Operation Mercury campaign - Game 4 - Dropzone south of Platanias

The airborne landings on the map had placed some of Major Stenzler's 2nd Battalion (1st Sturm Regiment) in the valley south of the coastal village of Platanias, unfortunately, on top of an outpost from the NZ Maori battalion billeted at the village and within distance of reserves reaching them from the village. So, this fight would be another Airlanding scenario, with my elite FJ hitting the ground to face veteran Maori infantry, reinforced by a Matilda (one of two hidden somewhere on the map), and local Cretan partisans, now out in force hunting down the invaders. From GoogleEarth, we could see it was very green, heavily olive-groved, and the stream (irrigation channel) was heavily overgrown with bamboo(-like) reeds. We set the game at 400 points, both with some reserves to move on in later turns after the landings (we judge this from the campaign map).

 

After the defenders had deployed, with not many units, but it did include a FO team on the hillside, talking back to the battery in the hills above them, and a Maori patrol on ambush fire (after watching the JU-52s stream overhead), we placed objectives (drop canisters) and the FJ could begin to jump on to the table. First in, the platoon HQ, which was immediately lost, wiped out to the man before hitting the ground, and thus result in me losing my 1(1) officer and pulling a 5 BR counter (terrible start!). So 0 officers now, and a D6 command points, this would be wild!

The other squads landed, lost a few men and were all pinned - scrambling for their weapon canisters and ammo. Turn 1 for the defenders. Well, with 3 orders, they just radio'd up their guns and fired into the olive groves, resulting in a direct hit wiping out an MG-34 team... the counters were mounting fast for the Germans. Terrible start continued. 

Turn 2, and more FJ drifted down, one squad landing perfectly and quickly getting the Maori patrol under fire and pinned in the reeds by the stream. One MG-34 had landed almost on an objective and thus claimed it. First counter to the defenders. Turn 2 for the defenders was the same as 1, more off-table artillery fire, which didn't do much damage, but the Maoris got unpinned.

Turn 2 saw the first reserves arrive, an extra FJ squad moved on from the east, with a sniper team and the MG-34 schwere-MG team and their loaders. Again, orders were very limited (2) so not much got done, a bit more rifle fire and the sMG team got into place. The rifle fire pinned the Maori patrol again.

Turn 3, and first few of the defender's reserves arrived, Cretan locals, out for blood, but the rest of the Maori platoon had either got lost, or got caught up fighting other paratroopers closeby. The FJ final rolled well for orders (a 5 - wow!), and scurried about, got to some objectives and got other units on ambush fire (the HMG mainly). As the resrves trickled in, one Maori squad walked right into the HMG team. Spliting off their Bren team, which tried to get the HMG pinned, the others went for a bold close assault. That involved rushing a HMG and loader team on ambush fire - crazy! Well, it got messy. The HMG ambush fire failed it first spot to see the maoris coming through the undergrowth (they were in an area of broken ground), but then saw them and the ensuing bursts killed 5. 2 men made the assault, and killed 3 FJ (lost the loader team) and only another 1 was lost in the close fighting as grenades were thrown and bayonet's fixed. Savage stuff. 1 Maori was left, but passed his morale test - nutter. The HMG team was pinned... eek! Meanwhile, the Cretan partisans had found another MG team and took it out too... it was getting messy.

Following this, a timed Bf-109 strike swooped down to bomb the bridge but failed to have any impact (beyond 'under air attack' giving them a counter), and the first Maori patrol, now unpinned, moved out to claim an objective canister. They would play for that, as MG and rifle fire cut them down next turn, leaving just their Bren team to return fire (it had split off earlier). Behind them, the rumble of a tank engine approached as the Matilda rolled in, down the slope towards the stream bridge.

Desperate times for the FJ, whose excellent BR (elite) was keeping them going. The sniper pinned Cretan partisans with suppressing fire, as they tried to close assault another rifle team,who opened up an PB range and wiped the locals out... revenge. This was feeling like jungle fighting against banzai-Cretans and Maoris. The Matilda used its sole co-ax to no good result, but was then hit by a 37mm AP round, again from ambush. It pinned the very surprised crew. 

Then and fight with the HMG crew and single Maori resumed, as he assaulted again, tossed his grenades and wiped them out - a hero! Another Cretan squad had moved up and assulted another rfile squad, which had been prone and pinned most of the game, the resulting fight was a draw, 3 losses each, but both were elite troops and re-rolled their morale, so no pins, and try again next turn. As Brens roared and MG-34s (the few left) returned fire, it was these Cretan mad-men that won the day, another close assault saw them take-out the rifle squad and with that, the FJ BR was broken. The landings here had been defeated, and the survivors would have to pullback (on the map) to regroup in the hills. There would no quick rush to Platanias... or to overrun the artillery battery in the hills above (just off this tabletop).

