The Western Marches: Battle of Wraithwood

 Some time ago now, my friend Chris descended upon our realms here in North Carolina once more to darken the skies with crossbow bolts and cause the ground to rumble with the clattering of a thousand dice. He brought with him a very lovely force of 15mm Renaissance figures painted up as a the retained men of a noble house within the Kingdom of Wallonce in his Western Marches setting.  We played two games of Dragons Rampant during his visit, this first game he squared up against our other friend Chris (I know, it gets confusing), who brought a sizeable force of very spooky skeletons to plague the realms of men with.  As this was in October of last year, I'm a little hazy on the exact disposition of forces and a direct play by play, but I'm going to attempt to catalog the tenor of the game as best as I can below

The Game Size was 24pts and they were playing the "Into the Valley of Certain Death" Scenario, which sees both armies attempting to move off the opposing table edge, through the enemy army and a table filled with dangerous terrain. 

The Retinue of Lord Hollowell of Wallonce

Painted by Chris H.

Lord Hollowell [Elite Foot]

-Goader

Pikemen Militia [Light Foot]

Halberdier Militia [Light Foot] 

                                                Crossbow Militia [Heavy Missiles]

                                               

                                               Alchemist's Company [Scouts w/ 'Spellcaster']

   The Unquiet Dead of the Wraithwood

    Painted by Chris Mc.

   The Bone Lich Mull'Occm [Light Foot w/ Undead]

    4x Skeleton Warriors [Light Foot w/ Undead]

 

    Skeleton Archers [Light Missiles w/ Undead]

 

                                                 Wraiths [Lesser Warbeasts w/ Undead]

An overview of the table before deployment, the forest stands, and the giant mushrooms are all counted as dangerous terrain for the purposes of this scenario, no doubt the evil magic tainting the Wraithwood has seeped deep into the roots of the trees, and encouraged them to new heights of arboreal malice.

A view of the Walloncian line, the ranged arquebuses and crossbows deployed to the right, and the pikes and halberdiers on the left, both wings using the hostile terrain to their advantage, encouraging the undead host to march through a hail of bolts and bullets across dangerous and rough terrain to get to grips with them

The undead, however, have the numbers to weather the fire, and the Wraiths have the 'ranger' ability allowing them to cross through terrain features without distress (after all, who best to traverse the Wraithwood but the Wraiths themselves)

multiple Regiments of Skeleton Warriors move to engage the Walloncian Pikes along the left flank, but several units falter in the rough terrain or fail to organize well enough to charge just yet. Resulting in several Undead units strung out in dangerous terrain, with only one unit making it into close quarters with the Humans on the left.

The Wraiths on the Right have better luck, crashing into the Alchemist's Company and causing some casualties. If the Wraiths can continue to roll up into the Crossbows, it could prove disastrous for the Humans, by taking away their ranged advantage. 

Lord Hollowell and his retainers survey the battle, waiting for the most opportune moment to commit to the fight in earnest.

The Undead were repulsed from the Pikemen and lost a scattering of other units to the restless spirits of the trees. Walloncian strength of arms was holding the line firm for the moment.

Taking decisive action in the center, the Halberdier Militia charged into the entangled Skeleton Warrior units. They made some good progress in causing damage to the skeletons, but not as much as they would have hoped, and were rewarded for their bravery with a hail of arrow fire from the Skeleton Archers, which did a brutal number on the unit, and broke the spirit of the rest, causing them to flee. The Pikes slew another depleted unit of Skeletons but were overwhelmed at last by the last of the Undead's reserve, collapsing the entirety of the Walloncian left.

The Right faired little better, with the Alchemist's Company being slain or fleeing from the Wraith's attack. The Crossbows finished off the battered unit of Wraiths, but they too found themselves overrun by the last of a damaged Skeleton Warriors unit.

Lord Hollowell stands alone. defiant in the face of the Wraithwood's evil

While things might appear grim for the Men of Wallonce, a unit of Elite Foot with a leader is a daunting prospect in Dragons Rampant, and Chris H. did a lot to whittle down the threats on the table with his foot and missiles, before ever engaging with the Elite Foot. Essentially the Humans have a very powerful, heavily armored unit, capable of moving and performing actions reliably, versus the remaining undead force which is comprised primarily of light archers and lightly damaged light foot.

The Archers open fire onto Lord Hollowells Retinue, but struggle to score damage against their Armor 4, despite getting a fair number of hits.

