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freed. Moreover, my trollkin sources all agree that Doomshaper’s capture and escape brought him and Madrak Ironhide closer. Madrak subsequently led successful raids against 4th Army columns and supply caravans. With that said, it would be the trollkin who would suffer greatest. In the aftermath of Doomshaper’s escape, the 4th Army mobilized to drive the trollkin from Crael Valley, an action also authorized by Duke Dergeral of Ceryl. It might seem odd that Dergeral was so interested in these matters given Crael Valley was not on Dergeral’s lands, but Boylan’s letter suggests the motive—political capital. It is also the case that during Doomshaper’s lifetime there was an increased frequency of clashes between trollkin of the Gnarls and the 4th Army, which is responsible for that region. I’m sure there were many 4th Army officers eager for payback. All the better if this payback earned the favor of two powerful dukes— both Dergeral and Ebonhart. Typical politics. *** Doomshaper’s ability to reawaken the ancient bond between trollkin and dire trolls is only the beginning of the shaman’s power. The recent attack on Cygnar’s Royal Ellena train south of Fharin by monstrous trolls, ones allegedly even larger than dire trolls, demonstrates that Doomshaper has found yet more horrors to unleash upon his enemies. Though the shaman himself was not present during this attack, the emergence of these new “troll kings” has also been attributed to him. Some of the oldest trollkin myths describe such “troll kings” as eating entire forests before they were chained up below the earth. Another fanciful tale, though I have begun to wonder if such tales often contain more truth than we acknowledge. It appears the attack on the Royal Ellena may not be an isolated incident. Even as I was compiling these documents to send to you, I received word of other reports describing troll kings. Several were spotted raiding farmsteads in the Wyrmwall foothills, devouring livestock and destroying property. These were likely the same creatures responsible for the attack on the Royal Ellena, given the proximity. While most of this activity took place near the Wyrmwall Mountains, the following report comes from northern Khador. —GK Date: Glaceus 15th, 609 AR To: Koldun Lord Boris Metrovich From: Kovnik Yegor Chenko Daliskov has been destroyed. We lost contact with the garrison over a week ago. Per your request, I sent a kompany to investigate and provide assistance if necessary. They found destruction and death. The walls of the town had been knocked down, buildings flattened, and there were more bodies than could easily be counted. There were survivors, thankfully, and we interrogated them thoroughly. Many were raving and overcome by grief, making it difficult to isolate facts. All agree the town was attacked by trollkin and trolls led by an aged trollkin shaman bearing many scrolls. Most of their attention was occupied by what seems to have been several gigantic winter trolls, “walking glaciers” larger than most buildings, looming over the outer wall. I would find this hard to believe if I had not seen their tracks with my own eyes. What happened after the wall shattered is less certain. One witness claims crows swarmed the shaman and trolls, after which they vanished. The survivors credit Zevanna Agha, and they say without her, all would have perished. Make of that what you will. —Kovnik Chenko I don’t think there can be any doubt as to the identity of the trollkin shaman. As for these “walking glaciers,” I theorize Doomshaper has awoken another breed of these troll kings, perhaps related to the winter trolls common in that region. Professor Pendrake had no knowledge of these things but seemed eager to mount an expedition to examine them. It is difficult to gauge the scope of the threat they represent. *** In conclusion, I must admit the reports I have gathered point to an even more alarming portrait of Doomshaper than I anticipated at the outset. That not every trollkin is of the same mind about his deeds and actions might be seen as encouraging. Still, there is no question Doomshaper has considerable influence on the United Kriels, having armed them with weapons more formidable than rifles or cannons. His ability to summon ever-larger ravenous trolls from the deep wilderness and his willingness to set them loose upon human civilization is troubling in the extreme. Doomshaper is perhaps the most dangerous trollkin alive. Cygnar’s bungled attempts to neutralize Doomshaper have only exacerbated the situation and, worse yet, have brought him and Madrak Ironhide closer together. Further attempts on the shaman’s life will only strengthen trollkin resolve and unite the trollkin against their enemies. I suspect the only ones capable of mitigating Doomshaper would be members of their own community—or mortality itself. —GK Gavyn Kyle 49

50 privateer PINS Privateer Pins for the Holidays The holiday season is a time to get together with family and friends to celebrate the things in life that truly matter— like your ever-growing Privateer Pins collection. As 2015 winds down, the latest pins add a touch of post-Halloween chill and joyous, albeit deadly, Christmas flavor to your Cryx and Circle Orboros pin sets. Plus, the WARMACHINE Weekend special release of the latest Ability icon marks the seventh pin in that unique collection! Giving Thanks When Asphyxious himself finally saw pin action last September, Cryx collectors promptly began to request his symbol as a pin unto itself. So, in November, a special glow-in-the-dark version of the warcaster’s symbol makes its debut alongside two other new pins: the bust of Kromac, Champion of the Wurm, and the latest Ability Icon pin, ’Jack Marshal, which made its debut at WARMACHINE Weekend in St. Louis. “The Ability Icons have proven to be a really engaging subset of pins to collect,” says Will Shick, Director of Business Development. “We’ve done six others so far [Undead, Commander, Weapon Master, Stealth, Abomination, and Standard Bearer], and we see them on army bags all the time. We get quite a few requests for them as well, so we are considering expediting a few more releases of these soon.” Kromac continues the bust line begun last April with the Deathjack head, followed quickly by the Gorax and, last month, all three heads of Typhon. “Let’s face it,” Shick says. “You wouldn’t want to try to carry around all the metal a full-size Kromac, Champion of the Wurm pin would require.” Holiday Horror Last year, Butcher Santa was a big holiday hit—and this year, we’re expanding the Christmas collection with another Iron Kingdoms take on the holiday: Wurmwood, Christmas Tree of Fate. Unlike Butcher Santa, however, Wurmwood will be available to purchase through the Privateer Press Online Store. “We have a vision for an entire line of these holiday pins,” Shick says. “We have a few Butcher Santa pins left as well, so we may look into a holiday bundle of pins in a year or two.” The Wurmwood pin, like the Lock & Load event pins for the last two years and the 111th Infantry Battalion pin from last May, comes with a unique dangling piece—in this case, a Santa hat-wearing skeletal skull and torso. “Nothing says Christmas to Circle Orboros like a tree decorated with bodies and skull gifts beneath it,” Shick notes.

privateer pins 51 FOR MORE PINS privateerpress.com/pins The New Year Approaches… Pins for 2016 are already well underway, with new chibis, cereals, characters, Ability icons, and logos lined up for release in the first few months. Additionally, some lines will wind down in 2016 while other lines launch for the first time. “Some ideas are better than others,” Shick says. “Convention Manager Michael Plummer seems pretty sure that an IK cat line—Colemeow Stryker, Sorscha Catikoff—would be successful. Maybe not that one. We’ve been thinking about some sports connections. And now that we’re thinking about the holidays, a Reinholdt leprechaun for St. Patrick’s Day feels right.” As always, we love to hear your ideas—holiday pins, new lines, chibis, whatever you think sounds fun—so, send them to [email protected]! All Hallows’ Event: Warjack-o-Lantern Contest! Privateer Press’ first-ever Warjack-o-Lantern Contest was a pumpkin-smashing success! In addition to the first 50 entries receiving our Warjack-o-Lantern pin, we also chose three winners to receive $50 (U.S.) shopping sprees in the Privateer Press Online Store! Congratulations to everyone who took home a prize, and start thinking about next year now! John Bradley’s awesome Ossrum blew us away with its immaculate detail. Trenton Evans’ chibi gatorman gourd made us giggle with glee. Jonathan Broberg wowed us with his killer Calaban carving.

“Valen had betrayed our client and tried to kill me to cover his tracks. In my heart, I knew it.” The boy is frozen before me, his eyes unblinking and his brow raised. “My own life aside, you must understand that nothing could be more damaging for the chapter I called home. We are Steelheads, not common cutthroats. Our reputation as professionals is what sustains us. If Valen had taken to selling information to the other side, it would ruin us. Yet as I looked over the facts, what did I really have?” I lean forward in a conspiratorial manner, and the boy does likewise. “Suspicions—and little else. I had not heard anything Valen actually said to the Menite boy that night in Sul. For all I knew, the boy might have betrayed him, too. And yet. From the first day we met, Valen had struck me as being off. I found myself retracing every step I’d taken with him, right back to the hold of that slaver ship, wondering if there’d been signs I’d missed. Why PART FIVE had he been captured, if his job had been to track the slavers? The Valen Hicks I’d come to know was far too sly for such bumbling. Moreover, since that day three years ago, there had been a handful of contracts where our clients had suffered badly at the hands of fate. It struck me that each time things had gone ill, our company had been spared the worst of it, and Robert had been absent. Just as it had gone in Sul. That realization struck me like a thunderbolt.” “What did you do?” the boy whispers. “Nothing. Not right away, anyway. I needed evidence, at least for myself. Whatever Valen was up to, he gave no further indication of it for the duration of our contract with Cygnar. And in time, we moved on. If he had thought me a loose thread in Sul, he made no more attempts to rectify that situation. Perhaps he had reached the same conclusion I had over my predicament. Just the same, his manner with me became guarded, tense even. I resolved to bide my time. To watch him as closely as I would a viper at my feet. As fate would have it, my next chance came several months and two 52 Cold Steel By Miles Holmes ™

contracts later.” I pause to sip my drink. “In the end, it would be in service of evil itself. Cryx.” The boy shudders at my final word, as well he should. For all the squabbles between the nations of western Immoren, what could be more fearsome than a foe able to raise the dead themselves to war? As a child in Llael, I had thought such phantoms merely the stuff of bedtime stories. That they might prove real, and that I should one day find myself in their service, came as a shock to the boy and myself alike, if the look upon his face is any indication. I smile. “In person, they were no less the villains I had expected them to be. Nevertheless, it was here I found my answers and the true strength of our brotherhood.” Ashtoven, AR 608 Thornwood, Khador As we marched along the winter-frosted roads of northern Cygnar, rumors of an impending contract with Cryx spread throughout our company, and they did so at lightning speed. Someone in Sergeant Orlov’s squad overheard Valen and Robert speaking by the side of the road, and moments later whispers and nervous glances spread evenly across my own squad. The Boral chapter of Steelheads had never taken work from Cryx, though they had fought against them on many occasions. It was not against principle so much as it was an issue of location. As squarely as our chapterhouse sat between Khador and Cygnar, work had always been plentiful from either client. Furthermore, it was well established that our sister chapter in Blackwater bore the brunt of contracts with Cryx. On this occasion, they were otherwise occupied, or so it seemed. Moreover, Cryx had come to us, infiltrating north into the region; for what reason, I had no idea. The only thing clear was that we were gradually moving into Khadoran territory. “I reckon yeh won’t mind taking a few more Khadorans to hell, will ye?” Langley winked, gnawing on a sprig of licorice root, the closest thing to a vice the man had, as far as I’d seen. I looked at him blankly, pondering his words. It may seem strange to say so after everything that had led me to this point, but the truth was I no longer cared who we fought. I took no pleasure in killing Khadorans, anymore than I did taking the lives of other men. I hated their nation for taking mine, certainly. But the sons of Khador were just men, after all. The presence of a Khadoran in my own squad, the ever-genial Zerkav, reminded me of this each day. No, it was the notion we might take work with such foul creatures as those from Cryx that troubled me now. I lingered upon that point for some time before we finally made camp for the night. In the scrub south of Thornwood we pitched our tents and struck our fires. It was there at last that Robert gathered Valen and the sergeants of Third Company around the campfire, and we spoke openly of what was to come. “You all know who it is we go to meet, so let me speak of the facts. Tomorrow we will arrive to set up a defensive perimeter in a remote and uncontested area. It is simple guard duty, and it’s for a few days at most. I have said this before, but by the looks on your faces I see it bears repeating. It is ourselves we work for, no matter the client.” Robert looked around, finding the eyes of each man before him. We regarded him evenly, though the quick nods that usually followed his words were slow in coming this time. The effect was not lost on him. “Have I not demonstrated over time that I will not put you in harm’s way if I don’t feel you are up to the task? Have I not earned some credit with you in that at least?” To this there was no dispute, and we readily gave assent. He smiled without humor, pausing to consider his next words. “Well then. There is a substance they seek called necrotite. By whatever means they divine the stuff, they have sent a small expedition to Thornwood to obtain it. As you know, Khador holds the region, though if their numbers here are any sign, it is of little value to them. Our client would like nothing more than to get in and out without conflict. Our role, then, is merely precautionary. We will establish a perimeter whilst the minions of Cryx set to mining their precious necrotite. It bears noting they are affluent enough to pay handsomely those willing to take work with them. For a brief contract in which it is entirely possible we will not engage in combat of any sort, I deem the reward outweighs the risk. Are we in agreement?” He asked in earnest, and I watched the faces of the sergeants in contemplation. Gradually they nodded, every one of them, their faces set in grim determination. The matter was settled, it seemed. As Robert explained, necrotite was a derivative of death itself, an unholy residue left where battle stained the earth. Our destination had been the site of a great battle centuries ago, where necrotite would be found deep in thick pockets in the earth. Scattered conversation began around the fire. “A final point,” Robert said, regaining the attention of the assembled. “My own platoon will be compelled to scout further afield, tracking Khadoran movement, should our client wish to raid here again later on. We will provide warning as best we can if Khador approaches, but command of the perimeter will ultimately fall to Valen.” As Robert said this, I glanced at Valen to find his gaze already upon me. His eyes flickered in the fire, and a faint smile played on his lips—so briefly, I might have imagined it. Then he looked to his brother, his face neutral once more. The next morning, we passed a small villa south of the woods. It was a flurry of activity, though none of it belonged. The townsfolk had been displaced, no doubt harried into the woods, lest they be harvested for their very flesh. The minions of Cryx were foul to behold at this range, many of them patchworks of corpses held together by mechanika and sorcery alike. I saw crab-legged necrotechs hobble while faintly hued spirits wafted about like nightmares given form. Though only Robert had spoken to it directly, I glimpsed the commander of this motley crew: a slight figure covered by cloak and hood. It might have been a woman, but then again, it might well have been nothing more than a skeleton, for all I knew. It spoke with a whisper I could not make out from where I stood, and it had no interest to draw closer. On the whole, the place stank of rotting meat, and more than a few of us were caught retching from time to time. cold steel 53

Their warjacks were demonic in appearance and disturbingly supple in movement. I watched as one nearby tore a smithy’s shed open with its tapered brass claws. No sooner had it tossed the iron-shod door aside than the machine corpses they called mechanithralls limped inside to scavenge the contents. It faintly sighed as it moved, and thick black smoke emanated from a manifold over its shoulders in the place where smokestacks rose on other warjacks. My gaze lingered upon it a moment too long, I suppose, and the thing swiveled its great horned visage to leer at me. Smoldering eyes bore into my own, and its armor-plated chest heaved with agitation. A grating sound began to build within it, and for a moment I feared the thing would charge me. I looked away with a shudder and kept moving. By late morning we had arrived on the outskirts of the fledgling mine. Only the evergreen woods in this place had been dusted with snow, leaving the ground exposed. Here and there, we saw rusted wire or stonework halfexposed, and a wide clearing opened before us. The mine itself didn’t look like much—some mounds of earth and a series of five holes dug straight down, each one wide enough for a man to descend into with his arms spread wide. Thick, black smoke billowed from each, and around them had gathered more mechanithralls. They worked in pairs, mindlessly hefting hewn timber down into the holes to brace the tunnels against collapse. We could hear the regular fall of picks deep within, as well as an unsettling humming sound. Robert and Valen set us to work immediately to establish a perimeter a hundred yards beyond the mounds. Less our cavalry, we were two platoons of infantry, spread out in a loose circle. Each platoon was to establish a covered earthen redoubt as their command post to the eastern and western points of the circle, then flank them with a pair of smaller observation points. For command post and observation points alike, we dug down to create foxholes, hacking at the frozen earth with pick and spade. Upon these we built a framework of fallen logs, lashing them together in a low silhouette and then arranging pine boughs for camouflage. It was tiring work, though it kept our blood pumping in the winter chill. By late afternoon, either platoon could cover any approach by trail, leaving patrols to sweep the intervening woods. Confident the mine was secured, Robert made ready to leave with his own platoon of horsemen. He attended a final detail, checking the map within our command post. Valen and he appeared to be in disagreement as I approached. Robert tapped the map to make his point. “There. That’s the closest garrison of Khadorans. The other has been abandoned a week, according to our client’s intelligence.” Valen rubbed his chin, squinting down at it. “This one’s less than an hour’s ride away.” Robert nodded. “We’ll pass here.” He drew a line with his finger. “Then here, and all the way through. You needn’t worry, brother. If we spot anything you need to know about, we’ll return. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the chapterhouse in three days.” Valen nodded absently, still fixated on the map. Seeing me with a sideways glance, he grabbed a grease pen and scrawled upon a scrap of parchment. “So? The men have set their tents?” I replied in the affirmative, to which he nodded carelessly. “Good. Then draw up the shifts for patrol and have them begin straight away.” Night fell quickly. Within the command post, I sat with my squad for some idle time before the next patrol. In a tight circle about a louvered lantern, we spoke at ease. We were under orders of light discipline now, so there would be no fires to warm by, but within the redoubt, we were sheltered against the wind at least. What little warmth the lantern offered, the company around me more than made up for. For here was my family. Leather-skinned Langley, our leader in experience if not rank, reclined beside me. Brawny Reckenbridge and his buddy Barnes guffawed over exploits from their last brothel visit. Here was Varsi, Zerkav, and Orvud, our most recent arrival to replace Deeks, who had fallen in Sul. Gorshe, Lapierre, and Cartwright were before me, playing at cards. Somehow, despite the chill and the proximity of undead to us, there was laughter. Langley pulled his pouch of licorice root from beneath his cloak and offered me one. I obliged, chewing the twig a moment and stamping my feet to warm them. “What I’d give for a warm bed right now,” Varsi said, clutching his cloak tightly about him. I knew him to be a southerner, unaccustomed to winter in any form prior to joining our chapter. Zerkav smirked. “And a maiden to go with it?” Varsi nodded wistfully at the notion, staring into the faint light of the lantern. There was dispute at the game of cards, and threats made in jest as Lapierre won the hand. “Sergeant cuts before the next deal, you bloody cheat,” Gorshe rumbled, an exaggerated frown upon his redbearded face. Lithe Lapierre, a fellow countryman of mine, wore a hurt look but conceded the point. The deck was handed my way, and with as much gravitas as I could muster, I cut, handing it back. The hand was quickly played. Again, Lapierre drew the pot to his side of the box they sat around, a faint smile on his thin lips. Cartwright cursed, and Gorshe moaned, rolling his eyes at me. “How much did he pay you?” I smiled. “Not a crown. We Llaelese have to look out for each other.” As I said it, I realized what a united nation of men was before me. Cygnarans, Ords, Llaelese, and yes, even Khadorans. Young and old, expatriate soldiers and former tradesmen alike, we ten had been forged into a fraternity over the past few years, and I felt at home with them, wherever it was we were. Zerkav nudged me, his expression fearful. “What do you make of these Cryxian…things?” 54 Cold Steel

