Children of Khaine vs. The Walter

[Fleshcollector]

The naked beauty of Kreelis the Unearthly seemed to glow in the twilight, her black braids undisturbed by the whipping chill wind that blew in from the sea at her back. The stillness which surrounded her was not shared by the Druchii troops who quietly descended from the raiding ships in a dark swarm and only sign she felt the cold where two erect nipples which gleamed in the moonlight. Truly a specimen of ancient Druchii blood and grace, her features bespoke power and authority and the gleam in her eyes promised pain and hate. As Khaine’s chosen proxy to lead the slaughter against the human Empire, none dared question the audacity of sacking the coastal city following the pillage in the jungles of Lustria. The holds were filled with looted gold and artifacts but empty of the most precious coin of them all. Khaine demanded blood sacrifice in return for his blessings and the soft human flesh would render in the alters of Khaine upon their triumphant return to the Hag. Already her scouts had surveyed the terrain and found an acceptable approach under the cover of hills and sparse trees.

Kreelis the Unearthly
Death Hag
*Cauldron of Blood

Calus BloodDrinker
*Banner of Hag Graef
*Rune of Khaine
*Manbane

Zebedee Scion of the Hag
*Dark Steed
*Ha, SDC, Sh
*Null Stone x3

10 Crossbowmen w/ shields, musician
5 Dark Riders w/ rxb, musician
5 Dark Riders w/ rxb, musician
3x5 Harpies

17 Executioners w/ cmd, Banner of Cold Blood
18 Witches w/ cmd, Manbane
19 Blackguard w/ Ring of Hotek, Banner of Murder

2 RBT
1 War Hydra

The Enemy:

Arch-Lector
*War Alter
*Speculum
*Unknown Items

War Priest
*Barded War Horse
*Unknown Items

Wizard of Death
*Item which adds dispel dice

Wizard of Fire
*Unknown Items

25 Swordsmen w/ cmd (wizard of death)
*9 Halberdiers
30 Spearmen w/ cmd
*9 Halberdiers
5 Knights of the Keg w/ cmd (war priest)
5 Knights of the Wyrm w/ cmd
10 Scouts
10 Crossbowmen
10 Handgunners

25Greatswords w/ cmd
*9 Halberdiers
2 Great Cannon (wizard of fire)

1 Helblaster Volley Gun


The Druchii approached under the cover of night from the north, skulking amongst the hills and woods which would cover their advance. Word had reached her that the scout patrol had encountered a group of woodsmen who escaped and dissolved the advantage of surprise. “Very well.” She purred upon hearing the news as she slashed the dark rider messenger through the throat. “Continue the march.” The Scion nodded without saying a word and melted into the darkness.

Kreelis chose an open field from which to launch the assault against the city with a hill on her right flank to array the archers and a copse of trees on each side to provide some cover to the Children of Khaine. She expected a heavy bombardment from the humans advanced technology and knew that her enemy would populate a single hill in the center overlooking the battlefield with those fell cannons. As the Druchii deployed for battle, the scouts reported the defenders positions and at the last moment Kreelis decided to deploy one of the bolt throwers on the farthest right flank to surprise the lurking pistoliers who though themselves safe behind the cover of the trees. Before her were arranged enormous ranks of human infantry with smaller detachments hanging nearby each main body. As expected, the humans had positioned their cannons on the hill and with them sat a lone wizard. She was surprised however to see that the enemy had split its forces into two separate flanks with the center composed of the Arch-lector in front of the cannons on some unholy chariot, the air cracking and spinning over his head. Next to him sat a lone crew who managed a strange multi-barreled contraption that promised devastation to the beloved of Khaine. The left flank held a lance of knights and the spearmen, in front of which was arranged a grim looking spread of Handgunners. Next to them and still on the left flank but closer to the center, a unit of humans held themselves at rigid attention, sword and shield ready. On the right flank, hardened warriors encased in full plate armor and carrying greatswords watched stoic as the Druchii advanced, to their right a detachment of halberd wielding humans took a defensive position. On their left stomped a banner of Knights carrying the symbol of a dragon and beside them their cavalry cowered behind a small forest. In front of the Greatswords a line of crossbowmen looked nervously about as the forces of their demise took to the field.

