Harbinger
Skirmish Campaign
The Harbinger ‘Campaign’ Is A Series A Skirmish Level Games That Contribute Rewards That Players Can Use In Larger Conflicts (See The Campaign Reward Cards). Harbinger Is Set Against The Unrest In The Towns North Of Morrstadt, As Darius’ Popularity Grows Amongst An Increasingly Desperate And Traumatized Populace.
Each Scenario May Be Played More Than Once, And The Victor In Each Case May Draw A Minor Or Major Reward Card To Be Used In Later Full Size Campaign Battles. There Are Also Rewards For Individual Campaign Scenarios.
Skirmish Scenario 1: Riot
“Another round!”
A hearty cheer went up from the collection of rough-clad kinsmen surrounding the hearth-fire of The Hourglass. Morrstadt’s largest inn had been a place of celebration over the last months. Delivered from certain destruction, the people had come to embrace life with an almost frenzied sense of joy, perhaps because they were simply glad to be alive, or maybe because a mere handful of leagues down the old road the shadow that threatened the town still lingered. Scant reports had come from Avondorf or Hochsleben over these months, and those that had had been garnished and coloured with fresh shades of horror by the rumour-mill of the townsfolk. The Hourglass was where the most garish stories often traced their roots.
As was the case most evenings, the men once charged with the role of the Watch led the celebrations. And as was also the case, former Captain-of-the-Watch Markus Jaeger was buying.
“They may have taken our jobs lads, but here’s to them! They leave all the drinking for us!” Jaeger’s jest met with roars of approval from the hearth. The air was filled with mirth, wood smoke and the fog of drunkenness. A full four dozen men could comfortably carouse in the parlour of the The Hourglass, and the room was bursting. The men of the Watch dominated the room, both in number and noise, and most of the other patrons celebrated with them. Most, but not all.
A half-dozen men in the livery of Reikland sat in a corner, occupying a half moon of benches and listening as best they could to a swarthy, potent figure sitting in their centre. The shaven head of the towering warrior emerged from a hood cast down across a broad armoured back, which was contemptuously directed at the room, the hearth and the figures carousing by it.
At Jaeger’s last jest the man turned. A lurid scar crossed his brow, ending at the tip of a twin-tailed comet tattooed along the crown of his shaven pate. His eyes thundered.
“For that is all you are good for, heretic fool,” he spat.
Jaeger turned, the grin on his face slipping only a little. The Watch men continued their mirth, laughing at the curse. He raised his tankard.
“Aye, friend, tonight you may be right! A round for our friends from the north! Our saviours.”
The Sigmarite priest rose, and strode to where Jaeger stood at the bar, still grinning. The Reiklanders likewise rose their feet, but without their priest’s certainty. Travelling south, they had come to know that the Sigmarite was not one given to jest. Yet they were far from home, and not here in numbers. The bar wench timidly pushed the freshly poured tankard across the rough hewn wood of the bar in the Priest’s direction, as Jaeger raised his own in mock salute. His eyes were no longer smiling.
“Of course, you know what they say about saviours! They love to have soldiers kneeling at their feet!”
With a snarl the Priests’s hand swept the tankard from the bar and delivered a back handed blow across Jaeger’s face. The force of the blow broke the Captain’s jaw and he reeled back, spitting blood and curses. Behind the priest, the Reiklanders moved forwards. Men from towns not unlike the one they now found themselves in, they knew enough of bar brawling to know they would not need their swords.
But they misjudged the mood of Morrstadt. The mass of carousing men now rushed the priest and his cohort, and knives sprung from nowhere into their hands. In a heartbeat they were among the Reikland soldiers and three of them went down. The priest, unslinging a Warhammer from his hip set about them in broad powerful strokes, and all at once The Hourglass was riot of blood, curses and carnage.
The Reikland sergeant, who had fought a dozen battles in wild places all across the Empire, slew three men before a dirk erupted from his throat. As he went down, the three men who has set upon him were themselves slain by the two remaining soldiers. Fighting back to back, they were pressed into the corner and separated from their priest, who cleared the space around him with mighty swings of his hammer.
