MORRSTADT
Halting the Spear of Chaos
Deployment and Opening Moves
As the clouds rolled in and purple flecked lightning crashed into the foothills surrounding Morrstadt, the empire forces huddled behind their hastily constructed ramparts that surrounded the lone watchtower the loomed over the run down gates and crumbling walls surrounding the village of Morrstadt. The hardy men of the regiments of morr, many kin to those who fell before the gates of the Raven's nest, lined the walls and clutched their handguns tight, many believing that today would deliver them to either glory or destruction. Alongside them, manning the tower and courtyard, the men of the priory, Resplendent in their gold and azure raiment, stood awaiting the hated foe. Their master had kept them from the fight until this moment, and they knew that at last their time had come. And beyond the walls, dwelling in the gloom and lit only by flickering torches born aloft on rotting banner poles, stood the shambling risen, the fanatic who embraced their creator as saviour, and the darkly robed messiah they worshipped.
Huddled around the graveyard of morrstadt, Darius and his misshapen henchmen waited. Surrounding him, and Anchoring the empire left flank as was his charge, two regiments of risen warriors each led my a nameless risen captain, and two mobs of militia followers accompanied a regiment of risen archers covering the expanse of forest ahead of them.
to their right, and kept at a safe distance, the first of the empire cannon sat alongside a picket of archers screening the empire mortar and a horde of Panther Militia. further along, a hard against the base of the tower, a gap in the curtain wall was plugged by the cream of the Knight Panther foot, and supporting them, their mounted kin, ready to sally from the breach and into any attackers that penetrated the regiments of foot.
In the centre of the line stood the watchtower of morrstadt. from its battlements, the golden plumes of panther crossbows rose, Weapon bristling from the parapets. Behind this Stretched the town's courtyard leading up the door of the hourglass, Morrstadt's first and finest inn, how the command of leopold weiss, and guarded by the knights of morr at his command. along the wall stood two regiments of crossbow and handgun, and between, a hellblaster that had been hastily winched into position on the wall. behind these, manning the gate, the Knight panther pike regiment stood, ready to deny entry to any chaos rout.
As the curtain wall rounded the town, and stedily shrank into no more than hastily piled stones, more warriors, massed ranks of panther and morrish bowmen, protected the empire right, and behind them, the panther's claw and another cannon awaited their chance to pour stone and shot into the foe.
across for these brave defenders, the chaos horde came. bedecked with grisly trophies torn from the noble empire defenders of avondorf, raven's nest, and the bloody remnant of countless skirmishes along the road west, the bronze and scarlet clad beserkers of khorne and supple marauders of slaanesh emerged from the wooded copses and faced down the defenders of the town.
On their far left, refusing the flank, swift moving units of marauder horse barked orders to the packs of hunting hounds at the feet, whilst the sinuous hellstriders of slaanesh lurked ever at their rear. atop of a squat spur of rock behind these, a towering hellcannon loomed, arcane fire glowing through the skull-forms flowing along its molten flanks.
before these, in a cordon of steel and flesh, the marauders marched. Two blocks of barely glad warrior maidens of slaanesh, obscenely tattooed and eager for the pleasure of the kill. and at their back, the alluress herself and her hearth guard of potent female warriors.
through the centre of the chaos line, the bronze horde of khornate warrior marched through the sheltering wood, whilst a horde of red thewed barbarians loped ahead of them, ready to spill blood for their thirsty god. behind these and strung out in two towering units to their right, bloodcrushers ground forward, the lightning reflecting sharp and hard from their steel and brass flanks.
facing the risen and the graveyard on the right flank, a formation of red skinned demon forsaken led the line, daemonettes and marauders behind, and to their right, and bull headed giant of slaanesh, and knights of the dark prince, borne aloft on daemon creatures that strained to bound into the foe before them. behind all, dark wings framing her lithe and supine form, the daemon princess: Mn'thrk'aia herself, strode the chaos line on her long and shapely limbs.
As the clouds rolled in and purple flecked lightning crashed into the foothills surrounding Morrstadt, the empire forces huddled behind their hastily constructed ramparts that surrounded the lone watchtower the loomed over the run down gates and crumbling walls surrounding the village of Morrstadt. The hardy men of the regiments of morr, many kin to those who fell before the gates of the Raven's nest, lined the walls and clutched their handguns tight, many believing that today would deliver them to either glory or destruction. Alongside them, manning the tower and courtyard, the men of the priory, Resplendent in their gold and azure raiment, stood awaiting the hated foe. Their master had kept them from the fight until this moment, and they knew that at last their time had come. And beyond the walls, dwelling in the gloom and lit only by flickering torches born aloft on rotting banner poles, stood the shambling risen, the fanatic who embraced their creator as saviour, and the darkly robed messiah they worshipped.
