Enter De Bellis Antiquitatis

October 27, 2013, 9:37 pm

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My gaming club has decided to take a brief departure form our standard Warhammer Fantasy gaming circuit and devote time to playing a different war game.  De Bellis Antiquitatis.  Historical Wargaming.

Our friend Tom has decided to run a map campaign where the seven of us shall be waging war across ancient Europe in hopes of conquering the ancient world.

I vowed I would never play DBA because I hated the scale however, after watching the first night's games I folded on this vow like a prom queen's virginity.

I went online to www.plasticsoldierreview.com/ and reviewed various 15mm or 1/70th scale miniature manufacturers.  I decided that Zvezda Miniatures out of Russia had the best choices available and I liked the detail they had in their models.

Since Jeremy was playing Bretons, I had originally decided to play Scots-Irish ( II/54) but since they were very similar to what Jeremy plays I chose to go with a different option...

Enter the Vikings!
I have chosen to play the Vikings from period III/40b.
My DBA army will consist of 11 blades and 1 unit of bowmen.
I purchased 2 boxes from Zvezda miniatures (who's Viking box comes with 41 models fyi - but I wanted enough axe wielding Vikings to full 11 blades worth) for under 30 bucks.

You may expect some WIP of my newest army project probably within the next few weeks.

Thanks!

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The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign - Chapter 3: Excommunication

October 31, 2013, 1:46 pm

≫ Next: The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign - Chapter 4: The Mouth of Madness

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The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign

Chapter 3: Excommunication

 

Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 3 of the Black Spiral Campaign.  I would like to thank everyone for the 54 submissions we received which has triggered this plot development.  Enjoy and the next set of missions will be release December 1^st!

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Servitor Program – Ios V872.113 Alpha.

[Inquisitorial Conclave Concordance – Calixian Conclave]
[[Pictograph Recording Engaged]]
[[-=ERROR! – Pictograph malfunction=-]]
[[Rerouting feed]]
[[Vox-recorder engaged for Pictograph Recorder XV-3]]
[[Maintenance Servitor Dispatched]]

[Unknown speaker]- …hard to believe that an Inquisitor of Hexx’s esteem and dedication would turn not only radical but rogue as well?  Are we certain that the artifact that Hexx is pursuing is the same one the Eldar witch warned the council about?  How do we know that the Eldar aren’t trying to trick us into preventing one of our own from obtaining archaenotech of great power and use to the Imperium?

[[Voice Recognition Searching]]
[[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson – Ordo Hereticus: Identified]]

[Unknown speaker]– Look, we took a great risk sending DeOrc to intercept the artifacts and look what it earned us.  We have one Inquisitor severely wounded and unable to continue for now and another Inquisitor that has gone beyond the threshold of radicalism into madness and who possesses part of an artifact of dire consequence.  So choosing now to cast doubt over the information we have already acted upon is neither helpful nor useful.

[[Voice Recognition Searching]]
[[Inquisitor Ilyana Vort – Ordo Malleus: Identified]]

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson]– You dare talk down to me in this forum?  I never discounted our information only the source.  And if I recall, it was your idea to have DeOrc intercept the artifact rather than have him accompany Hexx like the others had suggested.

[Unknown speaker]– We can sit here all day and point fingers but the situation is that we have a rogue Inquisitor and now have no way to rationalize with him or even find him for that matter.  So I pose the question, do we declare him Excommunicate Traitorus and mobilize our forces in the Charon system to destroy him and his ship or do we send a party to hunt him down and bring him back so that we may question him and learn more of the artifact he is currently hunting?

[[Voice Recognition Searching]]
[[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt – Ordo Malleus: Identified]]

[Inquisitor Ilyana Vort]– Are either of those solutions even viable at this point?  He may have been last seen in the Charon system but we have no way to find him currently, especially if he has gone to ground or is hunting another artifact.

[Unknown speaker] – We may have a way to locate him but I do not know if it is something this conclave may be willing to entertain.

[[Voice Recognition Searching]]
[[Inquisitor Dregor Thane- Ordo Xenos]]

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – What would that be Thane? 

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane] – Emissaries from Craftworld Thelandira were the first to warn us of this danger, would it not make sense that the meddling Eldar would continue to monitor Hexx?  Perhaps if we petitioned them for aid in locating the rogue inqui…

[Inquisitor Morgenson] – Have you gone insane?  Consort with a bunch of degenerate witches to get aid dealing with one of our own?  Where is your pride Inquisitor? Where is your loyalty to the Imperium?  We need not the aid of Xenos filth.

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane]– Aid from Xenos filth that without it we would have not known that one of our own has possibly gone rogue and seeks to assemble a doomsday weapon that could possibly open a rift to the Immaterium and draw half the known galaxy into it?  Yes, we definitely don’t need any aid.  We have this situation entirely in control.

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – Gentlemen, gentlemen, when we fight against each other we only help our enemies.  Perhaps what Thane says is true, it would make sense that the Eldar would keep tabs on something they perceive as a threat to them.  Let us take a vote, all in favor of sending an emissary to collect information on Hexx to the Eldar say “Aye”.

[Several Unknown voices]

[[-=ERROR! Unable to identify speaker=-]]

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – All opposed say “Aye”.

[Several Unknown voices] [[-=ERROR! Unable to identify speaker=-]]

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – It appears your recommendation wins Thane.  Please arrange a meeting with the Eldar emissary and broker an information exchange.  Should they try any of their witchcraft or trickery, then execute them with extreme prejudice.

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson] – And what if Inquisitor Hexx hasn’t gone rogue and is actually operating within the guidance and scope of the Inquisition?  What if he hasn’t turned into a traitor?

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – Then that will depend entirely on two things Morgenson.

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson] – And what would those two be?

 

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – First if he convinces me during his interrogation that he has not acted outside the will of the Emperor and the High Lords of Terra. 

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson] – And the second?

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – The second is if Inquisitor DeOrc survives his injuries.  Conclave adjourned.

[Several Unknown voices] – For the Good of the Order!

 
Servitor Program – Ios V872.113 Alpha.
[Inquisitorial Conclave Concordance – Calixian Conclave]
[[Pictograph Recording Terminated]]
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Inquisitor Hexx:

Access Inquisitorial Log: Hexx 6-14-638.882 Sigma Centari
Passcode: Epsilon Delta 8 3 2 Phi 9 2 4 Gamma

Servitor Program:

[Initiate Retinal Scan]
[Welcome Inquisitor]
 
Inquisitor Hexx:
Inquisitorial Journal Entry for Leviticus Hexx of Ordo Maleus
Imperial Date is the 29^th day of the 3^rdLunar Cycle of the Maccabes system, in the year M41.639

I know not whom to trust.

Treachery hath reared its ugly head, taking the form of my former friend and ally Menoch DeOrc.  How badly had the deceitful whispers of the Ruinous Powers poisoned his mind to make him utter such venomous falsehoods and heresy.  He stole from me, lied to me and tried to kill me all the while professing his innocence and asking for my cooperation.  His delusions were so ingrained; I fear he is lost to us.  His platitudes of working for a higher power, of acting under orders, begging me to relent on my search were all poisonous lies the moment they left his lips. 

It is obvious now that the Ruinous Powers fear me getting this weapon.  They know that I mean to bring about their extinction.  This morning my security clearance and inquisitorial permissions had been pulled which can mean only one thing, I am being hunted.  It is apparent that the Ruinous Powers have turned the very institution that I have sworn my live, my fealty and my honor to ruin against me.  I can no longer trust the Inquisition to carry out its mission, especially when its Inquisitors follow false leaders and puppets of Chaos. 

I must remain pure of heart and mind in this mission, I must steel my resolve and protect humanity against the rising darkness

I now possess part of this Black Spiral weapon, I will find the rest of it and carry out my mission.  It is only then will my former colleagues see the truth and the High Lords of Terra see that I am trying to save the Imperium.

The tome that Tobias translated referenced the 8^thplanet in the Maccabes system, Cyrana IV so I will travel there to see if I can gather any clues to the whereabouts of where the next piece has been hidden.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx signing off.

I am the Sword of the Emperor now.

 

      

[[Pictrecorder on the bridge of The Silent Retribution, Dauntless-Class Light Cruiser]]
[Imperial Date is the 29^th day of the 3^rdLunar Cycle of the Maccabes system, in the year M41.639]
 

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Captain Orrealus, we need to set a course for Cyrana IV in the Maccabes system.

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Good morning Inquisitor Hexx, we received an encrypted communication this morning inquiring to your whereabouts.  I fear your warning was merited.  Someone is trying to decipher your location within the Royal Navy but fear not sir, they did not provide the passcode you provided to authorize the dissemination of your location. 

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Very good Captain, your dedication to the Imperium is unwavering as is your loyalty to the Inquisition. I commend you sir.  How long will it take to reach our destination do you think?

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Should take no longer than 2 months dependent upon Warp currents and storms.  What are we looking for sir?  Will we need additional armaments or crew?

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – No good Captain, your current set up is more than adequate to handle anything we are going to encounter. 

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Very well Inquisitor, we shall depart within the hour.  Maxwell, set a course to the Maccabes system.

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – At once sir. 

[End Recording]

[[Pictrecorder on the bridge of The Silent Retribution, Dauntless-Class Light Cruiser]]

[Imperial Date is the 2^nd day of the 10^thLunar Cycle of the Maccabes system, in the year M41.639]

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Yes Captain? Your communique said that there are Xenos ships preventing our passage?

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Yes Inquisitor, upon breaking the Warp Gate we picked up numerous Xenos ship signatures in the system.  As we approached Cyrana IV, the signatures converged before us.  We have managed to identify 1 Dragon-Class Cruiser that bears the markings of the Thelandira craftword according to our Xenos records.  There are also 2 Nightshade-Class Destroyers that bear different markings that we have not yet been able to identify as well as a Hellebore-Class Frigate hiding as well.  While we have the firepower to handle them, I do not anticipate that our ship would be in any condition afterwards to handle a second attack. 

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Sir, we are receiving a transmission from the Dragon-class Cruiser.  Do you wish to receive it?

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Absolutely not, we do not engage in conversa…

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Yes, Lieutenant we shall receive the transmission.

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Are you sure Inquisitor?

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Oh yes Captain, very sure indeed.

Captain Jonah Orrealus - Very well, on screen.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Greetings, I am Marcus Thandros and to whom do we have the pleasure of addressing?

Farseer Gilleath – I am known as Farseer Gilleath of the Thelandira Craftworld and I do believe that you have already been dishonest with us … Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – I should have known better than to try to deceive a witch.  What is it that you want Eldar? 

Farseer Gilleath – We merely wish you to turn back and leave this planet alone.  The inhabitants of Velesh’an’theronar prefer to keep to themselves and would care not for any intrusion on their lands.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – I do not, nor does this ship or its captain take orders from a bunch of witches.

Farseer Gilleath – We do not seek to order you Inquisitor, we merely wish that you would forsake your current mission and abandon searching for what we have hidden long ago.  You know not of what you seek or the dire consequences of what would happen if it was found again.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – AH HA! You know of the Black Spiral!  You know that I seek it!  Which means you know where it is hidden! 

Farseer Gilleath – We do know you seek the Black Spiral, the runes and portents warn of a Harbinger of Calamity bearing the a cross of secrecy.  All the skeins cast point towards you as the catalyst that spells doom for many. 

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – I care not for your witchcraft or prophesy; it is obvious that you and your ilk do not wish the Imperium to provide salvation!  Your attempt to stop me from stepping foot on this planet tells me that it has something I need! 

Farseer Gilleath – Don’t be a foolish monkeigh!  You can not fathom the destruction your actions will bring about!  You must st..

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Transmission ended sir.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Very good Lieutenant, his incessant prattling and whining were most tiring.  Captain would you be so kind as to have a landing party assembled, I will send one of my Acolytes to lead the mission on the surface.

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Sir, enemy ships have begun to spread out into what appears to be an attack formation.

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Very well, Sergeant go and assemble a strike force to aid the Inquisitor’s Acolyte.  Battle stations!  Engage the frigate first and neutralize the Destroyers as soon as you can.  Launch the fighters to provide support for the Landers.  Go!
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Mission Scenario A – Landing Party

The Armies:
A point value of any size may be per side in this scenario.  Recommended size however is 1500-2000.

The Battlefield:
Landing Party will use the Dawn of War deployment.

Deployment:

Before deploying their forces, players should first roll for their Warlord Traits.  Once the Warlord Traits have been determined, the players will roll off to determine who is The Attacker and The Defender.  Both players will then roll off and the winner will choose which side they want to deploy in. 

Place the Primary Objective:

The Defender will choose a single Primary objective and place it within their deployment zone.
The Defender will then deploy their forces followed by the Attacker afterwards.

First Turn:

The Attacker goes first unless the Defender spots them coming and can Seize the Initiative.

Game Length:
This mission uses variable game length as described on page 122 of the BRB.

