,

'
Sheny Yeary Chief Creative Officer: Matt
Creative Manager: Ed Bourelle Project
Bryan Cutler Lead Developer: Jason Soles
: Kris Aubin Development Manager: David
Carl Production Manager: Mark Christensen
Studio Director: Ron Kruzie

Editor-in-Chief: Aeryn Rudel
Hobby Manager: Rob Hawkins
Editorial Manager: Darla Kennerud
Editing: Bryan Cutler, Aeryn Rudel
Proofreading: Phil Chinzi, Jared Green, Cody Ellis,
Wul Hungerford, Jen lkuta, Thomas Marshall, Ben
"Wombat" Sanders
Playtest Coordinator: David "DC" Carl
Continuity Editor: Jason Soles
Graphic Design: Kris Aubin, Laine Garrett,
Josh Manderville, Stuart Spengler
StaffWriters: Simon Berman, Douglas Seacat
Studio Miniatures Painting: Matt DiPietro,
Ron Kruzie

CONTRIBUTORS:
Simon Berman, Ed Bourelle, David "DC" Carl, Matt
DiPietro, Rob Hawkins, Adam Huenecke, Aeryn
Rudel, Douglas Seacat, Jason Soles, Will Shick, Matt
Wilson

ILLUSTRATIONS:
Carlos Cabrera, Mariusz GandzeL Luke Mancini,
Nestor Ossandan, Neil Roberts, Brian Snoddy, Andrea
Uderzo, Chris Walton, Matt Wilson
Become a fan of No Quarter Magazine on Facebook!
T
his special issue of No Quarter 171agazine
commemorates the ten-year anniversary of
Privateer Press the same way we do everything
else: bigger and better. We've packed it with awesome
content, and here you'll flnd super-sized editions of your
favorite articles, including the Battle Report, Guts &
Gears, and Terrain Building. This issue is more than just
an oversized installment of the magazine, though; it's a
celebration of an incredible company and the fantastic
world and games it has created.
Between these covers we'll explore both the history
of Privateer Press and the history of one of its greatest
creations, the immersive world of the Iron Kingdoms that
serves as the setting for WARMACHINEand HORDES.
A Decade of Distinction illustrates the development of
Ptivateer Press through a ten-year timeline covering the
company's catalog of award-winning products. Then, lead
writer Doug Seacat offers a revealing glimpse at some of
T
eo years is a long time. For me personally, it's
more than a quarter of my entire life. It's also
the single longest tenure of employment I've
held anywhere. (One of the benefits of working for
yourself is that you're not likely to get fired, though
there are days . .. ) So how can it have gone by in the
blink of an eye?
Over the past ten years, Privateer has gone from a
company literally operating in a basement to a mainstay
game manufacturer in the tabletop game industry. Up
until the release of WARMACHINE Mk II-and
occasionally even since then- I was frequently amused
by the public speculation as to whether Privateer Press
would be around for the long haul or would disappear in
the night like so many game companies before us.
As we celebrate a decade of making great games, my hope
is that we have earned the confidence of customers who
can now sleep more soundly at night assured that Privateer
Press is indeed here to stay. That said, I'll miss that scrappy,
underdog image people have of the company, because I
think that at our core, that's really who we are. Privateer
is made up of a bunch of like-minded people who enjoy
rolling up their sleeves and taking on a challenge just for the
personal pride that comes with accomplishing something
others-or even they themselves-thought might not be
possible. (See the 2010 Mk II book publishing schedule
for just one example!)
We're often praised for our market savvy a nd shrewd
business model, and people want to know: How have
we managed to stay afloat in the turbulent seas of a
fickle marketplace? How could we forecast accurately
enough to sustain a long-range plan for the growth and
development of Privateer Press? In truth, the evolution
the pivotal events that shaped the Iron Kingdoms, with
an epic tale that centers on an up-and-coming Asheth
Magnus during a key battle of the Scharde Invasions.
Following that, Gavyn Kyle compiles a weighty dossier
on two of the Iron Kingdoms' most iconic characters:
Alexia Ciannor and her eldritch blade the Witchfire.
No Quarter is in many ways a chronicle of Privateer Press,
recording the groundbreaking exploits of the company
through the years, and I am honored to be at the helm of the
magazine that celebrates such an important anniversary.
In ten years, Privateer Press has established a legacy of
which I am proud to be a part, a legacy that continues to
grow with each new release and one I am quite fortunate to
document in the pages of No Quarter Magazine.
Aeryn Rudel
Editor-in-Chief
of this company has been far more organic. Within that
lack of rigid structure, I believe, is our strength.
As a company that is first and foremost dedicated to
the pursuit of creativity, we have always charted our
course from the heart. Being independently owned and
free from the restrictions of investors, shareholders,
or a board of directors, we have remained agi le and
responsive and have enjoyed the luxury of being
able to indulge our creative whims beholden to no
masters other than our customers. Truthfully, the one
prevailing strategy we have employed is to make first-
rate products that inspire our players to explore the
imaginary worlds we enjoy living in every day. At the
risk of giving up the recipe to our secret sauce, I'll
disclose the single most important ingredient to any of
our plans: keep making great products so we can keep
making great products.
( N o ~ see, technically I should probably fire myself for
disclosing such a closely held company secret. But being
the sole proprietor of this enterprise, I enjoy a degree of
immunity from such infractions of conduct.)
Yes, ten years is a long time. But I know that if I blink,
we'll be celebrating our twenty-year anniversary. Then,
instead of hearing, "Do you think Privateer Press is here
to stay?" we'll be hearing, "Privateer? Oh yeah, they've
been around forever." And I can't wait.
With much gratitude to the players who make living in
fantasy worlds a reality for us,
Matthew D. Wilson
Owner and Chief Creative Officer
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Guts & Gears: Drago
Ever wonder what makes the unpredictable and utterly lethal
Khadoran warjack Drago tick? Well, wonder no longer. Get the
inside scoop from one of Drago's former mechaniks ..and read his
instructions for the proper care and maintenance of one of the
most dangerous warjacks in western lmmoren.
The King's Own
Lead writer Douglas Seacat presents a new novella following
Captain Asheth Magnus during the Battle of Blackrock in 587 AR.
This harrowing tale takes place during one of the largest and most
important engagements of the Scharde Invasions. after Cygnar's
ruthless king led an army deep into Cryxian territory.
Terrain Showcase: Black River Bridge
Hobby manager Rob Hawkins shows off his incredible terrain-
building skills with a detailed, step-by-step extravaganza on
the staggering Black River Bridge table. Des_ig.ned for the epic
Unbound battle report in this issue, the Black river Bridge table
is truly a sight to behold, and Rob's tutorial contains a wealth of
information for terrain builders of all skill levels.
Guts f1.. Gears: Mulg the Ancient
Professor Pendrake delves into the myths and lore surrounding the
fearsome dire troll Mulg the Ancient. By translating the runes that
cover ,Mulg's stony hide, the good professor uncovers the secret
motivations of one of western lmmoren's mightiest warbeasts.
The Gavyn Kyle Files: Alexia Ciannor
Gavyn Kyle turns his attention to one of the most influential
characters in western lmmoren's long history and compiles a
detailed dossier and Alexia Ciannor and her infamous blade the
Witchfire. Learn the dark secrets of the Witchfire and the dire
events that forged Alexia into a powerful necromancer and one of
most wanted fugitives in Cygnaran history.
Battle Report: Battle of Black River Bridge
Cygnar and Skorne square off in this gigantic Unbound battle
report, recreating one of the pivotal conflicts of the Battle of
Corvis. Watch the battle unfold as creative director Ed Bourelle
and lead developer jason Soles pit their 150-point armies in a no-
holds-barred fight to the finish.
Modeling & Painting: Constance Blaize
Studio painter Matt DiPietro reveals the painstakingly detailed
process of producing a fully painted miniature worthy to be called
a Privateer Press studio model. Matt reveals many of his expert
techniques as he takes you step-by-step through his gorgeous
paint job on the Cygnaran warcaster Constance Blaize.
'TEN YEARS OF PRIVATEER PRESS
Since 2001, Privateer Press has del ivered quality games designed by award-winning creative people seeking to offer a
better entertainment experience. The company t hat would become a leader in the gaming community and home to one of
the most successful miniatures games on the market began as a union of like-minded artists and game players who shared a
common vision of producing the kind of quality games they wanted but could not find on the market.
From the bumble beginnings of The Witch/ire Trilogy, the "full metal fantasy" setting of the Iron Kingdoms has exploded
over the last ten years into an immersive world and boasts not only an RPG system but two miniatures game lines and an
upcoming video game. Privateer Press bas also released many other products, incl uding theMonJterpocalypJe battle miniatures
game, more traditional board and card games, a bimonthly magazine, and a full line of hobby paints and tools. Through it all,
Privateer Press has remained committed to creating the best gaming experiences imaginable for its audience.
This article takes a look back across the entire breadth of Pr ivateer Press' releases over the last ten years, examining
the trajectory of the company from an independent RPG publisher to one of the premier companies in the tabletop
gaming industry.
"'
IRON KINGDOMS RPG
Before there was WARMACHINE and HORDES, there was the Iron Kingdoms Role Playing Game. The RPG introduced not
only the world of Caen and the region of western Immoren but also several characters that would inevitably make their way to
WARMACHINE and HORDES tabletops.
Designed for the d20 system under the open gaming license (OGL), The Witchfire Trilogy campaign made its triumphant entrance
onto the RPG market on January l, 2001 with The Lon.9ut Night. This debut book gave players their first taste of the unique
setting, where sorcery and technology combined in a world that felt at once similar to our own history and yet completely apart
from anything that had come before. The L o 1 ~ 9 u t Nigbt_sets players on a quest to investigate mysterious grave robberies within
the Cygnaran city of Corvis. During their investigations, players qujckly begin to unravel a conspiracy of the most sinister
proportions centered on a young, troubled girl and a magical blade steeped in ancient evil.
The Longu t Night
Witch/tie Trilogy: Book I
MAY 2001
Book two of the trilogy, The Shadow of the Exile, followed quickly on the heels of the
first book's success and put players in hot pursuit of Alexia and the Witchfire mere
days later in the timeline. The Shadow of the Exile took players beyond the outskirts
of Corvis and thrust them into the dangerous wilds of the Iron Kingdoms. After a
dramatic showdown within a Cyriss temple, the characters returned to Corvis with
the Witch6re-only to discovE;r the exiled former king of Cygnar, Vinter Rae! thorne,
had captured the city with the aid of skorne allies.
Players were once again tasked with helping the city of Corvis in the dramatic
conclusion to the Witch fire saga, The Legion of Lo.Jt Souu. With Alexia's help the
characters delved even deeper into the dark secrets of Corvis and the ancient history
of the Iron Kingdoms in their effort to raise a great army of undead to liberate the
city. Building upon the foundations of the previous two adventures, The Legion of Loot
Sou!J brought the unique elements of the Iron Kingdoms setting to the fore as epic
battles were waged with sword and sorcery as well as gunpowder a nd steam power.
Shadow of the &r:ile
Witch/ire Trilogy: Book 2
AUGUST 2001
WARMACHINE
debuted at GEN CON
AUGUST 2001
The Legion 4 LoJt Souu
Witch/ire Trilogy: Book 2
NOVEMBER 2001
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For all its innovation in setti ng, The [.'?'itchfire Tt-i!ogy served only as an introduction
to a much larger and richer world. Many of the races and creatures that defined the
Iron Kingdoms were at best briefly mentioned in t hose first t hree books. However,
2002 brought two important releases for the RPG t hat would enable players to
explore the setting more fu lly in their own campaigns.
Mon.Jtemomicon: Volume I provided over 200 pages of encycloped ic lore on the
unique species a nd monstrous races of the Iron Kingdoms. Not only did it introduce
players to exotic monsters like burrow mawgs, spine rippers, a nd t hrullgs, it a lso
hinted at the wil d forces that endeavor to shape the Iron Kingdoms to their var ious
desires. The Mon.Jtemomicon introduced the Dragon Wars between Lord Toruk
a nd hi s offspring as well as providing a wealth of information on several races
that would appear later in HORDES a nd WARMACHl NE, such as t he Tharn,
farrow, and cepha lyx.
Lock and Load: Iron Killfjdom,, Character Primer was released shortly after the
Mon.Jtemomicon in 2002. The book provided players a nd GMs a n easily accessible
crash course for setting campa igns within t he expansive world of the Iron
Kingdoms and explored t he various race options available. Gone were t he generic
titles of human, elf, and dwarf; instead players were a rmed with the in formation
to play Todorans, Nyss, or Rhulfolk. More tha n simply expanding on the scope of
the core d20 races, Lock and Load introduced rul es for creating characters of races specific to the Iron Kingdoms, such as gabbers,
ogr un, a nd trollkin.
With WARMACHI NE in full swing and several major tndustry
awards for the !ron Kingdoms RPG setting under its belt, Privateer
Press began working on a compendium of books t hat would shape
t he setting into a fully developed world as rich a nd immersive as
any of the great fantasy worlds before it. The fi rst in this enormous
effort was the Iron Kingdom.J Character Guide.
Bui lding on in format ion presented in Lock and Loao and t he later
WAJU/1ACHJNE: Prime and E.Jca!ation, the Character Guide was
the premiere resource for players who wished to explore the Iron
Kingdoms. It heralded the appearance of character classes found
on ly within thi s unique setti ng, such as t he spell- and pi stol-slinging
Gun Mage, the resourceful Bodger, and-perhaps the most desired
of all -the mighty Warcaster. The book a lso revised how some of
the trad itiona l d20 classes functioned within t he Iron Kingdoms to
mainta in the gritty reali ty of t he setting.
The Cbamcter Guide also included a plethora of Iron Kingdoms-
specific gear to outfit characters, fro m powerful firearms to elega nt
Nyss claymores and bruta l ogrun warcleavers. Players could even
customize their weapons and a rmor with mechan i kal enhancements,
giving a nyone access to powerfu l encha ntments and abili t ies. (Of
course t hey soon discovered that for a ll its benefits, mechanika has
its own r ules a nd limits, rely ing as it does on charged accumu lators
to power magical abiliti es.) And those characters who possessed the
means made sure to obtatn the ultimate weapon and ally: their very
own warjack.
Religion a nd cosmology were a lso explored in depth for the first
time within the pages of the Cbaracter Guide. Covering the creation
of ma n and the rise of the numerous gods t hat fo rm the basi s of the
ma ny religions on Caen, thi s section rema ins to thi s day the most
complete di scussion of the subj ect within the Iron Kingdoms. The
care a nd t hought applied to t he study of rel igions would be applied
to the setting hi story in an extraordinary fash ion the following year
within the invaluable Iron Kingdom.J Wor!J Guide.
WARMACHINE:
Prime
MARCH 2002
MnnJternomi'con
Volume I
OCTOBER 2002
Lock d Load:
!ron Kti1guom.1 Character Primer
JANUARY 2003
I'V'ARMACHINE:
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SEPTEMBER 2004
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With its 400+ pages of detailed hi-story on the Iron Kingdoms, the World Guide
could easily have been tbe standa rd textbook for Hi story 101 at Corvis University.
Need to know when the Second Troll kin War occurred or how many rail lines a re
in Cygnar? Turn to this undi sputed authority on a ll things Iron Kingdoms.
The World Guide put onto the page in expli cit detail the defining histo1y of
western Immoren, beginning with a hi storical overview and timeline that covered
events ra nging from Immoren's pre-history through the onset of war described
in WARM!ICHJNE: E.tcaLation. Following this overview was a n extensive
exa minat ion of the industries, inst ituti ons, a nd societies of the va rious lron
Kingdoms nations a nd an examination of each kingdom in detail.
No deta il escaped the notice of the W'or!d Guide: currency type and excha nge rates,
population densities, and important locat ions and persons were a ll discussed
within its pages. The ex ha usti ve tome provided an a mazing resource for GMs
who wanted to create the most authentic and compelling IK ca mpa igns for their
players. It continues to be the primary reference today for Privateer Press staff
w1iting about the Iron Kingdoms.
From mechanikal weapons a nd tools to Cyriss technology to war jack construction,
the Liber 1/llecbanika, released in 2005, provided players and GMs every thing they
needed in order to immerse themselves in the wondrous art of mecha nikal artifice
and steam- foolery. This is the book that t urned t he magic of mecha nika into
the science of mechanika with its presentation of the ins-a nd-outs of mecha nika
creation, including prosthetic limbs and steam-powered armor as well as myriad
weapons a nd other equipment.
Next, Fi11e FingerJ: Port of Deceit provided a st reet-l evel view of one of the most
infamous cit ies in t he Iron Kingdoms. Fi11e Fin.fJerJ contained detailed accounts of
life wit hin t he city as well as plenty of N PCs for GMs to use in their campa igns.
Perhaps one of the more unusua l aspects of t he book was t he sect ion that
discussed t he conspiracies, collusions, a nd cabals of Five Finge rs. ln addition to
descriptions of the major players and various items, this section act ua lly included
cha rts detailing the feelings each coll aborator had about the other conspirators.
The fina l book released under the open gaming I icense, !11onJternomicon VoLume
Jf Tbe !ron KingdomJ and Beyond, took a step back from western lmmoren a nd
brought the exot ic creatu res a nd empires of eastern Immoren to t he fore. Fi ll ed
with informat ion on the Skorne Empire, 1/llonJtemomicon VoLume 11 gave players
a nd GMs access to a treasure trove of information for campaigns set within this
ancient a nd harsh world.

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WARMACIHNE & HORDES
Following in the wake of The lf/itchfire Tiilogy, the "steam-powered combat" of WARMACHINE
gave players a whole new way to experience the lron Kingdoms by putt ing t hem front-and-
center on the battlefields of western lmmoren. First introduced at Gen Con 2001, the origina l
WARMACHINE battl egroups were sold in plain brown boxes with "quick start" rules that
presented a very different ga me than t he one people know today. The game centered on t he use of
action points, aod the battlegroups included commanders with a reference gu ide printed right on
them. In addition, players who picked up a battlegroup at that year's Gen Con later received the fu ll
rulebook in t he mail after it had been printed.
Several changes occurred before the final rules were sent to t he printer. The action point system
was removed in favor of a more streamlined activation sequence, and the pre-release focus mecha nic
evolved into the system current WARMACHI NE players know a nd love. Nearly six months after
its pre-release at Gen Con, [.f/AJU/1/ACH!NE: Prime was ready to storm its way onto game store
shelves a nd tabletops worldwide.
At 200 pages, Tf/AR//!JACH!NE: Prime provided players everyt hing
they needed to stage cli mactic battles between mighty warcasters
and their armies of warjacks a nd soldi ers. Prime also expanded the
lron Kingdoms setting t hat had been introduced in The Witcbfire
Tiifogy, providing first-person accounts on the history of Cygnar,
the Protectorate of Menoth, Khador, a nd Cryx, while laying the
foundation for the future expansion of both WARMACHJNE a nd
the Iron Kingdoms RPG.
With the setting fl eshed out in The Witchfire Trilogy a nd
WAJUI!IACH!NE: Prime, the stage was set for the saga of t he Iron
Kingdoms to explode full force. Tf/ARMACHINE: &cafalioll brought
full-scale war to western lmmoren as Khador invaded t he southern
nation ofLiael a nd the Protectorate of Menoth began assaulting the
gates of Caspia. Amid the chaos of war, EJcafation provided players
new warcasters, units, a nd warjacks and set the tone for future
WARMACHINE expansions.
In addition to expand ing t he story and scope of t he game, E.Jcafation
gave players a cha nce to immerse themselves in the drama of the
events presented in its pages. The Kings, Nations, and Gods
campaign spanned the entire year of warfare that raged across
the Iron Kingdoms in 604-605 AR and presented forty-eight new
scenarios for intrepid players.
By its conclusion, E1cafation had firmly planted WARMACHlNE
as a force to be reckoned wit h in the miniatures gaming world.
Iron KingdomJ
Character G u we
DECEMBER 2004
Iron KJ:ngdomJ
Wor&Guide
MARCH 2005
Iron Kin.IJdOmJ
World Guwe
J ANUARY 2005
WARJJtJACHINE:
ApotheOJil
SEPTEMBER 2005
A bold experiment m both format and content,
WARMACHINE: Apo_theo.1i.J radically changed the landscape
of the WARMACHlNE miniatures game by combining
playability with the artistic foundations of Privateer Press.
Apotheo.1i.J stands apart, its oversized pages brimming with
beautiful artwork depicting the heroes and villains of the Iron
Kingdoms in the new era of open warfare. It also marked the
first time Privateer Press released a special edition hardcover.
Befitting its landmark status, the Apotheo.1i.J special edition
came with loads of extras, including a numbered certificate
of authenticity, a hardcover case, and a print of the cover art
signed by Matt Wilson.
The Apotheo.1i.J story advanced the war to dark extremes as
Lich Lord Asphyxious attempted to transform himself into
a god by an unholy ritual in the Thornwood, forcing heroes
from every faction to oppose his megalomaniacal schemes.
Privateer Press raised the bar with this release, from the
artwork and the gorgeous miniatures to the rules themselves.
With the first epic warcasters, character warjacks, and
large-based warcasters, Apotheo.1i.J pushed the limits of what
players could expect from the company and the future of
WARMACHINE.
Privateer Press reached another major milestone in 2006
with the release of the HORDES tabletop miniatures game.
Set in the same world as WARMACHINE and designed
Liber
Mecbanika
OCTOBER 2005
Wilcbfire Trilogy
Compilation
NOVEMBER 2005
to be completely compatible, HORDES gave players the
opportunity to delve into the shadowed wilds on the fringes of
the I ron Kingdoms. The release introduced all-new compelling
game mechanics with warlocks and warbeasts and effectively
doubled the size of Privateer Press' catalog.
While the foundation for HORDES had been laid in the IK
RPG just as it had for WARMACHINE, the game's release
provided a chance to more fully define and explore the vast
wilderness of lmmoren. HORDES also saw the return of
an old enemy from The Witch/ire 1iifogy, the brutal skorne.
In addition to these eastern invaders, HORDES: Primal
introduced the draconic Legion of Everblight, the proud
trollbloods, and the enigmatic druids of the Circle Orboros.
HORDES: Fio'e FingerJ:
Primal Port of Deceil
APRIL2006 JULY2006
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Privateer Press continued to surpass the expectations of players
with WARMACHINE: Superiority. This book introduced new
epic warcasters and brought cavalry thundering onto the
battlefield with special rules to represent their unique abilities.
It a lso contained a detailed examination of each faction's
military structure and furthered the exciting narrative from the
perspective of the soldiers in the field.
With a new companion game and three expansions,
WARMACHINE: Prime was no longer the complete authority it
had once been. In addition, after five years of player feedback
there was opportunity to fine tune WARMACHINE to create
an even better game. WARMACHINE: Prtine Remi..-r; compiled all
the supplemental rules from every WARMACHINE expansion
and updated the models and abilities. Even so, addressing and
collecting rules content was only part of Remi..-r;.
While WARMACHINE: Prime had represented a significant milestone for Privateer Press, the
years since its release had seen the company grow signi ficantly in print and production
knowledge and ability. Retnt:>:. represented a chance to take what the company had
learned and apply it to the foundations ofWARMACHINE. Even the look of Prime
was re-engineered; Remi..T. contained all-new art depicting the heroes, villains,
warjacks, and soldiers of the Iron Kingdoms, and every page was presented in
lavish full color.
The first HORDES expansion book also released in 2007. In terms of new
models, HORDES: Evolution brought the equivalent of nearly four years of
WARMACHINE development screaming into the HORDES factions in one
fell swoop. In addition to cavalry, I ight artillery, and unit attachments, Evolution
also introduced the dangerous and incredibly maneuverable light cavalry for the
Legion of Everblight and Circle Orboros. The book's story pitted the factions
against one another as the Legion of Everblight embarked on a bold gamble to
amplify their power, with only the Circle able to stand in their way.
Evolution a lso marked the official combination of WARMACHINE and HORDES
in the organized play system. Combined events quickly became the standard, and today
it is practically impossible to imagine a tournament that doesn't see warlock and warbeast
squaring off against warcaster and war jack.
WARMACHINE:
Supertority
AUGUST2006
Formula P3
debuted at Gen Con
AUGUST2006
WARMACHJJ\TE:
JANUARY 2007
MonJternonuCon:
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Setting a record for the number of suppl ement books
produced in a single year, Privateer Press released Force.J
of WARMACHINE: Ptiate.J of the Broken Coa.Jt in December
2007. The book contained an entirely new army for
WARMACHINE that could be integrated into existing
factions, as it was an offshoot of the Mercenaries. Its self-
contained story followed the pirates of the Tal ion Charter
in a clash against the dreaded Atramentou.J and its revenants
led by Captain Rengrave.
After the busy release schedule of 2007, 2008 was marked
by a single WARMACHINE expansion as Privateer
Press prepared to unveil an enti rely new product in
111on.Jterpocalyp.Je. That expansion, WARMACHINE: Legend.J,
continued to rede6 ne what players could expect from
WARMACHINE and HORDES. The book took character
warjacks one step further by introducing rules for
the personal warjacks of notable warcasters. Legendo brought the narrative arc
begun in Elcafation to an explosive 6nale, reshaping the borders of the Iron
Kingdoms and ending with an uneasy and tenuous cease-6re.
What would be the last book made for the 6rst edition of
WARMACHINE and HORDES followed. HORDES:
j/!felamorpl.wotJ continued the HORDES storyline as each faction
faced struggles that threatened to tear them apart from within.
The book introduced character warbeasts as wel l as the 6rst
epic warlocks and debuted lesser warlocks-an entirely new
model type that were Minion character solos accompanied by
their own character heavy warbeasts.
By the release of Metamorphooio, Privateer Press a nd its dedicated
player communi ty were a lready preparing for the unprecedented
6eld test that would provide players the chance to give their
feedback on a draft of the next edition of WARMACHINE and
HORDES, to be released in 2010. Change was on the horizon.
~ -
FORMULAP3
With WARMACHINE and HORDES both strong in the marketplace, Privateer Press had a firm
foothold as one of the top mini atures compani es in the industry. Nothing beats the excitement of
seeing Fu lly painted armies on the tabletop, so in 2006 the company prepared to release their own
line of hobby paints and tool s to support the hobby side of the games.
Developed by leading professionals in the miniatures industry, Formula P3 (originally called
Pr ivateer Press Paint) set out to redefine what people should expect from hobby paints. The
line pioneered several innovations, including using liquid pigment for better coverage and being
packaged in faction-specific sets designed to provide not only the basic colors integral to the faction's
color scheme but also perfect combi nations for color mixing, all owing painters to ach ieve a wide
range of faction colors with a limited selection of paints. Privateer Press introduced Formu la P3
paints in a limi ted pre-release at Gen Con 2006, and they were an instant hi t. Now compri sing 72
colors, the Formula P3 paint li ne has become a stapl e of both award-winning painters and regular
hobbyists the world over.
Privateer Press expanded its Formula P31ine in 2007 with the add ition of an entire range of hobby
tools. As with the paints, Formula P3 hobby tools were designed from the outset to provide the
height of quality for hobbyi sts of all skill levels. ln add ition, the company produced an instructional
bobby DVD, ModeLing d Painting: Core Technique.J, in whi ch stud io director Ron Kruzie showcased
the basic steps of model assembly and painting.
The Formul a P3 brand continues to stand as a benchmark of quali ty in the hobby industry, provid ing
every thing hobbyists of all skill levels need in order to bring their miniatures to li fe.
Infernal
Contraption
JULY 2007
HORDES:
Evolution
AUGUST 2007
Infernal
Coatraptw11
Force. of WARJWACHINE:
Pirate.J of the Broke11 Coa,Jt
DECEMBER 2007
WARJWACHINE:
Le_qendJ
AUGUST 2008
Or
fur
Or
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Th
pre
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Th
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In
anc
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ere
ORGANIZED PLAY
Organized play has a lways been one of t he pillars of Pr ivateer Press' game design. Promoting
fun a nd chall engi ng events for players to compete against one a not her, Privateer Press'
Organized Pl ay program has consistently strived for one simple goal, to be the best-organized
play experi ence anywhere.
The staple of all Privateer Press WAR MACH INEand HORDES competitive play Steamroller
provided a free and univer sal for mat that has grown and evolved since its incept ion in 2003.
The format stresses ba lanced, competitive tests of skill as pl ayers vie to be crowned champion.
The first Steamroller ki ts included award certificates with specially cast metal tokens. Soon
t hough Privateer Press was offering full met a l coi ns embl azoned with faction symbol s and
later, when the Steamroller events Of each game were combined, 1" , 2"d, a nd 3'd place awards.
[n 2007, Privateer Press unveil ed t he first WARMACHINE
and HORDES league, a system that promoted continuous
play wit h narrative driven scenarios and special effects. The
system ent it led Call to Arms, lasted until the release of Mk
II in 2010 where it was replaced with the current Shattered
Grounds league format. Shattered Grounds built upon
t he casua l pl ay atmospher e of Call to Ar ms and enha nced
it by add ing several innovations including a worldw ide
interactive campaign map a nd unique specia lty units that
cou ld be used for t he length of the campaign. Another
major step in organized play fo r both games occurred in t he
summer of 2007 when the first Summer Rampage event hit
worldwide. Summer Rampage was an importa nt turning
point as it marked t he first offtcial mi xed WARMACHINE
a nd HORDES event offered by P ri vateer Press.
Organized Pl ay hasn't just been about WARMACHI NE
a nd HORDES however ; Privateer Press a lso created
an extensive organi zed play system for !/lfollJlerpocafypJe.
The program offered free prize support for any store or
game club who had six or more players a nd continues to
this day. Because of the unique nature of I/IIonJterpocaLypJe
support, Privateer Press a lso created a new website fu lly
geared towards promoting and managing its organized
play offerings, www.privateerevents.com. The site a ll owed
players and stores a way to find and register for events and
prize support, con necting players a nd retailers together to
create the best-organized play events possible.
Privateer Press
NO QUARTER MAGAZINE
The creation of No Quarter Magazine in June 2005 marked the point where Privateer Press moved
from an enterprising start-up to a full-fledged company. The magazine launched with the goal of
providing regular information on new releases, showcasing previews of upcoming products, and
expanding the rich world of the Iron Kingdoms.
No Quarter's inaugural issue set the tone for all future issues with its huge assortment of previews,
including several new Mercenary models and the first rules for using mercenary contracts in
WARMACHINE. In addition, the magazine gave players an exclusive look into the content of
and presented an all-new short story that pitted Haley against Deneghra and set up their
evolution in the book.
From its inception, No Quarter has covered a ll the pivotal moments in Privateer Press history. Its
pages continually introduce new content that supports WARMACHINE and HORDES, including
favorites like the Gavin Kyle Files and Forces of Distinction as well as long-time classics such
as Guts and Gears. With its in-depth coverage of Privateer Press games and worlds, No Quarter
Magazine is an indispensable resource for fans and players worldwide.
MonJierpocalypJe
debuted at Gen Con
AUGUST 2008
MonJterpocalypJe:
RMe
OCTOBER 2008
HORDES:
MetamorohOJiJ
MARCH 2009
WARMACHINE Mk II
Field Test
APRI L2009
MONSTERPOCAL YPSE
Building on the immense success of the Iron Kingdoms, WARMACHINE, a nd HORDES,
Privateer Press set about creat ing a whole new intellectual property known as M01wterpocalyp.1e.
The two-player battle miniatures game brought the giant monsters of kaiju cinema to the tabletop
in an action-packed contest over an entire city.
Monaterpocalypoe feat ured pre-painted plastic figures, which represented a new set of production
challenges for Privateer Press even after years of produci ng WARMACHINE and HORDES. In
addition, the game was conceived to be the company's first-ever collectible, ra ndomi zed product.
Unleashed in a special pre-release at Gen Con 2008, MonJterpocalypae quickly earned its name as
it crushed all expectations. By t he time t he game was officially released that October, Privateer
Press had already sold out of its initial run of starter boxes-and would do so two more times over
t he next two years.
The game was released In themed series, wit h each set introducing new monsters, units, and
bui ldings for players to use as they stomped and smashed t heir way to victory. By the release of
the fifth series, M01wterpocalypoe had rampaged its way through game versions of New York and
Japan and had twelve factions ranging from giant lizards to hideous mole-men.
Thanks to the tireless work of Privateer Press Chief Creative Officer Matt Wil son, 10 2010
Dreamworks Studios purchased the Monoterpocalypoe movie rights. A full-length feature film is
planned for a near-future release directed by award-winning director Tim Burton.
Now presented in a non-collectible format, MonJterpocalypae stands ready to smash its way into t he
imagination of people a ll over t he world.
VOLTRON
Following the immensely successful release of MonJterpocalypJe,
Privateer Press began discussions with World Event Productions to
bring an iconic character into the line. That character, none other
than Voltron: Defender of the Universe, appeared in t he very first
licensed product produced by Privateer Press.
Forr:u of WAIUIACHINE:
&tri},uJiJJn of Scyrah
SEPTEMBER 2009
&rapperJ
SEPTEMBER 2009
Although the Voltron cartoon had been a staple of Saturday mornings
in the 1980s, no one had ever brought the steadfast Defender of the
Universe to the tabletop in his very own board game. Tha nks to its
kaiju-inspired, action-packed gameplay, /11/onJterpocalypae presented
the perfect platform to let fans relive their favorite moments from the
TV series as well as create a ll-new stories by pitting Voltron agai nst
the monsters of
GrintJ
OCTOBER 2009
HORDESMk II
Field Test
NOVEMBER 2009
: J S U ! t ? J .
a 1 p w
p a l o a
S l ! O l
a l p J O
s l l u i U
l S J 9
J ; } l - j l O
O l S U
' ' " d ! i z
BODGERS
In the summer of 2007, Privateer Press took its first steps into a new line of products called
Bodgers games, begi nning with the multi-player card game Infernal Contraption. The game put
players in the role of goblin bodgers racing to build "contraptions" a nd trying to destroy their
opponents' parts piles to be the last bodger standing. An expansion released soon after, ln/erruzl
Contraption 2: Sabota_qe, introduced new cards to the game-including sneaky sabotage cards
that could be played directly on a n opponent's contraption to cause all sorts of mayhem.
The 2010 release of ScrapperJ brought everyone's favorite bodgers back to the fore in a frantic
board game for two to four players. In ScrapperJ players vied with each other to grab parts off
a constantly moving conveyor belt in order to be the first to complete a power core. Foregoing
traditional dice, the game handled movement through a unique card mechanic, which forced
players to rely on a good combination of skill and luck in order to grab the parts they needed.
GRIND
In 2010 Privateer Press took steamjacks off the battlefield
and pitted them against each other in the stand-alone
board game version of Grind, a steamjack-sport game
concept first introduced in No Quarter #10. Featuring a
huge board and loaded with detailed plastic components,
the revved-up version of Grind packed a tournament's
worth of adrenaline-soaked action into one massive box.
The high quality plastic steamjacks players use for their
teams make Grind stand out from any other board game.
In addition to their large size and high level of deta.il,
t he figures were engineered so that their weapon arms
could be easily swapped out between games, allowing an
unprecedented amount of team customi zation.
Grind showed Privateer Press' continuing commitment to
pushing the envelope in creating new and exciting games,
a commitment as strong today as it was ten years ago.
lrW?AfA 'HJNE
Pnine 1111: II
JANUARY 2010
F11rce.t t!f WAIMIACHINE:
Cyg11ar
FEBRUARY 2010
Fnttt.t 4 WARAfACHJNE: Fort-e. nf li'IA/MfACHINE:
KbniJor Prntednralo ni'Afmotb
MARCH 2010 APRJL 2010
ailed
b put
jtheir
frnaL
1ards
antic
ts off
~ o m g
teed
led.
MKII
After seven years of releases and growth, work began on the second edition of
WARMACHINEand HORDES, entitled Mk II. At the outset Privateer Press la id down
several goals for what Mk I I would accompli sh. The first was to streamline play a nd bring
both games back to their roots of aggressive, fast-paced action. In the same vein, it would
address the number of different abilities across the games that a ll had simi lar effects but
different names. The new ed ition was a lso a chance to adjust models that fell far off the
power curve in an attempt to create the most balanced game possible. Finally, Privateer
Press was determined to update the entirety of both games within a single year.
With these goals in mind, t he company began one of the most rigorous inter na l playtesti ng
and development cycles it had ever conducted, re-evaluating a nd fine-tuning every single
WARMACHINE and HORDES model that had ever been released. Not content to
simply update the games, they added several new model s to the existi ng factions, and-
most ambit ious of a ll -undertook work on a n entirely new WARMACHINE faction, the
Retribution of Scyrah.
Privateer Press gave players unprecedented access to the Mk II development process with
the Mk II field test. The field test offered players an early look at the second edition rules
and opened every existing WARLVlACHINE and HORDES model to scrutiny, giving
players a chance to influence the final outcome directly. Hundreds of thousands of field test
reports were painstakingly reviewed by Privateer Press' indomitable development team
before the final stats a nd abilities were sent off to print.
In January of 2010, WAR/11ACHINE: Prime /IIIk II was officially released to the public,
and "Mk II 2010" card decks were published for each faction to ensure players could
immediately update their armies to the new edition. With so much existing information to
cover, Privateer Press had decided to give each WARMACHINE and HORDES faction
its own book over the course of the year. WARA1ACH!NE: PrimeMk II and, later in the year,
HORDES: Primal /11/k If gave players the basics, including the fully updated rules system
and templates, exciting new fiction, additional history for each faction, and an introduction
to the hobby, all in a gorgeous full-color format bursting with new art and photographs.
ForctJ of WARMACHINE:

MAY2010
ForceJ of WARMACH!NE:

