A Resurgence of Power

Tim (Vampire Counts) vs Gill (Tempestrians)

The Vampire flank of the Undead Nation was in turmoil. Fortress Malefic was lost to them in the south and the Tempestrians continued to exert pressure from the north. Unless a series of critical reversals could take place then all was lost to them. The Barrow Kings were establishing a powerful foothold in the west but if the Vampires quite literally crumbled then it would not be long before their position collapsed as well.

With the breakthrough at Still Water, the undead were marching as fast as their withered limbs could carry them toward their former home to wrest control of it back. In the centre of the map, Nagash himself was preparing to assault Spikehole, the Skaven capital. The third arena of conflict was equally vital. The Knights of Tempest Falls were pushing south. They had to be pushed back. Now!

Battlelines drew up but Rebecca, the cold-hearted vampire countess leading the undead, smiled a fang-tooth smile. There was no Methuselah atop his hippogriff here. There was no Rachel d’Astatic conjuring magical power beyond measuring. The force of knights and archers was led only by two Chosen of the Lady: a Damsel and a Prophetess. She gave a steely nod to her two lieutenants, a pair of beguiling women, both beautiful and exceptionally powerful in the ways of sorcery.

The knights sounded the charge but before they could close, all three vampire women conjured the power of the dark art. Rebecca fixed her gaze on the Tempestrian Prophetess across the field, muttering Khemrian syllables taught to her by her lord and master, Nagash. The Prophetess whimpered quietly and fell from her horse, a barren hollow husk. Tahlia and Lahmia combined their power, pointing to the ground before the oncoming knights and over forty zombies sprung up to greet them. Then Rebecca summoned her power once more, tinkling her fingers at her thigh, her eyes gently closed, smiling again and throughout the Tempestrian battle line, in fully half of their units, men fell inexplicably as a frightening wind passed through them. Rebecca raised her closed fist, drawing the spirits of the screaming dead into it then pointed. On that spot the spirits of the Tempestrians manifested under her domination and glided menacingly toward their own ranks.

Against such a powerful opening attack the Tempestrians faltered momentarily, but their resolve was like the steel of their lance tips. They rode on, charging into the undead. The flanking Questing Knights smashed the newly-created zombies far faster than they had been resurrected, weakening that end of the undead line but a trap had been set for the Knights of the Realm approaching the centre of the line and the trap closed upon them as man and horse were dragged to the ground.

Sarah, the Damsel of the Lady, threw forth mystical spears impaling her undying spirit comrades, hoping to prevent them locking her own people in needless battle but it wasn’t enough. They needed something more and she let go her tension, lolling her head back. In the midst of battle she allowed herself to stand completely defenceless as she called upon her blessed protector for help.

The call was answered.

The Golden Knight materialised in the woods near to the vampire Rebecca’s skeleton bodyguard, his mighty charger rearing, preparing to charge. Rebecca had been manoeuvring to support her troops but she saw the Golden Knight and realised she had only one recourse. She cried for her skeletons to run with her and she charged at him before he could set his horse to gallop.

This was the critical moment on which the entire battle pivoted. If Rebecca fell, her army would fall with her. The Golden Knight called out a challenge but Rachel sneered. Her skeleton champion declined the challenge on her behalf, allowing his compatriots to continue charging past him. This left Rebecca and all the skeletons free to do their worst. And do it they did.

Rebecca was second only to Nagash in her ability to wield dark magic, but she was still a vampire countess, more powerful than any human, more powerful even than this ethereal knight. And she bore the Sylvanian Runefang, the sword lost to the von Drak family for dozens of generations. She plunged the Dwarf-forged blade deep into the Golden Knights chest and the press and thrust of her skeletons did the rest. The Golden Knight could not maintain his form. He was banished.

And all across the battlefield the knights were in disarray. As the winds of undeath that Rebecca conjured tore through them once again they realised the battle was lost and they withdrew.

