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| [Thursday, August 17, 2006 at 10:19 pm] |
| Subject: For my clubs painting competition... |
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| [Monday, July 3, 2006 at 10:00 pm] |
The columns of smoke had stopped. Vladimir had been heading after them for almost two days now, after scouts brought word of Cygnar movements, but this stop was inexplicable. Their movement had been steady, and this was not good news. Whatever Cygnar was looking for, they had found it.
Looking to his battlegroup, Vladimir checked their readiness for combat. He was accompanied by a newer model Kodiak, taken precisely due to the nature of the terrain he was in, thick and tangled. Had the other been ready he would have brought it as well, but it required too many repairs after the Butcher took it out. Vladimir suppressed a dark thought about Orsus Zoktavir, and turned his attention to the other jack standing nearby. A Berzerker, one of the early models. As he watched, its left arm twitched and spasmed in a mechanical juddering kind of way. He frowned. Their cortexes were unstable, due to their age, and he hoped this one would last as long as he needed it. He had a certain...fondness for the design.
Both 'jacks were as ready as they would ever be, and they set out, the Kodiak ranging ahead, running though and over trees. Vladimir kept the berzerker close, as they moved through the open spaces under the trees.
As his battlegroup moved closer to the stationary smoke columns, Vladimir began to hear an unexpected noise over the clamor his Kodiak made as it crashed though the trees. The sound of combat. The pounding of heavy bodies and grinding of gears.
A sense of urgency gripped Vlad, and he knew he had to see what was going on. A quick thought kept the Kodiak running, and Vlad moved after it, but a bit more effort would be required for the Berzerker behind him. Reaching out to its cortex, which created a fizzing static in his mind, he ordered it to run as well. Lurching forwards, the Berzerker quickly caught up with him. Unfortunately, it never took another step. With a squeal or tortured metal, the Berzerker's cortex overloaded and caused the whole thing to explode though the trees, spraying vlad with shrapnel, several pieces of which pierced his armour.
"Damn. And then there were 32." Vlad muttered. His supplies of Berzerkers were running low. This changed things. He could no longer charge into the fray, he to to watch, and wait.
Moving deeper into the trees, Vlad called his Kodiak closer, and they both crept (as much as an 8 ton warjack can creep), to the edge of a clearing, where all the action appeared to be taking place. Though the combatants had no doubt heard the explosion, they certainly had paid it no heed. And fair enough really. The Cygnar caster (who looked to be Stryker) no doubt had other things on his mind, like the ten foot tall warpwolf that appeared out of nowhere in a swirl of mist. Vlad had seen them before, though only from a distance. Truly magnificent really, as it tore into his warjacks, an Ironclad and a Centurion.
Vlad waited, and watched as the combatants traded blows, doing significant damage, but nothing terminal. From the far side of the clearing form Vlad, an Argus ran towards the brawl, its two heads focused on it. They barked towards the ironclad, and a strange distortion rolled across the field and the Ironclad sort of...stumbled. Vlad frowned. That was...interesting.
The Argus drew closer, and Vlad decided it was too close. Quickly casting a succession of Razor Winds, the spells tore into the flanks of the Argus, but failed to kill it. It looked to Vlad, and he had no doubt it would come after him now. Vlad wasn't worried, he had battle heavy warjacks hand to hand, this little dog would provide little challenge. However, it never had the chance, as the combined might of the two Cygnar 'jacks took their toll on the warpwolf, and it collapsed lifeless. The argus decided it had greater worries, and lunged for the two jack, only to be cut down.
Vlad sensed a change in the flow of teh battle, the Druid (for that is who was controlling this beasts) was suddenly down its mightiest creature, and another minor beast was also dead. Barely worth any consideration really. Turning his attention back to the Cygnar interlopers, Vladimir allowed the Kodiak to build a great deal of pressure in its tank, and sent it to engage the two heavy warjacks. Odds were it would do little damage. But that was beside the point. Vlad cast a spell to aid his jack, and rune circles sprang into life around its hammerfists. Stryker moved to engage this new threat, as Vlad hoped he would, and Vlad took advantage of the opening. Summoning the power inherent in his blood, the power of his ancestors, Vlad circles around the combat, and struck Stryker With Skirmisher, this ancestors sword. Stryker crumpled at the blow, and his jacks went inert. Vlad mentally went to reestablish the link with his kodiak, only to find that it had been disabled by the combined might of the other jacks. He hadn't even noticed. No matter.
