War in Hempburg: 1st Battle of Hemshire Hempburg

Myself and one of the other gamers in the studio have started our own campaign (based on war in wattonford) called war in Hempburg. Each week we bring along a 750pt armylist and fight out one of the border fights between the Obsidian guard of Raspartine and the Hardenbuger army of Prince Vyshnevtsky over the border between Sylvania and Hardenburger territory.

We will be totalling up the VPS for each game, rather than using a map for this campaign. We are allowed to change our armylists for any battle, but must stick to 750pts.

This tuesday our armylists were as follows

Host of Amzel Von Dietrich

Level 2 Necromancer

15 skeletons with full command and shields

40 zombies with banner and musician

10 Grave guard with full command and shields

Flitch the evercrazed, Varghulf

Vampire Hunters

Yann the bold, Warrior priest with armour of meteoric iron, sword of battle and potion of speed

30 Free companies with standard and chapion

30 Halbediers with standard and champion

22 Greatswords with standard and champion

Both armies set up facing each other, with my force in a column between the hedges on either side. However the undead seemed to have ignored these obstacles and set up behind them.

My Vampire hunting army of Hardenburger's made up of a group of the prince's state troops as well as many local peasants from the sylvanian border lead by Yann the bold and also some state troops from the order of st.slaar (Knights Kathars).

In my turn I advanced my force as a column with the halbediers positioned behind the Peasantry and the greatswords on the flank. During my magic phase Yann prayed for the greatswords to strike with the hammer of sigmar and Morr answered it.

Then the Undead units charged into the vampire hunters. The Greatswords and the Varghulf charged into Yann's unit of local peasantry, while the dire wolves and zombie bus (as the formation is apparently termed) charged into the Prince's Greatswords.

In that round of Combat the Varghulf and Grave guard tore their way through tons of the peasantry, only looing three graveguard. The Peasantry then ran despite the attempts of Yann the bold and were run down by the skeletons.

The undead then overran into the halbediers.

However for the Greatswords things went much better and over the next two combats they chopped their way through swathes of the zombies, slaughtering twenty seven of them to just two casualties, as well as wiping out all five of the dire wolves in the first round.

The Halbediers started to put up quite a good fight killing a grave guard and wounding Flitch the Varghulf. However they took six casualties from the crazed undead troops, but they kept their nerve and stayed in the fight.

But even the Courage of the crusaders of Morr could not hold out against such evil and, taking down three grave guard as they ran the Halberdiers were slaughtered to a man.

By now Amzel Von Dietrich had grown tired of waiting and failing to cast spells and had charged with his skeletons over the wall and into the flank of the Greatswords. Bu the greatswords only lost two men to their charge.

Finally the Greatswords won out against the zombies and skeletons, wiping out both units and capturing Amzel Von Dietrich for execution in the local town as a warning to other necromancers. However they did take one more casualty.

With this I had to leave the game to play cricket (the sport of the colonial general), so with exactly 535pts killed by each of us we called the battle a draw.

Obsidian Guard 535-535 Hardenburg

The Hobbit: Incursion into Mirkwood

This game was one of my opponents first LOTR ones and as such only the spider and mouth are his models, the rest are from the studio collection.

This game was designed to represent an incursion into Mirkwood just before the events of the hobbit. I was using the 13 dwarves backed up by a force of Rohirrim lead by Thengel (father of Theoden). They were being met by the mouth of the Necromancer and the Tainted together with their orcs.

The army of the Necromancer
The tainted
The mouth of suaron
Spider Queen
6 warg riders
5 Morgul knights
12 orcs
mordor troll

Raiders of Thorin Oakenshield
Dwarf King (Thorin)
Dwarf Captain (Dwalin)
Theoden (Thengel)
Eomer (eomund)
Captain Elfhelm (Earldermund)
11 Dwarf warriors
15 riders of rohan
1 royal guard

We played the Reconoitre scenario from the Mordor sourcebook. Nearly all my men turned up (except Dwalin who had popped off behind a bush and was still failing to show) whilst only the mouth, knights and troll turned up on the Necromancer's side.