I scowled. “I’d rather not make anything of them. I’d just as soon be done with this job, bonus or not.” “But you have fought them?” he pressed. “Twice. Each time in the service of a powerful warcaster. I would not have had it otherwise. To fight Cryx without hope of a counter for the hexes and palsies they can set in your flesh is unimaginable.” “What of their thralls? Is it true they can raise our own dead even as they fight? How do you stop an army that grows with each man that falls?” “Don’t die,” Langley deadpanned, leaning back on his stool to rest against the log wall. He locked his hands over his chest and closed his eyes as if to sleep. I had seen him do this often. When not otherwise compelled, Langley dozed like a cat—on command and as deep as any slumber. A rustle outside, and his eyes were instantly open. I looked to the entryway, and two men from Sergeant Orlov’s squad drew back our canvas liner and shuffled in, their cloaks drawn tightly around them. “Sergeant wanted to know if we could send a few of the boys into town for water.” “Why didn’t he ask the lieutenant?” I frowned. “He’s gone, sergeant. About ten minutes ago, I reckon.” The soldier shivered, shouldering his rifle and warming his hands with his breath. I felt my heart begin to quicken and stood up. Valen was up to something; I knew it in my gut. “Why? Did he say?” The trooper was puzzled. “Something about reconnaissance, eh?” He looked to his mate, and they exchanged a series of whispers and nods. “Right,” the other agreed. “Said he wanted to scout the northern paths a bit. One of the patrols heard Khadorans out on the road.” That was all I needed to hear. I reached for my halberd and made ready to go. Almost as an afterthought, I looked down at Langley. “Get your water,” I said to Orlov’s man, then said to Langley, “There is something I have to do.” Langley looked at me, resignation on his lined face. “Are yeh sure, lad?” he said in a somber tone. I blinked, wondering if he knew what was on my mind. I nodded breathlessly and pushed through the flap. Maybe he knew. But how could he know? All was still in the woods but for a gentle snowfall that had started at dusk. It was a boon to be sure, neatly covering the afternoon’s work. The torchlight of the villa to the south cast a soft purplish light upon the low-hanging clouds, leaving the woods beneath them easy to navigate. As I trudged in the opposite direction, the silence was nearly total. I heard only the crunch of snow underfoot, and I let my eyes adjust to the night as I circled the mine to the north. I remembered Valen’s scrawls and the map, and I knew as sure as I drew breath where I would find him. Within moments, I picked up a trail. It was simple enough to find footprints in the fresh snow, and indeed, they were aligned to the Khadoran garrison north of us. This time, I would have the truth. As I tracked the prints, snowflakes tumbled lazily before me, and my breath hung in the air. I grasped the haft of my halberd as a walking staff, and I kept my thick cloak clasped against the cold, my eyes peering into the shadows. The forest was silent, and I saw no signs of life at all. The minutes became an hour in this solitary march, but so long as I had footsteps to follow, I persisted. Finally, a break in the clouds revealed the winter moon, casting a crisp light upon all beneath it. In that light I saw a cloaked figure not more than two dozen yards ahead, striding toward a road. There was a clatter that approached from beyond a bend in the road, and the figure took a tree for cover. Peering around the trunk, the figure waited until three horsemen came into view along the road. Dressed in the light armor of Winter Guard scouts, these were Khadorans sure enough, and I crept closer to watch. As quietly as I could, I took cover behind a juniper bush a few yards behind the figure, crouching low. The figure stepped forward, hailing them with a voice that was unmistakably Valen’s own. “Ho! A word, if I may!” he shouted in Khadoran. The horses whinnied in surprise, and the scouts kept them from rearing back with some effort. They quickly peered to either side of the road, cautious in case his appearance was the onset of an ambush. Their hands flew to sidearms and swords, but Valen raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Your kommander. He is Trotskaya?” he asked pleasantly, his words carrying perfectly over the snow and still air. The Khadorans reined their mounts closer, exchanging wary glances. “What business do you have with him? Who are you?” Valen reached up to hand the man questioning him a folded parchment. The scout took it out immediately and read a moment under the moonlight. He looked to his fellows with surprise. Valen said, “Give him that. Tell him to come here alone, one hour hence, if he wishes to know more. He knows me, and he knows my fee.” One of the scouts smirked, drawing his sword. He brought the tip within inches of Valen’s face. “Why not just come with us? Our jailor could give you a nice warm room while you wait to meet the kommander.” Valen ducked the sword, grabbing the man by the leg. Abruptly unhorsed, the scout went face-first into the snow. As he came up, sputtering, he found Valen now behind him with a knife to his throat. His pistol drawn, too, Valen leveled it coolly at the nearest scout. Both remaining riders could only gape at his swift actions. “I’d prefer not to. Do we agree?” His tone still genial, Valen pressed the dagger hard enough to draw a bead of blood. His victim held still, a look of outrage and shock on his cold steel 55

face. Still, his fellows regarded Valen with open mouths. “Good. Then tell him to meet me here alone in one hour. If it’s all the same to you.” “Sounds good to me.” The nearest rider rubbed his chin. Valen replaced his pistol, helping the fallen scout to his feet, and even brushed the snow from the other man’s shoulders. Moments later, the trio galloped into the night without a backward glance. Valen sheathed his dagger and holstered his pistol then, watching them go. Putting his hands on his hips, he looked up at the moon appreciably. “A strange moon is this that casts two shadows upon me, eh?” he said aloud in perfect Llaelese. I felt my heart in my throat. Valen had known I was there all along. So be it. I stood up, and stepped into the clearing by the roadside, halberd gripped tightly. Valen turned, smiling. “And there he is. The second bird for my stone. Evening, Nicolas.” I nodded grudgingly, my jaw clenched. “You know, for a little while there, I began to wonder if I had overreacted in Sul.” He paced a step and looked away in reverie. “You actually had me thinking maybe you hadn’t overheard my conversation with the Menite boy. That, or you didn’t care. I began to think that maybe I should just let you be. You’ve proven quite useful, after all.” He turned to face me, his mouth curled into an ugly grin. “But here you are now at the end of my little bread crumb trail, and I see my paranoia rewarded.” “I took you at your word, Valen. That is, until you tried to kill me. What I haven’t figured out is why.” I shook my head. “Why are you doing this? Have you no loyalty to your brother at least?” He shrugged. “I was brought to the chapterhouse as a child. Abandoned there. None of it was ever my choice. I will at least choose how I leave it.” His tone was alien now. He seemed a new man to me, if not simply a man unmasked. “Why not just cash out like everyone else?” “Because I’m not like everyone else, Nicolas. I expect to leave a very wealthy man.” He took a step closer. “This was the only way? By tearing down all that your brother holds dear?” Valen stopped, the smile on his face replaced by a sneer. “Robert is a fool. If, in my retirement, I could educate him on this point, I can think of no better end to things.” Again he approached, two steps. Both hands on my halberd, I widened my stance. He watched me, nodding. “You were a clumsy oaf when I met you, but you’ve learned to fight well enough. I’ll grant you that.” He drew his sword, which glinted in the pale moonlight. “Now we finish what was begun in Sul.” Valen lunged ferociously. Though I had no love for the man, I also had no desire to fight him. From the first day I saw him fight the slavers, I knew what he was capable of. He was faster, more practiced, and decidedly more treacherous. His weapon of choice only compounded bad with worse. I saw the narrow saber gleam in the moonlight, and I barely caught his strike in time. The only advantage my own weapon could offer was its reach; I could land a blow from more than twice the distance of his. Yet this would prove a short-lived advantage if I could not take him early. While the halberd enjoyed a brutal reputation in the massed formations of war, in a one-on-one duel the sheer weight of the thing would tire me quickly, even if I could keep him from penetrating my guard. He danced to the left, and I found his second lunge, driving him back with a clash of cold steel. I kept my blade trained upon him as he darted back, probing for another opening. He nearly skipped like a boxer—a feint here, a feint there. I grunted with exertion, obligated to answer each in turn. There was genuine pleasure on his face as he circled. He tilted his head left and right to loosen his neck. “You know how this will go.” He smiled. He was at me again, and this time I sidestepped to let his momentum carry him through. I cleaved the place I thought his path would take him. With a grunt, he twisted to avoid the blow. As he passed, he managed to reach back, dragging his saber across my shoulder before his momentum took him out of range once more. My armor caught the blow—or so it seemed. Valen smiled, turning, ready for another run. As I backed a step from the clearing toward the woods, I glanced down to see the white snow stained with a few drops of blood. It was mine. “And after you’ve murdered me? How will you explain my disappearance?” “Oh, I’ll think of something. I always do.” He raised his blade to charge once more. My halberd was ready, and I rocked my weight, side to side. He ran at me, three strides left, then one to the right. Too fast for me to stick him, I was nevertheless able to roll away from him as he came. I even whirled around to find his ass with the flat of my weapon as his momentum carried him through. He stumbled past, caught off-guard by the blow, but still he smiled. “Oh yes, you’re sport enough.” So it went. Our clash of blades continued in a tit-for-tat gamble, each misstep rewarded with hack or slash. I kept him at the end of my blade over and over again, yet a finishing move eluded me, and I needed it so very badly. His earlier goad was right, and we both knew it: there could be no stalemate here. Like any good fisherman, he need only keep me on the hook until I tired. Already I felt it, my limbs becoming heavier and heavier with each maneuver. My breath came in ragged gasps; a cloud wreathed about my head. I needed to change things up. I risked a glance backward. Putting another step between us, I edged closer to the tree line. I let my grip relax and my blade dip low. Valen’s eyes widened with the opportunity, and I saw the flicker of steel follow—he lunged with seemingly boundless reserves. I risked letting his slash come within my guard, my only option now to tumble clear. I had thought to let him gain speed and perhaps stumble to avoid the tree behind me. But as my head jerked to watch him sail past, I saw my gambit pay an even greater dividend. 56 Cold Steel

Valen’s thrust had lodged his saber in a tree. It was not in deep by any means. He would have it free in a moment, and he twisted it with a loud grunt. Still, I needed speed at a time when it was all but lost to me. Gasping, I came about and let the haft of my weapon slip through my hands so I might grip it near the base. In a heaving chop, the axe of my halberd came whirling past his shoulder in an awful hurry to strike his blade as he fought to pull it clear. The colliding weapons shrieked in the still night. The halberd won. The heavy blade shattered his agile saber, leaving him with nothing more than an inch or two of blade above the hilt. He spat in frustration, tossing his broken weapon at me while backing away. I ducked the desperate play, letting it pass overhead. When I looked up, I found Valen had his pistol trained on me. “Perhaps I should have led with this,” he admitted. “Well played, Nicolas.” I could only pant with exertion, staring senselessly at the barrel. Then came a flash in the night. A thunderclap followed. Somehow, I was still standing. I felt no pain. “I don’t think so, lieutenant.” Langley stood nearby, aiming a rifle as smoke drifted from its muzzle. I could only stare at the sight. The old soldier had come to my aid, and with him stood each man from my squad. More borrowed rifles were leveled at Valen alongside halberds at the ready. Looking back at Valen, I saw the shock on his face mirrored my own. He was uninjured but somehow disarmed; his pistol now lay yards away in the snow. His hand was still extended as though holding it, and his fingers twitched, probing the empty space the weapon had just occupied. “He’s beaten you, sir. Yield,” Langley growled, his weapon still trained. I glanced over at my newly arrived squad, all assembled in my defense. I could only laugh breathlessly at this absurd reversal of fortune. “Hell of a shot, Langley. Whatever happened to just keeping your head down?” “I was a trencher first, sergeant.” He glanced down at his brandished weapon yet kept it trained on Valen. “I’ve seen my share of these things from both ends. You, on the other hand, are living on borrowed time if you insist on testing my creed at every turn.” Valen performed a mocking half-bow, conceding defeat. Yet I sensed his mind racing, trying to turn some new advantage. He regarded my men coolly, his eyes glistening in the moonlight. “Gentlemen, consider your options here. I’m about to negotiate a substantial payment, for which your cooperation would now merit a share.” His words were met with silence. “Come now. What do you care if these vile Cryx things are destroyed? So much the better if you might collect a share at the same time, eh? ” His voice grew thin, his manner unhinged, as no takers appeared. Langley broke the silence, nearly spitting his words. “I always knew you were a piece of filth, lieutenant. I’ve watched you sleaze your way through your command all these years. I just had no idea how low you’d crawl. To betray any client is bad enough. But to kill one of your own to cover it?” To me, he said, “What would you have of us, sergeant?” Rational thought was not quick in coming as I regained my breath. “Bind him. The codes are clear enough in such matters—he must be brought back to the chapterhouse and charged before the proctor.” Langley nodded. “Zerkav, you heard the sergeant.” The young Khadoran reached for a leather thong looped upon his belt and stepped forward. Valen scowled but put his hands forward as the young man approached. With relief, I dropped my guard at last. My halberd felt as though it were made of stone, and I leaned on it like a crutch, taking a slow, deep breath. It was then I recalled the impending danger. “There will be Khadorans here within the hour. We’d best get—” I did not finish. A flash of movement caught us all unawares. Somehow, Zerkav’s own dagger was now plunged into his brain, up through his jaw. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his thong fell from his convulsing hands into the snow. Valen had snatched the weapon from the young man’s belt and struck faster than any of us could have anticipated. I watched Zerkav fall dead in slowed time as Valen bound past him, knife still in hand. He was charging for the next nearest man, Barnes. Whether to take his rifle or to hold him hostage I did not know, yet Valen’s lips were curled into a feral snarl. I had only a second to react. Though it should have felt like lifting a boulder to move, my anger overcame my weariness, and I hefted my weapon. Once more, Valen casually took the lives of my men, and I would have no more of it. In a wide arc, I brought my halberd around, its long reach bridging the gap as it had so many times these past years. It was a reflex of training in motion yet pure rage that spurred it to find Valen and end him at last. “Oh,” Valen whispered breathlessly, mild surprise on his face. He looked to my weapon, lodged between his neck and one shoulder, inches deep into his chest. Then, with fluttering eyes, he crumpled to the snow. I stared down at him for what felt like hours, but in truth, Langley was immediately at my side with an arm about my shoulder. Even as he guided me away from the corpse and back to the perimeter, I could still see Valen’s face looking up at me. It hardly made sense to me that he was dead. Behind us, the men gathered the bodies, wrapping them in the dead men’s cloaks, and in pairs carried them back. Langley talked to me as we plodded back, but it was of no consequence. I was freezing—no matter my cloak or how tightly I wrapped it around me, the chill still became intolerable, and my teeth were chattering. Some of his words I heard and answered blankly. Most I didn’t, absorbed as I was. How many lives had I taken since donning this armor? I had long since lost count. What was two more? I said this to myself over and over, yet it did nothing to stop the sickness in my stomach. I thought first of Zerkav. His death was cold steel 57

