‘Sometimes the ends justify the means,’ said High Exemplar Kreoss, ‘we can not withstand the Communist Threat posed by Khador and their vodka powered jacks any longer! What is more interesting is why Axphixious is willing to unite with us. The hellish darkness arising from the Broken Coast does not normally suffer the living to remain so for long in their presence. Many of my own Flameguard are now in his employ after our recent victory over the warwitch Deneghra. I just hope that this gamble will be worth the price we pay with our souls... may Menoth protect us!’
Celebrating the first 1000 point battle of Warmachine to be played by the Action Team. I’m submitting this extended Battle Report for your reading enjoyment. For those of you who don’t play Warmachine, then I apologise for taking over the blog with this massive display of geeky fun.
An Unholy Alliance
The Armies
Protectorate: Points 495 Model Count 20 VP 19
K = High Exemplar Kreoss
Rp = Repenter
Rv = Revenger
C = Crusader
D = Devout
F = Temple Flameguard (5+1)
D = Deliverers (5+1)
S = Deliverer Sunburst Crew
Cryx: Points: 492 Model Count 18 VP 18
A = Iron Lich, Asphyxious
Df1 = Defiler
DR = Deathripper
Df2 = Defiler
St = Stalker
S = Slayer
ST = Scrap Thralls (3)
Sc = Skarlock
M = Mechanithralls (5+1)
P = Pistol Wraith
N = Necrotech
Khador: Points 1023 Model Count 28 Victory Points 38
KT = Karchev the Terrible
S = Kommander Sorscha
Dv = Devastator
Ds = Destroyer
J = Juggernaut
M = Marauder
B = Berserker
M = Winter Guard Mortar Crew
W = Widowmakers (3+1)
FS = Iron Fang Officer and Standard (2)
IF = Iron Fang Pikemen (5+1)
K = Man-O-War Kovnik
DR = Doom Reavers (5+1)
Setup:
Using the terrain board made famous by GenCon SoCal 2005, Cryx and the Protectorate decided to take the temple side of the board because the forest and temple might offer some protection and a position from which to strike at the Vodka menace. The tall hill on the left side was also considered advantageous as a launching ground for the deliverers and Sunburst artillery. The faithful of Meningitis therefore assembled on the temple side, while the Iron Chef Ass Fixation occupied the forest area.
The Communist Threat, sporting an array of 5 heavy warjacks, fearless and nearly indestructible troopers spread evenly across the northern part of the board. Karchev the Terrible, a Juggernaught and a Marauder made for a solid left flank, whilst Sorscha, the Berserker, Devastator and Destroyer held the right side with the pikemen and Kovnik. Advance deployment of the widowmakers secured the west flank, and the Doom Reavers appeared in the centre of the sandy wash.
Turn 1
Alliance
The Iron Chef’s Scrap thralls marched forward, sacrificial lambs to the widowmaker’s fury. The rest of the Cryx army quickly scurried into the forest for cover, safe for the Pistolwraith, who was busy putting powder into his pistols. Lumbering Mechanithralls seemed ready to repulse any attack from the doom reavers, whose anti-magic abilities confounded Cryx’s attempts to damage them, whilst the Slayer and Asphyxious remained safe behind the lines.
Chanting the name of Menoth to themselves the Flameguard advanced, attempting to hold the pass between the temple ruins and the tall hill. They were supported by the Revenger and the Crusader on their right. Meanwhile the deliverers and the sunburst artillery hastened for the hill as fast as they could and the Repenter, unnoticed began a long flanking manoeuvre.
Khador
With a crash battle was joined as the Scrap thralls went up in a blaze of smoke. At the same time, Khador’s finest artillery rained down upon the Mechanithralls in front of it. Kommander Sorscha did not hesitate to use her magical energies to unleash the charge of the Devastator, which rumbled threateningly close to Menoth’s mindless, interrupting the entire plan of attack in the area. With it’s nigh impenetrable 25 armour, this behemoth was not to be moved, while the remaining troops advanced behind it.
