WoffBoot X was always going to be Star Wars-themed (we had the new film to watch in the evening, a Rebellion board game, about 50 X-wing models and a marbletop kitchen counter that looked like a starfield).
But it wouldn't be right not to roll some Warhammer dice. So General Leofa brought out his three-basecoat Stormcast to face my Beasts of Chaos.
We began with the pre-emptive strike scenario: a pathfinder group of Stormcast Prosecutors, led by Knights Venator and Lord-Relictor, have secured a small Realmgate in the wilds of Ghur. As they make ready to bring across the rest of the Legion, they are discovered by a pack of beasts!
Howls fill the air, summoning more creatures, as the Stormcast make ready to defend their foothold. The game will end randomly at the end of Turn 4, 5 or 6, and the gate must be attacked and destroyed to secure a Chaos victory.
Two units of Stormcall Prosecutors sweep forward towards the beasts, one of the occupying the small wood to the west flank, the other screening the south-west approach.
Javelins and arrows flew through the air, but failed to do more than scratch the oncoming beasts.
With loping strides, the Skin Wolf pack leaped into the wood, closely followed by the snarling Razorgor. Keen not to let these newcomers get ahead of the despoiling, they tore the Prosecutors apart.
The Gor herd swept down the slopes and into the final unit of Prosecutors, goaded by the Doomboar close behind. They were watched over by Morghur, who remained at the top of the heights, the better to direct his forces and corrupt the forest around him.
In combat, the Razorgor dragged down one of the winged Prosecutors, losing one of their own as the fight settled into a bloody grind. The Skin Wolves once again ripped apart the Prosecutors, though they were now reduced to half strength as the Stormcast heroes tried to drive them away from their foothold.
Massing around the Realmgate, the Gor were driven into an anarchistic fury by the presence of the lightning-sent intruders. The closest beastmen fell upon the Prosecutors, ripping one from the skies as the rest of their dark brethren fought to get closer.
The surviving Stormcast threw all their strength into repelling the beasts. The Knight Azyros opened the Celestial Lantern, burning the surrounding chaos beasts with holy light.
The last of the Skin Wolves died to a hail of throwing hammers, though the Knight Venator's Star-Fated arrow flew wildly past the Cockatrice.
The Dragon Ogors charged into the herd of Gor, although they could not inflict enough damage to prevent the Prosecutors from being torn apart.
The fight to the south-west had devolved into a scrap between a lone Razorgor and a Prosecutor-Prime, neither prepared to give an inch of ground.
Short of allies, the Dragon Ogors found themselves being driven back and surrounded by the innumerable Gor.
Only a handful of Stormcast now remained to hold their prize.
The Knight Venator shot his arrows into the thick hide of the Doomboar. Hot blood ran freely down its flanks to stain the Realmgate as the Knight Azyros brought down the monster, though he himself was badly wounded doing so.
Screaming retribution for their fallen leader, the Gor ripped through the Dragon Ogors, and all-but one were rent asunder by their furious blades.
Morghur sent a sorcerous blast at the Knight Azyros, sending his soul back to the forges of Sigmar. One of the Gor became so overwhelmed by the might of The Shadowgrave that he devolved into a slavering Chaos Spawn and threw himself back into the fray.
Their numbers finally starting to deplete, the Gor surrounded the last Dragon Ogor, stabbing from all directions faster than the lightning could heal it. To their flank, the Prosecutor-Prime finally fell to the Razorgor brute.
Arriving at the Realmgate, the Bestigor attempted to complete the Doomboar's work, but were frustrated by the attacks of the Stormcast heroes.
What had brought this Greater Demon to the realm - and which side it was on - none could say. The titan slashed at the Lord-Celestant, who hewed back with great effect.
Spitting feathers, the Shaggoth galloped back to aid the defence of the Realmgate, though too late to save its cousin, as the final Dragon Ogor was hauled down by Gor.
Knowing nothing of this strategy, and loyal only to their hunger, a second pack of Skin Wolves appeared from the north, even as the newly-arrived Doomboar lowered its tusks and charged the Shaggoth.
Trying to redirect the remaining Gor to their true purpose, Morghur turned another into a Spawn. Getting the message, every beast under his command rallied around the Realmgate, attacking either it or the handful of defenders around it. The Little-Razorgor-That-Could was among those to charge in, but all found stone harder to gouge than Sigmarite armour.
Only the Cockatrice held back to transfix the Lord-Relictor. Focussed on keeping the gate open, the Stormcast priest was caught unawares and utterly destroyed.
The Realmgate was still intact, but the Stormcast now had no wizard to activate it. The handful of defenders were now cut off from reinforcement.
However, even servants of the Ruinous Powers could not wholly command Realmgates. Instead of a Slaaneshi cohort, a crimson Bloodthirster burst through the gate, charging the hapless Cockatrice as the only other winged monster to rival it.
Taking advantage of the daemon's distraction, the Lord-Celestant leapt forward and cut down the Keeper of Secrets with his Dracoth's claws.
The Stormcast's last effort had won enough time for the legion's priests to unlock the Realmgate from their side. The invasion of Ghur had begun!