JUNE2010
HORDES:
PrimalMk If
JULY 20 10
Voltron:
Defender of the Unille!'Je
AUGUST 2010
The format introduced with Force.J of WARMACHJNE: PirateJ of the Broken CoaJt was re6 ned
for the Mk 11 books, including 2009's Forceo of WAIUJ'IACHJNE: Retributwn of Scyrah. Each
force book coll ected every existing model entry for the faction-plus a few new ones-as
well as presenting new art, new 6ction, and a new level of background detail on the 6ghting
forces of the Iron Kingdoms.
The force books a lso introduced an exciting new option for building armies based on
specialist fo rces. Each of these Theme Forces provided a set of restrictions and bene6ts
For building an army under a speci6c warcaster or warlock. Theme Forces opened up new
game play options and cha llenges as well as providing a fantastic opportunity for avid
hobbyists when converting and painting their army.
With the release of ForceJ of HORDES: Mtiu(mJ in January 2011, the year of Mk II came to
a triumphant close. The force book format had without a doubt proven to be an excellent
vehicle for expand ing t he world and games of WARMACHINE and HORDES.
Forceo of HORDES: ForceJ of HORDES: Forcu of HORDES:
Skome TroflbfoodJ Leoion of Everblioht
AUGUST 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 OCTOBER 2010
Forceo of HORDES:
Circle OrhoroJ
NOVEMBER 2010
o r o z A 1 n r
I T J / f 1 1 7 V I f l f l f d
: s y ( f l [ O H
0 '
WARMACHINE and HORDES have experienced growth like never before since the release of Mk II. As the first Mk II
expansion, WARMACHINE: Wrath begins a whole new chapter in the ongoing saga of the Iron Kingdoms. It contains plenty of
exciting new warcasters, warjacks, and warriors to field in battle-but it also brings an amazing new dimension to the game table
with the impressive battle engines, a large new centerpiece model type that challenges player expectations and the company's
production abilities a like.
Mounted on 120 mm bases, battle engines
don't just expand the scope of the game rules;
they expand the scope of what "miniatures"
means on the tabletop. The extreme size of
these models is made possible by Privateer
Press' new resin casting faci lities. Pioneered
under the Extreme Titan Gladiator, the
company's resin production has gone
from a one-man operation to a full-blown
setup that easily rivals traditional metal-
casting production. The material opens up
possibilities for both large- and small-scale
models like never before.
Following close behind Wrath, HORDES:
Domination will bring the new battle engine
model type to the wi lds of lmmoren and
introduce a host of options to the table,
including new epic warlocks and new
character warbeasts.
With the momentum of Mk II and Privateer
Press' never-ending drive to break beyond
the expected, WARMACHINE and
HORDES are sure to be an unstoppable
force in the miniatures gaming community
for the next ten years and well beyond.
ForceJ of HORDES: WARMACHINE:
Mininn.J Wrath
DECEMBER 2010 JUNE2011
Lock & Load
GameFest 2011
JUNE20ll
HORDES:
Domt."nation
OCTOBER 2011
s , A u t ? c

J O A : ! u
I I ' ! Y I
In n
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-Victo:
TID OUHRTER IDHGH2InE: GUTS &
t7 iii
illli!
I
By Simon Berman Art by Carlos Cabrera, Nestor Ossandan, and Andrea Uderzo
In recent months, my responsibilities to the Cygnaran
Reconnaissance Service have taken the lion's share of my time.
However, the time I have spent among the kriels of central
Cygnar has been extremely illuminating and has allowed me
rare insight into some of the deepest mysteries of the trollkin
and their cousins, the full-blood trolls and dire trolls. I spent
some weeks living with the Tallwater kriel in the foothills of the
Upper Wyrmwall Mountains during which time I befriended
a stone scribe elder, Craggen Runewaker. As the curator of
his kriel's knowledge, Runewaker is essentially a living library
carrying the accumulated history of his extended family.
Runewaker honored me with the opportunity to make copies of
some of his most treasured scrolls, among them a set of rubbings
taken from a most intriguing set of carvings-runes inscribed
into the back of an ancient and fearsome dire troll!
The stone scribe I befriended made these rubbings at great
personal risk, having sought out the notorious dire troll called
Mulg. After prostrating himself before the monstrous creature,
Runewaker asked permission to make a copy of the runes upon
Ivlulg's back to share among the kriels. Runewaker claims it was
only his invocation of the name of a Dhunian shaman named
Doomshaper that kept Mulg from devouring him on the spot.
The appeals to the ancient troll's vanity were successful, though,
and he was allowed to make some rubbings. He informs me that
the Erst transcribed passage is carved into the prominent stony
ridge atop Mulg's back. Subsequent passages are taken from a
set of carvings on the enormous club the dire troll wields as well
as from the smaller carvings found in less prominent portions of
Mulg's stony protruberances.
Runewaker informs me that t he runes inscribed upon
Mulg are written in a strange tense, apparently an effort to
capture the tone of Mulg's unique mode of speech. l have
attempted to maintain the tone of this unusual writing.
Enclosed are my copies of the rubbings and translations as
well as associated commentary.
-Victor Pendrake
Runewaker tells me this Erst set of runes come from the oldest
carvings upon the dire troll's back.
MULG IS THE AVALANCHE. MULG IS THE
LANDSLTDE.MULG IS THE STORM THAT BEATS THE
MOUNTAIN. MULG IS THE KURJOL, THE TROLL
OF TROLLS. MULG CARRIES THE FIRST SEED
IN HIS LOINS. HIS CHILDREN ARE GREAT AND
MANY. THE WORLD IS THERE TO FEED MULG IN
MULG'S HUNGER. ONE DAY, MULG WILL EAT THE
WORLD, AS IS MULG'S RIGHT. MULG WILL EAT THE
MOUNTAIN AND THE FOREST AND THE MEN AND
EVEN THE TROLLS. MU LG WILL EAT THE WORLD.
From what I can deduce, these Erst runes were inscribed
somewhere around the year 300 A.R. According to Runewaker's
scrolls, it seems that Mulg had been known to the trollbloods of
the Wyrmwalls for at least two centuries before that time. The
kriels of the region had long feared the dire troll that stalked the
mountain passes devouring everything in its path, even other
dire trolls. When Mulg crashed into the midst of the Tallwater
kriel's village, they were astonished and terried. He roared in
the troll language of Molgur-Trul, demanding tribute in meat.
The kriel rushed to provide him with the food. Hours later,
barely sated on the entirety of the kriel's preserved food and
Livestock, Mulg called for their rune bearers to stand before him.
He demanded they carve their runes of power into his back so
that his story would be recorded and all who saw him would
know it.
MULG!STHEGREATHUNTEROFTHEMOUNTAINS.
MULGISTHEGREATHUNTEROFTHEWORLD. MEN
THINK THEY ARE HUNTERS, BUT THEY COWER
IN FEAR OF li-1ULG, THEIR CAVE-PILES SJV\ASHED
BENEATH MULG'S CLUB. MULG SJ\'IASHES THEIR
PUNY WALLS AND EATS THEIR FOOD. MULG EATS
THE WEAK HUNTERS AS WELL. ALL WHO HUNT
ON MULG'S MOUNTAINS AND TAKE MULG'S FOOD
BECOME l\lULG'S FOOD.
Rune
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Runewaker suggested that whi le this part of the text is
filled with Mulg's characteristic hyperbole, it might hold
more than a kernel of truth. Dire trolls are known to prey
upon one another, particularly over mating rights. It is not
inconceivable that Mulg has winnowed out the progeny of
his rivals and populated much of the Wyrmwall with his
descendants. Indeed, the dire trolls of the region have a
reputation for ferocity exceeding that of dire trolls in other
areas. Mulg's populating the region with his offspring has
not tempered his feelings towards other dire troll s, though.
Runewaker told me that dire tolls almost invariably abandon
their kills when Mulg interrupts them feeding, and those who
do not soon feed the ancient troll with their own carcasses.
l\\ULG CANNOT BE ESCAPED. l\'lULG WILL EAT
WHATEVER MULG WISHES. EVEN THE GREATEST
BEASTS OF THE I\10UNTAIN CANNOT
1\\ULG. THEHUGESATYROFTHEWTNDING PEAKS
THOUGHT HE COULD EVADE l\1ULG, BUT liE
WAS WRONG. HE FOOLISHLY RAN FROM 1\\ULG
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. BUT l\lULG FOLLOWED.
TER ffiRGR2InE: GUTS & GERRS
My friend, Runewal<er, spoke with unconcealed pride at
this portion of the translation. Centuries earlier, his kriel
had come under attack by the Cygnaran Army and at least
one of their mighty colossals. It seems the Cygnaran forces
stumbled across Mulg while pteparing their attack upon the
trollkin and paid a high price for their poor timing. Mulg's
strength and ferocity are clearly highlighted by this incident.
Although we can assume a certain amount of hyperbole on
Mulg's part, there are clear records that the Cygnaran Second
Army lost a major battle in th is region during the Colossal
War. In fact, reading between the lines of accounts written
by Cygnaran survivors and Runewaker's repetition of his
kriel's legends, there is every indication that Mulg's presence
was no accident. It seems likely that the legendary trollkin
Chief Modr may have lead the Cygnarans into Mu lg's path at
great personal risk. This incident is particularly noteworthy
in that it was one of the first engagements in which trollkin
succeeded in defeating a Cygnaran colossal. With several
centuries distance from those events, I must salute the brave
trollkin and respect the ferocity of Mulg even if this did
result in an alarming defeat for my nation!
HE RAN THROUGH THE FOREST VALLEY. BUT MULG HAS NO AND KNOWS ONLY ONE
MULG FOLLOWED. HE RAN THROUGI! THE WHO IS LIKE MULG. KROL IS 1\lULG'S BROTHER.
GNARLS AND ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO THE ONLY KROL COULD WITHSTAND MULG'S
PLAIN, BUT MULG STILL FOLLOWED. THE SATYR GREETING AND NOT OLE. KROL NEED ONLY ASK
THOUGHT TO HIDE WITH THE WEAK HUNTER AND MULG WILL BE THERE TO DESTROY AND
EAT THOSE THAT KROL CANNOT. KROL IS STRONG
l\lEN, BUT HE COULD NOT HIDE FROM 1\lULG.
MULG FOUND HIM AND SMASHED HIM
FOR EATING SO LITTLE. BUT J\lULG KNOWS THAT
THE MEN IN THEIR CAVES AND ATE THE SATYR KROI.:S HUNGER IS ALMOST AS GREAT AS .1\lULG'S
AND THE MEN, AND .1\\ULG LAUGHED. BETTER HUNGER. KROL IS THE RAGE OF TROLLS.l\lULG IS
TO STAY STILL AND NOT RUN FROM MULG WHEN THE HUNGER OF TROLLS. KROL AND MULG WILL
1\lULG WANTS TO EAT.
Another interesting anecdote. There is a folktale among the
people of southeastern Ord that roughly correlates to this tale.
The story speaks of a goat that taunted a troll and then led it
a merry chase across the land. In the story, the goat stops to
taunt the troll a second time near a village. Having paused
to make mock once more, the goat underestimated the troLl's
anger, was overtaken, and eaten in view of aU the villagers
who lauFh at his grisly fate. The moral is, I suppose, "don't
push your luck." I've never really had a good understanding
of the character of the Ordic people, though, and I may be
misinterpreting the point of their fable.
MULG FEARS NOTHING. NOT TROLLS OR
TROLLKlN OR BEASTS OR MEN. MULG DOES NOT
EVEN FEAR THE MEN OF IRON. THE MEN SENT
THEIR l\lAN OF IRON AND HUNTERS TO ATTACK
THE TROLLK!N AND 1\lULG. MULG OlD NOT
FEAR ITS STONE HANDS OR ITS Si\lOKE OR ITS
WEAPON. l\\ULG HAS HIS OWN WEAPON. MULG'S
CLUB SMASHED THE WEAPON FROM THE MAN
OF IRON'S HAND. MULG GRABBED ITS HEAD AND
Sl\1ASHED. THE MAN OF IRON FOUGHT WELL.
FOUGHT BETTER TIIAN ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER
EXCEPT MULG. MULG WAS PROUD TO SMASH
IT INTO THE GROUND AND PULL OUT THE FIRE
FRO,\\ ITS HEART. THE MEN WHO FOLLOWED IT
RAN BUT 1\lULG WAS FASTER. AND THEY FILLED
MULG'S BELLY. i\lEN WILL NOT RETURN NOW.
THEY FEAR 1\lULG.
SHAKE THE EARTH LIKE RAGE AND HUNGER.
Runewaker informs me that "KROL" refers to the Dhunian
shaman known as Doomshaper and that the shaman himself
inscribed these runes upon Mulg's back only a few months
ago. Doomshaper is a powerful leader among the laiels of the
present day, and we have had reports that a singularly large
dire troll often accompanies him. I've never encountered
Doomshaper personally, but his reputation among the troUkin
precedes him. The most radical warriors follow him, incited
by his rhetoric of vengeance against humankind and Cygnar
in particul ar. I regret to say their wish for revenge is not
entirely unjustified. However, the atrocities committed under
Doomshaper's command are unforgivable, and the idea that a
creature like Mu.l g now accompanies him is unsettling in the
extreme. T shudder to think what should happen ifDoomshapet
were to lead the war bands of the kriels and the voracious Mulg
into a Cygnaran city.
no QURRTER ffiRGR2InE: GUTS & GERRS
By David "DC" Carl
D
ire Trolls are some of the biggest, baddest, and
hungriest beasties in all of western lmmoren. This
gives a very special perspective on the fact that Mulg
the Anci ent is the oldest, meanest, and most insatiable dire
troll in known history.
Built Troll Tough
Trollblood players and opponents alike know that dire trolls
have some serious durability. Between Snacking, Regeneration,
Alternate Food Source, warlock healing, Protective Aura, and
generous life spirals, they've got staying power well beyond
what their ARM stat alone would imply.
Mulg the Ancient takes that dire troll toughness and amps
it up even further thanks to an additional point of ARM
ano an additional helping of damage circles on his life
spiral. The Reach advantage of Mulg's giant dub provides
yet another boost in survivability by allowing him to use the
Snacking ability against a greater number of enemy models in
a single turn than would be available to a model without Reach
weaponry.
Mulg's Runebreaker anunus provides some protection for
the friendly Trollblood forces in his vicinity. While its range
limitations only guarantees protection for Mulg himself
from short-range spells like Whip Snap or Battering Ram,
Runebreaker forces an enemy to consider positioning carefully
and can put a real crimp on powerful spell effects Like Frostbite,
Stone Spray, or Venom.
Tree-to-Face
While it is foolish to underestimate the Trol l bloods as a purely
aggressive faction, there is no denying their melee prowess.
Mulg's got that typical strong suit in spades with his P+S 19 tree
trunk along with a P+S 17 open ji,ft. This mammoth's amazing
STR 13 means that even his bare hand hits harder t han giant
swords, hammers, or axes in the hands of some heavy warbeasts
or warjacks.
Mulg is also deceptively fast for his SPD 4 frame. Any time
he's damaged, his SPD leaps up to a 6 for one round. Any time
his warlock is damaged, Mulg can make a fu ll advance towards
that enemy model and can mal<e a free attack if the enemy is
in range of his mighty dub. Unless an opponent decides not to
attack Mulg or his warlock, the Ancient is going to be in his face
sooner rather than later.
Mulg tops off his aggressive tree-to-face capabilities with the
ability to slam foes away on a critical hit with the rune dub
along with the ability to make one final strike at an enemy
that refuses to die if he's in the battlegroup of his little buddy,
Hoarlulc Doomshaper.
ffiulg the Rncient Support
Mulg will spend the game smashing the enemies of the
Trollbloods regardless of his current warlock, but there are
plenty of ways to enhance his innate combat prowess with
supporting spells, feats, or abilities.
Though Mulg has disturbingly impressive threat ranges
against a cooperative opponent, some might try to keep him
out of the action by avoiding the Relentless or Protective Fit
triggers. In those cases, Mulg can still find plenty of help
from friendly models to get into optimum position. Crusher,
Warpath, Goad, Scroll of Grirnmr, Hoof It, Barroom Blitz,
and Bait the Line are all great positioning tools in the
Trollblood warlocks' arsenals. Lanyssa Ryssyl's Hunter's
Mark will stack with any of these abilities along with Mulg's
own Relentless ability for some truly mystJYing threat ranges
for a SPD 4 dire troll.
Against particularly high-DEF targets, spells like Carnage,
Fortune, Wild Aggression, Calamity, and Marked for Death
grant Mulg the accuracy he needs to make every attack count.
The Fate Blessed ability or the Spread the Net feat are other
options to increase his accuracy, but knockdown effects from
the Thumper Crew, Troll Impaler, or Runeshapers' Tremor
grant him the greatest accuracy of all by guaranteeing every
attack he makes will find its mark.
Depending on the opposing threats, damage buffs may be
better uti lized elsewhere. An attack at P+S 17 along with
ai..o: attacks at P+S 19 is probably p lenty. Against a swarm
of the heaviest threats imaginable, however, feel free to
use the Flaming Fists, Acidic Touch, or Rage animus with
the Krielstone Elder's Stone Strength thrown on top for
good measure.
By A<
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By Adam Huenecke
In order to get smooth shading and easy transitions between tints, adding some acrylic
retarder to your shades and highlights wi.U make your life a lot easier. Retarder changes the
drying time and consistency of your paints, giving you more time to work with your colors
while blending and offering a creamy, easy-to-work-with texture. This method of shading
works most effectively when a shade or highlight is applied over a dry basecoat. Adding a
dollop of retarder to your paints will give you those few crucial minutes to blend your colors
easily, and with a little practice, you will 6nd that professional-looking shading is within
your reach regardless of skill level.
Feel free to fully assemble Mulg before you get to work- hi s dynamic pose allows you to
access all parts of hi s body for painting. Be forewarned: Mulg is not just a mountain troll; he
is a troll who is a mountain. Accordingly, he is a very heavy model. Your 6ngers are going to
get a workout holding this model up, so be ready for some satisfYing cramps.
Step I-Flesh
As the "lowest " point on the
model (meaning that all the
other details are piled on top of
it), Mulg's skin is a good place
to start.
1) Basecoat all of the fl esh areas
with Bastion Grey.
z) Wash all of the flesh areas with
a thinned mixture of Battlefield
Brown, Thamar Black, and a
touch of Yellow Ink.
3) Shade the flesh with a mixture
of Umbral Umber and Thamar
Black mixed with a drop of acrylic
retarder and a drop of water
to thin the mixture to a roughly
1:1 :1:1 ratio. Use a slightly damp
brush to apply the shadows to the
under sides of Mulg's muscles in
the areas that an overhead light
would not directly shine.
4) Once your shading is dry (even with the retarder, this will be only a few minutes), touch up your
Bastion Grey basecoat by mixing it with a little retarder and reclaiming the upper areas of the
muscles and veins (where light would naturally hit) .
sl Add some Cryx Bane Highlight to your Bastion Grey basecoat and continue highlighting the flesh.
6) Add some Trollblood Highlight to the previous mixture, and add some additional highlights to the
highest areas to really make your shading "pop."
7) Finally, use a small amount of Troll blood Highlight mixed with a little retarder to add some
details around the cracks in Mulg's skin. the crevasses in his face, and the other smaller details
around his flesh.
Colors Used:
Flesh: Acrylic Retarder, Battlefield Brown, Bastion Grey, Cryx Bane Highlight, Thamar Black,
Trollblood Highlight. Umbral Umber, Yellow Ink
nn OURRTER mRGR2InE: GUTS & GERRS
Step 2- Stone
1) Basecoat the stones in Bloodtracker Brown with a few outcroppings
basecoated in Pig Iron.
2) Wash all of the stone areas (both the Brown and Iron) with a thinned
mixture of Battlefield Brown, Thamar Black, and Yellow Ink.
3) Shade all of the stone areas (both Brown and Iron) with Battlefield
Brown with a touch of retarder.
4) Start highlighting both stone areas with the same color as their
respective basecoats mixed with a little retarder in order to reclaim your
highlights.
5) Continue highlighting the brown stone with a mix of Bloodtracker
Brown, Rucksack Tan, and retarder.
6) Add some "veins" of minerals to the brown stone by applying horizontal, random stripes. For the darker veins. use a mixture of Thamar Black
and Coal Black. For the lighter veins, mix Rucksack Tan and a touch of Bloodstone.
7) On the metal deposits, use some thinned Bloodstone to apply some oxidation around the base of the outcroppings. Once you are finished
with the entire model and apply your clear coat. you can return to the metal areas and add some Radiant Platinum sparingly to the upper
surfaces to bring back a little of the metallic shine.
8) Add some final highlights to your brown stone using Hammerfall Khaki mixed with a little retarder.
[olors Used:
Metal Deposits: Acrylic Retarder, Battlefield Brown, Bloodstone, Pig Iron, Radiant Platinum, Thamar Black
Brown Stone: Acrylic Retarder, Battlefield Brown, Bloodtracker Brown, Hammerfall Khaki, Rucksack Tan. Thamar Black
Veins: Bloodstone. Coal Black, Rucksack Tan, Thamar Black
Step J- Club, loincloth, and Runes
I) Basecoat the loincloth in Battlefield Brown, the exposed wood of the club in Beast Hide, the bark of the wood with Thornwood Green, and
the metal rings with Pig Iron. Paint the rune stones draped around Mulg's waist in the same fashion as the flesh areas.
2) Shade the loincloth with a wash of thinned Thamar Black, and wash the entire club with a mix of thinned Battlefield Brown, Thamar Black.
and Yellow Ink.
3) Start highlighting the loincloth with a mixture of Battlefield Brown and retarder. Start highlighting the areas of the trunk using all of its
respective base colors.
4) Highlight the loincloth by adding some Bootstrap Leather to your previous mix of Battlefield Brown and retarder. Highlight the exposed wood
of the club with Hammerfall Khaki, the bark with Cryx Bane Highlight, and add some Bloodstone to the metal rings to add some rust.
5) Add some final highlights to the loincloth with a mixture of Bootstrap Leather and retarder. Also. add some scratches and creases to the
leather of the loincloth by using a small brush to add some random hatch marks and nicks.
6) For
to app
Wipe;
before
7) Afte
with N
"glow.
runes
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ttlefield
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im your
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lr Black
inished
! upper
en, and
r Black,
6) For the runes on the Kriel stone and smaller stones, use a small brush
to apply Gnarls Green mixed with retarder to the recesses of each rune.
Wipe away any excess green that gets outside the rune with a paper towel
before it dries.
7) After the Gnarls Green dries, add another coat of paint inside the runes
with Necrotite Green mixed with retarder. This should create a nice two-tone
"glow." You can add some Cygnus Yellow as a final step to make your larger
runes really stand out.
Colors Used:
Loincloth: Acrylic Retarder, Battlefield Brown, Bootstrap Leather,
Thamar Black
Club: Acrylic Retarder, Battlefield Brown, Beast Hide, Cryx Bane
Highlight, Hammerfall Khaki, Pig Iron, Thamar Black, Thornwood Green
Runes: Acrylic Retarder, Cygnus Yellow, Gnarls Green, Necrotite Green
Step 4- Detailing
1) Paint the gums with a base of Sanguine Base, and then highlight
with tints of Sanguine Highlight and Murderous Magenta.
z) Basecoat the eyes in Khador Red Base, and highlight with
tints of Khador Red Highlight and Heartfire.
3) Basecoat the teeth in Rucksack Tan, shade with Battlefield
Brown, and highlight with tints of Menoth White Base and
Menoth White Highlight.
Colors Used:
Gums: Murderous Magenta, Sanguine Base,
Sanguine Highlight
Eyes: Heartfire, Khador Red Base, Khador Red Highlight
Teeth: Battlefield Brown, Menoth White Base, Menoth White
Highlight, Rucksack Tan
II
no OUHRTER IDHGH2InE: GUTS & GEHRS
f '

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Guts & Gears takes a look at the men. machines. and monsters of the Iran
Kingdoms. Read about what it takes to be a warrior or warbeast with one of the
man!l factions or look into the mechanikal workings of hulking warjacks and
what it takes to get these multi-tan constructs to dominate the battlefield.
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TID OUHRTER fiHGH2InE: GUTS & GEHRS
By David "DC" Carl Art by Nestor Ossandan and Andrea Uderzo
Manual regarding t he care and history of the Berserker designated Drago
written by Torvich Panninski, Great House Korskovny Volozkyam, Chief Battle Mechanlk to Great Prince Tzepesci, retired
Introduction
Over the years, I lost track of the number of times I wished to
escape from that tnfernal machine, but I find that now, at the
last, I am saddened our time has come to an end. Drago is no
average warjack; he is not even an average Berserker! Rather,
he is a trusted vassal of the Tzepesci line, a temperamental beast
of war, and a priceless relic of a bygone era.
You will quickly find that your experience with modern 'jacks
simply does not apply here. Berserkers are the oldest warjack
model stilltn service anywhere Ln the Iron Kingdoms, and they
sl10w thetr age more than other warjacks. A Juggernaut Ln
service for eight or nine decades likely has had its cortex wiped
at least eight or nine tLrnes-likely more. The older style of
cortex found within Berserkers does not afford us this option,
however, so Berserker cortexes reflect the true age of these
ancient weapons.
This fact accounts for Berserkers' oft-unruly behavior and
savage dispositions. When it comes to Drago speci1caliy, his
unfettered actions are even more justlfted, for the warjack
has seen the bloodiest of battles in every corner of the Iron
Kingdoms and continues to stand victorious even in the face of
overwhelming opposition.
I'm afraid I have gotten ahead of myself already. My point is
this: to understand this warjack, Drago, you must know far
more than technical speci.6cations and service procedures.
You must understand the history that has molded this ancient
machine into such a loyal, yet unpredictable warrior of the
Tzepesci house.
The Berserl1er
As I'm sure you are aware, the history of the Berserker is deeply
entwined with that of the Tzepesci family. Though it has trail.ed
far from the cutting edge of warjack production technology
over the past couple of centuries, the innate aggressive nature
of the Berserker still sets it apart from other warjacks on the
field of battle. Berserkers requtre little dlrection when charging
heedlessly into t he nearest foes.
Some believe it is the unique patterns inscribed in the cortexes
of Berserkers that has led to the gradual degradation of those
cortexes over the years, and that the predilection for barely-
controlled aggression became more extreme as cortexes were
ravaged by time.
l think they're just bloody old. Show me another warjack
pushing 200 winters, and I'll show you a cortex in some state
of disrepaLr.
The fact remains, however, that the Berserkers' aggressive
predisposition has served two purposes. First, it has led to
countless accidents over the years. Berserkers account for the
majority of accidental injuries and deaths among Khadoran
mechanics both on and off the field of battle. They have even
claimed a few warcaster injuries over the years. Secondarily,
however, it has led to a warjack Line that meshes perfectly with
the pride, nobility, and aggression of the ancient bloodline of
the Tzepesci horselords.
name salle
The machine that we now know as Drago was among the first
Berserkers to march forth from the warjack foundries of the
Motherland. His early service rec01d is not fully documented,
but I am confident he has seen more battles than any other
Khadoran warjack in history.
Drago first saw service during the battles to overthrow Ivan
Vladykin. After the cursed necromancer stole the Khadoran
throne, loyal Khadorans throughout the land rose up to abolish
his unlawful reign. In those days, Drago Tzepesci fought
numerous engagements against Vladylcin, his supporters, and
his masses of undead thralls. Tzepesci's martial prowess and
reckless bloodlust gradually seeped into the temperaments
of his warjacks. One particular Berserker picked up more
instinctual behavior than most and also became quite protective
of its master, frequently rushing into battle at his side without
commands from the warcaster.
Though the battles soon ended, Drago's aggression did
not. After numerous accidents during even the most routine
maintenance or battle exercises, Drago Tzepesci acquiesced to
chaining his Berserker when it was not in use. This practice
has since spread and is now common among mechanics
with Berserkers in thetr charge. I understand the Ct:yxians
sometimes utilize the same method to control their more
murderous creations.
Over the years, this Berserker has been passed from one
Tzepesci warcaster to another, eventually being named "Drago"
in honor of Great Prince Drago Tzepesci, the warcaster who
unlocked the true potential of this peerless Berserker.
Retrofit
Just about every part but Drago's cortex has been replaced
at least t hree times by now, but the abandon with which he
fights ensures that even the newest components are battered,
dented, and scratched in short order. There is little use in
attempting cosmetic repairs beyond an occasional fresh paint
job. In addition to t he standard parts replacement, Drago
stands out from other Berserkers due to his unique weaponry.
Towards the end of a particularly brutal battle outside
Merywyn during the conquest of Llael. the wrecks of
numerous warjacks a nd the bodies of countless soldiers
li ttered the ravaged landscape. Weary and battered, the
brave soldi ers of the Motherland fo ught vali antly against
Llaelese defenders a nd their southern a lli es seeking to
prevent us from reclaiming ancient Umbrey. In the heat
of battle, Drago wrested his executioner axes from a pair
of wrecked Destroyers. He then strode over the wreckage
and brought his new weapons to bear with frenzied fervor,
cleaving t hrough not one but two Ironclads that anchored
t he enemy lines .
Any subsequent attempt to arm Drago with other weaponry
has met with typical violent outbursts, so the "retroftt" was
logged as an official armament upgrade.
leuends
A number of rumors a nd legends surround your new
charge. Some of them are true w hil e others are naught but
fabr ication.
I can confirm the rumor that Drago's boiler can start on
its own when Great Prince Vladimir Tzepesci is nearby.
Somehow, Drago is capable of sensi ng Great Prince
Tzepesci's presence, and Drago's strong connect ion
to the sorcerous Tzepesci bloodline appears to have
fundamentally altered the ve ry steps needed to start the
warjack. I would like to expla in this away as an ingenious
mechanikal apparatus that reacts to outside commands,
but I can find no technological reason fot t his curi ous
behavior. It is a feature of the warjack that can prove quite
useful at times. Unfortunately, it can a lso prove rather
dangerous, and a number of mechanics have been injured
during unexpected startups.
On the other hand, the rumors that Dtago is
possessed by the spirit of Drago Tzepesci
cou ld not be further from the truth.
I am confident the soul of Drago
Tzepesci yet does battle, but he
fights on Urcaen not locked
wit hin t he hull of a warjack
fighting enemtes on the
fields of Cygnar or Llael.
Lend no credence to t hese
rumor
own c:
Other
a bsurc
fall en
duty a
Drage
a g g r e ~
the Tz
he is n
l
8
a1
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times
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t hi s U:
una rrr
use t ~
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have<
y ou a<
While
willfi
less d,
self-a,
benig1
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peerl e
You :
maint
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find r
get sc
but C
fees 1
comp
Drag
with
of cm
new
these
rumors w hen you hear them given voice, and see t hat your
own crew does nothing to support these wild tales.
Other rumors I have hea rd over the years grow even more
absurd from the,e. Drago does not consume the soul s of the
fallen nor does he run on corpses rather than coal. To do your
duty as a mechanik you must separate superstition from fact!
Drago is ce rtainly a tenacious warjack with deeply ingrained
aggression, a survivor of countless battles, a pri celess relic of
the Tzepesci bloodline, and a loyal soldi er for hi s master, but
he is no ghost or ghoul.
reluctant to believe Drago could
t.al"t on its own. It is just a machine,
after all. For the ~ r a t few months working
on Drago, I became more certain I was right
each day. When Lord Tzepesci was recently
called away quickly and unexpectedly to
the . eastern front, I was shocked to see
Drago start on its own. I still can barely
belieye it myself, but I swear it's true.
maintenance
Now that you understand this unique warj ack with whi c h
you have been entrusted, I will expla in some additional
points in w hi ch Drago differ from other warjacks and even
fro m other Berserkers.
First and foremost, you must keep Drago restra ined at a ll
times w hen he is not under the di rect control of Great Prince
Tzepesci. No matter how sorely tempted you are to disregard
thi s instruction, I implore you to resist. Even if Drago is
unarmed, unlit, a nd has no coal in hi s hopper, you s hould still
use the heavy custom-forged chains at all times. This may
sound extreme, even unreasonable, but too many mechani cs
have a lready underestimated Drago, a nd I do not want to see
you added to thei1 number.
While Drago is in the vicini ty of Great Prince Tzep esci, you
wiU find that his beha vior changes remarkably, but he is no
less dangerous to hi s crew. His self-will a nd eve n a seeming
self-awar eness will increase drama ti cally. This may sound
benign, but it is a truly dangerous proposition for a nearly
nine-ton heavily armed warj ack. On the positi ve side, Drago
responds eagerly to Great Prince Tzepesci's commands
a nd hi s wrath finds outlet only against the Great Prince's
enemies . Hi s actions remind me of stories of the ancient
Tzepesci horselords with steeds that were considered wild
murderous beasts but heeded their lord read ily, becoming
peerless combatants a nd a lli es.
You shou ld follow a ll of the typical Khadoran warjack
maintenance practices, of course. Keep all pistons well oil ed,
gears free of oxidation, hopper a nd engine cleaned of soot,
and armor plating in good repair. When you are una ble to
find replacement parts, simply commission new ones. You'Ll
get some funny looks commissioning new Berserker parts,
but Great Prince Tzepesci will readily pay any additional
fees levied for the ma nufacture of obscure or outdated
components.
Drago also requires additional care as is fitting for a warjack
with a n a ntiquated cortex that is pushing two centuries
of constant use. Be sure to carefully apply the alchemical
TER mHGH2InE: GUTS & GEHRS
bon&ng gel to the weld points on Drago's cortex at least
once a month. Unlike many Berserkers, Drago does not yet
leak cortical flu id, but it's a continuing r isk. Berserkers' joint
connections are also not as tight as current warj acks due to
olde r manufacturing processes, so be certa in to thoroughly
scrub a ll joints after extensive combat. You' ll find bits and
pieces of dried gore in ali sorts of places on a Berserke r that
you wouldn 't on a newer model.
If a new mechanic ever reads this manual,
there is one other important note regarding
parts replacement - do not replace Drago's
head. At one point, we replaced the damaged
faceplate with the deep gash running down
the aide. Shortly thereafter, Drago became
evan mora violent and unruly than usual.
I did not realize such a thing was evan
possible, but ita chains could barely
contain it any longer, and Patr Voronov
was crushed between Drago' a arm and hull
when he attempted to adjust the restraints.
I scoured the logbook for hours in an
at tempt to idan ti fy the causa of Drago a
severe change in behavior. On the whim of
a junior mechanic, we dug the old scarred
faceplate out of the scrap bin and restored
Drago's damaged visage . Shockingly, no
ona was hurt in the process and Drago a
temperament improved immediately.
Conclusion
There are far too ma ny glorious battl es as well as fa r too
many unfortunate accidents for me to recount them a U in
this simple manual. Considering that Drago is older than my
grandfather 's grandfather's grandfather would be, there are
also countless stories that are lost to the ages. I do wish you
the best of luck and a hea.lthy measure of persevera nce. I
am certain you wi ll eventua.lly come to respect a nd admire
Drago as I now do.
-Torvich Panninski
While I must confess that my respect for
. Drago (af\d for Torvich, for that matter,)
has increased substantially over the past
several . months, I also have a growing
concern. This warjack has endured much over
the years. One could claim that he has
evolved into the perfect Berserker, but I
fear the truth is that he has devolved into
a wild beast beyond our control. Should
Great Prince Tzapasci aver fall in battle,
it is ~ y stern recommendation that Drago be
decommissioned immediately.
no OURRTER IDRGR2InE: GUTS & GERRS
ORAliO. TRCTIC!i
By David "DC" Carl
V
ad's favored Berserker assails its foes with an
unrelenting rain of Executioner Axe attacks. One of the
most focus-efficientwarjacks in all ofWARMACHINE,
Drago is an exceptional tool in the Khadoran warjack arsenal.
Efficient Euisceration
Drago's combination of high MAT and efficient offensive
abilities makes it vastly more focus-efficient than similar melee
warjacks. The Aggressive abili1y allows Drago to charge freely,
and the Bloodbath chain attack gives Drago a free attack against
his primary target and a free attack against anyone else that
happens to be in his melee range. Assuming that's even just one
enemy model, Drago gains the equivalent of three free focus
points (one to charge, two for additional attacks).
Tills efficiency makes Drago an excellent warjack selection
for warcasters that do not have lots of focus to spare. Whether
a warcaster's focus goes to spells, other warjacks, his own
combat abilities, or even his power field, Drago can operate
independently with a high degree of effectiveness.
On a truly critical turn, however, a full focus payload can make
Drago even more destructive by granting him up to three more
attacks or boosts than Ills innate abilities allow. Very few other
warjacks in the game can charge a target to make a total of six
attacks against the same foe in one turn.
Runnin!J Riot
There can be no denying that the Unstable abili1y is a deterrent
to using focus carelessly. On any given turn that it uses focus
points, Drago just might explode in a shower of shrapnel. As
noted earlier, though, focus can be a real boon when attacking
a particularly tenacious foe, and Drago's Run Riot imprint is
another attractive expenditure for those resources.
Run Riot allows Drago to move an inch a&er each kill. For a
warjack without Reach, this is a great way to cleave through
heavy infantry formations. When using abilities like Run Riot,
always plan ahead rather than attacking from t he most direct
angle. With a half-inch engagement range to each target and a
one-inch step in between, enemy models can be as much as 2"
apart in the most extreme case. Plan ahead to make the most out
of every Run Riot advance to get into melee range with enemies
that would otherwise be out of reach.
The potential drawback of Unstable should always be a
consideration, but like any other warjack, Drago is ultimately
expendable in the service of the warcaster. The abili1y to make
additional attacks or the possibili1y of reaching the opposing
warcasterlwarlock with Run Riot must be weighed against the
possibili1y of premature explosion. Just ensure that if Drago
does trigger Unstable, the POW 14 blast with its roughly 8"
diameter AOE takes out plen1y of opposing soldiers in the
explosion.
Dra!JO Support
Drago is an efficient melee warjack who can get by with minimal
warcaster support, but there are a number of warcasters that
take the character Berserker to whole new heights of carnage.
The most obvious warcaster choices are Vladimir, the
Dark Prince and Vladimir, the Dark Champion. When in a
battlegroup with either Vladimir, Drago's Unstable abili1y
becomes optional, reducing the risk while still maintaining the
potential for a massive explosion. On top of that, Drago gains
increased accuracy and damage, maximizing his already-
impressive melee output.
Threat range enhancement can be extremely helpful for SPD4
warjacks that Love to get into the action. The vast majori1y of
Khadoran warcasters have at least one form of warjack threat
range enhancement including Bounclless Charge, Conferred
Rage, Forced March, Assail, Superiority, Energizer, Iron
Fist, and Tow.
Spell s, feats, and abilities to buff Drago's damage potentially
can be a real boon against exceptionally heavily-armored foes,
especially when he is running without any focus for boosts
or additional attacks. Blood Frenzy, Fury, and Unearthly
Rage are some of the most powerful tools available, but
don't neglect less common possibilities Like Gorman's Rust
Born!;>, Aiyana's Kiss of Lyliss, or the Ragman's Death Field.
Mercenary support alone can get Drago's axes up to an
equivalent of P+S 22 against a hardy warjack.
Though it's not a direct model buff, the ARM 18 Drago gains
more benefit from a good screen than other Khador warjacks.
A front line of !Ugh-defense units like Kayazy Assassins or
high-armor units like Man-a-War Shocktroopers can ensure
Drago reaches battle intact.
PJ
By A<
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TER mHGH2InE: GUTS & GEHRS
PRINTINii DRRiiD
By Adam Huenecke
In order to get smooth shading and easy transitions between tints, adding some acrylic
retarder to your shades and highl ights will make your life a lot easier. Retarder changes the
drying time and consistency of your paints, giving you more time to work with your colors
while blending and offering a creamy, easy-to-work-with texture. This method of shading
works most effectively when a shade or highl ight is applied over a dry base coat. Adding a
dollop of retarder to your paints will give you t hose few crucial minutes to blend your colors
easily, and with a little practice, you wil l find that professional-l ooking shading is within
your reach regardless of skill level.
Feel free to fully assemble Drago before you get to work - his dynamic pose allows you to
access aU parts of his body for paintiog. Optionally, you coul d paint the arms separate and
t hen attach them last.
[oat
I) Base coat Drago's undercarriage, axes, and metal components with Pig Iron.
z) Paint the majority of the armor plates in Skorne Red. Pa int the other plates in a base of
Umbra! Umber.
3) Base coat the ri ngs around the spikes and plates with Thamar Black.
4) Paint Drago's face grill , smokestack guards, and axe detail s in Molten Bronze.
[olors Used:
Undercarriage and Axes: Pig Iron
Armor Plates: Skorne Red, Thamar Black, Umbra! Umber
Brass Details: Molten Bronze
no OURRTER mRGR2InE: GUTS & GERRS
S t ~ p 2- Shadin!J
1) Wash all of the Pig Iron components with a thinned mixture of Battlefield
Brown and Yellow Ink. (Leave the axe heads. We will deal with those later.)
2) Shade the red plates with a mix of Exile Blue, Umbra! Umber, and acrylic
retarder in a roughly 1: 1:1 ratio.
3) Shade the brown areas with Thamar Black mixed with retarder.
4) Shade the axe heads with a mixture of Greatcoat Grey mixed with
retarder.
5) Once the Greatcoat Grey on the axes is fully dry, add another shade of
Battlefield Brown mixed with Exile Blue and retarder.
6) Shade the brass components with Brown Ink mixed with Cryx Bane Base.
[olors Used:
Undercarriage: Battlefield Brown, Yellow Ink
Armor Plates: Acrylic Retarder, Exile Blue. Thamar Black, Umbra! Umber
Axes: Acrylic Retarder, Battlefield Brown, Exi le Blue, Greatcoat Grey
Brass Details: Cryx Bane Base. Brown Ink
S t ~ p 3- Hi!Jhli!Jhtin!J
[olors Used:
1) On the red plates, first touch-up your basecoat and clean up any
excess shading by applying Skorne Red to the upper areas of the
plates that light would naturally hit. Next, add some Khador Red
Highlight and retarder to your Skorne Red and apply a further tint
of highlight.
2) On the brown plates, touch-up your basecoat with Umbra! Umber.
and then add Blood tracker Brown and retarder to your Umbra! Umber
for additional highlights. Finall y, use Bloodtracker Brown mixed with
retarder to add highlights to the highest areas and upper detail edges
(rivets, etc).
3) On the black plates, apply a highlight of Coal Black mixed with
Umbra! Umber and retarder. Add Cryx Bane Highlight to the mixture
to apply some final highlights to the upper edges.
4) On the brass components, simply touch-up your basecoat with
Molten Bronze in the upper areas.
5.) Touch up your metal components with Pig Iron, and then add
some Radiant Platinum on the raised areas to bring out the details.
6.) Once the entire model is highlighted. take a small brush and apply
the scrapes and chips all around Drago's painted armor plates with
Pig Iron mixed with a touch of Thamar Black. Remember, Drago is
possibly the longest-serving and most ill-tempered Warjack in the
Khador arsenal , so go crazy with the damage and weathering.
Armor: Acrylic Retarder, Bloodtracker Brown, Coal Black, Cryx Bane Highlight.
Khador Red Highlight, Skorne Red, Thamar Black, Umbra! Umber.,
Metal: Radiant Platinum, Pig Iron
Eyes: Heartfire, Khador Red Base, Khador Red Highlight
Brass: Molten Bronze
Damage: Pig Iron, Thamar Black
1) In or
shad0\1
2) On t
mixturo
Highlig
3) On t!
the me
4) Base
5) For I
with n
6) Afte1
highlig
that yc
Platim
[olm
Skull!
Eyes:
Highl:
Radiar
Rust:
melt
After
model
melte<
mixw
an old
let it <
You o
your\
lp any
of the
>r Red
er tint
Jmber,
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d With
edges
l with
ixture
t with
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ago is
in the
TER mHGH2InE: GUTS & GEHRS
Step ij- lletailinQ
1) In order to give the battle damage a more realistic look, add a drop shadow to the upper edge of each scrape. Not every scrape needs a drop
shadow on the top, only the more horizontal scratches that would cast a small shadow from an overhead light.
z) On the lower rim of each scrape, add a small bit of highlight to simulate light hitting the paint around the damage. On the red areas. use a
mixture of Skorne Red and 'Jack Bone. On the Brown plates, use Beast Hide. Don't worry too much about the black-you could add some Cryx Bane
Highlight, but it will not make much difference considering the high contrast.
3) On the metal components, use thinned Bloodstone to apply light rust around the rivets and joints. Drago spends a lot of time in the field, and
the mechanics don't like to get close enough to him for much preventative maintenance.
4) Base coat the skull necklace in 'jack Bone. Shade the skulls with Battlefield Brown and highlight with Menoth White Highlight.
5) For the lire in Drago's eyes, shoulders, and axe vents, apply Khador Red Base to each area with a small brush. Next, mix Khador Red Highlight
with retarder and add a tint to each area. Finally, add Heartlire to Drago's eye slit to give them a sinister glow.
6) After clear coating your model for protection, use Radiant Platinum to apply some final
highlights to the metal areas and battle damage. This will reclaim the metallic tones
that your clear coat will likely mute and give your model an extra glint. Mix Radiant
Platinum with Molten Bronze to touch up your brass components, and enjoy.
Colors Used:
Skulls: Battlefield Brown, 'Jack Bone, Menoth White Highlight
Eyes: Heartlire, Khador Red Base, Khador Red Highlight
Highlights: Beast Hide, 'jack Bone, Molten Bronze,
Radiant Platinum, Skorne
Rust: Bloodstone
melted Snow
After painting and clear coating your
model. you might want to apply some
melted snow to the base. In order to do this,
mix white glue and baking soda in a 1:1 ratio. Use
an old brush to glob the mixture onto your base, and
Jet it dry fully. The result is easy to make piles of melted snow!
You could even use this effect to add some accumulated snow to
your wintery 'Jacks or battle engines.
What I 1
its pres
a scale
with itE
served
malevol
My res
Alexia''
soonha
Immore
you s e ~
you ta.K
-GJ
Ale
The ~
~
1.61.0
une
':litcl
in a'
1.23!
s l a ~
the
PAGE2
ljgl AR: Upon discovering a transcription of the Thuria's Promise' s
original shipping manifest, Dexer Sirac lead a troop of mercenaries
to the ruins of l':oorcraig Castle to recover an ancient artifact. Only
Dexer Sirac, the infamous s niper Kell Bailoch , and two mercenaries
named Durst and Lank returned form this mysterious expedition.
Durst and Lank subsequently died under suspicious circumstances.
591-593 AR: Dexer Sira c used h is role in the Inquisition to slay
an indeterminate number of arcanists found guilty of witchcraft,
using the .vitchfire a s the instrument of execution.
593 AR: The Corvis Coven witch trials. :b'ive women were accused of
witchcraft, including Lexaria Ciannor, Alexia' s mother. The women
were convicted and beheaded. Again, Dexer Sirac used the \vitchfire
to carry out the executions. The execution ritual unleashed
a massive surge of energy that knocked Head Inquisitor Sirac
unconscious. Bodyguards of l'lagistrate Ulfass Borloch carried
Sirac from the scene and left the \vitchfire behind.
593 AR: Prelate Pandor Dumas, Alexia's uncle and head of the
l ~ o r r o w a n Church in Corvis, recovered the \Vitchfire from the site of
the Corvis Coven execution. He used h is influence to have Lexaria
Ciannor's corpse interred in the Corvis Grand Cathedral while the
other four witches were buried outside town. Dumas sealed the
\vitchfire below Lexaria' s tomb as "its nature unsettled him and he
felt it best kept on holy ground."
59 AR: Alexia Ciannor was sent to live with her uncle, Prelate
Dumas. The Inquisition was disbanded when Leto became king. llany
inquisitors were arrested and executed while others such as Head
Inquisitor Sirac become wanted outlaws.
602 AR: A series of u nexplained grave robberies were discovered
around Corvis. Among the graves plundered was the site containing
four members of the Corvis Coven.
602 AR, Longest Ni ght: Hundreds of u ndead assaulted the Chapel
of Morrow in Corvis, allegedly a rriving from the nearby ruins of
:b'ort Rhyker. The tomb of Lexaria Ci annor was desecrated, her body
and the bodies of her coven sisters were removed, and the \vitchfire
was stolen.
603 AR: Agents of the outlawed Inquisition, led by Dexer Sirac
operating under the alias Vahn Oberen, infiltrated Corvis. They
seized control of the city with the hel p of collaborator l'lagistrate
Borloch and prepared for the arrival of a skorne a rmy led by Vinter
Raelthorne. Vinter Raelthorne's efforts were thwarted when Alexia
Ciannor used the '.Vitchfire to raise the Legion of Lost Souls to aid
the city* during t he Battle of Corvis.
603 AR: Alexia relinquished the '.Vitchfire and The Church of
J;orrow took custody of the blade after the Battle of Corvis . High
Prelate Dumas sent t he sword south intending it for safekeeping in
the Sancteum.
60" AR: Alexia attacked the caravan carrying the \vitchfire to the
Sancteum and stole t h e sword. This act earned her the enmity of
the Order of Illumination, which was s anctioned by the Churc}:l of
l':orrow to use force in recovering the blade.
60 AR - Present: \vhile on the run from the Order of Illumination,
Alexia survives by selling her services as a mercenary. Clients
appear to be those des perate enough to make use of her necromantic
power to destroy t heir enemies.
* The "Legion of Lost Souls" is worthy of a dossier itself. The
Sancteum has records on this supernatural phenomenon. Allegedly
the dead raised by Alexia to defend Corvis derived from a mercenary
company long in Cygnaran employ called the Eternals, sla in while
in the service of l'lalagant the Grim. They were interred in a hidden
tomb in 295 AR after a border conflict between Cygnar and Khador.
Their tomb was built following the instructions of a host of
J{orrowan archons at which time it was prophesied they would "rise
again to keep the forces of darkness at bay."

