Just before Christmas last year, we finished off the last battle in the first Age of Sigmar hardback, played through as part of the ongoing storyline (in order, with appropriate models, etc). I did a summary of our games (http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/674196.page), and it seemed like people were interested in how they all linked together.
Well, we have just finished the next hardback, the Quest for Ghal Maraz!
REALM OF LIFE
We kicked off with the first battle in the book, which saw the Hallowed Knights continuing their search for Alarielle, Lady of the Radiant Woods. However, the forces of Nurgle were waiting and ready. Hostilities began with Beastmen of Nurgle using the Dirgehorn to cripple the efforts of Stormcast and Sylvaneth both. Things did not go well for the Stormcasts, and they had to leave the Sylvaneth to suffer under the effects of the artefact, as finding Alarielle was of prime importance. This was played out using The Spellreakers.
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The Stormcasts were not the only ones looking for Alarielle, for the Verminlord Vermalanx was also searching – and he had an idea for how his Pestilens Skaven could help him. A trap was devised to draw the Sylvaneth out so one could be captured and questioned, but the battle was disrupted by the appearance of Lord-Celestant Gardus, whoh had spent all this time wandering around Nurgle's own garden and had managed to escape. This was Out of the Mist.
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Gardus knew the region in which the Athelwyrd (Alarielle's hiding place) lay – if they could get to the Oak of Ages Past, they would be right next to the Hidden Vale and Alarielle could be found. The Oak was near the River Vitalis, but Nurgle had got there first and a Great Unclean One, known as Pupa Grotesse, now sat astride it, turning the waters foul. The River Vitalis was now the Gelid Gush, and the Stormcasts mounted an assault to destroy Pupa Grotesse. However, things did not go well… This was played using Kill the Beast.
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Though Pupa Grotesse was still polluting the Realm of Life, the battle had revealed the secret glade Alarielle had secreted herself within. The Stormcasts entered, determined to make peace with her – only to discover the entire Grand Congregation of Nurgle had followed. This was a the first big climactic battle of the campaign, and its results would alter how the War of Life progressed. We used the War of Storms Battleplan for this.
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ELSEWHERE IN THE REALMS
We took some time out to see what was happening in other parts of the Realmgate Wars, using Battleplans drawn from the Battletomes. First up was The Tables Turned (from Battletome: Seraphon), set in the Realm of Fire, where the Seraphon first appeared to give Chaos a bit of a smacking. While they did not save the Stormcasts who had been laying siege to the Fortress of Embers, Slann Starmaster Zectoka did not really care – his forces managed to wipe the battlefield clean of Khorne followers…
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After sorting out Khorne, Zectoka bounced to the Realm of Life, to disrupt the Pestilens Skaven and Nurgle Daemons of the Runnel Pits, another victory for the Seraphon that used the Purge the Corruption Battleplan (also from Battletome: Seraphon).
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REALM OF METAL
We had only briefly touched upon the Realm of Metal last year, but the Stormcasts now knew Ghal Maraz was somewhere close, and they were determined to find it. However, first they had to repulse an attack from the Bleak Horde within the ruined city of Elixia, where they also managed to pick up a new ally. This was played using The Cursed City
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The Stormcasts had found the banshee Celemnis, the Silver Maiden, and she led them through the ruined city to another hamlet in which stood a Dragonfate Dais – she told them the dais held the secret of Ghal Maraz's location. First, however, they had to deal with a warband of Skaven who had been sent by Kairos Fateweaver to delay them. This was Death at the Dais.
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The dais allowed the Stormcasts to commune with Dracothion, the Great Drake, who told them the Eldritch Fortress (and Ghal Maraz) had been moved to a floating island called the Great Crucible. A sheet of molten silver rained down from the Crucible, and Dracothion caused it to freeze, allowing the Stormcasts to climb up. However, the silver soon started to melt again and the Stormcasts had to assault the Bleak Horde's defensive network while risking being engulfed by molten silver. This was played using Battle Against Time.
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Finally, having battled their way forward, the Stormcasts reached the Eldritch Fortress – Ghal Maraz was in reach! All they had to do was mass their forces and take the castle… and they failed! Repulsed by a robust defence, the Stormcasts were forced to withdraw! This was played using Retrieve the Relic (from the Stormcast Battletome).
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Time had run out for the Stormcasts. The master of the Eldritch Fortress had enacted a great spell that was about to transport the entire castle (with Ghal Maraz) to Tzeentch's own kingdom in the Realm of Chaos. If that happened, both fortress and hammer would be lost to Sigmar forever! This was played using Cast Adrift.
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I won't spoil the ending – but Sigmar is now a very happy God-King!
Playing through this campaign has allowed us to try out all the various Battleplans of Age of Sigmar, as well as motivate us to create several different forces. Once again, would recommend playing through this campaign to anyone!
reveals axemen for his Volcano Dwarf army.
