To Blog or Not to Blog

I found myself pondering the lifecycle of a blog today.

This comes in the wake of the news that Coop Devil, erstwhile proprietor of the 80s northern culture* blog FightingFantasist - a name you will no doubt be familiar with - deciding to throw in the towel. Its not that I've suddenly discovered this fact - I noted the posting on the 19th when it happened. 

But as I've been struggling to get around to blogging - and things only seem to be getting harder and harder - I confess that throwing in the towel has seemed like a tempting option. 

Lets put that aside for now - first things first. 

Warhammer For Adults started as a direct result of two events, one spawning from the other. The first event was my reading this post on FightingFantasist. Coop showed me that someone could actually walk away from Games Workshop. Sounds weird now that I think about it, but it was almost as if someone had to show me physically how such a thing was done, because I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. His courageous(?) move galvanised me into action that night, leading to the second event. I declared open rebellion against 8th edition and returned to my little safe inner happy child - a child now equipped with google. That enabled me to find Thantsant's remarkable Impasse at Ortar Pass - the first 3rd edition battle report I had seen ever. 

It must have been about a week later that Warhammer For Adults crawled out of the tarpit. 

So, Coop Devil, we here at Warhammer For Adults salute you and bid you fond farewell. 

Now of course, its not like he's dead or anything. You will be able to meet Coop at the upcoming Bring Out Your Lead 2013! event occurring later this year, where he's kindly offered to run a game of Rogue Trader. Its just that he's elected to vacate the internet.

As to my own thoughts regarding throwing in the towel, at this stage, I'm still happy to coast along for now. I think something has changed in that the original purpose of the blog was to evangelise 3rd edition, help me find players and allow my to vent my wrath about the considerable betrayal of trust that I think 8th edition is. 

As it stands, there is a whole oldhammer movement that has been gaining ground at an astonishing rate, suggesting that the business of trying to convince people to play older editions (or - at least - current editions like adults) is happening all over the place. Evangelism doesn't seem to be as necessary as it was two years ago. 

With regards to finding players, well, that's going alrightish**. Right on my doorstep is Andre, player and writer for this blog. Heading slightly further afield, we have Justin and Goblin Lee (who, as good fortune smiles upon us, know each other well). We're not going to fill a football stadium, but to have three other players within a reasonable distance suggests to me that I'm luckier than most. And lets not forget Bring Out Your Lead 2013!

Which leaves 8th edition. I guess I'm just over that now. It still saddens me to think that GW are not who they used to be, but that has just led me back to a better era of gaming. I still have half a mind to rant about the ever increasing scale of GW figures - not long now before you could play 40k with Power Ranger action figures, really.

So with the original purpose of the blog supposedly covered and a declaration that retirement is not yet an option, a question is begged***:

What now?

Well, I still like talking to you, you know. Yes - you, patient reader. There is something cathartic and visceral about flinging my unprocessed half-thoughts across the internet for others to find. That you find them is nice, but it is also the act of flinging them that brings joy, and often, peace. 

From what I understand, many people, when met with the question 'what now?' will chose to make a list. That seems like a good idea now and so I shall. But, just before that, it feels right to close off some odds and ends:

It might be that you read this blog more than once. Of that small subset of readers, perhaps it comes to pass that you elect to write a comment. If you have fallen into this unfathomably small collection of people, then it might be that you would reasonably have expected some sort of response from me. You know, because it's the done thing. 

So to you I say - sorry. Unreservedly. I should respond to comments more. 

Again, if you are part of that tragic subset of readers that return on a regular basis, it might be that you return because you are tracking our latest**** battle report, The Bridge Over the River Chai. You would have been doing so since October 2012, when the thing started. We are now halfway through May and the thing is not complete. 

So to you I say - sorry. Unreservedly. I should finish what I start. I am a parent now, so I will not make any commitments, but I will labour**** certainly a lot harder than usual to bring this saga to a close. One more turn and an Epilogue to go. 

Also, you might have noticed the visual feast of a table upon which The Bridge Over the River Chai has been played on. A thing which has unforgivably gone unmentioned on this blog is the Indiegogo campaign being run by Dreamfish. That campaign is to raise funds to produce the stunningly flexible and capable table framework upon which that battle has occurred. As of the time of writing, there is still time for you to capitalise on this opportunity and buy a table. 

