Warmaster Empire v. Chaos

In an attempt to get "match fit" for the Warmaster Tournament at the end of May I set up a solo game. 1500 point armies just lined up and going at it.

Somwwhere in the north of the Empire a battlefield with fields, woods, hills, a small village and some ancient chaos ruins.

I deployed the Empire forces first in a way that made sense to me as a commander.
Then, following a dice roll I set up the Chaos forces with a mind to having a "refused" left flank and the Knights and Chariots deployed to crush from the right.

The Empire ended up with a big cavalry brigade on their left and infantry block holding the centre.

The artillery where on the right, with a big block of missile troops and finally pistoliers in a brigade on the end.

The dawn of battle!

Chaos Turn One

A failed order from the hero saw the knights amble forward a short distance.

The Sorcerer managed to order the Maraduers forward and then give the hounds two orders to move out in front. The general then managed to move the warriors up but failed as he tried to order the Marauder horse.

The Chaos forces at the end of the move phase.

Empire Turn One

In response the Empire General went forst (I'd positioned things badly) ordering the knights forward twice.

Then he ordered the big infantry regiment to advance a little.

First the hero and then the wizard failed orders on the right flank meaning both pistoliers and the other brigade of missile troops shuffled forward.

Chaos Turn Two

The Sorcerer ordered the Marauder horse to move to protect the left flank.

Then the hero ordered the chariots forward and to charge the infantry block.

He then repeated the feat with the knights who caught their opponents in the open.

The general pushed the dogs forward to take the missile fire and sacrificially protect the Marauder Horse.

He then pushed the Marauders up behind the hill and the warriors forward.

Ready to take cannon to the face!

The Chariots wiped out the flagellents in the front of the Empire brigade, but their dice failed them on the second round and as a result of a draw both sides fell back.

The hero joined the knights in combat 

One unit of Empire knights was wiped out and a stand of Chaos Knights fell over the two rounds. The Chaos forces chose to pin the knights in combat.

Empire Turn Two

The Hlaberdiers used initiative to charge the chariots who had failed to get far enough away.

The White Wolves likewise joined the fight with the Chaos Knights.

Over on the flank the hero again failed to get anything moving

The wizard managed to order the brigade once, then his second order was a blunder, which saw them move back most of the distance they had come.

The general however managed to order more halberdiers up in support of the unit fighting the chariots before successfully ordering the unengaged Knights of Sigmar's Blood to move behind the village in reserve.

The Wizard moved to successfully cast Weird Enchantment on the chariots, but a dispel scroll saw that off.

The Empire artillery and crossbows took aim at the hounds.

When the smoke cleared two stands were dead and the remaining dogs were driven well back and confused.

The Knight fight saw both sides hand out a truckload of hits in the first round, but the second round ended in stalemate with both sides pulling back.

Each side lost a unit of knights.

The halbardiers killed one chariot from each unit, but lost a unit themselves in return. The chariots were driven back.

The battlefield after two turns.

Chaos Turn Three

One unit of chariots evaded. 

The second, unable to get past the warriors used their initiative to charge. This then cleared the way for an initiative charge from the Warriors.

The Sorcerer managed to get the Marauder horse to approach the pistoliers, then failed when ordering them to charge.

Then the hero failed to order the warriors up in support and the general failed to move the last stand of dogs to protect the Marauder horse. A fickle turn for the followers of Tzeentch.

The warriors set about murdering the halberdiers, losing the chariot unit in the process.

Successful combat saw just a single stand of Halberdiers remaining.

Empire Turn Three

The Knights of Sigmar's Blood used initiative to charge the warriors in the flank.

The White Wolves initiative charge the remaining knight stand.

Over on the flank the hero finally got it together to order the pistoliers to charge the Marauder horse.

Then followed up by ordering the brigade to line the hedges.

The Wizard then ordered the artillery to face toward the Chaos warriors and then used the crossbows to screen the closer dogs.

He then failed to cast Weird Enchantment.

The crossbows drove the dogs back still further .

The cannon drive back the warriors and confuse them.

The White wolf knights kill the last stand of Knights and then reform to threaten the Warriors.

The Warriors take down the last stand of halberds, but the knights in their flank  kill two of their stands then pin them in combat.

The Pistoliers easily wipe out first one, then the second unit of Marauder horse

Before pulling back.

Chaos Turn Four

Desperately the Chaos general tries to order the remaining chariot, but he fails.

The Sorcerer tries to cast Anger of the Gods, but Tzeentch has deserted them..

And so the Empire knights wipe out the last remaining warrior stand

And with five units dead the Chaos army is forced to withdraw and the borders of the Empire remain safe once more.

This was very jolly. There's enough "friction" caused by the ordering mechanism to make Warmaster an interesting solo challenge. I felt the core principles of the rules coming back and was considering which attacks to make to wipe out units and head things toward break point.

Could do with a live opponent soon though!