Kreelis’ face remained unreadable, except for the murder and hate in her eye as she surveyed the enemy position. “They aim for a pincher attack.” She murmured absently, their intentions to smash the invaders between a hammer and anvil so obvious. “They will fail.” The Death Hag positioned Khaine’s’ servants to meet the pathetic humans head on. On the left, Dark Riders and Harpies took up position to harass the flank, knowing damn well they could never fight through the Knights which blocked their path. In the center and directly facing the Helblaster volley gun, the blackguard took up the left with the witches directly in front of the blasphemous alter and the executioners aiming for the Helblaster. In the pincher attack, Kreelis knew that the executioners would butcher the puny Greatswords and the Blackguard would hold against the swordsmen which left the witches to hack apart the Arch-lector. The harpies she arranged for a lightning frontal assault on the enemy war machines, the key to the survival of her main battle line. On the right she arranged her crossbowmen on the hill to rain death upon the enemy crossbows and protect against the suspected scouts in the woods before them. As a surprise, the bolt throwers were arranged far back with one emerging upon the battlefield at the last moment and with a view to the pistoliers. The dreaded hydra also hung back behind the cover of the hill to make a mad dash for the forest from which to ravage the flanks of the enemy if they advanced to engage the executioners.

Just as the last troops formed up, a boom like thunder erupted from the enemy hill spewing death at the strategically placed bolt throwers. Fortunately, Khaine was with them and both fell short with one sticking in the mud. The crossbows fired, felling a harpy only to be supported by an ambush from the woods which felled another harpy. Nevertheless, the beasts held their position, eager for the command to feast upon human flesh. The main bulk of the enemy held their positions, content to allow their artillery and missile fire soften up the hardened invaders. Lurking beyond the range of their spells, the wizards conserved their powers for the enemies advance.

Blessing the executioners with a defensive shield, Kreelis commanded the advance, all three units marching straight ahead to engage the enemy before ignoble death could decimate their forces. On the left the dark riders positioned to the flank of the Handgunners, felling a few with well aimed shots while the harpies lurked behind the forest to angle for the cannons on the hill. On the right the hydra advanced to the forest, breathing fire towards the huntsmen who lurked beyond its range. The dark riders swarmed towards the pistoliers firing maniacally to kill a few when 6 bolts whistled overhead and plunged through the soft flesh of horses and riders. The remains of the unit quickly fled, too devastated to offer any more resistance. The other bolt thrower pounded the crossbowmen but only managed a pitiful score, even when supported by the elven archers whose aim was thwarted by their advance. Both harpy units rushed forward eager to feast and uncaring that their position left them directly in front of the enemy crossbowmen.

With their enemy closing upon them, the human infantry sprung into action. The Handgunners turned to fact the dark riders and opened a lane of advance for the banners lurking behind them, who advanced towards the center, but misjudged their position and became tangled in the confined spaces between themselves and the trees before them. The Knights of the Keg advanced menacingly towards the Dark Riders ranging for a flank charge and trying to pin them in an inescapable corner. On the right, the infantry and Knights closed in towards the center but in doing so, left no room for the halberdiers to maintain a cohesive formation with them. The sound of the cannons split the early morning sky with a streak of fire towards the enemy bolt throwers. Following the last failed salvo the gunners adjusted their aim and sent destruction streaking through the sky to splinter the Druchii war machines like so much kindling. The combined fire from the crossbowmen and huntsmen sent a pack of harpies fleeing towards the ships. And then the terrible sound of the Helblaster, firing if a trio of ear splitting volleys, cut a swath of mutilating doom upon the blackguard, felling half their numbers in one bloody shot. The sorcerer of death hurled black tendrils of crackling doom upon the executioners but the magic of Khaine repelled the hateful magic to no effect. He then summoned a terrible rend in the sky itself over the executioners but it dissipated in a harmless hiss. The leftmost dark riders succumb to a brilliant fireball which incinerated two of their numbers in a smoldering flash. The priests chanted unholy prayers calling upon the feeble powers of their patron to imbue themselves will so called might.

Anger burned across the visage of Kreelis, the serenity gone to be replaced by a primal rage giving her the appearance of a vengeful demon. She gauged the distance between her forces and the enemy and understood that that her army would face one more brutal salvo before they could reach their foes. She advanced her forces within range for a charge while keeping her army outside of the enemies plodding range and offered the executioners another blessing of protection. The hydra crashed into the cover of the forest and spewed hellfire upon the enemy scouts and the crossbowmen finished them off. The Dark Riders continued their circle behind enemy lines and peppered the swordsmen with cruel jests and taunts. The harpies on the left rallied at the cry of their terrible master and again turned to face the enemy. On the left the remaining slippery Dark Riders maneuvered to the flank of the knights and their crossbows felled one at point blank range, punching through the formidable armor and spraying the troop with blood and gore. The harpies flew overhead and positioned behind the enemy lines and bearing fangs at the artillery crew on the hill.

