Tuesday 24 May 2016

WoffBoot X - Stormcast vs Chaos Alliance: No Stopping The Sigmartrain!

The dust had settled on our first battle, but now Generals Kasfunatu and East were looking interested in trying a game. And, after all, it was only midnight...

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
... and the full moon was out.

(So this will be more of a narrative report, rather than a turn-by-turn. I was chiefly occupied with keeping myself topped up with caffeine, so could do little more than take photos, rather than more detailed notes)

Armies

Scenario: Breakthrough

East of Azyr

  • Lord-Celestant on Dracoth
  • Lord-Relictor
  • Knight Venator
  • Knight Azryos
  • 6 x Prosecutors with Celestial Hammers (2 x units of 3)
  • 6 x Prosecutors with Stormcall Javelins (2 x units of 3)
  • 15 x Liberators (3 x units of 5)
  • 3 x Dragon Ogors
  • Dragon Ogor Shaggoth
(in reserve)

  • Celestant-Prime

Kasfunatu Unbroken

  • Bloodthirster
  • Morghur, Master of Skulls
  • Doomboar
  • 40 x Gor
  • 10 x Bestigor
  • 4 x Skin Wolves
  • 3 x Razorgor
  • Cockatrice
(in reserve)
  • Summoned Bloodthirster

Background

Continuing from our previous battle, the Stormcast expeditionary force had secured a Realmgate in Ghur and were looking to get to the dense forests and link up with their Sylvaneth allies.

However, the shattered beast forces had been rallied by a newly-arrived Bloodthirster, who had thrown a cordon around the Stormcast bridgehead. Sigmar's warriors now had to break through the chaos lines.

The Stormcast force was larger this time - now including a number of Liberator cohorts, as well as a Celestant-Prime in waiting. To win the scenario, one-third (12 - major victory) or one-quarter (9 - minor victory) of them had to make it into the forest on the opposite edge. The Stormcast host was formidable enough to destroy the Chose beasts, but there were just enough vulnerable elements to make victory possible. Morghur had also just gained the ability to summon another Bloodthirster...

Deployment

Stormcast chose their deployment, putting their fastest flying units on the flanks, and heavy-hitters in the centre.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
The Celestant-Prime is chilling in the tower, waiting for his dramatic entrance.

Chaos deployment was random, but ended up heavily weighed on either flank, with almost nothing in the invitingly-open centre.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
The best defence is to assault them in their deployment zone.

The Battle

The battle started with the chaos beasts surging forward. No holding the backline for them - over half the army got into combat on the first turn (that's what you get with a Bloodthirster for a general). The Gor, Bestigor, Razorgor and Bloodthirster himself all locked horns with the Stormcast infantry.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
Battle locked. The Razorgor appear to have run off their targets already.

Unfortunately the effort of getting there seemed to exhaust the beasts - only the Razorgor destroyed their target of Liberators. The Bestigor were wiped out by their Liberators, and even the massed Gor could not overwhelm the Prosecutors. Worse, the Bloodthirster whiffed badly against his Prosecutors, who had the temerity to wound him in return.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
Not a good day in the office for the Bloodthirster.

With their eyes on the prize, the Stormcast command left their infantry to delay the fast-moving enemies while they led the Dragon Ogors across the field to their destination.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
Half Ogor, half chicken,

Now aware of the speed and ferocity of the Skin Wolves, every ranged weapon was directed against them, scattering the pack before they could fight. Only one badly-wounded Skin Wolf survived to be cut down by the Knight Azyros.

As the Prosecutors fighting the Gor were destroyed, a unit of Liberators threw themselves into the fray as a fresh delaying tactic, only to be torn down in turn.

Fresh from slaying the Bestigor, the Liberators hit the Razorgor, denying them the momentum of their charge and cutting them down.

Another unit of Prosecutors tried this against the Doomboar and Cockatrice on the extreme western flank, but all perished for their bravery.

The Bloodthirster finally ceased making heavy weather of killing his Prosecutors, but was now confounded by the Knights Venator and Azyros and puffing heavily.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
Three Prosecutors later and the Bloodthirster is down 11 wounds.
That's what you get for not using the GW kit,

In a crucial flank charge, the Doomboar hit the escaping Dragon Ogors. The big pig finally found the swing of his great axe and chopped down two whole Dragon Ogors. The surviving one chose to disengage rather than avenge his fallen brothers.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
BOAR ME TO DEATH!

After the first half's carnage, only eight Stormcast remained on the battlefield: four commanders, a Dragon Ogor, a Shaggoth, and two Liberators. If victory was to be achieved, they needed a ninth man and some divine help - time to call the Celestant-Prime!

The wielder of Ghal Maraz descended on wings of lightning, immediately crushing the wounded Bloodthirster before sweeping up the eastern flank and leading the footslogging Stormcast to safety.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
Celestant-Prime in the top-right corner. Ghal Maraz represented by the extra-long measuring stick.

With the Doomboar slain by arrows, the only threat left was the masses horde of Gor, led by Morghur, who were now racing back across the way they came.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
Things got very exciting when Morghur finally managed to cast Summon Bloodthirster.
Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
And then remembered that he couldn't. As the original Bloodthirster was now off the table
Khorne wept.

Inspired by the arrival of their leader, the handful of Stormcast decided to go for glory. Though the loss of even a single Liberator would mean the failure of their mission, they opted to purge the field of Chaos before escaping to safety.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
All the Gor obligingly queue up to be slaughtered. 

Consequently, the Lord-Celestant and Shaggoth annihilated the horde of Gor, while the two Liberators slew the pursing Spawn. The Celestant-Prime himself descended upon Morghur and smashed the Shadowgrave into pulp with his holy hammer.

Age of Sigmar battle report: Breakthrough scenario between Stormcast Eternals and Chaos Grand Alliance.
The hunted turn around and slaughter their hunters. 

It sounds like a promising campaign, but that marks the end of Age of Sigmar of WoffBoot X - we played X-Wing all the next day (no reports for that, as half the group were being taught the game by the other half).

Still, we had a good evening's play and may have even won over the sceptics. After all: who would play out the scenario until 4am?

ONLY THE FAITHFUL!

1 comment:

  1. Sounded like a fun game!

    I shall try a bit of X-Wing write up at some point soon, I was only really there for that bit. And a later return appearance...

    ReplyDelete