Another week, and we have another battle report from the once great city of Mordheim.  This week I was able to get in a whopping four games!!!  I went in with a 4-3 record and came out with a 7-4.  It was a good week!!

 

Skaven vs. The Pit Fighters

 

Game one was against the campaign leader Keith and his pit fighters. I honestly dreaded going into this battle.  Even after a few setbacks, his pit fighters are still quite substantial. I got to roll for the scenario again since he still has a higher warband rating, but this time I would not be receiving any bonus experience for being an underdog. I rolled a three, scenario 5: street fight, a straightforward scenario where the two warbands meet along a long street and must fight their way past, with extra experience going to the first warband to get models off the opposite board edge before the other routes.

 

After a quick set up, we set right to confronting one another.  Keith had won the roll and he got to go first.  He started right up the street at a full run while sending two of his pursuers through the buildings.  I noticed that this time, to compensate for the hero he had lost, he had purchased a pit fighter ogre.  He would be a tough opponent.  My first turn was spent mirroring and trying to counter his moves.  I did not want to be flanked or have his pursuers be unopposed to escape off the board and win him the game. For this force I chose my giant rats and a well experienced henchman group of verminkin for a total 5 models to oppose his 2.  I knew I could regret sending the giant rats along as they might very well be needed to put the balance of the battle in the street in my favor.

 

Turn two was much the same on both sides as both warbands advanced rapidly down the street toward each other. The only shots fired were from his pursuers in the building which managed to stun one of the giant rats in the doorway trying to enter.  Even though this was not a kill, it prevented me from bringing the rest of the band sent to intercept the models inside the building as the giant rat model was now blocking the door.

 

On turn three the action really started as both warbands pretty much met at the center of town and the board.  Separated by a large fountain Keith kept his warband together and continued to advance while his witch tried, but failed to cast any spells.  On his turn he again managed to hit and stun the giant rat in the doorway, but did not kill it.

 

On my turn I came to an abrupt halt and unleashed every sling in range.  I didn’t get the 2 shots for being under 9 inches since I moved, but I did manage to bring 10 unsuccessfully to bear while my sorcerer tried to and successfully cast gnawdoom on the rapidly advancing ogre.  I rolled and got a 9 for hits, but being only strength 1, I would need to roll 6’s to wound on anything with a toughness of 3 or 4 and have no effect on toughness 5 or greater models.  I breathed a sigh of relief when Keith told me the ogre’s toughness was only 4!! I manages 2 wounds, leaving the brute with one.  Now he wasn’t as scary.

 

On Keith’s next turn, he charged the ogre at my assassin and sent a pit fighter champion against my sorcerer, but I intercepted with a night runner.  The combat did not go well for him.  In fact, his dice had betrayed him the whole game and would continue to do so to my advantage.  The ogre managed only a single hit on my assassin which was lucky charmed away and on his return he managed to take the ogre out. The brave night runner was hit multiple times, but saved once by a lucky charm and the next hit stunned him down.  Inside the building one pursuer missed the knocked down giant rat while the other moved into position to help her comrades outside the building.

 

On my turn, the Skaven went into battle full force.  I opted to take advantage of the close range and unleashed a total of 20 sling stones while my other night runner charged into combat with the pit fighter champion to prevent him from wounding the fallen night runner and take him out of action.  The missile fire was wicked all around as models were dropped all around.  I tried to but unsuccessfully cast gnawdoom at his pit king.  The sling stones were enough to take three more models out of action, including the pursuer who had tried to come to their aid from inside the building.

 

It was all over on the next turn.  Keith, with no faith left in his dice, withdrew and voluntarily routed, giving the Skaven a win.  He had lost 5 models and had not managed to take out a single enemy.

