Morrstadt
Epic Battle
As the sun rose in a red haze, the pale mist of the morning began to burn off the grey grassland that swept up the slope away from the sheltered hamlet of Morrstadt, and the day began at last to warm. At the crest of the hill, a hard knob of rock tore from the grass like bones from the flesh of a slain warrior. Despite the sun, the air was still sharp enough to mist the breath of two horsemen who sat astride their mounts high upon the spur, eyeing the landscape below. There would be battle here soon, and both men knew enough of its harsh realities to know that this land would not be the same afterwards. This land would burn, its people would suffer, and the crows that dwelt here would grow fat on the spoil of war.
“It will go hard,“ the taller man growled, “for these people of Morr.” The strengthening sun cast a leant a dull sheen to the man’s heavy plate, which creaked as he shifted in the saddle. A tall blade, inlaid with runes along its not inconsiderable length, lay across his lap, and a long tan-brown pelt wound its way about his broad armoured shoulders. Piercing grey eyes burned from beneath a proud brow, and a full beard, meticulously kept, gave length to his high-boned face.
“And they will endure it”, the second man replied. Like the first he sat atop an armoured warhorse bristling with muscle. He was older than his companion, and heavily scarred. Unlike the other, his lean frame was wrapped in a coat of leather, weathered and scratched and trailing behind him. His blade was also drawn, and he indicated down to the town with its notched yet well-kept length. Pistols sat at his hip, and numerous small totems dangled from lengths of cord about his neck, gauntleted wrists, and bridle.
“They will be mine to defend”, he continued, and his companion nodded. “When the filth sweep up the Old Road, we must stop them here.” As he gestured with his blade, the sweep of his arm dislodged a satchel from his back, and a spindly wooden figure tumbled from it into a heap of limbs between the two men. The bearded knight raised an eyebrow.
“A strange place to bring a toy” he said, amused. The first man swept lightly from the saddle, sheathing his blade in an ornate scabbard at his hip, and peered up from under his broad hat.
“Not a toy, Master Panther,” he grimaced, “A precaution. And I pray he will not be needed here this day.” Bending down he recovered the strange mannequin, and swiftly concealed it back from whence it had fallen. The bearded knight grunted.
As they spoke the mist continued to break and ranks of soldiers emerged like ghosts from its pale grey cloak. Black, purple and white uniforms resolved from the gloom, and glistening steel knights in polished steel and royal blue atop powerful coursers ascended the slope before them. As the two men watched, they began to divide their strength, the bulk of the foot heading straight towards the town, the knights forming up behind the hill upon which they stood.
“I shall hold the Pride here until your signal.” The Panther knight continued. “We shall skirt Morrstadt to the right, and then . . “ A commotion amongst the infantry halted his speech. The marching ranks had halted, and began to part. Many of the men reached for blades, whilst other held back comrades or thrust totems into the air.
A strange, darkly-robed figure emerged from between the ranks of the soldiers, some of whom spat curses. With little apparent effort, the man strode up the horsemen’s position. A leather skullcap clung to his pale bald head, and a darkly glinting scythe clacked the stony ground as he use it to hasten his march.
“Darius.”, the leather-cloaked man said, his voice cold and hostile.
“Leopold” Darius replied.
“Your presence is unwelcome here, transgressor.” Leopold growled. “Do not think that what you have done has gone unnoticed!”
“And yet here I remain. I care not what you think of me: you need me and my men.”
“Men!” Leopold snorted. “You dare call them men still?”
“They are men, Leopold. Soldiers of the Empire. And she needs them now.”
“Who is this man, Leopold? Of what do you speak?” the Knight Panther questioned.
“This is Darius, self-styled harbinger of Morr. Priest. Wizard. Life-stealer. Heretic.” Cold rage built in Leopold’s voice as he spat his litany. The ‘Panther drew back.
“Then slay him where he stands”, he said.
Darius laughed. “He does not dare, Lord Panther,” he said, “he knows what power I bear. He needs me. You both need me. Judge me when the foe are defeated. When the land of Morr is cleansed I shall happily bear judgment. But of its people, not of your god!”
Before the Panther Lord could speak, Leopold gave his reply.
“As you wish, corpse-master!” he spat, “There is a garden of death one bowshot from Morrstadt, and this is yours to defend. Stray from it, and I will know it, and then my protection is ended. Mark my words, Darius: power or not, this day will end with my blade at your throat.”
“We shall see.” the old man crackled, and marched back down the hill.
As Leopold watched him go, he felt a twitch at his back, and the Panther swore that a tiny wooden hand reached from the Witch Hunter’s satchel. Leopold was troubled.
“That one,” he whispered “is more dangerous than I thought.”
Battlefield
The battlefield represents the uplands surrounding the village of Morrstadt. The outskirts of the town and the graveyard that services it form the two corners of the Empire side.
Armies
The Chaos army consists of 6000 points.
The Empire force is split into three: two 2500 point forces representing the Host of the Knights Panther, and the state troops of Morrstadt, and one 1500 point force led by Darius, and filled with his followers and risen troops.
Deployment
“It will go hard,“ the taller man growled, “for these people of Morr.” The strengthening sun cast a leant a dull sheen to the man’s heavy plate, which creaked as he shifted in the saddle. A tall blade, inlaid with runes along its not inconsiderable length, lay across his lap, and a long tan-brown pelt wound its way about his broad armoured shoulders. Piercing grey eyes burned from beneath a proud brow, and a full beard, meticulously kept, gave length to his high-boned face.
“And they will endure it”, the second man replied. Like the first he sat atop an armoured warhorse bristling with muscle. He was older than his companion, and heavily scarred. Unlike the other, his lean frame was wrapped in a coat of leather, weathered and scratched and trailing behind him. His blade was also drawn, and he indicated down to the town with its notched yet well-kept length. Pistols sat at his hip, and numerous small totems dangled from lengths of cord about his neck, gauntleted wrists, and bridle.
