Mum-Ho-Thep's Revenge: AKA The Wrath of Khorne. Part One.

Blog-Con 2013 was a huge success! It was great to take in the sights and meet some fellow bloggers for the first time, though to be honest most of my time was taken up running my big game! It may go a little against the pathetic aesthetic that I am so fond of but every now and then, it really is good to see a big old table heaving under the burden of regiment after regiment of classic lead. Many thanks go to Orlygg, Thantsants, Harry Norse, Lenihan/Robotforaday Golgfag and Nik, who brought their lovely painted miniatures collections along on the day.

Here then, is the tale of the battle that unfolded...

Read the introductory narratives here, here and here.

The simple town of Locusti, somewhere on the fringes of old Nehekara. The mighty alliance gathered by the Deathfist approaches just as the Floating Ziggurat of Mum-Ho-Thep glides into view with his army strung out on either side. The scene is set for an epic struggle.

Locusti is a hive of panicked activity as the Khorne army arrives, a small group of fanatical cultists pushes their War Altar up to the promontory so that all the enemy may gaze upon it and despair. Such is the potency of this symbol of Chaos, it bestows greatly enhanced courage on all Khorne worshipers that can see it.

The Floating Ziggurat of Doom, the source of Mum-Ho-Thep's power and the repository for many dangerous and arcane artifacts accumulated as tribute over the centuries.

Mum-Ho-Thep deploys his right flank, the legion of Baron Kraust (he has a new Phylactery of the Trick Back thankfully). A flock of carrion flow from a cavern in the side of the Ziggurat while Kraust's cavalry canter forward to engage Deathfist's Dark Elf allies.

Mum-Ho-Thep gave his left flank to the Lichemaster, who brought with him a truly terrifying horde of the Undead.

Mum-Ho-Thep's centre. Here he deployed his most faithful living subjects, the Fimir, the Marsh Goblins and their War-Tortoise and the host of Giant Snakes and Scorpions, as well as the awesome power of the Mummy regiment and the Zombie Dragon! Some skeleton infantry support these elite units.

From this angle of the centre you can see the Undead Dinosaurs, the Scorpion swarms, more Death Rider cavalry and more carrion. There are catapults and skeleton archers deployed on both the town walls and the Ziggurat.

Bizarrely, Slaanesh chose to send troops to support the Khornate Ulther Deathfist, probably just to annoy him. The horde of Dark Elves took the Chaos left flank and were later joined by a Giant.

Deathfist ordered a lieutenant to hold the centre and guard the War Altar. Will this huge formation of Chaos Warriors with all their raw combat power be a match for the horde of monstrosities that face them?

The War Altar, dedicated to Khorne with the blood of a thousand warriors. The Promontory overlooks the central pyramid of Locusti.

The host of Ulther Deathfist himself, he has saved the position of honour on the right for his own. He desires a mighty artifact that lies within Locusti's walls, a Daemon Weapon of fabled power. It is said that whomsoever bears the blade is the equal of twenty Chaos Warriors. The weapon, Hatemaker, has been gathered into a store room in Locusti as a future tribute to Mum-Ho-Thep. Neither side know the weapon's location, in fact Mum-Ho-Thep's army doesn't even know of it's existence or it's importance!

Ever one to fight fire with fire, the Deathfist has brought along some Undead auxiliaries of his own.

Battle is joined! Mum-Ho-Thep and his Grand Vizier concern themselves only with strategy, they place tactical command of the battle in the hands of the Baron Kraust. He pauses to consider his orders, sensing his troops overall superiority in weight of numbers he simply cries; "Advance!"

The Slaaneshi Elves take a perverse delight in supporting the Khorne faction, the pain it causes them is a form of pleasure to these degenerate hedonists. In the distance, the Ziggurat is an imposing sight.

The Lichemaster advances towards the town but the Deathfist moves to outflank him and forces him to rethink.

The Giant, Mick, is barely back (from taking a pee while the earlier scrying of the Dark Elves took place) when he has to face the devastating charge of a large company of Death Riders. He has heard the tales of his cousin's demise on the Isle of Albion at the hands of the Undead and has had a fear of tiny skeletons ever since. He turns tail and runs in a most ignominious fashion.

The first wave of Undead batter the defenses of the Dark Elves who find themselves facing the swiftest of the enemy units.

Out on Mum-Ho-Thep's left, the Lichemaster begins to realise the blunder he has made and the threat the Deathfist poses to his force. He redeploys in good time to confront the Khorne Champion.

The Deathfist's lieutenant, known simply as 'Norse', gets his elite troops across the river in good order. they will now form a thin, red line against the storm of monsters and magic that is heading that way.

Mick flees from the field of battle, shrieking like an Elf-maid on her Hen Night. Despite heavy casualties, Mum-Ho-Thep's chariots are able to penetrate the Dark Elf line and rout a unit of crossbows. When the Mummy leading this attack had his chariot destroyed the ancient used the cunning wisdom of his advanced years and occupied a chariot that had lost it's crew to Elven blades. The sight of this dismayed the Slaaneshi commander who had never before seen the like!

Summoned from the mountains, a ravening Manticore drops from the clouds onto the Dark Elven heavy cavalry. Raising a mighty paw the beast swats three of the Cold One riders, almost from the saddle. Lo! The mindless creature had not unsheathed it's claws and was only playing it seems! (Note; triple ones on the to wound rolls captured in shot for posterity.) The favour is not reciprocated and the winged horror suffers a wound in return, shocked and hurt the monster flees.

All the while, the Baron's second wave of ethereals and Death Riders is positioning to overwhelm the beleaguered Dark Elves.

So powerful and numerous is Mum-Ho-Thep's ponderous centre, it's main problem is manouevring into position to do harm.

The Dark Elves have held the river bank for the time being and the Manticore takes flight, leaving the battlefield far behind.

In a bold move, a flock of Carrion swoops down upon the War Altar. They desperately try to desecrate the Khorne icon (presumably by pooping in the bowl of blood) to sow dismay in the mortal ranks but the unholy shrine is defended by fanatical cultists who will defend their Master's war engine to the death.

The Lichemaster has fully redeployed to face the Deathfist, this titanic struggle will surely be the key to victory for the Chaos Lord.

On a whim, the Lichemaster sends a unit of raving mad monks into the town...

Mum-Ho-Thep awakens! He rejoices to see his army pushing forward on all fronts, the Baron Kraust must be rewarded if he succeeds, as surely he must.

The Ziggurat hovers inexorably on, the Temple Array can extend the control of Mum-Ho-Thep over his Undead or attack the enemy more directly.

The Dark Elves are surrounded by the second wave and face an even sterner test than before.

Norse's detachment holds steady, for now.

Creeping ever closer, the Undead horrors and the living monsters can almost feel the pulsing heartbeats of their enemy now. The loyal Fimir secure the flank of this host.

As Ulther Deathfist seizes the high ground the Lichemaster launches an assault against his position. The banner of the Deathfist flies high in the still, Nehekaran air.

Chariots clash in an almost ritual dance as battle is joined on the far side of the town.

The catapults finally have a target as the enemy lies just within range at last, a lone Necromancer weaves his spells of control over Mum-Ho-Thep's troops from the walls of Locusti.

Will the outnumbered Khorne army be able to defeat enough of the enemy to seal a victory? Will Ulther's secret mission bring about success? Can the Carrion overwhelm the Altar guard and desecrate Khorne's engine? Find out in Part Two of Mum-Ho-Thep's Revenge: AKA The Wrath of Khorne!

Thanks for stopping by!