The Adventures of Stransky & Steiner Book 1 - Beastman Blood Bath

 The first stop on this 20-something battle adventure is at the Beastmen of Chaos in the forests of the northern Empire. I felt pretty confident going into this battle as the scenario is a converted Flames of War scenario called “Probing Attack.” The nature of the game is such that the Beastmen cannot use their Ambush rule; taking away their ability to come in from all table sides.

The Scenario:   Probing Attack

Each side counts up the number of units they have (characters don’t count) and half must be held back in reserve. The deployment zones are along each long edge of the table, up to 8” in from the edge. The deployment zone is divided into 6 zones (1 foot long each) and your units are randomly assigned to each of the zone based on a d6 roll, so you have no control over where your units will start. Units with special deployment (scouts and Beastmen ambush units) must be placed in your deployment zone, but you may choose where they go after the random units are placed.

 The objective is to get your units off the opposite table side, and vice versa. A unit that gets off the opposite side without any casualties is worth 3 VP. A unit that has taken casualties, but is still 50% or above is worth 2 VP and a unit below half strength is worth 1 VP.  When total VP scored is 7, the battle stops and VP are tallied up.

 Reserves begin coming in at the start of Turn 2. The player rolls 2 d6 and each roll of 5+ results in a reserve unit coming in. If it is a scout or unit assigned to ambush, it can be placed by the player. Otherwise it is placed in the random section of the deployment zone. One d6 is added to each reserve roll at the start of each turn.

 The Opponent:

The Beastmen army list came from my “grab & go”/tournament army roster designed to take on any opponent in a “let’s play a game” informal environment.

 The Shaman Lord of Shadow is accompanied by a Shaman Champion of Beasts and a level 1 Shadow Shaman. A Battle Standard Bearer rounds out the character allotment.

There are 6 units of 5 Ungor Raiders; 4 with short bows and 2 with Slings along with a pair of units of 5 Chaos Hounds each. The core of the army are a pair of Gor herds each with 20 Gor.  One unit has hand weapon & shield and the other has Additional Hand Weapons. For the heavies: 14 Bestigor with great weapons, a Giant and a Gorgon.

The most challenging aspect of the list looks to be the presence of 7 magic levels on the board.

The Battlefield:

Here is where I grew concerned since there is a lot of terrain and few fields of fire for my war machines. The center is essentially blocked by an impassable wood (except for skirmishers). There are 2 mountains, one with boulders and one wooded, that will disrupt movement. Two clusters of regular woods and a marsh. Most of it is encroaching on the far side of the table (pictured).

Special Scenery:  Mountains are considered Very Difficult Terrain, but skirmishers and loose formations (like Beastmen) pay no penalty for movement on them. However, all units entering or moving on the mountain must make a roll to determine if they find a way or if they lose anyone in the difficult climb. This represents cliffs, boulders and stretches that are too steep to be navigated. Those that fall out aren’t necessarily dead; more likely suffering from broken bones or injuries due to a bad fall or falling rocks.

The Beastmen rolled high for deployment and selected the near side, leaving my Empire army to struggle with the terrain up close. More so, a lot of their army can move through the terrain without hindrance. So, what was supposed to be an easy beginning of the adventure looks to be a challenge after all!

Deployment:

The dice were rolled and the starting units were placed on the table, like waiting to look at your hand when being dealt in poker.

On the Empire left: 5 pistoliers; the champion with a repeater pistol. Behind them 5 Knights of the White Wolf. Further toward the center I placed the commander, Capt. Stransky on a barded warhorse where he could look across the table at the Beastmen and pick out targets with his Dragon Bow. 

In the center; 20 halberdiers fronted by 5 Free Company. Rolf Steiner, my Wizard Lord who studied the Lore of Life for this battle stood alongside. To their right I was able to place 10 Hunters in the woods between the halberdiers and Corporal Kruger's 5 pistoliers in the gap between the woods and the swamp.