needless, and it was my fault. He was a good man with so much potential, and now he was gone. Of Valen, my thoughts went to Robert. Never mind that I had slain my commanding officer; I had taken Robert’s only surviving family from him. Could there have been another way? I asked myself. I knew how precious Valen was to Robert, no matter how deeply he buried his affections. Robert would be devastated by Valen’s treachery and his death. In his grief, would anger come as well? Certainly, it would. In fact, I could imagine nothing else. I had seen the man tested, seen his stoic calm crack on rare occasions. So, too, had I seen the grievous aftermath of sword and axe wielded by his hands. I remembered the massacre of the slaver boss that day on the island, and somehow, it was among the more humane deaths Robert had delivered before my eyes. Though Robert seemed a just man and a court martial before the proctor would be his likely demand to gain justice for his brother, when it came to matters of lost family, no man’s heart could be anticipated. I had never wanted a fight with Valen; I could not bear the thought I should also now have to fight Robert as well. Yet I had to prepare myself. If his grief demanded an honor duel of me, I would see it done. I had no illusions about how that battle might go. I had beaten Valen by only the thinnest of margins; against his brother, it would be no contest. Robert would simply crush me. Yet it did not matter; I would face him. I owed him that much. Gradually, the turmoil of my thoughts receded, and I perceived more than just one foot ahead of the next. “We have to plan for the worst,” I said. I looked up to find Langley’s eyes narrowed upon me. Shaking the chill off, I looked ahead on the trail, realizing our trek was nearly over. “If the meeting he arranged doesn’t happen, what have we to fear?” Langley ventured. “Valen gave the kommander some intelligence as a token. I have no idea what it was, though Valen seems to have usually made arrangements to safeguard us from his treachery.” “Most of us,” he corrected, referring to Sul. “Aye. At any rate, if he’s not there to negotiate with the kommander, we can be sure of nothing. Assume the location of the mine was given or at least hinted at. We must prepare for them to send an expeditionary force at the very least.” Langley nodded. “We need to warn the client. Give them time to evacuate.” “Agreed. Loathsome as they might be.” I sighed, seeing our perimeter and the clearing it defended just beyond. The responsibility fell to me to warn the hooded master of the Cryx. Up close, it seemed both my guesses as to her true nature were correct. Though a woman once, her withered visage, gnarled hands, and luminous green eyes surely marked her among the dead now. She hissed her displeasure at my tidings and compelled her mechanithralls to gather all the necrotite harvested thus far. The helljack I had observed before was roused to action, along with a pair of smaller bonejacks I had not. Soon after, a host of pistol-bearing spirits gathered uncomfortably close to our lines. The idea that we might lose control of this situation dawned on me with slow dread. Almost three hours after Valen failed to make his proposed meeting with Kommander Trotskaya, the Khadorans found us. We were lucky it was their fastest, if not heaviest, forces we had to contend with first. Absent were the telltale sounds of warjacks crashing through the forest or the stamp of heavy infantry. Just the same, it did not look to be an easy fight for us. Moreover, if we did not end it quickly, they would surely be able to summon heavier reserves. It was the manhunters that found us. Berserker woodsmen clad all in furs with wild beards and wilder eyes, they gave no indication of their presence until they were just northeast of the perimeter itself. When they appeared, axes in hand, they called to their masters with a whooping shout. Their call roused some few Uhlan cavalry, and soon after a detachment of Winter Guard as well. Without delay, the lot of them came forward to test our line. Behind the impending perimeter fight, our client scrambled still, working as quickly as their cold, dead hands could be driven. Their mistress kept watch over them all, goading her thralls relentlessly. She selfishly held her helljack back from battle; I saw her marshal it to heft crates of necrotite into a line of carts. As we readied to receive the Khadorans along our piece of the perimeter, I found myself resenting the fact that her ’jack was not among us. As I spotted a manhunter driving for my squad, I turned from the Cryxian evacuation and shouted for my squad to meet his charge. I felt strangely detached from this fight, my limbs moving without me, my words barked as if by another voice. We met the berserker halfway, and in a clatter of blades, the man lay dead at our feet, eyes still crazed and foam flecking at his lips. No sooner had the last halberd been driven through his prostrate body than his cavalry was among us, raining down blows from above. We scattered, chasing their backsides with halberds as they passed us. We could hear gunfire on all sides as our riflemen fired from the protection of redoubt and observation points alike, efficiently dropping surprised Winter Guard in their tracks. Just the same, the cavalry among us was wreaking havoc. Orlov’s adjacent squad was devastated down to three men after their last pass, and we had not landed a single blade against the enemy yet. Our client seemed to sense this, and she screamed a shrill oath from atop her cart at the helljack itself, which was still loading the last of the necrotite. The monstrous helljack at last was called to battle, it seemed, keening with an unearthly sound as it let go of the last crate. Before I knew it, the thing was at a gallop over the mounds, and it smashed head first into the closest Khadoran horseman. It began to flay man and beast alike, heavy plate armor and barding flying away from them in a bloody, horrific flurry. I shouted for the men to leave a wide berth between this thing and its prey. They obliged me immediately, their mouths hung open. I watched as the remaining cavalry rallied upon it, gouging with their lances. Even as they struck it, they were unprepared for the ferocity of the thing, and within moments, another man was plucked from his mount to be pulled in two with a gory spray. Perhaps having their fellow’s guts sprayed in their faces 58 Cold Steel

was enough, or perhaps they had learned enough of the operation here to make a report. In either case, the remaining cavalry turned tail and sped away. I looked in each direction, wary of the next threat. There was none. With our client now safely in retreat with a modicum of necrotite, we had seen the contract done. As dawn’s first rays appeared in the east, we hastily gathered our supplies into carts. In short order, our own withdrawal from Thornwood began before a second wave might arrive in greater numbers than the first. “We’ll travel faster if we shed some supplies.” I looked to Langley, and he nodded, pointing to the road ahead. There loomed the villa we had seen raided the day before. I agreed, and with a word to my fellow sergeants, our caravan was halted within the villa. Some few of the citizens had come to watch us. Their faces were numb, uncomprehending, but would soon enough turn to anger if we lingered. I could not blame them, given what had happened to them on account of our employer. With a few terse shouts, our men were quickly passing food and fuel alike down to them, though they seemed only more confused. I knew it was not enough to make up for what Cryx had taken from them, but it was something at least. Perhaps all that held them at bay was our arms. An old woman, perhaps too old or too stubborn to fear us, came before me, a scowl on her face. “Why? Why would you help those…things?” she asked, indifferent to our aid now. I looked at her blankly. What could I possibly say? I turned away with no answer. Seeing the load on our carts much reduced, I waved us on. As we entered safer lands and the fullness of morning, our steady march to Midfast became a monotony during which I was free to brood once more. The tally of Valen’s treachery on this night? Eighteen casualties, six dead. My heart grew heavy indeed, and I did not notice the passing of time. Though we were days in travel, they passed quickly, and I felt almost as if I had been reduced to the level of those mechanithrall horrors. On the second night of our return journey, the group safely tucked within an Ordic inn, Langley came to me, passing something wrapped in cloth. I unwrapped it to find it was Valen’s pistol. Nodding, I dismissed him, but then I slept not a wink that night. As I saw it, it was one more reminder I was living on borrowed time until I saw Robert. When finally we returned to Boral, it was a grey day with a low ceiling of roiling clouds tumbling past overhead. It seemed I had not been back to the chapterhouse for a long time, though there it stood in silhouette, jutting from the mountain side, just as the first day I had laid eyes on it. We paused at the gatehouse, Sergeant Porter going ahead to meet the guardsmen there. Their eyes were not alarmed to see the bodies in our wagons; this was commonplace enough on return from active duty. Crosby detailed who lay among them, which drew immediate looks of dismay and a significant detail: Robert’s platoon had not yet arrived. Indeed, they were not expected until evening. We attended the work as it needed doing, with or without our captain. There were supplies to return, reports to file and weapons to clean. Above all, my report regarding Valen turned circles in my head. The hours fell one over another in the parade square as the men used it to attend their duties. My report finished, I was compelled to bring it before Proctor Hargreaves, adjutant to Commander Merrall himself. Down corridors of arched stone and up the oaken stairwell to the highest floor I paced, flanked by a pair of guardsmen. Though everyone knew where the proctor’s office was, it was to be avoided if at all possible. We entered, and I snapped to attention. His back was to me as he looked out his frost paneled windows. He regarded the snow-capped mountains and beneath us, Midfast. His office was neat and sparse, comprised for the most part of stained wood and old books. Upon his bookcase was a particular series of tomes bound in black leather and marked with bold white typeface. Law books. I could not help but notice he had one of them out, open upon his desk. “You have his pistol still?” he rasped, still facing his alpine view. I did and told him so. “Place it upon my desk.” “It is of little concern,” I muttered, and the proctor tensed immediately, turning to his desk, his eyes narrowing to slits. “What was that?” “Captain Hicks, Proctor. I expect he will have more to add upon his return.” “Yes. That.” His narrow frame relaxed as did his hardened face. He sat down and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stump against the grain of his desk. “However he intends to redress any grievance against you, I nevertheless require you to await the findings of my investigation in your quarters.” I nodded and was shortly thereafter led out. I took a solitary dinner in the mess hall, brooding over every bite. Halfway through my meal, Robert’s platoon returned, road weary and still in armor. Famished from the day’s ride, they found their place along the benches across the hall. I watched transfixed as Robert followed them, helmet cradled in his arm. He had not made three steps into the hall when he was stopped by the proctor’s men. I watched them speak. I saw the shock on his face surrender to a half-sob, twisting at once into rage. He threw his helmet, and it went clattering across the floor. He kicked a nearby bench over, and then left the hall without a word. It was hours later in my quarters when he came for me. A fist rapped at my door, and I opened it to find his heavylidded eyes staring back at me, his face haggard and flushed red. In one hand he carried a bottle of uiske, halfcold steel 59

drained; in the other, he held Valen’s pistol. So, here was the reckoning at last. “A word,” he said. Though my heart pounded, I waved him in with a deep breath. He sat in silence in my chair, and I joined him as I sat down on my cot. I waited for him to speak as he leaned forward, hands clasped tightly together. “I owe you…an apology.” I stared at him, unsure I had heard his words correctly. “What Valen did, I am ultimately responsible for. I put you and the company at risk. For that, I am not sure there can be any forgiveness.” “How could you know?” I asked. “I damn well should have. All that I did to look out for my brothers, and I somehow failed to see the greatest threat to them was my own flesh and blood. Or would not see? I honestly don’t know. ” I sat back, stunned. He looked up at me, anguish plain on his face, and then reached for the bottle at his feet. The pistol, I noticed, he had set on my desk. “Will you drink with me?” he asked, looking over my few possessions on the narrow shelf above my desk. I nodded, motioning to the desk drawer. He looked within to produce a pair of tin cups, and setting them upon my desk, he proceeded to pour a measure of the uiske in each. It was a rare vintage indeed, now that I looked at it. Perhaps it had once been intended for a celebratory occasion. Offering me one, he drank, and I joined him. The amber liquid scorched down my gullet, leaving blissful notes of oak and caramel. “It’s good,” I whispered as my throat burned. “The very best. Valen gave it to me.” Robert looked to the pistol, then back at me. I admit I found myself still very unsure of his intentions but unwilling to act. “You know, before he and I were Steelheads, we were the youngest of a large family. Now I am the last.” “What happened?” Robert shrugged. “The usual tragedy. A father’s fortunes lost, bad debts to follow. He disappeared, his bones likely to rest in a shallow grave now. Heartbreak and failing health took the rest of us in turn, until Valen and I were brought here by a distant cousin who had no interest in children. I was just a boy and he a little bundle in cloth.” “I see.” “When my mother lay dying, I remember her last words to me. She begged me, really. Begged me to take care of him. I tried, Nicolas. So very hard.” I recalled our chapter’s history and its traditions to which it adhered. “As Valen said, you were brought here as orphans.” He nodded, his eyes distant. “I was not blind to the person he grew to be. Not completely. I just hoped he would grow to be more. That he might come to see the rest of you as the brothers we surely are. I should have seen him for what he was. But I let you all down.” I shook my head. “Valen saw your example and chose a different path. You could not stop that. More than this, he clearly bore a certain genius for subterfuge. Robert, we know you are here to protect us. You have my faith still, and though I can’t speak for the company, I doubt you’ve lost theirs either.” Robert looked to space, my words absorbed slowly or not at all, I couldn’t tell. At length, his focus returned, and he looked to me. “Forgive me, but I spoke to Langley. Of you. Your actions.” I shrugged, uncomprehending. “Why Langley?” “We both know he is more than the buck private he insists he is. I read his witness reports, of course, but I knew he would have more to say. When pressed, he admitted to Valen’s failings but only the ones in plain sight. He meanwhile said he’d watched quietly as you pursued your own convictions against Valen these past months. You showed persistence and courage, Nicolas, to confront him as you did. And I believe you did so with the company’s best interests at heart. On that, Langley and I were agreed.” He reached for the pistol, and placed it in my hands. “I want you to have this.” I blinked, looking at the thing numbly. “This belongs to the adjutant of Third Company. I couldn’t…” “If you will accept it, then that job is yours, too. I trust no man more for the responsibility.” It was unbelievable—that I should kill the man’s brother and earn a promotion for it was incomprehensible to me. I sat there, pistol in hand, shaking my head in slow motion. Finally, I looked up from the weapon. With conviction, I shook Robert’s hand. The young man does not speak; his eyes drift aimlessly over the rim of his tankard. “Now you see what this place has to offer. A brotherhood, truly as thick as blood. Could there be any greater proof than this?” I ask him, and he shakes his head. I tilt back what remains of my own ale, and I find his eyes now upon mine. “We live a life in the grey regions between black and white. The world around us is an ugly place, and we care little for it. You will not find revenge here, son. But we do have each other. If you think that might be enough, then go and see if your name is on that list.” The young man perks up, surprised by my words. Sure enough, he sees the list has been posted, even as his young peers are crowding around it. Enthralled by my story, he has not noticed. I stand, leaving the young man to his fate. As I take leave of him to find Robert, I spare him a final backward glance. Still he sits, looking over to the list but unable—or unwilling yet—to rise and see to his future. 60 Cold Steel

By William hungerford • Art by Calos Cabrera and Néstor Ossandón Intro WARMACHINE and HORDES have many rewarding aspects that appeal to a wide variety of gamers. As a community, we often enjoy discussing our favorite aspects at length, in person and online. One such topic that comes up often is the art of army list building, so much so that entire online forums are dedicated to it. Building a great army takes practice, ingenuity, and a deep understanding of the play style you enjoy most. Sure, you could copy whichever army list did best at the most recent Iron Gauntlet qualifier, but you’ll almost always find that you will have more fun and will perform better at competitive tournaments when you play lists that have been crafted by your own hand. This article series focuses on the art of building an awesome army list that works for you. The idea here isn’t to provide you with a list you should copy and use for yourself, but instead to dissect the process of choosing which models will make up your force, and why. While these decisions will be specific to each author and to each army list, they will provide insight into concepts you can consider when building a list with specific goals in mind. As with the previous articles, we’re going to build three lists: one for each of the three major army archetypes. Those three archetypes are assassination, attrition, and control. There are definitely more archetypes than these three that you can style your army after, but this trio of choices is both popular and prevalent enough that it is a natural fit. Let’s jump right into our newest entry in the Tournament Triple Threat series with the fierce scavengers of HORDES: Minions! Tournament Triple Threat 61

Assassination: 50-POINT LIST Model Point Cost Bloody Barnabas +6 Ironback Spitter x2 8 each Sacral Vault x2 9 each Croak Raiders (10) x2 8 each Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers 6 Total 50 Faction Breakdown Minions are a faction unlike any other in HORDES. The faction is split between two different pacts: the Thornfall Alliance (farrow) and the Blindwater Congregation (gatormen). The two pacts have significantly different play styles. Thornfall armies excel at a combined-arms approach utilizing a mix of ranged and melee threats. The farrows’ cheap infantry often provides the first wave of engagement for their opponent, acting as cannon fodder to tie up enemy soldiers and protect the approaching second wave of terrifying warbeasts. Blindwater armies are much more focused on a “smash it until it dies” style of play than the Thornfall Alliance. The core infantry of any Blindwater army, the Gatorman Posse, is one of the most elite units available. Backed by the powerful magic of its commanding warlocks, a Blindwater army can smash through any foe, given proper planning and execution. That said, the two descriptions above are the typical play styles of the two Minion pacts. Given the variety of models and warlocks available to both pacts, it is very easy for a player to create a list that doesn’t exactly fit the mold. In a tournament setting, the key to victory is often crafting a list that plays not only to the usual strengths of your faction but also generates new strengths (and problems for your opponent) based on the unique combination of models you chose to bring. With that in mind, let’s review the three lists for this Minions Tournament Triple Threat. Assassination For my assassination list, I harkened back to a classic strategy that has been around since the beginning of WARMACHINE: the good old “pop and drop.” While High Exemplar Kreoss players have been popping and dropping for years, Minions players recently gained some new tools in the Croak Raiders and the Sacral Vault that allow Bloody Barnabas to pull off this technique just as effectively as the Protectorate’s favorite High Exemplar. 62 Tournament Triple Threat

Having built many High Exemplar Kreoss “pop and drop” lists in the past, I know the strengths and weaknesses of the technique and needed to keep both in mind when adding models. I needed as much ranged firepower, especially boostable ranged firepower, as I could fit into the list without skewing so hard into the tactic that I couldn’t overcome an army with immunity to knockdown. Before considering my battlegroup, I started with building the core ranged elements of my army. As I mentioned before, the Croak Raiders and Sacral Vaults are both amazing additions to the Minions army, providing some much-needed ranged capabilities to what had previously been a very melee-oriented pact. The Sacral Vaults ensure that even if the enemy warcaster or warlock has Stealth, I can still land some serious damage during my assassination run thanks to Eyeless Sight. Because Stealth warcasters/warlocks are such a nuisance for my plan, I added two Sacral Vaults to the list. No pesky foe can hide from me! Next, I added two full units of Croak Raiders. An important aspect of running a pop-and-drop list is knowing when to use your feat for an assassination run and when to use your feat to remove as many enemy models as possible. In other words, sometimes you have to switch to a game of attrition, depending on the circumstances of your game. In situations like these, you don’t need a small number of powerful, boostable attacks. You need a higher volume of firepower. Croak Raiders are phenomenal models capable of dealing heavy damage to a single target via their Oil special ability, or if the situation calls for it, they can act like most ranged units in the game and provide a healthy volume of attacks against more targets. Either way, the Croak Raiders are a perfect fit for this army build. I was already almost out of army points, and I had two major problems: I hadn’t added any models to my battlegroup, and I needed some sort of melee screen to protect my ranged elements from getting tied up in combat too early. Of my remaining points, I knew the majority would need to go toward my battlegroup. I had to decide whether to strengthen my ranged game or shore up a bit of my melee weakness by adding some heavy hitters. Ultimately, I decided to go all in on my ranged assassination plan and added a pair of Ironback Spitters as the only two warbeasts in my list. With six points left, I still needed some kind of speed bump to throw in front of my enemy to protect my mobile gun line. Luckily, Blindwater players have an excellent tar pit unit available with the Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers. As long as I can keep the Bokor safe, I should have no shortage of corpses to collect from my enemy and the two full units of Croak Raiders I intend to run alongside the mass of undead bog trogs. With the list complete, I realized I had skewed very heavily toward the ranged assassination aspect of things with a bit less melee backup than I prefer, but I didn’t see any elements I wanted to drop. I could have removed one of the Sacral Vaults for a full unit of Gatorman Posse to create a more balanced list, but ultimately I decided I was okay with skewing heavily for this list. In a tournament setting, I would have my choice of lists to pick from, and if I saw an opponent who could shut down my ranged game, I would just have to be sure to avoid using this list, if I could help it. Against anyone who doesn’t have antiknockdown and anti-ranged capabilities, I intend to have quick games that leave me with plenty of time between tournament rounds to go relax for a bit! Attrition For my attrition list, I was torn between building a Gatorman Posse-heavy Maelok list or a warbeast-heavy Dr. Arkadius list. I skipped ahead to determine whom I would be using for my control list, and after quickly determining it would be Rask, I came back to my attrition list and decided that Dr. Arkadius was my man. Maelok would have been just as viable, but—for my own personal enjoyment—I wanted a mix of Thornfall and Blindwater lists instead of all three belonging to just one pact. Dr. Arkadius’ newest Theme Force, Nature of the Beast, is an absolute blast to play. If you’ve ever wanted to run a Minions list that is almost all warbeasts, this is a great way to do it. My goal with this list is to win a war of attrition not through the sheer volume of models I have on the table, nor by how high my ARM can get, but by the dizzying number of damage boxes I’m bringing to the fight. In case you’re wondering, this list has 284 damage boxes’ worth of warbeasts, 84 of which come from the six free Razor Boars I gained from the Theme Force benefits. Speaking of the six free Razor Boars, maximizing the number of free lesser warbeasts I received due to the Theme Force was something I knew I was going to need to keep in mind the entire time I was building my list. I started building by adding Targ to the army — not only is he the Tier 2 requirement, but in a list with this many warbeasts, he is going to be worth his weight in gold. The Tier 3 and 4 requirements were where my more detailed list planning began. I would require a minimum of five warbeasts, two of which needed to be Gorax. Additionally, each Gun Boar, War Hog, and Road Hog I added to the army gave me a free Razor Boar, and I want to shove as many of the tiny little monsters down my opponent’s throat as I can. The first warbeasts I added to my list were two Gorax to satisfy my Tier 4 requirement. Additionally, having Gorax in this army is just amazing. Having Gorax with Shield Tournament Triple Threat 63

