Wormaster - Warmaster Tournament Game One

So after quite a few years of slowly rebasing, fettling and painting new models for my Warmaster forces it was finally time to attend a tournament after a fifteen year absence (Winter Warmer in February 2008 I reckon was the last one).

Wormaster is a one day three game event  - organised by Ian who has an excellent YouTube channel covering aspects of Warmaster  - and held, as the name implies, in Worcester.

I decided I'd take my Empire force and ended up with

4 Halberdiers
2 Handgunners
4 Crossbowmen
1 Flagellants
4 Knights
2 Pistoliers
1 Helblaster
2 Cannon
1 General mounted on Griffon
2 Hero 1 with a Sword of Might
1 Wizard

Here they are all boxed up and ready to go:

One of the scenarios gave you double VPs for models killed by your general and there was a special "King is Dead" rule that allowed you to replace your general if he got killed (rather than automatically withdraw) - hence the rather unusual General/Griffon combo.

MY first game was to be against Adam who had a very nice looking Orc and Goblin army (mostly orginal GW metals). Like me Adam was feeling his way into the rules a bit, so it was an ideal reintroduction. We did bother Ian quite a bit for rules questions. The scenario involved five fixed objectives with whomever was closest getting VPs at the end of the game.

Orcs! Faaahsends of 'em!

Sneakly little gobbos in front.

You do get a *lot* of greenskins in 2,000 points.

I aimed some infantry at the village in near the centre.

Another infantry block

General commanding the middle.

The scenarios also included random cards that could be played to add little boosts. I played one on the village which had no effect, but did prevent Adam playing a card that could have made life tricky for me.

I put my cavalry in a big old block.

The Steam Tank pushed ahead.

With infantry offering some support.

My other troops halted at the edge of the village.

Adam's troops also pushed up cautiously.

But did occupy a swamp (looks like a lake but they all counted as swamps) and claim a flag.

I'd forgotten how far and fast cavalry could move and left the flank of my knights exposed to a Boarboy charge!

With inevitable results.

The Orcs vacated the swamp to threaten my flank.

I'd managed to claim the village

The Boarboys had another go at the knights!

My general attached himself to the flaggelants (!) and swooped in for the kill

Inevitably he met a gruesome end (although so did a great many Orcs)

The village was secure.

As was the hill.

My Cannon were suddenly under threat.

It was all a bit messy on my right.

Trolls were pushing up in the centre.

And on they rampaged toward the village.

However they couldn't push their charge home and the game drew to a close.

I held the village, the hill and a late charge from my pistoliers meant I'd claimed the swamp too!

All of which was enough to score me a narrow win.

A great re-introduction to Warmaster tournament play - Adam was great fun to play against and the fact that we were both relatively inexperienced made for a good match.