Warhammer 40,000 Orks v. Black Templars

The Gaming Heir is home from university for the holidays. Out of a spirit of mischief he likes to challenge me to games of 40k, knowing that I would rather play almost anything *other* than "the game for children, deviants and accountants".

Anyway we set up as usual for a 750 point or so game and had at it in a game looking to try and hold objectives. I took the Orks and he took his Templars.

Warboss Gruzzkupp lined up alongside his Kill-o-zap gun.

He had the Kans along with him.

The Templars were out in force

Shoving Novices into the front line.

Soon the Orks were falling on the black armoured marines.

And the Kans had seized the middle ground.

The battle unfolds.

 

One mob snuck up the right flank

While the other mob got stuck in

The Emperor's Champion made a bee line for  Gruzzkupp

On the right the mob secured the objective

 But were forced to abandon it to try and bring down the Emperor's Champion.

As the Black Templar captain wiped out all opposition.

Victory for the forces of the Imperium.

We both surprised ourselves with how well this played - it was quite straightforward and rattled along just fine.Still never going to be my favourite game but it was fun to get the toys out.

Warmaster Forgeworld Castle

Inspired by Andy bringing his lovely Bretonnians over I dug deep into the darkest corers of my stash and recovered a venerable old Forgeworld castle model that I was given many years ago when I worked at GW for helping set up the original UK version of the website and store.

This was a short lived range when Forgeworld was set up and they were I believe licenced from a company called Lilliput Lane and were part of their range for the Irish tourist board of Castles of Ireland.

This one I think after a bit of Googling is Blackrock Castle in Cork.

It's a big old chunk of resin, the scale is wrong and it's also clearly a modernised, Victorian version of a castle rather than a fantasy  medieaval chateau. However it looks mighty fine and was pretty easy to paint up so I'm jolly pleased with it as a centrepiece,or more likely edge "set dressing" for Warmaster games.

I am slightly tempted to try and make some of those French style pointy tower tops to add to see if that gives a better Bretonnian vibe - but that's for another day.

Dragon Rampant Campaign - The Valley of Jeff - Game Three

Battered and bruised the Dwarfs of the Oakenfinger Clan are in full retreat from Gruzzkupp's Orc horde.
Arriving at Knutt's Hold they prepare to make a final stand.

Game three and if it all goes wrong for the Dwarfs the campaign could end right here, right now!

Watch on to discover what happens!

I was so caught up in the action I only took a very pictures - and bad quality ones at that.
Anyway, here they are

Gruzzkupp's heroic death charge.

Dwarfs on Goats as light riders are The Goat.

So the campaign continues. Gruzzkupp's lads are fleeing for their lives back through the hills of Uppar with Dwarfs hot on their heels!

Warmaster Revolution: Kislev v Nippon

With Winter Warmer on the horizon it was time for a bit of a Warmaster Warm Up.

Matt brought his Nippon force over and I took the Kislev force I'd taken to Wamaster 25.

Here's the video version of events

And here's the pictures. Though I seem to be having problems getting pictures in focus with my camera...

The Kislev forces assemble

Winged lancers held back at first

Loadsa light cavalry on the flank

A blunder put my horse archers in charge range!

The lancers swooped on Nippon cavalry

Over on my left the Ashigaru had occupied a field and were proving tough to shift.

Another field was also filled by the Nippon forces

And still more infantry occupied a wood

Fanatical types charged the war wagon.

The stand off in the field continued

The Bears met their doom in the woods.

My other War Wagon remained untroubled.

Some phone pictures - which are generally nicer for some reason

The horse archers out scout their foe

But are caught in the open following a blunder!

A wizard, failing to turn into a bear, which would have been nice.

We have them surrounded sir!

Ashigaru in a defensive setting.

A fanatical assault on the War Wagon.

Whilst the red one remains untouched.

Good fun game that finished in a hard fought draw.

A reminder that some sort of scenario is always a good idea - a straight stand up fight between two armies with high BP can get a little bit grinding.

Also useful for reminding me of some War Wagon results that I completely forgot in the heat of the game.

I'm sticking with this army list until Winter Warmer, after that I'm going to add some new models and make some changes with the hope of going to Wormaster again this year.

The Men Who Would Be Kings on the NWF

The non-linear nature of time means that this game was played before the one I blogged yesterday. Or something.

Another evening with General B. without the facility to leave Chain of Command set up. We'd been talking about Colonial gaming - possibly Sudan - in what was then next year but is now this year. So I suggested we get the NWF collection out and give TMWWBK a spin.

General B. opted to take the local tribesmen as I stiffened my upper lip and led the Humberside Regiment into the foothills of Ilkestaan.

The scenario called for me to have just an 18 point force and be caught in something of an ambush!

The British in column enter the local settlement of Nathull. All seems suspiciously quiet...

Lieutenant Julius leads the column across the Nathull river

Unseen by the British tribesmen are gathering.

Strung out the troops of her majesty make a tempting target for Warlord Ballah Rhum

Fierce musket armed men block the way forward.

With a cry Ghazi tribesmen hurl themselves at the Royal Dilshad Rifles.

Who stand firm and unload with precision.

B. Company of the 99th see tribesmen on the hills as others approach from the opposite direction.

Accurate fire halts the advances.

Julius attempts to consolidate in the centre of Nathull

The initial charge has been halted.

B. Company are standing firm, despite having limited ammunition.

Disaster strikes as B. Company are first pinned by shooting then attacked by murderous tribesmen.

Who give no quarter to Her Majesty's soldiers.

More tribesemen have sneaked into the dingy alleys of Nathull

And still more approach the north of the village.

Flush with success the natives advance on the Dilshads.

The narrow streets run red with blood.

Julius finds his company under attack.

After driving off the attackers he comes under fire from the nearby hills

The Dilshads having driven back their attackers pour fire into the retreating tribesemen.

As night falls the tribesmen slink away leaving Julius in posession of the field but having to to count the cost.

A narrow victory for the British. 

At first it seemed very easy for me, something of a turkey shoot as the enemy broke cover. However the disaster with B. Company put me under all sorts of pressure and it was only some heroic (and very lucky) defence by the Dilshad rifles that prevented it turning into a massacre of the entire Humberside regiment.

Great fun game that may well have pushed the Sudan forces a bit higher up the 2026 painting queue.

A few bonus phone pictures.