“They will be mine to defend”, he continued, and his companion nodded. “When the filth sweep up the Old Road, we must stop them here.” As he gestured with his blade, the sweep of his arm dislodged a satchel from his back, and a spindly wooden figure tumbled from it into a heap of limbs between the two men. The bearded knight raised an eyebrow.
“A strange place to bring a toy” he said, amused. The first man swept lightly from the saddle, sheathing his blade in an ornate scabbard at his hip, and peered up from under his broad hat.
“Not a toy, Master Panther,” he grimaced, “A precaution. And I pray he will not be needed here this day.” Bending down he recovered the strange mannequin, and swiftly concealed it back from whence it had fallen. The bearded knight grunted.
As they spoke the mist continued to break and ranks of soldiers emerged like ghosts from its pale grey cloak. Black, purple and white uniforms resolved from the gloom, and glistening steel knights in polished steel and royal blue atop powerful coursers ascended the slope before them. As the two men watched, they began to divide their strength, the bulk of the foot heading straight towards the town, the knights forming up behind the hill upon which they stood.
“I shall hold the Pride here until your signal.” The Panther knight continued. “We shall skirt Morrstadt to the right, and then . . “ A commotion amongst the infantry halted his speech. The marching ranks had halted, and began to part. Many of the men reached for blades, whilst other held back comrades or thrust totems into the air.
A strange, darkly-robed figure emerged from between the ranks of the soldiers, some of whom spat curses. With little apparent effort, the man strode up the horsemen’s position. A leather skullcap clung to his pale bald head, and a darkly glinting scythe clacked the stony ground as he use it to hasten his march.
“Darius.”, the leather-cloaked man said, his voice cold and hostile.
“Leopold” Darius replied.
“Your presence is unwelcome here, transgressor.” Leopold growled. “Do not think that what you have done has gone unnoticed!”
“And yet here I remain. I care not what you think of me: you need me and my men.”
“Men!” Leopold snorted. “You dare call them men still?”
“They are men, Leopold. Soldiers of the Empire. And she needs them now.”
“Who is this man, Leopold? Of what do you speak?” the Knight Panther questioned.
“This is Darius, self-styled harbinger of Morr. Priest. Wizard. Life-stealer. Heretic.” Cold rage built in Leopold’s voice as he spat his litany. The ‘Panther drew back.
“Then slay him where he stands”, he said.
Darius laughed. “He does not dare, Lord Panther,” he said, “he knows what power I bear. He needs me. You both need me. Judge me when the foe are defeated. When the land of Morr is cleansed I shall happily bear judgment. But of its people, not of your god!”
Before the Panther Lord could speak, Leopold gave his reply.
“As you wish, corpse-master!” he spat, “There is a garden of death one bowshot from Morrstadt, and this is yours to defend. Stray from it, and I will know it, and then my protection is ended. Mark my words, Darius: power or not, this day will end with my blade at your throat.”
“We shall see.” the old man crackled, and marched back down the hill.
As Leopold watched him go, he felt a twitch at his back, and the Panther swore that a tiny wooden hand reached from the Witch Hunter’s satchel. Leopold was troubled.
“That one,” he whispered “is more dangerous than I thought.”
Battlefield
The battlefield represents the uplands surrounding the village of Morrstadt. The outskirts of the town and the graveyard that services it form the two corners of the Empire side.
Armies
The Chaos army consists of 6000 points.
The Empire force is split into three: two 2500 point forces representing the Host of the Knights Panther, and the state troops of Morrstadt, and one 1500 point force led by Darius, and filled with his followers and risen troops.
Deployment
The Empire forces may withhold up to 1500 points assigned as a flanking force. This must be led by Master Karl Fangsteiger and his Panther knights. These units arrive later in the battle.
The Empire forces in the Main Empire Deployment zone deploy first, followed by Darius’ army. Following this, the entire Empire force deploys.
Once this is complete, the entire Chaos army deploys.
First Turn
The Empire force has the first turn.
Victory
At the end of the game, each side is awarded 1VP for each 1000pts they have destroyed, rounding down.
Bonus VP’s
1VP – Killing Darius. The side that kills Darius gains 1 bonus VP. Darius’ own force may not claim this bonus.
Chaos Bonus VP’s
1VP – The Skulltake Continues. Should all Lord level Empire characters be slain, the Chaos force gets a bonus VP
Empire Bonus VP’s
2VP’s – Not one more. The Empire claims this bonus if no Chaos units are in Morrstadt at the end of the game.
Special Rules
Flank assault
From turn 2 onwards, Leopold may send his signal to Fangsteiger to execute his flank assault. Roll a D6 and consult the following table:
The Empire forces in the Main Empire Deployment zone deploy first, followed by Darius’ army. Following this, the entire Empire force deploys.
Once this is complete, the entire Chaos army deploys.
First Turn
The Empire force has the first turn.
Victory
At the end of the game, each side is awarded 1VP for each 1000pts they have destroyed, rounding down.
Bonus VP’s
1VP – Killing Darius. The side that kills Darius gains 1 bonus VP. Darius’ own force may not claim this bonus.
Chaos Bonus VP’s
1VP – The Skulltake Continues. Should all Lord level Empire characters be slain, the Chaos force gets a bonus VP
Empire Bonus VP’s
2VP’s – Not one more. The Empire claims this bonus if no Chaos units are in Morrstadt at the end of the game.
Special Rules
Flank assault
From turn 2 onwards, Leopold may send his signal to Fangsteiger to execute his flank assault. Roll a D6 and consult the following table: