Season of the Wych -WarCry Campaign Battle #1

            Last week, my family and I went to Duck Mountain for a few days at rented cabins. This was planned back in January, as we don't have a cabin and like to be nomads visiting new places each year. It did help that we went during the week and people don't seemed to be going out for day trips to the park, making it easier to social distance.

On the car ride up, about 3 hours plus some delay around Yorkton as they were making passing lanes, Rachel and I were talking about games that we should play again, and WarCry came up. I suggested doing a campaign, something that she wasn't as into when previously asked but agreed to during the trip. (I feel like the 3 hours of sleep after a night shift might've been a factor.)

On Friday, we started looking at points and units, Rachel needed to assemble her Spite Revenants and I wanted to get some Bloodcrushers painted up. I painted up most of the mount, but didn't have the right oval base (used a 72x52mm instead of a 90x52mm, close enough!) 

Core Rule book focuses heavily on Chaos warbands with name generators and campaigns dedicated to the new cultist models... and some Stormcast.... and a sprinkle of Orks. The Tome of Champions book, covers the factions that came out in the card packs later on, so both Khorne and Sylvaneth. Mercenaries and Monsters (the second expansion book) added in Challenges where your warband could defeat a monster to be able to add it to your roster and yes, campaign battles could be one of these challenges, but alas, I don't have the specific Monsters listed in the book, might have to use the unpainted Glottkin that's been staring into my soul... watching me paint other miniatures.....

Inspired by the plentiful birch trees in Duck Mountain, Rachel wants to try painting up her Spites like birch trees, she also enjoys the use of name play, and thus Nature's Birches was the name of her Warband that she came up with. Her quest:

The Season of Retribution

Rotting Marvolion. That is the name you hear upon the spirit-song, the name howled in rage by sorrowful forestsprites. After the most recent engagements of the War of Life, Marvolion has retreated to his sickly lair in the Eightpoints to perform unspeakable experiments on the captured spirits of your fellow Sylvaneth. You cannot simply abandon your kin to such a horrific end. Find Marvolion’s lair and unleash upon him nature’s unfettered wrath.

Nature's Birches are led by Daonti Heartoak, her soul is afflicted by an age-old melancholy (no body cares about the trees anymore!), despite or maybe due to her melancholy she believes that life must be spread across all of the Mortal Realms, even in the most desolate of regions.

Nature's Birches

Daonti Heartoak - Leader - 240 pts

Thronrir The Hunter - Bow Kurnoth Hunter - 200 pts

Sventa Twistbranch - Kurnoth Hunter Sword - 180 pts

Lorelith Bloomwych - Axe Tree Revenant - 50 pts

Maudelith Bloomwych - Scythe Tree Revenant - 50 pts

Islalith Bloomwych - Sword Tree Revenant - 50 pts

Davonne Spritekin- Spite Revenant - 70 pts

Spyraff Spritekin - Look left Spite Revenant - 70 pts

Flyt Spritekin - Schemin' hands - 70 pts

Total: 980 pts

The Flesh hounds have picked up a trail in the wind, hoping to lead them to a deserter. 

The Blood God's Due

Khorne is an uncomplicated god. To gain his favour, a would-be champion need only kill, often and indiscriminately. Those who breach this covenant are subjected to the full force of the Blood God’s fury. You have heard tell of Tarkus Brondt, a warrior who committed the unforgivable sin of retreating in battle. The raging bellow that echoes through your mind speaks to your god’s command. Run Brondt to the ground and prove that none escape Khorne’s wrath.

The Teeth of Red Rampage are led by Burning Ash, a flesh hound that focuses on one thing, becoming a red headsman, using one quick strike to kill it's quarry. Khorne smiles on Burning Ash, blessing him with blood that glows like molten brass.

Teeth of Red Rampage

Burning Ash - Leader - 240 pts

Bonegnash - Flesh Hound (ork skull) - 170 pts

Neckrender - Flesh Hound (two horns) - 170 pts

Gutwrench - Bloodletter - 70 pts

Furious Blade - Bloodletter - 70 pts

Red Butcher - Bloodletter - 70 pts

Skullcleave - Bloodcrusher - 185 pts

Total: 975 pts

Reaching the Zarakh Expanse, the Sylvaneth spotted a roving band of Khorne Daemons. Their appetite for murder was well know, and it was best to strike first before they got any closer. Spotting some near by ruins, Daonti took the warriors that could keep up with her, the rest would have to catch up with them. Schemin' Hands Flyt noticed it at first, that the Khorne Daemons were spread out, some of them were now on their left flank as well. Nature's Birches steeled themselves, ready to strike hard.

Shield and Hammer placed on the upper corner of the battlefield

Dagger and Shield on the opposite corner.

Daonti Heartoak didn't like the idea of being sandwiched between Khorne Daemons, she would need to strike hard and first. Gutwrench was in her sight, gloating out in the open. With two arrows, the vial daemon was slain. (for now)

Daonti and the "scary trees"

Excited by the bloodletting of his comrade, Skullcleave races into the battle, eager to prove himself to his Dark God.

