouting forces ahead to the Isle of Tor Helethion, to gather intel on the lay of the land and the High Elf forces hold it. These small patrols land from their swift corsair ships at night and make their way inland. The High Elves, ever watchful for such Dark Elf nuisance raids, discover the location of one such patrol and hunt it down, with their tracking Shadow Warriors and own light cavalry patrols. This game is that clash (and another chance to get the rules straight). A short battle, along a 4 x 3 tabletop.

The Dark Elf patrol, led by their ‘Master of the Dark Riders’ Ullas (a master), commanding these first scout forces. I don’t have any Shades, who are made for this scouting work, so Ullas currently has none at his command yet (if I can find some models I like I’ll be adding a unit).

The High Elf are commanded by Raelyn ‘the Archer’, the captain of the island’s Shadow Warrior garrison. A Noble, he leads here, and may well be a returning character in the campaign (if he survives).

The Dark Elves are intercepted as they investigate an ancient Elven monolith, which are scattered across the island, keeping the chaotic winds of magic in check. No wizards in this game, so no effect from it.  

The tabletop:

4x3, hill with ancient magical monolith on top of it, rocky ground, gorse thicket, rock tor (impassable)
Dark Elves the far end, High Elves near.

The selected forces:

In the battle, the light cavalry immediately clashed on the High Elf left, with the Dark Riders repeater crossbows cutting down Ellyrian Reavers, then firing and fleeing from their charge. On the other flank, the Shadow Warriors, deploying via ‘Scout’ into the rocky ground, launch longbow volleys at the corsairs and the crossbowmen on the hill, inflicting damage. Even-stevens…

Units and their general movement.

On Turn 3, Raelyn arrives from ‘Ambush’, behind the Corsairs and his Reaver Bow cuts down 3 more corsairs, who are having a bad day already. The Dark Riders fight off the Reavers weak charge, win and the last Reaver champion flees, but escapes their pursuit. Repeater crossbow fire cuts down more Reavers in the centre. on the hills slope, leaving just one to charge, alone at the crossbows, who flee… a mistake, as they are caught by his swift-striding elven steed and scattered or cut-down! Things take a turn for the worse for the dark-kindred when Raelyn targets their leader and his reaver bow, and with elvish accuracy, shoots Ullas from his horse. The corsair, what’s left of them, reach the rocky ground, charge through it and bring the dangerous Shadow Warriors to a sword fight, which, the Corsairs then just lose, and fall back in good order into the rocks again. Rock cover be damned, another close range volley from the veteran skirmishers bows, born to this work, destroys the last corsairs, so much for sea-dragon cloaks … and that is it .. the Dark Elves concede, just a 3 crossbowmen and 4 Dark Riders left… they have cut down all the Ellyrian Reavers, but the Shadow Warriors and their sniper-boss rule this field today. High Elf win...

The winner of this short game would gain the advantage in the next battle, of being able to pick the table edge and +1 to their roll to take the first turn. The High Elves have out-scouted their enemies and, when the Dark Elves make a move, they will be ready. That 1,000 point game comes next. 

Shadow Warriors in the rocky ground, cutting down crosbowmen and corsairs at range,
but looking cool!

Dark Riders face off the flank Reavers, and defeat them.

The Reavers charge, but narrowly lose the fight to the Dark Riders.

The Harbinger flees and outpaces his pursuit.

Raelyn the Archer arrived behind the corsairs on the High Elf right, and takes aim, to do his thing.

 

 

Then he takes aim at Ullas on the distant hill, and excellent shooting strike the enemy from his saddle, a turning point in this ambush.

The last Reaver charges... a forlorn hope, hoping to die gloriously, but no, he scatters the crossbowmen, a hero!

Just 3 Corsairs finally charge the Shadow Warriors, and lose the fight (I forgot they have hatred and could re-roll their attacks - doh!, learning the game error!.

Having fallen back from the fight, the rocks won't save them either, mercilessly shot down.

The old Border Patrol rules... which we used here (except we allowed characters to spend a bit more, 135 pts actually).