Category: Games

The Battle Report

Playing a solo game to a scenario you’ve written yourself means that you have a good idea of what’s going to happen, but you usually still get plenty of surprises! First off, the random terrain rolls generated a nice handy forest avenue in the middle of the table for some of the beastmen to slip through without being targeted by defensive fire. The Kislevites were deployed in some depth in the centre, in and behind the church and village, as this was the key to the battle. However, their limited numbers meant that there were fewer units to guard the wide flanks, and these would no doubt prove vulnerable – depending of course on how and where the enemy attacked, and where and when the Empire allies arrived.

The beastmen went for brute power, with their toughest, nastiest guys (including minotaurs and a giant) in the middle. With chariots, centigaurs, warhounds and ungor skirmishers they also had the advantage in fast troops and would be able to move forward swiftly on the flanks, causing the defenders concern there too.

So, without further ado the game started and the forces of chaos pounded forward through the snow as fast as their hooves (and command rolls) would carry them. There was little maneouvring apart from the light units on the flanks, which the Kislev horse archers and skirmishers sought to counter, and within 2 turns the defenders were beginning to open up with their handguns at the approaching horde. Casualties at long range were light, however, and it was clear that hand to hand fighting was going to decide the day. That said, help was suddenly at hand with the arrival of the hoped-for Empire allies (a lucky roll!). Doughty swordsmen and fanatical flagellants came on behind Noelev and St Nikolas as additional reserves, while to their left a glittering unit of Reiksguard knights cantered forward to plug a gap and take on the enemy’s boar chariots.

Led by a hero of renown the knights charged to victory over the chariots (typical, as the latter are of course a favourite scratchbuilt unit!) and helped to drive back the enemy on this flank. The allied units became scattered though, and their generals were never to have enough command points to make this early advantage count later on in the battle. On the other flank things were going most definitely in the beastmen’s favour, and before long they were beginning to roll-up the Kossars who stood increasingly exposed as the enemy swept in. In the centre the battle was fierce, with casualties high on both sides. The defiant priests, and even the Ice Queen herself, led the Kislev forces in a desperate defence of the church. Helped just in time by the Empire swordsmen they saw off several units of beasts and minotaurs and killed 2 of their chiefs, but the chaos giant was causing mayhem and slaughter, aided by the wizardry of a sinister bray shaman.

Eventually, though the giant was finally brought crashing down on the very steps of the chuch, the onslaught was too much and the overwhelmed survivors were forced to retreat (the Kislev army had suffered the requisite damage score for the beastmen to win), resiging the village of Noelev and its church of St Nikolas to utter destruction, and leaving in the bloody snow the last of the guardian priests who had sold their lives dearly for their beloved holy ground.

All in all, a good fun game and well worth the effort of writing up the scenario and digging out the terrain and figures. I’m sure there’ll be an opportunity for the Ice Queen’s revenge at some point…!

With a little bit of the festive season, and more importantly some holiday, still left I decided it was a good opportunity for a small solo game – so yesterday out came the winter terrain boards and fir trees. Although there’s been no white Christmas here what better to fight than a battle in the northern snows of Warhammer’s Old World? Now, I don’t play Warhammer, or fantasy in 28mm at all for that matter, but I do like the GW background, setting and armies and have applied it to my 15mm collection, fighting under home-grown rules written by my friend Jase. By following this path I have, like a typical wargamer, made things difficult for myself, with lots of hunting for appopriate figures, converting and compromising, but it’s been fun along the way!

I’ll post more about these armies before long but for now, it’s off to a remote, frozen location in the border wilderness of Kislev where the forces of chaos have once again come south for blood and destruction…

The Scene

Barked orders echo among the trees as the panting, heavily
encumbered men hurry through the snow. Their exertions produce plumes of steaming
air, all thoughts of the day’s freezing cold forgotten while the soldiers’
urgent march continues. Then, with little warning, the dimness of the forest
gloom is lifted as the trees thin and the blue coated columns stumble into the
relative light of the iron grey sky, now open above them.

The silence ends when the horns begin to bray and flickers of
movement creep amongst the dark trees, but the men, blowing on their matches
and saluting their brothers in arms with flasks of hard spirit, stand ready.

The Game

An army of Beastmen has stuck from deep within the forests
to the north, overrunning the lightly-manned watch posts, though not before a
lone messenger escaped to bring news of the threat. The hastily-assembled local
militia were no match for the horde of ferocious creatures that swept bloodily
through the first villages and within two days the chaos horde was closing in
on its true prey – the inhabitants of the village of Noëlev and their priestly
guardians in the church of St Nikolas. However, as the cold, grim day moves
past noon the tramp of marching feet announces the arrival of units of the
field army under the command of the Ice Queen herself. Unfortunately for the
Kislevites, their winged hussars were elsewhere when the urgent news came, so
the army comprises Kossar infantry and Ungol light horsemen only. Before marching, the
Queen despatched a request for aid to a nearby contingent of Empire troops that
had been assisting Kislev in its winter patrols. It is hoped that the courier
found these comrades in arms, but even if he did there is no certainty that
they would arrive in time..

The Table

Played on a 4’ x 3’ table. The village of Noëlev and its holy
church of St Nikolas are in the middle of the Kislev deployment area, 3 squares
in from the southern base edge. Additionally, 1dAv of further ‘bad going’ 4” squares
are placed randomly on the table, containing forest. Remaining trees to be placed aling the northern board edge as background scenery.

The Beastmen must capture the church to destroy the holy
order that resides there and bring their darkness to this remote part of
Kislev. The defenders must prevent this from happening.

100 points per side

The Guardians of St Mikail

The church of St Mikail is home to an order of warrior
priests who will stand with their Kislev and Empire comrades in defence of
their holy shrine. A warrior priest will automatically join any defending unit
occupying the church and fight with them using the normal rules, with the
exception that they have a free power point per turn which can only be used to
boost the morale of the unit within the church’s 2 squares, although it can still
be used offensively against a Beastmen unit in an adjacent square. The warrior
priest cannot leave the church squares, and if killed is automatically replaced
the following turn by another member of his order. Should the Beastmen capture
the church and win the battle (see below) it is assumed that all of the priests
have been killed.

The game continues until one side or the other is
victorious, see below.

The Beastmen win if they capture both the squares containing
the church (ie. there is no defending unit contesting it). They will be
considered to have achieved this is they defeat the defenders according to the
standard rules for victory, as the defeated army would retreat. However, to
reflect the religious and patriotic nature of the defence of the church, the
defenders’ Army Morale breakpoint is 16 points rather than the standard 14. If
the Beastmen fail to win (ie. are defeated through reaching their own Army
Morale breakpoint), the defenders are victorious.

The stoic defenders await the chaos onslaught

The beastmen emerge from the dark forest

The armies drawn up, but will the Empire allies arrive in time to help?

The Ice Queen herself, ready to lead her men in the defence of this holy place

Next time, the action!