We are beginning Skashran’s Path to Glory today, getting a first look at how our hero will fight on the battlefield with the very first game of this new campaign!

The Story So Far

Skashran, Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury, was angrier than usual. A largely bloodless (and skullless) defeat against the Hallowed Knights had seen him fall in favour with the Blood God, and Khorne hurled him down into Aqshy, Realm of Fire, to complete a task that maybe, just maybe, could restore Skashran to good graces.

Nagash’s Necroquake had rippled throughout the Mortal Realms, breaking the ground to reveal many long lost secrets that may have been better off buried.

One of these was the Blood Shard of Isile, a powerful Aelven artefact from past ages – and Khorne wanted it for his legions. With the Blood Shard, the armies of the Skull Throne would be nigh unstoppable when they next clashed with the forces of Nagash and Sigmar.

However, plenty of other warbands had heard of a mysterious treasure of incalculable value being unearthed in the Realm of Fire and many pledged themselves to seize its power for themselves – even if they were not quite sure what it was.

It was on the fiery sands of Karnoc that Skashran’s Doomguard would meet their first nemesis, the Ironjawz of Gorlag’s Skybasha Boyz. The Orruks had taken control of an old Bloodbound outpost and were using it as a base of operations – Skashran could not let such an affront to the Blood God stand!

The Forces

These are starting warbands for a Path to Glory campaign, so everything is fairly low-key at the moment (if a Bloodthirster is ever low-key!).

The Doomguard
Skashran, Bloodthirster of Unfettered Fury (Slaughterborn, Collar of Khorne)
Bloodcrushers x 3
Skull Cannon
Flesh Hounds x 5

The star of this particular show is, obviously, Skashran himself, but he is ably supported by three Bloodcrushers and five Flesh Hounds, with the Skull Cannon giving some optimistic long-ranged fire.

Gorlag’s Skybasha Boyz
Gorlag Legbreaker, Megaboss (Ironclad, Metalrippa’s Klaw)
Ogrul Brainbasha, Weirdnob Shaman (Da Great Big Green Hand of Gork)
Gore-Gruntas x 3
Brutes x 5
Ardboyx x 10

It has been some time since I trotted out the Ironjawz, so they are making a welcome return to the tabletop for this battle. The Brutes, Gore-Gruntas and Ardboyz should make good account of themselves against Skashran’s minions, but a Megaboss versus a Bloodthirster is a big ask – it may come down to the magic of the Weirdnob Shaman to tip the balance. Failing that, his Great Green Hand of Gork may be able to keep the daemons off-balance enough to win on scenario objectives.

The Campaign

This is being played as a traditional Path to Glory-style campaign, but it has a narrative focus on Skashran’s Daemons of Khorne – they will be the heroes (or otherwise…) of this story. About a dozen other warbands have been drawn up and, after every battle Skashran takes part in, we will assume each of the other warbands fights with another, with the results randomly determined (but weighted by their accrued Glory).

So, the other warbands will ‘level up’ alongside the Doomguard and, hopefully, we will see the odd rivalry develop!

The Battleplan

To kick off this campaign, we are returning to a Battleplan I played just once, a few years ago – Raze to the Ground.

The Ironjawz will be starting the battle in and around a Skullkeep and Overlord Bastion (been a long time since we pulled those out of storage!). All the Doomguard need do to win the battle is capture or destroy both buildings (the Skullkeep has 10 wounds, the Bastion 15, and both have a 1+ save, and so Rend or mortal wounds are needed to topple them) within 6 battle rounds.

Simples!

Deployment

The Ironjawz huddled in their Bastion and Skull Keep, a little dubious as to their ability to fend off a furious Bloodthirster. However, the Gore-Gruntas were simply too large to fit through the doors and so were forced to cram themselves in between the two fortifications.

For Skashran, no subtly was required nor wanted. Calling his minions close to him he raced for the Bastion, with only the Bloodcrushers scything to a flank to threatn the Skull Keep.

Battle Round One

Perched high in the Overlord Bastion, Megaboss Gorlag had been watching the Daemons of Khorne approaching for a while and timed his attack perfectly – he goaded the Gore-Gruntas to attack, promising them he and the boyz would be right behind them.

This plan was actually conditional – if the Gore-Gruntas could survive their suicidal charge and bring the Bloodthirster down, the rest of the Ironjawz warband would indeed be behind them. If not, well the walls of the Skull Keep and Bastion might prove thick enough to resist even a Bloodthirster’s fury.

The plan faltered almost immediately as Weirdnob Ogrul’s plan to use Da Great Green Hand of Gork to drop the Ardboyz right in front of the Bloodcrushers failed to break through the malefic powers of the Flesh Hounds’ collars, and the energy of the Ardboyz proved insufficient to successfully launch Green Puke at the approaching daemons.

Unaware of this drama, the Gore-Gruntas ploughed into Skashran, and the Bloodthirster’s bellow of pain shook the Bastion as their weapons dug deep into him.