Huddled around the graveyard of morrstadt, Darius and his misshapen henchmen waited. Surrounding him, and Anchoring the empire left flank as was his charge, two regiments of risen warriors each led my a nameless risen captain, and two mobs of militia followers accompanied a regiment of risen archers covering the expanse of forest ahead of them.
to their right, and kept at a safe distance, the first of the empire cannon sat alongside a picket of archers screening the empire mortar and a horde of Panther Militia. further along, a hard against the base of the tower, a gap in the curtain wall was plugged by the cream of the Knight Panther foot, and supporting them, their mounted kin, ready to sally from the breach and into any attackers that penetrated the regiments of foot.
In the centre of the line stood the watchtower of morrstadt. from its battlements, the golden plumes of panther crossbows rose, Weapon bristling from the parapets. Behind this Stretched the town's courtyard leading up the door of the hourglass, Morrstadt's first and finest inn, how the command of leopold weiss, and guarded by the knights of morr at his command. along the wall stood two regiments of crossbow and handgun, and between, a hellblaster that had been hastily winched into position on the wall. behind these, manning the gate, the Knight panther pike regiment stood, ready to deny entry to any chaos rout.
As the curtain wall rounded the town, and stedily shrank into no more than hastily piled stones, more warriors, massed ranks of panther and morrish bowmen, protected the empire right, and behind them, the panther's claw and another cannon awaited their chance to pour stone and shot into the foe.
across for these brave defenders, the chaos horde came. bedecked with grisly trophies torn from the noble empire defenders of avondorf, raven's nest, and the bloody remnant of countless skirmishes along the road west, the bronze and scarlet clad beserkers of khorne and supple marauders of slaanesh emerged from the wooded copses and faced down the defenders of the town.
On their far left, refusing the flank, swift moving units of marauder horse barked orders to the packs of hunting hounds at the feet, whilst the sinuous hellstriders of slaanesh lurked ever at their rear. atop of a squat spur of rock behind these, a towering hellcannon loomed, arcane fire glowing through the skull-forms flowing along its molten flanks.
before these, in a cordon of steel and flesh, the marauders marched. Two blocks of barely glad warrior maidens of slaanesh, obscenely tattooed and eager for the pleasure of the kill. and at their back, the alluress herself and her hearth guard of potent female warriors.
through the centre of the chaos line, the bronze horde of khornate warrior marched through the sheltering wood, whilst a horde of red thewed barbarians loped ahead of them, ready to spill blood for their thirsty god. behind these and strung out in two towering units to their right, bloodcrushers ground forward, the lightning reflecting sharp and hard from their steel and brass flanks.
facing the risen and the graveyard on the right flank, a formation of red skinned demon forsaken led the line, daemonettes and marauders behind, and to their right, and bull headed giant of slaanesh, and knights of the dark prince, borne aloft on daemon creatures that strained to bound into the foe before them. behind all, dark wings framing her lithe and supine form, the daemon princess: Mn'thrk'aia herself, strode the chaos line on her long and shapely limbs.
without fanfare, trumpet blast or bellowed order, the empire marked the approach of the foe and greeted them with a mighty volley of shot from the walls. handguns blasted, crossbow and cannon sang, and mortar fire rained, and among the sound an fury a handful of the foe went down, and the hellcannon was blasted from its rocky promontory. the hellblaster, so carefully hauled to the wall, slipped its mounting a detonated in a Spectacular blast that rent a gouge in the defending stone.
in answer, the chaos horde surged forward, forsaken on the right lunging straight into the risen archers and slaughtering them. the fast cavalry and hounds began circling the town to the left, probing for a way around the wall of archers, but staying out Of bowshot, tempering their rage with cold strategy. all across the Chaos centre, the massed ranks of infantry marched forward, while the bloodcrushers skirted to their right, seeking a clear field to prosecute there devastating charge.
