Boris Johannes Marcov, Archlector of Hardenburg, looked out across the clearing in front of him. The glade was situated where the haunted forest left the border princedoms and entered the dread realm of Sylvania. His men were forming up after their long and dangerous march through the forest so far. They had been marching for many months, but soon they could all stop! If they broke Rashkar the ripper's hordes in this battle they would be marching back to Hardenburg, drums beeting, men singing and hearts flying! But as the Archlector, who in the prince's madness and his son's absence, practically ruled Hardenburg's empire, looked out across the glade and saw before him the mighty hordes of skeletons, zombies and ghouls together with the towering Terrorgheist and mighty Varghulf he wondered if it would be possible to defeat such a host. "To Morr be the glory!" he cried and spurred his cart onwards, followed by his bodyguard of Kathars.
This was the final battle where the fate of Sylvania and Estalia would be decided, the pinacle of the Obsidian war. The vampiric force was 2250pts in strength, where as my list was 2750pts. However the ghouls had inflicted much damage on my army and I would not be using what I had lost in the previous game.
Rashkar the ripper's Obsidian guard
Rashkar the ripper, ghoul king
Dimitr Von Bluud, vampire
Aldabert the Old, necromancer in corpse cart
20 crypt ghouls
50 skeleton spearmen
30 zombies
25 zombies
20 grave guard
7 dire wolves
the Forestfiend, varghulf
Wrackjaw, terrorgheist
Remnants of the Hardenburger marines
Boris Johannes Marcov, Archlector on war altar
Yann the bold, warrior priest
8 knights
7 knights
5 knights (reserves)
30 free companies
30 greatswords
30 halberdiers
4 outriders
Carronade, Great cannon
The last stegadon of Kislev, Landship
Move
The movement saw all but my cannon advance, with the dire wolves vanguarding into the tower before hand. My Border princedom knights then came on from reserve having taken their time to rally and follow the rest of the force down the road.
Magic
Yann prayed to Morr that the Outriders would shoot and hit like the hammer of slaar, and Boris attempted to use the golden griffon to banish the skeletons... however it was blocked by the vampires wards.
Shooting
Shooting saw the Outriders and crew of the Stegadon letting off a fusilade of shots at the smaller zombie unit, blasting apart sixteen of them and leaving the unit naught but useless.
Move
The movement saw the dire wolves and Varghulf go hearing past boris and his knights, straight for the troublesome cannon. Rashkar and his ghouls then piled into the Stegadon and Dimitr and his Grave guard smashed into the knights of the black bear. The terrorgheist then centeralised itself leaving the poor peasantry with nothing to chase on the left flank.
In the magic phase Rashkar healed up his behemothic pet but failed to cast any more spells as Boris calmly dispelled them.
Shooting
In the shooting phase the Terrorgheist opened up his jaw and screamed with everything he had at the outriders. After wards there was nothing but a bunch of headless horsemen left as their ears emploded
Melee went terribly for the men of the empire! The stegadon, embroiled in combat as it was managed to wound Rashkar with its thunderstomp. However the Ghouls managed to take the Stegadon down to four wounds from twelve! But the stegadon won combat and another ghoul died.
Less luck was had by the knights and Dimitr and his graveguard slaughtered them all with no casualties on their own side!
Move
In the movement phase I charged the greatswords and Yann into Rashkar's unit of Ghoulies! Boris Johannes and the knights Kathar then charged Aldabert in his corpse cart. The archlector challenged the necromancer and he slank off from the combat. My halberdier horde then charged Von Bluud and his grave guards.
Magic
In the magic phase the archlector prayed to Morr for the healing of the Stegadon and his prayers were answered with the complete revival of the beast (four wounds - twelve)
Shooting
Being able to shoot out of combat the Culverin combined with the Great cannon then let loose at the Terrorghesit. The culverin hit and took the beast to two wounds (which would no doubht be healed again next turn) however the Great cannon misfired and the crew could not fire it for another turn (by which time the dire wolves would have charged).
Combat
In the ensuing brawls Yann and the Stegadon teamed up against Rashkar, taking him down to just one wound! The greatswords then suceeded in killing off seven of the ghouls but the stegadon then took three wounds from the ghouls and their king.
Over on the left flank Dimitr and his grave guard easily butchered up all of the Halberdier horde, taking but two casualties. The Guards then overran into the border princedom's flank.
Boris and the Kathars on the right had more luck, smashing up the corpse cart and wounding Aldabert with combat resolution!