Next turn and the rest of his force showed up as I charged everything for the mouth (He's my opponents favourtie character so I wanted to prioritise his death to have a psychological effect on him). However Dwalin was still failing to turn up, no doubht it was a No. 2.

The first charge happened with my Rohirrim hitting into the Mouth and one of his knights, they let lose their throwing spears as they charged...

... and with the spears fell a morgul knight, also the Mouth took a wound from a spear and failed his fate point.

Both wings were soon falling upon the centre with the battle focused around the clash with the mouth of sauron. Thorin and Earldermund were leading their men as a flank guard directly for him while Thengel was leading his guard straight for the troll. By now Dwalin had finished behind the bush and was sprinting for the combat, almost catching up with Eomund who had been immobilised by the mouth's magic.
But behind the large clumps of undergrowth the tainted and a spider queen were moving up with their orcish hordes.

Then both forces crashede into each other! Thengel and his riders hit the troll, wounding it with a throwing spear. The mouth quickly spurred his horse, riding quickly out the way of the battle, just as the tainted was charged by Earldermund and three riders. The rest of the morgul knights were all charged by riders.
The dwarves were running fast now, but their little legs were finding it hard to get there.
The Spider queen had also spawned two spider swarms as well.

But the combat went badly for Rohan with only one morgul knight slain to three riders killed and Earldermund wounded.

The combat had gone badly with the tainted proving his worth and blasting apart loads of riders.

But now Thorin, Balin and the king's shield bearers Killi and Filli went to try their luck at the Nazgul, and very quickly they had made mince meat of the wraith to no casualties!

This turn had gone allot better, the troll had been wounded, a morgul knight had been killed and the Tainted was gone! But now the very real threat of the orc horde lead by the spider queen was swarming towards them along the flank, thr troll stil wasn't dead and Eomund remained immobilised.

Then the orcs crashed. Thorin and three other dwarves charged into the spider queen while a riderm Filli and Earldermund held up the wargs. Bombur and two others were now making their way round the undergrowth to take on the rest of the orcs. A single rider was fighting the mouth, while Bifur, Balin, Eomund, Killi and three riders were fighting his Knights. Dwalin by now had emerged into the centre of the fighting but was still to late to join in for the moment. The troll was also trapped by Thengel's riders!

And the Dwarves did their magic yet again! Thorin and Bofur hacked apart the spider queen whilst Filli and Earldermund slaughtered their way through the warg riders. Thengel also won renown, slaying the mighty troll, whilst only one morgul knight remained standing.

It appeared now that the mouth and the last knight were surrounded and the only way they could survive was if the orcs broke through the dwarven lines, a very unlickly event.

 Now all the fury of Rohan came to bear on the Mouth of Sauron! Thengel, Eomund, Bifur, Killi and a royal guard surrounded him, to make sure that the evil one did not tell his master of the events of the field! His faithful orcs however did come to his rescue but were all intercepted by dwarven warriors! Including the mighty Dwalin and Balin

And with only one round of combat the mouth was slain and all but three of his orcs and a swarm of spiders were slain. However the mighty knight duelled on, being surrounded by Eomund, Thengel, Dwalin and three riders.

 Under the banner of Rohan and by the hands of men and dwarves, the last of Morgul did fall to spear and axe!

