We love a good tournament at Woehammer. We occasionally post about them here. We’ve even run a few over the last few years. But, it never hits the spot for me personally.
I love narrative play, and I always dreamed of trying to combine the two together. So I started planning.
Before I go into the ins and outs of the event, let me tell you the basics. It’s a TTS event that will be hosted through Ecksen and the Woehammer Discord. It’ll be 5 games of 2,000 points using the General’s Handbook and the latest points update. If you wish, you can ignore the narrative element, play five games and just see how you do, or….
You could do some fun stuff.
Players will be split into four rough alliances. Order, Chaos, Destruction and Death. Players will still have battles against others from their own Grand Alliance but your overall court Influence (see further down), will be divided amongst the players to give an overall score for your Alliance. This will determine which Grand Alliance will have sway over Danetre at the campaign close.
The player with the most individual influence at the campaigns end will be the one who holds the ear of the Countess and will decide the future of Danetre, they will have the title Lord of Danetre
The Tournament Champion will as always, be the player who has the most wins followed by the most BPs in their games – but who cares about that.
Danetre
Danetre is located in the Realm of Ghyran on the island of Halbion and stands between two prominent rivers, the Neen and the Leem. For centuries Danetre has controlled the flow of goods up and down both rivers and is controlled by Countess Judith of Lens. Although Danetre has been held by the family for centuries, the family has gradually died out leaving only the Countess, and herself without any heirs.
Danetre is a strong settlement built with formidable fortifications that cannot be easily breached. It’s forever been a source of envy to others who wish to possess the settlement and control the resources flowing via the rivers. And they will stop at nothing to do so.
Feeling the burden of the past and wanting to keep the family name going the Countess has taken adopted an orphan boy (though it’s questioned by others how precisely he became orphaned).
The Countesses court is filled with members of almost every race, and even those races who would not be welcome have representatives who act on their bidding. The Countess in her later years and fearing the loneliness of being the remaining member of her family has filled her court with those who would entertain her. But many inside this court have their own plans and either seek to take the settlement themselves of else be the voice that controls the ear of the now young boy soon to be heir.
Your Role
You are one such faction that would see the control of Danetre fall to you. You lead an army to the region and even now plan to control the provinces around Danetre while manipulating the court of Danetre into your bidding. You have a representative in the court who whispers in the ear of the Countess of your many qualities, and that you should be appointed as the protector to the heir.
Court Influence
Each General aims to control the court of Danetre and bring it under their control. To do so, you must both rule the battlefields and be savvy in court.
After each game, players may be able to roll for their influence over the court; If you win roll a D6, if you draw roll a D3, but if you lose you get 0. This roll will determine the amount of influence you hold over the Countess through your courtly representative (who could be open and honest about who they represent, or be perhaps a wolf in sheeps clothing). This influence roll must be performed in front of the other player and communicated to the TO on Discord so they may record it.
The TO will be keeping a record of both, the overall Grand Alliance influence at the court as well as each player’s individual influence. Both these totals will be available for all to see.
Political Agents
Each player will have one political agent at their disposal. A political agent is your representatives lackey in the court and can only be used once during the tournament.
Following one of your victories in battle over the course of the tournament (or as a final gambit at the event’s conclusion), you may perform one of the following actions:
Bribery & Blackmail: Use your political agent to have a guaranteed 6 from your influence roll following victory in battle.
Sabotage: Use your political agent to reduce a chosen player’s influence by D6 – yes, this can be applied to another player in the same Grand Alliance as yourself.
Spy in the Court: Instead of rolling D6 for your influence following a battle win, you may instead steal D3 influence points from another player’s influence in the court which is then added to your own total. Yes, again, this may also be another player from the same Grand Alliance.
Final Gambit: After all the games are complete, you may use your political agent on a final gambit, roll a D6 – On a 3+ you gain D6 influence points. On a 1-2 you lose D3 influence points.
Remember, Political Agents may only be used once over the course of the tournament, so use them wisely.
If you want to join up, come and say hi on our Discord.
TOURNAMENT RULES
Players must submit a valid 2,000 point Age of Sigmar list by 11th October 2025 onto the tournament page at Ecksen.com
Please register on Ecksen using your Discord name so players can easily find you.
Each game round is 3 hours and all turns must be completed.
Each round will last 2 weeks.
Battleplans are included in the event details on Ecksen
Any rules released prior to the submission deadline will be valid for the event. No changes will be allowed once the event has started.
Players must arrange and organise their games in the two week period and advise the TO of any difficulties.
If a player forfeits a game the opposing player will be awarded the win and an amount of BPs equal to the average of the winners that round.
If neither player contacts the TO and the time for the round expires without a result then both players will be awarded a loss.
