Animosity Tarot

I've been making two (partial) decks of Animosity Tarot cards for an event I'm running as part of the global Animosity Campaigns Weekender, in January next year. I need 2 sets of numbered coalition cards (Team Mogrek and Team Atressa) to give out for random game parings.

I could have gone the really quick and simple method of using regular playing cards. Or even just hand-written numbers on stained card.

But did I?

Did I buffalo.

So I'm making 20 illustrated tarot cards because of course I am. They're made from watercolour paper, stained with black tea (dabbed on with a used tea bag and hair-drier'd) and watered-down black ink (sponged on and dried).

The Andtor Odyssey, part 3: The Frigid Zephyr

A chilling wind blew across the realms; a mysterious force known as the Ferocious Squall descended, shrouding the land in an impenetrable fog. The frigid zephyr presented a unique challenge that would test the mettle of even the most seasoned explorers - they must contend with the blinding squalls belched straight from Andtor’s icey lungs. The continent was hostile, and those who failed to adapt would perish.

Only the most cunning and resilient leaders would emerge triumphant. Armies clashed and their fate hung in the balance.

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After taking repeated thaumaturgic compass readings and comparing them to some captured maps, Kaptain Mogrum and Krashhart agreed on their next course. They made a bearing north-east and two ships of the Ironfang Fleet set out on the cruise from their port-stronghold, Da Toof. They intended to capture a convergence of ley lines that ran through the ruins of an ancient temple, on a nearby island.

They expected to meet resistance there, so they discussed what each crew should do at the first sign of enemy action, and decided to bring along Overboard, the shipwreck Rogue Idol.

Assisted by Old Mudgob, Krashhart led the Swordfyshes, in three divisions: port watch (with red bandanas, or red feathers in their broad-brimmed hats), starboard watch (with blue) and the harpooners.

The Andtor Odyssey, part 2: Path to Glory

Kaptain Mogrum and the navigator-wardokk Lost Uzzog stooped in the cramped cabin of the Cleavermaw. They had been pouring over charts and maps for hours and the candles on the desk were almost burned down to stubs. They were collating all the information they could gather about the ley lines that arced across the Krakensea. 

After their first successful action in Andtor, four ships from the Ironfang Fleet had anchored in Dead Kraken Cove, an abandoned harbour on an island in the Krakensea, north of the Greedmouth Realmgate. There, in the ruins of the ancient port, they set up a stronghold they called Da Toof.

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet - The Plunderblades and the Portwreckas, part 5

Docker Goff and The Plunderblades

Under the command of Kaptain Borgoth, Megaboss, the Plunderblades are a rowdy bunch of inexperienced sailors. But they are handy in a fight, so the Kaptain has tasked Docker Goff with getting them at least "capable" when it comes to the skills needed aboard a sky-ship.

For now they always seem to get in each-other's way, pull on the wrong ropes, or misunderstand their orders in new and unexpected ways.

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You might remember Docker Goff and Mr Flea as they have both been covered here before.

The Knyght's Tayel - a Halloween Warcry Game

Once, as in olde stories played to crowde,

There was a grayt Kyng named Mudshroud;

Of wudland he, was protector and lord,

A conqueror he, lyved by the sword.

That grayter under Hysh was noone,

Fulle many battels he had won;

What with he's wisdom and he's chivalrey,

He wedded the Queene Mordgrave, you see.

He broght her hom with him to he's countrey

Withe much glorey and great solemnitey.

And thus with victorey and with songe

(from Moldforth; a jester, you'll meet ere long)

This nobel Kyng to Scarred-lande ryde,

With alle his hoste-in-arms, him besyde.

~ ~ ~

And surely, if it were not so longe to hear,

If the hourglass sands end wern't quite so neare,

I would telle een full howe his reygn began;

The gloreys of he's long life's span;

But alle that matter I must nowe forgo.

Of the storme aheed, they could not knowe;

The remnant of this tayel is longe enough,

The patha befoer theem: fraught and roughe.

So not to wonder offe the tayel I bringe,

And where I lefte, I will againe begyn.

~ ~ ~

The Kyng, of whom I telle this story,

His proud processioun; fulle of glorey.

Then came to gather fruite and meat,

(And othern thyngs for alle to eat)

In alle hys prosperitey and alle his pryde,

He yet grewn wary: caste eye aside,

He there beheld: that barred their waey

A companey of bandyts, yellen "Stay!"