As the tide surged forward, the appointed moment arrived. sounding a clear high horn, the master of the priory and his elite guard of gleaming knights panther swept onto the empire right, whilst raging demigryphs bounded alongside them. Immediately, the swift riders of the chaos gods began circling, disrupting the charge and fouling the flanking move. on the walls, men continued to fire, and wondered if their cavlry would reach the onrushing hordes in time to save them.
On the far side, darius hurled the first of his regiments forward, hitting the slaaneshi knights in a frenzy of desperate combat. sadly, these peasants were no match for the elite riders of the dark Prince, and were swiftly repelled and broken. hunting the survivors down, the knights howled and drew the chaos giant and the daemon princess herself into the melee, both eager to slay the apparently fragile risen ranks. carving throught he risen archers, the forsaken were also drawn into this swirling combat, and darius smiled, marching forward and extending the reach of his unnatural power to envelop his warriors in their shroud of unlife. immediately, the chaos advance became a quagmire of combat, as the risen absorbed the epic punishment of the slaaneshi charge.
Midgame
With the Chaos advance contained by Darius dark magic on the left, the combined empire sought a way to break through on the right. More cavalry arrived, supported by pistoliers who immediately set about Trying to shatter the circling horsemen. in the cut and thrust of feint and counter feint, fangsteiger and his warriors sighted a gap and charged through it, slamming into the warriors of slaanesh.
in answer, the chaos horde surged forward, forsaken on the right lunging straight into the risen archers and slaughtering them. the fast cavalry and hounds began circling the town to the left, probing for a way around the wall of archers, but staying out Of bowshot, tempering their rage with cold strategy. all across the Chaos centre, the massed ranks of infantry marched forward, while the bloodcrushers skirted to their right, seeking a clear field to prosecute there devastating charge.
As the tide surged forward, the appointed moment arrived. sounding a clear high horn, the master of the priory and his elite guard of gleaming knights panther swept onto the empire right, whilst raging demigryphs bounded alongside them. Immediately, the swift riders of the chaos gods began circling, disrupting the charge and fouling the flanking move. on the walls, men continued to fire, and wondered if their cavlry would reach the onrushing hordes in time to save them.
On the far side, darius hurled the first of his regiments forward, hitting the slaaneshi knights in a frenzy of desperate combat. sadly, these peasants were no match for the elite riders of the dark Prince, and were swiftly repelled and broken. hunting the survivors down, the knights howled and drew the chaos giant and the daemon princess herself into the melee, both eager to slay the apparently fragile risen ranks. carving throught he risen archers, the forsaken were also drawn into this swirling combat, and darius smiled, marching forward and extending the reach of his unnatural power to envelop his warriors in their shroud of unlife. immediately, the chaos advance became a quagmire of combat, as the risen absorbed the epic punishment of the slaaneshi charge.
Midgame
With the Chaos advance contained by Darius dark magic on the left, the combined empire sought a way to break through on the right. More cavalry arrived, supported by pistoliers who immediately set about Trying to shatter the circling horsemen. in the cut and thrust of feint and counter feint, fangsteiger and his warriors sighted a gap and charged through it, slamming into the warriors of slaanesh.
however, the alluress of slaanesh was a wily foe, and had foreseen Fangsteiger's plan. creating the opportunity for him, she had drawn the panther elite onto the blades of her fiercest warriors. with speed born of gifts dark and forbidden, the supine elite of slaanseh tore into fangsteiger's warriors, whilst the alluress herself cut down the mighty master of the priory and defiled his body before all.
yet the sacrifice had not been in vain. fangsteiger had succeeded in one thing: he had drawn the horde away from the walls. now, having cleared the delaying cavalry, the remaining flanking knights engaged the turning hordes head on, and a mighty melee erupted before the walls of morrstadt.
at the right, a regiment of near-naked slaaneshi marauders slipped through the line, and crashed into the stunned archers manning the crumbling wall. overrun, the survivors swiftly withdrew into the courtyard. with a cry and thunderous charge, the knights of morr immediately surged forward - this was the very reason they had been held back - and swiftly put the naked zealots to the lance.
On the far side of the village, the bloodcrushers swept across the open field, bellowing challenges to any who dare oppose them. The foot knights panther answered the challenge, but their militia servants Quailed at the thought of engaging the metal behemoths, and withdrew from the field. With a roar of triumph the brass shod monsters crashed into the gleaming knights, who bravely fought, and held and died, whilst the second regiment of knights of morr rushed to their aid.
