Path to Glory - Tzeentch versus Khorne

The second warband has been painted and is now ready for a battle, which it did today.

The Khorne warband, (from left to right), Spawn, Bloodletter,
Chaos Champion (the Boss), Chaos Warrior, Chaos Knight,
Chaos Hounds.  (35 points)

The battle was on a 4' x 4' table, with a central ruin that was being fought over for dominance.

My opponent and I decided to set up according to a die roll - set up and placement being alternative and by movement stat.  Models that suffered from Stupidity (the Troll) had to deploy first (house rule), we then also included the Spawn in this equation as well after some thought.

The view prior to start of the battle.  Tzeentch on left,
Khorne on right of photo.

Tzeentch set up. (From left to right)
Marauder Horsemen, Chaos Champion (the Boss),
Chaos Troll, 2 units of 4 beastmen (though one is out of shot)

Khorne set up. (From left to right)
Chaos Spawn, 3 Chaos Hounds, 1 Chaos Knight,
Chaos Champion (the Boss), Chaos Warrior, Bloodletter

This was a game that was a contrast in capability to show all extremes of dice rolling.  I honestly thought the game would have ended about turn 4, but the tenacity of a few units to either fail to hit and wound and for others to make miraculous armour saves gave the game a life extended.

Turn 1: Tzeentch marches to attack, though the right flank (mounted troops)
are a little hesitant to mix it.  Adopting a wait and see.  Troll doesn't care,
passing his Stupidity test and ambles at full speed.  Did Spawn really taste
like chicken?

Turn 1 (Khorne): Spawn hurtles itself towards the Troll.  Chaos Knight
and Hounds wait to see what happens.  Bloodletter and Chaos Warrior
advance, daring the Horsemen to charge them.  Khorne Champion takes the high ground.

Turn 2 (Tzeentch): The curse begins.  Horsemen fail their fear test
and won't charge home.  Tzeentch Champion worries about the outcome
and hesitates.

Turn 2 (Tzeentch), the Chaos Troll suffers a bought of Stupidity
and stands still.  The Beastmen fail to charge.  Not good.

Turn 2 (Khorne): Prior to all out Khorne attack.

Turn 2 (Khorne): Chaos Warrior and Bloodletter charge.
Horsemen hold their ground and refuse to flee.

Turn 2 (Khorne): Chaos Warrior and Bloodletter charge in.
Horsemen hold their ground.  In the ensuing combat the Bloodletter
is sent howling in rage back into the warp.  The Chaos Warrior
continues to hold his ground.

Turn 2 (Khorne): Spawn and Troll exchange blows.  Spawn badly mauled
(2 out of 3 wounds lost).  The Troll fails to regenerate and has taken
1 wound.  Battle remains locked.

The story of a number of turns.  Both Champions unable to hit,
wound or when they did, easily made their armour saves.

Another long term struggle.  The lone Chaos Warrior fought 3 Horsemen,
outnumbered and flanked, but he refused to surrender.

Turn 3 (Tzeentch): The Beastmen charge the Chaos Hounds and Knight.
Troll and Spawn continue the battle.

Turn 3 (Khorne): Battle commences anew.

Turn 3 (Khorne): The Chaos Troll is dead.  Fails to regenerate,
it dies still wondering if Spawn tasted like chicken!

Turn 3 (Khorne): The Chaos Toll looses the battle with the Spawn.
Yet the Beastmen destroy 2 Hounds,

Turn 3 (Khorne): The remaining Hound and the Knight flee the
lost combat.  Chaos Warrior kills two of the Horsemen.  The
Champions continue to struggle against each other.

Turn 4 (Khorne): The Spawn engages the Beastmen.

Turn 4 (Khorne): The Beastment pulled of a victory, managing to inflict
the one wound needed to kill the Spawn,  Loosing only one Beastmen in the bargain.

Turn 4 (Khorne): The Chaos Warrior finally kills the last Horseman.

Turn 5 (Tzeentch): Locked in battle the Champions struggle to
gain an upper hand.  The Chaos Knight rallies and comes back
to the fray.

