The Desert Hammers - an Iron Golem campaign

[Azlak the Damned]

Hi all, hope this is the right place for this. I'm starting out on a Warcry campaign and will chronicle my Iron Golems story here. The only difference I'm applying is that my roster will be randomly chosen each game. I have two of each model with the exception of the Dominar, Perfector and Signifer of which I have one of each.

The Desert Hammers are a faction of Iron Golems that spend their days hunting and overseeing the thralls that roam the deserts of Chamon. They are ruthless in their approach to capture the beasts of the realm and they will take down anyone who attempts to claim the beasts for themselves. This has earned them a fearsome reputation as hardened warriors.

Desert Hammers warband roster

• Raigan Dreadhammer - Dominar
• Brunn the Chained - Drillmaster
• Brek Ironlink - Drillmaster
• Varsk the Defiler - Signifer
• Grakko the Butcher - Prefector
• Thavroc Forgestrider - Armator
• Bhakim Hammercrest - Armator
• Kos Gorehammer - Ogor Breacher
• Gruc Goremaw - Ogor Breacher
• Sald Rageshield - Iron Legionary (Shield)
• Yoth the Bloody - Iron Legionary (Shield)
• Thrisskull Twicehammer - Iron Legionary (Twin Hammers)
• Derrorn Rockcrest - Iron Legionary (Shield)
• Vakh Irongrip - Iron Legionary (Bolas)
• Kestrond the Reckless - Iron Legionary (Bolas)

Edited September 28, 2019 by Azlak the Damned

[Azlak the Damned]

Deleted

Edited September 28, 2019 by Azlak the Damned
Campaign restarted

[Moldek]

Cool battle report.

I like that you go into the tactics going on, seems like a fun battle!

I also liked the narrative flavor you gave in your introduction, I hope a bit of that makes it into the next batrep  

I think the main « problem » with objectives in narrative play is that they can feel a bit abstract. I plan to use idols and treasure chests in my games, maybe even stuff like food rations so it gives a reason for the warbands to fight over them.

[Pickle The Hutt]

Deluge should make your models move slower, not faster. Climbing a 3 inch piece of terrain would take 6 inches of movement (rain makes climbing harder). Also, I don't think you can let your opponent go first if you win initiative (that's a Warhammer Underworlds thing).

[Cronotekk]

This is a cool idea, can't wait to see how their adventure goes!

[Azlak the Damned]

20 hours ago, Moldek said:

I think the main « problem » with objectives in narrative play is that they can feel a bit abstract. I plan to use idols and treasure chests in my games, maybe even stuff like food rations so it gives a reason for the warbands to fight over them.

Thanks @Moldek. Love your idea, will steal that and incorporate that into the next one of that's ok.

[Moldek]

1 hour ago, Azlak the Damned said:

Thanks @Moldek. Love your idea, will steal that and incorporate that into the next one of that's ok.

Oh yeah I’d love it! I don’t get to play much so I’ll enjoy your batreps

16 hours ago, Pickle The Hutt said:

Deluge should make your models move slower, not faster. Climbing a 3 inch piece of terrain would take 6 inches of movement (rain makes climbing harder). Also, I don't think you can let your opponent go first if you win initiative (that's a Warhammer Underworlds thing).

You’re right about deluge; it’s supposed to slow down climbing. But the player with the initiative does get to chose who starts, as said p.39 in the « combat phase » paragraph (not sure if correct term since my book is in french).

[Azlak the Damned]

18 hours ago, Pickle The Hutt said:

Deluge should make your models move slower, not faster. Climbing a 3 inch piece of terrain would take 6 inches of movement (rain makes climbing harder). Also, I don't think you can let your opponent go first if you win initiative (that's a Warhammer Underworlds thing).

Just spoken to my opponent about this and apologised for getting it wrong. Although he thought it was the same to so looks like we both need to read more carefully next time. The game should have been a draw we think.

I need to write the second battle up but I've agreed to forego the 5GP I would earn in my next win.

[Pickle The Hutt]

6 hours ago, Moldek said:

Oh yeah I’d love it! I don’t get to play much so I’ll enjoy your batreps

You’re right about deluge; it’s supposed to slow down climbing. But the player with the initiative does get to chose who starts, as said p.39 in the « combat phase » paragraph (not sure if correct term since my book is in french).

Yeah, you're right about initiative. I completely missed that sentence.

[Azlak the Damned]

UPDATE! As we got the first battle wrong, more players were starting campaigns and my opponent lost his roster info we decided to start the campaign again.

CAMPAIGN 1

I randomly determined the campaign to use and Cursed Metal it is.

BATTLE 1

Roster: I randomly generated my roster and then chose which group to put them into.

• Dagger: Brunna the Chained - Drillmaster; Thavroc Forgestrider -Armator; Vakh Irongrip - Iron Legionary (Bolas).
• Hammer: Varsk the Defiler - Signifer; Brek Ironlink - Drillmaster;  Sald Rageshield - Iron Legionary (Shield).
• Shield:  Raigan Dreadhammer - Dominar; Grakko the Butcher - Prefector; Bhakim Hammercrest - Armator.