On the Empire right flank, a unit of 20 Swordsmen also fronted by 5 Free Company, occupied the space between the swamp and the table edge.

The Beastmen were able to consolidate their force more. On their far right were the Giant and Gorgon, the 20 Gor with hand weapon shield were next with the 14 Bestigor (along with the Battle Standard and Shaman Champion) at about center table. Their General, the Shaman Lord started behind the Bestigor.

The far left flank of the Beastmen was cut off by a boulder strewn mountain; making for a 12” wide lane running across the table to the Empire Swordsmen. The Beastmen placed 5 Ungor Slingers on the mountain and 5 more below to attempt to stop the Swordsmen from having a free run across the table.

Turn 1:

For the most part, Turn 1 was all about movement. All Empire units marched forward. Kruger's pistoliers at center table swung around the swamp and were crossing to the far right to aid the Swordsmen against the Ungor Slingers. On the far left, the horses successfully began scaling the mountain. Capt. Stransky galloped out front and, lining up behind the impenetrable forest, got a line of site on the Giant and Gorgon.

Wanting nothing to do with scaling a mountain, the White Wolf Knights wheeled to the right and headed for center table. 

In the magic phase the Empire had 6 power dice to 5 dispel. With little to cast, Steiner rolled for dice to cast Master of Stone getting a 20. There was a small hillock in the woods just in front of the Giant & Gorgon and this would enable Steiner to get spells on them early. The Beastmen dispelled it rolling all of their dice. Steiner stored 2 dice in his Rod of Power.  On the Beast side, everyone started marching forward except for the Ungor Slingers. They moved normally and attempted to hit the Free Company screening the Swordsmen, but they were just out of range. The Bestigor, Giant and Gorgon were all heading for the gap in the center of the table while the Gor shuffled around behind the big beasties to head for the forest where the hillock was. In loose formation, they would be much nimbler in the woods and mountain than the pistoliers on the other side.

(Above) “The Gap” appears to be a strategically important location. This is the only terrain-free route from one side of the table to the other, except for the far right where the Swordsmen are. The Gap is framed by a mountain (on the right) and the impassable forest on the left.

Steiner lost the 2 dice in the Rod of Power, so it was Beastmen 8 dice to Empire 4.  Most of the Beastmen spells were also out of range, unless they moved a Shaman with the Steed of Shadow spell. This was a slick way of flying a single character into another position, often the caster, so they can cast at the enemy and fly back out if they get into trouble.

The Beastmen led off with Steed of Shadows and I rolled 3 of my 4 Dispel Dice to stop it. I only had one left, which meant I couldn’t dispel anything more, but any remaining spells would have to be cast at their own units. The Beastmen followed with Unseen Lurker, which gave the Gorgon an extra move toward the gap.

Turn 2

The Empire received a unit for reinforcements, so I selected the rocket launcher that came on behind the mountain. It was an indirect fire weapon and if I didn’t get it on soon the enemy would be too close to use it effectively (it’s also not that accurate). The pistoliers on the mountain were unable to find their way further up the mountain while Kruger's on the far right galloped up within shooting range into the face of the Ungor slingers. The units in the center positioned themselves in a chess like manner, anticipating the Gorgon charging through the gap and counter-charging. The intent was to put the small Free Company unit out there first and flee when the beast charged forward, hopefully to counter with the knights. The Free Company in front of the swordsmen swung out to their side to protect their flank and the Hunters crossed into the impenetrable forest at table center (skirmishers & loose formations can navigate through it).

(Above) Ungor Slingers look on at the advancing Empire, hoping reinforcements arrive before they are overrun. 

Magic was 7/5 and Rolf Steiner used 4 dice to attempt to get Master of Stone off again. With a roll of 16 the Beastmen were unable to stop it and the spell caused 3 wounds on the Giant. Steiner stored the other 3 dice in the Rod of Power.