The field was held by the Vampire Counts. The first stage in their diabolical plan to reassert their power in the east was complete. The Tempestrians had been rebuffed. The Undead Nation would soon once more be on the ascendency.

On the Painting Table: Ogre Butcher & Battle Standard Bearer

I take a pause half way through a game with my lovely wife to let you take a look at my new Ogre Butcher and Battle Standard Bearer conversions.

Both models are based on the basic Bull model and I'm reasonably pleased with how they look.

I wanted to experiment with a second Butcher but didn't want to pay the price for the actual model (I already have one) and I also wanted to see if I could do better. I do really like him.

Here's the Battle Standard Bearer:

Like my Dwarf one, his banner is made up of several different standard banners layered up to give a (hopefully) impressive look. I'm not entirely sure about his helmet but he did just save my Tyrant and the rest of his unit from fleeing off the board so he's doing something right!

On the Painting Table: The "Green" Knight

As my lovely wife has been up for playing quite a few games of Warhammer lately I thought I'd go out on a limb and buy her a miniature for Christmas. This was a bit daring of me but I thought I'd go for it. I decided hoping she'd paint it was a bit too optimistic so I went ahead and painted it up beforehnd and presented it to her on Christmas Day.

And here's the result!

It's the Bretonnian Green Knight but as she mentioned she didn't like the offical colours I painted it in golds. I don't know about you but I kind of like it. I did the shield silver with with a green ink wash to maintain the principle of the Green Man emblem (which Gill likes).

Special Character: Rachel d'Astatic

Rachel d’Astatic is many things: warrior, strategist, adventurer, ruler, prophetess, wife and sorceress. She is kind and demure, well-spoken and well-bred but she can also be bombastic and cunning, direct and commanding. She is the merchant queen of Tempest Falls, the most southern outpost of the Bretonnians, on the eastern border of the Border Princes and she is a Prophetess of the Lady, a powerful spell caster and a competent military general if the need should arise. And she is something more... something far darker than anybody suspects: two strands of corruption twining around her soul and threatening to engulf her.

In her early days, Rachel was like any other lady at court. She was the daughter of Duke Gerard d’Astatic but it was long years before there would be talk of queens and kingdoms. Her responsibilities were few and she expected nothing more than a sedate life of embroidery and gossip. She took a kind and gentle husband named Bernarde and gave him a son and perhaps her story would have ended there. But it was not to be.

With her brother, Jordan’s, betrayal and the murder of her family, Rachel tapped into the Chaos Vein, deep beneath the ground to curse her sibling and became forever changed. It wasn’t until years later that it developed fully but the connection she made then greatly enhanced her latent natural affinity to magic and also set her on a dangerous path that she has yet to conclude. Deep in her body, the Chaos Vein took root, beginning a powerful seduction that has yet to fruit.

When Tempest Falls was drawn into Ravenloft, the Demiplane of Dread, and Rachel met Spheric, she became, under his tutelage, a great warrior and adventurer, travelling the dark lands and battling against the dark lords. Wielding her father’s sword, Jubilant, Rachel was every part the equal in battle of the Knights of Tempest Falls.

On her father’s death, Rachel put aside battle and declared herself the queen of Tempest Falls. Her life became consumed by her responsibilities to her people and her kingdom and she was a great and fair ruler. It was now that she started to develop her powers as a sorceress but unlike the other Devoted of the Lady she was not chosen by the Fay Enchantress, nor did she spend time in Otherworld being schooled on the correct way to use her incredible new powers. When her ability exceeded that of her peers it became obvious that she was something different... something new. And within her, the Chaos Vein continued to stretch out its roots.

Following the betrayal of Methuselah, Rachel was grievously wounded and it was left to Spheric to save her; but what he did to do so is unknown. Suffice to say, it cured her where magic and science had hitherto been unable to and it turned her into something not quite human.

The kingdom of Tempest Falls was returned to the Border Princes and all reality rewritten until now Rachel believes herself to be the devoted wife of Methuselah. But she is still every bit the warrior; every bit the sorceress. She is powerful and wise and determined to drive all evil from her land.  

