Battle Report – Imprisoned in Ice

The Beastclaw Raiders are trotting out for one last battle (for the meantime, you can sure they will be back soon enough), fighting against the might of Khorne’s own daemons.

 

The Story So Far

Frostlord Braggoth had been on a roll, defeating the Cold-Iron King and then turning to the Realm of Beasts to smash the forces of countless Chaos Lords. In doing so, he gained the ire of the Blood God, who sent a daemonic army to claim the skull of the Frostlord.

Led by Urgor’eth, a Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage, a legion of Khorne’s daemons followed the trail of destruction the Ogors had left in their wake. As they gained ground, they smashed the ruins of the Tydewall Dreadfort and were drawn to the smoke of the Drownfel fort in the distance. Bloodletters licked their blades while Flesh Hounds bayed and snarled for the battle to begin. The legion headed out onto the floodplain where the ocean rose to cover a stretch of a land bridge, and water steamed as it came into contact with the daemons.

That was when Frostlord Braggoth sprang his trap. A freezing gale erupted around the daemons and, within moments, the chill coiled around them. Too late did Urgor’eth realise the danger as ice clawed its way up his daemons, freezing them in place. With the daemons unable to fight back, the Beastclaw Raiders charged…

 

The Forces

As this is the last of the Beastclaw Raiders battles we will be fighting for a while, we are bringing quite large forces to bear – the daemons have the numbers, while the Ogors have the heavyweights.

Daemons of Khorne
Bloodthirster of Insensate Rage (Urgor’eth)
Bloodmaster x 2
Bloodthrone x 2
Skullmaster
Flesh Hounds x 10
Bloodletters x 50 (five units of 10)
Bloodcrushers x 6
Skull Cannon

This is a suitably heavy force, with lots of mortal wound-dishing Bloodletters, plenty of daemonic Heroes, fast-movers like the Bloodcrushers and Flesh Hounds, all led by a Bloodthirster. Maybe even the Beastclaw Raiders will be slowed down by this little lot!

Beastclaw Raiders
Frostlord on Stonehorn (Braggoth)
Huskard on Stonehorn
Stonehorn Beastriders
Mournfang Riders x 6 (two units of 3)
Thundertusk Beastriders
Icebrow Hunter
Frost Sabres x 6
Yhetees x 6 (two units of 3)

But the Beastclaw Raiders are not messing around either, bringing four of their massive monsters, and two Battalions, the Jorlbad, and Skal (both of which we used in the last battle). However, to keep things fresh, we are also using the Yhetees for the first time!

 

The Battleplan

This is the Imprisoned in Ice Battleplan that sees the daemons start frozen in ice (except the Bloodthirster). Until they thaw out (rolled for in each of their hero phases), they cannot move and suffer mortal wounds. On the plus side, they cannot be otherwise attacked while frozen, and they do not take battleshock tests at any time during the battle.

The Beastclaw Raiders move onto the battlefield in their first turn (when only the Bloodthirster is unfrozen, so he will have to be careful!), though the Yhetees will arrive a little later.

This is a fight to the death, with frozen models counting towards the dead pool until they thaw out!

No Time of War sheets will be used, but both forces will be using their Battle Traits, so expect some Everwinter and Tithe of Khorne goodness!

 

Deployment

With his legion frozen in place, the Bloodthirster Urgor’eth could only rage impotently as the Beastclaw Raiders approached from the west.

The Stonehorns, led by Frostlord Braggoth, massed on one flank while the Icebrow Hunter and his Frost Sabres anchored the other. Mournfang Riders and the Thundertusks formed the centre, preparing to charge straight through the daemons as they thawed.

 

Battle Round One

The Beastclaw Raiders trundled forward, a little suspicious of the effects of the Everwinter – had it really frozen an entire legion of daemons? Even the Blood Vulture was confused, swooping through the still forms of Bloodletters.

As the Bloodthirster continued to rage, some of the Khornate daemons thawed out and stirred – Flesh Hounds, a Blood Throne, the Bloodcrushers, a unit of Bloodletters, and the Skullmaster. However, the grasp of the Everwinter grew tighter around others. A handful of Bloodletters perished from the cold and the limbs of a Bloodmaster started to turn to ice.