 

Skaven vs. The Undead

 

Game two was against John and his vampire counts warband.  He got roll for the scenario as his warband rating was lower.  What comes around, goes around, and like my battles last week, John would be receiving an underdog bonus of +2xp for fighting me.  He rolled a six, scenario 8: occupy, a scenario that runs 8 turns and the winner is the warband that manages to occupy, uncontested, the most of the selected buildings by games end. John picked up the dice and threw a 6 on a d3+2, which gave a total of 5 building to be selected in the center of town for occupation.  I got to set up first while John got to move first.

 

Turn one found both warbands racing towards the center of town. No combat ensued and John teamed his vampire count up with his two dire wolves to flank toward his right and one of the buildings while the rest of his warband advanced through the middle toward the clustered bulk of the selected buildings. I sent half of my warband, including 4 of my 6 heroes directly toward the center of town, while 2 heroes and the rest of my warband mirrored his counts actions and attempted a flank on my right.

 

On turn two John already managed to occupy 3 of the 5 buildings and his ghoul was within range of the fourth.  His necromancer cast call of Vanhel and managed to hurry one of his zombies up to keep pace with his dregs.  I had managed to only occupy the fifth building and started to set up to advance and clear the undead building by building.  It would be a hard fight since aside from my assassin’s leadership of 8, the next highest was a 6!! I would have to plan quick as I only had 8 turns to dislodge him from the other 4 buildings. Fear could be a devastating factor on a low leadership warband like the Skaven.  The other half of my warband, due to their speed, had already managed to flank his warband and was in position to move in.  My sorcerer was in range and successfully cast gnawdoom on one of John’s dregs occupying building two.  It was to no avail though as I didn’t manage to wound the model.  The rest of my models would have to wait until next turn as running left them with no other options this turn.

 

 

On turn three John continued his relentless advance.  His ghoul had secured building 4 and went into hiding, awaiting any model which dared to contest his occupancy.  Meanwhile, John rolled for and passed his leadership for stupidity on his dreg occupying building 2 and charged my sorcerer, hoping top dispatch him before his spells could become a real nuisance.  The dreg managed a two hits which were negated by a lucky charm and a successful parry roll.  The sorcerer struck back with three dice for two attacks and one additional for his other sword and managed to dispatch the dreg.  On his right flank, his vampire count and dire wolves left building 3 secured and continued to flank my warband.  In the center his dregs and zombies advanced and contested my sole occupancy of building 5.  One of his other dregs fired a shot at the occupying verminkin failing to wound and another entered melee with another verminkin.  No one was hurt as his only hit was dealt with by a lucky charm and I failed to wound in return after passing the required fear test (using my leader’s value of 8, of course!!).  The melee would continue on to my half of the turn.

 

On my half of turn three, I charged my black Skaven into combat with one of John’s dire wolves and then attempted to and successfully charged the other with my assassin.  I then advanced my flanking party to take and hold building 2 while my sorcerer, once again being the only one able to act after running, turned his attention to a lagging zombie which he successfully cast gnawdoom upon and quickly dispatched with 7 hits, 4 of which wounded and eventually led to the zombies demise.  In the center, missile fire managed to take another zombie out action while the melee went on unresolved.  Even after entering another verminkin into the fray, I managed no successful wounds and on the dregs attack he came up empty handed also.  The daring charge against his flanking count and dire wolves resulted in the assassin taking his target out of action while the black Skaven unhappily missed and then blew his luck charm on the dire wolves attack.  At the end of turn three John had uncontested control of three buildings, while I had one building and was in dispute of the last.  The vampire counts were winning the game, but I was closing in with the bulk of my warband.

 

By the beginning of turn four, John had lost four models: 2 zombies, a dreg and a dire wolf.  He had to take a morale test, but opted to just voluntarily rout, giving me the win and taking his count and remaining warband away to lick their wounds and see what bonuses the extra underdog experience would bring.

