Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Skirmish In Mordheim; Skaven VS Undead battle Report
Topic Started: 9th March 2012 - 09:33 PM (1,097 Views)
hannanibal
Member Avatar
The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
Information can be hard to come by in Mordheim...... But not for the ruthless Skaven.
After the straggler had his eyes burnt out he gave up the location of the Undead warband in return for a promised quick death.
The promise was only half fullfilled, such is the skaven way.
His living body was kept caged, fresh and very much alive for many days as chunks were cut and bitten from him and plots and stategies devised. Luckily, for the Ratmen, screams and begging have no adverse affect on a Skaven's ability to think.

The attack came shortly after the prisoner had died. The hated enemy had been found and those who could would suffer for their impertinence.
7 days earlier, the Ratmen suffered a hideous defeat. The warpstone they were rightfully entitled to was all but stolen from them, many giant rats had been torn to shreds and one of their champions had suffered horrific wounds at the hands of a shambling, re-animated corpse. The leader of the Skaven had lost more than face in that conflict. He had lost the trust of his Eshin masters and he was scared.
Revenge was paramount.

Deployment:-

The Undead are centred mainly in a ruin in the centre of the battlefield. The necromancer, 2 dreg archers and a ghoul are perched behind a low parapet atop a ruined temple. Numerous zombies guard the approach to the upper levels. To their left is a deep, twisted forest and a broken tower atop a hill. Their leader, a hideous vampire, is far to the right of the main force accompanied by ghouls, zombies and bow wielding dreg.
In the centre of the battlefield are a cluster of ruins. Walls, rubble and zig-zagging, rickety walkways hide much of any approaching force.

The skaven approach in two, close groups. The Assassin Adept, his Black Skaven bodyguards, a Sling wielding Night Runner and a couple of mutated Giant Rats take the far right of their deployment zone and intend to proceed through the forest. The remainder of the group including the Verminkin, the Sorcerer and two more Giant Rats decide to skirt the outer edge of the forest and use the central ruins for cover.
Posted Image
The Undead guard their ruined temple in anticipation of a suspected attack.

(more to follow)
Turn 1.
The Assassin and his group dart through the forest with his support close by upon their left. Their weapons are sheathed as they run through the cover of the trees and although the undead are sighted through gaps in the wood each warrior in this group is completely safe from missile fire due to the cover of the dark branches. The second group are not so lucky. Thinking themselves safe amid the ruins and the outskirts of the forest they charge forward with an ill-founded over-confidence. A Dreg on the temple top spies their advance and fires his bow. A Verminkin is struck in the shoulder and falls to the ground clutching his wound and squealing. First blood is to the Undead.

The alarm is raised. Zombies are willed into action and boil from the darkness of the temple interior, three shambling to meet the threat of the forest and others moving toward the downed Ratman, hoping for an easy meal.
The Vampire leader hisses to himself and moves towards the temple, rubble and broken beams impeding him and his retinue considerably.
Posted Image
Zombies lurch from the darkness at the will of the watching Necromancer.
Turn 2.
The downed Ratman plucks the arrow from his shoulder and crawls slowly away from the oncoming threat. Seeing the Zombies head towards the eaves of the twisted forest the central skaven group surge forward to intercept them, the Sorcerer points a claw at one of the undead horrors and directs a surge or black magic towards them. Black energy surrounds a walking corpse and it struggles to hold off the magical fetters that attempt to bind it.

One of the Verminkin in the group turns to face the central Zombie attack and steeling himself to charge his legs turn to jelly and he sprays the musk of fear. He stays rigid, rooted to the spot staring in horror at the shuffling, moaning corpses before him.
The leader and his retinue move towards a gap in the trees. His Black Skaven run much further ahead with Giant Rats in Support whilst he fires his warplock pistol at a zombie. He is woefully out of range and the projectile kicks up dust as it smashes into the ground. He must reload the weapon before he can fire again.
A Night Runner releases a stone from his sling which patters harmlessly of a shambling corpse, barely breaking it's step.

