Sunday, 24 May 2026

War Room: A Dark Conspiracy – Week 3 Field Report

The summer heat has intensified across the Old World, and the escalating border tensions have erupted into outright war. This week, the archives have recorded a staggering 43 engagements, ranging from brutal 250-point border patrol skirmishes to a massive 4000-point pitched battle!

Evolution of the meta this week. The Dark Elves came from nowhere and climbed with a master stroke.

While the Skaven and Chaos Dwarfs successfully defended their absolute dominance at the top of the ladder, the middle tiers saw violent tectonic shifts compared to Week 2:

  • The Undead legions faltered under the pressure; the Vampire Counts slipped from #4 down to #6, and the Tomb Kings were pushed from #5 down to #7.
  • Filling the power vacuum, the Dark Elves surged rapidly to the #3 position, and the Hordes of Chaos climbed aggressively from #6 to #4.
  • At the bottom of the ladder, the Dogs of War made a miraculous recovery, driven by massive paychests, jumping past Kislev and Beastmen to seize the #16 spot, while Bretonnia rode down the Beastmen to climb back to #11.
Global Scoreboard. Skaven and Chaos Dwarfs hold the top, the bottom barely moves, but the mid is shaking.
Archivist's Note: While the Skaven maintain their #1 position on the master ladder through cumulative victories, this week's momentum data reveals a shifting tide. The Under-Empire's point-per-game efficiency dipped in Week 3, while the Chaos Dwarfs and Hordes of Chaos surged in raw destructive output. The gap is closing.

Here is the master ledger of this week's tabletop advances.

II. Faction-Specific Tactical Engagements

II.I Agents of the Slann

Beastmen

  • Position: #17
  • W/D/L: 2/1/9

The Cloven Ones howl in the deep woods, but the herd has been broken!

In Karak Norn, Ghorgon_Eric led the Beastmen in a vicious series of four 250-point Table Quarters raids against Zambula’s Daemons. These were not grand battles of serried ranks, but splintered clashes between scouting horns, clawed ambushers, and daemonic vanguards fighting over crossroads, stones, gullies, and supply markers. The Beastmen used a standard list, a low-magic horde of muscle and momentum, while the Daemons answered with compact hammer detachments whose unnatural discipline proved brutally difficult to shift.

  1. The first raiding party charged in with all the fury of the herd, crashing into the Daemonic line before the warp-spawned defenders could properly spread across the quarter. Yet the charge spent itself against an enemy that knew neither panic nor fatigue. Zambula’s detachment held the ground, racked up the greater tally, and the Beastmen were forced back from the objective with a Minor Defeat.
  1. The second 250-point clash was even harsher. The brayherds tried to use speed, terrain, and the confusion of the small battlefield to overwhelm the Daemonic guard, but they could not create the decisive break. The Daemons secured the key ground again, and the Cloven Ones suffered another Minor Defeat, their raid collapsing before the supply route could be severed.
  1. The third fight finally gave the herd a measure of defiance. Ghorgon_Eric’s beasts hit harder, contested the quarter more stubbornly, and for once prevented the Daemons from converting their resilience into a clean result. Both sides bled for the same patch of ground, neither could dominate it, and the battle ended in a hard-fought Draw.
  1. The fourth and final raid returned to the grim pattern of the first two. The Beastmen hurled themselves forward, but the Daemonic foothold was simply too resilient. The herd failed to hold meaningful ground, Zambula’s forces claimed the field, and the Beastmen closed the local series with a third Minor Defeat.

Beyond Karak Norn, the brayherds found themselves dragged into even stranger wars. In a 2000-point Pitched Battle against the Ogre Kingdoms, a Beastmen horde tried to drown the Maw’s chosen in numbers and fury. The Ogres, however, absorbed the first shock and answered with crushing counter-charges. The Beastmen avoided total destruction, but the big brutes carried the greater field and inflicted a Minor Defeat.

There was one bright, bloody flare in the darkness: a 2000-point 2v2 Capture battle at a desecrated temple. The herd was drawn into a frenzy when Wood Elf interlopers dared to touch a pulsing, corrupted Lustrian Relic strapped to their local Herdstone. As the Asrai accidentally tore reality open and spilled Daemons into the ruins, the Beastmen hurled themselves into the absolute chaos. Fighting alongside a silent, unyielding host of Tomb Kings who had seemingly emerged from the dust, the pairing was strange but brutally effective. The Beastmen supplied the frenzied, sacrificial forward pressure (happily butchering Elves and Daemons alike) while the undead marched safely behind their fury to secure the Relic, earning a massive Solid Victory (368 VP).

But that triumph was drowned beneath Bretonnian hooves. Two separate 2000-point Pitched Battles saw Bretonnian armies crash into Beastmen hordes and utterly destroy them. In both actions the brayherds were caught in the open, broken by lance formations, and scattered before they could bring their numbers to bear. Both battles ended as full Massacres, leaving the Beastmen near the bottom of the ladder and howling for vengeance.