The Beastmen received no reinforcements either. The Gorgon and the Giant began to position themselves in the gap with the intention of supporting each other on the charge.  The Gor reached the foot of the mountain and might beat the pistoliers to the top. The Shaman Lord sought cover in the impassable woods while the Ungor slingers on the other mountain moved to the edge to fire on Kruger's pistoliers. The combined 9 slingers fired 18 shots on the Pistoliers and only managed to fell one!

The Rod of Power once again couldn’t hold the stored power dice, so the Beastmen had an 8/4 advantage in the magic phase. Steed of Shadows was dispelled once again, but the Shaman Champion successfully cast Pit of Shades on the White Wolf Knights. They all made their Initiative tests and none fell into the pit!  It was a good time for die rolls to favor the Empire as things were getting close.

(Above) The Gor herd working their way over the wooded hillock that Steiner has been trying so hard to control.

Turn 3

No reinforcements for the Empire. It was looking more and more like the battle was going to be won or lost by who was presently on the table.  On the left the Pistoliers finally topped the mountain but were unable to see the Gor on the other side due to the trees. On the right, the Swordsmen advanced into charge range while the free company peeled off to the left to deal with the slingers on the mountain.

(Above) Setting up for the charge in the center of the table. The 5 Free Company are to draw the charge and flee, leaving the Gorgon vulnerable to a charge by the Knights on the left.  Note Steiner under the tree to the right ensuring everything goes according to plan.

As the units positioned themselves for the chess match at the gap, Steiner and Stransky backed off a little so as not to get in the way while the Hunters plodded into the impassable woods to either find the Shaman Lord or the other side.

With a magic advantage of 6/5 Steiner once again used 4 dice to power Master of Stone. This time there was a miscast!  The Beastmen were able to cast one of their own for free, so Unseen Lurker was cast for the Giant to charge the free company. Steiner used all of his remaining power in a vain attempt to dispel it. The free company fled as expected, but only 4” so that they were still obstructing the two units behind. What an unfortunate turn of events! This terrible miscast just set the Beastmen up with free fields of movement to charge with both of their big beasts into the Empire line. Looking for one little victory, Stransky bounced his second arrow in a row off the Giant despite the Strength 6 of the Dragon Bow. The first salvo from the rocket launcher landed wildly beyond the Bestigor unit. On the bright side, the Kruger's Pistoliers on the right needed 7’s to hit the Ungor slingers on the mountain, but were able to drop two of them, causing them to flee to the opposite side of the mountain.

(above) The consequences of the Miscast: The Giant charges after the 5 men of the free company who flee toward their own unit. [Note Hunters on the right entering the impassable wood].

 For the 3^rd turn in a row the Beastmen still received no reinforcements, while the Ungor slingers rallied to fight on. As expected the Giant charged again; sending the free company running through the Empire line (which luckily held despite their panicked warnings).

The Giant ended up making contact with the White Wolf Knights while the Gorgon followed and charged into the unit of Halberdiers. The Gor at the base of the mountain were unable to find a path up. The Bestigor executed a left-face so that their column could fit through the gap unencumbered by the terrain while the Shaman Champion stepped out of the formation and into the woods.

With an 8/4 advantage, the Beastmen were unable to capitalize on the magic phase.  Pit of Shadows and Unseen Lurker failed while the Steed of Shadows was dispelled once again. Steiner even had 2 dice to store into the Rod of Power. The 5 slingers that still held the Beastman left side managed to fell one of Kruger's pistoliers, so each of the Empire units on that flank were down a man and could only award 2 VP for getting off the table instead of 3 VP.

The Giant & Gorgon charge their quarry.