There are few magic users as powerful as she and she continues to be able to tap into more and more power should her need be great. But always there is risk. The greater the power Rachel wields, the tighter the Chaos Vein winds around her soul, and soon the lure and gifts of Chaos may prove to be her undoing...

	M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld
Rachel d’Astatic	4	5	4	3	4	4	4	2	9
Warhorse	8	3	0	3	3	1	3	1	5

Points: 275

DARK MAGIC

Rachel d’Astatic is a Level 4 Wizard who can use spells from the Lore of Beasts, Life or Heavens lists or from the Daemon Lore of Tzeentch. She may gain access to other lores of magic as her level of Taint increases during the campaign (see below).

SPECIAL RULES

Unkillable: Due to the mysterious process enacted on her by Spheric, Rachel is, like him, extremely tough and almost impossible to kill though can be temporarily defeated. During campaign play, Rachel cannot be permanently killed and suffers no long-term debilitating effects from injuries. She can still potentially be captured. Her preternatural toughness grants her a 5+ Ward Save. She gains no further benefit from the Blessing of the Lady.

Taint: The Chaos Vein within her offers Rachel great power that comes with a terrible price. Once per game, when she perceives her need is greatest, Rachel may choose to cast any spell she chooses from a daemonic lore she currently has access to. When casting this spell she has +1d6 power dice that must be used on the spell (in addition to any she chooses to spend from the Power Pool). If more than one six is rolled the spell is cast with irresistible force but instead of rolling on the miscast table, Rachel gains one point of Taint. Keep track of this as the campaign progresses and apply the permanent effects on Rachel’s abilities shown below as the darkness continues to take root. Changes take place as each of the milestones is reached.

Taint	Effect
2	+1 Strength
4	Gains access to the Daemon Lore of Slaanesh
6	+1 Toughness
8	Gains access to the Daemon Lore of Nurgle
10	+1 Attack
12	+1 Initiative
14	Becomes classified as Daemonic, giving her a 5+ Ward Save, magical attacks and making her Immune to Psychology
16	Gains 4+ Armour Save
18	+2 to all casting rolls
20	+2 Movement. May no longer ride a horse
22	+1 Initiative
24	+2 Movement
26	+1 Attack. May no longer use her magical sword
28	+1 Strength
30	+1 Attack
32	Becomes classified as a Daemon Princess, gaining wings and the Fly special rule
34	Gains Regeneration (4+)

MAGIC ITEMS

Jubilant (Magic Weapon)

This magical sword slices through armour as though it wasn’t even there. No Armour Saves may be taken against Rachel when she uses this weapon.

Tactical Review: Crossing at Still Water

TIM:

I may have won, but looking back over the game, I ask myself what I would have done differently…

An objective-based game that doesn’t require me to exterminate my opponent’s men is always tricky as it’s just so tempting to kill! I managed to resist most of that this time, using my existing and newly conjured zombie units to hold the centre while I slipped through. Because the Skaven (masterfully controlled by Mike) were so fast at redeploying I was never going to be able to win that battle in the centre of the field – they were only there to hold up the Skaven horde – but I did make one crucial mistake…

I had a huge 50-strong unit of zombies right in the middle. I did two things wrong with this. Firstly I tried for a lucky charge and failed which left my unit flank exposed to the entire Skaven army. That led to their rather rapid death. If I’d reformed to point at the oncoming ratmen I’d have had 30 attacks each turn and might have done some real damage. As it was I got a good whupping.

Secondly I wonder how big a difference it would have made if I hadn’t entered the water with them. Standing in a river means that rank bonuses are lost. It would have been nice to hold onto that. Having said that, the Skaven lost their bonus too which had the greater effect of limiting their leadership, so maybe staying in the water was for the best. Also, being in the river created a much bigger roadblock for the Skaven so perhaps that was best after all.