 Bonegnash too is overwhelmed by the prospect of tearing into the enemy, using it's Hungry for Flesh on Sventa Twistbranch, making his one move into a 14" move instead and still being able to attack! Yikes! (I used one of the doubles from my initiative)

Bonegnash slashing at Sventa, causing only a handful of wounds.

Sylvaneth position at the end of turn one, cameraman didn't deem the position of the Khorne Daemons important, so you don't get to see them. (they are just cowering on the other side of the wall, just don't tell Khorne)

The shrill howls of the flesh hounds bounce off the ruins, echoing into the hearts of their soon to be victims. Just as the hounds grow close though, so too does the Sylvaneth's slower members. Daonti notices an artifact on the Bloodcrusher as it moved in. Around it's slender arms was a dark artifact used in rituals to corrupt the land. Daonti lets out a series of chitters to signal to her warband that Skullcleave must be brought low.

Both hounds pop into the battlefield, pinning Spyraff Spritekin

We have heard your complaints about the photographer, he has been flogged in the streets and humiliated publicly by displaying his poor work. The new photographer has been threatened for the same to be done to them if quality doesn't improve.

Lorelith and Thronrir The Hunter catch up to the party.

Sventa lays down some hurt onto Bonegnash, he was Trampled under foot before being slashed into, causing 14 damage. In retaliation, Bonegnash uses Rainstorm of Ghyran to recover from his wounds (the twist for the battle lets anyone recover in combat if they use a double), then chomped down on some delicious tree bark. Yum! Sventa still survived with 2 wounds left!

Emo Bloomwych sisters look in horror.

Daonti Heartoak senses the weariness of battle settling in over the members of her warband, she invokes Envoy of the Everqueen, a quadruple ability that gives all fights within 6" of the leader a bonus +2 to Strength and Toughness. This made Skullcleave a bit hesitant about fighting some buff trees. If Khorne asks, the sun was in his eyes and deemed the fight unhonourable to have such a disadvantage.... also there is no proof, from what I can tell, Skullcleave is just running into battle according to the other pictures.

Daonti shoots a volley of arrows into Skullcleave, only dealing 2 damage due to cover.

Spyraff Spritekin desperately strikes Burning Ash, only able to do the equivalent of applying sunscreen somewhat roughly. Neckrender snaps the twig in two before the Hunger sets it, running off to Lorelith to use her as a tooth pick, to pick out the splinters of the last tree he had for lunch.

Burning Ash rushed over to the Emo Sisters as Rachel calls the Tree Revenants due to their long hair. Might be a bit long for Emo hair cuts though, getting closer to metal band.

"Double bubble disco queen, Headed to the guillotine"

While Skullcleave was getting all the sun out of his eyes, there was a slap fight between the Bloodletter and the Spite-Revenants, it was a draw.

*both wave drop their weapons and flail hands at each other*

 Daonti used a Rampage, giving her a bonus move and attack with a quadruple roll, running out to shoot at Skullcleave. The flurry of arrows weren't enough to take the Bloodcrusher down, but it was weakened.

Neckrender takes a few hits from Davonne, then Neckrender his back.

Burning Ash's molten brass blood is the last warm sensation Islalith feels before succumbing to her wounds. 

Bonegnash finishing off Sventa, but with a heavy price.

 Skullcleave slices at Schemin' hands Flyt, then running towards Doanti for a sweet action shot.

Glad Rachel took this picture, too bad Skullcleave is held together with sticky tac.

This was a fun game, it's a bit strange playing as Khorne Daemons trying to protect something instead of just slaughtering everything. Rachel and I finished off the aftermath section for the campaign, there was a lot of bonuses for killing off the enemy warband which we both didn't about, it's just that the daemons are all about that, gaining bonus attacks for killing stuff.

I ended up getting 8 glory points, 1 for participating, 1 for killing off 1/3 and 2/3 of the Sylvaneth and 5 points for winning. Rachel got 1 point for participating in the battle. We each searched for a lesser artifact, Rachel got a consumable item - Swiftwind Dust - giving the user +1 movement for the entire battle. I rolled and got a consumable item - Ironoak Seed - giving the user +1 toughness for the entire battle. All units survived, rolling a Full Recovery on their injury roll. Daonti got a Destiny and Furious Blade, these are used for re-rolls and aren't spent when used, BUT they can be lost if the fighter rolls poorly on the injury roll.

Each campaign has three convergence, mandatory quests that must be won before continuing on, with the rest of the quests. There are also command Traits and Greater Artifacts that unlock later on in the campaign.

Looks like Rachel and I will both need to paint up more units, as there are a few ways to increase the Warband size by 50 to 100 points.

Coming Soon to the Hobby Desk!

I basically have the Sisters of Battle done, just need to finish the bases. I also picked up the Daemonifuge which might be one of the next projects, didn't great her rules just yet, but I should pick that up soon.

Maybe some Necromunda gangs too? Whatever it is, hopefully it doesn't take as long as the sisters did.