Chaos Dwarfs

  • Position: #2
  • W/D/L: 7/1/0

The fires of Hashut burn brighter than ever!

The Dawi-Zharr held their ground with the grim efficiency of a forge engine. Zharr_Naggrund_K defended the dark industry’s supply routes in a 2000-point Capture battle against WhiteTower_HP’s High Elves supported by Teclis himself, turning the engagement into a clash of magic as much as a struggle for ground.  The Dawi-Zharr sorcerers held most of the devastating spells, shielding a unit of Bull centaurs that crashed the Asur lines. A Solid Victory!

The High Elves attacked with a standard list, high discipline, and dangerous magic, but they could not crack the Chaos Dwarf formation. The Dawi-Zharr fought as a true anvil: slow, cruel, and almost impossible to move once set upon the objective. Sorcery, artillery, and armoured infantry ground the Asur advance down before it could seize the route. When the smoke cleared, Hashut’s chosen had secured a Solid Victory, preserving their unbeaten record and keeping them hard on the heels of the campaign leaders.

Daemons

  1. Position: #5
  2. W/D/L: 9/3/3

The veil tears, and our legions spill into reality!

In Karak Norn, Zambula’s Daemons fought a four-part 250-point Table Quarters war against Ghorgon_Eric’s Beastmen. These were knife-fights rather than formal battles: tiny detachments racing through broken ground, each trying to dominate a quarter before the enemy could reinforce it. The Daemons brought standard forces, but even in small numbers their unnatural resilience made them perfect defenders of scattered strategic points.

  1. The first Daemonic detachment weathered a savage Beastmen assault and held the route. The brayherds came on fast, but the warp-spawned line refused to buckle and claimed a Minor Victory.
  2. The second clash followed the same pattern. The Beastmen attempted to swarm the key point, yet the Daemons absorbed the charge, held the ground, and secured another Minor Victory.
  3. The third raid was the one moment where the herd disrupted the plan. The Beastmen contested the quarter fiercely enough to deny Zambula a clean result, and the engagement ended in a Draw.
  4. The fourth fight restored Daemonic momentum. Zambula’s forces broke the last Beastmen attempt to seize the ground, held the objective, and took a third Minor Victory in the local series.
On another border, a 750-point Flank Attack against the Dark Elves became a bitter duel of speed, blades, and sorcery. The Druchii brought strong magic and a hammer force of their own, while the Daemons fought with less sorcerous support but greater unnatural endurance. Neither side managed to roll up the enemy flank. The battle ended in a bloody Draw, with both armies still contesting the same cursed ground at nightfall.

The wider campaign logistics were less secure. In a 2000-point Capture battle, a standard Dwarfen Throng met a strongly magical Daemonic force and simply refused to be moved. The Daemons hurled themselves at the centre, but the Dwarfs locked shields, held the objective, and forced the legions into a Solid Defeat.

The week’s most chaotic manifestation came in a 2000-point 2v2 Capture battle at a ruined temple. Drawn like moths to a flame by an Asrai Spellweaver tampering with a corrupted Lustrian Relic, the veil tore open, spilling a Daemonic legion directly into the physical realm. Finding themselves standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the terrified Wood Elves who had accidentally summoned them, the Daemons cared nothing for alliances... they simply unleashed their fury outward upon a converging Beastmen horde. But the warp-spawned slaughter lacked tactical focus. Pinned between the brayherds and an immovable wall of undead, the Daemonic manifestation was starved of magic and banished from the capture zone, suffering a Solid Defeat (181 VP).

From the satellite fronts, the legions pushed deeper into Athel Loren in a 500-point Capture the Centre battle against the Wood Elves. Here the Daemons marched as a standard but heavily magical hammer force, and the Asrai could not prevent the centre from falling. The Wood Elves tried to harry the advance with movement and shooting, but the Daemons crossed the killing ground, smashed the fragile defenders away from the objective, and claimed a Solid Victory.

Dark Elves

  • Position: #3
  • W/D/L: 4/3/0

The Druchii raid the shores of the weak and leave nothing but ashes!

In Karak Norn, Khorne_Mathias led the Dark Elves in two 500-point Night Raids against Nehekhara_Pete’s Tomb Kings. The undead host was not a standard list: it was Quatar’s Army (WebGW), a specialist construct-heavy force (with many freshly 3D printed models). That choice gave the Tomb Kings impressive elite threats, but at this tiny points level it also left them short of the static combat resolution and massed bodies that usually anchor Nehekharian battle lines. The Druchii, by contrast, came as a standard but strongly magical hammer force, perfectly suited to fast violence under cover of darkness.

  1. The first raid was a tense, murderous affair. Quatar’s constructs moved through the dark like walking statues, and the Druchii found that a careless charge could easily be punished. Khorne_Mathias still managed to outmanoeuvre the undead for much of the fight, but the Tomb Kings held enough ground to prevent a breakthrough. The result was a hard Draw, both sides withdrawing with prisoners, trophies, and grudges.
  2. The second raid was a slaughter. The Druchii identified the weakness of the construct list: too few bodies, too little board control, and no deep tarpit to absorb flanking attacks. Dark Elf raiders enveloped the undead, isolated the expensive pieces, and dismantled the Tomb Kings position before it could stabilise. Khorne_Mathias turned the raid into a Massacre, leaving the sands littered with shattered stone and broken bronze.

