Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Im hoping to get heavily into fantasy I love all the models and the game seems quite fun in the matches I have seen played (thank you Mini-Wargaming). But I even in 40k dont care to much about the point value of a game but I want a narrative army thats why I like my guard i can feel for men slogging across the ground to face a superior foe. I hope two buy two small armies to introduce Fantasy to my gaming group. What armies first of all which armies does dakka think have the most potential to make a good Narrative army out of, and which armies would have the best Narrative against each other. Thank you Dakka

Dwarfs vs O&G – a racial resentment so strong it's actually in the rules.
Lizardmen vs Skaven – a good story behind those two hating each other, plus it involves ritual sacrifice.
HE vs DE – no enemy greater than a former brother.
Empire vs WoC – a war of religion is always nice, especially when some of the gods involved like piles of skulls.
WE vs Beastmen – get off my lawn.

Empire v. Beastmen too especially those states near woods, Hochland comes to mind. If you want a good reference read Broken Honour by Robert Earl think I picked it up for $7 through iTunes or Black Library's website, has a good tale from both sides.

Bretonnia Vs Beastmen - Everyone likes to see the boys in shining armor kill monsters
HE Vs DE - as mentioned, kin makes for horrid foes
Dwarfs Vs Orks & Goblins - The grudges must be settled!
Empire vs WoC - Religious wars are fun, but even more so when the very survival of your homeland is at stake

Also a cool part about picking Empire, Beastmen and/or Bretonnia is we have the best video battle rep writer: http://www.youtube.com/user/OnceBitten360/videos?view=0

Agreed and we many fancy things to play with, or bloodstained axes to plant in the skulls of our foes!

I would suggest that you search out (google) warbands.

That way you can get people started with small armies, 500 points, and they can build their own narratives through a series of linked games.

They specifically made it so every army can fight each other. A narrative is only as good (or bad) as the person telling the story.

You can make a great narrative of O&G vs O&G. Just write it. If you like the army, you'll be fascinated by characters and their arcs. Here, I will literally walk into my other room and see which 2 books I see first and write a bit.

Ogres and Beastmen. (Damn.)

So Fatface Dragoneater moved his extended family in a wave of wanderlust to Empire. They were not looked upon very favorably and they had to kill several questing knights who didn't understand that having a clan that all stand taller than a farmhouse is more than a match for Dignity, Honor and Courage. But when the local monastery is attacked in broad daylight by a horde of minotaurs and other unspeakables, it becomes clear that Ogres are the least of the town's problems. Fatface makes a fateful decision. His family will avenge the town and clear the neighboring woods of whatever villains lurk there--in exchange for being appointed sheriffs. The mayor agrees and Lord High Fatface and his family head deep into the forest in search of the criminals, to arrest them to death.

Skaven versus Goblins always fighting for control of the underground

Skaven vs. Dwarves - Same

Lizards vs. Demons-Ancient Grudge match

Well I was thinking Lizardmen vs Vampire Counts because I love those models also how would that Narrative go hmmmm. Also I want to build a board to support the narrative. Can Dakka help me by giving me balanced but fun 500 point lists for the armies you suggest

The undead are a major deviation from the great plan, the lizardmen gladly destroy them when possible.

Many vampires and necromancers who are into studying the mysteries of magic and unlife take to experimenting on different races, and would love to collect some exotic lustrian samples.

And just like that the basics of a narrative are laid out.

 HoverBoy wrote:
The undead are a major deviation from the great plan, the lizardmen gladly destroy them when possible.

Many vampires and necromancers who are into studying the mysteries of magic and unlife take to experimenting on different races, and would love to collect some exotic lustrian samples.

And just like that the basics of a narrative are laid out.

More than that, entire armies have been raised by Necromancers/Vampires attempting to get their hands on a Slann Mummy.

Gee i wonder what the rarest of lustrian samples might be.

A relic priest and undead are vastly different. A relic priest can't move a finger. It's just a focal point where the slann's spirit hangs around. Kind of like a comfortable bar stool in a familiar bar. Likewise, a slann's spirit is so not normal as to be alien.

I could see it being a big chunk of magic power. But not something that would help undead in terms of any kind of how-to book. Because humans aren't slann. You kind of get the idea that slann could hang around in bobble head action figures after they died. It's just everyone would be embarrassed about carrying them into battle.

So what im gathering here is my shot at writing at a narrative for Lizard Man vs Vampire Counts keep in mind I have no idea about warhammer fantasy.

Skink priest <insert Name> divined a great hero was to be born in <insert name of non-chaos human culture> that would strike a great blow to the Gods of Chaos but he sees that the child is at risk. So he sets out with his skinks and saurs <or however its spelled> To the hamlet this soon to be great warrior lives at. Apparently this small hamlet refused to pay taxes to the cruel baron. Lacking the man power to enforce his rule the baron<insert name> turned to dark arts and has summoned a horde of zombies from the town graveyard and is marching on the town. The skink priest arrives just in time to aid the peasant in fighting off the Baron.

In game terms
So for the map i picture the barons army coming down a road into a town square area with like three or so huts and a church then about three mobs of peasants running around decided by scatter die running around the map one with the hero then a unit of five armed brettonian peasants. in front of the church actually scratch earlier thought all the peasants run towards church.

The body of the slaan itself can be a very powerful thing to have on it's own. They may not get his spirit but it's a thing designed by the old ones themselves for the purpose of harnessing great magical power.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Lord General Cheese wrote:
So what im gathering here is my shot at writing at a narrative for Lizard Man vs Vampire Counts keep in mind I have no idea about warhammer fantasy.

Skink priest <insert Name> divined a great hero was to be born in <insert name of non-chaos human culture> that would strike a great blow to the Gods of Chaos but he sees that the child is at risk. So he sets out with his skinks and saurs <or however its spelled> To the hamlet this soon to be great warrior lives at. Apparently this small hamlet refused to pay taxes to the cruel baron. Lacking the man power to enforce his rule the baron<insert name> turned to dark arts and has summoned a horde of zombies from the town graveyard and is marching on the town. The skink priest arrives just in time to aid the peasant in fighting off the Baron.

In game terms
So for the map i picture the barons army coming down a road into a town square area with like three or so huts and a church then about three mobs of peasants running around decided by scatter die running around the map one with the hero then a unit of five armed brettonian peasants. in front of the church actually scratch earlier thought all the peasants run towards church.

That works, just say the skink priest divined that from his slaan lord's barely comprehencible rumblings.
Because that's what the Skink Priests do most of the time, try and translate what the Old frogs are saying.
Slaan are just that different from mortals it is often hard for them to communicate with their underlings.