Highland Incursion

 Gunnbjorn eyed the approaching army of men through his scope.  The Khadorians were pushing into the trollish highlands, home to many kriels and refugees.  His dire trolls, Marshal and Andre, pushed their way to the front, shoving aside the smaller pyre, slag and swamp trolls.  To his right, Boomhowler and his crew set their defenses.

 The man'o'war troopers unloaded their grenades at the mercenaries who had no cover for protection.  Howling with anger, Greygore led his troops into the fire to charge the entrenched humans.

 Both forces attempted defensive postures, taking opposite hills, maximizing cover and height.  With the enemy within striking range, Gunnbjorn concentrated on the firepower pouring from his hill, guiding each shot into the enemy with brutal efficiency.  The Khador response was as expected and the troll captain ordered his troop s to get their heads down as the shells were fired.

 Gudrun, drunk and angry, charged from the troll line, and engaged the man'o'war troopers closing on their position.  Behemoth came charging into the trolls, crippling the pyre troll.  Far off to the right flank, Boomhowler's crew had engaged their man'o'war and were fighting to a standstill.  Losses were heavy on both sides, but the warlock took heart knowing his trolls would not fall easy.

 Gudrun, who was making a mess of the armoured troops, became the subject of Karchev's wrath and fell under his axe.  The ogrun had fallen, but he had also brought the warcaster into the open.  The remaining two man'o'war engaged the swamp troll as Behemoth turned the pyre troll into paste.

After the smoke cleared from bazooka, bomb and slugger fire, Karchev still stood.  The slag troll sent around the far side of the hill moved in for the kill as the warcaster called a retreat.  The troll captain let the 'caster go back into the wood in all hopes he might happen upon dragonspawn.

Escalation II - 2

 The battle for Steamtown continues.  Eregore and Gunnbjorn meet at the town's edge with guns and spells blazing.  The bonejacks' arc nodes angered the dire trolls from the start, and were thusly scrapped first.

 Severe damage was being dealt on both sides.  If it wasn't for regeneration, there would have been fewer trolls.

 The coven continued to evade the thumper crew with stealthy things and keeping their distance.  But they could tell that their 'jacks were not doing enough damage to stop the angry blue tide.

 Surrounded, the last of the coven shelters behind her last 'jack.  Gunnbjorn gives the blitzer his orders and the blizter charges the corrupter. The whelp on top aims his slugger upon the last witch and fires.

 Not long after, the sounds of Khador steel are heard along with the smell of boilers.

 The two lines begin to close, much name-calling is had.

 The bomber gets charged by the dragoon, which hurts like the abyss.

 The troll captain maneuvers his trolls to reinforce his left flank, effectively pulling apart Karchev's forces.  As soon as the warcaster is in range, the heavy ordinance is dropped...

 Not to be left out, Legion forces move on the Khador encampment.  The red 'jacks prepare for the worst and take an elevated position.

 "I like glaciers, I really do.  Oh this?  I took it from one of Asphixious' slayers. But back to glaciers..."

 Legion sends the beasts in, one at a time.

 Meanwhile, a nephlim fires at them from a tower.

 Thagrosh seems hesitant to engage the warjacks, and eventually sends in the carni to soften them up more.  The Khadorians kill it, the first time...

 The warlock brings the beast back and moves in, and Karchev is forced back.

We are halfway through Month II of the Escalation League. As is the case, not all the battles have had pictures taken, this makes me sad too.  But there is more Forces spotlights to go...until next round.

Equipping for Fun

This is Swimming Eagle. He has a long and full day ahead of him today!

He's mighty impressive as a military commander on the field of battle.

But mostly he's a shaman. Being an interdimensional, interplanetary ambassador of good-will gets you into a lot of unusual situations. So he often needs special equipment...

Preventing hypoxia while visiting the Eagle-Men of K2 will cost 10 points.

A patented device to relieve high atmospheric pressure, as well as extremely high gravity will enable him to visit the nitrogen/oxygen-breathing Squats of planet Titon. Cost: 20 points (10 + 10).

Some devices are so elegant they don't cost anything extra. It's just a matter of writing down that you have it. (Swimming Eagle uses his #10 to pilot.)

Then there is the truly marvellous. Proving that with enough forethought and 10's of points, you can accomplish anything you could want...

Ambush!!

Chaos erupts on Odin Prime!

An Imperial column of the 609th hurriedly pulls into a defensive formation. Traitors all around!!!

Chimera and Russ of the 609th defend against a rabid Dreadnought, some oozing Chaos Spawn and a bloodcurdling Defiler.

The Valkyrie lifts off the landing pad to engage, leaving plasma-armed Sentinels shooting at a second Defiler! The mechanical monster weathers fire from a Russ, roaring and rushing forward to crunch it in its metal claws.

Meanwhile the Thousand Sons advance.

Desperate fighting in the corner of the Imperal position as Daemon Prince Redius swoops down to punch holes in tanks; an Imperial platoon holds on as Spawn and the demented robot have at them.

The maddened Defiler scrambles onto the landing pad!

At the other end of the street, its dragon-headed sibling roars deafeningly as the trembling psyker choir bears up against the waves of hatred.

Running their transport recklessly into a crater, Khorne Berzerkers erupt into the street, sprinting at their quarry.

The landing pad is claimed by the Defiler as Possessed Marines start an end-run around a mass of tank wreckage. High above the madness, a mysterious silver figure is watching with detached, immortal interest...

The Chaos Predator wails as Veterans are flown in with meltaguns.

Tzeentch is finished with you!!

The surviving Defiler runs amok, descending on the last Chimera it can see.

The district is taken by Chaos by a score of 13-4. Good game!!!

Terrain and Imperials by Ricalope.

Chaos by Mike, with additions and interference by Chris.

Naval Architecture

I owe the page a battle report. While I'm getting prepared, here is a photo that was smuggled out of CatLand by foreign spies:

If the scale looks a little odd to you naval buffs, it's because this is a BRUTAL battleship. So its secondary armament is in the neighborhood of 16-inch, with primary more like 20!

Escalation Forces - Gunnbjorn

 They're big, they're blue, and they are tough as nails.  For the RHG Escalation League I decided to run Captain Gunnbjorn.  Like I can say no to a bunch of Scottish gun-wielding trolls.  Besides, it is the Year of the Troll!

 First up; the Capt'n himself.  I love this model (and he won 1st in the single mini at GottaCon!)  My opponents already fear the bazooka....I like my bazooka...

 My first heavy beast, Andre the bomber with Flint.  Andre has been freaking people out with his POW 16 AOE 4 bombs, which hit thanks to Gunnbjorn.

 Now that my foes are aware of what he can do, he is either a big target or to be avoided at all costs.  This merely tells me that I need a second one.

 He wears a Cameron tartan, of course.

 I decided on a swampy/chemical green flame like on Sparky...

 Sparky the pyre troll.  I saved the fireball-breath for a future token and added more fire.  More fire is always good.

 Yeah, I still need to put some moss and water effects on the bases, (but at least they are painted with facings! Yes I'm looking at you...)

 For Month II I went up a tier, making bombers and blitzers cheaper.  Plus some much needed firepower.  Gunnbjorn always needs more firepower.

 Marshal is my blitzer.  Being the most combat-minded troll in the force, Marshal is my spearhead and takes some of the heat off Andre.  Combined with Sparky's animus, he does pretty well.

 The gunner; Doody.

 With three points leftover, another gun was purchased, the thumper.  With a high POW, knockdown, and a possible threat range of 18", these guys are the beginning of my support units.  (I am planning for two and some sluggers).

More Escalation Forces to come, until next round.