On 7/25/09 I competed in a [warhammertag52]GW[/warhammertag52] RTT 2250 pts. My first two games were minor losses. oh well. The third game was against my friend Bob who won the 2007 LV [warhammertag50]GT[/warhammertag50]. I ended up beating Bob. Anyway this is the fluff piece about the battle.

I said I do not want to be disturbed, the Thane of the Kings Drak-Hammer yelled loudly at who ever was knocking at the door. Who ever it is was persistent he thought which was unusual given his standing orders. It was Kari, his Rinn who came from one of the adjoining rooms who answered the knock. The Kings messenger handed her note, she nodded shut the door and handed it to Drazhgrund who was playing with their son, Alaric. After a moments hesitation he read the note, sighed deeply and went to his King with the latest news about the Throng.

*

Drak-Ranger reports were accurate about the Chaos incursion thought Lord Stromni as he looked across the Tundra at the oncoming Warriors of the Dum Horde. He brought the long-glass up and analyzed the approaching Dum Horde. He looked at the approaching vanguard of four chariots the left flank flying the iconic emblems of Khorne followed closely by four clusters of Dum war-hounds that lead four solid units of warriors and marauders bearing emblems of Khorne and Slaanesh. He quickly gave his orders anchoring his right flank on the bend of the nearly frozen river with his Drak-Hammers, Quarrelers, and the Bolt Thrower. In his center he placed the Drak-Ironbreakers on the left and Drak-Langktrommis in the center. On the left flank he placed his Flame Cannon, Thunders stretched across the front of the Drak-Ironbreakers and Drak-Langktrommis in a thin firing line, and at last the Organ Gun to the right of the Drak-Langktrommis. He quickly held one last meeting with his Thanes; Harok Alricson the Master-Endrinkuli, Snorri Skaffson the Throngs standard bearer, and lastly Thorgrim Harokson the Throngs Rhunki giving them their final orders before the battle commenced. They all nodded grimfaced then went toward their places in the battle-line. The Endrinkuli strode over to each Barag for an inspection before joining the Bolt-thrower crew. Thorgrim and Snorri took their positions with the Drak-Langktrommis whose constant grumbling grated on Stromnis patience. It was always something, stale flat beer or the lack of suitable enemy to fall upon their keen axes. The Thane of the Hammers knelt as Stromni took a step upon the Thanes knee and another step atop the shield that his Shield-bears bore upon their shoulders as they took their position in the front line of the Drak-Hammers. Let the battle commence thought Stromni Skull Krusher Ragnison of Clan Durazklad.

Stromni watched as three units of Dum war-hounds outpaced the rest of the Horde as they ran forward the fourth hung back staying behind the frozen river as if waiting for any miners that Stomni wished he had dragooned into joining the Throng. The Khorne chariots were just behind the war-hounds and the Marauders of Slannesh and the Marauders of Khorne beat their weapons against their shields as they rushed forward eager to come to grips with Stromnis Dawi Throng. He nodded to the Harok who turned away and began adjusting the Bolt-Thrower. There was a loud whoosh as a wave of heat was felt as Stromni turned his head and saw that the Flame Cannon had fired and great gouts of burning pine tar and oil burst forth from the cannon barrel splattering several Dum war-hounds who ignited into flames. Then the Thunders fired and the Dum war-hounds were no more as they died along side their burning comrades. Not to be outdone the Organ Guns crews excitedly pointed the five deadly barrels towards the closest oncoming Marauder of Slannesh unit and fired. Stromni was pleased to see the first and second rank fall to the ground their blood turning the snowing covered tundra a bright red. Then the Quarrelers on his right fired into the same unit and watched as nearly another two ranks fell to the ground. It was then that Stromni realized that the only two individuals were left standing in the Marauder unit, the Dum Horde general, a mage of Nurgle. He wished he had a brace of pistols to fire upon the Nurgle mage and as he wished that he heard the thrum of the Bolt-thrower and turned toward the intended target, a chariot which disintegrated into a cloud of burning splinters as the mighty rune inscribed bolt shattered the chariot.

On they came. Stromni watched helplessly as the Nurgle mage quickly joined the following unit of Slannesh Marauders. Safe within the ranks of the Marauders, the mage cast a spell at the Rhunki which Thorgrim who was powerless to stop and Stromni saw him flinch as the spell wounded him. The Nurgle general tried casting several more spells but to no avail as Thorgrim banished them with his mighty runes.

Stromni readjusted the battle-line. He and the Drak-Hammers moved toward the bend of the frozen river where the second unit of Slannesh Marauders were heading. If need be they would fight in the middle of the river if that is what it took to secure the right flank. He saw that the Drak-Ironbreakers and Drak- Langktrommis had moved to block the oncoming Khorne chariots, Khorne Marauders, and the Dum war-hounds.

Harok Alricson the Master-Endrinkuli shouted over to the Organ Gun crew as he pointed toward the closest oncoming Marauders which bore two standards and he assumed that one was the Hordes battle standard. The Organ gun pivoted on its carriage trail taking aim as he himself adjusted the Bolt-throwers deadly bolt. He would have liked to destroy another chariot but they maneuvered out of his line of sight as the prepared to pounce upon the Drak-thunders. Harok hoped that Valaya would bless them upon the arrival to the Halls of the Ancestor Gods but knew that Gazul would greet them first as he turned his attention back towards the oncoming Horde battle standard bearer.

Snorri Skaffson the Throngs battle standard bearer eyed the oncoming Khorne Marauders and took particular notice of the dual standards in the first line. Fitting he thought as he readied his axe and gripped the Throngs standard then he heard the sharp twang of the Barag and saw the mighty bolt slam into the first Marauder and continue through five more of the Hordes warriors before impacting the ground some distance behind the Marauders. Snorri made a note to buy Harok the Master-Endrinkuli an ale when they got back to the Hold. No sooner than he thought that than the five barreled Barag between fired and he saw ten Marauders blown into bloody rags strewn upon the ground.

Stromni saw that the Drak-Thunders were being threatened by the fast moving Chariots and the Dum war-hounds who were closing in upon them but he was confident that the Flame Cannon would take care of the Chariots. He no sooner thought this than a huge fireball rose in the sky on his left flank, turning upon the shield he saw the silhouettes of the three burning crewman and their Barag. The Drak-Thunders steady aim was unaffected by the explosion as they fired upon the Dum war-hounds killing only two of the war-hounds. Stromni saw that the Drak-Ironbreakers and Drak-Langktrommis seemed to take the destruction of the Barag in stride adjusting their lines according to the oncoming threat. As Stromni turned his attention back toward the Horde mage general he was pleased to see that several more Marauders had fallen to the deadly fire of his Quarrelers.

Despite the carnage inflicted upon the Horde still they came. But what did he expected they feared their Chaos gods more than they feared death. The under-strength Dum war-hounds charged the Organ Crew as three Khorne Chariots charged the Drak-Thunders and a unit of Khorne Marauders charged the Drak- Langktrommis. Now the battle was no longer Stromnis to direct for the battle was in the hands of each Dawi warrior who knew that death came before dishonor. For to run before you even got into combat, meant you were dead anyway in the eyes of all Dawi, shunned by hearth and kin as you took the Slayers Oath. He glared at the Nurgle mage as he once again began casting spells at the Rhunki but this time Thorgrim managed to thwart the mage and Stromni yelled at Thorgrim to move to the back rank there was no need for him to expose himself after all he was here in the Throng to dispel magic not fight in hand to hand combat. But Thorgrim ignored his general as he looked forward to smashing a few heads with his great war-axe.

Stromni looked towards his left flank as the three remaining Khorne chariots hit the Drak-Thunders whose thin line seem to hold, then it buckle as they swept through them to impact into the front and side rank of the Drak-Ironbreakers who braced their shields in an interlocking turtle shell tactic to absorbed the impact of the chariots. Their tactic worked so well that only two Drak-Ironbreakers fell.

