[Sept.15 - Oct. 26] There is only war: A Warhammer Fantasy PvP experiment

[ShadowLion]

Khalith raises her glass of rum, "To the fallen!"

[cn3wton]

Can't wait to see the narrative!

I have my own to post after.

[cn3wton]

I would also like to thank dark raider, this has been a blast.

And knowing that my 4200 apv did that much damage to you guys has proved how lethal chaos is.

[CommanderKidd]

Okri downs a mug of the thin human drink. "They're getting better at brewing these young ones. Still not as good as Bugmans XXX but not pure water either. It was good to work beside reliable allies once more, we didn't even have trouble with those fickle elves. This might be worth following up on."

I'm happy with how our alliance worked but remember chaos still has it's home base.

[ShadowLion]

Khalith raises glass to Lord Okri.

I think if the general dies, the territory goes back to "weak, indigenous population." If a new Chaos general arises, they start at 0 in one of the chaos wastes and build up from scratch.

DR - correct me if I'm wrong.

[DarK_RaideR]

So many questions and issues to address... let me try and tackle this one too

 

Smart tactical move. Now me and the derfs don't know whether to attack each other, you, or prepare to defend next round. Do we get a good three way battle if you and me both invade the dwarf kingdom next round? Assuming two of those three parties aren't dead tomorrow, of course.

Y'all got caught up fighting cn3wton and forgot to grab some land. Once the unoccupied "buffer" lands are conquered, things become really interesting...

 

So, due to this being grand pvp are we fallowing Warhammer lore strictly or is it just free for all and we create our own lore?

I only ask as i picked my army based on workout style and then learned of there story etc, they are pretty pigeonholed by their lore.

Lore is more of a guideline than a rule I will not object or correct anyone, but some people like to play along with the "official" story anyway. As far as hostilities go, there are plenty of reasons for anyone to go against anyone. Kislev is that way because they have their Imperial allies to the south and their most common enemy is chaos raiders, but you're free to fight anybody. I'd say pick based on your workout, not the story. Play a nation that fits your workout routine, or maybe one with things you'd like to try out. This is a PvP based on Warhammer, not a Warhammer game served as a PvP, if you catch my drift.

 

Is anyone else browsing the lists to decide how well exercises they do match up with their next possible races? It's a shame there are no stats on the other undead races yet, because charging in with monstrous spinxes sounds quite charming. Of course, I sorta like the ninja rats too. You can imagine sending out packs of cowards led by little Splinter-like commanders.

I've focused on filling the sheets of active nations. The rest are mostly there in case someone invades neutral land and I have to rally some defenders. In time, I will add the rest. Hopefully it'll all be ready before the next challenge (and the next version of this PvP) starts.

 

This reveals a fair bit of my intentions, but my primary goal is exercise not strategy :-)

---------------

I have looked at other armies a bit. It would probably be better for me stats-wise to pick something else, but I'm enjoying being a self-righteous delusional elven badass

This pretty much answers mitch_dee's question. Exercise>strategy. Still, some players enjoy the fiction as opposed to picking the "optimal" race

 

I'm wondering what it takes to get to a level 2 spellcaster?

Like cn3wton said, it is among plenty of other things that should be sorted out soon. I wanted to test the spellcasting system first and make sure it's balanced against non-spellcasting generals.

 

If it isn't up some I am going to fly to Greece and find Raider, Liam Neeson Taken style

There are so many other reasons to drop by, bro. You know you're always welcome.

 

Man, I look at that and wonder if cn3wton said/did something to have made all of those guys come after him at once.

He basically stood and said "Come at me bro" to all other players at the same time.

 

Damn, it was the ranged that did me in... a lot of "this squad was killed before they could do anything."

I tried to get into melee as fast as I could.

But i think i did pretty good despite everything. I'd be interested to know what your guys total apv was.

Chaos is all-out melee. I was surprised your units survived at those rates and even held in melee for so long. They certainly caused massive losses still.

 

We fielded somewhere around 12,000 APV total. I haven't run numbers of total alliance fallen, but I know I lost between 20 and 25% of what I sent and consider myself extremely lucky. Ranged units and pure luck, I expected to lose at least half, quite possibly more.

The Medusae did some killer work shooting down cn3wton's elite forces on one flank (Ogres, Dragon Ogres, Shaggoth) which was a gamechanger. 3 attacks with a +5 bonus hurt. Even more so, when the dice come up 6, 5 and 6

[DarK_RaideR]

Friggin' maximum allowed quotes... continued from previous post

 

 

I would also like to thank dark raider, this has been a blast.