I believe it is crucially important first to understand the
history of the Witchfire and then examine how it intertwines
with Alexia's own. This is key to ascertaining the extent of
the threat they pose together.
As with many ancient artifacts, divining the origins of the
Witchfire is akin to tracking down a single grain of sand
in the middle of the Bloodstone. Still, I am not without my
resources, and there are a number of compelling myths and
legends that inform the blade's history-although few are
individually reliable.
The first tenuous mention of the Witchfire is attributed
to Scion Delesle, the Thamarite Patron of Necromancy.
Legend states that she wielded a "black sword" that later
adherents believed was the Witchfire. Precisely how she
used this blade is disputed, but Delesle was involved in
the murder of dozens of Menite priests, and her moment
of dark ascension is said to have involved impaling herself
with her black sword. Some of her adherents believe the
power of this dark blade and the combined deaths of her
enemies helped trigger her transformation into a scion, at
which point she joined her dark mistress in Urcaen.
The following document was culled from a set of ancient
Thamarite scrolls, and its author claims to have been
present during the ascension of Delesle.
-G.K.
Youwil
of Men
I am n
"devou
to spea
I think
igins of the
ain of sand
my
gmyths and
gh few are
attributed
:ecromancy.
r that later
ly how she
-G.K.
flu, word of power bf.ad.e, A- 3red waili.Jt.j
flu, throat> of flu, fYWtf of flu, Credt>r tft,e, rwor"'
WM brt>UjHz theJ' mijhtii.y P.jtJ.}J1t th,e, cJw..in t:lw.r

ve.Le.>lh jek th,e, of flu, upt>lt/ he.r; th,e, rwor"' WM flu,
va.r/0 Twin:> vurd, bwo"' ojt!t,e, erwor'r woul.d foil it
ve.Le.>lh rtruc.kMWit/th,e, jirrt rwt
bwo"' bwou.u.d bri.jhZ P.jtJ.JJ1t th,e, ebony bLtu/..b. rwor"'
jel1 M itr jlam.M J.wou,rdth.e-fYidtr in/
body, Soolt/ ve.Le.>lh WM btJ.;/;{wi iA'V th,e, ruutet M>e.itCb of
-the-

jek 3red rtreltjth, rtir he.r.
veLMih Mdded to he.r fP-ithful wortlif
UW"jf.v to attei'Ui /te.r iA'V /te.r jWrWIM by they
to. f<..n..e.d /t.eJ) bladv rwor"' taotd tlteir jlMf.v
tlteir rtreltjth, he.r f>Wit/. A-d WM Ufo to
rout to flu, va.r/0 he.r pwor.
veLMih tu,rnd -the- bladv btade, iA'V he.r /w.,n,d.o
tip- he.r bre.aot. cried- out iA'V joy flu, rworti tUef'
Wo he.r jlMf.v. .
But th,e, CIJ,fUWt h, y/uJ.,mA,r WM p-ieMd ve.Le.>Wr
ojfori#.j WM tAf' Wt> -the- of t>W' miotrw to
Sciolt/ of y/uJ.,mA,r. WM fJ.Jtf.W trtUUc.en.deJv flu,
cWtj to UJ'Ii;it joiiv y/uJ.,mA,r iA'V
You will of course note the descriptions of a "black blade" used in the ritual slaying
of Menite priests. Although the sword detailed above is not completely described,
I am not the first to suspect it to be the Witchfire. The sword is described as
"devouring" the minds, bodies, and souls of the scion's victims-their essence, so
to speak. This trait is also attributed to the Witchfire.
I think the circumstantial evidence is strong enough to suggest that Scion Delesle
may have wielded the Witchfire during her lifetime. There are pieces of Thamarite
lore going so far as to suggest this sword was created by Delesle, but more impartial
theologians and scholars suggest its decorative elements and markings derive from
an older era. I am not inclined to guess at the Witchfire's true origins, and honestly,
its genesis hardly matters at this point beyond satisfying sagacious curiosity. Some
have noted the weapon bears similarity to Orgoth weaponry. While true, the earliest
recorded incidents attributed to the blade occurred as much as a thousand years
before the Orgoth came to these shores, so I am inclined to believe the weapon has
no direct connection to those oppressors.
' -G.K.
The following passage from the Tome of Defiance describes
a skirmish between Thamarite and Morrowan forces where
Zerosh, now ascribed the higher Thamarite priestly rank of
cantor, used the Witchfire's power to animate the dead. The
Witchfire is described in some detail, leaving little doubt
that Akhet Zerosh once wielded the blade and made use
of its power to establish himself as a powerful servant of
Thamar. Note that while legends surrounding this sword
often speak of its presence stirring the dead to walk,
this is the first recorded mention of this process being
deliberately initiated.
-G.K

The most widely documented incidents involving the Witchflre
transpired 400 years after Delesle's dark ascension. The .most
infamous wielder of the blade was a Thamarite priesrby the
name of Akhet Zerosh who used the Witchflre to embark upon a
bloody crusade against the clergy of both Menoth and Morrow.
While brief mentions of Zerosh's crusade exist in many
historical tomes, a highly detailed account exists in a rare
Thamarite volume called the "Tome of Defiance." One of the
last remaining copies of this book, which was largely destroyed
by the Inquisition, is in the care of High Prelate Dumas in
Corvis. It was among Dexer Sirac's belongings recovered after
the battle of Corvis.
Though it does not explain how the blade came into his
possession, the chronicle recounted Akhet Zerosh's use of
the Witchfire in his rise to power among the Thamarites and
documents a murderous reign of terror in which he allegedly
slaughtered hundreds of Morrowan and Menite priests. The
chronicle describes in great detail how these priests were
offered to Thamar in a ritual sacrifice, with the Witchflre
serving as the instrument of their execution. I believe this
type of sacrificial ceremony allows the Witchflre to absorb the
essence of those it slays and transfer a portion of their power
to its wielder. This would help explain Akhet Zerosh's meteoric
rise to power.
-G.K.
unremar.
was liste
shipped I
heirloom
Church o
Apparen
Thamari
informat
to invest
[_
' It
T
vi
j ..,
With locat:
appears D1
the ruins c
Cryxian w.
by Lord Tc
lightly-or
However, I
driven, an1
the details
one intere1
Dexer Sir
infamous :
trusted hi
to handle
to his lesf
from Kell
expedition
---G.K.
Though there are hints and rumors of others wielding the blade, there is nothing concrete in the historical record for
the next 200 years, when the Witchfire shows up in a shipping manifest , of all things, in 1015 BR. Only the diligence of
monk-scribes of Ascendant Doleth-who prize all nautical documents-preserved and later transcribed this otherwise
unremarkable manuscript. A ship called Thuria's Promise apparently carried the Witchfire in its hold. The weapon
was listed as part of a cargo of other "items of historical import intended for sale in Caspia." It seems likely whoever
shipped the blade and the captain of the vessel had no idea of it s import and considered it merely a potentially valuable
heirloom. A copy of the shipping manifest was also among the belongings of Dexer Sirac. It was confiscated by the
Church of Morrow along with his journal, which proved to be a bountiful source of information on the Witchfire.
Apparently Sirac had been seeking the Witchfire for some time and had turned to a number of unexpected sources-
Thamarites, infernalists, and other nefarious individuals his order was sworn to root out and destroy-for any shred of
information regarding the blade. Given his status as head inquisitor under King Vinter IV, he was in a unique position
to investigate the trail of the blade. This journal entry relates his discovery of the ancient shipping manifest.
-G.K
CAfTDV1f
1
7TJ.-<, nl AR
It Jte;uw tvf-vJt tv NA<fh th.tvt I u.u-Jt 1/iJ,vJt; .vf 4.,-vz_e;,.._ tvfttv h.t rvv.lt;l{ h.i ""'-'tlf Jv Vt;Jvu-vctfu-l.
Th.t 1/iJCv'-'t"j vf th.t Jh.irri .... 3 u.w....iftJt j-vvu. Th.wvitv '.r Pvvu.iJt NA<f, I U.wJt M/u.it, th.t lMt
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tv 3vttvt 3vvl/.
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th.t JNvvl// (d.u-t th.tvt h.tvvl//_j U.tvtttvJ. Wh.tvt 1/vt;J U.tvtttv iJ th.tvt 4vvz_t;,.._ NA<f tv{d.le; tv 1/i.,;ik-t
th.t ftvt"' vf th.t Th.u-ritvJ Pvvu.iJt w....l( th.,., Witc/.fvt tvlv-,...3 ;vith. it. .... t{_j, "'h-ilt cvvJJi""3
th.t 4u-lf vf )vt...jl(l(l,.,(d.w....k th.l'; Jh-ir NA</ Jl';t 7"""" (d.j Jt;fv--{d..,.v.._l'; U.fvvtvw,ft;vJ .._.._l(l';v th.t Cvu.u.w..._l(
vf th.t i .... ftvu.<rwJ rivtvtl'; ki .... 3 .Ev")I';J )vt,.,.,.Cvtvi3. Th.e; l':ivtvti';J c":!'f""ve;l{ th.,., Th.wvitv'.r Pvvu.iJI';
w....l( tvU th.,., cv .... tt .... tJ vf itJ h.vll(. I cw.... v .... {_j A4Jwu.l'; th.t Witc/fve; tv/.,-.,_3 ;vith. th.,., w....Jth.i .... 3
tlJI'; vf '-'tvlwf; th.t c"rtu-ve;l{ Jh-ir NA</ ttvkt .... tv CMtlt )vt,.,.,.Cvtvi3. I h-tvYt /...,. .... 3 ,..,. .... l(t;vt;l{
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1
WI';.._ A4 vth.l';v
JvwvCI';J i .... JiJte;l( it NA</ k-Vt. fi .... ct CMtl,., Jvt,vvcvtvi3 NA</ ltvil/ tv ;vA<ftl'; (d.J .Lvvl/ T<Tvu-k "'"'"'"" th.t
rivtvtf; lvvl{ Nvu-ll{ .....,.t '{I.e;.,_!( th.,., k .... e;e; ' w....l( th.t :i>,.AJ.,. .... ftvth.tv kJ fvv{d.il{l(e; .... MiJ Jl';v.ltv....tJ fvvu.
Je;tti.,_3 fv"t i .... th.vJI'; vu-i .... J1 I (d.,.,liwl'; th.t J;vvvl{ u.u-Jt JtiU [4.,., th.l';vt. Th.,., ..._i""i"""J vf .Lvvl{ Tvvu-k
"'"""!( k-WI';v tvllv"' Ju-ch. tv"'"'"!"""" w....l( t<'vl tv vl';u.tvi .... il/lt
1
;vh.i ch. u.ttv....J th.t tvi';A<fu-ve; tvv.lf; vf
Jvt,vvcvtvi3 iJ .._ .... l(iJtu-v{d.e;l(. I Cfvvf; .....,.t Nh.tvt vth.tv rnctltJJ vtlicJ lf<j ;vith.i ..... AU th.tvt
u.tvtttvJ iJ th.,., Witc/.fvt.
With location of the Witchfire known to him, it
appears Dexer Sirac set about retrieving it from
the ruins of Castle Moorcraig. An expedition into
Cryxian waters to the ruins of a castle destroyed
by Lord Toruk himself is not a task undertaken
lightly-or one with much chance of success.
However, Dexer Sirac was nothing if not bold and
driven, and although his journal does not relate
the details of his voyage to Moorcraig, I did find
one interesting source that did.
Dexer Sirac was known to work with the
infamous assassin Kell Bailoch and apparently
trusted him (as much as he trusted anyone)
to handle situations too important to assign
to his lesser minions. What follows is a letter
from Kell Bailoch to Dexer Sirac regarding the
expedition to Moorcraig.
-G.K.
TfMPEN ZlfT; )'I M
i>EXER,
y,.,_ If II A((fP17,Bi. r<>P. TilE W1lfl 0<1(118> IN y,.,_ ll/IW. IW/U AEPTTI/E WM
o( Zoo 4ot.ll (ROWN5 To 5ER.VE A5 YOfiR. "8o!IY4VAR.!I ."
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of TilE Wo<!fi(VM IN TilE N4>oM. YOfi'VE (lEmy (HolEN A (Ia, No oNE WIU Mill .
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T"ifii/fl. IN TilE PAll: H"""VER, YOfl '""""<Now THM/'VE MA>EA (opy
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1i1E KIN4 5HOfiL.!Ii NoTRETVR.N /*oM Of/R. t.rrn.E AIIVENTVR.E T04ETHER..
THANK YOfl VfllMV(H r<>P. PAII/N4 THII oppo<li/Nny MY WAY I HAVE No OOIJtriTWIU
8E A PL.EA5VR.ETo Wo/1}( WrrH YOfl A4AIN.
YOfiR. 'FRJEN!> ANI> AUY,

Dexer Sirac never spoke openly about the Witchfire
and clearly intended to use its power secretly
for his own benefit. He "concealed" the sword in
plain sight by utilizing it in the fulfillment of his
office. When examining the cases in which he was
involved, I found a marked increase in Sirac's
personal involvement in the execution of sorcerers
after 691 AR. Before that date, many of those tasks
were handled by subordinates. The last and now
most infamous case in which he was involved was
the Corvis Witch Trials in 593 AR where five
women were executed with the blade-one of them
Alexia's mother, Lexaria Ciannor.
After examining the Tome of Defiance, I can safely
conclude that Dexer Sirac was using the Witchfire
to steal power and strength from gifted arcanists to
bolster his own ability. Additionally, I think we are
all very fortunate that the ritual he attempted at the
Corvis Witch Trials was too much for him to handle
and that Dexer Sirac lost possession of the sword.
Clearly Dexer Sirac intended to reach similar levels
of power as Akhet Zerosh-a frightening proposition
for Vinter IV's Cygnar. I wonder if the Lion's Coup
might have ended differently if King Vinter had
access to such an ally.
The events of the Corvis Coven Witch Trials are
fairly well documented. However, the following
account-from one of Magistrate Ulfass Borloch's
personal guards-focuses on the executions
themselves. The guard, one Darius Mosley, is
currently spending the remainder of his life rotting
in Bloodshore Island for his part in Magistrate
Borloch' s crimes. I managed to converse with
him briefly, and he was quite forthcoming about
the events of the Corvis Coven Witch Trials. The
following account is a detailed transcription of the
conversation I had with Mosley. In it, I think you
will find some fascinating corollaries between Head
lnquisitor Sirac' s ritualized slaying of the five
women accused of witchcraft and the slaughters
perpetrated by Akhet Zerosh.
-G.K.
/
1 reall':1 talk a"Dout this. Borloc.h paid
to keep our mouths shut a"DolAt what that
But I'm Loc.ked here almost else
with that mess is dead. Ma1:1"De the':1'LL reduc.e m1:1 it I tell
1:10u what I remem"Der.
Those were guilt'? . I'm sure ot that. Magistrate
Borloc.h read aloud the List ot their c.rimes
1
I wait to
see their heads c.ome awa1:1 from their Still, it Like
I'd ever Wh':1 we had to do it wa1:1 out the
woods
1
tor made to me. We had e)(ec.uted witc.hes
"Detore, it was aLwa1:1s the pu"Dlic. square. People
to see that of thi11'g.
We dragged those out to the Widower's Wood to a plac.e that
had prepared. lt was a grave1:1ard
1
a reall':1 old Most ot
the graves were just c.overed over with moss. It o"Dviousl':1
used It was eerie plac.e
1
though. I
remem"Der that muc.h.
The was alread':1 there we arrived, he had this
"Dig "Dlac.k sword was it ac.ross his arms. It
was The were Lead area where
the grass had awa1:1
1
a c.irc.ular a"Dout teet
ac.ross . I were supposed to hold the so the
c.ould the sword
1
"Dut it out it
The just "Dowed their heads, Let
him do it. It was as if the'? to Live
a"Dout that was just odd. the whole
the was some ot us had
ever heard. It was thic.k guttural, it almost
he was rather Eac.h time he Lopped ott
ot those witc.h's heads
1
he would mutter or Louder, that
sword of his glowed tor a or two. the would
stagger a Little, Like that glow was out ot him. But
it the Last I remem"Der she was the prettiest
ot the the that would Look the the
e1:1e-that to hell. B1:1 the time the got to
her
1
he was so "Dadl':1he c.ould "Darel':1hold 011 to the sworc\
1
a11d his c.ha11ti11g was short a11d quic.k Like he'd ru11 out of "Dreath.
Whel1 he n11all':1 did "Dehead the last witc.h
1
the sword "Durst i11to
flames a11dhe tell to his k11ees. The i11quisitor stopped at
that poil1t
1
a11d whe11 he did
1
the flames jumped from the sword o11to
him a11d e11gulfed him c.ompletel':1. The'? did11't seem to "Dur11 him
1
"Dut
he sure sc.reamed Like the'? were. Fi11all':1 the flames we11t out
1
a11d he
pitc.hed over tac.e f,rst i11 the dirt
1
out c.old.
The whole t'ni11g seemed to sc.are the piss out of the magistrate, a11d
he ordered Vira11 al'ld I to pic.k up the e)(ec.utiol'ler a11d c.arr':1him. "Dac.J:c:.
to Borloc.h's ma11se. We Lett the sword a11d the "Dodies where the'?
were-the magistrate was i11 a11 awful hurr1:1 to get out ot there.
I thi11k those wome11 deserVed to die
1
"Dut I tell 1:1ou trul':1 there was
somethi11g "wro11g" a"Dout that e)(ec.utio\1. It was11't justic.e "Dei11g do11e
there; it was somethi11g else, somethi11g to do with that
sword a11d whoever the hell that i11quisitor was.
e Last thi11g I remem"Der from that was also ver1:1 stra11ge. As
were awa1:1 the e)(ec.utiol1er
1
I heard a Little girl c.r1:1i11g .
kept sa1:1i11g
1
"Momma. Momma over a11d over agai11 . I'm 11ot sure
that was just i11 m1:1head or it she was ac.tuall':1 out i11 the woods
us. I hope 11ot; that was 11othi11g tor a c.hild to see.

Ar Yov K
!NII.JTE TO

f DErC"II.JtE
rH.vED 1..1

Ar 1'-L.wl'
1N
we are
succuml
account
I cannol
ISI1't like
At i11 the
witc.hes
1ple 11eeci
>Lac.e that
1e. Most of
t>ViOIASl'1
jh. I
1aci this
arWIS. It
ea where
.e\1 teet
11 so the
as11't
1
a11ci Let
whole
of lAS hac!
cieci Like
ott o11e
a11ci that
:or WOIAlci
of hiWI. BlAt
rettiest
;itor i11 the
itor got to
>the sworq
1
t>reath.
.t i11t0
at
sworci o11to
tr\1 hiWI
1
\>!At
. 01At
1
a11ci he
strate
1
a11ci
hi WI t>ac.l,<.
the'1
'there.
there was
f t>ei11g cio11e
iaWI\1eci
4ft.er Dexer Sirac was dragged away from the execution site, Prelate Pandor Dumas and his Morrowan acolytes arrived and
f ecovered the bodies of the five women. They also took possession off the Witchfire. Prelate Dumas was the brother-in-law ofe
Lexaria Ciannor but had been cleared of any complicity with the witches during their trial. I believe Prelate Dumas had no
knowledge of the blade's power. When conversing on the subject, he has claimed that he felt the sword was unwholesome due
to its connection with the executions, and this was why he entombed it on holy ground near the body of his sister-in-law in the
Grand Cathedral. He has been apologetic about the fact that she was buried there rather than in the less prestigious
gravesite outside of town chosen for the other members of the coven. Such preferential treatment for the families of clergy
not uncommon.

The now orphaned Alexia was sent to live with her closest living relative, Prelate Dumas. The Church of Morrow likely believed
that Dumas would have a positive influence on Alexia and subvert any possible sorcerous "taint" passed to her by her mother.
The following letter sent from Dumas to his superior in Fharin relates some of the difficulties he had with his young niece soon
after taking custody of her. This letter and the testimony of Borloch's guard leave little doubt, I think, that Alexia actually
witnessed the execution of her mother. I can only imagine what effect that had on her.
">
.. ,
I M\lrT ,._OMIT TO COME EMt .... TH,._T I rEND Y0\1 THII !-ETTEI/.. WHEN I KNOW 1'01/.. CEI/..T .... IN YOV H,._VE f'IV- MO'-f
11\1\POI/..T,._NT M,._TTEM TO ,._TTEND TO. f-/owEvEI/..
1
I ,._PPE,._L- TO YOu NOT IN YOul/.. Of'f'ICE' ,._, 1/,c,._l/.. Of' oul/.. HOL-Y CHuUH tuT IN,.._,
WI-E I KNOW YOu CONI! DEl/.. ;urT ,._, IMPOI/..T,._NT. I ,._PPE,._L- TO You ,._, ,._ MOTHEI/.. WHO H,._l ,_....,rED TWO D,._vGHTE'-1 TO ,._DuL.Tf-1000
1
tOTH Of' WHOM H,._VE GONE ON TO M,._KE THEil/.. MOTHEI/.. PW\JD.
Ar Yov KNOW, I H,...vE tEEN GrvEN currooY oF MY YovNG N1HE AL-Exr,... ,._PTE'- t'"'- MOTHEI/.. w,...r cH,...,_c;Eo ,...ND Ex-HVTED PO'- THE
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1
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NIGHT rHE W,._KEI f(I/..E' .... MING PI/..OM NrGHTM,._'-;E\
1
Of'TE'N 0\JT HEll.. MOTHE,: I N,._ME. 07-HEI/.. TIMEr, I HE,._II.. HEll..
T,._!-I<.JNG IN HE'll.. 1!-EEP, .... G .... IN MUTTE''-'NG HEll.. MOTHEI/.. I N,._ME ,._ND.-.OTHEI/.. N,._MEI. I rWE,._I/.. I HE,._I/..0 HEll.. rPE,._K THE N,._ME Of'
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'(1/H,._T CONCEI/..NC ME THE MOrT ,._,_E ,._ NUMtEII.. Of' Dl rru#l..tiNG \IGNI TH,._T AL-EXI,._ M,._Y H,._VE 1NHE'-'TED HEll.. MOTI-lE,: I 10'-CEI/..0111
tvT PEI/..H,._Pr I 1',._1!-ED.
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ON HEI/.. tED IN THE 0 .... 1/..1<.. I NEEDED TO TEL-L- HEll.. TH,._T HEll.. P,._rrEo-Moii..WW HEL-P ME, TO TEL-L-,._ CH1!-D rutH
,._ TEII..'-'tL.E THING-tuT tEPOII..E I couL-D r,._Y ,._ wo'-D, AL-EXI,... ,,._,o, DE,...D, VNCL-E. I PEL-T HEll.. orE, VNCL-E, tY THE
IWOI/..0. r'f>EI.-T HEll.. D1E."
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MOTHE..:r T.-ik-ENTI.
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P'-fCIOur 1-rTTL.E TO rEE TO THE Gl'-1-
1
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I DErl''-'tEI> ,._tovE, I WONDEI/.. If' I ,._M DOING THE Grii..L- ,._ D11fEI/..V1CE tY KEEPrNG HEll.. WITH ME. PEI/..H .... PI rHE WOul-D tE tETTEII..
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-At ,._1.-W .... Y'I, I TI/..UrT YOul/.. JUDGMENT EXPL.tCITI-Y, ,._ND YOUI/.. ,._DvrCE ON THErE M,._TTEI/..1 wouL-D tE INV .... I..\I .... ti..E TO ME.
YouM rN Moii..Ww,