With home-grown scenarios the victory conditions can be a bit woolly. I should have formalised them a bit more in retrospect. My goal was to cross the river. His was to stop me. Mike and I decided I had won but it was a bit vague how many units I needed to get across the river to win. Would one have done it? Did all of them have to cross? Next time I’ll be more specific.

MIKE:

We took to the field with a new scenario to me, protect the river bank and stop the advancing undead horde. 

Tim and I had decided that I would deploy first and then the undead would advance onto the board in the first turn.  FIRST MISTAKE, Instead of spreading my army out I’d concentrated on one side leaving the other completely exposed, Tim immediately noticed this and deployed accordingly.  SECOND MISTAKE was rolling two misfires for my weapons teams KABOOM and they are both dead, although I had my Wind Mortar left they ended up doing more damage to my own army!

My only option was to cross the river with the majority of my army then march along the river’s edge before hopefully crossing the river again to put me in a position to charge.  Not being able to march through the river left me too far from the action and although my beloved Plague Censer Bearers managed to get into combat they were overwhelmed and were duly slaughtered.

Although I lost it was a thoroughly enjoyable game.

Tim and I both agreed the following day that the battle was excellent fun although with the outstanding and towering marketplace on board perhaps the Skaven army shouldn’t have been fully deployed.  If we play this scenario again I would definitely protect the whole river or at least centre the army so that I can quickly move out to either the left or right without having to travel the length of the board!  My magic users were pretty redundant all game, being so far away from the action Warp Lightning was never an option, and their muskets were certainly not worth the points cost. 

Crossing at Still Water

Vampire Counts (Tim) vs Skaven (Mike)

The townsfolk of Still Water were subdued, eyeing the horizon cautiously and looking up leaded windows in the high tower of the market hall for some sign that the spotter had seen enemies approach. This had gone on for days. They new danger was approaching – they could feel it – but when it was going to arrive they had no clue.

Then the call went out from the southern spotter. The Skaven were coming: a gigantic chittering horde of them. The townspeople gathered up the children. They fled for their secret hideouts. Then the call went out from the northern spotter. It was worse than they’d imagined. The zombies were coming: a vast shambling army of unliving dead-eyed corpses. They were caught between the hordes and there was nothing they could do but hide and wait.

The Skaven reached the village first. The forces of the vampire counts had one objective: to break through to Fortress malefic and take back their stronghold. Still Water was their best crossing point and it was the best chance the Skaven had to stop their advance. Hoping to force the undead legion to have to fight in the river the Skaven deployed as close to the water’s edge as they could, their forces covering all the ground from the watchtower on the village boundary right up to the village itself.

Within their hidden cover holes the village folk watched fearfully. The zombies were coming closer. Parents held sweating hands over their children’s mouths. Any sound at this point would expose them all. The Skaven had to believe the outpost was deserted. And then there was no more need for quiet. The undead arrived!

It was immediately clear that the Skaven had made an error in judgment. Their forces were too focused on the western end of town. There was a gap in their blockade near to the graveyard and the undead exploited it. Utilising preternatural cunning, Spheric, the vampire general, the ordered his largest unit of zombies to take a holding position in the centre of the village at the river crossing while the rest of his forces crashed into the water and scrambled through the shallows. He and his vampires summoned more zombies from the recent dead and through them into battle against the ratmen, holding them in place to give his shambling forces time to cross.

The Skaven were far faster than he anticipated however. They rapidly redeployed, crossing the river and racing into position, and charging up the lane into town hoping to cut the undead off. Clanrats led by Frostclaw, the Skaven general, ripped into the zombies that had been placed to prevent their overrunning attack, outflanking them and cutting them down rapidly.

But Spheric had all but banked on this. There was no end to the dead, no running out of zombie soldiers. There were there only to die. It mattered not at all how many were killed. What seemed like an overwhelming Skaven counterattack was just too little and too late. While the ratmen wasted their time on the zombies and struggled to circle round in time, the bulk of the undead army got across the river and shambled onward.

The Skaven blockade had failed. The undead were through. And there was only one thing on their minds: they were going to take back Fortress Malefic and then they would devour the corpses of every rat that they found there!

