Skaven vs the Possessed! The Fourth Skirmish!

 On Monday, June 12, 2023, Matt's Skaven clashed with Jay's Possessed warband over unknown treasure! Both warbands had heard rumours of a chest hidden in the Poor Quarter of all places, and so quickly made their way through the South Gate near the Black Pit Settlement (one of the few camps that would tolerate both ratfolk and Chaos worshippers). Scenario 7: Hidden Treasure was begun!

Again, one of the standard scenarios from the rulebook: Jay with the lower warband rating rolled and selected this one. The special rule here was about searching ruined buildings on the board. Every time a warrior entered a building they could search by rolling 2D6 and on a 12 the treasure was found, otherwise the building was marked as ransacked. If a 12 was not scored by the time only one building was left to search, it was automatically in there. Carrying the chest reduced a warrior's movement in half, although two could also carry it without penalty. 

Winning Conditions: When one warband gets the treasure to the safety of their table edge, or a warband fails a Rout test the game ends. The victorious warband then gains the treasure chest (so, totally possible for a warband WITH the treasure chest to fail a Rout test and leave it behind for the other warband!). Also, if a Hero finds the chest, they would receive +2 Experience. Chest contents to be rolled after the game during the Explore phase. 

The skaven warband, THE SKULKING BLADES, was led by assassin adept Khretch Nightseeker. He was accompanied by two black skaven: Crut Crestflayer and Ikket Heartslasher, two night runners: Strok Keenfingers and new recruit Queek Heartsblood, as well as three verminkin. 

The possessed warband, the BROTHERHOOD OF THE VOID, was once again led by Magister Meister Herwig. Accompanying him was the huge Exalted Vessel Sven (one possessed by a daemon), the mutant (with scorpion tail) Brother Karl Heinz, and the beastman Cousin Rupprecht. Four deluded souls, the brethren, also followed on the heels of the Magister (Gosric, Baldur, Klaus and Jurgen). 

The skaven entered the area first, and quickly fanned out. The Brotherhood stayed a bit more clustered together on the opposite side, as the Magister took stock of the situation and figured out how best to proceed with skulking ratmen closeby.

Assassin adept Khretch took black skaven Crut and an unnamed verminkin into a building to search, while night runner Strok with two verminkin took a more northerly building (finding the dead body of a previous explorer) and black skaven Ikket took new recruit night runner Queek to a building slightly south of their leader. All three buildings were empty of treasure. 

 

Magister Meister Herwig on the other side, ordered Exalted Vessel Sven to move deeper into the area and search a particular building (Sven had to duck in order to look inside), while the Magister himself with the four brethren scoured the deceptively clean interior of the ruined inn. Nothing was found in either building. Mutant Brother Karl and beastman Rupprecht scrambled up some stairs to get to the raised tower, with plans to search it and the ruined storage building nearby. 

   

Round 2, the skaven continued to move deeper into the area. Strok the night runner led the two verminkin to another building, the reek of a dead ratkin strong from upstairs. It was empty of treasure however. Assassin Khretch slipped into a remarkably still intact house, the locked shutters no match for his skill, and yet found nothing of value inside. 

Black skaven Ikket with night runner Queek scurried to a ruined house near the tower riser, and although they found nothing of value inside, their keen ears and noses picked up the sounds and scents of beastman Rupprecht searching above and near them: the treasure!

Indeed, as mutant Brother Karl broke down the door of the tower and ransacked the still standing structure, it was Cousin Rupprecht who was successful in the ruins of the tool shed. A heavy locked chest buried under the remains of a rotted weapons rack and long broken crates! The treasure was indeed found! But now, it needed to be pulled to safety! 

Magister Meister Herwig scrambled out of the inn and huddled around a large pile of ruin, knowing that the skaven were already moving in, and he prepared the brethren for the upcoming attack! He also shouted for Exalted Vessel Sven to move in closer to the skaven, and prepare to attack.

From his vantage point, the Magister attempted a spell, Lure of Chaos, upon the skaven Strok, but failed to manifest the energies. 

Round 3: Ikket and Queek, knowing where the treasure was, shrieked out the location to their ratkin. The assassin adept Khretch screeched to his kin to advance! Black skaven Ikket lead night runner Queek up the ladder to confront Cousin Rupprecht before he could move the chest. Meanwhile, Khretch lead the rest of the skaven warband down the street as quickly as they could to join the hunt!

The possessed Exalted Vessel Sven gave chase after the scurrying ratkin! 

The mutant Brother Karl emerged from the tower, just in time to see beastman Cousin Rupprecht engage Ikket with his mighty battleaxe. The black skaven was quicker, however, avoided being hit and struck the beastman with a clever tail dagger, wounding Rupprecht, who staggered but still stood! 

The Magister shuffled his group of brethren to the clocktower, where he watched the skaven scurry down the street. He summoned magic, and this time successfully cast Lure of Chaos upon one of the verminkin, and ensorcled the ratkin! Meister Herwig commanded the verminkin to attack Strok, who was clubbed and knocked down!

Round 4! The Verminkin couldn't shake the taint of the Lure of Chaos, so Strok got up and attacked him for his weakness! But the night runner missed, even with the weeping blades (lucky for the verminkin, who also attacked back but missed). Meanwhile, the other verminkin being chased by the Exalted Vessel Sven turned and charged the hulking giant, throwing off any vestiges of Fear! The brave ratkin swung his club valiantly, but everyone knew how this would end: Sven clobbered the little guy and took him Out of Action! First casualty! 