Prelate Dumas did not, of course, send Alexia away, and while some have crit icized him for not doing so, I think
we are all quite fortunate that he kept her with him. Without his influence, I think Alexia might have more easily
succumbed to the temptations to use the Witchfire for greater evils. I believe the time she spent with ller uncle-by all
accounts a kind and just man strong in his faith-is largely responsible for what restraint she has shown. However,
I cannot help but wonder if this restraint is steadily erodiTIS the longer she is in possession of the Witchfire.
-G.K.
There were no further letters regarding Alexia' s "deteriorating state." I think she found S<wJ.e way to cope with her mother's
death and on the surface at least appeared to have a normal childhood. However, I think there is little question that she harbored
both a growing obsession with her dead mother and a growing ability in the sorcerous arts, which she appears to have concealed
from her uncle. Prelate Dumas seems to have been genuinely shocked to discover his niece' s actions around the Longest Night
in Corvis at the end of 602 AR. It is worth noting that he initiated the investigation into the grave robberies transpiring ar ound
Corvis during this time, and he clearly did not anticipate the culprit might be his own niece.
Amid the festivities of the Longest Night celebrations, a horde of walking dead rose up from the undercity to assault Corvis and
wreak all manner of havoc. Their goal was unclear, but a large number of the undead converged on the Corvis Cathedral where
coincidentally both the Wit chfire and Alexia's mother were entombed.
The plague of undead that besieged Corvis was largely driven back by the City Guard, led by Julian Helstrom, but also members of
the Fraternal Order of Wizardry and others. Magi roamed the city during the attack and destroyed the walking dead with gouts
of arcane fire or bolts of eldritch lightning. One of these brave wizards was Magus Lorimer Kex who was posted near the Corvis
Cathedral. His report to his high magus regarding the night' s events contains some interesting observations-observations that
leave little doubt that this was the time and place where Alexia fir st took up the Witchfire.
Date: Ashtoven 23rd, 602 AR
To: High /"\agus Wyatt Sunbright
From: /"\agus Lorimer 1Cex
-G.K.
Pardon the tardiness of my monthly report. High /"\agus. You chose an auspicious time to be away from Corvis on business,
as events in the city have been rather engrossing. The lodge senior clerk already sent you a full report on the invasion
of walking dead that assaulted the city during the Longest Night. /"\y report, however, contains a number of additional
observations on this event you may ftnd interesting.
Shortly after the undead attacked, I was sent along with two other magi to guard the Grand Cathedral. The undead,
although scattered throughout the city, seemed to be converging on the area around the cathedral. We engaged the
walking dead with arcane ftre, for the risen are often quite vulnerable to such magic. After our ftrst battle with a small
group of the dead on the grounds of the cathedral. we quickly realized we faced something quite a bit more powerful
than simple animated corpses.
It was a shocking realization that the animated corpses attacking Corvis were not spontaneously arisen undead, but
true thralls bearing runes of animation. They acted with speed and coordination. armed themselves with crude weapons.
and used basic combat tactics far beyond the abilities of lesser undead. To create a single thrall of this type requires
a significant investment of time on the necromancer's part. Creating so many would ordinarily require a large cabal of
necromancers. but we have found no sign of such a group operating in the region. The marks all seem similar, suggesting
a single architect behind them. which would require tremendous power. The animating runes do not match those we have
seen used by either the Thamarite Shroud or the necrotechs of Cryx.
Though the danger has passed, I would urge you to send this information to Ceryl and devote whatever resources are
necessary to discover who (or what) was behind the attack. On that point, I have one bit of information that may prove
usefuL
/"\y brothers and I were engaged in a protracted battle with a group of particularly stubborn thralls when the gates of
the cathedral opened to emit three ftgures. In the lead was a young woman; her head and face were obscured with a heavy
cowl. She had in her possession a truly prodigious sword with an ebony blade and cradled it in her arms like a mother
might cradle her babe. Behind her came two thralls. Their shambling, uneven gait gave away their deathly condition almost
immediately. One of them carried a shroud-wrapped bundle that could have only been a corpse.
I called out to the woman. but she ignored us and walked into the night with the two thralls in tow. Engaged with the
undead as we were, we were unable to give chase, and once we dispatched our foes, she had long since disappeared. I
certainly can't say this woman was responsible for the attack on Corvis, but she may have been afftliated with it in some
way. Certainly the incident seemed suspicious.
:flerhaps no
where Vin
of the Legi
invaders ul
much t h e ~
she alreads
of the dead
Although tl
a packet o
description
also serve
savior. To
and pr otect
To: Ca
From:
Captai
contra:
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My pa
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Sergea
lerhaps no event illustrates the supernatural power Alexia Ciannor and the Witchfire represent as the pivotal battle in Corvlse
where Vinter Raelthorne IV and his invading army of skorne were defeated and driven from the city. Although Alexia's raising
of the Legion of Lost souls, the long-dead mercenary company that served Cygnar ages ago, to defend the city and drive out the
Invaders ultimately worked for greater good, it was a frightening display of power. How much of that power was hers and how
much the Witchfire, I do not know. If Alexia did not possess the Witchfire until after the Longest Night in 602 AR, this means
she already possessed the power to animate hundreds of undead on her own skill. United with the Witchfire she raised an
of the dead that numbered over a thousand strong, and that was when the sword was still new to her possession.
Although there are hundreds of accounts of the Battle of Corvis, the following from a member of the city guard included In
a packet of reports sent by Captain Julian Helstrom to Duke Kielon Ebonhart IV at Fort Falk is a particularly compelling
description of Alexia's arrival into the city and the impact it had on those facing death at the hands of Vinter's skorne allies. It
also serves as a reminder that there are many in Corvis who do not see Alexia as a dangerously unstable necromancer but as a
savior. To many of the common folk in Corvis, Alexia is nothing less than a hero who drove back the forces of a great alien army
and protected the hearths and homes of the citizenry.
-G.K.
Date: Tempen 13th, 603 AR
To: Captain Julian Helstrom
From: Sergeant Timus lronsmith
Captain, as you know, not all of us fell under the sway of Vinter' s forces when he and his damned Inquisition moved in and took
control of Corvis. Some of us resisted, quietly at first, and when that army of inhuman invaders appeared at the gates, we took up
our blades and rifles and prepared to give our lives in defense of the city. I feel it is my duty to inform you how bravely the men of
the 8th patrol acquitted themselves during the invasion as well as relate to you my firsthand account of the events that transpired
on the Black River Bridge during the battle.
My patrol was on the Black River Bridge when the invaders came streaming across in a tide of crimson and steel. The bridge
was narrow enough that it slowed their advance, and they could only bring so many of their number to bear on us at one time. In
addition, we had erected some crude barricades, but there were so many invaders we knew it was only a matter of time before we
were overrun by their sheer numbers or by one of the massive enslaved beasts that fought alongside them. Still, we began pouring
lead into their front rariks, and I like to think we were the first to spill their blood that day.
We were lucky the invaders were primarily armed with close combat weapons, and our guns, as few in number as they were, gave
us a momentary advantage. Our initial volleys slowed their advance, and as it turned out, those few precious minutes gained from
an apparent unfamiliarity with Cygnaran firearms proved our salvation.
As we were preparing to meet the charge that would surely overwhelm us, we heard a great hue and cry go up from inside the city.
Behind us echoed the sound of hundreds and hundreds of marching feet and the metallic clattering of arms and armor that could
only mean an army on the move. It was a glorious sound, and we expected a contingent of the Cygnaran military to arrive and join
the battle we had begun on the bridge. We felt nothing but stark horror when a horde of rotted corpses outfitted in arms and armor
several centuries old and waving banners that have not been seen for ten generations at least marched into view. However, leading
this army of the dead was a young woman astride a horse every bit as dead and rotted as the troops that followed it. She carried
a great black sword whose blade burned brightly with crimson flames, and you could feel the power rolling off her in waves. I've
never seen or felt anything like it.
The woman said not a word to us and simply pointed her blade toward the advancing invaders. In response her army of corpses
surged forward-not in a motley horde as one would expect of the walking dead but with the ordered precision of disciplined
soldiers. They streamed around our barricades to slam full tilt into the invaders. The woman led the charge, and I watched as she
cut down an eight-foot tall monstrosity that accompanied the invaders with a single slash of that great black blade. After that, our
horror at the sight of the army of the dead melted away. They were enemies of our enemies, and that was enough. I ordered the
charge, and we joined battle with the dead and their enigmatic leader.
As you know, the battle was hard-fought, but we emerged victorious. I now know the woman who led the legion of the dead was
Alexia Ciannor and that she is considered a grave threat to the realm. Although I am aware of Alexia' s crimes, I believe these
transgressions fall squarely under the jurisdiction of the Church of Morrow. I am a lowly city guard sergeant and these things are
beyond the scope of my concerns. However, I will say that if she had not marched an army of walking corpses into Corvis and
engaged the invaders in battle, thousands would have been killed. If you ask me and any of those who fought along with me on the
bridge that day, we'd say that Alexia Ciannor's debt to the realm for whatever crimes she may have committed has been paid in full .
~ J m 4
Sergeant Tirnus Ironsmith
After the battle of Corvis, it is documented that the Church of Morrow reclaimed the blade, but beyond that there is little
information regarding the aftermath of Alexia's incredible necromantic feat that saved c,wvis from the marauding skorne.
Alexia herself was not captured by the church or by Cygnaran officials, and since I can find no record of a conflict between her
and these two agencies, I can only surmise that she gave up the Witchfire willingly. I have no doubt that her uncle Prelate Dumas
had something to do with Alexia's surrender of the blade. He was promoted to high prelate in the aftermath, which may reflect
the church's appreciation of his efforts.
The following letter from High Prelate Dumas to Exarch Sebastian Dargule is one of the few documents I have been able to
locate with any information on Alexia and the Witchfire immediately after the Battle of Corvis. Now aware of the power of the
Witchfire, Dumas sought advice from the exarch regarding what is to be done with the artifact. Interestingly, he also tried to
downplay Alexia's role in the events surrounding the Battle of Corvis, which I believe played a part in the unfortunate events
that occurred on the heels of this letter.
DATt : CuvrtN lOTH, bO,S AR..
lo: ExAilCH \teArTtAN 0Ait.Gul..-t
Youll HOI..-tNtrf, f WlliTt To You lltGAilDtNG A MATrtll Of' Glt.Avt tMPOilTANCt.
Ar You Allt NO AwAilt, THt Ttlllltnt t VtNTf THAT Collvtr
THtft I.-AfT MONTH( 11\!VOI..-VtD THt uft Of' POWtllf'ul..- 1\ltCilOMAI\ITtC MAf;itC
1
THt
fQullCt Of' WHiCH lltVOI..-Vtf AllOui\ID AN ANCtti\IT fWOilD Of' uNI<.NOWI\I OlliGti\IL
( HAVt TAI<.tl\l POfftH/01\1 Of' THt f IN THt NAMt Of' THt CHullCH,
THt POWtll Of' THt f AllTtf'ACT 1 f 11\!CiltD/ ny POTti\IT AND MANY DANGtllOu(
tNDtvtDuAL-r, tNCL-uDtNG f'OilMtll HtAD fNQ.ut>tTOil Otxtll ltllAc, HAvt tAGtlli..-Y
fOuGHT tT OuT. ( f'ttl..- ( AM A WOtf'ui..-1..-Y tNADtQ.uATt GuA/I..DtAN f'Oil ruCH A
Ptllti..-Ouf AllTif'ACT
1
AND ( fttl<. YOull Wt(t COuNCil..- 01\1 THt COullf t Of'
ACTtON TO TAI<.t TO THt fWOilD I f PllOPtlli..-Y fAf'tGuA/I..DtD.
fN ADDtTtON, You MAY HAvt 1..-tAilNtD THAT MY NttCt AL-tx tA wAr tNVOI..-vtD
WtTH THt (WO/I..D AND WAf MANY Of' THt fTilANGt OCCullllti\ICt( IN
Collvtr Of' 1..-ATt, tNCL-uDtNG THt lltft Of' THt LtGtON Of' LofT \ouL-r. r wtrH
TO Arrullt You THAT AL-txtA ACTtD ONL-Y tN THt ti\ITtlltfT Of' THt
CtTY AND Wtl..-1..-ti\IGI..-Y lltl..-tNQ.utfHtD THt fWOilD 01\!Ct THt /1\!VADtllf. HAD
DlltVtN f'llOM Collvt r. fN f'ACT, rHt ATrtMPTtD TO DtrTilrpY THt Alt.Ttf'ACT
Htll(tl..-f'. (T WAf A Mt(GutDtD tf'f'OilT TO (ullt 01\lt WHO(t 11\!Tti\ITIOI\If
Wtllt Of' THt PulltfT WilT. AL-THOuGH AL-tx tA MAY POfftff WllCtllOuf TAL-tNT
ti\IHtlltTtD f'llOM Htll MOTHtll
1
THt ACTf Of' 1\ltCilOMANCY TllANfPtllti\IG DulliNG
THtr tVtNT olltGtNATtD, r f'ttl..- rullt, wtTH THt r wollD tTftL-f'. AL-tXtA' r llOL-t
tN rArtGuA/I..DtNG Collvtr wAr PtvoTAL-, AND WtTHOuT Htll AtD, ( HAvt NO
THt CiTY WOuL-D HAVt f'AI..-1..-tl\l TO VtNTtll RAEI..-THOill\lt rv AND Htf
-G.K.
Despite reliJ
sword's
in Caspia. Tl
of undead at
stolen. The :
Alexia's act
ranking Illu
from High V
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Since recovering the Witchfire, Alexia's activities have been
erratic in the extreme. Although she appears to be operating
under the guise of a mercenary for hire, I believe there is a
purpose in bo.th where and when she appears. Her mercenary
activities seem to be confined to Cygnar and Khador, and I
think it fairly obvious that she has avoided associating with
the battle-chaplains of Morrow or their equivalents among the
Khadorans.
Although it might appear odd that any Cygnaran commander
would hire such a notorious figure, the fact remains that
Alexia is an exceedingly skilled sorceress and combatant.
Commanders in extreme situations with few options might
see Alexia and her hordes of thrall warriors as a very good
alternative to death at the hands of their enemies. The
following report filed by a Cygnaran lieutenant, however,
illustrates that despite her abilities and the affect she can
have on the outcome of a battle, Alexia Ciannor is also a figure
that inspires much fear and mistrust in her allies.
-G.K.
Officer 1'1is conduct Report: Captain Holan Rus ling
}'iling Officer: Lieutenant Timeck 1-lillward
Date: Tempen 15th, 607 AR
Commanding Officer: l'1ajor Garret Ellsworth
I feel I must begin by stating that before the incident
described in this report, Captain Rusl ing has been, in
my estimation, an exemplary officer. However, his recent
actions have endangered our mission with a decision so
rash it borders on l unacy, and I feel no regret in stating
that he is no longer fit to lead us in battle.
Our company was positioned near Deepwood Tower, and we
were in the thick of the fighting there pushing back the
Khadoran advance. Our orders were to hol d the ground
near the tower at all costs and keep the Khadorans from
entering the Thornwood. However, after nearly half- a -
dozen engagements with the enemy, our company was below
half- strength and in no shape to hold off a sizable force
advancing on our position.
In such desperate times, men offer prayers to the gods for
deliverance, and I will admit to beseeching l'l:orrow for
aid. However, I think other, darker gods took heed of our
prayers and sent us a most dubious salvation in the form of
the necromantic witch, Alexia Ciannor.
She appeared in the middle of our camp in the dead of
night, emerging suddenly into our firelight like some pale
apparition. I was immediately struck by her youth-she
couldn' t have been more than twenty- her beauty, and most
of all the haunting strength in her eyes. Across her back
was slung a blade I later heard called the '.Vitchfire. Its
great black blade was unsheathed and naked.
The young woman crossed our stunned camp in silence and
made her way directly to Captain Rusling's tent. Unabl e to
fight our mounting curiosity, many of us followed her and
served as an impromptu audience for the interaction that
followed between the witch and Captain Rusling. '.vhen she
spoke, her measured and calm voice was a direct contrast to
the ludicrous nature of her words. She offered her services
to the captain for a price and stated that she alone could
help us stave off the impending Khadoran attack.
Of course many of us, myself included, were aware of this
woman' s actions in the Battle of Corvis and the power she
was reported to have commanded there. Still, she had come
to our camp alone, and however skilled she was in the
black arts, the captain was not impressed by a slip of a
girl armed with a sword too big for her to wield properly. He
refused her offer outright, ordered her from the camp, and
threatened to have her thrown in chains and shipped back
to Corvis to answer for her crimes.
Alexia said nothing at first; she simply reached over
her shoulder and slowly pulled her sword from where it
hung across her back. Then she spoke in a thick, broken
language I have never heard and hope never to hear again.
In response to Alexia's guttural intonations, the blade
of the weapon burst into scarlet flames, and from around
our camp we heard the heavy tread of armored men. Before
any of us could draw blade or pistol, the night disgorged
a shambling horde of animate corpses, each outfitted in
the rotting, battle- scarred kit of a Khadoran or Cygnaran
soldier. I do not know how many of the walking dead Alexia
called forth that night, but it was enough to surround our
camp completely.
Horrified beyond measure at the sight of the risen dead,
some of whom I recognized as brothers in arms, we were
helpless to her whim. It was then that Alexia delivered
her procl amation. "Captain," she said. "I can serve you and
Cygnar or I can offer my services to your enemies. It makes
little difference to me. You have until morning to decide."
She then turned and walked away and disappeared into the
ragged wall of corpses around our camp.
COl<TIN
I haver
was noi
exuded
moans i
rest for
saw tha
We COUll
Alexia
asked C
service
had not
we were
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that Cal
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Captain
her bla
accept l
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were jus
were all
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Thankfu
distancE
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immedia1
growing
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to the no
'.vhen thE
to raise
dead mer
our brotl
of our
'.Vhen she
purposes
with a ra
I cannot
been ove
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in this"
appropri1
has tain1
the servi
him fori
his tram
believe i
miscondu
command
Lieutenar
CONTINUED:
I have never spent a more terrifying night in my life. There
was no thought of sleep; the cloying stench of the grave that
exuded from the walking dead as well as the soft plaintive
moans they occasionally voiced ensured there would be no
rest for any of us that night. \Vhen the sun finally rose, we
saw that there was a sea of risen dead, certainly more than
we could have easily dispatched.
Alexia Ciannor returned not long after the sun rose and
asked Captain Rusling for his answer: accept her into our
service or battle her alongside the Khadorans. The captain
had not consulted with me or any of the other officers, but
we were sure he would refuse her. In fact, every one of us was
armed, armored, and spoiling for a fight. ive had little doubt
that Captain Rusling would soon order us to take the witch
captive and put down her horrid undead.
Captain Rusling must have been so terrified by Alexia and
her blas phemous thralls that he saw no other choice but to
accept her terms. Still, when he agreed, I thought he had
taken leave of his senses. How could any man of }rorrow
willingly consort with such evil? Even if her aid offered.
us a chance to defeat the Khadorans and see our loved
ones again, it was madness. I will admit that I considered
removing Captain Rusling from command. I know many of the
men would have followed me, but I could not undermine his
leadership on the eve of battle. }rorrow help me, I did not
stand in his way.
I will never forget the sight of Alexia Ciannor before the
battle with the Khadorans. She held the \Vitchfire alight
in her hands, and the violated dead of Khador and Cygnar
bound together beneath her terrible will were formed into
neat ranks. The captain tried to assure us that the risen
were just tools better used by us than by the enemy, but we
were a ll sickened by his willingness even to consider such
a course of action.
Thankfully, Alexia Ciannor and her risen kept their
distance until the Khadorans were nearly on top of us, and
then when the bullets and shells began flying, they joined
us in battle. The cries of horror from the Khadorans when
they rea lized they faced an army of the dead were terrible to
hear. '.Vorse yet, whenever a Khadoran soldier fell, it would
immediately rise as an animated corpse to join the witch's
growing horde. Outnumbered and faced with the terror of the
walking dead, the Khadorans were quickly overwhelmed. \Ve
slaughtered half their number and sent the rest retreating
to the north.
ivhen the battle ended, Alexia lingered over the battlefield
to raise the corpses of slain Khadorans. She left our own
dead mercifully untouched. If she had attempted to violate
our brothers in such a way, I would have l ead what remained
of our force against her no matter the consequences.
'.Vhen she had enough risen for whatever dire, inscrutable
purposes that motivate such a creature, s he departed north
with a ragged line of walking corpses behind her.
I cannot dispute that without the witch's aid we would have
been overrun and either killed or taken captive by the
Khadorans. Still, there is no victory so desperately needed
in this world that the dark magic of Alexia Ciannor is an
appropriate way to achieve it. I believe Captain Rusling
has tainted his immortal soul with the decision to retain
the services of such a woman. .vhile only Irorrow may judge
him for transgressions of the soul, we can judge him for
his transgressions against the men under his command. I
believe that Captain Rusling's actions qualify as gross
misconduct, and I believe he should be stripped of his
command immediately.
J ~ ~ d t (
Lieutenant Timeck }rillward
Since she has largely avoided conflict with the orders and
authorities seeking to apprehend her, it may be easy t)
dismiss Alexia as nothing more than a dangerous fugitive
with little influence on the more immediate threats facing
western Immoren. This may even be true for the moment.
I think it is vitally important to remember that the Witchfire,
although incredibly potent in its own right, magnifies the
power of its wielder significantly. The sword allowed a
sixteen-year-old Alexia Ciannor to animate an entire legion
of powerful thralls. Although Alexia was and is a gifted
sorceress, the necromantic feats she has accomplished
are without doubt a direct result of her possession of the
Witchfire. If a mentally unstable young girl like Alexia
can wreak such havoc and misfortune, imagine what the
sword might be capable of in the hands of a more practiced
and skilled necromancer, a powerful infernalist, or, gods
forefend, one of the Nightmare Empire's iron liches. It is a
sobering thought to be sure.
Alexia is a powerful adversary, but her power is not
insurmountable-again, for the moment. The longer Alexia
holds the Witchfire, the greater her power becomes, and there
may come a day when she is beyond even your resources to
capture or kill. We have a window of opportunity to recl&im
the Witchfire and ensure that it is safely locked away f ~
those foolish enough to use its power. I suggest you take
advantage of it.
-G.It
no QURRTER IDRGR2InE: THE KinG'S Ullin
By Doug Seacat
Art by Imaginary Friends Studio, Luke Mancini, Marek Okon, Drew Wolf, and Matt Wuson
Gulf of Middlebank Patrol, 587
The 23rd Assault Recon Company of the IGng's Own
Trenchers moved into Wallerton with typical professionalism
and efficiency. Two platoons of line infantry and the
company's rangers took up elevated positions on the hill
north of the town to cover the commando p latoon that
swept past the outer wall with readied rifles, scatterguns,
and grenades. The men of the 23rd wore the dark blue of
the !Gog's Own, a color so deep it was almost black. Their
company badges showed a coiled serpent and their motto,
"We are the snake in the grass," intended to reflect their skill
at ambush and incursions behind enemy lines.
Captain Asheth Magnus walked at the center of his soldiers,
a vigorous twenty-nine year old warcaster in the prime of his
career. Magnus was lean and fit from a decade of military
service along Cygnar's borders, and he wore his warcaster
armor Like a second skin. A hefty mechanikally augmented
Caspian battl e blade was strapped to his waist, and he held his
hand cannon ready. His Arcane, with its expensive but quirky
arc node, strode just ahead of him. A Defender and Charger he
himself had considerably modified backed him.
Magnus had always had a strong aptitude for mechanikal
tinkering, a habit that unsettled the mechaniks assigned
to attend to his machines. His Defender-which he called
Impious, or "Imp" -had Lost its shock hammer in a battle
along the Protectorate border. Magnus had tired of waiting
for a replacement and had finally outfitted it with a spiked
flail stolen from a Ternplar. He had also replaced his Charger's
hammer with a mechanikally enhanced cleaver. He called that
'jack "Rust," more in reference to its age than to its actual state
of repair. It was a reliable machine he had been using since his
journeyman tour. The unreliable Arcane he refused to dignifY
with a name.
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The streets were eerily quiet aside from the crackle of dying
embers from the burnt buildings. Magnus signaled two squads
to peel off in either direction from the central road as they
checked the structures and declared them clear. Pieces of
shattered rifles lay along the ground. Pools of blood dried amid
cobblestones, and red splatters lined the walls. The stone and
wood buildings bore gouges and holes. There were no bodies.
This more than anything else told Magnus they were too late.
Lieutenant Arthur Jacobs fmished clearing the buildings ahead
and returned. "Nothing," he said with a disgusted expression.
He took off his bronze helmet and scratched his shaved head.
Jacobs had been with Magnus through the two and a half
years of the current Cryxian conflict and another six years on
missions along Cygnar's northern and eastern borders. He was
a trencher commando with a squat, muscular build belied by
a friendly, almost boyish face. Magnus could always rely on
Jacobs-they had been through many firefights, and each had
saved the other more than once. The look they now shared
spoke to a familiar frustration: Cryx had eluded them. Again.
Magnus and Jacobs looked across what was left of the village.
It was a squalid place with no strategic value, no wealth to
plunder, yet Cryx had erased it from the world just as they
had lngrane, Langerby, Paulson Bridge, a nd a dozen other
villages a nd towns. There was no rhy me or reason to it, so far
as the Cygnaran command could determine. They had been
continuaUy confounded in their attempts to predict Cryxian
attacks or even understand them.
One of t he nearest commandos put words to those thoughts,
"At least they didn't hit a nywhere importa nt. No one's going to
miss this town."
"These were Cygnaran citizens, which makes them important,"
Magnus reprimanded sternly. "They were counting on us
to defend them, and we weren't here. Remember that." The
commando looked abashed and backed away after a pologizing.
"Always the dutiful soldier," Jacobs sighed. "A little hard
on him, don't you think? You know we're not going to find
anything here. How about we call it a day?"
The warcaster gave a weary smile but shook his head. "You
know the drill. We need to do a thorough sweep. The one time
we don't search will be when Cryx gets into the interior with
no one the wiser."
Magnus and his men painstakingly scoured the sands and hills
for tracks while patrols checked on the nearby villages. Once
word arrived that those settlements were unharmed, Magnus
was able to declare Cryx conclusi vely withdrawn. They were
marching back to their ship when a military courier arrived,
bringing new orders.
The warcaster opened the sealed documents with enthusiasm
on recognizing the royal seal. Jacobs and two of the other
Lieutenants approached, and he held up the papers. "Looks Like
we have real work to do. We're sent for by the king."
"I told you Vmter was planning something!" Jacobs said with a
grin. "I knew his arrival at Sandbottom wasn't a fluke!" At the
major battle at Sandbottom Point, both King Vmter IV and his
brother Leto had arrived with soldiers from Cas pia to lead them
to victory. Having the royals involved in the war directly had
made an impact on the men, raising their morale significantly.
nu IDRGR2InE: THE KinG' S Ullin
Magnus nodded, feeling his own blood stirring. More than the
thought of a real battle and an end to empty patrols, he was
eager for an opportunity to show the king what he and his
company could accomplish. "This could be what we've been
waiting for," he said. "Tell the boys to polish their boots; we'll
be in the presence of royalty soon."
~
Barrel Branch Passage, Meredius
The powerful warships cut through the waves as if eager to
leap past them. The wind was with them, but the majority
of Cygnar's fleet did not rely on sails alone; massive steam-
powered paddle wheels pushed them through the water
regardless of the weather. The ships had made excellent speed
through the Barrel Branch passage, heading west into the heart
of the Cryxian Empire.
The sound of ship guns firing 6Jied the air with the roaring
beUow of a massive broadside attack. Answering booms from
distant enemy vessels were followed by either the plumes of
cannonballs plunging into the water or the wrenching sound of
solid impacts. The ships on the periphery were quickly in the
thick of it. Crews scrambled on decks and up in riggings to add
the crackle of rifle 6re to the mighty broadside blasts.
These outer battles did not affect the heart of the fleet, where
King Vmter IV's fl agship, the HMS fnoomitable Storm, was
protected by a cordon. Its closest escorts were the HMS Blaoe
of CtL1pia and the HMS Vengeance, each a formidable first-rate
ship of the line. The fleet included many of Cygnar's mightiest
vessels, some of them aged and bearing many scars, other s of
newer design, delivered fres h from the shipyards. Over two
years of warfare with Cryx had motivated the treasury to pay
for an influx of new warships.
As yet the ships chasing them were a rag-tag assortment
of pirate vessels crewed by Scharde raiders. Spotters with
telescopes atop the crow's nests scanned the horizon, fearful
of more formidable vessels such as the infamous Atramentow
or even the ships of the Black Fleet, which brought their own
sulfuric winds. Cygnar had sent a sizable fleet ahead of them
along the Shattered Neck, nearer Giant's Head Island, as
a lure for the Black Fleet. If they succeeded, many of those
diversionary vessels would Likely never be seen again.
Magnus was at the rail watching the distant clash and
considering the Likely fate of the diversionary fleet when he
was summoned to the a& deck where King Vmter IV awaited.
He made his way quickly, feeling a stirring excitement. He
had seen Little of the royals since boarding the flagship. There
had been an aura of secrecy from the outset, and the sailors
had evaded questions related to their destination. Magnus
wondered if the king believed Cryxian spies could be even
here, on his own flagship.
Rumors circulated among the soldiers on board. Magnus had
learned that Prince Leto had been promoted to lord general
of the expedition and was being groomed for warmaster
general, the highest rank in the Cygnaran Army. There were
ominous suggestions that the previous warmaster, Archduke
Carston Laddermore, was languishing in a cell below Castle
Raelthorne. His lands had already passed to his son, Fergus.
61
I
I ~
lio:'
I
,.-
62
no QURRTER mRGR2InE: THE KinG'S Ollin
Magnus listened to the talk closely; he had a taste for drama
regarding Cygnar's elite. All too often he had witnessed nobles
vaulting through the army ranks with a speed disproportionate
to their ability.
A group of senior officers had gathered on the aft deck around
the royals. It seemed reckless to meet in the open while t he
outer fleet was engaged in battle, but King Vinter IV was not
a timid man. The king stood stoically in his black armor, his
meant that any attack against it would place Cygnaran
soldiers deep inside Cryxian territory.
The booming of heavy guns from the Vengeance drew their
attention, and simultaneously a plume of water erupted off the
port bow. A swift Cryxian pirate frigate had approached too
near the Cygnaran vessel and fired its smaller guns toward the
flagship, only to be met by a massive eruption of return fire.
The larger turrets of the Blaoe of CaJpia joined in with several
heavy crown pressing
down his black hair.
He might have been
in his audience hall
instead of upon a
rolling deck.
We will make our landing, advance inland,
and annihilate these facilities with
overwhelming force.
Prince Leta-Lord General Leta, Magnus reminded himself-
stood slightly behind the king, in full military uniform. He was
noticeably smaller than his brother and far less impressive. He
wore his uniform comfortably and was allegedly no stranger to
battle, but he looked very young. Magnus knew no love was
lost between the brothers. If the king was considering Leto for
future warmaster, it indicated he trusted no other candidate, a
significant rebuke of the rest of his general staff.
Adjacent to Leta was Commander Adept Sebastian Nemo,
a warcaster in his early fifties who was only vaguely known
to Magnus. The eccentric warcaster had spent most of his
recent years in workshops hatching military inventions rather
than fighting in the fteld, until Cryxian hostilities had lured
him back to active duty. Rumors suggested Nemo served
as military advisor to Prince Leta, who had also sponsored
his research. Magnus cynically concl uded it was Sebastian
Nemo, not Leto, who would actually be making the leadership
decisions for the army.
The third warcaster in the group was a much younger man
who stood respectfully apart from the senior officers. Magnus
caught his eye briefly and they shared a nod. This was
Captain Markus Brisbane, a thick-framed and dark-skinned
youth who had just recently finished his journeyman tour.
Magnus approved of the fact that Brisbane was of humble
birth and that he had served as an enl.isted trencher before hi s
warcaster training.
He noted that the senior-most of the king's warcasters,
Commander Adept Birk Kin brace, was missing from the
flagship. Magnus paid close attention to the ebb and flow
of the king's favor; he was certain Kin brace's absence was
no coincidence. Likely the senior commander had spoken
doubts about this expedition and had been assigned to the
Bfaoe of CaJpia or the Vengeance as a subtl e rebuke. Several of
the other warcasters of the force were aboard those ships,
ready to lead the veteran soldiers that would serve as Vinter's
vanguard. The rest of the army was distributed among the
other ships of the fleet.
King Vinter's hawk- like eyes scanned the gathering before
he spoke. "We are about to invade Blackrock Island,
which intelligence suggests is the most heavily fortified
and significant Cryxian holding outside Scharde itself."
He paused to let this news penetrate. Blackrock had a
dire reputation: it was infested with blighted trollkin and
ogrun said to feast on human flesh, as well as other horrors.
Additionally, its position directly adjacent to the main island
thundering reports. The pirate ship's wooden hull was torn
apart by a dozen heavy impacts, and its main mast shattered
and fell. Similar clashes were happening aft of the flagship,
where numerous smaller Cryxian endured punishing barrages
vessels as they raced to close to boarding distance.
Vmter raised his voice to regain their attention. "We have
solid intelligence of numerous sizable factory complexes on
Blackrock. We will make our landing, advance inland, and
annihilate these facilities with overwhelming force. This will
hamper Cryx's capacity to launch attacks against our shores."
His eyes bored into his assembled military leaders, and his
voice took on an even more dangerous tone. "We will succeed,
whatever the cost. "
After this grim pronouncement Vinter waved hi s brother
forward and climbed the steps to the elevated pilot's deck
to observe the naval clash. Lord General Leto took over
to discuss the specific plan of attack with the generals and
commanders. Descriptions of landing order became a dull
drone to Magnus' ears. His thoughts were on his company.
He wondered how a few hundred men could make a
difference in an operation of this scale.
Commander Nemo stepped away from the lord general and
gestured for Magnus and Brisbane to approach. Nemo's
voice seemed condescending to Magnus' ear as he explained,
"You two will be under my command. First we will secure
and hold the beach. It will take hours to unload our soldi ers,
during which we must ready against enemy attack. During
the landing your only priority is t he safety of the Raelthornes.
Is that understood?"
At his glare both Magnus and Brisbane voiced automatically,
"Yes, sir!"
The older warcaster grunted as if not entirely satisfied at
their enthusiasm. "Several target factories are proximate
to our landing region. Once the beach is secure, the army
will divide to deal with them." Nemo did not say it aloud,
but Magnus knew their assignments would depend on
the casualties they sustained. "Captain Brisbane, your
battlegroup is intended to attack the western factory.
Captain Magnus, you will join the strike on a different
facility northeast of our landing position. Once that is
completed, I will need you in ready reserve to support Major
Durnwick in his mission to penetrate deep inland and strike
the largest and most remote of our target necrofactoriums."
Magnus felt some jealousy, as the mission Nemo had
described was just the sort he had hoped to undertake.
I
Still,
man
199t
deco
a f t e ~
have
have
Durn
"Abo
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As t ~
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The I
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creep
delivt
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and v
in thE
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The i
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a nd s
Such
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!
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,,
aJor
ike
s.
Still , of all Cygnar's warcasters, Strom Durnwick was the
man Magnus most admired. He was a living legend, and his
!99th Light Infantry Battalion was one of the most highly
decorated units in the army. Magnus had patterned his 23rd
after them. Durnwi ck was another warcaster Magnus would
have expected on the Aagship, although his absence might
have been a simpl e matter of logisti cs. "Where is Major
Durnwick, sir?" he asked.
"Aboard the Vengeance." Nemo answered. "He will join us in
securing the beach. I suggest you two see to your men and
warjacks; we will be the first in. You are dismissed."
As t hey walked away from t he aft deck, Magnus turned
to the younger warcaster. ''I've sp ent the last two years
kicking Cryxians off every scummy island and forgotten
beach a long t he Broken Coast. I f you 've got a ny questions,
now's the time to ask."
Brisbane drew himself up. "Thanks, but I've got t his." His eyes
conveyed t he confident arrogance of youth. There was a saying
in the Strategic Academy t hat the first two years after the
journeyman tour was t he riskiest time in a warcaster's career.
Magnus smil ed knowingly. "See you on the beach," Brisbane
said as he offered lli s ha nd. Magnus shook it, and the two went
their separate ways.
~
Landing on Blackrock Island
The largest vessels in Cygnar's navy had to be anchored in
the deep water some distance from the island. Their guns
shelled the beach and cl iffs as numerous smaller launches
were lowered into t he water from the three vanguard ships to
creep toward shore. Only the largest of these were capable of
delivering heavy warjacks. Magnus and the other warcasters
joined the royals on t he Indomitable's main launch vessel, a fully
functional schooner with two masts and its own steam engine
and wheel. They were not nearly as vulnerable as the soldiers
in the first landing wave, who rowed toward the beach in a
variety of small er boats fixed with high side-shielding panels.
The island ahead seemed to emanate menace through the hot,
muggy air, and there was an air of tension among the soldiers
of the initial wave. They had little idea what to expect.
What scant information they possessed ofBlackrock
had been extracted from captured Scharde pirates
and smugglers, a nd Magnus doubted its usefulness.
Such prisoners had described t he necrofactoriums
looming above the dense foliage, but none had
known the extent of the island's defenses. The
fog-cloaked cove a head with its sandy beaches
was among the few places on the craggy island
that was amenable to landing craft. It seemed
inevitable that defenses would be in place. Against
another nation Magnus would have anticipated
heavy cannon batteries protecting such a beach,
but Cryx had little artillery; what cannons it
plundered or forged were used to outfit their
raiding Aeet. Yet Cryx was endlessly inventive when
it came to deljvering death.
TID OURRTER IDRGR2ITIE: THE RinG'S DIIJTI
Lieutenant Arthur Jacobs stood behind his platoon, as frozen
and tense as the rest of them. Magnus asked with deliberate
joviality, "How are you this fine morning, Jacobs?"
Jacobs looked at him as if breaking from a trance and gave his
boyish grin. "Ready for action, sir!" The lieutenant lowered his
voice and leaned in to say, "But I'd feel better if the rest of the
company were here. "
Magnus nodded agreement. Large as it was, the launch could
not carry their entire company, particularly with several
warjacks and the personal guards of the royals aboard. The
23rd were scattered among the smaller boats, and some would
not arrive until the second wave.
A shout went up from those on deck, and Magnus saw what
seemed to be a dozen catapulted rocks soaring toward their
boats. Such weapons might be crude, but a giant stone could
si nk a landing boat as easily as a cannonball could. A dozen
yards from their vessel, one splashed down with a sizzle upon
the waters, and he realized it was not a stone but a massive
gobbet of foul liquid that bubbl ed and steamed with an acrid
stench. "Bile!" he said with dread.
Magnus had never heard of a bloat or bile thrall capable of
ftring at such a distance. The shots seemed to originate from
somewhere along the looming black cliffs set back from the
beach. Thick, twisted foLiage and gnarled trees grew atop
that area, ahead of the jutting crag of obsidian stone that gave
Blackrock its name.
Another of the giant globes came down directly across a boat
on their starboard side. The high side panels might have helped
had the angle been more direct, but the bile came in from
above to splash onto the heads of those rowing. The soldiers
screamed in ungodly cries of agony. Magnus gritted his teeth.
He had seen men subj ected to the Auid before; it was a terr ible
way to die, worse than being burned alive.
"Were any of our boys on that boat?" Jacobs asked, staring
at the horril)ring spectacle. The vessel listed and began to
sink, spilling the gruesome and unidentifiable remains of
half-melted bodies.
"Focus on the beach ahead," Magnus ordered , although he
had been wondering the same thing. He gathered his arcane
power to create a mirage-like haze of shimmering air around
the launch. He was uncertain whether the magi c would
be effective to obscure a vessel of this size, but it might
reassure the men.
While most of the incoming bile splashed into the turbulent
water, several more vessels were struck either directly or in
part, giving ri se to a chorus of screams. The crossing seemed to
tal<e forever, until finally there was an impact and the ship slid
up onto the sands. Anchored weights were thrown to secure
its position, and its modi.fied blunt prow dropped to become a
ramp. Several of the swiftest secondary vessels slid alongside,
and soldiers began pouring onto the beach. Magnus a nd
Lieutenant Jacobs were among those at the fore, and Magnus
mentally linked with Imp, his Defender. His light 'jacks
would arrive with the next haul ; all t he warcasters had limited
warjacks for t he initial landing. As exposed as Magnus fe lt,
he knew it had to be far worse for his soldiers, as at least he
had hi s warcaster armor and its power field to give him some
additional protection.
Other launches and rowboats hit the beach and soldiers leapt
out, rifles ready. A hundred yards to Magnus' right he saw the
largest la unch from t he Vengeance di sgorge troops led by a tall
man in warcaster armor: Major Strom Durnwick. Even as t he
Cygnarans raced up the sandy beach, the enemy appeared.
An inhuman roar poured fort h from the shadowed recesses
beneath the black cliEfs as heavi ly muscled blighted trollkin
raced to meet them. Trenchers and long gunners opened fire
their rifles, adding a gray haze of smoke to the light fog.
Caustic fluid continued to fall from a bove, catching men with
the spray. Most of the bi le seemed directed at t he incoming
boats, but some were fired on the beaches instead. Magnus
took control of his Defender a nd drew hi s hand cannon to
fire into the approaching trollkin. They were monstrous
creatures, bearing on ly slight resemblance to t heir mai nl and
kin, each with scaled skin, jutting blackened ba rbs, and other
deformities. It was diffi cult to tell where their thick black iron
armor ended and scaled flesh began. They wielded a variety
of wicked killing implements. One trait they clearly sha red
with mainland trollkin was the resilience of their species-
they charged into the Cygnaran line h eedless of bullets that
ripped thmugh their flesh. They attacked with a savagery far
beyond a simpl e defense of their territory. Magnus had fo ught
such blighted creatures after they bad pillaged Cygnaran
coastal towns. He felt a vi ndictive satisfaction in talcing the
fight to them now.
The enemy swiftly closed on the disembarking soldiers, and
soon Magnus was in the thick of it, wi th the swirling smoke
and lingering fog making it difficult to aim hi s pistol or guide
his Defender's heavy cannon without fear of striking al.lies.
Lieutenant J acobs shouted orders to the men of his platoon
a nd soon had them formed into a tighter line to concentrate
their ftrepower. At Magnus' direction two chain guns were
hauled forward and set in place. Ammunition belts were fed
into their barrels, and t hey quickly spun up to speed to hurl
bullets into the savages.
A cl uster of blighted troll kin carrying massive rounded shields
advanced up the center as bullets sparked off the metal
surfaces. Magnus extended a hand and evoked a n explosion
in the soil beneath them, sending t hem flying. He sent Imp
forward, abandoning its firing position so it could punish the
enemy with power ful sweeping arcs of its chained flail. The
weighted metal head of t he weapon drove through t he savages
wit h a succession of meaty impacts, clearing a secti on of the
beach as the trenchers of the 23rd advanced and rallied around
Magnus' position.
Smoke stinging his eyes, Magnus was so focused on the enemy
a head that he did not see several trollkin overrun the position
to his left. Jacobs shouted a warning and stepped behind
him with his scattergun to fire a massive blast of metal shards
through t hem, stopping several cold but enraging the one
survivor. Magnus drew his mechanil<ally augmented Caspian
battle blade just in time to block a jagged axe. Pushing forward
with the strength given him by his warcaster armor, he got
inside the blighted troll kin 's reach and brought t he blade across
in a great arc, hacking a lmost halfway t hrough the creatw-e's
torso. Still t he trollkin glared at him and bared its sharpened
teeth while raising its axe for another strilce. Jacobs had
reloaded and fired again, taking out one of its legs. Magnus
jerked hi s sword free and carved through its neck before it
finally coUapsed. lmp stepped in front of him protectively, its
head swinging left and then right as it looked for its next target.
His immediate vicinity momentarily clear, Magnus saw
Vinter and hi s escorting sword knights in their black tabards
sweeping up the beach toward the cliffs sheltering t he
blighted trolll<in vil.lages. Lord General Leto was nearby
alongside his own guard, the Storm blades, knights in
modifi ed lighter blue armor and wielding storm gla ives.
Commander Nemo strode ahead of them alongside
his Ironclad to catch up wi th the king. King Vinter
outpaced his escort with his greatsword Kings layer in
hand, heed.less of his own safety, toward several trollkin that
had massacred the long gunner squad trying to hold a low hill
ahead of him.
M.
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Magnus knew of the king's skill but was still startled by
the ease with which the sovereign swiftly decapitated three
trollkin with horizontal sweeps of his ancestral blade. Bile
from above landed amid his sword knights and poured
through their visored helmets. They staggered and collapsed,
Aesh falling from their hands and faces even as they tried to
pry their helmets off. Vinter did not look back but marched
on to strike down the next blighted trollkin that rushed him.
Leto's Stormblades gave a battle cry and unleashed streaks
of lightning from their storm glaives against several nine-
foot-tall blighted ogrun that had closed on them from the left
flank. Captain Brisbane was also fighting on that side and
charged an ogrun with his two-handed mechanikal hammer.
Magnus knew he should get closer to the royals. He was
about to order hi s men in that direction when Jacobs shouted,
"Magnus!" He turned to see his lieutenant looking back to
where the main launch from the Vengeance had landed and was
facing stern opposition.
Those soldiers had fought ofF the in.itial trollkin, but more had
emerged from caves beneath the cliffs. They swarmed Major
Durnwick's Ironclad, which used its quake hammer to knock
down those at the front but was beset by those following after.
They battered it with axes, clubs, and spiked hammers. The
heavy 'jack smashed them with its own hammer, turning bodies
to pulp, but there were too many. It staggered under their
combined onslaught.
Major Durnwick was confronted by the largest trollkin Magnus
had ever seen, one he initially mistook for an ogrun. After smashing
through the nearest sold.iers, it had charged the warcaster with a
massive ra.ised axe, the blade of the weapon almost as tall as a man.
Durnwick f1red his hand cannon stra.ight into the blighted creature's
monstrous face, tearing ofF half its chin and part of its throat, but it
hardly faltered. It swung its axe downward, and the major barely
leapt aside in time. He dropped his pistol and took h.is poleaxe in
both hands to square ofF aga.inst the brute. He delivered a solid blow
to its left leg, but the wound seemed not to trouble the creature,
wh.ich swi&ly retaliated.
Durnwick easily got his polearm in front of the c.lumsy strike,
but the great axe cut stra.ight through the weapon's metal shaft
and Durnwick's power 6.eld and warcaster armor to bite i.nto h.is
side. The major reeled back, bleeding, wh.ile the men who had
been 6.ring behind him rushed in to stab the giant trollkin with
bayonets. They looked like children sent against it. The trolJkin
knocked them aside with a sweep of its axe blade, killing several,
and let loose an inhuman howl that echoed across the sands.
Magnus linked his mind with Imp's cortex to peer through the
warjack's eyes as he raised its heavy barrel. Firing into close
combat was risky, but he felt impelled to take the chance. He
chose h.is moment carefulJy. The cannon 6.red and its shell
crashed into the giant trolJkin's chest, tearing through ribs
and internal organs. It was certainly a fatal wound, yet the
nightmare creature did not fall. Instead it ra.ised the axe and
brought it down with horrible fmali ty onto Major Durnwick's
helmet. The helmet shattered, and the axe made a ru.in of the
man's head. Both warcaster and trollkin toppled to land heavily
on the blood.ied sands. One of Durnw:ick's officers, a woman
with a captain's shield on her shoulder, broke through the other
trolJk.in and ran to where he lay. Kneeling next to the major,
she let out a strangled sound.
nu mRGR2InE: THE tHTIG'S mun
Magnus was too stunned to react. He had never imagined
he would see one of his heroes laid low before the main
battle had even begun. One of his soldiers yelling for his
attention brought him back to the fighting still raging
nearby. He called to his men and directed them to rejoin
their place among the royal escort. Together they battled
to the ground beneath the overhanging cliffs, where they
appeared to be sheltered from the bile fluid being flung
toward the approaching launches. The villages here were
6.Lled with grisly trophies and totems. Human skulls and
gnawed bones were both heaped in piles and strung up as
decorations around the crude huts. Lengths of indeterminate
meat hung out to dry, each covered with oversized Aies. The
remaining blighted inhabitants fought tenaciously to defend
their homes but were quickly overwhelmed.
ei=C:=w
The senior officers gathered where King Vinter bad established
his command post. Tents were already being erected, and
chain gun crews and sentries had been posted to watch the
beach approach on both sides. Trenchers were quickly creating
earthworks around the position.
While the undestroyed landing craft were sent back for the
second wave of Cygnarans, Vmter calJed his officers to order.
Magnus recognized several other warcasters, inc.luding
Commander Kin brace, who looked winded from the short
battle. Magnus felt it his obligation to report the details of Major
Durnw:ick's fall, being as factual as possible and restraining h.i s
emotions. Lord General Leto shook h.is head, and several of the
ranking officers looked shocked and d.ismayed.
King Vmter's expression did not change. He was silent a long
moment, perhaps gathering his thoughts. His look was piercing
and unflinching when he spoke. "The loss of Major Durn wick
is a serious blow, but the battle has just begun. We will suffer
more losses in the fighting ahead. Harden yourself to that
inevitability. " Vmter's eyes scanned hi s officers and lingered
sternly on his brother. "There are tasks we must accomplish.
Major Durnw:ick had the highest priority mission; his men
were fulJy briefed and prepared. I need another warcaster to
assume command of hi s battalion for that strike. Who feels
worthy of this vital task?"
""
I"