“Enough!” he roared, as the men of Morrstadt backed off him. “You dare to take arms against the soldiers of Sigmar! You will all hang for this outrage!”
Barely had these words been spoken then two hefty bolts penetrated his breastplate, and then a third careened into his shoulder with a screech of steel on steel. The priest, dumbfounded, reeled backward into the bar, and held himself aloft as his other hand scrambled for the bolts in his chest. The din of battle subsided as all stared at the stricken priest. Captain Jaeger appeared above the wounded warrior, one hand bloody and holding his wrecked jaw.
“You are not in the lands of Sigmar, priest,” he grimaced, “Our god is Morr and Darius is his harbinger. It is he who watches over us now!” Taking his hand from his damaged face, Jaeger gestured towards the door. There, in black and white livery matted and aging, stood three warriors of the new Watch. Beneath their tarnished helms, empty sockets and rictus grins were all that remained of once-proud faces, and in their bony grasp, newly reloaded crossbows were levelled at the sinking priest.
“You are cursed. Heretics.” The Priest gasped, weakly. “You. Are. Doomed.” With that he lost his grasp on the bar and crashed to the floor. Jaeger turned to the two Reiklanders still standing, blooded blades in hand and staring in disbelief.
“You have no place in Morrstadt, my friends,” he said, the pain of his jaw dampening his threatening grin. “The town is ours, and I suggest you leave before Darius finds a place for you in our Watch.”
As the men clattered out, the eyeless Watch turned silently to observe them. Jaeger winced in pain.
“Another round,” he muttered.
With agitators spreading out form Morrstadt, unrest is sparked across Heideck, Bernhof, and other towns north of Morrstadt. The Knights Panther, unwilling to take up arms against the populace, withdraw into their keep and await aid. Therefore it is up to the local regiments and town Watches to keep the peace.
Battlefield
The battlefield is a 4x4’ area of town, with as many buildings as possible.
Armies
Each army consists of 200pts, selected form the Empire troops choices below.
Rioters
Rioters are selected from Free Company, Archers and Crossbowmen. They may also select Agitators and Ne’er Do-Wells as per below:
0-2 Agitators (17 points each)
Agitators have the same profile as an Empire Duellist. They confer Hatred to any friendly model within 8”
0-3 Ne’er Do-Wells (10 points each)
These represent the criminal elements of the Empire, using the riots to satisfy their on violent ends. They have the same profile as a Free Company. Ne’er Do-Wells are armed with Throwing Knives, Additional Hand Weapons and Light Armour. They have the ability to Dodge, conferring a 6+ ward save.
State Troops and The Watch
This force is comprised of Swordsmen, Halberdiers, Spearmen, Crossbows and Handgunners. They may also select:
0-2 Knights
May not be upgraded to Inner Circle, nor can use unit Champions.
0-3 Greatswords
0-2 Unit Champions
These can be from any of the above units, excepting Knights. Each champion has the Hold The Line special rule, which he confers to any friendly model within 6”.
Deployment
Dicing to see which side starts. Each deployment consists of three figures each time, which must deploy within 8” of their own table edge. All Ne’er Do Wells are deployed together, and may be deployed in any building outside the deployment zone. They remain undetected until they move, shoot or charge.
First Turn
Dice for first turn as normal.
Victory
The game goes until one side fails its roll and bottles out.
Rewards
Victory in this scenario is confers one Minor Reward Card.
Skirmish Scenario Two: Purge The Heretics!
Leopold Weiss sat at the head of a long oak table, and fumed. Before him, poring over maps and reports of regimental strength and enemy movements, his war council argued and railed against one another. The fight against the Chaos hordes was not going well, and he raged at being stuck at the head of the campaign when he knew he was better suited to settling matters at the end of a blade.
Reports were coming in from across the northern front. Packs of blood-mad bezerkers roamed across the northern communities, descending upon farmstead and mill and wreaking dreadful carnage in their insane quest for blood. From their base in Avondorf, the brass-clad warbands could operate with near impunity. And yet the madmen were sane enough to still give Morrstadt a wide berth.
