Zog's battle reports

Re-post from elsewhere. Not many old models in this lot, but I hope you find it interesting. I plan on using these rules as a home for old models that don't really fit into more modern games.

Earlier today I played my first game of "Warstuff" which is a generic set of skirmish rules from "One page rules". They cop a little flak for mostly just making fan-versions of GW games (with the obvious goal of squeezing the main rules onto one page, or one double sided if we're being picky). However, I think the most useful set of rules is a this little "stat up anything" game. I have a few ideas on how to expand it since I'd love to use the same main game for all of my favourite settings, even scales. Before getting too ahead of myself, I actually needed to play it...



Slaanesh cult - I got to play as this lot! The Daemonettes got the viscous (combat) and regenerate special rules, with the 90's model being more powerful. I made the cultists terrible at everything and with a short-range as befits scum like them.



Catachan patrol led by Mrs. Zog. Guardsmen are basic soldiers with a medium range. The barely converted Portal Turret is tough, and a decent fighter/shot with a long range, but slow to move.



Pretty standard setup just to test the rules. Jungle scrub for cover (all the way to the terrain base) and the summoning circle counts as cover. We house-ruled that anything charging a model in cover was at a disadvantage, the rules only cover shooting. We allowed models up higher (the hill) to shoot over other models (we didn't really use true line of sight, one level of "height" and a bird's-eye-view was enough).



Second turn. I shot a guardsman, sent a Daemonette behind the rocks, another into the trees and used a cultist as a meat-shield! My opponent shot the beastman and scattered into cover and onto the hill.



Lone Daemonette advances towards the guardsman on my left flank (we house-ruled that running/charging can only be in a straight line, with the zig-zag movement around the rocks only being walk - 6"). I lost the remaining cultist (who at least wounded the Catachan in the trees) and had to use two daemons to remove the guardsman hiding in the summoning circle.



The turret takes aim... (OK, we didn't really need the laser to check LOS, but it looks cool!).



Wounded, I charged the turret with the Daemonette and charged the guardsman in the trees, who had already shot the other Daemonette.



I had no luck in combat with the turret. When you fail to kill your opponent, you are sent back 1" as seen here. The turret of course shot at close-range with better results!



My main Daemonette finally killed the guardsman in the trees, but with the one from the hill circling and the turret advancing and shooting, we called it a game. My one remaining model was equal in points with the turret and had little chance of killing both remaining enemies before being taken out, so it was a loss for me!



All in all, a fun and quick little game. I have a few ideas already such as small squad rules.

Now for a bit of an "Oldhammer connection". One thing I want to try with this game is to play some games in a slightly Realm of Chaos style. Bear in mind that this game uses a single "quality" or Q stat from 1 to 5 and special rules for everything else (kind of like Song of Blades, for those who play it). I would like to try even forces, for example: Five Q1, five Q2 and a warband leader of Q3. I'll number all of the special rules and roll random special rules for each model. Easy enough to do, and it might get me hunting through old boxes for appropriate looking models.

We had another go with the same set of rules earlier today. Lots of rules added and made-up as we deployed, even as we played. It's a little soulless at the moment, none of the characters have names. I hope to start playing linked games soon, and put some real effort into the narrative.

The units of up to three models, rather than all single is a house-rule we tried and could work for any skirmish game. We kept a 1" gap but didn't worry too much about it. We grouped models up again if the middle model died. One model making it to combat means all are brought up into contact, trying to distribute/spread out models as evenly as possible. Shooting at the unit is distributed randomly. If one model is stunned, the others must wait for it to get up. I chose a limit of three models for now, if only because it makes random hits easy using only 6-sided dice. If we go larger, I might just steal the mechanic from the Victorian sci-fi rules GASLIGHT.





I set up a village with what I have painted. Victory will be determined by counting up the number of models within the walls by the end of the game. Two points for every Skaven, one point for the defenders.





I led the rag-tag mix of humans. Looking through my painted models, I can see that I need to paint something more normal like spearmen and archers! The skaven are led by a warlord with a cape made from a carrion bird.



Here's our forces deployed. I must admit, I played the flagellants out of character hiding one unit behind the house! I should have swapped them with the greatswords. Turns out the Skaven warlock and poison wind launcher were played in character, the cowards never moved from their positions, taking shots from the back!



Early on, three slaves managed to kill two greatswords and wound the other despite attacking over defenses, only losing one of their own.



Flagellants on my right flank charge out, only to be shot by the warlock. Slaves and rat-ogres don't scare me just yet.



The flagellants on my left rush in to replace the now deceased greatsword and male mage, the ogres do the same for my barbarians and female mage. The giant takes damage from poison wind as well as close-combat.



With everyone occupied, a single slave on both sides of the gate break in...



The giant is taken down, crushing a stormvermin and wounding the warlord as he falls. The battle is over for me though as they head into the village and I admit defeat (besides, it was getting close to dinner time!).



Another loss!