 

Skaven vs. Witch Hunters

 

On to game three, once again I was pitted against Chuck and his band of witch hunters.  Having the lower rating, he got to roll for the scenario, unfortunately for me, he rolled a 9, scenario 9: surprise attack, one of my most hated.  In this scenario the largest warband, not the one with the highest rating is the defender, being Skaven, of course I am always the defender.  The premise is that the defender’s warband is scattered across Mordheim looking for wyrdstone and is surprised by the opposing warband.  The defender starts by rolling to see which, if any members of his warband are present and those that are have to be set up no closer than 8” from each other or any table edge.  The remaining models, not present at the start of the game can enter beginning with turn 2 and only if the player (me) rolls a 4+ on a d6.  It’s not as easy as it sounds!!! I was bringing guys on the whole game practically. At the beginning of the game, all I had managed to get onto the board were 2 henchmen groups, both slingers groups of 2 and 3 models and 2 heroes, my sorcerer and a promoted verminkin hero.  I chose to set up as defensively as possible and tried to keep at least one hero with each henchmen group which meant separating the two groups into the largest two buildings, unfortunately they were on opposite side of the board.

 

Well, with me set up, Chuck had to roll for a random entry point and luckily got to come in on the same edge as part of my scattered warband, not so lucky for me.  Getting to go first, he immediately entered at the most advantageous place on the board’s edge.  By the end of his turn, I was already down 1 verminkin.  On my half of the turn I started gathering and grouping my forces.  The models on the edge that were already engaged fired back after going for cover. I managed one hit on the witch hunter who who killed the other verminkin, but it was lucky charmed away.

 

On turn two, Chuck sent his three flagellants racing for stairs and ladders to engage my meager force.  I managed to survive his crossbow and bow fire, but he was closing in fast. My half of turn two resulted in only 2 successful rolls for oncoming remnants of my scattered warband.  I got my giant rats and a night runner and they entered on the same edge as my sorcerer and that group of slingers.  I chose to keep the whole group back another turn as I gathered them together, not thinking how precious the time was to get them across the board and into the melee there.  I didn’t want to just run my models in all piece meal to be butchered by Chuck’s organized force.

 

By turn three Chuck’s witch hunters were closing fast, in fact, he was able to successfully scale the ladders and engage the pitiful force on that side of the board in melee.  He had lost the angle of fire for most of his troops as they hurriedly closed and he only managed two unsuccessful shots with his missile troops.  In melee however, one of his charging flagellants took another verminkin slinger out of action, leaving a lone hero and one remaining verminkin to withstand his onslaught.

 

On my turn I only successfully rolled to bring on my assassin and he was on the threatened table edge.  Throwing caution to the wind I entered him as close as possible to Chuck’s warband and charged the witch hunter who had been firing at my remaining verminkin.  The gamble paid off.  On the other side of the table I finished reassembled my warband and started quickly and directly toward the battle while my remaining verminkin on the embattled side fired ineffectively at the onrushing witch hunters.  During the melee, my assassin threw his three dice and managed to get through a lucky charm, parry and step aside to take the witch hunter out of action while my hero engaged with one of the flagellants failed to take any one out of action, he too survived the returning blows.

 

Turn four saw a predictable turn of events.  Chuck had already committed three zealots to running down and slaughtering the last verminkin alive on this side of the board and by next turn, they would be there.  In the other building, Chuck’s now free flagellant charged the hero making it a 2 to 1 fight.  On the ground, he charged his two war dogs and the last flagellant who was still ascending the ladder toward my now unengaged assassin while his witch hunter captain, warrior priest and another witch hunter started toward the lonely assassin.  During melee his two flagellants quickly dispatched the lone hero.  The dogs were ineffectual, but managed to remove the lucky charm around my assassin’s neck.

 

My half of turn four brought my running Skaven horde ever closer to Chuck’s warband.  If lucky, in a turn or two I would split his warband in two with the bulk of my force.  This turn, luck was once again on my side I successfully brought on another group of 2 verminkin, my most experienced and well armed, with spears and shields. And, they entered on the side with all of the fighting!!!  They immediately charged his warrior priest. I had no missile fire as everyone in range was engaged.  When close combat arrived, the melee with the assassin was once again a stale mate as hits were landed ineffectual or just plain missed.  The fight with the 2 verminkin and the warrior priest at was just as ineffectual, and the last verminkin readied himself for the zealot’s charge.

