Ill Tides: A Draw from the (Iron) Jawz of Defeat Ambush/995 points/Caravan Ambush/Draw

What magnificence, what could Sycorax do with just one of those beasts? The other Iron Casters would bend to his will! But no, individual glory must be set aside now to thwart the blind greed and hubris of those piratical scum at whose head that She-Devil shrieks. Those Elves must be stopped from harnessing the power of those beasts otherwise Sycorax's plans will be nothing but charred embers in the fires of the Abyss.

Zor'damos was clearly planning on the deftness of her horde to slip past the lumpen squat menace in her way. This would be easy. The dull-witted Sycorax had drawn up that vile unimaginable foulness on the right by the wood along with the Molten Menace - the so-called Infernox - the Gargoyles and those lumbering and greatly overrated stone trolls. This was an obvious mistake and weakness. She would rely on her vaunted Princes of Death, the Impalers, and terrifyingly spectral Phantoms to control these worms.

On the left Zor'damos was bringing the majority of her host to bear. Her beasts of war capably corralled and protected by intimidating phalanxes of Corsairs and if this wasn't enough yet more Corsairs were trembling at the back content to let their less craven kin push the dwarves aside and no doubt fall in the process. The flying cutters too were here in support but are always wary of a hearty clash preferring to leave the dying to others.

Opposing this Sycorax had bristling fire from the Decimators, the phlegmatic resolve of the Blacksouls and the blood frenzy of his own Beasts of Hell. His place was here with his own kind.

The dwarves were cautious in their advance not wanting to overcommit. On the right the Princes of Death were hesitant, seemingly wary, initially, of the monstrous fiends forged from iron and flesh.

On the left those brigands were swept up in a tsunami of hubris and one band was shattered by the inferno unleashed by the Decimators', a sole mauling Beast and the righteous fury of Ariagful himself wielded by Sycorax - perhaps this would be harder than thought Zor'damos mused.

Nothing for it. Zor'damos herself threw herself against the encouraged Decimators who were clearly thrown off balance and failed to dispatch her to the fiery furnace with her brethren. The mauling beasts swept from the hill against the pirates but they held only to destroy these hell hounds in turn. The redoubtable Blacksouls were driven on by Sycorax to avenge their beastly comrades but by who knows what devillry the buccaneers prevailed just long enough for the Void-Skiffs to crash into their exposed flanks and victory now was surely all Zor'damos's. Or was it?

On the other flank the sentinels of the rocks inexorably shuffled to where Zor'damos had eyed the escape of her beasts - this would be a close run thing.

The Princes of Death spied an opening to engage the Grotesques and catch them part in the open - the margins of war are cruel - and these tortured beasts, deprived of their hideous charge, were eventually overwhelmed. The Molten Menace made short work of the Phantoms and like Hero's of old crashed into the Impalers to pin them in place.

Seemingly Zor'damos had not accounted for the dextrosus Gargoyles who swarmed the rear of her column - Sycorax was in sight of destroying this horde but a lone wiccan with her shameful sorcery got lucky and deprived the dwarves of delivering a fearsome blow.

All was in flux, all was in the balance....

Sycorax himself hurled molten boulders in fury against those beasts - in his black heart he wanted them for himself for his own dastardly ends - and his efforts reflected his own confliction. These largely span off or landed harmlessly. The stone golems though were not to be so conflicted - they hurled themselves against one of the magnificent creatures without pity or admiration, tearing it asunder.

The cowardly flying elves targeted The Ironjawz himself causing him to leave his beleaguered force in some peril with the Titans of Rock standing between the Void Skiffs and total Elven victory....And stand firm they did, literal Pillars of the Earth.

Zor'damos managed to extricate one of her prize only before night fell and she was forced to remove the remainder of her host lest greater loss befell them.

The Elves had one of these creatures now but two were now beyond their duplicitous reach - for now.

Sycorax knows he has to regroup and fling those privateer scum back into the cold dark oceans to realise his own majestic plans.

Next time: Armada - Trapped!

Giant Sumo Lizards, in Spaaaaaceeeee!

Over the last few weeks I've been busy working on some Matsudan reinforcements for my Firefight/Deadzone Asterian forces. Mantic recently released a hard plastic kit containing three ranged and one melee option. This kit can be used to build up the bulk of your Matsudan forces and the rest can be fleshed out with either resin models or some Asterians.

Your average Matsudan being a giant sumo lizard is pretty tough being more in line with an elite option, they aren't the best shots but they are tough with plenty of hit points.

Firefight Squad

Deadzone Options

I wanted to paint up enough extra models to take my Matsudan Firefight army up to 1500 points, this meant painting around 30 Matsudan and an extra robot to make up the points.

Firefight List

As a result of that I ended up with more than enough options to make some lists from the new Matsudan choices in Deadzone.