Turn 5 (Khorne): The beginning of the end of Tzeentch.
The Tzeentch Champion finally takes a wound at the
hands of the Khorne Champion.

Turn 5 (Khorne): The Chaos Knight starts the road to
destruction of the Beastmen.

Turn 6 (Khorne): Beastmen on the run, the end is neigh.

Turn 7 (Tzeentch): The Khorne Champion follows up the last
turns wound and deals the death blow.  Game over.

So we learnt a lot from the game.  Remembered some things, forgotten others (not surprising really).

End Result:

Tzeentch Warband (2 Favour Points - playing a battle)

Khorne Warband (6 Favour Points - playing a battle [2], taking out a hero [2] and winning battle [2])
Khorne gains a Collar of Khorne - Magic Resistance 2.

What we found out at the end was that our champions actually started with a roll on their prospective god.  Silly us, it could have made a difference.  So in hindsight the Tzeentch Champion gained +1 Initiative, the Khorne Champion gained +1 wound.

What was your turning point?

At what point did you decide that your hobby meant more to you than a passing fancy?

For me it was being introduced to a role playing game Empire of the Petal Throne.

My family owned a unit on the Gold Coast (at Burleigh Heads) and the grandson of our neighbours downstairs introduced himself and this novel concept called role-play.  I can't quite remember the year but it was in the later part of the 1970's.  I was fascinated, I had always had an interest in fantasy with the worlds created by R.E. Howard and Michael Moorcock, this world created by M.A.R Barker was something outside the normal western style fantasy.  I was hooked, and from that moment on my desire to know more about the new experience called role-play and wargaming took off.  Thanks to magazines like The Dragon and White Dwarf magazines I found even more options available to me to expand my interest into.  Until I started earning an income I was for the most part a role-player, it was cheaper than traditional miniature wargaming.  I collected miniatures because I liked them, and I could paint reasonably well. In those dark days selling lead miniatures in Queensland was against the law (they being classed as toys - I think).  Unless a retailer knew you as a reliable customer you were required to "place your order" and then collect your figures in a few days time.  Ah the nostalgia...

My leap into miniature wargaming came about after a rather unpleasant collapse of my coterie of friends.  At the time I wasn't aware that my mental health was diminishing and that my friends at the time, like many today still do not understand what living with a mental illness is all about.  So going to miniatures was a way I could distract myself from a world of hurt.  I also didn't need a large number of people to have fun, I just needed one opponent to play a miniature wargame.

So there you have it, while my interest has always been with me from an early age, it took just one innocuous meeting to turn my life around and turn what was just a passing fancy into a full blown obsession.  What was your turning point?

Heroquest Complete

I have been searching many options to be able to complete my base set of Heroquest.  After what seems like a long time (but what is time to a perpetual) I have been able to complete the base set, not only that but three other expansions.

I'd like to thank the following people who enabled me to complete this project.  Aaron T., Tim W., Simon M., Mark R., and Sean O.  Without these peoples help and in some cases extreme generosity this project would have sat on the shelf until such time as my family came to settle my estate.

Below are shots of the completed set.  All the model figures have been painted.  I may do the furniture at a later time, but my initial priority was to get the models done so that the game could be played straight away.  Yes there is one red die not in the shot, it's currently hiding.

Path to Glory - Tzeentch Warband

Finally finished my Warband to battle my friend Glen T with.

The Warband, 2 x 4 Beastmen, 1 x 3 Marauder Horsemen,
1 x Chaos Troll, 1 x Aspiring Chaos Champion

Elves in Space....... er Eldar 1st Edition

While searching for the item which will always never be found, you will come across some gems.

Eldar have always been my favourite "race" for 40K.  How surprised was I to find I had sooo many of these old figures sitting neglected in a plastic takeaway tub.  I think I rebase them, but leave the paint jobs (for the moment).

50 of them in all.  Though there are a number of other awaiting a touch of paint.  Musicians, old weapon platforms etc.  Where and when will I find the time to do anything about it.  So much to do, so little .....