Attrition: 50-POINT LIST Model Point Cost Dr. Arkadius +6 Targ 2 Gorax x2 4 each Gun Boar x2 5 each Razor Boar x6 0 each Road Hog x2 9 each War Hog x2 8 each Farrow Bone Grinders (4) 2 Total 50 Guard thanks to the Theme Force benefit is absolutely bonkers! Arkadius is not the most durable warlock in the Minions arsenal, so the extra protection added by the inclusion of the Gorax is a welcome treat for the good doctor. The Gorax is best known for its powerful animus, Primal, which turns any warbeast into a melee killer. Combine Primal with Arkadius’ Forced Evolution spell on a single warbeast, and you’ve just created a monster than can tear apart nearly anything in the game. At this point, it was time to fill out the remainder of my list with as many Gun Boars, Road Hogs, and War Hogs as possible. Given that the model count for my army is going to be low, Gun Boars and Road Hogs were my first priority. I need a way to deal with mass infantry swarms, and the ranged attacks of these two beasts are great at doing just that. I added a pair of Gun Boars. Their AOE guns will do an excellent job of clearing out clumps of soldiers and potentially take care of pesky Stealth infantry if I roll some good AOE deviations. Next I added a pair of Road Hogs. The threat range of these warbeasts is enormous, thanks to Arkadius’ feat and their own innate abilities. Road Hogs, in my opinion, are the superstars in an Arkadius list like this. These warbeasts not only help with the mass infantry problem I mentioned earlier, but they also deal with Stealth effectively, thanks to having a spray attack. In addition, their threat range allows for some crazy assassinations out of nowhere, and they are no slouch in melee either! Sure, the Gorax brings Primal and Shield Guard to the table, both of which are excellent, but when it comes to getting some work done on the table, I look to the Road Hog. 64 Tournament Triple Threat

With plenty of points left to spend, I added a pair of War Hogs to the list. I often like to compare War Hogs to Khador warjacks. They’re a bit slow, no frills, and they hit like a ton of bricks. With a pair of heavy hitters like this in the list, I know that if I face an opponent who tries to stack ARM on a hard target such as a colossal or a gargantuan, I can apply Primal and Forced Evolution to one of my War Hogs and have nothing to worry about. My battlegroup was looking very solid at this point! I have the utility of the two Gorax, the anti-infantry of the two Gun Boars, the versatility and threat of the two Road Hogs, and the straight hitting power of the two War Hogs. It was time to tally up just how many free points I had accumulated in Razor Boars. Twelve free points of Razor Boars is a glorious thing! Twelve free points of anything in your army is glorious, but especially these little buggers. I tend to run my Razor Boars almost like I would a unit of infantry; they stick together and try to muck up my opponent’s front lines while the heavy hitters approach from the rear. That isn’t to say the Razor Boars should be carelessly discarded as disposable cannon fodder by any means, but they are typically the first ones to fight and die each game. I still had 2 points left over to finish off this list—just enough to add a minimum unit of Farrow Bone Grinders. The additional range on Arkadius’ spells thanks to the Grinders’ Craft Talisman ability will be most appreciated, as Arkadius prefers to play from pretty far back when he can. With this list complete, I am really happy with how things turned out. Not only is the army just so much fun to play, but it’s incredibly versatile and can deal with a variety of enemy threats. The key thing to practice with this list is your warbeasts’ facing each and every turn. Getting the most of Arkadius’ feat requires planning at least one turn ahead. Otherwise, your feat will be limited by the fact that many of your warbeasts will not be able to use the free charge frenzying would provide. When playing this list, always keep in mind whether you intend to feat on the following turn and what your frenzy targets are. Oh, and if you aren’t 100% sure how frenzy works, be sure to read those rules inside and out! Tournament Triple Threat 65

Control For my control list, it wasn’t a question for me which warlock I was going to choose. My personal favorite warlock in Minions is an excellent control warlock and is a treat to play. Rask was my easy choice here. Rask provides some outstanding buffs for his army in the form of the spells Admonition, Boundless Charge, and Fury. Rask is also packed with some very powerful denial/ control capabilities through his feat, the Inhospitable Ground spell, and his Trident Cannon. Not to mention that Rask has built-in anti-assassination via his Call to Sacrifice [Bog Trog] ability. I just adore this warlock. He brings it all to the table! When building a Rask control list, I tend to structure my army in one of two ways. Either I play a heavy ranged game that uses Rask’s denial capabilities to play keep away, or I play a hard-hitting melee list that uses those same capabilities to ensure I get the alpha strike. Since one of my previous lists was already a ranged assassination list, I decided to go with the melee alpha strike version for this army. I began building my army by adding three full units of Gatorman Posse. These elite troopers will serve as the backbone of my entire strategy. There isn’t much to say about Gatorman Posse that hasn’t been said before; they are absolutely amazing models and some of the most impressive elite infantry in the game. The Posse’s main weakness is their inability to effectively deal with high-ARM multi-wound targets, but thanks to Rask’s Fury spell, that isn’t as much of a problem. A big part of my strategy with this list is to not only control my opponent’s options via Rask’s abilities but to also control my opponent’s board position by threatening him with 120 damage boxes of reptilian death spread across the battlefield. Next, it was time to fill out my battlegroup. When playing the melee version of a Rask list, I have a go-to battlegroup: the trio of a Blackhide Wrastler, a Swamp control: 50-POINT LIST Model Point Cost Rask +6 Blackhide Wrastler 9 Bull Snapper 3 Swamp Horror 8 Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers 6 Gatorman Posse (5) x3 9 each Gatorman Witchdoctor 3 Total 50 66 Tournament Triple Threat

Horror, and a Bull Snapper. The Bull Snapper is an easy choice. He provides late game fury to Rask if my other two heavies have fallen in combat, and his Spiny Growth animus helps protect the other two warbeasts once they are stuck in with enemy warjacks and warbeasts. The Blackhide Wrastler is my main heavy hitter in this army. Thanks to the Swamp Horror’s Elasticity animus combined with Rask’s Boundless Charge spell, he can strike from farther away than my opponent might expect. Since neither Elasticity nor Boundless Charge are upkeeps, Rask can also stack fury onto the Blackhide Wrastler to take out really hard-to-kill targets. If the situation calls for it, Rask can also strip off enemy upkeep spells that increase the target’s ARM to make the Wrastler’s job even easier. The Swamp Horror is in the list not only to provide Reach to my Wrastler when needed but also to act as a backup heavy for when the Wrastler dies. Again, thanks to Rask’s Fury spell, the Swamp Horror’s melee damage output goes from average to ludicrous very quickly. Also, with three open fist weapons and multiple ways to drag enemy models, the Swamp Horror is quite adept at moving enemy models out of your way when you most need it. I had 9 points left to fill out the remainder of my army, and that provided me a healthy amount of options. I could add Wrong Eye & Snapjaw for some additional heavy hitting power. I could add a Sacral Vault to provide some muchneeded ranged firepower to my army. I could add some solos capable of terrorizing the enemy farther away from my core brick of Gatorman Posses, such as a Totem Hunter or Croak Hunters. Ultimately, I decided to push the strategy of choking the enemy board position and controlling the game with models that are difficult for my enemy to remove. I finished the list by adding a unit of Gatorman Bokor & Bog Trog Swamp Shamblers, as well as a Witch Doctor solo. The Swamp Shamblers will act as my front line tar pit to further strengthen the alpha strike capabilities of this list, a job they do even better than normal when backed up by the Witch Doctor’s Zombify ability, granting them Tough. I also enjoy casting Fury onto the Swamp Shambler unit. With it, the Bokor can make a ton of POW 15 attacks, thanks to Death Magic allowing him to remove his own Shamblers to purchase the additional attacks. After reviewing the final list, this army does exactly what I want it to do. Not only can I deny my opponent the alpha strike via Rask’s abilities, but I can capitalize on getting the first hit, thanks to the various buffs available in my army. I am also more than capable of dictating where and how the brawl will take place, thanks to the high volume of infantry models I bring to the table. Conclusion The three lists I’ve constructed all provide me with a variety of options to face a multitude of threats in a tournament setting. To find success with these lists, it’s all about knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent’s lists and choosing the correct army to effectively counter them. Still, win or lose, I know I’ll have an awesome time playing these lists because each is so much fun to put down on the tabletop! Tournament Triple Threat 67

® ARCHIVES Dragons of Caen By Douglas Seacat Art by Oscar Cafaro and Néstor Ossandón Lore on dragons is scarce and scattered with many gaps. Gathering legends from cultures across Immoren allows a timeline to emerge tracing some of their movements. Dragons are immortal, sometimes vanishing for centuries. Recently multiple dragons have been reported flying above Immoren, provoking dread in all who witness them. Dragon Names and Epithets Not all the names of Toruk’s progeny are known, some having been forgotten or never spoken of among the races of Immoren. The exact number of progeny is unknown. The Circle Orboros has access to an ancient inscribed relic called the Wyrmstone, said to be the most comprehensive collection of draconic names, but few besides its omnipotents have deciphered its cryptic runes. Dragons acquire numerous names and epithets over the centuries. 68 Iron kingdoms archives

defeating them all and sent them scattering across Caen. The dragon Everblight did not participate in this clash. Toruk eventually begins hunting his progeny to consume their athancs. Little is known of Toruk’s earliest hunts or the names of the dragons he defeated. Ancient human historical documents place this event at 3500 BR, though this has been refuted. More reliable Rhulic records describe dragon sightings as early as 5500 BR. ~5300–4800 BR The now-lost “Beladal Eddas,” poems passed by word of mouth, describe the wyrm Nidoboros and its battles with its brothers and sisters, wherein it consumed several and grew into a mighty “blighted serpent,” greater than all others. Some tales of Nidoboros describe it consuming itself in a cycle of destruction and rebirth. ~4000 BR One of Toruk’s progeny, identity unknown, is caught in the supernatural cataclysm caused by the collapse of the Bridge of Worlds in eastern Immoren. While this cataclysm obliterated the elven Empire of Lyoss and changed the geography and climate of Caen, the dragon survived. Its athanc was permanently damaged, altered so severely that this dragon became the Chimera, an ever-changing monster dwelling in the Abyss. Warlord Era ~3500–3000 BR Everblight takes interest in the ancient kingdom of Morrdh and the lairs beneath its capital, eventually entering into an arrangement with the ruling Lords of Morrdh. Everblight lends dragonspawn to Morrdh’s armies, helping expand their territories. ~2900–2800 BR In eastern Immoren, the giants of Bemoth defeat Erdross. After many futile attempts to destroy its athanc, the peerless giant Hekor shatters his sword against the athanc but splits it in half. The giants hurl the two shards into a volcano, giving rise to two dragons—Ashnephos and Charsaug—who plague Bemoth thereafter. ~2600 BR Nektor is offended by an offering made by a chieftain of Thelborn and in retaliation razes the island, reducing its villages to ashes. ~2300 BR A legendary battle is fought between Halfaug and Kossite King Javosk Descra and his family. The gorge, where Dragovich Hall is eventually built, is carved from the earth by the dragon during this battle. After many are slain, Halfaug retreats into the frozen north. ~2100–2000 BR An aggressive Iosan sect serving Pyromalfic seizes the fortress now referred to as the Castle of the Keys, which was once occupied by now-forgotten warlords. The dragon creates a lair beneath the fortress complex. Thousand Cities Era ~1800 BR Everblight’s dragonspawn draw the attention of Toruk, who attacks his progeny. While wounded, Everblight flees Morrdh with Toruk in pursuit, flying near the lair of Nektor, successfully distracting Toruk. Nektor is destroyed while Everblight escapes and dives into Blindwater Lake, burrowing into its bottom to hide and recover from his wounds. ~1700–1500 BR Gaulvang destroys a number of towns and villages across Midar, Ryn, and Umbrey for reasons unknown before retreating deep within its lair in the Kovosk Hills. Known Dragon Names and Epithets Ashnephos Twin of Charsaug, Erdross’ Get, Giant’s Bane, Lava Bringer, Scoria Blighterghast Seether, Old Ravager, Boiler of Seas, Wyrmwall Serpent, Blackship Bane Charsaug Twin of Ashnephos, Erdross’ Get, the Mountain Shadow, Sundrinker Chimera the Shapeless, the Forgotten Erdross Oceandrinker, Burner of the Seas, Baleblight, Bemoth’s Curse Gaulvang Galvaug, Despoiler, Townender, Ashen King Everblight Ethrunbal (Iosan), Bane of Issyrah, Shadow of Morrdh, the Unseen, Betrayer Halfaug Wyrmlich, Frostfire, the Frost Mother, the Preserver, Old Hoarfrost, Glyssingfor (Nyss) Nektor Terror of Thelborn, Incendus, the Lurker Below Nidoboros The Favored, Everflaem, Farsear, Lord of the Howling Wastes Pyromalfic Corpsefeaster, Shining One, Grymvane (Iosan), the Poison Seed Scaefang Soul Eater, Ravager, Lord of the Black, Scylfangen (Rhulic), the Stone that Burns Shazkz the White Dragon, White Mother, Scalebringer, the Sacrifice Toruk Dragonfather, God of Caen, Eldest, the Black Wyrm, Lord Toruk, Font of All Blight Prehistoric Era Unknown Toruk the Dragonfather is alleged to have flown across the skies of Caen before life arose, before land rose from turbulent seas, and before the cycle of seasons were established by the primal gods. No one knows how ancient Toruk may be, though he seems to have existed for thousands of years. It is impossible to confirm whether or not he predates life on Caen. Some Dhunian myths say the Devourer Wurm created Toruk alongside other scaled beasts. Blackclad druids of the Circle Orboros deny this myth and insist the Dragonfather has no place in Caen’s natural cycles. Blackclads say dragons are powerful, intelligent beings that are not truly alive. This organization has studied dragons more closely and for longer than any other group, but even they do not know when and how Toruk came to be. What is known is that the vast draconic body of Toruk is a corporeal vessel containing a crystalline heartstone—the athanc that is the core of Toruk’s being. Sometime before 5500 BR Toruk divides his athanc into numerous shards, each growing into a powerful dragon. Though created to serve Toruk, these progeny rebel. In a battle that set the skies afire, Toruk proved his superiority by Iron kingdoms archives 69

