Firstly I would like to apologise for the lack of proper playing surface. I simply do not have a suitable playing table of this size. Secondly I would like to apologise for the inclusion of some proxies and some unfinished miniatures. However, the battle was still a lot of fun, and I hope you can see through these details and enjoy this report! The black stripe in the middle is a band to prevent the two boards from flipping over. Also please note that this battle is using the 6th edition rules and armybooks.
Here we go:
The whistling of a gentle breeze, accompanied by the sound of the ever-present crashing of waves upon the beach of Erstenburgh was roughly disturbed by the shouts of a man, running towards the sleepy village. The townsfolk stumbled out of their homes to hear what the noise was about, but immediately saw the peril of which the man tried to warn. Two striped sails loomed on the horizon. However, as the man entered the village he spoke of a larger force of chaos already ashore, marching towards Erstenburgh! A message containing this dreadful news was immediately send to the elector count of the region, who shortly thereafter assembled a relief force to oppose the evil descending upon the village. But would it be too late?
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The village of Erstenburgh has come under attack! To represent the village, 4 buildings have been placed on the table, slightly closer to the chaos force which must deploy in the corner containing a fair bit of water for their ships. Each building is worth 200 victory points at the end of the battle. These victory points are awarded to the empire player if they remain standing, or the chaos player is they are destroyed or on fire on the end of turn 8, when the game ends. The empire player deploys on centre of the edge furthest away from the village, but may deploy a single core unit with detachments within the village to represent the town guard an militia mustered to face the threat. Normal rules for victory points still apply, with the exception of points for table quarters. The wind direction is rolled at the start of the game, and remains the same during the entire battle.
Here is an overview of the armies partaking in this scenario:
Chaos (myself):
The chaos army is led by the Slaaneshi sorcerer, who joined a bodyguard of 11 Slaaneshi Chaos Warriors. They are accompanied by a Khornate delegation consisting of 15 warriors and 5 knights, both of which are screened by 5 warhounds. 5 Marauder Horsemen armed with throwing axes ride out to harass the enemy, while 6 Chaos furies will try to attack warmachines behind enemy lines. With vile magics, the sorcerer has attracted 2 Wyrdspawn. These are a rare type of Chaos spawn capable of frying their opponents with magical lightning. (They count as a unit of 2 Ogre Leadbelchers, taken as Dogs of War.)
Two longboats transport the marauders. One unit of 14 with light armour and shields, and one unit of 13 armed with great weapons. They are led by an exalted champion on foot, who is the army general.
Empire (my opponent):
The village is defended bravely by 12 swordsmen occupying the building closest to the chaos forces. In the building behind, 6 halberdiers nervously await the onslaught, while on the other side of the street 7 huntsmen take aim from the windows of another small building.
The relief force is led by a stalwart Warrior Priest of Sigmar, accompanied by a unit of brave Knights of the Inner Circle. Four Ogre Ironguts have been hired to deal with the Chaos attackers and provide some much needed hitting power capable of moving fast. Behind them, a block of 16 Greatswords march to finish off what the knights and Ogres leave in their wake. They are accompanied by a detachment of 8 halberdiers and a skirmishing troupe of 5 archers. A battle wizard from the college of fire marches amongst them. The main ranged support is delivered by 10 handgunners, a great cannon and a mortar, the last two of which are towed into battle limbered. A master engineer oversees the correct handling of the mortar.
Turn 1:
The relief force was mustered as quickly as possible, and marched speedily forwards. The cannon and handgunners moving towards the northern edge, trying to outflank the main chaos army and lay enfilading fire onto them. The rest of the army moved towards the centre to meet the chaos forces inside the village and prevent as much destruction as possible. As the army was too far away for any ranged attacks, only the huntsmen shot at the marauder horsemen, yet even their arrows fell short.
Eager for the slaughter and plunder awaiting in the village, the chaos army marched forwards. The winds were favorable, and with a strong breeze astern the dragons ripped through the water, searching for a good place to beach.
The sorcerer, approaching the village, cast his foul magics at the swordmen in the building. He first tried to persuade them to come outside with titillating illusions of their deepest desires, but when that failed, lashed at them with a crackling bolt of torment and anguish. A few swordsmen perished in agony, yet the rest remained steadfast in their place. The horsemen threw some axes at the halberdiers, but these harmlessly bounced off the stone walls or stuck in the woodwork of the building.