The last of the Skeleton Warriors, move to charge the Humans, but fail to activate sadly, leading to Lord Hollowell's forces engaging and destroying the last of the Skeletal Warriors

With the dedicated melee infantry gone, the game was largely decided. The Skeleton Archers fired off a parting volley into the retinue, effecting no casualties, and vanished into the dark eaves of the Wraithwood, no doubt taking the word of the defeat to their Dark Masters

The Banner of Lord Hollowell stands tall on the battlefield, and the first rays of sunlight break over the gray cast clouds, lightening the heaviness in the air and returning some life to the haunted trees and dead grass. The Dark Magic of the Wraithwood has been repulsed for now but at a considerable human cost, no great reveille will be held this night, merely a stoic toast that those that fell did not do so in vain.

Minor Walloncian Victory. 

Jornath 40k: Fires on the Coast

As part of the ongoing Battle for Jornath, and in recognition of the release of Kill team, i modified the 2nd mission in the Assault on Nizajain Isle campaign, to fit into the specifications for kill teams size. 


Prelude:  The port town of Bolasku, could always have been described as important to Jornath, its shipwrights crafted expert naval vessels of all kinds,  and it was a major source of planetary trade, between the merchant guilds.  During the War for Jornath. It became much more than a vital seaside production and trade center, as the city was located inside the decimated stretch of land where the Ork Rokks made planetfall.  Its position, placed its ship crafting facilities, and miles of material warehouses in easy reach of the Ork invaders.  The threat this posed was not lost on the Imperium who stationed the 6th Kula Conservator Cohort,  and 1st Royal Neohuscarl in the city.  Both regiments were slain to a man defending the position in the first 18 hours of the Summer Invasion. With the orks in control of the dockyards, and threat of a breakout in the north a dangerously real possibility the Imperium sends its most elite forces to kill the Mek’s and destroy their workshops in the Dockyards.  

The Raid on Bolasku.

It was not long after the last PDF unit had been overrun that the Meks of Da Magistork, and Urk's Oddz-n-Boberz set to work "modifying" existing Imperial water craft, and building their own rough shod flotsam. The intent was clear to Imperial Command,  the Orks, at least a subset of the central forces that landed, were intending to find their breakout by sailing out of Bolasku. Potentially threatening every continent. A preemptive assault was planned,  to stall the Orks and potentially eliminate some of their leadership, while the whole of the Imperial arsenal could be readied to obliterate this new breakout attempt.   With the White Scars busy in the south,  and the Blood Angels and the Jornathi Special Operations Battalion tied up in the north, the only unengaged Imperial QRF belongs to the Mortifactors under Captain Vorodivio and the Dreadmare Companions, who had only just arrived in-system.  Having decided the time finally required his forces action, Captain Vorodivio struck forth

This Operation would be known as  Furori Alati

Furori Alati, was determined to be tactically inconclusive,  while the Mortifactor assault bought the defenders of Nizajain Island valuable days, it failed to successfully assassinate the Ork Mek Gubbtvurr.


The Straights of Grehazin

The delay bought the Imperial Navy the time it needed to perpare massed flight wings, ranging from marauder bombers, thunderbolts, lightings, retro fitted Aquila landers, and Jornathi Aeroscants out of Altheri Hive,  all brought to bear against the Ork fleet, and the Dockyards at Bolasku. The carnage was tremendous, thousands of Xenos vessels were sent to the sea floor; but through the sheer numbers typical of their race, some aliens still remained despite the losses, and made it into South Western Nizajain's reef structures known as the Straights of Grehazin, allowing the Ork vessels to shelter from Imperial close air support for a time and gather strength.   Knowing this could not be allowed to occur, the Space Marines of the Dreadmare Companions,  and Kill Teams of Imperial Navy Ratings made surgical strikes on board several Ork capital ships, in a bid to cripple the Ork's momentum and begin infighting amongst the alien survivors.




The fighting on board these vessels was close and messy.  Exactly the sort of fighting that Orks thrive in,   but careful tactics and low cunning saw the Imperium victorious on many ships,  though at a dear cost in manpower.  Of the 1300 Navymen deployed to the Straights only 43 returned to Orbit,  and 15 Battle Brothers of the Dreadmare Companions were rated as Epsilon Level casualties.  The Orks had not been stopped everywhere however,  but the surgical strikes had finally balanced the incredible numerical advantage bearing down on the Isle Guards of Nizajain.

It was up to the faith and fire of these brine soaked men to hold the strategically vital Isle against the Greenskin.


Until Next time.

-Your Favorite Madman-

The Tale of the West Arc (pt1)

In 4534, the nations of the world initiated the 3rd World War.  It was inevitable… though we had tried all we could to stop it.   

The great nations, and corporate states of humanity tore into each other across the cities, farms and oil fields of every continent. Anti-gravity tanks, robotics, and mechanized suits yielding casualties as high as 2 billion,  thanks to rampant overpopulation,  the supply of warm bodies was plentiful.

