Battle Report
Battle of the Six Armies
Background: The actual background to this was an idea I had had from my games many moons ago. In an ancient copy of White Dwarf, there was a battle report called “24 Hours at Karik Mound”. It was a game, which the guys from a gaming group had over the course of 24 hours (hence the name). I think (if my rather sketchy memory serves me well), that the armies where 12,000 points a side. Anyway, we had tried to replicate this game, using every figure we had available to us back in the late 80’s. This did not amount to much. However, due to the slightly more convoluted rules, lack of a deep Warhammer knowledge, and the fact we where all about 16 years old, the game did tale about 20 hours!
The battle of the six armies was basically the same thing. A huge Warhammer battle, this time staged over the course of one day (about nine hours). Originally, where were going to throw every figure we had into the fray, but we stopped when the points got to about 25,000. After revision, this was slimmed to 12,000 points a side. (In total, there where well over 800 models on the table). The celebration of the battle was my birthday, at which I turned 29. Unfortunately, this was 1 month after the birth of my first son, and when I arrived home, my wife was in a complete state. Still, that’s the joys of fatherhood for you.
Scenery: For this battle, gronk and myself had built new, higher trestle legs, and we where also using 2 old scenery flats, which gronk had salvaged from work. The flats are 3 feet wide, by 6 foot in length. After much wood working (mainly by gronk), the legs and the flats where up, stable, and ready for many hours gaming. (For added stability, we screwed the two flats together). gronk uses a Styrofoam tile method to make his scenery. This involves making Styrofoam squares and covering them in flock, and fixing them with hairspray. Rivers can be made in certain sections, although we can never put the big bend into gronks. These tiles are then covered in trees, hedges and buildings (models, not the real thing!).
For the battle of the Six Armies, the scenery was laid out thus:
Diagram. (Still to come)
Left to right: The GW Skull Hill was on the extreme left, followed by the village. At the right of this, nearest the table edge was a swamp. Opposite, was a small wood. The center of the table was dominated by the large plain. Next came another village. On the near side was a hill, surrounded by a river. To the right of this, a forest, dominated by the Old Wizards tower (a model made by gronk)
The Armies: We decided tot do the simplest thing, and split the armies into two opposing ones, one “Good” and one “Evil”. The good army composed of 6000 points of Dwarfs, 3000 points of Empire, and 3000 points of Brettonians. The evil army was composed of 6000 points of Orcs and Goblins, 3000 points of Skaven and 3000 points of Vampire Counts. The armies where supposed to be split up, so that people commanded a different army to their own. In the end, only two of us swapped, the rest plumped to play it safe.
Strategic points: To avoid either a cannon or bullet festival, we inserted 5 Strategic points across the board. A unit within 6 inches of these, with a unit strength of 5 or more would earn 100 points per turn. In addition, they would earn 500 points if uncontested at the end of the game.
The Generals:
For the game, with six armies, we of course had six generals. These where drawn from our games partners from around the Brisbane area:
gronk: Of course, co-conspirator, games master, expert painter and general good gaming egg.
Matt: Friend of RD. Met at BIG. (Brisbane Independent Gamers)
Pete the Rat: Long time associate of gronk, and former GW employee.
RD: Your humble narrator.
Lord Farquad: Friend of RD, met at BIG again!
Humphrey; Serious beard and home brewer.
The only person missing was Cliff, eminent modeler, who had shattered several teeth on an apple earlier in the day. We believe Papa Nurgle was at work within his dentures.
Evil Side: gronk was given overall command of the forces of evil, and he himself was given command of the 6,000 points of Orcs. Sensibly, he arranged the bulk of his army in the center of the field. On his left, sat Pete the Rat (so called because he is a Skaven). He had 3,000 points of vermin. On his right sat Matt, with his Blood Dragon Vampire Counts Army, again of 3,000 points. (It must be noted that the Orcs and the Undead where all provided by gronk).
