To'sun knew Invocation, Van Hel's, and Curse of Years, while his thrall knew Invocation and raise Dead.
The dice dropped and I failed to steal the initiative, putting the first turn in Kiwidru's hands.
The only movement involved the
BSB shifting to allow the wratihs to march back to the main line, and the black knights reforming to face the rangers and screen To'sun who wanted to stay within 6" of the arcane ruins. The magic phase got off to a bang, starting with 10 dice from winds followed by the 4 dice for the ruin assisted channel producing three more and a miscast. Both vampires took a wound from the miscast, but only one die was lost leaving plenty to heal them back, raise some zombies and boost the skeletons.
To'sun stretched his palm towards the ruins. He could feel the writhing energies twisting, waiting for release. His face twitched with annoyance as his champion intoned a warning- the old dwarf had arrived. With a gesture, the undead lines reacted to protect him. As he turned his attention back to the monoliths, dark energy roared out, surging past his distracted defenses. He looked at his blistered hands in surprise. This was better than he hoped...
With the longbeards available, I could start to push the line forward. The rangers were going to take a charge, but between crossbows, stand and shoot, and great weapons, I thought I'd be able to whittle the black knights down enough to ensure the miners were sufficient flank protection. I was hoping to use the gyro to blast big chunks out of the skeletons, but didn't have the movement to try it this turn, so it slipped in behind the blocks. Knowing I really wanted the runesmith to stay around to keep the magic phase manageable, I left him out of the main line, moving behind the rest.
Crossbows scored 5 hits, 2 wounds, but both were saved by the knights, and my turn came to a quick close.
Hroddr struggled to hold his ground as black magics swirled and gusted around him. Something was wrong- the devil should not be so powerful. He shouted to the armored ranks to push forward, hoping he could find a way to calm the storm...
Turn Two
The Black Knights spurred their steeds into the rangers, for no casualties from the stand and shoot. The undead left flank continued to recover from the early stretched deployment, almost entirely back in place now. The magic phase burned strong once more, with a 10 dice winds. The zombies on the right grew quickly and the skeletons filled out to close to a full 40 horde. In combat, the rangers continued to fall short, with the knights hitting five times for five wounds with another from a horse. The only positive was that the champion saved a kick from the Wight King's steed, and lived long enough to wound him before being cut down by the Black Axe of Krell. The remainder fled, and the knights restrained to reform and face the rest of the battle.
The rangers sighted down their weapons at the closing cavalry. Decades of experience fighting wolf riders had taught them to break a charge by bringing down the steeds, and letting the rider fall behind or tumble from the saddle. It was their undoing. All they had time for was a sharp intake of breath as the quarrels whistled straight through the insubstantial horses, before they scrambled for their axes too late. In a last act of defiance, one stepped forward, exposing his torso to a killing strike in order to land a blow that cracked the ancient Wight King's breastplate.
In my turn, I tried a 12" charge from the hammerers and an 11" charge from the warriors into the skeletons. If the warriors succeeded, they could run past the grave guard's line of sight, with the longbeards following to support. Unfortunately both failed. I covered the left with miners and used the gyro on the right to make sure the graveguard would not get the flank of the warriors, with any pursuit or overrun taking them past. A steam gun blast scored an impressive 11 hits after partials but only managed to convert one of those to a casualty.
The black winds shrieked and muttered in the ears of the Dwarfs. The enemy was ahead, but they could not be found. The advance slowed in a confused mass. Overhead, the gyrocopter dipped and swung wildly about as the pilot struggled to hold his machine steady. He fired a blast blindly and hoped he had hit something...
Turn 3
Kiwidru briefly considered a counter charge, but with spears and time on his side, held off. Not fancying a bomb to the face, the Black Knights charged the ironbreakers, but they fled out of range, buying another turn. The cairn wraiths charged in to the flank of the gyro. I hadn’t seen this coming, expecting the grave guard instead. After some thought, the gyro held, figuring that a flee would open the warrior flank back up to the grave guard. The magic phase flared hot again, with 8 dice (double 4 keeping my pool less than his). Curse of years struck out at the warriors irresistibly and aged 5 to death. The miscast was a small strength 10 blast, for an easily healed wound.
My hopes of keeping the gyro alive for a tough (but re-rollable) break check were dashed when the banshee scream tore two wounds off of it, and the wraiths chopped it for another five (!) wounds in combat. The wraiths elected to reform rather than overrun into the flank of my warriors and
BSB with magic weapon.
In my half of the turn, with the skeletons tantalizingly close, I sent in both the warriors and the hammerers in. On the right, the longbeards charged, and even Hroddr got in on the action, running in to smack on wraiths with his magic strength 5 hammer. The toughest choice came down to the miners. They were able to see To’Sun but would need a 13” charge to make it. If I made it, it could well be game winning, but a fail would leave the hammerers’ flank exposed. Perhaps foolishly, I went for it. I did fail, but everyone else went in.
The magic phase gave me a chance to dispel Curse of Years, and we were on to the combat phase, which looked like this:
Clan brothers fell to their knees, staring at withering hands, clutching at mouths as teeth loosened and fell from gums. Overhead the gyrocopter could take no more, and the pilot confused by the shrieking undead witch, plunged earthward with a crunch. The wraiths slipped straight through the burning wreckage.