At first, the conflict was kept conventional,  the forbidden weapons of our past being kept locked away in their darkened silos. But it was too great a temptation, and the sins of man were made manifest in wholesale destruction and horror.   Gravitic, Ionic, and Nuclear weapons scoured the Earth into heated ash deserts. Only a handful of nations and the off world colonies were spared from the 

holocaust

.

The colonies could not hold all the survivors for long,  illness, civil unrest and anarchy threatened to exterminate us. In a final gambit,  1.5 million souls each were placed aboard “The Western Arc”  and “The Eastern Arc”   given all the technology, research and information that humanity had, they were pointed at opposite halves of the milky way, and sent to find a new home….

While the Fate of both Eastarc and the Sol. Colonies  would make bold tales in their own right.

This Is the Tale of Westarc.   

- To be Continued...



Last painting is by Reid Southen.

Black Templar Chapter Serf

Hello everyone.
The local gaming group is holding a bit of a campaign that i'm participating in, with a Black Templar's army, as a change of pace from my chaos troops.  Anyway, i'm using the unpainted Equinox Protectorate guys from the Pilgrims of Rust that i've never gotten around to finishing, and turned them into some Serf's to supplement the Marines in the field.

Very simple, but i think it will look good on the whole, as it will contrast from the Black Templars' themselves who are heavily ornamented.


-You Favorite Madman-

Blood Angels Painting Commission.

Hey all, i thought i'd post up a pic of the test mini for a paint commission i got for generic Blood Angels. I think he turned out pretty well, since i was told to do "Tabletop Quality" this is what I've settled on.  In addition to this commission this week is the big conclusion to my "Senior Project" in high school, so I've been preoccupied getting ready for my boards presentation this Thursday.   I hope to have much, much more hobby goodness to provide to you all after that is said and done.   I plan on working on the Rouge Trader crew members and the Nurgle Bikers, as soon as I've finished with these Blood Angels.

Without further ado...

That's all for now.  Hope to get some shots of a local club's charity gamesday, thats happening on Saturday, as well as some more Blood Angels and Pilgrims Fandex stuff, with perhaps a smattering of misc. hobby junk thrown in over the course of the next couple weeks leading up to Yule, Hanukkah, Christmas etc... etc..


                                                              - Your Favorite Madman-

Fandex HQ Entries Part 1

Hey all, i know you are all eager for some mini's and what not, but i drew up a couple more sketches for the Fandex, and so i thought that i'd give you their entries in the army list (all i've got so far, other than the fluff mind you).

First up we have.


Lord of the Knights. 

Points: 100 

Ws- 4
Bs- 4
S- 4
T- 5
W- 4
I- 3
A- 3
Ld- 10
Sv- 3+

Equipment: Bolter, Power Maul, Power Armor, Frag & Krak Grenades

Options: Can purchase Wargear from the "Runious Powers" section of the Armory.

Special Rules: Fearless, Independent Character, Feel No Pain 

Arch-Heretic: A Lord of the Knights, may only be taken if an another HQ choice is selected that is not itself a Lord of the Knights or a Special Character.   

Ideological Schism (Ruinous Powers) - Cannot join Secessionist squads or purposely move within 3'' of one. Any Secessionist Infantry unit that flees within 3'' of this unit, immediately suffers a shooting attack from this unit as this unit attempts to purge the "weaker half" of the army.    




Heretek 

Points: 60

Ws- 3
Bs- 3
S- 4
T- 4
W- 2
I- 3
A- 2
Ld- 8
Sv- +3

Equipment:  Warptaint Harness*, Plasma pistol, Power Armor.

Special Rules: Independent Character, Dark Mechanicus 

Warptaint Harness: A daemon possessed servo harness, adds D3 extra attacks to the Heretek, and counts as a Power Sword.  It radiates warp energies and provides a 5+ invulnerable save to the wearer and any models with the "Dark Mechanicus" special rule within 6".  

Black Catechisms: Re-buffs the machine spirit of a damage vehicle with the soul of a tormented captive. If the Heretek is in base contact with a vehicle he can choose to repair one Hull Point, on a D6 roll of 5+ the point is repaired, on a roll of 1, the soul lashes free of its prison, dealing one wound to the Heretek, with armor save allowed.  






Thats all for now folks !



                                           - Your Favorite Madman-

15mm Necromunda Board & 40k Misc Figs

Hey all,  I've been hard at work on a variety of different things, which i'll post up on a daily basis, that span from a Warhammer Fantasy project, 15mm teams, and a variety of 28mm sci-fi/post apoc games.


First up we have my current progress on the tiny underhive.  I feel that it need more multi-level buildings and catwalks so i'll get to work on that straight off.

