Warhammer Fantasy. Battle of The Chingford Arms

With the Miniature Empire no longer opening on Sundays or Mondays it means I will be playing a lot less pick up games as these were my two main playing days.

Sadly it also means the demise of "The Secret Sunday Gaming Club". The answer was simple...... start my own. So this Sunday I opened the doors of my shop for the first "Little Village secret Sunday Gaming club".

Jiri, Jack and Ed were kind enough to turn up and not leave me sitting in the shop on my own for 3 hours. Jack And Ed set up on one table for a game of War Machine while Jiri and I attempted to see our way through a game of Warhammer Fantasy without the sage knowledge of Damon or Lano to guide us through the rules (this could take a while!).

I popped out to buy a pint of milk and return to find the table set out thus.

I guess we are going to be playing a lot of hide and seek this game!

The Chingford Arms pub (centre picture). The scene of many a scrap on a Friday night

I decide to take the nearest table edge (it was less of a walk), and we both set up 1000 points.

I am wary of Jiri's Gutter runners so make sure there is no 12" gaps to allow them to sneak behind my forces.

I decide to camp my Outriders behind the bluff and blast anything that rounds the bluff to smithereens. The Demigryphs go Gutter hunting up the right flank.

The Gryphs get in the charge and do what they do best by ripping the Gutter runners to bits before the Knights get to level their lances. They do inflict a wound on the Gryphs as they stand and shoot.

Not to be outdone the Outriders open up on the nearest unit of Gutter runners. As the smoke dissipates only two runners are left standing.

Jiri creeps forward and opens up with a barrage of pointy things from his runners. Once again Magic is mostly ineffectual. 

The Outriders decide to show the wizards they can do magic to by opening up on another unit of Runners and make them disappear in a puff of smoke!

now you see them

now you don't!

Finally Jiri gets to open up on the Gryphs with his flame cannons (?) when don't you know it

He rolls a misfire, runs forward 8" and detonates smack bang in front of my Gryphs!!!!!!!

I have a real squeeky bum moment but make all my armour saves and the Gryphs riders wipe their brows and prepare to charge.

With a maniacal smile Jiri announces he is firing with his second cannon and here go's the madness again!

The cannon JUST hit my unit of Knights and inflicts enough injuries to force the Moral check (of a 9). I manage to fail the roll and my General races off for the nearest table edge!

Raggedy man is sniped off the field

run away. Run away!

Once again Marcus shows he is a rock and attempts to hold the right flank on his own. As if the winds of magic demand this I roll 10 magic dice and then makes my channel roll....... Result!

Then I manage to fluff all my spell rolls and the spell I do get off rolls a triple 6 and then the pit of shades deviates into the middle of nowhere. Marcus is stripped of all his magic and is now just a bloke on a horse facing down twenty odd Skaven.

This can only go well!

The out riders decide if we are not getting any wizards neither are you and opens up with both barrels on the Skaven engineer

5 wounds and its good bye magic!

The Gryphs make their charge on the second unit of clan rats. They inflict enough wounds to force the moral check, which they fail and the Gryphs run them down in a gluttony of slaughter.

Despite the loses the battle balances on a knifes edge!

The Clan rats finally round the bluff and the Outriders show their worth again and go postal on the Skaven. I hope they inflict enough casualties to distract the Skaven from my fleeing Knight and commander.

I wonder what the Skaven for "OH SHIT" is?

The cannon tries to hit my reformed Knights and force the moral check again but a roll of 2" causes the Skaven shorts to turn a deeper shade of brown.

seriously what is the Skaven for "OH SHIT"

Suddenly the world goes mad as the Gutter Runners on my right inflict enough casualties on the Gryphs to force the moral check which he FAILS.

A roll of 12 means he stops half an inch from the table edge.

Now whats the Demigryph for "OH SHIT"?

The outriders open up again and the Knights move forward to worry the last unit of Clan rats

With the Outriders threatening the Rats flank if they charge Jiri is forced to hold his ground. Its turn 6 and if he flees from the charge the unit count as destroyed from a points perspective.

With his Lucky red cap held high Custoras urges forward his "Second sons" and they make the charge and crash into the last unit of Clan rats. This forces the Moral check which Jiri can only pass with a double one.

To no ones surprise he fails the roll and bolts for the back table edge. And I mean really bolt as the knights are not even close to catching them.

The Rats manage to rally and in a last act of spitefulness target the remaining Outriders and shred them in a hail of rusty, sharp, pointy things. The Sods!

So a narrow point victory for the Empire. To be honest I am more impressed with the fact that Jiri and I managed top get through the game in under 3 hours and did not have to consult the rule book every 20 seconds.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves (Ed beat Jacks Butcher) and hopefully the LVSSGC can become a regular feature.