Newsletter March 2000

Next meeting:

Saturday March 11^th 2000, at St. Johns Church Hall, Norrie St., Drury, starting at 9a.m.

Games arranged:  

Morning session: 9.30 am to 1.00pm

Afternoon session: 1.30pm to 5.00pm

If you can't make any of these games let me know - Kevin 2670319

Copy for the Newsletter

Copy for the news letter needs to be to me by the friday of the week before we meet .- Kevin

NEWS AND RUMOURS:

WARMASTER:

Figures: They are small. Anyone thinking of mixing with 15mm figs (like me) can forget about it, these are definitely a different scale. They are quite nice but nothing spectacular in bare metal terms (and I noticed alot of flash on some figures- beware flash is a bigger problem at smaller scales)

Book: Nice and glossy. colour pictures inside both covers + approx 16 colour pages of minis and terrain (inc. an awesome castle wall). Featured minis I'd not seen before include high elf on eagle, chaos dragon, dwarves: Heavy + lt infantry, flame cannon, arquebusers, gyrocopter Empire: pistolliers, hvy cav, xbows, arquebusers

Contents:

INTRO

BASIC GAME

Movement/Firing/combat/confusion/Generals, Wizards and Heros/Flying units/End of the battle

ADVANCED RULES

Artillery and Warmachines/Magic/Terrain/Sieges and fortesses/ Honour and referees/Campaigns/Naval Rules

ARMY LISTS

APPENDICIES (examples of play, terrain, summmary)

The releases for Warmaster, in order are:

1: Elf ballista, High Elf hero on dragon, Undead hero on zombie dragon, skull catapult, bone ballista.

2: Undead knights, Undead chariot, Elf cav, silver helms, Elven chariot.

3: High Elf hero on eagle, carrion, bone giant, Undead sphinx.

4: Empire Halberds, Empire xbow, Empire heroes and wizards, Empire cannons.

 SPACE WOLVES CODEX:

HQ choices - Wolflord, Wolf Priest, Rune Priest.

A SW army can have 1 HQ choice for every 750pts in the army ie 1500pts would grant you 2 HQ choices, no more no less.

Elite choices - Dreadnought, Wolf Guard, Iron priest, Wolf Scouts.

Dreads - SW dreads can force the opponent to re-roll the battle damage result but the second roll must be used even if it was worse than the first roll. A

SW Dread can also be used as a HQ choice.

Wolf Guard - upto 20 WG can be in a SW army either as Pack leaders or as bodyguards for HQ choices (except Dreads). WG are equipped with either power armour or termi armour, 1 in 3 can have a heavy weapon and they can choose items from the SW armoury. WG with heavy weapons count the heavy weaons as 'two-handed weapons' when equipping them with extra weapons.

Iron Priest - wears Artificer armour as standard (2+ save) and can have a Thrall bodyguard (Servitors). Thralls are armed with close combat weapon implants (treat as power weapons) and have a 5+ save.

Scouts - one scout squad can be armed using the options available in C:Space Marines, the rest can have upto 2 sniper rifles, upto 2 power weapons and no heavy weapons. All scouts can infiltrate as normal (mission allowing) and one squad can come on via the opponents table edge.

Troop choices - Grey Hunters.

Grey Hunters - squad size is 6-10 men big, uses normal transport options (Rhino or Razorback), upto 2 can have power weapons, upto 1 can use a special weapon (plasmagun, meltagun or flamer).

Fast Attack choices - Blood Claws, Blood Claw Bikes, Landspeeders.

Blood Claws - normal Blood Claws can have upto 15 men in the squad. BC packs have WS/BS of 3. Must charge enemy within 6".

Blood Claws Bikes - as above but ride bikes (duh!!). Bikers may exchange the bikes for jump packs at no additional points cost.

Landspeeders - as normal.

Heavy Support choices - Long Fangs, LR Exterminator, Predators, Vindicators, Land Raiders.