Much fun, it was a jungle-fight, but weirdly, with an airborne landing at the same time! These games are so random and so much fun, who knows what will happen? It's wild, with very random orders... but this ends our Campaign Turn 2, so on to Turn 3, (around midday on Day 1 of the landings). I need to mount a serious attack on the airfield and Hill 107, because without taking them, the operation is doomed. That will be my focus, all out effort on those two, the action at Platanias is a distraction (literally).

NZ Maori patrol, in the reeds, getting pinned.

MG-34 team set-up after their landing, crawling through the olive trees, to try to get a LoS.

Bf-109 buzzes in low and bombs the stream, but misses...

FJ reserves move on and take cover behind a stone wall. They can grab the drop canister objective, but lack of orders leaves them stuck in place.

Last to arrive, AT support with kettenkrad tow, up the lane. Work cut-out with a Matilda to counter.

Cretan partisans assault an MG team and wipe it out. Crazy locals, it's like a jungle fight, with banzai-cretans.

Matilda arrives up the lane from Platanias, but that footbridge bridge won't hold it. We said it could ford the stream instead, as difficult ground.

PaK-34 set-up and a long range suppressing shot scores a hit, surprising the hell out of the Matilda crew - clang!

Pinned it... as it crossed the stream. It got a bit stuck, but not much of loss, with a single co-ax MG to use, and 2 pdr AP ammo! Still, first tank-action of the campaign.

 As it stands on the campaign map (blue are FJ, red are the Creforce units so far revealed, pink the battlefields so far). 

Ambush on the road to Castra Deva, with Soldiers of Rome

This is the beginning of a mini-campaign (series of 5 battles), using Soldiers of Rome for an uprising of Britons vs the Roman garrison at Castra Deva (Chester). It began with a first raid, with the Britons as the aggressors, as a military column is attacked on the road. Discontent amongst the locals has erupted into violence.

As a raid scenario, with two smaller forces, the Romans set up around the road as the Britons attacked from both sides. The Roman centre was secured with their tough veteran legionnaires, 2 scorpios, and auxiliary archers. The front had auxiliary spears and another legionary cohort. The rear had auxiliary spears and the trailing allied locals, a few who have stayed loyal.

The battle began with the Britons rushing on, and the rear of the column was soon under heavy pressure from mobs of slingers and then bowmen, as these skirmishers pelted the auxiliary spears, who could only hold, rally well, and take it – they did, very well, brave lads (and a lot of good dice from me). The Britons leader had his nobles rushed into the centre, but his supporting chariots didn't get going, and the nobles found themselves hit hard by scorpios and archers, and then charged into an solid wall of vet legionniares, who quickly hammered them, and broke them. Their leader, trapped in combat, would soon follow, a disaster for the locals... and their morale looked shaky. At the head of the column, the auxiliary spearmen turned and faced the onrushing celts and more supporting chariots, and did well to hold them in a attritional fight, but their 'Rally' card kept them in the fight too. At the rear of the column, the auxiliary spearmen and their loyal locals held up well, but unable to catch the skirmishers, eventually the spearmen broke. Trouble here was averted as the scorpios both turned around, as did the archers and they out-shot the enemy levy in a missile duel. Slingers then bowmen broke and ran, when a 'Levy Panic' event saw the next mob of slingers also run... that was it for the Britons. The Romans had held,  a pretty immovable object today, having lost a few auxiliaries, but were still in good shape. Solid victory for the Legion. 

That begins the mini-campaign (we've just following the one in the Soldiers of God rulebook). Next, the Romans will launch their own punitive raid against the locals in retribution for the ambush, and burn a local hilltop village - to see if that cows them (obviously it won't). This will escalate the uprising into the first pitched battle, which is game 3. 

A few shots of the failed ambush... 

Romans deploy from the road to face the attack. Auxiliary spearmen at the front.

Attacked by mercenary spears and chariots, the auxiliaries hold, despite much intimidation from the Britons.  They Rally well each turn.

Skirmishers are little threat to the legionniares, who face them down, but can't catch them. So stalemate here.

The mob of bowmen, slingers etc, and the rear spearmen, eventually pelted into rout.

Joy-ride, the chariots that raced about, but never got into action... they had fun anyway!

McPherson's Ridge, ACW demo-game at PeachyCon'26.

