The forces of the Empire and those of the Skaven faced off in a bloody battle the other day. These are the results (such as they are)…
Both armies lined up in a pretty straightforward battle-line. The Empire got the jump on the approaching Skaven, and adjusted their lines forward just a bit. They fired all of their ranged weapons on the hulk of a monster, Boneripper (and his rider, Thanquol). Unfortunately, the mass of squirmy squeaky rats must have shaken their confidence just a bit and the entirety of the first ranged attacks scored only a single hit on Boneripper, who immediately regenerated and healed the wound. Thanquol cast forth a scorching magical flame on the closest of the man-things, killing a crossbowman. Then the mass of Skaven pushed forward with all ranks, the small group of Giant Rats scurrying to front while squeaking loudly to lead the charge. The movement brought Boneripper and the two Poisoned Wind Mortar teams into firing range.
Boneripper blasts his Warpfire Projectors into the crossbowmen killing another one or two, while the Poisoned Wind team was able kill off one of the horse-mounted man-things…
The Empire won initiative for turn two, and between all of the ranged weapons again focusing their fire on the Boneripper monstrosity and the cavalry charging forward into melee, they were able to take him down. The Empire’s flagellants bravely engaged with the Warpfire Thrower, while the man-things with spears and those with great swords both headed into melee with the Rat Ogres. But the only Skaven giving their lives in service to the Great Horned One this turn were Boneripper/Thanquol and one or two clanrats:
The Skaven squeaked vows of revenge and headed into the fray… Two of the Rat Ogres wiped out the entire 12-man-things with spears unit with one set of massive swipes, but the other Rat Ogres did not have any luck with the man-things with great swords and killed only one. The Warpfire Thrower team lost their nerve, and headed back up the hill. (Ed. Note: I made a mistake, and thought I had to disengage the Warpfire Thrower in order to shoot with it in the next turn.) The clanrat units, the Warlord, and the Doom Flayer all formed up in preparation for a vicious charge:
CHARGE! The Doom Flayer weapon team couldn’t get the mechanicals working properly and failed to charge. But everyone else pushed forward with the fury of a thousand years of exile in the sewers and underground – Plague Monks, the Warlord, and the smaller unit of Clanrats surrounded the Empire Cavalry:
Meanwhile, the larger Clanrat unit and the Rat Ogres met the Great Swordsman – also surrounding them and began gnashing and gnawing their way into their psyche and flesh…
It was at about this point we realized the time, and had to call the match… Though they took out Boneripper, the Skaven were likely to entirely destroy the Cavalry unit containing the Empire’s General. The Rate Ogres & massive Clanrat unit were likely to finish off the Great Swordsmen and begin swinging around the backfield, cleaning up the smaller units. As such a minor victory was given to the Skaven, but…