The Deployment Zone’s - Tamurkhan, Throne of Chaos Campaign Phase 3: The Lords of Ash and FIre

The Deployment Zone’s - Tamurkhan, Throne of Chaos Campaign Phase 3:

The Lords of Ash and FIre

Tamurkhan and his horde of chaos rampaged to the foot of the Mountains of Mourn, reaping havoc and dismay through out the range.  The horde managed to capture and subdue dozens of Giants to join Tamurkhan’s cause.  The chaos host began to cut it’s way through the mountain range when the Ogre Tribes soon rose to the challenge and effectively shut off several passable routes forcing Tamurkhan to travel South along the edge and through various traps and delays.  The Red Fist tribe watched patiently as the rotting host skirted their lands and funneled towards the pass where the tribe would unleash their assault.  When the host had after many weeks of slow and treacherous travel reached the killing ground, the Red Fist tribe sprung the trap.  Hundreds of Ogres came crashing down the mountain and slammed into the assembled chaos host, the sound of battle echoing through out the valleys.  Walls of hulking flesh and iron bashed and smashed the chaos host, allowing no opportunities for the chaos horde to slip past and overwhelm them.  The battle raged for several hours until a final challenge was issued.  Surrounded by piles of dead champions of chaos, the Red Fist’s Tyrant roared in defiance.  Tamurkhan, atop the bulk of his massive toad-dragon, glared at the challenger and rose to meet his challenge. 

Tamurkhan dismounted and strode across the battlefield to meet his foe, his dark runeblade glowing in anticipation.  The two combatants clashed, neither gaining the upper hand for several minutes until the Ogre Tyrant managed to land a solid blow against the Maggot Lord.  The Tyrant then slammed his bulk into Tamurkhan, staggering him in the process.  Another strike sent the chaos lord slamming to the ground causing a howl of dismay to erupt from the chaos horde.  The Tyrant then tore the chaos runeblade from Tamurkhan’s grasp and snapped it into two pieces and hurled it to the ground.  He then grasped the chaos lord’s upraised arm and bit it off at the elbow allowing the stump to spurt blackened and foul blood everywhere. 

The Tyrant let out a hollow, breathless laugh before Tamurkhan pointed his bleeding stump of a limb and a fountain of befouled, blackened blood spurted into the Tyrant’s face.  The Tyrant howled in pain as thousands of grey grave-worms burrowed into his flesh and a great toothed grave-worm tore itself free of Tamurkhan’s broken body and burrowed itself deep into the throat of the Ogre Tyrant.  For several moments the Tyrant struggled then fell to the earth, still.  The Red Fists tribe that had been celebrating and cheering their leader for overcoming his foe stood silent, uncertain as to what was happening.  A moment later the Tyrant once again rose and strode over to the broken chaos runeblade on the ground.  The Tyrant regarded the weapon then cast it aside, he heft the massive axe that had been in grasp moments before and began to laugh.  He held the axe high and saluted the chaos host which drew a deafening round of cheers as the horde’s leader once again vanquished his foe.  The Ogres were confused, some of their number broke and ran after witnessing their leader die and rise again while the rest of the tribe simply shrugged their shoulders and knelt before Tamurkhan in obedience. 

Tamurkhan, now in a new body and his army’s size now increased by the addition of the Red Fist tribe and Giants, lead his host through the Mountains of Mourn and into the Dark Lands. 

The Dark Lands were home to the next stop in Tamurkhan’s vision, the nefarious and twisted Chaos Dwarfs and their malevolent machines of war and destruction.  In the distance loomed the Black Fortress of Zharr Naggrund, home to Lord Drazhoath and the twisted Legion of Azgorh.  Tamurkhan lead his army towards the blackened towers but the Chaos host would soon learn that not everyone enjoys .....visitors..

Scenario Rules for Campaign Phase 3 – The Lords of Ash and Fire

Special Scenario:  The Crossing of Fire (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          Dawn Attack (1 CP to the victor – see the Warhammer Rulebook)
3-4          Meeting Engagement (1 CP to the victor – see the Warhammer Rulebook)

5              Battle Line (2 CP to the victor – fought as a Grand Battle see the Warhammer Rulebook)

6              Surprise Encounter* (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:
Dread Hosts:

These reflect the creatures of the strange and inhuman domains of the dragons of the Plain of Bones, and may be used as an Opposition army if you have access to the Storm of Magic expansion.  Each Dread Host must be commanded by a single Great Dragon or Emperor Dragon chosen from the Storm of Magic expansion.  This is the only 'character' in the army and there is no % limit on the points cost for them as part of the army.  In addition, the army's Core choice may be made up of units of either monstrous infantry or monstrous beasts from the Storm of Magic expansion with the exception that Daemons may not be selected.  For the army's Special choices, Monsters costing less than 150 points from the Storm of Magic expansion may be taken, and for its Rare choices Monsters costing more than 150 points from the Storm of Magic expansion each may be taken, and with the only proviso being that in either case Daemons may not be taken. 

*Battles using both the Dread Host special rule and the special scenario will count for 5 CP to the victor and 1 CP to the loser. 

Deadly Ground:

The Dark Lands are one of the most inhospitable realms in all the Warhammer world, filled with boiling rivers of sulphur and hills that are little more than treacherous mounds of bone and ash among which many foul things lurk.  In addition to any other terrain effect, hills are counted as being Dangerous Terrain and any water or swamp scenery inflicts 2D6 Strength 1 hits on any unit caught in it during the Compulsory Movement phase of the player's turn.

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

Special Scenario:

The Crossing of Fire

This scenario represents the Legion of Azgorh's attempts to block the Chaos horde's passage into it's dark realm.

Armies:
This scenario is for two players.  The Chaos Horde represents the Attacker, and the Opposition the Defender.  Each player chooses their army list from the Warhammer Army book to an agreed points value, with refrence to the outline of phase 3 of the Throne of Chaos campaign, and the proviso that the Defender's point value should only be 75% of what the Attacker has. 

The Battlefield:
The table is set up using the rules presented on page 142 of the Warhammer Rulebook, with a bias given towards craggy hills, lava pools, sinkholes and ruins.  The board is then divided up diagonally into deployment zones as per a Meeting Engagement mission  (See page 149 of the Warhammer rulebook). The Defender may then place a watchtower anywhere within their deployment zone, and may then place three 6" x 1" obstacles, representing fire vents (barricades or strips of material are fine for this) in the gap between deployment zones, but no closer than 2" together.  These fire ventes do not block line of sight; but models moving through them suffer a Strength 5 automatic hit (counted as a Flaming attack).

Deployment:
First the Attacker sets up their entire army in their deployment zone.  Next the Defender  sets up their entire army within their deployment zone.  This represents the Defender being prepared for their enemy's slow advance through the hostile Dark Lands.

First Turn:
In this scenario the Attacker goes first.

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

Victory Conditions:
The player that scores the greatest number of Victory Points (worked out normally) wins the battle, with the special condition that if the watchtower is controlled by the Defending player at the end of the game, they gain a bonus of +500 Victory Points.

Scenario Special Rules:
The special conditions for fighting in the Dark Lands are used in the scenario, except that any hills on the Defender's side are not considered Dangerous terrain to them.

Narrative Battle: 

The narrative battle for this scenario – Surprise Encounter is to represent the Legion of Azgorh laying in wait to ambush the Horde of Chaos.  See page 389 of the Warhammer Rulebook for scenario details.

Please make sure to report your battles to me in person, at john@thedeploymentzone.com or through the Ordo Fanaticus forums (http://www.ordofanaticus.com/forum) and message me as Sylvos.

Thanks!