 

Witch hunters turn five.  With the arrival of my 2 verminkin right in his flank, Chuck turned his attention partially away from my assassin. His captain and the witch hunter charged one of the verminkin engaging the warrior priest and a zealot made it into combat with my verminkin on the roof while the other two waited their turn on the ladder to enter combat should the first fail in battle.  One flagellant managed to reach my assassin and joined the fight with the 2 war dogs while the other two flagellants started back down to the ground floor and the battle that raged there.  It was then on to close combat and the melee with the assassin remained unchanged.  At three to one odds, his models managed no successful wounds as I luckily stepped aside from any hits.  I did however manage to dispatch one war dog and even the odds… a little.  His witch hunter and captain didn’t manage to take the verminkin they charged out of action but did stun him.  His zealot didn’t manage to wound the slinger either.

 

On my half of turn 5 I managed to bring in my black Skaven on the far side of the board. With luck, he might get into combat this game.  The verminkin in combat with his captain and witch hunter rolled over, face up, knocked down.  The rest of my unengaged warband edged ever closer.  In close combat, the melee continued between the dogs and my assassin with ending with a favoring outcome. I rolled 2 6’s and a 5, three hits!!  I managed to automatically wound the dog with a roll of a 6 on my weeping blades and critically wounded the flagellant taking them both out of action.  The Skaven fighting the warrior priest managed to stun him.  The battle on the roof with the zealot resulted in another stalemate.

 

At the end of turn 5 the losses were beginning to mount.  Chuck had now lost 4 models thanks to my assassin and would require a leadership test to stay in the game while I had only lost four and needed to lose 5 to make a morale check.

 

On turn six, he grabbed the dice and easily passed his moral check with a 5.  His warrior priest rolled over to face up, knocked down.  One of the flagellants from upstairs was now almost close enough and charged the assassin along with the witch hunter while the captain stayed in contact to dispatched the face up verminkin.  The witch hunter’s charge fell short, but the flagellant made contact.  The other flagellant from upstairs was not close enough to charge the assassin yet and ended his move one step closer to the battle.  The other two zealots waited patiently for the outcome of the battle on the roof while his captain advanced toward the assassin.  His zealot on the roof managed to wound the Skaven slinger and I was no longer safe from having to take a morale test.

 

I started my turn by using the unholy relic of my assassin to pass the required moral check and my warband arrived to do combat, but I still failed to bring in my last model, a night runner, who sadly wandered somewhere else in the streets of Mordheim and my black Skaven trailed way behind.  My giant rats and remaining heroes were now close enough to get into a fight.  My sorcerer failed to cast gnawdoom on the unengaged flagellant and the rest of my verminkin unleashed a hail of sling stones.  No one else went into combat and during shooting 2 Skaven slingers fired slings into the back of the witch hunter whose charge fell short of the assassin.  The shots landed no blows as the one hit was lucky charmed away.  The remaining Skaven slinger from that group had no target and had to wait until the next turn and the verminkin failed to wound the warrior priest as he made his armor save.

 

Turn seven, Chuck reached for his dice and cast them hoping his warband would stay… a 7, his morale was holding.  His warrior priest stood up and his last flagellant charged the newly arrived Skaven and got into combat with a night runner. His witch hunter finally made contact with my assassin.  The captain took a shot with his dueling pistol at the oncoming hoard of Skaven and missed and then it was back to melee.  The zealots on the roof now rushed back down to the ground to join the melee.  The witch hunter and flagellant dispatched my assassin after wounding him once then taking him out of action.  I was awestruck.  I managed to knock down the warrior priest again, but the same could not be said for the last flagellant the night runner… the dice were being very uncooperative for both warbands as no wounds were inflicted there either.