And with but one spider swarm and two orcs remaining the Battle was pronounced a joint victory for Thengel and Thorin Oakenshield, kings of great kingdoms

Searching Sylvania for scones

Searching Sylvania

This is one of the few outings that my Orcs ever make, so snap it up while you can! For those of you who havn't read the background to my Orc army, They are the waaaagh of Robbie da brute and are formed from Clans of Talllanders and Shortlanders from Northern Albion. They managed to breech the northern coastal defences of Bretonnia and are now ravaging the old world, popping up all over the place and skipping from here to there in their quest for the stone of scones (some orcs believe it will give them domination over the whole world, Robbie believes it will give unity, whilst others believe it will produce endless scones!). Along the way Robbie da brute was overthrown by Grimgor and is now naught but his puppet (Grimgor believes that the stone is just a stone that looks like a scone, but he has come along because of the fighting envolved!)
We used 1500pts each with the Objective of Braking your opponent (standards each count as 1 point, general counts as 2. Once you are on 2 or less pts you are broken). The game ends when the first force is broken.
We counted up our points and I was on 8 while the vampires were on 5.

Obsidian Guard
Raspartine (konrad von carstein)
Necromancer
Necromancer
29 skeletons
30 zombies
18 crypt ghouls
5 dire wolves
20 grave guard
corpse cart
Flitch (varghulf)

Da Scone Hunters
Grimgor Ironhide
Black orc Army battle standard
Murker (goblin boss) on Gigantic spider
Nigel da Squig Farmer (Savage orc shman) on boar
15 boyz
5 spider riders
5 wolf riders
5 savage orc boar boy big uns
10 Black orcs (Da immortulz)
mangler squig
doom diver
Kholec Bonecrusher (Savage orc Giant)

This was the starting positions with konrad facing off Grimgor, Two killers in their own right.

Vanguards
The dire wolves made for the Goblin wolf riders, forcing them in turn to vanguard out of the way.
Murker's spider riders then charged straight for the tower, scalling the walls and holding it.

Vampire turn 1
The undead horde of Raspartine then rose up from behind the dry stone walls, climbing over them and advancing towards the Greenskin host.
Vampire Magic
with their hordendous magical powers the two necromancers raised up twelve more zombies in the zombie unit. They also blasted off at Grimgor, killing one Immortul

Greenskins 8 - 5 Vampires

Greenskin turn 1

Grimgor's band then made their move. The Boyz and Wolf riders lead, under the army's battle standard charged into the vanguarding dire wolves.

Murker on his gigantic spider then climbed up over the tower, dislodiging the other spiders and moveing them and himself onto the flanks of the undead horde.

Grimgor and the Immortulz held themselves back advancing towards Raspartine and the crypt ghouls but staying out of charge range.

The rest of the army advanced slowly towards the undead, whilst Kholec ran as fast as he could to get round the tower. We now had the Undead encircled with hard nuts in their centre and lighter beasts on their flanks.

Green skin Shooting

The doom diver let loose a skydiving gobbo at Raspartine, but the Gobbo failed to kock him or his tough troops, only managing to kill two crypt ghouls.

Greenskin combat

In the combat the wolf riders and boyz ripped to shreds the Dire wolves, only taking one goblin casualty. Both units then overran towards Raspartine and the ghouls.

Greenskins 8 - 5 Vampires

Vampire turn 2
In the movement the Zombies and Flitch both charged the Talllander boar boyz facing off against them. Raspartine and his Guard also charged the Boyz lead by the Immortul with the battle standard. The crypt ghouls tried a charge at Grimgor, but ended it within the lake, which claimed another ghoul.
Vampire Magic
The necromancer's then started blasting more up with their magic, channeling gaze of Nagash into Nigel, blasting the Shaman back and forbiding me the chance to stamp all over the skeletons and zombies with foot of gork. They also raised up a skeleton
Vampire Combat.
In the devestating combat Flitch the ever crazed lived up to his reputation in the Empire of being able to slay regiments. With all of his Five attacks Flitch struck down all five of the Boar boyz single handedly before they could move. He then Overan straight for the doom diver

Greenskins 5 - 5 Vampires

Unsuprisingly Raspartine wiped out ten of the orcs on his own and left the others and the Black orc to his guard who only took two casualties. But he was unable to control himself and overran terribly, putting himself in direct target for a charge by Grimgor!

