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By Iano
On the 9th of September 2006 the Money Wolves orgaized their first Mass Battle in cooperation with the Knigths of Bayard. Hopefully we can make this a yearly tradition...
First let us look at the rules:
We had agreed that a Good and an Evil Side would be organised with equal points and that anyone could join in. Playing for the good side (see left picture left to right): Laurent with 1000 points High Elves, Kaj a.k.a. The Chosen of Sigmar with 2000 points Empire, Stefaan with 500 points Wood Elves and Bram with 2000 points Lizardmen. For the evil side appeared (see right picture left to right): Thomas with 1000 points Beastmen, Wim with 500 points Tomb Kings, Jurgen with 2000 points Dark Elves and Pieter with 2000 points Orcs & Goblins.
Each alliance was allowed to choose a special character upto 500 points bringing each sides total upto 6000 points. This character was too lead the alliance and function as Marshal. The good side choose Valten II, Chosen of Sigmar whereas Shadowblade was to lead the evil side.
The scenario was based on the Plain of Battle-scenario from the Albion campaign. With some minor modifications this became:
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Armies and scenery were deployed according to the Pitched Battle.
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Special rules:
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Flying Creatures can only use their ground movement.
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Missile fire was -2 to hit. All warmachines not using BS must roll 4+ on a D6 to be able to shoot.
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All rally attemps are on leadership -1.
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All armies which are +2000 have to role a D6 at the start of their turn. If a 1 is rolled a unit of own choice gets D6 strength 4 hits.
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So far so good. This was the part that anyone knew.
Everyone was very surpirzed on entering the room and when they saw a large white cloth hanging in the middle of the table. Each side was obliged to deploy blindly.
After everyone had deployed and all other formalities such as rolling for spells were done, the massacre could begin. The dark alliance had the first turn...
Turn 1:
As everyone was still in their
deployment zone the charge sequence of the movement phase was uneventful. The magic phase proofed to be more fun. Pieter succeeded in requesting his god Gork
to place his foot on the Knights of the White Wolf. As the ectoplastic foot
disappeared, 4 White Wolves had found their doom. Kaj replied with an
irresistably casted master of stone on Jurgen's Assassin Giant. As his
infiltration and hiding techniques weren't exactly what they should be, the
giant got a couple of accurately aimed rocks on his head. The giant tottered,
wobbled and eventually crashed down. One giant down, one to go.
Also Bram had an irresistable surpise. The Comet of Cassandora was about to land on the table...
Pieter tried to hit something with his Rock Lobber but using his own words "Helaas pindakaas!"(free translation: "regrettably peanut butter") missed...
Turn 2:
The distances were becoming shorter so the first charges were a fact. The Dark Riders charged the Saurus Cold One riders and the Centigors, whom were under the influence of spirituous beverages and became frenzy, had to charge the Saurus Warriors. At the other edge of the table a Beast Herd appeared, clearly determined to turn the Dryads in front of them into toothpicks.
In the magic phase the poor remaining White Wolf, that had slipped from between the toes of Gork the previous round, was zapped into oblivion... The foot of Gork was irresistably casted.
Suddenly an evil glance appeared in Pieter's eyes. He aimed both his Spear Chukka's on Bram's Stegadon that wasstanding on almost the other edge of the table. Despite the modifiers he succeeded in hiiting with one bolt and caused 3 wounds, much too the joy of the evil side.
In close combat in was not so joly to see the Dark Riders being butchered completely, consequently being overran allowing the Saurus Cold One riders to charge in the Tomb King chariots.
The second turn started well for the good side. The meteor struck down hitting a chariot and a beast herd. A lot of charges were declared. The Silver Helms saw their chance for glory and attacked a unit Night Goblins. Much to Laurent's regrets the unit was hiding fanatics which wiped the Silver Helms of the table before they could even could stick something on their lances.
A little further
Pieter had positioned his Snotlings in such a way that if Kaj charged his Inner
Circle Knights on them, it would trigger the release of the 3 fanatics in the
unit behind the snotlings. 2 of them flew through the knights holding Valten,
who was suddenly feeling very lonely because the unit was completely wiped away.
Bram casted the Comet again irresistably and continued his trend. He decided to shoot the bolt thrower on the Stegadon. Due to the extra modifiers he needed a 7+. Bram took up a dice an threw a six, threw again and another six appeared. His bolt had hit his target. Now he had to roll to wound. Due to the rank piercing Bram still continued on his good stroke of luck and threw another 3 sixes. Huray for Bram...
In close combat the saurus cold one riders crushed tomb king chariots with ease ( ashes to ashes, dust to dust). The centigors on the other end stood firm against the saurus warriors.
Turn 3 :
More and more evil units were in Charge
range and that clearly could be seen. Shadowblade emerged from within a unit of
Free Companies, the Hydra got stuck in a unit of 'tin' Greatswords, a unit Night
Goblins and the joly green giant decided to squash Valten and a unit of Chaos
hounds brazed themselves to reinforce the Centigors. A Wolf chariot raced into
the flank of the Flagellants.
The shooting phase was a little too much for the Stegadon as it was hit again by a bolt of the spear chukka and got pinned to the ground.
In man-to-man the Centigors got crushed and the Free Companies got on the run for Shadowblade. The kroxigors charged by the Beast Herd quickly made sish kebab of the wargor, Brayce the Nice, which was in this unit. The Wolf chariot only did one plus one impact hits on the flagellants which only suffered one would from the whole combat. The 4 attacks in return made enough wounds to make the chariot turn tail but the flagellants outran the wolves and destroyed it completely...