The Mission:
The Attacker

Primary Mission: Claim and Possess the Primary Objective at the end of the game with a Scoring unit.
Secondary Mission: Purge the Alien
 
The Defender
Primary Mission: Purge the Alien
Secondary Mission: Claim and Possess the Primary Objective at the end of the game with a Scoring unit.

Victory Conditions:

Each Mission has its own Victory conditions.

Should the player meet the Victory Conditions for their Primary Mission, then that player receives 5 Battle Points.  Should that player also reach the Victory Conditions for their Secondary Mission, then they receive 3 Battle Points.

The secondary objectives of Purge the Alien are worth 1 Battle Point each (Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Linebreaker).

The player with the most Battle Points or BP’s at the end is the winner of the scenario.

 
Mission Scenario B – Leviathans Battle  - Battlefleet Gothic Scenario

This scenario is intended to be used by players using the Battlefleet Gothic rules set and armies.  This mission is to represent the space battle between the Imperial and Eldar forces in the Maccabes system.

Scenario:  Leviatans Battle – Custom Battlefleet Gothic Scenario.

Forces: The recommended point level for this scenario is 300 to 1750 pts.

Battle Zone:  This battle is taking place in the system’s primary or inner biosphere.  Set up a planet in the middle of the table.  The planet’s size is dependent upon the size of the battle.

Small = Up to 500 pts
Medium = Up to 1500 pts.
Large = 1500 pts or larger.
Generate rings, moons, etc.. as normal.  Then determine which table edge is sunward and place other celestial phenomena as normal.
 

Set Up:

As the start of the game, the players roll off with the winner of the roll off being the Attacker.  The defender may then choose D3 ships or squadrons to be on full alert.  These ships may be set up anywhere that is at least 30cm from table edge.  The rest of the defending fleet is still on standby.  Squadrons on standby must be deployed with at least one ship within 15cm of the planet and all ships abeam of the planet’s surface.

The Attacker moves on to the table edge of their choice in their first turn.

First Turn:

The attacker gets first turn.

Special Rules:

Ships or squadrons on standby may not move, fire weapons or launch ordinance.  They may however attempt to Brace and repair critical damage.  Turrets and shields work normally.  To go on alert status, it must first pass a Leadership test.  Note that this is not a Command check, so failing with one squadron or ship will not prevent you from testing the others.  A ship or squadron may not use special orders the same turn it goes on alert status.

Game Length:

The game lasts until one fleet disengages or is destroyed.

Victory Conditions:

Both fleets score victory points as normal and the fleet with the highest victory points total at the end of the battle wins.

 

 

Please email the results to john@thedeploymentzone.com and I will compile the results before I release the final mission pack.  Please don’t hesitate to email me with questions you may have about any of the  above missions.

Thank you for playing and I look forward to your involvement!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign - Chapter 4: The Mouth of Madness

November 25, 2013, 11:31 am

≫ Next: Triumph and Treachery – A Warhammer Fantasy Expansion

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The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign

Chapter 4: The Mouth of Madness

 

Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 4 of the Black Spiral Campaign.  I first off would like to thank everyone who submitted their games for Chapter 3.  We received 75 submissions for Chapter 3 which brings the grand total of submissions to 161 for the campaign thus far.  This will be the final player phase of the Black Spiral Campaign at which point after this phase I will post the resolution and announce the winners of the lotto.  You may expect the Black Spiral Campaign Finale before the New Year as I will give the 4^th chapter until December 22^nd.    With that said, I would like to thank everyone for playing and enjoy the scenarios for Chapter 4 – The Mouth of Madness!

 

[[Pictrecorder on the bridge of The Silent Retribution, Dauntless-Class Light Cruiser]]

[Imperial Date is the 30^th day of the 3^rdLunar Cycle of the Maccabes system, in the year M41.639]

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Lieutenant, I need a status report.

 Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Yes sir, we have crippled one of the Nightshade Class Destroyers and have forced the Dragon Class Cruiser to retreat due to heavy damage suffered on the last pass.  The last Nightshade Class Destroyer is circling again for another run and the Hellebore class Frigate is currently engaged with two wings of our fighters.   Our shields are running at 13% capacity and we have suffered damage along our bow and left flank along with one of our plasma reactors will need to be jettisoned soon in order to avoid detonation should they breach not be repaired.  Unless we can disable the Nightshades we may not be able to disengage and reach the warp gate.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – I think I have an idea.  Captain how many IXV-39’s do you have on this ship?

Captain Jonah Orrealus – We keep 18 on hand sir along with 4 Incinerators.  I do not think they will have much of an effect on the ships sir, they are world killers.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Thank you Captain I am aware of their capabilities and uses.  Lieutenant, would you attempt to hail the Dragon Class Cruiser?

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – At once my Lord Inquisitor.  Sir the Dragon Class Cruiser is responding, on screen in a moment.

Farseer Gilleath – Have you decided to surrender Inquisitor and turn over the Black Spiral to my people?

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – No, actually quite the opposite witch.  You are going to call off your attack on my ship immediately and retreat out of our engagement zone.  My men recovered the artifact yesterday and brought it to the ship.  However while they were slaughtering your shrine guardians, one of your kind begged them not to reunite the four pieces.  I currently only have three.  So you are going to tell me where the fourth piece is located and you will tell me now.

Farseer Gilleath - You amuse me Monkeigh, your ship is heavily damaged.  You are outnumbered 4 to 1 and you have no chance of escaping this battle alive yet you give me demands?  Your race never fails to shock and amuse me with its irrational displays of illogical behavior.  You will turn over the three pieces you have collected of the Black Spiral so that we may properly lock it away like we should have eons ago.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – This is what is going to happen you degenerate witch.  You will tell me what I want to know otherwise I will unload every single IXV-39 aboard this ship upon the surface of this world that your kind has inhabited.  In case you were unaware of what an IXV-39 does, it is a virus bomb that exterminates all life on a planet.  It reduces all organic matter into a grey sludge as the virulent toxins, viruses and bacteria in these bombs spread through the atmosphere in minutes.  Within minutes most of the world is dead or dying with little hope of survival.  The mass death of organic matter then releases incredible amounts of combustible gases into the atmosphere which we then ignite reducing this planet to a scorched, lifeless and uninhabitable rock forever more.  So how about you tell this “monkeigh” what he wishes to know.

Farseer Gilleath– You would kill an entire planet in the pursuit of your madness?

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Really now Farseer, you result to insults?  I take that as your refusal to meet my terms then?  Captain would you be so kind as to begin the firing sequen…

Farseer Gilleath – No!  I will tell you what you need to know.  Just know that if you continue down this path it will only end with your destruction.  The Black Spiral was dismantled because it became a threat to the…

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Yes, yes, yes.  Threat to the cosmos and so on…   Now where is the last part of the Black Spiral Farseer?  My patience is wearing thin.

Farseer Gilleath – Fine, fine.  When the Black Spiral was fired, it caused a deadly backlash that destroyed much of the ship it was housed upon.  We were unable to separate part of the weapon from the ship so we sent the ship adrift into the far reaches of space where it has been hidden for millennia.  I will send you the coordinates as to where the ship was last seen when we last patrolled the region. 

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Lieutenant have your people received the coordinates?

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Yes Lord Inquisitor.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Is there anything else you would care to share with us Farseer before we depart?  Do you have any dire portents or warnings about cataclysmic events that will happen once I have this weapon?  Cause now would be a good time to regale me with such tales.

Farseer Gilleath – You are foolish human, the Black Spiral will be the death of you.  I beg you to please stop this madness now.  Stop it before it’s too late.

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Very well, thank you Farseer your cooperation has been most helpful.  As a reward for your assistance, Captain initiate the firing sequence of the IXV-39’s immediately.

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Virus bombing initiated!

Farseer Gilleath – Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx–  Farewell Farseer.  Have a nice day.  Lieutenant cut the feed.  Captain as soon as the firing sequence is done I want you to eject the plasma core into space behind us and detonate it when the Eldar craft comes close.  That should buy us some time to escape. 

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Virus bombing complete sir, 4 minutes until incendiaries are launched into the atmosphere.  We will also be able to eject the plasma core then and travel enough distance from it by then. 

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Very well Captain, until them try to keep us alive so that we may escape this foray and set a course for the coordinates the witch provided us.

 

[[4 minutes later]]

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Incendiaries ready sir! Plasma core ready to eject sir! 

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Fire the incendiaries, eject the core!  Wait until the Eldar craft is upon it before shooting it!

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Incendiaries loosed sir!  Plasma core ejected!  Awaiting firing command on Plasma core!

Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx – Burn the witch!

Captain Jonah Orrealus – Full speed head! Fire upon the core! Fire!

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Sir! Plasma core detonated right next to the Nightshade Class Destroyer.  She seems to be limping off and looks heavily damaged!

[End Recording]

 

[[Coded Inquisitorial Missive – Vermillion Level Clearance]]

[[Access Level – Verified]]
[[Decoding Message]]

                Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx has been reported to have virus bombed a planet without the sanction of the council.  It seems the planet he unleashed the full complement of virus bombs upon was what the Eldar refer to as an “exodite” or “maiden” world.  Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx has collected three out of four of the pieces to this “Black Spiral” arcaneotech that the Eldar Farseer referred to that Hexx has been hunting.  His actions could lead to all out war with several Eldar craftworlds unless steps are taken.
                Vindicare Assassins have been dispatched.

In the Emperor’s Name,

Lord Inquisitor Aleksander Rustov
Ordo Hereticus

[[Deleting Message…]]

 

Mission Scenario A – The Space Hulk

The Armies:

A point value of any size may be per side in this scenario.  Recommended size however is 1500-2000.

The Battlefield:

The Space Hulk will use the Hammer and Anvil deployment.  As this is a Space Hulk, it is recommended that the players try to create a Battlefield that closely resembles the massive interior of an ancient eldar Space Hulk.

Deployment:

Before deploying their forces, players should first roll for their Warlord Traits.  Once the Warlord Traits have been determined, the players will roll off to determine who is The Attacker and The Defender.  Both players will then roll off and the winner will choose which side they want to deploy in. 

Place the Primary Objective:

The Defender will choose a single Primary objective and place it within their deployment zone.
The Defender will then deploy their forces followed by the Attacker afterwards.

First Turn:

The Attacker goes first unless the Defender spots them coming and can Seize the Initiative.

Game Length:
This mission uses variable game length as described on page 122 of the BRB.

Special Mission Rules:

1.       Damaged Gravity Well – This Space Hulk has a damaged gravity well so at the start of every game turn (not player turn) the player who’s turn it is rolls a die.

If a 1 is rolled then the Gravity Well has overcompensated.  Movement, Assault Rolls, Running, and Fleeing all have their distance reduced by 1”.  Also, all Flyers and Monstrous Flying Creatures must make roll a die before they initiate their movement.  On a “1”  they are forced to go into Hover or Gliding mode or they will crash/be grounded.

            All ranged weapons also have their range reduced by 1”.
             All scatter rolls have their deviation rolls reduced by 1”.

If a 2-5 is rolled then the Gravity Well is working properly.  No penalties.

If a 6 is rolled then the Gravity Well has undercompensated and all Movement, Assaults, Runs, Flee, Flying and Swooping distances are increased by 1”.

            All ranged weapons also have their range increased by 1”.
            All scatter rolls have their deviation increased by 1”.

 

2.       Wraithbone Ship – This Space Hulk is made from pyscho-plastic that serves as both a psycho conductor and a psychic shield. 

The Wraith Ship rule provides the following benefits:

a.       Deny the Witch rolls are increased by +1.  (A 6+ becomes a 5+ etc..)

b.      The psyker may attempt to harness the psychic energy from the ship around them.  The player who’s turn it is may at the beginning of their turn roll a D6.

If a 1 is rolled the Psyker suffers Perils of the Warp from the psychic backlash.

If a 2-4 is rolled then nothing happens and the Pysker failed to harness any psychic energy.

If a 5-6 is rolled then the Psyker gains 1 Warp Charge that must be used that turn.

 

The Mission:
The Attacker

Primary Mission: Claim and Possess the Primary Objective at the end of the game with a Scoring unit.
Secondary Mission: Purge the Alien

The Defender

Primary Mission: Purge the Alien
Secondary Mission: Claim and Possess the Primary Objective at the end of the game with a Scoring unit.

Victory Conditions:

Each Mission has its own Victory conditions.

Should the player meet the Victory Conditions for their Primary Mission, then that player receives 5 Battle Points.  Should that player also reach the Victory Conditions for their Secondary Mission, then they receive 3 Battle Points.

The secondary objectives of Purge the Alien are worth 1 Battle Point each (Slay the Warlord, First Blood, Linebreaker).

If a player had his psyker successfully harness a Warp Charge using the Wraithbone Ship rule that is worth 1 Battle Point.

The player with the most Battle Points or BP’s at the end is the winner of the scenario.

 

Please email the results to john@thedeploymentzone.com and I will compile the results before I release the final campaign results.  Please don’t hesitate to email me with questions you may have about any of the  above missions.