Influence rolls must be communicate to the TO at the end of the match and must be performed in front of a witness.
Previously, in part one, I went into detail about the lore behind my list and how I decided upon my unit choices. The result felt solid and lore accurate with enough punch to hopefully put some halt in the step of an opponent.
In part two, Fimbur faced his first challenge at the gates of Grung Gandaz, fighting the hated Grobi.
Today, Fimbur and his retinue continue their mission of finding the lost hold of Bhurali-Dwar.
We used our freshly made Triumph & Treachery ruleset that we adapted from the recent Age of Sigmar version for Old World.
I also wanted to show how flexible the Conquest rules were by showing how my Conquest army could fight against two non-Conquest armies in a three-way Triumph and Treachery game.
If you want to find out more about Old World: Conquest, our narrative system for Old World, based on the Age of Sigmar Path to Glory system, then click here.
We’ve also a friendly Discord server, where you can share your own suggestions for Conquest.
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The Story So Far
(Epic American Voiceover Guy) Previously, on the Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar
Fimbur Grimsson had spent his entire adolescence behind his father’s beard-tails. His father, Grim Fimbursson, had amassed a large fortune and was among the wealthier Dwarfs of Karak-Norn.
Fimbur had heard tale of a lost haunted hold called Bhurali-Dwar while in the ‘Grobi’s Head’, a rather run down Tavern in the lower levels of Karak-Norn. Wanting nothing more than to make a name for himself, Fimbur began planning an expedition to find the hold and reclaim it.
Fimbur, having a good relationship with his father, ran the expedition plans past him one evening. His father, who wanted nothing more than for Fimbur to succeed in life, decided to fund the expedition.
After months of preparation, the expedition was ready to leave the gates of Karak-Norn. Bidding his father goodbye, Fimbur took his force southwards, heading towards the mine of Grung Gandaz.
After 3 days, the scouts began reporting killing the odd Night Goblin here and there who seemed to be fleeing away from the mine. As the day progressed and the army marched closer, the number of reports increased, each one the same. Night Goblins fleeing southwards in terror away from the mine.
It wasn’t long before his rangers reported a large army of Night Goblins fleeing southwards from the mine. Seeing an opportunity to cross out some Grudges from the Dammaz Kron, Fimbur deployed his force across the road, aiming to wipe these Grobi out as they fled.
These plans were good, but they didn’t take into account the sheer numbers of Grobi fleeing the mine. Trying to hold back a flood, the walls of Dwarfs gave way, and the Grobi fled southwards. Entering the mine, the Dwarfs found the crew of an organ gun sharing cups after a hard fought battle. Agreeing to join the expedition, the forces of Fimbur made their way into the depths of the underway.
The Search Continues
After a few days and with nought to show for it, the Dwarfs climbed out of the underway and descended into the foothills of the eastern Grey Mountains. Finding an imperial village called Halgerbach, the Dwarfs speak to the village leaders.
The leaders of the village are all too aware of the tales of the lost hold and claim a Dwarf who resides in the village knows of its location, pointing the Dwarfs towards a sturdy stone building outside the village.
………..
“Aye, I know of a way to get to Bhurali-Dwar. But it isn’t for beardlings.” The Old Runesmith stated after some time talking to Fimbur.
“There’s a map in the possession of some human mage not far from here. I’ve spoken to him a few times about claiming it back for the Dawi, but the Gruznak refuses to give it up.” He continued.
“I’ll come with ye to see if we can’t get the umgi to relinquish it.”
…….
The Dwarfs marched south towards the mage’s location. However, as they neared, they saw plumes of smoke rising in the distance and heard the clamour of battle carried on the air.
Entering the valley, the Dwarfs found embattled Empire troops facing off against a Chaos warband. The mage’s home was in flames, and Fimbur realised he had to act quick to reclaim the map. Paying no heed to either army, the Dwarfs decide to march straight to the home and resolve to fight anyone who got in their way…..
The Battleplan
Once again, with only a couple of hours to spare, Ian, Dave, and I rolled our battleplan at random from those in the Old World: Triumph & Treachery battlepack, rolling the Relic.
Each turn, the player who controlled the relic at the end of the turn, would earn a number of victory points equal to the turn number. Also, for every 100 points of enemy troops destroyed a player would earn 1 victory point.
Fighting at 750 points for this game meant that I had to introduce a temporary unit into the army to match the other players. Both of whom aren’t fighting with a Conquest army in this particular game. I decided to add a Runesmith who would be useful against the potential magic that both armies could bring. To up the points to 750, I also gave the Runesmith the Master Rune of Calm.
My plan was simple. Use as many ploys as I could early doors to try and keep both Ian and Dave off me as I rushed to claim the Relic early.