Across the satellite fronts, the Dark Elves continued to prove why they are among the most dangerous raiders of the campaign:

  • In a 750-point Flank Attack against Daemons, their strong magic and speed met daemonic resilience head-on. Neither side found the decisive flank roll-up, and the engagement ended in a bloody Draw.
  • A second 750-point action, this time The Patrol against Bretonnia, showed the Druchii at their most ruthless. The Bretonnian knights needed space and timing for the charge, but the Dark Elves denied both. Repeater fire, sorcery, and swift counter-movement broke the patrol before the lance could decide the day. The result was a Solid Victory for the Druchii.
  • The third satellite border fight pitted the Dark Elves against a Bretonnian Errantry Crusade (AJ) in a 500-point Chosen Objective battle. The young knights rode with reckless courage, while the Druchii tried to bleed them around the objective. Neither side could secure complete control, and the clash ended as a Draw.
  • The greatest triumph of the week came in a 3000-point Capture battle against the Empire. The Druchii standard host brought strong magic and aggressive pressure into a huge battlefield, while the Empire attempted to hold with state troops, black powder, and discipline. The Dark Elves tore the Imperial plan apart. Their raiding columns seized the objective, collapsed the human line, and won a commanding Solid Victory that kept Naggaroth high in the rankings.

Dogs of War

  • Position: #16
  • W/D/L: 2/2/10

The coin flows, and the grand paychests have finally arrived!

In Karak Norn, Tilean_Paymaster tried to secure the centre against Sotek_Awakens and the Lizardmen by splitting his mercenary army into two 500-point Capture the Centre patrols. The Dogs of War used standard forces with little magical support, relying instead on bodies, hired steel, and flexible companies. The Lizardmen answered with compact hammer formations whose discipline and cold-blooded nerve proved decisive.

  • The first patrol was a disaster for the paymasters. The mercenary line barely established itself before the Lizardmen drove into the centre. The Dogs of War were reduced to almost nothing in the tally, and Sotek_Awakens claimed a Solid Victory.
  • The second patrol fought harder, but the result was no kinder. The mercenaries pushed more bodies into the middle ground and managed to draw blood, yet the cold-blooded assault again broke their grip on the objective. A second Solid Defeat shattered the local logistics and left the centre in Lizardmen hands.

Then, on the grand scale, the paychests finally opened. Luccini_Merchant led a 4000-point standard Dogs of War army into a colossal double-dragon Pitched Battle against Lothern_Pat’s High Elf Sea Patrol (Storm of Chaos). Both sides brought special characters: Imrik the Dragon Prince of Calendor on the Asur side, and the noble Asarnil the Dragonlord on the mercenaries. Asur came with strong magic and a specialised naval list designed for speed, missile pressure, and elegant manoeuvre. The mercenaries did not win by elegance. They won by weight, timing, and brutal pragmatism. Pike blocks, hired blades, and battlefield opportunism dragged the Sea Patrol into a war it did not want to fight. The High Elves scored blood, but the Dogs of War controlled the battle’s shape and earned a massive Minor Victory in one of the week’s largest engagements.

The week’s revenge came in a 2500-point Pitched Battle against the Lizardmen. The Dogs of War army met a big cold-blooded host and annihilated it. This was no careful objective fight like the Karak Norn patrols; it was a mercenary battle line at full stride, crashing home with enough force to overwhelm the scaled defenders. The result was a glorious Massacre, proof that the Dogs of War may be low on the ladder, but when the contracts are paid, they can still destroy an army outright.

Hordes of Chaos

  • Position: #4
  • W/D/L: 8/2/2

The Dark Gods demand blood, and we have delivered!

In Karak Norn, Everchosen_ZH mustered Archaon’s Horde (from Storm of Chaos) against Grail_Seeker’s The Emperor’s Guard (Empire Army Book). Both commanders split their forces into two 1000-point Flank Attack clashes. These were not standard armies: both sides marched under alternative lists, with the Empire fielding an elite Emperor’s Guard formation and Chaos advancing beneath the terrible banner of Archaon’s Horde.

  • The first flank attack was a brutal stalemate. The Emperor’s Guard met the Chaos push with discipline and steel, while the warriors of the Dark Gods tried to smash through by sheer martial superiority. Neither line collapsed. The Empire held just enough of the flank to deny Chaos a breakthrough, and the battle ended in a hard Draw.
  • The second assault belonged to the north. Everchosen_ZH found the weak point, drove Archaon’s Horde into the Imperial flank, and shattered the elite human infantry before they could re-form. Grail_Seeker’s line gave ground, then broke, and Chaos claimed a Solid Victory.