The assassin Khretch sprang up the ladder with black skaven Crut, just in time to see the new night runner Queek charge the beastman to help Ikket, but his attacks completely missed. 

Before Cousin Rupprecht could bring his great axe to bear, Ikket's blades flashed, and the black lotus poison of the weeping blades finally did the trick: the beastman was put Out of Action as the second casualty of the skirmish!

 Mutant Brother Karl charged Ikket for his blasphemy of laying hands upon one of the Brotherhood, and struck him down! Although the scorpion tail missed, the sword did take Ikket Out of Action! 

Exalted Vessel Sven stepped over the fallen body of the brave verminkin and charged night runner Strok just as the ratkin got back to his feet. The possessed man struck, but could not wound. Strok, fearful of the hulking giant, could not effectively attack back, and in his panic the verminkin still under the Lure of Chaos struck him again with a club, and again knocked him down!

The Magister and his brethren ran towards the ladder. Spotting a verminkin on it, he summoned Lure of Chaos again and managed to secure another follower for the Brotherhood!

Round 5! The skaven, now with two of their number Out of Action, started to have second thoughts about the treasure. Khretch, however, passed the Rout test, and urged the ratkin onwards to bloody slaughter and glory! The verminkin on the ladder easily threw off the taint of the Lure of Chaos, but the verminkin with Strok continued to be under the influence of the spell!

The assassin adept Khretch himself charged the mutant Brother Karl, with night runner Queek backing him up. The deadly blades of the skaven assassin quickly took the mutant Out of Action! 

Black skaven Crut along with a verminkin, quickly covered the top of the ladder to prevent the Brotherhood from scrambling up. The verminkin took a shot at the Magister's group with its sling, but the stone went wide. 

Night runner Strok again scrambled to his feet, still in combat with the Exalted Vessel Sven and the Lured verminkin. Despite its crippling Fear of the hulking possessed, Strok's weeping blades managed to cut into Sven, and the black lotus poison overwhelmed Sven and Stunned him! Unfortunately, poor Strok's victory was short lived, as the Lured verminkin again struck him on the head with its club, and again knocked Strok to the ground (for a third time!).

Magister Meister Herwig looked around, and began to also have second thoughts about this treasure hunt...but he felt that Chaos was strong, and they could win, and so passed the Rout test! Unafraid, he ordered the easily replaceable brethren to charge up the ladder, and prepare for the glory and victory for Chaos! (note: the die on the ladder represents the first in line on the ladder, as it was a bit tricky to get the miniatures to stay on the slanted ladder)

Exalted Vessel Sven could only shake the cobwebs free and roll over, thankful that the verminkin near him was still under the Lure of Chaos and not striking him. The verminkin attempted to smash the prone Strok, but missed! 

Round 6! The skaven had enough. Assassin Adept Khretch did not relish a protracted fight any more with the Possessed, and so ordered his warband to flee into the shadows. The Brotherhood of the Void were victorious, and the treasure chest was theirs!

POST BATTLE

Although casualties were not high for either warband, they were costly. 

For the BROTHEROOD OF THE VOID, beastman (henchman) Cousin Rupprecht made a full recovery, but Brother Karl Heinz was lost, the poison from assassin adept Khretch too potent for even his mutated body. 

For the SKULKING BLADES, the brave verminkin who had charged Exalted Vessel Sven so fearlessly made a full recovery (and his deed was not unnoticed for Khretch, who promised good things for the slavekin in the future). But black skaven Ikket was killed, the sword blow from mutant Brother Karl deep and fatal.

As for loot:

The Brotherhood of the Void had secured the chest, and inside they found 10 gc and a decent sword. They also managed to scrounge up 2 shards of wyrdstone.

The Skulking Blades in their mad dash to leave the area, managed to find an overturned cart from some long dead noble! They found 3 shards of wyrdstone nearby, as well as a map of Mordheim! It was a bit...vague in the details (roll of 3 on the table, page 39 rulebook), but would perhaps aid in further exploration of the City of the Damned. 

The combatants on both sides had also gained more experience from this further excursion into the ruins of Mordheim, so Experience rolls were made:

BROTHERHOOD OF THE VOID:

Magister Meister Herwig: Gifted with a mutation! Hideous! (causes Fear)

The Brethren: +1 Attack

Beastman Rupprecht: +1 Weapon Skill

Possessed Sven: +1 Toughness

SKULKING BLADES:

Assassin Adept Khretch: New Skill! (TBD)

Verminkin: +1 Attack

FINAL THOUGHTS

As usual, another fun, rousing, and quite exciting game. I would have loved to have seen the two skaven at the top of the ladder fight off the single-file Brotherhood as they attempted to push past! And it was another close one, as both Jay and Matt had to make Rout tests. All wyrdstone was sold, as both Matt and Jay had to replace costly champions in their warbands. The treasure chest was a bit disappointing, but at least the Brotherhood had a free sword for their new mutant brother! 

Next Up: either Jay vs Greg (Possessed vs Witch Hunters) or Perry vs Matt (Reiklanders vs Skaven)