I've not bought a table. Also, I will not be able to buy a table*****. Life after Lichemaster can be described as 'broke'.

Don't allow yourself to be like me. You can be the envy of all of your friends with your super dynamic wargaming table, which is flexible enough to allow doughnut configurations, or 'L' shaped configurations. You never know when you'll need an 'L' shaped configuration. Be prepared - get one now. 

Now, back to that list I mentioned. What Now?

• I will complete Bridge Over the River Chai
• In a fit of madness that can only be explained in another post, I purchased some old Battlemasters Halberdiers. I am painting them. Instead of the Lichemaster. Explanation coming, honest!
• I will complete the planned goblin force and post on its progress.
• I am planning a battle report. Nothing like the three that have gone before, but something much simpler and easier to produce. I have to be realistic about time and I don't think I could spend another seven months writing a battle report. 
• Andre and I sort of started a narrative campaign, but we've had a chat about that and we will look to reset and restart that in a much easier to consume manner. 
• I guess I'd better get started with The Terror of the Lichemaster. 
• At this stage I have absolutely no idea what army or figures or warband or whatever is going to make it to Bring Out Your Lead 2013! yet. Literally no idea. Of course, I must capitalise on what I have painted, but its just all over the place at the moment. I'll tack it onto the list. 

Looking at the list, it seems to suggest that there are plenty of bullets in the gun. 

The blog goes on. 

*Might be bigging that up a bit. For actual culture, check out his other blog: http://fuckyeahbritisholdschoolgaming.tumblr.com/

**Not an actual word. 

***Okay, its just wholesale slaughter of the English language now...

****Let's apply this term loosely, shall we?

*****Sorry, Dreamfish!

Battle Report: The Bridge Over the River Chai - Turn 9

Turn 9

We grind on. Things are much more... focused now. We know there are other orcs and dwarves and elves and whatnot. But we cast our casual gaze to the middle of the field, where, as fate would have it, all the stars of the show have conglomerated within 12" of each other.

Is that the subtle giggle of destiny I hear?

The turn starts like this

Movement Phase

The Steelaxes, having been stung by the goblins earlier in the fight, prepare themselves for vengeance and charge Rogaine and his remaining boar boys. Wineghum, not normally one to launch into combat, succumbs to his firm hatred of dwarves and their like, and goads his giant spider into a clumsy flank charge. Fortunately for the dwarves, they pass their panic test. 

Actions

Airbornegrove:

S

Charged @ RGH, Changed formation to 4 files, moved forward 5"

A2C

Routed forward 6"

Thantsants:

RGH

Holds, unformed

W

Charged @ S, moved 1"

GF

Routed forward 7"

RLR

Routed forward 8"

K3C

Routed forward 7"

WoP

Routed off the table

Combat Phase

So it seems that there was some confusion just before the combat started. Too late did Dreamfish realise that the Firehammers, being +4 shock elites, actually have two attacks. I see your raised eyebrow. You clearly have an appreciation for the fact that bigger numbers are better than smaller numbers, but because of the lateness of this post, you're not entirely sure what the impact of this is on the game right now. Am I right?

Of course I'm right. No worries, I'll explain. 

In turn 8, the dwarves were actually pushed back by the dark elves. Dreamfish looked at this situation and realised that the dwarves would most likely have pushed the dark elves around, not the other way. This was also evidenced in the first round of combat - the dark elves managed to draw the combat. Now one can't go around battlefields crying over spilt milk - that sort of thing is just not done. But, compensation was required, so Dreamfish processed an extra set of attacks for the dwarves, which meant they were just able to overcome the dark elves, causing them to be pushed back (and followed up by the dwarves).

Dreamfish then granted Morgrim the right to step out of that follow up, so that he could remain in the epic challenge with Master B'tor, which, frankly is the thing we're really interested in. This is the sort of thing games-masters can do - they can change rules for the good of the game. You really should look into getting one. 

So, the final state of affairs for the dark elves was that they were pushed back by the dwarves, leading to them being completely annihilated as they fled whilst their two leaders continued to express their feelings for each other through the medium of swordplay.

Not far from these two, Rogaine and his lads meet the charge from the Steelaxes. Ensconced within that fine body of dwarves is the young Borri Forkbeard, who issues a challenge to Rogaine. 