Greenskin turn 2
The mangler squig then burst its bonds, hurtling and bouncing through the zombies and then off Flitch's head before coming to rest in front of him. They took down three zombies and wounded Flitch twice. Then the chargers started with Grimgor and Da Immortulz crashing into Raspartine and his guard. Also the Wolf riders flank charged the Ghouls and Murker charged the Corpse cart.
Kholec then came slowly lumbering up as usual, doubhtful wether the orcs would "let him have a go"
Greenskin shooting
The Doom diver let off, hoping to hit Flitch in the back, but the doom diver went giding off onto the Skeletons killing two.
Greenskins 5- 5 Vampires

Greenskin combat
Grimgor and Da Immortulz hacked their way through fifteen grave guard, Grimgor challenging Raspartine (who wisely refused and was forced to slink away to the back) and only taking two casualties, but with the Grave guard still standing Grimgor looked set for a long hard slog as the zombies where perched on their rear.
The wolf riders did particularly well carving through eight ghouls whilst only taking one casualty.
Murker then smashed his way through the corpse cart, hacking it to bits and overrunning straight into the Skeletal flank. This would have been worrying if I had not had the spider riders perched on their rear. However even then it looked difficult

Vampire turn 3
Unsuprisingly the Zombies rear charged Grimgor's unit and Flitch charged the doom diver and crew.

Vampire combat
Grimgor again challenged Raspartine, but the cowardly vampiric general failed to meet his counter part in single combat and again refused. In that round of combat Grimgor and his men only magnaged to kill two Grave guard and lost two casualties to the skeletal guards, only just passing a LD test to stop them fleeing.
The wolf riders had bette luck, striking down five ghouls to no casualties them selves.
Mean while Murker and the spiders tore apart seven skeletons, taking none in return.
The now blood crazed Flitch set about dissembouling the Gobbo doom divers and eventually smashed up the machine.

Greenskins 5 - 5 Vampires

Greenskin turn 3
In an amazing stroke of luck the Squigs went the only direction that they could of done effectivly, leaping throught the Zombies and destroying five. My spiders then flank charged the skeltons.

Greenskins 4 - 4 Vampires

Greenskin combat
The cowardly Raspartine again cowered away from the enthusiastic Grimgor, letting the rest of his guard be hacked to bits by the crazed Orcs who only took but one casualty in return.
The Wolf riders killed one Ghoul, but lost two gobbos plus their standard, things were getting close.
Murker and his Gunger gobbos then set about disassembling the Skeletons, smashing up fourteen skeletons to only two spiders killed, however murker's mount was wounded twice.

Vampire turn 4
Flitch tried a charge for Grimgor, desperate to save his master form shame and defeat, but stumbled juping over the wall and failed the charge.

Vampire Combat
Grimgor now enraged that all the skeletons were gone turned his wrath on the cowering Raspartine, hurling his axe through the retreating vampire's skull! He and his men the turned on the zombies hacking up five of them, but taking two casualties, including the banner!
The Frenzied crypt ghoul then struck down the last gobbo, ripping apart his wolf.

Greenskins 3 - 1 Vampires

Up with Murker the Spiders and goblins smashed up all of the skeletons but the champion (including the necromancer) and leaving the banner for the Gunger Gobbos to capture.

The battle had ended, with the Obsidian guard leaving with just the zombies' banner left and the Orcs leaving with their General and Goblin standard flying! It was a close game but a good victory and since I had more than half my army left (including the practically useless Giant) Grimgor was very much the victor.... But did the stone show? NO!

Greenskins 3 - 1 Vampires

Monster of the Match The Vampires man of the match was definatly Flitch the evercrazed Varghulf. He had smashed all five Savage orc Boar boy big uns with 6+ ward saves into the mud on his own and in one turn before taking out the Doom diver and almost charging Grimgor, this last action (had he rolled but one more inch) would almost certainly have won this famous Varghulf the game.