This scenario was based on the first day of Gettysburg, at McPherson's Ridge (and farm), with the US cavalry holding the ridge against the arriving Reb forces, with their own infantry of 1st Corps arriving to reinforce the out-numbered cavalry troopers - an escalating engagement for the low ridge (and the same demo-game from Partisan in May). It was demo-game at local gaming convention (PeachyCon'26, for local mate and wargaming Youtuber, Chris Peach). It was run by Dave Andrews (another former GW mate) and I got to play as the Union, as he commanded the Confederate attack. 

As is often the way at conventions, playing becomes secondary to the general wargaming chat around the table, but we did get to play most the game, roll some dice and have an agreed upon conclusion, it was pretty obvious who the winner was anyway. 

As a brief breakdown, the initial engagement saw the first Reb brigade advance on the ridge rapidly, with the dismounted cavalrymen inflicting some early damage. How long to hold was the question, until mounting up and pulling back... as to stay was to lose them all, especially once the second, then third Reb brigades deployed. The ridge would fall, that much was clear from turn 1, but could the Union counter-attack with their arriving infantry brigades to retake it by the end of the game?

So, phase one saw the cavalrymen blaze away, force a few Reb regiments back with their fire and battery, then, mount up and begin to withdraw, escaping away under some fire, with one regiment and their battery damaged, but none lost. Meanwhile, the Union infantry was racing up the board in march columns and then deploying into fighting their lines.

A brief pause in the fighting followed as both sides got into positions and the Reb brigades moved up behind the first, with the cannons still roaring.

Then phase 2 began, the crux of the battle, was the two sides infantry fully engaged in a hot firefight. It got bloody, but the Union lines were inflicting the greater damage, and their battery's counter-battery fire on deploying Reb guns saw one battery break and another suppressed. Denuded of most of their cannon support, the Reb boys were at a disadvantage in the attritional battle, and they were beset by active and effective Union skirmishers in the woods on their right. These managed to slow deployment here, at McPherson's farm, and give the Union line another slight advantage. They paid for it with heavy loses though.

After a couple of turns of heavy fire, several Reb regiments had to pullback and rally, one broke, but with more coming up to take their place. Rather than continue the war of volleys back and forth, they pushed down the ridge's slope (typical Reb aggression) to try and drive the Union off at close range. In punishing close range volleys, two more regiments soon broke and the Reb tide was turned. 

Now, still with their guns in close support, the battered Union front line regiments could fall back to be replaced by fresh ones in a 'transit of the lines'. Fresh regiments could now hammer the last Rebs, and the Rebs were all out of fresh troops. As we ran out of time on the day, it was obvious what would happen. The Union's coming advance would now drive the Rebs off McPherson's Ridge. We called it there, end of the event and time to pack-up. A great day gaming and chatting, a top game, all played with Dave A's superb collections of terrain.

The eye-candy... 

Union infantry move on, behind the cavalry deployed on the low ridge (beyond the cornfields). Rebs down the far end.

Union cavalry troopers hold the ridge to start with, a thin blue line.

First Reb lines deploy, to lead the attack. 1 of 3 brigades in action.

Their guns arriving up the road, but trying to deploy under Union counter-battery fire was costly.

1st Corps, on the way to the rescue.

Their commander watches on from the apple orchard, with a clear view of the cavalry in action ahead.

Reb commander arrives and urges his boys on, and up that ridge.

The Reb's close in and the cavalry troops get the order to mount-up and fallback (it only looks like we are running away!).

Action at McPherson's Farm (buildings are scratch build replicas). Reb's get the worst of it...

Rebs in full attack, the ridge is full of them, but the Union are deployed and ready below. Now the volley attrition begins to hurt... but who can take the pain best?

View from behind the Union lines, up the table. The last Union reserves are still marching up 'at the double quick'. The wagon is the war photographer, Roger Fenton... another scratch-built replica.

 

We plan to do something else next year for PeachyCon '27, so many choices... hmmm, maybe Nam??

The Battle of Amrothys Glade – Warhammer, Wood-Elf vs Beastman campaign finale

The finale of our five-game Warhammer narrative campaign, pitting Wood Elves vs Beastmen, set in a valley in the Argwylon region, close to the Grey Mountains. A Beastmen herd have migrated down from the mountains, under the leadership of the brutal Doombull (minotaur) Gardak Gorfeaster. The local Wood Elves have responded, led by their venerable Treeman-Ancient ‘Greyroot’, to drive them out and save the valley.