The relic…
The Pregame Lists
The Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar
=== The Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar [750 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Dwarfen Mountain Holds ===
Gold: 4 Stronghold: Bazaar Quest: Search for the Artefact Quest Points: 0 Vault: Empty
Thane [79 pts] Fimbur Grimsson – Hand weapon – Great weapon – Full plate armour – General – Oathstone – 5 Renown
Runesmith [133 pts] (Not Conquest) Grigor Makksson – Hand Weapon – Full plate armour – Oathstone – Master Rune of Calm
++ Core Units [210 pts] ++
10 Rangers [110 pts] Karak-Norn Sharpshooters – Hand weapons – Crossbows – Heavy armour – 3 Renown
10 Thunderers [100 pts] Grindir’s Raiders – Hand weapons – Handguns – Heavy armour – 2x Casualties
++ Special Units [208 pts] ++
1 Gyrocopter [60 pts] Hambir’s Flyer – Hand weapons – Steam guns – Full plate armour (armoured fuselage)
10 Longbeards [148 pts] Fimbur’s Guard – Hand weapons – Heavy armour – Shields – Elder (champion) – Standard bearer – Musician
++ Rare Units [120 pts] ++
1 Organ Gun [120pts] Helga – Organ gun – Hand weapons – Light armour
===
Dave’s Empire of Men
=== Empire 750 [747 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Empire of Man ===
++ Characters [183 pts] ++
Master Mage [95 pts] – Hand weapon – Level 2 Wizard – General – On foot – Earthing Rod – Elementalism
Captain of the Empire [88 pts] – Hand weapon – Full plate armour – Shield – Brace of pistols – Battle Standard Bearer – On foot
++ Core Units [338 pts] ++
10 State Missile Troops [80 pts] – Hand weapons – Handguns – Detachment
5 Empire Knights [123 pts] – Hand weapons – Great weapons – Heavy armour – Preceptor (champion) – Standard bearer – Musician
20 State Troops [135 pts] – Hand weapons – Light armour – Shields – Sergeant (champion) – Standard bearer – Musician
++ Special Units [226 pts] ++
5 Outriders [101 pts] – Hand weapons – Pistols – Repeater handguns – Heavy armour – Sharpshooter (champion) [Repeater handgun]
Great Cannon [125 pts] – Great cannon – Hand weapons
===
Ian’s Warriors of Chaos
=== Warriors of Chaos [746 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Warriors of Chaos ===
++ Characters [296 pts] ++
Exalted Sorcerer [130 pts] – Hand weapon – Light armour – Mark of Nurgle – Level 2 Wizard – On foot – Battle Magic
Exalted Champion [166 pts] – Lance – Heavy armour – Shield – Mark of Chaos Undivided – General – Daemonic Mount
++ Core Units [450 pts] ++
8 Chaos Warriors [146 pts] – Hand weapons – Heavy armour – Shields – Mark of Chaos Undivided – Mark of Nurgle – Champion – Standard bearer – Musician
4 Chaos Knights [126 pts] – Hand weapons – Shields – Heavy armour – Mark of Chaos Undivided – Champion – Standard bearer – Musician
10 Chaos Warriors [178 pts] – Additional hand weapons – Heavy armour – Mark of Khorne – Champion – Standard bearer – Musician
===
The Battle of Durnheim Pass
Deployment
With Ian to my far right and Dave ahead of me, my immediate concern was Dave and his ranged weaponry. Knowing Ian had no shooting I lined most of my ranged units up to face Dave and to try and thin out the fire coming towards me. I then placed my Longbeards with the Thane ready to march on the tower at the earliest opportunity, and the rangers slightly outside my deployment area on my left to take shots at the oncoming Chaos forces.
The Empire troops viewed from the Dwarf lines.
The Chaos lines (right) look across the Empire and Dwarf forces
Dwarf deployment. Organ gun with Thunderers on the left, longbeards angled to the relic in the centre with the Gyrocopter behind. Rangers on the right.
Empire deployment. Handgunners near the ruins with the cannon and Outriders behind. Spearmen in the centre and knights on the left.
Turn 1
The roll off meant that Dave got to choose who went first this turn. Choosing himself, he sent most of his force forward against the Dwarfs while positioning his Outriders to protect his left flank from any Chaos cavalry. Declaring me as his enemy in the shooting phase, I played my first ploy Allies of Convenience, forcing Dave to choose Ian as his enemy instead. As a result, Dave was unable to fire any missile weapons. Ian and I then rolled off with me winning but choosing to let Ian take his turn first.
Using his first ploy of the game, Ian declared me as his enemy in the movement phase and played Suprise Attack to increase the charge range of his Exalted Champion to attack the Rangers on my right flank. The Rangers managed to take a wound off the Champion through stand and shoot.