tl2 '
h
h'



l

I,

In
v
no OURRTER IDRGR2InE: THE KinG'S mun
Magnus' pulse quickened at this unusual request, but he also
felt uncertain. It might be insufferably impertinent for someone
of his rank to volunteer. If the king refused him so publicly it
could deal his career a crippling blow.
The pause extended, and the king scowled. Magnus could feel
the moment slipping away. He saw Commander Nemo frown
as if to speak, but Prince Leta stopped him with a look. The
prince interjected, "I need Commanders Kin brace and Nemo
with the main army. This mission must be led by someone
else." King Vmter gave his brother an inscrutable look but did
not overrule him.
Before Magnus resolved his internal struggle, someone else
stepped forward and knelt to one knee. "I volunteer, Your
Majesty." Magnus was startled to see it was Colonel Wi.Uiam
Ratbleigh, a taU and haughty warcaster. He felt an instant and
visceral surge of loathing. Ratbleigh was the second son of
an earl and despite being a warcaster of some small talent, he
had been advanced swiftly to colonel solely due to his family
standing. Magnus had seen him fighting at Sand bottom Point
and had not been impressed -in his opinion, the man was timid
and reactionary. The colonel added, "I have met the officers of
the !99th. I am prepared to stand in for Major Durnwick."
The sound of Ratbleigh's voice and the thought of him leading
the mission galvanized Magnus. He had no doubt this self-
serving toady would fail, and in doing so he would bring shame
to the expedition, with ruinous consequences for Cygnar.
He stepped forward and said, "Meaning no disrespect to the
Colonel, but I am better qua li fied to lead this mission."
Vinter eyed him appraisingly. "Explain." Rathleigh 's face
went red, and he glared at Magnus as he stood to his feet .
Several of the command staff drew themselves up with
disapproving expressions.
Magnus knew it was too late to back down. "Colonel Rathleigb
has done an admirable job defending Highgate and its environs
for the past few years, but he has never led a major offensive in
enemy territory. Under my leadership, the 23rd Assault Recon
Company has undertaken many missions behind enemy lines.
This mission is similar to others I have conducted. I am ready
for this, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty," the colonel protested, looking aggrieved, "it
would be improper for a captain to lead a battalion. This is not
a mission we can trust to a junior officer! "
"In that you are correct, Colonel," Vinter said, prompting a
relieved smile from Rathleigh. The king turned to Magnus
and said, "You are promoted to brevet major. The commission
will become permanent after that factory is destroyed.
Take command of the !99th, and fold your company into
the battalion." He ignored both Magnus' astonishment and
Rathleigh's indignant look and addressed the others. "We must
eliminate Cryxian artillery so the rest of the army can land.
Every boat sunk on approach is a mark of failure."
Magnus went to check on the men of his company who had
landed with the first wave, now occupied digging a trencb west
of their encampment. Magnus pulled Arthur Jacobs aside to
explain the situation. Jacobs stared at the new rank insignia
on Magnus' sleeve and sbook his head. ''I'm not sure wbetber
to ofler congratulations or condolences, " he said. "Living up to
Durnwick's reputation is a tall order."
"He can keep his reputation. Getting the mission done and
staying alive will be enough." Magnus would never have
shown doubt or uncertainty to any of the other men, but with
Jacobs he could be honest. "Tbis is a big opportunity. I know
we're ready for it, but I'll be relying on you."
Jacobs clasped his hand. "''ve always got your back, Cap-er,
Major." He grinned, then pulled a chain from around his neck.
Dangling from it was a large, misshapen bullet. "I think it's
time to pass this on." He held it out.
The warcaster accepted tbe memento reluctantly. It dated
from a skirmish with Khador years before, when a uiske flask
Jacobs had stolen from Magnus stopped a bullet from piercing
his chest. Jacobs had claimed it was proof that stealing the
flask had been a good idea, while Magnus had insisted it meant
Jacobs owed Magnus his life. Jacobs had kept it with him ever
since. Magnus eyed tbe buLlet and said, "1 don 't want to steal
your luck."
Jacobs chuckled and waved dismissively. "I've gotten good
use out of it. Now it's your turn. You' re going to need it-the
king's eyes are on you." Magnus chuckled a nd put the chain
around his neck, tucking the bullet out of sight. Jacobs seemed
satisfied and asked, "What's next? "
"We'll make a move on the cliff top artillery soon. Do a head
count after tbe Indomitable finishes offloading and keep me
appraised." Beneath his words was the grim reminder that they
could expect more casualties. "Right now, I need to talk to the
captains of the !99th. They won't be happy about my taking
over. I want you with me to represent the 23rd as captain."
Jacobs blinked in startled surprise as Magnus' words sunk in.
"What did you just say?"
"I meant it when I said I'd be relying on y ou. You're captain
of the 23rd now. " He grinned. "Figured I need someone with
more courage tban sense leading my men. "
Jacobs smi led and said, 'Tm going to choose to take that
as a compliment."
Magnus chuckled. "Come on, let's go meet the fine officers of
the !99th. Try to a good first impression. "
made a of smoothing hair he did not have.
Don t I a lways?
The warcaster frowned. "This isn't tbe time to be funny.
Remember, they just suffered a ser;ous loss." Jacobs sobered
immediately, and they crossed the encampment to find Magnus'
new officers. Most of the !99th Light Infantry Battalion had
yet to land; only a couple platoons had accompanied Major
Durnwick on their ship's launch. Those were on the eastern
section of the perimeter, also focusing on entrenchment.
Magnus and Jacobs introduced themselves and were met by
sullen looks and barely restrained hostility. The platoons had
taken heavy casualties in tbe landing, and their mood was dark.
Durnwick had been the most prominent, but many had fallen.
Magnus knew they would adapt; they were professional soldiers.
He pulled aside the three captains, hoping to get their measure.
Th,
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The first was
Captain Jalise
Kirkwall, a wiry
woman with
short-cropped
black hair and a
scarred face who
led the battalion's
main commando
company. While
smaller than was
typical of women
who qualified for
trencher service,
she had muscular
arms and shoulders,
and a knife-fighter's
stance. She greeted
Magnus with
cool reserve and made a show of being surprised to see he
was a major. "I suppose I cannot fault you for seizing the
opportunities afforded by wartime casualties," she said.
Magnus took the statement in stride. This was the captain he
had seen checking Durn wick when he fell, and her grief was
fresh. While she spoke she unconsciously touched the well-
worn ivory handles of a pair of knives at her waist.
Captain Broderick Haggin, a hulking brute of a trencher
in whose massive hands a scattergun looked like a toy, said
very little. He led a mixed company of trencher infantry
and commandos. While his eyes had the far-off look of
someone who was not entirely there, Magnus knew the
man's reputation. He was a natural killer and fighter, one
of Durnwick's mainstays. Likely he was the sort of man
who came to life only in battle. He listened to the news that
Magnus would take immediate command of the !99th with no
discernable reaction.
The last captain was the lean, redheaded Gordin Thatch,
who had an intense look about him. The rifle slung over his
shoulder was affixed with an expensive sniper's scope. He led
a company of trencher marines, soldiers outfitted similarly
to regular infantry but trained aboard ships to work with the
navy. Marines drilled in boarding and repelling operations and
had greater experience in beach landings, and the Cryxian
conflict had seen their numbers grow.
"I have heard of you, Major," he said to Magnus. "I expect
you have found fighting Cryx to be more difficult than
massacring Khadoran civilians along the border." Magnus
felt a flash of anger and almost rose to the bait, but he
restrained his impulse. The l99th bad been involved in
exactly the same sorts of border operations his company had
been. He simply agreed that Cryx was a different sort of
beast and ignored the implied criticism.
Magnus did not push; acceptance was better forged in battle.
"Get what rest you can," he advised. "We'll be fighting as soon
as orders come down." He shared a look with Jacobs as they
returned back to their own camp. Things had gone about as
well as could be expected.
no OURRTER IDRGR2InE: THE KinG'S mun
Purging the Cliff Tops
It took hours for the remaining soldiers and gear from the three
lead ships to land. It was painful watching the boats cross the
water with the constant threat of corrosive death. Even with
the inaccuracy of the defending weapons, every wave of skiffs
lost several to projected bile. Everyone in the encampment was
eager to neutralize that threat, but until the three lead ships
offloaded, they lacked the soldiers to assault the cliffs without
leaving the command area vulnerable.
The wisdom in staying encamped was proven after nightfall
when they were beset by a massive assault on their position
by blighted ogrun and troll kin from other nearby villages.
The bloodthirsty savages attacked from both ends of the
beach at once, and with them came mechanitbralls and
bonejacks. Throughout this clash the soldiers could hear
roar of guns from off shore as the fleet came under sustained
attack by additional Cryxian vessels. Spotters reported a
thick fog had rolled in behind what might have been revenant
vessels. The distant rumbling of the ships' guns punctuated
the land battle, and Magnus was not the only man to wonder
what their fate would be if the Cygnaran fleet was driven off
while they were stuck on shore.
Amid punishing rifle volleys, trencher chain guns and cannons
joined Sentinel and Defender 6re to chew through onrushing
waves of the enemy. Magnus had never fought alongside so
many warcasters. Even with relatively few warjacks at their
disposal they made all the di!Ierence, not only by quickly
obliterating enemies but also by keeping the defenders safe.
The Cygnaran force suffered very few casualties, and the
fortified command encampment held.
After they had shattered the waves of blighted attackers, the
warcasters pushed out from the encampment alongside their
warjacks to ensure the greater region was purged. A heavy
patrol rotation was put in place to forewarn of additional
onslaughts, while Magnus and the other warcasters were
taken aside to bear their next orders. The boats had finished
offloading; there would be no rest.
67
68
nu IDRGR2InE: THE RinG' 5 mrrn
Rangers gathered from various companies had earlier been
assigned to reconnoiter their surroundings. Word had it only
a third of those sent out had returned, as the dense, blighted
vegetation above the cliffs h.id any number of additional
Cryxians. Those who returned described the best routes to the
top: two different switchbacks carved into the cliff face, each
wide enough to allow warjacks access to the heights.
Magnus took his orders from Commander Nemo, who
delivered them in h.is typical patronizing fash.ion. Magnus'
battalion was to take the nearest switchback, just to the east,
with Brisbane watching their rear. Nemo referred to a hastily
sketched map of the cliffs where X marks indicated the likely
origins of the bile bombardments. He tapped one of these with
an extended finger and repeated, "You
their distended stomachs to their weapons, as their undead
bodies served as reservoirs for liquid death. They made up for
their individual inaccuracy by sheer volume, with the capacity
to unleash their full payload in a single devastating purge.
The Ironclad smashed through the nearest of them, crushing
them underfoot. Bile fluid could eat through even warjack
armor in time, but the machines were far more resistant to
corrosion than the soldiers. Pools of the caustic liquid were left
behind in the Ironclad's wake; the soldiers would need to tread
carefully in this area.
Once his Arcane and Charger had also reached the top, the
warcaster drew on his sorcerous power to send explosive
energy through his arc node out into knots of bile thralls. At
are to neutralize thiJ area ... " he tapped
elsewhere and continued, " ... then
move to thif position. Got it?"
"Yes, sir. I understand. " Magnus tried
to keep the impatience from his voice.
His impression that Nemo bad a low
.Everywhere was tbe siRn of dragon
bU_gbt, wbicb left all Uving
and warped.
opinion of him was slightly diminished when he overheard
the commander speaking similarly to the next officer. He
concluded that Nemo might simply consider the reliability of
everyone under the age of forty suspect.
Magnus was reunited with his modified Charger Rust and
his Arcane. He added Durnwick's freshly repaired Ironclad
to his battlegroup, along with a pair of Sentinels. Additional
Defenders intended for his priority mi ssion would arrive when
the other sh.ips offloaded. Magnus' mind balked at imagining
controlling so many 'jacks at once.
Once his group was ready for the initial mission, they made
their way to the ramps and began the climb. The switchback
was narrow-only a few men could walk abreast-so their
column stretched long. Magnus and his men were halfway up
the incline when a trencher behind him gave a choked cry and
fell, impaled by a heavy spear with an obsidian tip. Dozens
of simil.ar weapons rained down upon them. Trenchers raised
rifles to fire blindly into the thick undergrowth above until
Magnus ordered them to stop. Looking through the eyes of his
warjacks, he fired more carefully, neutralizing several of the
blighted savages along the top of the ramp.
The forward section of the column surged ahead with added
haste even as Magnus impelled the warjacks at the front to run .
Bile thralls emerged from amid the bullet-shredded vegetation
to line the cliff top and spray corrosive fluid down onto the
soldiers. The air was filled with the putrid stench. Trenchers
tore at their uniforms and armor in futile attempts to evade
contact with the deadly fluid. Most of those splashed died,
their end neither quick nor mercifuL This time Magnus did not
discourage the men from firing onto the cliff tops, and the rush
of their bullets joined the whirring of his Sentinels' chain guns.
The defensive volley hit many of the bile thralls, but every one
they cleared was immediately replaced by another.
Magnus' Ironclad reached the summit, its quake hammer
in hand as its baleful eyes searched for enemies. They were
not hard to find; clumps of grotesquely rotund bile thralls
shambled forward. Disgusting abominations, they bore little
resemblance to the humans whose corpses had been stitched
together to create them. Lengths of black piping wrapped from
least they were not very durable, succumbing quickly to the
blasts. His Charger added the alternating fire of its double
cannon to the onslaught, and soon Magnus and the first of his
trenchers reached the summit to lay down their own fire. The
enemy was quickly dispatched, although a black ogrun with
a double-handed maul managed to land a tremendous impact
that buckled his Arcane's shield and nearly tore off its arm
before Magnus backed the enemy down with his battle blade.
Captain Jacobs and the men of the 23rd rushed forward to
support him as they cleared the summit, firing scatterguns to
chew through both walking dead and blighted l.iving. The rest
of the column reached the top relatively unmolested.
What foLlowed was a nerve-wracking march through the
twisted trees and thorny hedges that choked the region. The
beach below had seemed like any other, aside from the grisly
scene of the troLlkin villages, but the top of the island was
disturbingly alien. None of the plants were familiar. Their
leaves shone a dark oily green, every branch riddled with
thorns. Everywhere was the sign of dragon blight, which left
all living things twisted and warped. There was a constant
buzzing of strange insects, and occasionally oversized flies
or beetles landed on a man's neck or leg to bite with razor-
sharp mandibles through cloth and skin. Even the smaLlest
creatu.-e on the island seemed hateful . Everything about the
place, from the plants and insects to the putrid smell and
unidentified clicking noises amid the shadowed trees, seemed
unnatural and tainted.
After several light skirmishes with thralls and blighted
trollkin, they broke through to a cleared plateau. A peculiar
structure sat in the center, its bulging dome at least thirty
feet in diameter. From the apex of its curved roof extended a
long elevated barrel. almost like a telescope, pointing toward
the ocean. Green light pulsed from vent-like slats along its
upper surfaces, and they could hear the rumble of pumping
machinery from its interior.
Attached to the structure at points around the perimeter
were a dozen enormous bloated monstrosities, giant spherical
creatures sewn of rotting flesh and supported by a carriage
of metal spider-like legs. They were far larger t han the bile
thr.
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thralls they had fought below. "Bloat thralls," Magnus spoke
aloud. He had fought them before and knew that as larger and
more frightful variants on bile thralls they were able to deliver
tremendous volumes of bile fluid. At present their weapons
were inserted into apertures around the base of the dome, and
as he watched the giant barrel at the top shuddered to disgorge
a gobbet of bile fluid that soared out in a high arc toward the
distant ships. They had found the Cryxian artillery. It seemed
this building concentrated the output of multiple bloat thraUs
into a pressurized projectile to fire with unprecedented range.
"Destroy them! Quickly!" Even as he shouted to his men, he
impelled his Charger and Defender to 6re. The nearest bloat
thralls exploded wetly, their vile innards spraying outward to
burn anything they touched. The remaining bloats disengaged
from the structure and turned on the approaching trenchers.
Simultaneously a large meta l door facing them rumbled opened
to unleash dozens of mechanithralls that rushed the Cygnaran
soldiers. The trenchers in the forward line had already 6red
at the bloats and were caught in the middle of reloading. The
mechanithrall s smashed into them with their steam-powered
6sts, killing anyone they could reach.
The rest of the force reacted quickly, directed by Magnus'
captains. Magnus sent his Ironcl ad into t he midst of the
mechanithraUs to pound the earth with its quake hammer,
rippling the ground to send thralls toppling back.
An overwhelming volley of trencher rifle
ftre mowed them down. Several bloat
thraUs at the rear managed to launch
horrendous gouts of bile fluid
deeper into t he trencher ranks.
Magnus saw a number of men
&om the 23rd he had fought
with for years melted into
unrecognizable forms, and
_he had to clamp down
on his a nger to focus on
directing his 'jacks.
Captain Jalise Kirkwall
made a brave charge
a round the perimeter
with her commandos to
reach the last of the bloats.
Captain Gordin Thatch and
his marine sharpshooters
flanked to the left while
KirkwaiJ went right and took
one out on the opposite side of
the building. Those cleared,
sent hi s Ironclad and Defender
to batter the building to rubble,
prompting a ragged cheer from the
men that was more relieved than triumphant.
Jacobs looked at the smoking ruin and nodded in satisfaction.
"One less thing hurling death at our ships."
Magnus tore his eyes away &om the ruin of the trenchers who
had fallen there. "There's still another site to neutralize," he
said. "Get your platoons in order and let's march."
The I 99th disassembled the next artillery site with swift and
smooth precision, as now they knew what to expect. They
no OURRTER IDRGR2InE: THE KinG'S mun
suffered far fewer casualties this time. Once the building
was destroyed they launched a flare to signal the completion
of that phase of the objective. The gleam of other flares was
reported in the distance; it seemed the forces that had climbed
the second ramp had also succeeded. This meant the ships
could begin offloading the main army. Magnus looked over his
force in satisfaction. His new group had worked well together
to complete this part of the mission, and he saw a glimmer of
respect in the faces of his captain. Even Kirkwall gave him a
smaU nod. It was a start.
Magnus' orders were to hasten inland and join with the
other assault forces to create a perimeter line while other
squads swept the intervening region to be sure they had not
missed any undiscovered artillery sites. Even as Magnus
and his officers got the men and 'jacks ready to move out,
a ranger rushed i.nto the clearing from the east. He wasted
no time reporting, "Maj or Magnus! Captain Brisbane's
company is overrun!"
The captains looked to Magnus, all of them tense. "Where are
they?" Magnus asked.
"Holding the ramp we climbed from the beach. Enemies
came from inland."
"What kind of enemy?"
"Ogrun, mechanithralls, bonejacks.
Not sure what's leading 'em,
sir." He waited, agitation
evident in his ragged
breathing and tensed
muscles.
It would take them away
from t heir intended position,
but then, it might be worse if
their flank was overrun and
they lost access to the path
down to the beach. And
Magnus could not stomach
leaving another warcaster
out to dry. He could see
hi s captains watching him
closely, likely remembering
Durnwick's fall and
wondering if he would
simply follow orders or go to
Brisbane's defense. He said,
"Change of plans. We're heading
back to the cliffs, double-time!" No
one needed additional encouragement.
~
They heard shooting through the trees before they could see
the enemy: sporadic shots, not the heavier 6re of an intact
company. Magnus cursed the dense, hostile undergrowth that
slowed the force's progress as it pulled at his Ironclad and
Defender and tore at his soldiers. Anywhere bleeding skin was
exposed, buzzing insect swarms landed and bit.
Those at the front broke through to a slight rise, and Magnus
joined them to survey the situation. Captain Brisbane and his
69
mixed company had taken up a position on a low hill fronted
by a line of thick, jagged rocks. They had situated a chain
gun and cannons at the center of the riflemen. At either end
of a Line of frantically firing trenchers and long gunners stood
Brisbane's pair of Defenders, already engaged by blighted
ogrun with heavy mauls. Cygnaran and Cryxian corpses alike
li ttered the hill and its perimeter. Brisbane had gone to the
assistance of one of his Defenders, engaging the ogrun with
his mechanikal hammer. Just in front of his position, a large
number of mechanithralls pounded into a ragged platoon of
sword knights. Magnus estimated Brisbane was down to less
than half his original company, and those left were barely
holding on.
Behind the mechanithralls Magnus spotted a man-shaped
skeletal figure wearing a hooded robe set with armored plates.
Its eyes gleamed green within a face of white bone, and sooty
smoke poured from stacks on its back. An iron lich! His pulse
raced at the sight of the first significant Cryxian leader they
had yet encountered. It carried no obvious weapon but held an
ironbound book chained to its left wrist. Its right gauntleted
hand was extended to summon baleful green fire that burst
forth to consume several long gunners atop the hilltop.
Captain Thatch unlimbered his sniper rifle and snapped a
shot to pierce the head of a blighted ogrun about to charge
Brisbane. Magnus ordered, "Jacobs, Kirkwall, charge with
your men to reinforce Brisbane's left Bank! Haggin, Thatch,
cover their advance!" The soldiers rushed from the twisted
trees to hurl grenades and fire scatterguns into the enemy.
An eruption of rifle fire followed. Magnus invoked his magic
to manifest as a ring of runes around Imp's heavy barrel,
augmenting its range. He impeLled the Defender to take a shot
at the iron lich- he would not let that creature feast on the
souls of his trenchers. He felt grim satisfaction when a sheLl
smashed through the creature's left shoulder, knocking it back.
He urged his Ironclad ahead even as Brisbane's left Defender
collapsed under ogrun mauls. The Ironclad barreled into the
nearest ogrun and sent it Aying back through its companions to
smash into the rock face sheltering the long gunners. Toppled
ogrun were scrambling back to their feet as the 'jack laid into
them with powerful blows of its quake hammer. His Charger's
double cannon did not have the range to reach the iron lich,
so it fired at the nearest targets of opportunity. His damaged
Arcane ran to the left behind the commandos, where Magnus
hoped to use their advance to get its arc node closer. He saw a
pair of Slayers charge into Brisbane's sword knights and rake
several apart with their claws. Magnus gritted his teeth and felt
an even greater urgency to get to their controlling Lich.
Death rippers and Defilers raced around the periphery of
Magnus' force. Green hellfire surged through their arc nodes
to blast the nearest trenchers. Magnus fired on one with his
Defender, scoring a crippling hit to its legs. Captain Thatch
shouted to his trencher marine platoons to concentrate
fire on these threats; experience had clearly taught him
their dangers. One Deathripper leapt into their midst and
savagely mauled one trencher after another with its fanged
jaws. The nimble construct easily evaded their attempts to
fend it off with bayonets.
Magnus drew his battle blade and pushed through his men to
engage the machine. He landed an overhand blow directly to
its upper chassis, cleaving through its Light armor and hearing
the satisfYing metal crunch of delicate internal mechanisms.
After another blow it stopped moving, its blood-smeared jaws
hanging open.
The Lich had vanished behind a Line of mechanithralls by the
time another shell dropped into Imp's heavy barrel. He fired at
one of the blighted ogrun nearest Brisbane instead, giving the
warcaster the chance to step clear of the melee. The warcaster
quickly surveyed the battle and then charged the nearest
Slayer to deliver a steel-crumpling blow with his weighty
hammer. His faltering sword knights were encouraged by his
presence and restored what was left of their line.
Kirkwall had nearly been surrounded, but Captain Haggin
and his commandos came to her support, hurling
grenades to unleash a rippling wave of explosions
that consumed t he nearest Line of mechanithralls.
Jacobs and his platoon fired scatterguns to rip
apart another batch before the forward trencher
Line was forced to draw knives and fight hand-
to-hand. Kirkwall was a blur of motion as she
demonstrated her skill with her blades, nimbly
evading steam-powered fists that could
kill her with a single blow and
retaliating with expert strikes.
Although mechanithraiJs had
deadly strength, they could
be neutralized quickly by
severing the connecting
tendons on their arms or
cutting their heads from their
shoulders. Kirkwall and the
trenchers of the l99th had obviously
fought them enough to know how to take
them down quickly and efficiently.
Magnus got his Arcane close enough to invoke a sorcerous
blast into the thralls nearest to the lich's last location, sending
animated corpses Aying. He felt a sharp stab of pain in the back
of his head when the faulty arc node sent a surge of feedback.
Smoke rose from the Arcane as the delicate mechanism atop
its chassis Lit on fire. Magnus growled and sent the unreliable
machine to spear one of the bonejacks with its pike.
no IDRGR2InE: THE KinG' 5 mrm
Fortunately Cryx did not try their line again before the other
patrols that had been sent to do a more thorough sweep of the
cliff region located and dismantled two more bile artillery sites.
Commander Nemo then declared the cliffs neutralized, and the
bulk of the army withdrew back to the beaches. Entrenched
forces stayed at the top of each ramp to serve as mustering
points for the next phase. As Magnus and his officers wearily
Haggin looked like an enraged
berserker as he smashed through
mechanithralls, not bothering to
draw his killfe but wielding his heavy
scattergu n like a club. T he heavily
muscled trencher ducked beneath
what would have been a fatal blow
and then belted the offending thrall so
hard with his gun stock that its rotted
He Unked bis sigbt to Imp and fired.
Tbe ordnance-designed to buckle
Kbadoran beavy armor-made a
wreckage of tbe Ucb's torso."
head Aew from its shoulders. Other commandos took out other
thralls, fmally clearing enough that Magnus saw the lich at last,
its black gauntlets glowing green as it summoned more helLfire.
He linked his sight to Imp and fired. The ordnance -designed
to buckle Khadoran heavy armor- made a wreckage of the
lich 's torso. Its destruction sent a mental backlash that halted
the remaining bonejacks and Slayers. Magnus saw Brisbane,
who had been leaning back to avoid a Slayer's raking claws,
take a deep breath and then bring his hammer around to
crash into the inert hell jack, which toppled to the ground. The
mechanithralls became uncoordinated without the guidance of
their master and were quickly overcome.
After the enemy force was cleared, Brisbane approached
Magnus and extended a hand. "Thank you, Major. Looks like
I owe you one-or maybe more than one." He smiled, and
Magnus clasped his hand. Brisbane's expression suggested be
remembered having refused Magnus' earlier offer for advice.
His eyes took in the countless bodies strewn across the hillside.
lt was a grisly scene, as bad as the beaches below bad been
after their initial landing.
Magnus nodded. "You'd have done the same. I'm sure you'll
get the chance, sooner or later."
Jacobs approached and said, "Sir, we had better get back.
They' ll be waiting."
Magnus looked back to the other warcaster. "Can you keep the
ramp secure? I'll inform Commander Nemo of the situation."
Brisbane nodded and said, "We' ll bold as long as necessary."
~
Commander Nemo was furious whe n Magnus' half- strength
battalion arrived late to their rendezvous. Magnus learned
there had been hard fighting during his absence, and their
perimeter line had been breached. After enduring a brutal
tongue-l ashing, Magnus was eventually able to explain the
situation with Captain Brisbane and how near the junior
warcaster had come to being overrun. This slightly molLified
the commander, who begrudgingly agreed he had made
the right decision. Magnus and his team were integrated
into the perimeter forces and told to stand ready against
additional assaults.
descended the switchbacks he saw many more launches
crossing from the Aeet by the light of Calder, the largest moon.
No bile was pitched from the cliffs to interfere with them, and
he took no small satisfaction from this. It had been a good
night's work.
The fighting had clearly had an impact on the captains of the
l99th, who were now at greater ease with their commanding
officer. Bonds forged quickly in combat, and they aU knew
they would soon be embarking on their main mission.
Magnus eagerly anticipated even a few hours of rest in his
tent. He had just settled when he received an unexpected
summons from the king.
Whatever ease he might have felt evaporated when be
entered the king's larger but otherwise unadorned tent.
The king was alone, but he stood leaning upon the hilt
of Kingslayer, its point in the ground, with a posture and
expression that radiated baleful anger. Magnus fe lt as if cold
water bad been hurled into his face, and he shivered with a
fear that was palpable and overpowering. He immediately
knelt to one knee and bowed his head.
"Major Asheth Magnus." Vmter spoke slowly, giving his
words ominous emphasis. "I am 11ery displeased. Perhaps your
promotion was premature."
Magnus' mind reeled as he tried to imagine what he had done
wrong. He had succeeded in his objective of destroying the
ammunition battery. He had rejoined the greater force and
helped hold the perimeter. And he had backed up another
warcaster who otherwise would have been killed and his
position compromised. Nevertheless, he was very familiar with
the terrible consequences of losing favor with King Vmter
Rae! thorne IV He stared fixedly at the ground, and his voice
shook as he asked, "Your Majesty?"
"We walk the razor's edge between success and failure." Vinter
paused. "I joined this expedition because only I can make the
difficult decisions required to defeat our foe. Success requires
my officers to foll ow their orders. I expect complete obedience.
I know warcasters think they are above the chain of command,
but let me disabuse you of that idea. Today you disobeyed your
orders in a vain attempt at personal glory. Do you deny thi.s?"
Magnus felt the blood drain from his face at these words,
understanding at last. "Your Majesty, I offer my humblest
apologies. I thought we should not allow our position to be
71
72
mRGR2InE: THE tUnG' 5 Ullin
flanked. I was concerned at the possibility of losing another
warcaster." He remembered Vinter's words after Major
Durnwick's death and wished he had not spoken that thought
aloud. He stammered, "I had no intention of disobeying orders."
The king stepped closer, looming over Magnus and casting him
in shadow. Magnus trembled, expecting a blade to bite his neck
at any moment. "You presumed to tizterpret your orders. It was
not your call to rejjeve Brisbane. He would have fought to hold
that ramp-and held long enough. I had contingencies ready.
While you were absent, Colonel Rathleigh, whose flank you
were to protect, was encircled. He was wounded. Commander
Nemo almost went to his aid; had he done so, our Lines would
have been frayed. The effort atop the cliffs might have failed."
Magnus felt the full weight of that last word twist in his gut.
The king continued, his voice no less menacing. "I anticipated
your absence, however. I had Nemo hold and sent Leto to fill
the gap. Your lord general stood in your place. Because of you,
my brother was imperiled and we suffered needless casualties."
"I was in error," Magnus said, his voice hoarse. "Forgive me. "
Vmter was silent for a time that felt agonizing to Magnus. Then
he said, "Much rests on tomorrow. We have lost the element of
surprise. We must achieve our goals quickly, before this island
becomes our tomb. Should I pick someone else for your task?
Someone with greater mental fortitude?"
Magnus felt his face burning with shame but also resolve. He
said, "I will see the rujssion done, my King. I will not fail. "
"See you do not. You are rusmissed." Vmter turned away
from Magnus and the warcaster rose and withdrew. As he
walked back to his tent he felt the powerful irrational fear that
everyone he passed knew his humiliation.
Penetrating the Interior
Magnus had little sleep t hat night, although he was dimly
aware of closing his eyes. A moment later Captain Jacobs
was jostling him awake. Dawn had not broken, but the
commanders hoped to be on the march by the time the sun had
risen. It was almost startling to step forth from the tent and see
the transformation of the beach after several hours of launches
and rowboats from the rest of the fleet constantly landing. The
army had arrived in full. Tents and campfires filled the beach in
every direction as far as he could see.
There was a tremendous sense of urgency, since the cove
where the ships anchored could be easily sealed should Cryx
send its fuiJ naval might. Vinter's words of the previous night
had been no exaggeration: if the Black Fleet arrived and drove
off their ships, the entire army would be left to fend for itself on
Blackrock, with Jjttle hope of rescue. Despite this awareness,
no force so large could move with alacrity, particularly since
they had limited access to the cliff top. The sun had risen by
the time their columns made their way up the switchbacks.
With the army gathered, Magnus' sense of himself as only a
small part of an enormous effort was magnified. At the same
time he knew the importance of his mission, a responsibility he
would shoulder alone.
Magnus had been entrusted with five additional Defenders
offloaded from the ships overnight, all originally intended for
Major Durn wick. It was primarily by their cannons and a
Limited quality of explosive ammunition that he was to demojjsh
the target necrofactorium. He still had his two Sentinels, but his
old Arcane had been deemed unfit for battle. He had been given
another to replace it, plus another Charger and Ironclad as well.
Altogether he now controlled thirteen warjacks.
don't sleep,
we fortify. '
Captain Thatch stopped nearby while checking the status of
their ammunition stores and gave Magnus an appraising look.
"Are you all right, Major? Not enough sleep?"
Magnus had been staring blankly ahead with his mind
dispersed among his warjacks. He shook his head and said,
"Gravediggers don't sleep, we fortifY." It was an old trencher
saying, and several of the nearby men chuckled. Thatch
nodded in approval and returned to his men.
Controlling so many warjacks represented a mental challenge
he had never attempted before. Their military-grade cortexes
were sufficient to engage in battle without hi s constant
supervision, but he still needed to give them periodic general
orders. If he wanted them positioned for maximum effect, he
had to stay in contact with their cortexes at all times. He felt
rustracted connecting to so many, as each sent perioruc signals
to him that included glimpses through their ocular systems. It
would require acclimation.
This was overwhelming enough without considering the full
battalion of a thousand soldiers now under his command. While
it was a fraction of the forces being supervised by the ranking
colonels and commanders, to Magnus it was a significant
logistical challenge. He was glad to have experienced captains
working under him, each overseeing a quarter of the force. He
knew he needed to project an air of utmost confidence, even
as Vmter's words echoed in his mind. He could not help but
wonder if his promotion had indeed been premature. Was he
ready for this? Had he been a fool to volunteer?
The air filled with shouted orders as the army got underway.
They had split into four ruvisions, each targeting a different
necrofactorium compl ex. Magnus and t he 199th were attached
to the largest single ruvision, directly led by King Vinter, Lord
Gene;al Leto, and Commanders Kinbrace and Nemo. They
would penetrate deepest into the dark island. Rangers had
gone out in the night to survey the mustering Cryxian forces,
and those who returned reported the enemy massing at several
places in the interior. Detailed reconnaissance was Limited, with
so many rangers rrussmg.
The division making its way inland was Large enough to be
fronted by a line of heavy warjacks that flattened and backed
through the twisted undergrowth as they went, malci.ng it
easier for the wide columns of soldiers who followed. Along
the most direct route toward Magnus' intended target was a
narrow pass through steep hills that the rangers had reported
as guarded by the largest concentration of Cryxian forces. A
towering, undead horror with tattered wings had been seen
learung that army-Likely Lich Lord Terminus, one of Lord
Toruk's most terrifYing generals.