The few unfrozen daemons saw the Ogors approaching and leapt to attack.

The Bloodthrone crashed into the Huskard but his Stonehorn simply ground it into the ice. Bloodletters reached Mournfang Riders and though their Hellblades pierced the thick hides of the beasts, the Ogor counterattack was horrific, slaying eight of the daemons and causing another to evaporate.

Battle Round Two

More daemons started to thaw, as the Skull Cannon and three units of Bloodletters shook off the last of the ice that had held them, and moved to claim the skulls of the Beastclaw Raiders. However, the Everwinter continued to freeze others, killing a Bloodmaster and injuring two more.

Flesh Hounds bayed with bloodlust as they raced for the Frost Sabres, Bloodthirster Urgor’eth close behind.

Meanwhile, the rest of the daemons raced towards the main part of the Beastclaw Raiders’ force, though they were hampered by icy outcroppings and daemons still held by ice. The Bloodletters of the Skull Cannon saw the Ogors were by now very close and they reversed their daemonic engine, putting more distance between them and their prey.

The Frost Sabres sprang at the Flesh Hounds as they raced ahead of the Bloodthirster, bringing one down, but they paid a heavy price as the Flesh Hounds began to savage them.

Within seconds, four Frost Sabres had had their throats torn out by the Flesh Hounds and even the efforts of the Icebrow Hunter were not enough to turn their attack.

However, the Bloodletters fared less well, their Hellblades slaying one Mournfang, but the Thundertusk advanced and trampled many of them, shattering their unit.

Bloodthirster Urgor’eth bellowed as he saw the Icebrow Hunter, and knew he was about to claim his first worthy skull of the battle. However, the Everwinter blew and out of the swirling snow came the forms of three Yhetees.

They took Urgor’eth completely by surprise, landing several telling blows as he tried to fend them off, his own efforts merely wounding one.

On the right flank, Frostlord Braggoth led his Stonehorns in a concentrated attack against Bloodletters and Bloodcrushers.

Even the thick brass plating of the Juggernauts was no match for the crushing weight of two Stonehorns and one was instantly flattened. The Frostlord roared  as he thrust with his spear and his Stonehorn gouged Bloodcrushers. By the time his Huskard had joined him, all six Bloodcrushers had been banished back to the Realm of Chaos.

Another Frost Sabre fell to the Flesh Hounds, but they were quickly reinforced by nearby Mournfang Riders, who thundered into the rear of the dogs and started smashing them apart with their clubs.

Battle Round Three

The ground around Bloodthirster Urgor’eth started to crumble as the very earth rebelled against his presence, but both Yhetees and Mournfang Riders managed to get out of the way as cracks raced towards them.

Then, it started to rain.

Crimson droplets fell from the overcast sky, sizzling wherever they struck the ice. However, every daemon they touched was invigorated with the power of the Blood God, and wounds started to knit and heal.

A Bloodmaster and Bloodthrone burned with rage as they freed themselves from the ice, but another Bloodletter was completely frozen.

Pinned in place by the Yhetees, Bloodthirster Urgor’eth wrapped his whip around the neck of one, neatly decapitating it with a violent tug. A short distance away, the Skull Cannon roared, and a flaming skull blasted the chest of another.

The Skullmaster urged its Juggernaut forward to help Bloodletters trying to hold back a Stonehorn and its Beastriders, and the monster staggered as it barrelled into it. Flying into a fury, the Skullmaster lashed out with its Hellblade as the Juggernaut continued to drive forward, forcing the Stonehorn back.

However, the Stonehorn quickly recovered and the Skullmaster’s attacks were halted as it was gouged by massive horns.

As the Mournfang Riders finished off the last of the Flesh Hounds, Bloodthirster Urgor’eth vented fury at the Yhetees, but though seriously battered, the last Yhetee survived.

The Everwinter began to gather its strength and a terrible blizzard descended onto the battlefield. The Ogors braced themselves to weather its worst effects, but two Bloodletters succumbed to the cold, their frozen forms collapsing to the snow-covered ground.

The Beastclaw Raiders dug their heels in to their mounts, driving them forward to run down the rest of the daemons. As the Mournfang Rider rode past the Bloodthirster, their Skalg levelled his pistol for a ride-by shooting, and Urgor’eth roared in pain and anger as the shot buried itself deep into his shoulder.

