Bretonnian Commentary: Visiting the local taverns in the land of Artois, one could come upon the rumor that a Holy Grail was seen by a wandering traveller in the the hands of the Lizardmen in the Southern lands of Lustria. This rumor reached the ears of the Duke Luke Anthony through one of his informants and brought him great turmoil.

"What? A sacred Grail in the filthy hands of Lizardmen? This is a sacrilege! I shall investigate at once! Find me this traveller! "

Within hours the traveller was kneeling in the Duke’s palace, recounting how in one of his adventures in the jungle of Lustria, he had sneaked into a treasure room, and there, amongst other immense riches, recognised a holy grail with fleur-de-lys adorning its surface. Doubting how a simple traveller could "sneak in" a Lizardmen treasure room, usually so heavily guarded by the scalyskins, Luke Anthony asked the traveller to swear he was saying the truth.

The traveller turned red with shame. He confessed that he had not "sneaked in" to the treasure room but rather taken captive by the crested warriors of Lustria. Since they considered prisoners a possession, just like treasure, he was held captive in the treasure room. He begged the Duke’s forgiveness for not saying the truth but he was afraid of being ridiculed. The Duke laughed heartily at this and assured the traveller he would never tell a soul about the traveller’s misfortune. Instead he charged the traveller with the duty to lead a regiment of Knights into the lands of Lustria to find the Sacred Grail. If he outlived the quest, he would be Knighted by the Duke himself.

The traveller could not believe his luck. He promised to lead the quest deep into the jungles of Lustria…

After a month of travelling and 2 months of wandering about, the whole regiment was tired and misheartened. The infantry requested their Duke to abandon the search and head back home, were surely, some Orc or Skaven scum was needing a bashing. But the Duke, seeing the truth in the wanderer’s eyes, would not leave the quest. He decided to send the infantry home and keep all cavalry and mounted squires with him. They would spend another month in search of the grail, at the end of which they would return home, empty handed or not.

Just two days after they separated from the rest of the army, the traveller, atop a warhorse and in charge of a mounted squire regiment, recognised a rock formation in the landscape.

"It is here that I was captured! I remember seeing the blessed Lady’s face in that rock formation up there in the mountains!"

The Duke took this as a good omen and decided to make camp "If they came to capture you, they will come to confront us here."

True enough, the next dawn, the ground heaved with the footsteps of Lizardmen…

Note: The Bretonnians cast a Blessing which forces the opponent(s) to shoot successfully on a 4+ at Knightly units. As a side effect the Lizardmen army had the choice to start, which was forfeit.

Bretonnians

Movement All units advanced

Duke crossed table.

Magic Scarlet cast Sign of Amul, Dispel failed, 3 re-rolls gained

Wood Master miscast – no more spells this turn

Shooting Mtd Squires @ Saurus, 1 killed, used 3 re-rolls

Mtd Squires @ Swarm, 1 Wound (4 left)

Bretonnian Commentary: The Duke’s HippoGriff left his position atop the hill at which foot the Bretonnian camp lay, and joined the rest of the Knights that had crossed the battlefield. They had taken position on the left flank, in a two-layer echelon formation with the Knights-Errant and Mounted Squires shielding the Grail and Knights of the Realm respectively. The Mtd Squire bows starting picking off some enemy.

Lizardmen

Movement Saurus, Kroxigor and Skinks and Temple Guards advanced

Magic Uranon’s Thunderbolt – not cast

Conflagration of Doom - dispelt

Shooting Salamanders at Mtd Squires #2, 1 down

Chamaleon Skink @ Mtd Squires #2, 2 down

Mtd Squires passed panic test due to shooting

Stegadon @ Mtd Squires #1, failed BS

Bretonnian Commentary: Whilst the natives advanced, the hazy morning confused the Lizardmen Slann Mage and fumbled his first spell whilst the combined power of the two Damsels nullified the second spell. The Mounted Squires, not gaining from the Lady’s Blessing, were the target of all enemy fire, but only 3 of 10 went down. The night’s dew had made the Howdah’s operation a bit sticky and failed.

Bretonnians

Start of turn Hero on Pegasus charged Stegadon

Duke on HippoGriff charged Stegadon

Knights Errant charged Saurus

Mounted Squires #1, #2 charged Skinks.

Stand & Shoot – 1 Squire from each unit killed.

Magic Sign of Amul dispelt

Wood Master cast with Power Stone, dispelt with Dispel Scroll

Combat Stegadon 2 Wounds (3 left)

Hero 2 Wounds – dead.

Pegasus Monster Reaction table – fight nearest enemy.

Knights Errant killed 3 Saurus

Mtd Squires killed 5 skinks – broken.