Good Side: Humph was given overall command of the Good forces. He had 6,000 dwarfs under his command, and took up positions on the far right of the Good side, facing the Skaven. His job was to turn them, and roll along the evil flanks. The good center was held by Lord Farquads Empire army. The left taken by RD, commanding the Brettonians. (These where provided by Matt. My Dwarf Army was under the command of Humph).
The Battle
So, we get to all the good stuff! I think the main thing to do with such a huge game is to make things swifter. Gronk and I have had several 6,000-point games, which we churn through by knowing our armies, and having relatively few arguments. The same arrangements came here, but to add more speed, we moved at once, worked out magic at once, worked out hand-to-hand and missile fire too. Of course, only one opponent could face off at once, so if you gang up, it does slow the game down. Overall the game moved ok, although Pete the Rat and Humph took longest to complete their turns (mainly against each other). Conversely, Matt and I where the quickest. Also, Matt and I had the fewest arguments, and Pete and Humph the most. I do not think this was a coincidence!
The game started as normal, with a roll off to see who moved and fired first. Humph squared off against gronk (not for the first time), and rolled highest. It was about the only thing the good guys won that day. We started gingerly. Units edged forwards, knowing one wrong placement could spell disaster. The magic phase fizzled to naught, and our mighty War Machines caused 2 wounds, one of which was saved! (Bloody Orc tattoos). In that phase, 2 of gronks Goblin Wolf Chariots had absorbed 2 cannon shots intact! As the noble Frogs, I spent the whole round praying, even though my opponent had no missile weapons.
The evils acted in a similar ginger fashion, edging their units out. Their magic was appalling also, and their artillery also missed the mark. However, the most spectacular event of the whole game happened in round 1. Pete the Rat had rung his Screaming Bell. (Now, I cannot remember the number he rolled, and I do not have the Skaven book to hand). The number rolled caused just about every second building on the table to collapse, including gronks very nice wizards tower. It was a truly spectacular event! Rubble and dust flying everywhere. Two of the cannons of the good forces also exploded. The Dwarfs swore revenge.
Into the second turn, and thanks to the way in which we where running the game, it had been remarkably swift. It was around this time that the rest of the players noticed the niggle developing between the Dwarf and the Skaven, which was to be the low point of the day.
The Knights-errant of the Brettonians saw a juicy target within charge range. Believing this to be a mistake of the Orc general, the knights charged headlong into the baying foes. (This charge was in the first village courtyard). In Hand to Hand, the mighty knights slew many, and forced the goblins to retreat. Although they caught and destroyed them, they where left to be charged on either side by the Black Knights and the Grave Guard, not a nice prospect. The remaining Knights lined up a charge on the shambling hordes to the left of the village.
The Empire general (Lord Farquad) sent his number one weapon ahead. With a huge hiss, and a whistle of steam, the huge contraption rumbled towards the Evil Green Horde! He then sent more cannonades at the Goblin wolf chariots. One finally shattered, sending wolf, wood and goblin in all directions. The second chariot took another hit, and carried on rolling! Two cannon balls in the chassis hardly slowed it down.
The Dwarf opened up with his remaining weapons of mass destruction, beginning the long whittling of the skaven slaves ranks. In the woods to his left, he sent the Rangers in to take the first Strategic point of the game. He also sent his three (yes three) gyrocopters swooping around the flank of the Skaven horde. The steam guns rattled a deadly fullisade against the Plague Monks who approached that flank.
The undead commander shifted his giant bats into position to take the SP (strategic Point) in the center of the GW Skull hill, leveling out the one gained by the Dwarfs. The skeletons and zombies shuffled forwards, new numbers springing up in their rear ranks. Banshees and spirit hosts wafted forwards through the building of the village. The Grave Guard duly rushed the Knights-errant. In the ensuing melee, the Knights broke, but out distanced themselves from their fell opponents.