Turn 2:
With the chaos army in sight, the knights spurred their horses and left the main body of the army behind them. The Ogres did the same, eager to have a bash at the enemy. The cannon unlimbered and deployed north of the rocky outcrop, ready to fire at any intruders trying to outflank the army. The Mortar deployed as well, to rain death amongst the attackers in the streets of Erstenburgh. Two warhounds fell to the arrows of the huntsmen.
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The chaos warriors marched onto the swordsmen, ready to flush them out and offer them to the gods. Seeing the relief force advancing towards them, the Knights rode to meet them in search of worthier prey. The first of the longships landed near the village, its crew ready to disembark. The warhounds ran through the main street in search of stragglers to sate their lust for blood. The sorcerers magic was thwarted by the battle wizard, who succesfully dispelled everything the evil warlock tried. Throwing axes from the horselords further decorated the building occupied by the halberdiers, who remained safely inside.
Turn 3:
The inner circle knights swerved to the right to intercept the chaos knight moving towards the handgunners and cannon. The now deployed cannon fired, and shot through a hound and a knight, leaving both of them a bloody mess. The mortar's shot fell clear of any targets, and caused no casualties. The ogres turned to the horsemen, while still watching the main street for potential opponents. The archers moved towards the hill in order to gain a better vantagepoint, while the rest of the infantry tried to keep up.
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The Chaos Warriors and Wyrdspawn assaulted the swordsmen, and a heated battle followed. While the swordsmen bravely tried to hold out, they ultimately were slaughtered, and only 5 managed to escape. The wyrdspawn entered the house to eat the wounded, while the khornate warriors turned to attack the huntsmen. The horsemen threw their axes at the ogres, yet failed to cause them harm. While the warhounds ran forwards, the knights slowed their pace, not wanting to show their flank to either the cannon or the imperial knights. The furies flew behind the rocky outcrop, eager to attack either the cannon or mortar. The marauders disembarked and moved to attack the huntsmen, while the second longship landed as well.
Turn 4:
The Ogres attempt to charge the horsemen, which evade quickly. They redirect their attention to the 3 warhounds in the village, but those also flee with their tails between their legs. The archers take position on the hill and signal the wizard there are marauders still trying to disembark! Without hesitation, the mage conjures a blast of flames, but summons a far darker presence as well! A daemon takes hold of him, though a handful of marauders are turned to ash, screaming in horror. The wizard feels all of his magical powers drained by the daemonic entity, and is unable to cast any magic untill he replenishes his powers back at the college of magic.
The knights, wary of their evil counterparts, move further back still hoping to spring their ambush. Artillery fire rains down on the village, as the mortar lobs it's explosive payload onto the house occupied by enemy forces. It strikes the roof, but fails to penetrate its shingles and rains metal splinters across the road and into the nearby buildings. A cannonball falls just short of the knights, spraying them with dirt and mud but not causing any harm.
The hounds flee further, allowing the khornate warriors to assault the huntsmen, together with the marauders and their general. Only two huntsmen manage to survive the onslaught and flee onto the main street. The warriors enter the house in search for loot and plunder. The other marauders disembark and move towards the large inn, thirsty for ale and mead.
The chaos knights see the ogres advancing as the horsemen ride past them, and decide to engage them, in the meantime seeking shelter from the cannon behind the wood.
The furies descended upon the mortar, and whilst the crew abandoned the machine and ran for their lives, they were unable to outrun the winged daemons. The winds of magic proved to be very fickle now, as the Slaaneshi sorcerer miscast as well! He erupted into a white blaze of fire, wreaking havoc amongst his bodyguard of warriors and crippling the unit beyond fighting capability. The sorcerer managed to survive, albeit severely wounded. The horsemen ceased their retreat and rode to harass the remaining swordsmen. Axes were thrown, yet were unable to pierce the swordmen's shields.
Turn 5:
Seeing the Chaos knights turning away from their ambush, the knights decide to go after them. With the Chaos knights facing away from them and the Slaaneshi Chaos Warriors crippled, nothing could stop them on the northern flank. In a desperate attempt to get out of the way of the Chaos Knights, the valiant swordsmen charged the mounted marauders, yet were trampled none the less. The ogres turned to face the Chaos knights, while the greatswords drew near to support them. The handgunners charged the remaining warhounds, whom they had nigh but annihilated with their bullets beforehand. But then the sound of a thunderous explosion almost deafened the entire battlefield! The greatcannon had misfired, and only a mangled wreck stood where the cannon had been.