Move
The movement phase saw the dire wolves hurtle into the great cannon, "exactly what they are meant to do, kill warmachines!". Wrack jaw, on but two wounds, then smashed his way into combat with the Greatswords, hoping to relieve his master of this burden. After all this the Zombie bus and skletal horde charged in to help their necromancer against the Kathars.
Magic
Unfortunatly for the vampires Morr was behind Boris' dispelling this turn and they failed to heal either Rashkar (one wound) or Wrackjaw (two wounds). It would be a bad round of combat for both!
Shooting
With two mighty screams Master and Terrorgheist yelled as hard as they could at the Greatswords and stegadon. Wrack jaw managed to kill four of the swordsmen while his master damaged to stegadon's ear drums terribly
Combat
Melee went catastrophicly for the vammpires. In the centre it took just a thunder stomp from the Stegadon and Rashkar was dead, no longer would he trouble Hardenburg's walls or Rspartine's power. The great swords and Yann then made short work of another five ghouls before the rest of the greatswords and the champion launched themselves at Wrackjaw. The poor terrorghesit did not know what had hit him and the prince's guard easily hacked it to bits, sending smashed bone and severed muscle in every direction! But all was not sunshine and the stegadon was again reduced to but three wounds.
On the right and left it went just as bad. The border prince knights proving hard as nails against Dimitr and his grave guard's attacks, taking no casualties and the archlector and his knights hacked to bits Aldabert, but the skeletons did manage to kill a Kathar.
Then the crumbling started....
Move
Save for the Knights reforming to face van Bluud and the peasantry marching round the clock of morr, to appear on the flank/rear of the vampiric remnants it was uneventful.
Magic
Magic again saw Boris heal up the stegadon to full wounds.
Shoot
Save for the culverin blasting a skeleton spear man to dust, shooting was as uneventful as magic.
Melee was more interesting. The Stegadon and Greatswords easily made mincemeat of the five remaining ghouls (the stegadon taking a wound in the process) before reforming with the stegadon facing Van bluud and his hero/monster killing grave guard while the Greatswords faced the forest fiend, who had so far done naught.
Van Bluud then made quick work of two moe knights. Boris and the kathars then smashed their way through another eight skeletal spearmen.
Magic
After raising back four of his guards, Van bluud took out his at the knights by creating a wind of undeath that went hurtling over the border princes (killing two) and flying towards the stegadon.
Combat
In the combat the Kathars and Boris failed to do any wounds, Van bluud on the left also failed to kill the Border prince, but took a wound from the hardy knight!
The forest fiend (who had thrown himself on the greatsword horde) managed to kill one of the guardsmen but was struck down by them in turn.
Move
A failed charge from the greatswords and the Stegadon's 3 inch "all out" move later and the movement was over.
Magic
Magic consisted of healing the stegadon, no other fun was had by Morr (sorry for the pun)
In the combat phase the archlector and his knights, together with their horses, hacked their way through seven of the skeletons, and again took no more wounds in return. And as the other phases combat proved just as short.
Dimitr von Bluud and his guards then charged smack into the Stegadon, this was a big mistake. The stegadon thunderstomped on the vampire (having evaded all the grave guard's blows) and squished him flat. Epic Crumble time!!!!
With the light failing and the Vampires accepting defeat it proved a glorious day for the Imperial forces. In the end the points for both games were as follows:
Vampire counts: 1376 vps
Empire: 1944 vps
Average Victory to Hardenburg!
Though but an average victory the significance made it twice as important! Beating off the combined efforts of both Peredur II (having fled from the field) and Rashkar the Ripper (having been hacked to pieces)
Boris Johannes Marcov, Archlector of Hardenburg and conqueror of Southern Sylvania, stood atop the gigantic corpse of the terrorgheist. Around him the Kathars walked the field, smashing apart every skull they came across and burning the dead and rotting flesh. The stegadon, tired and slothful from a long day of combat lay sleeping under the shade of an Oak (which was budding). Yann had nailed the vampire Rashkar's decapitated body to a stake formed from the banners and spears of the undead legion. Around Wrack jaws body the peasants and greatswords (ogres included) stood and sang their praises to Morr, lead by the strong voice of the Archlector. In between the hymns the men cheared "We're going home to Hardenburg, and by Morr (some of the peasants shouted to Ursun) we'll get ourselves a ship and brake the Bretons to!""
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