Gobbo of the Match Playing with an army that contained Grimgor I would always say he was man of the match, however I don't want to bore you all with weapon skill 8, strength 8, attacks 5, always strike first, re-roll to hit, immune to psychology, 1+ armour save and 5+ ward save so i've chosen Murker on his Gigantic spider (which I got from burger king many years ago...). With the sword of might (and seed of Rebirth which did actually save him once) he was an impressive strength 5, which is higher than most orc heroes and as strong as Grimgor's base strength. He tore his way thorough 19 skeletons and corpse cart and a necromancer, finally taking down the last standard of the Vampires.

Battle of Cenad Ridge, 20th Febuary 1452

Sveneslav, Dregator of Sannicolau Mare, had been over seeing the administrative matters of his town that morning, herding in the oxen for branding. But he had been interrupted with the arrival of a great party of Mercenaries, Poles and Bavarians as it would appear, and with them rode King Vlad Tepes of all Wallachia. However Vlad had not come to cut a ribbon for the town, his retainers were grabbing every able bodied man and herding them up in the centre of the village. The blacksmiths shop was ransacked of tools and they were distributed amongst the men.
Sveneslav turned his horse and rode over to the king and his Bavarian retinue. "Ah our good Friend Sveneslav, it turns out that today you have the honour of hosting an incursion by our kindly neighbours the Hungarians. My Almughavar (Catalan Spanish) mercenaries have reported that a large army of English mercenaries, on leave from France (Hundred Years war) and in the pay of Ladislaus (King of Hungary), heading straight for Cenad Ridge. Turn out your men in their Darabantis (Peasant Guerillas) and ready your Curteni (Sons and Civil servants), then we will ride for Cenad." so said Vlad Tepes Dracul III

This was a game played out at my local gaming club. It had three different forces, with mine being made solely of my own models (a mixture of Old glory and Games Workshop). The sides consisted of teh following

Wallachia
Vlad the Impaler
Vlad's Bavarian Bodyguard (14)
Polish knights (5)
Sveneslav's Curtreni
Darabanti (15)
Darabanti (15)

England
Count
Standard
Mounted Men at arms (12)
Dismounted Men at arms (10)
Longbowmne (16)

Austrian Mercenaries
Halberdiers (12)
Longbowmen (14)

The Tower situated on the field was the piece of terrain I placed using Vlad's Strategist special rule. I then placed my two Darabanti units behind the tower and the central hill. I then placed Vlad's bavarian guard behind the hill ready to support the Darabanti and the Curteni and Polish Garda Domneasca either side of the hill and in the spaces between the woods ready to help the flanks.
The Austrian Mercenaries had quite a nice little effect on the game.
Before play started both the English and Wallachians put up secret pieces of paper with our deals to the Austrians written on them. We would then at the end of the game have to full fill what we wrote if the mercenaries were fighting for us.
I offered the measly 102vps ("2" just for insult) and what ever they could catch, as you can probably see I was fairly certain that I could win without them (Those of you who have seen how I play against vampires in fantasy will know that it is a policy of mine to never dispsl summoning spells, and I always profess that a few extra units won't win you the game). It soon became clear that the English had entered into a better bargain, and I believe they offered Half Vps, his sons hand in marriage and half his daughters land. Personally I wouldn't have given that much to mere mercenaries, especially only 26 of them.

"Sveneslav and his two sons and five administrative boyars had mounted and were riding across the field towards a line of stakes along the northern ridge overlooking Cenad ridge. Behind the stakes he could see a huge line of longbowmen. The same longbowmen that thirty seven years earlier, on st. crispin's day, had massacred the French Knights at Agincourt. As his son unfurled his banner he couldn't help reminding himself of this previous battle, but this time his Darabanti were making their way around the flanks of the English to roll up the line of longbows before he charged.