Long Fangs - upto 4 heavy weapons and the ability to target 2 seperate targets while the pack leader lives.

LR Exterminator - yup, the SW army gets to use IG Exterminators but with BS4!!

Preds/Vinds/Land Raider - as normal.

NEW EDITION OF WARHAMMER FANTASY:

New formations options for every army(not the wedge or arrow head) - might be similar to the shield wall.

Adopting the falling back in good order rule fromWarhammer Ancients.

No movement penalties for heavy cavalry, and the magic system almost the same thing we see in Mordheim. All the spells are down to dice rolls. Examples:

Fiery Convocation: Range 18, Cast on 4+, D6+2 hits at S4.

Coruscation of finreir: Cast on 3+, 2+ armour save one round.

Firestorm of Tzeentch: Range 18, cast on 4+, D6 hits at S4.

Net: Range ?, cast on ?, enemy may not move one turn.and so on...

Diplomacy Campaign Report. by Ken Snow

Kevin has Guard, Sorcerer and Heavy Cavalry at Turnopol, and Heavy Artillery and Line infantry at Anamur. He also controls Borujerd.

Ivan has Guard, Line and Heavy Artillery at Turnopol.

Brian has Line Infantry at Turnopol, Guard at Semarang and an Airborne unit besieging Tusla.

Ken has Guard, Light Artillery and Heavy Artillery at Bacau, Light Cavalry and Line Infantry at Turnopol, Irregular Infantry at Martin, and Heavy Cavalry besieging Rimnicu. He also controls Focsani.

Robert has Guard, Heavy Cavalry, two Line Infantry, Irregular Infantry and a Sorcerer at Slusk, his Heavy Artillery are one province away on the Brichany - Slutsk Road. He controls Brichany, Cegled and Karlovat.

Michael has Guard at Slutsk and Heavy Cavalry besieging Yapen.

Peter has Guard besieging Braila and Heavy cavalry besieging Oklyabriskiyi.

Andrew has two Line Infantry and an Airborne Unit at Darab, Guard, Heavy Cavalry and a Monster at Yaremcha, Line Infantry and Heavy Cavalry at Stepanakert. He also controls Ferdows.

Arthur has Line Infantry in Al Manshah, Heavy Cavalry besieging Birecik, and Guard and Line Infantry in Stepanakert.

The Battle of Anamur - February 2000

Fought between Kevin and Ivan last month, with both sides fielding Guard, Line Infantry and Heavy Artillery and Kevin also fielding a Sorcerer. Ivan deployed his Line in two strongpoints, and it was left to Kevin to do the attacking.

As Kevin was preparing his attack and bombarding one of the strongpoints, Ivan pushed his guns forward and managed to destroy Kevin’s artillery with some counter battery fire, however in doing this he had exposed his flank to Kevin’s Guard who stormed in and with a volley and a bayonet charge routed Ivan’s guns and pursued them off the field.

Kevin then began systematic attacks on Ivan’s Guard and strongpoints, but although he inflicted some serious casualties on Ivan’s Guard he could not make much headway against the strongpoints and eventually gave up and called it a stalemate.

Ivan’s artillery fled back to Turnopol, while Kevin’s Guard and Sorcerer were still able to manoeuvre freely at the end of the battle. All other units were unable to advance due to losses.

Encounters

Kevin, Ivan, Brian and Ken all have forces in Ternopol. Arthur and Andrew are both building up forces in Stepanakert and Robert seems likely to overwhelm Michael’s Guard in Slutsk as he outnumbers Michael six to one.

Next Month

Brian will capture Tusla, can raise two new units and make a half move. Michael will capture Yapen, can raise two new units and make a half move. Peter will capture Oklyabriskiyi and Braila and can raise four new units and move. Robert can besiege and capture Slutsk unless Michael stops him. Arthur will capture Birecik and raise two new units but cannot move. Ken will capture Rimnicu, can raise two new units and make half a move.