~1640 BR Toruk defeats Shazkz in a clash high above the island of Satyx. The blighted blood of Shazkz rained down upon this island and transformed its once-human inhabitants into the Satyxis. 1387 BR Toruk defeats and consumes the athanc of the dragon Gaulvang. 1270 BR Nidoboros, the greatest of Toruk’s progeny, confronts the Dragonfather. Zevanna Agha claims this champion gave its life to prove to the rest that Toruk could be hurt and therefore destroyed. Toruk was badly injured in this clash but cast Nidoboros down. Several other dragons are drawn to the clash and their presence prompts Toruk to leave before claiming the fallen dragon’s athanc, which is instead secured by the Old Witch. This athanc is sealed within an elaborate contraption and hidden deep below Hellspass, where a secret order of Rhulfolk tends to its machinery. from which he observes the living gods of the Divine Court of Ios eventually leaving that land. Taking an interest in studying the Iosans, Everblight begins to experiment with manipulating their minds from a distance. 800–670 BR Halfaug initiates a cycle of unpredictable attacks on northern tribes, terrorizing Kossites, Ruscar, Skirov, Vindol, and the Nyss. This gives rise to an unprecedented alliance of elves and humans that eventually succeeds in wounding the dragon and driving it north into the wastes. 780 BR Lich Lord Desiccus, Cryx’s master of draconic lore, attempts to assault Blighterghast’s lair and is destroyed in the process. His responsibilities fall to Venethrax. 669 BR Lich Lord Venethrax leads an army in pursuit of Halfaug into the Blackice Mountains. Venethrax manages to corner and confront the wounded dragon, but his army is obliterated; the lich lord is forced to retreat before he can finish Halfaug. The dragon moves deeper into the frozen north to recuperate. Orgoth Occupation Era 538 BR Orgoth ships—sent from Drer Drakkerung on Garlghast to secure additional territories of the Scharde Islands—provoke the ire of Lord Toruk. Emerging from Skell for the first time since that city was built, Toruk obliterates this fleet as a lesson to the Orgoth, who never again attempt to expand their island holdings. 390 BR Three unidentified dragons are spotted flying in close proximity over the Fenn Marsh, Sandbottom Point, and Eyewall Bay before veering south and disappearing over the horizon. This is described as a fell omen by both trollkin and gatormen mystics in the region. 370 BR The Orgoth defeat an unknown dragon near Vroggen. Its athanc is brought to a temple in that city, but it soon reforms its body and annihilates its captors before escaping. Some have theorized this atypically small dragon was a remnant of Gaulvang, arisen from a lost shard of that dragon’s athanc that was not consumed by Toruk. The fate of this “dragon hatchling” is unknown, but writings from this incident assist human understanding of dragon athancs and their apparent imperishability. 230 BR An Orgoth expedition into the Castle of the Keys decimates the Iosan cult devoted to Pyromalfic but is defeated by the dragon. A fragment of an Orgoth tome detailing this encounter suggests the dragon was somehow poisoned or cursed. 140 BR During the Rivening in Ios, Everblight burrows beneath the abandoned Fane of the goddess Ayisla in the city of Issyrah and begins experimenting on captured Iosans by exposing them to his blight. 105 BR–502 AR Scaefang prowls the northern reaches of Rhul, incinerating those it encounters. Periodic clashes take place between Rhulfolk and this dragon in the following centuries. The cities of Griddenguard and Groddenguard are increasingly fortified as a refuge against the dragon. All expeditions to slay the dragon fail, though it withdraws into a chasm called the Foundation in 502 AR and is not witnessed for over a century. Iron Kingdoms and Modern Eras 215 AR Numerous villages in southwestern Cygnar react in terror to Blighterghast flying overhead. Witnesses spot the dragon obliterating pirate ships and one or more Cryxian blackships along the beaches of Eyewall Bay, possibly representing a thwarted invasion. 390–375 AR Everblight is discovered below Issyrah, prompting the Iosans to send armed forces into the fane. This provokes the dragon to rise and attack the city while additional Iosan military forces rush to the defense of the city. Though Everblight is eventually defeated, Issyrah is destroyed. Everblight’s athanc is sealed and sent away—first to Mount Shyleth Breen, then to a peak in remote northern Khador near the Shard Spires. 605 AR The ogrun Thagrosh is drawn to the mountain where Everblight’s athanc was hidden and is compelled to recover the stone and insert it into his heart, becoming a blighted warlock. With the help of the sorceress Vayl Hallyr, Thagrosh blights the wells of the Nyss. Blighted Nyss set upon non-blighted ones in a clash that brings about the near annihilation of their culture and the birth of the Legion of Everblight. Thagrosh uses the Morrdhic weapon, Rapture, to divide Everblight’s athanc and create additional warlocks. ~1000 BR Blighterghast convenes a gathering of Toruk’s surviving progeny and convinces them to ally together and attack the Dragonfather. Coordinating their efforts, this alliance drives Toruk from the mainland. The Dragonfather settles in the Scharde Islands, founding the Nightmare Empire of Cryx. Blighterghast takes up vigil in the Wyrmwall Mountains, watching against his return. The dragons vow to confront their creator should this happen. Everblight is not a part of this alliance. ~930–800 BR Everblight emerges from Blindwater and travels to the Skybridge Mountains, 70 Iron kingdoms archives

607 AR, Rowen (6th Month, 7th day) Battle at the Castle of the Keys is fought; the Legion of Everblight defeats Pyromalfic and takes his athanc, which is swallowed by Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight. 607 AR, Doloven–Ashtoven (11th-13th Months) After an encounter with Zevanna Agha, Krueger Stormwrath steals the Wyrmstone from Omnipotent Dahlekov and deciphers its writings. Krueger defies all three omnipotents and meets with Blighterghast in the Wyrmwall Mountains. He informs the dragon that Everblight has attacked the dragon alliance by consuming Pyromalfic, a member. Krueger and Blighterghast enter an accord. Shortly thereafter, Blighterghast summons the other dragons of the alliance to warn them of the threat of Everblight. 608–Early 609 AR Lich Lord Venethrax learns from Lich Lord Malathrax of the existence of a disembodied athanc preserved beneath Hellspass—it is the essence of Nidoboros. Venethrax travels there and secures this athanc together with the machinery containing it, creating a slow conveyance with which to return it to Cryx. The military column escorting this prize attempts to bypass the Thornwood using subterranean passages but is thwarted by an earthquake invoked by the Circle Orboros. Pursued by warlocks of the Legion of Everblight, the Cryxians are forced to divide their forces, and this leaves them vulnerable for an attack by the Cygnaran Army. The Cryxians are defeated and the athanc machinery is seized by the Cygnaran, placed on a riverboat, and sent south, intended to be secured at a fortress deep in Cygnar’s interior. 608 AR, Trineus (3rd Month) Scaefang attacks and destroys a skorne fortress at the Castle of the Keys. Halfaug is seen flying in the vicinity. These dragons may have been investigating the location where Pyromalfic was defeated. Late 608 AR Attracted by the presence of powerful blight, Charsaug is drawn to a spawning ritual conducted by several of Everblight’s warlocks. The first archangels are created from the bones of Pyromalifc during this ritual, and as especially large dragonspawn, they closely resemble the dragons themselves. Everblight dispatches a force, led by his warlock Lylyth together with the archangels, to intercept the intruding dragon. While Charsaug is only lightly wounded, he flees the area, apparently unnerved by the unknown power of these unusual dragonspawn and the blighted army utilizing them. Late 608–Early 609 AR Krueger’s involvement with Blighterghast deepens as they devise a plan to combine dragon blight with the ley lines of the Circle Orboros in order to reveal the locations of Everblight’s warlocks, which can then be destroyed by the dragons. This requires the coordination of the allied dragons, several of which are tasked with carving complex patterns in the earth at key locations, scarring the face of Caen with intense blight. Krueger does not reveal his plans to others in the Circle Orboros, knowing they would not approve of damaging the ley lines even if this facilitated the destruction of Everblight, their greatest enemy. After Charsaug’s battle with the archangels, he threatens to withdraw from the plan unless the gargantuan dragonspawn are destroyed. Krueger meets with Charsaug and Ashnephos and reveals the scope of his plan, previously only known to Blighterghast, convincing these eastern dragons to cooperate. Iron kingdoms archives 71

By Charles Agel and Lyle Lowery • Art by Andrea Uderzo Scenario by William Hungerford 72 Battle Report While everyone loves an intense battle of wits, HORDES games aren’t always fiercely competitive, tensionfilled contests. Just as often, they’re an opportunity to play a themed scenario, tell a story, and have a few laughs. In other words, it’s not always SERIOUS BUSINESS. This is a story of one of those opportunities. After seeing the holiday-themed Wurmwood, Tree of Fate pin from the Privateer Pins collection, we got in on the holiday spirit. And with a festive tree like that, we could definitely see the Circle getting into the spirit as well. But the Trollbloods—well, their idea of a good time is spoiling everybody else’s fun.

Battle Report 73 permission to photocopy for personal use only. http://privateerpress.com/no-quarter/web-extras/no-quarter-63 10˝ 6˝ 7˝ 6˝ 12˝ 12˝ 12˝ 12˝ 24˝ 24˝ Player 1 Deployment Player 1 AD Line Player 2 AD Line Player 2 Deployment THE GRYMCH MERCENARY – This model will work for Convergence, Cryx, Cygnar, Four Star Syndicate, Highborn Covenant, Khador, the Protectorate, the Retribution, and Searforge Commission. MINION – This model will work for Blindwater Congregation, Circle, Legion, Skorne, Thornfall Alliance, and Trollbloods THE GRYMCH BASE SIZE: Small BLACK HEART – This model gains a cumulative +2 to attack and damage rolls for each Tainted Pile O’ Presents objective in play. RUIN ALL THE THINGS – When this model ends its activation B2B with a Pile O’ Presents objective, that objective becomes Tainted for the remainder of the game. (A Pile O’ Presents objective with Tainted loses Just What I Wanted and gains Abomination ) SPRINT – At the end of this model’s activation, if it destroyed one or more enemy models with melee attacks this activation, it can make a full advance. CRUSTY CLAWS POISON – Gain an additional die on this weapon’s damage rolls against living models. SPD STR MAT RAT DEF ARM CMD 6 5 5 5 14 13 3 THE GRYMCH THE GRYMCH MERCENARY MINION GRYMKIN SOLO PC — FA C CRUSTY CLAWS POW P+S 3 8 STOLEN ORNAMENT RNG ROF AOE POW 8 1 — 8 DAMAGE PILE O’ PRESENTS YOU’RE A MEAN ONE OBJECTIVE BASE SIZE: Large DEF: 5 ARM: 1 BUNDLES OF JOY – This model cannot be targeted, cannot be damaged, cannot be destroyed or removed from play, and cannot be engaged. IMMOBILE – This model has no movement or action and cannot be knocked down or moved. Its front arc extends to 360˚. It has no melee range, cannot engage, and is automatically hit by melee attacks. JUST WHAT I WANTED – While B2B with this model, non-grymkin warrior models gain Tough , Fearless , and cannot be knocked down. PASS ME ONE – Once per turn, an unengaged non-lesser warjack or warbeast B2B with this model can forfeit its normal movement or action to place this model anywhere completely within 6˝ of the warjack or warbeast. This model can be placed only by these means. Scenario: You’re A Mean One Description Wurmwood and his merry band of Circle carolers are preparing to celebrate Giving Day in style! Tharn children wait to open their presents of bone and blood under the joyously decorated Tree of Fate. Unfortunately for them, the leader of a nearby mob is feeling particularly grouchy this season and will not tolerate their good times. In fact, it has enlisted the aid of an especially devious grymkin who specializes in ruining Giving Day… the Grymch. Setup The following scenario is intended to be played between two players. One player must field a Circle Orboros army led by Cassius the Oathkeeper & Wurmwood, Tree of Fate. The other player can choose any army, but should ensure their models are appropriately grouchy for the upcoming battle. Before the game begins, place three Pile o’ Presents objectives in accordance with the map. The objectives are neither friendly nor enemy models to either player. Additional terrain cannot be placed within 2˝ of other terrain features or objectives. Linear obstacles and obstructions cannot be placed within 5˝ of objectives. Special rules This scenario uses the Pile o’ Presents objective. Before the game begins, the grouchy player adds the Grymch to their army list for free. Victory Conditions The Circle player is trying to finish the decorations for Giving Day and wins if Wurmwood ends his activation within 5˝ of all three Pile o’ Presents objectives. Additionally, the Circle player wins via murdering the grouches, a.k.a. having the only warcaster/warlock in play. The other player wins if all three Pile o’ Presents objectives are Tainted by the Grymch because bah humbug! Additionally, the other player wins via slaughtering the carolers, a.k.a. having the only warcaster/warlock in play.

G F Fd Mk Ta Fo Fk St 74 Battle Report I ’m known around the office for playing very aggressive lists (my Jarl list is rightly feared for its speed and body count). Lyle knows all my sneaky tricks, however, so I needed to bring something different and unexpected against him. It’s worth noting that our lists were made before we had a chance to read Hungerford’s insane scenario. Had I read it first, some list changes might have been made. Que Sera, Sera. Lyle loves himself some upkeeps, so I knew I would need to have an answer on hand to deal with that. Doomshaper’s third iteration fit the bill perfectly, given his large toolbox and huge control area. Now I needed to consider whether or not I should run Doomshaper’s Theme Force. On the one hand, Theme Forces are perhaps my favorite method of list construction because they help tell a story, but on the other hand, I would have more Army Construction—Charles flexibility in list construction without a Theme Force. Ultimately, I decided against using a Theme Force, as I felt it was more important to have Fennblades in my list as a frontline to take the brunt of his alpha strike. For my battlegroup strategy, I knew I wanted to run two gargantuans, so now I had to tackle the question of which to run: double Glacier King or Glacier King and Mountain King? I needed to prepare for a scenario in which my forces might be separated, as a lot of scenarios force players to divide their assets. If this happened, I would need to have an independent force that could operate with minimum warlock influence so I could keep the upper hand. The Mountain King would be able to handle such a situation beautifully. Its ability to spawn Whelps would not only help heal any lost aspects but would also deal with any fury issues that might arise. Now I just needed to increase the Mountain King’s resilience. Hello, Fennblades! Fennblades create an amazing speed bump for anything that might attempt to harm the Mountain King. Adding in the unit attachment and Kithkar would further ramp

G Gk K Ss P Po Pm W H Sb Battle Report 75 Model/Unit Points Hoarluk Doomshaper, Dire Prophet & Scroll Bearer +3 WB - Glacier King 18 pts - Mountain King 20 pts - Storm Troll 5 pts - Troll Axer 6 pts Krielstone Bearer & Stone Scribes (6) 4 pts -Stone Scribe Elder 1 pts Pyg Bushwhackers (10) 8 pts -Pyg Bushwhacker Officer & Mortar 2 pts Trollkin Fennblades (10) 8 pts -Trollkin Fennblade Officer & Drummer 2 pts Fennblade Kithkar 2 pts Troll Whelps 2 pts The Grymch 0 pts Total 75 pts up my Fennblades’ threat and flexibility. And to finish off my forces, I added in a Storm Troll because Electro Leap on a gargantuan is great, but Electro Leap on a gargantuan against an army with incredibly high DEF would provide me with an exceptional advantage. I will torch your nasty, horrible holiday death tree. I know Lyle likes recursion mechanics in his armies, so in anticipation of facing off against a unit of Shamblers fueled by Wolves of Orboros, I decided to build around the new Glacier King for the second half of my battle formation. To counter this, I would need to deal as much damage as early as possible. A max unit of Pyg Bushwhackers would take care of that, no problem. A Glacier King alone is a great gun platform, but adding the Bushwhacker UA allows me to take advantage of his Snowfall ability thanks to Tactics: Camouflage, drop an AOE amidst tightly packed models, and combine ranged attacks against harder targets. To round out my army, I picked the Krielstone for its armor buff. Plus, even a lowly Stone Scribe can, when under the effects of the Scroll of the Time of the Molgur, get work done. And for added versatility, I included an Axer; its hard-hitting melee attacks combined with its animus’ utility made it a no-brainer. Lastly, I topped off my army with some extra Whelps. Free Whelps on the Mountain King are cool, but double Whelps with the ability to manage my high-fury play style made them a mandatory choice. Gk K Ss F Fd P Po Pm W Mk Ta Fo Fk H Sb St

76 Battle Report I nspired by the Wurmwood, Christmas Tree of Fate pin that Ainsley Yeager designed, Charles came to me with a great idea: he wanted to convert a Wurmwood model to look like that pin. From there, the ideas began to flow. Cassius would receive a similarly festive treatment, and Cassius and Wurmwood, in their holiday duds, had to star in this battle report. And we needed a custom scenario with a fun holiday theme that we could both play and share with No Quarter readers. Army Construction – Lyle With a fun, theme-driven game in mind, the list started to take shape. I also wanted to try out some of the new models coming soon, so the Death Wolves and the Bloodweaver Night Witch joined Cassius and Wurmwood. Ghetorix and the Wolds provided the heavy melee power, with Megalith and the Woldwarden also kicking in the ability to cast spells via Geomancy. The Farrow Slaughterhousers could pack a serious punch if needed as well. The Tharn Bloodweavers (supported by the Bloodweaver Night Witch) were there to hunt infantry, as was the Lord of the Feast. With a couple of Gallows Groves, I could channel my potent set of debuff spells all over the table, not to mention negating Tough here and there. And I took the Wolves of Orboros because they’re really cheap, and with Power Swell they have a chance to wreck just about anything out there. Sprinkle in some support, and we’re good to go. Wu G M D Sk T B S C

Battle Report 77 Model/Unit Points Cassius the Oathkeeper & Wurmwood, Tree of Fate +6 WB - Ghetorix 11 pts - Megalith 11 pts - Wold Guardian 9 pts - Woldwarden 9 pts - Druid Wilder 2 pts The Death Wolves 5 pts Shifting Stones 2 pts - Stone Keeper 1 pt Shifting Stones 2 pts Tharn Bloodweavers 5 pts Wolves of Orboros (10) 6 pts - Wolves of Orboros Chieftain & Standard 2 pts Blackclad Wayfarer 2 pts Bloodweaver Night Witch 2 pts Gallows Grove X2 2 pts Lord of the Feast 4 pts Farrow Slaughterhousers 6 pts Total 75 pts Wu G M Wg Wo Gg D S Dr Sk T W Wc B Bn L F S Ws C Wg Wo Gg Dr W Wc Bn L F Ws S

78 Battle Report Trollbloods – Charles Trollbloods – Charles Deployment Before my models could touch the table, my starting strategy came apart at the seams. Curses, Hungerford, why must you try to force your holiday cheer upon me? The unique challenges of the table’s scenery, combined with Organized Play Developer William Hungerford’s new festive scenario, sent me reeling. I had to come up with a new battle plan, and I had to do it quickly. I didn’t want to just win the game, though; I wanted to crush the scenario and make sure there would be no presents beneath Wurmwood’s branches. I felt pretty good about the possibility of using a gargantuan on each end of my deployment zone to anchor my army and acquire the outlying packages, but how would I get the middle set of presents? Circle has enormous threat ranges, and Wurmwood’s feat can be crippling to an army with as few options for gaining Pathfinder as Trollbloods has. Fennblades held the answer. In case you’re wondering, there’s almost no problem facing a Trollblood army that I feel Fennblades can’t solve. So, I could use them to jam toward the middle of the table. Hopefully between their once-pergame ability and the extra armor from the Krielstone, I would be able to keep them alive long enough for the Kings (HAIL TO THE KINGS!) to throw their presents toward the center of the table. I deployed the Glacier King on the right flank and planned to have the Pyg Bushwhackers join him I really wanted to win by scenario, so I had to get warbeasts to the presents so they could throw them to the Tree of Fate. I deployed my army centrally, trying to maximize its ability to reach the presents. Eying the imposing threat of Charles’ two gargantuans, I placed Ghetorix on my left flank and the Slaughterhousers on my right flank. Left unchecked, those gargantuans would definitely ruin Giving Day! The Wolds were placed near the middle for the additional support and the Geomancy they could provide. I deployed the Tharn Bloodweavers in the middle to hunt the Fennblades. I set up the Wolves of Orboros to their left, ready to support my front line of infantry. Circle – Lyle Circle – Lyle I was fortunate enough to win the roll to go first, so I deployed my Bushwhacker unit on the right flank to cause some early casualties among Lyle’s forces. Advanced Deployment I deployed my Gallows Groves forward, one on each flank to spread their reach. I placed the Lord of the Feast near the forest on my right and dropped in my Shifting Stones. Charles had the first turn, so I got to react to his deployment, but he would get a chance to make the first move on the presents. It was time to see if his gang of sorrow-sowers could ruin Giving Day. shortly. Hopefully, they would get an early alpha on the stack of presents, and, if needed, they gave me the option to jam with the Pygs to buy myself more time for a scenario victory. Despite my quick thinking, the center of my line still felt very weak. I huddled Doomshaper, the Grymch, and the Axer around the Krielstone. If I was going to have a chance at victory, I needed to buy myself time. To my displeasure, a more conservative approach looked like it was going to be my best bet. Patience is not a virtue I hold close. I wanted to take all the presents and feed them to the Grymch right now and remind Lyle that Giving Day is a lie!

