Gyorgy emerged first from the tunnel. His hunter’s senses had caught the scent of a great life-force, its blood a beacon in the darkness of the warrens. Now under the stars, Vaszoly could see the beast too. Never had they encountered so much blood in one body. This would be a foe worthy of his skills and perhaps, the blood of this great tusked creature might quash the red thirst for some time.
King Harold Uronjir shook the Seer’s shoulders – still they traversed the low road, in a feverish trance brought on by their wounds. They would have to face this foe blind to the fickle fortunes. Harold drank from his horn, ate from his golden plate, and made sacrifice to his forefathers, for without the wisdom of the runes, who knew if this was the day he entered the Golden Halls?
Vampire Counts come into their full functionality once you can afford two Necromancers, allowing you multiple chances to cast Invocation as well as access to all the spells you need to make the army work.
Returning alongside Vaszoly the Vampire are Regiment of Renown the Drakenburg Deadshots and Gyorgy the Varghulf. Joining them for the first time in this campaign are the über-elite Blood Knights (although only a couple of them).
++ Standard (Vampire Counts) [1,325pts] ++ + Heroes + Necromancer [110pts]: Hand Weapon . Magic Items: Power Stone . Wizard Level 2 . . Lore of Necromancy VC 2: 0. Invocation of Nehek, 2. Hellish Vigour, 4. Raise Dead, The Curse of Undeath Vaszoly - Vampire [192pts] . Blood Dragon Vampire: General, Hand Weapon, Heavy Armour, Shield . . Magic Items & Vampiric Powers: Blademaster, Bone Blade, Dread Knight . . Wizard Level 1 . . . Lore of Necromancy VC 1: 0. Invocation of Nehek, 1. Vanhel's Danse Macabre, The Curse of Undeath + Core + Bat Swarms [90pts]: 3x Bat Swarm, Expendable Crypt Ghouls [60pts] . 10x Crypt Ghoul: 10x Skirmishers Dire Wolves [60pts]: 10x Dire Wolf, Expendable Skeleton Warriors [116pts]: Skeleton Champion, Standard Bearer . 24x Skeleton Warrior: 24x Hand Weapon, 24x Shield Skeleton Warriors [120pts]: Skeleton Champion, Standard Bearer . 25x Skeleton Warrior: 25x Hand Weapon, 25x Shield The Drakenburg Deadshots - Skeleton Warriors (Ranged) [104pts] . RoR | -1 to Hit . 12x Skeleton Warrior: 12x Crossbow, 12x Hand Weapon . Standard Bearer . . Magic Standards: Banner of Hellfire Zombies [63pts]: 21x Zombie + Special + Corpse Cart [90pts]: Corpsemaster, The Restless Dead + Rare + Blood Knights [130pts]: Kastellan . 3x Blood Knight: 3x Heavy Armour, 3x Lance (Mounted), 3x Shield . . 3x Nightmare: 3x Barding Gyorgy - Varghulf [190pts] . RoR - Armour Piercing (1)
This was my first game playing against the Norsca army book which I had only skimmed since its recent big update. King Harold’s army was 1,375pts (my opponent had more games under his belt) and consisted of something like the following:
++ Standard (Norsca) [1,375pts] ++ + Lords + King [212.50pts]: Fur Cloak, General, Hand Weapon, Medium Armour, Shield . Magic Items: Enchanted shield, Girdle of Might, Seed of Rebirth, Sword of Swift Slaying + Heroes + Valkyrie [110pts]: Light Armour, Shield, Spear (On Foot) . Magic Items: The Gleaming Torc + Core + Bondsmen [192.50pts]: Herse, Musician, Standard Bearer . 25x Bondsman: 25x Fur Cloak, 25x Hand Weapon & Shield, 25x Light Armour War Wolves [60pts]: Expendable, 10x War Wolf Whalers [80pts]: Musician . 10x Whaler: 10x Hand Weapon, 10x Javelins, 10x Shield Whalers [80pts]: Musician . 10x Whaler: 10x Hand Weapon, 10x Javelins, 10x Shield + Special + Berserkers [130pts] . 10x Berserker: 10x Fur Cloak, 10x Great Weapon Ice Wolves [185pts]: 5x Ice Wolf + Rare + War Mammoth [325pts] . 5x Marauder Crew: 5x Hand Weapon, 5x Javelins
The scenario rolled was Dawn Attack – a particularly precarious one for Vampire Counts as proximity to the General is vital (or should that be mortal?). Fortunately, Vaszoly was able to deploy fairly centrally although the corpse cart was off to one side. Gyorgy the Varghulf and the Knights of Blood Keep were taking the right flank, able to move more independently than the Undead minions.
