I tried to build an army of undead using Prince August casting moulds, but only got as far as a single regiment of skeletons. I began to realise what an expensive proposition it was going to be for a 15 year old with limited financial resources and no prospect of a full time job for some time. All of a sudden, D&D looked a lot cheaper and a lot more accessible!
That said, I've always had a hankering after playing some traditional, old school Warhammer. Since moving to Sussex 25 years ago, this has largely involved the occasional foray into the 40k version, usually with my Necron army, although more recently with a Genestealer Cult. Finally, however, we managed to get Warhammer on the table last weekend, and played the first scenario in the Terror of the Lichemaster campaign!
Above: Early on in the battle and two female dwarfs face off against Ranlac the Black and his posse of skeletons. The women proved way tougher than the guys in this battle!
We had four players, so the skeleton attack force was split into two regiments commanded by a player each, while the dwarf miners were divided into two groups of three. This was very much a skirmish battle. We were using the 2nd edition of WFB, which I picked up for a fiver at Games Workshop in Reading when they were selling off their old stock back in 1990.
Above: Ranlac's horde advances up the valley - a lone dwarf sentry legs it having sounded the alarm to wake the other miners...they can be seen emerging from the huts in the distance.
WFB in 1987 - when Lichemaster was published - was still very much a work in progress, and it shows in these rules. It had something of an identity crisis in the early 1980s, as to whether it should be used for traditional dungeon bashes with a small group of adventurers, or as more of a mass battle game. It was still very ambiguous when 2e was released. Lichemaster itself was a campaign written to go with the GW card buildings which came with my copy.
Above: The dwarves ran for the bridge to try to use it as a defensive obstacle as the mountain stream is risky for skeletons to cross.
I built the 1980s card models of the mine entance and the sluices which channeled the mountain stream for the miners, and boy they were fiddly. I'm probably only going to build those models which are absolutely vital for this campaign and which cannot be replaced with some of my more modern buildings.
Above: A lone female dwarf holds the non-cardboard 2020s bridge like Horatio while some of her male comrades cower on the other side. Ranlac looks on from the back.
The game itself seemed to run pretty smoothly. I think the rules do show their age, and we all wondered how the scenario would work with a more modern set of rules. Also, the objectives were a little vague, as the dwarfs managed to run away rather than die to the last man...dwarf. I think two of the miners were left dead on the field of battle, with three skeletons down as well. I wonder whether the intention was for the dwarfs to battle it out to the bitter end. One player did wonder whether they would have abandoned their gem mine so easily...
Still, we got to player Warhammer at last and it was an enjoyable evening. We are hoping to continue the campaign in the next few weeks. More on this when I have it.
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