SKULLTAKER
Warhammer Battle
As yet another peasant fell beneath the blow of his hammer, Aroch Redmane’s rage built. It was simply too easy: these mortals offered him no challenge, no effort, no glory. It had been this way for a fortnight, as his horde carved their way through village after village, meeting no resistance worthy of the name.
At Raven’s Nest, he had felt the hot gaze of his god upon him, its fire searing his flesh and fuelling his rage and power. As his lord fell, and the day’s fortune seemed to wane, his rage had become otherworldly, disconnected, and instinctive. He had embraced death in that moment, and before he knew it he was knee deep in the skulls of the Empire soldiery, his blood-soaked hammer carving its skull rune into flesh, armour and bone as if it were an extension of his arm and not a weapon in his hand.
At the battle’s end, as the Nest had become a dark den of daemons, and the skull-take had begun, he had felt no weariness, no bone-ache, no wounds: simply rage, exhilaration and power. His shaman, Erik the Wyrdling, had felt his wrath at that moment. He simply could not contain it. He had struck down the sorcerer out of hand, almost without knowing why. At that moment, as his hound’s helm had split into a feral snarl and his warriors abased themselves before him, he knew his god’s gaze was upon him.
Yet now, without a decent battle at hand, he felt ascension once again out of his reach. His helm, the armour that had become a part of his flesh, he could once again remove. He felt so limited, so frustratingly mortal once again. Another peasant, this one armed with a rusting blade, no doubt a family heirloom from a time when the men of this realm were worthy of the name, came at him. The mortal reeked of fear, yet he had to admire the sheer audacity of challenging him to combat. With a casual shrug and flick of his hammer the peasant’s sword flew from his hand and he was lying bloodied on his back. Cursing, Aroch flung his weapon down and screamed his frustration.
“Pathetic” he roared, “You are not worthy of death at my hands! Take your sword and draw by blood if you dare!” But the peasant merely whimpered in fear. Raising his boot, Aroch caved the peasant’s chest in, yet the crack of bone and howl of pain merely served to add to his frustration, and he roared at the heavens again.
As if in answer, a horn: high, clear and proud, echoed through the valley, and Aroch looked to see the glinting lance tips of Empire Knights crest the hill overlooking the devastated hamlet. Without realising it, he found his hammer again in his hand. Without a thought his throat bellowed a deafening challenge to this new foe. His helm, suddenly seared yet again to his flesh, the pain bright, hard and sharp, tore into a slavering grin of bronze rivets and steel teeth.
“At last” Aroch growled. And the horde of bronze and red clad warriors at his back surged forward.
At Raven’s Nest, he had felt the hot gaze of his god upon him, its fire searing his flesh and fuelling his rage and power. As his lord fell, and the day’s fortune seemed to wane, his rage had become otherworldly, disconnected, and instinctive. He had embraced death in that moment, and before he knew it he was knee deep in the skulls of the Empire soldiery, his blood-soaked hammer carving its skull rune into flesh, armour and bone as if it were an extension of his arm and not a weapon in his hand.
At the battle’s end, as the Nest had become a dark den of daemons, and the skull-take had begun, he had felt no weariness, no bone-ache, no wounds: simply rage, exhilaration and power. His shaman, Erik the Wyrdling, had felt his wrath at that moment. He simply could not contain it. He had struck down the sorcerer out of hand, almost without knowing why. At that moment, as his hound’s helm had split into a feral snarl and his warriors abased themselves before him, he knew his god’s gaze was upon him.
Yet now, without a decent battle at hand, he felt ascension once again out of his reach. His helm, the armour that had become a part of his flesh, he could once again remove. He felt so limited, so frustratingly mortal once again. Another peasant, this one armed with a rusting blade, no doubt a family heirloom from a time when the men of this realm were worthy of the name, came at him. The mortal reeked of fear, yet he had to admire the sheer audacity of challenging him to combat. With a casual shrug and flick of his hammer the peasant’s sword flew from his hand and he was lying bloodied on his back. Cursing, Aroch flung his weapon down and screamed his frustration.