The carrion eaters surged forwards at the scent of whale meat from the ships, Ghouls and Dire Wolves Vanguarding ahead of the main force. The Norscan counterparts did likewise, with the War Wolves and Ice Wolves advancing cautiously.
Norsca 1
The Mammoth trumpeted a primal fanfare as it started its unstoppable momentum towards the enemy.
Skirting around the side of the pine copse, the Whalers released their harpoons at the oncoming Dire Wolves, stopping 5 of them in their tracks.
Their Seer, recovering from wounds sustained in the last battle, was absent from this fight – no magic was available to Norsca this day.
Vampire Counts 1
Leaping over the bodies of their packmates, the Dire Wolves launched themselves into the Whalers on the left flank, losing two more of their number to hastily hurled harpoons.
The Necromancer, having all of the Winds of Magic at his disposal, resurrected two of the wolves and summoned a unit of seven Skeletons to support them.
A loud creak came from the crossbows and the bones of the Drakenburg Deadshots as they loosed their flaming bolts at the Ice Wolves, killing one outright.
The Dire Wolves traded one kill for two, drawing the combat.
Norsca 2
Distracted by the movement, the Ice Wolves barreled into the Bat Swarms, snapping and biting at the dark cloud flitting around them.
Cautious of overextending, King Harald commanded his troops to whittle down the enemy numbers some more with their javelins and axes. Three harpoons found their way into the Crypt Ghouls’ chest cavities. The last of the Dire Wolves was sent to a permanent rest, leaving the Whalers free to threaten the flank
Vampire Counts 2
Under the hail of harpoons, the Ghouls failed to muster the courage to charge, creeping an inch forward instead. Cursing their craven cowering, Vaszoly chanted an ancient phrase and two of the three dead Ghouls stood back up. Next to them, six Zombies popped out of the ground to slow the Mammoth’s progress.
Vaszoly’s squires from Blood Keep lowered their spearpoints and urged their Nightmares toward the War Wolves, who fled from the thundering onslaught.
Gyorgy lost the trail of the Berzerkers he was tracking but picked up the scent of hot Mammoth blood instead, ambling around the side of the Norscan line.
Norsca 3
Angry at the loss of their packmate, the Ice Wolves continued on to stampede over the Deadshots although losing two wounds in the process.
Whining and howling, the War Wolves fled the board to escape the lances of the Blood Knights.
Reaching their full frenzy, the Berzerkers tore through the intervening zombies…but lost in their frantic hacking and frothing, only managed to pursue two inches beyond.
Vampire Counts 3
The Wind of Death weakened and the winter fog grew thicker. The Necromancer’s distracted incantation was easily dispelled by the resilient Norscans.
Blind Gyorgy leapt towards the haunches of the Mammoth, trying to find the hot pulsing that would indicate where its throat lay. Their courage bolstered, the Ghouls scurried also toward the Mammoth’s towering tusks. Between them, they struck three wounds from its total ten. In response the Mammoth let out a gargantuan bellow that would have burst the eardrums and shattered the resolve of any mortal, but was ineffective on the Undead.
Norsca 4
Berzerkers clashed with Skeletons in the centre field and Vaszoly deflected their clumsy, animalistic blows to fell several. A chill wind crept up behind him as the Ice Wolves fell on the rear of the Skeletons, killing all of them and leaving Vaszoly alone. The Mammoth stomped on the remaining Ghouls this turn as Gyorgy tore at its haunches.