Set-up

• Deployment: BAIT
• Victory: ASSASINATE
• Twist: DARK OMENS
  • Twist (Climate): AZYRITE LIGHTNING STORM
  • Twist (Psychology): EAGER FOR THE FIGHT

Opponent: Dave - Cypher Lords

I won the priority roll and chose the blue deployment. This meant my dagger started on the board while my shield came on in round 2 and the hammer in round 3. My opponents dagger started in the centre of the board and his shield in the lower left quadrant.

The victory condition was to assassinate the defenders leader. I won the roll off and chose to be the attacker. This meant I had to kill the Cypher Lord leader before the end of round 4 to win, otherwise my opponent would win.

Turn 1

• Initiative roll
  • Me: D1, D2, 2x singles > wild D5.
  • Opponent: D4, 4x singles > wild D6. Initiative

My opponent allowed me to go first. I wasn't expecting this and I wasted the activation by making Vakh (Legionary-Bolas) wait. Dave moved his leader from the lower left quadrant to the lower right, nearer to where his reinforcements would arrive. I moved Thavroc (dawrf) towards a Mirrorblade and decided to use a double to throw a bolas causing 1 damage. More moves of Cypher Lords towards the lower quadrant and I then repeated my previous activation with Brunna the Drillmaster, this time targeting the leader. This bolas caused 3 damage. My final activation was to move Vakh closer to the action. Brunna received 7 damage in the Cypher Lords remaining activations.

Turn 2

• Initiative roll
  • Me: D1, D2, 2x singles > wild D6. Roll off > 5. Initiative
  • Opponent: T3, D2, 1x single > wild Q6. Roll off > 4.

Brunna charges towards the Thrallmaster and lands 6 damage before being taken down in revenge for the attack. The Thrallmaster is then teleported (can't remember what the ability is called) 6" towards the group of Cypher Lords in the lower right quadrant, hiding behind them in the hope of being protected. The newly arrived Armator, Bhakim, ducked beneath the scything swords of the Mirrorblades and Mindbounds to take a swing at the Thrallmaster, landing 4 damage. Needless to say he was now almost surrounded and unfortunately would pay for this in the next couple of activations. Thavroc moved to block the path of reinforcements coming in to protect their leader. The Prefector Grakko couldn't reach the Thrallmaster so attacked his minions instead causing minimal damage before being brought down in a hail of throwing stars and swords. 

Turn 3

• Initiative roll
  • Me: Q6, 1x single > wild 2x singles. Roll off > 6. Initiative
  • Opponent: D2, D6, 2x singles > wild banked. Roll off > 3.

I rolled 5 sixes in my initiative roll. At first it looks great but it was slightly annoying as I would have liked to make a double with my remaining single, but I really wanted the initiative so I used my wild dice to create a second single. Dave had 2 singles so if he decided to use his wild dice as a single he would keep the initiative. He decided to bank his wild dice, taking us to a roll off which I won with a 6 against a 3, initiative was mine!

My hammer was entering at the opposite end of the board to where the action was and with my Dominar, Armator and Legionary Bolas (all who'd taken damage) up against the whole starter set of the Cypher Lords the odds seemed against me. Although I had two turns available to slay the Thrallmaster, I knew I didn't have enough wounds remaining to hold out against an entire warband for that long. Brek, the second Drillmaster, made a direct charge for the Thrallmaster from a massive 16" away. A double move which included 1" of extra movement from the Eager for the Fight twist card enabled her to move 12", then the quad ability Rampage was activated and the bonus move got her in range to carry out the bonus attack. She managed to cause 6 damage but this was just too little, the Thrallmaster was left with 1 wound! A retaliation attack from the Thrallmaster saw Brek pummelled into the floor in a bloody mess. The Desert Hammers leader, Raigan Dreadhammer, moved around a Mirrorblade he was engaged with, allowing him to be in range of the now fledgling Thrallmaster (thank Chaos for the move while engaged rule!). The Thrallmaster turned from his attack on the Drillmaster to see the Dominar raise his huge hammer into the air before crashing it down into the Cypher Lords commander. And with that the remaining Cypher Lords scattered into the winds of the Bloodwind Spoils.

The Dominar roared in delight and immediately barked to his warband to sack the battlefield in search for the rare ores you're weapon-smiths require.

Thoughts

I have to admit I really enjoyed this game. I knew that winning the attacker/defender roll would be crucial as the Cypher Lords can move quickly and the Golems may not have being able to keep at them at bay to preserve the Dominar. As it was, I was the attacker, which meant with every activation possible I attacked the leader. Even when this led to models such as the Armator and Prefector being in positions that would see them be killed in a single turn, the aim was to whittle the Thrallmaster down constantly, including using all my ability doubles to throw bolas' when I could.  I believe my opponent may have had more success by running the Thrallmaster and making the Golems chase him, as it was he almost surrounded him with the rest of the Cypher Lords, which cut down 4 of the Golems during the battle. His strategy was a sound one but unfortunately the Thrallmaster just couldn't soak the damage.

Aftermath

• Glory points acquired: 7
• Injury rolls: None
• Destiny levels:
  • Thavroc Forgestrider - Armator (0 > 1)
• Lesser artefact search: Nothing but dust!