The Ogresuns in Blighted Waters, part 2 - A Cold Harvest

In the frost-choked wilds of Thyria, where Ghyran’s life-magic pushed stubborn green shoots through the snow, Kap’n Salty Ogbad and his Ironfang Pirates marched to seize Thyria’s Bounty. At his side stomped Mogrum, muttering crackling spells into the winter gale, while Drakmeff drove two crews of Ardboyz forward behind the thunder of three looted bombards.

Across the white battlefield, Killaboss Gorzag’s Kruleboyz struck from drifts and thorn-brake alike, their kunnin’ plans as sharp as their poisoned blades. 

The bombards spoke: great tongues of fire stabbed into the cold air, clouds of black smoke swirled into the snow storm. The roundshot blasted great furrows through hardpacked ground and the Gutrippaz' ranks.

Mogrum’s sorcery never quite managed to pierce the frozen air.

Soon, both forces had gathered a share of the Wildharvest, and 

For a moment it seemed the pirates’ iron wall might grind the swamp-gitz beneath their boots. Yet the Killaboss and his Gnashtoof smashed Mogrum's ramshackle tower. Then in a sudden and unexpected turn, he disappeared into the blizzard, clutching his prize, and raced back across the icy ground to his own Ingredient Cluster before Ogbad’s ladz could give chase.

The day belonged to Mork’s sneakiest.

Through tricky plots and underhanded schemes, Gorzag’s mob stole the harvest from under the pirates’ noses, leaving the Ironfangs roaring curses into the Ghyranite blizzard as Thyria’s Bounty slipped away.

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The first round games in the new EWG Path to Glory Blighted Wilds campaign were played last week!

I included three looted Bombards in my roster as a Regiment of Ghyran - they were a lot of fun! They definitely caused more damage than anything else in my army and they created a lovely area of dead ground - a psychological barrier in the centre of the battlefield.

I played Thyria's Bounty against Jay P's Kruleboyz. We each had a Wildharvest token at the start of round 3, but his was carried by a Killaboss on a Gnashtoof, so he made it back to his own Ingredient Cluster much faster than my ladz could.

In the aftermath, none of my units had suffered greatly and several earned a nice amount of Renown from remediating three areas of contaminated terrain.

My roster, after one game:

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet 
Orruk Warclans | Ironjawz Weirdfist
Drops: 2
Total Points Value: 970

Glory Points: 70

 
General's Regiment

Kap’n Salty Ogbad, Megaboss (140)

• General
• Trophy Skulls
• Hulking Brute
• Path of the Brawler: Dependable Assault
• Renown: 7

Drakmeff, Ardboy Big Boss (100)

• Renown: 3

Regiment 1

Mogrum, Weirdnob Shaman (110)

• Renown: 2

Sludga's Ardboys (160)

• Renown: 5
• 1 Battle Wound
• Path of the Forester: Defensive Thicket

Da Baron's Ardboys (160)

• Renown: 3

Regiment of Gyran
30DP (300)

Kagknee, Regiment Hero

• Renown: 1

3x Ghyranite Bombards:

Smasha

• Renown: 2

Krasha

• Renown: 3

Old Smokey

• Renown: 3

Faction Terrain

The crow's nest, Bossrokk Tower

The Ogresuns in Blighted Waters, part 1 - Thief of Hearts

Insects buzzed around them noisily as the Ogresuns made thier way through Brinewither Reach. The salt-poisoned mangroves made the journey hard going, but they were tracking Arbaal and the Red Brotherhood, so there was no choice but to press on.

Krashhart and Nastyface saw enemy in the distance and hurried to intercept. 

Wyrdtoof was confused for a moment. Shouts echoed through the forest.

The Deathbringer rushed Dubloon Dregg and wounded him.

A massive Khorgorath tried to cramber over the shipwreck but became entangled.

A Wrathmonger knocked Borzag down in a frenzied whirlwind of violence. But Hurdygurdy took down the Wrathmonger in revenge. 

Krashhart laid about himself, he took down several Blood Reavers before Nastyface fell.

Docker Goff took down another Reaver and the Ogresuns made-off with their loot.

Arbal the Deathbringer raged silently as the pirates sailed away into the sunset.

"Oh, I'll wager he's fuming!" laughed Wyrdtoof, when the Ogresuns were aboard their ship. 

"They won't be telling no grand tales round their campfires tonight, after we knocked more'an half of 'em on the noggin!"

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Deployment: Stranglehold

Victory: Historic Aftermath

Twist: Thief of Hearts

The Traveller - part 3: The Blasphemous Voyager

The Traveller - part 1: Tarot is here.

The Traveller - part 2: Dust is here.

In the void between the worlds of Harvest, Canticle, Dust and Winter, the Blasphemous Voyager drifted.

Its translation to realspace had sent out ripples through the psyche of the system's population. Most only perceived this effect as a vague feeling of dread.

But for some it was a beacon; a clarion-call: a summons.