The first four games (detailed in previous months on here) had been: a first small raid (500 point border patrol), won by the Beastmen. This victory allowed more Beastmen to advance further down the valley, to the narrow Pass of Amrothys (the valley’s main river). This was a 1000 point pitched battle as the Wood Elves tried to destroy the Beastman vanguard – but were badly defeated. Game 3 saw the Wood Elves, needing to buy time, executing a ‘woodland ambush’ scenario (1000 points vs 1500 points). This ambush resulted in a draw. Things looked bad for the forest’s defenders, and they were forced into a pitched battle (2600 points each), choosing their ground at the Argwylon Stones. This game resulted in a decisive Wood Elf victory, leading us to a finale for game 5.

The surviving Beastmen (still including Gardak and his Great Bray Shaman, Ulkark) have now pulled back and gathered their entire herd in a broad woodland glade beside the Amrothys stream. Gardak has selected this location to raise his own herd stone and claim as his own lands. The Wood Elves, reinforced, moved to end the incursion in another pitched fight – the Battle of Amrothys Glade. It used all my Wood Elf collection, in all 3100 points. Game 5 would decide all. Does Gardak gain his land and raise his herd stone, or is he driven out of the valley, and perhaps killed? ‘Greyroot’ and the Spellweaver Faenyr of Argwylon lead the host of Athel Loren to end him.

All the named characters were created at the start of the campaign and remain the same throughout (our dramatis personae). Some, of course, have been killed or wounded in the earlier games. All available were present for the last fight though and we allowed them back to full wounds having healed up for this finale.

Here are the lists selected:  

BEASTMEN BRAYHERD

Doombull Gardak Gorfeaster - 325 pts
with great weapon, heavy armour
Mutation: Pelt of Midnight (-1 shooting To-Hit)
Fur of Shaggru (+2 to AS vs non-magical missile attacks)
2 x Dark Hearts (recover 1 wound)

Great Bray Shaman Ulkark the Hooded (lvl 4 - primal magic)  280 pts
with braystaff
Mutation: Gnarled Hide (Arm Hide1)
Goretooth (primal magic)
Hagtree Fetish (re-roll 1s To wounds with magic missiles)
2 x Powerscrolls (+D6 casting)

Bray Shaman Kygrh Two-Heads (lvl 2 - dark magic)    155 pts
with braystaff
Mutation: Uncanny Sense (+1 I)
Daemonheart (dispell lvl+1 of caster)
Potion of Toughness (+D3 T)

Wargor Agukr    84 pts
with additional hand weapon, heavy armour, shield
Sword of Might (+1 S)

Wargor Rutgor (BSB)    143 pts
with heavy armour, great weapon,
Mutation: Rune of Beast Ascendant (7”, +1 Ldr to Gor, Bestigor and Ungor)
Vitriolic Totem (Poison Attacks to unit)

30 Gor, shields, full command        227 pts

30 Gor, shields, full command        227 pts

10 Warhounds, vanguard            65 pts

12 Ungor, half horn, shortbows, + ambushers    79 pts

15 Ungor, full command, hand weapon + shield, ambushers    107 pts

5 Minotaurs, great weapons, full command    277 pts

3 Razorgors        156 pts

8 Centigor, cav spears, javelins, full command    172 pts

16 Bestigor, great weapons, full command    244 pts

2 Dragon Ogres    132 pts

1 Cockatrice        180 pts

1 Ghorgon        245 pts

3098 points


WOOD ELF DEFENDERS OF ATHEL LOREN

Treeman Ancient - ‘Greyroot’ (lvl 3, Illusion)  325 pts
with Befuddlement of Mischiefs (-1 WS and I)

Faenyr of Argwylon - Spellweaver, level 4 (Lore of the Wild)   285 pts
Glamour Weave Kindred (5+ Ward, Tree-Spirit)
Heartwood Pendant (gain Lore of the Wild)  
Glamourweave (Ldr test or To-Hit = 6s only)
Giantblade (S+1, Arm Bane2, Magic Attacks, MultiWound2)

Waystalker Yssion ‘the Faun’  183 pts
hand weapon, light armour, moonfire shot (magic and flaming attacks)
Scout kindred (scout and quick shot)
Bow of Loren (A= missile shots)
Muster of Malevolents (+D3, S2, AP-, Arm Bane1 attacks)

Branchwraith ‘Willowif’ (lvl 2, Elementalism)    133 pts
additional hand weapon, Lamentations of Despair (-1 Ldr, 6”, Panic, Fear, Terror)

Glade Captain Isdryl      111 pts
with hand weapon, light armour, asrai longbow, arcane bodkins (AP-2),
Hail of Doom arrows (3” template, S4, AP1, magical)