Eache after other alle, clothed but halfe;

And such a dreadful noise their laugh.

That in this worlde no creeture lyving

Could wytness such without mysgiving;

And alle their revelrey did instantly ende,

When Queene Mordgrave killed a grot; theirn friend.

The bandyt cheef was aback-taken,

He decryed the Kyng fore stealyng hys bacoun.

"What righte have yoon, in mine own encampe

To robbe my feast, my grot's head to stampe?"

Quoth the Kyng "Have you no respecte?

By mine glorey, yourn hoomes I protecte

I stope incursiouns frome wythout

Yet swuch as you do moan and shoute!

Whom couldst we have so offended?

You tellen me, nought but a grot is ended!"

Whyle he spake with deadley cheer,

He's pylgrims hurryed farre and near.

They gathered up the fruits and the meats,

That the bandyts longe had saved up (to eats)

While pylgrims took onione and sayge,

Quoth loude the bandyts bothe, in rayge,

"While spake you so, of honour and glorey,

Your pylgrims' looting tells a differente storey!"

The pylgrims cryed in sorrowe and fear,

"No drop of pitey, for alle us here?

Poor wretched pylgrims that you blayme,

We onley dide as you dide same!

We thanked Fortune and her false wheel,

But nowe your axe, on head we feel!"

"But wretch, who weep and wayl thus,

We came for harvest, not for fusse!"

The Queene tryed to reasoun with bandyt-secound,

But withe he's great hounger she had not reckouned.

Fulle filled of ire and of iniquitey,

The Kyng stoode talle agaynst tyranny.

The first bandyt turned, and axes felle,

The Kyng, was slaine; dropp'd een a well.

T'other bandyt strucke the Queene, fulle-force,

And laugh'd aloude as she fellen frome horse.

While the lumbering wudland hoodes

Touk backe alle theyr stoulen goodes,

The laste three pylgrims fourght hard and longe,

Bothe warbands sang a bitter songe.

The tyde did turne and a pylgrim felle,

But soon did grot droppe dead as well.

The bandyts sought to ende this storey,

Of slaughtered Kyng and fallen glorey.

They rushed and wrourght in full-borne rayge,

Whych soon crossed pylgrims offe the payge.

When at laste onley Moldforth survived,

(I mencioned heem, when first arryved)

The bandyts boasted loude and oft,

They helde bits of half-eaten foe aloft.

All pageantrey and glorey ended

The court's injureys could not be mended.

Withe brouken heart, he heared them spake,

It seemed to heem he's heart would break.

So desperate last ploye Moldforth hadde,

He stolen their lunch, to mayke them sadde.

And wythout a word, wythout more delay,

The Jester did runne: he got away.

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(Apologies to Geoffrey Chaucer)

Viktor was back in Manchester for a week over Halloween, so we met up in a cafe near my office and played our nearly-traditional Halloween themed game. We played Scattered Spoils, from the first introduction of Bladeborn to Warcry in White Dwarf 477. The 3 Battleplans in that issue are designed for small warbands, of around 500 to 600 points. Perfect for a game squeezed into a short time!

It was a lot of fun! Even if I was completely slaughtered by a combination of picking a terrible list and Viktor's amazing attack rolls.

The Andtor Odyssey, part 1: Limited Resources

Deep in the untamed wilderness of Ghur is a savage frozen wilderness. In this inhospitable land of freezing winds and towering glaciers, armies converge. Each driven by their unique motivations and aspirations, they all seek to harness the power of the icy landscapes for their own ends.

The ancient, dormant powers that lie hidden beneath the ice are coveted prizes. A fierce battle for control over the frozen heart of Ghur is unfolding. What untold horrors and wonders lie in wait for those who dare to venture into these perilous lands? Prepare for an adventure like no other as we embark on a journey into the frozen lands of Andtor.

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Limited Resources

Andtor’s frigid plains beat with the wintery pulse of Ghur. Many sought to seize and harness such an energy source to freeze their foes solid. Two such aspirants met to claim the pulse for their own - lest their warriors be its next victim.

Freezing winds pulled at Kaptain Mogrum's tattered red coat. The magical vortex that had drawn him to this bleak and unwelcoming landscape pulled at the needles of his thaumaturgic compass.