The Champion and his mount downed three Dwarfs, who caused no wounds in reply.
The Exalted Champion charges the Dawi
The Rangers fell back in good order with the Exalted Champion pursuing.
The remaining Chaos forces, marching forwards.
In my first turn, I cast my hex from the Master Rune of Calm, with neither Dave or Ian able dispel it. I then attempted to perform a march with my Longbeards and Thane towards the relic to claim it, but Dave played Hidden Pitfalls, which disallowed them from marching.
In the shooting phase, I chose Dave as my enemy and used the ploy Target Their Blind Side to give my Organ Gun +1 on it’s hit rolls. Dave countered this by playing Sabotage, halving its range and effectively making it unable to shoot. The Thunderers had a little more luck, though, and shot one of the knights on Dave’s left flank from its horse.
Victory Points
Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar: 0
Empire of Men: 0
Warriors of Chaos: 0
Turn 2
Rolling off once more to determine who went first in turn 2, I was lucky enough to win the roll. Choosing to keep it this time, I once again tried to cast the Hex from the Master Rune of Calm, but Ian manages a dispel.
In the movement phase, Fimbur and the Longbeards march forward and claim the relic from the ruins of the Mage’s home.
The Dwarfs claim the jelly baby (map)
I then chose Dave (once again) as my enemy in the shooting phase, Dave used the ploy Allies of Convenience to switch this to Ian, only for Ian to play the same ploy and switch it back to Dave! (Ian couldn’t even be shot by me, but wanted to “see the carnage.”)
The Organ gun crew, drunk out of their minds, fire on the Handgunners near the Longbeards, felling 5 of their number. The Thunderers add to this tally downing a further three. However, being made of stern stuff, the last two handgunners shake it off and stare down the Dwarfs.
Having Ian and Dave both play their Allies of Convenience ploys meant that I could choose Dave as my opponent in the combat phase, resulting in the Rangers and Exalted Champion combat being a push.
Ian won the roll off to go next, he chooses Dave as his enemy who uses the Allies of Convenience to change it to me, not wanting to be charged by Ian, I use the same ploy to change it back to Dave. Dave keeps asking Ian to choose an enemy in the shooting phase and that he should choose me, so I suspect he’s up to something. So when Ian does choose me, I offer Ian one of my ploys if he chooses Dave instead, which he promptly accepts. It turned out Dave had a ploy that would allow him to shoot as a neutral. Lucky guess….
In the combat phase, Ian chooses me as his enemy and finally gets to fight again with his Exalted Champion. However, only the Stomp manages to flatten one ranger, and the Dwarfs hold their nerve.
Going into Dave’s turn and he chooses me as his opponent. Wanting to hold on to the jelly baby and not get charged, I use Allies of Convenience to force him to pick Ian.In his shooting phase, Dave once more picks me as his enemy and promptly misses with everything (queue evil laughter).
With time up and the club closing, we draw the game to a close. Having the Jelly Baby means I got two victory points and scraped a small victory over the other two.
Victory Points
Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar: 2
Empire of Men: 0
Warriors of Chaos: 0
Post Battle Review
It was a short game, but immense fun. The addition of ploys to the game kept everyone guessing. I honestly think if the game had continued, I would have snuck the win. With the Longbeards and Thane holding the map (Jelly Baby), they would have been hard to defeat by the other two. Perhaps only with a joint effort by the two of them together would have guaranteed the victory. My organ gun and thunderers did well clearing down the handgunners, removing some of Dave’s ranged threat, just a shame they couldn’t make the last two Flee to have given me another victory point.
Either way, it was great fun, and it’s enticed Ian into collecting some Old World now….
Aftermath Sequence
With the game over, it was time to sort out my army for the campaign in the aftermath sequence as defined in Old World: Conquest.
Step 1 – Earn Gold
Nice and simple, we played a 750-point game, and so got I got 5 gold. I won a minor victory and got a further 2 gold, and my General took part and survived for yet another gold piece. This, with the 4 gold I had remaining after the last game, gave me 12 in total.
Step 2 – Resolve Injuries and Casualties
Only the four casualties in the Rangers here, and my roll saw them all come back to the unit. I spent a gold coin here so that I could try and recover the two injuries I had left in the Thunderers, which I did. This left me 11 gold.
Step 3 – Gain Renown Points
The bonus renown didn’t apply to anything in my army, but all my units survived and so each gained 1 renown. On top of this I had Favoured Warriors, which I gave to the Rangers. This was a little gamey, as I knew they already had three renown from the last game had just gained 1 from surviving and was hoping to get them over 5 so they could earn an ability! I rolled a 1….. I added this to their total on my roster.