Half a dozen small vessels approached the vast Space hulk. Each made their own way into the massive, drifting conglomeration of wrecked starships, asteroids, and debris merged together within the warp over millennia.

At the centre of all this, in the darkness; the Traveller.

All of the small ships that entered the Hulk bore strange cargos.

The Dust crew boarded the Blasphemous Voyager in the south-western quadrant via webway portal. 

As they move forward cautiously Atrak reached out into the darkness with witch-sight, and recoiled in horror - there were uncountable swarms of Genestealers lurking in the shadows on all sides!

Atrak blessed the Daughter with Foresight as she readied her longrifle. The rest of the crew followed her forward.

Genestealers burst from the walls and floors and ceilings.

Xuchilbara and Atrak each unleashed a Tempest of psychic fire - multiple Genestealers went down. The Leader cut down several with a ancient relic-blade.

Xuchilbara rummaged through a crate, in a moment of respite, and found a flamer!

Atrak twisted the flow of time around the Dust crew, he moved toward the heart of the hulk as everything else around them slowed to an unnatural crawl. But even with this advantage he ran straight into a swarm of Genestealers! He was attacked by one of them but was able to dodge their claws and was unhurt.

The Daughter took-out a Genestealer with a pin-point shot as Faust rounded the corner behind it, with more Genestealers at his heals! Xuchilbara Expelled Faust, sending him reeling backwards.  

The hands of fate moved the explorers, unknowable plans turned within unknowable plans.

The Daughter panicked, opened a bulkhead door and was immediately slashed by Genestealer claws from the doorway.

A space marine in blood-red Terminator armour burst into the corridor and blasted FIVE Genestealers! The dark corridors were illuminated by the thunderous roar of his storm bolter.

Xuchilbara wounded a Genestealer, by burning them with arcane power.

The Leader fought with a 'Stealer but wasn’t able to cut through its tough carapace. More of them closed-in around him.

Xuchilbara dropped “The Last Grenade” taking out several 'Stealers and tumbling themselves and the Leader backwards through a hatch.

The Leader attacked a 'Stealer as it stepped over the fallen Daughter, and slaughtered it. As the Daughter passed out, her Father appeared, screaming her name!

A Battle Sister, who seemed to have boarded with the Terminator-armoured marines, captured Xuchilbara - he was translocated into a hand-held crystal prison.

A single Genestealer attacked Atrak, but he pushed it back with an arcane gesture, then blasted three alien horrors to ichor with a pulse of energy.

The Leader took down another ’Stealer with his relic-sword.

A warp-entity, the malevolent consciousness at the heart of the Blasphemous Voyager, stirred.

Atrak unleashed another Tempest of arcane fire into the room ahead and cleared it, the crew moved forward.

The Traveller brought the full attention of the Consciousness onto himself and engaged in a battle of wills with it!

The Blood Angel blasted another ’Stealer as more pounced on him from the ducts overhead.

The Battle Sister used her hand-flamer to incinerate a ’Stealer but was scorched by her own fire!

The Father picked-up and slung the Daughter over his shoulder then backed-up, firing blindly into the darkness.

The Leader caught-up with Atrak as they ran into another party of forlorn adventurers! The two bands passed each-other with silent acknowledgement.

The Leader rested while Atrak Shielded the crew. The Father backed-up again, shooting wild to cover their rear.

The strange walking ship lurched forward, crashed through bulkheads with a screech of metal-against-metal, and ploughed into the Traveller's platform.

The blood-hued space marine crushed a Genestealers with his powerfist, but many more clawed at his ancient armour. Atrak sped through the corridor and aimed another Tempest at the nearest 'Stealers.

The Battle Sister flamed the 'Stealers fighting the Terminator armoured marine (but wounded him in the process, as flames poured through the battle-damage in his armour). He triggered a teleport homer.

Another bloody angel teleported into the corridor just behind them to support his brother. The Battle Sister decided not to join the Dust Crew, aboard the Father's ship. 

The Leader tried to commune with the Traveller, but…

… enraged by the disturbance, the Traveller attacked the Leader, who dodged so unexpectedly the Traveller's blow hit Atrak instead!

Desperate to save his own life, Atrak made a risky psychic connection with the Traveller and managed to convince him the Dust Crew were not his enemies.

The Traveller returned to his platform and his task.

The Leader, the Father and Atrak Hexcowl retreated onto the walking ship, where the Mother revived the Daughter and healed Atrak's wounds.

At the helm, the Father turned the ship and it strode through wall and bulkhead, smashing toward the nearest shuttle bay.

Daemonic powers rocked the hulk and the Warp entity fell from its tower.

The walking ship left the hulk through fire and flame - the compromised walls started to buckle and groan behind them - it crashed out into the void … through Faust’s shuttle!

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It's not easy to put into words how good this event was. Sam worked miracles to put it together, by bringing so many talented, creative and imaginative people into one place, with one story. The venue (@salford_ladsclub) was amazing, as were the staff who run it.

I doubt the Traveller's tale is over, I have a feeling there is still much work for him to do.