On the left, the risen continued to hold in the face of the chaos onslaught. an almighty explosion of carnage erupted around them, yet they would not go down, whilst behind the graveyard walls the dark power of darius' shroud drew more risen from their graves and into the fight.
yet the sacrifice had not been in vain. fangsteiger had succeeded in one thing: he had drawn the horde away from the walls. now, having cleared the delaying cavalry, the remaining flanking knights engaged the turning hordes head on, and a mighty melee erupted before the walls of morrstadt.
at the right, a regiment of near-naked slaaneshi marauders slipped through the line, and crashed into the stunned archers manning the crumbling wall. overrun, the survivors swiftly withdrew into the courtyard. with a cry and thunderous charge, the knights of morr immediately surged forward - this was the very reason they had been held back - and swiftly put the naked zealots to the lance.
On the far side of the village, the bloodcrushers swept across the open field, bellowing challenges to any who dare oppose them. The foot knights panther answered the challenge, but their militia servants Quailed at the thought of engaging the metal behemoths, and withdrew from the field. With a roar of triumph the brass shod monsters crashed into the gleaming knights, who bravely fought, and held and died, whilst the second regiment of knights of morr rushed to their aid.
On the left, the risen continued to hold in the face of the chaos onslaught. an almighty explosion of carnage erupted around them, yet they would not go down, whilst behind the graveyard walls the dark power of darius' shroud drew more risen from their graves and into the fight.
Endgame
still in a heady daze from the slaughter of fangsteiger's knights, the alluress now turned to hunt more of the panthers. with her marauder servants inside the courtyard, and the crimson banner of the khornate warriors arriving , the vile temptress thought the battle won and decided to slake her lust for combat outside the walls. indeed, the powers that granted her her speed, strength and Irresistible allure had also made her vain, wanton and careless. She turned away from the walls of morrstadt and towards the flanking knights.
all too soon her folly was revealed. In the courtyard, the knights of morr routed the naked maruaders, and overran, leaping the crumbling curtain wall and smashing headlong into the rear of the alluress' warriors, just as the knights panther hit her from the front. bolstered by the magic of light and life Radiating from the tower, the pincer of lance, horse and gleaming steel crushed the tempress' guard between them, and put her to flight. at the walls, the warriors of khorne could not ignore this turn of events and were forced to engage the victorious knights.
In the centre, the panther foot held to their last breath against the bloodcrushers, buying time for the countercharge with Their very lives. and duly the countercharge came. smashing into the brass behemoths, the clash of metal on metal was terrible to behold, and whilst the knights went down fighting, so did their foe. again the men of the empire were beaten down but would not break, even to the last desperate hero.
at the graveyard, darius' forces continued to dwindle. the ranks of risen troops outside the iron gates were methodically cut down, until barely a Single rank, then a handful of warriors, then single fighters still unable to fall remained to guard the ancient stones. but within, darius' power drew more fighters from their graves, until a new regiment of risen stood within the walls.
still in a heady daze from the slaughter of fangsteiger's knights, the alluress now turned to hunt more of the panthers. with her marauder servants inside the courtyard, and the crimson banner of the khornate warriors arriving , the vile temptress thought the battle won and decided to slake her lust for combat outside the walls. indeed, the powers that granted her her speed, strength and Irresistible allure had also made her vain, wanton and careless. She turned away from the walls of morrstadt and towards the flanking knights.
all too soon her folly was revealed. In the courtyard, the knights of morr routed the naked maruaders, and overran, leaping the crumbling curtain wall and smashing headlong into the rear of the alluress' warriors, just as the knights panther hit her from the front. bolstered by the magic of light and life Radiating from the tower, the pincer of lance, horse and gleaming steel crushed the tempress' guard between them, and put her to flight. at the walls, the warriors of khorne could not ignore this turn of events and were forced to engage the victorious knights.
In the centre, the panther foot held to their last breath against the bloodcrushers, buying time for the countercharge with Their very lives. and duly the countercharge came. smashing into the brass behemoths, the clash of metal on metal was terrible to behold, and whilst the knights went down fighting, so did their foe. again the men of the empire were beaten down but would not break, even to the last desperate hero.
at the graveyard, darius' forces continued to dwindle. the ranks of risen troops outside the iron gates were methodically cut down, until barely a Single rank, then a handful of warriors, then single fighters still unable to fall remained to guard the ancient stones. but within, darius' power drew more fighters from their graves, until a new regiment of risen stood within the walls.