Glade Captain Iorwyn     123 pts
with hand weapon, light armour, asrai longbow, true flight arrows (ignore cover + quickshot)
Altered Kindred - Aspect of the Bear (+1S and +1T)
Railarian’s Mantle (4+ Ward if 6” woods)

5 Glade Guard, swiftshiver shards, lord’s bowman    71 pts

9 Deepwood Scouts, swiftshiver shards, lord’s bowman    141 pts

8 Deepwood Scouts, swiftshiver shards, lord’s bowman    126 pts

8 Deepwood Scouts, swiftshiver shards, lord’s bowman    126 pts

16 Dryads, nymph (murder of spites)    238 pts

5 Sister of the Thorne, full command, sword of might + standard of morning chill (swirling mists, lvl2)    185 pts

5 Sister of the Thorne, full command + banner of hunter king (vanguard)    155 pts

6 Treekin, elder    313 pts

8 Waywatchers, sentinel + ambushers        158 pts

1 Treeman, befuddlement of mischiefs (-1 WS and I)    245 pts

3 x Great Owls    180 pts (60 each)

3098 points


DEPLOYMENT
Rather than take it in turn to place units, we placed a screen up the centre of the board and then fully deployed in secret behind it (no peaking allowed). I much prefer this method over the react-react-react to opponent’s placements, and the big reveal moment is a highlight of the game… what are you facing? - oh! Also, armies do not deploy piecemeal based on what the enemy deploys, bit by bit.

The Wood Elves (me), had gone for a ‘tree-spirit’ centre, a defensive line, the Dryads (with Branchwraith), Treekin (only placed 3 models but there should be 6, I remembered on turn 2 and added the extras in – forgot I painted them 3!) and the Treeman, backed by Faenyr the Spellweaver. The left was Sisters of the Thorne light cavalry and the Glade Guard (with Glade Captain). The right, ‘Greyroot' and more Sisters. The Deepwood scouts (scouting -obvs), deployed afterwards, were scattered along the line, in the woods on the right, well forward, but expecting to shoot and scoot (flee!) back. The giant owls were central, and able to fly wherever needed at speed (my mobile reserve), or act as chaff/distractions and block charges. The Waywatchers waited to arrive from ambush.  The Waystalker was lurking by the stream, in cover by the rock (and so well disguised I missed him), with a line of sight to the centre, awaiting sniper targets.

The Beastman centre was the main attack force, 30 Gors, Bestigors led by Gardak and his BSB, Razorgors, Gorghon, Minotaurs, both Shaman behind, and the Warhounds out front as cannon-fodder (stop this!). Their right, by the stream, were skirmishing Ungor and Centigors, with the Ungor archers off-table in ambush. On the left were 30 more Gor (with Wargor), the Cockatrice and the 2 Dragon Ogres.

On terrain, we had the stream (fast flowing mountain stream - so dangerous terrain), 2 marshes (difficult), 2 woods (difficult) and a rock outcrop (impassable to all). Added to this was the elves’ own wood, placed on their far right (and hiding Deepwood Scouts at the start).

Time to get battling…

The board is set, the peices are (about to be) moving...deployment.

 

Beasts left: Dr-Ogres, Cockatrice, Gor block.

Scouts forward, peppering the Dr-Ogres.

Centre, Gardak leading, Shaman lurking.

WE centre, the tree-line, and supporting owl. 

 

Beast right, Centigor and Ungor, to rush across the stream.

Far left, Scouts make the Beasts pay for crossing the stream.

 

TURN ONE

The Beastman plan was simple, suitably, a full send, with the centre as the sledgehammer-blow. They all moved up as fast as they could. 1 drunk Centigor was washed away crossing the stream (we laughed)… the Warhounds had vanguarded forward and so led (barking ‘shoot me first!’). The Cockatrice was with them, flapping away… they forgot to roll for Gaze of the Gods (which we fixed from turn 2 onwards).

More complex movement for the elves. The centre line moved up a bit, to give room for being pushed back to the table edge. The Sisters of the Thorne on the right dashed up to help the scouts, as they loosed into the Centigor and killed 4 of them, causing them to panic and fall back to the edge of the stream again. On the right, the Sisters had vanguarded up behind the wood and awaited hidden in cover here. All down the line, the bows sang. Half the Warhounds died, a Dragon Ogre took 2 wounds, and Greyroot’s wind-blast spell badly wounded the Cockatrice. The Waystalker targeted the BSB (no real chance of hurting the Doombull) and scored 1 wound… damn, close, also sniped him out. Yssion now had the Bray Shaman in his sights too for next turn.