As golden warriors poured through the portal, the Bloodthirster saw that he would need to rally his forces to repel this strength. Holding the Cockatrice by the neck like a wrung chicken, the Greater Daemon of Khorne went to find Morghur the Shadowgrave and discuss new management...
Accordingly we decided that when the Relictor's attempt to summon reinforcements failed on a '1', it would instead bring on a Greater Daemon, controlled by Kasfunatu as a third player, whose allegiance would be randomly determined each turn (and of course, once through, he could try a little summoning of his own).
It was all good fun - a nice mix of battle and role-play. So much so that we rolled right on to the next adventure!
But it wouldn't be right not to roll some Warhammer dice. So General Leofa brought out his three-basecoat Stormcast to face my Beasts of Chaos.
Armies
Scenario: Pre-emptive Strike
Leofa of the Storm
- Lord-Relictor
- Knight Venator
- 6 x Prosecutors with Celestial Hammers (2 x units of 3)
- 6 x Prosecutors with Stormcall Javelins (2 x units of 3)
(in reserve)
- Knight Azyros
- 3 x Dragon Ogors
- Dragon Ogor Shaggoth
- Lord-Celestant on Dracoth
Stylus of the Sties
- 4 x Skin Wolves
- 3 x Razorgor
- Cockatrice
(in reserve)
- Morghur, Master of Skulls
- Doomboar
- 40 x Gor
- 10 x Bestigor
- + any previously destroyed units
We began with the pre-emptive strike scenario: a pathfinder group of Stormcast Prosecutors, led by Knights Venator and Lord-Relictor, have secured a small Realmgate in the wilds of Ghur. As they make ready to bring across the rest of the Legion, they are discovered by a pack of beasts!
 |
| The advance patrol strikes gold. |
Howls fill the air, summoning more creatures, as the Stormcast make ready to defend their foothold. The game will end randomly at the end of Turn 4, 5 or 6, and the gate must be attacked and destroyed to secure a Chaos victory.
Turn 1 - Stormcast Eternals
The Realmgate shimmers and a Knight Azyros steps through, ready to shine Sigmar's light for his brethren to follow.Two units of Stormcall Prosecutors sweep forward towards the beasts, one of the occupying the small wood to the west flank, the other screening the south-west approach.
 |
| The Birdmen cometh. |
Javelins and arrows flew through the air, but failed to do more than scratch the oncoming beasts.
Turn 1 - Chaos
The cowardly Cockatrice took to the skies, high enough to see that more beasts had arrived: a mighty herd of Gor, driven forward by a hulking Doomboar and no less than Morghur, the Shadowgrave himself. |
| MOAR BEASTS! |
With loping strides, the Skin Wolf pack leaped into the wood, closely followed by the snarling Razorgor. Keen not to let these newcomers get ahead of the despoiling, they tore the Prosecutors apart.
Turn 2 - Chaos
Even the implacable Stormcast were shaken by this sudden turn, and the chaos beasts seized the initiative. The Razorgor slammed into the second screening unit of Stormcall Prosecutors while the Skin Wolves bounded over the crested head of the Knight Azyros and into the northern unit of Celestial Hammer Prosecutors.The Gor herd swept down the slopes and into the final unit of Prosecutors, goaded by the Doomboar close behind. They were watched over by Morghur, who remained at the top of the heights, the better to direct his forces and corrupt the forest around him.
 |
| At this point, we decided the Stormcasts needed to summon D3 units per turn, rather than one. |
In combat, the Razorgor dragged down one of the winged Prosecutors, losing one of their own as the fight settled into a bloody grind. The Skin Wolves once again ripped apart the Prosecutors, though they were now reduced to half strength as the Stormcast heroes tried to drive them away from their foothold.
Massing around the Realmgate, the Gor were driven into an anarchistic fury by the presence of the lightning-sent intruders. The closest beastmen fell upon the Prosecutors, ripping one from the skies as the rest of their dark brethren fought to get closer.
Turn 2 - Stormcast Eternals
Calling upon Sigmar's aid, the Lord-Relictor opened the Realmgate and brought through a trio of their Dragon Ogor allies.The surviving Stormcast threw all their strength into repelling the beasts. The Knight Azyros opened the Celestial Lantern, burning the surrounding chaos beasts with holy light.
 |
| The Dragon Ogors are ready to charge the Skin Wolves. They didn't last that long. |
The last of the Skin Wolves died to a hail of throwing hammers, though the Knight Venator's Star-Fated arrow flew wildly past the Cockatrice.
The Dragon Ogors charged into the herd of Gor, although they could not inflict enough damage to prevent the Prosecutors from being torn apart.
 |
| Three Stormcast and three Dragon Ogors are no match for a metric ton of beastmen high on anarchy and mayhem. |
The fight to the south-west had devolved into a scrap between a lone Razorgor and a Prosecutor-Prime, neither prepared to give an inch of ground.
Turn 3 - Chaos
Smelling blood from afar, a small herd of Bestigor arrived to join the slaughter. The Doomboar barrelled through the melee to begin hacking away at the mystical stones. The Bestigor ran after him, ready to add their axes to the effort. |
| The Razorogor in the bottom corner has MVP written all over it. |
Short of allies, the Dragon Ogors found themselves being driven back and surrounded by the innumerable Gor.
