Monty Python’s Empire World Tour #4 – Gobbos
Scenario: The Seven Knights (6th Edition scenario using 8th Edition rules & lists)
Points: 1300 (more or less). As always, enemy host more likely to be chosen based on figures at hand then the best possible list
House Rule special to this game: Having a barded warhorse normally gives an additional +2 save (giving most of my characters a +1 save), but I wanted to be able to have my guys fight dismounted, so I made it +1 save and +1 life. However, in exchange, the first wound kills the mount.
Background:
Arthur and his best knights scout ahead, while the King of Swamp Castle stays behind to reorganize the battered army after its brutal battle with Chaos and wait for reinforcements.
Arthur and his knights are soon lost, as Bedevere forgot to bring the map. After a time, they stumble across what appears to be a Grail Chapel nestled in a peaceful valley.
“You must help us!” cried the priest as he ran from the chapel to embrace Arthur. “A small army of Goblins comes every fortnight to collect their tribute. They are due tonight. We have nothing left. They already stole our Grail. Help us!”
“We have our quest at last,” cried Arthur. “We will help you.”
Monty Python’s Empire
Arthur (General of the Empire), King & his noble steed Patsy: Excalibur (Runefang), plate, shield & Barded warhorse. Also has an Obsidian Trinket.
Sir Lancelot (Grand Master) the Brave & his noble steed Concord: Sword of Bloodshed, plate, shield & barded warhorse. Also has Talisman of Endurance.
Sir Galahad (Warrior Priest) the Pure & his noble steed Bessie*: Obsidian Blade, Heavy armor, enchanted shield, barded warhorse
Sir Bedevere (Captain) the Wise & his noble steed Comet: Sword of strife, plate, barded warhorse & Seed of rebirth.
Sir Robin (Captain) the not quite so brave as Sir Lancelot & his steed Blossom: Hand weapon, charmed shield, Talisman of Preservation
Sir Bors (Captain) the Impetuous & his steed Epic: Ogre Blade, plate, shield
Tim the Enchanter (Battle Wizard Lord): Level 4 Fire Wizard, Obsidian Amulet, Book of Ashur
Spells: Fireball, Flaming Sword, Burning Head, Piercing Bolt
* For those characters who did not have named horses in the movie, I invented my own; usually from a favorite comic strip or TV show, trying to keep within the spirit of the movie.
Gobbos:
Night Goblin Great Shaman (Lord): Level IV, dispel scroll
Spells: Sneaky Stabbin’ Itchy Nuisance, Gork fix it, Bad Moon
Night Goblin War Boss: Giant Blade, Light Armor, enchanted shield, Talisman of endurance
Goblin Big Boss: Light Armor, Ogre Blade
Night Goblin Battle standard: Light Armor, tormentor sword, talisman of preservation
10 Goblin Wolf Riders: spear, bow, full command
23 Night Goblins w/ spears: 2xfanatics, netter, flag, music
15 Night Goblin w/ spears: fanatic, netter, leader
20 Night Goblin w/ bows: fanatic, netter
24 Goblin spears, light armor, flag
40 Goblin bows
20 Night Goblin bows,
Squig Herd: 6 x squigs & 4 handlers
Front Note: I hadn’t played for awhile and as I got into the game and taking notes, I occasionally forgot to use special items or abilities, issue challenges, etc.
Turn 1 – Gobbos:
The Tribute Wagons are empty! They will pay for this! All Goblins advance!
(I forgot to do an animosity check. I guess they all passed)
Magic (6/1): - Empire Channels; Nothing happened. Two spells dispelled ad one cancelled by a dispel scroll I didn’t really have (but usually take).
Turn 1 – Empire:
Magic (6/6) – Empire Channels; Fireball & Piercing bolt dispelled; Burning head kills 2 night gobbo archers & flaming sword cast on Arthur.
Arthur holds the Ford, while Bedevere & Bors take cover for a later ambush
Lancelot holds the bridge, supported by Galahad
Meanwhile Robin holds the forest
Turn 2- Gobbos:
Animosity: Only larger
NG Spears, fail – but nothing happens as can’t charge.
Squig Herd charges Arthur holding ford – but fail to reach target
Wolf Riders charge across the bridge – but only half get across before contact
Magic (2/2) – Empire Channels
Cast Sneaky Stabbin on wolf riders; Gork will fix it dispelled.
Nigh Goblin bows fire at Arthur & alas! Kill poor Patsy.
Combat:
Lancelot kills 3 Goblin spears & takes no wounds himself; fight continues.
Turn 2 – Empire
Galahad breaks cover & charges in to help Lancelot
Magic (1/2) – Empire channels
Tim casts Burning Head on Night Goblins & kills 3.
Galahad’s prayers are blocked
Combat: Lancelot & Galahad v Wolf Riders
Lancelot kills 1 wolf rider, Galahad gets 2; The riders fail to wound & route. They escape the pursuit, but will eventually route off the table.
Turn 3 – Gobbos:
Animosity: Night Goblin bows & smaller spear unit fail checks & subsequent charges as well.
Gobbo spears charge Lancelot & Galahad
Squig Herd charges Arthur
Magic (3/2) no channels
Cast Sneaky Stabbin on Spears
Cast Gork Will Fix it with irresistible force – Shaman loses 3 levels, and all good spells: Itching spell pretty useless.
