The Scarab Spring: Uprising in the Southlands
The first game of a campaign of epic proportions. Just a pitched battle. Details are hazy towards the end, but hopefully the nail-biting and surprise of this game comes across! I was the Skaven General. Pics to come...
For aeons have a pact between Lizardmen and High Elves actively renewed the wards and cantrips that keep the restless spirits of many a Khemrian king bound beneath the sands in their subterranean mortuaries. A Clan Pestilens court, long ago driven from Lustria, and more recently scorned from the Old World by their Skaven brethren, have been forced to scour the Southlands and periphery of Araby to survive. In expanding their under-empire throughout these cursed lands, they stumble upon the Tomb Kings’ chambers of stasis. In exchange for gross volumes of warpstone, the Plague Priest aids the disheveled Khemrian Mortuary Cultists in breaking the seals long held in place by the Elven-Saurian alliance. Now, the sands shifts and ancient necropolises burst forth from the ground; littering the horizon, and teeming with bone, claw, fang, and fur. Both Slaan and Archmage alike feel a great and fell disturbance in the Winds of Magic; knowing a terrible doom looms up at them. Will the bitterness of untold eternities of imprisonment, and the frothing rage of exiled destroy the fragile hold the these scant Forces of Order hold over the Southlands, or will the Scarab Spring be forever remembered in infamy as the beginning of the Age of Destruction?
The Armies: 1500 points per army, 3000 points total per side
The Forces of Order
High Elves
Prince (GW)
Mage (Level 2 Wizard, Lore of Ulthuan) [Wrath of Khaine, Shield of Saphery]
20 Lothern Sea Guard (FC)
25 Spearmen (FC)
20 Swordsmasters (FC, Banner of Sorcery)
2 Bolt Throwers
Lizardmen
Slaan (Lore of Life, +1PD per spell, Dispel Scroll) [Lifebloom, Regrowth, Throne of Vines, Dwellers Below]
10 Skink Skirmishers (Blowguns, Champion)
10 Skink Skirmishers (Blowguns, Champion)
10 Skink Skirmishers (Javelins, Shield, Champion)
10 Skink Skirmishers (Javelins, Shield, Champion)
1 Salamander (4 Skink Handlers)
1 Salamander (4 Skink Handlers)
24 Temple Guard (FC)
5 Saurus Cold One Riders (FC)
The Forces of Destruction
Skaven
Plague Priest (General, Flail, Ironcurse Icon, Plague Furnace) [Bless with Filth]
Chieftain (BSB, Enchanted Shield, Blade of Nurglitch)
25 Stormvermin (FC, Standard of Discipline, Ratling Gun)
20 Skavenslaves
20 Skavenslaves
25 Plague Monks (FC, Plague Banner)
5 Plague Censer Bearers
4 Rat Ogres (Master-bred, Packmaster, Master Moulder)
Tomb Kings
Liche High Priest (Hierophant, Level 4 Wizard, Lore of Nehekhara, Talisman of Protection) [Urgency, Protection, Movement Hex, Desiccation]
Tomb Prince (Great Weapon, Trickster’s Helm)
40 Skeletons (FC, Light Armour)
3 Skeleton Chariots (FC)
5 Ushabti (FC, GW)
1 Tomb Scorpion
1 Necrolith Colossus (AHW)
Terrain
1. Impassable ruins in the southeast corner of the board
2. Small impassable ruins and walls in mid-east, just south of centre of board
3. A forest in the south and mid-west, in southern deployment zone
4. A building right against the western edge of the board, in the middle N-S-wise
5. A hill in the northeast corner of the board, it’s northern edge in the northern deployment zone
6. A section of walls to the west of the hill
7. A section of wall in the north deployment zone, middle E-W-wise
*** PICTURES UP TO TURN 3 TO COME! ***
Deployment
The Scarab Uprising deploys south, and the Keepers of the Seal deploy north.
We decided that the teams had to alternate which army deployed.
Scarab Uprising Deployment: [W to E, roughly]
- Chariots to the west of the forest [3]
- Slaves to east of the forest [3], with a single model in, revealing it to be a Blood Forest
- Monks with Furnace and Priest to the east of aforementioned slaves, in the middle of the DZ
- Censer Bearers east of Monks
- Skeleton bus with Prince and Hierophant behind Censers
- Colossus to east of Censers
- Stormvermin with BSB, angled to east, behind Colossus, Ratling Gun between SV and Skeletons
- Slaves to east of Colossus
- Ushabti behind aforementioned Slaves
- Rat Ogres to east of aforementioned Slaves, facing the hill [5]
Keepers of the Seal Deployment: [W to E]
- Blowgun Skinks 1 at western edge
- Cold One Riders
- Javelin Skinks 1
- Temple Guard and Slann, just W of centre
- LSG and Mage 10-wide
- Salamander 1
- Spearmen, in front of wall section [7]
- Salamander 2, just W of hill [5]
- 2 Bolt Throwers on hill [5]
- Blowgun Skinks 2 behind BTs
- Javelin Skinks 2 east of BTs
- Swordmasters and HE Prince behind JS2
Skaven get first turn, which is huge since our battle line was so bunched up, and those sallies were lined up to march and flame everything
SS Turn 1
MOVEMENT:
- Everything pushes forward
- Chariots use building [4] to protect W flank from COR and W skinks, facing TG and Slaan
- Skeletons reform to face middle, behind PM
- Colossus moves in front of SV, with RG next to it
- RO face east, threatening advance of SM and E skinks
- Ushabti next to SV, behind slaves
MAGIC:
- Incantation of Urgency sees skeletons move up behind PM
KotS Turn 1
MOVEMENT:
- TG cautiously move up
- W skinks up near bldg, near chariots
- COR hang back
- LSG stay put
- 1 Sally moves up
- SM move up
- E skinks move around SM, threaten RO
MAGIC:
- Throne goes off, regen on Slaans unit, dwellers dispelled
SHOOTING:
- W skinks put 2 wounds on chariots
- Sally eats 3 skinks
- E skinks put 2 wounds on a RO, kill PM, put 1 wound on MM (he saved another with his 6+!)