The crews of two ships (the Swordfysh and the Cleavermaw) were gathered in loose knots nearby, probably grumbling about the cold, or maybe one of half a dozen other things that they had taken-issue with, but he paid them no attention. The power gathered in the ruins around them was far more interesting.

The voices of the nearest Swordfyshes drifted through the storm.

"Did you hear a flapping of ragged wings mate?" said Hook to Sinka.

"Was most probly just this blasted cold wind." replied Sinka.

With a creaking and crashing of timbers the walking shipwreck the pirate orruks called Overboard stomped out of the swirling snowstorm. The orruks cheered its arrival. They always took it as a good omen when the Rogue Idol joined them in battle.

Mogrum chuckled to himself as the tide of wild magical energies, overflowing from the Rogue Idol, washed over him.

"Big monster ahoy!" cried one of the Swordfyshes.

"Where away?" called Krashhart in reply.

"Off of the starboard bow!"

Distant and unintelligible gibbering could just be heard through the noise of the wind. A swarm of Crypt Ghouls approached.

The Swordfyshes charged at the ghouls gleefully. Their gibbering noise was soon replaced by the sounds of panicked, dying ghouls as the pirates impaled them.

Krashhart cupped his hand to his mouth and bellowed to be heard over the storm.

"Get over behind them walls, out of the way for a minute, else that dragon starts spewing fire or some-such!"

His crew did not argue and jumped to follow his orders.

The orruks heard the sounds of some Crypt Flayers getting destroyed by Overboard, but they couldn't see the fighting, much to their disappointment.

"Here, did that there dragon... ran away?" said Sinka.

"I dunno." said Hook doubtfully "Which it's rider might also be after that magical vortex what Mogrum is wanting to be collecting-of?"

"No-one look now, but them other Crypt Flayers is trying to be sneaking up from the stern." said Jetsum.

The Swordfyshes all looked.

Overboard lumbered around the ruins, wordlessly shrugging off the remains of the Flayers.

"Didn't we just kill them same ghouls?" exclaimed Sinka. "Where-away did these come from?"

The walking shipwreck crashed through the line of ghouls to reach the Arch Regent, smashing down one of the cannon he used as fists.

"Gah! One of 'em bit me! These ghouls get blasted ferocious when they hungry." cried Lugger Dag.

Overboard stomped on a Crypt Ghast Courtier who was trying to get away.

The zombie dragon landed on one of the sources of arcane power that Kaptain Mogrum had already harvested.

"It doesn't signify mate. I have already what we was needing." he said, as much to himself as to Overboard, who had made no indication that he was worried anyway.

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I played my first game of Age of Sigmar since Warcry (first edition) was released!

I only played Skirmish sized games of AoS 2nd edition and I had not played 3rd at all. After finding a large local Warhammer club just as they were about to start a campaign I thought I would jump in.

The first month of the EWG campaign has a 1000 points limit, so it was exactly where I wanted to start especially since I was very tempted by a 1000 point narrative event recently and I had already made some preparations for that (the coins to track Waaagh! Points worked very well!).

I had almost everything I needed ready but I made a new list after Viktor pointed out that I really should use my Rogue Idol (WIP here), since I won't get to use it in Warcry.

The Ironfang Fleet

1000 points

Allegiance: Big Waaagh!

- Mortal Realm: Ghur

- Grand Strategy: Waaagh!

- Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders - The Quarter Deck

Lord Krashhart (120)

Orruk Warchanter

- General

- Command Trait: Heroic Stature

- Artefact: Amulet of Destiny (Universal Artefact)

Kaptain Mogrum (170)

Wurrgog Prophet

- Lore of the Savage Beast: Power of the Were-boar

Battleline - The Crew

The Swordfyshes (harpooners) (140)*

5 x Orruk Brutes

- Jagged Gore-hackas

- 1x Gore Choppas

The Swordfyshes (port watch) (140)*

5 x Orruk Brutes

- Pair of Brute Choppas

- 1x Gore Choppas

Behemoths

Overboard (430)

Rogue Idol

Core Battalions

*Ironjawz Fist

Total: 1000 / 1000

Reinforced Units: 0 / 2

Allies: 0 / 200

Wounds: 59

Drops: 5

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The club campaign is using Matched Play rules, but I am going to do my own Path to Glory within it - since there are rules built-in to the PtG section for playing Matched Play games/events I don't even need to make anything up!