"But before he could have second thoughts Vlad Dracul's Herald rode past, sounding the charge. He kicked his spurs into his horse, and with the Dracul's standard blowing in the breeze above him he charged his horse straight for the stakes of the longbows. As he rode he looked to his left and saw his other Darabanti forming up on the top of Cenad ridge, that at least was now in their hands."

On the far side of the field however the heralds had reported to the Dracul that "The field is no longer Polish and the Angles stand triumphant". They reported that "The Winged knights of Poland have ridden into the gully, and there the flower of Polish chivalry fell, to a man, to the lances of the nobility of England! Now the Austrian forces stand on their flanks, but wether they shall aide us or our enemies is still unknown to us, my liege." It was still in doubht who's side the Austrians were fighting on however.

"In front of Sveneslav he suddenly saw the Darabanti emerge. He had just suffered a hail of arrows, which had lost him three of his Curteni, but now the bowmen were bolting, abandoning their stakes as the Darabanti hacked their way through them. Then Sveneslav swung up his mace, brought round his shield and charged for the Englishmen. His horse lept over the stake and ditch, crushing them under its hooves as the Curteni ran down the Longbowmen. Soon Sveneslav was satnding admist piles of dead longbowmen, he was staring straight at the English count and his entourage, who were not looking quiet so happy... Indeed it seemed that Death walked amongst them..."

Count Peter of  Gore was standing atop his horse, his standard dismounted and holding his horse on his left and his Fools, Heralds and Bodyguard on his right. He himself was flying his falcon over the field. In front of him stood his Men at arms, dismounted from their steeds to provide a bodyguard.
However the Count was by now less passive, and with the destruction of his Bows and stakes he now realised that he was in an extremly dangerous position. His entire force (if his Son's hand in marriage and half his daughter's lands had proved tempting) was positioned on the far right of the field.

"By now Sveneslav had turned his Curteni to face the English rear. With the charge of the Darabanti the count's retinue had fled the field and the Men at arms had gone tearing off after the fleeing peasants. Now Count Peter of Gore was alone, save for his standard, and faced with Sveneslav, the curteni and a band of Darabanti. Things looked down for the English"

But by now the English Knights had turned and were galloping for the ridge, where Vlad and his bodyguard stood defiant.
"Vlad looked down form the top of Cenad ridge. The English knights were charging for him and behind them came the Austrian mercenaries. Vlad was by now preparing for the Anglo-Austrian alliance when the Austrian bowmen let lose a hail of arrows at his Bavarians. But as Vlad expected they held, their full plate armour resisting all arrows! He hefted up his shield and drew his sword, soon he would lead a charge down the hill into the english knights!"

"Sveneslav spurred his horse! He rode down onto the count, but failed to defeat the warrior lord. However now the count and his Men at arms were surrounded by two bands of Darabanti, the curteni and the Bavarians! The English looked done for"

"Vlad could not believe his fortune! The hot headed Anglish knights had ridden straight past the ridge, riding for their count. They had completly underestimated Vlad and his Bavarian Landsknetchs, and they charged the cream of english nobility in their flanks, slaying many of them and sending them into panic, disorder and eventually flight. Now Vlad was preparing his men for the Austrian attack, whilst on Cenad ridge his followers dragged the bodies of the slain knights up poles and impaled them as a sign to the rest of the angles!"

"Sveneslav could now see that the sky was darkening and he knew that they would have to pull back soon, just then one of Vlad's heralds rode up to him, sounding the fall back. As he entered the village Vlad came up to him, the battle had been inconclusive. Vlad would have to fall back to his capital, but the Count's army could by no means continue and would also have to fall back. Cenad ridge was safe for now."

The Battle ended with the Mercenaries killing two bavarians with their longbows.

I finished with twelve bavarians, five curteni, twenty six darabanti and vlad to two units of austrian mercenaries, ten men at arms and two characters.

I had killed loads and was in a strong position, but my tempremental units and the indecisive ness of the battle forced us to call it a draw.