 

Turn 7 and another moral check….  It was now my turn and after franticly searching my heroes section only came up with a high leadership of 6.  I was sure that I was doomed!!!  While we both chanted versions of “high” and “low” I cast the dice…. A five and a one, for a total of 6!!!!  Amazingly I had passed!!!  And finally, the last of my warband had arrived and with luck, he entered on an adjacent table edge, within charging range of Chuck’s zealots who had just descended from the roof top.  Two of my giant rats joined combat with the night runner and flagellant and the third entered combat with the verminkin and the warrior priest.  My sorcerer had to decide what spell he would try to cast and where would I send it.  I decided to try my luck and cast black fury and go for his captain as I felt my assassin could handle himself as he had already taken four models out of action.  I anxiously grabbed the dice knowing that a failed cast could cost me the game.  I started to doubt and thought about casting gnawdoom, but I took the chance and stuck to my guns… a 9, and a success!!!  My sorcerer went into combat with his captain and I would be throwing 5 dice with strength 4.  And so it began, my vermin kin failed to wound the warrior priest due to another successful armor save, but the giant rat managed to score a wound and take him out of action.  Now it was on to the newly arrived night runner and his fight with the zealot and with luck, he managed another out of action.  The two giant rats and the other night runner also managed to take out their flagellant.  Things were looking good until the battle between the assassin, witch hunter and final flagellant sadly ended with the demise of my leader.  He had fought well and I sadly put him aside.  And now the moment had arrived for the sorcerer and his captain to fight it out.  I started grabbing the dice to use against his captain.  Three of the five were hits and one was a critical.  The end result, with the luck of some failed armor checks, was that my sorcerer stood victorious and had managed to take the captain out of action in one swift attack.  I took a deep breath and it was on to turn eight.

 

Turn eight and Chuck once again started with a leadership check which he had to make with the witch hunter since his captain was now out of action.  He needed a seven and that’s what he got.  I gritted my teeth and waited to see what he would do.  He was excessively light of figures having only 2 zealots, a flagellant and the witch hunter remaining.  His strategy at this point was to hold on and see if I would fail my next moral with the loss of my assassin.  His witch hunter and war dog stayed safely out of combat while the two remaining zealots charged the nearest night runner.  The combat was swift, with multiple hits which blew through all defensive charms but failed to take him out of action. In return, one of the zealots fell to the night runner’s fighting claws.

 

I was down 6 models, two of which were heroes, leaving me 10 figures to continue the fight against his three.  I knew my chances of rolling a 6 or less again would be nothing short of a miracle.  I grabbed the dice and once again the chanting of “high” “low” rang throughout the store… I rolled an 11… I had failed and the game was a loss, my first this week.  Even the aftermath was bad, I lost 3 henchmen and my verminkin hero died of his wounds… it was a sad day in the warrens for sure.

 

Kislevites vs. Skaven vs. Witch Hunters

 

Game four found me a little more apprehensive about my strategy.  It was to be a three way game, once again including Chuck and his witch hunters and Rob and his Kislevites.  Rob, having the lowest warband rating got to roll for the scenario selection and got a 6, scenario 1: treasure hunt.  In this scenario we would be fighting it out to retrieve pieces of wyrdstone scatter throughout the board.  After all was said and done, there were 7 pieces of wyrdstone to be placed randomly throughout the tabletop.  The object was to collect the most and be the last warband on the table.  I was to set up first followed by Chuck then Rob.  After dicing off, the turn sequence started with Chuck, proceed to me and then finally Rob. Also, for this game we were going to use the random happenings tables form the Mordheim Annual 2002.  I set up in a large building containing 2 pieces of wyrdstone placed by Chuck, while Chuck and Rob both started on open table edges to race toward the remaining wyrdstone.