And knowing that my 4200 apv did that much damage to you guys has proved how lethal chaos is.

Thanks to all of you for sticking with me on this crazy ride. Glad you're enjoying yourselves

 

I think if the general dies, the territory goes back to "weak, indigenous population." If a new Chaos general arises, they start at 0 in one of the chaos wastes and build up from scratch.

DR - correct me if I'm wrong.

Normally, the general dies if he runs out of territories. Which means whoever killed him, grabs his last piece of land. New generals of that race will be forced to fight their first battle to liberate their homeland from the conquering forces.

 

Since we're still on trial stage, I'm allowing a minor exception for cn3wton's case. He wishes to start anew leading another nation, until the end of the challenge (can't blame him, I suppose ranged combat has gotten to him). The land where the battle was fought, goes to Albion, as per the normal rules. The purple land on the corner belonging to chaos, where Dreghar would normally retreat, shall become neutral again. If cn3wton picks an army that starts from an area that's still unoccupied, I'll hand him that territorry for free to get him into the fight, otherwise he'll have to fight as per the normal rules for

[cn3wton]

So there's been a little bit of miscommunication. I'm StI'll sticking with chaos until the end of this game. I will be switching next game rhough.

I just said you could kill dreghar because it fits the role play bettee. He wouldn't leave a battle unless he was dead, but don't worry. Something will be taking his place.

[ShadowLion]

Ooh. Good reason not to slack on workouts, then. Who, or what, will Chaos serve up next?

[cn3wton]

Oh that's a surprise

[Sloth the Enduring]

At first I was rooting against Newton, but then you all ganged up on him and I was rooting for him. It's been interesting to follow along.

[ShadowLion]

@ cn3wton - Rhetorical question - didn't figure you'd give us any sort of warning with your new tactical focus...got me wondering though!

@ Sloth-like - You did read the sorts of things he was threatening and see how he was building up his army to be capable of carrying that out?

Ironically, what drove our suspicious, fractious alliance together though, was him posting a number. Ninety-five hundred, I think it was. Scared us all so bad we allied with the Vampires because we were sure he was going to wipe us all out. But for some lucky dice roles and every ranged unit we could possibly field, he might have pulled it off, too!

We were doing squats,and and every other exercise we could manage to get a few more troops together, right up until the very last minute! And then went to bed wondering if there'd be anything left come morning...

He faked us out quite handsomely.

[CommanderKidd]

Albion can hit his main territory from the West and I can hit it from the South (via the sea) if we want to next round. We could do a good old fashioned pincer attack. Although it is true that none of us are gaining additional territory while we focus on chaos (aside from Albion).

[ShadowLion]

I am waiting to hear of the other battles, as I drink my rum and listen to the Elven bards' tales of valor!

How fared Herja and the Pirates of Sartosa?

What of the Great Bear? The Greenskins?

And, where are the Norscans? Have they built up their armies in fear of Chaos or are they waiting for the opportunity to grab territory from weakened Albion?

The board should be quite interesting when our intrepid games master next updates the map...probably after recovering from that massive hangover and a warhammering headache from figuring out that battle in the chaos wastes.

And, there promises to be a tale of the great battle posted later tonight. Told by the one who can tell it best...

[MaD MaLKaV]

You make having to ally with the vampires sound absolutely awful.  I will be sure to remember that, if I am given the choice to ally with or against Chaos again in the near future.

 

Ironically, what drove our suspicious, fractious alliance together though, was him posting a number. Ninety-five hundred, I think it was. Scared us all so bad we allied with the Vampires because we were sure he was going to wipe us all out. But for some lucky dice roles and every ranged unit we could possibly field, he might have pulled it off, too!

[MaD MaLKaV]

Was the number just "over 9000"?  Lol.

 

 

Or did he say something else that I missed?

[ShadowLion]

You make having to ally with the vampires sound absolutely awful. I will be sure to remember that, if I am given the choice to ally with or against Chaos again in the near future.

Ha! Your view may be being colored by events since the battle. For suspicion, read the dwarf and the elf posts of last night. They each closed their commitments with caveats about double crosses or other breaks in the alliance..

As to long term alliances, I don't think anyone expected Lawful evil and Lawful good to be comfortable together outside of a common threat. Just too different to get along outside of that. Humans know that they've got yummier blood than the other races. It's not easy being a prey animal...

[ShadowLion]

Was the number just "over 9000"? Lol.

Or did he say something else that I missed?