no OURRTtR IDRGR2In: THE KinG'S mnn

'

..
Magnus would have given much to see Vinter 's army clash added, "Can't see the name of the revenant ship. It's not the

with that of Terminus, but his batta]jon peeled away from the Atramentow at least, thank Morrow."
main column miles ahead of that choke point. The warcasters

with the division were not seeking to break t hrough t he
Kirkwall looked down at the boats pulled up on the beach and

Cryxian army at that position but rather to engage them in
said, "That's a lot oflaunches."
11:
a protracted and costly battle. Hopefully the fight would
Magnus felt a knot of unease in his stomach. The Wwower
lure reinforcements from deeper in the interior; every
was said to most often travel with the flagships of the Black

enemy attracted to this clash would be one less lying in wait
F leet. The thought of their navy being engaged rose to

to intercept Magnus' battalion. Leto would withdraw as
the forefront of his mind. He pushed these worries down,

necessary once the bait was taken.
knowing they had to focus on the mission at band. "Chances
are, whoever landed went deeper inland. It's imperative we
...
The 199th took a circuitous route nearer the shoreline to
!::>.
approach the target. Magnus had often been forced to reconcile
don't open fire or use grenades except as a last resort. Other
than that, nothing changes."
..
I speed and stealth whi le penetrating the Khadoran interior. The
I
'
I
23rd had been used for many covert strikes against Khadoran
With a thousand soldiers and over a dozen warjacks, stealth
I
settlements deemed too close to the Cygnaran border, and
was impossible. The smoke of Magnus' 'jacks created a haze
'
he and his team had needed to be brutally efficient in order
over their position, while the sound of their force was as

to strike and escape before the Khadoran Army retaliated.
obvious as the trail they left behind. Magnus was not trying
He drew on that experience as he could, a lthough he now
to remain hidden, only to avoid easy observation from afar.

maneuvered an entire battalion.
Visibility on the island was generally poor due to the thick
vegetation and uneven terrain. They could only hope no
I
'?
After a long march they arrived within sigQt of a blighted
significant enemy force was nearby.
trollkin village. Following a bit of scouting they determined '
that most of the village's hardier inhabitants had already
Within the hour, their forward scouts reported another village
t
left, likely to join war parties in the interior. Mostly youths
ahead. Magnus passed down orders to clear it with similar
I

1
and a few females remai.ned. Even these were fierce, though,
pragmatic efficiency as the last. Captains Kirkwall and Jacobs
. .'
and Magnus could not take the risk of them alerting others
went ahead with their commandos. Magnus had most of
..
in the vicinity; he bad no choice but to clear the vill age. To
his Light 'jacks and his Ironclads at the front of the regular
'
I
suppress the population as quietly as possible, he ordered
infantry, ready to send them in after the first strike. It began
1

!
his men to refrain from rille and cannon fire, relying instead
to rain, which should have been a relief amid the stifling island
,
:
.,
on commandos closing to melee and his warjacks assisting
heat. Yet even this had been fouled by the Cryxian miasma on
:
.
after battle was joined. The work was quickly and efficiently
Blackrock, and each warm, oily drop that landed left a burning
'
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accompli shed, and the battalion was able to move on.
sensation on their skin. r.;
I
Magnus took no enjoyment in such actions but knew war
This village, a ring of crude huts, sat atop a craggy hill near
required a certain pragmatism, one his company had long
the shore. The commandos crept up the hill in silence, ready to

I
since learned to accept.
e
carry out their bloody task. Before they could enter the village
Their path took them near the eastern
:
shore of the island, which was rocky
"Beautiful. Just beautiful.

and craggy even without the wall of
cliffs that loomed along the southern. Tbat blackship is the Widower."

#-
. liJ
Magnus and his officers kept a

watchful eye on their surroundings as
>'
the force hastened down a narrow de6le descending closer to
there was a sudden rumbling and the ground erupted in front
"
sea level. They spotted no further enemies in their path, but
of them as several Helldiver bone jacks leapt from the earth.
f

through a break in the trees along a rare stretch of beach they
Simultaneously a line of heavily armored black ogrun charged i
glimpsed a sight that made their blood run cold: through a Light
from the nearest huts. Magnus knew he had miscalculated:
I
mist on the waters, a pair of large Cryxian ships anchored.
they were ambushed.
'
.:
The nearer one bad the distinct silhouette of a blacks hip. The
Desperately, he sent his Ironc.lads, Chargers, and Sentinels
-
.
other appeared to be an old but more typical sailing vessel,
forward . The Hell divers had fearsome hinged jaws set with
1!: n
except a green glow hung beneath its sails, and unnatural green
metal tusks that easily tore through the nearest commandos.
flames danced along its rails and rigging. It was a ship of the
Those who had been advancing with knives ready were met by
I
I

I
reveqant-crewed Ghost Fleet. Just below their path along the
long warcleavers in the hands of eight-foot-tall ogrun and were
t
beach they could see an entire line of beached Cryxian raiding
quickly hacked down. Simultaneously Magnus heard warbling
'
launches, a clear sign that a sizable landing party had arrived.
cries to the rear of his Line. He glanced back to see satyx:is had

Captain Thatch peered through the scope on his rifle to get
emerged from the forest to carve into his flank. Things had

gone from bad to worse. Magnus impelled his Chargers and
1
a better view and cursed. "Beautiful. J ust beautiful. That
-
blacks hip is the Wwower." The name of the most notorious
Defenders to fire even as he screamed, "Free fire!" Rifle fire
..
erupted throughout the force before t he words were spoken.
I
satyx:is blackship to sail the Broken Coast sent a chill down
'
the spines of all gathered there. Any Cryxian ships were
The hilltop village was the most defensible section of the
a cause for concern, but t he captain of t he Wldower was a
immediate landscape-they needed to seize that ground
If

satyx:is warcaster of particularly fearsome reputation. Thatch
and hold it. "To the village! Advance an8 fire!" He directed
'
Captains Thatch and Haggin to get their men away from the li!
,.
73 -

-
tree line, where seemingly countless saJyxis with barbed whips
were emerging. Mixed among them were groups of rotting
corpses armed with cutlasses and pistols, recognizable as
revenant pirates.
Amid these attackers he spotted a saJyxis woman in warcaster
armor, her attire more ornamented than the others. Wtth the
earlier identification of the Wldower, Magnus knew instantly
this must be Skarre Ravenmane, said to be a queen among the
saJyxis. She was flanked by Slayers and Reapers, and together
they leapt into the fray. Skarre's expression was cruel and gleeful
as she waded into the trenchers with her cutlass in one hand and
a dagger in the other. She then pointed higher up the hillside
and invoked bursts of red acidic liquid to splash into squads of
fleeing soJdjers. Each drop burned flesh with the same deadly
acidic intens.ity as bile. The trenchers fled from her warjacks,
which loped among them like hounds on the hunt.
Magnus knew he had to seize the higher ground and rally
his trenchers before he could deal with her. He had his
Defenders provide what cover fire they could, directing
several to concentrate on and annihilate the nearest Slayer.
He then turned his back on the retreating trenchers to
confront the blighted ogrun ahead. It took an effort of will
to ignore the screams of his men as barbed whips opened
Cygnaran throats and lashed soldiers to shreds. He ran up
the hill while invoking explosions among the ogrun and then
drew his sword to hack into the nearest survivor.
Amid the chaotic melee he lost track of anything beyond the
nearest enemy. He saw Kirkwall narrowly evade an ogrun's
great chopping blow. He drew his hand cannon and squeezed
the trigger to blast a hole through the head of the blighted
creature. He was nearly tackled by another of the brutes but
Captain Haggis intercepted it, screaming incoherently while
stabbing with his long-bladed trench knife. The two tumbled
down the muddy slope and were lost to Magnus' sight. An
entire gang of hulking ogrun battered his Sentinels to scrap
before his Ironclads charged into their midst. Rust and the
other Charger beset the Helldivers.
In a few short moments the ogrun and bone jacks were
eliminated and the hilltop was theirs. Magnus ordered his
captains to get cannons and chain guns into position. His
Arcane ran along the lower slope to let Magnus deliver
sorcerous blasts where the enemy clustered. Soon the light
'jack was rushed by revenants who battered it with their
cutlasses. He yelled, "Take out revenant officers first! " after
seeing many of the men firing futilely into the seemingly
invincible pirates, which feU to bullets only to rise again.
Magnus had hoped to catch Skarre with his Defenders, but
the cagey satyxis queen used her warjacks and the terrain to
stay out of their lanes of fire, keeping at the rear of her force.
She commanded her saJyxis to converge on the warjacks as
Magnus moved them toward her.
The nearest of the raiders cracked their barbed whips to
score the armor of the two nearest Defenders. Suddenly
there was an explosion of unnatural agony in Magnus' mind
as unholy energies from the whips blazed through the 'jacks,
penetrating cortexes and through them searing Magnus'
brain. He fought through the pain to urge those 'jacks to
trample through those besetting them and run up the hill
back toward the Cygnarans. The numerous warjacks in his
arsenal had suddenly become a liability. Any thought
of eliminating Skarre with Defender cannon fire was
gone from his head amid the haze of searing pain.
The trencher line along the lip of the hill unleashed
a deadly hail of lead to cut down the satyxis who
had been pursuing the 'jacks, but even as chain
guns and cannons opened fire the revenants and
saJyxis withdrew back into the trees. Magnus
stood shakily to his feet. The pain in his skull
faded . While he was more rattled than seriously
injured, he knew a sustained assault by those
whips against his 'jacks might well have killed
him from feedback alone. Doing a quick mental
survey of his 'jacks he saw his newly acquired
Charger was scrapped, and Rust and his Ironclads
were damaged, his remaining mechaniks attempting
hasty field repairs.
Magnus' mood was bleak as he saw many
bodies of the 23rd lying motionless along
the bloody ground. He recognized
several of his fallen sergeants and one
of his senior lieutenants. As he took
in the carnage, he saw Thatch and
Kirkwall standing near one of the
fallen just down the slope, their
faces ashen. At their feet was the
bloody and battered corpse of

;..,
I
I
no OURRTER mRGR2InE: THE KinG'S mrrn
!.;
l
'

Captain Haggin. He was sprawled alongside the ogrun that had force with a Slayer, a Reaper, and a single Ripjaw. Magnus
nearly tackled Magnus, his trench knife buried in its chest. The and Kirkwall's scattergun-wielding commandos leapt out from
.,
man had saved his life, but Magnus could think of no comforting the trees to beset the satyxis queen and her immediate escort,
words to say to the remaining captains. Other trencher corpses which they quickly gunned down. But just as quickly the

littered the village and the surrounding hillside. Slayer was among the commandos, tearing them apart with

Magnus felt a surge of relief to spot Arthur Jacobs alive near
its claws. Magnus sent his Ironclad to intercept the fiendish
the cannons. He approached his old friend, who reported,
hell jack while directing Rust and Imp to fire on Ravenmane.
;
"Our defensive position is sound, sir." It was the trencher
He hoped to take her down quickly.
instinct to fortify, and Magnus could see it in Jacobs' eyes. Skarre reacted with preternatural alacrity to evade the "
Magnus knew the enemy would never be so stupid as to
Defender's shell, and her power field absorbed most of the
F'
attack their position now that they were ready and had the
Charger impacts. Blood along her side told him at least one
I
better ground. Besides, they had not come here to seize an
had gotten through. He advanced, firing his hand cannon,
I
ogrun vi llage. "We need to be on the march," he said. His
but her power field shimmered and the shell deflected. The
voice sounded merciless even to his own ears. They all wanted
Reaper turned on him in response, nearly skewering him with
a repri eve-if only a brief one-to gather their dead friends
its harpoon before closing to strike at him with its hell driver.
and bury them. When time permitted in a battle against Cryx,
Magnus smashed his mechanikal blade through the tempered

bodies were always to be dealt with, as each could be animated
steel of its melee weapon and impelled Rust to charge the
as an enemy . But Magnus was operating beyond the ordinarily
machine and hack at its armor with its augmented cleaver.

.
rules, a nd speed was all that mattered. The more time that
Meanwhile the Ripjaw leapt upon his Defender, the whirling
!
l :-
passed, the worse the odds became for the success of their
blade between its mandibles cutting through the warjack's
mission. All the while, additi onal blackships might be rounding
armored plating with alarming efficiency.

the island shores to menace their fleet. Showing foolish bravery, Captain Kirkwall rushed the satyxis
l ;.
The men grumbled, but they obeyed. Platoons were reshuffled
queen. There was nothing Magnus could do to stop her.
\-
as companies made adj ustments for casualties. Once the
Skarre smiled as if welcoming the duel and easily parried and
i
warjacks were refueled and every soldier was resupplied with
evaded Kirkwall's blindingly fast strikes with her cutlass and
i
,.
ammunition t hey set off, leaving the carnage behind.
dagger. Magnus observed the clash with dread, knowing how

Soldi ers warily scanned the dark trees as they went,
it would end, and renewed his assault on the Reaper with
i I"
desperate haste.
'
knowing the enemy was out there, somewhere. Magnus felt
.
confident his battalion still outnumbered Skarre 's landing
The trencher captain feinted and sliced at Skarre's throat, but
party, and he hoped this strength of numbers wou ld see him
the strike deflected off her power fie ld. The Cryxian smashed ' '
through. But he also knew they walked on Cryxian soil,
her horns into Kirkwall 's forehead with a brutal crunch,
r:
i
which t he e nemy knew far better than they. Ravenmane
sending her sprawling. Magnus hammered the Reaper with his
: l_
i
could choose when and w here she struck.
battle blade to finish it and staggered toward the satyxis, but he
'
was too far away to do more than watch as Skarre's dagger cut

The next hours proved this dread to be well founded. Skarre
i
Raven mane stalked them, besetting them without warning
Kirkwall's throat with a spray of arterial blood.
..
again and again. Satyxis, revenants, and bonejacks charged
Magnus charged her with a cry, but she just laughed and I iC.
from the trees while Slayers and Reapers emerged from the
stepped to meet him. He felt tremendous rage as he hacked at
I
i
i :
I
opposite side to beset one or more of Magnus' warjacks. Her
her with !tis Caspian battle blade, but she was too skilled to be
if
objective was clear-she focused relentlessly on his Defenders,
easily struck down. She smiled mockingly as she parried a nd

and he lost one after the other in quick sequence in the course
riposted. He had seen what she could do, but her cutlass and
of three ambushes, until he was down to just two. During each
dagger kept him preoccupied enough that he could not avoid
:-
of these attacks he made wrecks of hell jacks, but that seemed
it when she crashed her horned forehead into his just as she
I
I
a trade Ravenmane was willing to accept. At each ambush
had done with Kirkwal.l. He saw stars as he fell to his knees

satyxis and revenants were slain, but they lost two or three
and blindly raised his sword to parry, feeling certain the killing I
"
I
trenchers for every foe they put down. When they tried to
strike would descend.
' 0.,:
pursue the enemy into the trees, they lost even more. Through his link to his warjacks he felt his Ironclad and


I The situation became desperate as their numbers shifted. After
the Slayer deliver mutually crippling blows to one another.

the third ambush Magnus knew he had lost the numerical
Imp managed to batter the Ripjaw to wreckage with its
advantage. The toll of death weighed heavily on his mind, and
flall, and the badly damaged Reaper fell to Rust's cleaver.

; !'
he could see he wasn't the only one. The remaining soldiers of
With Skarre's 'jacks destroyed or crippl ed, he summoned
.:,;
I
the l99th looked harrowed, their eyes sunken and their hands
Imp and Rust to charge the satyxis queen. Magnus saw
gripping their rifles desperately. Magnus knew he had to risk
her raising her cutlass over him, but before she commi tted
I "
I
1 i,"
his own ambush to try to regain the advantage, and he stayed
to the blow she spotted the movement of his warjacks.
i
back while the rest of the column continued on. He took with
Frowning as if in annoyance, she leapt toward the cover of
.,
him a handpicked force led by Captain Kirkwall, along with
the trees. His 'jacks fired, but their shots only splintered
'
I
one of his battered Ironclads, Imp, and Rust.
bark. She was gone. Magnus stumbled shakily to his feet,

Staying off t he main path, he managed to flank the satyxis
his eyes swimming with spots and his head reeling from the

concussion. He shook his head in frustration to see Kirkwall
:.
queen and catch her off guard after the rest of her raiding
lying dead at his feet, her eyes staring blankly upward.
!;
party marched past. She had kept warily near the rear of her

::.:-
75
..
'-
..
"
fortresses and temples. Baleful green light gleamed through
countless slits and apertures. They sent their last rangers to
check the structure more closely. As they awaited the rangers'
return, every trencher gripping his rifle fearfully, finding little
solace in the pale faces of battle-scarred sergeants and officers.
They had lost their chain guns and were down to one cannon,
now pointed at the great closed metal doors.
A pair of tremendous smoke stacks extended from the domed
roof of the building like wicked horns. Several times as they
waited there was a strange moaning noise, as &om some
doleful horn, before acrid plumes erupted &om the stacks to fill
the air above. This vapor was tinged with green and bubbled
and boiled in the air. Several of the trenchers had torn off cloth
to wrap around their mouths and noses, fearing the air itself,
which was biting and foul. Each indrawn breath brought a
metallic taste, with something rotten beneath.
The rangers returned and their sergeant reported, "Massive
bile production facility. Found an aperture on the south face,
too narrow to get through, but I could see inside. The whole
central area's filled with bile thralls, unmoving. Hundreds
upon hundreds. They don't look . . . urn .. . active. Saw huge
armored tanks: bile reservoirs. Lots of thumping machinery.
Some necrotechs in there, moving around, but I couldn't get a
count. No patrols outside we could see. If there's a garrison, it's
not as big as we feared. But we couldn't see everything. Most
of the space inside is taken up by the inert bile thralls. Likely
they're being pumped full before activation." The soldiers
around them muttered fearfully.
Magnus had been staring at the stacks as great plumes of
smoke poured forth. "I wonder .. . " He locked eyes with
Arthur Jacobs, who showed a glimmer of interest. He knew
the tone in Magnus' voice when a plan had come to him.
Magnus continued, "I don't think we need Defenders to bring
this place down. We just have to block those vents. Whatever
they're doing in there, it requires pressure. Like a steam boiler.
If we block the vents, the pressure will build- "
Jacobs' eyes widened. "And the place might blow. The
machinery could destroy itself."
Thatch looked back and forth between the two of them as if
they were crazy. "What if there's a safety mechanism to shut
down the engines?"
no UURRTER THE KinG'S Ullin
Magnus chewed the inside of his lip, his mind racing. "Here's
what we11 do. We break in, then the two of you find a way to
stop the venting. I can check the engines for fail-safes. We get
as far away as possible before it blows."
Captain Thatch scowled. "You make it sound so easy!"
Magnus said calmly, "This factory is deep in Blackrock, where
no living man has ever stood. This place has but one purpose:
to make weapons. Cryx doesn't build places like this expecting
they will be attacked. We left a trail of corpses to get here. That
was the hard part."
Thatch said nothing more, but Magnus sensed his morale-
and that of the men -was shaky. Every soldier was
imagining the horror of hundreds of bile thralls in one place.
Magnus had to admit he also found the thought terrifying.
He spoke again, "Every Cryxian weapon made here might
be turned on our countrymen. We've made it this far. Now
we just need to finish the job and destroy this place. In doing
so, we will save far more lives than we have lost today." He
could see his words had an impact, firming their resolve,
although fear lingered in their eyes.

Magnus touched the cortexes of Rust and Imp and told the
cannon crew to get ready to fire. At his signal the trencher
cannon bucked and rolled back &om recoil even as the Charger
and Defender also f1red. The massive metal doors buckled and
exploded inward, torn off their hinges. "Advance!" he shouted.
The sound of the cannons had gotten the adrenaline of the men
pumping. They forgot their fea r for the moment and charged.
Dozens of mechanithralls emerged from the shattered doors
only to be immediately cut down by rifle fire. More were met
by sprays of metal shrapnel and grenades, and then the soldiers
got inside the doors. Battle became chaotic in close quarters,
and a number of trenchers fell to steam-powered fists before
they cleared the vicinity. Additional grenade explosions and
rifle fire cleared the immediate area enough for Magnus and
his 'jacks to push inside. Just past the shattered doors he
spotted an ancillary square room set into the left wall, likely
where those mechanithralls had originated.
The interior of the factory was lit by a now-familiar green glow
from the fires of numerous churning machines. The stench of
burning necrotite was heavy in the foul air, prompting many
of the trenchers to fall into fits of coughing. The main
chamber was indeed filled with endless rows of
bile thralls, a sight that was even more sinister
in person than they had imagined . . Magnus
lmew his men did not have enough bullets
to shoot them all even if they had been
so inclined. Fortunately the thralls were
still as statues. He saw necrotechs
scurrying amid the machinery deeper
inside the open chamber, hurriedly
throwing levers and switches. The
sight alarmed him, and he wondered
what they might be activating. He
targeted those he could see with
Defender and Charger fire, hoping to
eliminate them before they could finish
whatever they had planned.
77
76
Thoughts of vengeance were derailed
when another explosion of pain
erupted in his head. Raiders
back at the main column had
beset the 'jacks he had left
with the main column with
lacerator whips. He and
the remaining men rushed
back to see satyxis and
revenants attacking the
rear of his force while
mechanithralls alongside
Deathripper bonejacks
struck at the front.
Magnus lost his temper
and threw himself into the
minds of his 'jacks even as
he charged those nearest
with his blade.
He had no thoughts for
his own safety as he hacked
through them, feeling a
sizzling fire in his brain as more
lacerator strikes brought down his
second Ironclad. Chain guns were
set in place and spun up to firing speed,
but their crews were overrun and sliced
to bloody ribbons. The battle came down
to revenant cutlasses, satyxis whips, and trencher
knives and bayonets.
A Deathripper barreled into Magnus, knocking him from his
feet as he wedged his sword into its fanged mouth. Weak from
fatigue and blood loss he could only batter at it feebly, but
Jacobs came to his side and kicked the machine from him and
then blasted it with his scattergun. Magnus summoned one last
adrenaline surge and battered the bonejack to oblivion with
his blade. He and Jacobs were then separated as they plunged
back into the fray.
It seemed a long time of metal on metal and bloody carnage,
and at the end Magnus was half-blinded by the blood seeping
into his eyes from a gash along his forehead. At last there was a
moment of calm, and he was able to step back and take stock of
the situation. He had resigned himself to dying here, to taking
as many of the enemy down with him as he could. What he
saw now was almost startling: they seemed to have won. The
trampled and shredded section of forest where they fought was
littered with corpses from both sides. He blinked and stared at
the remaining trenchers, who seemed so few.
Magnus breathed hard and felt strangely numb even though
his heart was beating heavily and his body ached from battle
fatigue as well as countless cuts and bruises. He took in the
bodies around them and could not muster any emotions,
whether he looked on men in the navy blue of the King's
Own or Cryxians in satyxis leathers. Both seemed the same.
A remote part of his mind registered he was down to two of
his original 'jacks: Imp and Rust. The rest had been wrecked.
Where had his force gone? The answer lay in bloody piles
around him.
His mind balked to consider how few soldiers were left. He
looked up as his last two captains approached, covered in
gore. Jacobs was limping from a
hastily bandaged slash along his
left leg, but Thatch appeared
relatively unhurt. A trencher
lieutenant took Thatch aside
to tell him of Kirkwall 's
fall, and the sniper's face
drained of blood.
"-ffilSSlOn."
The world came
back into focus and
he realized Jacobs
had spoken. Magnus
blinked at him and his
tongue felt thick in
his mouth as he asked,
"What? Say that again."
Jacobs spoke with
quiet intensity. "We need
to consider aborting the
mission, Major."
Magnus swal lowed, his hands
trembling. He knew Jacobs
was right. They needed the
Defenders in order to destroy the
necrofactorium, and now he had only
one, and most of the explosive ammunition
had been spent or lost. Even as he considered this,
Magnus remembered Vmter's words and the icy dread he had
felt in the royal tent. How could he face the king if he failed?
Death seemed preferable.
He spoke in a hoarse voice, "That's not an option. We have
nearly reached the target. We' ve defeated the satyxis leader. "
He had no absolute certainty of this, to be truthful. But the
scheming part of Magnus' mind told him they must have at
least dealt her landing party a crippling blow. Skarre might
gather additional Cryxians from elsewhere on the island,
but doing so would take time. They had a narrow window in
which to act.
"Look around!" Jacobs jabbed a finger pointedly back at
where the remnants of their battalion gathered. "We've lost
most of our men! All your Defenders are destroyed but one.
This mission is over, Asheth."
He rarely used Magnus' fLrst name, but if he felt it would
have an impact, he had miscalculated. "This is not a debate,
Captain. I wilL destroy that factory. Let's march." Jacobs stared
in disbelief as Magnus marched past him. Magnus did not wait
for the men, but they soon followed, leaving behind the corpses
of their friends.
~
Assault on the Necrofactorium.
The men passed the rest of the march in fear, knowing Skarre
might descend upon them at any time. But as Magnus had
predicted, there were no additional ambushes. Above the trees
the great necrofactorium loomed, a massive brooding edifice as
squat, ugly, and unadorned as any built by Cryx. It was made
of blackened stone that called to mind old stories of Orgoth
fortresses and temples. Baleful green Light gleamed through
countless slits and apertures. They sent their last rangers to
check the structure more closely. As they awaited the rangers'
return, every trencher gripping his rifle fearfully, finding little
solace in the pale faces of battle-scarred sergeants and officers.
They had lost their chain guns and were down to one cannon,
now pointed at the great closed metal doors.
A pair of tremendous smoke stacks extended from the domed
roof of the building like wicked horns. Several times as they
waited there was a strange moaning noise, as from some
doleful horn, before acrid plumes erupted &om the stacks to fill
the air above. This vapor was tinged with green and bubbled
and boiled in the air. Several of the trenchers had torn off cloth
to wrap around their mouths and noses, fearing the air itself,
which was biting and foul. Each indrawn breath brought a
metallic taste, with something rotten beneath.
The rangers returned and their sergeant reported, "Massive
bile production facility. Found an aperture on the south f ~ c e ,
too narrow to get through, but I could see inside. The whole
central area's 6lled with bile thralls, unmoving. Hundreds
upon hundreds. They don't look ... urn .. . active. Saw huge
armored tanks: bile reservoirs. Lots of thumping machinery.
Some necrotechs in there, moving around, but I couldn't get a
count. No patrols outside we could see. lf there's a garrison, it's
not as big as we feared. But we couldn't see everything. Most
of the space inside is taken up by the inert bile thralls. Likely
they're being pumped full before activation." The soldiers
around them muttered fearfully.
Magnus had been staring at the stacks as great plumes of
smoke poured forth . "I wonder ... "He locked eyes with
Arthur Jacobs, who showed a glimmer of interest. He knew
the tone in Magnus' voice when a plan had come to him.
Magnus continued, "I don't think we need Defenders to bring
this place down. We just have to block those vents. Whatever
they're doing in there, it requires pressure. Like a steam boiler.
lf we block the vents, the pressure will build-"
Jacobs' eyes widened. "And the place might blow. The
machinery could destroy itself."
Thatch looked back and forth between the two of them as if
they were crazy. "What if there's a safety mechanism to shut
down the engines?"
no OURRTER IDRGR2InE: THE RinG'S Ollin
Magnus chewed the inside of his lip, his mind racing. "Here's
what we'U do. We break in, then the two of you find a way to
stop the venting. I can check the engines for fail-safes. We get
as far away as possible before it blows."
Captain Thatch scowled. "You make it sound so easy!"
Magnus said calmly, "This factory is deep in Blackrock, where
no living man has ever stood. This place has but one purpose:
to make weapons. Cryx doesn't build places like this expecting
they will be attacked. We le& a trail of corpses to get here. That
was the hard part."
Thatch said nothing more, but Magnus sensed his morale-
and that of the men -was shaky. Every soldier was
imagining the horror of hundreds of bile thralls in one place.
Magnus had to admit he also found the thought terrifYing.
He spoke again, "Every Cryxian weapon made here might
be turned on our countrymen. We've made it this far. Now
we just need to 6nish the job and destroy this place. In doing
so, we will save far more lives than we have lost today." He
could see his words had an impact, firming their resolve,
although fear lingered in their eyes.
~
Magnus touched the cortexes of Rust and Imp and told the
cannon crew to get ready to fire. At his signal the trencher
cannon bucked and rolled back &om recoil even as the Charger
and Defender also fired. The massive metal doors buckled and
exploded inward, torn off their hinges. "Advance!" he shouted.
The sound of the cannons had gotten the adrenaune of the men
pumping. They forgot their fear for the moment and charged.
Dozens of mechanithralls emerged from the shattered doors
only to be immediately cut down by rifle ftre. More were met
by sprays of metal shrapnel and grenades, and then the soldiers
got inside the doors. Battle became chaotic in close quarters,
and a number of trenchers feU to steam-powered 6sts before
they cleared the vicinity. Additional grenade explosions and
rifle 6re cleared the immediate area enough for Magnus and
his 'jacks to push inside. Just past the shattered doors he
spotted an ancillary square room set into the le& wall, likely
where those mechanithraUs had originated.
The interior of the factory was lit by a now-familiar green glow
from the fires of numerous churning machines. The stench of
burning necrotite was heavy in the foul air, prompting many
of the trenchers to fall into flts of coughing. The main
chamber was indeed 6lled with endless rows of
bile thralls, a sight that was even more sinister
in person than they had imagined. Magnus
knew his men did not have enough bullets
to shoot them all even if they had been
so inclined. Fortunately the thralls were
stiU as statues. He saw necrotechs
scurrying amid the machinery deeper
inside the open chamber, hurriedly
throwing levers and switches. The
sight alarmed him, and he wondered
what they might be activating. He
targeted those he could see with
Defender and Charger fire, hoping to
eUminate them before they could finish
whatever they had planned.
77
] no QURRTER mRGR2InE: THE KinG'S Ollin
<
~
I ~
I ~
l'i
I
I ~
I'
I ~
I ~
78
!:i
.....
Jacobs grabbed Thatch's arm and pointed up along the outer
walls to where scaffolding and metal-grilled p latforms allowed
access to sections of the building's upper machinery. "I think
we can get to the vent shafts up there. You go that way."
Magnus said, "Work quickly. The rest of the men will keep the
exit secured while I check the engines.
Thatch nodded, and each captain selected a squad of trenchers
to accompany him as they made their separate ways up the
small and precarious ramps. Those seemed sturdy enough
to sustain their weight, but there were no railings, and the
p latforms were uncomfortably narrow.
The doors to several other ceU-Iike rooms along the first floor
perimeter clanged open to disgorge additional mechanithraUs,
plus a number of active bile thralls. There was no sign of an
intelligence directing them. The trenchers not with Thatch
and Jacobs had formed into a defensive cordon just within
the entrance to the main chamber. Magnus used his arcane
power to augment their firing range as they took aim at t he
approaching enemy. Those in the front row fired and fell back
to reload while the next line with readied rifles took their place.
It was one of the few times when Magnus wished his battalion
included long gunners. He preferred the more adaptable skills
of hardened trenchers in general, but when it came to laying
down a volume of firepower no soldi ers could match the long
gunners. He and his 'jacks stepped forward to assist, but the
line suffered additional casualties when mechanithralls reached
them, and he could plainly see that the rest of the men were
rattled and afraid, eager to leave this nightmare place. Even as
they fought, their eyes strayed to the hundreds of statue-like
bile thralls looming nearby.
Magnus went ahead alone to make his way toward the heavy
engines. This required him to step directly through the eerie
rows of bile thralls, getting too close a look at their bloated
stitched 8esh and grotesque weaponry. Lengths of piping
like black snakes connected each of them to thicker conduits
extending from the central reservoir. Numerous pipes attached
this to smaller vats and those in turn to the pumping steam
engines. Magnus ran his eye along the maze of piping, puzzling
out their relation to the churning pistons and other machine
elements. He thought he could see how this place functioned.
As he rounded one machine he was startled to see several
thralls shoveling necrotite into the open maw of a furnace. The
blight-6iled radiance from the heat of its fire made his muscles
ache, and nausea clenched his stomach. He raised his hand
cannon toward them but stopped when it became clear they
a U. Not seeing any elegant solution, he used his mechanikal
sword to batter the pressure meters and valves to wreckage.
He finished this just as on t he catwalks above his two captains
were concluding their own sabotage on the main vent stacks
to choke off the steam exhausts. Thatch managed to hammer
one of the thick pipes closed but then released a thick surge of
hideous gas straight into his face, prompting him to cough and
retch. He staggered away, coughing up blood, and his nearest
soldiers helped him away from the noxious fumes and back
down the perilous scaffolding.
Magnus felt a moment of satisfaction when heard t he
apparatus shudder as it attempted its next venting. The
pressure had begun to build. His appreciation was short-lived,
though, as he heard shouts of alarm from the soldiers near t he
doors. Through the eyes of Rust and lmp he saw an entire
line of the previously inert bile thralls swing into motion. They
were waking up.
He gritted his teeth and raced back through the silent rows
of their kind, expecting them to turn on him at any moment.
Fortunately they seemed to be activating slowly, a few at a
time, a nd he did not have to fight hi s way back to his men.
Rifle fire increased in intensity ahead, and Magnus sent Imp
and Rust to intercept the thralls that escaped the initial hail
of bullets and scattergun fire. Even with these efforts several
exploded close enough to send caustic fluid across the front
ranks. The men collapsed screaming as their flesh melted, and
then the rest of Magnus' remaining soldi ers broke and ran.
They were not willing to stand against certain, torturous death.
Acidic fluid coati ng the warjacks slowly ate through armor
and conduits, a lthough they should endure for several
minutes longer at least. Magnus evaded another spray of
the fluid as he reached them. More and more of t he biles
were animating, pulling loose from t he black umbilical
cords connected to the bile reservoir and stepping forward
to engage. The machinery at the vaul ted chamber's center
s hook noticeably, the metal creaking and groaning as the
pressure chamber reached its limit.
Magnus stood in the opening of the exit and assessed the
situation. The troops accompanying Thatch and Jacobs had
scrambled down t he catwalks whil e firing at the nearest biles.
Jacobs Limped to the lower level, but bile t hra ll s blocked his
path to the doors. "Magnus! " he shouted, "Clear the way! " He
fired his scattergun to shred several of the near est foes. Thatch
and hismen were farther back, cut off by more active biles.
They were forced to retreat back up onto the walkway.
paid him no mind. They
were designed for the
simple task of shoveling
Cryxian fuel, not to
fight; their work would
actually help him in his
objective. Magnus did
not interrupt them.
This required bim to step directly
tbrougb tbe eerie rows of bile tbralls,
getting too close a look at tbeir bloated
stitcbed fl.esb and grotesque weaponry.
He climbed blackened steps to reach the upper section of the
large machine and pressure tank connected to the exhaust
vents. There he discovered an immense configuration of
valves and triggers that might, in fact, quench the engines if it
detected a pressure overload. It seemed the building's engineers
had taken steps to avoid at least a simple malfunction after
Imp lurched for a moment and took a step toward Jacobs as
Magnus considered sending it to trample through the biles to
get to him. Magnus stopped the 'jack as a horrible calculus
suddenly came together in his mind. The machinery might soon
reach its pressured culmination. He visualized the rupturing
tank and bile fluid pouring forth to consume them aU.
I
.
!-,
I
no OURRTER IDRGR2InE: THE KinG'S mun
1&
l
;:.
I
As frightfu l as that was to imagine, there was a possibility and his side was wrapped in bandages. His head was also ~
worse yet: the explosion might not happen at all. He could wrapped; in fact, there seemed to be little of his skin that was
,,
i
not be sure the tanks would rupture without assistance, not bandaged.
!'
I
particularly as the sabotage to t he upper stacks had
I ~
He had a vague recollection of a Leviathan spike piercing
~ - been incomplete. A miasma of greenish corrosive steam
his power field after he had rejoined the battle occupying
continued to pour from the battered cylinders below the
the main army, but most of that battle was an uncertain blur,
I ~
ceiling, perhaps releasing too much pressure. Impious
a sequence of hazy images that did not qillte make sense. It
I
was quickly being overwhelmed by the caustic fluid of
did not seem important to sort them out right now. A great
lrl
the biles and wou ld not last long. He could send it to
'
save Jacobs, but that wou ld. be its last act, and then he
numbness filled him, tinged. with bitter sorrow. The images
!.
would have no Defender to use as backup against the
from the destruction of the bile factory came back in a rush,
1
'
and once again he saw the expression on Arthur Jacobs' face
necrofactorium. He might well fail in his mission.
when Magnus had. turned away from him. His hand. reached
r,_-
If the mission were not
I
completed, all these biles-now
It tbe mission were not com/leted, all
active and ready-would march
t ese biles-now active an ready-
I
against Vmter's army. The
: ~
I
factory would endure to make
would marcb against Vinter's army. '
more from the gathered corpses
l
of the King's Own. Magnus
'
I
;-
remembered the sensation of awaiting the king's sword to for the shared memento that should. be around his neck, but it
.,
1
sever his neck when they had last spoken. was not there. His heart pounding, he looked to his side and "tj
saw the necklace with the bullet Jacobs had given him lying
~ ~
Jacobs caught his eye again as he desperately reloaded his
scattergun. Magnus stepped back, shaking hls head once,
with some of his other possessions on a crate by the bed. He "i
and turned his back on his closest friend. to exit the building.
reached out and clenched. his fist around it, then fell back onto
the cot in exhaustion.
-
Through the eyes of hls 'jacks he saw the horror dawn on
.
'
:
Jacobs' face. Someone stepped into the tent, and it took him a moment
As he walked away, Magnus clenched. his teeth and directed
to realize who it was-the black armor, the piercing stare.
.':
:,.
Rust to aim at the main pressure tank and Impious at the
He tried to raise himself but shooting pain paralyzed him,
bile reservoir. They fired in sequence, bursting the straining
and he groaned.
:
pressure tank even as his Defender's shell struck the reservoir "As you were, Major." King Vinter Raelthorne IV spoke in an
. ~
I
to send a spiderweb of cracks through its armored exterior. unusually gentle tone. "The battle is ended. You will be back
~
The blast was enormous, deafening him and hurling him to on the flagship soon."
, ~
the ground outside the building despite his power field. A
"My King," Magnus gasped, feeling a rush of shame. "I lost
I 1e
chunk of stone managed to penetrate it and hit the back of his
my battallon. All of them. I'm sorry. I have failed you."
I
head hard enough to draw blood.
I '
Vmter shook his head. "No. You completed your mission and
'
Through Imp's ocular apparatus, he saw Jacobs blasted off
. ~
I
returned alive. The deaths of those you led, while tragic, were
I
his feet to hit the far wall as a green tide of bile fluid gushed
' .
necessary. You learned to make the hard decisions that define
,,
.,
from the shattered reservoir. The impact might have killed
'
a leader, and your nation is indebted to you. We will honor '
him outright if not for a large intervening vat, which absorbed
you properly when we return to Highgate."
~
the brunt of the explosion. Still conscious, he had. only a
~
His head swimming, he stared in mute disbelief at his
'
moment to register the green tide of bile fluid gushing from
the shattered reservoir. Even the bile thralls themselves,
sovereign, who offered a rare smile and went so far as to
..
I
ordinarily resistant to corrosive fluids, were unable to retain
clasp him on his shoulder before turning to leave. Tears rose
.
cohesiveness against complete immersion. As they were swept
in Magnus' eyes. He felt some great weight slide away, some
up by a torrent of concentrated flwd, the hundreds of thralls
burden that had been pressing his chest. Magnus let it go,
I
I
began to disintegrate. Magnus barely registered it.
along with the memory of Jacobs' horribed face. He chose to
! ~
His borrowed eyes stayed locked on Jacobs, who had just
focus on the Vmter's words instead. He knew every soldier
regained his feet as the fluid reached him. He screamed as his
was a weapon that might be expended. Yet by those same
~
flesh rotted and sloughed off, transformed into a horrifYing
words Magnus wondered. if he might have become something
'
more to the king. Someone truly important, worth preserving.
.
slurry. It was no small blessing when acid overwhelmed .
the 'jack cortexes and. their vision went dark. Feeling dizzy,
He let the bullet on its chain slip from his fingers and fall to
~
sickened, and wretched., be staggered away between blighted
the floor next to his cot. He rolled to face the tent wall and fell
"
' .
into a deep sleep, not waking even when he was lifted to be '
I
trees toward the distant thunder of cannons.
'
~
carried onto the ln'Jomilable Storm.
..
,
~
I
Magnus awoke disoriented and confused. It was too quiet.
~
He realized he was lying on a crude cot within a hospital tent
"
alongside other wounded. His entire body pulsed with pain,
~
79 ..
r... ~
- - -
T
his Battle Report marks a number of firsts for No Quarter Magazine. For starters, it's quite simply the
biggest one we've ever done. Clocking in at thirty-two pages, this beast of a Battle Report is based upon a
truly epic conflict, one that echoes a pivotal moment in Cygnaran history.
Second, this is the first Battle Report to use the new Unbound rules for large-scale combats (see No Quarter# 36
for full details on this exciting new way to play WARMACHINE and HORDES). Ed and Jason each took 150
points of Skorne and Cygnar respectively, with each army featuring three warcasters/warlocks and more warjacks,
warbeasts, and troops than I've ever seen on one table. The pictures in this article barely do justice to that carpet
of red and blue models that dominated 6ve hours of a rainy February afternoon.
Finally, this Battle Report, while obviously not an exact recreation of the events that transpired in 603 AR,
attempts to capture the spirit and setting of Vi.nter Raelthorne's bloody attack on Corvis. Our battle takes place on
the Black River Bridge where a decisive victory was fought to turn back an invading Skorne army. The "what-if''
scenario presented in this article attempts to divine what a pitched battle between Skorne and Cygnar forces might
have looked like if both had brought to bear their most potent weapons -a trio of each faction 's most renowned
warcasters and warlocks. -Aeryn
I
would like to start off by saying I have played A
LOT of Unbound games, and experience has taught
me to play with what I know. Taking scores of
different solos and support models in hopes of executing
super combos is more complication than it's worth in
games of this size. The last thing I want to do is pause
in the middle of the game to refresh my memory on
half-a-dozen rules and then hope I win the initiative so I
can put THE PLAN in motion. I would rather respond
to the tides of war intuitively, taking advantage of the
opportunities fortune and my opponent provide. To
that end, I selected models and units with which I was
comfortable and that were able to support each other.
I chose Commander Coleman Stryker and Captain
Victoria Haley because I am well versed in their
respective bags of tricks. They also have a lot of potent
support capabilities and can make a defmite impact in
a game of this scale. I wanted General Adept Nemo
because 1 felt what he brings to the table in terms of
battlegroup maneuverabi lity and raw power could turn
the tide of battle.
Defenders, Stormclads, and Lancers are my go-to
Cygnaran warjacks. Properly supported by Storm blade
Infantry for maximum focus efficiency, a Stormclad is a
wrecking ball in motion. I knew from the start my Long
Gunner Infantry would be married to my Precursor
Knights. I added Harlan Versh to deal with those brutally
effective Skorne upkeep spells. Plus, I just like the model.
Though my Trencher Infantry would not be able to use
Dig-In on t he upper bridge, I figured their smoke and
weapon attachments would make fine crowd-control to
keep the Skorne in line.
There are many Cygnar players that believe models
like the Squire or Black 13th belong in every army list,
but I don't fall into that "must have" mentality. I'll take
more Stormsmiths over a Squire any day, and in a battle
this large, the Black 13th is just a little too fragile for
my needs. Besides, not having Thunderbolt is just a
deal -breaker for me.
0 Captain Victoria Haley
0 Defender

