Most Sucsessful Invasion in warhammer

[Athelassan]

The most successful invasion was probably that of the Ulrican tribes into the Reik basin in -1000 or thereabouts. Or possibly the orc invasion from space.

Leaving those aside on the grounds of facetiousness, I'd make a case for the Skaven in the Empire in 1111-1124(ish). They came very close to conquering the whole thing, and it was only really bad luck that stopped them (who'd have thought the Undead would interfere?)

Ushoran's attack on the pre-unification human tribes under Neferata seems to have been an unqualified success. Unfortunately the orcs stopped it from having any lasting significance. Nagash's attacks on Nehekhara are debatably successful. He did succeed in wiping it out altogether, but that wasn't really by invasion (the actual invasion failed) and he cocked up the aftermath so didn't get to hang onto it.

If you believe that Grom really sacked Middenheim (which I don't; it's goblin propaganda) then he's probably the most successful greenskin warlord. Other than that, Gorbad. According to Legend of Sigmar (again, eurgh) Cormac Bloodaxe made a reasonable fist of things - killing two Counts and destroying most of the north a la Archaon, and Nagash did even better.

It depends really on what's meant by success, too - most ground covered or the totality of victory achieved, or some combination of the two, or some other factor. Gorfang Rotgut's raid on Karak Azul was an unqualified success, and Skarsnik has been almost entirely untroubled since taking Karak Eight Peaks, but both of those were fairly modest achievements in themselves.

[Lord Zarkov]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeexactly.

Before revealing he was a vampire (by raising millions of undead with one great ritual), Vlad posed as a nobleman for the better part of two hunderd years, and was the legitimate count and ruler of the province. He wasn't an elector count though, IIRC, which makes me wonder what the "legal status" of sylvania was when it was still an independant province before Stirland absorbed it.

In Dead Winter (which is set immediately before Vanhel's rise to power, so long before Vlad), Sylvania is run by a Vovoide (and early Von Drak) and nominally under the control of Stirland, but fairly powerful and angling for independence. It's possible that was granted at some point in the intervening years.

[Arnizipal]

In the old background, there were less provinces with an elector. Some part of the Empire belonged to a "true" grand province (Ostermark belonged to Talabheim, Nordland to Middenland, that sort of thing).

[Craze_b0i]

This is all very true, but I still put the Ogres under 'coincidental migration and subsequent efficient destruction' as opposed to a 'successful invasion' but I see your point. I was being a little pedantic earlier in the thread. Doesn't matter how the Ogres got there, they did a hell of a job at genocide when they did.

Being pedantic on warseer? Surely not.

Seriously though. If a large number of people turn up and occupy your country by force then in my book thats an invasion. Especially if they still had to fight a war and besiege the castles.

[woodster17]

Being pedantic on warseer? Surely not.

Seriously though. If a large number of people turn up and occupy your country by force then in my book thats an invasion. Especially if they still had to fight a war and besiege the castles.

Aye, agreed. I relent. Although this is why I believe Vlad's invasion should certainly be counted, regardless of whether Sylvania was officially part of the Empire or not (at the time of the War of the Vampire Counts I agree it was). An invasion is an invasion, whether it's with your neighbour or not.. Sending an unwanted force in to anyone's territory with the aim to kill or destroy is an invasion in my book.

[Craze_b0i]

Agree the Vampire Wars count as an invasion, Sylvania was essentially independent by that point.

Actually when we look at warhammer as a whole there are very few truly successful invasions, simply because the various factions are not allowed to wipe each other out.

[woodster17]

No completely true. GW decided which armies would exist in gaming terms and built the canon around it. As a result you can't truly eradicate any race other than those who don't exist in gaming terms (the Sky titans being a prime example).

[Urgat]

The sky titans were only a handful anyway, each of them all alone in his own personal castle, so they don't really count as an army or anything. And then consider that they were pitted against the entire ogre race. I'll still stick to Grom, because nobody beat him, Deux ex Machina did it (twice, once with the fleet+storm deal, and a second time by turning a major victory into a final root with one severed head). And while we're at it, it hasn't been often that anybody has been as close to destroying the world as his shaman Blacktooth

[Craze_b0i]

No completely true. GW decided which armies would exist in gaming terms and built the canon around it. As a result you can't truly eradicate any race other than those who don't exist in gaming terms (the Sky titans being a prime example).