Thank you for playing and I look forward to your involvement!

Triumph and Treachery – A Warhammer Fantasy Expansion

November 26, 2013, 1:48 pm

≫ Next: Mierce Miniatures - Minotaurs/Chaos Ogres WIP

≪ Previous: The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign - Chapter 4: The Mouth of Madness

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Triumph and Treachery – A Warhammer Fantasy Expansion

The newest Warhammer Fantasy expansion – Triumph and Treachery is an expansion which features rules for playing 3, 4 or even 5 player games of Warhammer.  The game features new and unique rules to ensure that there is a singular winner at the end of game whether they triumph on the field of battle or use treachery to bring down friend and foe alike. 

The game takes a very “Highlander-esque” approach to a multi-player battle where alliances are forged and then shattered in the blink of an eye, where intrigue and illusion can make or break a player, and where your allies and enemies may swap positions every round. 

In the end however, there can be only one…

                In order to properly explain Triumph and Treachery, it would be best to describe the new Rules provided in this expansion.

1.       Trust No One - this section provides rules for battles fought with 3 or more players.

2.       Victory Tokens– a new resource system for keeping track of who is winning the multi-player battle.

3.       Treachery Cards – these are special cards that allow you to pull off dastardly ploys or help an ally in need.

4.       Mercenaries – these are rules for adding Mercenary companies to your roster from other armies.

5.       Triumph and Treachery Scenarios – they have provided three distinct scenarios specifically designed for the Triumph and Treachery rule set.

Trust No One

                The Trust No One rule is the core rule of the Triumph and Treachery expansion.  There are several rule subsets and existing rules that have been modified to accommodate multiple players using this rule in the game.  It really boils down to a simple explanation however: when a player takes a turn, they pick an opposing player at the start of each phase to be their ‘enemy player’ for the phase.  Only units belonging to the enemy player may be attacked or targeted. 

1.       Player Turn Cards– this game comes with 5 different player turn cards that are represented by a certain weapon or item (sword, axe, shield, hammer and staff).  Each player draws a card at the beginning of the game and notes which icon they drew as that will be their icon for the duration of the game.  The cards are then shuffled back into a pile.

2.       Determine Turn Order– at the beginning of every game turn of a multi-sided battle, the player turn card deck is shuffled and the top card is turned over.  The icon that is showing will denote who’s turn it is, after that player has finished their entire turn then another card is flipped until all player turns have been performed and the deck reshuffled.

3.       Friends and Enemies– The game progresses much like any normal game of Warhammer only at the beginning of each phase, the player whose turn it is must designate who the enemy player is for that turn. 

The following rules apply to the enemy player:

·         All units belonging to the player whose turn it is are considered friendly units.

·         All units belonging to the player designated as the enemy player are considered enemy units.

·         All units belonging to neutral players are neutral units for that turn.

Neutral units may not be targeted or attacked in any way.  That means that:

·         Neutral units may not attack, dispel or carry out any other actions

·         Neutral units can not be hit by attacks that use templates or markers, attacks that scatter or attacks that randomly determine who is hit, or by spells or game effects that affect ‘any unit’ with a certain distance.

·         Neutral units do not count for combat results and cannot cause disruption or affect a combat in any way.  They can’t flee or pursue, and are fled through in the same manner as an enemy unit.

Neutral units to do not take part in the phase and thus are unaffected by what happens during that phase.

4.       Game Phases –there are several small changes to the player turn phases as they pertain to the neutral and enemy player designation.

A.      Movement Phase – Charges may only be performed against Enemy units.  Neutral units serve as impassible terrain.

B.      Magic Phase – Only the enemy player receives dispel dice, and only the enemy player may be chosen as the target for spells (other than augment spells which affect friendly units).  Spells that have Remains in Play effects or that causes effects every magic phase do not affect neutral units.

C.      Shooting Phase – Only enemy units may be targeted.  Templates or marker weapons do not affect neutral units.

D.      Close Combat Phase – If friendly units are in combat with units from only one opposing army then that army’s player must be chosen as the enemy player for the Close Combat phase.  If friendly units are in combat with units belonging to two or more opposing players, then one player must be chosen as the enemy player and a Truce is called with the neutral player.  Attacks are only exchanged between friendly and enemy units.

Truces: When a truce is called in Close Combat, all neutral units in base contact with a friendly unit must be moved 1” away.  If the unit can not move due to impassible terrain or any other reason, they remain in base to base but take no part in the close combat phase.

5.       Roll Offs– In a multiple player game, the winner of a roll off then determines the order of actions for all players that took part in the roll off.  In the event of a tie, the tied players roll off again to determine the winner.

Victory Tokens

                The Victory Token mechanic is a fast and easy way to measure the accumulation of victory points for each player.  These Victory Tokens not only serve as a representation of each players running victory point total, but also serve a currency for bribing an opponent or hiring mercenaries.

1.       Coin Designation:

A.      Brass Coin = 50 Victory Points

B.      Silver Coin = 150 Victory Points

C.      Gold Coin = 250 Victory Points

D.      Gold Ingot = 1500 Victory Points

Unless the Mercenaries rule is being used, every player starts out with 2 Brass Coins.

2.       Graining Victory Tokens – At the end of each phase, the player will receive a victory token for every 50 Victory Points they scored that phase (any excess points are lost).  Example: If player A scores 313 Victory Points in the Close Combat Phase then he would receive 1 Gold Coin and 1 Brass Coin with the remaining 13 VP’s are discarded.

The player who scored the most Victory Points in a phase will receive a single bonus Brass Coin (or each player if there is a tie).

3.       Using Victory Tokens – A player’s collection of Victory Tokens are referred to as a paychest.  The player who has the largest paychest at the end of the game is declared the winner.

A player may use their Victory Tokens in various ways, they may use them to bribe another player to perform an action or bribe a mercenary unit.  You may use them to award a player for an action they performed that benefited you.  You may also promise to pay a player then be a treacherous cur and double cross them with no payment!  Not all players are honorable on the field of battle!

 

Treachery Cards

                Perhaps my most favorite mechanic in this game is the addition of these Treachery Cards.  These are player cards that allow you to perform actions and countermeasures against either your opponent or another player during anyone’s turn.  These actions may aid you, hamper them, help an ally or punish an adversary.  The Treachery Cards add a certain amount of uncertainty and chaos to his already hectic multiplayer battle.

1.       Gaining Treachery Cards -  Players may gain treachery cards in the following ways:

·         Automatically at the start of each game turn.

·         By rolling successfully in any phase in which they are a neutral player.

·         By making a dirty deal to get cards from another player.

A.      Start of Turn Cards – At the start of every game turn each player gets a specific number of cards dependent upon their paychest.  If the player has the biggest paychest then they get 1 card, if the player has the smallest paychest they get 3 cards while the rest get 2 cards each.  This is a good mechanic as it helps give an edge to the players that are currently “losing” and will provide them with a better arsenal of tricks to help them gain the upper hand.

B.      Neutral Player Cards – Immediately after the player chooses the “enemy player”, all the neutral players get a chance to gain a Bonus Treachery Card.  Each player rolls a D6, in a 3 person game a roll of 5 or 6 grants a bonus card while in games of 4-5 players only a 6 yields a bonus card.

C.      Dirty Deals – Players may give cards from their hand to another player.  This is known as a Dirty Deal.  What goes on in order to broker said deals is up to each player!

D.      Hand Size – Players are limited to a hand size of five cards.  If a player has more than five cards in their hand, they must immediately discard and may not play cards until they are down to five cards.

E.       Discarded Cards – Treachery cards are reshuffled into the deck once the existing Treachery deck has been exhausted.

F.       Treachery Cards - Each Treachery Card has a Title, a Description and an Effect.  Specific issues that may arise have been addressed by the Card Commentaries section of the rulebook.

Mercenaries

                In the Triumph and Treachery game the players have the opportunity to hire Mercenary companies to fight at their side.  Each player will receive extra points to spend on Mercenary Units for their army.  The number of points each player receives is 100 points for every 500 points they have in their army (example a 2,500 point army will have 500 points to spend on Mercenaries).

1.       Hiring Mercenaries - Using the extra points generated for Mercenary units, the player may choose to employ Mercenaries from any army book they choose (except that a player may not hire Mercenaries from the same army book as their army being used).  When a player hires Mercenaries they hire what are called Mercenary Companies.  The Mercenary Company must contain at least one character to serve as the Mercenary Captain.  All units in the Mercenary Company within 6” of the Mercenary Captain may use his Leadership value in place of their own.

2.       Unspent Mercenary Points – If a player has unspent points after hiring Mercenaries, they may convert those unspent points to Victory Tokens (provided they have enough points to exchange them in for tokens) otherwise they are lost.

3.       Loyalty – All mercenary models suffer -1 to their Leadership Value.  Should a mercenary unit flee and pass a Rally test, they must immediately roll on a table and apply the result.  On a 1-4 the Mercenary Company has all the players roll off.  The winner now controls the Mercenary Company.  Loyalty comes at a price!  On a 5-6 the Mercenary Company remains loyal to their patron (for the time being).

4.       Bribing Mercenaries – At the start of any phase, a player may attempt to bribe a mercenary unit by spending Victory Tokens.  If the bribe is successful, the mercenary unit will stand back and do nothing that phase.  Attempts to bribe may be performed after the enemy player has been designated for that phase and after all neutral players have rolled to see if they get Bonus Treachery Cards.  Fleeing units may not be bribed.  A bribe is performed by placing a certain amount of Victory Tokens by the Mercenary Unit.  The controlling player (or other neutral player also trying to bribe the Mercenaries) then has the opportunity try to “outbid” the bribe by beating the amount of Victory Tokens bid by the neutral players.  If the controlling player successfully outbids the neutral players, the unit functions as normal.  After the bidding has been performed, all Victory Tokens used to bribe are swept back into the Victory Token pile and count as spent.

Triumph and Treachery Scenarios

                 There are three scenarios provided in the Triumph and Treachery set.  Each scenario has its own unique scenario special rules that yield additional victory points to each player along with unique deployment options. 

The Triumph and Treachery Boxed Set comes with a hardback 96 page rulebook providing you with rules, lore and modeling showcases.  It comes with a large amount of cardboard embossed victory tokens denoting different amounts as well as 5 Player Cards and 36 Treachery Cards.  I will go ahead and say that while the game is awesome and has potential to be a fantastic expansion, it was not worth the price that Games Workshop charged for it. 

In the end, I will go ahead and say that this expansion is a great way to diversify your collection.  It allows players to collect that one awesome unit they have always liked but never wanted to field the entire army for.  It also allows for players to forge a whole new narrative based on the epic battles they may engage in with multiple foes.  The sheer chaotic element that the Treachery cards introduces can swing battles in a single turn back and forth, and in one fell swoop close the gap between someone who was a “runaway” winner and someone who was getting ganged up on.  The fact that you may choose different enemies every phase is incredibly fun and tactical.  You could in the movement phase charge the unit you wish to annihilate, designate another player with little or no magic defense as your enemy in the magic phase and buff your unit, then in the shooting phase and close combat phase chose the player you charged as your enemy again.  You could bribe your opponents mercenaries while making a deal with another player to wipe out another player’s big unit then in the next phase turn on the player you just made a deal with and blow up his special units.  This game has a LOT of opportunity for memorable and fun experiences where you can never really be sure where you stand with your fellow players until the last turn has passed and everyone’s paychests are being counted.

The Deployment Zone Podcast will be providing a gameplay example of Triumph and Treachery during their Chaos Christmas Episode which will be recorded on Dec. 1^st  

 In the end, there can be only one…

 

Mierce Miniatures - Minotaurs/Chaos Ogres WIP

December 9, 2013, 2:03 pm

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As many of you know I have received my Mierce Miniatures order for the "Bellowing Tarvax"and "Ckaarakk, Tarvax Untain" models. I have begun building them so that hopefully my Warriors of Chaos army will be good to go before next year's OFCC (unless Wood Elves get a new book which case these get put to the side!).

Anyway here are some WIP's of the two I built:

I am still considering swapping out their weapons with the Games Workshop Minotaur Great Axes because their weapons seem kinda thin.
I'm not 100% sure as of yet however.

Til next time!

Mierce Miniatures - Minotaurs/Chaos Ogres WIP part 2

December 15, 2013, 11:51 pm

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Since the last blog post I've been able to actually work more on building my new minotaur/chaos ogre unit for my Beastmen/Warriors of Chaos armies.  I was having tons of luck building until literally the very last model where I broke the axe reaching for another piece.

As you can see the Mierce Miniatures axe broke off right at the handle and again at the head of the axe when I started to pin it.

Now you can see in the upper left corner the thin rod of Strip Styrene I tried to use as a handle replacement but sadly it was too thick.  So I took the Games Workshop Minotaur hand axe used for the Bloodkine and lopped off some of the handle and affixed it to the "new" Doombull's hands.  It fit almost flush and I'm pleased with the minor conversion.