Turn 2
Alliance
Cyrx continued to jockey for position, attempting to find the correct angle with which to apply it’s magicks against the Red foe. The forest continued to keep the valuable bone jacks safe from the widowmakers sniper shots, while the pistol wraith began a silent advance. The Iron Chef was generous with his blessing, granting extra powers to the Menoth flame guard, who felt their nails sharpen and horns grow out of their armour. Would the Great one forgive them for this blasphemy? Only time would tell. Unholy vapours arising from the ground on the western side of battlefield could not damage the heavy jacks and fearless infantry of the Khador army.
Crying the name of Menoth, the flameguard charged the Devastator, but even their combined efforts could not begin to damage this elephant’s hide. Even the help of the Revenger to their left could not help them. Reaching the top of the hill, the deliverer’s unleashed a hail of fire, which nevertheless could not damage the pikemen below them.
Khador
With a horrendous cry and crash of metal the Khadorian army unleashed its most fearsome weapons with full force. While the Devastator unexpectedly pushed the Revenger out of the way, the pikemen charged forward to attack the Flameguard, who in their eagerness to damage the Devastator had not formed their ranks and were gravely wounded. Watching their comrades fall, they nevertheless held firm. At the same time, the Destroyer, climbing a small hillock smashed the Sunburst artillery into dust with its massive gun, not allowing the unit to fire a single shot in the battle. Kovnik, revealing his mysterious axe-rifle and the Kommander herself began to pick of deliverers at their leisure. Meanwhile, the Berserker and the Doom Reavers moved into combat with the Mechanithralls, cutting through them without difficulty. One of the Doom Reavers in his enthusiasm attacked the Berserker next to him! Karchev the Terrible lived up to his name, towing heavy jacks into striking range and then unleashing them with a most horrible crashing of metal. Unfortunately for the Red Terror, Asphyxious’ bonejacks were too quick to be caught and the force of this attack was thwarted.
Turn 3
Alliance
It had been the darkest hour of the battle, but as it passed, the Alliance surged forth with its own counter-offensive. Determined to smash Karchev into the ground, Cryx applied all of its force to this end. The pistol wraith began with a volley, while the Stalker leapt forth, unleashing terrible damage, and Asphyxious, using all of his magical abilities summoned horrible parasites to inhabit the half-jack, half-warcaster which opposed him, bringing even the very fires of hell against his foe. Despite appalling wounds, Karchev refused to suffer even one system failure. Meanwhile the Mechanithralls struck back at the Berserker.
Still believing that force of numbers could overwhelm the Devastator, the Crusader charged in to lend its strength, while the Flameguard bravely battled back against the Iron Fangs. Moving through this commotion, Kreoss and his Devout ran over the hill in order to flank the jacks and attempt to attack Kommander Sorscha directly.
Khador
In what would be the turning point of the battle, suddenly the luck of the Vodka driven troops ran out. Karchov the terrible proved unable to flatten the Stalker, though he inflicted heavy damage upon it, while the Devout bodyguard leapt in front of Kreoss, protecting him from the missile fire of his foes. The Devout could not protect him from the mighty ‘Boundless charge’ of the Destroyer however, who pressed down upon the Menite Warcaster. Had Kommander Sorscha unleashed her feat at this moment, surely the battle would have been over, but this was not the will of Menoth. At the same moment, the Devastator pushed the Crusader backwards into the ruins of the temple. Perhaps it was this act of desecration which caused the change in the winds of fortune. The Flameguard was wiped out to a man, just retribution for gaining benefit from Cryxian magicks. While mortar fire continued to fall upon the unlucky Mechanithrall, the Berserker, losing interest in their slaughter turned it’s back upon them and made ready to charge the Revenger. A well placed attack brought the might jack to its knees. Meanwhile the Juggernaught slammed one of the bone thralls, throwing it clear across the forest, but in this fight the normally fragile bonejacks seemed unwilling to fall.
Turn 4Alliance
Mounting a desperate final offensive, the
--End Transmission