Battleplan: Raze to the Ground
Battleplan: Raze to the Ground
This Battleplan, from Battletome: Chaos Dreadhold, follows
the attack of a group of Sylvaneth upon a fortification known as the Fangs of
Decay, built by the Nurgle Rotbringers to corrupt the power of Alarielle’s
sacred Lifewells. The Sylvaneth seek to destroy the fortifications and cleanse
the Lifewells of Nurgle's filth.
We used forces from Battletomes: Sylvaneth and Maggotkin of
Nurgle for this battle, along with each side's allegiance abilities (so the Sylvaneth
could use the Navigate Realmroots ability to move between forests, for instance).
Forces:
Sylvaneth:
Treelord Ancient
Spirit of Durthu
Branchwraith
20 Dryads
3 x 5 Tree Revenants
Nurgle:
Lord of Plagues
Nurgle Sorcerer
3 x 5 Blight Kings
Both forces have approximately the same number of wounds (ish)
– which is roughly how I’ve been balancing them. I’m aware that it’s not the most
balanced system, but I’m deliberately trying to avoid points for this. The
Nurgle forces, though few in number, can throw out an impressive number of
attacks (particularly due to the Blightkings ability to inflict D6 hits, rather
than one, on a to hit roll of 6).
The Nurgle forces started the game within two fortifications
in the middle of the table: a Skull Keep and an Overlord Bastion. The Sylvaneth
objective was to destroy both buildings, or occupy them. If this wasn’t
achieved by the end of the 6th battle round, the forces of Nurgle
would achieve victory instead.
The scenario has rules for damaging the towers (basically,
they have 10 or 15 wounds, depending on the size of the building, and a 1+
save, meaning that it’s pretty much down to the Treemen to destroy them), otherwise we just used the basic garrisoning rules on the appropriate Dreadhold Warscrolls. We're also using the Greenglades Time of War rules from the Age of Sigmar hardback book. These allow the Nurgle player to attempt to beseech Grandfather Nurgle to heal (or spawn) a fallen champion, add some extra spells, in the form of Shield of Thorns and the Miasma of Pestilence, and add a few flavoursome rules such as the Hidden Festering Corruption (causing wounds to non-Nurgle models, and healing Nurgle ones) for all terrain pieces, and adding the chance for Sylvaneth Wyldwoods to appear spontaneously.
Torgulg the Despised stared out from the battlements of the
corroding skull keep, into the raging storm. On nights like this, the forests
of Ghyran always seemed to close in around the fortifications, and the
Rotbringers tended to keep within the walls of the fortification, away from the
lashing rain.
Turning away from the darkened forests, Torgulg made to join
his companions, their guttural singing pleasing to his ears. He hesitated at
the doorway, suddenly uncertain. The trees seemed a lot closer than they
usually were, even for such a night…
Seeing the ambush had been noticed, the Treelord Ancient gestured
with his Doom Tendril Staff, and commanded the advance with a booming spirit
song. Noticing the agitation of the Putrid Blightkings, he fired an arcane bolt
at one of them, singing the corpulent warrior’s flesh. The Blightking ducked
down beneath the battlements momentarily, rubbing the festering slime from the
floor onto his burns until they ceased to sting.
With a cry, the Branchwraith summoned Dryads from the nearby
woods, who swiftly joined a general advance towards the blighted
fortifications.
Spying a target, the Spirit of Durthu paused briefly during
his rush towards the Skull Keep. Channeling his life energy into his sword, he unleashed
a verdant blast into the Blightkings clustering at the battlements, badly
wounding one and knocking it back. The Treelord Ancient joined the barrage,
vines twirling from the end of his Doom Tendril Staff, but the Blightkings had
learnt their lesson, and cowered behind the battlements.
Furious at the sight of the corrupted citadel, the Dryads
charged the Overlord Bastion, lashing out with their tendrils at the Putrid
Blightkings within. Two bodies were pulled from the ramparts as the Blightkings
fought back, but the rage of the Dryads made their attacks predictable, and the
Blightkings swiftly slew half their number. Realisation at their predicament
suddenly dawning, a further six Dryads fled back into the trees, leaving only a
handful attempting to access the bastion.
Laughing throatily at the slaughter, the Rotbringer Sorcerer
within the bastion emptied his stomach contents over the walls at the remaining Dryads, and the toxic liquid dissolved them and leaving the
bastion free from attackers.
As she continued her song of summoning, the Branchwraith
suddenly convulsed in pain, as the forest around her continued to wilt from the
festering corruption amongst its boughs.
