Opening Setting

A prospecting party has discovered the portal desk. Rare gromril ore can be mined from the iDevices and the Dwarves have found a valuable quarry. The small force of miners is led by the Master Engineer Drundiak Leadshaper. A stoic and experienced warrior Drundiak is aware of the danger of other forces in the area and the likelihood that they could be drawn by the magic of the portal. Nevertheless, he is unwilling to strike out for home without a prize to bring back to the clan forge. The dwarves will not leave the pile of iDevices without 20 ingots of gromril, a miner may attempt to mine ingot from the iDevice passing a strength test. The dwarven bonus victory points will be counted for each surviving miner that can exit the map voluntarily at the northwest corner of the desk as well as regular conquest victory points.

The dwarven prospectors starting in the southeastern corner of the desk

Drundiak supervises gromril mining operations

Drundiak and the Miners

Drundiak ground his mecha-wrench into the soil as he stared up at the monitor portal scowling. His assistant Krunrondagg kept cranking the ore sensor and exclaiming, "It's off the dials Gromril here for sure, for sure!" Drundiak was silent, pondering. Obviously, the monitor was magical but what threat did it currently pose? He couldn't see any visible signs of chaos. He didn't trust magic. He gazed out across the lava field of the keyboard. Beyond it stood two cups in big columns. Even as he stared, he began to catch a glimpse of movement in the darkness beyond the columns... And then he began to hear the distant cackling. "Grobi" he muttered. He grit his teeth, whenever one found such a glutted vein there was also mischief.

Gikvask's Grots

Gikvask was in a desperate position regarding the political jockeying within the warren. Chognim had all but superceded him in the favor of the auntie's circle, now enjoying the honor of presenting the warren's tribute to the orc boss from the nearby Painted Skull tribe. Losing status was shrinking his warband. Tired and tense Gikvask had brought his small night goblin war party far afield of the warren hunting grounds in search of some kind of windfall. he needed a victory; booty, a special weapon, some kind of glorious story to stop his social descent from the position of warboss. A warboss can never rejoin the ranks.. they only die

Gikvask bared his sharp teeth, grinning wickedly as he realized his raid had finally made contact. As his troops shuffled up behind him he picked out the dwarf leader, clad to the hilt in expensive metal. Gikvask smiled thinking about the special weapon he must carry, a clan favorite no doubt. This was the prey he had been searching for, now was his chance.

The Goblins will earn bonus victory points if they can kill Drundiak and Gikvask survives the battle.

Gikvask gazes upon the victims he's been hunting for

The goblins have mustered along the left side of the desk

Turn 1 Gikvask

Gikvask moves first as he has the jump on the dwarves. The keyboard terrain is dangerous so Gikvask's initial plan is to bring his force around the back of the portal and attempt to climb the stereo equipment to control the high ground before engaging in combat. If the dwarves move to capture the heights it will be no matter as they have no archers. Gikvask orders his shaman Scogtrask to advance on separately directly toward the dwarves and bombard them with magic from the mousepad forest across the dangerous terrain of the keyboard.

Scogtrask elected to bring the stone troll Lig-throp with him as an escort. He was aware that Gikvask viewed him as a threat and was sending him into danger. It is true that Scogtrask would likely take command of their night goblins in the event of Gikvask's death and he had already made plans in which, under his leadership, the grots would grow in strength and power setting out eventually for larger warrens.

Gikvask and Scrogtrask "discuss" strategy

Turn 1: Movement Phase

Animosity Rolls

Gikvask is losing control of his warband so every unit rolls animosity every turn

Night goblins w/ spears: 4

Night goblin archers: 1

To Gikvask's dismay the movement phase is wasted by inner conflict as the archers attack the spearmen, each dealing D6 S3 on each other

archer rolls to wounds (4+): 2,3,2 -> 0

spearmen rolls to wounds (4+): 1,4,1,6 -> 2

The rank and file goblins are not wearing armour and the bowmen have no shields so the wounds are unsaved and two goblin archers die in the fighting before Gikvask can break it up.

Stupidity Rolls

Lig-throp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 6

Thrug-werlp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 10 -- d6 inches: 6

Lig-throp trots after Scogtrask away from the riot but Thrug-werlp lumbers forward oblivious to Gikvask's intentions.

Through turn one only Scogtrask and the trolls actually advance, Scogtrask falls behind the troll he can't maintain a marhcing pace while muttering his spell.

Turn 1: Magic Phase

Scogtrask Chooses Spells

Rolled: 6, 3

Spells: Curse of da Bad Moon, Itchy Nuisance

Winds of Magic: 4 + 2

Scogtrask successfully channels another power die

Scogtrask rolls 5 dice to cast Curse of da Bad Moon: 16

The Dwarves resist with all four of their dispel dice: 14

Scogtrask lines up the vortex to go over the dwarves

The vortex moves: 18 inches passing over 13 dwarves

A D3 determines that the affected dwarves will face a strength test or die... 2 fail out of the entire 13 affected and succumb to the curse.