The Owls flew out, to block the Gors charge at the Dryads, to block the Ghorgon’s charge and to get behind the Dragon Ogres to try to help on the far right. 

Full send from the Beasts, as the spellweaver singings up some enchanted trees (magical vortex). 

Centigors are ruthlessly shot-down and panic. Sisters of Thorne gallop up to block the Ungor skirmishers. 

Dragon-Ogres rush the scouts in the wood. They'll flee away, and leave them to the Sisters, just behind, and owl. Beyond, the Warhounds are about to be turned into pin-cushions.

TURN TWO
The charges would begin as the elves furious shot a lot of arrows. The Deepwood Scouts on the left killed 2 more Centigors and the last broke and fled the field - bye!. The Sisters with them charged into the Ungor skirmishers, which held, all splashing through the marshes.

In the centre, the Gors charged the Owl in front of them, which of course fled. Their failed charge left them exposed, in the other marsh, as the Dryads counter-charged, and a big melee began. Next to them, in a confusion of 3 ‘stays in play’ vortexes cast last turn (crazy roiling magic everywhere here), the Bestigors took a few losses running through it all, and hit the solid block of 6 (now) Treekin. The Razorgors joined them and lost 1 pig in the ‘Spiteful Torrent’ vortex. The frenzied Ghorgon aimed at the owl, as closest target, it lfled revealing the Treeman (oh no!), and the Ghorgon made a long-bomb re-directed charge (needed a 6, rolled a 6).  The last of the Warhounds were all shot down by the Scouts - objective achieved. More Scouts, in the woods on the right, fled back through the trees away from the charging Dragon Ogres, and they were then hit by the Sisters of the Thorne coming the other way through the trees, and an owl from behind. The Minotaurs charged and failed, and left them with nothing to hit atm.

The Waystalker began a ranged-duel with the Bray Shaman, whose viletide spell was unlucky to only cause 1 wound (16 dice, one 6). His super-accurate two return shots wounded the Shaman back.

Many melees to resolve. The Dryads held their own and a long attritional fight began with the Gors, as the Branchwraith challenged and killed their champion. The Bestigors and Razorgors took lumps out of the Treekin, but their T6 and good regeneration saves made it even (ish), as they in turn killed off the last Razorgors and tree-whacked the BSB into pulp! Go Treekin, they held using ‘stubborn’.  

The Ghorgon’s charge resulted in a Treeman cut in two… monster-killer doing its thing. Poor Treeman - felled! The resulting overrun meant it would now reach Greyroot next (just in his arc). Oh no! It was on the rampage. Meanwhile, Greyroot’s wind-blast spell killed the Cockatrice stone dead!

On the right, the Dragon Ogres mashed up 2 Sisters but the owl rolled amazingly well and with 3 hits and wounds, killed a Dragon Ogre and left the last one on 1 wound remaining… come-on! It was going well (OK-ish) for my little green men (Wood Elves). 

Mosh in the marsh... Dryads vs Gors. Behind begins a melee amongst three vortexs, magical chaos! 

Ghorgon disposes of the Treeman in one swing. Tim-berr!!

TURN THREE
All fleeing (tactically withdrawing) elves and owls rallied - phew!

All the ambushers arrived, with the Ungor on the far left, aiming at the glade guard in a weak archery duel. The Waywatchers were behind the far right, with a block of Gors to shoot from safety, as they wheeled about to move into the centre. Not a great target.

On the far left, the Deepwood Scouts downed bows and drew swords, charging into the Ungors to aid the Sisters, and they won that combat. The Ungors broke, fled and the Sisters (3 left) ran them down. They were free behind the enemy lines now. Also, the Waystalker won his duel, his arrows and spites sniping the Bray Shaman. The left flank was a win!

But the crux of the battle was in the centre. The Dryads and Gors traded blows in the marshes and the Dryads won, but the Gors held their nerve (warband). The Doombull, powered by the Gaze of the Gods, hacked down another Treekin and the Bestigors added a few more wounds (3 still stand now). The Beasts won the fight, but the Treekin only FBIGO’d 2”. The big-hitting melee of great weapons went on. The rampaging Ghorgon vs Treeman Ancient resulted in 1 wound each, no killing blow this time – thank Kurnous, but my General was in dire danger of being hacked down in one hit. No help was coming.

Trying to score 1 wound on the last Dr-Ogre result in zero wounds caused - damn it, and its excellent armour and thick hide. In turn, it bashed the giant owl into bloody-feathers!