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The Chaos knights then spurred their steeds and charged the ogres, and met them in a terrible clash! The lumbering brutes tore the knights to shreds, their enormous blades hacking through the fiendish armour of the knights as if it were parchment! The knights however, managed to almost slay two of them. Still, their deaths were a severe blow to the Chaos army. The warriors strode from the building onto the main street, having slaughtered anyone they could find among its walls. As soon as the last warrior had left, the marauders threw their torches inside and onto the roof, and within minutes the whole building was set ablaze. The other marauders quickly searched the inn for any booze and valuables, before putting the structure to the torch as well.
The furies now attacked the archers on the hill. They fled, elongating their lives only slightly, as the winged daemons were still on their heels. Probably persuaded by his mind-clouding magic, the horsemen rode between the sorcerer, who had left his bodyguard, and the imperial knights. The wyrdspawn, having sated their bloodlust, also emerged from the building they occupied to face the ogres.
Turn 6:
Though 1 of them had fallen and another was barely standing, the ogres charged the wyrdspawn, who in turn unleashed a dazzling spray of lightning upon them. The ogres were unscathed however, and slew the wyrdspawn outright, but not before the already wounded ogre fell as well. Beating the wyrdspawn aside, they immediatly were halted by the khornate warriors. The greatswords carefully approached the village, awed by the onslaught the ogres had wrought before them. The knights turned to move around the forest, but were unable to reach the horsemen yet.
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The warriors were too much for the ogres, who were cut down as they tried to flee. Their banner was ripped and taken as a trophy, held high in a mockery of its former glory. The warriors surged forwards to meet the greatswords, hungry for more bloodshed. The Slaaneshi warriors reunited with the sorcerer and entered the building where the wyrdspawn had feasted. Through the window, he cast his vile magic at the knights, who were befuddled by enchanting illusions appearing where once a swamp had been. Instead of joining the battle, the marauders decided now was the best time to drink their stolen booze and barter their ill-gotten gains with each other, before returning home once again.
Turn 7:
The destruction of the ogres did not scare the greatswords, who ran to meet the chaos warriors head on, confident in their victory. The Griffon Banner fluttered above them, and Sigmar was praised as they charged. The knights moved towards the swamp, still under the influence of the spell that compelled them to do so. Only mere inches before horse and men alike would have drowned in the muddy bog, the iron will of the warrior priest alone broke the enchantment. However, they were now so far removed from the battle they would never be on time to save the village. The halberdiers behind the greatsword moved around in an attempt to support them, or at least protect their flank should the feasting marauders still decide to engage. The greatswords fought the warriors in a mighty clash! They fought with such vigour and fury that even the warriors were awed, almost to the brink of defeat! Alas, the warriors' lust for mindless slaughter overcame their awe, and they fought on!
The archers were eaten by furies.
The clash at the entrance of the village caught the attention of the drunken marauders, who made a vague attempt to join the fight, but did not so. The other marauders loaded their loot onto their ship, and prepared to sail home. The Slaaneshi warriors emerged from the building and put it to the torch, leaving only a single building in the village untouched by the flames. The warriors and greatswords fought on, the warriors still on the brink of defeat, and still managing to fight on. The horsemen threw their axes at the knights, but were not able to pierce their armour.
Turn 8:
Hope was lost for Erstenburgh, but perhaps the Khornate warriors could still be defeated! Onwards the greatswords pressed, but they were ultimately resisted by the warriors, who gained the upper hand. Only the brave halberdiers managed to keep their building safe for the entire battle, yet Erstenburgh was never to recover fully from this defeat. The once proud knights returned in shame, having not seen any combat at all. The burning of Erstenburgh is still told as a cautionary tale across the coast, where many still look at the horizon, fearful of seeing striped sails.
Afterthought:
Though in the end there was a massive difference in victory points in favour of chaos, this was only achieved in the second to last turn! And only with luck as well, as the chaos warriors succeeded a break test at Ld4, and one at Ld6 the following turn! If the greatswords had broken the warriors, they might have been able to put out the fire in some of the buildings, and both recover the ogres' standard and taking the warriors' one! This would have been devastating!
I also managed to trick his knights into doing nothing for the enitre game. First feinting with my own knights to prolong him waiting in ambush and then almost dragging him into the swamp with Slaaneshi magic. Had he been less cautious with them, his knights would have been able to change the course of the game entirely. I still doubt whether my knights charging the ogres was a good idea, as I don't think their sacrifice was worth the gain. Nevertheless this was the most exciting game we've had, and the first scenario I've written. It was nice to involve my boats, albeit only in a transporting function.
If you've read this far: Thanks! I hope you enjoyed it, and perhaps are inspired to stage a daring raid of your own!