From the satellite fronts, a 750-point The Patrol battle saw a Chaos warband meet Orcs & Goblins. This time the servants of the Dark Gods marched with strong magic and heavy hammer pressure, while the greenskins brought numbers but little sorcerous support. The Orc patrol was annihilated before it could properly unleash the Waaagh!, and the Hordes of Chaos secured another Solid Victory.

The Gaze of the Gods is upon us!

Lizardmen

  • Position: #12
  • W/D/L: 5/3/8

The Great Plan must be enacted without mercy!

Deep in the jungles, Sotek_Awakens and Tilean_Paymaster split their armies into two 500-point Capture the Centre patrols. The Lizardmen used a standard list, moderate magic, and compact hammer formations, while the Dogs of War relied on hired bodies and steel with little magical support.

  • In the first clash, the cold-blooded defenders reached the centre first and refused to be shifted. The mercenaries tried to contest the ruins, but the Lizardmen hit too hard and held too steadily, earning a Solid Victory.
  • The second patrol was even more decisive. Sotek_Awakens drove straight through the mercenary attempt to regroup, smashed the Dogs of War out of the centre, and secured a second Solid Victory. Locally, the Great Plan advanced exactly as intended.

On the satellite front:

  • A 500-point Breakthrough battle against Tomb Kings also went the Lizardmen’s way. This was a high-magic Lizardmen force facing the ritual strength of Nehekhara. The undead tried to slow the advance with incantations and unbreakable ranks, but the scaled warriors forced a path through the line and claimed a Minor Victory.
  • Yet the larger fronts were far darker. Zambula’s 2000-point Lizardmen army, a high-magic standard host, met Orcs & Goblins in a Pitched Battle and collapsed under the green tide. The Lizardmen could rain down spells and absorb punishment, but the Orcs kept coming. Once the Saurus blocks were engaged and the flanks began to buckle, the disciplined plan fell apart. The result was a Solid Defeat.
  • The final blow came against the Dogs of War in a 2500-point Pitched Battle. The Lizardmen army faced a mercenary host and was utterly destroyed. The hired army brought enough mass and battlefield control to overwhelm the cold-blooded line, turning the battle into a full Massacre against the Lizardmen. The Great Plan had bright local successes this week, but the wider theatre punished every mistake.

Ogre Kingdoms

  • Position: #9
  • W/D/L: 4/2/4

The Maw hungers, and the meat is plentiful!

The Ogre Kingdoms fought a week of enormous swings, from vast knightly collisions to midnight disasters. Their largest triumph came in a 4000-point Last Stand against Bretonnia. The knights had the numbers, the banners, and the scale of a true crusading host, but the Ogres brought the brutal simplicity of the Maw. The battlefield became a killing ground of failed charges, crushed horses, and broken lance formations. Despite the Bretonnians recording a high victory tally, the scenario and battlefield control favoured the Ogres, who claimed a Solid Victory and shattered the chivalric line at the moment it most needed to hold.

A 3000-point Ambush against Bretonnia followed. This time both sides brought special characters, making the clash feel like a saga of champions and warlords. The Ogres tried to spring the trap with overwhelming force, but the Bretonnian host refused to collapse. Knights countercharged through the ambush lanes, Ogres battered the centre, and neither side could secure a decisive result. The battle ended in a hard Draw.

Against the Beastmen, the Ogres fought a 2000-point Pitched Battle. The brayherds came as a horde, looking to drown the larger warriors in numbers, but the Ogres weathered the first wave and answered with crushing impact. The Beastmen remained dangerous enough to prevent a rout, but the Maw’s tribes carried the field and earned a Minor Victory.

The week’s embarrassment came in a 500-point Night Raid against the Tomb Kings. A small Ogre raiding force tried to break the undead under cover of darkness, but Nehekhara is a terrible enemy for Ogres at low points: no panic to exploit, no fear advantage to lean on, and enough magic to keep the dead moving. The Tomb Kings trapped the raiders, ground them down, and handed the Ogres a Solid Defeat.

Orcs & Goblins

  • Position: #13
  • W/D/L: 5/3/10

Waaagh! The boyz is bashin', but the supply lines is getting thin!

In Karak Norn, Grimgor_Nick and Ironbreaker_Chris fought three 500-point Table Quarters battles between Orcs & Goblins and the Dwarfen Slayers of Karak Kadrin (from Storm of Chaos). The greenskins brought a standard horde, while the Dwarfs marched under an alternative Slayer list: unbreakable, aggressive, and terrifyingly well suited to small grinding fights.

  • The first scrap went badly for the boyz. The Orcs tried to flood the quarter, but the Slayers would not run, would not panic, and would not give up the ground. Ironbreaker_Chris won a Solid Victory.
  • The second fight became a proper mud-and-axe brawl. Grimgor_Nick’s mobs hit harder, contested the ground longer, and for once denied the Slayers a clean sweep. The result was a bloody Draw, with both sides still hacking at each other when the horns sounded.
  • The third clash returned to Dwarfen doom. The Slayers carved through the greenskin mobs and held the quarter with grim finality, inflicting another Solid Defeat on the Orcs & Goblins.