Rogaine, as you may have noticed from earlier turns, struggles with anger management issues. He happily accepts the challenge before cleaving Borri in two with his wicked blade. The other dwarves and orcs acquit themselves suitably, but in the end, the remaining boar riders are all slain. Despite this, dwarves are also killed, leading to Rogaine and Wineghum getting a free hack when the dwarves rout. Unfortunately (if you're supporting the dwarves, otherwise please use the term 'fortunately'), that is enough to 'retire' the Steelaxes from active duty. 

Actions

S vs RGH, W

Round 1

Modifiers

S

charged

RGH

none

W

charged

Attacks

A1 I5

Borri Forkbeard <- Rogaine

A2 I4

Borri Forkbeard <- Rogaine

A1 I3

Borri Forkbeard -> Rogaine

A3 I3

Borri Forkbeard <- Rogaine

A2 I2

Borri Forkbeard -> Rogaine

A4 I2

Borri Forkbeard <- Rogaine

A3 I1

Borri Forkbeard -> Rogaine

A1 I3

Dwarf4 <- Orc1

A1 I3

Dwarf4 <- Orc1's mount

A1 I3

Dwarf3 <- Orc2

A1 I3

Dwarf3 <- Orc2's mount

A1 I3

Dwarf4 <- W (1W)

A1 I1

Dwarf3 -> Orc2 (1W)

A1 I1

Dwarf5 <- Spider

A1 I1

Dwarf5 -> W

A2 I1

Dwarf5 <- Spider

Results

S

+1 (charged) +1 (wounds) = 2

RGH, W

+1 (charged) +1 (wounds) = 2

Round 2

Modifiers

S

none

RGH

none

W

none

Attacks

A1 I5

Borri Forkbeard <- Rogaine (2W)

A1 I3

Dwarf3 <- W

A1 I2

Dwarf2 (mus) <- Orc1

A1 I2

Dwarf2 (mus) <- Orc1's mount

A1 I1

Dwarf2 (mus) -> Orc1 (1W)

A1 I1

Dwarf3 -> Orc1

A1 I1

Dwarf4 -> W

A1 I1

Dwarf4 <- Spider

A2 I1

Dwarf4 <- Spider (1W)

Results

S

+1 (wounds) = 1

RGH, W

+3 (wounds) = 3

Free Hack 1

A1 I5

Dwarf2 (mus) <- Rogaine (1W)

A1 I1

Dwarf3 <- W

A1 I1

Dwarf3 <- Spider (1W)

MB, SQC vs F

Round 1

Modifiers

MB

follow-up

SQC

follow-up

F

none

Attacks

A1 I9

Parried

A2 I8

MB -> MI

A3 I7

MB -> MI

A4 I6

MB -> MI

A1 I6

DE2 (std) -> Dwarf9

A1 I6

DE3 -> Dwarf8

A1 I6

DE4 -> Dwarf4 (1W)

A1 I6

DE9 -> Dwarf9

A1 I6

DE10 -> Dwarf7

A1 I6

DE11 -> Dwarf3 (std)

A1 I4

MB <- MI

A2 I3

MB <- MI (1W)

A3 I2

MB <- MI

A1 I2

DE11 <- Dwarf3 (std) (1W)

A1 I2

DE10 <- Dwarf6 (1W)

A1 I2

DE3 <- Dwarf8 (1W)

A1 I2

DE2 (std) <- Dwarf9

A1 I1

MB's mount -> Dwarf3 (std)

A4 I1

MB <- MI

A2 I1

MB's mount -> Dwarf3 (std)

Results

MB, SQC

+1 (standard) +1 (follow-up) +1 (wounds) = 3

F

+1 (standard) +4 (wounds) = 5

Round 2

Modifiers

SQC

none

F

follow-up

Attacks

A1 I6

DE1 -> Dwarf4

A1 I6

DE2 -> Dwarf3

A1 I6

DE3 -> Dwarf2 (std)

A1 I6

DE4 -> Dwarf1

A1 I2

DE4 <- Dwarf1

A1 I2

DE3 <- Dwarf2 (std) (1W)

A1 I2

DE2 (std) <- Dwarf3

A1 I2

DE1 <- Dwarf4

A1 I1

DE4 <- Dwarf1 (1W)

