Azod Horde Pillages Port Kessel-Strum

 The 500 point Warhammer Fantasy League is finally underway. Several of us met up at the Gaming Underground to make our first campaign moves. My first move was to land on the shores of Kessel lake and seize Port Kessel-Strum. It was defended by a 250 point garrison of empire troops. Aaron picked forces from his empire army and played the defenders. The defending Port Kessel-Strum militia consisted of an Empire Captain, a unit of spearmen and a unit of  militia crossbowmen.
My force was lead by Azok the butcher, two units of ogres with iron fists, a unit of seventeen gnoblars, a unit of twenty gnoblars, a sabretusk, and a gorger. Azok joined a unit of ogres and both units rounded up some log rams to have a go at the barricade in the towns entrance, while the gnoblars knocked together some rough ladders to try and scale the walls..

Azok lines up his forces The sabretusk far from any other troops, the ogres ready to charge the wall and the gnoblars set to scale the wall. The militia crossbowmen man the parapet, while the militia spearmen stand ready to close the entrance if the ogres bash down the barricade.

The Ogres march toward the barricaded entrance.

The Militia captain climbs the wall and taunts the ogres.

Azok casts braingobbler, the first spell of the campaign and miscasts. He takes a strength six hit that fails to wound.

The braingobbler hits the militia crossbowmen, who panic and flee the battlements.

The militia crossbowmen continue to flee failing to rally.

Azok tries braingobbler again and miscasts again. this time he and the two ogres next to him end up taking strength ten hits and a wound each. The Ogres charge the barricade and smash it to pieces.

Port Kessel-Strum's finest have their moment of glory and charge into the ogre invaders.

Azok moves to the front and challenges the militia champion. The champion steps up and takes the challenge. The champion attack but fails to wound Azok. Azok fights back and kills the champion. The spearmen throw all their attacks and fail to wound any ogres. The ogres fight back with six attacks, hit with all of them and wound with all, leaving six dead spearmen. The Spearmen break and are caught by Ogres.

The ogres rush into the town, while the gnoblars mount the wall and the gorger brings up the rear. The militia crossbowmen continue to flee into the path of the ogres.

The militia Captain determined not to let another ogre into the town leaps from the wall (and doesn't kill himself) then charges into the gorger.

The gorger takes him down.

The crossbowmen rally and send a a volley of bolts into the ogre unit with Azok. Finishing off two of the already wounded ogres.

Azok panics and he flees with the surviving ogre. As Azok runs past, the other unit of ogres remembers they left something on the boat and run for the shore. The gorger smells food and clambers over the barricade wreckage to get closer to it.

The gnoblars start to swarm up the ladders while the Gorger closes on the crossbowmen.

The crossbowmen stand and fire, wounding the Groger twice.The crossbowmen fail to wound the Gorger in close combat but the Gorger's return attacks kill three. The Militia break and flee two inches! The gorger catches them and finishes the port's garrison.

I enjoyed the game and now have a foot hold on the map. The key moment of the game was the crossbowmen fleeing from the braingobbler spell. If they would have stayed on the wall a couple turns of fire could have stopped the ogres and it would have been a really different game.  Seizing the Port also allows me to add an extra 100 point special or rare choice to a single banner. When I get the chance I will probably add another gorger. The loss of the two ogres are going to be hard to replace and will leave Azok's banner at a 64 point disadvantage.
I hope to get in some more campaign games soon.

ColKG