The Assembled unit.  I will be casting bases for them after I am done painting them.  I have not yet decided if I will be replacing all their weapons with the Games Workshop axes or not.  While I like the variety of weapons the unit is wielding, I for some reason also have this desire for uniformity and the axes provide that.

Not to mention the weapons on these models are a little spindly.  The Mierce Miniatures do an excellent job of casting, I just wish the resin was a tad bit harder and the weapon shafts a bit thicker.  That would have resolved much of the issue I ran into when the axe broke.

Anyway here are some images of the unit (Pre-weapon swap).  Enjoy!

Mierce Miniatures - Minotaurs/Chaos Ogres WIP part 3

December 19, 2013, 10:48 am

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I have managed to finally assemble all six Mierce Miniatures "Bellowing Tarvax" and "Ckaarakk, Tarvax Untain".  I was so pleased with myself because I had just finished assembling them and the weapons looked a little "off".  So I took the Games Workshop Minotaur Greataxes and with careful cutting/pinning, replaced all the weapons.  Their weapons are now a bit more sturdy, uniform and for some reason just fit the model better.  I really like how the weapons tie the unit together.

Doombull /Chaos Ogre Champion

Standard Bearer

Minotaur #1

Minotaur #2

Minotaur #3

Minotaur #4

Group Shot Part Deux!

Broken weapons =( I hate that I couldn't salvage the Mierce Axe heads very well.

Next up! Casting resin bases for them and getting this unit painted up!

The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign - Chapter 5: Judgment

December 23, 2013, 2:03 pm

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The Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign

Chapter 5: Judgment

Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 5 of the Black Spiral Campaign.  I would like to thank everyone for the 62 submissions we received which has triggered this final plot development.  The Campaign itself has received 226 total submissions and I would like to thank every player that contributed to the campaign.  The results will be read over the Deployment Zone Podcast in January of 2014 along with the raffle winners.  Thank you again for playing and enjoy the final chapter!

[[Transmission Initiated]]

[[Inquisitorial Servitor Drone Sigma- One One Four Two]]
[[Location: Aboard the Space Hulk determined to be the Eldar Craftworld of Alcazzara]]
[[Atmospheric Conditions: Faint Atmosphere, suitable breathing conditions for Homo sapiens]]
[[Gravity Conditions: Unstable, Gravity Stabilization systems aboard the Craftworld seem damaged; gravity fluctuates randomly for undetermined periods of time.]]
[[Initiating Return Protocols]]
[Transmission Terminated]]

 

 

Servitor Program – Ios V872.113 Alpha

[[Inquisitorial Conclave Concordance – Calixian Conclave]]
[[Facial Recognition Program Engaged…]]
[[Facial Recognition Program Executed.]]
[[Initiated Vox-recorder]]

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson]– You dispatched a Vindicare without consulting the Council?  You have passed judgment on one of our fellow Inquisitors without even the benefit of a trial?  You have gone too far this time Gerin, too far!

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– Alexius, Leviticus has already passed beyond the realm of reasonable justification for his actions.  He has launched attacks on Imperial sites as well as Xenos sites to claim the arcaneotech.  He just authorized the virus bombing of a planet without…

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson]– A Xenos planet...

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– A planet, none the less without sanction of this Council.  He has also engaged in a space battle with members of the Thelandira craftworld.  I have had to dispatch Astares to the region to discourage all-out war with the Eldar craftworld. 

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane]– I am aware that the Eldar are concerned about Leviticus obtaining this arcaenotech but do any of us actually think he will be able to make it work?  Are we perhaps over-reacting to the thought of a threat rather than an actual concern? 

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– No, the threat is all too real.  Far too real for my liking.

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgenson]– Why do you say that Gerin?  What have you not told us?

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– The Farseer of the Craftworld Thelandira contacted me; he said that this is not the first time that the Black Spiral has been discovered.  A piece of the Black Spiral was discovered shortly after the Horus Heresy by the Enemy…  If not for the timely intervention by the Ulthwe` Craftworld and their theft of the artifact then I fear the forces of the Great Enemy would have had the Black Spiral millennia ago.  And while their theft was a success, it was not before the enemy had learned some of the technology involved in designing the weapon.

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgensen]– How come we have never encountered this technology before then if the Enemy possesses it?

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– Oh but we have before, many times.  The Planet Killer destroyed the worlds of Macharia and Urthwart. 

[Inquisitor Alexius Morgensen]– You mean that the Black Spiral was originally found by…

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– Abaddon…

[Inquisitor Ilyana Vort]– Are you saying that the Armageddon gun is based off the Black Spiral?

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– Yes, and you are all aware of the devastation that weapon can bring.  Imagine that weapon on a grander scale and that is what we are facing if we do not stop Leviticus Hexx and quickly.  We can not risk Abaddon learning of the weapon being sighted again or even worse finding Leviticus before we do.

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane]– So that is why you dispatched the Vindicare so quickly. 

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt]– Yes and had the Eldar been more forthcoming with their information, I would have dispatched resources to prevent this from happening long ago.  I can only hope I acted in time.

[[Recording Ended]]

 

 

[[Aboard the Ulthwe` Craftworld]]

Warseer Corin Tahl’Veras– The signs and portents have foretold of this event Autarch.  The Council has made their decision.  It is up to you to lead our forces should this monkeigh take the wrong path.

Ranger-General Sylvos Greystorm– I am aware Warseer but I will mobilize our forces and enter the webway.

Warseer Corin Tahl-Veras  - The Seer Council shall join you in this endeavor Ranger-General.  The Black Spiral can not be awakened again.  We shall attend you to ensure its capture.

Ranger-General Sylvos Greystorm– As always, your presence and guidance are welcome Warseer. 

Warseer Corin Tahl-Veras – Oh we shall be doing more than guiding, we intend to fight!  A vision of a Black Cross on a white field looms heavily over this endeavor; I fear we may have another player in the game.  We must make haste but take heed.

 

 

[[Aboard the Black Templar Strike Cruiser “Journey’s End”]]

[[Pict Recorder Footage – Imperial Date 4^thday of the 2^nd Lunar Cycle of the Taros System, Dominion of Storms region]]

[[Sword-Brother Heinrich]]– Marshal , we have verified the whereabouts of the Silent Retribution.  It is currently heading towards the Corinthe system within the Dominion of Storms.  You were right to set us on this course.

[[Marshal Grayson Maddox]]– Excellent, we will set a course to intercept.

[[Sword-Brother Heinrich]]– Yes Marshall, at once.

[[Marshal Grayson Maddox]]– You may come out of the shadows Assassin.  I tolerate your presence on my ship but I will not tolerate eavesdropping.  I assume that you heard we are on target to intercept the Inquisitor.  Good.  Until then stay off my bridge unless summoned.  Now be gone.                             

[[End Transmission]]

 

 

[[Transmission Initiated]]

[[Inquisitorial Servitor Drone Sigma- One One Four Two]]
[[Location: Aboard the Space Hulk determined to be the Eldar Craftworld of Alcazzara]]
[[Atmospheric Conditions: Faint Atmosphere, suitable breathing conditions for Homo Sapiens]]
[[Gravity Conditions: Unstable, Gravity Stabilization systems aboard the Craftworld seem damaged; gravity fluctuates randomly for undetermined periods of time.]]
[[Pictrecorder Activated]]

Leviticus Hexx– What is the status Lieutenant?  Have the workers finished assembling the Black Spiral?

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– Yes sir, they are putting the finishing touches as per your instructions as we speak.  The weapon will be ready to be brought online soon sir.

Leviticus Hexx– Excellent, you know Lieutenant we are on the cusp of the Imperium’s salvation.  This weapon will bring about the supremacy of the Emperor’s light and peace throughout the galaxy.  They very may elevate me to Sainthood you know.  Yes a saint indeed!  Saint Leviticus!  The Sword of the Emperor they may call me, imagine a universe where Chaos does not exist and where man no longer has to fear the dark.  Where through divine providence I shall bring abou…

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– Sir?

Leviticus Hexx– …salvation through the very words of the Emperor of Mankind himself.  I shall deliver unto…

Lt. Aaron Maxwell  - Sir, we have reports of multiple ships entering the subsystem and heading this way.

Leviticus Hexx– the salvation of mankind and ..what?  How many ships you say?

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– It appears to be an Imperial Strike Cruiser and 3 Destroyer Support Ships and also what appears to be a Dragon Class Eldar Cruiser and 2 Nightshade Class Destroyers coming from another sector.  All of them are heading this way on what seems to be an intercept course.

Leviticus Hexx– No!  Quickly, have the captain send a contingent of soldiers here and then have him take the Silent Retribution and try to lure the ships away from the Space Hulk so that we can continue to bring the Black Spiral online!  Quickly now relay that message!

[[Transmission Interrupted]]

 

 

[[Transmission Restored]]

[[Inquisitorial Servitor Drone Sigma- One One Four Two]]
[[Pictrecorder Activated]]

Lt. Aaron Maxwell – Sir the Silent Retribution was able to lure the ships away.

Leviticus Hexx – Then bring the weapon online!

Lt. Aaron Maxwell- Sir!  The units deployed around the perimeter are reporting drop pod touch downs and spatial anomalies all over the area.

Leviticus Hexx– Tell them to marshal their forces and prepare for assault.  We must get this weapon online!

[[Transmission Interrupted]]

 

[[Transmission Restored]]

[[Inquisitorial Servitor Drone Sigma- One One Four Two]]
[[Pictrecorder Activated]]

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– Sir the weapon is ready to be fired.  But we are hearing weird reports of attacks all over the ship.

Leviticus Hexx– Target the Dragon Class Eldar ship and hurry!

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– Sir the Eldar ship has been targeted.

[Farseer Gilleath]– Inquisitor, please do not pursue this course of action.  Do not activate the weapon.

Leviticus Hexx– Get out of my head witch!

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– Sir?

[Farseer Gilleath]– Please Leviticus, do not jeopardize everyone by pursuing this path of madness.  The weapon is unstable.  You did not assemble it correctly. You have already murdered one world please do not include the galaxy in your quest of madness.  You are opening rifts to the warp all over the ship.   If you do not stop…

Leviticus Hexx – Begone from my mind witch!  I will not be swayed by your twisted lies and honeyed words.  You are in league with the Great Enemy!  You seek to steal the weapon for yourselves!  I will save the Imperium!  I will save everyone!

[Farseer Gilleath]– I’m so sorry Leviticus, I wish this could have ended differently.

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– The weapon is ready sir, at your command I’ll initiate the firing sequen…

Leviticus Hexx– No, I shall fire the weapon. Move over Lieutenant, the salvation of the Imperium begins…

Lt. Aaron Maxwell– Sir!  Inquisitor!  Silent Retribution this is Lt. Aaron Maxwell.  The Inquisitor is down; I repeat the Inquisitor is down!  We need a medic down here. We…

[Transmission Interrupted]

[Vindicare Assassin]– Assassin to Marshal Maddox.  The target has been neutralized.  I repeat.  The target has been neutralized.

Servitor Program – Ios V872.113 Alpha

[[Inquisitorial Conclave Concordance – Calixian Conclave]]
[[Facial Recognition Program Engaged…]]
[[Facial Recognition Program Executed.]]
[[Initiated Vox-recorder]]

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane]– The Vindicare Assassin reports that the once he had assassinated former Inquisitor Leviticus Hexx that a large portal opened up next to the Black Spiral weapon and dozens of Eldar wearing Black and Bone colored uniforms spilled out of it.  They were accompanied by several large Ogrun sized constructs that our records identify as Wraithguard who carried the weapon through the portal. 

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – And what of the Black Templars?  How did our Astares fare? 

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane]– The Templars were assaulted by both Eldar bearing purple and red uniforms which bear the markings of the Craftworld Thelandira and also Daemons that were spilling forth from rifts and portals that were opening up all over the Space Hulk.  The daemonic incursions became so numerous that the Eldar and Templars were forced to fight alongside each other in a desperate alliance until the Eldar bearing what we now identify as the Ulthwe` craftworld markings came to their aid.  The three forces were able to fight off and expel the daemonic incursions then both Eldar forces withdrew and disappeared without a sound.

[Inquisitor Alexis Morgensen]– And what of the Black Spiral?  Did we recover any of it?

[Inquisitor Dregor Thane]– It appears that the Eldar disappeared with all traces of the artefact through the portal. 

[Inquisitor Gerin Osvalt] – That is unfortunate but at the same time it appears that our immediate crisis has been averted.  The Eldar will more than likely hide that weapon away once again as they were none too eager to have it operational in the first place.  It also appears that we will need to launch an investigation into what caused our Inquisitor to fall to madness but for now let us move on to other matters.  Next on the agenda…

[[Transmission Ended]]

 

On behalf of the Deployment Zone Podcast and my blog, we thank you for your participation in the Deployment Zone’s Black Spiral Campaign.  Due to the success of this campaign where we fielded the results of over 200 games (226 games to be exact), I will be running another 40k and Fantasy campaign in 2014. 

