Shortshank redemption pt.8. Saved by the Shell?

Ben could sense its' presence! Like a bottomless pit within his mind, sucking all the sanity and compassion from him.

This close to the pit he could so nearly discern the bearly audible whisperings that had been taunting him in both his dreams and while awake. This close to the pit he felt he was on the cusp of deciphering the whispers and the infinite knowledge they contained. Taunting him, coaxing him to listen harder, to come closer, to wonder, to question and questions can get you killed in Mordheim . . . . . . or worse!

With EXP worked out we roll for scenario and as I feared roll up 'skirmish' which means I have to force the rout to win.

This is not going to be easy as Kris is bring a full warband of twelve to the table plus two hired swords!

The setting of the terrain turned out to be quite a tactical part of the game within itself, with me placing down terrain to give me good fields of fire while Kris did everything he could to block LOS and access to the tall building, including placing a bloody great piece of terrain across the doorway to the tower!

My Warband deploy within their 8" and I try to get as many of my marksmen as elevated as I can. I decide to deploy as centrally as possible and then use my superior movement to rush my men to where ever I deem Kris is the weakest to mob them before the rest of his band turn up for the rescue. 

Hopefully I can cause the FIVE casualties and have him roll the eleven needed to fail the moral check!!!!

Kris has been texting me all week threatening bloody retribution on 'Spook'.

Kris rushes forward on both flanks. I decide to go after the Hired swords. Although they are toughness four, unlike the Dwarves can be taken out of action on a 5 or 6, rather then just a 6 like Dwarves.

Kris 'runs' his weakened Slayer and two Marksmen up the left. I figure if I take the centre I can bring enough fire power to bear if they pop their heads above the parapit but my focus remains the right flank.

I just like this shot as it makes the barbarians look like they are just having a chat, while hanging out in Mordheim!

To my surprise Kris bolts his hired swords into the centre and brings his other Marksmen into the centre. The wealth of cover in the centre certainly gives them an advantage to advance through.

I continue to advance in force up my right flank. To goad Kris, I move Spook and Crashart up into the centre as support.

Finally one of my Marksmen makes the climb up into the tower.

Then to my further surprise Kris runs his second mercenary back across the centre and into the gatehouse.

Then disaster (for Kris), once again Cribb decides to jump down a 3" gap, fails, then fails and then  fails again and leaves Cribb stunned and helpless in the middle of the battle field!!!!!!

I bring Crash and Archie over to the gatehouse as the warbands are skulking through the rubble finding the best cover.

At this stage I think Kris loses the first of his Dwarves to crossbow fire. Then Spook ignores the prone Cribb and  hits another Dwarf with his 'quick shot' ability and a high series of rolls sees me remove two of Kris' warband with my barrage of bolts.

Cribb pulls himself to his feet and staggers into cover. The loss of the Dwarf stalls out Kris' surge through the middle. To tighten the noose I move a marksmen up to cover my left flank.

Kris has alot of his big hitters sitting just on the opposite side of the gatehouse. I want in but know I will be kicked to pieces in the Dwarven counter strike!

I slowly pull Crash, Spook and Archie across to see if I can use the stalemate to cause some long range casualties.

A birds eye view of the situation.

Sensing what I have planned and still smarting from my run of high rolls Kris exposes his Engineer and Dwarf Maul to coax my boys into charging!

To my surprise Kris moves the Engineer to intercept as I charge in on Maul. Keel Grymm in now taking on three humans. Maybe he was worried about the counter strike, charge distances?

At this point it was getting quite late (it seems in keeping that most of my games of Mordheim are played into the wee hours of the morning. It seems appropriate!) and Kris' phone went off and Kris had to leave.

The game is balanced on a knifes edge with both warbands crawling through the filthy rubble to get the alpha strike in. 

We play out the round of combat but Kris has to leave before he can come crashing in with the majority of his heroes!

'Papa' knocks down 'Rooster' as he kicks the door in on the Gatehouse and Keel Grymm is 'curb stomped' by the flurry of attacks from his three attackers.

And thats where we had to leave the game. The debate goes on about who's arse was 'saved by the Shell' and I am sure the debate will rage on until the replay.

We decide to call the game a draw, with no wyrdstone hunt and no need to pay mercenary fees and anyone injured is fully recovered.

Any upgrades caused by taking anyone 'out of action' stands but no-one gains any extra EXP for surviving the game.

With everything left up in the air, it has been decided to replay this territory again next time we lock horns!