The fall of Helsreach, BOYL 2023 (Saturday) [PIC HVY]

[Pil]

The fall of Helsreach, BOYL 2023 (Saturday)


Let me tell you about the fall of Helsreach.
I had been mayor of the town for a good year after ousting the alien usurper.
My boys, the Heavy Metal Hatched Headz, had become used to town life and all was good.

The coffers of the town were filled with forty golden dubloons, a small fortune.



It was a holiday: the Feast of the White Machine Spirit.
Adeptus mechanicus were coming into town to bless the Battle Cat.
My relationship with the imperium was iffy at best but I must have made friends when I expelled the Xenos rulers.
There are only so much Space Marines to go around, anyway.





Everything about the day was festive and there were a lot of people about in the town.
However, Helsreach wasn't the only place that was busy.
The wastelands, my old home, where the air smells like dust and gasoline, was flooding with ruffians and slavers.
Our mighty city gates would hold them off so the procession could continue as planned.









Among the outlaws, scavvies and scum of the wastes were my old enemies: the militia under the command of Chris, whom I outlawed a year ago.



The day of festivities began, as these days go, with a traffic jam on the central square.
Perhaps we should have left the cars parked, but that's just not our style.
Also, you need to be prepared for any eventualities.



Seeing the general busyness in the town square I redeployed my wheels ready to pounce on those intending to disturb the peace.



But unbeknownst to me, an alliance was formed in the wasteland.
Explosives were procured and before we knew it the gate had been busted open with a bomb well placed by an outlaw jetbike.



The fight is on! With the gate open the battlelines were formed.
It would be citizens versus wastelanders and outlaws!
As a mayor I must ride out!



The wastelanders waste no time collecting guilders for their battle, while still showing some infighting.

I miss those days!



Meanwhile the first enemy jetbikes swoop over the gates to attack the citizens and defenders of Helsreach.



While we ride out others ride in!

There are might crashes and I'm attacked by a huge green chicken of chaos.

I don't recall what happened after that.



The next thing I know I wake up at Doc Buzzcut's, with my patched up Iron Maiden parked nearby.



In the meantime Exumer lends himself and Dream Evil as a driver for some allies, while the rest get in a scrap with the Scavvy King and his droogs.



Stuck in a crossfire between scavvies and outlaw squats my scarcily armoured and armed men are having a rough time.



Meanwhile in the wastelands some scraps are happening and more people are flocking to Helsreach.









Guarding the gate...



With most of my warriors severely wounded we are forced to retreat to Doc Buzzcut's.



Time for an exit strategy. I form my patched up cars and warriors in a group in a bid to escape this Hellhole.



A mighty warrior named Sherm has been pounding wastelanders into the turf and has impressed me with his bravado.
When he gets wounded, I pay for his bill at Doc Buzzcut's and get him on my side.
I proclaim him to be the new mayor in my absence.
He only needs to reclaim the mayoral mansion.



While we make our way for the exit. Strange things are afoot.



The Adeptus Mechanicus procession proceeds ever so slowly towards the Battle Cat.



While on top of the gate scraps break out.



On top of the gate, walking skeletons, made of metal appear.
They seem to be working on the tower.
This pyramidical structure seems to attract them somehow.



Leading the column, I am peppered with fire until neither, me, nor Pantera or Iron Maiden are left standing.
With my last breath I order my men to retreat to the wastelands.

Exumer has been waiting outside the gate in Dream Evil.
Surpised that Priest, the former mayor is not with them, he rides out with the leftovers of the Heavy Metal Hatchet Headz.
Now short two warriors and two vehicles.
As ordered they leave Helsreach.



Meanwhile the metal skeletons have activated the pyramid tower, which actually flies around, destroying inhabitants in it's path.
Can the Adeptus Mechnicus bless the Battle Cat fast enough to face this new evil?



With the old mayor out of the picture various groups of creatures worldly and otherworldly alike make a grab for the mayorial position and his rod of office.

Some teleport straight into the bedroom.



While others scale the stairs and ladders.



Meanwhile Sherm battles it out with the leader of the metal skeletons!



Despite the mess and the danger some people are still trying to enter Helsreach, as the Heavy Metal Hatched Headz are trying to escape it.



Not everyone has attacked the town.
Others have made a killing selling slaves in the wastelands.
Apparently it was a good day for trading on Logan's World!



Large amounts of loot have been collected and traded for precious guilders at the outlaw trading outpost.



In Helsreach, the mighty Sherm and proclaimed mayor to be is victorious and slays the skeleton lord!
Only to leave shortly thereafter.



In a bold move of overlordship the pyramid lands on to of the mayoral residence and takes out any opposition.



The people left in Helsreach have to bow to their new necron overlords!



Meanwhile, I wake up bruised and battered with Pantera by my side, in the outlaw trading post in the wastelands.
I smell dust and gasoline.
It's good to be home again.



My warriors are coming to greet us but not before a last farewell.
My warrior GG Willy joins his estranged brothers.



After all I ride with my warriors into the sunset.



Of course, not having spent a dime from it, I never forgot to pack the stuffed town coffers!


For the story of how I became the mayor of Helsreach, read this report:
https://forum.oldhammer.org/threads/the-battle-for-helsreach-boyl-2022-friday.29492/
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=137860.0

Details of the game:
The game was played on the second day of BOYL 2025, Saturday 5th of August.
The rules can be found here: http://downloads.ramshacklegames.co.uk/Helsreach/
Helsreach, the largest settlement on Logan's World, was first described in Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader (1987) pages 224-228.

[trev]

Amazing terrain and a wonderful array of troops and vehicles.  Bravo!

[Bullshott]

Amazing looking game. I could (and probably will) spend ages looking at all the terrain pieces for inspiration on my own builds.  So many cool items from different sources too (like the incorporation of an Austin armoured car and Copplestone Neo-Sov figures).
Great game report too. Top marks all round 

[Ragnar]

Wow!  That's some setup: amazing!

[Michi]

I love that the history is developing by addition of this new report! No less eyecandy than the last one! Thank you very much. 

[dwbullock]

I want to see all of this, again.  So many things made me say 'I would love a better/close up picture of *that* and *that* ...'  Good job!

[has.been]

Impressive, very impressive.

[Pil]

Thanks all! It was a fantastic game and the cool thing about having so many people participate (roughly twenty!) was the amount of cool models/gangs/vehicles on the table. Everybody did a wonderful effort to put something special on the table, and of course the table itself and all the wonderful figures and scenery from Ramshackle Curtis really make this a great participation game.

[OSHIROmodels]

Thanks for posting these 

[LouieN]

An Epic setup!

Why is there a butt naked man with an assault rifle in the duck vehicle.  I cannot un-see this! My eyes...they burn!

[Freddy]

Wow, what a great looking game

[Raedwald]

Wow, you did it again. What a magnificent sequel to last year’s game! 

Great to see so many participants this time, and so many awesome looking gangs.

Thanks so much for putting the story and photos together here.