That Darius still held the northern town infuriated Weiss even more. He appeared to do nothing more than fortify his position, yet the communities north of the Frostwood now looked solely to him for salvation. Even south of the twisted woods there were rumblings about the old man and his power. Weiss silently wished he could have his time again, and drive a blade into the old man. He grimaced. The time would could come.
He was woken from these dark thoughts as a tall, well-armoured figure marched boldly into the hall. Armoured head to foot in cold polished steel and bearing a richly carved helm with a tall blue plume under one powerful arm, the black haired warrior projected the pride and strength of his order. In his other hand he bore a roll of parchment sealed in blue-black wax. Weiss straightened, as did his council, to address the stranger.
“The Pride-master sends greetings, Lord Weiss”, the man declared. “Tidings from Bernloch”.
Weiss took the parchment and cracked the seal. The war council, distracted from their infighting by the newcomer watched with faces harrowed with fatigue and concern. Weiss’ face darkened: clearly the tidings were not to his liking. At length, he rose and went for a goblet of wine awaiting him on a side table. He drained it slowly.
“The Panthers send word. Bernloch is in uproar. Agitators from Morrstadt have rallied many of the people of the north against us and for Darius and his heresy. Rioting is breaking out across the town, and the Panthers have withdrawn into their keep rather than take arms against the people they are defending. The Pride-Master believes similar riots are occurring in Heideck, and perhaps even further afield. He intends to seek aid from the forge masters of Nuln.”
A chill silence filled the previously bustling room. Weiss rested his gloved fists on the head of the table. His face was furrowed, and expression grim.
“We cannot aid the North,” he said. “If the people want this pretender as their savior, so be it. I will waste no more lives defending such blind heresy. And I here vow that when this is done, Darius will meet his end at these hands.” He turned to the knight, still standing at the foot of the table. “Lord Panther, quash these agitators as best you can, and await aid from the Emperor. I will ride north and remind the people who their saviour is. As for the foe, we have not yet the strength to meet them head on. Continue to raise the defenses and delay any advance.” The war council glanced at each other, further unsettled by this turn of events.
Weiss drew the rod of command from his coat, and laid it at the head of the table, thereby ceding the command. “Whatever happens, we must hold them here,” he said.
combat the spread of support for Darius in the north, Leopold employs a favoured tactic of the Witch Hunters: the purge. Finding heretics wherever they can, the Witch Hunters travel the lands around Morrstadt in bands, terrorizing those who they deem to have strayed from the true faith.
Battlefield
The battlefield is a 4x4’ area, representing a roadhouse, inn with outbuildings, or farmstead. It should have cluster of buildings in the centre, with wooded and fenced fields surrounding, and a road as required.
Armies
Each army consists of 200pts, selected form the Empire troops choices below.
Heretics
Heretics are really just local townspeople or farm folk, who are forced to defend themselves from the over-zealous bands of Witch Hunters and their men. Heretics are selected from Free Company and Archers. They may also select:
0-3 Grizzled Veteran (16 points each)
These are ex-soldiers, now farmers or labourers, for whom the terrors of battle are old friends. Grizzled Veterans are Unit Champions from either Halberdier, Spearmen or Handgunner units. They are also Stubborn, and confer this to friendly models within 3”.
Dogs (8 points each)
Dogs, both on the farm and as guards are used widely throughout the Empire, and will always defend their masters when attacked. Use the Chaos Hound profile for Dogs.
Witch Hunters
The Witch Hunter band is largely comprised of willing thugs who are always happy to do violence in the name of some righteous cause. It is comprised of Free Company. They may also select from:
1 Witch Hunter
The command of the band, the Witch Hunter is selected as normal.
0-2 Zealots
Not all the Witch Hunter band is made of thugs. Fanatics whose lives are devoted to the service of their god are drawn to the service of the Witch Hunter. Zealots are Flagellants, without the Martyr special rule.
0-2 Pistoliers (10 points, on foot)
Used as scouts by the Witch Hunters, Pistoliers often leave their mounts behind when participating in a purge.
Deployment
The Heretics place all their models first, in and around the buildings in the centre of the table. The Witch Hunters then deploy anywhere within 6” of any table edge.