This made them Veteran Warriors, I decided to give them Deadly Volley, which would add 1 to their ballistic skill for one turn in a battle. (Note that I can only use this against a player who is also playing a Conquest army).
Step 4 – Complete Quests.
I didn’t get any Quest Points from the game as my units had to be in Dave’s or Ian’s part of the table.
Step 5 – Manage Stronghold
With a unit cap of 6 and 5 units in my roster, I would need to buy barracks soon to increase my unit cap to 9. However for now, we’ll leave this until we’ve reached our cap.
Step 6 – Manage Your Territories
So rolling a D66, I got 14 for a Bazaar, which would increase my Allies cap to 2. I decided not to take this as with only two more slots for territory available to me at this point, I wanted to reserve them for something I really needed.
Step 7 – Manage Your Order of Battle
Here I spent 4 gold. I really liked the Runesmith in the game and especially the Master Rune of Calm, plus it makes narrative sense to have the Dwarf with possible knowledge of Bhurali-Dwar to join the expedition. This left me 7 Gold. This bought me up to my unit cap, so I’ll have to buy a barracks next time around.
Updated List
=== The Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar [750 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Dwarfen Mountain Holds ===
Gold: 7 Stronghold: Bazaar Quest: Search for the Artefact Quest Points: 0 Vault: Empty
10 Longbeards [148 pts] Fimbur’s Guard – Hand weapons – Heavy armour – Shields – Elder (champion) – Standard bearer – Musician – 1 Renown
++ Rare Units [120 pts] ++
1 Organ Gun [120pts] Helga – Organ gun – Hand weapons – Light armour – 1 Renown
===
Post Battle Lore
Leaving the manlings to fight out their wars, the Dwarfs retired from the battle.
“Aye” Said Grigor “That’s the map”. The map was at least a few hundred years old by Fimbur’s reckoning and it was so worn that in places the markings were too faint to make out.
“Southwards” Said Grigor.
“How are you so certain?” Fimbur asked.
“You see this rune here” Grigor pointed at a point on the map that Fimbur could barely make out, “that shows Grung Gandaz mine, the old Hold is not far from there. Looks to be a days march in the underway west of the mine.” he continued.
“We’ve just come from there!” Fimbur cried.
“Aye, but if you’re not looking for a Kobold, then you won’t find a Kobold.”
Fimbur laughed at the old proverb. “Tell everyone to rest, we’ll break camp in the morning”.
Last time, I went into detail about the lore behind my list and how I decided upon my unit choices. The result felt solid and lore accurate with enough punch to hopefully put some halt in the step of an opponent.
With the list made, I challenged Dave to a game at 500 points. We rolled for the battle plan when we met and got Breakthrough.
If you want to find out more about Old World: Conquest, our narrative system for Old World, based on the Age of Sigmar Path to Glory system, then click here.
We’ve also a friendly Discord server, where you can share your own suggestions for Conquest.
The Story So Far
(Epic American Voiceover Guy) Previously, on the Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar
Fimbur Grimsson had spent his entire adolescence behind his father’s beard-tails. His father, Grim Fimbursson, had amassed a large fortune and was among the wealthier Dwarfs of Karak-Norn.
Fimbur had heard tale of a lost haunted hold called Bhurali-Dwar while in the ‘Grobi’s Head’, a rather run down Tavern in the lower levels of Karak-Norn. Wanting nothing more than to make a name for himself, Fimbur began planning an expedition to find the hold and reclaim it.
Fimbur, having a good relationship with his father, ran the expedition plans past him one evening. His father, who wanted nothing more than for Fimbur to succeed in life, decided to fund the expedition.
After months of preparation, the expedition was ready to leave the gates of Karak-Norn. Bidding his father goodbye, Fimbur took his force southwards, heading towards the mine of Grung Gandaz.
After 3 days, the scouts began reporting killing the odd Night Goblin here and there who seemed to be fleeing away from the mine. As the day progressed and the army marched closer, the number of reports increased, each one the same. Night Goblins fleeing southwards in terror away from the mine.
It wasn’t long before his rangers reported a large army of Night Goblins fleeing southwards from the mine. Seeing an opportunity to cross out some Grudges from the Dammaz Kron, Fimbur deployed his force across the road, aiming to wipe these Grobi out as they fled.
The Battleplan
With only a couple of hours to spare, Dave and I rolled our battleplan at random from those in the Old World: Conquest battlepack, rolling Breakthrough.
We rolled off, and Dave was allocated the role of Invader (very suitable being the filthy Grobi).
My aim was simple, stop as much as I could of Dave’s army from leaving my table edge. If I could stop more than half of Dave’s army from leaving my table edge and kill his general, then I’d get a minor victory. If none of his units left my table edge, I would get a major victory. Anything less than that would result in defeat for the Dwarfs.