The Orc took one look at the huge metal, steam spouting beastie, and ordered his whole army to advance and destroy. He leant his mercenary Ogres to support his Skaven “Friend” (could an Orc and a Skaven be friends?). He had completely ignored the loss of his first unit of wolf boys, as he had another unit of 30 still up his sleeve. His missile fire was again almost pointless, but the Warpath of Gork stomped a pretty huge hole in a few of the Empire ranks. He also started the long and hard struggle of whittling down the hull points on the steam tank.
The Skaven, with his rather unwieldy unit of Slaves (72 strong, in 4 ranks of 18), began his slow advance on the bridge, which would allow him to attack the heart of the Dwarf army. The Warp lightning cannon fired away, killing two Dwarfs. (This would be the extent of the damage this machine would inflict. One or two dwarfs per turn!).
After turn 2, the Evil side had command of two SP’s, and the good, 1. Overall, the Evils had grasped an upper hand, it was going to take something special for the Good side to turn it around.
Going into turn three, and the pattern of the game was emerging. Still, Pete the Rat and Humph slowed the whole thing up, due to the unwieldy nature of Petes units (frontage of 18!), and the amount of scenery we placed in that corner.
The noble Brettonian decided to take the fight to the Undead, and two units of knights charged headlong into the Skeletons. They needed to destroy a lot, and hope the combat resolution finished off the rest. The combat was joined by the Duke avec la griffon. The Knights errant had rallied, and could now support the advance of the peasant halbardiers. The archers drew up to support the knights, loosing arrows, which killed two zombies. The mounted squires galloped up to contest the SP, still held by 5 giant bats. Combat ended with 3 skeletons standing. The gamble had failed. The extra skeletons raised by Matt in the previous turn had done their job. Now the main force of the Brettonians sat ready to face a concerted charge by the whole undead army.
The Empire General powered forwards, the hell-blaster in his steam tank cutting swathes through the goblin ranks. His pistoliers lured out the goblin fanatics, who unfortunately, wiped them out bar one. The rest of his line remained resolute, if a little distant of the action. The cannons pounded away at the chariots again, finally destroying the chariot, which had survived two hits. His magic phase fizzled out as well, as the shamans opposite held a superior number of dispel dice.
The Dwarf long-Beards made it over the first bridge. The Rangers held off the advance of the clan-rats at the SP they contested. The gyrocopters swept the flanks of the rat hordes, spraying steaming death to more rats. Unfortunately, they where now in range of the Jezzails on the far left. A unit of his crossbows started a long climb up the hill, to take the SP nearest the good lines. His bolt throwers and stone throwers continued to pound the rats. Plenty more where they came from!
The undead general now sent the zombies, another unit of skeletons and the Grave Guard moved in to the ranks of the Brettonian knights. The Knights of the Realm, Questing Knights and Grail Knights where now engaged. Added to this, the banshee and Spirit host assaulted the halbardiers at the walls of the village. If they fled, the Vampire Count would posses 2 SP’s, and have nearly the whole of the Evil left flank in his grasp. Desperately, the Brettonians fought, but to no avail. At the end of the day, with failed panic tests added to the equation, only the Grail Knights held their ground. The Knights-errant panicked and ran also. The Count now controlled 2 SP’s, and the first village, with half of the game to go!
The orc chieftain bellowed that his forces should make forthwith at the tank. They duly obliged, and though they may have failed to make much of a dent in the mighty contraption, they certainly gave the driver a headache. On the Orc generals left, his giant moved up to support the attack of the Ogres. His boar boys left a hedge, to be confronted by a hell blaster volley gun.
The skaven moved his troops up to the bridge, to contain the long Beards. The clan rats entered combat with the Rangers, only to be beaten back. The Jezzails shot down one of the Gyrocopters, and the second was charged by the Plague monks. The lightning cannon slew another Dwarf, and the magic took out another Dwarf.
Turn four, and the battle hinged on the Empire in the center, and the masses of Dwarfs on the right. The Brettonian was down to 1 unit of knights (tied into HtH), his mounted squires, and his general. The Steam tank was rolling about the front of the Orc lines, blasting away at whatever came near.
