#100 Battle XXI - The Delusional Host of Elohiim
Appalled by the depth and breadth of the Soulblights' infiltration of Salas Nova, the Gravewalkers took the grim decision to purge the city of undead, whatever the cost. In the absence of both Anya Sorrowkin and Lady Beauvoir, their brutal liberation of the city progressed swiftly. However, the vampires' influence proved so pervasive that Sigmar's servants had no choice but to raze most of their newly-founded city to the ground.
The Hermit, seeing the demise of his mistresses’ great project, immediately sent word to Lady Beauvoir and anxiously awaited her return at the head of the Crusaders of the Rose. But, fearing her intervention would come too late, he also turned elsewhere to petition for assistance…
* * *
It's WHednesday again, and episode 100 of the Roses of Barfunweltz! While I finished painting the blood knights I needed for Lady Beauvoir's crusading return to the tabletop, I thought I'd dig out a Flesh-Eater Courts army list I'd written some time ago. I suspected Owen would be bringing dragons, so I really liked the idea of an (almost) entirely flying army, led by the mighty Elohiim Lord of Hosts. We increased to 1750 points this time, and generated a battle plan from the open play rules because we both like the randomness of them. Owen turned up with just the one dragon (he too had been short of painting time), but that proved sufficient...
Peering with sightless eyes out of a dark window high up in the attic of Barfunweltz Manse, the Hermit cringed as the dark skies were shattered by lightning and the Stormcast Eternals descended onto the battlefield. In response, the flock of Crypt Flayers and Varghulfs flapping around his hideout screamed in anticipation of battle. Such was the power of their collective delusion that the Hermit heard the cacophony as they did: the glorious hymnody of an angelic choir, praising Elohiim the Ineffable, Servant of the Great Necromancer, Lord of the Night, Warden of Gulaab, Primogenitor of the Cinquefoil, Saviour of Angels, Lord of Hosts, Terror of Barfunweltz.
At the prospect of imminent blood-letting, Elohiim the Ineffable himself had already given up his tenuous grasp on reality. Frothing at the mouth and driven to unsurpassed hubris by the praises of the Flesh-Eaters, he charged blindly at the foe. The mad False Messiah joyfully urged his terrorgheist to follow Elohiim’s lead, closely followed by cherubim and seraphim and almost the whole company of angels. The Hermit's heart was filled with worship as the heavenly host crowded through a narrow gap between towering rock formations to come upon their foe…
Meanwhile, standing before a ruined Sigmarite shrine across the field, a lone Gravewalker priest was blaspheming. His idolatrous affront to the Delusional Host's faith was enough to draw the Paragons of the Virtues to the battlefield. The Crypt Horrors charged him, petitioning the nearby Varghulf and Crypt Flayers to aid them. But even as Lord-Relictor Baelor the Revered parried the brutal blows of Faith, Hope and Charity, the heavens opened again. Even before the seraph and his angels could fly to their aid, Evocators on Celestial Dracolines had descended to cut down the great mordants, and without pause counter-charge the Crypt Flayers themselves.
The Hermit winced as the delusion faded from his mind. From his vantage point, he could clearly see what the Delusional Host could not: in their haste to get into the fray, the Flesh-Eaters had been horribly outmanoeuvred. Elohiim had blindly led his followers into a well-defended defile where the superior numbers of his host counted for nothing. Before him was a mighty Stardrake, ridden by Lord-Celestant Galthos Anvilsoul and supported by Sequitors and the Knight-Incantor Cala Fellsight. The Lord-Celestant, sensing the Vengorian Lord was the focus of the Court's motivation, directed his ire in that direction and Elohiim was quickly overwhelmed. The False Apostle and his terrorgheist landed some blows upon the mighty beast, but took many more in return, faltered and fell. At their feet, the Sequitors sacrificed themselves to hold off the Crypt Flayers, Infernal and Varghulf, but even as the Gravewalkers were sent back to Azyr in blazing lightening they were replaced by a charging unit of Evocators.
Moments later, the Hermit quailed in horror as the last remnants of Elohiim's Delusional Host were cut down. Retreating into the shadows of the attic, his trembling hands prepared the rite of translocation to remove to ghostly Manse to a safer location.
The Delusional Host of Elohiim was wiped of the table by the end of turn 2. My excuse is that I hadn't used my Flesh-Eater Courts in about 18 months... or perhaps I was playing 'in character' - completely deluded about the power of my forces! I knew the big guys would take some damage and I had carefully included lots of healing options to keep the army in play, but thanks to Owen getting the double turn, the only healing I managed in the entire game was a single wound on one of my Varghulfs! Rather than charging straight in, I really should have used my blistering speed to avoid or deflect his major threats and play the objective game.
Owen's Gravewalkers on the other hand were a picture of disciplined deployment and efficient killing. He used the table edge (again!) to congest my charging units and precisely delivered the exact amount of damage to dispatch my units on at least four occasions. It really was a well deserved victory for the Stormcast.
* * *
Lady Beauvoir trembled with rage as she read the Hermit's message. He may have been a fool to trust in the lunatic Elohiim, but at least the old necromancer had acted swiftly. Damn the Pontifex Surrexit's prevarications! His blood knights were needed back at Salas Nova instantly! The Gravewalkers' destruction of her beautiful project, her Soulblight city, was almost complete and still the Crusaders were 'mustering their forces'. She suspected Sir Jean de Majeure was somehow behind this. He had too much influence over the Pontifex, and she nurtured an insistent suspicion that he was not to be trusted...
Comments
Post a Comment