 

The Giant fell 2 of the knights while sustaining 2 wounds of his own. He lost combat, but with 1 wound remaining, he remained stubborn and hung in for another round. The Gorgon slew 3 of the halberdiers but still lost the combat. He lost his Frenzy but remained in the fray,

Turn 4

Brave Captain Stransky and Steiner the Wizard Lord fled in terror from the Gorgon tearing its way through the halberdiers. For reinforcements, I brought the Helblaster on, which took up an opportune position next to the rocket launcher with a field of fire covering the gap as well as both combats in the middle. On the far right, the swordsmen charged the small unit of Ungor Slingers who fled out of charge range and Kruger's Pistoliers climbed the mountain in pursuit. On the far left, the Pistolier unit there had rough going trying to ascend to the mountain peak and lost 2 riders along the way, but they didn’t panic and assumed a position to fire on the Gor once they found their way up the mountain. The hunters in the impassable forest charged the Shaman Champion who fled. 

(Above) The Pistoliers atop the mountain with the Gor down below. In the background the Helblaster has moved on beside the rocket launcher.

In the shooting phase, the Gor were still out of range of the mountain top Pistoliers and the rocket fell ineffectually behind the combat between the Giant and knights. In the close combat phase, the knights finished off the Giant who safely fell backwards while the Gorgon shredded another 4 halberdiers. The halberds managed to inflict a wound resulting in them winning the combat again, but still the stubborn Gorgon held.

The Beastmen received 3 units of reinforcements with a unit of 5 Ungor Raiders coming in center table while, using the ambush rule, another unit of 5 Raiders and the unit of Gor accompanied by the level 1 Shaman deployed on the far left opposite the swordsmen. The free run across the table was no longer open.

 The Slingers who’d fled from Kruger's Pistoliers on the nearby mountain didn’t rally and fled off the table.  The other unit of 3 slingers who’d fled when being shot earlier had rallied and were back up on the mountain, opposite the Pistoliers to keep them busy and away from the newly arriving reinforcements. On the Beastman right, the Gor at the foot of the mountain declared a charge, but couldn’t find a way up.

With the Empire Wizard Lord fleeing, the Beastmen had a 9/2 advantage in the magic phase. They led off with the Pit of Shades, which swallowed the 3 Pistoliers on top of the mountain in front of the Gor. The Shaman in the newly arrived Gor unit cast Bear’s Anger on himself. Lastly, Shades of Death was cast on the Bestigor unit so that they caused fear. This would be advantageous if the White Wolf knights attempted to charge. The Gorgon continued to shred the Halberdiers, killing 5 with 8 remaining. It won the combat by 2, but the brave halberdiers held (even with Captain Stransky fleeing nearby).

Turn 5

Captain Stransky rallied along with the free company who were running alongside him. Steiner was still running, but luckily he only went 3” this turn so I still had a chance to turn him around. The downside was that there would be another turn without magic on my side and overwhelming magic on the other side.  The White Wolf Knights declared a charge on the Gorgon in an attempt to rescue the halberdiers, but failed their Fear test and thought better of it.

All remaining reinforcements came onto the table: the unit of handgunners with their screen of 5 free company along with the cannon came in on the far right; not a good place for either of them.

Newly arriving Captain Kiesel on his Pegasus,  flew to a perch on the mountain overlooking the gap while the crossbowmen with free company came alongside the two batteries in the Empire line.

Kruger's Pistoliers on the mountain on the far right attempted to charge the 3 Ungor Slingers [above] but were out of range due to the Very Difficult Ground.  

The rocket launcher still proved to be useless as it flung rockets inaccurately everywhere and I was questioning why the heck I added it to this army. A mortar would have been so much better (and cheaper!).

A stroke of luck finally came my way when the Helblaster fired and lit up the Bestigor unit, killing 6 and causing them to panic [above]. In the close combat, the Gorgon shredded another 5 more halberdiers while suffering another wound (he was now halfway there with 3). The halberdiers finally broke but the Gorgon was unable to catch them. Unfortunately he’d be able to charge them again, then into the just rallied free company before the Helblaster could fire on him.

