The Wyld Stallyn Inn

After playing a few games of Empire in Flames/Mordheim I realized that the buildings and scenery I made for WFB wasn’t as interactive as I wanted. So I started creating a few buildings that models could actually move around and fight inside of. The first one I started working on was a dilapidated Bretonnian inn that was perhaps the target of an orc raid. I used ½” Styrofoam pieces for the majority of the structure as well as the base that the building stands on. I got them for free from work but they can be a little warped so in the future I may shell out some cash for actual modeling foam. After the basic walls were erected I cut up a lot of cereal boxes and other bits of cardstock for planks, roofing tiles and trim. For the balcony I used some balsa wood that I had purchased for fences. I took chunks out here and there with a razor blade to give it a distressed and worn look. The final step in construction is always my favorite. Going through my bits box and finding the little things that really bring a piece of terrain to life. Old horse heads to act as statues, shields, a treasure chest, an over turned table with a book laying nearby.  The final step was to paint large portions of the house with watered down PVA (Elmers glue) and chuck handfuls of dirt from the yard on to give it some texture. Then I primed the whole thing black and waited for that to dry before touching up any places that the spray missed with a watered down black paint. The paint job was quick and dirty. After base coating the entire building I began working on the wooden balcony and trim. I used an old, course brush lightly dipped in paint to quickly give the beams and planking some wood grain. Lots of dry brushing helped to give some definition to the rest of the house. For the final touches I flocked the base, added some ivy/moss to one side with clump foliage. I also printed out a few Mordheim posters I found online for added character and glued them on one side with PVA. After spending a month in Prague last fall I really fell in love with bohemian livery so I chose a few of my favorite coats of arms to decorate the front.

I still need to make a few ladders so models can access the top floors but I’m pleased with how it turned out. I have also started working on a tower, a well, a ruined dwarf smithy and a spooky graveyard. I hope to have pictures of some of those up soon!

Imperial Life Wizard and Master Engineer

Many years ago John bought an Empire lot off of eBay for a great price. Many of the modles had a three color paint job, some were even base coated and dry brushed. However, the style was very 5th edition, goblin green bases with bright green flock. Quick and dirty. I decided it would be nice to give a few of his characters a face lift. 

The life wizard was painted to a decent standard, but it was a rather uninspired color scheme. Flat monotone browns and royal purple, without a hint of green. Not exactly the ideal look for a wizard who commands the raw forces of nature. I had just finished painting up a Wood Elf warband so I was already in the woodsy mood. Johns’ only request was a badger emblem somewhere on the model. Easy enough!  

 
  

The Engineers’ original paint job also left much to be desired. The base coat was sloppy and the only highlights came from heavy handed dry brushing. To make matters worse, he was painted in the bright green of Stirland. Why a backwater province like Stirland would have paid to equip this engineer with state of the art weaponry made very little sense to us. So in sticking with Johns’ Nuln theme I decided to paint him up in black and red livery.  

   
  

Fall 2014 Campaign Part VII

Scenario 6: Warhammer Fantasy Battles 7th Edition

It has been 16 months since I started posting about this Campaign. At long last we reached the final battle. Both lists are approximately 1200-1300pts before applying any bonuses.

The Battle of Iron Crag Hills

In the Autumn of IC 2523 the reinforced remnants of the dwarf mine defenders clashed with a sizable Night Goblin hoard in the Iron Crag Hills, near the Grung Byrn mines. Led by the hated and feared Night Goblin Warboss, Rotfang the Redcap, the greenskins launched an all-out assault on the dwarf defensive line.

Dwarfs:

 

General Flakki Skalfsson 

Master Engineer

Gromril Armor, Great Weapon, Brace of Pistols, Rune of Resistance, Rune of Luck, Rune of Stone

Borri Brokkisson 

Thane Battle Standard Bearer

Gromril Armor, Master Rune of Gromril, Rune of Furry, Rune of Cleaving, Rune of Speed

The Grung Byrn Relief Force

• 20 Dwarf Miners (Warriors), Heavy Armor, Great Weapons, Full Command
• 10 Thunderers, Shields, Light Armor
• 10 Quarrelers, Shields, Light Armor
• 10 Troll Slayers
• 1 Grudge Thrower, Engineer, Brace of Pistols, Rune of Accuracy, Rune of Penetrating
• 1 Gyrocopter