Mtd Sq Champion pursuit into Jungle Swarm.

Bretonnian Commentary: The enemy within reach, both the Duke and his Hero charged the deadly Stegadon. Whilst the Stegadon was gashed in two places, the Hero died on the beast’s horns. However, his faithful flying steed remained to fight the battle in his stead. The energetic Knights Errant caused disruption in the Saurus spears leaving three fatally wounded. The Mounted Squires charged at the Skinks with their sharpened spears and made waste of 5 crested skinks who broke and fled behind the shelter of the enormous Kroxigors. The traveller, the only one left in his unit, pursuit the skinks, avoiding the three monsters but crashing into the Sotek-led Jungle Swarm. Meanwhile, the stronger Slann Mage upheld the Damsel’s magic.

Lizardmen

Start of Turn Saurus and Temple Guards passed Terror Test from Hippogriff

Skinks rallied.

Charges Kroxigor charged Mtd Squires #1

Itzi charged Mtd Squires #1

Mtd Squires fled but were overtaken and destroyed.

Itzi captures Unit Standard.

Movement Slann Mage Priest joined Temple Guards

Magic Uranon’s thunderbolt @ Knights of the Realm #1

- Miscast : magic phase ends

Shooting Salamanders @ Knights of the Realm #2 – Cursed

Chameleon Skink @ Knights of the Realm #2 – Failed BS

Combat Stegadon 1 Wound (2 Left)

Pegasus 1 Wound by Skinks (2 Wounds Left)

Pegasus 2 Wounds by Stegadon (Dead)

Bretonnian Commentary: The Mounted Squires, which had held their pursuit in preference to facing the Kroxigor found themselves caught unawares when the latter charged together with Itzi riding his fearsome Cold One. The Mounted Squires fled the attack but were hacked up by Itzi on his faster Cold one Mount.

The Slann, in view of the upcoming Knightly regiments, felt a bit lonely and joined the Temple Guards who were now charged with their Sacred Duty. This movement ruptured the Slann’s concentration and his magic phase was terminated with a horrible miscast. The Lady’s Blessing made its presence felt when the enemies shooting at the Realm Knights were held at bay. Meanwhile, the fight with the Stegadon, precedented by the Hero’s fall, was now characterized by the murder of his magical steed. A mournful loss. On the other side of the battlfield, the traveller, now Mtd Squire champion made waste of another swarm element, avoiding the enemies’ poisonous bites.

Bretonnians

Start of Turn Grail Knights charged Temple Guards

Knights of the Realm #1 charged Temple Guards

Knights of the Realm #2 charged Temple Guards

Magic Sign of Amul cast – 3 re-rolls

Combat Stegadon 2 wounds (dead)

Saurus 2 dead by Knight Errants

Swarm 2 wounds by Mtd Squire Champion

Saurus Hero Challenged – met By Grail Champion

Saurus Hero 2 Wounds (dead)

SMP Challenged – met by Knight of the Realm Champion

SMP 1 Wound (7 left) uses 3 re-rolls.

Temple Guards (4 dead) by Knights

Bretonnian Commentary: A marvellous co-ordinated effort by the Knights saw a three-pronged charge onto the Slann Mage surrounded by his guards. The Saurus Hero died on the Grail Knight Champion’s Lance whilst the Slann suffered a wound at the Realm Champion’s own lance. The rest of the Knights hacked at the guards leaving 4 lifeless. In the meantime, the Duke avenged the death of his hero by slaughtering the horned beast and the Errant Knights further reduced their Saurus enemy. The traveller continued his fight, and killed off 2 more swarm elements.

Lizardmen

Start of Turn Skinks charged Mtd Squire Champion

Movement Itzi and Chameleon Skink sneaked into Bretonnian Camp

Magic Uranon’s Thunderbolt at Knights of the Realm #1 – Dispel Scroll

Conflagration of Doom at Knights of the Realm #1 – destroyed

Conflagration of Doom at Esmeralda - killed

Bretonnian Commentary: The Slann Mage Priests’ powerful magic was felt this time, disintegrating a whole Knights of the Realm unit including the Damsel. The traveller found his tragic death at the hands of his former captives whilst the Hippogriff reduced the Skinks to pieces. The fight between Knights and Saurus continued as more fighters fell from each side.

Bretonnians

Start of Turn Duke on HippoGriff charged the Slann Mage

Slann Mage passed Terror Test

Magic Sign of Amul Dispelt

Combat Knights Errant (2 dead) by Saurus

Slann Mage Challenged Duke, took 2 wounds.

