Friday, February 10, 2012

The Deployment Zone’s - Tamurkhan, Throne of Chaos Campaign Phase 1: The Champions of the Dark Gods

The Deployment Zone’s - Tamurkhan, Throne of Chaos Campaign Phase 1:
The Champions of the Dark Gods

Tamurkhan sat atop the massive bulk of his toad dragon and observed the chaotic melee taking place below. After emerging from the twisted Gallows Tree, the chosen of Nurgle had unleashed his furious campaign to conquer the North before working his way down through the Kurgan on his way to the Mountains of Mourn. Several weeks had past and Tamurkhan had not slowed his steady advance towards the Mountains of Mourn until his horde had come across a massive sprawl of ruins where there stood the remains of a blasted black basalt ziggurat. The ziggurat looked as if some force or foul sorcery had exploded within it and rent it asunder and a great azure flame blazed from within. The ruin of the ziggurat, with its flames burning above the tallest of the blasted spires, had attracted thousands of blue cloaked warlocks and mutants to gather and give praise to the Changer of Ways. Without hesitation Tamurkhan had roared a challenge and sent his horde forward to annihilate the gathering of his patron’s hated foe. The warlocks and mutants had reacted quickly and the battle had been joined, Tamurkhan’s rotted horde smashing against the arcane might of the Changer’s flock. Blue flames and ebony lightning arced and flickered across the battle field as entire war bands were annihilated in seconds. Units of rotting and filth spewing marauders clashed against feathered mutants and horrors whose features changed like melted wax. The blue flame spat out horrific creatures out of nightmare, their pink rubbery hides shimmering in the afternoon’s sun. A kaleidoscope of colors would flash across their skin whenever they would open their massive tooth filled maw and belch gouts of iridescent flame that would utterly disintegrate whomever it touched. Kayzk the Befouled and his knights of corruption thundered across the battlefield smashing into the pink horrors. Eldritch blades emblazoned with blasphemous sigils of rot and ruin tore through the flesh of the daemons with ease and sent them screaming back into the realm of chaos. The legion of the maggot lord hurled themselves with renewed vigor at the basalt ruins of the ziggurat upon watching the horrors dispatched by their lord’s elite cavalry.

The two armies had been embroiled in battle for hours as Tamurkhan finally sighted his quarry. Floating upon a blazing disc of blue and orange flame stood a two headed mutant hurling fire and lightning into the melee. Two sets of eyes turned and focused on Tamurkhan and the rot lord smiled and a deep rumbling laugh began to erupt from his belly. Little pockets of corruption spewed out of mouth and lungs as an unholy bellowing laugh shook Tamurkhan’s befouled form. The bubbling, wet laughter could be heard over the din of battle as it echoed across the battlefield. Eyes turned towards the massive bulk as it launched itself from its rocky overlook and hurled its mass into the battle below. The toad dragon smashed into the earth, its bulk crushing dozens of warriors both friend and foe. Bubebolos slithered its way across the battlefield, smashing aside thousands as Tamurkhan’s roars of challenge echoed across the melee. The chaos sorcerer turned both heads and raised all three of his arms and hurled incantation after incantation at the massive monster thundering towards him. Bolts of eldritch energy bounced off the toad dragon’s hide harmlessly and the ropes of liquid flame that the sorcerer hurled seemed to do little or no damage as they slapped wetly against the toad dragons hide. Tamurkhan was almost upon him when the sorcerer tried to fly away on his blazing disc. Bubebolos then exhaled a cloud of unspeakable foulness that consumed the sorcerer and his disc. A cry of absolute horror was cut short as the sorcerer’s skin began to slough off his bones and he fell from his now corroded disc and landed on the battlefield with a wet plop. A roar of triumph from Tamurkhan caused the remaining forces of the Changer to break and panic. Within the hour the forces of Tamurkhan had overrun and annihilated their enemy and they stood gathered around the azure flame that burned within the center of the blasted ziggurat.

