Border Raid

This was a one off game we did just to take a break from the campaign and enjoy some warhammer. It was an empire vs empire battle, with B taking his Kasotians as a mercenary band led by a Border prince, having a raid on the Empire via Black fire pass. The men of the Empire were led by Ferdinand Leitdorf. This was probably a pre Averland war of succession battle where Ferdinand gained some of his military knowledge.           

The army of prince Borja
-  Prince Borja - general on Pegasus
- Sigwalda the fiery (fire wizard)
- 16 Kasotian mercenary halbediers with 2 detachments of 7 Kasotian mercenary handgunners
- 16 Kasotian mercenary halbediers with 2 detachments of 7 Kasotian mercenary handgunners
- Kasotian mercenary great cannon

Army of Averland, defenders of Black fire pass.
-Ferdinand Leitdorf-grand master, sword of strife (I think)
-The black fire pass hermit-wizard-Lv 2 lore of life
-Defender's of the Pass-50 halberds-full command
-Knight's of the blazing sun-5 knights-champion
-The Chuffnought-Steam tank!

The battle started with the Kasotian battle line advancing up to the hedge line and preparing to hold. Sigwalda however pointing her hand to the sky and called out fell words of magic. The clouds rumbled and a great cascade of fire fell from the heavens and immersed the steam tank in fire. She then fell back, a spent force, unable to remember a single spell. The Kasotians however were watching as the steam tank rolled out of the fire whole and barely blacked. (not taking a single wound from the spell!)       

The iron machine rolled forward  then turned on its wheels and fired a shot though the lines of mercenarys by the hedge, killing several of of them and sending one of the handgunner units running.   

The hermit wizard finding himself the unchallenged spell caster took the opportunity to call a dweller from below to burst from the ground and rip to shreds the main unit of spear men on the right. Only five men were left alive to flee the table! Meanwhile the knights had sized their chance and charged the handgunners, and sent them running.  

The Kasotian spears on the left then charged home into the knights with Borja thundering in on his flying steed.

The knights held out and killed a couple more spear men. But as the knightly combat continued a high whistle could be heard in a double note of warning. The steam tank built up steam and with a tremendous screech charged forward, ramming though the trees of the small wood, tearing the trees to pieces and crashing into the mounted lord! rolled over him, crushing his mount under its huge bulk! and with a quick wheel skid came to a halt. As the steam cleared and a few feathers floated down the engineer climbed out and remarked to his crew "I zink ve it someting".          

The main force of halberds had been held up in the wood picking mushrooms and messing about. but Ferdinand not stopping to even sniff one of the fungi, told his men "to stop shilly shallying, and get a move on!" Then charged off though the wood to meet Sigwalda. She rose on a pillar of fire, but with an up sweep of his sword Ferdinand cut her staff in two and with a one slash brought her down. The wizard encouraged by this, summoned a dweller from below on one of the units of handgunners, with a malevolent chuckle.          

The knights were at last put to flight by the spearmen's trumpet and retied before them. But the Wizard by now getting quite free with his spell casting summoned, a rather irritated dweller again. Who killed all but two of the spear men. 

The pictures got rather scarce now, but the steam tank was hit by a cannon and did't move, and the wizard was hit by another cannon ball. The tank shot half the cannons crew to pieces. While Ferdinand killed a unit of gunners before capturing the fleeing banner.     

The knights had a horse and rider blasted down by the last gun crew but charged home and ended the battle. 

A Great Victory For Averland!

The raiding force was sent back in tatters and Ferdinand proved himself to be a great general.   

The game had been quite quick, with things going down hill for the kasotians early on with their wizard blowing all her spells out of her head, and letting the Hermit do what he wanted in the way of summoning dwellers. The Averland halberds were unengaged the whole battle and spent two turns in a wood eating mushrooms!   

by M