Battle for Blackside - Mordheim Season 4 Turf War Round 3

Had the third round PvP game of our fourth Mordheim Campaign back in the end of January and had the full complement of players attending, Ian with his Carnival of Chaos, Ric with his Middenhemers, Kev and his Halfling Horde, Andy and his Kislevite's, Dave with his trusty Reklanders, and Leigh with his Bretonnians all ready to do Battle for control of the Blackside area of Mordheim.

Battle commences

The game was to be fought in the cramped confines of the tangled streets of one of the many unsavoury area's of Mordheim, so most of the Warbands were forced to close with each other pretty quickly as the street scape limited the shooting oppurtunities of most of the bands.

Middenheimers move out towards the Chaos horrors

The first turn or so was fairly uneventful with al the bands jockeying to see which way each would go, only the Kislevite's boldly marched towards the centre and towards Ian's Nurgle types (and picking up a couple of Wyrdstones on the way).

The Middenheimers mover towards Ian's Chaos forces and the Halflings spread out and advanced generally into the field moving out towards the Middenheimers and Kislevites. Dave's Reiklandrs hugged the table line and moved towards the Kislevite's while Leighs Bretonnians moved out with an eye on the Wyrdstone and the other on the Nurgler's. THe Chaos Warband moved towards the Bretonians keeping to cover to minimise the incoming shooting.

The Halflings spread out seeking sniping oppurtunities
against the Kislevite's and Middenheimers

This was the general trend for the first couple of moves. Neglgable Random Happenings bar a minor wyrdstone encounter for the Kislevite's.

Kislevite's head into the centre

and seek battle with their Arch-enemy

A small amount of opportunity shooting occured now and then from around the board but with little effect to anyone though did make all the Warbands hug the ample cover.

The Reiklanders skirt the action and look to approach
the Kislevites from the rear

The Kislevite's continued their advance to the centre hugging cover so slow progress, the Reiklanders moved round to the Kislevite's rear and the Bretonians made a mounted knightly dash for some choice wyrdstone placements and back again while bracing for the oncoming Nurgle tide. The Halflings and the Middenheimers moved cautiously forward while sniping at each other and anyone that showed above the parapet.

The Bretonians dash for Wyrdstone before the nasty
Chaos types steal it away

Middenheimer cautiously approach Nurgle's
finest while attemping the odd distance shot

The Middenheimers began to close slightly with Chaos forces but the Halflings chose to stand fast and wait for oportunities for their bows. 

The Nurglings and associated nasty types closed with the Bretonnians and quickly developed a close melee with the Carnival quickly downing a knight and pinned the Bretonnians in place while circling round and leaving a couple of outlyers keeping an eye on the slowly approaching Middenheimers.

The Nurgle Chaos tropps close with the Bretonians 
and quickly gain the upperhand in melee

Things quickly get sticky for the Bretonnians

The Reiklanders gain an opening and begin to shoot at the Kislevite's but these are now mid table and have ample cover from the rear attack still some distance away.

Reiklanders open up on the rapidly disappearing Kislevites
but to little effect

The Bretonnians battle on

And then the rains came...

With the next check for Random Occurances landing with Kev, he rolled up a positive result which produced a 'Storm of Chaos' in the form of a Wyrdstone tainted downpour lasting a couple of turns which would inflict a S2 hit to anyone in the open. 

The streets strangely empty...

With the poisonous tainted rain lashing the streets all the bands dove for cover with some better placed to seek shelter than others.

Over the course of the couple of turns most of the bands took some hits but the Halfings and Reiklanders suffered particularly badly. Both Warbands took multiple casualties and at the end of the 2nd round of rain both bands left the field due to the losses.

The Bretonians also quit the field with minor losses from the rain but coupled with combat losses with the Chaos Horde, Leigh chose the better part of valour and retired to lick his wounds being several Hero types down.

The Kislevite's emerge following the deluge

Once the rains had cleared it was down to a three horse race, with the Kislevite's in the strongest position having taken almost no casualties to date but the Middenheimers and Carnival were both still strong in numbers too.

The Middenheimers make a move on the Chaos Warband

The Kislevite's advanced slowly through the twisting streets keeping their numbers together and letting Ric's Middenheimers have first chance against Ian's mighty Nurgle Warband, and the Middenheimers emerging from their cover rushed in slightly piecemeal against the grouped Nurglers but fought a valiant fight but took greater losses than they inflicted in the open street area.

Threeway fight develops as the Kislevites move
toward their hated enemy

The approaching Kislevite's forced the Chaos troops to split their forces to keep an eye on both front and flank so this limited their effectiveness but the toughness of the Chaos troops bluinting the middenheimers attack.

Middenheimers and Chaos fight it out as
the Kislevites approach cautiosly

The Kislevite's consolidate 
(and pose for the photo opportunity)

After two or three rounds of the slightlt one sided exchange the Middenheimers broke but having inflicted a couple of casualties on the Chaos band.

Kislevite's push forward but struggle to get the
numbers in to make the difference

Andy now chose his moment for a full attack but the cramped confines of the alleys limiting his number advantage on the slightly spread out Chaos types.

A strong and fierce melee ensued in the narrow alley but both sides held back from full engagement with the Chaos trusting to his dice and toughness and the Kislevite's with an eye to survival and lack of opportinity to engage.

All the big hitters of both bands joined in and much claws, teeth and sabres flashing ensued and several rounds of vicious melee was had againsdt the hated rivals.

Once again things went down to both bands being on rout checks and after a few passed checks on Ian's part (with a good chance of success due to his leaders Ld at max) Andy failed his 2nd or third check and it was all over.

Chaos numbers and Toughness prove too much
for the Kislevite's

So in the end Ian dice and ability to keep the numbers in the melee's in his favour give him a third victory in the Campaign and push him further ahead in the Turf War. Time will tell if this is an unassailable lead or not already.

The positions for the end of Turn 3 following al the Scouting and Raiding is as the Campaign Map;

Season 4 Mordheim Map - Turn 3 End

Turn 4 PvP game has been played and awaiting final turn orders and results before posting up batrep but will follow shortly with Turn 5 opening game due this month.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

 

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2024

and Best Wishes for the coming year