Tamurkhan then turned his gaze eastward towards the Mountains of Mourn…

Scenario Rules for Campaign Phase 1 – The Champions of the Dark Gods

Special Scenario: Altar of Battle (3 CP to the victor)

The Scenarios: (roll a D6 to determine what battle you play – or you may elect to play the Special scenario instead)

D6 Result

1-2 Battle line (1 CP to the victor – see the Warhammer Rulebook)
3-4 Blood and Glory (1 CP to the victor – see the Warhammer Rulebook)
5    Meeting Engagement (2 CP to the victor – see the Warhammer Rulebook)
6    Battle Royal* (2 CP to the victor) as a Grand Battle (if the models are available) or a Storm of Magic scenario (2 CP to the victor) as chosen.
* - Narrative scenario from the Warhammer Rulebook

Special Rules for all scenarios:
Chaos Wastes: The battles in this phase take places in the Northern Wastes under the baleful influence of the winds of magic and watched by the Chaos Gods.
When a Miscast result is suffered by any Wizard, this may be re-rolled but the second roll must be taken even if it is worse. Additionally, if Power Drain is the result of the re-roll, treat the result as Dimensional Cascade.

Victory Effects:
Victory effects will be listed when the final scenario is released.

Special Scenario:
The Altar of Battle

The lightly shaded areas denote the deployment zones.

 
This scenario represents the final stages of the nightmarish battle at Zanbaijin. Here Tamurkhan and the other Chaos lords vied for favor of the Dark Gods.

Armies:
This scenario is for two, four or six players, forming teams of equal numbers.

The Battlefield:
The table is set up using the rules presented on page 142 of the Warhammer Rulebook, with a bias given towards ruins, fallen statues and impassible pillars. In addition, the center of the table should have a single large temple ruin (using the Temple of Skulls terrain piece would be ideal). The ruins will serve as the Altar of Battle and will have its own special rules and serve as the objective.

Deployment:
Each player rolls off (re-rolling ties). The player with the highest score immediately selects a table edge and deploys their army within 8” of that edge, and then the second highest player selects a table edge and deploys their army within 8” of the edge and not within 12” of an opposing army, then the third and so on. Should there not be enough table edges, then the players will select a friendly player’s side to deploy on. Any player may hold up to half the units in their army in reserve if they wish.

First Turn:
The player who set up first has the first turn. In the event that there are more than two players involved then the special multi-player turn sequence shown on page 407 of the Warhammer Rulebook is used instead.

Game Length:
The game lasts for six turn or until a previously decided time limit.

Victory Conditions:
The Altar of Battle has special victory conditions based upon gaining Victory points other than the usual way (see below). Victory points are also counted for each side rather than player (in multi-player battles).

• Destroying a unit of making a unit flee off the table: 1 Victory Point
• Per enemy General killed: 1 Victory Point
• Being in control of the Altar of Battle at the end of the game (fleeing units can not claim or contest an objective): 5 Victory Points
The side with the most Victory points at the end of the game wins.

Scenario Special Rules:
The Altar of Battle

This ruin is a focal point for the swirling vortex of power that surrounds Zanbaijin. In order to control the altar, a side must have a unit within the ruins and no enemy units may also be present within 12” of the ruins center.

Any unit upon entering the ruin for the first time is assailed by malevolent spirits. The unit must take a Leadership test on 3d6 and for every point it fails the test by it takes a Strength 2 hit with no armor save allowed. This is a magical effect and it only occurs the first time the unit enters the ruin.

Once a side is in control of the Altar of Battle, that sides Wizard’s gain a +1 to their channeling attempts and may call down the Wrath of the Gods upon their enemies. This is treated like a Bound Level 5 direct damage spell. Select any point on the battlefield and place the Large Template. Once placed rolled a D6, on a 2+ any enemy model beneath the template takes a Strength 4 hit. On a roll of a 1, the opposing player gets to place the template instead!

Narrative Battle:
The narrative battle for this scenario – The Battle Royale is represented by the Battle of the Azure Flame detailed in the story above. Other than the location – it follows the same rules as detailed on page 406 of the Warhammer Rulebook.

The campaign officially begins February 22, 2012 however if wish to start early you are more than welcome. Please make sure to report your battles to me in person, at john@thedeploymentzone.com or message Sylvos through the Ordo Fanaticus forums (http://www.ordofanaticus.com/forum).



Thanks!

No comments:

Post a Comment