The beauty of a game like this is that my head cannon for the game can be completely different from Dave’s. So, while my Dwarfs are attempting to destroy a load of fleeing Gobbos, Dave’s may well be something different that fits within his narrative story plot.
The Pregame Lists
The Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar
=== The Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar [497 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Dwarfen Mountain Holds ===
Gold: 5 Stronghold: Bazaar Quest: Search for the Artefact Quest Points: 0 Vault: Empty
Following the battleplan deployed our forces, luckily for me, I had the unit of Rangers, which I could place right in the centre of that tunnel out of my territory. With them in the middle, the thunderers on my right flank, and the gyrocopter and Longbeards on my left, my aim was to create a killing zone in the centre as the Goblins charged forward.
The view of the Grobi line from the Dwarf left flank
Turn 1
The Grobi charged forward towards the stalwart Dwarfs. The Wolf Chariot, having sipped on some particular potent fungus brew before the battle, managed to crash straight into the Thunderers on the Dwarf left, killing two in the process. The Thunderers fled (Break test roll of 10, against a 9 needed!), and the Chariot continued to cut them down. While the Mangler smashed through the trees on the right peering down at Fimbur and his Longbeards as they ignored it and charged into the Grobi Spears in the centre of the battlefield, the Gyrocopter taking up position nearby intending to at least put some hurt on the Mangler.
Goblin Wolf Chariot makes a long bomb charge
The Grobi leader issued a guttural challenge to the Dwarfs which the leader of the Fimbur’s Guard quickly accepted by cutting the Grobi’s head off. It wasn’t enough for the Dwarfs to win the combat, however, and they promptly broke and fled (another break test roll of 10!).
Meanwhile, in the centre, the Rangers ploughed bolt after bolt into the Grobi archers, felling them at a distance with the Goblins unable to mount and serious challenge to these sharpshooters.
The Longbeards Flee from the spearmen
Turn 2
The Goblin spearmen pursue Fimbur and his Longbeard Guards southwards (off the table).
The massive Mangler Squig swings around and with massive leap managers to jump on top of the Gyrocopter, crushing the machine and pilot to the ground in a shower of metal.
In the centre, the Rangers continue their toll on the Grobi archers, felling five more. However, these Grobi are more scared of whatever they’re running from than the Dwarfs blocking their path and refuse to flee.
The Mangler makes short work of the Gyro
Turn 3
With little to stop them on the Dwarf right the Mangler and the Grobi warboss Flee past the Dwarf lines.
The Rangers kill the remaining Grobi archers. With nothing remaining on the battlefield, the Dwarfs are dumbstruck at what just took place. Helping the wounded to their feet, the Ranger set off to find Fimbur and his guard.
Post Battle Review
Wow. I mean, that, was, brutal. The Wolf Chariots’ long bomb charge in the first turn at max range meant it managed to kill a thunderer through impact hits and then somehow beat them in combat after they whiffed. I needed an 8 or less to stay put and fight again or a 9 to fall back in good order. I rolled a 10.
The loss of the thunderers was huge, as I felt they could have beaten the chariot normally and then taken care of the Archers with shooting. This would have allowed my rangers to keep a steady rate of fire at the Mangler and Spearmen, but alas.
Then this was further compounded by the Longbeards, somehow losing combat in my turn against the spearmen, rolling a 10 for their break test as well. They fled, but we’re then charged and fled off the table next turn.
Still, it was immense fun, and I’m looking forward to getting my revenge against @hamsfan and his Grobi in the future.
Aftermath Sequence
With the game over, it was time to sort out my army for the campaign in the aftermath sequence as defined in Old World: Conquest.
Step 1 – Earn Gold
Nice and simple, we played a 500-point game, and so got I got 5 gold. I did not win, and my General ended off the table, so there was no additional gold. This, with the 5 gold you get at the start of a campaign, gave me 10 in total.
Step 2 – Resolve Injuries and Casualties
I had a fair bit to do here, as I had lost alot of Dwarfs.
First up, my general, Fimbur. Rolling 2D6, I got a 4. A critical injury! I chose to reroll at a cost of 1 gold, this as otherwise, my character would start with D3 less wounds in the next battle. 11, much better! This was a minor injury and had no effect on him.
Next, it was time for casualties. First the Lonbeards. As they had all fled the table, I’d need to do rolls for each of them, with any 1s being a casualty. 3 casualties! The dice were not with me. Deciding to spend another gold piece, I rerolled the result. Not a single 1 the second time around, thank goodness!
Next, the Thunderers, 2 casualties here. I decided I would keep this result as I would need to spend the 8 gold elsewhere in the aftermath sequence.
The Rangers suffered 1 loss in the battle, but this was healed up.