Stromni said a silent pray of thanks to Grimnir and turned his attention to the charging Khorne Marauder unit with its multiple banner as it charged into his Drak-Langktrommis who had finally ceased their grumbling. Snorri Skaffson the Throngs standard bearer and Thorgrim Harokson the Throngs Rhunki were finally in for a fight Longbeards against the Khorne Marauders whose deadly flails seemed to have no impact on Gromril armor. He heard Snorri call out a challenge and soon the whole battle-line was locked in combat including the Organ crew who fought off the war-hounds. The only Dawi not fighting at the moment were the Quarrelers who continued to fire into the Mage lords Marauders of Slaanesh, the Barag, and his own Drak-Hammers and that was about to change as he ordered a counter charge against the Nurgle mage general and his Slannesh Marauders.

All along the battle-line warriors were locked in hand-to-hand combat. One last glimpse of his left flank reassured him. The Ironbreakers held against all odds and the Drak-Langktrommis fought with smoldering hatred for all things chaos as Snorri and his Longbeards overwhelmed the Khorne Marauders killing them without mercy or remorse. Despite their jeering of blood for the blood god the Marauders of Khorne broke and in their rout they fled leaving their standards behind them as they fled. The Drak-Langtrommis attempted to run the fleet foot warriors down but their terror of the Drak-Langktrommis outweighed their fear of their own god. In their pursuit the Drak-Langktrommis slammed into the side of the Khorne chariot which had been harassing the Ironbreakers. The combined might of the Drak-Ironbreakers and the Drak-Langktrommis broke the Khorne chariots.

Stromni turned his attention back toward the Slannesh Marauders and the Drak-Hammers charged them meeting them on the banks of the frozen river and they battled their way through the first and second ranks of the Marauders. Stromni paid special attention to the Nurgle mage calling out a challenge which was accepted and the follower of Nurgle was no more as Stromnis axe cleaved the putrid follower of the God of Pestilence in half. With the death of the Chaos general the will to fight seemed to dissipate; one was their army battle standard bearer, their Exalted Champion, their Mage lord general as was the rest of the army who either died or fled.

The white tundra was stained. Stained with Dawi blood and the blood of their enemy. Great bags of coal were brought up from the baggage train and soon the enemy bodies burned further staining the tundra with black soot as the wind drifted north. With the battle won Lord Stromni Skull Krusher Ragnison turned to Snorri and said, Call the muster!

*

He did will. The Drak-Hammer Lord stated.

The king looked at the Drammaz Kron as he finished entering the last name. One of the Drak-Langktrommi, a clan warrior he had known his whole life. Aye they all did. King Thorin said as he entered the amount to be revenged. Aye they all did.

* * *

NOTE: This was a after battle write up for a 7/25/09 [warhammertag52]GW[/warhammertag52] RTT that I attended. 2250 pts per army. This was the results of game 3. A massacre.

Nurgle Sorceror Lord
lvl 5, Mark of Nurgle
Enchanted Shield
Word of Agony
Blood of Tzeentch
Bloodskull Pendant

Exalted Hero
BSB, no mark
Shield
Berserker Blade

Exalted Hero of Khorne
Mark of Khorne
Chariot, Mark of Khorne
Shield
Aetherblade

4x 5 Chaos Warhounds

4x Chaos Chariots of Khorne

2x Chaos Marauders of Khorne
Flails
Full Command

2x Chaos Marauders of Slaanesh
Shield, Light Armor
Full Command

Dwarf Army
Dwarf lord on shield
Runesmith Rune of Balance
Thane BSB
Master Engineer
10x Quarrelers
10x Thunders
20x Longbeards
20x Ironbreakers
20x Hammers
Bolt thrower Rune of penetration, Flaming
Organ Gun
Flame Cannon