 

Goblins:

General Rotfang the Redcap

Night Goblin Warboss

Light Armor, Shield, Sword of Might, Warboss Imbads Iron Gnashas

Gribnit Picknose

Night Goblin Shaman Level 2

The Horn of Urgok

Bagsocks the Banner Bearer

Night Goblin Battle Standard Bearer

Rowdy Grots’ Big Red Raggedy Banner

Rotfangs’ Rowdy Gitz

• 31 Night Goblins, Netters, Spears, Shields, 1 Fanatic
• 30 Night Goblins, Netters, Spears, Shields, 1 Fanatic
• 20 Night Goblins, Short Bows, 2 Fanatics
• 2 Units 5 Goblin Wolf Riders, Light Armor, Short Bows, Spears
• 2 Snottling Bases
• 6 Squig Hoppers
• 2 Squig Teams
• 2 Spear Chukkas

 

The Battlefield: The battlefield is 72”x48″. The east side of the board should be heavily wooded from north to south. The west side should have several hills in each of the deployment zones and a marsh or shallow pond between them. Place a mine in the center of the northern board edge.

Deployment: The Dwarfs deploy within 12″ of the North table edge. The Goblins deploy within 12″ of the South table edge.

Who gets the first turn? The players roll off to decide who gets the first turn. Add +1 to your roll for each hero in your army.

Victory Conditions:The goblin force will retreat if there are no heroes left on the table. The dwarf force will be considered defeated if the goblins have at least two banners in the dwarf deployment zone at the end of turn 8. Also if either side is completely wiped out the victor should be obvious.

How it went down:

The game started out with a flanking force of crossbows pelting the goblin line from the swamp lands to the west, while the rest of the dwarf line opened fire on the advancing greenskins. The wolf riders and squig hoppers advance along the east flank, facing off against the thunderers. the dwarf gyrocopter buzzed across the goblin line triggering fanatics and using its’ steam gun on the night goblin archers in the rear of the army. Rufus the giant charged headlong into the unit of slayers. With a mighty bellow he leaped into the air, preparing to jump up and down on the stunties until they were nothing but a red smear on the grass. However it seems that the delicious dwarf brew had gone straight to his head and he slipped, landing face first in front of them. As he lay on the ground he was hacked to bits by the orange haired maniacs.

The bulk of the infantry met in the middle of the field, the squig herd smashed into the miner unit. The dwarf line faltered for a moment but Borris’ standard filled their hearts with a fiery rage and the dwarfs fought back with such brutality that the herd broke from combat, sending wild squigs bouncing I n all directions. They wrought such mayhem on the field that both sides stood stupefied for several minutes before returning to the carnage. (The squigs broke in then center of both armies and killed the following: 1 Gyrocopter, 5 Night goblins with spears, 4 Night goblins with bows, 4 Miners, 2 Thunderers, 2 dwarf crewmen, 1 wolf rider and 1 very surprised troll!)

The goblin line fought on, nearly breaking the dwarf infantry again and again. The press of bodies forced the dwarfs to sell their lives dearly until only Borri was left standing on a pile of fallen comrades and mutilated goblin corpses. He struck down foe after for, finally meeting Rotfang in mortal combat. The goblin struck out, but his deadly weapon was turned aside by the glow of dwarf runes. Borris blade struck back with lightning speed, severing the goblins’ head from his neck with a violent spout of blood. 

Seeing their generals’ decapitated body was too much. The remaining greenskins broke and ran, leaving the victorious dwarfs to pay homage to their dead in peace. 

 

Recap: Overall I feel the campaign was a great success. It really felt like things could go either way right up until the end of the final battle. If only old Rufus had smashed those slayers instead of slipping on that damn banana peel, or if I had managed a win in scenario 5, granting my shaman the extra boost he needed to overcome that stubborn dwarf magic resistance. Alas it was not to be. John employed some great strategies and in the end won a well fought battle. I’d love to hear if anyone has tried playing any of these mini games with their gaming group. If not, I hope you still enjoyed reading about ours!