Tzunki_Tom brought Grimgor’s Ardboyz (from Storm of Chaos) into the freezing borderlands against Tzar_Dom’s Kislev. These were two 500-point Chosen Objective fights, and here the greenskins were not using a standard list: they were marching as Grimgor’s elite Ardboyz. 

  • The first battle was brutally close. The Ardboyz hit with heavier force, but the Kislevites danced around the objective and refused to be cornered. The fight ended in a Draw.
  • The second objective clash was just as stubborn. The Orcs pushed, Kislev withdrew and countered, and neither side could turn pressure into control. A second Draw left the Ardboyz frustrated but unbeaten on that front.

Abroad, the Waaagh! suffered two hard setbacks before finding glory.

  • In a 750-point The Patrol battle, a greenskin raiding party ran into the Hordes of Chaos. The Chaos force brought strong magic and heavy hammer power; the Orcs brought bodies and noise. It was not enough. The patrol was obliterated for a Solid Defeat.
  • In a 2000-point Pitched Battle against the Empire, the Orcs tried to drown the human line under bodies. The Empire, however, brought special characters, disciplined state troops, and black powder support. Volleys and countercharges broke the momentum of the Waaagh!, and the greenskins suffered another Solid Defeat.
  • Then came the week’s great green roar. In a 2000-point Pitched Battle against Zambula’s high-magic Lizardmen, the Orcs absorbed punishment that should have broken a lesser army. Spells tore gaps in the mobs, but the boyz kept coming. Once the Orc line made contact, choppas and numbers began to tell. The Lizardmen discipline cracked, the jungle front collapsed, and the Orcs & Goblins won a huge Solid Victory.

Vampire Counts

  • Position: #6
  • W/D/L: 9/2/4

The Midnight Aristocracy marches to war!

In Karak Norn, Strigoi_Marco’s Vampire Counts fought two 500-point Chosen Objective clashes against Bugmans_Father’s Dwarfs. The Dwarfs were not a standard Throng: they marched as the Slayers of Karak Kadrin (Storm of Chaos), an army of doom-seeking warriors that refused to break. The Vampire Counts brought a standard but strongly magical horde, yet at 500 points the undead struggled to convert magic and fear into control against troops who cared nothing for terror.

  • The first objective fight saw the Slayers push the undead back from the chosen ground. The Vampire Counts raised bodies and tried to hold by attrition, but the Dwarfs hacked through the line and claimed a Minor Victory.
  • The second clash was even more frustrating for Sylvania’s dead. Strigoi_Marco’s force barely established a presence on the objective before Bugmans_Father’s Slayers drove them away. The result was another Minor Defeat, and the border objectives remained in Dwarfen hands.

Yet Be_lakor_CH stabilised the week with a major 2000-point Pitched Battle against Orion_CH’s Wood Elves. This was not a standard Vampire Counts army: Be_lakor_CH raised the Army of Sylvania (from Storm of Chaos), and both sides brought special characters: Manfred von Carstein commanding the death, and Ariel the Queen of Athel Loren herself defending the living. The Asrai fought with speed, skirmishing, and strong magic, but the Army of Sylvania advanced without fear or fatigue. Sylvanian levies, dead nobles, and relentless necromantic pressure pinned the Wood Elves long enough to force a withdrawal. The Vampire Counts claimed a Minor Victory, keeping the Midnight Aristocracy in the upper half of the campaign.

II.II Defenders of the Relics

Bretonnia

  • Position: #11
  • W/D/L: 6/4/10

The Lady's knights ride out, but the realm is beset on all sides!

In the local valleys, Le_Duc_85 charged a 2000-point Bretonnian host into a Flank Attack against Clan_Pestilens_Flo’s Skaven. The ratmen were not using a standard army: they brought the infamous Clan Skryre SAD appendix list, a heavily magical and machine-driven force, and both sides fielded special characters. The Bretonnian plan was simple and noble: strike the flank, break the vermin, and ride them down. The Skaven plan was uglier and more effective. War machines, sorcery, and expendable bodies slowed the charge just enough to prevent the decisive breakthrough. The knights fought hard, but the Skaven held the vital ground and inflicted a Minor Defeat on the realm.

Across the satellite fronts, the chivalric orders were thrown into chaos. In a 500-point Breakthrough against the Wood Elves, a Bretonnian patrol tried to punch through the Asrai screen. The knights had the armour and shock, while the Wood Elves had speed, shooting, and strong magic. The fight became a running engagement through broken ground, and neither side could fully claim the route. It ended in a hard Draw.

Then came the Ogre wars. In a colossal 4000-point Last Stand, Bretonnia faced the Ogre Kingdoms in one of the largest actions of the week. The knights fought with great courage and inflicted heavy losses, but the Ogres dominated the decisive ground. The Bretonnian line could not convert its charge into victory, and the realm suffered a Solid Defeat.

The rematch was a 3000-point Ambush, with both sides bringing special characters. This time the knights survived the trap. Bretonnian lances smashed into Ogre countercharges, champions met beneath torn banners, and the field became a swirl of hooves, iron fists, and broken spears. Neither army could claim mastery, and the battle ended in a Draw.