THE combat of this turn had to be the one between Valten, the Night Goblins and the Giant. It was soon over when Pieter yelled and bawled at Valten, which stubbornly held his ground. Again 'Helaas Pindakaas'!
Following Valten's example the keepers of the Good started the counter offensif. The flagellants hurled themselves into the Night Gobbo's, a unit of Silver Helms charged a Dark Elf Chariot and the Wood Elf Noble, Duvel Geranium, showed hise 'Scary Face' making the ambushing Beast Herd leave the battle field.
The bad weather made magic and shooting unsuccesfull.
The kroxigors continued crushing the beast herd and as they pursued they encountered a juicy unit of Bestigors. The Saurus Cold One Riders, who were just cruising between the enemy lines, came anlong a tomb swarm. Another one for the collection...
And finally Valten and the flagellants: Valten crushed the kneecaps of the Giant and with his remaining attacks and those of the flagellants the Night Goblins were restored to Gobbo-Jelly...
Turn 4 :
As a consequence of the everlasting rains and storm shooting and magic scored 0.0 on the Richer Scale.
This leaves only close combat. This consists of a unit Skinks charged by a unit Dark Elf Spearmen. One can assume that the Skinks run away allowing the spearmen to rn into the Cold One Riders. One of the remaining 'whirling loonies' (fanatics) smashes 5 High Elf spearmen into Elven mince. Shadowblade slips the throat of 3 greatswords and is able to avoid each counter attack. The bestigors really stand upto the kroxigors ending this combat in a draw.
The good side starts this turn with another comet landing. This time Bram had paced it a little more tactical ans no less than 6 units were hit...
The High Elf spearmen take revenge by charging the Night Goblins. The dryads charge the Snotling Pump Wagon and the Wood Elf wardancers see their chance for glory by attacking Shadowblade...
In the following combat phase Shadowblade grinds the wardancers to a pile of Elven meat but he has to subcome to the Greatswords ans makes a run for it.
Although the Cold One Riders have killed 3 elves they still have to make a break test... which they succeed.
Turn 5 :
Guided by the hand of Mork one of the fanatics breaks every bone in the body of the late Wood Elf Noble, Duvel Geranium.
The hydra mangles itself in the battle between the Dryads and the pump wagon but can not really make a difference. The dark elf chariot charges the remaining flagellants but fails to completely annihilate them. The Tomb Kings' finest have entered the fray between Saurus Cold Ones and the Dark Elf Spearmen and by doing this the battle ends a draw. Eventually the Bestigors get rid of the last Kroxigors.
Except for a couple of repositionings the ensemble Kaj-Bram-Laurent-Stefaan declares no charges.
They are however able to get rid of Shadowblade by casting master of stone on him. On top of that the ring of fury takes the lives of two Executioners.
Once more nor the Cold One Riders nor the Elf Spearmen can take the upperhand, opposed to the Dark Elf Hydra which really breaks the tree-spirit of the Dryads which break and flee in return.
Turn 6 :
Although on the side of Jurgen, Pieter, Thomas en Wim there isn't much standing anymore they keep on going. This is very much shown in their determination to turn the tide. As example they make Valten feel the Dark Hand of Death. Valten falls to the ground but his Iron resolve brings him back on his feet. Not a very smart thing to do because as he gets up he positions himself so he can charge the executioners in the next round. In close combat the Dark Elf Spearmen can make the Saurus cold one riders break from combat and flee.
The image of fleeing Saurus Riders is inacceptable, even for a Kroxigor so the remaining kroxigors declare a charge on the unit responsible for this loss. De spearmen declare to flee but 'helaas pindakaas' not far enough. As a result of the charge of the Emperial Battle Standard Bearer, Nate Pamper, on the gobbo chariot (the so called 'Golvo') the later has to do everything in hos power to keep it from fallin apart. He succeeds but het still has to flee. In the mean while Valten takes 5 executioners out of action and the Bestigors can't hold it any longer and flee from the combat.
Turn 7 :
Both sides feel the end is near and as much charges must be declared as possible. For the dark side this is the chariot charging the greatswords and the Hydra trying to finish his work by attacking the rallied Dryands. Luckily he succeeds this time an not a moving tree remains. Regretably for the Dark Elf chariot this is the same as it chooses to flee to escape from the greatswords.
Due to the proximity of the Hydra the Emperial High-Wizard, Freaky Hotpants, doesn't feel save anymore and makes a run for it. The High Elf swordmasters and the Empire Battle Standard Bearer on the other hand charge the Corsairs. As these were already seriously decimated they don't have much to oppose to this charge en run. The Gryphon Legion finally decides to enter the fray and charge the noble in his chariot. The ensuing combat ends in a draw.
The end:
This concluded the mass battle. We decided not to count the points as of the evil side almost nothing had remained on te table. But everybody was satisfied and we had a blast... Especially the remarks of certain individuals will be reminded for a long time.
Models of the match were without saying Valten, who refused to die, and Pieter's fanatics which more dan did their job...
Hopefully we can make this concept into a yearly tradition. For next year a new edition has already been planned. I sincerely hope to see the same people again and hopefully some new faces too.
Finally I wan't to thank a couple of people. First the players:- Wim, Pieter, Jurgen, Kaj, Bram, Thomas, Stefaan en Laurent. And then last but not least the whole Tiptop-team for providing the tables, the lunch and accomodation.
Until next year!
