Battle of Almansa

 

To round up the year we've played a game of the spanish succession war, in which the allies attack the bourbon forces of marshal Berwick in Murcia on the year 1707

The ball begins with the bourbon cannon, who open fire on the combined enemy army causing havoc

Confident on their numerical superiority, the francospanish advance forwards

The infantry keeping to the center while the cavalry takes care of both flanks

Keeping the enemy contained in the middle, Berwick reinforces his flanks hoping to envelop the allies 

In the left flank a cavalry melee starts, with the allied hussars charging french line cavalry

British and Waloon guards meanwhile have started to trade volleys, an exchange that goes badly for the spanish, who are also fired upon by a battery of guns loaded with grapeshot

Fortunately for the cause of Philip V, the burbon cavalry routs its opponents and starts to close the noose around the allies

A division of frenchmen has also started to turn the flank, firing on some portuguese

On the other side of the battlefield meanwhile the brits are being charged by cavalry, choosing unwisely to fire instead of forming square

Paying dearly for such mistake

With both flanks annihilated the allied player can do little but form a semicircle and fire in all directions

But bit by bit all his divisions are charged and defeated by the endless waves of whitecoats

Even the guns are lost, the poor crew being run down by enraged burbon riders

With only one unit left, lord Galway orders the retreat, giving up the kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia to the fury of the bourbon forces

High elf mages

 

No elf army is complete without some mages, and the high elves are no exception. With access to all lores, +1 to dispel, and some broken magic items they are arguably the best casters in the game, and add some much needed magical firepower to any army. Female models are also scarce in Warhammer, so it has been a pleasure painting these two ladies to add a bit of variety to the collection.

The first mage is a miniature from 7th edition, looking regal and classy flying atop a ball of energy

But the most enjoyable part of painting her were the little four spirits decorating her base: fire, earth, water and fire, the four elements that the mage keeps under control while casting her spells

Then we have another mage from an unknown manufacturer (if any viewer knows please tell me in the coments), a less adorned model than is the norm for GW elves but still cool looking nonetheless

While keeping to the traditional blue white and gold schemes I added spots of colour on top the staff and on her lips, all the better to break a bit the monotony

War of the Beard map

 

Made a map for the war of the beard/vengeance based on the lustrian campaign system

New terriotires:

Dwarf Hold, DV4 

One of the ancestral dwarf homes of the mountains, each hold allows the owner to improve the weapons and armour of one of his core or special units for free. Dwarf players can opt instead to add a runic item of up to 25pts to their armies.

1-3 play the Breakthrough scenario

4-6 play the Siege scenario

Tor Alessi, DV4

The elf capital of the western colonies is a formidable fortress that was besieged no less than fourteen times during the war. The owner can improve the armour of one of his special or core units for free, and in addition elf players can add a magic item of up to 50 points (following the usual restrictions).

Play the Siege scenario

Phoenix Guard

Following in the footsteps of the white lions, I painted a unit of phoenix guard: sacred elven warriors that keep watch over the temple of Asuryan and have made a vow of silence not to reveal the terrible knowledge given to them by the creator god of the elves

The regiment itself is a mix of 5th and 7th edition guardsmen with the 7th ed Caradryan (leader of the guard) as champion

Being a lease from one of my friends, the unit was painted following the purple and gold scheme he did for the standard bearer (reminiscent of the 30k emperor's children), leaving the white for the feathers and cloaks adorned with a flame motif

 

White lions of Chrace

 

Working on the high elves it's time for the first elite regiment, the valiant woodsmen of the realm of Chrace, who armed with great axes and dressed with the pelt of giant lions defend the Phoenix King and act as his emissaries and agents all over Ulthuan

The unit is made up of 6th edition models with the 7th edition Korhil as champion

The flag was taken from the uniforms and heraldry book tweaking it a bit with photoshop

Not one of the most competitive units in the book (they strike last) but splendid looking nonetheless

Arac attack

 

Listen well ye faithful to the tale I shall tell about blessed Klovis, paragon of crusaders, and how he delivered the people of Sump City from a dark horror crawled from darkest nightmare.

For many a cicle had the revered Redeemer led us in the cleansing of that festering pit of scum and villainy with flame and sword, and by the grace of the Emperor many were the victories won by the redemptionist crusade over heretics and foul vermin alike

Our control over Sump City was almost complete when a great outcry rose from the Emperor-fearing folk that inhabited its slums and factories...

A vast bank of fog had risen from the Sump, covering the advance of a veritable army of spiders led by  a horrid monster we believed defeated months ago: a gargantuan female spider of prodigious size and malign intent; come to take revenge for those of her brood fallen to the harpoons and guns of the city

Brave Klovis was first to the docks to confront the mutant foe, joined by the ragtag bands of heretics that infested the town with their loathsome presence 

The miserly merchants, holding the settlement zones were first to feel the spiders' sting, mercenaries and gladiatrixes fighting hand in had with a foe no less repugnant than themselves

A tide of the creatures also assaulted our positions, only to be met by a wall of holy fire and divine wrath that saw the vile monsters brought low before the might of the faithful

But it was in the center where the mutant behemoth landed, scuttling over pipes and scrap huts towards the panicked vixens

Faithless as it was, their feeble attacks rebounded from the beast's thick hide, who climbing on top of a chemical vat started to devour the scantily clad eschers, a fitting end for their deviant lives

That spinless band of cowards retreated before the monster, opening a frenzied fire with all their guns 

Not even a fickle bounty hunter could stop the beast's advance

Who jumped to the deck and started slaughtering one sinner after another

However, the Redeemer truly was the most merciful of men, who leaving a detachment to keep the vermin emerging from the sump at bay...

... joined in the fight against the eight-legged abomination, putting momentarily aside his rightful hate for the eschers to save the innocent people of Sump City.

With the arrival of Klovis the tide turned, and the combined fire form heretics and believers started to chip away at the gargantuan monstrosity

Too late for the pampered guilders however, as by the report of some survivors they were eaten to a man by the loathsome tide of vermin

Enraged by her wounds, the white mare charged the last line of defence

But with a pure roar of hate Klovis fired with the Sword of Judgement, engulfing the arachnid giant in holy flame and bringing its unholy existence to and end!

So perish all enemies of the Redemption!