Goblin bows fire at Tim the Enchanter, who suffers one wound thanks to hard cover
Combat: Goblin Spears v Lancelot & Galahad
Lancelot kills 2 & Galahad kills 1, but both Concorde & Bessie fail to wound.
The Goblins manage to kill both Concorde & Bessie
RUN AWAY! – The fleet footed Lancelot & Galahad just manage to escape the Goblin spears as they streak back across the bridge. The river turns out to be a raging torrent and takes out 3 Goblins as they crossed river (not everyone could fit on bridge)
Combat: Squig Herd v Arthur:
Squig herd splashes through the raging torrent without loss.
Arthur manages to kill one squig & is well protected by his armor – fight continues.
Turn 3 – Empire
Lancelot & Galahad find their courage and rally. Robin breaks from the cover of the woods and charges the Gobbos in the flank.
Meanwhile, Bors charges in to assist Arthur while Bedevere maneuvers from left to right to help Lancelot.
Magic: (4/4)
Tim fails miserably and does not cast
Galahad’s Prayer to Sigmar answered
Combat: Arthur & Bors v Squig Herd:
Arthur & Bors kill 2 squigs each; Arthur is wounded by a squig
The squigs route, Arthur holds his position covering the ford, whereas Bors, impetuous as always chases them down. Bors’ pursuit releases several fanatics, but in the cramped space, they will just crash into each other or terrain and have no effect on game (I didn’t think this through when I designed the list for a scenario that fights over a river).
Combat: Robin flanks the Gobbo spears:
Robin only kills one Goblin, but escapes injury himself - the fight continues.
Turn 4 – Gobbos
Animosity – none
Movement: The Goblin Spears decide to turn to face Robin in the hopes of overwhelming him and then in victory turning to face the threat of Lancelot, Galahad & Bedevere.
Magic: I never bothered with Gobbo magic after this as their only spell was pretty much useless
Shooting: The large unit of Goblin archers concentrate their fire on Tim, causing 1 wound.
Combat: Goblin spears v Sir Robin
Robin kills one Goblin & does not suffer a wound – the fight continues.
Combat: Bors v Night Goblin Spears
Bors kills two Goblins & does not suffer a wound – the fight continues
Turn 4 – Empire
Arthur charges across the Ford to rescue Bors; Lancelot, Galahad & Bedevere hit the flanks & rear of the Goblin spears to relieve pressure on Sir Robin.
Magic (2/1) – another epic failure by Tim & Galahad to get anything going magic-wise.
Combat: Arthur & Bors v. Night Goblin spears (large)
Arthur kills 3, Bors gets 1 and neither suffers an injury; The Night Goblins break and run, causing their companion spear unit (which really hasn’t done much) to route as well. Both escape but route off the board.
Combat: Lancelot, Galahad, Bedevere & Robin v. Goblin Spears.
Lancelot kills 4, Bedevere 3 & Galahad & Robin score one each without being wounded in return. The Goblins break and are overrun by Robin & Bedevere; Lancelot & Galahad being unhorsed, lag behind.
Turn 5 – Gobbos
With only archers left, the night Goblins chances for victory are quickly melting away.
Shooting:
Night Goblins shoot at Arthur & the Goblins at Sir Robin without effect.
Turn 5 – Empire
While the knights position themselves for the attack, Tim has another pitiful magic phase (Burning head dispelled. Fireball defeated by scroll).
Turn 6 – Gobbos
Archers continue to fire at no effect: the combination of strength 3 against toughness four with armor saves of 2 or 3 is too much to overcome.
Turn 6 – Empire
I didn’t bother with magic – and I totally forgot to do “stand & shoot”
Combat: Arthur & Bors v Night Goblin Bows
Arthur kills three, Bors fails to get any, but his horse Epic takes one out (the first casualty caused by a mount all game). The Gobbos break and are overrun by Bors.
Combat: Lancelot, Galahad, Bedevere & Robin v Goblin Bows
Lancelot & Bedevere each get three, whereas Robin & Galahad only score one. As usual the Goblins fail to score. They are able to escape however.
Epilogue:
Arthur’s interrogation of a prisoner sadly reveals the Goblins no longer have the Grail. It seems they sold it to some Kislevites. The quest must continue.
The game might have been a little different if I hadn’t been so careless with rules (a consequence of getting older I suppose), but I doubt it would have altered the outcome too much.
The temporary house rule about mounts was kind of fun – three characters did end up dismounted. Only Arthur exceeded what his wound total would have been without the rule, but it mattered not as he would have saved a wound without the rule – so he was down to one wound either way.
I had my usual horrible luck with magic – but I kind of like it that way.
I didn’t think that the game would be this easy for Arthur & company. I think it was an uphill battle for the Gobbos, especially after their
Lvl 4 wizard took a nose dive down to level one with a lousy spell so early in the game. I may have had too many archers, but those are the figures I have, so that is how it goes. In the end, kind of a sloppy game, but I still had fun. And that is what it is all about.
Maybe some day I will try it again with Orcs.
But before Arthur can march on Kislev, there is painting to be done!
