Arkham Horror

Tomorrow it will be instead of Mordheim a four player game of Arkham Horror.  It's a goodbye party for Jonathan, who will have a Mordheim Dramatis Personae character created in his honor.  Our gaming group will miss him, hopefully he will be able to return from the icy cold chaos wastes to the North from time to time to get a game in and visit.  In the meanwhile, we are going to attempt to finish the Arkham Horror game.  I have been prepping myself by playing a couple of solo games to get totally familiar with the rules, and I think I am ready to go.  I actually won a solo game with two investigators in less than two hours last weekend, which is a much greater achievement than the 15 victory point rating I managed at the end. 

Thanksgiving Prison Break

We had a fun and entertaining game of Mordheim over the weekend, with the special Prison Break scenario being played by five bands on the table at once. Showing up to try and recapture the prisoners were Steve's (AKA Helmet of Justice) Orcs (Nazgut's Teef Takas), Andy's Dwarven Tresure Hunters, Luke's Witch Hunters, Edwin's Marienburgers (Falcula's Fine Goods and Curiosities), and Nate's (AKA Count Lucius/Count Chetcula) Sisters of Sigmar (Mother Wiligifordias' Righteous Fury).

To make a long story short, Edwin's Marienburgers shot to pieces much of Luke's Witch Hunters, but never managed to take down their Captain Ragnar. As these two unscrupulous human bands tore each other to pieces, Steve's Orcs slowly approached from the opposite table edge. On the other side of the table the Dwarves and Sisters immediately mixed it up, with mixed results for both sides.

Despite the valiant efforts of Sister Philomena the Unbreakable (she singlehandedly eliminated an Imperial Assassin and a full fledged Witch Hunter encroaching from the opposite flank), the Sisters routed most righteously after Mother Wilgifordias and the formidable Sister Brigette were taken out of action by a lucky shot from a Dwarf Engineer and a mad Slayer repsectively.

Next to route were the Witch Hunters, having lost nearly 2/3 of their number. The remaining three bands were near fully strength, despite the cruel fates shining their light upon the Marienburgers Ogre Bodyguard, who met his end at the hands of a very mad and diminutive goblin.

With no end in near sight and time pressing on, the game was declared a draw victory for the three remaining warbands. At least there was the gargantuan buffet to offer solace to the losers.

Man of the Match: Tie - Sister Philomena for her heroic efforts against the vile Witch Hunters; and the nameless goblin wretch for taking out the Ogre all by himself in two turns; & the Dwarf Engineer for taking out two Sister heroes, including Mother Wilgifordias as well as one other poor soul who is not worth remembering.

Pathetic Excuse for a Model of the Match: Drool the Troll, who failed 8 consecutive stupidity tests, and managed to only move forward 6 inches the entire game. Honorable Mention goes to Kadrak McGillis, the Dwarf mercernary, who was taken out in the second turn by an Assassin without having even attempted an action.

Here are some photos of the action as it happened.

The City of the Damned

More City of the Damned, from another angle.

The warbands advance on their first turn, note Drool the Troll in the center of the board staring at a wall.

The Sisters Advance under the shadow of a plotting Assassin.

The Dwarves make quick work of the Sisters.

The Witch Hunters gather around a fire to roast some marshmallows, and then some heathens.

The Orcs advance on the Marienburgers.

The Marienburgers use their cover and superior crossbows to pelt the Witch Hunters.

Sister Philomena shows a Witch Hunter who Sigmar truly favors.

The Marienburgers turn to face the Orcs after the Witch Hunters Route.

And Grogtak Kneesmasher meets his end at the fingernail of a goblin.

New Scenario - Prison Break

The annual Thanksgiving Mordheim Madness event is in two days, and I have written up a special scenario for it, Prison Break.  I am really excited to play this with 6-8 people, which is what we should have as a group, making for one of the most hectic multiplayer games I will have ever been involved with.  I wrote this scenario originally back in 2003, but haven't played it since.  But the time has come to bring it back from its dusty corner in the library and onto the table for play.  The usual crew will be in attendance, plus some other friends, and we should be able to get a 4x6 table completely kitted out thanks to the magnificent scenery of Helmet of Justice and my own pieces.  I'll have some photos up after the game for sure. 

Prison Break

The Mordheim Gaol was badly damaged by the comet, and in the immediate aftermath many of the inmates escaped.  However the most dangerous prisoners were in the better constructed solitary cells, and only after further building deterioration did they manage to escape.  Some blame it on chaos cultists, but nobody knows for certain.  But now the inmates are on the loose, and the few remaining powers that be either want them dead or in chains, or working for them if they are unscrupulous.  