I think it was just the over 9000. I didn't dig back through the thread to find if it was over 9000 or 9500. It was scary, either way.

I, for one, appreciate what you did on the flanks with the dire wolves, and the fell bats proved their worth, too.

The vampire nation is sitting pretty in the aftermath - low losses, chaos threat removed - for the moment - and plenty of enticing options for next turn, and no commitments to anyone...you did just fine. Just think if you had sided with Dreghar. After the initial glut, just all that yucky chaos blood for the foreseeable future...

[cn3wton]

Yea i said its over 9000.

[cn3wton]

Dreghar stood before the ruins of a forgotten castle. Possibly once the seat of great power, now lying in shambles behind him. With backs against this wall they would fight. 

 

And Die.

 

The lack of the she demons presence was noticeable, but her part in this was finished. He would be going to her soon. The army of the Alliance of Necessity stood before him. An army so vast that his own was outnumbered three to one.

 

He would have it no other way.

 

His plan was sound, the left flank would hold for as long as they could while the majority of his army would force the right, seeking to penetrate as deep as they could into the enemies rear lines. The Dragon Ogre Shaggoth and his fellows would lead the charge. If they all lived long enough they would then surround the enemy force.

 

His warriors where prepared, all waiting to shed blood on this field of battle. Dreghar would not deny them. 

 

Across the field the allies made final preparations. Something was amiss, was it just good fortune that the enemies numbered far less than they expected? The choice of battleground was strange as well. Why not take cover within the ruins? Tragan looked to the other generals, an uneasy feeling gnawing at his conscious. He moved to his fellow Albion native Dryden, and together they prepared their troops for war, leaving the others to tend to their soldiers own needs. They followed ancient war rights, preparing both their minds and bodies for the coming battle.

 

The warrior Priestess Khalith led her fellows in prayer, the Coatl's encircling her arms easing and inspiring even the non amazonian troops around her.

 

However the Vampire and his ilk did little to ease the fears of the alliance. Albretch Von Carstein didnt seem to mind, his troops where as ready as the undead could ever be. In fact, the unease brought a bit of a smile to his face. The lack of trust however, was infuriating. This insult would not go unnoticed.

 

Malarielle and here fellow elves ensured that their weapons and armor where prepared. They would deal with Dreghar just as they had his messenger. Arrows would be this armies undoing, and they had brought plenty.

 

Okri Kadrinsson and his fellows where still shaken after being driven from their homes. The opportunity for vengeance however was too great. The meager band readily joined the alliance, much to the dismay of the Elves. 

 

As they each concluded their pre battle rituals, the commanders met again in the center, all looked to Tragen. He had first proposed this alliance, and had the most to gain, and lose, on the field.

 

"We must use our range against them. We all must pray that the Madusa can put down that massive beast, or our line will falter. You each have your role to play in this, and despite old feuds we have come together to end this threat, and for that you have all earned my trust." He seemed to direct the last part at the vampire.

 

"Sound the horn, it is time for battle."

 

Across a sea of bodies and a field that would soon be fed with blood Dreghar heard a horn. The alliance was commencing its attack. The time had come. Dreghar signaled for his own army to commence, and together they prepared to meet the enemy head on. The united front continued their march, only stopping when they where within range. 

 

"Predictable." Said Dreghar with a smile upon his face.

 

Suddenly a burst of energy wracked his troops, sending four to their dooms. Then came the arrows. Streaming through the air they soared into his lines. Men fell around him under the weight of the barrage. Magical energy again rips into his lines, taking even more of his men. A few of his horseman managed to find their marks with their own weapons, but their contribution was minimal.

 

Then the lines met, and battle erupted. Dreghar bided his time eager to enter the fray. But he could see that a secondary line was prepared to enter the conflict when the enemy began to falter.

 

Dreghar let out a laugh, it was time. On his command over a hundred warhounds broke past the fighting on the front and plunged into the rear lines of the enemy, Dreghar himself charged past the first line of fighting, followed closely by an elite group of chosen warriors. Then a bellow broke his concentration as he saw the demise of the Dragon Ogre Shaggoth, taken down before even entering the fray. 

 

"Worthless..." Dreghar used the anger of the Ogres failure and continued his charge, meeting the enemy head on. He enters the fray and begins cutting his enemies apart. So outnumbered that all he could see was his enemies. He relished the carnage and the chaos. Numerous wounds where inflicted upon him but he continued on. His sword still empowered by Val'ku'taa severing limbs left and right. The dogs would not last long, but their sacrafice had provided enough time for his men to avoid even more arrows, as this meager alliance would not possibly consider firing on their own.

