One true Realmgate - Campaign - May

Thanquol planned the expansion of his empire over man hide parchment. Many enemies reside in Ghur. And they would need to be sweep aside or made to bow, to his
Esteemed self. But to do so he must control the one true Realm gate that allowed travel to this Realm outside of time, with that secured, he, as was his destiny, would control the realm and from here plan his invasion of all other realms.

As part of the Hobby hammers campaign, I will make blog posts to talk about the games, I do not plan on making full battle reports, as they are a lot of work, to make coherent.

Week 1
My starting force will be -
Thanquol on Boneripper
10 Stormvermin
Rattling gun
Poison wind mortar

Game 1 - Iron jaws - Drew
What a great starting opponent with his new shiny Iron jaws force I was looking forward to this.
His force was Megaboss on Maw crusher. 10 Ard boys, 5 Brutes and 3 gore gruntas.

Scary prospect to fight, as the scenario forced me to split my small force, and get ambushed. I feel no Shane in saying Thanquol retreated while waiting for his reinforcements and left the weapon teams to die. Didn't stop that beastly maw crusher from flying over and slamming into Boneripper.

And he hurts when he slams into you. But Shielded and blessed by the horned rat, Thanquol survives the initial assault. Boneripper proceeds to lash out back at the maw crusher. And buys enough time for the stormvermin reinforcements to arrive and assist. 

The showdown comes down to the wire. And Thanquol only has two wounds remaining when the maw crusher goes down. But the remaining Orruk Army still strong, they finish of Thanquol and rollover the vermin in short order.

I choose to add a unit of stormfiends to my force, after the defeat I wanted to give my force a competitive edge

Game 2 - Death - Craig
New member of the Hobby hammers Craig, had a death army my consisting of -
Vampire lord on foot
2 units of crypt horrors
20 zombies
5 direwolves
5 black Knights

The scenario is watch tower and as the outnumbered opponent I defend the tower, placing 10 stormvermin to garrison it.

Early game, the Fiends tunneled up and defended the front of the tower. His units could only attack the tower piece meal, and the stormvermin where hard to shift, and repelled all foes.
Thanquol rolled a massive charge and killed the vampire lord. With no more reinforcements the death army are soon outnumbered.

Skaven win.

As the winning I got to choose 2 more warscrolls.
Well dammit I want to play with my new toy. So I choose a Vermin lord Warbringer and another 10 storm vermin to boost the unit.

Additional photos.

Griffon holds the watch tower

Crypt Ghouls take on a treeman

3 games of AoS, 1 game of 40k

Still space for more palyers

Week 2
Second campaign week only 4 players down this week. I get the opportunity to play against new club mate Paul and his Stormcast Eternals. In his starting army he has -
A Castelant and a Gryph hound
10 Liberators
3 Retributors
3 Prosecuters
As it is Pauls first week we are playing hold or die, I decide not to use the added parts of my warband. as I think it will be a more enjoyable game for Paul if he doesn't have to fight all the filth i have added to the warband.

Out numbered and surronded Thanquol has been caught out again.

So true to form he runs, away from the main force, smashes into the Prosecutors, smashs them and waits for the reinforcements.

Abandoned in the center the weapon teams die, stormvermin turn up go toe to toe with the liberators and retributors and lose over several rounds of combat. But in the mean time Thanquol is able to pick off, the rest of the army piece meal.

Skaven win.

On the over table the ogres preform the ritual and Nagash's death army try to stop him

Bulls charge Nagash

.

Nagash is taken down.

Both tables are able the finish early. So Craig and I decide to have a quick game (non campaign) he takes Nagash and I tell him not to restrict his summoning as I wanted to see how powerful he truly is.

Nagash hides in the corner, Skaven take the first turn. Charge halfway across the board,

For the first 3 turns Nagash summons an army. Skaven smash the army.

Finally I am able to get past the summoned hordes. But most of the Skaven force has been spent on Summoned chaff.

But I am able to to get Thanquol and 2 doomflayer fiends into charge range. Fiends make it but Thanquol fails a 3 inch charge.
Fiends get Smashed and in the next turn Nagash charges and kills thanquol on the second magic phase (of a double turn) with hand of dust.

Week 3
Week 3 is the ambush scenraio. I have increased my war band with a warp lightning cannon and 3 Jezzials.

My opponent's this week are Mark's Ogors.
Tyrant
Slaughter master
3 Iron guts.
9 Bulls
3 Lead bleachers
Stonehorn
Thundertusk

Deployment
The Ogors deploy facing all directions not knowing where my ambush will come from.
Lacking the numbers to surround them I weight the left flank down, the scenario doesn't allow movement in the first turn so i deploy my army outside of his Stone horns range.

First turns go well, i choose to take the first turn, with all of my range shooting I kill the Stonehorn. And start weakening his bulls.
His turn he is out of range and unable to move.
I win the second turn and move my combat troops in. But then fail to charge, leaving me too close.

Ogors then proceed to charge into and over my combat units I have left exposes and in subsequent turns picking off ranged units piecemeal.

Over the course of 4 turns the 3 Stormfiends I have keep in reserve do not turn up.
In turn to I should have pulled back and continurd blasting Ogors from range, but I did not respect their resilience or their combat punch, a valuable lesson for next time I face them.

Skaven lose!