Seeing the Bloodthirster was on the back foot, the Skalg barked an order and, as one the Mournfang Riders swung round to charge the greater daemon.

Still distracted by the last Yhetee, Urgor’eth did not notice that the Mournfang Riders had turned and charged until it was too late. Knocked off his feet, the Bloodthirster hit the icy ground hard and before he could rise again, a Mournfang’s hoof had crushed his skull.

 

Battle Round Four

The feeling that the wind was well and truly behind the Ogors in this battle now was no illusion, for the Everwinter blew a freezing tailwind that drove them forward.

More Yhetees appeared out of the snow, moving to engage the nearest Bloodletters.

However, Frostlord Braggoth beat them to it, as his Stonehorn thundered into the Bloodletters. Most were crushed under the hooves of the Stonehorn or skewered by the Frostspear, leaving only a handful for the hungry Yhetees to finish off.

Behind them, Mournfang Riders tore apart a Bloodthrone and smashed into the Skull Cannon, leaving it rickety and unstable. It lashed out at the Ogors, and blasted a flaming skull at them, but the burning missile merely bounced off the metal belly plate of the Skalg.

The last unit of Bloodletters could not shake off the grip of the ice, and another two were frozen where they continued to stand. Seeing only a lone Bloodmaster to support them, the crew of the Skull Cannon turned and sped away as fast as their daemonic machine could take them.

The Bloodmaster leapt out of the hollow crater it had been lurking within, and leapt at a Yhetee with its Hellblade.

Startled, the Yhetee swung its icy club at the Bloodmaster, but was not quick enough. The Bloodmaster cackled as its Hellblade pierced the Yhetee’s heart, but looked up in dismay as a Mournfang Rider oiled-in to avenge the Yhetee, stomping the Bloodmaster flat.

 

Battle Round Five

More Bloodletters froze under the ice that held them, and the Bloodmaster gave up on any hope of them being freed.

The Skull Cannon was the first to run, straining to climb the rocky hill in an effort to put as much distance between it and the Beastclaw Raiders. The Bloodmaster, too, fled from inevitable destruction, but was far slower.

The Mournfang Riders regrouped and began their charge to finish off the Bloodmaster, but before they reached the daemon, the Icebrow Hunter yelled as he ran at top speed, brandishing a great spear. Putting all his weight into the throw, he hurled the spear, and it arced gracefully through the sky. The Bloodmaster had just enough time to look up as the spear descended and impaled the daemon with killing force.

Desperate now, the Skull Cannon crew urged their daemonic machine to scramble up the rocks, even as a Blood Vulture circled above them.

One of the Stonehorn Beastriders levelled his massive harpoon launcher at the battered machine, but his shot went wide as the Skull Cannon drove itself over the rocks and out of sight.

The daemonic forces of Khorne had not been completely wiped out, as Frostlord Braggoth had planned… But they had suffered a serious setback.

 

Conclusion

One daemon of Khorne survived the battle, earning the Blood God a minor victory – but he cannot be proud of that win!

The daemons were off balance right from the start of the battle (not their fault, they had been frozen in ice), and they never really recovered, the slight wounds they did to the Beastclaw Raiders (one Mournfang was killed, and one Stonehorn had lost half of its wounds) not enough to halt the advance. And, as we saw in the last battle, you just cannot let an unwounded Frostlord roam free across a battlefield.

In the daemons’ place, I might have used the Blood Tithe (there was enough of it!) to summon a second Bloodthirster, but more effort was put into the Crimson Rain to heal the first Bloodthirster. That stalled the Yhetees (the Bloodthirster really should have won that fight!) but, in the end, they managed to pin him in place long enough for the Mournfang Riders to finish him off.

Overall, the daemons did not have a great deal of luck in that battle (one unit of Bloodletters was still frozen by the end!), and the Beastclaw Raiders are the type of army that can easily take advantage of that.

 

The Story Continues…

Well, that is all the Battleplans from Battletome: Beastclaw Raiders complete! We are now going to turn to the Battleplans in Battletome: Blades of Khorne, starting off with one I have been looking forward to, ever since I twigged what forces would be great for it!