Dean’s Saga AoM odyssey (Completed)

[Dean]

Here’s the Highland Orcs that will be standing in as Cavewights and making up the Hearthguards, three units of four.  "The Cavewights are around 7 feet tall, with a generally humanoid shape. Their skin is a pallid green”. So I have these at 32mm scale while everything else is 28mm.

Also, a pack of Kresh - "He learned later that the pack numbered fifteen of the great yellow wolves. Their fore-shoulders were waist-high on a man; they had massive jaws lined with curved, ripping fangs, and yellow omnivorous eyes.”

[Dean]

In preparation for today’s first battle in over 30 years, I took full shots of both the Viking Horde and Narnian army, before selecting the sides for the battle

[Pattus Magnus]

Excellent job painting all the figures and putting the terrain together for the game, it is no small feat any everything looks great! I’m a little envious, as it has been over six months since any of my figures were used in a game.

[Dean]

Our saga begins.  After just a few days at sea, the small flotilla carrying Baldr and his warband are sucked into a waterspout, and have to fight for their lives to break free.  Strangely unharmed, they find themselves much nearer land than they expected, so head for shore.  Baldr leads a small force ashore but finding no landmarks he recognises and with his men becoming increasingly agitated, he heads back to the boats, but as they get close he hears the guards he left on the beach shouting a warning and strange figures appear on their flank.

Round 1 was just positioning, the Vikings continue towards the sea while the Narnians make ready to attack these unknown invaders.

Round 2 started with a charge by Bondi on Centaurs that was repulsed with the vikings taking two casualties to the Centaur’s one.  The Faun archers reached the top of the hill and let fly, killing another Bondi.  The Centaurs, now certain of victory made their own charge and were most surprised to do no damage, lose one of their own, and be repulsed!  Susan also let fly, killing a Hirdmen through his chainmail, but the four centaur archers were less capable scoring no casualties on their target [pic 1].

Round 3 saw Stigmandir, the Viking’s Sorcerer, cast Rites of Battle, so that when Ulf and his band charge into the Centaur archers they slaughtered the whole unit, although losing one of their own. The faun archers and Susan retaliated with a shower of Sharpened Arrows, taking three more Vikings out of the battle [pic 2].

Round 4 and Baldr, realising he is in trouble from the archers, and seeing a group of Minotaurs approaching, leads his men on towards the ships rather than trying to fight further.  The Narnians scurry after them and also advance on the area of scrub where they in turn have been attacked by archers [pic 3].

[Dean]

Round 5 sees the Viking withdrawal continue. The Faun archers move to fire again on the retreat but suffer fatigue and don’t get a shot off.  Meanwhile things are heating up on the beach, the Fauns, now reduced to 3 valiant warriors, finally get at the archers, but only kill 1.  The two big cats charge into the Vikings and take out 3 but the panther is now down [pic 4].

Round 6 and the last three Fauns are first attacked by a Giant and then shot at again by the archers and are destroyed [pic 5]. Seeing that the enemy is getting to close behind his men, Baldr himself charges into the Minotaurs, taking three Hearthguard with him using We Obey, and takes the Minotaurs out [pic6].  The remaining Narnians are so disheartened by these two events that the heart goes out of them.

As dusk falls, Baldr and his remaining men make it back to their boats and pull away from the shore, still wondering about this strange force of man-like-beasts and horse-like-men. How do they find their way home?  What will they face next?

[Final tally: Vikings 20 points, Narnians 13]

[Dean]

Excellent job painting all the figures and putting the terrain together for the game, it is no small feat any everything looks great! I’m a little envious, as it has been over six months since any of my figures were used in a game.

Thanks!  I’ve enjoyed the process a lot, and am eager to continue, but this first game was a definite highlight.

[Ogrob]

Great looking game!

[Pattus Magnus]

Using the figures in their first game is always a good feeling, in my experience (when if they aren’t victorious in battle)! I’m looking forward to seeing updates, there are some fun possibilities for expanding both Vikings and Narnian armies.