The game was in the balance now… Wood Elves just ahead on VPs, but the Beasts were in melee now, and the Doombull looked unstoppable. 

Greyroot tries to stop the Ghorgon's rampage. The Gors are coming to help though. Dire trouble for my general. 

Waywatchers sneak on and start peppering Gors at long range. Later, the Great Bray Shaman will be their only target - bad for him!

Minotaurs can't find anything to fight... or anything that will stand and fight. Long march across the tabletop.

TURN FOUR
This is were things changed radically. Charging Minotaurs saw an owl (just rallied) flee (off the table) and then overrun into Scout skirmishers, who would be easily butchered.

The Dr-Ogre survived again and killed 3 Sisters of the Thorne, the last one fleeing, and the pursuing Dr-Ogre, still going on its last leg, chase into more Scouts. Just 1 wound needed, come on, roll a 6 to wound! But they couldn’t and it survived the game with 1 wound.

In the centre, the duel of Greyroot vs Ghorgon was a tie, 1 wound each again. Oh for an assailment spell. On for the Ghorgon not rolling a 6 when needed.

The Doombull went into a blood-greed killing frenzy and scored 7 hits and wounds, which the Treekin regenerated 6 of - wow! The frenzied Bestigor’s axes chopped down another Treekin, but their return attacks and stomps wiped out the Bestigor, it was now Gardak vs 2 Treekin.

The Dryads carved into the Gors again, but they were too many! The Gors went into frenzy and their extra attacks saw 6 Dryads cut down. Slaughter in the marshes, but the banner and ranks just won it for the Gors on combat-res. The Dryads rolled an 11 on the break-test and ran. They ran 3”… and were cut-down to the tree, taking the Branchwraith and Faenyr the Spellweaver with them – disaster! The tree-line had broken. Terrible dice!

The other long advancing Gor block now charged into the side of Greyroot in his fight, and in doing so also went into frenzy - the Beastmen suddenly got very mad this turn!  

For the Wood Elves the tide had turned against them, decisively so. Turn 5 would be mopping up.

1 wound Dr-Ogre fights on, and just won't die! Hacking up more Scouts.

 

The Treeman Ancient cannot hold as frenzied Gors hit. He breaks and runs (not fast enough, he's an old tree).

TURN FIVE
The Beastmen got to finishing off units… Greyroot was defeated and ran, only for the Ghorgon to catch him and cut him down. Gardak hacked down another Treekin, just 1 left now, but in simultaneous great weapon attacks, they inflicted 4 wounds back, so close to killing him! The Great Bray Shaman Ulkark, lurking at the back, flung a viletide at the Sisters of Thorne coming round from the left, to get him at full stag-gallop… and it caused no wounds again (16 dice, 0 sixes - wow!). Then, the Waywatchers, with only the Ulkarak just in range as a target (the previous Gors were now out of range), got shot by asrai long bows and collapsed dead, pierced by arrows - hurrah!

That was it, a few minor bits to resolve, but we called it. The Wood Elves centre had utterly collapsed. Gardak would kill the last Treekin next turn (heroics from them though). 

Frenzied Gardak vs Treekin. But they give as good as they get. 

Minotaurs deal with Glade Captain Isdryl with ease, last mopping up. Brutal for the WEs.

We added up the final VPs. 2193 for the Beastmen. 1502 for the Wood Elves. Solid Beastman win!

So that ends the mini-campaign. Gardak’s herd will erect their herd stone in the glade and claim this end of the Amrothys valley as their land, in the shadow of the Grey Mountians. Gardak survived the campaign, if with 1 wound, but he will heal. The local Wood Elves have been decimated and the few survivors must escape to bring the bad news back to the others. Perhaps a new offensive can be mounted against the incursion (another campaign for another time perhaps). Greyroot and all his tree spirits have been slaughtered. Only Waystalker Yssion and Glade Captain Iorwyn survived the war for the locals. This part of the forest will becoming very dark… but the fallen shall be avenged, one day.
 

This is my preferred way to play Warhammer, as a on-going narrative, re-using characters and units etc. and developing a story. The games then have a context, a location in the world and battles gain some meaning. One-offs are all good, for fun, but using the rules and army lists for narrative play, is, I think 'proper' Warhammer. This was good fun, regardless of the result.

PS – Kurnous knows how the Wood Elves are suppose to stop the Beastmen! The five games were 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses… Athel Loren is doomed…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retreat to Jelalabad, 1880. Skirmish narrative campaign conversion.