Vampire Counts 4
Returned from their hunt, the Blood Knights signaled a charge towards a greater prey: Mammoth. As prophesied by your dear narrator however, two of the three failed their Dangerous Terrain test and fell into stake pits set by the Norscan scouts. Their Kastellan continued on alone as his companions met their final death.
The Necromancer urged his horde into the Whalers and, unable to assist Vaszoly any further, summoned a Skeleton cohort behind them.
Blade flashing faster than the eye could follow, Vaszoly dispatched the remaining Berzerkers and turned to face the Ice Wolves alone.
Gyorgy, now enraged by the blood starting to pour from the wounds in the Mammoth’s hide, bit deep into its artery. Spooked by the pain, the Mammoth crushed the Blood Knights Kastellan into the mud as it turned to flee. Alas, the summoned Skeletons stood in its way, and their rusted blades cut the beast’s tendons as it tried to escape. With a throat full of Mammoth blood, Gyorgy pursued into King Harold and his band of Bondsmen.
Norsca 5
Making way through the ranks of his men, King Harold tightened his mighty girdle and chanted a verse to his ancestors while the Valkyrie’s song of doom vibrated in his ears.
Swinging first, he landed a series of titanic blows on the beast only to watch in horror as its vampiric flesh stitched back together, empowered by the monstrous blood upon which Gyorgy had gorged. Taking advantage of the old King’s shock, Gyorgy lunged past the household shieldbearers and caught Harold by the throat, draining a pint of royal blood. Harold’s blood brothers bore him back to the ships, no more to take part in this chapter of the saga.
Across the field, Vaszoly also fell before the fangs of the Ice Wolves, unable to parry the whole pack at once. Minions started to falter and crumble, losing several Skeletons from each unit before the Necromancer picked up the slack.
Vampire Counts 5
Seeing the Ice Wolves approaching like the turning of the season, the Necromancer fled his unit and made a break for the Corpse Cart. He used the remaining power from his reserves to bolster the unit of Skeletons supporting Gyorgy and bless them with Hellish Vigour.
These Skeletons buffed by both the dark magic and the invigorating aura of the Corpse Cart, managed to dice up eight of the Bondsmen. They fled for their longships and were hunted down by the enraged Varghulf.
Norsca 6
“HEIAJAHO Harold, go not yet to your rest” sung the Valkyrie, and hurled herself at the Necromancer to the sound of spectral hunting horns. Alongside her, the Ice Wolves fell upon the Skeletons.
The Whalers on the periphery of the battle continued to launch their harpoons, felling half a dozen Zombies but failing to slow their inevitable march.
The Valkyrie’s gleaming torc blinded the Necromancer’s nocturnal vision and her spear found his heart singing “HI-JO-TO, Greet your dark master face to face!”. With a clap of thunder and the swelling of an unseen orchestra she charged onward to be immolated upon her pyre, in this instance made of Zombies.
Vampire Counts 6
As the Zombies clawed at the wings of the Valkyrie, the Skeletons fended off the Ice Wolves and ran them off, forestalling the fimbulwinter for one more season.
The game ended with a close score after six full turns, only 96 points in favour of the Vampire Counts – with half points awarded for both the Ice Wolves and for Gyorgy, who was unable to restore a wound with the Thirst despite gulping so much pachyderm blood.
As victor, I rolled another Regiment of Renown roll – this time giving Stubborn to the Blood Knights (not wasted as they do not crumble like Undead). To roleplay this Stubbornness however, I intend to run them through a forest at least once per game to reflect their Stubborn refusal to avoid Dangerous Terrain.
King Harold was left with a permanent -1S from his wounds.
Vaszoly was captured by his foes as per the following result:
As we are not playing for Relics, his Bone Blade was awarded to the Norscans as a trophy, and we shall have to engineer some sort of rescue party or prison break scenario.
The whalers chanted a hymn of healing as they rowed their King back to the long ship. Although he lived to rule another day, the blood loss had left him weak and frail. Harold’s shieldbearer wept not for his king, for they hoped to restore him with the blood of their captive – the vampire bound by silver chains to the dragon-shaped prow.