Terrain
Each player takes it in turn to place a piece of terrain, either a ruined building, tower, or other similar item. The only terrain constant is that a ruined building representing the prison is in the center of the table.  I suggest that the terrain is set up within an area roughly 4' x 4', larger if more players are involved.

Warbands

Players setup according to multiplayer rules.

Special Rules

Prisoners: There are many deadly inmates who escaped from the prison, but the worst were saved for last.  Sensing an opportunity to make good on their escape, the prisoners will attempt to work with the warbands to ensure that it happens.  Each player will choose one inmate from the selection to control for the game.  This prisoner will have all the abilities and stats listed on his card profile.  The controlled prisoner will be able to attack on the players turn.  The prisoner has no qualms about attacking other inmates as well.  The prisoner will be setup within 4” of the prison building closest to the controlling players warband.  At the end of the match the prisoner may be hired by the warband as per hired sword rules.

Rewards: At the end of the game for every prisoner a player takes out of action, they may receive an additional shard of wyrdstone from the authorities for turning them back in.  Or if they are evil aligned, they may sacrifice them for an additional +1 experience point per prisoner for the warbands leader.  

Ending the Game
The game ends when all but one warband fails its Rout test. The routers automatically lose.

Experience
+1 Survives: If a Hero or a Henchman group survives the battle they gain +1 Experience.
+1 Winning Leader: The leader of the winning warband gains +1 Experience.
+1 per Prisoner taken out of action

+1 Per Enemy Out Of Action: Any Hero earns +1 Experience for each enemy he puts Out Of Action.

Finished Possessed - From Wrecks to Fabulous

I finished redoing the Possessed warband that appeared in a previous post, and I am pretty happy with the results. Definitely an improvement over the condition in which they arrived in the mail. The photos aren't so great because I had really bad lighting, but here are the finished models.

The entire gang

The two Possessed

Magister

Another group shot

Magister in natural light

Clawed Possessed with giant hand

Tentacled Possessed

One Night in Mordheim

The cursed city of Mordheim

The heroes gathered outside the gates of the cursed city, trembling with fear but drooling with greed.  The mad Count Grishnak had offered a 100 gold crown purse to whichever pair of heroes could survive the night unscathed.  As if giddy with anticipation the heroes could sense the air of the living city breathing restlessly through the gates, as if it knew that there were fools to be devoured this night.  But as all intrepid explorers of Mordheim know, nothing speaks louder then gold crowns jingling in your pocket.  And so the warriors crossed the threshold into the city, and chaos was unleashed....

The participants:
Count Chetcula (Pestilens Skaven): Abbot Typhax the Plague Priest & Brother Emanittix the Sorcerer
John (Undead): Count Ladislav the Vicious (Vampire) & Dr. Hermann West, Necromancer (and his warcat Fluffy)
Luke: (Possessed): Elkazar the Magister & The Clawed One (Possessed)

Count Lucius advances upon the Skaven

Heading into the city the deck seemed to be stacked against the Clan Pestilens Skaven.  In addition to being severely outclassed by the elite heroes of the Undead and Possessed, their poor leadership was certain to be called into question against their fear causing opponents, as well as the random happenings that would be occurring on each players turn, as the city has come alive and is looking to enjoy the delights of having a night of fun at others expense.  To make matters worse for the Skaven, but brighter for the Possessed, the first random happening of the game brought a Pit Fighter wandering through the ruins who decided to help in the service of the vile chaos worshipers.

Vampires to the left of me, Possessed to the right...

But the Possessed's good fortune would not last, for at the start of their first turn the Clawed One, already possessed by a vile demon of ill repute, found itself fighting off an attempted possession by a second spirit, which managed to spitefully gain control of the monsters large right hand and slap a wound out of the combat beast before being expelled by the original demonic owner of the human vessel.  As the Undead and Possessed advanced upon the weaker Skaven heroes, high winds picked up rendering missile fire useless for the round, further impeding what little advantages the Skaven might have been able to find.  And sure enough, as the Undead further advanced upon the Plague Monks, Dr. West conjured a vile spell that stole a wound from Brother Typhax, who was then stunned upon the spot.

Saved by the fog

The disasterous turn for the Skaven continued as the building closest to their location burst into flames, blocking their only avenue of escape from the rapidly approaching Possessed and Undead heroes.  Brother Emanittix noticed a silvery pool in his panicked scouring for an escape route and foolishly looked too deep into it's depths, seeing his own demise approaching with alacrity.  The terrified sorcerer then failed his attempt at magically working his way out of the dire situation.

Eeek!  Spiders!