This is a home-spun conversion of the newly published '1812 - Retreat from Moscow', by Pazoot. It is four linked games in a skirmish campaign, set in the infamous French retreat, to see how many of your men can escape the Russian pursuit. The most interesting part is its co-operative, with automated chasing Russians behind.  Three of use were playing, starting with 2 soldiers each to control. I don't have the models for the Russian winter of 1812, but I do stuff for colonial Afghanistan, so I just transposed the scenarios into the desert by 70 years. Little else needs to change... our squad would be British survivors from the Battle of Maiwand, escaping hostile Afghan pursuit, with frostbite becoming heatstroke and dysentry, etc. 

Game One

The intro game is played on a 2 x 2, to learn the basics. 6 soldiers must get across the board diagonally, whilst collecting loot counters, which might be food (you men need to eat between games), medical supplies as bandages, etc. and useful extra equipment. Grabbing this en route, as the Afghan tribesmen hunt you down is the big part of the game. 

As it turned out, we got across the tabletop with some ease, only 1 slight wound from a musket ball, and enough supplies to get through the campaign phase unhindered too. It took about 30 mins to play, but as an intro, we learnt the rules and I assume it's supposed to so easy to start with., to gets you going. So, after picking up another straggler as a seventh soldiers, we moved to Game 2. 

2 x 2, top corner to bottom, searching the buildings (+tents) and camels etc. on the way.

Afghan tribesmen's actions are automated, and often just charge the nearest enemy. Another is shot down before they could reach us, but then, we did roll well all game! Accurate firing from the lads...

Afghan snipers... scores one long-range hit and a wound just as we are about to escape.

Our six pith-helmed survivors about to get off the table corner, trading a few parting shots, then off! The Sarg is last to leave.

 

Game Two

Game 2, things get serious as our seven survivors (one limping), must make their way through a village. More loot to collect from the yards and buildings, and added civilians too, who can aid your squad. We set off speeding through the streets and alleys, grabbing loot counters, but the Afghans were soon arriving in numbers... most sword armed, but a fair few muskets too. We left a small rearguard, 3 men including the Sargeant, to slow the enemy up. This they did, shooting a fair few down, then three riders appeared. As an obvious threat, they were caught in a crossfire and all killed, but that allowed other tribesmen to charge us, and it was bayonet-work for the rearguard. Wounds were taken, and it looked like the rearguard would be cut-off.  Time to run for it! 

Up front, the other 4 soldiers had an easier time and gathered needed loot (food), but a group of 4 musket-armed Afghans arrived (random entry points around the table make it unpredictable) and drew a clear line of site to Lt Willams, our leader. Hit by 3 shots, he was almost dead. One private ran back to aid him along (assisting a wounded man speeds him up - which is cool mechanic). One soldiers also collected a handy camel, well, it was just standing about doing nothing! 

The finale saw a mad a dash for the exit corner, the leading group now covering the rear-guards retreat (run away!!). It seemed like a lot of Afghans would catch them, but heavy fire from the covering soldiers thinned them down, but returning muskets shots also caused a few return wounds, and one melee resulted in Private Edwards wounded 3 times (4 wounds kills a soldier). It was getting bloody. It the end, all 7 of our lads escaped, if two were being dragged with 1 wound left. Pretty exciting stuff... 

The campaign phase followed and we had enough food and water for all, plus our friendly civilian, and then gained 2 more stragglers by killing and eating the camel... which was bit sad. Our civilian turned out to have surgical skills and helped heal up the badly wounded Lt, and we expended our medical supplies to get most back to full wounds, that was until we rolled from heatstroke and dysentry, and all gained another wound from the environment. Weakened from the desert-heat, we are now a party of 10 refugees, ready for Scenario 3, set in a sand storm (snow storm in the 1812 version).... coming soon.

A 3 x 2 village board. There are rules for entering and moving through buildings, climbing walls, etc.  Again, escaping top corner to bottom

A heavy fire-fight along the main street, trading shots. It's much more even this time, and two soldiers, including Lt Williams, are badly wounded and close to death. The camel was part of our loot... I thought it might come in handy. In the end, it ended up as extra food supplies!

Three riders appear, and are shot down. Our small rearguard of three men got themselves into some trouble... but in the end, made a mad dash for it... which was tense for a bit, it looked like we might lose them all.

One rearguard private engaged in melee, whilst behind the Sergeant puts more fire on the riders. He has a civilian in tow... they can be helpful in the campaign phase, but you have to feed them too. Ours turned out to be handy at fixing wounds, which we really needed, because almost all of our squad were wounded in the fight through the village.