General Adept Nemo
4) Lancer

Stormclad x2
+5 warjack pts
9
8
+6 warjack pts
6
4
20 (10 ea.)
e Commander Coleman Stryker + 6 warjack pts
0 Defender 9
e Lancer
0 Stormclad
6
10
S Arcane Tempest Gun Mages (full)
e Long Gunner Infantry (full)
G Precursor Knights (full)
6
10
8
Precursor Knight Officer & Standard 2
e Stormblade Infantry x3 15 (5 ea.)
Stormblade Infantry Officer & Std. x3 9 (3 ea.)
e Trencher Commandos (full) 10
Trencher Commando Scattergunner x3 3 (1 ea.)
0 Trencher Infantry (full) 10
Trencher Infantry Officer & Standard
Trencher Infantry Rille Grenadier x3
8 Field Mechaniks (full)
Captain Arlan Strangewayes
8 Journeyman Warcaster
Stormsmith Stormcaller x6
G Harlan Versh, Illuminated One
3
3 (1 ea.)
3
2
3
6 (1 ea.)
2
TOTAL 167
(150 +17 WARJACK POINTS)
I
would like to start off by saying I have played A
LOT of Unbound games, and experience has taught
me to play with what I know. Taking scores of
different solos and support models in hopes of executing
super combos is more complication than it's worth in
games of this size. The last thing I want to do is pause
in the middle of the game to refresh my memory on
half-a-dozen rules and then hope I win the initiative so I
can put THE PLAN in motion. I would rather respond
to the tides of war intuitively, taking advantage of the
opportunities fortune and my opponent provide. To
that end, I selected models and units with which I was
comfortable and that were able to support each other.
I chose Commander Coleman Stryker and Captain
Victoria Haley because I am well versed in their
respective bags of tricks. They also have a lot of potent
support capabilities and can make a definite impact in
a game of this scale. I wanted General Adept Nemo
because I felt what he brings to the table in terms of
battlegroup maneuverability and raw power could turn
the tide of battle.
Defenders, Stormclads, and Lancers are my go-to
Cygnaran warjacks. Properly supported by Stormblade
Infantry for maximum focus efficiency, a Stormclad is a
wrecking ball in motion. I knew from the start my Long
Gunner Infantry would be married to my Precursor
Knights. I added Harlan Versh to deal with those brutally
effective Skorne upkeep spells. Plus, I just like the model.
Though my Trencher Infantry would not be able to use
Dig-In on the upper bridge, I figured their smoke and
weapon attachments would make fine crowd-control to
keep the Skorne in line.
There are many Cygnar players that believe models
like the Squire or Black 13th belong in every army list,
but I don't fall into that "must have" mentality. I'll take
more Stormsmiths over a Squire any day, and in a battle
this large, the Black 13th is just a tittle too fragile for
my needs. Besides, not having Thunderbolt is just a
deal-breaker for me.
SCENARIO RULES
Since Ed and Jason were taking the Unbound rules
for a public test drive, we didn't think it was necessary
to muddy up their conflict with a complicated scenario.
For th.is Unbound Battle Report, Cygnar and the
Skorne Empire simply tried to take out each other's
warcasters/warlocks in the most expedient (and
Likely brutal) way possible. Both armies set up in the
standard 10" deployment zones, and the winner would
be the player with the most warcasters or warlocks
standing after 5 rounds.
AN UNBOUND PRIMER
No Quarter #36 presents the full rules for Unbound
games, but the following is a quick primer on some of
the differences between Unbound games and standard
games of WARMACHINE and HORDES.
GAME SIZE
Unbound is a system for p laying games of
WARMACHINEand HORDES in which each
player fields 150-point or larger armies with 3 or more
warcasters or warlocks on each side. An additional
warcaster is added to each army for every additional 50
points of models fielded by each player.
TABLE SIZE
Because of the scope of Unbound games, it is
recommend that players use a 4'x6' table instead of the
standard 4'x4'. Truly massive games may require even
larger tables to accommodate play.
SEIZING THE INITIATIVE
At the start of the game, players roll off to determine
which player sets up fi.rst and takes t he first turn as in a
normal WARMACHINE or HORDE& game.
However, when playing Unbound the order of play
is not static as it is in normal W ARMACHINE a nd
HORDES games. Instead, at the start of each round,
beginning with the second round, players roLl off to
determine which player takes the flrst turn that round.
Each player roll s a d6. The higher roller takes the fi.rst
turn that round. This player is said to have the initiative.
DOMINATI ON BONUS
The more ground a player control, the greater his
chances of seizing the initiative. When playing
Unbound, the table is divided into eight 24N x 18N zones.
Starting with the beginning of the second round, a
player ga.ins +I on his roll to seize the initiative for each
territory he control s at that time. A player controls
a territory if he has one or more models completely
within it and hi s opponent does not.
ALTERNATING PLAY
When playing Unbound, rounds are d ivided into a
variable number of turns based on the number of
warcasters and/or warlocks each player has at the start
of the game. The number of turns each player takes
during a round is equal to the number of warcasters
and/or warlocks each player has at the start of the
game +1. Once the number of turns a player takes
dur ing each round has been determined, it does not
change as play progresses and warcasters and warlocks
are destroyed or removed from play.
OPENING STRATEGY & DEPLOYMENT
JASON-CYGNAR
I arrived at the battlefield early and surveyed the ground.
The upper bridge level was large, flat, and sparse: excellent
ground for my reactive, swift, and deceptively hard-hitting
army. I would almost certainly have the range advantage,
leaving my opponent in the unenviable position of having to
cross a lot of ground under a steady barrage from my guns.
Whether I initially won the initiative roll or not, my
plan would be the same. I made up my mind quickly to
position all three of my warcasters on the upper bridge
where they could do their best to support each other.
Nemo's battlegroup would take point. His feat and the
great mobility he adds to hi s warjacks would make bi s
battlegroup highly reactive to my opponent's movements.
Haley and Stryker would form the second wave, both
supporting the bulk of my infantry while using their
Defenders to soften up Ed's warbeasts.
On either side of the table was a section of deep water I had
no choice but to cede to my opponent in the unlikely event
he brought amphibious Minions (he did).
The next best ground to fight upon was the railway linked
to the top of the upper bridge by a series of stone stairways.
Already planning to group all three of my battlegroups on
the upper bridge, I placed a small number of defenders on
the railway to slow Ed's advance. Unless we both hit on
the same strategy of concentrating our forces on the upper
bridge, I figured losing the railway would be inevitable.
However, I could still make a decisive impact on Ed's forces
before he roll ed my flank.
I won the die roll for set up and deployed based on the
strategy I outlined above. I put Stryker, Nemo, and
Haley on t he upper bridge a long with t he bulk of my
infantry (two units of Storm blades, Long Gunners,
Precursors, Field Mechaniks, Strangewayes, Versh, a
couple Stormsmiths, and my Journey man). The third un.it
of Storm blades went on tbe railway with the Gun Mages
on the stai rs between the upper bridge and the railway.
The remaining Stormsmiths spread out amongst them for
support.
My plans laid, I could only hope that Ed would split hi s
battlegroups between the upper bridge and the railway,
and he did just that. We identified early between us that the
decision was likely to have a huge impact on the eventual
outcome of the game. However, in hindsight, I think the
effect was less than we anticipated.
T
Th
Ba
is l
an
ob:
:es
he
ED-SKORNE
Looking at Jason's army deployed before me with all those
guns made my stomach drop. In order to avoid getting
picked apart, I needed to move quickJy.
Seeing that Jason had deployed all his warcasters on the
upper bridge left me with a tough decision. Ultimately, I
elected to put Makeda and a mass of troops on the railway
in hopes of quickly cutting through the troopers Jason had
placed there. This could either prove a brilliant strategy and
win me the game or seal my fate. Either way, it was done.
Xerxis and Rasheth deployed on the upper bridge with
their six heavy beasts to create what I hoped would be
a solid barrier to hold off the trio of casters they faced. I
split the pairs of non-Advanced Deployment units equally
between the railway and the upper bridge, and each
battlegroup got the support of a Paingiver Beast Handler
unit. The Swamp Gabbers Bellows Crew deployed on the
upper bridge.
THE BATTLEFIELD
ADVANCED DEPLOYMENT
JASON-CYGNAR
Ed's placement of Makeda below gave me a chance to
deliver a decisive blow to his army before he could merge
his forces. The key was to stall Makeda's advance in order
to keep Ed's forces split. Though l knew my left flank would
eventually give, I needed it to hold just long enough to take
the upper bridge. For that reason, I placed my Advance-
Deploying Trencher Infantry on the railway. My plan was
to rely on their smoke placement and combined firepower
to contain Ed's forces for a round or two. That left my
Trencher Commandos, which I packed onto the upper
bridge where I hoped the Scattergunners could soften up
whatever infantry Ed had not placed on the railway.
ED-SKORNE
With the addition of the Trencher Infantry to the railway,
I deployed both of my Blood runner units there with hopes
of inflicting some quick casualties. I also planned on using
my Bloodrunners' Shadow Play ability to "teleport" them
up the stairs on the left and into battle on the upper bridge.
It was game time.
The battlefield for this super-sized conflict is definitely one of the most elaborate pieces of terrain ever featured in a
Battle Report. Hobby manager Rob Hawkins' painstakingly detailed reconstruction of the Black River Bridge in Corvis
is breathtaking and served as a dynamic theatre of war for Ed and Jason's opposing armies. However, despite its size
and detail, the bridge was quite conducive to epic warfare, with multiple different levels connected by stairs," interesting
obstructions, deep canals, and an awesome historical backdrop.
ROUNDt
JASON ROUND 1/TURN I
Going first in the first round of an Unbound game is a
dubious honor. In fact, it is the only time I would say you
do not actually want to go first. I began the game with the
initiative, but it would be a long time before I seized the
initiative again. Damn Ed and his aquatic M.inions! My
first turn was ultimately dictated to me by my deployment.
I chose to activate Nemo's battlegroup this turn and started
with Nemo. The old man advanced, cast Force Field on
himself, Lightning Shroud on the Lancer, and Polarity
Shield on a Stormclad. My choice to cast Force Field was
mandated by Ed's Titan Cannoneer who would a lmost
certainly have blasted apart more Gun Mages
or Commandos otherwise. Still, I'd probably
regret not getting Fail Safe up on a Stormclad
early.
Next, Nemo's battlegroup moved up, the
Stormclads ran while pulling focus from nearby
Storm blades. The Trencher Commandos took
up position near the middle of the table. The
Precursors Knights advanced under Shield
Wall with the Long Gunners right behind.
Finally, my Journeyman Warcaster bolted
around the left to bring some much-needed
arcane firepower to that Hank.
ED ROUND 1/TURN I
Because there were fewer ranged threats on
my left Hank, I decided to activate Xerxis'
battlegroup first. Activating the other
battlegroups would just move them into Jason's
gun range sooner and get them blown apart.
There was no guarantee that wasn't going to
happen anyway with those Defenders sitting in
Jason's deployment zone.
Flrst, I ran both Rhinodons forward and
followed up behind them with the nearby
unit of Beast Handlers. Then I activated Xerxis and
had him cast Defender's Ward on the unit of Praetorian
Swordsmen beside him.
Following that, Xerxis advanced and discarded two
points of fury. His Basilisk Krea followed him and used
her Paralytic Aura animus to protect the warlock. Next,
I advanced the Praetorians under Defender's Ward in
preparation for a rush forward next turn.
On the railway, I activated one unit of Paingiver
Blood runners and ran them forward. I knew I would lose
a few to the Trenchers in front of me, but thanks to the
Bloodrunners' Stealth, the Cygnaran troops would have to
move closer to get them in range.
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Back up on top, I ran forward with the
Ancestral Guardian and both Extoller
Soulwards near Xerxis. Since all three
models got within range of the Krea's
animus, they gained some protection
against any stray bullets. The Swamp
Gabbers then moved up and put down a
SN smoke cloud to block Line of sight to as
many allies as possible.
I hadn't activated my allotment of solos yet,
but I decided to turn the game back over to
Jason to see what he had in store.
JASON ROUND 1/TURN 2
I decided to activate Haley's battlegroup
next and immediately realized my hopes
of using Temporal Barrier to hinder
Ed's advance would not Live up to my
expectations. Makeda could supersede the
effect with Savagery, and the timing of
the Unbound turn structure alone meant I
had to use Temporal Barrier very early in
the round to maximize the potential of the
costly spell.
Haley aiJocated 2 focus to her Defender. Note, in
Unbound, warcasters allocate focus at the start of the
turn in which you activate their battlegroup. That means
your casters have full focus to boost their ARM until you
activate them.
This turn I started with Haley's battlegroup and activated
her first. Haley cast Arcane Shield on my rightmost unit of
Storm blades, then she advanced. Thorn followed after her.
Next, I brought up the Defender and blasted Xenos' right
Rhinodon with a boosted heavy barrel shot. A boosted damage
roiJ resulted in 9 damage to the beast. FIRST BLOOD!
Next, I ran the Storm blades forward, advanced my three
rightmost Stormsmiths, and ran Harlan Versh into position
on the center of the upper bridge. l finished out the turn
by running the Gun Mages forward along with three
Stormsmiths. The Gun Mages took up position on the
stairs above the railway.
ED ROUND 1/TURN 2
I chose to activate Rasheth this turn since much of the
opposition directly in front of him had activated on Jason's
last turn. I started by running forward with the Nihilators
on the upper bridge. The Bronzeback Titan also ran
forward, taking advantage of the concealment offered by
the Swamp Gabbers' cloud and was followed by
an Agonizer.
I advanced with Dominar Rasheth and used
Dark Rituals to channel Breath of Corruption
through a Nihi.lator into the Trencher
Commandos. Unfortunately, the spell missed
its mark and the deviation missed everything.
Net result: I was down one Nihi.lator and 3 fury.
Following that, Rasheth cast Castigate and used
the Gladiator's Rush animus on the Cannoneer.
Taking advantage of its newfound speed, I
advanced the Cannoneer and riled it for 2 fury.
With Force Field up on Nemo, I decided going for
a lucky deviation with a cannon shot while there
were no targets within range was a bad idea. I had
both the Sentry and Gladiator each run forward
foiJowed by their supporting Beast Handlers.
To wrap up my turn, I had my other Extoll er
Soulward run forward while Aptimus Marketh
advanced and cast Carnivore on the upper-
bridge Nihilators. That way I could just upkeep
the spell with Rasheth next round.
JASON ROUND 1/TURN 3
Having already activated both of my other
battlegroups, Stryker was up. My fourth
turn would encompass activating any non-
battlegroup models and units I had not yet
activated.
I started off by allocating 2 focus to
Stryker's Defender. Then I advanced
Stryker and cast Snipe on the Storm blades
and Arcane Shield on Stryker's Stormclad.
Strangewayes activated next, advanced, and
gave Stryker's Lancer l focus. The Lancer
then ran forward.
Next, I activated Stryker's Defender,
advanced it and fired a boosted shot into
the wounded Rhinodon. A hit followed by
a boosted damage roll, and the thing was
smarting from another 12 points of damage!
Then, the Stormclad activated, gained 1
focus from its proximity to the Stormblades,
and ran forward.
My Trencher Infantry then advanced within
5N of the Bloodrunners and opened fire. The
Sniper dropped one Bloodrunner, and a three-model CRA
felled another. The Trencher Grenadiers attached to the unit
scored three more kills, including one in the rear unit &om a
fortunate deviation.
ED ROUND 1/TURN 3
My forward Bloodrunners got caught in the bloodbath
I knew was coming, but I still had two standing when it
was all over. The surprise casualty was Jason's lucky Rifle
Grenade deviation into the backfield Bloodrunners, but with
five Bloodrunners still standing, they had plenty of pain left
to dish out. They would, however, have to wait until next
round for the pain-giving. They were too far away &om the
enemy to charge, so I ran them forward instead.
Of course, it was Makeda's battlegroup I would be
activating this turn since my others had already taken
action. So I followed up the Bloodrunners by running
Molik Karn downfield. Next, I had the railway Nihilators
run forward followed by an advancing Cyclops Brute.
On Makeda's activation, I advanced with her, cast
Defender's Ward on the Nihilators in case I lost the
initiative next round, and then had her cast the Basilisk
Krea's Paralytic Aura animus. It was only after doing so I
realized that casting Paralytic Aura was a complete waste.
Remember, in Unbound one round no longer means "my
current turn and my opponent's next turn." The only thing
Jason had left to activate in our current round was one
solo and one unit. I needed to get those "lasts-for-one-
round" abilities out there early in the round if
I wanted to take full advantage of them.
Following Makeda, I ran her Cyclops
Savage forward and advanced the Basilisk
Krea who riled for 2 fury (to make up
for Makeda throwing away two). I then
ran with the railway Ancestral Guardian
and Tyrant Commander and Standard.
On the upper bridge, I ran the final
Ancestral Guardian, followed by the Tyrant
Commander and Standard, and advanced
the second Agonizer. I then passed the turn
over to Jason.
JASON ROUND 1/TURN 4
We affectionately call Turn 4 the bucket
turn. With no battlegroups left to activate,
and knowing that anything you do activate
cannot move again during your first turn of
the new round, its pretty much the "what-
ever-is-left" turn.
I advanced my r emaining Stormsmith and
Rash-fried a Bloodrunner. Then I moved up
my Mechaniks and called it good.
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ED ROUND 1/TURN 4
All I had left in my "bucket" was a final unit of Beast
Handlers on the railway, the railway Praetorian
Swordsmen, and my Gatorman Posse. 1 ran them all to
finish out the round.
I had never used a Gatorman Posse before, but I chose
them as an aquatic flank force. Unfortunately, they aren't
known for speed, and they would have to go very wide
in order to get onto the land and cut across the canal to
get into play. Still, I tried my best with them and they did
provide one big advantage. Jason was never able to hold
any territory for the initiative roll that was occupied by
gators while they were in deep water.
ROUND2
ED'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
Despite my losses, I had achieved my goal of ending the
first turn with Bloodrunners in two of the territories on
Jason's side of the table, giving me +2 to the mitiative rol l.
My roll of 6 to Jason's 1 immediately got me &othmg at
the mouth for payback.
All my warlocks leached their fury. Makeda upkept
Defender's Ward on the railway Nihi lators, Rasheth upkept
Carnivore on the Nlhilators in front of him, and Xerxis
upkept Defender's Ward on the Praetorians beside him.
JASON'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
r ended the last turn without losses, somethlng Ed promised
would never happen again. Havillg spread his army across
the table, Ed was already reaping the benefits of controlling
more quadrants of the table than I did, so he seized the
initiative. Ed would have the first turn this round.
I upkept all my spells in play.
ED ROUND 2/TURN 1
With three fresh battlegroup activations to choose from, I
decided Makeda's was going to kick off this round.
The Cyclops Brute advanced first followed directly
by Makeda. From behind the Brute she used her feat,
Walking Death. She then cast Savagery on Molik Karn
and Carnage to set the stage for what I hoped would be a
railway slaughter.
I charged in with the four-man unit of Bloodrunners,
running one of them onto the stairs, and using the first
charge attack to kill a Trencher. That triggered Shadow
Play, allowing another member of the unit to be placed
onto the stairs for an attack against a Gun Mage, which
missed. In the end, I only took out two Trenchers, but I
was able to move the Bloodrunners far enough out of the
way that I could bring in reinforcements.
Molik Karn charged in next and used a combination of
attacks and sidesteps to kill four Trenchers, a Stormsmith,
and a Storm blade. Hot on his heels, I charged in with the
railway Nihilator unit, and although only three of them
got to attack, they dropped seven Trenchers, includlng all
three Grenadiers. One Nihilator was also lost to an errant
Berserk attack, but I wasn't too broken up over it.
Feeling the high from the Nihilators' powers of 'nihilation,
I activated my other unit on the upper bridge and charged
them headlong into Jason's Trencher Commandos.
With the bonus to hit from Carnivore and their Berserk
ability, I was feeling very confident that this would be a
gloriously successful charge. The first Nihilator to make
an attack even had five enemy models in melee range! I
only needed 4s to hit, so this would be easy right? Well,
fate had a different idea, and my first attack roll came up
snake eyes. In the end, only four of a potential twelve or
so Commandos went down, and again, I lost a Nihilator to
one of his neighbor's Berserk attacks.
I finished out my turn by advancing the Krea alongside
Makeda and using Paralytic Aura (much better timing this
round), advancmg with the Cyclops Savage, advancing
with the Swamp Gobbers and putting down smoke, and
running the railway Ancestral Guardian forward.
It was now time to take Jason's counter punch.
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JASON ROUND 2/TURN I
With a sizeable number of Ed's warbeasts now
in my sights, I decided to start with Haley again
and allocated 2 focus to her Defender.
Haley started my turn by casting Temporal
Barrier and popping her feat! I then activated
three Stormsmiths in succession who took down a
grand total of one Nihilator (with a second on his
back following a successful Tough check) .
One of the challenges of playing such a large
game is that you constantly have to consider
how the movement of your models impacts
the movement of the models behind them.
This occasionally results in models clustering
up in ways you hadn't intended. This can be
especially devastating when your opponent has
easy access to spells like Breath of Corruption
that he can lire from unforeseen attack vectors.
Such thoughts were in my head when my
Storm blades advanced. Unfortunately, due to my
conservative placement, they only managed to cut down a
single Nihilator on the upper bridge.
Next, Haley's Defender took aim at the injured Rhinodon
and put 01' Yeller down with a boosted POW 15 damage
roll. With a second shot thanks to Haley's feat, the
Defender executed another Nihilator with a boosted attack
roll. It was kind of a waste, but the Nihilator was in range,
out in the open, and begging for it.
The Precursors advanced again under Shield Wall. Next,
the Long Gunners advanced and put a pair of ten-man
CRAs into Xerxis' remaining Rhinodon thanks to Haley's
feat and Snipe. Their efforts netted 17 damage to the Rh.ino.
Next, Strangewayes gave l focus to Thorn who then
moved toward the Long Gunners. Finally, the Trencher
Commandos advanced under Haley's feat and unleashed a
hail of grenade and scattergun fire, resulting in the demise
of six more Nihilators and the Swamp Gabbers.
ED ROUND 2/TURN 2
Now things are nice and bloody. l expected to lose the
Nihilators and a Rhinodon. What I didn't expect to lose
was my Swamp Gobbers and half of another Rhinodon.
With so many models on the table, Haley's feat was
devastating. This turn, I chose Rasheth and his battlegroup
to engage in some payback.
I kicked things off by activating the Ancestral Guardian
nearest Rasheth. It spent one of the Nihilator souls
collected from last round to get +2 SPD and charged for
the kill on a Trencher Commando. The Ancestral Guardian
quickly dispatched a second Commando after buying
another attack.
I next activated the Beast Handlers nearest Rasheth
and advanced them to enrage the Titan Sentry and
Bronzeback. Although I would have liked to Medicate the
injured Rhinodon with the second unit of Beast Handlers
on the upper bridge, I had another plan. The Beast
Handlers charged forward, but only one of them managed
to get within range and take out a Storm blade.
With the Beast Handlers in place, I activated Rasheth
and used Dark Rituals to channel Breath of Corruption
through one of them. My target was a Long Gunner that
I could draw line of sight to through the mass of Jason's
infantry, and I was devastated when the attack roll missed.
However, his troops were packed in pretty tightly, and I
knew I had a good chance to still do some serious damage
with the deviation. I did not think reality would exceed my
expectations, though. Mter a 2" deviation, the corrosive
cloud managed to kill eight Long Gunners in the 3" AOE!
To add insult to injury, the remaining two Long Gunners
failed their CMD check. Who has two thumbs and loves
happy accidents? This guy!
I advanced Aptimus Marketh and used his Spell Slave
ability to cast Carnivore on the Titan Sentry. I also had the
Gladiator use its Rush animus on the Sentry and advance.
!"then had the Sentry, enraged and hopped-up on magic,
charge and kill a Trencher Commando. With a second
attack the Sentry killed another Commando and triggered
a CMD check, which the Commandos passed.
The Bronze back also charged and mauled another
Commando. The Cannoneer advanced, and with a target
now in range, it blasted apart a Stormsmith with a cannon
shot. The blast damage also killed yet another Commando
thanks to a boosted damage roll.
I felt a little like I had wasted the efforts of the Titans by
targeting only a few trooper models, especially after the
stellar Breath of Corruption results. The reality was that I
had to get the big beasts up6eld into melee, and I might as
well destroy some stuff along the way.
I wrapped up my turn by advancing an Extoller who failed
to eliminate a Stormblade with Spirit Eye.
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JASON ROUND 2/TURN 2
With Rasheth's warbeasts now in striking range, I chose
Nemo's battlegroup for this turn. The plan was simple:
charge in and kill them all! I had my sights on Rasheth's
warbeasts on the upper bridge and on Malik Karn below
on the railway. I allocated no focus and started with the
Journeyman Warcaster who advanced and missed Malik
Karn with a boosted band cannon shot.
I then activated a pair of Stormsmiths, one after another,
in hopes of taking out some Nihilators to free up my Gun
Mages. Both failed. (Yes, despite the bonus from Epic
Nemo's Elite Cadre!) My remaining Trenchers on the
railway combined fire on a Nihilator who passed his Tough
check! This was a remarkably poor start to what would
become a seriously underwhelming turn.
Cue the Stormblades! The Stormblades on the railway
charged Molik Karn under the assault order, dropped him
with a combination of storm glaive strikes and blasts, and
took down a Nihilator while knocking down a second due
to a successful Tough check. This would prove to be the
highlight of my turn.
Enter Nemo who cast a three-focus Energizer followed
by his feat, which filled all his warjacks with focus. His
warjacks strode forward. I started with the Sentinel,
wlllch opened up on an Ancestral Guardian. Five Strafe
shots with three boosted damage rolls inflicted only 8 total
damage. Suck!
The Lancer then moved to engage the damaged Ancestral
Guardian and suffered a 6-point defensive strike for its
efforts. Under the effects of Lightning Shroud, the Lancer
proceeded to finish off the Ancestral Guardian before turning
its remaining attacks on the Titan Sentry to little effect.
Then, I advanced the first of Nemo's Stormclads on the
Titan Sentry. Polarity Shield prevented the Bronze back
from counter charging. Despite having 3 points of focus
on the Stormclad, I only managed to inflict 16 points of
damage on the Sentry.
The second Stormclad advanced into striking range of
both the Bronzeback and the Sentry. Concentrating its
attacks on the Bronzeback, the Stormclad inflicted 23
points of damage on the Titan. The Cannoneer suffered 4
damage from Electro Leaps as a result of its proximity to
the Bronze back-another small highlight in what was a
fairly dismal turn.
Versh then opened up on the Titan Sentry, getting off three
shots and inflicting a single point of damage. Then I got
greedy and assaulted the Bronze back and a single Beast
Handler with a unit of Storm blades. One melee attack
resulted in a dead Beast Handler, while five storm glaive blasts
on the Bronze back netted a single hit that caused no damage.
In my head, I had visions of cleaving through Rasheth's
entire battlegroup, but it was not to be. Realiz ing that I
hadn't inflicted anywhere near as much damage on my
turn as I had hoped, my thoughts now turned to concerns
of Ed's retribution. I sent my Field screaming
across the table to contest Ed's control of the board and
hopefully to jam up some charge lanes.
ED ROUND 2/TURN 3
Titans are crazy-durable warbeasts, especially the Sentry
with its shield. I was thankful that Jason split his attacks
between the Sentry and Bronzeback because it left them
both standing at the end of his turn. I needed to make
sure I had the advantage when it came time to seize the
initiative next round. That way, I could capitalize on the
Titans' survival because Jason would surely focus on them
if he got the first turn.
Xencis' battlegroup was my only option this turn, and there
wasn't much left of it. Flrst up, I advanced the Extoller
Soulward closest to Xerxis, targeted the Precursor Knight
Officer with Soul Gaze, and missed.
Out of charge range, the Praetorian Swordsmen ran
forward to fill the gap between Xerxis and the Precursors.
I should have gotten them out there
much sooner, but I was expecting them
to be picked off by the Long Gunners. In
Unbound, it is particularly chal.lenging
to predict the actions of your opponent
from round to round since you can rarely
be sure who will seize the initiative and
in what order they will choose to activate
their models each turn.
Next, I advanced the Ancestral Guardian
closest to Xerxis. The Rhinodon also
Limped forward followed by the Krea who
advanced and used her Paralytic Aura.
I really felt I was under-utilizing Xerxis,
and this would be prevalent throughout
the game. At this point, I was wishing I
had deployed both units of Praetorians
with him since the second unit was getting
bottlenecked on the railway below and Xerxis could have
made great use of them. For his activation, I just advanced
him and cast Fury on the Praetorians with the hope that
enough would survive to take advantage of the spell being
upkept next round.
Down on the railway, I advanced with the two-man
unit of Blood runners. The frrst Bloodrunner killed a
Stormblade, allowing the second to use Shadow Play to
get within range of the Stormblade Standard, which he
missed. I wrapped up my turn by advancing both Tyrant
Commander units.
This turn was a bit of a letdown, and I scratched my head
tryjng to decide how the hell I was going to get Xerxis
involved in later rounds.
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JASON ROUND 2/TURN 3
Stryker allocated I focus to his Defender, Then I
activated Stryker and channeled Snipe through the
Lancer onto the Stormclad (replacing Arcane Shield).
The Long Gunners weren't going to need it anymore.
Stryker's Stormdad then activated and gained I focus
due to close proximity with the Storm blades. It then
blasted the Titan Gladiator, inflicting 8 points of damage
with a boosted roll and fried an Extoller Soulward with
an Electro Leap.
The Defender then opened fire on the Gladiator, A hit
and a boosted damage roll later the warbeast suffered II
more damage points. My Defenders were on a roll!
The Gun Mages then activated. They knocked down a
Nihilator (Tough check), plugged two others, and whiffed
against the Bloodrunners. With the activation of my last
unit, I had nothing remaining for the bucket turn.
ED ROUND 2/TURN 4
Those Defenders were annoying the crap out of me.
As I ran the full Gatorman Posse onto Jason's side of the
table, I was wishing I had brought two six-man units of
Bog Trog Ambushers instead. They would have helped
with denying Jason territory on the initiative roll and
created an effective backfield distraction. But hindsight is
20/20, and there was no use beating myself up about it.
I ran the railway Praetorians forward into the bottleneck
forming there and finished up my bucket turn by running
both Agonizers forward in hopes of contesting some
territory. At this point, I was having serious regrets about
deploying the Praetorians on the railway. Xencis could
really use them up top, and it would be a while before I
had any hope of getting good use out of them. Regardless,
I had to press on.