The Gyrocopter having a wounds characteristic of less than 8 got to roll as a casualty and luckily rolled a 4. We decided the pilot would have jumped out at the last moments and survived to rebuild his machine.
Step 3 – Gain Renown Points
The bonus renown didn’t apply to anything in my army, so all I had was Favoured Warriors, which I gave to the Rangers. Mainly due to them being the only effective unit in the game! Rolling a 3, I marked this down next to the unit on my roster.
Step 4 – Complete Quests.
I didn’t get any Quest Points from the game as my units had to be in Dave’s half of the table.
Step 5 – Manage Stronghold
With a unit cap of 6 and 5 units in my roster, I would need to buy barracks soon to increase my unit cap to 9. Hiwever for now, we’ll leave this.
Step 6 – Manage Your Territories
So rolling a D66, I got 42 for an Ancient Road, which would increase my Allies cap to 2. I decided not to take this as with only two more slots for territory available to me at this point, I wanted to reserve them for something I really needed.
Step 7 – Manage Your Order of Battle
Here I spent 4 gold. Deciding that being a Dwarf, Fimbur would really love having some artillery to support his little expedition. So I recruited an organ gun to mow down those pesky Grobi.
Updated List
=== The Dwarfs of Bhurali-Dwar [617 pts] Warhammer: The Old World, Dwarfen Mountain Holds ===
Gold: 4 Stronghold: Bazaar Quest: Search for the Artefact Quest Points: 0 Vault: Empty
Thane [79 pts] Fimbur Grimsson – Hand weapon – Great weapon – Full plate armour – General – Oathstone – 5 Renown
++ Core Units [358 pts] ++
10 Longbeards [148 pts] Fimbur’s Guard – Hand weapons – Heavy armour – Shields – Elder (champion) – Standard bearer – Musician
10 Rangers [110 pts] Karak-Norn Sharpshooters – Hand weapons – Crossbows – Heavy armour – 3 Renown
10 Thunderers [100 pts] Grindir’s Raiders – Hand weapons – Handguns – Heavy armour – 2x Casualties
++ Special Units [60 pts] ++
1 Gyrocopters [60 pts] Hambir’s Flyer – Hand weapons – Steam guns – Full plate armour (armoured fuselage)
++ Rare Units [120 pts] ++
1 Organ Gun [120pts] Helga – Organ gun – Hand weapons – Light armour
===
Post Battle Lore
Fimbur and his Guard trudged back towards the site of the battle. The amount of Grobi bodies fleeing through the Dwarf lines had simply been too much. It was like holding back a flood.
Whatever had scared the Grobi had been more terrifying than the Dwarfs that stood in their path. That being said, Fimbur still felt some shame for not being able to cut the filth down.
—
Meeting up with the rest of the force, the Dwarfs took stock of their losses, two dead from the Thunderers and the Gyrocopter badly damaged. There were a few walking wounded, but considering what they had just experienced, it wasn’t too bad.
The Dwarfs marched up the approach road to the mine entrance, dead Grobi lay everywhere, all looking as if they had been running from the mine itself. At the entrance to the mine, they found the wooden doors cracked and buckled. But the damage had been from the inside rather than outside.
Walking in through the entrance, a cavern opened up around them. Sunk into the expertly carved walls of the cavern were many dwellings and workings that you would associate with a small mine of this size. The buildings mostly seemed undamaged, though the main thoroughfare through the settlement looked as if a Stampede of thundertusks had been there. The familiar sight of Grobi bodies lay everywhere. On a ledge further up the cavern wall from the entrance they had just arrived through, Fimbur could see an organ gun and its crew resting and enjoying some ale.
—
After a few rounds of Ale the Dwarfs of Grung Gandaz, who had mostly survived the attack unharmed, told Fimbur about how the Grobi had fled from the lower depths of the mine and out of the entrance. The crew of the Organ Gun, who had been stationed on the ledge to provide it with line of fire not only over the entrance but also to the mouth of the actual mine, had been enjoying themselves exterminating the filth as they ran, but barely made a dent in their numbers.
They had no idea what had terrified the Night Goblins so much that they had not only been willing to charge through a Dwarf settlement but also run out into the full glare of the sun.
Wanting to “kill the Grobi filth,” Bindor, the engineer of the Organ Gun ‘Helga‘, offered to lead Fimbur and his expedition through the mines and into the underway. to tag along with Fimbur’s expedition.
Bindor had heard the rumours about Bhurali-Dwar but had no idea whereabouts it could be located. Eing at the southern part of the Grey Mountains, they decided the best policy would be to move northwards from Grung Gandaz.