Knights killed off remaining Temple Guards

SMP lost combat, fled, pursued, destroyed by Duke on HippoGriff

Lizardmen

Shooting Skinks and Salamanders @ Duke on HippoGriff – 1 Wound HG

Bretonnian Commentary: The last turn provided a coordinated effort with a decisive aftermath: the Duke’s charge into the SMP together with the killing off of all Temple Guards decimated the Royal Slann and his minions. The avenging arrows only mangaed to scar the HippoGriff, leaving the Lizardmen army without its General and open for attack…

Having got past the Lizardmen defence, the Duke and his Knights broke into the Lizardmen stronghold. The natives, their Slann Mage killed, had lost their co-ordination and were reluctant to fight back. The Duke, seeking to shed no more blood, promised to leave the Temple in peace in exchange of a small tributary gift. The Lizardmen were too happy to comply, especially when the Duke requested to be given the Holy Grail. They explained that it had been found in a wreckage of a ship that had run ashore during a storm, and that it had no value to them, unlike other relics of their past.

As the Duke’s retinue was about to leave, he had an urgent meeting with the Lizardmen Council who informed him that they were currently under siege from Green Skins and Chaotic armies. Now that they had lost their leader, they were unable to confront the upcoming army and asked the Duke to help them.

The Duke, felt a burden upon his shoulders and decided to stay and fight, in memory of the fallen traveller, who would’ve been knighted if he had outlived the battle and for the honour of the Lady of the Lake…

Bretonnian Comments: In my opinion the Lizardmen army had a few mistakes that probably affected the gameplay. Using two salamanders is definitely a good choice but placing them on the same side of the battlefield definitely is not. My army pressed upon the other side of the battlefield, leaving only the Mtd Squires within reach.

Oxyatol’s, the Chameleon Skink, presence was hardly felt (excuse the pun). He stayed too far back and did not approach the battle. Also, against Bretonnians, with their blessing, I’d go for a melee character rather than a missile one. Itzi Huinchi killed the Mtd Squires with his charge distance and helped gain a quarter. Not bad, but could've done better. The Saurus Hero was rather unlucky to die on the first charge. The Kroxigors were unused – were they used to charge the Realm Knights in the last turn, the Lizardmen might have got the Draw in their favour. On the other side, the skinks had a lot to do and managed to kill a unit of Mtd Squires. Whilst the swarm was just a job to do. The Temple Guards, facing three Knightly units, did not have the chance to fight back and were just a wrapper for the Slann Mage Priest whose powerful Magic was felt only once. Regards the Stegadon – it was at the top of my To Do List and so it surely had no time to do any real damage. Funnily enough, it managed to kill a whole Hero on Pegasus with its strength.

Before I evaluate my army, it’s a good idea to present the battle plan that I had in mind: instead of a central attack, I aimed at a lateral full force attack, preceded by the Pegasus and HippoGriff flying over to kill the Stegadon. The Knights would work through the Saurus and Temple Guard Warriors to converge onto the Slann Mage, where the Duke would give the final strike. The Mounted Squires and Knights Errant would be cannon fodder, attracting any secondary units like Cold One Riders, Kroxigors, Salamanders and Skinks.

No, I did not plan this AFTER the battle. I had actually planned it beforehand and as you see, it actually realised itself beautifully. So I am overall content with the battle. One might question the decision to flee the Mounted Squires to the Kroxigor and Itzi charges to be so eaily destroyed. True, but then, if not, the battlefield would not be so open, rid of Itzi, with the Temple Guards exposed. Remember that the whole three Knight regiments charged the Temple Guards’ unit. In hindsight, the Slann mage Priest joining the Temple Guards eased the attack. When the SMP was still alone, I was hesitating of charging the Temple Guards – The charge from the SMP in the side of my Realm Knights was worrisome. But lo and behold, the Slann joined the Temple Guards, redicuing my target into one. True, this made the Lizardmen basically unbreakable (Unmodified leadership of 10 with best 2 of 3 dice) but, with the number of knights at hand, killing them all off was a probable possibility. Having 1/3 of my Knights decimated with one spell was not very encouraging but in the most decisive point (when the Duke joined the fray), the Temple Guards were annihilated (the last one killed by a Warhorse if I remember well) leaving the SMP exposed. I was impressed with the Knight Errants. This was the first time I fielded such units and I appreciated their fight with the Saurus. This was also the debut of the Duke on his HippoGriff. Very interesting J

Magic was somewhat inexistant in the game (something which Games Workshop aimed for with the 6^th edition rules). My magic selection was very poor (the Damsels cannot use Line of Sight spells when shielded inside the units, and leaving them wandering alone would put my Blessing at risk.) and only the basic Sign of Amul proved essential.