But just as the Undead were about to unleash unholy hell upon the Skaven a fog rolled into the city, limiting visibility and preventing the vampire, who could smell the terrified rats as sure as day, from seeing the cowering prey, so he advanced closer to where he thought they would be.  As the Possessed worked their way towards the area of conflict, also prevented from seeing the Skaven by the fog, they heard a skittering behind them and were fortunate to be just out of the path of a gigantic spider crawling it's way through the ruins looking for it's evening snack, as in the distance buildings could be heard to collapse.

Brother Emanittix bests the Clawed One in close combat

With his back against the wall and his leader knocked down, Brother Emanittix summoned the magic that only a rat facing certain death can accomplish, and used the Black Hunger to turn himself into a fearsome beast and suicidally charged the Clawed One, hoping to get in one last bite before he himself was devoured.  But the Great Horned Rat fiendishly smiled upon the sorcerer, as he bit and clawed the possessed demon to death, much to his great surprise after he morphed back into manrat form.  Abbot Typhax slowly stood up from the his stupor, and was greatly shocked to see the dead Possessed lying at the feat of Emanittix.

Count Ladislav, sensing the nearby combat, cursed the fog that prevented him from seeing his prey.  It was a certainty that if he could just close with the enemy, he would feed on them and drink them dry.  But the cursed fog again prevented him from laying eyes upon his foes.  Dr. West too was out of range for his magics, but he vowed to himself to get close enough to rip the flesh from the bones of anyone he could.  As the enemies closed quarters, in the distance the sound of scurrying rats could be heard above the din, as it seemed a very large rat swarm was rushing across the city nearby, an omen perhaps?

Momentarily stunned by seeing the Possessed model go down to the ratman, the Pit Fighter recovered his wits and jumped through the flames of the burning building to avenge his fallen ally.  But the city of Mordheim is cruel, and although he outclassed the rat sorcerer in combat skills, he was felled by a critical wounding from a diseased dagger in a desperation attack.  At this point in the distance could be heard the moaning of lepers and plague victims making their way towards the conflict, in search of hope for their rotting disease, not knowing they would find no succor once they arrived.

Suddenly confident in his abilities after somehow managing to elminate two vastly superior opponents, Brother Emanittix summoned the powers of the Horned Rat and cast Gnawdoom upon the closing Count Lucius, and the rats gnawed at his undead flesh to the tally of two wounds, slowing down but not stopping the combat behemoth.  Sensing the rage emanating from the vampire Abbot Typhax beat a hasty retreat, hoping to be saved by the fog one last time, and praying to the Horned Rat for blessings as his fur stank of fear.

Elkazar, moments before being devoured by Fluffy the warcat

As if in answer a great storm of chaos came down from the skies and knocked the vampire down where he was standing, as furious winds ripped through the city.  The winds carried the Possessed Magister directly into the range of Dr. West and his warcat, which who sent the cat after the chaos wizard and watched with grim satisfaction as it's giant fangs ripped the worshiper of the pit to shreds, thus ending the Possessed's foray into the city.  Giving one last gasp, the chaos storm sent a rain of fish down upon the heads of the remaining heroes, adding insult to injury for their thinking they would be able to withstand the city.

Seizing the advantage that the chaos storm had brought to bear, Brother Emanittix yet again summoned a horde of rats to gnaw the madly cursing Count Lucius to death as he struggled vainly to stand up.  Attempting to close with the shocked necromancer, Abbot Typhax was slowed by grasping hands of stone erupting from the ground, impeding his progress and allowing Dr. West to escape the suddenly ascendant Skaven.  Dr. West, still shocked by the senseless and entirely unforeseen death of Count Lucius, didn't see the sinkhole underneath him as he attempted to cross a bridge, and fell into it, trapped and unable to move.  Abbot Typhax, blessing the name of the Great Horned Rat and the plague, slew Dr. West's helpless warcat and then proceeded to finish the job and smite the trapped necromancer, thrusting his diseased blade deep into his gullet whilst reciting the holy words of the Liber Bubonicus.  The night was nearly over, and against all odds, the pair of plague monks had survived.  Praise be the Great Horned Rat!

Abbot Typhax & Brother Emanittix, the victors!

Possessed Miniature Wrecks

Here are the Possessed models I mentioned in my previous post, in all their wreckitude.  Can't wait to fix them up, as they are pretty gruesome at the moment!

Possessed/Witch Hunters acquired

Not much has been happening lately, a combination of factors has kept me from doing much with the hobby.  But I did manage to complete my original Mordheim warband collection.  I got a NIB Witch Hunters warband, and a used Possessed warband.  I'm pretty stoked about the Possessed band, as it comes with both possessed models, and only cost me $16.50.  That is entirely due to the miniature wreck paintjob that they came with, which I will post as soon as I get the photos uploaded for the before/after comparison.