Mordheim, Season3 Game 1

Our third Mordheim campaign kicked off this week, and I was very happy to be returning to one of my favourite games.

This time we had seven players signed up, with 6 attending the opening game.  Following on from the last campaign, where the evil Necromancer Alex managed to evade our warbands as we all destroyed each a new set of "heroes" are now hell bent on bringing him down.

We had a good spread of warbands this time round, including:

Skaven Warphunters

Marienburg Mercenaries

Witchhunters

Dwarf Treasure Hunters

Protectorate of Sigmar

and I had brought my Undead.

Ghouls and Dregs watch as the Vampire races ahead.

Loads of Marienburgers!

The scenario was a straight token grab, but as usual with Rory's games there was a narrative twist. We were all searching a recently raided town for the body of a witch.  One of the treasures that we collected would turn out to be what we were looking for, determined randomly at the end of the game. In addition to this there were some flagellants wandering in the area, with a number being on the table at the start of the game and also each player having a chance for one to enter the table from their deployment zone every odd numbered turn.

Deployment was random, with the Skaven and Marienburgers both deployed on one edge of the table, the Protectorate of Sigmar (PoS from now on!) and Dwarfs on the opposite short edge with myself and the Witchhunters opposing each other along the long table edge.

Early game saw some moving about as I cautiously moved into the centre of the table trying to collect as many treasure tokens as possible. On my left the Skaven and Marienburgers pretty much got straight down to business and started fighting each other from turn 2, with the Dwarfs and Witchhunters doing the same on the other side of the table.  The PoS moved up the centre also, trying to pick off any opponents using their long bowmen. 

Mid game and both the Skaven and Marienburgers had reached their break point, but miraculously neither gave any ground as they both passed multiple break tests.  The Witchhunters discovered that while there were not to many dwarfs on the table they were all very tough and started to rack up the casualties. 

PoS on the advance

In the centre I cautiously advanced through the ruins, managing to kill a wandering flagellant and pick up a third treasure token before advancing towards the PoS.  The PoS were still moving towards my Undead, while trying to take out some of the Witchhunters as well.  

Late game and the Marienburgers finally failed a break test, leaving the field, and the Skaven decided to follow suit in their turn having managed to secure a treasure token.   The Witchhunters were down to their last man and finally gave up and fled, but not before reducing the dwarfs to their break point, who dully failed their break test and also left the field.

In the centre after an early charge from the Dire Wolf my Undead got stuck in to the PoS, and generally had the better of it, thanks mainly to failed fear tests from the enemy.  Rory saw that things were beginning to turn against him and decided to quit the field leaving the Vampire lord and his minions victorious.

Undead Wolf (played with great skill by a beasthound) leads the charge into the PoS

The Undead lurk in an alley, waiting for the moment to charge.

There are a lot of dogs in warbands this year, resulting in a big dogfight in the middle of the table.

So game 1 and a victory for my undead, including a hefty treasure haul and no casualties so a pretty good start to the campaign.  I dot think any warbands suffered too badly apart from the Skaven, who lost their sorcerer and Witchhunters who suffered some pretty grievous wounds.

The game was basically three smaller games played out on a large table, with everyone pairing off and fighting it out, and two of the pairings ending in a stalemate as both warbands went out of the game. Rory and I were the last two standing mainly because we were a bit further apart and were more cautious in our advance meaning that we came to blows much later in the game, so more down to lucky deployment and procrastination than any real skill.  One thing I would note is that once again my main character, the vampire Lord proved useless ad failed to do much of anything despite easily being the most powerful character on the board. I hope this does not set a precedent fro the campaign as a whole as without him preforming it is going to be an uphill struggle for my Undead, especially against those Dwarfs.

A good start to the campaign, with everyone staying on the table for a good five turns or so, with the 2nd instalment to follow in a month or so.