First Turn
The Witch Hunters have the first turn.
Victory
The game goes until one side fails its roll and bottles out.
Rewards
Victory in this scenario is confers one Minor Reward Card.
Each Scenario May Be Played More Than Once, And The Victor In Each Case May Draw A Minor Or Major Reward Card To Be Used In Later Full Size Campaign Battles. There Are Also Rewards For Individual Campaign Scenarios.
Skirmish Scenario 1: Riot
“Another round!”
A hearty cheer went up from the collection of rough-clad kinsmen surrounding the hearth-fire of The Hourglass. Morrstadt’s largest inn had been a place of celebration over the last months. Delivered from certain destruction, the people had come to embrace life with an almost frenzied sense of joy, perhaps because they were simply glad to be alive, or maybe because a mere handful of leagues down the old road the shadow that threatened the town still lingered. Scant reports had come from Avondorf or Hochsleben over these months, and those that had had been garnished and coloured with fresh shades of horror by the rumour-mill of the townsfolk. The Hourglass was where the most garish stories often traced their roots.
As was the case most evenings, the men once charged with the role of the Watch led the celebrations. And as was also the case, former Captain-of-the-Watch Markus Jaeger was buying.
“They may have taken our jobs lads, but here’s to them! They leave all the drinking for us!” Jaeger’s jest met with roars of approval from the hearth. The air was filled with mirth, wood smoke and the fog of drunkenness. A full four dozen men could comfortably carouse in the parlour of the The Hourglass, and the room was bursting. The men of the Watch dominated the room, both in number and noise, and most of the other patrons celebrated with them. Most, but not all.
A half-dozen men in the livery of Reikland sat in a corner, occupying a half moon of benches and listening as best they could to a swarthy, potent figure sitting in their centre. The shaven head of the towering warrior emerged from a hood cast down across a broad armoured back, which was contemptuously directed at the room, the hearth and the figures carousing by it.
At Jaeger’s last jest the man turned. A lurid scar crossed his brow, ending at the tip of a twin-tailed comet tattooed along the crown of his shaven pate. His eyes thundered.
“For that is all you are good for, heretic fool,” he spat.
Jaeger turned, the grin on his face slipping only a little. The Watch men continued their mirth, laughing at the curse. He raised his tankard.
“Aye, friend, tonight you may be right! A round for our friends from the north! Our saviours.”
The Sigmarite priest rose, and strode to where Jaeger stood at the bar, still grinning. The Reiklanders likewise rose their feet, but without their priest’s certainty. Travelling south, they had come to know that the Sigmarite was not one given to jest. Yet they were far from home, and not here in numbers. The bar wench timidly pushed the freshly poured tankard across the rough hewn wood of the bar in the Priest’s direction, as Jaeger raised his own in mock salute. His eyes were no longer smiling.
“Of course, you know what they say about saviours! They love to have soldiers kneeling at their feet!”
With a snarl the Priests’s hand swept the tankard from the bar and delivered a back handed blow across Jaeger’s face. The force of the blow broke the Captain’s jaw and he reeled back, spitting blood and curses. Behind the priest, the Reiklanders moved forwards. Men from towns not unlike the one they now found themselves in, they knew enough of bar brawling to know they would not need their swords.
But they misjudged the mood of Morrstadt. The mass of carousing men now rushed the priest and his cohort, and knives sprung from nowhere into their hands. In a heartbeat they were among the Reikland soldiers and three of them went down. The priest, unslinging a Warhammer from his hip set about them in broad powerful strokes, and all at once The Hourglass was riot of blood, curses and carnage.
The Reikland sergeant, who had fought a dozen battles in wild places all across the Empire, slew three men before a dirk erupted from his throat. As he went down, the three men who has set upon him were themselves slain by the two remaining soldiers. Fighting back to back, they were pressed into the corner and separated from their priest, who cleared the space around him with mighty swings of his hammer.
“Enough!” he roared, as the men of Morrstadt backed off him. “You dare to take arms against the soldiers of Sigmar! You will all hang for this outrage!”
