The sump crusade

With the boys I've started a Necromunda campaign set on Sump City: a den of scum and villany rising from the toxic wastes beneath Hive Primus

In the first game, my redemptionists were ambushed by the brutish goliaths, but wisely I deployed my half of the terrain in the center to form a bulwark against the heretic hordes

Seizing the first turn I placed most of the gang on suppressive fire, while from the top of a furnace two crusaders shot their autoguns into the goliath rabble

With no less than 9 one shot flamers on board, I started to barbecue gym bros left and right, punishing them for their unnameable sins with the holy flame of the Redemption

Some desultory fire came my way from their shotguns and pistols

But in a flash of zeal I sent my men over the barricades to bring battle to the deviant foe

A lively shootout erupted then between the pipes and industrial machinery of Sump City, decided by the arrival of Klovis and Malakev

On the other side of the battlefield another goliath fell (literally) to the guns of the faithful, his corrupt body plumetting down from a chemical vat

By then the goliaths had passed over their morale threshold

And promplty they routed from the field leaving a territory in redemtionist hands (wich was promptly purged of sinners in the campaign phase)

Empire campaign map

 

To be used with the Lustria "nodes"system"

All routes are at 2+ unless specified

Beastmen Camp DV 2

Beastmen and hordes of chaos armies receive one extra campaign point at 4+ 

1-3 play the ambush scenario with the defender as the attacker

4-6 play the meeting engagement scenario

Dwarf Hold DV4

A dwarf hold combines both the effects of a fortress and a mining village

Play the Siege scenario

Zombicide soldiers

 

Some zombicide models from a comission

Elector count

 

The Karl Franz kit came with a spare body that I used to make an elector count  armed with runefang inspired on the old metal commanders from 6th edition. In game he can be a cheaper version of the emperor mounted on warhorse or even a grand master to ride at the head of the freikorps

I took the chance to paint two more crossbowmen, bringing the regiment to 10 in Altdorf colours

Karl Franz

"Now it's the time, men of the Empire to unite! For the orcs gather. Beyond the pass a warboss gathers to him all that is foul, an orc horde beyond imagining. As Sigmar fought so shall we, we will become part of the legend. ¡For Sigmar, for the Empire, for the Warhammer!"

Karl Franz at the third battle of Black Fire Pass

To complete my Empire army I needed a figurehead, a centerpiece model to led the men to victory on the battlefield, and what better option than Karl Franz himself, prince of Altdorf and Emperor of men. He has been one of my all time favorite imperials ever since reading the story in the old 6th ed army book where he beats back an entire orc army at Black Fire Pass by killing their warboss in singular combat. Actually i had altready painted his old model long time ago, mounted on dragon or warhorse, and now I have him riding his trusty griffon Deathclaw to victory over a field of dead chaos warriors.

The griffon himself is pretty cool if a bit too big. I painted him in more natural colours than the official orange, drybrushing the feathers in browns and greys and painting the hindquarters with a washed down tan inspired on lion skin tones. For the base I reused some spare chaos bits, while the barding was done in traditional Altdorf colours of blue, red and green. A detail that I liked was the four principal gods of the Empire flanking his name, like if Morr, Taal, Ulric and Sigmar were watching over him in battle and during peacetime

The barding is a big and detailed piece, reminiscent of steam tank armour

For the Emperor I went with two subtle conversions and a black suit of armour to make him look like my favorite portrait of him (below), swapping the official helmet helmet for an arbites head, and giving him a spare wizard cloak that comes in the set.

I went with a leather hilt for Ghal Maraz to break up all the gold, while the cross that decorates his breastplate was painted in silvered steel to symbolize the silver seal that protects him in battle

And finally the feathers were painted in the colours of his personal realm: Reikland white accented with Altdorf red and blue

The battle of Xaultepec

 

"For long we gave fought in this benighted continent, many are the battles we've fought and rich our plunder, but now that it's time to sail for home dark clouds gather once again in the horizon, as the hordes of the ratmen close upon us for a final battle"

Journal of Kaspar van Gelt, fledmarshal of the Altdorf expedition

The rats marched through the jungle in their teeming masses, intent on piercing our lines and getting at the wagons laden with loot

For this ultimate confrontation heir ranks had been bolstered with a regiment of tilean mercenaries, who rained arrows upon us during the whole day

Thankfully the lady Yennefer soon answered them in kind, frying one of their foul sorcerers with a mighty storm of lighting that she called from the heavens

The loss of one of their leaders sent the whole flank scurrying

But in the right a swarm of murant rat monsters was encroaching upon us

Our center also suffered when a halberdier regiment stumbled on a quicksand pit, many brave soldiers sinking to their deaths and the rest running in panic

It took a charge of the fine freikorps knights to turn the tide of the battle, their gallant horses running down a mass of ratmen as the mercenaries cut a bloody path through the enemy's center

On the right the steam tank routed one of the giant ratman packs, and I led the brave spears of Altdorf against the other

But in a moment the mutants were on the Viktoria, ripping steel plates and engine parts in a frenzy that made me fear for the survival of the ancient machine

But it was only a temporary setback on the unstoppable tide of our victory, and as the knights slaughtered the crossbowmen...

...the skaven general fell to another lighting bolt cast by the beautiful Yennefer

And finally it was my charge at the head of the Hoch und Burgmeister that broke the ratmen, securing victory for Altdorf and the Empire!

With our coffers full of treasure and a good wind behind our ships it is time to sail back home, knowing that our fame and fortune have been won in the land of Lustria