Pawing their way back across the fields towards the fortress, desperate to protect their prize, the Skaven left the village of Still Water empty. Allowing more time than was necessary to be sure, the villagers waited and then slowly emerged, looking after both withdrawing armies.

They had survived and their village had survived with them but how long would it be before their enemies returned?

As for the victory of the Vampire Counts. It was a victory also to them. The Skaven were far more dangerous to their existence. They hoped as the vampires did that the undead would take Fortress Malefic and drive the rat men out.

Only time now would tell if this would come to pass.

Still Water

In the far south east of the Border Princes, perilously close to Fortress Malefic, lies the sleepy little town of Still Water. It is only a small cluster of buildings centred round a market hall but it is an old settlement and one that the villagers have long been proud of.

Still Water lies on the bank of Blood River and is named for the way the river slows there, the plain almost perfectly flat around it. The village is the last human settlement in the southeast before the Badlands are reached and the lane that leads to it is a dead end. Following the lane west along the riverbank it meanders alongside the water toward the other scattered villages in the south and west. Travel to the north is greatly impeded by Blood River and no bridges wide enough for troop movement can be found until the south road is reached far far to the west. There is no ford at Still Water and this would normally mean that the town would hold little strategic value, being only small and fairly poor. Sadly this is not the case.

As the river runs so slowly here, although it is deep in parts, Still Water is still the best crossing point east of the Blood River Bogs. With Fortress Malefic to its south and beyond that the Badlands and the Land of the Dead, Still Water has had to weather a bitter and difficult time as the forces of the vampire counts have used it as a crossing point again and again.

Still Water’s most significant landmark is its majestic market hall. This huge building follows a design fairly common in the Border Princes but here in Still Water perhaps more use is made of it than elsewhere. For much of the year the market hall is used for storage of produce, the lower open floor utilised as a place of sale and bartering to the southern villages. Sales here are made of cattle and grain and of vegetables, fruit and milk. On festival days, the upper hall is used for celebrations, hosting dances that run on into the small hours and attract hunters and shepherds from many leagues around. For the rest of the year it is a focus of the community, providing a meeting place for the village council and general village hall for other purposes. It can be made to be very warm in winter and the roof shutters keep it cool in the summer. Its high tower gives a good view across the plain and enables the spotter always stationed there to alert the village folk of impending threats.

The Last Chance War has not been kind to the villagers of Still Water but paradoxically has allowed them to continue something of a sparse existence due to the nature of their closest neighbours. When the cry of the spotter alerts the villagers of approaching enemies, the folk flee from their houses and hide themselves in shallow underground chambers near to the graveyard covered in foliage. Enemies are not fought off but are avoided and given free reign to move through and past the river. In this way the villagers have stayed alive. Because their town lies so close to the heart of the realm controlled for so many months by the vampire counts, they have actually been able to avoid most threats. The zombies and skeletons have no need of looting their provisions after all.

Now however, the Skaven have taken up residence in Fortress Malefic, vicious scavengers all, and suddenly the existence of Still Water and its citizens is very much under threat. Survival in these times is a privilege, not a right, and the villagers look fearfully both north and south, wondering from which direction their doom will come. The vampires and the ratmen are soon to clash, the undead racing south to reclaim their fortress, the Skaven pushing north to see them off. With Still Water in such a critical position, it is more than likely to be the site of their inevitable clash. And woe betide the villagers then!

Tactica: How Many Wizards???

One of the most challenging decisions to make in the new Warhammer rules is how many wizards to take and what magic levels should they be.

In the old rules, extra wizards meant extra power dice – it was a case of the more the merrier and I personally loved to rack up the magic in some armies to really overwhelm my opponent.

This has all changed in the new rules. Now, with only 2d6 power dice (and a very small chance per wizard of generating more), having too many magic users means you run out of dice fast!