 

An epic battle breaks out between a Caotl and a Dragon Ogre. Both reach the verge of death, when the Caotl in a last desperate attempt bites the head off the ogre, both fall and perish.

 

Dreghars chaos spawns seem to be holding the left, but the enemies numbers are too great, and with the loss of the Shaggoth their is no chance of victory. Dreghar continues to fight on, relishing every moment.

 

The generals of the alliance fight tooth and nail, the enemy was taking them on man to man. For every loss for chaos one of their own fell. A cheer rang throughout the army as the Dragon Ogre Shaggoth was felled, and hope began to drive them. The choas hounds took them by surprise, they had not expected a charge like this. It was suicidal, but then to see Dreghar himself breaking away from his own line, it was madness.

 

Finally, all those who remained for chaos are a few forsaken, and Dreghar with his chosen guard. Surrounded by the allied forces his laughter and tuanting can be heard across the field. Relentlessly he continues to fight on, even as those around him fall. It takes a few arrows and spears to bring him to his knees. Somehow he manages to stay alive, and the generals move to decide his fate.

 

Dreghar looks up from the ground, finally coming out of the battle haze. His body was in agony, at some point he had lost his sword, but he still had the demons other gift, his arm. But even that could not defeat all of those around him. Around him men stood, leveling spears at him. Any attempt on their precious generals lives would quickly spell his end.

 

Out of the group of leaders only one steps within the ring of spears.

 

"I am Tragen, I assume you know what comes next."

Dreghar smiled "Oh I do, but do you?"

Tragen frowned "Enough games, your army is lost, you will die here."

"Oh yes, that was always a very real possibility. But you couldn't have made this any easier for me."

 

Dreghars head flew back, a unearlthly purplish glow streamed from his eyes a mouth, into the ground at his feet. It began to spread. His laughter echoed, as if it was originating within their very skulls. As the aura spread it began to move to the bodies of the fallen, what was going on here?

 

"Fools, how easy it was for me to bring you all here, I had to do nothing but invite you. You cannot stop chaos, look at yourselves. In fear you have made concessions to your own morality and beliefs. It is that fear that will lead you all to me in the end." The voice belonged to Dreghar, but seemed to come from the very earth itself.

 

"Know that you have done nothing but delay the inevitable, I will return as I have countless times, you will..."

 

The speech was never finished, as the dwarf commander Okri lunges forward and decapitates Dreghar, all grows silent across the field.

 

"Well that was interesting" says the vampire.

"This ordeal is not yet over." replied the priestess

"I think your right. But for now all we can do is honor our dead." Tregan said as he turned and walked away from Dreghars body. 

 

From above it can be seen, only by winged beasts, that the aura itself had burned some sort of symbol into the earth. 

 

 

Could it be that this was just the beginning?

 

I tried to not make it all about Dreghar, but its tough when I don't know a whole lot about your characters... Feel free to add your own epic battle memories!

[ShadowLion]

Cool. Well-played.

Except for one thing...The priestess knows it isn't over. However, she doesn't fear it. Alala left that behind when she became Khalith.

[ShadowLion]

Gonna miss that Coatl. Hard to administer the Heimlich maneuver to a giant flying snake in the heat of battle. I want monster medics in the next game...

[cn3wton]

I will have more story stuff up for what that was all about tomorrow. Changed the priestesses line to better fit her character.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

"Steady, men," Herja admonished her jumpy crew.  They had been picking their way carefully through the forest, alert to the possibility of running across a squad from Albion … or possibly a set of scouts from the Chaos or Vampire armies.  The men were wide-eyed and nervous, but Herja could not blame them.  Since entering the forest, she'd had a sense that they were being watched … followed even.  But when she would turn in the direction of half-heard whispers, she was only greeted by yet another clump of trees.  She was heartily tired of these woods and longed for the open seas, to which she would soon return aboard one of the galleys flying reassuringly overhead.

 

One of the men in front of her took a sip of his flask of dwarven rum before pausing and then froze in shock, the flask partway to his lips.  "What's that?" a pirate beside him whispered, barely registering the walking tree that approached the crew, smiling menacingly.  

 

 

"A demon!" another pirate shouted as he began to push his way back into the fold of his shipmates. "I told you this forest was cursed!" he continued as he broke and ran deeper into the forest.  

 

"Demon!" and "Cursed!!" arose from the throats of superstitious pirates as they ran to the rear of the party and into the forest to take shelter.