Battle Reports

The motto of my army is now "Veni Vidi Varoom" ( I came, I saw, I ran like hell ) - Ken

Ken ( Dogs of War ) vs Andrew ( Chaos )

This battle basically took place between Ken’s Dragon and Andrews Bloodthirster Greater Daemon in the sky above the battlefield. The Bloodthirster won despite suffering quite a few wounds. On the ground things were quite different with Kens crossbowmen slaughtering a unit of Bloodletters. But with the arrival of Andrews Greater Daemon it was all over and the army headed for the hills with most of the army getting away. Andrews Bloodthirster was the only figure in his army to inflict any casualties.

Ken ( Dogs of War ) vs Brian ( Vampire Counts )

Brian’s hellhounds and giant bats never got out of the starting blocks as Ken’s crossbowmen wiped them out before they could move. Brian however had a useful responce to this, he generated undead units in the rear of the crossbowmen, forcing them to turn and defend themselves so that they could not shoot. The crossbowmen defended themselves quite well against the undead giving Kens Dragon and General a chance to counterattack, but eventually the crossbowmen lost their nerve and fled and it was left to Ken’s Dragon to try and beat Brian’s General while Ken’s General fought his main wizard. Brian narrowly won both combats and took the game with a total of four figures still on the table.

Bryan Orsbourne (Vampire Counts) beat YES THAT WAS BEAT! Robert Davies (Wood Elves):

This game started very well for the Vampire Counts army by getting the first turn and starting the slow march across the battlefield. All the action was in the magic phase where I used Raise Undead Horde. These extra skeletons then proceeded to tie up the Wood Elf archers so that they were unable to shoot at my advancing hordes. Judicious use of the Curse of Years enabled me to draw out Robert's dispels, and use the Summon spells to keep adding skeletons against the Wood Elf archers. This made Robert's firepower virtually ineffective for the whole game. Without most of his archery it was a hard road for Robert although he did manage to shoot up my direwolves. However my large units of Zombies and Ghouls, not depleted by archery, insured a victory for the Vampire Counts!

 Bryan Orsbourne (Vampire Counts) beat YES THAT WAS BEAT! Ken Snow (Dogs of War):

In the afternoon my Vampire Counts went on to fight Ken's Dogs of War army. In a lot of ways Ken's army was similar to Robert's Wood Elves in that it had a lot of firepower, and deployed right at the edge of the table. However this time the firepower was crossbows as opposed to the longbows of the Wood Elves, and this time I didn't get the first turn. After one turn of crossbow bolts from Ken I lost a lot of troops. I tried my tactic of drawing dispels with Curse of Years and then casting Raise Undead Horde to occupy his crossbowmen (Ken had three large units of crossbowmen, some with re-rolls to hit!!!) but whilst this tactic was extremely successful against Robert it was only partly successful against the Dogs of War. Ken had a rather unpleasant hero mounted on a dragon, with which he proceeded to chomp into my newly raised skeletons, killing all of them each turn. In the end the game came down to a fight between my Vampire Count and Ken's dragon. I killed Asarnil who was riding on the dragon easily enough, but that dragon was a different story. The dragon eventually succumbed to my Vampire Count but that damn dragon took my Count down to his last wound!

Arthur Young (skulking little rat boys) beat Kevin Carberry (all powerful goblin horde):

Orslag surveyed the battlefield and turned to Zapit his loyal Warlock who was studing a scroll and said " Zappit, I thought you said they would bring a big bell ?"   "Thats right?" Zapit replyed. "Well there ain't no bell but there is one zogging big rat over there and he keeps repeating the word "skitterleap". Does this mean trouble ???" Zappit looked up from his scroll and said in a not so carm voice "this means oh powerful one that it's time to run !! again."

For some reason Arthur thought it would be a good idea to bring a vermin lord along. Personally I did not. But vermin lord or not nothing was getting my Orslag. So the boys let thoose Skaven have it. Well at the end of the battle there was a vermin lord and a couple of goblins and Orslag. oh yes and a note to all assassins if you stick a giant dont stand where they fall. squish.