Fall 2014 Campaign Part VI

Well dear reader, it has been one hell of a year! I can’t quite believe how quickly time has gone, or how little attention I have given my tiny lead friends.  I hope to finally finish the posting for Part VII of  the campaign in the next few weeks.  Stay tuned 🙂

 

Scenario 5: Warbands
Defend the Mine
Driven by his shamans’ need for a particularly rare type of mushroom, Rotfang orders a surprise attack on an isolated dwarf mine.
Dwarfs:
Thane, Gurni Whitebeard, Gromril Armor, Shield, Rune of Stone
2 Units of 5 Quarrelers, Light Armor, Shields
2 Units of 8 Miners, Heavy Armor, Great Weapons
1 Bolt Thrower, Engineer, Brace of Pistols
Goblins:
Night Goblin Big Boss, Light Armor, Great Weapon
1 Unit of 20 Night Goblins, Spears and Shields, Standard and Musician, 1 Fanatic
2 Units of 8 Night Goblins, Short Bows
1 Squig Herd, 2 Squig Teams
Rewards:
Dwarfs: If Thane Gurni Whitebeard survives he will accompany the dwarf army in the final battle. He comes with the following equipment: Gromril Armor, Shield, Rune of Stone
Goblins: To hold the mine, the goblins must have an unbroken unit touching the mine with twice the unit strength of the nearest dwarf unit to the mine. If the goblins hold the mine at the end of the battle, Mad Max, a Night Goblin Shaman Level 2 may accompany the army in the final battle, he carries Nibblas ‘Itty Ring; in addition the mine is loaded with magic mushroom mounds. Each Shaman receives D6 Magic Mushrooms

Fall 2014 Campaign Part V

Scenario 4: Warbands
Ambush in the Bog
After receiving reports of an increase in goblin activity, a small relief force headed by Runesmith Sven Ironhaft is sent from Karak Hirn to reinforce the mines around Grung Byrn. As they cross through a marshland valley the group is ambushed.

Dwarfs:
Runesmith Sven Ironhaft, Gromril Armor, Great Weapon, Rune of Stone
4 Thunderers, Light Armor, Shields
2 Units of 5 Quarrelers, Light Armor, Shields
3 Troll Slayers
Goblins:
Night Goblin Big Boss Skumwort Squigcatcher, Light Armor, Great Weapon
1 Unit of 14 Night Goblins, Spears and Shields, Standard and Musician
2 Units of 8 Night Goblins, Short Bows
5 Squig Hoppers
Stone Troll

The Battlefield: The battlefield is 48”x48”, with woods and hills on the east and west table sides. There is a marsh  roughly in the center.
Deployment: Both side have 48″x12″ deployment zones. The Night Goblins deploy to the north, the dwarfs deploy on the south. The attacking goblins have the first turn.

The game lasts for 8 turns.

Rewards:
Dwarfs: If Runesmith Sven Ironhaft survives the battle you may enlist his services in the final battle. He comes with the following equipment: Gromril Armor, Great Weapon, 2 Runes of Spell Breaking, Rune of Stone, and Rune of Warding
Goblins: If the Stone Troll manages to survive the battle you may enlist his services in the final battle.

Early in the battle two of the slayers were taken out by goblin archers, but the remaining slayer managed to hack apart and chase down one of the archer units before being pin cushioned by their crazed comrades. The troll failed every stupidity test, literally stumbling across the battlefield leaving a trail of drool in his wake. The squig hoppers advanced on the left flank. They moved quickly through the woods before bursting out and routing one unit of quarrelers. The central fight was between the thunderers, joined by Sven, and the larger night goblin unit led by Skumwort. The dwarfs held fast until the squig hoppers smashed into their rear, the ferocity of their attack smashed the dwarfs’ defensive line. In the confusion Sven lost his footing in the bog and was cut down. The remaining dwarfs broke and ran, leaving the night goblins victorious.

Fall 2014 Campaign Part IV

Scenario 3: Skirmish

Underground Break In

As the dwarfs are enjoying a pint of Bugmans’ finest, a huge explosion wracks the mine. Quickly swilling the remaining contents of their mugs they grab their picks and head for the breach.