Now there was only the matter of this Druid, interfering in the Motherlands affairs. As usual.
Vlad left Stryker lying where he was, and went hunting. Alone. Soon he saw that there was another Argus. Not wishing its strange bark to stop him, however briefly, Vlad summoned a wall of wind, its howling would stop the hounds baying. Behind the beast stood a woman. The Circle must be punished.
IN another swirl of mist, the argus disappeared, and vlad felt a new presence behind him, and the argus attacked. Its teeth struck hard, but not hard enough. Vlad smiled, and struck with Skirmisher, and the Argus died, its heads falling limp at the same time. Vlad turned back to the woman in time to see her actually rush him, and try to best him in hand to hand combat. Vlad almost laughed. He easily parried her blows, and returned a few of his own. She failed to stop his blade, and he watched without passion as the light faded from her eyes.
Once more the Borders of Khador remained safe. |
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| [Saturday, June 10, 2006 at 6:28 pm] |
Kommandant, I have engaged the weakling Cygnarans once more on our southern border. Once more they have shown themselves to be the craven impotents we know them to be. Kossite scouts reported the presence of a small battlegroup nosing around where they shouldnt be, and I led a pair of the 5th Border legions favourite warjacks to investigate. It was well that I did so, for the cygnarans were located in a heavily treed area.
300 Point Warmachine Mangled Metal battle.
The Butcher of Khardov vs Commander Coleman Stryker.
Khadoran Forces
The Butcher
Kodiak Heavy warjack 1
Kodiak Heavy warjack 2
Cygnaran Forces
Commander Stryker
Ironclad Heavy warjack
Charger Light warjack
Lancer Light warjack
My force finds the Cygnarans perched atop a hill, on the far side of a large wood. They must have seen us at the same time we spotted them, since their Ironclad immediately begins lumbering towards us. All need for stealth gone, my Kodiaks and I run for the treeline.
I see the smoke of the ironclad still coming closer, and a strange light in the distance tells me the Cygnaran dog is casting spells. By this time the undergrowth is slowing me down, and my Kodiaks are forging further and further ahead. No matter, they will show the weaklings the mistake they made entering our lands.
The charger takes up a firing position on the clear slope of a large wooded hill, and I lose sight of Stryker, presumably he is hiding behind his Ironclads massive body. Typical. We come to a central clearing in the forest, and one of my Kodiaks breaks cover, while the other charges across a path into more trees.
As soon as the Kodiak was in the clear, the charger fires twice upon it, doing little more than denting the hull. I see the Ironclad is surrounded by an arcane shield, that the pitiful Cygnarans use to bolster their weak armour. Knowing that the filthy Charger would keep firing, and wanting to preserve our strength, the Kodiak in the open repostions into the same stand of trees as the other. I draw my focus into myself, and cast what Lola and I call Killing Blow. I Really want to hurt something.
The charger fires again, but misses. As is typical of Stryker, the earth tremors under my Kodiaks, and both are knocked to the ground. Stryker repositions himself on the hill near the charger. Further away from us. This is the first example of his weakness. My Kodiaks stand, and advance out into the open. Lacking the facility to charge, all I can do is spread them out to avoid further earthquakes. I Must kill. Lola urges me to kill.
The charger fires again, but at me this time. I laugh as the rounds fly wide. Then another earthquake hits, knocking me to the ground. I am no longer laughing. My blood sings for death. Strykers death. As I sit up, I see the Ironclad advance into a Kodiak, and smack it with its quake hammer. And again. These attacks are more significant than the puny damage the charger did, but no systems are affected. Struggling to my feet, I have the Kodiak engaging the Ironclad pick it up with both fists, and hurl it away. Its lands in a crumpled heap, and is immediately charged by the other Kodiak, its armoured fists slamming into its frame, damaging everything at once. Knowing my target, I head up the hill Stryker is on, once more he cowers behind the charger. Kill.