Kevin Carberry (all powerful goblin horde) Beat Andrew Sailsbury (Demon army):

Having restocked his horde from the last little altercation Orslag was ready the Dark elves where going to get the hiding of their lives. They may have beaten him last time but this time would be different he would show them. The best part was no big nasty things the last battle had been a nasty suprise. No this time things would be different Zappit had read the bones we would ambush the dark elves and kill every one of them before they knew what had hit them and just then they rounded the corner. Orslag look at the army marching to meet him and turn to Zappit who was reading his scrolls and said " Zappit are Dark Elves meant to be red and spiky ? ", " sometimes " Zappit replied still nose deep in his scrolls. still not convinced Orslag asked "Zappit are Dark Elves meant to be bigger than Bubba ???" Zappit looked up from his scroll and said in a not so carm voice "this means oh powerful one that it's time to run !! again."

What is it has every one gone big monster mad.  No Vermin Lord this time, no a Bloodthirster instead. But unlike the last battle if it was Goblin it worked, and well. The demon retinue where carver up for no losses and that left the demon to deal with a 2000 point army.I will leave the last word to Orslag  "Nah Nah missed me !!!!"

Damien Neems (Vampire counts) Beat Peter Colson (cannon Fodde…Err, I mean Empire)

The sky dawned clear and blue over a mist-enshrouded field.

"Arghh, ‘tis cold as Morr’s tomb, by oath!" Grumbled the reluctant imperial soldiers as they marched towards the grave, quite possibly to dwell there soon. "Of course it won’t bother it’s inhabitants then will it" retorted the more cynical of the dead men walking.

It wasn’t long blundering through the insidious fog before the Imperial detachment stumbled upon a ruined church.

The graves had all been emptied, dup up and consecrated, but no spades nor other digging tools were to be seen. The marshal of the imperial garrison, Adolf Voerten, walked through the courtyard in the eerie silence. Through the battered portal he strode, into the knave, and a sight of total ruin greeted his unremitting eyes. Something glinted in the darkness of the room. He approached the glittering reflection to find it was a small pendant, fashioned in the image of Ghal Maraz, the holy hammer of Sigmar. As he stooped to pick the pendant from the rubble his foot happened upon a puddle of blood, and he stopped dead in his tracks. Something wasn’t quite right about this, there was something amiss, something that gnawed at his conscience. There was something deeply wrong. With a strong sense of foreboding, he realised what it was. The blood was warm.

Blatantly there blared across the hidden field a sound that chilled every man present to the bone. "Arrrooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!" the exuberant yet mournful voice of some distant calling beast rose forth. This was answered by yet more calls. Wolves! Not the great, the legendary fabled White Wolves of Ulric; not as fearsome, powerful, and noble. Nor the timber wolves of the Moot, nor grey of the plains of Kislev. No, there was something more sinister of these howls, more forced, evil. Something dire. "The spirit hounds" murmured the terrified host of the Imperial forces.

Suddenly a mighty war-horn screamed a challenge in the sea of grey. Every eye turned to the source of the mighty call to arms: Adolf Voerten, Marshal of the Imperial Army. The man seemed to grow in stature, he literally rose to occasion. "This looks as good a place as any to die, FORM THE BATTLE-LINES" he announced. A few of the troops present questioned the marshal as to why he blew the horn, why he would notify the enemy of their presence; to which he simply replied that their enemies cannot see even in daylight, but knew EXACTLY where they were, they were being hunted by wolves of a different sort.

"DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI!" screamed the general of the imperial forces, as his horn declared it’s spite again, filling the men with vigour and an insuppressible anger towards those that were even now seeking to cut short their lives.

The Imperial advance began, forming an echelon line, with a minute force of Knights Panther taking the left flank, a large contingent of halberdiers took the centre, and thus were flanked by the emperors personal guard, the youthful, yet highly skilled Reiksguard Infantry to the right. It was only then that the crossbowmen were noticed absent (I forgot to deploy my Crossbowmen, DOH! P.C.).