In the Beastman turn, the Bestigor continued to flee into the back part of their battlefield. Another unit of Ungor Raiders came on nearby while the other 2 in the area began to converge on the impassable forest in anticipation of the hunters emerging. On the far left, the 5 Ungor Raiders with the Gor unit charged the free company that was supporting the swordsmen, but they were out of range. This might hamper the larger unit’s ability to charge next turn.  With the Pegasus in the area, both Shamen in the middle of the battlefield backed into the protective cover of the impassable forest.

(Above) The Gor on the right finally topped the mountain peak previously held by the (now dead) Pistoliers where they overlook  the Empire line.  From left to right: The Helblaster, Rocket Battery and crossbows with free company screen.

The Shaman on the far left with the Gor unit finally had a clear shot with the Hunting Spear, which penetrated through the ranks of the swordsmen like a bolt thrower and took down 4 men!  As expected the Gorgon ran down the fleeing halberdiers straight into the free company who, thanks to Stransky’s command, held their ground. Rather than shredding the free company and making himself an easy target for the Helblaster, the Gorgon chose to swallow a man whole which restored all 3 of his lost wounds! He was now back to full strength and still in combat so that he couldn’t be targeted by the nasty volley gun.

Turn 6

A lot of help Wizard Lord Steiner was!  After screwing up a spell and giving the initiative to the big beasties to come rampaging through the gap, he lost his nerve and, finally, fled from the battlefield!  He’ll be a popular guy after the battle. The White Wolf Knights turned around to face the Gorgon as he would be in their charge arc regardless of how he moved as he was facing the table edge.

The Pegasus charged the fleeing Bestigor, who were able to flee again and stay just ahead of the curse-flinging Captain Keisel. 

The hunters made their way to the edge of the forest to fire on the weaker Ungor Raiding units in the back while the remaining Pistoliers moved to the edge of the mountain so that they too, could fire on the Ungor units.  The rocket launcher finally earned it’s keep by dropping a rocket on top of the Gor unit lurking on the mountain above. 5 of the Gor were killed, causing them to panic. What’s more, they couldn’t find a way to escape fast enough and the unit was eliminated as they scampered off cliffs, beneath rocks and scattered whichever way they could to flee the mountain.  The Pistoliers shot down one of the 3 Ungor slingers, leaving 2 to panic and run again. In close combat, the Gorgon made quick work of the remaining free company.

The Beastmen still had reinforcements to come on:  Their last Ungor Raider unit and their first Chaos Hounds unit joined the scattered units in the center of the battlefield. On their left, the Gor and Ungor units charged the swordsmen and free company. Both fled back toward the oncoming Handgunners to buy some time. In the middle, the Bestigor and the accompanying Battle Standard Bearer failed to rally and left the battlefield. With a 9/2 advantage, the Beastmen cast Steed of Shadows on the Shaman Champion, flying him onto the mountain overlooking the Empire line. From there, he cast Unseen Lurker with Irresistible Force to get the Gorgon to charge the unsuspecting Helblaster!  The beast made quick work of the war machine. So much for my visions of an inglorious end splattering the Gorgon on the battlefield.

Turn 7

Once we get past the Warhammer Fantasy limit of 6 turns I call it “extended innings” which is the case since we’re playing a Flames of War Scenario. These are fought until the victory conditions are met or one side quits the battlefield after losing half their force. Speaking of which, the Empire were down 3 units with 3 more to go before they have to start testing for a route roll (quitting the battlefield due to too many losses).  The Beastmen were down 4 units with 3 to go. This would change my strategy as, instead of trying to get off the table, there were plenty of small Ungor units in the back of the Beastman battlefield that could quickly allow me to get the Beastmen rolling their army route rolls on a low leadership.

The Beastmen on the other hand, had all of their light, mobile units on and it made sense for them to head for the opposite table edge. The problem was that the Pistoliers & hunters on their side of the table were worth a combined 4 VP, which would be significant if they got off the table. Therefore the Beastmen had to at least stick with their plan and work on eliminating those units.