 

Herja gestured and murmured words in a strange tongue before throwing her hands in front of her, projecting a magical wave of water that struck the treant with the force of a tsunami just as a squad of wood elf scouts broke cover behind the invaders, making short work of the gang of slaves she had brought along to dig for the treasure they were seeking.  All around the pirate band, wood elves and their forest allies pressed the advantages of surprise and superstition against the motley crew.  

 

Elven wind riders and waywatchers took out the flying galleys before they had a chance to fire their massive cannons.  Their balloons deflated, dropping the ships to the unforgiving embrace of the trees and the dryad spirits that dwelled within them.  Gunpowder exploded, tearing apart both ship and the forest below, raining death on friend and foe alike, setting the forest itself ablaze as both sides traded shots and the pirate grenadiers lobbed their deadly pineapples into the surrounding attackers.  Tree spirits and elves alike fell like downed trees until only their general remained.  

 

As the breeze blew smoke across the denuded battleground, Herja approached the proud Elven general and sighed.  "What is your name?" she asked, rubbing her dirty glove across an already smudged cheek.  The wood elf glared at her in return, causing the pirate captain to sigh again.  "You are free to go.  We are here to fight against a great enemy …. one that would enslave you and your forest as surely as he would deny me my seas.  I would be your ally rather than your enemy."

 

The elf seemed puzzled for a moment, but replied, "I don't know about an alliance.  But know this, Athel Loren is my homeland.  If you let me go, I will be back."  

 

Herja chuckled, looking around her at the confining trees, "I should hope so.  I don't intend to stay here any longer than I must.  Very well.  I would be wary of such offers if our positions were reversed.  Go, and good fortune travel with you."  

[ShadowLion]

Khalith said the prayers for the dead, and supervised the burning of the fallen Amazon warriors. She oversaw the placing of each fighter's ashes into the pottery jars that each one had brought from home, herself included, on the way through the standing stones in Albion. The same jars had accompanied them to the Chaos Wastes, in the hope that they would prevail and, if they were chosen by Rigg to die so very far from home, their ashes could be taken back to Amazonia.

Khalith had no doubt they had done the right thing. Even if they had lost, it would have been the right thing, but she was glad that this outcome would allow those who had fought so bravely to have their ashes scattered and their spirits set free to roam the forests of home.

She walked to where the last Amazon fighter lay. The great red coatl still held the head of the dragon ogre in its jaws and there would be no prying it loose. Their ashes would lie together as they died together, and fill more than the large polychrome pot that the feathered serpent had brought for herself. Khalith knelt down and placed her own pot beside the vessel.

"I will take your ashes back to the Green river, as you requested. You had my word on your first request, and you have it no less on your second. May we meet again beyond the Great River."

Khalith motioned to her warriors to set the great beast alight and she stood silent and still in the umbral night until the coatl was only ash.

As she stood watch, she tried to understand what had brought them all here. Not the obvious things. It was easy enough to understand the lines on King Tregan's face. As tribal people, they understood each other's ties to tradition and the knowledge that they did not own the land, that the land of their ancestors owned them. Not even the vampire's motives were that difficult to discern. What gnawed at Khalith's mind like the maw of a hungry jaguar was what motivated Dreghar.

She had looked at his body, had even angered a few of her allies by stepping in to forbid further desecrating it as some wished to do. In her mind's eye, she saw again the black claw, the expression on the severed head twisted in both pain and glee. There had still been some of the battle frenzy there, the almost drunken delight that the dance of death can deliver to even the well-trained and prepared mind. She could discern the lust, and the lust for power there, as well. But what she could not grasp was the strange force that emanated from his body, that she could even now feel seeping up into her feet from the distorted earth.

As she looked across the wastes in the red glow of the fires and a bloody sun that barely dipped below the horizon before rising again, she saw wraith-like forms writhe in the smoke and waver in the heat of the flames. This was not over she knew. There was a power here that few, if any of them, understood. And it could be their undoing if they failed to heed the warnings they had already received.

This force was not dead. It wasn't even sleeping. It was merely waiting for another chance, another vehicle, a time, a name, to renew this early acquaintance.

Khalith stored this knowledge away. The sight, the smell, the feel of it in the wind on her skin, she tucked into some reservoir of her mind, until she could ascertain what it meant for them all. Now, and in the future.

She knelt again and took the large shell that her people used for the purpose, and gently scooped the coatl's ashes into its earthen pot. When it was full, she put the remaining ashes in her own and sealed the lids.