The Brettonian general swore revenge, and spurred his griffon into charge the unit of Zombies who where in hand to hand with the Grail Knights. It was close, but the Zombies where destroyed after combat resolution. The mounted squires moved to contest the SP held by the giant bats on the skull hill. The last unit of mounted squires tried to gallop off to seek aid from the imperial general. Magic proved ineffective on the Undead, so the Enchantress launched the Comet of Cassandora at the Skaven army on the far right of the table.
The steam tank blasted away at the savage orcs, leaving eleven of them lying sans boar on the floor. The hell blaster appeared to have them in a nasty crossfire, except it blew up on it’s first barrel. The cannon hit one of the many giants on the table, causing four wounds. The Reiksgaurd knights finally saw an opening, and charged at the foot savage orcs. They won the combat, but only knocked the frenzy from their opponents.
The Dwarfs made it to the top of the hill, to take their second SP. There now only lay one uncontested SP. The Dwarfs promptly marked into the village to take it. Unfortunately, this left them in sight of the ogres and a giant. The battle for the bridge continued, as did the shooting of the slaves. More bolts and stones fell among the rats. Despite a huge death toll, there where still over 60 rats in the one unit! The Thunderers now moved up along side the bridge, to pour volleys into the massed ranks as well.
In reply to loosing a unit of skeletons, the Vampire Count steamed into the Grail Knights with his Grave Guard, killing the remaining four in one turn of combat. The Bats charged, defeated, pursued and caught the mounted squires by the hill, leaving the general a forlorn figure atop his mighty beast. The Spirit host and Black knights possessed the SP in the village. The only opposition was the general, as all other Brettonian units had fled or where destroyed. The two enchantresses now decided to vacate the table also. Still, the comet was still in play.
The orcs who had survived the carnage of the steam tank charged it again, slowly whittling down the hull points. The Reiksgaurd knights where counter charged by a Wolf chariot and the remains of the Black Orcs (some had been killed by the steam tank). The Reiksgaurd where routed, and the follow through crashed into the knights of the white wolf. Things where now looking rosy for the orc, despite his inability to destroy the steam tank. He then charged the Dwarf Hammerers in the second village with the Ogre/Giant combination. They won the combat heartily, but the Dwarfs held their ground.
The skaven general now shot down the second gyrocopter. The clan rats ran from the Rangers for a second time. He then began an assault of the long beards with the plague ridden rat swarms. Remarkably, the rat swarms won the combat! The lightning cannon took another casualty.
Turn five. Evil had total control of their left flank, where the Brettonians where all but spent as a force. The Empire general had held the center till now, but he had lost his heavy cavalry. The Dwarf was not looking likely to survive the second village for long, and the battle for the bridge was really slowing him down. Things looked grim for the forces of good, could they pull it around?
The Brettonian did what he could, and attacked a unit of ghouls. He won the combat, and ran them down. His second unit destroyed, for the loss of his whole army! The second unit of mounted squires now lay in the path of a giant. The comet now exploded to earth, killing quite a few skaven and goblins, but unfortunately killing several dwarfs as well!
The soldiers of the Empire tried to get to the orc units assaulting the White Wolf Knights, but their charge fell short. In the ensuing hand to hand, a unit of ordinary orc boys defeated the Knights, and routed them off the table. The steam tank blew more holes in the goblin ranks, causing the goblins to panic and flee. Still, the tank was down to his last few hull points. In a stroke of bad luck, the goblins next to the fleeing unit failed their panic test and also fled, with three fanatics still on board! A cannon ball struck the giant again, this time not causing a wound.
The dwarfs now threw all their missiles at the skaven horde. Still, with their numbers they absorbed the damage. The Long Beards cleared the bridge of poisoned rats. The last gyrocopter began to circle the Plague Monks in “Beardy” move of the day, and would continue to do so for another round. Still, the censor bearers where out, and heading for the long beards.