Initial forces:
Dwarfs: 5 Miners
Goblins: 3 Squigs, 3 Night Goblin Squig Herders
Who goes first? The goblin player has the first turn as the dwarfs have only enough time to put down their beers and pick up their weapons.
Movement: All models move a maximum of 6″. You cannot march or charge underground. If a model is brought into base to base contact with an enemy in its normal move it counts as charging. Models can only pass each other in the tight passage ways if there is sufficient room to fit the bases side by side.

Dark and Gloomy: Both dwarfs and night goblins are used to subterranean fights. However the dark, cramped spaces make it difficult to use ranged weapons. The max range for all weapons is reduced to 8″. There are no penalties for long range or standing and shooting, penalties for moving and cover still apply. A model armed with a range weapon may elect to stand and shoot only if the enemy model is moving over 3″. A model armed with a missile weapon may shoot into hand to hand combat or past interposing models, but is penalized -1 for each model between it and the target. Additionally if a 1 is rolled on the to hit die, the first friendly model in the missiles’ path is hit instead. Roll to wound as normal.

Reinforcements:
Dwarfs: If one dwarf is able to exit the mine to the upper level he will sound the alarm. At the beginning of the dwarf players next turn he may bring in D3 miners and D3 crossbow dwarfs. These enter from the upper mine entrance along with the dwarf who sounded the alarm. They can move as normal but may not shoot until the following turn.
Goblins: Starting on turn 5 if there are still goblins fighting dwarfs (knocked down or stunned goblins do not count) the second wave of goblins will pour through the breach. Place D3 squigs, D3 herders and D3 night goblins (armed with any mix of short bows or spears and shields) within 6″ of the opening in the wall. They may move, but may not shoot this turn.
Loose Squigs: If a squig is outside of 3″ of a herder at the beginning of the goblin players turn (knocked down or stunned herders do not count) then the squig will go out of control. It will move D6 inches toward the nearest model it can see, friend or foe. If the squig can make contact with a model it counts as charging. Resolve combat as normal. An out of control squig can be wrangled by moving a herder within 3″ of the squig and rolling a 4+ in the goblin players close combat phase.
Rewards:
Dwarfs: Any one unit gains the Flanking Force special rule
Goblins: Any one unit gains the Flanking Force special rule

A Brief Recap:

It has occurred to me I probably should have been giving updates as to how things progressed for me and John. I am playing as the Night Goblins and John is rocking the Dwarfs.

In the first scenario “Bacon and Heads” the dwarfs were caught completely flatfooted. The wolfriders slaughtered most of the dwarf woodsmen before they had time to react. However, one dwarf, henceforth known as Old Smokey made a valiant last stand. He skewered one goblin with a crossbow bolt through the neck, and as the remaining greenskins closed with him he smashed one in the face with his pipe. Sadly, it was not meant to be and he was eventually torn apart by the ravenous wolves, netting me the ability to ambush one unit of wolfriders in the final battle.

In scenario II “Slayer!”. My giant, Massive Marvin was ambushed by a group of troll slayers. After a quick but bloody confrontation Marvin smashed the orange haired stunties and joined the Goblins for a long night of drunken debauchery. I think he may have imbibed a bit too much though as his performance later in the campaign was, shall we say, lackluster.

This brings us to scenario III, “Underground Break In”. Feeling a little over confidant with their recent string of victories, the forces of Rotfang launched an attack on an unsuspecting dwarf mine. The initial wave of squigs rampaged through the mine, nearly routing the miners. However one dwarf managed to sound the alarm, bringing reinforcements from the upper levels. The tunnel fighting was bloody with heavy casualties on both sides, but after the dwarfs managed to kill off the squigs the goblins were easily cleared from the mine. This victory allowed John to give one of his units the Flanking Force special rule.

For this scenario I decided to make my mine tunnels out of a piece of Styrofoam, but you could just as well use a piece of paper with the outlines of the tunnels drawn on.

 

 

Fall 2014 Campaign Part III

Scenario 2: Skirmish
Slayers!
Goblins: Giant
Dwarfs: 6 Troll Slayers
See the Warhammer Skirmish Supplement Pg. 36
Rewards:
Dwarfs: Any surviving troll slayers are upgraded to Giant Slayers.
Goblins: After fending off the gang of mohawked hoodlums, Massive Marvin stumbles upon a night goblin party, with some rather tasty fungus brew! The goblin player is allowed a Giant in the final battle.