Battle Report 79 Trollbloods – Charles Round 1 Sorrow-sowers? Sir, we bring the truth, sprinkled freely with reality. And that reality is that Wurmwood eats babies (true science fact) and should not be rewarded for its horrible behavior. Wurmwood deserves a whole mess of coal and fire. I should have brought more fire. Up first were the Bushwackers. I thought about running them up to jam Lyle early, but I needed to hold back, to maintain control over my aggressiveness. Instead, I would advance them up and make the best use I could of their Combined Ranged Attack ability and maybe even luck out with a mortar shot on the Gallows Grove over there. Unfortunately, I had bad deviation and did no damage. Continuing to rely on my theory that Fennblades solve all problems, they advanced toward the center Pile o’ Presents and spread themselves out to maximize their area denial. If I were playing against any warlock other than Wurmwood, I would have considered using the Fennblades’ once-pergame ability this turn just to move a few extra inches up the table; however, the Pathfinder granted by Fennblades’ No Quarter ability would be critical to withstanding Lyle’s feat turn, so I focused on other strategies. Next up was the Glacier King, and the Glacier King wanted to build a snowman. Taking up a position around the Bushwackers, it called upon the northern winds to summon a ferocious winter storm. Hail, snow, sleet, and howling winds would obscure anyone who attempted to cause harm to the Bushwackers while the Glacier King set itself up to grab the first Pile o’ Presents. In the middle of the table, Doomshaper cast Admonition on the nearby Axer and infused the stone of his people with his energy. The Axer ran toward the frozen boat while the Grymch positioned himself behind it in preparation for spoiling the presents, which were sure to be heading its way thanks the Glacier King. The Krielstone Bearer activated and advanced toward a more central position in an attempt to cover as many of its kin as possible within its protective aura. The Kithkar advanced to support the Fennblades threatening the middle Pile o’ Presents while the Mountain King rumbled toward the Pile o’ Presents on my left flank. I ended my turn with the Storm Troll advancing to a position between the Mountain King and Fennblades. Circle – Lyle I wanted to start throwing presents toward the Tree of Fate as quickly as possible, so I advanced aggressively up the field toward the objectives. Saving the presents was imperative! I was worried about the Grymch and his ability to rapidly Taint presents, but Charles held him back. The Slaughterhousers were first, running toward the presents on my right. With careful placement, they could threaten the Mountain King without risking a charge or suffering too much damage from the Gargantuan’s spray attack. I activated the Bloodweavers next, running them toward the middle stack of presents, taking up good ground on the bridge while trying to minimize the damage that the Fennblades across the way could do to them. The Bloodweaver Night Witch stayed close behind. My Gallows Grove on the right used Strange Growth to appear in the forest by the right stack of presents, while the Gallows

80 Battle Report Round 1 (Continued) Round 2 Trollbloods – Charles Lyle had moved up very aggressively. Knowing he was going to crash into me on his next turn, I had to get as much work done as I possibly could to blunt his alpha strike. I started by upkeeping Admonition on the Axer. After Lyle’s first turn, I knew playing aggressively with the Axer was out of the question. It would be more efficient to upkeep the spell at this point instead of recasting it later in the game at a critical point. Now for the action! The Bushwhackers fanned out and advanced in front of the stack of presents on my far right. I took a shot with the mortar. Unfortunately, even with the benefit of Range Finder, the round failed to find its target and deviated harmlessly. With the rest of the unit, I made the most of their Combined Ranged Attack ability. For the opening shot, I made a three-man CRA into the Gallows Grove that was sitting in front my forces. A hit! Followed by enough damage to remove the pesky channeler! The first two-man CRA hit and killed a Wolf that was outside of Cassius’ soul collection range. Another two-man CRA missed its target, but thankfully I got a re-roll from the Unit Attachment and scored a hit that boxed the wolf. My next two-man CRA failed to find its target, even with the re-roll from Combined Arms. The final CRA from the unit hit and killed yet another wolf. I was pretty happy with the first turn of attacks from the Bushwackers. They had not only managed to deny Wurmwood holiday cheer by denying it 3 souls but also took out one of Lyle’s major control elements in the Gallows Grove. A good start for sure, but I wanted to keep the pressure up on that flank, and the Glacier King is the perfect big stompy monster to do just that! Advancing the Glacier King, he closed on the Pile o’ Presents. I decided it was time to part ways with the snowmen he had created during the previous turn and to splatter a group of Wolves with them. Boosting to hit the target Wolf was the right call, and I managed to Grove on the left moved closer to the left stack. These two models helped me threaten a large area of the board with Cassius and Wurmwood’s potent spells. The Woldwarden was forced to run onto the bridge. The Wolves of Orboros, wary of AOEs, spread out and ran up between the left and middle stacks of presents. The Shifting Stones with the UA shifted forward, putting the Woldwarden within its teleportation triangle. Ghetorix activated, riling and running in the direction of the center present stack. The Druid Wilder ran behind Ghetorix while the Death Wolves followed Ghetorix’s movement toward the center. The second unit of Shifting Stones activated to shift, creating a teleportation area for Megalith and the Wold Guardian to move to. They did so with the Wold Guardian invoking his Flesh of Clay animus on the way. The Blackclad Wayfarer used his ability to teleport next to a Shifting Stone. Finally, Cassius and Wurmwood activated. I considered firing a spell at the Fennblades, but triggering Vengeance would mean they could do serious damage to my Tharn Bloodweavers. Instead, I cast Flesh of Clay, discarded a fury, and Cassius advanced, using Unseen Path to bring Wurmwood along. I considered using my feat, but I decided it would probably be better to hold it until next turn.

Battle Report 81 catch him with the Wind Thrower attack. Not only did I actually hit my target but both additional attacks hit their target Wolves, forcing Lyle to make a command check! He passed. Feel free to leave that out of the story as you recount the tale of this glorious battle to your friends. After reviewing my forces, I was surprised that Lyle didn’t feat last turn. This was an oversight I planned to take full advantage of. I activated the Fennblades, whose officer used his once-per-game No Quarter, and the unit charged. The first Fennblade connected with his target, destroying a Shifting Stone Lyle had moved up a little too aggressively. Not to be outdone, the next Fennblade managed to hit and kill the Blackclad Wayfarer. (Again, just going to point it out right here how Fennblades solve all problems.) A third Fennblade caught and killed a Bloodweaver, but the other two charges missed their Bloodweaver targets. Inspired by their kin’s heroic actions of beating Lyle’s troops into the ground, the rest of the unit cheered but knew in their hearts very bad things were going to come their way the following turn. As such, the rest of the unit moved forward and positioned itself to weather the inevitable counterattack. On the left side, my Mountain King was confronted by a unit of Slaughterhousers supported by a Gallows Grove, which was impossible to remove. Without the Fennblades in the way to tie up the Slaughterhousers, I felt the Mountain King might not make it. Curse of Shadows combined with being out of the Kreilstones’ aura was an effective 4-point armor swing, and Lyle had enough resources to essentially guarantee the King would be damaged before the Slaugherhousers could charge and trigger their Finisher ability. Analyzing the situation, I felt my only option was to shift to an aggressive approach with the Mountain King and hope he could shred some bacon. Committed to my new strategy, which was far more Charles-like than trying to play to attrition, the Mountain King charged the Slaughterhousers to fire an assault spray. I boosted the hit dice, scored a hit, and killed the first Slaughterhouser. The second Farrow was also hit, but it made its Tough roll. I had hoped to be able to remove at least two of the Slaughterhousers, but one being knocked down might still work for me. I hoped it would be enough to keep my gargantuan alive for another round and throw the objective into my lines. I advanced the Storm Troll into a supporting position for the Mountain King. The Storm Troll would either need to give its animus to the King to clear out the Slaughterhousers if they charged or toss the Pile o’ Presents, should the Mountain King fall to the dirty pigmen. The Fennblade Kithkar ran into the Fennblade group, as I would need him to make the most of my counterattack on my following turn. The Grymch advanced behind the cover of the boat and the Glacier King. I had considered having him run up and Taint the packages on his own this turn, but I felt it was a bit too risky an action for so early in the game. If Lyle managed to kill my little green monster, I would be forced to go for the assassination, and I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Doomshaper advanced and directed yet more of his fury into the Krielstone and cast Implacability. The turn ended with the Krielstone advancing in an attempt to get as many of my forces into the safety of its aura as possible. Circle– Lyle Half of my Wolves of Orboros died, so no presents for them. I only lost one Bloodweaver, which is about what I was hoping for, but it ended up being just because I was lucky rather than accurate in gauging the Fennblades’ threat range. Still, I’ll take a little luck where I can get it. Wurmwood picked up three souls during Charles’ turn, so I was starting to build up a dangerous amount of fury potential. I activated my Bloodweavers, who had to counterattack the Fennblades on this already-bloody Giving Day. They charged the Fennblades and, along with their Killing Spree attacks, managed to kill a trio of trollkin. Tough prevented the death toll from reaching five, but the bloodletting maxed out Wurmwood on souls. The Bloodweaver Night Witch charged in along with the Bloodweavers, dispatching a Fennblade. Round 2 (Continued)

82 Battle Report I saw an opportunity to take a stack of presents and toss it safely behind my line, so I took it. My Shifting Stones activated to teleport Megalith to a stack of presents. Megalith then easily hefted the bundle of gifts and tossed it toward Wurmwood and into the safety of my army. The ground erupted with tangled life around Megalith as it activated its Undergrowth animus and then used Geomancy to cast Curse of Shadows on the Fennblades. The remaining Wolves of Orboros invoked Power Swell and charged the pygs and a wayward Fennblade. Power Swell granted them extra damage, and while Pyg Bushwackers aren’t the ideal use for Power Swell, I doubted the Wolves were going to live long enough to get to an ideal target. Cassius & Wurmwood activated, converting the Tree of Fate’s collected souls into fury. Cassius cast Stranglehold on the Mountain King, boosting for damage and landing a crucial point of damage to the gargantuan. Under Stranglehold, the giant beast would have to forfeit its movement or action next round, slowing it down a bit. In addition, my Slaughterhousers would now benefit from Finisher against the Mountain King, getting an additional damage die. Round 3 Trollbloods – Charles That wasn’t so bad. Lyle got his first solid hit in on my army. Much to my surprise, the Mountain King lived, and I still had a fair number of Fennblades left. But he had managed to get his grubby branches on one of the piles of presents, and that simply would not stand! Even with Lyle’s feat in effect, I managed to get in a couple of Vengeance moves and attacks. I hit and killed two Bloodweavers and dropped the Lord of the Feast down to just 2 damage boxes. I even hit a Slaughterhouser, but it passed its Tough roll. I continued to upkeep Admonition on the Axer as the armies were engaged and soon it would be the Axer’s time to shine! Now it was time to hit back, and I planned to cripple Lyle, feat turn or not! The Storm Troll advanced and gave up its attack to throw the Pile o’ Presents back toward the center of my army. I will not stand by and idly watch as an evil tree spirit profits from people’s good nature. I will stop Giving Day one way or another! Not content to just save the day by tossing the packages toward those who truly deserved them—ME!—the troll also cast Electro Leap on the Mountain King. Bacon’s gonna fry this turn! The Fennblades in the center got the charge order, and two actually made it to Wurmwood. My hopes rose, and I started thinking I might actually pull off an early assassination. The Cassius followed up Stranglehold with a Hellmouth on a Whelp, killing it and a nearby Fennblade. Another Fennblade passed his Tough check to survive. Seeing an opportunity, Cassius charged the downed Fennblade and killed him. Cassius then cast Unseen Path to bring Wurmwood near and popped his feat, obscuring the land all around him into dangerous forest terrain. With the trollbloods being unable to see most of my army in the arcane forest, their retaliation should be a bit limited. The Slaughterhousers activated next, charging the Mountain King. All four charge attacks landed and, augmented by Finisher for an extra die of damage, dealt 25 points of damage. Not bad, but not enough to slow the beast. The Lord of the Feast moved purposefully toward a Fennblade, cutting him down where he stood. Ghetorix advanced toward a stack of presents on the left, understanding his obligation to protect the gifts from the threatening trollbloods. I was hopeful that the Forest of Judgment feat would blunt the trollbloods’ inexorable advance on those wonderful presents, but the party-crashing trolls surely had other ideas. first Fennblade put 3 points of damage on the Tree and the second added 7 more points. Ghost Shield had stopped me from putting out the damage I needed, and this kind of ruffled my feathers. Perhaps I would have been better off removing a couple more models from Lyle’s army? While it wasn’t enough to foil his plans, I hoped it would teach Lyle to think twice before getting too aggressive with his warlock in the future. Now I just needed to keep him back. The double Unseen Path assassination from Wurmwood Round 2 (Continued)

Battle Report 83 places. They opened up with a two-man CRA, which left the Wolves of Orboros Chieftain with 3 boxes of health. Next, the Bushwhackers did a four-man CRA targeting the Wilder that was hiding on the bridge, removing her. I cannot explain how much I adore CRA and the versatility it brings to the table. I sometimes fall into the habit of making quick judgments on something before I have actually tried it, but in this case I was really impressed by the amount of work the Pygs were getting done. Another couple of CRAs and a few more Wolves were added to the dead pile. The Krielstone Bearers continued their slow march up the battlefield, and I tried to keep my critical assets within the armor buff bubble. Doomshaper was next on the list. Lyle’s feat had robbed me of the momentum I had previously established, and I needed to protect as many of my remaining assets as possible. I would have to defensively activate his feat. I hoped my key elements would see it through to the next turn and that I would be able to Taint at least one more Pile o’ Presents. Doomshaper advanced within range and cast Stranglehold on Megalith. Now was the opportune time to use Scroll of the Hand of Yolandi to further hamper Lyle’s next turn. Doomshaper finished off his activation by dumping fury into the Krielstone. Lyle’s Woldwarden was in a pretty threatening position, and I needed to remove it from the game. It was in my way, and I did not believe the Glacier King would survive both the Woldwarden’s charge and Ghetorix’s. Doomshaper’s feat gave me some measure of security, so the Glacier King charged the Woldwarden and removed it from the table with four swift attacks. To finish out the turn, the Axer advanced into a more aggressive location. Here he would hopefully push into the middle of Lyle’s battle line the following turn, once his feat was over. is no joke, and I knew I needed to get closer to have any chance of successfully grabbing and Tainting the presents. Hyper Regeneration and devouring a bunch of Whelps healed the Mountain King back to fully functional status. With Lyle’s Stranglehold having found its target, my Mountain King was pretty limited in its options this turn. So, I decided removing the unit of Slaughterhousers would make up for Lyle removing my options for activation. The Mountain King’s first melee attack hit a Slaughterhouser, which unfortunately passed its Tough roll. Luckily Electro Leap triggered on the hit, so it was able to arc to another Slaughterhouser and kill it. My second initial connected on another Slaughterhouser who also managed to make its Tough roll. The Electro Leap hit and killed another Slaughterhouser. I started to see a pattern at this point in my inability to properly communicate to my dice my desire to make bacon. After threatening to microwave the dice’s friends while it watched, I set about buying another melee attack with the hopes of triggering the Mountain King’s Kill Shot ability. I hit and killed the Slaughterhouser (clearly my motivational speech worked on the dice). The Electro Leap from the bought punch attack damaged a Slaughterhouser that once again passed its Tough roll. Luckily with the Kill Shot spray, I hit and killed another Slaughterhouser. I bought another melee attack, but the pig Toughed, so I had to repeat the process. I finally killed the farrow with the added benefit of healing a few more boxes thanks to the Mountain King’s snacking rule. On the far right, the Grymch decided it was going to have to step up and get in there. I had been too timid the previous turn, and I was worried this choice could have cost me the game. Running around the far side of the Glacier King, its activation ended, and the first package was Tainted! The Bushwhackers used the Slip Away order to disengage from Lyle, managing to get into all kinds of annoying Circle – Lyle The trollbloods had taken a stack of presents pretty far out of my reach, making my efforts to save Giving Day that much more difficult. I had also lost nearly a dozen models, including all of my Slaughterhousers and the Lord of the Feast. But critically, Wurmwood weathered the attacks against it, thanks to its collection of souls that fueled Ghost Shield. Megalith was crippled with Stranglehold, so my ability to secure the presents or eliminate the Glacier King was waning. I had to do what I could to regain control of the battle. I positioned my Gallows Grove to take away Tough from the remaining Fennblades. The Bloodweavers advanced to attack, killing two Fennblades and the unit attachment with a Killing Spree attack. The Bloodweaver Night Witch then Round 3 (Continued)