Hroddr struck the earth and quieted the howling winds for a moment. Seizing the moment, he hurled himself forward, hammer raised high…
Combat was a disappointment in the center. The skeletons, fighting in 4 ranks with Weaponskill 7, directed 24 attacks onto the more vulnerable hammerers and killed 4, as well as two warriors. In return I managed 6 (3 from hammerers, 2 from warriors, and one from the
BSB). In the final accouting, this was only worth a single extra skeleton crumbled. With a good magic phase, they’d be right back.
On the right though, the runesmith, killed a wraith outright, avoided the return attacks, and with the help of the longbeards static combat res blew straight through the wraiths. The longbeards overran into the graveguard and Hroddr, feeling frosty zipped into the corpse cart.
The charge had lost its momentum almost before it began. The dwarfs swept out of the darkness onto a hedge of spearpoints. In the night, they could hear a shout of victory behind them and hoped a second push would soon arrive…
Turn 4
Thanks to my failed gamble with the miners, the black knights had enough room to wheel and charge the hammerers’ flank. To’sun maintained his position of influence near the ruins. And began another magic phase. The winds stayed strong, gusting 11 dice. Six skeletons were restored, and then the corpse cart used 6 dice to roll a 19 on its bound
ASF bubble. Wanting to shut this down as well as any Van Hel’s to follow, I tried to drop it with just 5 dice and came up short. The grave guard, corpse cart and skeletons all were boosted with
ASF.
Hroddr plunged into the nest of grasping limbs and snapping teeth. They jerked him to the side by his armor and tore at his beard. He reached up and grabbed a splintered bone as it waved feebly, hauling himself up onto the rotten platform. He brought his hammer down on the neck of the wretch huddled in the cart. As the writhing limbs fell still he looked up to see the black riders crash into his lines. They wavered. He was too late…
In combat, I was able to neutralize the black knights somewhat by challenging with my
BSB who saved a pair of strength 6 hits with his re-rollable 1+. Otherwise however, I lost one more dwarf than I was able to kill of skeletons. The hammerers held on re-roll, but the warriors had lost steadfast and, down by four, fled, losing banner and
BSB in the process. On the right the longbeards and graveguard fought to a stalemate, while the only high point- the runesmith smacked two wounds off the corpse cart, and neither were regenerated, meaning he blew straight through that construct as well. (Although thinking about it now, we did forget the cart’s thunderstomp).
In my turn, the miners had a second opportunity to charge To’sun 11” away, but passed in favor of hitting the black knights in the rear. The ironbreakers sized up the knights flank, but couldn’t cover the 11” distance and fell short. The warriors continued to flee.
Hroddr churned around the back of the combat to sight in on To’sun, hoping to catch him and end the crown’s domination of the phase.
In combat, the miners failed to inflict any damage, and the skeletons wavered slightly. Despite not having my
BSB, I won the combat by one, crumbling a knight and a skeleton. On the right, however, the
ASF boosted graveguard were too much to handle a second time, and the longbeards broke and ran, outpacing the graveguard.
Turn 5
The graveguard ran the longbeards off the table and To’sun moved away from Hroddr. The winds blew strong once more for 11 dice, which boosted the Wight King with Van Hels, and raised more skeletons. Down to 4 hammerers, I challenged with the gatekeeper to keep the rest of the black knights from attacking hammerers. No wounds were caused either way in the challenge, and only a single hammerer fell. Unfortunately the knights slew all but three miners who fled the combat, leaving the hammerers to their last stand.
In my turn the ironbreakers failed again to charge the flank of the black knights, and Hroddr failed a desperate 14” charge at To’sun. The warriors and miners rallied to preserve their points, but I was way too far in the hole to win without some serious luck. The challenge went on another turn, with both combatants missing and the skeletons only managed to slay a single hammerer. The remaining three held once more.
Turn 6
To’sun continued to channel the ruins, and pulled another eight dice from the winds of magic. A curse of years was dispelled while an irresistible VanHel’s boosted the skeletons, ending the magic phase and wounding To’sun with a small strength 10 blast.
Combat finally spelled the end for the hammerers. The last two rank and file died, to spears, while the wight king and gatekeeper slew eachother in the challenge.
I didn’t really see a way to snap up enough to win, but trying to salvage some pride, I charged the three rallied miners and Hroddr into To’sun. Hroddr failed, but the miners struck home. The ironbreakers, cursed their armor for slowing them down and plowed into the four remaining black knights. To’sun killed a miner, but I couldn’t get a wound back in return and had to settle for leaving him on a single wound left. The ironbreakers did their best to avenge the hammerers and killed two knights for no losses, crumbling the rest through resolution.
Throndr’s ears were ringing. He was so tired he couldn’t imagine how he’d lift his hammer again. He ducked a swing from the hissing black axe and stole a glance over his shoulder. Flossi and Kraggi were slumped back to back, no longer crying out as spears plunged through their bellies and throats again, and again. With a groan he turned back. The Wight King raised his terrible axe high overhead. Throndr saw the shattered breast plate at last, and with his last act, he swung his father’s hammer at it with all his might.
And that was it. Sorry to end things out without pictures of the very final blows, but I think things weren’t changing too much from there on out, and should be fairly easy to follow.
I’ll be back tomorrow with post-game thoughts and a closing bit of fluff. Hopefully Kiwidru's thoughts (and corrections) too!
Thanks for reading!
Kill all humans 
