Metro Malifaux League Week 4 (part 3)

What follows are a series of narrative battle reports for the Metro Detroit Malifaux League. Participants were able to gain additional raffle tickets for the final prize by submitting narrative reports.

Raiding the Lab

By Jonathan Mann [shortmann]

Rasputina was gone, my supplies untouched, my army decimated, but still partially intact…I just had to bring them back again.  I made my way back to the lab to check up on Dr. McMourning’s work, and deliver the supplies and corpses we’d salvaged in previous battles.  When we rounded the corner, Mortimer got the feeling something wasn’t right, and I shared that sentiment.  I sent my vulture out to investigate, and the last thing I saw through his eyes was the Ortega clan coming around the corner.  It would seem the Guild found our base of operations.  This….this would be a problem.

Perdita and her family were about to rush our lab when we arrived.  And I don’t think McMourning had any clue what was waiting outside, looks like it was time to defend our home turf.  My numbers low, my vulture killed while scouting, this was not going to be an easy battle, but I had to buy McMourning time to gather forces and flush the guild out, or at least give them a chance to relocate.

 After my previous battle, I found a new minion, someone hanged by the guild as an example to all that would oppose them, and this seemed like a good opportunity to test her worth against those that sent her to her fate.  Mortimer and the Samurai led the charge, and I sent a Necropunk off to the side to recover an arcane tome inside to increase our control over fate.

Unfortunatley, we were pinned down in that alley, and we could barely advance.  Perdita and the Ortega’s were cruel and organized.  As I sent one minion out to stop their advances, they quickly sealed it’s fate before I could call forth another to assist him.  Then the came after me.  It didn’t long for me and my army to call a retreat under their fire.  They had superior cover, and the thin tunnels and alleys were perfect terrain for them to pick us off before we could do anything against them.  I gave the signal for the retreat, but not before big Papa Loco decided to come crashing in on us dynamite in hand and insanity in his eyes.  He cleaned up the rest of my army, leaving me with no choice but to leave whatever had survived the blast to fend for themselves as I escaped.

I just hope I bought McMourning enough time to prepare a counter offensive.

Retaliation

By Jonathan Mann [shortmann]
After a crippling defeat at the hands of The Guild, Mortimer and I hid in a nearby abandoned building.  We had to recover our losses.  Many numbers needed to be replenished after The Guild defeated us, and that would take time.  As I began replenishing our numbers, a familiar aura began to permeate the air.  It was the Neverborn.  More specifically, it was Lilith.  She’d found us yet again, and she had a grudge to settle.

With a new Vulture at my side, and the spirit of The Hanged back and eager to inflict terror on the terrifying denizens of Malifaux, we began yet another battle.  It’s true what they say, “there ain’t no rest for the wicked,” and when you live with living corpses, you don’t come much more wicked.  Our supplies needed to be protected again, they had to make it back to our home base.

As usual Lilith wasted no time in covering ground and getting her wretched Nephilim deep onto our side of the battlefield.  But she was not prepared for the trap I had laid for her.  A Bell in one corner, and the Hanged in another, with everyone else coming up the middle to set the trap.

The first Nephelim stupid enough to charge me was soon crippled deeply by The Hanged, lower his will greatly…enough for my bell to pull him off.  This ping-pong would happen for the rest of the battle, and this Neph would be my goal.  If he had the balls to charge forward, then he was trying to prove something to his master.  I would take his head as a trophy and prove his master’s strongest was worthless.

With the Bell and The Hanged teasing the first Nephelim that reared it’s head, Lilith and her Terror Tots came charging forward and surrounded my forces….exactly as I planned for them.  The Hanged let out a shriek that pierced the sky, shocking even me and my own minions.  It caused enough chaos that some of her Nephelim had to retreat and recover from the fear it had induced.  Giving me an open shot at a very unprotected Lilith who watched in awe as her big, strong, fearless creatures of nightmare ran at the site of a little ghost.

With one Nephelim trying to take out the spirit that caused it so much anguish, the other one came straight for me…forgetting the bell lurking around the corner able to lure it out of my range.  This would happen at least 3 times much to my satisfaction.  Meanwhile the great brood mother herself was surrounded by my Samurai Punk Zombies, who carved her up with little resistance.

With Lilith out of the way once more, I set my sights on protecting our supplies, only to realize that Lilith herself had a caravan attempting to make it by.  I couldn’t have that now could I?  I made short work of it, which apparently enraged her mighty Protégé.  He charged forth, from where he was safely hiding from the big scary ghost and destroyed my caravan.  He should have stayed hidden, for he had a sword wielding zombie, a seductive bell, and a minefield of mindless zombies to cross to get to safety.  Something that lucky for me did not happen.

My lone Punk Zombie charge him, harming him considerably, but also hurting himself.  Nearly dead, it sought to recover for a second strike, when I commanded a nearby mindless zombie to charge the mighty Nephelim.  His attack succeeded, harming the Nephelim with but a scratch, which with the viscious black blood killed off the wounded Punk Zombie nearby.  With it’s (un)dying breath, he made a very mighty strike, casting down the great Nephelim.

The last of Lilith’s forces saw his great brother fall, and retreated from battle.  Our supplies were gone…but so were Lilith’s, and we had made a great ally out of The Hanged.  I’m sure Lilith would recover and come for me again, but I would be ready for her.