 

Turn one and Chuck was off across the table after a piece of wyrdstone in a small building on the second floor.  He sent his captain toward the piece while the rest of his warband headed for the center of the table and the piece I had placed in the large fountain located there.  On my turn I successfully rolled for an encounter and wound up with swarms of flies descending upon all of the warbands.  This was good as it gave an additional -1 to all missile fire and combat.  It would last for 3 turns.  I gathered the two pieces of wyrdstone and moved my warband towards the doors and windows.  Rob spent his turn moving into town and the wyrdstone close to his board edge.

 

Turn two Chuck attempted to climb up to the second floor with his captain and failed while his remaining warband fanned out to engage both Rob’s and mine.  He also sent his witch hunter armed with the crossbow up to a second story to better shoot any targets should they become visible.  The model had trick shot and eagle eyes, giving it a clear advantage with the flies buzzing around.  For my turn I sent my giant rats, black Skaven and my assassin after Rob’s warband, hoping to use the flies as cover.  I also sent 2 slingers scurrying across the rooftop to try and pin down Rob’s Streltsi should they turn their attention my way.  Meanwhile my models in the windows facing the witch hunters opened fire.  I only managed to stun the nearest flagellant.  Rob took advantage of this during his turn and took and his streltsi too the stunned model out of action.  He also managed to recover a piece of wyrdstone and roll for a random happening which netted him another piece of wyrdstone.

 

On turn three, Chuck’s captain finally climbed up the ruins to get the piece he was after and the rest of his warband continued to move closer and his zealots were one turn out of charging Rob’s Kislevites.  A shot from his crossbow missed his intended target, the streltsi who just shot the stunned flagellant.  On my part of the turn, I managed another random happening.  My assassin found a reflecting pool and promptly looked in.  He was granted immunity from his first successful wound!!!  This would give him 3 wounds for combat.  He and the black Skaven advanced to get even closer to the Kislevites while the rest of my warband opened up on Chucks advancing dogs and flagellants.  One of the verminkin managed to take out one of the advancing war dogs.  Rob spent his turn pulling back to get out of the zealots range and he took a few more shots at flagellants in the courtyard below.

 

On turn four, Chuck’s captain fell from the second floor stunning himself.  His models continued to advance and one of the zealots attempted to charge one of Rob’s models and failed.  Shots were once again fired in the now fly free environment, but none landed.  When my time came, I once again rolled a random happening, damn ones!!! And a swarm of rats, how appropriate entered my board edge and headed 5” toward the center of town.  I opened up with my slings once again on Chuck’s flagellants and remaining war dog and managed to  stun another flagellant while my models moved yet closer to Rob’s warband.  Rob ignored the stunned model this time and concentrated his efforts on Chuck’s advancing zealots.  He took one out of action with missile fire and still managed to stay out of any melees.

 

On turn five, Chuck routed his witch hunters having taken only 3 casualties, leaving Rob and I to battle it out.  On my turn I charged my 4 giant rats bringing one into combat with one of Rob’s Cossacks.  The combat was uneventful. I fired slings from my assassin and black Skaven to no avail at the streltsi and Cossack on the second floor of the building.  The rats also ran another 5” towards the fountain in the center of town.  On Rob’s turn he fired both the Cossack and the streltsi at my black Skaven as he remembered my assassin would have 3 wounds.  One hit and was luck charmed away.  In melee my giant rat managed to take out his Cossack on the ground floor.

 

Turn six started with me charging another giant rat into combat with Rob’s Cossack on the ground and my assassin managed to get a sling shot off that took his streltsi on the second floor out of action.  When melee came, between the two giant rats in combat, they were able to finish off the Cossack.  When I was finished and passed the turn to Rob, he began his turn by voluntarily routing his warband before I could get into any serious close combat with him.  It was a cheap win, and I’ll take it.  The end results for me were not anything spectacular, but Rob cut and ran with 2 wyrdstone shards and an underdog bonus of +2 xp.