The Andtor Odyssey, part 4: Path to Glory

When the Cleavermaw and the Swordfysh sailed back into Dead Kraken Cove once more, they had their holds loaded and their pennants flying.

Kaptain Borgoth met them on the quayside in roaring high-spirits. He pushed through the excited crowd of pirates from other ships to greet Mogrum and Krashhart, shaking their hands warmly and slapping them on the back as they quickly summarised their adventures.

The good news further raised his mood and he regaled them with tales: while the two ships were out roving he had also taken the Plunderblade out exploring the nearest islands to the north-west. They had sighted a Dawnbringer Outpost nearby and when night fell they looked into its harbour. They came home with a good deal of loot from the Outpost's stores and left the place ablaze.

The back-and-forth stories of the battle with the Soulblight Gravelord and ransacking the port kept the crews supplied with a steady flow of grog for a week. As usual they all embellished each tale in the telling and retelling with progressively wilder additions each time.

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Over the next few weeks there were several friendly ships who passed by Dead Kraken Cove.

The Cleavermaw spoke the Lockheart:

A green and blue painted, low-flying Ironclad of the Keystone Acquisition Company. The Captain of the ironclad, Kap'n Clink Keyholdr, was a skaven pirate dressed in a collection of vibrant emerald and azure coats and carrying a great latchkey-axe slung over his shoulder. He exchanged news and chit-chat with the Ironfang Fleet for a while but declined an invitation to dine on megalofin steak, suddenly declaring they had "only hove-to to ask the orruks for directions".

The Swordfysh spoke the Iron Kraken:

A steam-powered monitor, that was carrying the Chuglords Fusiliers on a supply mission. The captain shared a bottle of fiery grog with Krashhart and a stew made from steeped Harkraken meat. they discussed other vessels each had seen recently. Meanwhile their crews exchanged trinkets, trophies and wild tales of adventure (and no small amount of grog too).

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 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!

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet - The Swordfyshes, part 10

Even the slimmest chance that I might have be able to attend a narrative AoS event in October has brought me back round to the Swordfyshes.

It's is a fairly local, 3-game, 1000 point, one-day event with some interesting limits on what units can be fielded (only the general is allowed to cost 300 points or more, and no Battalions can be used. There are going to be custom Battleplans, Grand Strategies and Battle Tactics, so none of the Core Rules / GHB ones will be in use).

There is also a requirement to provide at least a sentence of backstory about why your general is leading their small force to the Gnarlwood. There are no upper limits on the amount of backstory you can write... so the NEO would have got pages and pages from me! The Swordfyshes have unfinished business there after all - after four battles in the Tangled Depths in March and another six at a Big Rumble in April, all with a pretty terrible success rate (only two victories out of ten battles!!) so the Ironjawz pirates definitely have something to prove!

They will be bringing some friends too - as I planned on fielding a Big Waaagh! army list they would be fighting alongside Kaptain Mogrum (a Wurrgog Prophet) and the Cleavermaws (a mob of Savage Morboys).

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The first three models have been sitting partly-painted on my hobby desk since March.

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Wrecker - Brute with Gore-Choppa, broad-brimmed hat, a map of the Maw Bight in Ghur, pinned to his back-armour.

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Bosun Zog - Brute Boss with a Boss Choppa, an eyepatch, a bifurcated broad-brimmed hat, and a skull and crossbones belt buckle

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Pegleg Drak - Brute with Jagged Gore-Hacka, bicorn with skull and crossbones decoration, and peg-leg.

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And, while the Brutes above are freshly finished, I completed the painting of the ladz below in March (not very long after they were all built) but somehow I never got round to posting about them here!

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Grog Wort - a sly Brute with Pair of Brute Choppas, broad-brimmed hat with a small bundle of bones as decoration.

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Skag Fathom - Brute with Gore-Choppa, broad-brimmed hat with huge feather, and skull and crossbones hatpin, for decoration.

The two newer crew-members of the Swordfysh's small boat (known as the "blue cutter") with the rest of their mates. They have blue feathers in their hats, to distinguish them from my other Choppa mob, who all have red bandanas or feathers (who crew the Swordfysh's other launch - the "red cutter").

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The Stormfyshes 

Allegiance: Big Waaagh!

- Mortal Realm: Ghur

- Triumphs: Bloodthirsty

Leaders - The Quarter Deck

Lord Krashhart (120)

- Orruk Warchanter

- General

- Command Trait: Heroic Stature

- Artefact: Amulet of Destiny (Universal Artefact)

- Warbeat: Get 'Em Beat

Old Mudgob (90)

- Orruk Weirdnob Shaman

- Lore of the Weird: Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork

Kaptain Mogrum (170)

- Wurrgog Prophet

- Lore of the Savage Beast: Gorkamorka's War Cry

Battleline - The Crew

Sinka and The Swordfyshes; Starboard Watch(140)

- 5 x Orruk Brutes

- Pair of Brute Choppas

- 1x Boss Choppa

- 1x Gore-choppa

Grapnul Gog and The Swordfyshes; Port Watch(140)

- 5 x Orruk Brutes

- Pair of Brute Choppas

- 1x Boss Choppa

- 1x Gore-choppa

Bosun Zog and The Swordfyshes; Harpooniers (140)

- 5 x Orruk Brutes

- Jagged Gore-hackas

- 1x Boss Choppa

- 1x Gore-choppa

The Baron and The Cleavermaws (160)

- 10 x Savage Orruks

Total: 960 / 1000

Reinforced Units: 0 / 2

Allies: 0 / 200

Wounds: 84

Drops: 7

This feels less like and army and more like a large warband. Definitely staying in my comfort zone, even though I haven't played AoS since Warcry was released!

I also bought 24 pirate-themed metal coins (from the Legendary Coins range, I ordered them from Board Game Extras). I plan to use them to track Waaagh! Points. They are really beautiful coins, and very tactile.