“Pathetic” he roared, “You are not worthy of death at my hands! Take your sword and draw by blood if you dare!” But the peasant merely whimpered in fear. Raising his boot, Aroch caved the peasant’s chest in, yet the crack of bone and howl of pain merely served to add to his frustration, and he roared at the heavens again.
As if in answer, a horn: high, clear and proud, echoed through the valley, and Aroch looked to see the glinting lance tips of Empire Knights crest the hill overlooking the devastated hamlet. Without realising it, he found his hammer again in his hand. Without a thought his throat bellowed a deafening challenge to this new foe. His helm, suddenly seared yet again to his flesh, the pain bright, hard and sharp, tore into a slavering grin of bronze rivets and steel teeth.
“At last” Aroch growled. And the horde of bronze and red clad warriors at his back surged forward.
Battlefield
The battlefield is located in one of the numerous villages surrounding the Raven’s Nest. With no protection from the fallen castle, these villages are now suffering the predation of the Khornate horde.
The battlefield has at its centre the tiny village of Avondorf. Fields and outbuildings surround the village, with the outcrops of Morr’s Spur flanking one edge and the Frostwood on the other.
Armies
Armies are 3500pts each. The Chaos army must be led by Aroch Redmane and his guard.
Deployment
The battle is fought lengthways down the table.
Redmane and his guard are deployed first in the centre of the village. The remaining Chaos forces are deployed outside the village in the Chaos half of the table. After this, the Empire force deploys up to 18” into their deployment zone along the opposite long edge.
First Turn
The Empire forces have the first turn.
Special Rules
Relief Force
The Empire forces have marched through the night to reach Avondorf. They sweep into the valley in order to avenge the fallen of the Raven’s Nest. The Empire force may send a flanking force split off from their main force, of up to 1000pts, which arrives on one of the long edges of the table on a 4+ in the second turn, 3+ on the third, and 2+ in the 4th and subsequent turns.
Due to the swift deployment of the Empire forces, war machines may only fire on 4+ in the first turn.
The Skulltake
Aroch Redmane seeks Khorne’s favour, and his fanaticism has led him to slay all the sorcerers in his force, and abandon his Slaaneshi allies. As his frenzy builds, Khornes gaze is drawn by the bloodletting.
Redmane’s army may contain no magic users, but may contain Khornate Daemon units (not characters). Furthermore, the more blood Redmane and his fanatics can spill, the more favour Khorne will bestow upon them. All models in the Chaos army gain Magic Resistance as the body count rises. Record the number of enemy kills (in close combat only) the Chaos army makes, and consult the table below.
The battlefield is located in one of the numerous villages surrounding the Raven’s Nest. With no protection from the fallen castle, these villages are now suffering the predation of the Khornate horde.
The battlefield has at its centre the tiny village of Avondorf. Fields and outbuildings surround the village, with the outcrops of Morr’s Spur flanking one edge and the Frostwood on the other.
Armies
Armies are 3500pts each. The Chaos army must be led by Aroch Redmane and his guard.
Deployment
The battle is fought lengthways down the table.
Redmane and his guard are deployed first in the centre of the village. The remaining Chaos forces are deployed outside the village in the Chaos half of the table. After this, the Empire force deploys up to 18” into their deployment zone along the opposite long edge.
First Turn
The Empire forces have the first turn.
Special Rules
Relief Force
The Empire forces have marched through the night to reach Avondorf. They sweep into the valley in order to avenge the fallen of the Raven’s Nest. The Empire force may send a flanking force split off from their main force, of up to 1000pts, which arrives on one of the long edges of the table on a 4+ in the second turn, 3+ on the third, and 2+ in the 4th and subsequent turns.
Due to the swift deployment of the Empire forces, war machines may only fire on 4+ in the first turn.
The Skulltake
Aroch Redmane seeks Khorne’s favour, and his fanaticism has led him to slay all the sorcerers in his force, and abandon his Slaaneshi allies. As his frenzy builds, Khornes gaze is drawn by the bloodletting.
Redmane’s army may contain no magic users, but may contain Khornate Daemon units (not characters). Furthermore, the more blood Redmane and his fanatics can spill, the more favour Khorne will bestow upon them. All models in the Chaos army gain Magic Resistance as the body count rises. Record the number of enemy kills (in close combat only) the Chaos army makes, and consult the table below.