Thank you again and Happy Holidays!

 

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The Company of the Damned - Year in Review 2013

January 7, 2014, 4:19 pm

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The Company of the Damned – Year in Review 2013

Last year I published the 2^nd“Year in Review” where I rehashed the goals for 2012 and how well I did with meeting them.  Well this year will be no different!  I have a whole bunch of 2013 goals and aspirations that I totally failed to meet and take great joy in talking about them!

Let’s kick this off!

Ten Goals for 2013 and The Company of the Damned

1.       Finish paniting the 2800 point Bretonnian army for OFCC 2013 Fantasy – Success
2.       Purchase, assemble and paint a Wood Elf Blood Bowl Team – Failure
3.       Fully catalogue the Wood Elf army book in the Wood Elf Tactica Library and provide an entry for every current army book under the Preferred Enemies articles – Failure
4.       Assemble and paint the 2000 point Dark Eldar army using the Crimson Sigil army list posted in the blog. – Failure
5.       Assemble and paint the rest of the 50 point Retribution of Scyrah army. – Failure
6.       Assemble and paint the 50 point Circle Orboros army – Failure
7.       Assemble and paint a 35 soul stone Malifaux Lady Justice Crew – Failure
8.       Participate in the OFCC 2013 Fantasy Event – Success
9.       Participate in the OFCC 2013 40k Event– Success
10.   Promote and double the current listener audience for the Deployment Zone podcast – Failure

 

As you can see I was not the most successful hobbyist as far as reaching my goals for 2013.  Most of these I was partially successful in.

Examples:

1.       I purchased and assembled the Wood Elf Blood Bowl Team.
2.       I catalogued 2 Wood Elf Tactica and 6 Preferred Enemies articles.
3.       I assembled and painted 1100 points of Dark Eldar.
4.       I assembled 122 points of Retribution of Scyrah.
5.       I assembled 68 points of Circle Orboros.
6.       I assembled 35 soul stones worth of Malifaux.
7.       We increased our listener base by 18% this past calendar year for the Deployment Zone and the blog increased its membership by 21%.

Major Accomplishments of 2013 for the Company of the Damned

1.       I won the Operation #Steakbet and it was glorious.
2.       I managed to build in 2 weeks 70% of my unassembled models.
3.       I ran a successful online 40k Campaign called The Black Spiral and had over 220 submissions.
4.       Built and played with my first De Bellis Antiquitatis army – The Vikings.
5.       Bought my first air brush!

 

I see now that I didn’t have many Major Accomplishments in the hobby because I realized that fatherhood is time consuming and it’s extremely important to be focused on being a dad first and a hobbyist second.  As my girls grow I find myself having more time to do hobby stuff while they go to sleep which is good, so for 2014 I think I’m going to keep things kind of simple for goals and see where that leads me.

The Company of the Damned goals for 2014!

1.       Assemble and paint 2800 points of Warriors of Chaos.
2.       Update my Wood Elf army when the new book comes out this year.
3.       Update my Black Templars with a few units.
4.       Update my Ulthwe` Eldar with a few units.
5.       Paint 50 points of Retribution of Scyrah.
6.       Paint 50 points of Circle Orboros.
7.       Post at least four articles a month on the blog whether they be hobby updates, tournament/event coverage, unit tactica or random crap.

 

There we have it folks, the crazy goals for 2014.  I hope this year proves to be more productive than last year but at the same token if it’s not… no big deal.

 

Kicking off the new year right! Warmachine, Hordes and some Warhammer Fantasy WIP!

January 9, 2014, 9:48 am

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I decided to kick off the new year right by assembling a slew of new models to jumpstart the hobby for 2014!

Since it was painfully apparent that I was not the most productive hobbyist in 2013, I think that ensuring that I have my 50 point armies and the heroes of my Warriors of Chaos army assembled is a good step in the right direction!

Here is the group shot which is comprised of;
10 Mage Hunter Infiltrators
1 Epic Eiryss Mage Hunter Commander
1 Warpborn Skinwalker Alpha
2 War Wolves
1 Winter Argus
1 Reeve of Orboros
2 Wolves of Orboros
1 Narn, Mage Hunter Assassin
1 Sylys
1 Arcanist

You may also see the primed Mierce Miniatures Minotaurs in the background who are set on wine corks and ready to be painted.  Those hopefully will be done soon.

Below is the Warpborn Skinwalker Alpha.  One of my favorite models by Privateer Press but also one of my least favorite to assemble.  I am never a fan of spikes that are too small to pin being included (being too small to pin means the small drill I have which is super tiny is too wide for the bit) or pieces that are just weird to attach such as a jaw.
End result however looks great.

The Mage Hunter Infiltrators are a neat set.  The models come without arms attached and the arms specifically match their models torso.  Now I hate pinning diagonal angles which is what I had to do on half of these things.  It's a pain in the ass, learn to cast in plastic if you can't do it right.

If you will note, I have the new Eiryss model included as well.  I am not a fan of this model for various reasons.  The model is very thin and feels spindly for starters, the models metal cloak is too thin to pin and has two connection points at her shoulders.  The models arms are barely pinnable as I had to be captain awesome to get the angle right to pin.  Lastly the crossbow she has can in no way be properly pinned since the metal is not only too soft but also the connection point is too small.  Usually Privateer Press is awesome about the models they cast, this one however is a fail.

Lastly we have the two metal characters in the Warriors of Chaos army.  The Chaos Lord on a Daemonic Mount was relatively easy to assemble however I had to cut pieces of rod to serve as spikes since the spikes that come with the model are too small to pin and kept snapping off despite my best glue jobs.  Also, as you can see I have the Archaon, the Chosen laid out in pieces on my cutting mat.  He will be assembled next.  I can not wait!

Army Updating – Embracing Change

January 9, 2014, 4:47 pm

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Army Updating – Embracing Change

                It is always difficult to embrace change, especially when you have become very used to performing tasks a specific way.  When the 8th edition of Warhammer Fantasy came out back in July of 2010, many players were upset because they were forced to adapt their armies and play styles to a new format.  The game changed on a scale that required a hard reboot on how many people not only built their armies but also how they played the game.  The idea of Multiple Small Unit (MSU) armies went the way of the dodo and the era of large units and destructive magic began.  As I had just gotten back into Fantasy about a year and a half before 8^th edition had come out, I only had one army to really update and that was my Wood Elves.  When I made the decision to update the army, I had to look at how the new game system operated, what rules directly impacted my army the most and most importantly what tools I would need in order to survive in the new “age” of Warhammer Fantasy.  The fortunate part of updating at the beginning of the new edition was that I was able to embrace the new edition with open arms because I knew a new army book was not coming out soon and I would be able to play with the army for a long time.  I also was aware that all of my old tactics would not be useful and as a result be providing a disadvantage to me rather than help me be successful.

                So for my Wood Elf army I capitalized on Mobility, Focused Firepower and Assassination as my primary objectives for building the army.  I was able to break down how I felt the game would flow and make tactics and decisions about the army that created positive results and I was able to use units that the “current meta” or “tournament” scene did not find useful.  There were many of our gaming clubs however that did not embrace the new edition and struggled with realigning their tactics to work with the new rule set.  Some of those players quit, took breaks from playing or struggled through the edition until they figured out what worked for them.  Therein lays the issue that many gamers face, a lot of people like making “a list” that they use over and over.  Gamers prefer what is familiar and as a result will seek to use that which is familiar in their gaming.  Many struggle for a while when a new book or edition comes out because they are forced to reprogram their mind as to how the unit works in the new book from the old book.

                With the release of 6^th edition Warhammer 40,000 in June 2012, I was faced with a similar dilemma.  I had been playing 40k 5^th edition so much with the same “lists” for my Eldar and Black Templars that most games were almost auto-pilot in some regards.  However in 6^th edition, Games Workshop completely changed the way the game system worked.  In 5^th edition the Assault phase was king, and armies that brought units that could unleash a hellstorm of attacks in close combat were devastating.  You could blast your transports forward at full tilt and if they survived the next turn because they weren’t Destroyed or Exploded, you could disembark your death squad and assault the hell out of your opponent.  Now in 6^th edition, the game is far more shooting oriented.  Assault armies have been nullified and the day of the bolt-gun has dawned and the day of the chainsword has set.  An incredible amount of army configurations were nullified when 6^th edition came out, especially with the advent of Allies and Fortifications.  So with all the changes to transports, shooting, assaults, the reimplementation of overwatch, flyers, pre-measuring and Look out Sirs, the additional confounding issue that I ran into was that two of my armies were getting updated within a few months of each other.

                 With all of these compounding changes and rules, I began to struggle with trying to build the “list” to use in this new edition.  I then ran into the additional issue with the release of the Escalation and Stronghold Assault rule sets.  It became painfully apparent that the days of having “one list to rule them all” were long over.  Keep in mind that until my children were born I was pretty keen on being a competitive player in both Fantasy and 40k.  As my children reached their delivery date, I began to slowly back away from that mentality as my free time to spend playing in tournaments was severely impacted.  There are now far too many variables and options to make a viable and competitive all comers list that you could participate with in a tournament.  The advent of D weapons in standardized game play and the Forge World becoming official.  Games Workshop suddenly began inundating the market with options and rules for everyone and marked all of these options as “Official”. 

                 So with all these new options and accessible rules, I still struggled trying to come up with a list that I felt was “right”. 

                 It has been pointed out to me that once I have decided upon a theme that is loosely or tightly based off what I feel is fluff that I will put arbitrary restrictions on myself on what I feel “fits” the way a specific chapter, craftworld or army should be played and what units it should contain. 

                 Despite my own self imposed restrictions which tend to be more of a hindrance than helpful, I am faced with updating two armies I have owned for a very long time; my Black Templars and my Ulthwe` Eldar.  I played both of these armies as assault armies in 5^thedition, so when the new codices were released I realized that the days of ramming it up the center and assaulting with a hammer were over.  The reason is mainly because these days everyone and their mother bring more than enough firepower to deal with a unit or two breaching their perimeter.  Tactics and strategies I once used are now no longer viable.  What is a player to do in an edition where his army book and rule set have changed within six months of each other?  An additional conundrum is what is a player to do when new rules have been implemented that change the entire face of the battlefield?

                The answer is simple in this respect.  It took me a few weeks to figure out what I wanted to do mainly because I have always built a list first then built the army after.  Any small tactical changes which required units being swapped out was always done in the initial stages as to now waste money or time.  Now I have to throw all of that methodology out and adopt the new practice of building units that I am familiar with or like and making a list when the game is decided upon.  It is entirely possible that in a week I could be invited to play a 2,000 point game of 40k, a 1500 point game of 40k, a 2.5k game of 40k with Lord of War allowances and a 2000 point game with Stronghold Assault rules.    A single list isn’t going to be very effective in all those games but having units that I like and know how to use is. 

 

So enter the age of the collection lists and bid a fond farewell to the days of the static all comers list used in every game.  Enter the age of lists that will have more guns than blades and where the battlefield and battleforce are equally dynamic.  Enter the age of spending more time creating a unit with a story and then fleshing out that story every time you play.  Lastly, enter the age were its finally possible to build a narrative and create a fun and exciting game.

While this issue isn’t as prevalent in Warhammer Fantasy 8^th edition, I still have a Wood Elf army that will need to be updated in 2014 which I am both excited and dreading!

 

Armies on the Update Docket:
1. Ulthwe` Eldar – I want to create a themed Ulthwe` Strike Force that I can sub out options and maintain the Guardian and Seer Council theme.

2.  Black Templars – I want to build a narrative crusade full of characters, knights and zealots who are still determined to bring the Emperor’s wrath by bolter and chainsword.

3.  Wood Elves – this army will be getting updated sometime this year.  I can only pray that they do a good job with the book and do not unintentionally make most of its builds impossible to play successfully.

So I’ll wrap up this long winded whine with the realization that I have become more casual than competitive and honestly, it doesn’t bother me in the slightest.  That is not to say that whatever lists I use are not going to be efficient and cock-punching but I can guarantee they will be fluffy themed and fun too!

Hopefully, this year will be filled with interesting and fun hobby updates as I build my armies.

K'Daai Destroyer w/ Brazen Wings upgrade - WIP

January 24, 2014, 8:47 am

≫ Next: K'Daai Destroyer - Assembled. Warriors of Chaos List Finalized.

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Hello everyone,

As many know I have begun assembly of my Warriors of Chaos list for OFCC Fantasy this year.  In the list I wanted to have units that fit the theme so the K'Daai destroyer was a natural fit!

Anyway here are two WIP images pre-wings attachment.

The first and second is before I added the minotaur horns.  I choose minotaur because the Ghorgon set was just too large and dwarfed the actual head of the Maulerfiend.

The third image should show the wings that I plan to use.  I had been unable to find a suitable type of clockwork wings or steampunk wings that would work well with the model so the Manticore wings fit the bill.

Anyway, more to come!

Thanks

K'Daai Destroyer - Assembled. Warriors of Chaos List Finalized.

January 26, 2014, 11:46 pm

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Hello everyone,

I've managed to complete assembly on my K'Daai Destroyer w/ the Brazen Wings upgrade (via Storm of Magic) for my Warriors of Chaos list I plan on taking to OFCC 2014 this year.

I really did very little work converting this, I bought a Maulerfiend and attached a set of minotaur horns and some manticore wings.  However if this happens to be like the most awesome conversion ever then I will totally change gears and complain about the sheer difficulty that was involved in it's conceptualization....

Enough talking pictures inc:

Next up we have the list for OFCC 2014.
I have yet to add all my fancy Roleplaying Names and titles to the units as I am accustomed to doing, however the theme is fairly straight forward.  I will be using a Chaos Lord mounted on a Daemonic mount taking his legion through the frozen north into the fiery and deathly Dark Lands (hey isn't that were your Beastmen hail from? omg THEME) where he assembles more of his forces.  I'm using Lore of Fire this go around cause, why not?

Here's the list, I'm sure I'll have some existential description that will make it relevant to some social moray and as a result empower my readers to do what's right and just... or they will just say "bitchin dude!".

Enough blathering- list inc!

2800 Pts - Warriors of Chaos Roster - The Eye Aeternum

Chaos Lord (1#, 355 pts)

1 Chaos Lord, 355 pts (General; Hand Weapon; Chaos Armour)

1 Daemonic Mount (Daemonic Attacks; Causes Fear; Stomp)

1 Hellfire Sword (Flaming Attacks; Multiple Wounds)

1 Enchanted Shield

1 Talisman of Endurance

1 Soul Feeder

Sorcerer Lord (1#, 324 pts)

1 Sorcerer Lord, 324 pts (Barding; Level 4 Upgrade; Hand Weapon; Chaos Armour)

1 Chaos Steed

1 Charmed Shield

1 Chaos Familiar

1 The Lore of Fire

Exalted Hero (1#, 215 pts)

1 Exalted Hero of Khorne (Battle Standard Bearer), 215 pts (Berserk Rage; Mark of Khorne; Hand Weapon; Chaos Armour; Battle Standard Bearer; Frenzy)

1 Juggernaut of Khorne (Daemonic Attacks; Causes Fear)

1 The Other Trickster's Shard

Chaos Warriors (21#, 355 pts)

20 Chaos Warriors, 355 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Chaos Armour; Shield)

1 Aspiring Champion (Hand Weapon; Chaos Armour; Shield)

1 Banner of Eternal Flame

Chaos Knights (5#, 260 pts)

4 Chaos Knights, 260 pts (Musician Mus; Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Ensorcelled Weapons; Chaos Armour; Shield; Barding; Causes Fear)

1 Doom Knight (Hand Weapon; Ensorcelled Weapons; Chaos Armour; Shield)

1 Standard of Discipline

5 Chaos Steed

Chaos Ogres (6#, 290 pts)

5 Chaos Ogres of Khorne, 290 pts (Always Strikes Last; Berserk Rage; Ogre Charge; Standard Bearer Std; Mark of Khorne; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour; Causes Fear; Frenzy)

1 Mutant Ogre of Khorne (Always Strikes Last; Berserk Rage; Mark of Khorne; Hand Weapon; Great Weapon; Heavy Armour; Frenzy)

Skullcrushers of Khorne (3#, 244 pts)

3 Skullcrushers of Khorne, 244 pts (Berserk Rage; Standard Bearer Std; Mark of Khorne; Hand Weapon; Ensorcelled Weapons; Chaos Armour; Shield; Frenzy)

3 Juggernaut of Khorne (Daemonic Attacks; Causes Fear)

Marauder Horsemen (5#, 90 pts)

5 Marauder Horsemen, 90 pts (Standard Bearer Std; Hand Weapon; Light Armour; Shield; Vanguard)

5 Warhorse

Chaos Chariot (3#, 110 pts)

1 Chaos Chariot, 110 pts (Chariot; Scythed Wheels)

2 Chaos Charioteer (Hand Weapon; Halberd)

2 Chaos Steed

Chaos Chariot (3#, 110 pts)

1 Chaos Chariot, 110 pts (Chariot; Scythed Wheels)

2 Chaos Charioteer (Hand Weapon; Halberd)

2 Chaos Steed

Chaos Warhounds (5#, 40 pts)

5 Chaos Warhounds, 40 pts (Vanguard)

Chaos Warhounds (5#, 40 pts)

5 Chaos Warhounds, 40 pts (Vanguard)

K'Daai Destroyer - Brazen Wings - (325+40) - 365 pts.

Validation Report:

Army Subtype: Chaos Army; Edition: 8th Edition; Game Type: Normal Game; Special Rules: Allow Forge World, Allow Warhammer Forge; File Version: 2.70

Roster satisfies all enforced validation rules

Composition Report:

Points of Lords: 679 (0 - 700)

Points of Heroes: 215 (0 - 700)

Points of Core: 745 (700 - Unlimited)

Points of Special: 550 (0 - 1400)

Points of Rare: 609 (0 - 700)

Total Roster Cost: 2798

It is now 15 til midnight so I am going to hit the sack. 

I'll let all of you use your powers of deduction to determine where each character is going to go and stuff.

Article 0

January 29, 2014, 4:51 pm

≫ Next: Warriors of Chaos - Skullcrushers of Khorne (Hellhounds of Hellfire) WIP

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Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game and Retribution of Scyrah Lists

I have recently been invited to play in an Iron Kingdoms Fantasy Roleplaying game with a few friends of mine.  Now I had posted a while back in my Breaking up with Dungeons and Dragons 4.0 topic that I was rather done with most role playing games as Wargaming took the driver’s seat with most of my free time (what little exists anymore!).  Now the Deployment Zone podcast had spent two episodes describing the Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying System as well as playing through a quick game to test out the mechanics.  During that time my gaming group had listened to the podcast and decided that they would run a campaign after the holidays and tie it into a Warmachine/Hordes map campaign.  So the six of us are going to play a map based Warmachine/Hordes/Iron Kingdoms campaign and roleplaying game with the map campaign being over for both systems in summer and the roleplaying game continuing for an undetermined amount of time.

The Full Metal Fantasy Campaign Rules:
1.  You are to submit one faction to play for each game, Hordes and Warmachine.

2.  You are allowed to field 2 lists per game system.

3.  Each list must be 50 pts.

4.  You are to submit one character for the Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game.  You do not have to play a character from the same faction as your armies.

5. You are expected to play in the Iron Kingdoms Roleplaying Game twice a month and the map based Warmachine/Hordes campaign once a month (once per faction – 2 games a month).’

6.  Iron Kingdoms characters are to start at level 1.

Map Based Campaign Rules:

1.  You are limited to 2 hexes of movement per turn.  Movement into another territory takes 1 hex of movement, regardless of the type of terrain (water, mountains, etc..)
2.  You may only attack a faction/army an adjacent hex away.  Attacking requires 1 hex of movement.

3.  You may only garrison territories that have been claimed for more than one game turn. (i.e. you can not garrison a territory the same turn as you conquer it)

4.  Garrisoning a territory requires 1 hex of movement and will allow you to defend the territory against invaders.

5.  Non-garrisoned territories may not be defended and are automatically captured.

6.  Capitols are automatically considered garrisoned.

7.  There will be 4 Seasons, each Season consisting of 3 Game Turns.

8.  A player’s faction is wiped out when there are no territories occupied by that player’s army.

9.  The winner is determined to be the player with the most territories.

10.  Players may not “aid” their other faction with their other army.  The two armies are treated as aggressive when adjacent and may not be treated as “Neutral” territories and therefore able to be passed through.  When a player is forced to invade a territory controlled by his other faction, if it is garrisoned then the Campaign Master will play the defender for that match.

11.  Two players may agree to be “Neutral” with one another for a single Game Turn.  While two players are neutral, players may move through each other’s territories without engaging in combat.  Hordes and Warmachine factions may not be Neutral with each other and are always considered Aggressive. 

12.  You may only declare neutrality once per Season.

                So with this set of rules established for the campaign, I set about drafting up both my army lists and my character for the game.  I have decided upon for Warmachine the Retribution of Scyrah and for Hordes the Circle Orboros.   The lists I’m going to use are detailed below:

Retribution of Scyrah: The Company of the Damned	Circle Orboros – The Great Hunt
Garryth, Blade of Retribution -          Sylys Wyshnalyrr -          Banshee -          Banshee Arcanist Arcanist Mage Hunter Assassin Mage Hunter Assassin Narn, Mage Hunter of Ios Ghost Sniper Ghost Sniper Mage Hunter Infiltrators – Leader & 5 Grunts -          Eiryss, Mage Hunter Commander Mage Hunter Strike Force – Leader & 5 Grunts -          Strike Force Commander Stormfall Archers – Leader & 3 Grunts Total: 50 pts.	Grayle the Farstrider -          Pureblood Warpwolf -          Warpwolf Stalker -          Winter Argus War Wolf War Wolf War Wolf Reeve Hunter Wolf Lord Morraig Reeves of Orboros – Leader & 5 Grunts -          Reeves of Orboros Chieftain & Standard Bearer Wolves of Orboros – Leader & 5 Grunts -          Wolves of Orboros Chieftain & Standard Bearer Warpborn Skinwalkers – Leader & 4 Grunts -          Warpborn Skinwalker Alpha Total: 50 pts Claw & Fang Theme – Tier 3
Retribution of Scyrah: Fires from on High	Circle Orboros: The Heart Eaters
Adeptis Rahn -          Sylys Wyshanalyrr -          Discordia -          Hyperion Arcanist House Shyeel Magister House Shyeel Magister House Shyeel Artificer House Shyeel Artificer Stormfall Archers – Leader & 3 Grunts House Shyeel Battle Mages – Leader & 5 Grunts House Shyeel Battle Mages – Leader & 5 Grunts Total: 50 pts. Fires from on High Theme – Tier 4	Kromac the Ravenous -          Warpwolf Stalker -          Gnarlhorn Satyr -          Shadowhorn Satyr Lord of the Feast Tharn Ravager White Mane Tharn Ravager White Mane Tharn Ravagers – Leader & 5 Grunts -          Tharn Ravager Chieftain -          Tharn Ravager Shaman Tharn Ravagers – Leader & 3 Grunts -          Tharn Ravager Chieftain The Heart Eaters – Tier 4

                I am hopeful that I will be able to field 1-2 games a session with the two factions.  We shall have to see.

My Iron Kingdoms character is an Iosan Mage Hunter/ Cutthroat and as many of you have already probably predicted his name is Sylvos.  I will post his character sheet for your viewing pleasure after the first session.  I will be providing hopefully bi-weekly updates on the Full Metal Fantasy Campaign for both the Map Campaign and the Roleplaying Game.  Until then, that’s it for now!

Warriors of Chaos - Skullcrushers of Khorne (Hellhounds of Hellfire) WIP

February 20, 2014, 2:15 pm

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Good afternoon everyone,

I have been a monumental slacker about posting this month due to my schedule but I thought I'd take some time to post some WIP's of my Battle Standard Bearer and Skullcrushers I've been working on for my Warriors of Chaos army.

I am using the idea that rather than using the clockwork Juggernauts of Khorne that you normally see on the table, I wanted to use what could only be termed as "Hellhounds" since I'm using a Hellfire theme for my Warriors.

I bought a bunch of the Thunderwolf Cavalry mounts and a box of Chaos Knights to use as well as some Skullcrusher collars.

As you can see above, I have 3 Skullcrushers built along with the BSB.  In the far left corner you can also see what I will be using as my mounted Sorcerer Lord on a Chaos Knight steed.

Battle Standard Bearer pre-pinning to mount.

Terrible perspective of Skullcrusher.

I'm pleased with the results thus far:
More to come!

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OFCC 2014 and The Ordo Fanaticus Fantasy Open - Rules Pack for OFCC 2014

March 7, 2014, 2:32 pm

≫ Next: A triumphant return!

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Hello everyone!

The Ordo Fanaticus is putting on the OFCC 2014 event in September this year and we want to invite you to attend!

OFCC 2014 Announcement
Please follow the link above for information concerning the OFCC 2014 event and check out our video below!



I will also be running the first ever Ordo Fanaticus Fantasy Open!  The event will be on September 26th, 2014.  The OFFO will be a one day, no comp event consisting of three rounds where players are to bring a 3,000 point army to compete to be the Champion of the OFFO!

The Ordo Fanaticus Fantasy Open or the OFFO rules pack may be found here:

Ordo Fanaticus Warhammer Fantasy Open 2014 - Rules Pack

I encourage everyone to try to attend the event, it will be a four day gaming bonanza filled with tournaments for both single players and teams, narrative events, and open gaming.  There will be events for Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40k, Infinity, Malifaux, X-wing, Attack Wing, and many many more game systems!  Not to mention it is also located in Portland within walking distance of dozens of our amazing breweries!  Beer and gaming, what could be better!

See you there!

A triumphant return!

April 17, 2014, 5:16 pm

≫ Next: Company of the Damned - 2014 Wood Elves Army Book Review - Part One: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

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I have not really been able to blog much in the past 2 months due to an injury that occurred when my C6/C7 disc in my neck herniated and decided to pinch off the nerve in my arm.  Since then it's been pretty much uninterrupted pain 24/7 which made doing anything such as typing, walking, modeling, etc... just ridiculously painful.  

So on April 14th, I decided to go ahead and have surgery to fix this issue and by God it worked!  So I return triumphant and ready to get my hobby on (as soon as I can bend my neck and turn my head that is - still wearing a neckbrace for a few more days)!

My surgeon did live up to all my expectations when he came out to update my wife after everything was done and said in his best Obi-won Kenobi voice "He's more machine now than man, twisted and evil."

So personal update aside - I return with a new zest and excitement for the next few months as the Wood Elves are rumored to be out in May!  After a long and I do mean long awaited release of a new book, (2005 to be exact) I eagerly await to see how they have changed or better yet updated my favorite army.  

Many rumors state that they are getting rid of the Eternal Guard, making everything skirmishers, etc..  I am not going to concern myself with any of that until the new book has been released.  Based upon the relatively solidness of the last 2 elf books and the dwarfs, I can safely surmise that the Wood Elves will be just fine and my enjoyment in this hobby will continue.

I also eagerly await the 3rd book in the Wood Elf triology - The Council of Beasts.  The last book, Tears of Isha, had me very nervous as to how they are going to move forward with the Wood Elves lore wise.  Darius Hinks has done a pretty good job of instilling this idea of "noble savagery" to the Wood Elves.  Rather than the cold and overly regal demeanor that you see in High Elves or the cruelty and malevolence in Dark Elves; the Wood Elves have been portrayed (to me) as a very shamanistic and clannish society that still has a caste system.  Also, the alliance between forest spirits and the Asrai (Wood Elves) seems to be strained at best, more of a barely tolerable arrangement where the Asrai treat the Forest Spirits like a dog with distemper - fierce and can turn on you at any moment.  There also seems to be an ancient and dark magic rather that permeates the woods of Athel Loren, I have not decided if it is 100% good or evil but rather just ..feral.  I eagerly await the next book!

So I think that perhaps the authors of the new Wood Elf army book and Darius Hinks will have redefined how the Wood elf army is perceived as well as played in the next book.   

In an effort to maintain my sanity and the sanity of my wife, I have put all hobby projects on hold.  I will be waiting for 2 weeks for the new Wood Elf book and then I shall unload the hobby Armageddon as I recreate the Great Hunt once again!  I will also be reviewing each unit and playtesting heavily to see how they function for a whole new Wood Elf: Tactica!

For now, I'll try to fit in a few book reviews until our great event occurs!

Company of the Damned - 2014 Wood Elves Army Book Review - Part One: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

May 4, 2014, 1:45 am

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Hell hath frozen over as the Wood Elves have received a new book!

Games Workshop has decided to silence the cries of indignant Wood Elf players that have echoed through the gaming halls for two editions by giving the reins to Mat Ward to write the newest incarnation of the Wood Elves army book. 

As Wood Elves are my favorite army and the primary content of this blog, it would make sense that the next dozen or so posts will be about the new book and my army list and hobby updates. 

We shall begin with the actual book itself, the cover art depicts a Wood Elf Highborn armed for battle with an antlered helm and a shield with stag and forest heraldry depicted upon it.  This artwork is very similar to what was seen on both the Dark Elves and High Elves book whereas the High Elf helm was adorned with wings while the Dark Elf's bears bladed horns.  The theme across all three books is repeated giving the readers a seamless transition between the three races. 

Mat Ward is the author of the three books and does an excellent job of tying all three races together and keeping them balanced.  The Wood Elf book is divided up into four sections:

1. The Lords of Athel Loren - this section provides the detailed history of the Wood Elves and their home of Athel Loren. 
2. The Deepwood Host - this section lists the characters, units and monsters available to the Wood Elf host.  Each selection provides a description and role of the unit along with it's stat block.  This section will also include a list of the spells and magic items available for the army.
3. The Glory of the Elves - here is where Games Workshop provides a showcase of the models that the Heavy Metal team has painted for display.  This is the section where Wood Elf players get inspired by the paint jobs and pictures.
4. The Wood Elves Army List - This section divides the units up into their specific selections and provides stat blocks, upgrades, and point costs for each unit.

In order to properly do this new book justice, I will be breaking up the book review into several posts.  Mat Ward did such an incredible job of rewriting the history and lore of the Wood Elves to provide a cohesive story line for not just the Wood Elves but also the High and Dark Elves as well.  I will be spending several posts discussing the Rules, the Lore, the Units, the Changes, Strategies, Synergies and Army Lists and Themes.

Part One: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

In this section we will be discussing the new Army wide special rules, the new base equipment and what major changes that were either modified or removed from the transition from the new book from the old one.

Army Special Rules:

1. Blessings of the Ancients - Any model with this special rule, and is within a forest, will receive a +1 to cast spells.

2.  Ambush from the Worldroots - A Wood Elf player may place a Citadel Wood on the battlefield.  This free terrain piece is placed in the Wood Elf player's deployment before units have been deployed.  This forest is not mysterious terrain - the Wood Elf player will declare what type it is when they place it.

3.  Forest Spirit -  A model with this rule has the Forest Strider special rule and its attacks (both close combat and ranged) are magical.  In addition, as long as the model is not a mount, it receives a 6+ ward save and has the Immune to Psychology special rule.

4.  Forest Stalker - A model with this special rule has the Forest Strider special rule and if at least half the unit's models are in a forest they receive the following benefits:

• All models in the unit that have the Forest Stalker special rule fire in one more thank than normal.
• All models that have the Forest Stalker special rule can make supporting attacks with one additional rank than normal.
• All models in the unit that have the Forest Stalker special rule (but not their mounts fyi) may re-roll all To Wound rolls of 1 when making close combat attacks.

5.  Always Strike First - All elf models (not their mounts) has the Always Strike First special rule.

The Armoury of Torgovann:

1. Asrai Longbow - Range: 30", Strength: 3, Special Rules: Armour Piercing, Volley Fire.
2. Blackbriar Javelin - Range: 12", Strength: User, Special Rules: Armour Piercing, Poisoned Attacks.
3. Asrai Spear - (Foot) - Strength: User, Special Rules: Armour Piercing, Fight in Extra Ranks
4. Asrai Spear - (Mounted) - Strength: +1 (first turn of combat), Special Rules: Armour Piercing

5.    Enchanted Arrows - these are magical arrows (count as magical attacks) that may be purchased as unit upgrades for several units in the Wood Elf army.  All the enchanted arrows have a range of 30", a Strength of 3 and have the Volley Fire special rules.

• Arcane Bodkins - Wounds caused by Arcane Bodkins have a -3 to armour saves.
• Hagebane Tips - these arrows have the Armour Piercing and Poisoned Attacks special rules.
• Moonfire Shot - these arrows have a +1 bonus to wound rolls against units from the Forces of Order and possess the Armour Piercing and Flaming Attacks special rules.
• Starfire Shafts - - these arrows have a +1 bonus to wound rolls against units from the Forces of Destruction and possess the Armour Piercing and Flaming Attacks special rules.
• Swiftshiver Shards - these arrows possess the Multiple Shots (2) and Armour Piercing special rules.
• Trueflight Arrows - shooting attacks made by these arrows do not suffer To Hit penalties.

Changes:

                The changes from the old book to the new book are legion and completely game changing for any Wood Elf general who has sought to be successful using the same book for the past 9 years.  Upon reading through this book and the other two elf books (High and Dark Elves), the vision that Mat Ward had for the elven races is very obvious and I am scared to admit it but... I agree and approve his vision.

What was lost...

1. Eternal Guard Fighting Style - the Eternal Guard Fighting Style is no more, they are no longer provided the +1 attack and 5+ armor save.
2. Asrai Archery - The Wood Elf army no longer ignores the -1 to hit penalty for moving and shooting.
3. Hit-and-Run - Warhawk Riders no longer possess the ability to escape combat and rally automatically after losing without the enemy pursuing  or causing panic in nearby friendly units.
4. The Fury of Kurnous - Wild Riders no longer receive +1 attack in rounds of combat in which they did not charge.
5. The Wild Hunt - Wild Riders no longer cause Fear the turn they charge into combat if they have a musician. 
6. Wardancer Weapons - Wardancers no longer receive +1 attack from their weapons nor do they receive the +1 Strength in the first turn of combat after charging. 
7. Spites of Athel Loren - the Spites upgrades are no longer available to Wood Elf and Forest Spirit characters.  The loss of Athel Loren Spites was a pretty big thematic and flavor option for the Wood Elves.  These were used pretty widely through many army lists - especially the Cluster of Radiants (+1 dispel die) and the Annoyance of Netlings (6's to hit in a challenge).
8. Wood Elf Kindreds - the option for Wood Elf characters to become Kindreds was removed.  This is very unfortunate as it provided a unique and very customizable option for many players to make truly unique characters such as: Waywatchers, Wild Rider, Alters and Glamourweave to name a few. 
9. The Lore of Athel Loren - the unique Wood Elf lore of Athel Loren is no longer an option for Wood Elf wizards.  Mr. Ward made the decision to provide other options to the Wood Elf wizards which will be discussed later.
10. Lethal Shot - Waywatcher models no longer possess this special rule which used to provide the Killing Blow special rule at short range.
11. Magic Items that were removed:

• Blades of Loec  - Wardancer Kindred used to be able to take these to reroll failed To Wound rolls in close combat.
• The Dawnspear - this item used to confer a -1 to hit in close combat to models wounded by it.
• The Spear of Twilight - this used to be my favorite Wild Rider Kindred item as it conferred Killing Blow to it's wielder.
• Callach's Claw
• The Hunter's Talon
• The Sword of a Thousand Winters
• Rageth's Wildfire Blades - I was disappointed these were removed as they were an affordable 10 pt upgrade to provide not only Flaming attacks but it provided +1 attack to it's wielder.
• Asyendi's Bane
• The Oaken Armor
• Railarians's Mantle
• Armour of the Fay
• Briarsheath - another disappointing removal, this was a favored item to my Waywatcher or Scout characters to make them even more difficult to hit with shooting attacks.
• Rhymer's Harp - this is one of the major magic item losses that affects my army composition as I used to place this on my Spellweaver to give her unit a 5+ ward save and give it a bit more durability. 
• Amaranthine Brooch - this used to be one of the few remaining 3+ ward save items in the game (granted it was against non-magical attacks).
• Amber Pendant
• Stone of Crystal Mere - I was sad to see this item go as well but any 3+ ward save items have been successfully phased out for the most part by now.
• Glamourweave
• Stone of Rebirth - no more 2+ ward saves when owner has 1 wound left.
• The Fimbulwinter Shard
• Merciw's Locus
• Wraithstone
• Hagbane, Starfire, Arcane Bodkins, and Dragontooth Arrows - there were all removed from the magic items gallery
• The Horn of the Asrai
• Elynett's Brooch
• Gwytheric's Horn
• Wand of the Wych Elm - one of the best items in game was sadly removed.  This item used to allow Wood Elf caster's the ability to reroll failed Dispel rolls when attempting to counter enemy spells. 
• Divination Orb - yet another reasonably powerful item that yielded an additional dispel die when your opponent used more than 3 dice to cast a spell.
• The Deepwood Sphere
• Ranu's Heartstone
• All five magical standards were removed - Royal Standard of Ariel, Gaemrath, Faoghir, Saemrath and Aech.

The above list catalogs what did not make it into the new book from the old.  There were several functional changes lost that directly impacted how the Wood Elf army played.  One of the most substantial changes was the loss of Asrai Archery as that was a pretty big army defining feature.  The advantage of Asrai Archery provided the Wood Elf general with the ability to have a mobile and fast moving ranged contingent that could capitalize on maneuverability without losing any ranged effectiveness.

                The loss of the Spites of Athel Loren was one of two thematic changes that were removed whereas the Wood Elf general could provide options to his characters not normally found in other armies (Annoyance of Netlings being a primary one). 

                The removal of the Kindreds was another customization loss as it provided several characters with special rules that were not normally available to other Highborn/Nobles.  The Wild Rider Kindred gained the old Forest Spirit rule and could take a Stag as a mount.  The Glamourweave kindred could  take a Unicorn, Waywatcher and Scout Kindred gained the Scout special rule.  Many functional and thematic options that really allowed each Wood Elf general to customize how his army functioned. 

To be continued... 