Barely had these words been spoken then two hefty bolts penetrated his breastplate, and then a third careened into his shoulder with a screech of steel on steel. The priest, dumbfounded, reeled backward into the bar, and held himself aloft as his other hand scrambled for the bolts in his chest. The din of battle subsided as all stared at the stricken priest. Captain Jaeger appeared above the wounded warrior, one hand bloody and holding his wrecked jaw.
“You are not in the lands of Sigmar, priest,” he grimaced, “Our god is Morr and Darius is his harbinger. It is he who watches over us now!” Taking his hand from his damaged face, Jaeger gestured towards the door. There, in black and white livery matted and aging, stood three warriors of the new Watch. Beneath their tarnished helms, empty sockets and rictus grins were all that remained of once-proud faces, and in their bony grasp, newly reloaded crossbows were levelled at the sinking priest.
“You are cursed. Heretics.” The Priest gasped, weakly. “You. Are. Doomed.” With that he lost his grasp on the bar and crashed to the floor. Jaeger turned to the two Reiklanders still standing, blooded blades in hand and staring in disbelief.
“You have no place in Morrstadt, my friends,” he said, the pain of his jaw dampening his threatening grin. “The town is ours, and I suggest you leave before Darius finds a place for you in our Watch.”
As the men clattered out, the eyeless Watch turned silently to observe them. Jaeger winced in pain.
“Another round,” he muttered.
With agitators spreading out form Morrstadt, unrest is sparked across Heideck, Bernhof, and other towns north of Morrstadt. The Knights Panther, unwilling to take up arms against the populace, withdraw into their keep and await aid. Therefore it is up to the local regiments and town Watches to keep the peace.
Battlefield
The battlefield is a 4x4’ area of town, with as many buildings as possible.
Armies
Each army consists of 200pts, selected form the Empire troops choices below.
Rioters
Rioters are selected from Free Company, Archers and Crossbowmen. They may also select Agitators and Ne’er Do-Wells as per below:
0-2 Agitators (17 points each)
Agitators have the same profile as an Empire Duellist. They confer Hatred to any friendly model within 8”
0-3 Ne’er Do-Wells (10 points each)
These represent the criminal elements of the Empire, using the riots to satisfy their on violent ends. They have the same profile as a Free Company. Ne’er Do-Wells are armed with Throwing Knives, Additional Hand Weapons and Light Armour. They have the ability to Dodge, conferring a 6+ ward save.
State Troops and The Watch
This force is comprised of Swordsmen, Halberdiers, Spearmen, Crossbows and Handgunners. They may also select:
0-2 Knights
May not be upgraded to Inner Circle, nor can use unit Champions.
0-3 Greatswords
0-2 Unit Champions
These can be from any of the above units, excepting Knights. Each champion has the Hold The Line special rule, which he confers to any friendly model within 6”.
Deployment
Dicing to see which side starts. Each deployment consists of three figures each time, which must deploy within 8” of their own table edge. All Ne’er Do Wells are deployed together, and may be deployed in any building outside the deployment zone. They remain undetected until they move, shoot or charge.
First Turn
Dice for first turn as normal.
Victory
The game goes until one side fails its roll and bottles out.
Rewards
Victory in this scenario is confers one Minor Reward Card.
Skirmish Scenario Two: Purge The Heretics!
Leopold Weiss sat at the head of a long oak table, and fumed. Before him, poring over maps and reports of regimental strength and enemy movements, his war council argued and railed against one another. The fight against the Chaos hordes was not going well, and he raged at being stuck at the head of the campaign when he knew he was better suited to settling matters at the end of a blade.
Reports were coming in from across the northern front. Packs of blood-mad bezerkers roamed across the northern communities, descending upon farmstead and mill and wreaking dreadful carnage in their insane quest for blood. From their base in Avondorf, the brass-clad warbands could operate with near impunity. And yet the madmen were sane enough to still give Morrstadt a wide berth.
That Darius still held the northern town infuriated Weiss even more. He appeared to do nothing more than fortify his position, yet the communities north of the Frostwood now looked solely to him for salvation. Even south of the twisted woods there were rumblings about the old man and his power. Weiss silently wished he could have his time again, and drive a blade into the old man. He grimaced. The time would could come.