[Dean]

Thanks guys!  Each army weighs in at around 15 points, so with only putting 8 points on the table per game, gives me enough options for now, but I’m sure I will revisit them after the full six are done.

Meanwhile, here’s the last of the army of Lord Foul, with the giant Raver Fleshharrower clutching a fragment of the Illearth Stone that has twisted and mutated the denizens of the land and now commands them to fight for him (two Levy units).

That’s three of the six.  On now to the undead!

[Dean]

Here’s the start of the Undead army then.  It is lead by Lord Necros (mounted on a Pteradon), with his Lieutenant Drak (who will use the Black Knight rules), and the Sorcerer Skalor. 

All of these, and the first Hearthguard unit of Wraiths, are from Alternative Armies, apart from the Skeletons rising from the ground, which are taken from the Highland Transylvanian Undead that will make up three Warrior units.

Every army so far has had a giant, so here’s one from the One Page Rules Mummified Undead faction.

[Dean]

All set for another battle today 

This time our heroes find themselves up against minions of Lord Foul, but first the full available force shot.

[Bloggard]

love this.

great idea to bring in the Fiction inspired protagonists.

think that's the first time I've seen a Donaldson inspired force.

[Dean]

Thanks Bloggard, it was daunting at first as nobody makes relevant figures, but ended up being a lot of fun looking for things I could make fit.  I even ended up finding a use for some of my left over plastic vikings 

[Dean]

Here we go the battle number 2:

Turn 1 - Both sides jockey for position, both with their eye on the hill [Pic 1]

Turn 2 - The Viking archers are surprised as three Kresh charge over the hill, the huge yellow wolves slaughtering four without a scratch.  The Viking Sorcerer, Stigandr, throws caution to the wind and casts a full powered Stoke Fury on the nearest unit, they kill two of the Kresh and then another group hit the third and kill it too.  Ulf’s band then charged the mob of Illearth warped villagers but the Ur-vile Loremaster at the head of his wedge cast Aging on them and also protected the mob with spell giving them hard cover, so very little damage was done. [Pic 2]

Turn 3 - The Ur-vile wedge immediately powers up again spreading Decay and Aging around them, but the Loremaster takes some nasty side effects and drops dead!  Fleshharrower commands the warped to attach Ulf‘s men, it is a draw but the mob continues to protect Fleshharrower.  The  Cavewights reach the top of the hill to be met by a hail of arrows (killing one) a charge by the axemen (killing another) and a charge by the spearmen (killing the remaining two).  Meanwhile, on the other flank the second lot of Kresh crunch down on viking flesh, slaughtering five (three 6s rolled for an excellent use of the Swamped ability that kills three as they try to withdraw). However in theViking turn, it’s wolf-on-wolf action as the spawn of Fenris hit the flank of the Kresh and take one out, pushing them off. [Pic 3]

[Dean]

Turn 4, Fleshharrower pushes everyone forward but the Kresh can’t muster a charge, leaving the twisted Sangrave denizens out in the open on their own and prey to the Fenris wolves.  The remianing Cavewights likewise find themselves attacked from two sides, and the leaderless Ur-viLes come face-to-face with Baldr himself. There are now bodies all over the place! [Pic 4]

Turn 5, the Kresh and the Denizens both pounce on the Fenris wolves, and the wolves  end up too exhausted to attack anymore.  In the centre the battle looks like it will grind to a halt with both sides hampered by fatigue, so Flesharrower throws himself into the fray, killing two Vikings, and in turn Bladr throws himself at the giant raver but only survives when one of the remaining Hearthguards throws himself in the way (the Bodyguards rule).  Ulf and the remaining Cavewight are toe-to-toe trading blows until Ulf is forced to withdraw. [ Pic 5]

Turn 6, With no ability to disobey, the poor villagers are sent against Baldr and he kills five before they withdraw.  Fleshharrower kills another Viking, Bladr kills the last Cavewight, and the battle ends as the under cover of the dusk Baldr gathers his wounded and withdraws, the victor [vikings 33 points, Lord Foul 17]. [Pic 6]