Pinpointing precisely when the first Slave to Darkness was born is difficult to achieve. Since the dawn of time within the mortal realms the Chaos Gods’ tendrils would reach through and warp reality, whispering dark thoughts to anyone who would listen. Khorne would urge Generals to strive for evermore glory, Tzeentch would encourage further study into the arcane, Slaanesh would speak of pleasure to aristocrats and artists alike, and father Nurgle would call out to those who lived off the land. It is when the first of these individuals gave in to the dark voices which lurked within and pledged themselves to these mysterious forces that the first Slave to Darkness came into the Mortal Realms.
A crippling defeat
Sigmar and his Pantheon were the all-powerful Gods who sought to shepherd all the races within the mortal realms. Aware of the existence of Chaos, they prepared for the eventual day that the Ruinous Powers would invade the mortal realms. As the age of Chaos began, the daemons poured in, slaughtering all who did not join them. At the battle of the Burning Skies Sigmar was betrayed by Nagash, and in turn was decisively defeated, retreating into Azyr. Those few who remained would either be forced to concede and accept the Chaos gods as their own or be slaughtered in the wake of their victory.
The Great Game
Tzeentch, Nurgle, Khorne, Slaanesh, and the Great Horned Rat though allied against Sigmar and the forces of order, are only allies of convenience when it suits them best. Otherwise, they forever compete within The Great Game, in which each god seeks to dominate the others within the realm of Chaos. This Game of course extends well within the mortal realms, where they constantly vie for control of land, resources, and followers.
Archaon the Everchosen
Perhaps the greatest encapsulation of the Great Game is no other than Archaon. The mortal champion of Chaos, accepting gifts from all gods, but pledging himself to none. Archaon is a mortal, who is speculated to have lived for eons, having ushered in the end of the world that was, and potentially having destroyed other realities since then. His ultimate goal is to pierce into the realm of Azyr, and destroy the last bastion of Order and Sigmar along with it.
The Dark Master
Belakor, the first Daemon Prince to have ever existed, as Archaeon, has existed since the formation of the world that was. Indeed prior to the existence of any Everchosen having been crowned, the ruinous powers would compete over his soul as they now do for Archaon. Belakor would go on to betray the Gods, in an attempt to serve his own purposes, and would in turn fall right into their trap. Cursed to forever crown the Everchosen, but never become him, Belakor lives in a state of pure envy. Envy of the great Archaon, to whom so many swear their loyalty. Belakor, seeks to usurp Archaon’s place within the eyes of the Chaos Gods, and return himself to the glory of his past.
Welcome to the first in a new series of articles where we run through the lore of the Age of Sigmar factions.
These are intended to give you a little flavour into the faction, and hopefully give you an understanding on what drives them.
The World That Was
The story of the Idoneth begins way back in the world that was, right after the forces of chaos forced their way in, and right before they ultimately conquered it. During this time there was a sect of Aelves who worshipped the god known as Mathlann. God of both sea and storm and known as the lord of the Deep, Mathlann was primarily worshipped by sea fairing Aelves, and explorers. When the Chaos gods began to consume the souls of all living creatures, Mathlann sought to protect the few he could from them, and so he took a contingent of his followers and hid them at the deepest depths of the oceans. Despite this, Slaanesh could sense more souls still, and would root out each remote enclave one by one until every single aelvan soul was devoured.
The Age of Myth
During the age of Myth, what remained of the Aelvan pantheon awoke, and sadly Mathlann was not amongst those who survived. Teclis, Tyrion, and Malerion awoke in a world which lacked any Aelves to rule over, and as such devised a plan to capture Slaanesh and pry the souls from his gullet. Each of the three main gods would receive a share of the souls, and Teclis would be the first to receive them. Those souls which were first pulled from Slaanesh, turned out to be those of the idoneth. Those original souls would come to be known as the Cythai.
No Rest for the Wicked
After escaping both from Teclis and Slaanesh, the Cythai found themselves within the throes of a new horror. The combination of Corruption from Slaanesh, Purification ritual from Teclis, and the lack of a God to draw from led the majority of Idoneth to be born with Waning souls. Many of their offspring fail to live past infancy, and those that do (the Namarti) , have drastically shortened life spans. Some would be born with proper souls (Akhelians) and this disparity between the two would go on to form the basic structure of Idoneth society. To ensure their survival something would need to be done. Adapting the magic that Teclis had taught them they would form a new school of magic revolving around the removal of and transmutation of souls. Unfortunately, the souls of Sea life would not be enough to sustain that of an Idoneth body for any more than a couple of days, the only alternative was to seek out greater prey. The Idoneth would form raiding parties that would ascend from the depths raid coastal settlements taking with them the souls of the fallen back to their enclaves. To ensure secrecy, the Idoneth would weave spells to erase the memories of survivors.
