Wednesday 5 July 2023

Warhammer Triumph and Treachery: Dwarfs, High Elves and Chaos Warriors (Again)

Stephen was still in Nottingham on Saturday evening so we decided to play Warhammer again - as is right and proper. Kieran wasn't available, so we looked in our extensive list of Warhammer chums for someone else whose name began with K and uses Chaos Warriors. Fortunately Kenton was available. Though he at least chose allies from a different book (like the rules say you should) and bought along some filthy Nurgle Daemons.

I again set up in a far flung corner.


Whilst the Elves and Chaos swapped positions.


Stephen had abandoned war machines and replaced them with the completely broken flaming attack S4 BS5 things.



After some initial jockeying for position the fight began at the far end of the table.


Though some Daemons shambled in to the wood towards me.


The Ogres were sent out in front.


The Dragon Ogres swang around to face the Elves.


Who started shooting. Like gatling guns.


The Ironbreakers went in on the Daemons. They beat them easily. Then Kenton rolled a double 1 for his Ld test and they all came back. Sigh.


The Ogres took aim at the Elf line.


Kenton's wizard cast a spell that killed about half of his own unit. This wasn't a miscast - he just did things wrong.


The Elves giggled. And then shot again. Like gatling guns.


The Ironbreakers fought the Daemons again. With remarkably similar results. Apart from the rolling a double one part. So they popped.


Finally, his mates all shot to bits the Dragon Ogre champion got to grips with the puny Elves.


The Sea Guard turned their attention towards my end of the table.



Most of the Chaos army was now dead and Stephen was sitting on a big pile of Victory Points.


The last Chaos Warriors returned from the board edge - and were met by angry Lizards.


With that the battle came to an end.
The Dwarf force was mostly intact, the Chaos force was mostly dead and the Victory Points were mostly Stephens.

I was too cautious and slow and failed to kill any enemy very much - which handed the game to the High Elves.
But, as always, Warhammer was the real winner.

Tuesday 4 July 2023

Warhammer Triumph and Treachery: Dwarfs, High Elves and Chaos Warriors

Stephen left behind the pleasure of the 1960s and crossed from the Isle of Manly Men back to the mainland and up to Nottingham. So what else does one do but play Warhammer in such circumstances?

KiwiKeiran was free and so we played Triumph and Treachery at our preferred 1200+300 allies points. I took Dwarfs with Ogre allies, STephen had High Elves with some LIzards along for the ride and Keiran had Chaos Warriors with...errr...Chaos Warrior allies.

It was the battle where you get VPs for being nearest the centre (which we marked with an ancient Elven statue).

I snagged a remote corner and put a Flame Cannon in such a position as to discourage anyone coming to close. They obliged by huddling at the opposite end of the battlefield.


The Elves had a Lvl 4 wizard in charge!


Nice paint jobs by Stephen.



They also had a healthy bunch of Swordmasters and a pair of bolt throwers.



I'd got Ironbreakers, Longbeards, Crossbows, Ogres holding Cannon and the aforementioned Flame Cannon.


My hired guns headed for the statue.


Faced with a Chaos menace on their flank the Elves turned toward the Warriors.


Looks lovely, dunnit?


The Lizards clashed with the Warriors.



While over on the hill the bolt throwers were chopped up by the warriors who then turned on the Sea Guard.


The Ironbreakers stopped by the statue and started claiming VPs.


After several turns of forgetting Wulfrik finally arrived behind my crossbows.



The remains of the Lizards charged the Ironbreakers in the flank.


The Dwarfs dealt with them, then took on the Warriors.



As the game drew to a close I had, in true Dwarf fashion the most gold.

Victory to Clan Groznog!

Another good fun game. T&T works really well (though it's probably best with four players.

Hurrah for Warhammer!

Monday 3 July 2023

Lord of the Rings Campaign: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm

General Ballroom and I convened for the next iteration of our ongoing campaign. After the last game Gen. B's encouraged his daughter to have a look at this blog thereby doubling my usual number of visitors. Hello Ms. Ballroom!

The Fellowship, still reeling from the loss of Pippin and Gandalf must cross the bridge at Khazad-dûm to escape Moria. Barring the way are yet more pesky goblinses, and behind them some rather loud footsteps are getting closer and there's a burning smell in the air...

The Fellowship started some distance from the bridge, with goblins lining their passage to safety. (When we began the campaign Gen. B and I had high hopes and ambitious plans for modelling all the various bits of scenery. Old age, feeble-mindedness and general apathy mean we've not quite achieved that - vinyl floor tiles and black paper give the effect we need. We have done all the soldiers though!)



Legolas and Aragorn we're looking over their shoulders at the thundering footsteps.



Archers started pinging arrows at the Fellowship.


Whilst their combat orientated brethren raced to cut off the bridge.


Boromir ran in front, tootling his horn as he went.


The goblins closed in.


Gimli waded in to his ancestral enemies.


Conga dancing broke out in the goblin ranks.


Bravely Legolas stood alone to face down the demon.


Unfortunately he stood a bit close and one fiery whiplash was enough to deal with a weedy elf with one wound.


Uh-oh!


Flee you fools!


The goblins started mobbing the Fellowship fighters.


Gimli did stout (ho-ho!) work defending the hobbits.


While Boromir attempted to drive a path through the goblins blocking the passage.


He needed a few frantic toots on the Horn of Gondor.


Aragorn was getting slowed down by feeding him one goblin at a time.


Sam went toe-to-toe with a goblin captain, and flattened him with a frying pan.


Boromir was still waist deep in goblins.


And the big fiery guy was getting closer.


Desperate to buy time Gimli and Aragorn charged the monster (Aragaorn to try and win the fight, Gimli to do big hits with his axe)


And they did manage to push the beast back.


Sam and Frodo began to run to the corner of the cavern - away from the bridge that could lead to safety!


Bormomir broke free of the goblins and raced after the halflings.


Again the heroes fought the demon whilst Sam held off pressing goblins...


...but alack it was to no avail. Once again a lucky goblin arrow pierced the Mithril armour of the Ringbearer and Frodo fell to the ground!

Victory for the forces of evil.

That was a tough battle for the good guys. Even at full strength with Gandalf in the mix I think they'll struggle to get through the goblins. If they've lost the previous scenario there's a good chance the Balrog will turn up early and, as we discovered he's as hard as nails,

In the post game campaign wash up Legolas and Merry were discovered to have again survived with a single wound left (third game in a row for both of them).
Then General B. rolled for Frodo.
For a moment it looked like he'd rolled a one, the Ringbearer was dead and the campaign over. However, following a recount we discovered that he'd very definitely actually rolled a two and Frodo had in fact survived with a single wound left.

One more battle against the pursuing goblins and the Fellowship will get to rest up in the Wood Elf kingdoms and recover their strength.