Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Fighting for Nothing

There are many stories of valour in Mordheim. This is not one of those stories...

Kalroth heard a dry, rasping voice speaking a foul language in the distance. Suddenly the air started to feel heavy with a familiar sensation. Black magic was being cast. He looked over to his lord, Ak X, and knew that the noble sensed it also. Ak X scowled but nodded his head and Kalroth slowly lowered his crossbow which had been aimed at the head of the human. There were worse things in the ruined city than humans.

"Undead are about. Truce?" Ak X asked and spat on the cobblestones.

The mercenary captain - a large, hairy Middenheimer - nodded and lowered his Hammer. He spoke a quick word to his men and the humans and dwarfs lowered their weapons. Looking around, the dwarf engineer pointed to a couple of ruined buildings that overlooked the area from which the foul words had drifted. His thunderers slung their crossbows over their shoulders and started moving. A couple of human marksmen followed with their bows.

Set Up
This game was a two-versus-two battle. The Dwarf Treasure Hunters (AR) were allied to the Middenheimer Mercenaries (AS). They chose to set up all together. The Restless Dead (AA) were allied to the Averlander Mercenaries (NP). They chose to set up in separate groups. The allied warbands in each of the teams moved simultaneously with their fellow warband to save time. The scenario was Skirmish from the Mordheim Rulebook and was played on a 5' x 4' table. A team would lose as soon as one of the two warband routed.


Round 1
Both warbands start advancing towards each other.

Round 2
Kalroth, the Dwarf Engineer, is situated in the second story of the large grey building. He misses a long range shot at the Averlander Captain. Tarstan (a Thunderer) in the damaged grey building misses Lucid, the Necromancer for the Restless Dead.

The Undead and Averlanders seek cover which slows their advance. This set back for the Undead is especially unfortunate for the Averlanders.


Round 3
The Dwarfs and Middenheimers decide to take advantage of the slow pace of the Undead and start moving towards the Averlanders. A Middenheimer Marksman slips while climbing down from the damaged grey building but lands on his feet.

Both of the Bergjaegers for the Averlanders slip around a wall to fire their long bows at the advancing Dwarfs and Middenheimers but both shots miss.

Round 4
A Middenheimer Marksman with a bad hangover arrives (this was the second battle for AS and he didn't realise that one henchman group had two Marksmen so we let the Marksman enter from the Middenheimer's table edge). An eager Middenheimer Youngblood climbs up on the castle wall segment separating the two sides. Tarstan feels dismay as he misses the Grave Guard named Dismay. Reliacer (another Thunderer) hits one of the Bergjaegers by her shot fails to wound. Kalroth moves to another window but his shot misses.

Nightmare (the Liche) casts Lifestealer on the foolish Middenheimer Youngblood and stuns him. Thankfully young fellow falls back against the crenelations of the old castle wall and doesn't fall to his death. Both Bergjaegers and a Halfling Scout miss their shots. The other Halfling Scout fails to climb up on to the little grey building.

Round 5
As the Dwarfs and Middenheimers continue to advance, Kalroth misses one of the Bergjaegers again and Reliacer misses the Grave Guard named Horror.

The Averlanders continue to shoot as they fall back. One of the Bergjaegers takes a Middenheimer Swordsman out of action (the first casualty for the evening). The other Bergjaeger climbs up the little grey building and shoots but misses. One of the Halfling Scouts  hits Darbrum (a Beardling) but fails to wound. The other Halfling Scout fails to climb again (it is obvious why he is a scout and not a thief).


Round 6
The Dwarfs continue their volleys of crossbow bolts but every shot misses once again. After a few shots whiz by, the Bergjaeger on the little grey building decides he is too much of a target and attempts to climb down. He falls and lands on hand which breaks his wrist (Hand Injury) the battle is over for him. The Averlanders continue to fall back and they shoot as they retreat but their shots continue to miss.

Round 7
Kalroth stuns Lucid with a well-placed crossbow bolt. Likewise, Tarstan shoots his crossbow and stuns the Averlander Sergeant. Nightmare's armour saves him from an arrow wound from the other (less foolish) Middenheimer Youngblood. A Middenheimer Marksman shoots a zombie through the head and returns it permanently back to the grave.

In retaliation, a Halfling Scout shoots Darbrum and takes him out of action although his wounds were not serious.

Unfortunately, it was pack up time and the battle in a draw just as blood started flowing.

Aftermath
During exploration the Middenheimer Mercenaries found 3 gold crowns in Ruined Hovels (6 6) and four shards of wyrdstone. The Restless Dead bump into the Ogre Bodyguard named Nightmare Catcher and he agrees to Return a Favour (6 6 6) from years and joins the warband for their next battle. This is fortunate since they only found three shards of wyrdstone and won't have a Grave Guard participate in the next battle due to a poisoned Well (1 1). The Averlander Mercenaries also meet a Hired Sword who chooses to Return a Favour (6 6 6) although this character remains a secret. The humans find four shards of wyrdstone. The Dwarf Treasure Hunters find four shards of wyrdstone but nothing else of note.