That is the same as what I meant. I was referring to the gaming factions.

The sky titans were only a handful anyway, each of them all alone in his own personal castle, so they don't really count as an army or anything. And then consider that they were pitted against the entire ogre race.

But the question was 'most successful invasion'. Often the most successful invasion occurs when the defender is weak.

Not that I necessarily agree the Sky Titans were weak. Do we know there was only one per castle? Also it said in the previous ogre book that the giants were powerful opponents and the war lasted several years.

[woodster17]

The sky titans were only a handful anyway, each of them all alone in his own personal castle, so they don't really count as an army or anything. And then consider that they were pitted against the entire ogre race. I'll still stick to Grom, because nobody beat him, Deux ex Machina did it (twice, once with the fleet+storm deal, and a second time by turning a major victory into a final root with one severed head). And while we're at it, it hasn't been often that anybody has been as close to destroying the world as his shaman Blacktooth

Well if we consider the BL novels Malekith and Morathi have been pretty close to unbinding the spell on the Isle of the Dead and annihilating the world at least once :P Then again, I wish the BL writers would take another line with the DE now and again, that seems to be their plot every time.

[Urgat]

But the question was 'most successful invasion'. Often the most successful invasion occurs when the defender is weak.

I know, I didn't say the ogre invasion wasn't successful

Not that I necessarily agree the Sky Titans were weak. Do we know there was only one per castle? Also it said in the previous ogre book that the giants were powerful opponents and the war lasted several years.

IIRC it does say so. They lived lonely lives in their castles, and only had their mammoths and other big beasties for company. And, well, they were powerful, I think they're described a twice as tall as our regular giants. I suppose it would be the same if we pictured vast armies of snotlings trying to assault a handful of ogres scaterred in as many fortified towers (ogres packing leadbelcher cannons and a handfull sabertusks as pets).

[Arnizipal]

Agree the Vampire Wars count as an invasion, Sylvania was essentially independent by that point.

Until Vlad raised his army, Sylvania was just another county. Still very much a part of the Empire.
After he raised his army, Sylvania was a rebelling county, not an invading outsider

The sky titans were only a handful anyway, each of them all alone in his own personal castle, so they don't really count as an army or anything. And then consider that they were pitted against the entire ogre race. I'll still stick to Grom, because nobody beat him,

Nobody beat Gorbad either. His army just got bored with the siege of Altdorf

[Jind_Singh]

1) First Daemon invasion of the Old World - wiped out MILLIONS of lizardmen, laid low the Elves, Dwarves - countless millions died!
2) Grom the Paunch - wiped out most of the Empire, killed a bunch of Dwarfs to get there, and then on a whim accidentally lands on the Elven island and lays waste to Tor Yveresse! ONLY outsider to ever have destroyed one of the High Elf cities like that! And his shaman almost unraveled the portal network keeping the Daemons at bay!!
3) Nagash wiped out Nekhra - and his Vampires did a brutal job of smashing the Empire many times when Nagash led his forces south to get his crown back from Sigmar.

Seeing that Grom was a mortal and was a Goblin he's the most EPIC for sure!

[The bearded one]

Nobody beat Gorbad either. His army just got bored with the siege of Altdorf

battle at blood peak?

[MOMUS]

Best invasion???

The old ones onto the world.

[Arnizipal]

battle at blood peak?

He was no longer invading at that time and just on his way home

[Urgat]

What stopped his waaagh was that he had been pretty much mortally wounded before even reaching Altdorf. So he hadn't been beaten on the spot, granted, but same difference, as they say.

[Craze_b0i]

Nobody beat Gorbad either. His army just got bored with the siege of Altdorf

He was defeated by the city walls. Metaphorically speaking.

Both Grom and Gorbad had defeat in the end.

[Skopey]

How about the araby crusades?

[yabbadabba]

The establishment of the Empire, most successful invasion in the Old World.