A1 I1

DE3 <- Dwarf2 (std)

A1 I1

DE2 (std) <- Dwarf3

A1 I1

DE1 <- Dwarf4

Results

SQC

+1 (standard) = 1

F

+1 (standard) +1 (follow-up) +2 (wounds) = 4

Free Hack 1

A1 I2

DE4 <- Dwarf1 (1W)

A1 I2

DE3 <- Dwarf2 (std) (1W)

A1 I2

DE2 (std) <- Dwarf3 (1W)

A1 I2

DE1 <- Dwarf4 (1W)

Free Hack 2

A1 I2

DE1 <- Dwarf5 (1W)

A1 I2

DE2 <- Dwarf6 (1W)

MB vs MI

Round 2

Modifiers

MB

none

MI

follow-up

Attacks

A1 I9

MB -> MI

A2 I8

MB -> MI

A3 I7

MB -> MI

A4 I6

MB -> MI

A1 I4

MB <- MI

A2 I3

MB <- MI

A3 I2

MB <- MI

A4 I1

MB <- MI

A1 I1

MB's mount -> MI

A2 I1

MB's mount -> MI

Results

MB

0

MI

+1 (follow-up) = 1

***

Morgrim nodded to his captain as they exchanged glances.

"You go after them, I'll deal with him," he shouted, pointing at the dark elf general.

Both he and the elf had become separated from their units during the encounter. The elf closed in again, seemingly indifferent to the cries of his elves being cut down as they fled from the Firehammers. Morgrim trusted his dwarves not to interfere in their fight now - it was a personal challenge.

Sparks flew as the elf's blade clattered off his own. Parry. Parry. Mind the lizard. Swing. Sneaky thrust? Ah, no luck there. Parry again.

The elf was proving hard to pin down. The lizard held most of Morgrim's attention - he kept letting the creature bite his armour in order to get an opportunity at the elf, but he just couldn't turn those opportunities into successful blows.

***

Master B'tor was having as much trouble trying to hit the dwarf. His raging lizard was barely under control now. Every time an opportunity to strike presented itself, the blasted creature was in the way, ineffectually savaging at the dwarf like an excited dog with a bone. But there was nothing for it - he couldn't dismount now and besides - he didn't have the time. The damned dwarves had routed his crew and would no doubt be closing in on him. He needed to kill this dwarf and he needed to do it quickly.

"Out the way, retard!" he barked, thumping the neck of his mount with the pommel of his sword.

***

Rallying Phase

The Arrowheads, finding themselves cold, wet and hungry, but ultimately safe on the south of the river, relax and rally.

Actions

Airbornegrove:

A2C

Rallied

***

Rogaine looked down at his challenger. A wounded boar thrashed and squealed, its lifeless rider  jerking like a broken marionette against the other dead.

The dwarf was still breathing, but Rogaine could see there was no pain. This was a curious dwarf - his beard had been dyed blue. In this case, the dwarf had not been a worthy adversary, so he warranted no eye contact or special treatment.

He can die by himself.

Surveying the battlefield, the orc general could see the battle was all but over. The dwarves still held a nominal line along the south bank of the river, but they were too far away to be of consequence now. They didn't appear to be mobilising, which suggested they also realised the show was over.

Rogaine tugged on the rein, bringing the boar to face the two last combatants. A bloody dwarf versus a bloody elf. Although, technically, he was working for the elf, he had not been impressed with the performance of the elven force.

If your boys don't perform, its your fault, not theirs. 

And they hadn't performed. He watched as the dwarf commander's bodyguard formed up again, having confirmed that all the elves they had overrun were dead.

Of course, he'd have to accept that his boys hadn't performed well either, but he had plans to remedy that. Because that would be my fault. Any of the orcs that hadn't been killed were in line for a serious arse kicking that night. So many orcs had run away that he wasn't sure if he was at a battle or a marathon.

The groan of an orc came to his ears. He looked around and saw one of his boar boys struggling to get up. A quick lash of his cruel scimitar separated the orcs head from his body.

"That's for running away earlier. Don't do it again."

Looking back at the lone combatants, Rogaine made a decision.

What the hell. I'll just kill both of them.

***

A place that my armies can call home.......

A place that my armies can call home.......