But there are other factors:

• Failing to cast a spell means that the wizard in question can cast no more spells that turn. This could lead to wasted power dice and wasted opportunities.
• Losing a wizard as a casualty can mean that the same problem occurs.
• Miscasts can cause similar problems.

Some redundancy seems to be in order – having more than one wizard to cast spells if the first suddenly can’t do it.

But consider that a wizard adds his power level to his casting roll. A 4^th level wizard does seem to kick ass in the game and also has a wider range of spells to choose from.

In the last game I played I had a 4^th level and two 2^nd level wizards. This was too many. There weren’t enough power dice to go around at all!

Meanwhile I’ve played many a game where with a 4^th level and a 2^nd level wizard. In these the 4^th level wizard tends to do it all while the 2^nd level doesn’t do much… unless the 4^th level wizard messes up and can’t cast anymore.

Having said that, until I do some more playtesting, that is what I’m going to recommend: One high level wizard to do most of the work and a back up low level one to pick up the slack where needed.

The exact level of these wizards would depend on available points, either 4^th and 2^nd level or 3^rd and 1^st.

Let me know what you think!

Rematch!

Empire (Tim) vs Skaven (Mike)

Desperate to break through the lands of New Sylvania to bolster the defence of Spike Hole, their capital city, the Skaven had already smashed through the strike force sent out to destroy them from the fortress city of Malko. But their victory had left them spent and unable to seize the initiative. The loathsome rat men were not quick enough to carry their momentum forward. Before they could move their forces closer to home the New Sylvanians brought in reinforcements for another attack. There was no way the Skaven were going to have free reign to travel through their land!

The terrain was almost identical to their last battlefield; the armies were also close to the same, but now more reinforcements had been funnelled in. Closer to the city, a larger body of infantry was available and Greatswords and Swordsmen joined the Empire battle line. However the Skaven had a larger body of troops as well; their own forces concentrating into a wedge to force their way through.

The New Sylvanians deployed as far away as they could, forming a gunline, but as before,  Skaven gutter runners closed in from an unexpected angle, throwing their left flank into disarray. The knights galloped forwards once again but instead of pounding through the Skaven lines as they had previously done they found themselves caught, the force of their charge blunted. More Skaven leapt into the fray, dragging the armoured men from their horses and in minutes the best hope of the men of New Sylvania was gone. And the battle was only just starting!

Three powerful wizards raised their hands to conjure magics but the winds of magic betrayed them. There simply wasn’t power enough in the air for them all to send out bolts of force! They floundered, unable to mount any credible defence.

Then the Skaven reached the Empire lines and all was lost if it hadn’t been before. Once again, foul grasping claws and knowing teeth raked into man-flesh. The men of New Sylvania were sent fleeing from the battlefield or else were exterminated piecemeal. They offered only limited and desperate defence before they were completely swept away.

Ultimately only a single sorceress remained, the bulk of the Skaven army bearing down on her. It was hopeless but she started to summon her eldritch magics, knowing she was doomed, using her will to send a message back to Malko to warn them that the ratmen were coming.

The rematch was over and once again, the diabolical Skaven had proven themselves the superior of their human adversaries.

Surely the men of New Sylvania were now doomed!

On the Painting Table: Skaven Rat Ogres, Clanrats & Weapon Teams

As part of the lead-up to Christmas I naughtily purchased the Skaven from the Island of Blood boxed set from my good friend Rob. A flurry of activity later and I'm completely rennovating my Skaven army!

I've painted a second Warlock Engineer (to expand on my low level magic) and two weapon teams.

In the past I've been very restricted by the number of men available to me and as such, my horde army has been a bit thin on the ground. Well no more! This little unit is my old unit of Clanrats with spears now doubled in size with the addition of half the rats from Island of Blood.

If that isn’t enough I’ve doubled the size of my Rat Ogre unit.

And there’s more to come. At present I’m working on twenty more Plague Monks. I’m going to buy a Plague Furnace thingy and have it pushed by forty Plague Monks! Just imagine the horror of that many unbreakable little zealots! Watch this space!