Machinations of the Hat

Another match, this time the Watchtower scenario against Tom's Lizardmen. 2,500 points for the game. I was feeling a bit bad because I didn't paint anything new for this game (which I've managed to do for nearly every other post I've done on this blog). Then I felt even worse because I forgot to bring some of my models--the unpainted back ranks of my units were all left in a set of plastic ziplocs in my apartment. Tom was kind enough to let me still play with dice to represent the missing numbers, but it was a double-bad omen for the game to come. In any case, we set up and squared up to clash for the Watchtower in the center of the board.

 The accursed Lizardmen began in the tower, filling it with their deadly Temple Guard commanded by an ancient Slaan Mage Priest. 

 On the left of the field was a Skink Cohort with their big brother Kroxigor, and a large unit of Cold One Riders led by an Oldblood. 

 On the right was another Skink Cohort, and some Ripperdactyls. The Lizardman force was finished off by a Skink Priest astride a Stegadon in the center of their lines, taking cover behind the massive Watchtower.

 On the Skaven side, the two groups of Plague Monks took up positions on the right flank of the force, facing directly at the Watchtower.

 Slightly behind them towered a great Verminlord Corruptor. While he was not the general, he was the revered leader of the nearby Plague Monks, and his deadly blades were ready to taste Lizardman blood. 

 The remainder of the Skaven force straddled a river that divided the left side of the board. The general was Warlord Ripear, nestled in the middle of a huge block of Stormvermin and wearing his Wizarding Hat--this time giving him access to some nasty Shadow Lore magic (including Pit of Shades)! With a shout to his massed ratmen warriors, Warlord Ripear commanded that they rush forward and push the Slaan and Temple Guard from the Tower.

 With a healthy charge roll, the Plague Rats did just that. They burst forward and swarmed the building. The Plague Priest lit his plague censer, and the ruinous fumes killed a number of Temple Guard before the battle even began. Conjuring the magical might of the Plague Banner, the rats combined to demolish the Temple Guard and take only a few wounds in return. While the Slaan and his bodyguard held, their numbers were dramatically and rapidly diminishing. On Lizardman turn two, the plague censer claimed more to its deadly fumes and the Plague Monks finished off all the rest of the Temple Guard with their strikes. The Slaan alone had a good chance to stand against them, but he fled from the tower--leaving it to the followers of Clan Pestilens.

 The Verminlord Corruptor unleashed magical destruction, managing to get Total Power on a casting of Plague, which utterly decimated the Skink Cohorot before him (sad birthday for toughness 2 models). The spell even bounced to the Stegadon and caused a wound. Meanwhile, the Skinks' javelin attacks were initially stymied by the blustering winds of the Storm Banner. 

 The Skavenslaves were marshaled into a position to cut off the cavalry with a bad angle, but they instead were hit by long-ranging Skinks and Kroxigors in the side. The slaves failed to inflict a single wound, and crumbled under the assault--leaving the bridge over the river open and undefended... which might have mattered if the Skinks weren't aquatic!

 With a rumble, the Stormfiends emerged from the ground. They declared a charge on the Stegadon along with the unit of Plague Monks that had left the building. The Stegadon fled and was run down by the Plague Monks, and the Stormfiends were able to redirect their charge into the Slaan Mage Priest. While it took them two combats to kill him, they finished the bloated toad off with a flurry of buzzing and whirring gauntlets and grinding fists. With their forces plagued, all their magic gone, and their general slain, it looked as if the Skaven had things well in hand. 

 However, the Skinks were not ready to stop yet. On the Skaven right flank, they were whittling away at the Verminlord Corruptor. He took wounds from their shooting, from their stand and shoot, and in combat. Finally the last three of their number: the Skink unit standard bearer and two Kroxigors struck with fury, their heavy-handed strikes finally felling the huge rat demon. 

 On the Skaven left flank, the Rat Swarms and a unit of Giant Rats tried desperately to delay the advance of the remaining healthy Skink cohort. Desperate is the right word, as the swarms were slain in a single turn and the Giant Rats predictably turned and fled. This left the Cohort free to assault the Watchtower on their following turn. 

 The Plague Monks that had slain the Temple Guard had abandoned the Watchtower, leaving General Ripear and his unit of Stormvermin to hold the tower. As he started to peer from the window, a strange glassy expression seemed to come over him. While the Skinks were fighting at the door, and both his combat prowess and leadership was desperately needed, the Warlord instead seemed to be entranced by the whispers coming from his Wizarding Hat. I had forgotten about the lack of ranks in a building, and how much that handicapped Skaven. Especially when the General needed to take a Stupidity test. With a stupid general, and weak leadership, the Stormvermin needed to fight effectively against the marauding Skinks and Kroxigors. 

 They did not. While they survived one round thanks to the Battle Standard's presence and a lucky low roll for leadership the first time, the stupidity of the General in their turn left them woefully brittle. Losing a few too many models to the poisoned jabs of Skinks and the heavy blows of a Kroxigor, the Stormvermin panicked and fled from combat (with a massive flee roll). 

The Skink Cohort had taken the Watchtower at the bottom of the fourth turn of the game. It came time for the roll for the game to end, which happened only on a six. And of course, I rolled the six. The game ended with the Cohort in the Watchtower, and despite my two large units of Plague Monks that could have assaulted the tower and the Warpfire thrower poised to rain fire upon them, it was too late. 

Overall a great game, even though I lost. The Skaven came out guns blazing on turns one and two, and it looked like a runaway win at that point. But the brittle Skaven leadership, and the Stupidity-causing whispers of the Wizarding Hat, led to Tom's Lizardmen managing a great win against the odds. It was a really enjoyable game, with good laughs on both sides. Plus, the entire game only took 2 hours--pretty good for 2,500 points on each side. Warlord Ripear managed to escape, and will head back to his den to lick his wounds (pride only) and plot against the Lizardmen and their future ruin. 

Battles
Total 2015: 12 (Win/Loss/Tie: 6/4/2)
Total 2014: 15 (Win/Loss/Tie: 8/6/1)

Skaven:
7 Wins (Undead 2, Empire 1, T&T Daemons and Dwarfs, Siege Dwarfs and Bretonnians, T&T Daemons and Empire, T&T Dual Undead)
8 Losses (Lizadmen 1, Skaven 1, Empire 1, Dwarfs 1, Daemons 1, T&T Daemons 1, T&T Dwarfs 1, Special Game Nurgle)
1 Tie (Empire 1)

Dwarfs:
5 Wins (Dwarfs 2, Wood Elves 2, T&T Undead and Dwarfs)
1 Loss (Dark Elves 1)
1 Tie (T&T Dual Undead)