Storm of chaos megabattle

 

And so we come to the last game of the Storm of Chaos campaign: a 4.000 points a side megabattle pitting four players in a massive fight on the road to Middenheim

Empire and dwarves hold the line faced by a horde of chaos and skaven abominations

The good guys got the first turn and started blasting way with tall the guns, the steam tank moving forward and unloading the hellbaster gun into the unit pushing the screaming bell

Meanwhile on the left both Archaon and Valten rode towards one another, resolved to decide the battle in a duel to the death

Hordes of rats swarmed the road

While imperials and dwarfs fired from the safety of some ruins

On the right things were far more quiet thanks to a couple of forests that hid the enemies from sight

But then a dastardly warplock engineer leapt in and started casting lightning bolts!

On the center meanwhile the steam tank had a close run with a hellcannon blast

And then was severly damaged by the warp lightning cannon

The allied artillery answered in kind blasting the hellcannon to bits

Both cavalries finally clashed, but the astute imperial player tanked the lord of the end times with a priest equipped with van Hortsmann's speculum while Valten slaughtered the swords of chaos

All alone the supposed everchosen turned tail and ran, only to be run down by the victorious imperials

The tank meanwhile was being swamped by hordes of slaves, but thanks to being in combat the bras orb launched into it bounced and landed on a skaven instead

More slaves menaced the gunline on the big hill

While the warriors with halberds were completely pastered by an organ gun

The slaves routed eventually the handgunners, pursuing them off the board

On the right side of the road things were being hampered by a ruined village, both sides getting closer and closer into charge range

The first to fall were the chaos undivided warriors, ravaged by the artillery and then pushed off the board by the hammerers

Who went on to rout yet another block of followers of the dark gods

Things went from bad to worse for the bad guys when a catapult shot started a big rout that made run the entire skaven flank

Turn five was reached and Valten and his knights charged the screaming bell, slaughtering scores of ratmen who stood their ground only thanks to being stubborn

But with just a score of units left it was all over for the forces of chaos, who beat a hasty retreat back to Kislev following their defeated champion. The empire had been saved thanks to the courage and fury of men and dwarfs!

Necromunda ratling and gun-servitor

 

Last year I got a couple miniatures of the monthy from GW whom I've turned into a ratling sharpsooter and a gun servitor of Necromund a/40k

The ratling model was pretty great on its own, so I just added a headshot Nurgle zombie to its base

The servitor on the other side came with a weird sministubber that I replaced with a scout heavy bolter, far more effective at blasting those enemy gangers to bits

Since the servitor hasn't got yet rules for 1at edition here's my take:

Gun Servitor

Gun servitors can be recruited as a normal hired gun for a starting price of 70 credits, their upkeep however is pretty low, with 5 credits after every session to cover the maintenance and repair costs.

M    WS    BS    S    T    W    I    A    LD

4      2       4     3     3     1    2     1     5

Weapons and armour: The servitor comes with integrated mesh armour, a knife (pincers) and must be equipped with a single heavy weapon bought from the trading post. Once equipped none of its weapons and armour can be taken off or traded, as they are bolted on the servitor's frame. The servitor can only be given equipment items, no new weapons or armour.

Automata: The servitor is inmune to pinning, cannot run, and passes automatically all Ld tests it has to take during the game. In addition to that servitors do not gain experience (they're lobotomized after all). 

Programmed behavior: before the game you must choose one of the following programs for the servitor to follow during the battle, they can be changed by the gang's leader by standing within 15cm of the servitor and passing a Ld test.

Hunt: the servitor will fire on the closest enemy, and if none are visible he will move towards the nearest foe at his usual pace.

Protect: the servitor will stand on his spot during the turn and fire at the closest enemy fighter, if none can be seen it will go into overwatch. 

Karak Eight Peaks map

 

Made this map to be used with the Lustria campaign system

Battling underground: while the top map represents the surface of the hold the bottom image depicts the mines and halls below. In battles fought under the surface no units of the following type can be deployed unless specified: large target, flying, cavalry, chariot

Territories

Gate: Defence value 2

Play the siege scenario

Farm: DV0, for every farm you own roll a D6 at the beginning of your campaign turn, with 5-6 you gain a campaign point.

Play the following scenarios:

1-3 pitched battle

4-6 meeting engagement

Forge: DV0, for every forge you own one of your units can improve their weapons for free.

Play the following scenarios:

1-3 capture with the forge as the objective

4-6 meeting engagement

Hall: DV0

Play the pitched battle scenario, you can deploy large target and chariot units 

Tomb: DV1, for every tomb you own one of your characters can include a magic object of up to 50 points for free (following the usual limitations)

Play the following scenarios:

1-3 capture with the tomb as the objective

4-6 ambush

Cave: DV0

Play the following scenarios:

1-2 flank attack

3-4 pitched battle

5-6 ambush

Goblin or skaven lair: DV1, goblin or skaven players gain an extra campaign point 

for every lair belonging to their race they control 

Play the following scenarios:

1-3 flank attack

4-6 ambush

Scenery

For battles on the top map use the standard "dwarf realms table", for battles underground roll 2D6 on the following tables

Gate, cave or farm

2 Chasm

3 Raging torrent

4-5 Stalactites, stone forest which counts as very difficult ground and gives hard cover

6-9 Cavern wall, an impassable mass of rock which blocks line of sight

10-11 Boulders

12 dwarf mines

Hall, forge or tomb

2-3 Chasm

5 Boulders

5-7 Stalactites, stone forest which counts as very difficult ground and gives hard cover

8-10 Rubble mound, hill made up of loose stone, it's difficult ground

11 Dwarf tomb or forge, made up of several burial mounds or furnaces and anvils it's considered impassable ground

12 Dwarf mines

Black templars impulsor/gladiator

Many moons ago I got this impulsor kit from a second hand supplier, after languishing in stasis for several year I've finally managed to put some paint on it, tuning it up with some imperial bits to give a more gothic and templaresque feel

The impulsor was designed by Belisarius Cawl as a sort of grav-rhino for his primaris space marines, transporting a small squad of six on the battlefield 

From the open topped compartment in the back the marines can follow the flow of battle and even fire their guns at the foe

On top of the hull the twin linked stubber can be replaced by several alternative weapons, personally I went with a vox array to call orbital barrages on the foe

The kit also came with enough pieces to turn the vehicle into a Gladitori which is, you guessed it: a grav predator, armed here in the lancer configuration of twin lascannon

Part of the Armageddon crusade, the vehicle sports a shield with he crusade's badge, generously lifted from a grey knight squad

On both sides the turret also has smoke grenade launchers, while an icarus rocket pod fired from the hull at enemy aircraft

The second siege of Brass Keep

 

The brave men of the Empire defend the Brass Keep from a horde of evil ratmen

The imperial guns roar and the first siege tower goes down in flames

From the ramparts the Altdorf arquebusiers rain death on the foe

As the second siege tower is blown apart

Things go even better for the imperials when the storm invoked by the enemy battle standard peters out, clearing the day for the guns

The hellstorm cannon takes aim and misfires, but a roll of six means that the gun fires a devastating volley that causes 30 hits on the foe

Evaporating the skaven general, banner and bodyguard unit

Undetered the rest of the ratmen march forwards

And while the handgunners die to a warp lightning the Bögenhafen swordsmen plug up the gap

It is now turn 4 and the skavenslaves storm the ramparts

Only to be hit by a comet of Cassandora, and then routed in hand to hand combat

The last skaven unit scales the walls, but after some turns of combat turns tail and flees

Leaving the Keep in the hands of its brave defenders!