Exiles - City of the Damned week 3
The Hunt
Following a good tip, Leopold van Seidenstahl was looking in the remains of a noble's estate that was rumoured to have a chest left untouched. As the company split up to search the area, arrows flying from the overgrown estate gardens announced that they were not alone.
Leopold was too busy to notice; his nose for gold took him straight to the hiding place of the stash. He barked out some orders and the warband returned fire, pulling back into a defensive formation while the chest was rapidly secured.
Unknown to him, this estate had become something of a sacred place, and the Silk and Steel company had drawn the attention of a group of Taal worshippers...
After picking through the bountiful chest from the safety of the camp, a second expedition was organized to the same estate. Potential wyrdstone shards had been spotted during the last encounter...
Upon their return, they were ambushed by people popping out of what should have been empty ruins. The marksmen quickly found a good firing position behind a hedge while in two groups the mercs advanced on the left and centre.
The group on the left was rapidly met by a drunken mob and baying warhounds squaring off at them.
Before the two sides connected, Leopold ordered a volley from the marksmen who finally hit their mark, dropping 3 and evening up the encounter...
One hound charged Bright Emil, while 2 more prepared to charge two Swordsmen.
The youngblood Emil found his mettle, skewering a hound and following up with a surprise advance.
As the two hounds closed, a hunting arrow from seemingly nowhere caught a swordsman in the neck, dropping him as he prepared to countercharge the beasts. The lone swordsman did his best to parry but outnumbered he soon was on his back.
The arrows from the hunter continued to find flesh, killing a marksman and wounding 2 more before the company decided to withdraw. Zero wyrdstone secured after being suitably chastened by the mysterious worshippers of Taal.
How It Played
Game one was very rapid. We were playing Hidden Treasure and I got a lucky 12 on the first turn to find the chest in a location where it was basically impossible to contest. I did very well out of the game, passing every roll for items in the chest.
Game two was Wyrdstone Hunt and was much more interesting. Infiltrating Horned Hunter initiates made it trivial for them to secure 2 of the 3 wyrdstone, so I focussed on the third and routing the enemy warband. The Horned Hunters played a kiting game, retreating on the right and centre, leaving the left flank as the primary engagement. With many War Dogs and Warhounds they were rapidly able to get a numbers advantage on the left. I have really got to try a warband with access to M6 units!
The actual engagement over the wyrdstone was a little anticlimactic; it was primarily determined by shooting. I had a very good shooting phase and took 3 out of action. In return the enemy leader was able to take out my swordsman who was positioned for the counter charge. We both hit rout tests on the same turn. They passed a failed test with the help of a holy relic, and then I promptly failed mine. MVP was definitely the Horned Hunter leader, who with the help of hunting arrows took out 4 models with longbow fire across the map.
Post game was mixed. I had 2 henchmen die and replacing them took almost all of this game's gold. I did have advancement rolls almost across the board as this was Game 4, and the dice were on my side: +1 BS on the crossbow marksmen group, +1A on the second swordsmen group. Leopold's rare item luck continues, with him failing to find a holy relic.