"You are dead men already, you are living on borrowed time, make the most of it!" bellowed the stern and stalwart general, and the men surged forward to meet their unseen enemies.

The undead came into view, and the battle soon was joined. The flower of the Imperial cavalry, the Knights Panther, careened into the Wight cavalry that were galloping out of the mists, and in moments they were shattered, and the magical bonds broken, and the arrogantly evil vampire count that led them was almost run-down (that could have won me the game, dammit! P.C.).

Without warning, out of the mists came a teeming horde of pungent and rotting corpses, eager to rend the halberdiers limb from limb. The two forces met, and no conclusion was drawn as both sides fought on in vain. Unbeknownst to the Imperial army, the forgotten pack of dire wolves had been ranging down the left flank of the contingent, and chose that moment to strike upon the beleaguered halberdiers, and, coupled with the relentless wave of zombies, this force proved much too potent to endure, and the halberdiers fled, outpacing the wolves in an amazing display of athleticism, as the zombies, under the command of the cunning vampire count, redressed their ranks to attack the general and his guard of nobles.

Whilst this occurred, the fleeing vampire count regained his senses, and turned to face the threat of the Imperial cavalry, and one heroic individual who had slain so many of the blood-sucking gentleman’s loyal retainers. The mighty cursed count slew all the noble knights of the Empire, untill all that stood now were the cursed count, and one heroic individual, hopelessly outclassed, but bitter and unyielding.

The halberdiers, in a fit partly of loyalty and bravado, partly (mostly) of the knowledge that they were dead whether they fled or not, decided to stop fleeing, and take as many of the rotting scum with them as possible. The dire wolves, led by a mighty wolf of immense proportions, smashed into the imperial line yet again, and yet causing horrendous casualties, failed to force the stalwart foot-sloggers to give ground. The halberdiers fought on with a steely determination, and slaughtered all the wolves with minimal losses in comparison to their deadly charge, proving that cold steel beats tempered bone any day.

Meanwhile, the Emperors guard had happened upon a spiteful necromancer, the one who had raided the graves of the churched. The man who had killed the priest of holiest Sigmar, who was now acting as the sorcerers champion. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of
the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. AND YOU WILL KNOW MY NAME IS THE LORD, WHEN I LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEE!" screamed the Empire general, as, with one mighty swing of his warhammer, he brained the evil consecrator, and thus he gained recompense for the soul of the priest, who’s body was being used so foully.

The general and his Reiksguard retainers annihilated the remaining mass of skeletons, and layed the priest’s body to rest once more. Unfortunately the bones before them continued to rise again at the will of the dark count leading the Zombies, who then charged towards the Imperial Reiksguard. The brave men of the empire BRAVELY turned tail and fled, and were cut down to a man by the zombies. Luckily for Adolf, though, he still held the pendant he had found littered upon the floor in the ruined church of Sigmar, and it seemed that the dead under the will of the Vampire could not perceive his presence, and he slipped away unseen, vowing to eradicate this blight on the fair soils of his beloved home-land.

Finally, with all other threats removed, the count leading the zombies was able to manage the strength to curse the halberdiers, who prematurely aged and grew feeble and weak.

The cursed counts of undeath had the day, but the brave men of the Empire had sold their lives dearly, and the counts were severely weakened, and open to another attack, they would have been defeated easily.

Rest easy, soldier, you gave your life so that others may live.

You silly prick.

Club Information

This newsletter is edited by Kevin Carberry so anything you would like included in the newsletter should be sent to me at 48 Beaumonts way, Manurewa, South Auckland. Phone 2670319, kevin@profax.co.nz

Robert "Dictator" Davies is the Club President so any queries, problems, issues or suggestions about the club should go to him at 14 Grebe Street, Manurewa. Phone 2670899.