Week 4
After the previous weeks loss I add 3 Stormfiends, with ranged weapons.
Facing off against the Stormcast and their order allies, led by Mike.
Lord celestant on Dracoth
Slann
Lord Relictor
2 Units of 5 Liberators
3 Retributors
3 Prosecutors
5 Great swords
10 hand gunners
6 Protectors

We are playing the scenario Breakthrough. Mike won the roll and decide to be the attacker.
Deployment
Scenario dictates a disorganized deployment for the defender, my right flank was weighed heavily with all of my ranged threat and 2 combat punches, in the fiends and vermin lord.

The left has Thanquol on Bone ripper and 20 stormvermin. With nothing to hold the center.

Mike took a well distributed set up. As he had to deploy all his army before I randomized mine.

Early game, the Slann, summons his obsidian sarusas cavalry and skinks.

On my left hand flank Thanquol and the vermin leap forward Bone ripper smashed the Lord celestant on Dracoth. While the vermin chop up the liberators and great swords.

Order army grinds it self-out on the right flank. The Skaven keep up a steady rate of fire, wearing down all who approach the bottle neck. And the combat units make short work of what few try to force entry.

Realising the futility of the flanks the order army pushes for the middle

Stormfiends Sally forth to wipe out the right flanks rear guard. While the range support and Vermin lord move towards the middle, to intercept the center push.

Lightning strikes leaving 3 retributors behind and the Slann summons more sarasus Cavalry, both surround Thanquol but are unable to charge far enough.
Stormvermin pull back from the last liberator and charge the Retributors, frenzied hacking takes down all 3 of the Stormcast.

Slann charges and kills Thanquol, in retaliation the Stormvermin pike in and kill the slain

Over the remaining turns the vermin lord warbringer and artillery hunt down the remnants of the order army. Only the Knight Venator is able to escape.

Skaven Victory

After a month of the campaign. Thanquol host includes
Thanquol on bone ripper
Vermin lord Warbringer
Packmaster
6 Stormfiends
20 Stormvermin
Rattling gun.
Poison wind mortar
3 Jezzials
Warp lightning cannon
Hellpit Abomination

Thanquol gently patted Bone rippers bruised and scarred hide. The last month of campaigning had not been gentle with his protector. Indeed neither had his rise to power been direct, powerful enemy's, roamed Ghur. And it is clear now he is not the only one after the one true realm gate, but he had there measure now. And his verminous host had swelled with the most powerful troops Clan Mkrytus had to offer. 

VerminKing - painted

After months of twiddling my thumbs, I finally started painting this this four armed monstrosity.

I though and postponed this paint job for a while, I was super proud of the conversion work on this model, so wanted a paint job to match.

I have been looking at a lot of Circle of Orborus models recently so i was inspired to use the green with gold trim prevalent on those models.

The Orb has been gloss varnish to make it look shiny and glass like.

I am very happy with the paint job i did i put a lot of work on getting to be one of the highest standard models I have ever painted, took a while to achieve but the results i feel are well worth it.

Took a few photo's with Thanquol on big BR, these two are my latest works and even between them i feeli made alot of leaps in skill.

Right to left, shows the order in which these centre piece models have been painted, I feel the paint jobs have improved as I have paint these three.

Below is a fluff story i wrote for the campaign I have been involved it, it shows how i invision these center piece models interact with my army.
The realm of chaos, is not united. The four great chaos god's, have each carved the own realms, their borders shift with the waxing and waning of each god's triumphs and failures.
The realm of Ruin undermines and spans all of the chaos Realm as the great horned Rat, seeks to undermine the rule of the chaos god's and usurp their positions.

In the Realm of Ruin, the Verminlords, demons of the Great horned Rat. Direct the skaven race. Managing, leading and Guiding the children of the horned rat as they seek to further the goal of their deity.

The Vermin King Screech watches his favourite protege, use the Scrying Orb. Thanquol tittered gleefully, in the green glow.

In the realm of the Great horned rat, the chief of the shadow council and his protege plot and scheme.
As the Warren that was, died. The Verminking and Thanquol, were not idle, together they cast many rituals to save the useful part of the Skaven race.
Many clans where thrown into the 9 realms at the destruction of the Warren that was. Seeds thrown into the wind so that Skaven. Could spread and multiple across all realms.
During the age of myth they hid tunneled and multiplied, and waited for the time of their accession, the age of chaos came and they emerged staking their claims. And plotting for domination.

In the Realm of Ruin the Vermin King and Thanquol watched through the scrying orb.

They watched Ghur, the realm of beast was different. The Gnaw holes could not find Ghur, some force protected it, but his favourite experiment was there and they thrived, well if he couldn't gnaw in, they would gnaw out.
He nudged, urged and cajoled. Remembering the glory of a united skaven from the dying days of Warren that was. Vermin king encouraged this clan to weed out it's infractious elements, a fostered a clan that would work as one. And as before when Skaven stop in-fighting they made progress to there masters aims.

The Vermin King watched, and waited for the ritual. He watched his favourite experiment, Clan Mkrytus.

The ritual would open the gnaw hole between the Realms, between Ghur and Ruin

Vermin King and his favourite protege, Thanquol, who Clan Mkrytus call Messiah. Could step through and all of Ghur, in it's time locked state could be their Warren.