Deadzone List

Fluffy Deadzone list

Here you can see a closer picture of the 4-legged Diadarabotchi war-bot in it's support configuration. I'm thinking it will be a hard boy to shift as it has plenty of armour and wounds.

Ill Tides: The Haunted Isle

Armada / 250 points / The Haunted Isle / Twilight Kin Win

Tales of a haunted isle rich with ancient treasure had reached Sycorax's ears and so eager to claim it for himself he had set his fleet to sea. Unfortunately since the hated elves had won the last naval engagement they had been keeping a close eye on the dwarfish port and had trailed his force to the island.

When they arrived he'd noticed what looked like ghostly ships guarding the shoreline and surely their presence had lead the captains of his smallest ships (two Blacksouls) to charge recklessly out in front of the rest of the fleet and allow themselves to be picked off by the concentrated fire of the Twilight Kin fleet. Just as unwisely two of his captains had decided to break away from the protection of the mighty Arbiter of Pain which no elven captain was brave enough to close with.

Sycorax revelled in the destruction the Arbiter of Pain wrought upon the pair of elven Impalers which had broken off from the main enemy formation but whilst he and the captain of the Decimator poured withering fire into these ships the rest of the enemy fleet was free to act. It was not until the smoke cleared and the bloodlust faded from his eyes that he comprehended the defeat that had been inflicted on him once more.

Arlantrix was pleased with the days work, whilst they had lost both the Impalers in the fleet with the enemies main strength distracted and ghostly defenders of the isle drawn towards the dwarves, the rest of her fleet had performed as planned. The enemy Infernox and then Angkor had been captured and then sunk and her smaller ships had plundered large amounts of treasure from the island. She would have thanked the enemy for leading her to such a rich target if she'd not despised them so much.

Another bonus for Arlantrix was the poor showing by the Heart Seeker, Captain Zor'damos had gotten above her station after her killing spree in the previous battle. It was good to see her taken down a few rungs and that should serve as a useful reminder of who lead this expedition and wielded the true power. 

Next Scenario / Kings of War: Ambush / 995 points / Caravan Ambush - returning from an inland raid the Twilight Kin are once again ambushed by the Abyssal Dwarves.

Ill Tides: A Close Run Thing - Ambush/995 points/Salt the Earth/Draw

The acrid stench of......what, what was it, Zor'damos pondered this momentarily as she considered the flea pit Men call home.

What was it? Treachery, without question; sorcery, no doubt; the capricious Gods and their games? It felt like all conspired against her and her kin.

And yet it had begun as planned, putting that perfidious squat menace to the sword for all eternity.

Zor'damos's horde had ensnared the snivelling wretch humans without incident but of course there are always greater prizes to snatch and Sycorax and his rabble were no impediment to Elvish ambition.  Sure the abominable whelps snarled and clawed and spat and chewed but ultimately to no avail against Zor'damos and her Impalers. Was that all they had scoffed the dark hearted Corsairs?

The much vaunted lumbering stone trolls trudged forward only to be held up by demonic underlings while the flying titan sought to vanquish the heart of the dwarven line, their very own dark hearts - The Blacksouls

The Corsairs were faring equally well against the dwarfs' self-styled 'Slithering Dragon' and it's deadly firepower - the terrifying Decimators.  However poor deployment  by the Decimators and lightning fast advances by the piratical horde negated this potent dwarven tactic and along with the beasts of hell they were soon despatched to their own fiery furnace leaving the way clear for Zor'damos and her band of petty thieves and brigands to inflict yet more misery on those 'men' unfortunate enough to fall prey to their merciless and infinitely cruel enslavement.

And so it seemed destined to be written in the annals of elven self-glorification until what, what exactly happened to puncture Zor'damos's hubris.

The Blacksouls, ravaged and broken by the Goredrake and Zor'damos herself - too craven to engage them alone - on the verge of destruction rallied for one last determined stand which thwarted the flying titan just long enough for the stone trolls to catch the leviathan's flank.  Though not decisive these creatures of infamy on both sides fought one another until by some devilish sorcery the Golems against all expectations smote the mighty winged behemoth.   

In the centre the Corsairs and Impalers were seeking to consolidate their fortuitous gains and realise their despicable stratagem.  Sycorax however had other ideas.  Unleashing a pyrotechnic inferno channelling Ariagful's Flame supported by the Molten Menace himself they made short work of the Corsairs who couldn't stand the heat and fled the cauldron!  The prime of the Twilight battleline - the monstrous Impalers - now found itself in a vice-like grip between the phlegmatic Golems and the fearless and heroic Infernox and they predictably crumbled to a primeval dust.

Zor'damos herself was in no position to assail the now impregnable dwarven position atop the central hill.  The victory, so assured only moments earlier, had eluded her and so had vast quantities of slaves and with it unimaginable wealth and power.

Zor'damos would extricate her shattered horde, regroup, lick her wounds and consider her next moves.