I have spent some time building new armies and planning future projects but then I had a thought....just the one thought though, life is too complicated to have too many!  What about the big picture.  Where do my little men (and women) fit in the world?  Gaj and I have started to play/plan a loose narrative campaign and I really enjoy the story telling element, especially that the actions taken now can have repercussions later on.  So our campaign will start to define a small part of the Border Princes but what about the surrounding land.  In particular “The Empire” up north.

Now what does this empire look like in my mind.  Let me invite you into my head and you can see for yourself.  No don’t go there!  That is for my eyes only.  Anyway here it is “The Empire” in its glory, a large powerful but politically and religiously divided state.  Having played WFRP 1^st edition in my youth my vision is based on this.  I will set my games at the conclusion of the “Empire in Flames” scenario which finished the “Enemy Within” campaign.  Here is a quick rundown of what has happened based on my memory.  If you are actually playing this role-play campaign, look away now.

At the end of “Empire in Flames” a great many things have happened.  Emperor Karl Franz (who was a blithering weak idiot) is dead.  His heir (who was revealed to be a chaos mutant) is dead.  Boris Todbringer is dead and his illegitimate son Henry Todbringer is the new emperor (and also revealed to be a direct blood relative of Sigmar).  There are many opportunities for the player’s characters, for example if you have a competent wizard they could become the new head of Imperial College of Magic in Middenheim.  Basically at the end all is well....or is it? I can see a different and more interesting future. 

Let us look at the new emperor.  His position has to be a worry for some of the other Elector Counts who prefer a weak and ineffective emperor.  Basically a man who is unlikely to meddle in their internal affairs.  Henry Todbringer (Emperor and the new Prince of Altdorf) is a strong charismatic man whose own sister is now the ruler of Middenheim, and he has married the Countess Emanuelle (I think that was her name...) of Nuln.  The Countess of Nuln also holds power over Wissenland. This makes him very powerful indeed.  I would have thought that this would challenge the ‘old order’ a fair bit.  I think there is scope for some Byzantine politics here.   Then what about the wounds, both physical and psychological, that have resulted from recent the civil war (yes that happened to) and the religious persecution of Sigmarites and Ulricans by each other.  Would this just be forgotten, I don’t think so.  And what about the cult of the “Purple Hand” who had such a large part to play in the recent events....would they just give up?  There are a lot of questions to be answered here.

I want my Empire to be based on this.....in chaos with conflicts and assassinations a plenty.  Thus wide open for unrestricted narrative campaigning.  

What do you think?  Do you have a version of Warhammer that you set your projects in or do you not bother with such things?

 

Regards

 

Andre

The Ace of Spades

Welcome home, Mr Kemler.

We've been expecting you.

Goblins are green. And sometimes trolls are too...

A little while ago I mentioned that I had descended into madness, because my obsession to paint goblins had interrupted my well formed plans for the undead and now my high elves.

I've made some progress. Now some might look at this progress, look at the date of this post and the date of the starting point, and then challenge my use of the term obsession. About as obsessed a drug dealer with his tax return, you might suggest. Or as obsessed as an eight year old with a spinach smoothie.

Okay.

You got me there.

But still. They're painted miniatures. Unfortunately, I was unable to stage my existing goblin force with these ones, but that'll come someday. Perhaps when I've finished some more goblins.

Just look at the pictures already:

Regards
Gaj

Fuck. Me. Sideways.

It's not often you'll see me employ heavy duty expletives around here, especially in the title of the post. I try only swear for emphasis. Know, then, that what you are about to see will be difficult to absorb. I suggest you sit down.

So I've been pottering about with this 3rd edition warhammer malarkey for around two years now.

I started late, so I've had the misfortune of watching the The Great OOP eBay Inflation erode the collectors ability to, well, collect.

Even so, I've been quite pleased with the things I've collected so far. Given the financial, spacial and marital constraints under which I must work, having four OOP oldhammer armies (mostly unpainted, but you already knew that so don't ask!) which all feel as if they have enough figures to be playable armies.

Perhaps your story is similar? Perhaps you're thinking - given the age, rarity and cost of these things, actually, I'm a credible member of that bizarre 80's Citadel Only sub-culture that exists within Oldhammer.

Yeah. that's what I was thought too.

