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. 

The Ritual - Rise of Bastion Quol - Campaign Game 6

As Grey Seer Xylo, took the Artefact from the Assassin, he smiled, "You have done what two claw packs failed to do, All of clan Mkrytus owes you thanks."

"Save your thanks, the horse lords where not dissuaded by the ambush. Fresh horses are riding hard to stop us."

"Then we should prepare a welcome for them, strike from the shadows, take out their spell weavers." Turning from the assassin Xylo climbs the sacrifice site, "Soon the Messiah shall be with us." Tied on top the Damsel, captured from the Bretonians, barely struggls in her bonds, tortured over many day, runes of power craved into her flesh, she will be the conduit for the ritual the power of Ghur will be drawn through her and used to open the way between the realms. With the Artefact in  Zukor's hand the final piece needed for the ritual was in place. 

"Soon the Messiah shall walk this Realm, and a new dawn of rise over Ghur, Bastion Quol will Rise and the Skaven Empire shall reign supreme over Ghur.

Final game in the 6 game campaign Sean and I have been playing, it's been a lot of fun to play these linked games. Making up and adjusting the story as we win and lose.

Deployment

Bretonian - on the far hill, Bretonian lord on Pegasus, 5 Grail Knights, a mounted Damsel. In the tower is a Trebuchet. Centre field are 15 knights of the realm, a Paladin Standard bearer, a Damsel on foot in the ruins. A Pegasus Lord on the occulum. On the near flank, 10 men at arms, and 5 knights of the realm.

Skaven - Hidden in the far wood is a rattling gun. Guarding the ritual site is 30 stormvermin, along side them is a Screaming bell. In front are three Stormfiends armed with ranged weapons, supported by a warplock engineer and a Arch Warplock. In the near wood a pack of 6 Rat ogors are herded by pack-master and a Poison wind mortar bunkers behind them. Hidden off the field are 5 Gutter runners and tunnelling below are 3 Stormfiends armed with melee weapons and tunnelling equipment.

Captured damsel is tied up in the centre of the sacrificial sight, her power will be syphoned to empower the ritual.

Brettonian turn 1
Blessings of the lady are certain the realm knights, the general uses inspiring presence on them. Trebuchet releases it's payload but over shoots and only crushes 2 vermin.

Cavalry canters forward, Grail knights charge and root out the Rattling gun from the woods, Pegasus mounted lord, swoops into the Rat Ogors. The weapon team is run down but the Rat Ogors are tough and manage to wound him in return.
Skaven turn 1
The Ritual begins in earnest then the Bretonians appear. I use my triumph re-roll to maximise the beginning total. Grey seer inspires the Stormvermin. then casts mystic shield on the Rat Ogors, The bell rings and the unholy discordant sound damages the bells scaffold. Arch warlock and his apprentice blast out at the Grail knights and Pegasus Lord. Pack-masters herd their charges into the fray.

Stormfiends tunnel up and charge the first thing they see, which happens to be the General of the Bretonian army the Pegasus Lord.

Gutter runners slink onto the field and loose their sling shot at the Damsel. Scoring one wound on her.

Stormfiends charge the General Pegasus Lord and drag him from the sky before he can escape them.

Ranged Fiends, start jogging at the grail knights guns opening fire as they pick up speed, the warp lead, fire and gas, explode around the grail but they weather the storm only for the fiends to charge into the depleted knights. The herded fiends make short work of the grail knights, by one survives,.... barely.

The Rat Ogors, drag a pegasus from the air for a quick snack.

Bretonian turn 2
Knights of the realm ser a break in the Skaven defence that has opened up and shoot for the middle. Paladin flank charges the Rat Ogors as the smaller unit of Realm Knights charges from the front.
In the back field the third Bretonian Lord on Pegasus swoops down on the gutter runners killing a pair of them.

Pack master is caught with his pants down in the center and the realm knight thread the needle through the gap towards him. Miraculously the packmaster survives the charge!

The realm knights bounce off the mystic shielded Rogors, in return 4 are killed and the Paladin wounded.
Skaven turn 2
The ritual continues to go well.
Warplocks blast out with warp lighting. Grey seer inspires the vermin and casts mystic shield on himself. The bell rings out a wall of sound that inspires skaven units to hit more.
The pack-master who miraculously survived the cavalry charge retreats to behind the Fiends. Grey seer Calls for the vermin to charge the knights but too late realises the Stormvermin have been befuddled by the ritual site. Seeing the Grey seer charging out on his own, the Stormfiends charge into the same combat blasting away with shot, fire and gas, knight die in the hail of death, followed up by the massive bodies slamming into the flank of the Lance.

The other group of Fiends attack the Damsel, Gutter runners continue to fight the third Bretonian lord on pegasus. Another of their number in taken down.

Damsel lashes out at the attackers and wounds one of them. In return the Fiends make short work of the Damsel, but such a small snack hardly satisfies them.

Poison Wind arcs over and explodes in knightly ranks, Spikes and wheel, impale and roll over horses while fiends club riders from the saddle. the centre knightly charge has been crushed between the 2 attackers.

On the left the Rat Ogors tear apart the last realm knight, but the paladin hold fast and fights of the mutant rats

Skaven turn 3
Mortar team hidden in the back left woods, adjusts it's aim to hit the men at arms that have been slowly heading up the flank, On target, but the men have fought skaven before and they mostly manage to hold their breath until the gas dissipates.

Arch warlong and his appretice scurry back to ensure the ritual continues, so close to completeion now the stormvermin close ranks around the ritual site.

Rattling cannon shoots at the paladin that has held up the rat orgors so long.

With the flanking paladin, dead the remaining ogors tear apart the last realm knight and feast on the horse flesh.

Realm knights lash out in their death throes and slay the wounded fiend,

Tunneller fiends continue the romp along the flank assaulting the tower the trebuchet has bunkered in, Smashing into the walls the siege engine is toppled from the battlements.

The last of the Realm knights are destroyed and routed from the centre field.

Bretonia turn 3
Green Knight arrives he is declared as the second general, if he can reach the ritual site he can smash and end the ritual.

But in front of him awaits the stormvermin, last hope if he can fly into the centre if he can charge over the guard.

He can't manage to fly over, so he tries to hack his way through the gaurd.

He kills one, But the storm vermin use their campaign inspiration and are ensorcelled by the terrain, Eight of them pile into combat, Out numbering the foe, and suitably buffed they make short work of the Green Knight.

The Ritual completes! 
The fabric of the realm is torn open, a gnaw whole to the realm of ruin is created and through it steps the Verminking and Thanquol. 

A new age as begun in the realm of Ghur, Bastion Quol has risen, dawn of the skaven Empire has started.

All Hail the Vermin king, All hail the Messiah Thanquol.

Great game! I had been rolling well for the ritual total, it was on to 18 of 20, So i feel Sean was forced into sending in the green knight a little early when he could have used the few other bits he had left to draw out some of the vermin from around the ritual site, but as it was on the verge of completing it, which forced his hand into attempting to smash the ritual, but luck was not with him. And with the death of the Bretonnia's second General, the Skaven win the game.