Against the Dark Elves, the fortunes of the realm split again. In a 750-point The Patrol battle, a Bretonnian force was outmanoeuvred by the Druchii. Dark Elf sorcery and speed denied the knights a clean charge, and the patrol was beaten back in a Solid Defeat.

A second border action saw a Bretonnian Errantry Crusade (AJ) fight the Dark Elves in a 500-point Chosen Objective battle. This was an alternative Bretonnian list, filled with youthful fury and reckless vows. The young knights hurled themselves at the objective, but the Druchii refused to be pinned. The result was a bloody Draw.

For all those setbacks, the week also gave Bretonnia two moments of glorious vengeance. In two separate 2000-point Pitched Battles against Beastmen, Bretonnian armies destroyed the brayherds utterly. The lances struck clean, the Beastmen hordes failed to bring their numbers to bear, and both enemy armies were scattered in full Massacres. The Lady’s light still burns, even in a week of hard trials.

Dwarfs

  • Position: #8
  • W/D/L: 9/2/5

The Throng marches to secure the mountain passes, and they march seeking doom!

In Karak Norn, the Dwarfs embraced doom entirely. Ironbreaker_Chris fielded the Slayers of Karak Kadrin (Storm of Chaos) in three 500-point Table Quarters fights against Grimgor_Nick’s Orcs & Goblins. This was an alternative Dwarf list: no cautious shield wall, no artillery park, but a host of unbreakable killers determined to die well and take the enemy with them.

  • The first quarter was seized by axe and oath. The Orcs tried to flood the ground, but the Slayers cut them apart and held firm for a Solid Victory.
  • The second fight became the week’s classic grudgematch: Orc numbers and brutality against Dwarfen refusal to yield. Neither side could force the other fully away from the quarter, and the battle ended in a Draw.
  • The third clash restored Dwarfen dominance. Ironbreaker_Chris drove the Slayers straight through the greenskin mobs, secured the ground, and claimed another Solid Victory.

Meanwhile, Bugmans_Father also marched under the Slayers of Karak Kadrin list against Strigoi_Marco’s Vampire Counts in two 500-point Chosen Objective battles. The undead brought strong magic and fear, but Slayers are poor prey for fear tactics.

  • In the first fight, the Dwarfs hacked through the raised dead and forced the Vampire Counts from the objective for a Minor Victory.
  • In the second, they did it again, grinding down the undead presence and claiming another Minor Victory.

From the satellite fronts, a standard Dwarfen Throng fought a 2000-point Capture battle against Daemons. The Daemons brought strong magic and terrible shock power, but the Dwarfs locked down the centre with classic stubbornness. The Throng refused to be moved and secured a Solid Victory.

The ancestors are proud!

The Empire

  • Position: #10
  • W/D/L: 8/3/9

For Sigmar and the Emperor!

The State Troops fought tooth and nail across an unusually busy week. ABadPainter began with two 750-point Flank Attack battles against Settra_Chris and the Tomb Kings. The Empire used a standard list with moderate magic and disciplined horde formations, while the Tomb Kings relied on strong incantations and the resilience of the dead.

  • In the first clash, the Imperial line held under pressure. Black powder and steady infantry broke up the undead advance, and the Empire claimed a Minor Victory.
  • The second flank fight followed the same pattern. The Tomb Kings tried to bring chariots and infantry into decisive contact, but the Empire’s shooting and counter-movement denied them the momentum they needed. ABadPainter secured another Minor Victory, giving the Empire a strong local result.

Grail_Seeker then led The Emperor’s Guard (Empire Army Book) into two 1000-point Flank Attack battles against Everchosen_ZH’s Archaon’s Horde (from Storm of Chaos). This was an alternative-list duel, elite Imperial guardians against the chosen warriors of the north.

  • The first battle was a stubborn Draw, the Emperor’s Guard holding just long enough to deny Chaos a breakthrough.
  • In the second, Archaon’s Horde hit harder, broke the line, and handed the Empire a Solid Defeat.

Heldenhammer_ZH also fielded The Emperor’s Guard, this time with special characters (The Emperor Karl Franz himself vs Throt the Unclean), in a 2000-point Breakthrough against Queek_Swiss and the Skaven. The Imperial force failed catastrophically to stop the ratmen’s advance. The Skaven broke through the supply ground and inflicted a Minor Defeat, made all the more painful by the Empire’s inability to register meaningful battlefield gains.

Globally, however, the Empire showed its steel.

  • In a 500-point Breakthrough against Tomb Kings, a standard Imperial force smashed through the undead line, reducing the Nehekharan position to almost nothing and winning a Solid Victory.
  • In a 2000-point Pitched Battle against Orcs & Goblins, the Empire marched with special characters and held firm against the green tide. Black powder volleys, disciplined ranks, and well-timed countercharges broke the momentum of the Waaagh!, earning another Solid Victory.
  • The week’s great disaster came in a 3000-point Capture battle against the Dark Elves. The Empire attempted to hold the objective with massed troops and firepower, but the Druchii brought strong magic, speed, and lethal pressure. The Imperial line collapsed around the capture point, and the Dark Elves handed the Empire a Solid Defeat.