Once more I am knocked on my arse by an earthquake. This is becoming tiresome. Lola wants me to kill. I will kill my dear, and soon. Soon. The charger moves up to me, and clubs me with its hammer. I relish the pain, even though it is almost insignificant. The pain is focus, and a promise. The Ironclad stands at the feet of my Kodiak, and gives it the first taste of damage. It bears the blow well. I call the other Kodiak over, to throw this damned charger out of my way, as I climb once more to my feet. Then Stryker dies. But the charger is quick, and dances out of the way. It is not thrown. I howl my anger, and Lola echoes it. My fury is released in a blow that smashes the charger, but still leaves it standing, disabled. The wreck blocks my advance to Stryker! NO!
Once more, the ground tremors and I fall. Stryker will pay in blood. My Kodiak and the charger fall. I see Stryker fleeing even further from us, though we lie on the ground. The Ironclad continues to pound on the other Kodiak. Cygnaran 'jacks are weak. A juggernaut would have reduced the Ironclad to scrap by now. I can contain my rage and frustration no longer, so standing I take it out in the remains of the charger, reducing it to nothing but scrap. The Kodiak with me stamps it into the ground as it gets to it feet and stalks after the Coward.
The lancer, useless til now, attempts to protect Stryker with an intercept of the Relentless Kodiak, but does so little damage, I'd laugh if I wasnt ready to kill. More than usual. The Ironclads quake hammer throbs with ruin as it knocks the Kodiak to the ground, and in a rapid succession of three more strikes, disabled it. Ignoring our loss, the remaining Kodiak charges Stryker, but completely fails to hit him. I summon my rage again, and once more prepare the Killing Blow. Climbing over the wrecked Charger, I hunt Stryker.
The Lancer attempts to stop me from getting to him, to stop me bathing Lola in his blood, but it cannot hit me. Its pitiful efforts enrage me. The Ironclad falls back with Stryker, to protect him from my wrath. It will not be enough. Stryker fears me, and creates an arcane shield on himself. I cannot get to Stryker, I must kill. Lola reaches out, and hits the untouched lancer, disabling it with one blow. But this isnt enough. I strike again, reduding it too to nothing more than scrap.
Stryker finally realises he must fight for his life, and hacks at the Kodiak threatening him, severing both its arms in a flurry of blows. I'm so close now, I can see Strykers blood. It will flow. It must. Readying myself once more with a killing blow, I close the distance. The Kodiak does what it can, moving to block the Ironclads approach to me, trying to slow it that I might kill. Kill.
I am thwarted, by earthquakes. Stryker uses my fall as room to retreat again. He knocw he is no match for me. The Ironclad account for a second Kodiak, as it finishes what Stryker started. Their destruction will not be in vain. Ignoring it, I move after the Coward.
The Ironclad steps up to me, and hits me with its hammer. The burning rage I have for Stryker is diluted, and refocused. I barely notice him flee. I make the Ironclad pay for its hubris, destroying it with one blow. Once more I prepare the Killing Blow. Stryker will taste it, yes he will.
But I am knocked to the ground again. Stryker has the gall to shoot me with a pistol, rather than engage me like a man. I stand, and finally begin to move off the hill. Soon I will have room for a charge, and his head will be mine.
Again, the ground rushed up to meet me, and I begin to wonder is more than my pride is becoming bruised. He falls back again, and shoots me once more with his pistol, but the round fails to even penetrate my armour. Ignoring the round, and focusing my rage, I move, I'm off the hill, on the same level he is, and its time.
But Stryker fails. He tries to become a man, and knocks me down, but instead of shooting me, he charges! His blade bites deep, but not deep enough. I get to my feet, and I see the fear in his eyes. Summoning all my rage and frustration, unleashing it in a primal howl, Lola bites deep, cleaving through his armour, and with a single hit, he drops to the ground, lifeless. I am the only one standing on this field of battle, surrounded by wrecks, and it feels good.
This was an absolute marathon of a game, 16 turns all up. Close to 3 hours. So much for the usual 40 minutes! Hell of a lot of fun, if a bit frustrating getting earthquaked all the time! :) |
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