Blood in the Badlands. Game 7. Hold me back lads . . Hold me back!!!!

'Captain' Guthook wiped the sweat from his eyes and squinted into the bright sunlight. Sweat poured from his massive frame and the leather of his 'Greedy fist' felt slick in his hand. The heat was stifling but he took small comfort in knowing the poxy, subterranean, Skaven must be sweltering under their filthy, matted, musk stained fur. Even the aloof Elves in their glinting armour looked red faced and uncomfortable under their finely crafted plate.

With no break visible in the unrelenting heat, Guthook ordered his boys forward!

Even though Fathers day was supposed to signal a cease fire in the Badlands campaign, three generals managed to make it to the sweat box that was Lano's garage to fight it out in a three way (1250 point) triumph and treachery battle.

Phil sets out his 1250 points (plus 350pts extras).

I think Lano had 1250 flat.

I set out my 1250 (plus 100pts extra).

Lano makes his intensions clear early and bolts for the Skaven battle bus. I think his plan this game was to use this (throw away game) as practise to refine his tactics against the Skaven 'Screaming bell'.

During Phil's turn he targets my 'Gut star' with his Plague monks!

During Phil's shooting phase I throw every viable 't&t' card I have on the table to scuttle the Skaven shooting phase!

Thankfully this means Phil only gets to shoot with his catapult. The panic test caused by this is easily passed.

Onto the combat phase.

With 'Death frenzy' cast and some shenanigans due to t&t cards the Plague monks are juiced to the gills and the front rank has FIVE attacks each.

You know your in trouble when the other fella uses all THIRTY of his dice and then asks to borrow some more!

Before the combat!

After all the die are rolled!

Having 'Tooth cracker' up meant I was sitting on toughness 5 and once again I had to rely on my opponent rolling badly rather then me making any armour rolls.

This most definitely saved my unit from destruction!

With the Monks decimated in the first round of combat my Tyrant now 'bravely' pushes his way to the front!

The second round of combat sees my Gut star wipe the Monks from the field!

FINALLY revenge is MINE!!!!!!!!!!

On the left flank my RoR, Ogre Bulls make contact with the Skaven artillery and rip the warp cannon to pieces before over running into the catapult.

Back on the right flank the whittling away of the Skaven bell continued.

I think I played a card at this point which hobbled Lano and saw the destruction of the Elven cavalry!

The reason being, I wanted to sit back and have the other two armies smash each other to a stand still and see if I could pick off any decimated units for the win in the end game.

The destruction of the Elven cavalry meant the Skaven battle bus could get to grips with the flower of the Elven cavalry!

I must admit I had a little smile on my face when this happened ;0)

Both units start to pull each other apart in the ensuing melee.

Phil was heard to mutter "f&*%^$g Elves!" several times as the pointy ears got to re-roll all sorts of die!

At this point Lano plucked the Grey Seer from the bell with his lances and hacked it to pieces.

Even I let out a cheer at this point!

With the assassination of the Grey Seer, Phil turned to desperate measures and decided to flame into the combat in order to tip the balance in his favour.

With a smile Lano reminded him his Cavalry has a 2+ ward save against flaming attacks!!

Phil's face was a sight to behold at this news!

I have to be honest at this point. Despite my bravado and pointing my finger at Phil while giggling my tits off, I had completely forgotten this myself AND my Bruiser was armed with a 'banner of eternal flame'.

I guess my Ironguts would now be avoiding this unit like the plague!

Over on my left my Bulls continue to merrily rip the Skaven catapult to pieces.

My Gnobblars also decide to get in on the action and charge the Skaven flame cannon.

Which causes the flame cannon to flee for the back table edge!

My second unit of Gnobblars reform to face down the potential charge from the Elven heavy Cavalry.

The battle field as it stands at the end of turn four.

At this point Lano does the sneaky and uses his 'Reavers' to block my charge lane into the heavily wounded Screaming bell and deny me the gold this would generate finishing it off!

I realise the best result for me as the game stands is a drawn combat between the Elves and Skaven.

Lano has already got the game in the bag due to the gold earned due to destroying enemy units (and me blocked out of the charge) but a draw will stop the Elves charging and destroying my Ironguts.

This will stop me from having to make any injury rolls on the character table post game.

As the melee continues between Lano and Phil, Lano and I have to be content with just sniping at each others forces during the shooting phase.

My Gnobblars march forward to stop any Elven charges in the final turn.

At this point Lano finally pulls the Screaming Bell to pieces and shows that the use of targeted, sustained attacks on the Screaming bell CAN yield results.

This destruction gives Lano the win by a country mile!

With this being the beginning of Turn six both Lano and I forfeit our movement and call game there!

The shenanigans continue into the post game rolls.

Despite losing my recently 'acquired' Skaven territory back to the Rats, the campaign map remains pretty static. 

The flying fastness does make a bee line into my Ogre territory!

Next battle sees the conclusion of the summer season and all the generals marching into the 'Marshes of Madness'!