The Arch-lector, blinded by faith, charged unsupported and headlong into the witches, issuing a challenge to the frenzied hag while his contraption smashed upon their ranks in a sickening whack. Naked flesh and blood flung everywhere and the priest produced a relic and pointed it at the hag. Together they raged and imbued with the might of the hag, cut her into a pulpy mass and ending the frenzied madness of the witches who stood astounded but stood nonetheless, bolstered by the power of Khaine himself. The cannon booms sounded softly as they took aim at the executioners and fizzled each in turn. But the Helblaster did not fail, or at least not entirely. Again, two salvos pounded the blackguard, cutting them down like wheat and leaving 3 remaining with the dreaded master, but the third salvo failed as the crew worked furiously to unjam the load. Both wizards aimed their foul magic at the executioners but Khaine’s blessing and the protective Ring of Hotek brought ruin to their feeble attempts at stopping their advance. Harried by Dark Riders, the infantry and Knights slowly plodded along towards the crucial battle and fearful of the raging sounds coming from the forest. On the left, the Handgunners released another salvo against the Dark Riders slaying them for but one rider who determined to slay the hateful fools. The spearmen and swordsmen moved within range of the dreaded blackguard, completely oblivious to the certain death which seethed before them and believing themselves capable of slaying the few remaining who marched defiantly towards their ranks. The crossbowmen aimed for the deadly archers and managed to pierce a precious few but knowing that they where outmatched in a straight on shoot out.

With triumph in her maddened eyes, Kreelis hailed the charge and the executioners swept into the flank of the accursed war alter, hacking and cleaving the occupant and his mount while the witches danced their ruin upon the enemy general. With a fury the alter was smashed to pieces and the Arc-lector’s head decapitated in one swift stroke to rest as a trophy among one of the many hooks at the champions belt. Their momentum carried them forward, well beyond the Greatswords to their rear, to smash into the flank of the swordmasters who were already engaged in a desperate dance of death with the Scion of the Hag and the few remaining Blackguard. Caught completely unawares by the murderous enemy who appeared from nowhere, even the expert flanking maneuver of the halberdiers proved ineffectual to overwhelm the blackguard. In a desperate cry, the swordsmen sounded the retreat and fled far with the blackguard on their trail and through the spearmen nearby who were caught up in the rush and fled headlong out of the reach of the psychotic fury behind them. The harpies on the left flank sped through the air like a hunter’s arrow and savagely ripped apart the cannon crew and swiftly smashed into the other. The other harpies descended upon the Helblaster crew whose attention on the desperate work at hand blinded them to their impending death until it was too late. From the forest the hydra bellowed forth and sprayed drenching flames upon the Greatswords, incinerating many instantly and preparing a charge for their exposed flanks.

Realizing their peril, the enemy forces quit the field to the man, demoralized and broken with the death of an Arch-lector. Already the wails of mourning arose from the city walls like a serenade to the ears of the Druchii who set upon the fallen for Khaine’s final kiss good night.

With that my opponent conceded, a bit disappointed with the sheer damage that dark elves can deliver in close combat compared to Empire troops. I realized that if I could make it into combat that even a few stubborn striking first units would decimate his infantry and I turned out to be lucky that all of his war machines misfired once. The Helblaster did 9 and 7 casualties from the two volleys and if it hadn’t misfired on the 3rd volley of its second round of shooting my last remaining blackguard would have been toast and changed the momentum back to his favor. But such are the blessings of Khaine. In the end, I had lost a harpy unit and 2 out of the one which destroyed the Helblaster, my dark rider on the left flank fatefully did not survive his charge against the 7 remaining Handgunners, both RBTs and all but three of the black guard. On the right flank the hydra was positioned for a flank and the dark riders for a rear charge and for giggles we had him role his terror test which his knights failed and were destroyed as they fled through the dark riders. The ring worked well this game by turning irresistible force into a miscast which ended the phase twice.

[Yemeth]

The only comment fitting here is 'Bravo!', 'Bravo!!'

AltAr and I'd skip the nipples part, that sounds kinda cheap, but otherwise, you've done a great job. Both gamewise and 'storywise'. I could really see the battle.

[Fleshcollector]

LOL. I thought everyone knew that Druchii females had nipples. Besides, how else does one get cheap tricks on the forum?

I actually debated long and hard about that, and decided to go with it. We all know that the brides of Khaine run around nude, except in the drawings for the kids. I just hope I didn't scar anyone.

[Yemeth]

YOU DESTROYED MY CHILDHOOD!!!!!!