Mordheim 'Season 2' - The Midden Marches March

Another 'Season 2' Mordheim game, the third episode in fact, and this time the action moved out doors on to the moors and wilds of Reikland and the Midden Marches.

Initial deployments

The scenario is that somewhere around the old and generally empty graves and burial mounds  scattered over the old burial grounds on the Midden Marches is an ancient amulet that needs to be recovered to aid in the final confrontation with  the dread enemy in his lair; the Amulet of Allex.

This is buried somewhere in the area so a round needs to be spent at one of the many (12 markers on the table) ancient grave sites to excavate and see if the site holds the amulet. Unfortunately there are two amulets (and ten blanks) only one of which is the actual amulet.

The bands meet on the moors to do battle and race to see who can find the amulet, but the area is perpetually bathed in fog. Every turn four dice are rolled and that is how far that can be seen in inches for that turn (or charged/shot/etc).

The bands contending on the day were;

My Kislevite's

Kevs Beastmen

Dave's Kislevite's

Ian's Reiklander's

Andy's Sisters of Sigmar

The engagement almost immediately broke into two battles, with the Reiklanders quickly moving into striking range of Dave's Reiklanders who formed up like the regulars they were and prepared to meet the onslaught. Unbeknownst to Ian, the Beastmen moved throught the fog, creeping from bush to tree towards his rear.

On the other side of the moor my Kislevite's spread out and moved towards the Sigmarite Sisters who also spread out and more cautiously advanced forward.

The Reiklanders advance on the Kislevite's
 using the terrain for cover.

With the first advance, Ian's Reiklanders moving towards the Reiklanders, spread out slightly and quickly covered one of the graves and the first one dug up produced the amulet! or at least one very like it. No more digging for anyone, just barney-rubble!

The Kislevite's and Sisters battle-lines exchange short range fire,
 hindered by the fleeting fog.

The Sister's and Kislevite's exchanged long range fire to little effect as they advanced on each other, fog permitting, but the Sisters had hired themselves a mercenary Wood Elf Marksman who managed to take down one of the Kislevite number as they advanced.

Dave's outnumbered Kislevite's pretty quickly went down but provided a stiff resistance none the less and a brisk melee ensued which didn't go entirely Ian's way but numbers told and Dave was quickly forced to roll a break test which he made the first time but after a further round of combat and only one warband member on his feet, he failed the next and broke.

However, Dave's Kislevite's had produced enough of a resistance to provide Kev time to descend on the Reiklander rear and en masse charged into the Reiklanders.

One the other flank, the Kislevite's were losing the missile battle mainly due to the extended range of the Elf longbow but the Kislevite's did manage to put the Elf on his back a couple of times in the shooting but failed to take him out of action, really the only success of the extremely poor shooting that the Kislevite's produced.

With the poor showing of their shooting the Kislevite's closed the gap and advanced quickly to charge range hoping the reasonable close combat ability would stand their stead and weather the Sister's charge that was likely to come.

The Beastmens charge prooved to be devastating and with the Kislevite's breaking and the number of casualties or knock downs already received the Reiklanders quickly crumbled with Ian taking the better part of valour and trying to reduce his loses took a voluntary break.

On the other side the Kislevite's didn't fare well either with the initial charge of the Sisters taking down three of their number though they did manage a couple of take downs in reply with the Esaul cutting one of the Sister's in two with his DH Axe, but most of the Kislevite's didn't even get to swing a weapon with Andy's rolls being fairly decisive. Though one of the oungbloods did take out the Elf Mercenary with the sole well aimed shot of the Kislevite game.

The Kislevites made their first break test as did Andy's Sisters and we went for another round of combat (it being more fun to continue the melee).

It was then that the only one to lose their way in the fog was the Sister's Augur (blind but supposed to be able to 'see' my other ways) who promptly staggered straight into combat with one of the Kislevite Youngbloods and then proceeded to quickly take him out of action. The other combat went much the same way and a couple of parting shots from the other Kislevite's proved as inaccurate as the rest of their shooting, and with only three standing out of the original eleven, the Kislevites failed their break test and legged it.

The final Melee and the Sisters' Augur looses her way
 and staggers into combat!

The Sister's, victorious from their battle with the Kislevite's were still down more than half their number having lost six in the melee with the Kislevite's decided that battle with the untouched Beastmen unadvisable and took a voluntary rout, leaving the Beastmen in possession of the field. First victory to Kev's Beastmen who gathered up the amulet and the spoils of battle.

The Beastmen find no-one else to fight - Victory!

The post game rolling revealed the actual losses and gains for the battle with Dave's Kislevite's really becoming an unviable warband so he'll be looking to start a fresh with a new shiny Marienburger Warband. Ian lost his Captain so a sore one for him but no other major loses but a step back all the same. The Sisters did alright and only lost a henchman so easily replaced and my Kislevites also only lost a Warrior but only gained a couple of gold so saving up for the bear has been put back quite a bit, but Kev's Beastmen with no losses at all was able to get a pile of cash and added to his band equipment significantly.

For another view of the game Kev has now descended into the world of blogdom and has started his own blog Double Six Required. Check it out for another 'unbiased' view of the game.

A good blood and guts encounter and generally fun all round with four of the five bands getting a severe bloody nose. Skirmishing gaming at it's best.

Next time back to the smoke and another trawl through the urban jungle for the groups.