A black moon is conjured over the prospectors and as Scrogtrask laughs the crescent fills into a rounded goblinoid cackling visage. The moon swoops through the dwarves like a wind of stinging acid. A few are knocked aside by the wind but the two who lose their feet and go tumbling along its path, rolling in its corrosive middle are left wheezing and sputting their last.

Turn 2 Drundiak: Movement Phase

The quick utilization of a magic user had Drundiak apprehensive. They were in for a fight no doubt about it. He feared this could be a scouting speartip to larger goblin force in the area. Even as the sense of urgency mounted Drundiak was loathe to abandon the gromril. He ordered the formed up miners to advance marching as a free manouvre but rather than form up the unit with full command he egged them on the pick faster.

"Hustle on lads, Grobi could be swarming and we need our gromril!"

10 dwarves roll Strength tests at a strength of 5 due to their picks: 4 fail the test and don't mine a gromril ingot. The dwarves have 6 ingots.

Turn 2: Magic Phase

Winds of Magic: 2+1

The dwarves roll 3 dispel dice needing 15 to dispel the bad moon curse: [6,4,5]... they succeed and the bad moon dissipates

Turn 3: Movement Phase

Gikvask snarls for order amongst his troops.

Animosity Rolls

Night goblins w/ spears: 6

Night goblin archers: 3

The grots ecstaticly burst forward 4 inches due to "We'll Show 'Em"

"Alright, then you're with him! Don't let 'em pass", Gikvask barked at the excited grots pointing in the direction of Lig-throp and the shaman. It was all Gikvast could do to keep his gobbos advancing to bring the Waaagh! to the dwarves.

Stupidity Rolls

Lig-throp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 6

Thrug-werlp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 7

All the green skin units elect to march as their free maneuver but the archers must wheel first to get around the water cup so they wheel as a free maneuver and then roll leadership to march: 9... they may only move normally.There was a retcon here I forgot to not march Scogtrask last turn because he was casting so this turn he moved only 4 inches and won't cast balancing out his distance to what it would have been.

Turn 3: Magic Phase

Winds of Magic: 4+3

Without even bothering to channel, Scogtrask puts 6 dice into a Bad Moon Curse: [6, 6, 3, 6, 2, 3]... The Moon reshapes with irresistable force. Scogtrask lines it up and a aims it across the dwarves, it moves 4D6 inches: 14... passing through 14 dwarves including Drundiak and going off the map. They must all take a Toughness test to survive... 4 fail and die. Drundiak survives.

The dwarves pass their panic test: 5

Turn 4: Keep Mining

Drundiak is concerned, they can't weather the constant barrage of the bad moon. He needs to engage and cut down the wizard... but he can't leave empty handed. Drundiak orders even the formed up miners to break and fall upon the gromril with their picks while he inches closer to the goblins so that next turn he will be in range of the wizard with his handgun.

14 dwarves roll Strength tests at a strength of 5 due to their picks: 3 fail the test and don't mine a gromril ingot. The dwarves have 17 ingots.

Turn 5: March on

Animosity Rolls

Night goblins w/ spears: 3

Night goblin archers: 3

Stupidity Rolls

Lig-throp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 2

Thrug-werlp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 6

Like the Dwarf leader, Gikvask is keen to corral his roudy troops toward the enemy without letting any of them step on the glowing lava keys which are dangerous terrain. After Scogtrask and Lig-throp advance he will have the spear-grots make a 90 degree turn north and march out of danger before making another turn to advance.

Scogtrask has to march to get out of the way of the infantry so he won't be able to cast this turn, Lig-throp will stand in front of him to block enemy line of sight on the wizard.

The night goblins turn 90 degrees as a free maneuver, they must pass leadership tests to march and then for the second turn. They receive plus one from their musician so the first test is still using unmodified leadership, ld=7 (general): 3

The turn test ld=6: 6

The goblins manage to march and maneuver as planned

Thrug-werlp has come all the way around the backside of the portal, lurking amongst the cords

Turn 6: Form up

Now the dwarves have to move, Drundiak greedily orders his unit of five miners to keep mining but demands for the stronger 9 man troop to reform and make a battle line covering the gap between the lava keys and the stereo, marching if necessary. They have to march because they are so strewn about the gromril and their leadership roll is ld=9: 4. They pass easily and join Drundiak holding the gap.

The miners form up into a defensive line

5 dwarves roll Strength tests at a strength of 5 due to their picks: 2 fail the test and don't mine a gromril ingot. The dwarves have 20 ingots. Finally, they have their ore! But can they fight their way back to the forge?

"Yes, Dwali! We're coming back heroes!" Shouts Drundiak joyously. He was considering how best to augment his position. The stereo receiver, while scalable, would not afford a charge down over its cliff-side. The glow keys to his other flank sometimes bubbled up dangerous plumes of fire

Turn 6: Shooting

Having not moved the Dwarven leader has been scanning the goblin ranks down the sight of his dawrven handgun. His first choice of target by an overwhelming margin is the wicked little shaman whose cackling laugh was the last sound heard by all his casualties. His line of sight is obscured by a stone troll who is as likely as not to shrug off the blast. Behind them, however, clearly in his view strode the enemy general

Drundiak takes one shot BS4 (-1 long range)(-1 single character) -> needs 5+ : 3... a miss

Drundiak spots Gikvask from his battle line

Forces on a collision course

Turn 7: Get in There!