(Part One: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes. will be continued in the next post)

Company of the Damned - 2014 Wood Elf Army Book Review- Part Two: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

May 4, 2014, 11:28 pm

≫ Next: Company of the Damned – 2014 Wood Elf Army Book Review – Part Three: Embracing Change – Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

≪ Previous: Company of the Damned - 2014 Wood Elves Army Book Review - Part One: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

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Part Two: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes. - Continued...

In the last post I discussed briefly the layout of the book and what changes had taken place between the previous army book and the new one.  I listed what had not made the transfer into the new book and what critical items and rules had been lost. 

I think the most critical items/rules that had been left out were:
Asrai Archery

Rhymer's Harp

Sprites

Kindred Rules

Wand of the Wych Elm

Lore of Athel Loren

These items were fairly critical to the Wood Elf theme and back story and added a level of customization to the army that was not present in any of the existing army books.  Now that we have listed what has been lost let us now discuss what has been changed...

What was changed...

1.  Bodyguard - This rule was changed and made obsolete by Eternal Guard being Stubbornwithout needing a Highborn or Noble in the unit.

2.  Forest Spirit - This rule has been changed whereas it no longer grants the 5+ ward save against non-magical attacks and the restrictions about grouping with units that did not have this special rule was lifted.  The ward save was lessened to a 6+ against all attacks

3.  Forest Stalker - This rule used to be a specific rule for Waywatchers were it provided an additional -1 to hit the unit and allowed their deployment to have no minimal distance from the enemy when scouting.

4.  Forest Walkers - This rule was folded into the new Forest Stalker rule.

5.  Woodland Ambush - This rule was rolled into the Ambush from the Worldroots only instead of a 6" wood you now get a Citadel wood.

6.  Glade Guard Longbows - One of the favorite items of any Wood Elf general is now gone, Wood Elf longbows are no longer Strength 4 at short range.  This special rule was changed into the Asrai Longbow item.

7.  Strangle-root Attack - This is now a Strength 5 attack that does D6+1 shots with a 12" range and the Multiple Shots special rule.

8.  Talismanic Tattoos - These no longer provide the MR 1.

9.  Tree Singing - This spell is provided by an arcane item and replaces one that the wizard knows.  You may also no longer "surf" units with it as the woods now must be unoccupied to be moved.

10. The Spirit Sword - the language on this weapon was cleaned up and you no longer suffer the drawbacks for not beating your opponents leadership test and Ward saves may now be taken.

11. Daith's Reaper - They added the option to reroll failed To Wound rolls.

12. The Bow of Loren - My personal favorite item was changed to be "A+1" number of shots that may not be combined with Magical Arrows (i.e. no Arcane Bodkins or Hail of Doom Arrow). 

13. Moonstone of the Hidden Ways - This is not only no longer "One Use Only" but you may not use it to take your unit out of combat anymore.  It losing it's "one use only" designation means that it's utility just increased tenfold.  Also units count as "marched" after teleporting.

14. The Hail of Doom Arrow - The Arrow gained Armour Piercing and Multiple Shots special rules.

15. Calaingor's Staff - This staff no longer allows you to cast Tree Singing over and over but rather allows you to take the "Tree Singing" spell in place of one you would normally have generated. 

The changes to items and abilities may not seem that game changing at first until you evaluate how much of a subtle impact they had on the tactics used for the past nine years of Wood Elf players.  Let us evaluate how these 15 changes affect the Wood Elves:

A. Forest Spirits are now both better and worse because of how the rules affect them.  Their ward save went from a 5+ to a 6+ but rather than it being negated by magical attacks it is constant. 

B.  Forest Stalkers directly impact the durability of the Waywatchers as they lose a very important -1 to being hit with ranged attacks.

C.  Glade Guard Longbows - This is a huge impact as this now means that Wood Elves may not be skirting around the board trying to get into short range because their bows get better.  This and the loss of Asrai Archery was a devastating combo for Wood Elves to lose.  This means that Wood Elves; dependent upon what Lore, Unit and Arrows they choose will become either more static in their shooting or be forced to use specific combinations to recreate some of the strategies of the older book.

D.  The Bow of Loren and Arcane Bodkins - were my favorite combo as I used to put this on my general and combined with my Waywatchers , just delete units of Knights and heavy cavalry each turn.  The bow will now need to fill a new role in the army.

E.  The Moonstone of the Hidden Ways - This item went from being a "bait and switch" one use or a "Come and get me, ha ha POOF!" item to a now viable assault item which allows the unit to teleport all over the board with skirmishers and loose fire all over.

The actual list of strategic changes are legion as they usually are when a new book comes out that changes how an army functions but those are my top 5 ways that the "changes" to the existing rules affect the Wood Elves.  More specific changes will be listed when I break down the units and begin to discuss actual themes and strategies in future posts.

Now...

The next post will include "What was gained..."  in the Part Three: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

Company of the Damned – 2014 Wood Elf Army Book Review – Part Three: Embracing Change – Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

May 5, 2014, 1:50 pm

≫ Next: Company of the Damned – Wood Elf Army Book Review – Part Four: Unit Summaries

≪ Previous: Company of the Damned - 2014 Wood Elf Army Book Review- Part Two: Embracing Change - Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes.

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Part Three: Embracing Change – Army Special Rules, the Armoury and Changes – Continued…

Previously we discussed what had been lost and changed in the transition from the old Wood Elf book to the new.  We however have not really touched on…

What was gained...

1.       Always Strike First – Every elven unit gaining this ability is incredible.  Now High Elves, Dark Elves and Wood Elves all share the same special ability (stemming from the fact that they were all once the same race...) and are faster than a normal man.  This was one issue that always bothered me as I would get incredibly annoyed that Warriors of Chaos would be hitting simultaneously as a lithe and agile Wood Elf.  This ability will provide greater combat effectiveness to all melee units and to the units that were ranged such as Glade Guard, Waywatchers, etc… this now provides them with a modicum of more offensive melee might that they lacked before.  Striking first and potentially rerolling misses is a huge boon.  I will however note that the Forest Spirits in this book do not benefit from this ability, only the Elves.

2.       Forest Spirit Ward Save of 6+ - Forest Spirits no longer automatically fold to magic missiles or magical attacks.  While the ward save was reduced to a 6+, it is still a permanent ward save that they did not have previously.

3.       Forest Stalker – Not only does this provide Forest Strider, but when a Wood Elf unit with this rule is in a forest they gain the benefits of both the Martial Prowess and the Murderous Precision.  What that means is that the Wood Elf unit not only fights and shoots with an additional rank when in a forest but also rerolls all to wound rolls of “1” in close combat while fighting in a forest.  Essentially Wood Elves get the best of both worlds while fighting in their natural habitat.

4.       Armour Piercing – With the exception of standard hand weapons, Asrai longbows, spears and the Blackbriar Javelins all have the Armour Piercing special rule.  While the standard Glade Guard longbow lost its Strength of 4 at short range, the entire army now benefits from the Armour Piercing rule which is a far more effective option than the previous incarnation.  But why do you ask?  The Glade Guard longbow was only given to the Core troop choice of “The Glade Guard” in the previous book.  This meant that your Waywatchers, characters, scouts, Glade Riders, etc.. did not benefit from the Str 4 short range rule.  For most players this is a good chunk of the army, now that every bow has Armour Piercing however the army is always making opponents save a -1.  This was not the case in the old book where troops could shrug off arrow fire at long range even with a 6+ armour save.  This addition is a great advantage and it also fits the Wood Elf theme of “finding chinks in the armour”.  I haven’t even begun to discuss the synergy of the bows with the magical arrows.

5.       Magical Arrows – Of all the game changing additions that Mat Ward placed upon this army, the Enchanted Arrows special rule is perhaps the most synergistic of them all.  Not only do the six arrow types work well with the Armour Piercing of the Asrai Longbow, but also with the various Lores of Magic that the Wood Elf army has access to.  I will do a brief summary of each arrow and some of the possible combinations that they work well with.

·         Arcane Bodkins – The arcane bodkins impose a -3 to the Armour Save of the target wounded.  This is a huge boon to any Wood Elf general who has to deal with high armour value targets such as: Warriors of Chaos, Lizardmen, Dwarfs, Chaos Dwarfs, etc...  The downside is that the Strength is still only 3 which means it is wounding most of the high armour targets on a 5+ due to their inherent Toughness of 4.  If the Glade Guard are going to be outfitted with this option (which by the way is the most expensive upgrade option), then it is recommended that there be a Lore of Shadow caster to reduce the intended target unit’s Toughness by D3 in order to fully capitalize on this type of arrow.  The main question however is that is it worth taking a Glade Guard for 17 points to impose a -3 to armour saves when you can take a Waywatcher at 20 points who completely ignores armour saves and has a higher Ballistic Skill?

·         Moonfire Shot – These arrows provide a +1 to wound against enemies of the Forces of Order.  These shots are not only Armour Piercing but Flaming also.  The enemies that would be directly impacted by this would be: Lizardmen, High Elves, Empire, Bretonnia, Dwarfs and Wood Elves.  While it helps with the Strength of 3 on the longbow, this selection is perhaps the least useful arrow choice as it does not really synergize with anything but Lore of Shadow’s Withering or the Lore of Death’s Soul Blight. Providing a 2+ to wound against affected units.

·         Starfire Shafts – Much like the Moonfire Shot, these arrows are limited in their use.  The arrows provide a +1 to wound against the armies of: Beastmen, Daemons of Chaos, Dark Elves, Orcs & Goblins, Vampire Counts, Chaos Dwarfs and Warriors of Chaos.  Sharing the same synergy as the Moonfire Shot, these arrows are limited in their usefulness.

·         Trueflight Arrows – These arrows allow generals to hearken back to the time of MSU fighting and the highly mobile strike force.  These arrows work well with the Lore of Shadow’s Withering as the Wood Elf general may sit back in the backfield and hit on 3’s regardless of range or modifiers. I can see this being used by generals who wish to field many equine units or use move and shoot as their primary focus.

·         Swiftshiver Shards – These arrows seem to shine when the general has a Lore of Shadow caster – The Withering is flat out one of the best spells for Wood Elves to use as it reduces the Toughness of the model in question and with the Multiple Shots (2) rule the unit doubles its output which can have devastating effects on whomever is their target.

·         Hagbane Tips – These are the primary choice in my opinion for Wood Elves as they require no additional synergy to maintain effectiveness.  Regardless of Toughness, the arrows wound on a 6 to hit which negates the advantage of high Toughness.  This is also one of the most inexpensive options for enchanted arrows available.  The Hagbane Tips also are the best option for killing monsters and warmachines.

There have been multiple threads on sites like www.asrai.org (the main Wood Elf Warhammer Fan site) that provide break downs for the use of each arrow against not only toughness but also armour saves and to hit modifiers.  The end result proves that the Hagbane Tips are the best option to take as they have the highest wound percentage.  After the Hagbane Tips, the next best selection that barely eek out the Trueflight Arrows are the Swiftshiver Shards.  The multiple shots they put out prove to be more effective when the Lore of Shadow’s Withering is used or the Lore of Death’s Soul Blight. 

6.        Greater Magical Access – With the sad departing of the Lore of Athel Loren, Mat Ward decided to grace the Wood Elf race with full access to the 8 Lores of Magic.  In addition, the Lord level caster (The Spellweaver) gains access to the Lore of High Magic and the Lore of Dark Magic.  Now that Wood Elves have full access to all 8 Lores plus High and Dark Magic, they have gained a huge boost to their might.  Keep in mind that in the previous book only Spellweavers had access to the Lore of Life and Lore of Beasts.  The Spellsingers and Spellweavers also gain a +1 to cast when they are in a forest.  This provides a +5 base bonus for a Level 4 wizard.  In addition several of the units gain access to specific magical lores:

·         Spellweavers – Lore of High Magic, Lore of Dark Magic, 8 Lores of Magic

·         Spellsingers – All 8 Lores of Magic.

·         Treeman Ancients – Lore of Life

·         Shadow Dancers – Lore of Shadow

·         Branchwraiths – Lore of Life

The Lore of High Magic and Lore of Dark Magic also have specific Lore Attributes unique to the Wood Elves.  The Lore of High Magic allows you to place a wound counter next to the unit the caster is in.  Whenever that unit or the caster suffers an unsaved wound, the counter may be removed as if a wound had been taken.  The Lore of Dark Magic allows you to place a counter next to the unit affected.  When this unit suffers hits from the Lore of Dark Magic, the counter(s) are removed and D3 additional hits are added per counter.

This greater magical flexibility allows Wood Elves to no longer be reliant on getting Dweller’s Below or Amber Spear to have a “destructive” magic phase.  The Wood Elves now are able to properly synergize with the close combat, the ranged and the specialist units that are in the army to provide better and effective tactics to handle now every army.

These are just some of the numerous advantages that were gained with the transition from the old book to the new book.  As this review continues I will point out more and more advantages and disadvantages that were created by this new book.

The next few posts will begin to delve into the units that are in the book and how they have changed and what their role will be on the battlefield.