A closer image of "the pump station"  which stands 7.5 inches tall and i feel is currently the most detailed thing on the board. 

The term "Underhive Jr." happened to spring up while talking about this project and so one thing lead to another and then you get a grim-dark children's show... which I've been told needs to be a web comic. 

Next up we have a misc renegade type guy, who i think might make a good Rouge Trader Crewman or Underhive Ganger. 

and Finally we have some additions to yet another faction in the ever expanding background that is " The Saga of Roam" aka. the Nuclear Renaissance Campaign.  They are green stuffed Night Goblins, more on what/who/why they are at a later point.  

That's all for now !

-Your Favorite Madman-

The Occulus Six

Hey all, ive been wanting to paint a small team of Mercs for a bit now, to have as a bit of a novelty, for big games where i need an extra unit, or for skirmishes where i want to mix it up, so i finally did.   We have GZG alien mercs, and a NI trooper i believe, and some rebel post apoc survivors.  Together they make the Romanian/Russian/Durgite team of pirates and cut throats known as the Occulus Six.  


We have...

Back row:
 "The Power Armor" Gregor Siegfield
" The Explosives". Moog Ventatos
" The Muscle". Zull Krupmen
" The Infiltrator". Myna Vanderlinsk

Front Row:
 " The Leader/ Pilot". Alexis Gorbinovsk
" The Engineer/Techist" Ivan Romanov

I hope to get these guys a Dropship or something, either made or bought in the next few months, after i've finished with the Underhive project,  which is going quite well.  More on that next post.


That's all for not you lot!


-Your Favorite Madman-

The Story of Dark Vengi: The Opening Chapter

Hey all, i finally got to play the first part of the Nuclear Renaissance Campaign against Chris from Sippin' on Paint Water the other day.

The Scene unfolds in the vicinity of a Church of the Blinding Dawn mission house on the outskirts of Roam.   The Sanctum Guard had reached the post early the previous night, and instructing the clerics and monks within to lay out all their supplies in the street, set up a ambush for Vengi's horde.  

As his host sweeps into town, Vengi spots the obvious bait lying on the ground,  eager to end the pursuit then and there and to humiliate his opponents Vengi surges forwards into the jaws of the Guard.   But he is not unprepared...


A view of the table/deployment

A shot of the sanctum guards one ranger, who took several pot shots, before being put down by the Cookman who leaped from the back of the spinder (walkers)  and booting him in the face in one action.

A view down the center of the street from the assault team of the Sanctum Guard which proved to be immensely effective for a time.

Before too long a swirling melee broke out around the main objective and a hero distinguished himself...  

Ulf the Orphan of the North lands, defeated in single combat, the Scare'davain,  and the Corpse Ogre after it regianed its sanity and went on a mad rampage destroying  part of the building and ripping up a spinder, which he took to mean that it was exceptionally dangerous and needed an axe in the head.  Yes... things looked grim for Vengi's horde until a lone lab assistant pulled out a small packaged, affixed it to the side of the mission and....

KA-BOOOOOOMMM!!!!!

needless to say most of the combatants were scattered, the supplies lost.   and with a mad laugh in the hot flailing wind Vengi's spiteful laugh could be heard by the Sanctum Guards.   

But the story does not end here...  

Ulf and Pietro, the two Sanctum not wounded made to chase Vengi through the blasted streets. Their pursuit would not be so simple however, for out of every pipe, and crawl space came the Vespa, deranged mutant inhabitants of Roam, drawn by the smell of blood and the promise of trinkets. 

Outnumbered but not outclassed Ulf speedily kills four Vespa. 

Pietro is less fortunate and is captured by the deranged mutants.

Slaughtering his way through the crowd, Ulf turns back to finally check on his limping behind squad mate, but finds himself cut off from his stricken friend. 

Later that evening....

Ulf made his way into the shattered remnants of a apartment building to plan his rescue of Pietro.

Vengi moved deeper into the city to establish his base 

The Vespa make their way to one of their many lairs to interrogate Pietro

The rest of the Sanctum Guard are taken to an aide station outside of town by the missionary clerics and monks, and nursed back to health. 

It was a fantastic game duo, and it really built a lot of background that we as players found really surprising and set the stage for a dual campaign (not that we were going to be against such a thing !) 

-Your Favorite Madman-

Dark Vengi's Malicious Hordes of Evil

I've been a busy little painter/modeler the past few days. Originally i was going to post each of these with an intricate fluff article like Chris did on his blog, but there are a lot of pictures and i felt like if i added words it might be off putting. Therefore i bring you a glorious photo dump.

there is one more that i have modeled that isn't pictured here, but he's what i'm calling "The Corpse Ogre" so i'll let your imaginations roll about for a bit.

-Your Favorite Madman-