High Elves

  • Position: #15
  • W/D/L: 3/3/8

The Asur stand proud, but the defense of Ulthuan wavers dangerously!

WhiteTower_HP launched a 2000-point Capture operation against Zharr_Naggrund_K and the Chaos Dwarfs. The High Elves used a standard list comanded by Teclis, and relied on strong magic and elite hammer units to pry open the Dawi-Zharr position. But the Chaos Dwarfs were an anvil of iron, sorcery, and cruelty. The Asur could not shift them from the objective and suffered a Solid Defeat.

The true tragedy came when Lothern_Pat marshalled a 4000-point High Elf Sea Patrol (from Storm of Chaos) in a colossal Pitched Battle against Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War. This was an alternative High Elf list, and both sides brought special characters: Imrik the Dragon Prince of Calendor on the Asur side, and the despicable Asarnil the Dragonlord on the mercenaries. The Sea Patrol had magic monsters, speed, and naval discipline, but the mercenary army fought the battle on uglier terms. The scarce scenography was enough for both Dragons to survive the artillery while avoiding each other until the artillery was destroyed. Then they fought in an epic duel that ended the life of Asarnil, but the infamous shooting of a mercenary crossbow sealed the fate of our Prince. The Dogs of War absorbed the elegant Asur pressure, countered with massed hired steel, and outscored the Sea Patrol for a Minor Victory. The loss was not a rout, but at 4000 points it was a painful strategic failure.

On the satellite front, another High Elf force fought Tomb Kings in a 500-point Table Quarters battle. The Asur had strong magic and elite troops, but at this scale the Tomb Kings’ unbreakable presence and incantations proved more reliable. Nehekhara claimed the quarters and the High Elves took another Solid Defeat.

The Phoenix King must rally his generals!

Kislev

  • Position: #18
  • W/D/L: 0/3/6

The Ice Queen's vanguard pushes forward to secure the Oblast!

In the borderlands, Tzar_Dom’s Kislev fought two 500-point Chosen Objective engagements against Tzunki_Tom’s Orcs & Goblins. The greenskins were not using a standard army: they marched as Grimgor’s Ardboyz (Storm of Chaos), a harder, more elite Orc force. Kislev answered with a standard skirmishing force, relying on movement, nerve, and the cold patience of the north.

  • The first battle became a grinding contest for the objective. The Ardboyz had the raw hitting power, but Kislev refused to stand where the Orcs wanted them to stand. Tzar_Dom contested the ground, bled the enemy, and denied a decisive greenskin victory. The result was a Draw.
  • The second clash was just as bitter. The Orcs pressed again, but the Kislevites fought a delaying battle in the freezing mud, giving ground only when it preserved the objective. Neither army could claim full control, and the fight ended in a second Draw.

Kislev still seeks its first victory, but this week the northern vanguard did not break. It held.

Skaven

  • Position: #1
  • W/D/L: 8/1/0

The Under-Empire expands its absolute supremacy!

In Karak Norn, Clan_Pestilens_Flo defended the warrens from a 2000-point Bretonnian Flank Attack led by Le_Duc_85. The Skaven did not fight fair: they brought the Clan Skryre SAD appendix list, a special-character, high-magic engine of war machines, sorcery, and expendable bodies. Bretonnia charged with the honour of the Lady, but the ratmen answered with lightning, machinery, and cowardly brilliance. The knights were slowed, redirected, and denied the crushing flank collapse they needed. Clan_Pestilens_Flo claimed a narrow but vital Minor Victory.

Meanwhile, Queek_Swiss led a 2000-point Breakthrough against Heldenhammer_ZH’s The Emperor’s Guard (Empire Army Book). The Empire brought special characters  (The Emperor Karl Franz himself and an elite alternative list, but the Skaven (commanded by Throt the Unclean) did what Skaven do best: they ran through the gap before the enemy could seal it. The ratmen shattered the logistics of the human line and earned another Minor Victory.

The Skaven remain undefeated at the very top of the ladder. Every surface kingdom now knows the same truth: the Under-Empire is not coming. It is already here.

We remain undefeated at the very top of the ladder!

Tomb Kings

  • Position: #7
  • W/D/L: 10/4/6

The sands of Nehekhara are besieged on all sides!

In Karak Norn, disaster struck the Tomb Kings’ borders. Nehekhara_Pete deployed Quatar’s Army (WebGW) against Khorne_Mathias and the Dark Elves in two 500-point Night Raids. This was a specialist construct-heavy alternative list, deadly in the right circumstances but dangerous to use in tiny raids where bodies, ranks, and board control matter enormously. It was also the greyest army of the whole campaign, fresh from the printer!

