Laura and I have started a little Warhammer Fantasy campaign which doesn't have a lot of plot for when we fancy a game without a lot of planning beforehand.
We decided to run a map based campaign using the Nemesis Crown booklet as a source. The plot is very thin but is essentially about an ancient magical artefact being unearthed in a region of the Empire which many different factions are desperate to get their hands on. The evil factions are generally interested in taking it for their own end, and the good factions are generally interested in seeing it destroyed, as it's a very powerful artefact and could spell certain doom for the world.
The Nemesis Crown map
We're using Warhammer Fantasy Battles 5th edition for the campaign, but with the army books I have at hand. This means the 4th edition Wood Elf book, 5th edition Bretonnian and 6th edition Empire & Greenskins (but with 5th edition core rules and magic rules).
We chose two factions each to take part in the campaign, and depending on where we chose to move to on the map we could either encounter the army of one of the other factions or a randomly rolled neutral army.
I made the four armies at 500pts each, and they will gain an additional 50pts per additional territory they hold. In addition to this, the victor of a battle will also receive a single random magic item from the Warhammer: Magic box.
The winner would be whichever faction eventually holds all 9 territories.
We chose a starting 'corner' of the map for each of our factions. Then declared some hidden movement to an adjacent region for each of our factions by writing down where we would move to on pieces of paper, then revealing them all at once.
The starting regions for the factions.
- Wood Elves hold the Draken Downs
- Empire hold The Talabec Border
- Bretonnia holds The Reik's Marches
- Greenskins hold The Taalford Lowlands
We committed our moves and two battles against each other's factions would result from the first campaign turn!
Campaign movement for Turn 1.
We decided to start with the Empire vs. Greenskins battle.
The Empire army ("Reinhardt's Reikland Patrol") consisted of:
Captain Otto Reinhardt
Reiksguard Knights (4)
Mounted Pistoliers (3)
Greatswords (10)
Archers (10)
The Greenskin army ("Grizzlesnot's Gang") consisted of:
Grizzlesnot, Night Goblin Warlord
Goblin Wolf Riders (10)
Black Orcs (5)
Orc Archers (10)
Night Goblins w/Spears (20)
Night goblins w/Bows (20)
Troll (1)
As we were fighting over the Barren Hills we tried to make the terrain look like a blasted landscape of ruins. Unfortunately it still looks quite verdant due to my liberal application of flock & static grass on my Realm of Battle boards.
The armies deployed.
The pistoliers move around the ruins, trying to evade the wolf-riders.
Orc archer rabble opens fire on the humans.
The pistoliers shoot wildly at the wolf-riders, hoping to scare them off.
Reiksguard knights prepare to charge the foul greenskins.
Goblin archers launch their crude arrows at the Greatswords.
The troll lumbers forwards stupidly.
The pistoliers take out a few of the goblin wolf-riders.
The wolf-riders charge the pistoliers flank - which was carelessly exposed!
The black orcs manage to charge the Reiksguard knights.
Furious combat ensues, but the armour of each elite unit keeps them safe from harm.
The Greatswords join Captain Reinhardt in combat against the goblin hordes.
Having dispatched the pistoliers with minimal losses, the wolf-riders join in the melee against the Reiksguard.
The troll continues stumbling around trying to reach the combat.
With the Black Orcs finally slain, the Reiksguard turn to face the goblin threat.
The goblins win the battle against the greatswords, and proceed to chase the survivor across the field!
Meanwhile, Captain Reinhardt moves on from his victory against Grizzlesnot and takes on the troll!
The troll is defeated by the heroic Otto.
The Reiksguard are victorious as the wolf-riders flee in terror. Only one knight has been slain - such a display of invincibility is too much for the goblins.
The wolf-riders are run down by the Reiksguard, slaughtered to a man.
The goblin spearmen catch up with the last greatsword and cut him down. The Empire archers look on in terror.
The Reiksguard turn about face and prepare to engage the Orc archers.
The orcs immediately break at such a terrifying sight.
Captain Reinhardt moves in to avenge the fallen Greatswords.
It doesn't go well.
The goblins gloat and jeer over the fallen captain.
The Reiksguard charge the goblins in blind fury! Unfortunately one is cut down by the sneaky greenskins.
Goblin archers pepper the Empire archers with more filthy arrows.
The Empire archers are battered, but hold fast.
End of turn 6.
At the end of turn 6 there are more points worth of Empire on the various board quarters than there are goblins, so it's a victory for the Empire! (but only just)
Reinhardt's Reikland patrol takes control of The Barren Hills, and the captain finds a Sword of Slicing (-1 on enemy armour saves) amongst the ruins.
I decided to spend the 50pts for the additional territory on some more regular infantry. I purchased 5 swordsmen with light armour and shields for future engagements.