However, their attack, while wounding the Bloodthirster badly, had come no where near to finishing him off. Skashran’s huge axe cleaved two Gore-Gruntas apart and as their boss disappeared beneath the Flesh Hounds and Skull Cannon, Megaboss Gorlag waved at his Brutes and Ardboyz to stand down – he figured a counterattack would be better later on.

Skashran was almost incandescent with rage. Blood had already been shed and the Ironjawz had already lost a powerful unit in the Gore-Gruntas, who now lay in pieces at his feet – but the Bloodthirster had sustained savage wounds before the battle had properly started.

With cries of rage and vengeance, every member of the Doomguard surged forwards causing the Ironjawz to wonder if the fortifications they had taken over were as strong as they had presumed. They were slightly mollified as the Skull Cannon blasted a barrage of skulls and flames which bounced off the Skull Keep’s thick exterior.

First to reach the Orruks were the Bloodcrushers and they smashed into the Skull Keep, the impact of their charge shaking masonry free to pummel Weirdnob Ogrul.

Fighting hard, the Ardboyz in the Skull Keep counterattacked and brought one Bloodcrusher down while Weirdnob Ogrul lashed about his staff to finish off another. However, the Orruks had not counted on the Skull Cannon being keen to get into battle and the Bloodletter crew’s Hellblades sliced the Weirdnob Shaman apart before he could voice another spell.

The battle was quickly hotting up around the Overlord Bastion as both the Flesh Hounds and Skashran himself smashed into it, rocking it to its foundations.

Megaboss Gorlag ducked as Skashran’s whip cracked over his head, and then he retreated briefly into the Bastion as the Gore Hound’s burning roar blazed into his face. Before they could retaliate further, Gorlag pummelled three Flesh Hounds, only retreating again when Skashran’s axe tore a deep grove in his chest plate.

Battle Round Two

Though the presence of the Skull Keep and Overlord Bastion had stalled the Doomguard, the momentum was all theirs. The land rebelled against the presence of Skashran and a terrible earthquake shook the battlefield as blood seeped up through new cracks. Orruks stumbled and the fortifications began to groan under the assault.

Megaboss Gorlag once again dodged Skashran’s whip and the burning roar of the Flesh Hounds’ pack leader. However, at the Skull Keep, things were beginning to go the way of Khorne as the Skull Cannon rammed its way through one of the walls and blasted the Ardboyz at point blank range. Three Ardboyz fell to the ground, dead. The Skull Cannon surged forward to claim three more Ardboyz as the Bloodletters it carried fed their skulls into their infernal machine as more ammunition – yet another Ardboy was annihilated in its second shot.

This proved too much for the few surviving Ardboyz and they fled the Skull Keep – if the Blood God wanted it so much, he could have it!

However, the strength of the Ironjawz was rooted in the Overlord Bastion and as their Megaboss finished off the Flesh Hounds, the Brutes bellowed back at Skashran as they attacked. There were too many of them for the Bloodthirster to defend against and their armour was too thick for even his axe to cleave – they roared as the battered and slashed at the Bloodthirster, successfully driving it away from the battlefield to fly away in ignominy.

The Ironjawz had retained possession of the Bastion while the Doomguard had managed to wipe out the defenders of the Skull Keep – and Megaboss Gorlag was having none of that! Shouting at the Brutes to move themselves, they all left the Bastion to go hunting.

The Brutes left by the rear entrance to surprise the remaining Bloodcrusher. Even the mighty Juggernaut could not withstand their ferocious attacks and the Bloodcrusher was soon flattened into the sandy ground.

Gorlag himself had bigger ideas though. The Skull Cannon had already started to turn, though whether it was to blast the Brutes or simply run, the Megaboss gave no thought.

Either way, it could not escape the wrath of Gorlag, and its crew were quickly dispatched before he trashed the Skull Cannon itself. Gorlag raised his huge axe and roared at the retreating silhouette of Skashran as the Bloodthirster flew away.

Conclusion

Well, Path to Glory battles can be over quickly, especially if you have some real heavyweights like Bloodthirsters and Megabosses in there!

Things looked a bit dicey for the Ironjawz there. They had lost the Gore-Gruntas very early on, and the defenders of the Skull Keep fell soon after. However, the heroic sacrifice of the Gore-Gruntas, it turned out, had done just enough damage to the Bloodthirster to make the difference a bit later on. Once Skashran had been driven away there was little the Doomguard could do against the might of a Megaboss and his Brutes,

Not a great start for Skashran, and he now has a great deal to prove. Still, this battle earned him Ferocious Resolve which will allow him to ignore many wounds in the future – basically, he is too angry to be hurt!

The Story Continues…

Skashran has failed in his first battle and can only hope the Blood God was watching someone else at the time. Still, this loss may have given him focus and he can now concentrate on finding the Blood Shard of Isile. If, that is, another warband does not show up to ruin his quest…