I've come across other sites where the collections are impressive. I know that there are some prolific collectors out there, but so far I've never had any real there's-no-point-in-continuing-because-I'll-never-match-that moments.

Until now.

Go! Go and see. I'll wait for you. Absorb the whole blog. It'll take you 10 minutes. I can wait.

Back?

Need a hug? Cleaned up your ejaculant?

There, there. You can still be a collecter, even if you have one OOP figure. It's not the size of the collection that counts.

But, if you want to be a collector, just know that, unless you commit murder*, your chances of owning 600 painted OOP 80s goblins are basically nil**. Owning that AND a fully-armed-and-operational painted Slann army? That is nil.

When I think of my own paltry goblin related efforts, progress of which I was planning to stage tomorrow, my mind is torn clean in half by the enormity of the fact that even when complete, they will only represent 10% of what I have just seen.

I'm going to go and sit in a corner, hold my knees and rock gently for a while. There will be incoherent mumbling.


*Not an advocate of this, by the way. Murder is a big no-no nowadays.

**And having just said that, I suppose a veritable legion of wealthy-beyond-my-wildest-dreams collectors shall come forth to prove me wrong and further shred my already tortured mind with their division strength collections...

Battle Report: The Bridge Over the River Chai - Turn 8

Turn 8

Wait.

What's this?

Turn 8?

Turn 8 indeed. Please stand by whilst those new to oldhammer finish convulsing after their aneurysms.

...and we're not done yet.

The eighth turn was short and brutal. Again: lots of running. Shortly, you will see a picture describing the moves. There are words on that picture. Six of them are "Flee!" Four of them are "Charge!"

Anyway, this is how the turn started:

The turn starts like this

Movement Phase

The Dark Elves, still under control of the GM at this stage, charge the newly revealed Firehammers as the Mystic Mist that had confounded them so last turn dissipates. 

The Ironaxes line Wineghum up for a charge, but their stumpy little legs fail them at the last moment! Failing their charge, the dwarves find themselves stranded between what might be described as a rock and a hard place, where rock=Rogaine and hard place=Wineghum. Both declare a charge! 

Now let it be said that the dwarves are renowned for being doughty, stoic and thoroughly reliable - when it comes to the two legged variety of enemy. Wineghum's giant spider, having twice as many legs as the already terrifying horses the dwarves are so suspicious of, scared the shit out of them. 

The dwarves flee.

Unfortunately, the same stumpy legs that got them into this mess failed to get them out of the mess as both chargers make contact. Rogaine and his Grand Hareline cull three of the little buggers with their free hacks. 

Actions

GM:

MB

Charged @ F, moved 8"

SQC

Charged @ F, wheeled left 1.5", moved forward 6"

Airbornegrove:

F

Stand & shot @ MB, grenade deviated and missed

I

Charged @ W, unformed, routed

A2C

Routed, moved 3" @ difficult ground

S

Reformed

Thantsants:

W

Charged @ I, persued @ I, moved 7", wounded 1

RGH

Charged @ I, persued @ I, wheeled left 2", moved forward 6", wounded 2

GF

Routed, moved 7"

RLR

Routed, moved 8"

K3C

Routed, moved 7"

WoP

Routed, moved 10"

Shooting Phase

Well - there's not really much to say about the shooting phase. Both the dwarves and the orcs have missile units fleeing. Coupled with the orcs running out of war machines as they have been, they orcs can only offer a poor and desperate bolt thrower shot that swings wide of its mark.

The dwarves, however, claim some scalps by continuing their barrage on the orc artillery positions, killing three. To add insult to injury, a black orc is shot in passing.

Actions

Airbornegrove:

A2C

Shot @ GF, wounded 1

BT

Shot @ SC, missed

E

Shot @ SC deviated @ SCC, MMC, wounded 1, 2

Thantsants:

SC

Shot @ S, missed

Combat Phase

Unfortunately for the Ironaxes (compromised as they are by fleeing) are unable to offer any real resistance to Rogaine or even Wineghum. The dwarves are savaged and dispatched. There were no survivors. 

Filled with hatred for Morgrim, Master B'tor wastes no time in engaging the dwarf leader. Vivid manifestations of rage and wrath - sparks fly as the two smite each other. In the end, Master B'tor overcomes Morgrim, scoring a wound on the beleaguered dwarf. 