The Vampire and his minions clear the rubble and run into the far end of the temple. A zombie, suffering the adverse affects of the Sorcerers Curse Charges into a Giant Rat. A Ghoul leaps down from the parapet of the ruin and, nimbly landing on the ground, joins the rear of the zombies heading towards the forest who have now reached the central Skaven attack. The central Zombie charge ignores the terrified, lone Skaven and changes direction, moving slowly towards the sorcerer and his retinue who are now seriously in danger of being outnumbered and torn to shreds.
The Dregs fire their bows at the lone Verminkin but the arrows clatter uselessly against the ruins. The Necromancer summons dark energy around him but is unable to summon enough to imbue his zombies with power.

The charging Zombie, struggling to hold off the Skaven curse, fails to even hit the Giant Rat. The terrified animal lunges forward with it's fangs but misses it's mark completely.



Turn 3.
The arrow struck Verminkin rises from the ground and stumbles forward to rejoin the fray. His terror sticken comrade, seeing his return takes heart and moves to support him.
The Sorcerer, his Verminkin bodyguards and another Giant Rat turn to face the attacking zombies. All but one Verminkin, taking heart from the proximity of their leader, overcome their fear and charge into the zombies.
The black skaven duo,seeing the lone ghoul leap from the temple top decide to hack him to shreds. As the lead warrior charges forwards smashing into the rabid creature he realises, with horror, that he is alone! His fellow ratman has stayed in the safety of the forest. Whether frozen in fear or gauging the strength of the creature before commiting to attack is unknown, the Black Skaven moves no further at the minute.
The Assassin Adept and the Night Runner smash into the engaged zombies adding their much needed strength to the attack. The assassins halberd flashes with unnatural speed and a zombie falls, twitching to the floor. A Giant Rat tears the throat from another, snapping it's spine and removing it from the battle.

Things were going wrong for the Vampire. he had started much too far away from the main attack and now, he feared, it was too late. The Skaven had outmanouvered him and his warriors were dropping with sudden rapidity. He moved forward into the ruin and sent a nearby Ghoul charging towards the lone Black Skaven already in combat but, for reasons still unknown to the Skaven, failed to make a charge himself.
A zombie, lurking in the shadows, added his weight to the fight.
The Black Skaven, dodged, ducked and weaved the numerous attacks. With amazing skill he avoided any damage.
Feeling the musk of fear leak from him he contemplated running from the combat but the proximity of his lesser bretheren strengthened his resolve.
Posted Image
Things look bad for the lone Black Skaven.
Turn 4.
Seeing his fellow Black Skaven handle himself well in the fight the warrior lurking in the woods charged in to support his comrade.
The Assassin Adept, a Night Runner and Verminkin entered combat with the remaining zombies. Any previous fears had been washed away with the recent successes and not a single fighter failed to join the combat.
A Verminkin clubbed a zombie back into lifelessness and the charging Black Skaven skewered another re-animated corpse on his sword.
Seeing the fight go extemely ill the Vampire called the retreat and the Skaven were left to pick the ruins clean and revel in the glory of sweet revenge.

After the battle the Vampire summoned another two ghouls to join his retinue and, to show he was back in favour with his Eshin Overlords, the Assassin was sent 3 sword wielding Verminkin and 2 slings for his Black Skaven in return for a trifling amount of wyrdstone.

I'll post another report of the next game if anyone is interested.
Attached to this post:
Attachments: Mordheim_turn_1.png (281.66 KB)
Attachments: Mordheim_turn_2.jpg (78.84 KB)
Attachments: Mordheim_turn_3.jpg (84.04 KB)
Edited by hannanibal, 9th March 2012 - 11:25 PM.
Chaos Army Diary
Skaven Army Diary
My Flickr page
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Grey Guru
Member Avatar
Clanrat
Very nice-nice report! Skaven reigns supreme :runner:

I, for one, would love to see another one.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Kimzi
Member Avatar
The one and only.
Wow, awesome report. :D
I love the pictures too. Your Mordheim looks great!
,,,^_^,,, Proud owner of Clan Yersinia Pestis ,,,^.^,,, | >-- Possessed Mordheim Warband --<
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
hannanibal
Member Avatar
The bread that satisfies all hunger... the peanut that reverses time...
It looks better with my black bread-bin as the background!
Chaos Army Diary
Skaven Army Diary
My Flickr page
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create your own social network with a free forum.
« Previous Topic · General Wargaming Discussion · Next Topic »
Add Reply