Next time - Armada: The Haunted Isles. Can Zor'damos claw back some wealth and prestige in the form of hidden yet ghoulishly guarded treasure to atone for the slaves lost to fiendish Sycorax? 

Conversions continued

A couple of 'converted' Abyssal Dwarf Immortal Guards to ensure I've got enough models for a regiment of the 'little rascals'

 

Ill Tides: No Honour Amongst Slavers

Armada / 250 points / Hunt the Flagship / Twilight Kin Win

Being angry was the normal state for an Abyssal Dwarf but Sycorax was considered to be especially ill-tempered even by the standards of his race. The outcome of the ambush had done nothing to improve his temper. His plan, had of course, been perfect, fall upon the unprepared Twilight Kin fleet and take their share of the slaves whilst sending them all to the bottom of the sea. The Elves however had fled from his mighty flagship the Arbiter of Pain and instead concentrated their efforts against the other part of his fleet. 

It was there that he had been betrayed by the cowardice and incompetence of his captains as they allowed themselves to first be boarded by the enemy and then surrendered. One captain had the sense to  die at his post but the other who had survived the combat was currently be keel-hauled along the length of the flagship, an experience he would not survive. 

The Twilight Kin gunnery had been unusually accurate with it striking many devastating blows against his fleet so it would be a while before he could engage them again at sea. But he had managed to destroy two of the Elven fleet and retain his slaves taken during the battle so not all was lost.

Arlantrix breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the Dwarven fleet slip further and further behind her ship, they would not be able to catch up now. She had hoped to be the one to be springing the ambush on the Dwarves once they had out-lived their usefulness, not be on the receiving end. However the well trained crews of her fleet had responded magnificently to the surprise attack and managed to ensure the escape of her flagship and the slaves onboard. They'd even managed to add some Abyssal Dwarves and Orc slaves to their haul, though some had been lost when the Soulbane was sunk. Losing that ship and an Impaler was unfortunate but it was better than losing the entire fleet. 

She felt confident that the Dwarves would not want to engage her fleet again anytime soon, their firing had been punishing and they would surely have learnt to fear the ferocity of her crew in boarding actions. No doubt the next conflict would be on land when she returned back to Dyryth to seize more slaves for the Conclave. Well she would be ready to defeat them on land as well, she wasn't going to be beaten by some short-arsed Dwarf.

Next Scenario / Kings of War: Ambush / 995 points / Salt The Earth

Ill Tides: The Slavers Alliance

 

Kings of War / 2300 points / Stockpile

King Athanagild cursed the gods as he fled from the battlefield. All his plans had gone astray as if he had become a plaything for powers greater than himself. His once proud army was in ruins and though they had fought bravely and taken some of the enemy with them into death, it had not been enough.

He could hear the cries of those left behind to the cruel ministries of the slavers even as he left with the remains of his force. It would be months perhaps years before he could field another army of similar size and power. He did not want to think about it straight away, but an alliance with a much stronger power, one that could keep the slavers in check may be his only option to rid his kingdom of this menace.

Arlantrix gave a rare smile, the battle had gone almost exactly to plan. They'd managed to remove the threat posed by the large human army and taken many prisoners, the Conclave would be pleased with her efforts. The Crew of the Heartseeker had led her front line well and made sure the other, less experienced, corsairs held their formation whilst advancing on the enemy. The Mind Screech she had bound to her will had kept those unfortunate enough to be injured alive, but it would be a while before she had the energy to summon another one from the void. 

The only down side was the fact that the Dwarfs whilst suffering much heavier casualties than her own force, had not suffered more. She could feel the glare of Sycorax's eyes even across the battlefield, he would no doubt be angry that most of the casualties suffered had fallen on his force, but that mattered little.

The important thing was to get the new slaves onto the ships and then safely back to the fortified camp, from their she would open a void gate once they had enough for a proper shipment. Her corsairs moved about their tasks with care, not wishing to miss a single slave.

Sycorax Ironjawz seethed, his eyes burned with hatred as he glared across at the damned elves who had let him bare the majority of the fighting and casualties. True, he had still come away with many slaves, but not as many as he should have had, and not as many as the elves had. Whilst the number of dwarfs lost was relatively low the Golems where hard to replace and it was a pain to herd gargoyles up long enough to be forced into battle. 

He had some slaves, but he needed more if the other Iron-casters where going to treat him with the fear and respect he craved, many many more slaves. Now the main human army was scattered he wouldn't need the elves help to raid for slaves. Getting rid of them as a source of competition and taking the slaves they already had made perfect sense, it was always best to kill as many elves with one stone as possible.

Sycorax drove his men hard to make sure they gathered their slaves quickly and got back to the ships well before the elves. He had decided to wait off shore for them and then launch a devastating attack whilst they least expected it. He stroked his beard in anticipation of having Arlantrix's head brought to him on a platter to feast upon.

Next Scenario / Armada / 250 points / Hunt the Flagship