The Pistoliers tried to charge off the mountain, but couldn’t find a way down. The hunters held while the Pegasus vaulted over and out of line of sight from the Shamen. The swordsmen and free company still continued to run on the far right. The White Wolves charged the flank of the Gorgon before he could continue onto the rocket launcher. In the shooting phase, the rocket launcher went back to dropping rockets uselessly around the battlefield, the hunters felled 3 of the newly arrived Chaos Hounds who immediately panicked and ran back off the table. The crossbowmen even managed to score a wound on the Shaman Champion. The Gorgon killed one of the knights, but the combat was still a draw.

The last unit of Chaos Hounds came on for the Beastmen. The 2 remaining slingers fled off the table, while the Gor on the far left marched to try and keep up with the fleeing swordsmen.  Two of the Ungor Raiders remained in position to fire on the hunters in the forest while the third made the risky move of flank charging Captain Kiesel on the Pegasus. The Shaman Champion backed up on the mountain to get out of line of sight from the crossbows while the Lord headed to the rear to assist in the scattered mess going on back there. 

The Beastmen still had a 10/2 advantage in magic and led off with the Lord using Steed of Shadows to move onto the end of the mountain, not far from the pistoliers. He followed with Shades of Death on the Ungor fighting the Pegasus. If they won the combat and caused fear, the Pegasus would be forced to break. In the shooting phase, the Ungor Raiders dropped only 1 of the hunters with their short bow shots.

The Ungor fighting Captain Kiesel had a Halfhorn champion, so the Captain issued a challenge. The Ungor strategy was to ignore the captain with his 2+ Plate Mail armor save and focus on the unarmored Pegasus, therefore the Halfhorn declined and stepped back allowing the others to pile onto the Pegasus. Although the Ungor caused 2 wounds on the Pegasus, they took 3 in return and lost the combat.  The unit fled off the table as the Pegasus pursued, making the 7^th unit eliminated on the Beastman side. Their next turn would start with a route roll to see if they remained in the fight. Considering their Lord only had a leadership 7, I was confident victory was at hand.

Turn 8

With my right flank essentially running away the only place I needed serious help was against the Gorgon, so Captain Kiesel took to the sky and headed back across the table to save the Empire line. The swordsmen and free company on the far right finally rallied and Captain Stransky moved so that he could still get a shot at the Shaman Champion with his Dragon Bow.  With the inevitability of the Gorgon coming their way, the crossbowmen reformed into 2 ranks and turned to face the approaching beast. Their free company detachment lined up to support their flank. After another useless shot from the rocket launcher, the cannon struck the first 2 ranks of the Gor on the far right, killing a pair.  Most remaining shooting was ineffective and the Gorgon made quick work of the remaining 2 knights.

When their turn came up, the Beastmen passed their route roll with a 6. Damn! The Gorgon charged the rocket launcher, where the crew fled and were caught (above).  The Gorgon’s momentum carried him into the waiting line of crossbows and their free company promptly charged him in the rear. 

I didn’t expect common men to win against the beast, but hopefully there were enough to stall until the Pegasus got there.  After an ineffective magic and shooting phase, the Gorgon killed 4 crossbowmen but took 2 in return from the free company!

Elsewhere on the battlefield, losing their patience for ineffective shooting, the 2 Ungor Raider units charged the hunters lurking on the edge of the forest. It was a successful charge killing 2 and taking none in return, but the hunters’ bravery held.

Turn 9

On the Empire right, the free company attempted to charge the Ungor Raiders supporting the flank of the Gor, but failed. The pistoliers tried to come down off the mountain to assist the hunters but couldn’t find a way down. Capt. Stransky helped by plugging the Shaman Champion with an arrow from his Dragon Bow, sending him to his grave. In the combat between the Ungor and the Hunters, neither side scored a wound so the hunters lost again due to unit strength, but they continued to hold. The free company & crossbows fighting the Gorgon inflicted 2 more wounds, bringing his total to 4, but he successfully swallowed another man whole and, again, restored 3 wounds. He still comfortably passed his Leadership 10 break tests since he was stubborn.