He was woken from these dark thoughts as a tall, well-armoured figure marched boldly into the hall. Armoured head to foot in cold polished steel and bearing a richly carved helm with a tall blue plume under one powerful arm, the black haired warrior projected the pride and strength of his order. In his other hand he bore a roll of parchment sealed in blue-black wax. Weiss straightened, as did his council, to address the stranger.
“The Pride-master sends greetings, Lord Weiss”, the man declared. “Tidings from Bernloch”.
Weiss took the parchment and cracked the seal. The war council, distracted from their infighting by the newcomer watched with faces harrowed with fatigue and concern. Weiss’ face darkened: clearly the tidings were not to his liking. At length, he rose and went for a goblet of wine awaiting him on a side table. He drained it slowly.
“The Panthers send word. Bernloch is in uproar. Agitators from Morrstadt have rallied many of the people of the north against us and for Darius and his heresy. Rioting is breaking out across the town, and the Panthers have withdrawn into their keep rather than take arms against the people they are defending. The Pride-Master believes similar riots are occurring in Heideck, and perhaps even further afield. He intends to seek aid from the forge masters of Nuln.”
A chill silence filled the previously bustling room. Weiss rested his gloved fists on the head of the table. His face was furrowed, and expression grim.
“We cannot aid the North,” he said. “If the people want this pretender as their savior, so be it. I will waste no more lives defending such blind heresy. And I here vow that when this is done, Darius will meet his end at these hands.” He turned to the knight, still standing at the foot of the table. “Lord Panther, quash these agitators as best you can, and await aid from the Emperor. I will ride north and remind the people who their saviour is. As for the foe, we have not yet the strength to meet them head on. Continue to raise the defenses and delay any advance.” The war council glanced at each other, further unsettled by this turn of events.
Weiss drew the rod of command from his coat, and laid it at the head of the table, thereby ceding the command. “Whatever happens, we must hold them here,” he said.
combat the spread of support for Darius in the north, Leopold employs a favoured tactic of the Witch Hunters: the purge. Finding heretics wherever they can, the Witch Hunters travel the lands around Morrstadt in bands, terrorizing those who they deem to have strayed from the true faith.
Battlefield
The battlefield is a 4x4’ area, representing a roadhouse, inn with outbuildings, or farmstead. It should have cluster of buildings in the centre, with wooded and fenced fields surrounding, and a road as required.
Armies
Each army consists of 200pts, selected form the Empire troops choices below.
Heretics
Heretics are really just local townspeople or farm folk, who are forced to defend themselves from the over-zealous bands of Witch Hunters and their men. Heretics are selected from Free Company and Archers. They may also select:
0-3 Grizzled Veteran (16 points each)
These are ex-soldiers, now farmers or labourers, for whom the terrors of battle are old friends. Grizzled Veterans are Unit Champions from either Halberdier, Spearmen or Handgunner units. They are also Stubborn, and confer this to friendly models within 3”.
Dogs (8 points each)
Dogs, both on the farm and as guards are used widely throughout the Empire, and will always defend their masters when attacked. Use the Chaos Hound profile for Dogs.
Witch Hunters
The Witch Hunter band is largely comprised of willing thugs who are always happy to do violence in the name of some righteous cause. It is comprised of Free Company. They may also select from:
1 Witch Hunter
The command of the band, the Witch Hunter is selected as normal.
0-2 Zealots
Not all the Witch Hunter band is made of thugs. Fanatics whose lives are devoted to the service of their god are drawn to the service of the Witch Hunter. Zealots are Flagellants, without the Martyr special rule.
0-2 Pistoliers (10 points, on foot)
Used as scouts by the Witch Hunters, Pistoliers often leave their mounts behind when participating in a purge.
Deployment
The Heretics place all their models first, in and around the buildings in the centre of the table. The Witch Hunters then deploy anywhere within 6” of any table edge.
First Turn
The Witch Hunters have the first turn.
Victory
The game goes until one side fails its roll and bottles out.
Rewards
Victory in this scenario is confers one Minor Reward Card.