  • The first raid was tense and close. The constructs hit hard and the Dark Elves could not simply sweep them aside, but the Druchii’s strong magic and speed kept the undead from dominating the field. The battle ended in a Draw.
  • The second raid exposed the weakness of Quatar’s Army at this scale. Without enough standard skeletal mass to anchor the line through static combat resolution, the elite constructs were isolated, surrounded, and destroyed. Khorne_Mathias turned the night attack into a Massacre against the Tomb Kings.

Settra_Chris then divided a standard Tomb Kings army into two 750-point Flank Attack forces against ABadPainter’s Empire. These were more traditional Nehekharan forces, with strong magic and an anvil role, but the Empire’s guns and disciplined formations proved hard to overcome.

  • In the first battle, black powder broke up the undead advance and the Tomb Kings suffered a Minor Defeat.
  • In the second, the chariots again failed to generate decisive impact before the Imperial line stabilised, resulting in another Minor Defeat.

The satellite wars were a wild swing of triumph and ruin.

  • In a 500-point Breakthrough against the Empire, the Tomb Kings were smashed aside almost completely. The Imperial force broke the line and inflicted a Solid Defeat.
  • In a 500-point Table Quarters battle against the High Elves, however, Nehekhara answered in style. The Tomb Kings’ strong magic and unbreakable anvil presence proved ideal for claiming ground. The Asur could not remove the undead from the quarters, and the Tomb Kings secured a Solid Victory.
  • Against the Lizardmen, a 500-point Breakthrough became a contest of rival magical engines. The Tomb Kings tried to slow the scaled advance with incantations and discipline, but the Lizardmen forced their way through and inflicted a Minor Defeat.
  • In a 500-point Night Raid against the Ogre Kingdoms, the Tomb Kings showed exactly why undead armies terrify low-point raiders. The Ogres could not rely on fear, could not trigger panic, and could not break the line quickly enough. The dead surrounded and ground down the raiding force for a Solid Victory.
  • The most masterful display of Nehekharan patience occurred in a 2000-point 2v2 Capture battle. A Liche Priest tracked a stolen Lustrian Relic to a ruined temple, only to find it crawling with Beastmen, interfering Wood Elves, and a sudden, violent manifestation of Daemons. Rather than charge into the maelstrom, the Tomb Kings simply waited. They allowed the living and the warp-spawn to tear each other to pieces. Using the frenzied, charging Beastmen as an unwitting vanguard to absorb the enemy's magic and arrows, the unyielding dead marched in perfect lockstep straight up the middle of the carnage. Unbothered by the slaughter around them, the skeletal constructs secured the Relic and walked away with a brilliant Solid Victory (368 VP).

Wood Elves

  • Position: #14
  • W/D/L: 3/6/8

The forest paths remain treacherous, and the roots of Athel Loren drink deep from the blood of the fallen.

In Karak Norn, Orion_CH led a 2000-point standard Wood Elf host into a Pitched Battle against Be_lakor_CH’s Army of Sylvania (Storm of Chaos). This was no ordinary Vampire Counts army: Sylvania marched with its own alternative list, backed by special characters (the infamous Manfred von Carstein) and very strong magic. The Wood Elves also brought special characters (Ariel, the Queen of Athel Loren!) and strong magic, making the battle a duel of legendary leaders and supernatural force.

The Asrai fought as Wood Elves must: refusing the dead a clean line, bleeding them with movement and missile fire, and striking where the Sylvanian host overextended. But the dead do not tire, do not panic, and do not care how many arrows blacken the sky. Be_lakor_CH’s Army of Sylvania pressed forward, raised the fallen, and forced Orion_CH to abandon the field. The Wood Elves suffered a Minor Defeat.

In the far forest of the world, our kindred fought other battles.

  • The Wood Elves clashed with Bretonnia in a 500-point Breakthrough. The knights tried to force a route through the forest screen, while the Wood Elves relied on speed, skirmishing, and strong magic to deny the lane. The battle became a running fight of feints, arrows, and frustrated charges. Neither side could claim true control, and the result was a hard Draw.
  • A 500-point Capture the Centre battle against Daemons went far worse. The Daemons brought a strongly magical hammer force that could absorb punishment and keep moving toward the objective. The Wood Elves harried them, but could not prevent the warp-spawned line from occupying the centre. The Asrai were driven back in a Solid Defeat.
  • The darkest hour for the kindreds came in a 2000-point 2v2 Capture battle deep in the corrupted borderlands. A Wood Elf ranging force located a stolen Lustrian Relic that had been dragged into a ruined Chaos Temple. Desperate to cleanse the artifact before it could poison the local geomantic web, a Spellweaver attempted to sever its dark bindings. It was a catastrophic mistake. The corrupted Relic violently ruptured the veil, dragging a host of Daemons into reality right amidst the Asrai lines. Surrounded by screaming warp-spawn and suddenly beset by enraged Beastmen, the Wood Elves were forced into an accidental, desperate pact of survival alongside the Daemons. The tragic stand failed; as the chaos consumed them, the Tomb Kings swept in to steal the prize, handing the Asrai a devastating Solid Defeat (181 VP).

The glades still stand, but this was a dark turn for the Wood Elves. The forest survives, yet its borders grow ever more dangerous.

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