Our local club is having it's regular Call to Arms event next weekend, and as I'm still in the process of getting new Warmaster armies and scenery table-ready, we thought we'd try a 4 player game, using the Battle of Mittlenberg scenario from Warmaster Magazine 11.
Here is the field of battle:
As we don't (yet) have a dwarf army in the group, it will be a little more than 2k of Empire troops, allied with a little less than 2k of Araby versus 2k each of Orcs and Goblins and Mortal Chaos. Victory will be achieved based on victory points earned at the end of day 2, or if both of the armies on one side are broken.
The Altdorf Rapid Response Force
- 4 Halberdiers
- 4 Crossbowmen
- 2 Flagellants
- 6 Knights (1 Sword of Might)
- 3 Pistoliers
- 1 Helblaster
- 2 Cannon
- 1 Steam Tank
- 1 General: Baron Aldebrand Helborg (Orb of Majesty)
- 2 Hero: Captain Fritz van Walfen, Ubersreik Garrison (Griffon), Count Sigfried von Bruhn
- 1 Wizard: Pyromancer Grimaldus Low, Bright Magister and Master of the Red Wind of Magic
Break 12/23
Servants of the Golden Crescent
- 4 Spearmen
- 4 Bowmen
- 1 Guards
- 6 Knights
- 2 Desert Riders
- 1 Magic Carpets
- 1 General: Emir Rashad the Magnificent, Commander of the Golden Crescent
- 1 Hero: Prince Ali the Impetuous
- 1 Wizard: Maruf the Mysterious, Keeper of the Wandering Lamp (Djinn)
Break: 9/18
The Waaagh of Gorefang Sixpeaks
- 4 Orc Warriors
- 2 Black Orcs
- 4 Goblins
- 5 Boar Riders (1 Banner of Fortune)
- 3 Wolf Riders
- 1 Wolf Chariots
- 1 Giant
- 1 Orc General: Gorefang Sixpeaks – Tyrant of the North
- 2 Orc Hero: Jaw Bigaxe (Wyvern: Redmaw) & Shred Blackmane
- 1 Orc Shaman: Og Doomshakka
- 2 Goblin Shaman: Snik Oddfing & Wart Shallowspit
Break: 10/20
The Crimson Rampage
- 2 Chaos Warriors
- 3 Chaos Marauders
- 1 Ogres
- 2 Marauder Horsemen
- 2 Chaos Knights
- 2 Chaos Chariots
- 2 Chaos Spawn
- 1 General: Mordelash the Flayer (Orb of Majesty)
- 1 Hero: Draderor The Blood Bathed (Chaos Dragon: Xendradyd, Lord Of The Black)
- 1 Sorcerer: Frikhax The Unstable
Break: 7/14
Part Two - First day of play
We played the scenario twice, over two days. On day one we played 9 full turns. On day two (subsequent post) we were a player down so we scaled the armies down to 1,500 points each and played 6 full turns. Here we are all set up and ready to play.
We had a second table that had all of the armies set our in their order of arrival.
The Orcs managed to deploy their giant and and units of boar boys and regular orc warriors on one flank. However, they would fail many command rolls and be slow to advance.
The Chaos deployed Chaos Knights and Warriors on the other flack, not an insignificant portion of their tiny force.
Meanwhile the Araby and Empire managed to deploy four units of Knights (between them) facing the Chaos forces, and two units of Flagellants in the centre.
The flagellants waste no time in rushing into Mitttlenberg to secure the church of Sigmar, while the knights advance in good order. Things seem to be going well for the human forces....
But then the rest of the Chaos army arrive, pouring onto the battlefield, led by Draderor The Blood Bathed atop his fearsome dragon Xendradyd.
Fortunately for the Araby, their reinforcements also arrive, boosting their numbers with a large complement of knights.
Undeterred by the Araby numbers, the Chaos Knights ride into battle, sweeping around the flank and crashing into the knights, supported by Draderor and his dragon. The carnage is fierce, and many Araby knights are cut down as the Chaos Knights rampage through their lines.
Finally the overwhelming numbers of the Araby forces cut the Chaos Knights down and slay Draderor and his dragon.
The Orcs, meanwhile, have been less active as they are caught up bickering about who will get the most human loot. The arguments only increase as more and more orcs arrive for battle.
Fortunately for the Orcs, the Empire army has become lost and only a few units have arrived. One early arrival is the steam tank, which advances on the Orc line, firing bravely. Momentarily surprised by this strange contraption, a unit of Orc boar boys destroy it and then pull the metal plates off to make more armour.
Despite going the wrong way several times, the Giant eventually finds himself in the middle of the town, where he tries to eat the flagellants who had paused to pray outside the church. A fierce battle rages and a unit of flagellants is pulverised before their fanatical kin eventually manage to bring the Giant down.
On the other flank the Araby regather themselves and advance once more. Chaos chariots hurtle forwards, but are cut down by waiting knights. Chaos Warriors and their Ogre allies now ready themselves to receive the full force of the remaining Araby cavalry.
In the fierce fighting that follows many chaos warriors are slain and the survivors regather in the woods. The Chaos are now a broken force.
Meanwhile the rest of the Orc army has arrived and advanced on Mittlenberg, but fortunately for the townsfolk, the Empire has also arrived in force at last. A steady volley of cannon fire fractures the Orc boar boys advance and sends them reeling.
This barrage, combined with poor Orc discipline, allows the Empire Knights to pull of an audacious charge. In the brutal hand-to-hand combat that follows the boar boys are wiped out, but the knights suffer heavy losses and try to regroup.
The Orc infantry is ready to march on and keep fighting, especially as many of the Empire units have still not yet arrived on the battlefield, but the two days (9 turns) of fighting are done and it's time to determine the victor:
The Empire lost 960 points and the Araby a mere 565, giving the Orcs and Chaos a score of 1,525 victory points.
The Orcs lost 885 points, and their Chaos allies a whopping 1,245 points, giving the Empire and Araby a score of 2,130 victory points, and the win!