If there's an earthquake, just dance! Dance!

Last Wednesday I played two Mordheim games against Beastmen warband. We played at my apartment, and I was a bit worried about the scenery situation here. However, as I put all the Mars Attacks and Deadzone scenery pieces together, there were some rather nice multi-story buildings. Unpainted, but what can you do. Well, you can paint. Which I didn't. But I digress...

My warband was the unfortunate Carnival of Chaos, which I intent to play as long as realistically possible.

First scenario was Chance Encounter, where Carnival rolled one wyrdstone shard and the Beastmen rolled two.

We were supposed to use "random happenings" chart from Annual 2002, but we kind of... forgot.

This time I tried to make use of nurglings, that had been just hiding in the shadows until now. Well, mostly this was because beastmen outranged my charges with every single model they got. And I thought no matter what, I would be able to re-recruit at least two back.

The beastman shaman had this Eye of God or Chaos or something like that spell, and it cast it successfully on one of the gor heroes.

I really don't see other way to act other than close in and take the charge in, blocking at least some charges with the wall of pus and ooze. Here I realized how damn good ability the Cloud of Flies really is. It can easily make enemies hit only on 5+ in melee, which normally happens only when you got over double Weapon Skill over your opponent. Not a single nurgling got Out of Action.

A few beastmen got a charge against Carnival heroes, though, but failed to cause any casualties. Brute with double handed weapon wrecked its melee opponent though.

On my turn all the heroes except carnival master either continued to fight or charged into melee. As I'm completely unfamiliar with the beastmen warband I can't give any names here, but the situation was that one beastman hero had gone out of action, and I believe all henchmen (sans minotaur) had fallen also.

Beastmen unvoluntarily routed.

Carnival got a total of six wyrdstone shards (four from rolls and two from scenario). I added fourth nurgling and a plague bearer to roster.

Carnival Master got a really good advance, +1 toughness. Two handed weapon wielding brute got a skill and took Resilient (-1 enemy strength in melee combat). Carnival Master upgraded his weapon ranged weapon from short bow to an actual bow.

Then we played a second game.

Scenario was Skirmish. This time we remembered to use the random happenings, and first player (the beastmen) rolled a random happening right away - and it was an earthquake. And the maximum number of turns, too. That's three, so not too bad.

Beastman shaman tried to cast its spell, and succeeded. Target was the minotaur, but I guess whatever god the shaman worshipped didn't hear quite correctly what the shaman was praying for because of the roaring earthquake. Minotaur died.

I tried the same tactic I was using last game, screening carnival heroes with nurglings. One gor or ungor was flanking carnival from the far right. I don't think it shows very well on the pictures. A lucky shot from Carnival Master's bow dropped that guy.

Beastman leader, suffering/benefitting from frenzy, charged a nurgling and died to that nurgling. Wow. The game was definitely giving the middle finger to beastmen now.

Elsewhere nurglings started finally dying, but any attacks against heroes failed to kill. Except attacks against beastmen heroes and henchmen. They were dying in droves. Carnival wasn't rolling dice that well during their own turns, but in beastmen close combat phases they somehow started (t)rolling hard.

But again I'm going too far ahead. Beastmen could have routed, but since they got quite a few heroes still around, they chose not to and made all-out charge. I think only the shaman didn't get to melee. One henchmen and some nurgling more went out of action from carnival again, but heroes were impervious to any and all damage.

Carnival played one more turn, and then beastmen rout voluntarily.

And the testament to the poor luck of beastmen during this game was the fact that the minotaur died - permanently. That sucks. I guess it fell down to a crack caused by earthquake, and then the crack closed. One nurgling died permanently from carnival, but it was summoned right back.

Advances Carnival got were really good - flail wielding brute got an extra wound, the joker-esque tainted one got Weapon Skill 4 and the tainted one with stream of corruption got yet another skill. It chose Dodge (5+ save against ranged attacks) so I guess that guy is my dedicated runner escapist now.

Carnival rolled four shards and a well. Flail-wielding brute took a dive to the well because he saw a shimmer of wyrdstone there. After half an hour other carnival members started wondering what had happened to the flailer, and there he was. Still at the bottom of the well. He failed toughness test and must miss next game.

Well, carnival master bought rope & hook for himself, and joker tainted one got a lucky charm. The other tainted one also bought a light armor, because I didn't have the money to buy two and equip them to henchmen.

Next Thursday there should be more multiplayer Mordheim, so let's see how many clowns survive until the end of the year.