Consolidating, the Vampire Count tried to encircle the Brettonian and his “Budgie”. He now moved through the village, leaving the Grave Guard to guard the SP (quite appropriately).
The orc charged the Steam Tank on his wyvern, causing more damage. Even his snotlings charged in headlong. The Black Orcs now seized the chance to run at the main body of Empire troops, but where surprisingly beaten back (by the griffon banner). The remains of the Savage orc boar boys steamed into the cannon crew, and routed them. His giant squashed the mounted squires. The ogres and giant decimated the remains of the hammerers, and followed into a unit of warriors.
The Skaven tried to wheel his unit of slaves around towards the Dwarf flank. The unit of clan rats who had twice routed from combat against the rangers, now decided to exit the battlefield, luckily without causing panic to the other clan rats and storm-vermin at the rear of the skaven lines. The Plague monks now began their circling motions, moving towards the gyrocopter buzzing them. The censor bearers now ploughed into the long-beards, who had at last made it over the bridge. The warp filled fumes filled the air, and felled the remmenants of this once proud unit. The lightning cannon again zapped, taking out another dwarf.
Turn Six: The rout on the Left flank was complete, with only the Bretoonian general left alive. The center depended on the Steam Tank, as the core of the Empire generals army was exposed, and his artillery in tatters. The Dwarf was in danger of loosing the second village, and the last SP on the far right of the table. There was one turn for a miracle to happen!
The Brettonian general tried to land his griffon in a position where he might just survive the game. This plumped him right in front of the Giant Bats. He was now a wretched figure, sat ready to take on two thirds of the Vampires on his own.
The Steam Tank fired it’s final salvo, but disaster struck. A misfire reduced it to only 3 hull points. The orc bellowed in delight. The Swordsmen, backed by the Griffon Standard held firm again, although another crew of the cannons succumbed.
The Dwarfs in the village where virtually wiped out. The slayers now crossed the bridge, and in a vicious combat they minced their way through the much depleted Skaven slaves. Still, with their ranks and numbers, the slaves held firm. The rangers now succumbed to the second unit of clan rats, although they escaped pursuit. The gyrocopter still lead the frenzied monks on a merry dance.
The vampire did all he could, surrounding the Brettonian, but the Duke held his ground against the bats.
The Orc general launched one more furious attack at the steam tank, finally breaking it in his last round of combat. The general actually dismounted from Polly da Wyvern to do his celebratory dance, in the midst of battle. Heaven knows what happened to the driver. We think he was fed to Snotlings. The rest of the empire army held it’s ground, although it was now flanked by Savage Orcs and a giant on one side, and black orcs and goblins on the other. (Plus the General, still dancing in the middle). The Giant and the ogres still held the village. The second unit of wolf boys finally crested the hill, to assault the SP held by the crossbows at the top. In a big plus for the good side, the goblin boys ran (but where not destroyed).
The Skaven cast pestilent death over the slaves and the Slayers, locked in combat. Over half the rats fell, but the spell took out half the Dwarfs as well. The jezzails assaulted the remmenants of the Rangers, as the Clan rats finally took possession of the SP on the far right.
The Conclusion: Well, as the Brettonian general, my performance was shocking. The Vampire Count (Matt), just sat there, and mopped up my mistakes. The Empire General (Lord Farquad), did hold up the orcs, mainly through the use of the Steam Tank. This took out nearly 900 points of orcs on it’s own. The rest of his army faired ok, although he threw away his cavalry. The Orc (still dancing, gronk), ran several small fights, aiding the VC, taking the second village, and eventually killing the Steam Tank. The skaven managed to hold up 6000 points of dwarfs for six turns, only loosing his cannon fodder troops. The Dwarfs main mistake was under estimating the ogres, and getting jammed on the bridge.
The game was mainly fun, despite the niggle between the Skaven and the Dwarf (what do you expect), and we will attempt another one in May!