Gikvask can see that the dwarves are holding a choke, probably their leader's plan to best utilize his inferior numbers. He thinks to himself, "It doesn't matter now is the time to smash the. your weapon is mine." The nigth goblins with spears, and both trolls will charge. The archers and bosses will advance up behind them.

Animosity Rolls

Night goblins w/ spears: 5

Night goblin archers: 1

Stupidity Rolls

Lig-throp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 9

Thrug-werlp ld=7 (using general's leadership): 11

Both of the trolls do not understand what they are supposed to be doing and wander forward a D6, Lig-throp: 2 and Thrug-werlp: 2. The archers charge into the spearmen's rear before they can charge the dwarves. Mayhem not assault, Gikvask shakes his head.

The archers do 1 Strength 3 hit and the spearmen do 5 Strength 3 hits. The archers do 0 wounds and the spearmen get 4 wounds on the archers however.

Turn 3: Magic Phase

Winds of Magic: 3+1

For once Scogtrask is unsure of his position with the dwarves having 5 dispel dice (3+2) and only 4 for him, he would be unlikely to recast the bad moon without being dispelled. He tries to channel another power dice: 2... successfully. He also eats a magic mushroom to boost his power.

Scogtrask rolls all 5 power dice: [4,4,4,2,5] and the mushroom dice: 6 for a casting power of: 24. The dwarves roll their 5 dispel dice: [6,6,3,6,1] which is only 22 however the double 6s trigger irresistible force and the spell is undone even as black mist was beginning to swirl. Scogtrask groans. Gikvask shrieks, "Miserable! Treasonous! Pathetic! The lot of you!"

The charge that never happened

Turn 8: Dwarf Advance

"We've been given a chance now we take it!" Bellows Drundiak. The stronger miner unit will declare a charge upon Thrug-werlp and the other five miners form up and march in to support them. The reformed miners leadership roll to march: 2. Thrug-werlp is unafraid of the dwarves and elects to hold as a charge reaction. The charge distance rolled is: 9 which with their normal movement of 3 is enough for a successful charge.

The dwarves break out and go on the offensive

Shooting

Drundiak lines up the exact same shot again, his to hit roll: 4... another near miss and a shot wasted

Combat

At the beginning of the combat round the miners charging the must master their fear: 6... they are able to face Thrug-werlp. The troll has a lower initiative however the miners all have great weapons which have the always strikes last special rule so the troll strikes first. Instead of using all his attacks Thrug-werlp elects to vomit on Prospector Ranulf so he can take a strength 5 hit with no armour saves and possibly save Thrug-werlp the trouble of facing his steam drill. Thrug-werlp needs 3+ to wound and gets: 3... the vomit outright wastes the leader of the miners. The three remaining dwarves in contact strike at 3+ to hit because of their higher weapon skill: [4,3,6] all hits now they need to roll again at 3+ to wound because they strike at strength 5 with their great weapons: [6,4,6] all wounds. The troll is dead because its 5+ armour save is broken by the strength 5 and it only has 3 wounds.

The excited dwarves are within 8 inches of an enemy and have no leader to try adn stop them from overrun pursuing 2d6 towards Lig-throp, they pursue: 5... just barely enough to reach him and enjoin a second combat

The miners overrun into a second charge

This time the troll lashes out with all 3 of its attacks at 4+ to hit getting: [3,3,4]... so only 1 hit which is at 3+ to wound and breaks the miners' armour, the roll is: 2 which doesn't wound the miner. The dwarves will get to respond with four miners all attacking at 3+, theirs rolls are: [5,4,3,2].. oddly countdownish, with 3 hits so they roll again 3+ to wound: [3,2,5] so one fails to wound but the other two break the stone troll's natural armour so they go unsaved.

The dwarves win the combat result significantly, they did 2 wounds, charged, and have a standard bearer so they win by 4. Lig-throp uses the general's leadership but must still roll a 3 or lower to hold: 7... Lig-throp flees 2D6: 9 inches away from the dwarves. The dwarves cannot pursue because they have already pursued this turn.

Every goblin unit has to take a panic test because Lig-throp broke from combat within 12 inches of all of them, also they can all use Gikvask's leadership. First Gikvask himself rolls: 12...Gikvask, seeing the miners rip down his trolls, is starting to think that this attack isn't going to work out after-all. He doesn't want a mining spike through his head. He begins to flee for 2D6 inches and now the other troops cannot use his leadership. Gikvask runs: 8 inches. Scogtrask is now in a deep moment of decision making, is it time to take control or is it time to leave? Scogtrask rolls ld=5: 6... now is not the time to stand up to the stunties they just took out two trolls, Scogtrask flees 10 inches. The goblins spearmen roll their panic test: 7 so they flee and then all that's left are the archers: 7. they run 5 and 8 inches respectively.

After a strong magic opening the goblins route and the dwarves are able to walk off easily and pick up their extra victory points for mining their full required gromril. Drundiak will be greeted heroically at the forge-fires.