(Above) The Beastmen passed their route roll again, so the battle wound continue. On their left, the Gor charged the swordsmen and the Ungor charged the free company. The Chaos Hounds made their way to the gap in the middle of the table; if not to assist the Gorgon then to get off the table and score a victory.

The magic phase was ineffective, but close combat delivered favorable results for the Beastmen as the Ungor in the forest took down 3 hunters in exchange for 2 of their own. The hunters finally broke and were rundown by the two small Ungor units as they fled through the forest.  With this development, we officially entered the “blood bath” phase and the Empire would also start rolling Route tests at the start of their turn as well.

On the left, the Gor killed only 1 swordsman, but it was enough for them to break. They ran through the handgunners and off the table. The handgunners, luckily, held as the Gor unit pursued into them. On their flank, the Ungor defeated the free company and pursued into the handgunner free company positioned behind them.  

Back at what was left of the Empire line the Gorgon killed 3 but sustained another 2 wounds, so he was back up to 4 wounds out of 6 (time to swallow another man).

Turn 10

The Empire passed their Route test. Kruger's pistoliers were finally able to get off the mountain and, firing on the Beastman Shaman Lord, caused 2 wounds. Captain Stransky failed his fear check and lost his nerve to charge the Gorgon, leaving the men to their fate.

With the help of Bear’s Anger on the Level 1 Shaman, the Gor unit took down 4 handgunners and prevented any attacks back. The Ungor Raiders killed 2 from the free company and, once again, both units broke only to be run down as they fled. 

Suddenly, the Gor unit found itself all alone only a few inches from the table edge where they could waltz off the board and declare a victory. The Gorgon failed to swallow another man whole and suffered 2 more wounds, bringing the tally to 5 wounds out of 6.  Once again, because he was stubborn he had no intention of breaking from combat.

When the Beastman turn came up, they finally failed their Route roll and called it a day.

With no units getting off the opposite side of the table, it came down to tallying up victory points the old fashioned way. Because the Beastmen quit the field, the Empire could claim the table quarters, but only had 2 surviving units of unit strength 5 or more, so they could only claim 2. The final score was Beastmen 1,472 and Empire 1,225. A Draw. 

The MVP of the battle was indisputably the Gorgon. A 275 point monster took out 5 ½ units for 885 points!  I’ve encountered one in a campaign battle when the Beastmen were assaulting a High Elf fortress but it never really got into the action. After this battle I would say it is the fiercest close combat unit in the Beastman army, and perhaps one of the best in the game with 6 Attacks at Strength 6, Toughness 6, 6 wounds and the ability to swallow whole which can restore up to 3 wounds per combat round!

I got lucky with the Route Roll because the Beastmen were one move away from claiming a victory by moving the Gor unit off the table. They also held more table quarters, and would’ve won had I failed a route roll as well.

Debrief

Steiner fleeing with all of my magic brought back a lesson I’d learned years ago in tournaments, and since forgotten. Never put all of your magic dice in one basket!

To represent the progress of the army, I used the Mordheim rules for recovery and advancement. Any units lost could be replaced with something different as long as I came back up to my 2,000 points. So, Steiner got demoted to a Level 2 and was joined by a second level 2 Wizard. I let him keep his Rod of Power. The useless rocket launcher was also ditched and replaced with a mortar. All others got replaced and I used the extra savings from ditching the rocket launcher to add an additional knight to the White Wolf and upgraded them Inner Circle (strength 4) so they had more punching power.

Next, it’s off to Bretonnia to fight an underpowered Bretonnian Errantry army in a Last Stand scenario!