Spying a group of Tree Revenants on the opposite side of their
fortification, a group of Putrid Blightkings vaulted over the walls and landed
on the sodden ground in front of them. The move shocked the Tree Revenants, and
they were slow to flee the blighted warriors. Axes and swords cut deep into the
noble spirits, and they were swiftly slain, only their leader managing to
escape into the surrounding woodlands.
The Branchwraith continued her song, summoning a further
group of Dryads to the wood that she was occupying, ready to join the attack. Assessing
the situation, she realised that the advance on the Overlord Bastion had faltered,
and quickly navigated the spirit-paths between the woodlands to arrive on the
other side of the battlefield where she could better support the attack.
The Treelord Ancient fired another arcane bolt into the
Blightkings in the Skull Keep, but only wounded one. Again, he lashed out
with his Doom Tendril Staff, but the Blightkings dodged the thorny tendrils. As
they jeered at him, two of their number were suddenly vapourised in bursts of
energy as the Spirit of Durthu took advantage of their distraction.
Sensing that long raged attacks were doing little to the putrid
warriors, the Treelord Ancient gestured to the nearby Slyvaneth forces,
indicating that a change in tactics was in order. Both Treelords broke into a
run, Dryads weaving through their legs, and slammed into the Skull Keep, knocking
the warriors within from their feet. Roots and vines entwined around the
structure and slowly ripped it to pieces. Falling masonry crushed the
Blightkings within, and Torgulg fell from his viewing platform with a cry. Landing
with a crash on the ground, he began to beseech Grandfather Nurgle for aid, but
was knocked unconscious when the wall collapsed on top of him.
The hidden corruption within the woodlands continued to
blight the Sylvaneth forces, causing a dryad to splinter and collapse, and the Branchwraith
to noticeably wilt as her flesh bulged with virulent diseases.
Alarmed at the destruction of the Skull Keep, and the apparent
death of Torgulg, the Rotbringers Sorcerer incanted a mystic shield around his
Blightking body guard, and commanded them to leave the bastion and attack the
Treelords, in a desperate attempt to stop the creatures before they reached his
stronghold. Glumly heeding this command, the Blighkings charged from the bastion's
gate, axes flying, and started to chop at the legs of the Treelord Ancient. He
bellowed in pain and swung at them with his staff, but the Blightkings proved out
of his reach, and his blows missed them entirely.
The remaining group of Blightkings, looking up from their
slaughter of the Tree Revenants, realised they should join the attack, and
waddled as quickly as possible towards the vengeful forest spirits.
Battle Round Three
Another Dryad died as the festering corruption in the
nearby woodlands corrupted her form, and the Branchwraith collapsed to her knees
in pain as the contagion continued to spread through her. Crawling away from
the forest, she attempted to call more Dryads from its depths, but her call was
unheard.
The Nurgle Sorcerer attempted to summon energies to cast an
arcane bolt at the advancing Treemen, but lost his concentration, and the spell
flickered to nothing.
The Blightkings that had been distracted killing Tree
Revenants finally reached the Sylvaneth forces, and barrelled into the Treelord
Ancient. They landed a few telling blows, and their companions started to get
into a wood hewing routine, their axes biting deep into the Treelord’s bark.
Swaying from the attack, the Treelord managed to impale a single Blightking on
his talon. As he was driven to one knee, the Ancient summoned his final
energies and surrounded the Spirit of Durthu with a Shield of Thorns.
As the Nurgle Sorcerer peered over the battlements in alarm
at the surrounding Sylvanth, the Spirit of Durthu unleashed a mighty verdant
blast, breaking his bones and sending him tumbling from the tower. Leaving the now unoccupied
tower to be taken by the advancing Tree Revenants, the Spirit of Durthu turned,
and charged into the Blightkings, but he was not quick enough to prevent them
from beheading the Ancient. The surrounding Dryads hissed in anger, and their
talons sliced a Blightlord to pieces.
Battle Round Four
The corruption spreading throughout the forests claimed the
life of another Dryad.
The remaining Putrid Blightkings suddenly realised that their
stronghold was unoccupied, and attempted to manoeuvre around the Treelord and
the Dryads to reach it, but could not escape the thicket of branches
surrounding them. Suddenly desperate, they lashed out with rusted axes and
swords, hewing apart the dryads. The Branch Nymph coolly evaded their
blows, and in their fury they were easy prey for the Spirit of Durthu, who
strode amongst their number, obliterating them with verdant blasts and swings
of his blade. As he crushed the last Blightking under foot, the Tree Revenants entered
the Overlord Bastion, and began the grim work of tearing it down.
The forces of Nurgle had been routed, but there would be
more battles to come, and the festering corruption in the woodlands would continue
to plague the Sylvaneth.
Oh well, I’m sure Torgulg the Despised will be back to get
his revenge (he crops up a lot, so we have to assume he might get to attack
something at some point).
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