84 Battle Report Round 4 I knew Admonition would come into play! The loss of a dozen models on my feat turn coupled with the aggressive stance of Lyle’s army was starting to make me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I might have gotten a little too aggressive last turn, and my models paid the price for it. Looking at the game, I was certain I still had the upper hand in attrition at this point, even with my overextension last turn. At this point, I should be able to move the packages on the left toward the core of my army and have the Grymch run in to contact with the packages for a much closer chance at a scenario victory. I just needed to make sure there weren’t any other magic weapons around that could finish the Giving Day spirit off. I also considered how I could assassinate Wurmwood, but the chances seemed far too slim at this point. In the end, I decided to play a little more conservatively so I could threaten Lyle with both gargantuans next turn. My maintenance phase kicked off with Doomshaper taking in his fury (a couple Whelps were eaten to prevent Threshold checks) and a failed Vengeance attack on a Bloodweaver. I opened my turn with the Storm Troll giving its animus to the Fennblade Kithkar and advanced to the Pile o’ Presents, throwing them toward Doomshaper. The Bushwhackers got some serious work done this turn, despite the mauling they had received from Lyle. Their Slip Away order once again demonstrated why she is a killing machine. She charged a Stone Scribe, killing him and generating a Killing Spree attack. Grievous Wounds prevented the trollkin from making a Tough roll. The Killing Spree attack killed the next one, thanks to the extra damage from Blood Ritual, and Life Drinker healed the damage from Blood Ritual right back. After three blood-soaked Stone Scribe kills and 3 damage to the Kithkar, she was done. Megalith forfeited its movement to Stranglehold and used its Geomancy ability to put Curse of Shadows on the Glacier King. The nearby Shifting Stones shifted into positions to cut down the Glacier King’s trample lanes. Spying the elusive Grymch moving about, the Stone Keeper attacked it with Rock Hammer, dealing a solid-but-not-lethal 6 points of damage. That came pretty close to ending the threat of the Grymch’s Taint, but it was clear that the trollbloods’ plans to ruin (Save! ~Charles) Giving Day now mostly centered on slaughter. Ghetorix, screened from being able to reach the Glacier King, killed as many Pyg Bushwhackers as he could. Two Tough checks later, that amount was only two. The Wolves of Orboros failed their Leadership check and continued to flee. The Death Wolves killed four more trollbloods with their corpse token-fueled attacks, taking Trollbloods – Charles out two Bushwhackers and two of the Krielstone unit. The Troll Axer, however, used Admonition to escape danger. Cassius cast Stranglehold on the Glacier King, dealing 1 damage and slowing him down a bit. I had successfully cleared a sizeable chunk of the Trollblood army, but the threat of the two gargantuans loomed large. Still, the attrition battle was starting to swing in my favor. Round 3 (Continued)

Battle Report 85 proved invaluable and allowed me to get them out of harm’s reach. Then I set them up for a combined ranged attack into the Stonekeeper that had put far too much damage on the Grymch. The CRA killed him, and the Death Wolf Caleb would have died from another CRA as well if he hadn’t had the ability to use his corpse token to fend off the majority of the damage. The Bushwhacker mortar was able to target and hit a Shifting Stone and even removed a Wolf of Orboros in the process, giving Wurmwood yet another soul token (that was not part of the plan). Doomshaper used the Scroll of the Call of Troqal, which gave each of my warbeasts a free use of their animi this turn. He cast Stranglehold on both Megalith and the Wold Guardian, boosting damage on both. This left Doomshaper with 1 fury for transfers. I was starting to worry about having only one transfer should Lyle choose to gamble and go for an assassination with Wurmwood. In the end, though, I doubted he had the range to pull it off this turn. What remained of the Krielstone Bearer unit got the charge order, and I hit the Death Wolves, who managed to use their corpse tokens to negate the majority of the damage and fight off death. Maybe Giving Day is about the giving of corpses and not presents? Maybe corpses are presents! My remaining Fennblades ran forward to try and cut Lyle off from threatening the presents I was moving toward. Next, it was time for me to try and get Lyle’s attention away from my warlock. To accomplish this, I assaulted both Wurmwood and Cassius with my Mountain King! I hit both with my assault spray, but Lyle was able to transfer the majority of the damage away to his Wold Guardian. I activated my Axer who Threshered and killed both a Bloodweaver and Tala the Death Wolf. The Glacier King was forced to give up its movement due to Lyle’s Stranglehold, but I was within range to throw some snowballs at Ghetorix. I boosted to hit and got the critical I was fishing for. This knocked Ghetorix out of his warlock’s control range and knocked him down. Unfortunatly it also knocked him out of my range preventing any further attacks. Lastly, the Grymch ran toward the second present in order to Taint it next turn. At this point, I was feeling incredibly comfortable with the game state. I had managed to remove the threat of all three of Lyle’s warbeasts. I had Lyle on the ropes; I would ruin his holiday the following turn. I mean, come on, I have a gargantuan within charge range of his warlock, and next turn, I knew I would be able to corrupt another stack of presents. Lyle had already lost, but he had yet to accept his tree’s fate. Round 4 (Continued)

86 Battle Report Circle – Lyle With my losses mounting, my wolds saddled with Stranglehold, and Ghetorix knocked out of my control area, my chance of saving Giving Day, much less getting out of here alive, was looking grim. But Charles had obviously underestimated Cassius & Wurmwood’s ability to get to Doomshaper. Flush with souls, Cassius & Wurmwood had what they needed to deliver the killing blow to Doomshaper and end his reign of terror over Giving Day. Ghetorix was knocked outside of Cassius’ control area, so I would not be able to leach his fury. He frenzied, but was only able to rise to his feet and advance toward the nearest pygmy troll. Deprived of Ghetorix’s fury, Cassius leached a fury from himself. The Death Wolves activated first, with Caleb launching into five attacks—two initials and three attacks from corpse tokens, thanks to the additional movement from Overtake. All five attacks against the Stone Scribes landed as solid killing blows, but the heartiness of the trollkin gave me only three kills. Meanwhile, Skoll attacked the Troll Axer, doing just 2 damage. Megalith, hamstrung by Stranglehold, was still able to advance toward Doomshaper and use Geomancy to hit the warlock with Curse of Shadows. With Doomshaper suffering from the –2 ARM penalty, and Cassius & Wurmwood rocking 11 fury, I had a chance to kill Doomshaper that I was very happy with. Charles thought he had me. Really, I had Doomshaper right where I wanted him! Cassius converted all the souls available to him into fury, advanced, and cast Unseen Path to move Wurmwood ahead of him. Another Unseen Path put Cassius face-toface with Doomshaper. Here we were. I had 7 fury left, Doomshaper had one transfer, and he was suffering –2 ARM. Cassius launched into the first of his eight attacks, dealing 7 damage. The next two attacks missed, but the third connected. Sadly, it only dealt 1 damage. The next attack missed. Then the next landed, forcing Doomshaper to transfer 9 damage. Doomshaper was out of options, and I had two attacks remaining. Miss. Hit! Nine damage for the killing blow, and then. . . Doomshaper aced his Tough roll. Round 4 (Continued)

Battle Report 87 Round 5 Trollbloods – Charles Oh, hell, no. This transgression would not stand! All right, so I have this life theory: confident, cocky, dead. When you start to gain skill in something, you become confident in your abilities. When you start to master the skill, you become cocky. You start to think you know everything and have nothing left to learn. Your cockiness will eventually lead to your death as you grow careless. Lyle apparently saw it fit to remind me of my place. He should have had that assassination. It was a great victory—he had the fury and the souls, and I had made a few mistakes that he had capitalized on. Saved by the grace of a Tough roll, I vowed to restore justice! My Axer failed its Threshold check this turn and killed Kroll from the Death Wolves. Now that it was over, it was time for Doomshaper to show the nasty holiday tree it had nothing to be thankful for. I boosted to make sure I hit Wurmwood’s flesh-sack-meat-puppet and critically smote it back into the Tree of Fate with enough damage to end the battle! Looking over the table, I felt great pride that I had managed to stop the savagery that is Giving Day and the corrupting influence of the most evil Wurmwood. A job well done, my kriel brethren. Now, on to the celebratory drinks and opening of tainted presents!

88 Battle Report Conclusion Trollbloods – Charles Okay, to be honest, I didn’t feel that I had really won that game. It was more of the holiday spirits using me as their vessel to tell Lyle he was not allowed to win. I think I applied a little too much pressure during Round 4, which pushed Lyle into the assassination that almost lost me the game. Perhaps if I hadn’t taken away his beast, he may have played a little more conservatively, and I wouldn’t have been in the position to lose the game. I would also like to give credit to Will Hungerford, who came up with the new scenario. It completely took me out of my play style comfort zone to the point that I didn’t even know if my list was operating the way I wanted it to. I had to come up with a completely new strategy on the fly and abandon all the work I had put in beforehand. I’m thrilled with how the game went, but I need to play more games with this list to figure out if it’s really giving me the play experience I want from my Doomshaper list. In hindsight, had I known more about the scenario in advance, I probably would have run Doomshaper’s Theme Force. More beasts can never be a bad thing, right? But looking at what happened with the list I picked, I realize I should have deployed my double Gargantuans in the middle of the table and just smashed into Lyle’s forces while trying to get the central package as quickly as possible. Lyle is one of my favorite opponents, be it in playtest games, staff tournaments, or even the current map campaign. I can always count on him to give me a great game and a good time, and I look forward to our future rematch! I had failed, and the presents were lost. Giving Day was ruined for everyone, except for the Trollbloods, who reveled in creating misery. My assassination run should have worked. The odds were in my favor, but the dice were not. So it goes, sometimes. The Grymch stole Giving Day, so there would be no merriment for the little druid and Tharn children this year. But the Trollbloods have something to celebrate, so at least someone’s happy, right? Charles is a fun opponent to play, because as much as he can hone in on efficient play and optimizing his tactics, he also loves to get caught up in the story of the game. He loves imagining the cinematic moments of a battle, so experiencing the adventure of a band of Circle revelers trying to save Giving Day from a bunch of miscreant Trollbloods eager to spoil the holiday with Charles as my opponent was just plain fun. My side didn’t get the happy ending to their story, but there’s always next year! We’ve published the scenario we used for this Battle Report. Can you save Giving Day where I could not? Will you use the Grymch to ruin the holiday? Either way, I hope you have as much fun as we did! Circle – Lyle

Step 1 1 3 4 2 Parts Used 1 Cassius the Oathkeeper & Wurmwood, Tree of Fate 2 Lord of the Feast antlers 3 Lord of the Feast skull 4 x8 Wold Guardian kneecap 1 2 3 Start by assembling Wurmwood as you would normally. At this stage, go ahead and glue the Lord of the Feast skull and antlers so that it is perched on one of the higher branches. 4 Step 2 Next, we are going to create the strings from which the “lights” hang. First, take your Formula P3 Brown/Aluminum Putty and roll a long, thin sausage. Step 3 Twist the putty in a clockwise motion to give the string its texture to mimic the grain of rope. Create several putty ropes and attach them to Wurmwood until you are satisfied with the coverage. 5 Step 4 Step 5 Where two sections of rope meet, glue on one of the Wold kneecaps. These will be the “bulbs” for the string. As soon as I saw the new Wurmwood holiday pin from the Privateer Pins collection (see p. 50) I had to convert one for the tabletop! One of my favorite opponents, No Quarter EIC Lyle Lowery, is an avid Circle player, and I knew he would appreciate a new rendition of this classic caster. He loved the conversion so much that it became the inspiration for this issue’s battle report, and he requested this step-by-step guide so all of our players could re-create the conversion themselves. By Charles Agel Modeling & Painting 89

6 7 Step 6 Step 7 Add ropes and bulbs to cover the model until you are happy with its appearance. Now, we will add the festive hats to the various skulls and skeletons. Roll a small ball of putty. Work the putty into a cone shape. This will form the main body of the hat. Step 8 8 9 10 Step 5 Step 10 Attach the hat form to one of the skulls on Wurmwood and shape it to give it a realistic look. Roll a very small ball of putty to make the ball for the point of the cap. Attach it to the hat form you made. 11 Step 11 Add holiday hats to as many of the skulls as you want. That’s all there is to it. Your own festive Wurmwood! 90 Modeling & Painting

The Iron Kingdoms abound with people both good and evil, but many others live, survive, and even thrive in the grey shadows between heroics and villainy. Social misfits but not always social outcasts, they make their way through the world any way they can—even if it results in hardship for others. In the end, even scoundrels and sell-swords feel justified in doing what they must to stay alive. These kinds of characters make excellent NPCs—whether as antagonists or allies—for your Iron Kingdoms RPG campaign. This time you’ll meet a gunsmith’s daughter whose family and sanity were consumed by flames. ® Ghostmaker The bounty hunter known as Ghostmaker was baptized by fire and then tempered in the snows of the Rhulic mountains after a single bullet to the eye destroyed the woman she once was. After avenging the slaughter of her father and husband, who were killed by a Winter Guard detachment in the year 604 AR, she seemed unable to quench her desire for blood. Most think the woman is crazy, ceaselessly seeking solace for the loss of her former life, but none forget that Ghostmaker is one of the most efficient and relentless killers in the Iron Kingdoms. GHOSTMAKER: A BRIEF HISTORY In her former life, Ghostmaker—whose real name is unknown, though a dozen different aliases have been investigated and dismissed—was the daughter of a talented Rhulic gunsmith. She inherited her father’s talent for gunsmithing and allegedly lived with him and her husband in the small border town of Two Forks on Rangercliffe Run. One night under the cover of darkness, the Winter Guard swept into Two Forks, intending to take control by surprise as much as force. Resistance to the overwhelming enemy proved futile, and the small garrison of Llaelese regulars in the town was taken without a shot being fired. Guard squads went house to house, looking for weapons and rounding up the populace. Some of the common folk fled across the border into Rhul or into the mountains, but others chose to fight rather than lose all they had struggled to build to Khadoran invaders. With only half of the houses and shops secured, an altercation with an innkeeper ended in gunshots. The sounds of violence woke Ghostmaker’s father, giving him time to prepare for the impending attack. When Winter Guard smashed in the door of the shop, the first soldier fell to the blast from her father’s blunderbuss. The Khadorans responded with a hail of gunfire that cut down her father and gravely wounded her husband. When Ghostmaker rushed forth from the back of the building to her husband’s aid, a startled soldier assumed she was armed and fired. The enemy bullet destroyed her left eye, shattering bone and creasing her skull. She fell across her dying husband’s body in a welter of blood. Assuming all three were dead, the commander of the force ordered the shop torched as an example to the rest of the town. The soldiers set fire to the stores of gun oil and blasting powder. As flames enveloped the building, however, a bleeding figure crawled away, dragging her father’s heavy rifle. She collapsed in the snow only yards into the trees, but By Chris Jackson With Kelsey Fox • Art by Arthur Bozonnet Scoundrels & Sell-Swords 91

the depths of the drifts concealed her. Why she didn’t freeze to death that night, no one knows, but one thing was certain: the young woman had perished in the flames that consumed her home, her husband, and her sanity. Only Ghostmaker remained. When dawn broke, a bloodstain in the snow and a ragged trail into the mountains were the only traces of her to be found. Khadoran trackers briefly followed that trail but turned back when it crossed the border into Rhul. That winter, a remote village in the mountains of Hanoghor received a strange surprise as Ghostmaker staggered into their midst. Her hair was white as the snow that crusted her ruined eye socket, and her back was etched with deep burns. She couldn’t or wouldn’t tell the villagers her name, and her only possession was a finely made breech-loading rifle. When they tried to take it, she became violent and raved that no one would take her “baby.” The Khadorans had taken everything else from her, but they would never take Baby from her. The villagers tended her injuries as best they could, but she would not release the rifle, even in sleep. When they asked what they should call her, she told them that she was Ghostmaker, and those who made her this way would pay. During that long winter, Ghostmaker regained her health and strength but never a shred of her former self or her sanity. When spring came and the mountain passes opened for travel, she left the village for the fortress of Hammerfall. The news of the destruction of Riversmet and the occupation of the small border town of Two Forks had already reached deep into Rhul prior to Ghostmaker’s arrival. She sought retribution for the loss of Rhulic lives in Two Forks, but the Stone Lords weren’t about to start a war with Khador over the incident. They did, however, sympathize with their kinsman’s loss and chose to facilitate her revenge. When Ghostmaker left Hammerfall some months later, her ruined eye had been replaced by a gleaming mechanikal prosthetic, and her rifle, Baby, sported a new arcantrik scope. With these, she set out on the path of vengeance. She didn’t know the names of the soldiers who had burst into her father’s shop and killed her family, but their faces were forever burned into her mind’s eye. Over the course of the next year, she traveled from Korsk to Laedry to Rynyr and finally to the conquered city of Riversmet in Llael, leaving behind a trail of bloody bodies as she went. When she finally put a bullet between the eyes of the last of those soldiers’ faces, a cold sense of fulfillment seemingly tempered her madness. She would never be a gunsmith’s daughter again, but this new self, Ghostmaker, would survive. With that resolve, she turned her recently accumulated skills to a profession as a hired killer. OUT IN THE WORLD Skilled in stealth, traveling in rough country, and infiltrating seemingly impregnable fortresses and guarded cities, Ghostmaker moves like the name she has earned, invisible and ethereal. Since none know where she might live, potential employers are encouraged to put the word out on the streets of the cities of Ord and Cygnar. Eventually, she will find them. Ghostmaker will not take contracts from any Khadoran element, be it military or independent, but has ventured deep into that country to fulfill jobs. She rarely carries more than her rifle, a few supplies, gunsmithing tools, and a large bayonet. The Stone Lords of Rhul have employed Ghostmaker on many occasions to settle “trade disputes” with overzealous Khadoran envoys. They say Ghostmaker takes these contracts at a special rate, though no one knows if revenge or the ties of blood motivate her generosity. She has never taken a contract against a Cryxian target and was heard to ask when offered such a job, “Where’s the fun in killing something that’s already dead?” Ghostmaker has taken many contracts from Ord and Cygnar though none yet from the Protectorate. There is a price on her head in Khador, but that has not dissuaded the assassin from working in that country. War has put much gold into Ghostmaker’s pockets, yet no one can say how that gold is spent, aside from specialized armorpiercing ammunition and improvements for Baby. Ghostmaker has no friends, per se, but has made many professional acquaintances she considers allies. She has taken jobs with mercenary companies when long-range killing was necessary. While she has no known residence in Corvis, she has acquired mechanikal repairs and replacements for her prosthetic eye and Baby’s arcantrik scope in the city’s local shops. Her latest contract was taken from the Mercarian League to rid the world of the notorious pirate and warcaster, Phinneus Shae. That contract seems to have taken her far abroad and remains active. She’s not cheap, but death comes swiftly to those she is paid to kill. If PCs have money to spare, simply pay her price and point her at the nearest problem. To date, Ghostmaker has never failed to finalize a contract. 92 Scoundrels & Sell-Swords