ROUND3
JASON'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
With Ed clearly winning the land grab, he aced the
initiative roll and went first again. Nemo dropped Polarity
Shield but upkept Lightning Shroud and Force Field.
Stryker dropped Snipe, and Haley upkept Arcane Shield
on the Stormblades.
ED'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
I was relieved to have won the initiative again. Territory
control had proven critical for me in previous Unbound
games, and this game was no different. Makeda and
Rasheth upkept nothing while Xencis left Fury on the
Swordsmen. On the railway, T returned three Nibilators to
play from Makeda's feat the previous round.
ED ROUND 3/TURN I
Rasheth was my go-to warlock this turn. Despite the
beating the Titans took the previous round, the only aspect
missing from any of them was the Gladiator's body. Did I
mention that Titans are crazy-durable?
I activated Aptimus Marketh, advanced with him, and
used Spell Slave to cast yet another Breath of Corruption.
This time, the deadly spell found its mark on a tightly
packed bunch of troopers, killing five Storm blades (CMD
check fail!) and a Commando. From the look on Jason's
face, I knew Marketh would not last another round if our
lead designer had anything to say about it.
On Rasheth's activation, I advanced the morbidly obese
warlock and unleashed his Plague Wmd feat. Through
a Praetorian, another Dark Rituals casting of Breath of
Corruption missed its target (guess I should still boost
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one Mechanic and inflict a single point of damage on
Haley's Defender and Stryker's Lancer. Rasheth finished
up by casting Castigate.
I used the Beast Handlers nearest Rasheth next to
prepare the Titans for war. The Gladiator and Cannoneer
were Medicated, healing 2 wounds each, and the Sentry
and Bronze back were both Enraged for the +2 STRand
a free charge.
Up first was the Gladiator, which I used to charge Nemo's
Lancer. The first war gauntlet delivered an 11-point hit,
and although I missed with the second war gauntlet attack
and an additional one, the tusk attack and one last war
gauntlet scrapped the light warjack with damage to spare.
The Sentry shifted over and hit one of the Stormclads
with a boosted halberd attack and inflicted 7 points of
damage. The tusks followed with 6 more damage, and
after two additional blows from the halberd, the Titan was
maxed on fury and the Stormclad was reduced to a single
point of Cortex.
The Bronze back was up next. I charged the big beast at
the second of the two forward Stormclads (the one that
didn't just get owned) and pounded on it with two solid
war gauntlet attacks that triggered its Grab & Smash
chain attack. I decided to use a Double-Hand Throw and
tossed the grabbed Stormclad into the nearly destroyed
Stormclad beside it. The Stormclad I threw suffered
9 points of super damage, but unfortunately the other
Stormclad took no collateral damage. Since the target of
the Double-Hand Throw didn't go very far, it was still in
melee range of the Bronze back, and I was able to pummel
it to scrap with two more attacks.
"'
With Mechanics in the area, I didn 't want to take any
chances, so I activated the Cannoneer and shot the
remaining Stormclad (now much easier to hit knocked on
its ass). One boosted damage roll later there was a nice
little cluster of three wreck markers.
Down on the railway, I advanced with the Tyrant
Commander and Standard and used their Reveille ability
to stand up my Nihilators that were knocked down last
turn from successful Tough rolls. I then activated the
Bloodrunners on the stairway and killed a pair of Gun
Mages and a Storm smith, using each death to Shadow
Play my way further into the enemy ranks. I followed that
up by activating and advancing the Nihilator unit, which
resulted in two dead Trenchers, four dead Stormblades,
a dead friendly Bloodrunner, and a Nihilator on his back
after passing a Tough check. It wouldn't be a Nihilator
activation without a friendly casualty or two.
It was then I realized I had activated four units and would
not be able to activate the Praetorians up top with Xerxis.
In Unbound, you sometimes have to decide where you
are willing to take your losses. My Praetorian unit on the
upper bridge was not in a position to take a hard hit, but I
got so caught up in the carnage on the railway that I wasn't
going to be able to activate them this turn.
I fmished my turn by activating my rema.ining Extoller
Soulward. It advanced and used Ghost Shot to target
the Precursor Knight Officer with a boosted Spirit Eye
attack. If I could kill the Officer, Jason would not have
access to the potent Morrow's Name ability, and coupled
with Rasheth's Plague Wind, I might stand a chance at
surviving a charge from the Precursors. Even with a
boosted roll, I only inflicted four points of damage on the
Officer. I resigned myself to a holy beating.
JASON ROUND 3/TURN t
I began the tum with Haley's battlegroup and allocated no
focus. The plan was to save it all for a Chain Lightning that
would open up charge angles for my Precursors.
I started my turn by advancing Thorn forward. Then
Versh advanced and ripped through four Praetorian
Swordsmen thanks to Purgation, the upkeep spell lingering
on them, and a bad attitude.
The Stormblades on the upper bridge then attacked the
remaining Praetorians and brought down two more.
The Trencher Commandos, now consisting of just two
Scattergunners, activated and opened up on the Skorne.
One failed to injure the Titans while the other cut down a
Praetorian. Haley then activated, advanced, and channeled
Chain Lightning through Thorn, resulting in the deaths of
two measly Praetorians.
Strangewayes activated next and gave Haley's Defender
1 focus . The Defender opened fire on the Titan Gladiator
and inAicted a mere 4 points of damage despite boosting
the damage roll.
Next, the Precursors activated and charged. I used the
Officer's Morrow's Name once-per-game ability for extra
damage, but as a result of the -2 STR I suffered from Fat
Boy's feat, a slight misjudgment of the distances concerned,
and a disappointing Chain Lightning not clearing more
Praetorians, they were only able to kill an Agonizer, an
Extoller Soulward, two more Praetorians, and a Beast
Handler while inflicting 5 damage points on the Rbinodon.
Then, one of my Stormsmiths lined up a Surge and burned
up two of the Blood runners tying up my Gun Mages.
Finally, the Journeyman dropped a Bloodrunner on
the stairs with a boosted hand cannon shot and killed a
Nihilator on the railway with an Arcane Bolt.
ED ROUND 3/TURN 2
Thankyou Rasheth. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Plague Wind saved my bacon (or whatever you call
Rbinodon meat) .
For this turn, I chose Xencis' battlegroup, or what was
left of it, as the battlegroup I would activate. First up,
I charged a Precursor with the upper-bridge Ancestral
Guardian. It landed a killing blow and spent two souls on
additional attacks to destroy a second Precursor. The one
remaining Praetorian on the upper bridge ran forward in
an attempt to gain some territory.
I then activated Xerxis who cast Defender's Ward on the
Rhinodon and healed one point to the warbeast's body.
The warlock also used his Press Forward Battle Plan to
give himself +2 SPD before advancing to a
position behind the Tyrant Commander.
With all its aspects intact, the Rhinodon
advanced slightly and used Amuck for
boosted attack rolls on all special attacks. I
then used its Thresher special attack to take
out four of the five Precursors surrounding
the beast, including the Officer. After buying
an additional attack, the Rhinodon sent the
fifth Precursor to meet Morrow with his
brothers. I could hear Rasheth from atop his
lectica belching "you're welcome" through a
mouthful of pickled eyeballs.
I advanced the Krea and used her Paralytic
Aura, and I finished the turn by advancing
the railway Bloodrunner who failed to kill
a Stormsmith.
JASON ROUND 3/TURN 2
It was clear to me that taking out Rasheth's
battlegroup was an absolute necessity. With
that in mind, I set about starting Stryker's
turn. Stryker allocated 1 focus to his Defender.
I activated Stryker's Lancer first. It advanced
out of the Breath of Corruption cloud and
into Earthquake range of the Titan Sentry,
taking care to stay clear of Rasheth's
control area. Then, I activated Stryker,
advanced, and channeled the aforementioned
Earthquake through the Lancer. A boosted
hit knocked the Sentry, the Bronzeback, and
the Gladjator onto their rears. Stryker then
opened up on the Gladiator with his pistol,
inflicting no damage.
Next, Stryker's Stormclad activated and
gained 1 focus from the Stormblades. Lacking
a clear charge path, the Storm clad stood still,
trained its blade on the Titan Gladiator, and
blasted away. A boosted damage roll later and
the Gladiator left this mortal coil.
Stryker's Defender then fired on the knocked
down Bronzeback, scored 9 points of damage
with a boosted roll, and left it with one
wound remaining!
For sheer amusement value, I then charged
the downed Titans with my Gabber
Mechaniks. They infli cted no damage but
they would leave with stories to tell their
grandchildren. The rest of the Mecharuks ran
forward to grab up territory.
The Long Gunners, who failed their CMD
check last round, ran in place and rallied,
and the Storm blade unit on the upper bridge
spread out to make them a less-tempting
target for Breath of Corruption. They also
rallied. My single remaining Sto_rmblade
on the railway then activated and missed a
Blood ru nner with an attack.
- -
\ ...... . -... , ........... ~ ,
' ~ ~ - . ~ - ..
ED ROUND 3/TURN 3
Plague Wind saved yet another warbeast, but I knew my
Titans were in trouble.
On this turn, I bad no choice but to activate Makeda.
Unfortunately, she was still in too much of a bottleneck to
put the necessary pressure on Nemo and take his attention
off my Titans. But I had to try.
I activated the Basilisk Krea first and ran her up the stairs to
help relieve the bottleneck.
Makeda was up next. The
Domina cast Savagery
on the Cyclops Savage
followed by Carnage. She
then advanced to the base
of the stairs.
With its +5 SPD thanks
to Savagery, the Cyclops
Savage advanced up the
stairs and took a swing at
one of Jason's Gun Mages.
Even with the attack
bonus from Carnage, the
Savage missed. Thanks
to Prescience, it was able
to boost after the fact and
get the killing blow. I was
continuously amazed at
how the DEF 15 Gun
Mages were keeping my
force from overrunning the
stairs. My kingdom for a
damn AOE!
The Cyclops Brute ran to the base of the stairs, and the
rai lway Ancestral Guardian, Praetorians, and Beast
Handlers also ran into position to begin funneling up the
stairs. So far, the railway Praetorians had done nothing but
get jammed up behind my other models while the troops
on the upper bridge had been thinned to a critical low.
Speaking of the upper bridge, up above, my final Agonizer
made a run to claim territory for next round's initiative roll.
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JASON ROUND 3/TURN 3
Since Ed had destroyed so many of my
models, my turns were now a lot faster.
Nemo allocated 3 focus to the Sentinel; it
then advanced and went full auto. My first
shot hit the Bronzeback and finished it
with a boosted damage roll. Unfortunately.
Marketh was too far away for my
additional Strafe attacks, so l walked my
remaining shots into the downed Titan
Sentry, inflicting 6 points of damage with
my remaining boosts. Not half bad!
The Gun Mages made a three-man Arcane
Inferno attack on the Ancestral Guardian
on the railway. The shot caused no damage
to it, but three Nihilators and a Praetorian
Swordsman were consumed in the AOE.
Finally, Nemo advanced toward Marketh
and executed him with a Galvanic Bolt.
ED&JASON
ROUND 3/TURN 4
Ed: My remaining Bloodrunner
on the stairs took a swing
at a Gun Mage and missed
horribly. Then, the Gatormen
ran (swam) once more. Next
turn they would be up and out
of the water. On the upper
bridge, my Tyrant Commander
and Standard advanced, and
the Standard Bearer killed the
Field Mechanik Chief.
Jason: I didn't have any
models left to activate in my
bucket turn, so we moved to
the next round.
'
ROUND4
ED'S MAINTENANCE PHASE '
Once again, I was able to take the first turn, but my casual1y
count was growing, and I wouldn't be able to hold off Jason
for long. Makeda upkept Savagery on the Cyclops Savage.
Rasheth let Castigate expire and took a point of damage to
get up to full fury. Finally, Xerxis upkept Defender's Ward
on the Rhinodon. After leaching, the Rhinodon ended up
with 1 fury left but passed its threshold check.
JASON'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
With Ed's flanking maneuver still paying off, once again he
seized the initiative. Nemo dropped his remaining upkeep
spells and Haley upkept Arcane Shield.
ED ROUND 4/TURN t
I chose to activate Makeda's battlegroup first in an attempt
to put some pressure on Nemo.
With its SPD bonus from Savagery, the Cyclops Savage
disengaged from a Stormsmith (taking no damage from
his pathetic free strike) and moved up the stairs to engage
Nemo. At full focus, Nemo's armor was quite high, and
the boosted attack only inflicted 3 points of damage.
Regardless, I had a warbeast in Nemo's face.
I ran the Krea up the stairs and risked another free strike
from a Stormsmith, which missed. The Brute foll?wed by
advancing up the stairs. Makeda advanced up the stairs,
cast Carnage, and put Savagery on the Nihilators (which
meant it expired from the Savage) . The Bloodrunner on
the stairs hit and killed a Gun Mage.
I had the Nihilators advance with their +5 SPD from
Savagery, and one of them was a ble to kill a Storm smith
and finish off the last two Gun Mages with Berserk
attacks. The way things had been going, I was a little
amazed that I didn't have yet another Nihilator take out a
member of his own unit.
For the first time this game, my railway Praetorians were
able to advance and make some attacks! They cut down
both a Stormblade and a Stormsmith with combo strikes.
I had the railway Ancestral Guardian spend a soul token
for Spirit Driven and then run up the stairs. On the upper
bridge, my unit of Beast Handlers were able to kill a gabber
Field Mechanik and Medicate the Titan Sentry for 3 points.
I finished up my turn with the Extoller Soulward who
missed Harlan Versh with a Soul Gaze attack.
JASON ROUND 4/TURN t
I proudly started my turn with a plan, but that plan
went sadly wrong. Stryker allocated 2 focus points to
his Stormclad and 1 focus to his Defender. The plan was
to drop the rest of Rasheth's battlegroup while slowing
Makeda's advance with a well place earthquake.
I started by positioning my Lancer next to the stairway
where it had a clear view of Makeda's forces . So far so
good.
Next, Harlan Versh turned to the Rhinodon (which was
still affected by Defender's Ward) and blew it away before
sailing a final shot past the Krea. I then moved to the
remnants of my right flank where the remaining Precursor
Knights charged forward. The Ancestral Guardian
took one out with a defensive strike, but the remaining
Precursors dropped the last of the Praetorian Swordsmen
and inflicted an 8-point hit on Xerxis' Krea.
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Then, one of my remaining units of Storm blades charged
the downed Titan Sentry and Agonizer. The Agonizer took
5 points of damage-not enough! -and the Titan suffered
a total of 8 damage, leaving it on Life support.
The Trencher Commando Scattergunners then advanced
and opened fire. They missed an Extoller Soulward, killed
a Beast Handler, and fai led to inflict any damage on the
Titan Sentry.
My other remaining unit of Stormblades charged an
Ancestral Guardian and an Extoller Soulward and brought
both down.
Stryker's Defender then opened fire on the Titan Sentry
and hit it but inflicted a mere 2
points of damage. Strangewayes
also attacked the Sentry with
similarly unimpressive results,
netting no damage with a blast
from his Voltaic Gauntlet.
I then activated Stryker's
Stormclad. I wanted it to charge
the Titan Sentry, but Ed's
Agonizer remained in my way.
It clearly lacked the good sense
to die. Instead, the Stormclad
chose to blast the Sentry with its
generator blade but inflicted no
damage, even with a boost.
So ml,lch for mopping up
Rasheth's battlegroup and
Earthquaking Makeda!
Suddenly I had a more
immediate need for Stryker's focus. Since the Sentry did
not fall to the Defender's fire, Stryker had to finish the
job himself. l advanced Stryker into position and fired on
the Sentry. With a hit and boosted damage roll, the Titan
was no more. Time to use Stryker's feat! What you got
now, Ed?!
Finally proving he had more guts than brains, my
Journeyman Warcaster charged a Nihilator and dropped
it with a boosted charge attack. The NihiJator survived on
a Tough roll, so the Journeyman spent l focus for another
attack and wiggled his Mechanika Blade until the Nihilator
stopped moving. With the murderous Journeyman out of
attacks, my turn ended.
I
ED ROUND 4 / TURN 2
There was no denying that my warlocks on the upper
bridge were in some serious trouble. Healing the Sentry
last turn paid off as it stayed alive long enough for Jason
to focus on killing it, thus keeping the heat off of Makeda
and her flanking force.
l began the turn by activating Rasheth and cast Blood
Mark at Nemo using a Beast Handler as a conduit for
Dark Rituals. The Beast Handler died in the process, but
the spell found its target, and I was all set to transfer some
damage to Nemo should Rasheth take a hit. Rasheth then
advanced up behind his Cannoneer.
I had the Cannoneer boost a shot against Jason's annoying
Sentinel, but the shot went wide and the AOE missed
everything (the battlefield was much less populated than it
bad been just a few turns earlier).
The Tyrant Commander and Standard on the upper bridge
attacked and killed another gabber Mechanik, and I
brought my underwhelming turn to a close.
JASON ROUND 4/TURN 2
It was Nemo's turn at bat. Nemo allocated 3 focus to the
Sentinel which advanced forward and opened fire on
Rasheth-five strafe shots! For the time being, I decided to
hold my boosts. The first shot hit but inflicted no damage.
The second inflicted a single point. The third I boosted
and nailed Rasheth for 6 points of damage, which were
subsequently transferred to Nemo via Blood Mark. The
fourth shot hit the fatty with a boosted damage roll for 6
more damage, which Ed transferred to the Titan Cannoneer.
The fifth and final shot tagged Rasheth for 9 points on a
boost! Ed again transferred the damage to his Cannoneer.
Nemo then turned his attention to Makeda's Cyclops
Savage that had run up the stairs and into melee with him.
A pair of boosted attacks later and the Cyclops took 14
points of damage from the old man. I felt pretty good a bout
leaving Nemo in combat since he was under Stry ker's feat
for the rest of this round, and even if Ed brought much
to bear on the warcaster next turn, Nemo would have
regained his 7 focus for armor.
ED ROUND 4 / TURN 3
I never thought l would hope for a high damage roll against
one of my warlocks. Impervious Flesh was keeping me from
doing more damage to Nemo, but I suppose it also kept me
ative. I really wish I would have held out and transferred
that 9-damage shot to Nemo, but that's how it goes.
Below, on the railway, I had the Beast Handlers run to the
stairs. On the upper bridge, Xenos' Krea used her Paralytic
Aura animus and killed two Precursors. She was at full fury.
Without having enough troops for him to support, I was
. still struggting with Xencis. I
was at a bit of a loss on what to
do with him. He shifted over
and ran into melee with Nemo's
Sentinel, keeping all his fury.
Despite the huge risk, I wanted
to put more pressure on Nemo
since he was currently the most
vulnerable Cygnaran warcaster.
Back down on the railway, my
sole surviving Bloodrunner
ran to the base of the stairs,
and I repositioned my Tyrant
Commander and Standard so
I maintained control of my
far right territory in hopes of
winning initiative aga.in.
JASON ROUND 4/TURN 3
Haley allocated I focus point to her Defender, but I started
with Thorn, which advanced on my right flank. Then I
had Haley unleash a Chain Lightning through Thorn's
arc node that blasted a Tyrant Commander for 5 points
of boosted damage. The arcing lightning fried two Beast
Handlers and inflicted 3 points of damage to Xerxis. Haley
then advanced and fired on the Tyrant Commander with
her hand cannon and missed.
Haley's Defender advanced forward and fired on Rasheth,
inflicting 6 points of damage with a boost. Fat boy felt that!
The remaining two models in my Long Gunner unit
advanced forward and combined their lire on the Tyrant
Commander, dropping him.
One gobber Field Mechanik whiffed with a melee attacks
against the Standard Bearer, while the other ran forward
into Ed's side of the board to grab up some territory. Then
my turn drew to a close. Lacking any models that had yet
to activate, I once again would be activating nothing in my
final turn of the round.
ED ROUND 4/TURN 4
THE GATORS MADE LANDFALL. That is aU.
ROUNDS
JASON'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
The tides of war were now shifting to my favor. With Ed's
forces on the upper bridge substantially thinned, his bonus
for the initiative was much diminished, and I won the roll!
Haley did not upkeep Arcane Shield.
ED'S MAINTENANCE PHASE
Despite already being torn up, Rasheth inflicted 4 more
points of damage to himself to gain fury. I would need to
transfer damage to the Cannoneer, and if Rasheth lived,
he wasn't going to be much good to me if he couldn't get a
spell or two off. Makeda took 1 point of damage for fury
and upkept Savagery on the Nihilators. With Xerxis out
of range to leach anything off the Krea, it frenzied and
charged a Storm blade for a kill. I elected not to remove the
fury from the Krea. It seemed I was in a spot of trouble.
JASON ROUND 5/TURN I
With the end of the Krea's temper tantrum out of my way, I
commenced to slaughter. This would be the final round of the
game, so I needed to make it count. I surveyed the battlefield
and the gears started turning. I had plenty to bring to bear; I
just had to move all the parts in the right order.
This turn, I started with Haley who allocated a single focus
point to Thorn. I then activated Thorn who dashed across
the table toward Rasheth.
Haley activated next and channeled an Arcane Bolt
through Thorn and into Rasheth. It hit but scored only
2 points of damage even with a boost. Thorn's Reaction
Drive kicked in, and the 'jack advanced out of the way
of the Storm blades which cleared their charge path to
Rasheth. Then Haley channeled a second Arcane Bolt at
Rasheth. With a hit and boosted damage roll, she inflicted
6 points of damage that was subsequently transferred to
the decimated Cannoneer. Her work done, Haley fell back
a little and braced herself for Makeda.
Strangewayes advanced and gave Haley's Defender 1
focus. The Defender then activated and blasted Rasheth
for another 8 points on a boosted damage roll. Rasheth
transferred the damage to the Cannoneer, killing it. The
remaining damage reduced Rasheth to a single wound. My
joy was tempered by purpose.
Having rallied and returned to the fight, my remaining
Stormblades assaulted Xerxis and took him down him with
blasts and strikes from their Glaives.
With a grin, I moved in my remaining Long Gunners who
trained their sights on Rasheth. A combined attack later
and they succeed in inflicting the single point of damage
required to retire Dominar Rasheth!
Two down. That felt a little like the payoff moment in
the Godfather.
The Precursors charged the enraged (and now wild) Krea
and drilled it twice for 9 points of damage. I then turned
to my embattled Journeyman Warcaster who was not
yet ready to give up the ghost. Junior Arcane Bolt-ed a
Nihilator who refused to die (Tough!), so the Journeyman
stepped up and stabbed him in the face. Dead Nihilator.
One of the remaining Trencher Commando Scattergunners
opened fire on the Agonizer and put it out of its misery
with scattergun fire.
With my plans coming together, I exhaled and ended my
turn, secretly thinking, "Alas, I have arisen and am alive
forever more, and hold the keys to hell and death, Amen."
Or, you know, whatever ... What?
~ : ~
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----------------------------
'
--- - -
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Xerx:is went down and the Long Gunners got
their revenge on Rasheth. I saw their ends
coming, but that didn't lessen the psychological
impact of losing two warlocks in one turn.
Without any choice, Makeda and company took
their turns. I was not about to end this game
without inflicting a warcaster casualty. Makeda
was up 6rst. She cast Carnage and healed
the Cyclops Savage for 2 damage. Next, the
Bloodrunner on the stairs advanced and put an
end to that annoying Journeyman Warcaster.
Again the Nihilators advanced with their +5 SPD,
and one of them managed to land a blow on Nemo
who shrugged it off with his overboosted power
field. I then advanced the Beast Handlers up the
stairs and into range to Enrage the Savage.
Next, I advanced the Cyclops Savage a bit,
staying in melee with Nemo and leaving enough
room for another model to get in to attack him if
I needed it. ] really wanted to put Nemo down
this turn, before he activated, since he was the
biggest threat to my last remaining warlock. With all that
focus on him he would be tough to crack, but he only had
eight wounds left and my damage rolls would be six off.
The Savage attacked and hit the old man thanks to the
bonus to attack rolls from Carnage and dinged him for a
couple points of damage. A second attack found the mark
again, and with the Cyclops' last fury the old man went
down. I was re[jeved, and I like to think that Stryker also
died from a broken heart. That sounds fair, right?
~ - -
~
'
'--
I used Spirit Driven to run the Ancestral Guardian into
melee with Stryker's Lancer. Then Makeda's Krea charged
the lancer with a boosted attack but failed to connect.
I ran the last Bloodrunner up the stairs and finished my
turn with the Tyrant Commander Standard Bearer on
the upper bridge who managed to kill a gobber Field
Mechanik and trigger a failed CMD check.
I had two un-activated units that I saved for ~ y final
bucket turn.
JASON ROUND 5/TURN 2
With Haley already having activated and Nemo taking a
dirt nap, Stryker was my only choice for activation this
turn. I allocated 3 focus to the Lancer, 1 to the Defender,
and 2 points to the Stormclad.
I started my turn by activating the Stormblade unit that
had not yet activated. They charged the Krea and Tyrant
Standard Bearer who were Ed's remaining models holding
the upper bridge. They both fell to my Storm Glaives, and
the bridge was mine!
Stryker then gunned down a Nihilator with an aimed
pistol shot.
The Lancer went to town on Makeda's Krea and attacked
the remaining Ancestral Guardian with embarrassing
results, inflicting little damage.
Stryker's Defender then showed the Lancer how it's done
and avenged Nemo with an aimed shot at the Cyclops. A
boosted damage roll took its head off at the shoulders.
In an anti-climatic turn of events, the Stormclad activated,
gained 1 focus from the Stormblades for a total of 3 and
had nothing to charge. All of its potential targets were
bleeding out on the bridge. Instead, it opened fire on the
Ancestral Guardian and missed dreadfully due to its target
being in melee. Thankfully, it also missed the Lancer.
Harlan Versh attempted the same shot at the Ancestral
Guardian and missed.
That was the last of my models, so my turn ended and I
would not have a bucket turn after Ed.
ED ROUND 5/TURN 2
The railway Praetorians ran up the stairs in an attempt to
shed their "railway" prefix.
To close the game, my Gatormen made one final run,
and I like to think they slipped off into the Corvis sewers
somewhere to become a cautionary tale for Cygnaran
children not to wander too close to storm drains.
With the final models moved, the sun set on our battle.
was
adaF
is a I
turn
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In the end Cygnar held the upper bridge with two Skorne
warlocks killed in action.
It was a hell of a game and a blast to play! The carnage
was fast and furious, and the Unbound system forced us to
adapt constantly to an ever-changing battlefield. Initiative
is a fickle mistress, and the unpredictable nature of the
turn order definitely kept me on my toes. As much as I
tried to plan my turns, I constantly had to adapt to Ed's
movements. I think that is the nature of the Unbound
system. It is not just WARMACHINE and HORDES on a
grand scale; it is a completely new game in terms of timing
and capabi lities. While some familiar combinations remain
ED-SKORNE
What a great and exhausting game.
If I were to do it aU over again, I would change only two
things. First, I would swap the Gatorman Posse for a unit
of Bog Trog Ambushers and another Swamp Gabber
Bellows Crew. The Bog Trogs could have started my
second round where the Gatormen started their fifth, and
more smoke from Swamp Gabbers would have meant
fewer bullets in the early game. Second, Xerxis would
have had both units of Praetorian Swordsmen with him.
The railway unit did very littl e and was clogged behind the
other units with it (this is something that comes up quite a
bit in Unbound games but was exacerbated by the terrain
in this case). With them on the upper bridge, I think they
every bit as powerful in Unbound, others are substantially
harder to execute.
Getting your timing down is key.
Though I planned on making Temporal Barrier a
cornerstone of my strategy, that is not how the game
evolved. Instead of trying to lock down Ed's charges, I
played a much more aggressive game. Part of this was
defmitely due to Ed seizing control of the board early.
Lacking the initiative, I could never get that spell off where
it would have been decisive. At a cost of 4 focus, there is no
sense in casting Temporal Barrier if it is not going to affect
a substantial part of your opponent's army.
would have been much more useful, and with their speed
they could have been up Jason's flank in no time.
With the fantastic terrain from hobby manager Rob
Hawkins and two massive painted armies, this battle
felt truly cinematic. I have played quite a few Unbound
games, and the suspense of this one was wonderful. Every
victorious t urn felt like winning a game, and each loss was
like a kick in the teeth. And despite my loss of the entire
game, it left me buzzing from the action and craving more.
Th is feeling is why I play WARMACHINE and
HORDES, a nd Unbound bas all of us at Privateer trying
to decide which faction to craft into a 150-point killing
machine next.
~ rn
I
TERRAIN
SHOWCASE


By Rob Hawkins, Hobby Manager
NO QUARTER MAGAZINE: TERRAIN SHOWCASE
It all started with a 4"x6" mockup of the table to make sure the design would work for the
planned battle. Thi s tiny-scale table was built with foam core and cardsrock in about an hour.
It includes foam buildings, penciled-on railroad tracks, and even a working drawbridge!
Since the large bridge would be stone, I decided on
insulation foam for the constr uction. This would al low me
to inscribe the stone texture directly into the material. and
(more importantly) it would make the overal l weight of the
table much lighter. I drew the arches for the bridge and cut
them out with a wire cutter.
The slope of the bridge needed to be shall ow enough so the
entire surface could be considered level and only el evated
compared to the lower platforms. I was al so concerned about
models that might tip over on a steep incline. Later. I would
find out, despite my best efforts. the sl ope was sti ll too steep.
and I'd have to make a radical adjustment. But we' ll cross that
bridge when we come to it. Get it?
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To make the bridge's street, I cut a sheet of 1/4- foam core to size and cut parallel slits into
one side without piercing the cardboard on the opposite side. The cuts allow the board to
flex over the curved arch of the bridge.
I cut a notch into the top of the arch. The street running through the bridge would sit on the
bottom shelf, and the raised areas would form the side guards of the bridge.
Before gluing anything in place I went over the surface
and gave it all a stone texture. Creating the stone texture
involves cutting the stone pattern into the material,
inscribing the lines with a wood pencil, and then
compacting individual stones down with a finger to create
an uneven surface. (For a more detailed example of this
technique, check out No Quarter Magazine
1
23 or visit my
hobby blog online: www.privateerpress.com/hobby) You'll
notice the stones don't extend all the way under the bridge;
I only drew them in areas they would be visible.
With the bridge affixed to the table with construction adhesive. I began to
attach the foam core street panels.
With the street in place. I used construction adhesive to coat the outer
edges of the raised end of the bridge and fill gaps in the foam. As it turned
out, this is a pretty effective method for protecting the exposed edges and
corners of insulation foam. The next time you make a game board out of
foam, try coating the outer edges and corners with construction adhesive
for more durability.
As I mentioned above, the incline of the bridge turned out to be too steep,
but I only realized this after the last of the construction adhesive had dried!
To reduce the angle, I ended up having to tear up the foam core sheets
and add spacers to raise the lowest portion of the bridge. My beautifully
planned side guards were mostly cut away, and I had to build new ones as I
added the building foundations.
Before attaching the bridge, I decided the center supports of the bridge
needed some kind of island base. At this point, I was also planning out the
docks that would line the sides of the canal and preparing the components
I would need. I made these pilings by cutting a thin dowel to, - lengths and
distressing the top with a pair of clippers.
To make the rope wrappings, I first twisted some thin-gauge floral wire with
a power drill. The wire rope was attached with super glue. I made about
fifty of these.
With the pilings finished, I set out to make the island. Two
layers of foam core. their edges coated with construction
adhesive, were used for the base. Thin basswood strips were
attached with super glue, and sand was glued to the top.
Here is the finished island with the pilings in place, one for each side. They fit right around the foam bridge support .

The large bridges in Corvis are lined with houses. I decided the
best way to create the structures was to design them with stone
foundations recessed into the bridge_ The building tops could be
built and painted separately and anached at the end_ I stacked two
blocks of 2- insulation foam and marked the buildings' positions on
the bridge. After removing the section of the bridge, the foundation
blocks neatly fit into the cutout_
I didn't document the adjustments to the bridge's incline. but in this
shot you can see some of the modifications_ At the left side of the
frame a spacer of pink foam lifts the foam core street The outer wall
of the bridge would need to be reconstructed.
The building foundations were given a stone texture similar to the
bridge_ A side guard was cut to fit between each building along the
length of the bridge_
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At either end, I added steps and levels leading from the ground level u1> to the
bridge. This foam core building was affixed and extends down to the water level.
With all of the building foundations in place and the side guards added, it was
time 10 move on to the docks. The buildings over the central support would be
tall stone guard rowers. so I added some extra support beneath them.
For the docks, I used foam core covered with cut popsicle sticks. The top layer of foam core is raised up from the surface of the table by a smaller pi ece
beneath it. Before gluing the dock in place. I added vertical planks to form the bulkhead and covered the building with brick-textured styrene card. The
edge of the dock was also covered with construction adhesive so the wood strips could be super-glued to it.
Basswood strips were glued to the side of the foam core dock. The tops were covered with popsicle sticks, and the pilings I made earlier were placed
around the outside. I placed some wood strips along the top edge of the bulkhead and built the ladder from brass and styrene rod inserted through thick
styrene '"rungs.'" (The black goop in the detail shot is a water texture added in the later stages.)
In No Quarter Magazine issue ' 23, I discussed a technique for making
flagstone streets using cardboard chits and sand. I used the same method to
detail the ground level and planned to repeat that over the entire bridge.
This method, while durable and very convincing, is very time consuming. I
did have a deadline, after all , and needed a more efficient way of detailing
the bridge.
?-/
The process I came up with was to cut very thin slices of insul ati on foam
on the wire cutter and texture them much the same way I appli ed the stone
texture to the wall s. The sli ce is about 3!16- thick. Having a stationary wire
cutter hel ps gr eatly wi th getting precise cuts. It would take a very steady
hand to do this with a hand-held cuner.
Here you can see t he sheets of stonework goi ng onto the street. By cutting
the edges with an irregular shape and fitting them together like a jigsaw
puzzle I was abl e to avoid seams that would create unrealistic l engths of
per fect ly ali gned stones.
In t hi s shot, t he street is nearly compl ete, and you can see how the buildings
will be positioned atop their foundations.
To create the ripples in the water, a mi xture of latex paint and sand was
dabbed onto the table around the edges of the docks and islands. When it
came time to paint the water, these sandy ripples were drybrushed with
Morrow White to resemble frothing waves. To achi eve the high gl oss, a thin
layer of Envirotex Lite was poured over the painted surface.
With the main bridge finished, it was time to move on to the small er iron drawbridge. It all started with a sheet of foam core cut and laid across the central
support. (Note, I'm using black foam core in these photos, but I recommend white. The paper surface of black foam core is more porous than white, and it
tends to absorb super glue rather quickly, which made it difficult to glue some of the styrene strips in place. It all worked out in the end, but I'll be using
white foam core for future projects.)
To build the trusses, I started with three pieces of foam core taped together
to create a channel. I measured the sides to ensure they were parallel. This
channel would serve as a guide when building the truss so that it would be
straight and even.
After measuring the length of the bridge section the truss would fit into, I
cut two l-strips of styrene and placed them in the channel.
The vertical strips were glued in place.
I measured and cut the support strips. The ends are clipped at a 45-degree angle.
To cover the joins, I used a rotary hand sewing punch to dimple rivets into
thin styrene and glued those pieces to the truss.
With the finished truss super-glued in place, I added
some framing to the ends of the bridge with more
L-strips and sheet styrene.
I had scratch bui lt a locomotive and refurbished
the 0-scale boxcar that had appeared in some
or our older photography. These were the
centerpieces for a train depot table that's been
making the convention rounds as part or Iron
Arena. I wanted the train to be usable on this
railroad drawbridge, so I built the tracks to
match its wheel s.
The railroad ties are popsicle sticks, and the
rails are custom-made from strips or styrene
formed to an inverted T.
I made support scaffolding for the drawbridge
control shed out or styrene. This was kept
separate so the ground and stonework could
be easily painted.
With the trusses attached to the length of the
bridge, I built the drawbridge. Its working
hinges are made from aluminum tubing and
modeling putty.
When closed, the bridge rests on a styrene
L-strip. I had to shave a little material off the
trusses to ensure the drawbridge could open
and close without scraping the corners.
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The railroad spikes are straight pins. Holes were first drilled through the
styrene and wood, then the pin was inserted. The exposed nat head of the
pin resembles a large rivet.
To get the drawbridge to open, the ends of the rails were cut away to create
a V-shaped notch at the hinge.
The remaining surface of the bridge was covered with styrene strips
punched with rivets. This was when I started to wish I had used white foam
core. The strips kept popping loose and needed to be re-glued.
The guardrails were made in the same fashion as the trusses but with thicker
styrene. As with the tracks, a V-shaped notch was left so the guardrail
wouldn't interfere with the opening drawbri dge.
The drawbridge isn't motorized, but it still needed to appear as though it
had a functioning motor. I built a boiler assembly out of a P3 dropper bottle,
styrene, and a Centurion boiler. The large gears are cast in plaster.
With the bridge and tracks complete. I added some sand on the track bed.
Multiple layers of insulation foam are used to create the platforms connecting the ground level to the bridge. The steps were created by cutting a zigzag
pattern into the foam. I always strive to make my terrain as playable as possible, so I keep bases on hand to make sure the models will fit on the walkways.
By using landings and keeping the stairs limited to Oights of about five steps. units of models can move up the levels and remain in formation.
Here you can see the stone texture pressed into the foam. The last of the
nagstones were then added to the street on the stone bridge.
The sta'irs were cut out of insulation foam. Larger steps were situated
to allow models to stand on the stai rs. The outer wall of the stairs was
constructed from foam core covered with brick-textured styrene; a riveted
plastic strip was added along the top edge.
Windows, doors, and other details were added to the
stone foundations of the buildings and everything was
primed black. The foam areas were covered with a layer
of wood glue and then black latex paint before the other
details were super-glued in place and sprayed with
Formula P3 Black Primer. Covering the foam in this way
ensured the aerosol would not dissolve all of my hard
work on the stone ..
The building tops were detailed to match the rest of our
Iron Kingdoms scenery. The walkway between the towers
was constructed in the same manner as the iron bridge
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With a coat of paint and a few extra details, like streetlamps, the Black River Bridge is ready for battle!
I hope this insight into the table construction has been entertaining as well as educational.
Now it's on to my next project!
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