Critical Expansion

Empire (Tim) vs Skaven (Gill)

With the undead legions closing in on the Skaven capital of Spikehole, the foul ratmen raced back from the northwest to bolster their defences before it was too late but their plan seemed destined to fail.

Scurrying quickly through the mid-land woods, the Skaven found a clear channel through which they could make accelerated progess, but the way home was blocked. Up ahead on the path, stood a gunline of Empire Handgunners and Outriders supported by an inferno-wielding sorcerer and a ranked up unit of knights. Behind this gunline was a mortar.

The Men of New Sylvania were staking their claim to the land around Malko, striving to make a link with their closest neighbour, Aldium. Taking the forest south of the Old Silk Road was the critical first expansion that they needed to begin consolidating their tenuous hold on life in the turbulent Border Princes. This mission was so important to their future that Marcus von Drak himself was leading the knights.

For a long moment, both forces locked eyes silently across the wooded land between them, and then the pop of a mortar shell sounded and the handgunners opened fire. The Skaven immediately sprinted forward; well over a dozen giant rats being mown down in the first seconds; but Marcus had miscalculated how fats they would close the distance. He had never faced Skaven before and their incredible speed surprised him. There wasn’t time for the gunline to whittle down the enemy before it engaged them.

Spurring his knights forward, Marcus von Drak and his men smashed into the ranks of their opposing Skaven unit, breaking them and scattering the remnants. They wheeled round and smashed into a second unit, shattering that as well. But it wasn’t enough! Gutter Runners, sent forward to scout ahead, suddenly appeared behind the Empire position and slaughtered the mortar crew. Simultaneously, the rest of the Skaven reached the New Sylvanian lines and tore the frail humans apart. As Marcus and his knights reformed once again they found themselves surrounded on three sides.

The Skaven charged but Marcus signalled his men to retreat, planning to draw out part of the Skaven line and then turn back on them and vanquish them but the horses weren’t swift enough. The pursuing Skaven cut them down as they fled, every one of Marcus’s knights torn down.

Only Marcus himself survived, and with no more men to support him he was forced to withdraw, leaving the Skaven free to travel through the woods unhindered.

The Critical New Sylvanian expansion had failed, leaving both the towns of Malko and Aldium perilously defenceless. Only time would tell now if the Men of the Empire would survive.