Abilities: Crackshot – When making a ranged or magic attack against a target that has concealment, cover, or elevation, this character gains +2 on the attack roll. Dual Shot – The character can forfeit her movement during her turn to make one additional ranged attack with a pistol or rifle. Feat Points – This character starts each encounter with 2 feat points. She is allocated 1 feat point at the start of each of her turns. She can only have up to 2 feat points at a time. Feat: Prescient – The character can spend 1 feat point to win initiative automatically and take the first turn that combat. If two or more characters use this ability, they make initiative rolls to determine which of them goes first. Load Bearing – Reduce the SPD and DEF penalties from the armor the character wears each by 1 (Included). Marksman – The character can use quick actions and aim in the same round, but still has to forfeit her movement to gain the aiming bonus. Quality Prosthetic Eye – The character treats darkness and dim light as bright light and gains +2 on PER rolls to spot things at a distance. Targeteer – When the character hits with a ranged attack, she chooses the branch of the target’s life spiral or the column of the target’s damage grid that is hit, if applicable. Weapon Master [Baby] – When resolving a ranged attack with the listed weapon, this character’s damage roll is boosted. Physique PHY 7 Speed SPD 5 Strength STR 6 Agility AGL 5 Prowess PRW 4 Poise POI 4 Intellect INT 5 Arcane ARC — Perception PER 4 Initiative Init 13 Defense DEF 13 (Infantry Armor –1) Armor ARM 14 (Infantry Armor +7) Willpower Wil 12 Initiative Init Command Range: 5 Base Size: Small Encounter Points: 18 Equipment: Abilities: This is a magical weapon. Attacks with this weapon ignore spell effects that add to the target’s DEF and ARM. Arcantrik Scope – A scope adds eighteen feet (3”) to the weapon’s effective range and ninety feet (15”) to its extreme range when the character aims during her turn. When the character forfeits movement to aim, the character ignores stealth that turn. Abilities: The character can affix this weapon to Baby or remove it as a quick action. While affixed to Baby this weapon gains +1 POW, +2 charge to attack rolls, uses the Great Weapon skill, and has reach. Bayonet MAT POW P+S 5 2 7 Baby rat Rng AOE POW 6 14 — 12 Ghostmaker Baby (heavy mechanikal rifle with arcantrik scope), bayonet, gunsmith’s kit, infantry armor, 25 heavy rounds, 45 gc INT E LLECT AGILITY PHYSIQUE 2 1 6 5 4 3 Skills: Name Stat Rank Stat + Rank Climbing AGL 2 7 Craft (gunsmithing) INT 2 7 Detection PER 2 6 Great Weapon PRW 2 6 Hand Weapon PRW 2 6 Intimidation SOC 2 * Jumping PHY 2 9 Rifle POI 2 6 Sneak AGL 2 7 Survival PER 1 5 Swimming STR 1 7 Scoundrels & Sell-Swords 93

heavy hitters By Matt Goetz • Art by Néstor Ossadón, Andrea Uderzo, and Chris Walton I ron Kingdoms Unleashed: Skorne Empire introduced the first gargantuans to the roleplaying game: the desert hydra and mammoth. With these massive creatures striding and slithering onto the battlefields of Immoren, this article gives Game Masters tips on how to incorporate them into their games. 94 Heavy Hitters

Telling Big Stories Gargantuans are a powerful tool in the Game Master’s toolbox. Not only are they some of the most potent creatures in Iron Kingdoms Unleashed, these enormous beasts are visually stunning and carry great dramatic weight. (Sorry. The pun was irresistible.) Gargantuans should be used sparingly, in part to preserve the sense of awe they can instill in the PCs and also because of the logistical concerns of dealing with such large entities. Living gargantuans, like the desert hydra and mammoth, consume staggering amounts of food every day. Keeping them from starving and going berserk requires a steady stream of food, seasoned with just a bit of mortitheurgy to control the creatures’ hunger. Even unliving gargantuans like the woldwrath represent many months of work and vast amounts of resources to create. While gargantuans do walk Immoren, there aren’t many of them out there. Foreshadowing A Game Master who plans to use a gargantuan as an opponent shouldn’t just spring it on the players. These multi-ton creatures cannot lurk in the shadows or launch stealthy ambushes. They are simply too large. Having a PC turn a corner to face down a desert hydra is sure to have someone calling foul. Instead, consider embracing the enormous scale of a gargantuan. Foreshadowing its presence long before it arrives in an encounter helps build tension, keeping the players on their toes. Feeling the earth shudder from some distant impact and hearing the distant, echoing roar of an angry gargantuan lets the players know that something big and dangerous is out there, putting them on edge. As the anticipation builds, players will continue to worry about when the Game Master plans to have them face down the beast. Since they are so large, gargantuans can command a massive area of the wilderness, driving off other creatures and leaving clear signs of their passage. To give the PCs a reason to sweat, Game Masters who plan to use gargantuans in their stories can roll on the following table each day the PCs are in the region, or pick appropriate results. Feel free to adjust the following results to suit the specific gargantuan and location. 2d6 Roll Result 2 A deep and distant roar sounds, its booming noise echoing. In the direction of the roar, great flocks of birds explode into the sky. 3–4 The soil has been torn up in an area large enough for dozens of soldiers to encamp. From a distance, this wide patch of earth can be seen for what it really is: the place where an enormous beast bedded down for the night. 5–6 The ground is pocked with a series of shallow pits or small pools, each strangely uniform in shape. Upon closer examination, the PCs discover these marks are massive footprints. 7 A massive swath of debris (crushed structures, carts, and so forth if in an urban setting or village; snapped trees, upturned earth, and flattened underbrush if in a wilderness setting) stretching for a hundred yards leads into the distance. 8–9 The half-eaten carcass of a massive beast lies with black flies buzzing around its wounds in a clearing. Gashes in its flanks over a foot wide look like they could have been made by enormous teeth or claws. 10–11 A pack of beasts both large and small comes charging toward the PCs, eyes wide and clearly panicked. These creatures pay the PCs no attention as they flee, running from some unseen menace. 12 Obscured by dust, smoke, fog, or foliage, a huge shadow shape moves in the distance, the ground trembling as it passes. It stops for a moment and seems to look in the PCs’ direction before continuing on its way. Pick your moment While it is possible that player characters may take control of their own gargantuans, in most cases they are more likely to be used as centerpiece antagonists in a dramatic final encounter. Choosing when to use gargantuans is important. Heavy hitters 95

A gargantuan is much more than the sum of its encounter points, stats, and weapons. Each one is a huge beast or construct that causes the earth to tremble with each heavy step, casting a long and massive shadow over the world. An encounter that includes one or more gargantuans should be a memorable experience for the players. One way to do so is to hold off on the reveal of the gargantuan until the time is right. Choosing when to use gargantuans is an important decision: they should be saved for when they have the most dramatic punch in the story. Often this is in the finale of a campaign. A warlock with his bonded gargantuan make for a deadly and impressive final encounter, especially if the PCs have brought some NPC assistance along. The gargantuan can make short work of the NPC allies with its oversized fists and blasts from its huge ranged weapons. Having a gargantuan slaughter hordes of weaker opposition helps demonstrate just how powerful the beast really is. PCs who defeat such a huge opponent are literal giant-slayers. Another place to use gargantuan opponents is when the PCs aren’t equipped to deal with them. Having the characters arrive at their home village or city in the middle of a gargantuan assault sets the tone for a very different kind of game. Depending on the circumstances, the PCs might have to flee from the destruction of their home while the gargantuan bulldozes through it, or quickly try to locate and evacuate survivors trapped and terrified in the gargantuan’s vicinity. Presenting the players with an opponent they can’t outfight forces them to outmaneuver and outsmart the problem—if they want to survive. Have an Escape Plan PCs often attempt to take on opposition that far outclasses them. Starting PCs that find a gargantuan in their path may be inclined to go in guns blazing. In many cases, this will result in the PCs being smashed into a paste by the gargantuan. For Game Masters who want to avoid a sudden and messy end to a campaign, it may be wise to formulate an escape plan for the story. Under most circumstances, a gargantuan has better things to do than tangle with a handful of PCs. Gargantuans are military assets sent to deal with specific threats or to attack predetermined targets. Except for the attacks of extraordinary PCs, a gargantuan is likely to ignore them for favor of its main target. Another way to draw the gargantuan off and give the PCs time to get away from a losing battle is to involve other defenders. If the gargantuan is tearing up a village or city, a warjack or warbeast can attack and momentarily distract it. The gargantuan will prioritize the larger enemy over the smaller one and give the PCs a window of opportunity to get away that the smarter players will exploit. Depending on the reason for the gargantuan attack, it is possible the creature may simply complete its work and choose to leave. If it was sent into an area to destroy warbeast paddocks, level a specific structure, or kill a noteworthy target, once the job is complete there’s no reason for the gargantuan to stick around. The gargantuan’s warlock wouldn’t risk such a valuable asset and will recall his gargantuan once the job is done. Say Hello to My Little Friend Inevitably, a player will work to get his or her hands on their own gargantuan. Sometimes the Game Master will want to include one as a massive—possibly temporary—boon. Being able to take command of a huge creature and send it crashing through any obstacle can be a thrilling experience provided the obstacle warrants such overkill. Putting appropriate obstacles in the way of PC-controlled gargantuans can be a tricky balance. It can be easy to divert too much attention to the gargantuan and the PC controlling it, and a gargantuan shouldn’t be responsible for securing total victory. That job falls to the PCs. Instead, consider using the gargantuan as a means to get the characters somewhere they could not reach under normal circumstances. For instance, when a horde of enemies stands between the PCs and their ultimate goal, the gargantuan can go wading into battle to break through the enemy lines, opening a gap the PCs can rush through to reach the enemy general beyond. Another obstacle the gargantuan can surmount for the PCs is the wall of an otherwise impenetrable fortress. The gargantuan can smash through such bulwarks, allowing the characters to storm in, or it can provide an impressive distraction to draw off defenders while they slip in unnoticed. One of the most dynamic ways to use a friendly gargantuan is, of course, to have it fight one or more enemy gargantuans. Clashing in the heart of a battle, these titanic beasts don’t just make a dramatic backdrop for the more reasonably scaled fighting going on down below. They can also provide a dynamic encounter environment as the gargantuans smash dangerously around the battlefield, their heavy feet slamming down to flatten warriors with each step (see “Trampling Feet,” 97). Location, Location, Location As important as choosing the moment to introduce a gargantuan into an encounter is choosing where that encounter takes place. Close Quarters If the purpose of the encounter is to harry the PCs with a nighunstoppable force, setting it in a dense forest with towering old growth trees or in the cloistered streets of a city is ideal. The dense terrain restricts the gargantuan’s ability to maneuver thanks to its size and huge 120 mm base. In such an encounter, the goal of the PCs should be to quickly move from one safe haven to the next while trying to entangle the great beast in a 96 Heavy Hitters

copse of trees or a heavy structure to buy some time. Clever players may even turn the environment to their advantage, using their armament and abilities to drop impassable obstacles in the giant’s path—or on its head! Of course, a gargantuan confronted with one of these environments won’t be deterred for long. Obstacles like buildings or old trees are likely to be smashed down in a fit of rage. Game Masters who want to have their gargantuans go through such impediments, rather than over or under them, can make use of the following optional rule: gargantuan from throwing its weight around. Anything small or weak will simply be flattened by the gargantuan’s incredible weight as it tramples across the battlefield. Game Masters who want to reflect the inherent danger of gargantuans locked in combat can make use of the following optional rule: Huge-Based Creatures Slamming Obstacles and Structures A huge-based creature that slams an obstacle or structure applies damage to five 6-foot (1˝) sections per slam attack. Any damage caused is applied to the five continuous 1˝ sections directly in front of the creature’s base. The damage is resolved simultaneously. If the damage roll is sufficient to destroy the material of the object or structure, characters on the opposite side within 6 feet (1˝) suffer a damage roll with a POW equal to the ARM of the material. Trampling Feet A small- or medium-based character that begins his Activation Phase within 1˝ of a huge-based creature engaged in combat with another huge-based character must make an AGL roll against a target number of 12. If the roll succeeds, nothing happens. If the roll fails, the character is knocked down and suffers a damage roll with a POW equal to the PHY of the huge-based creature as one of its limbs smashes into him. If the character is within 1˝ of multiple huge-based creatures, he suffers a damage roll with a POW equal to the highest available PHY. Gargantuans Timeline The default timeline for Iron Kingdoms Unleashed takes place in 608 AR prior to Hoarluk Doomshaper raising the Mountain Kings from their slumber or the creation of Archangels using pieces of Pyromalfic’s corpse. Future releases will explore these immense creatures, but like the forces of the United Kriels and the Legion of Everblight, you’ll have to wait. New Gargantuan: Woldwrath The Great Wide Open Alternatively, if the purpose of the encounter is to have the PCs fight against the gargantuan, consider an environment with wide-open spaces in which it can maneuver. Setting the encounter in a location with denser environment gives the PCs a distinct advantage against their foe, with the potential to gain elevation on the beast or launch an ambush. In an open battlefield, there are fewer defiles to hide in or places to avoid its potent ranged attacks. Open battlefields do not need to be devoid of terrain for a gargantuan to be effective, however. Thanks to the advantages granted to huge-based creatures, many pieces of smaller terrain can be used without impeding the creature’s ability to move around the battlefield, while still giving the players a diverse environment to interact with. Such terrain elements also help keep the encounter from feeling sparse or uninteresting and give smaller opponents, like infantry and warjacks or warbeasts, obstacles to overcome. Even minor obstructions, like shanties or huts, are unlikely to keep the Heavy hitters 97

Using the Woldwrath A Game Master who wishes to use the woldwrath has several opportunities for interesting encounters and situations specific to the construction of these giant wolds. The following suggestions offer just a few ways to work stories around these titanic stone constructs. Woldwraths have been a part of the Circle’s arsenal since before the Orgoth landed in western Immoren. Standing nearly thirty feet tall, these wolds represent a massive outlay of time and resources for the Circle Orboros. Each woldwrath monopolizes the time of a master stone shaper for months on end, as well as that of a team of workers who toil to meet his exacting specifications. Building the woldwrath requires meticulous planning. The process of moving such massive amounts of stone, timber, and blood to the build site requires coordination among multiple overseers. Construction must take place on a potent ley line nexus, and the movement of material can draw unwanted attention to these rare and valuable sites. Most of all, the final rituals that give the woldwrath life and the soaking of its frame in volumes of blood must be performed under auspicious celestial conjunctions. Knowing when to begin the long process of construction to be ready in time for these rare events requires careful plotting by blackclads who are intimately familiar with the movement of heavenly bodies. The woldwrath can benefit from any of the previous suggestions that apply to all gargantuans, but due to the manner of their production, there are some additional concepts a Game Master can exploit. Resource Acquisition Gathering the resources required to construct a woldwrath can provide fodder for an interesting scenario. Toiling in a quarry or cutting down trees doesn’t make for the most exciting night of roleplaying, but sending PCs to clear out a group of interlopers from the quarry site can enrich the experience. Look for the most interesting obstacles to put in the way of the group’s efforts and focus the game on how they surmount those obstacles. Overseeing the movement of quarried stone can present some challenges the players will have to think around rather than fighting their way through. Figuring out how to move many tons of stone over a raging river to reach the next set of shifting stones can introduce the players to a new sort of challenge. One of the most important resources needed to complete a woldwrath is sacrificial blood—in immense amounts. This blood is most often collected in the aftermath of a battle. The Circle has sufficient rivals willing to engage them in battle, and when there is a need, the leadership of the order will launch an attack for the express purpose of collecting the vital blood sacrifice. The PCs can be members of such a strike force, fighting a protracted battle only to learn in the aftermath that the conflict’s sole purpose was to gather blood for the last rites of a woldwrath’s construction. With a bit of deviousness, a Game Master can turn each step of the process into its own unique adventure, pitting the PCs against countless rivals as they transport resources through the nearby cities of civilization, the territory of hostile tribes, and to the build site. Protecting the Site Once construction of a woldwrath begins, it is on a strict timeline in order to complete the work in time for the next celestial event. Failure to finish on time means a delay of months or more before the wold can join the Circle’s armies. Meanwhile, any enemies of the blackclads who learn of the project will do everything possible to deny the Circle another gargantuan. To protect the construction effort and their master stone shapers, the blackclads appoint guardians to the build site. Whether drawn from the Circle’s allies or members of the organization, these defenders are responsible for keeping watch for enemies who seek the downfall of such efforts. Protecting the work during its final stages is vital. To spend so many weeks shaping the woldwrath only to miss the pivotal celestial event needed to bring it to life would be a catastrophe for the druids, thus it is often when the enemies of the Circle Orboros choose to strike. Keeping the senior stone shaper safe from harm in these final moments adds another layer of challenge to a combat encounter and can change the stakes of an otherwise normal combat. 98 Heavy Hitters