- BTs fluff and put 2 wounds on furnace
SS Turn 2:
MOVEMENT:
- Tomb Scorpion pops up behind BT’s, SM, sallies. w00!
- Chariots charge TG
- Furnace fails an 11” charge on the TG, leaving the chariots to crumble
- Western Slaves turn to face skinks, COR, TG
- PCB charge advanced Sally, which flees and escapes
- Slaves make a 16” charge into a bolt thower!
- RO charge E skinks, who flee, redirect into SM
- Ushabti and Colossus form battle line facing SMs, BTs
- Skels swift reform to redeploy to E flank to support constructs w magic
- SV push up next to and a bit behind PCB
MAGIC:
- Pha’s protection on all eastern TK
- Movement Hex on SM
COMBAT:
- Slaves kill 1 BT elf, they hold
- Chariots kill ~2-3 TG on charge, and are wiped out
- RO are slaughtered by SM, maybe cause 1 or 2 wounds
KotS Turn 2:
MOVEMENT:
- TG charge PM. BRING. IT. ON.
- W skinks maneuver around slaves
- COR fail stupidity
- Spearmen charge PCB
MAGIC:
- Regen on TG unit is scrolled. HUGE
- 6-dice dwellers on PM is dispelled with dice. 22-20 or sthing
- RiP Thone is dispelled
SHOOTING:
- nothing magor
COMBAT:
- 1 Spearman dies to gas. 1 PCB remains standing to strike back, kills 2 more. Holds on Stubborn [from furnace] LD 9 [18” IP from Priest on Furnace, SiN from being in 6” of monks]. This is huge as the SV have their flank now
- Priest kills TG champ in challenge. Plague Banner activated, and ~15 TG are killed. TG hold on Stubborn
- BT dies to slaves; reform to face west and rear of Spear Elves / Flank of LSG
SS Turn 3:
MOVEMENT:
- All constructs charge SM! Colossus and Ushabti fail their 12” and 11” charges, respectively, leaving the scorp to die
- SV into Spearmen flank
MAGIC:
- Desiccation on SM!
COMBAT:
- Elves broken and run down by SV and lone PCB (who survived!)
- Scorpion killed by SM and Prince before can try and KB prince
- Priest and Monks annihilate TG to a lizard, Slaan takes the wrecking ball to face and lives with 1 wound. Slaan is chased down
- E slaves charge a sally, who flees
KotS Turn 3:
MOVEMENT:
- SM charge Colossus
- W skinks move behind furnace
- COR fail stupidity and cant change Furnace
- LSG reform to ight
- A sally rallies
MAGIC:
- Slaan is dead. Lone mage Fury of Khaine’s the Ratling Gun (never got to fire)
SHOOTING:
- Skinks panic W slaves w shooting. They never rally, run off board
- Skinks pepper Ushabti for a couple wounds
- Sally gets a nice shot off on SV and slaves. No panic.
COMBAT:
- SM eat Colossus, overrun into Ushabti
SS Turn 4: [we thought this was turn 4, or I missed a turn]
MOVEMENT:
- Furnace reforms to face COR
- Slaves attempt charge on skinks who flee
- SV into a sally
- lone PCB charge mage out of unit, who flees
- Skels move back
MAGIC:
- Ward skels and shabti, desiccation on SM
COMBAT:
- Ushabti obliterated by SM, overrun towards Skel bunker
- SV eat sally
*** things get foggy here, sorry, we finished at 2:45AM ***
KotS Turn 4:
MOVEMENT:
- SM into skels
- Cav fail stupidity!
MAGIC:
- some wounds from fury on SV
SHOOTING:
- E skinks move to pepper slaves, SV
- W skinks destroy furnace and priest!
COMBAT:
- ~25 skels left at end, Hierophant survives challenge w Prince w 1 wound!
SS Turn 5:
MOVEMENT
- Monks move back
MAGIC:
- ward on skels, desiccation on SM
COMBAT:
- Hierophant passes 4 4+ ward saves versus prince! block skill stands
KoTS Turn 5:
MOVEMENT:
- skinks manouvre
- rage rallies
- COR charge PM
MAGIC:
- Fury of Khaine on lone PCB, killing him
SHOOTING::
- SV wiped out by skinks and LSG, leaving BSB alone
COMBAT:
- Hiero finally dies, skellies crumble, TK are tabled
- PM broken and run off table
*** END OF GAME ***
*** SOLID VICTORY FOR THE KEEPERS OF THE SEAL ***
- All the Scarab Spring had left on the table were ~12 slaves and BSB! One of the bloodiest games I have ever played!
- Elves still had prince, SM, LSG, mage [lost 2 bt, spears]
- LM had cav, 3 skink units with 6-10 left [lost slaan, tg, 2 sallies]
- KotS had terrible luck this game, but still managed the win!
- We were all amazed that KotS one, felt like SS had the upper hand whole game
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go go 100mm by 100mm!