TURN 1
ALLIED COMMAND PHASE
Empire Command
The Empire forces are moved once as per the First Move Free special rule.
The Empire Hero opens the command phase by ordering the Halberdiers forward towards the NE entrance of Arnesvelt. The Hero's intent is that they will take the lead in the retake of the village, supported on their right flank by the Empire Knights. Seeing the ruins of Arnesvelt inspired a determined revenge on the minds of the Halberdiers as they succeed in a second move (despite a command penalty of -3 due to distance and moves) to gain the NE entrance to the town.
However, despite this success, the Hero failed to get his message through to the Empire Knights to come in to support the Halberdiers and the Knights sat around like a bunch of preening peacocks!
The Empire General then ordered the Flagellants to the SE entrance of town and formed up the units of crossbowmen into position.
The Flagellants move up and the Crossbowmen get into range
The Allied Command Phase then passed to the Bretonnians.
Bretonnian Command
The Bretonnian Army moved under the First Move Free special rule.
The Bretonnian Hero ordered up the Men-at-Arms to cover the Bretonnian left flank on the south side of the field. Both the Bretonnian Knights and the Squires were not willing to let the gibbering fanatics from the Empire in front of them gain the first glorious revenge on their shared enemy. So they move up close to the SE entrance to Arnesvelt. However, they remain careful not to get within charge range of the Chaos Hounds on the southern edge of the town.
The Allied Command Phase then came to an end.
ALLIED SHOOTING PHASE
The Empire Helblasters were out of range to target any enemy. However the two units of Crossbowmen and 1 stand of Bretonnian Archers were in range of the 2 units of Ungor Raiders hauled up in the tower on the eastern side of Arnesvelt. Despite the Ungor Radiers being fortified within the ruins the Crossbowmen and Archers range was true, causing 2 hits on the Raiders. The Empire Cannons were also in range and, the enemy being upslope and in view, opened fire on the tower causing another 4 hits on the Raiders who subsequently lost 2 stands.
The Empire cannons open fire on the Ungor Raiders
The Bretonnian Enchantress then cast Aerial Shield on the Bretonnian Archers who fired this shooting phase. But the Empire Wizard failed to cast Voice of Command. With that, the Allied Shooting Phase came to an end.
The final disposition of the Allies
With no combat to speak of, the Allied Combat Phase was skipped and play passed over to the Beastmen.
BEASTMEN COMMAND PHASE
The Beastmen streamed out of the forest in answer Malagor's call.
The initial movement due to the First Move Free special rule saw the Beastmen from the forest all begin crossing the three fords but later, during the Command Phase proper, they slowed down to a crawl once in the river. With the free move over, in Arnesvelt the Chaos Hounds were pulling at their leashes and were finally let loose. Using their Initiative they charged the Halberdiers.
Malagor commanded the southern group of Chaos Hounds to charge the Flagellants coming up through the SE entrance to Arnesvelt.
The Beastlord on his Tuskgor Chariot pushed his brigade of Bestigors / Gors / Razorgors forward twice to cross the ford and close on Arnesvelt.
The Beastlord and his brigade, in the centre ford, serges forwards
With the Command Phase now over, the Beastmen leaders then took up new positions to better push their units into battle.
BEASTMEN SHOOTING PHASE
A single stand of Ungor Raiders scored a hit on a unit of Empire Crossbowmen. Malagor then cast Chaos Bolt at the same unit, causing two more hits and killing off a stand of the Crossbowmen. With that, the Shooting Phase quickly ended.
BEASTMEN COMBAT PHASE
First up to fight was the Chaos Hounds against the Halberdiers at the NE entrance to Arnesvelt. The Hounds scored a total of sixteen hits to the Empire's six hits, after armour saves. The Halberdiers had four supporting stands but still loose the fight and are forced back marginally as a brigade. The Empire troops loose a total of 5 stands (almost two units!) and have 1 outstanding hit. But the Hounds don't get off unscathed either loosing 2 stands.
The Hounds, smelling blood, pursue and inflict a massive thirteen more hits to the Empire's three hits, after amour saves. The Empire Halberdiers are pushed back 2cm, despite having two support stands) and loose another 4 stands and have 2 outstanding hits. The Hounds also loose a stand.
The Hounds pursue for the second and last time of this combat phase, attacking the beleaguered Halberdiers on two sides. After armour saves were considered, the Hounds scored another massive savaging of the Empire troops doing a total of 14 hits (and had 2 outstanding hits remaining also). The Halberdiers are devastated and savaged in a bloodbath and a destroyed to a man. Their only conciliation was that in the melee they were able to bring down another stand of hounds.
The Empire, in one phase of combat, have lost 4 units of their total 6 unit breakpoint. Due to the Break Point special rule, when the Empire looses its 7th unit, the army will rout.
The Empire dead on the sidelines
Next was the Chaos Hounds against the Empire Flagellants at the SE entrance to the town.
The Hounds had charged into combat and so get the extra attack dice, and they didn't disappoint! Scoring 7 hits to the Flagellants single hit in return saw the Hounds drive back the fanatics 5cm's. The Flagellants loosing two stands in the process.
The Hounds pursue their quarry and inflict another 6 hits, destroying the Flagellants . But the fanatics weren't going down without a fight, inflicting 5 hits in return on the Hounds (who also had an outstanding hit still against them).
The Flagellants were added to the Empire dead pool taking the number of units lost to 5 units. The Chaos Hounds however lost two stands, leaving a single solitary stand facing the pride of Bretonnia.
"Victory," growled the Chaos Hounds Handler, "but of course, now we are really stuffed!"
With that, Turn 1 came to a close. The Empire Army having been badly mauled loosing 5 units in the first turn! Malagor looked on gleefully. He had lost only a single unit of Chaos Hounds. Two more Chaos units were in bad shape, but it was not a bad start to the day. If he could only rout the Empire troops, he could concentrate on those colourful Bretonnian types. Now, where were those reinforcements?