Ultimately, the Dark Elves win the fight, but are unable to rout the dwarves. The elves wrap around, trying to press their advantage home. 

Actions

W, RGH vs I

Round 1

Free Attacks

A1 I5

Rogaine -> Dwarf4

A2 I4

Rogaine -> Dwarf4 (1W)

A3 I3

Rogaine -> Dwarf2 (1W)

A1 I3

W -> Dwarf3 (1W)

Round 2

Free Attacks

A1 I5

Rogaine -> Dwarf1 (1w)

MB, SQC vs F

Round 1

Modifiers

MB

charged

SQC

charged

F

none

Attacks

A1 I10

Parried

A2 I9

MB -> MI

A3 I8

MB -> MI

A4 I7

MB -> MI

A1 I6

DE2 (std) -> Dwarf11 (1W)

A1 I6

DE3 -> Dwarf8

A1 I6

DE4 -> Dwarf4

A1 I4

MB <- MI

A2 I3

MB <- MI

A3 I2

MB <- MI

A1 I2

MB <- Dwarf2 (std)

A1 I2

DE4 <- Dwarf4

A1 I2

DE3 <- Dwarf8 (1W)

A1 I1

MB's mount -> Dwarf2 (std)

A4 I1

MB <- MI

A2 I1

MB's mount -> Dwarf2 (std)

Results

MB, SQC

+1 (standard) +1 (charged) +1 (ranks) +1 (wounds) = 4

F

+1 (standard) +1 (ranks) +1 (wounds) = 3

Round 2

Modifiers

MB

follow-up

SQC

follow-up

F

none

Attacks

A1 I9

MB -> MI

A2 I8

MB -> MI

A3 I7

MB -> MI (1W)

A4 I6

MB -> MI

A1 I6

DE2 (std) -> Dwarf10

A1 I6

DE3 -> Dwarf8 (1W)

A1 I6

DE4 -> Dwarf4

A1 I6

DE9 -> Dwarf10

A1 I6

DE10 -> Dwarf9

A1 I6

DE11 -> Dwarf2 (std)

A1 I4

MB <- MI

A2 I3

MB <- MI

A3 I2

MB <- MI

A1 I2

DE11 <- Dwarf2 (std)

A1 I2

DE4 <- Dwarf4

A1 I2

DE10 <- Dwarf9

A1 I2

DE2 (std) <- Dwarf10

A1 I1

MB's mount -> Dwarf2 (std)

A4 I1

MB <- MI

A2 I1

MB's mount -> Dwarf2 (std)

Results

MB, SQC

+1 (standard) +1 (follow-up) +1 (ranks) +2 (wounds) = 5

F

+1 (standard) +1 (ranks) = 2

***

Blimey! He's back. 

Morgrim planted his feet firmly as he watched Master B'tor lower his lance.

The elf clearly didn't get the message the last time. 

Morgrim's ribs still ached with every move and his breathing was laboured. There was no chance of him repeating his previous stunt of taking the lance in the chest.

The commander of the dwarves shook his head. He hated cavalry. But, it'll have to be the lizard, he thought.

With slow deliberation, Morgrim unclipped the pouch on his belt and removed a hand grenade. As the elf kicked the cold one into action, Morgrim casually leaned back and lit the grenade on the cigarillo of one of his dwarf colleagues - this other dwarf nodding in agreement.

Don't fail me now, he thought as he kissed its side.

Using a gentle underhanded throw, the grenade floated through the air, only to bounce awkwardly off a tiny pebble and ricochet down the gradual slope of the field towards the river. Excellent dwarven engineering had produced an almost perfect sphere - exactly the sort of thing that would roll down an even slope well - even with the slightest momentum. So it was that the grenade rolled some fifteen or so feet away before exploding spectacularly and harmlessly.

Morgrim cursed as he watched the dramatic figure of the dark elf punch through the smoke and dust, his murderous intent clear.

We'll just have to do it the hard way, then. 

He raised his sword to shoulder height. He could feel the elf searching his face, trying to make eye contact - trying to penetrate the dwarf with his hate and anger. But in order to survive this encounter, Morgrim knew he'd need to concentrate. The real fight here was now with the lizard. Once the lance was out of the equation - well, that was a different story.