Only a handful of Stormcast now remained to hold their prize.
Turn 3 - Stormcast Eternals
Close behind his lesser brood, a Dragon Ogor Shaggoth emerged through the Realmgate, then advanced towards the forest where the Cockatrice lurked. The winged beast was effortlessly slain by the Stormcast's latest ally. |
| "If I keep perfectly still, maybe he''l think I'm a tree!" |
The Knight Venator shot his arrows into the thick hide of the Doomboar. Hot blood ran freely down its flanks to stain the Realmgate as the Knight Azyros brought down the monster, though he himself was badly wounded doing so.
 |
| Save some for the Spawn. |
Screaming retribution for their fallen leader, the Gor ripped through the Dragon Ogors, and all-but one were rent asunder by their furious blades.
Turn 4 - Chaos
Many great beasts had been slain, but the forces of Chaos were without limit. From the depths of the forest emerged a second Doomboar, while another Cockatrice flew in from the north, seeking its mate.Morghur sent a sorcerous blast at the Knight Azyros, sending his soul back to the forges of Sigmar. One of the Gor became so overwhelmed by the might of The Shadowgrave that he devolved into a slavering Chaos Spawn and threw himself back into the fray.
Their numbers finally starting to deplete, the Gor surrounded the last Dragon Ogor, stabbing from all directions faster than the lightning could heal it. To their flank, the Prosecutor-Prime finally fell to the Razorgor brute.
 |
| Cockatrice II is keeping its distance from the Shaggoth. |
Arriving at the Realmgate, the Bestigor attempted to complete the Doomboar's work, but were frustrated by the attacks of the Stormcast heroes.
Turn 4 - Stormcast Eternals
The Stormcast needed something dramatic to turn the tide of battle. The Lord-Relictor raised his relic hammer and opened the Realmgate once again. Out of the shimmering light came a Lord-Celestant on a Dracoth - locked in combat with a Keeper of Secrets! |
| How d'you like them apples? |
What had brought this Greater Demon to the realm - and which side it was on - none could say. The titan slashed at the Lord-Celestant, who hewed back with great effect.
Spitting feathers, the Shaggoth galloped back to aid the defence of the Realmgate, though too late to save its cousin, as the final Dragon Ogor was hauled down by Gor.
Turn 5 - Chaos
Time was running short, and the Realmgate was almost under the complete control of the Stormcast. Should that happen, it would open the way for a full invasion of the realm of Ghur.Knowing nothing of this strategy, and loyal only to their hunger, a second pack of Skin Wolves appeared from the north, even as the newly-arrived Doomboar lowered its tusks and charged the Shaggoth.
 |
| And still that Realmgate was clinging to its last three wounds. |
Trying to redirect the remaining Gor to their true purpose, Morghur turned another into a Spawn. Getting the message, every beast under his command rallied around the Realmgate, attacking either it or the handful of defenders around it. The Little-Razorgor-That-Could was among those to charge in, but all found stone harder to gouge than Sigmarite armour.
Only the Cockatrice held back to transfix the Lord-Relictor. Focussed on keeping the gate open, the Stormcast priest was caught unawares and utterly destroyed.
The Realmgate was still intact, but the Stormcast now had no wizard to activate it. The handful of defenders were now cut off from reinforcement.
Turn 5 - Stormcast Eternals
It was at this point that the Keeper of Secrets seemingly switched allegiance. Breaking away from its fight with the Lord-Celestant, it turned to the Realmgate, using its wizard powers to activate it.However, even servants of the Ruinous Powers could not wholly command Realmgates. Instead of a Slaaneshi cohort, a crimson Bloodthirster burst through the gate, charging the hapless Cockatrice as the only other winged monster to rival it.
 |
| Nothing left but Greater Daemons, monsters. heroes ... and that wee Razorgor. |
Taking advantage of the daemon's distraction, the Lord-Celestant leapt forward and cut down the Keeper of Secrets with his Dracoth's claws.
The Stormcast's last effort had won enough time for the legion's priests to unlock the Realmgate from their side. The invasion of Ghur had begun!
As golden warriors poured through the portal, the Bloodthirster saw that he would need to rally his forces to repel this strength. Holding the Cockatrice by the neck like a wrung chicken, the Greater Daemon of Khorne went to find Morghur the Shadowgrave and discuss new management...
Notes from Azyrheim
In true AoS spirit, we were playing this game very loosey-goosey - aiming for a good story, rather than an actual victory (which could have been achieved pretty early on - either by lobbing mortal wounds at the Realmgate, or summoning an invincible host of Stormcast).Accordingly we decided that when the Relictor's attempt to summon reinforcements failed on a '1', it would instead bring on a Greater Daemon, controlled by Kasfunatu as a third player, whose allegiance would be randomly determined each turn (and of course, once through, he could try a little summoning of his own).
It was all good fun - a nice mix of battle and role-play. So much so that we rolled right on to the next adventure!
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