***

Master B'tor relished every uneven bounce of his cold one mount. Cold ones lacked the simple elegance of horses, but the enormous comfort taken from their long strides compared to the violent bouncing of a galloping horse made it much easier to focus on the fight.

He knew better than to expect the dwarf to try the same tactic as the last time. He had felt the impact on the dwarf and could not believe the dwarf had not taken serious injury in that fight. That both had returned to fight each other was very respect worthy, he thought. He was proud he had overcome the loss of his foot and in a way, he was proud that the dwarf still stood - about to receive his just desserts.

But too late did the elf understand the dwarf's plan. Closer and closer came the tip of the lance, until the dwarf darted right into the path of the cold one. The lance, already dangerously close to the ground, tracked the dwarf right up until the shaft clattered into the raging beast's shoulder, kicking the lance out sideways and down. It was all Master B'tor could do not to stab the thing into the ground and vault over the bloody little dwarf.

***

Morgrim launched himself straight at the head of the cold one, which regardless of its owner's desires was planning on meeting him halfway. It's great teeth snapped shut on the inbound blade, stopping the swing completely and causing all parties to come to a halt. Pulling the sword down, Mogrim twisted the head of the cold one sideways and started pulling the creature around. The stupid creature, enraged as it was, didn't think to let go of the blade, but tried to shake its head in order to free it up. It was long past the point of feeling pain as its blood started to run freely through brutal teeth.

***

Master B'tor clicked his teeth in frustration. The dwarf was using the stupidity of the cold one and his diminutive stature to keep the creature's head in between himself and the elf. B'tor dropped the lance in favour of his more versatile sword, which he poked over his left arm in a desperate attempt to find the dwarf.

***

Morgrim suddenly understood the old saying of 'swinging a tiger by the tail.' Whilst he wasn't altogether sure what a tiger was (that being a key element preventing him from understanding the proverb before), he was fairly sure that once one stopped swinging the proverbial tiger around, it would be both angry and capable of divesting the swinger of his life. So it was with the cold one.

As if on cue, the cold one suddenly let go of the blade, pink foam scattering from its torn lips as it shook its head. Morgrim skirted anti-clockwise around the left as the elf guided the creature in a full clockwise turn to the right.

Morgrim easily parried the dark elf's blade as it shot directly at the dwarf when the two came abreast again, before swinging at the elven commander's sword arm. The blow was clumsy and passed under the limb - the elf displaying no effort at all in his evasion.

***

Master B'tor smiled as the dwarf blade sailed beneath his arm. He hadn't expected it, but he could capitalise on it. He released his grip on the reigns, allowing them to slither through his open hand, creating a slack unwise for the riding of cold ones. But he followed this up by throwing his balance over to his right, allowing him to apply all his now unsupported weight to his sword arm.

Gravity took hold. To everyone else, it would look as if the elf was falling from the lizard. Master B'tor twirled the sword in his hand - the blade now pointing down.

The blade bit deep into the exposed flesh where Morgrim's shoulder met his neck. Catching himself in at the very last second, Master B'tor's left hand snapped shut on the reigns, stopping his fall. He pushed down on the blade, causing it to bite even deeper, but also allowing him to force himself upright against the solid bulk of the dwarf.

Blood sprayed as the blade came free.

***

For the second time in his career Morgrim felt the sting of a blade pass through his shoulder, caused by an elf on high. The sheer surprise of the event caused his legs to fold under him, leading him to sit clumsily on the floor. Worse was the warm burst of blood that followed the withdrawal of the blade, splashing his cheek and into his left eye.

He cried out in pain and shock as he watched the cold one skitter away, before turning to face him once again.

***

Magic Phase

Hang on - where's the reserve phase! I expect a full report!

Ah. About that. Although reserves form a huge part of the manoeuvrability aspect of 3rd edition, units cannot reserve move if they're subject to compulsory movement or within 4" of an enemy unit. At this stage, anyone eligible for reserves just had no interest in going anywhere.

As for magic, Wineghum passes his intelligence test and is able to cast Strength of Combat - a personal effect spell that increases his strength by 1.

Don't look at me like that - +1S is very valuable, you know. At least its not Mystic Mist.

Actions

Thantsants:

W

Casted Strength of Combat, +1 Strength, 4 MP remaining