Adv_Sobh: The Good Barbarian(s)

The Barbarians are travelling through a wooded area when they hear a cry for help. A tree has fallen onto a human archer in a clearing and pinned her to the ground.

Ardaric and Fredrick Redmist move to help and try to move the branch enough for her to escape.

The rest of the party fan out. Just past the clearing edge anything could be lurking with intent...
Valgen's Dwarves

• Valgen Maest (P) 100 points, Q2+, C4, Short Move, Block, Heavy Weapon, Leader 
• Runemaster Baaz (P) 94 points, Q3+, C1, Short Move, Spellcaster - Trap, Lightening, Counter, Fear
• Cerri Crakshot 40 points, Q3+, C3, Short Move, Short Bow, Unerring Aim 
• Nokki Longarm 38 points, Q3+,C3, Short Move, Long Reach 
• Halgar Snowbeard 42 points, Q3+,C4, Short Move, Block 
• Manon Hardfoot 42 points, Q3+,C4, Short Move, Block 
• Halgar Bloodmane 42 points, Q3+,C4, Short Move, Block 

Ardaric's Barbarians 

• Ardaric Blackmaul (P) 76 points, Q3+,C3, Leader, Fearless, Evade & Counter 
• Fredrick Redmist , 66 points, Q3+,C3, Fearless, Melee Block, Boiling Blood 
• Axe Warrior (x3), 46 points Q3+,C3, Fearless, Melee Block, Shield Breaker 
• Sword Warrior, 36 points, Q3+,C3, Fearless 
• Archer (x2), 46 points, Q3+,C3, Fearless, Short Bow

A band of opportunistic Dwarves burst from cover. One group is lead by the leader, Valgan Malhest.

From another flank a Runemaster and covering archer appear.

The warning cry goes up in the Barbarian camp and they move to the clearing edges to meet their foe. Aldarik and Fredrick manage to combine their efforts and pull the archer out. She thanks them and vows to help fight off the dwarves before making an escape.

The dwarves arrive at the woodland edge and are met by the Barbarians peering through from the other side. The woodland terrain presents a problem for the dwarves, as it's rough nature needs them to move twice to make any headway.

The Barbarians can make better headway through the undergrowth, and sneak through the bushes to ambush their foe. An arrow from the archer knocksdown  the first dwarf, and a warrior springs from the bushes to take first blood.

On the other side of the copse another pair rush to meet the intruders, but they can only manage to knock down the archer.

The Dwarves respond to the initial attacks, and rally to dispatch the ambushing barbarian.

Under Valgen's gaze the duo are back up  on their feet. Cerri is outnumbered but decides he is best to attack and is pushed back, giving him some space. The Runemaster starts to cast a lightening spell, but he fails a single die in his roll, allowing his target the opportunity to react and move into contact, halting the casting.

The first Barbarian attack just knocks down the magic user. The sworded warrior moves in, dispatches the fallen Runemaster and then breaks to challenge the remaining ranged threat.

The dwarf force breaks through the woodland.

A flurry of arrows, some being blocked by his shield, forces the dwarven axeman back into the undergrowth. The speared dwarf makes it into battle but loses. Thanks to his blocking shield the knocked down result is lessened to a pushed back one and he too steps back into the tall stuff.

Meanwhile Cerri is showing the experience garnered from numerous campaigns and dispatches one of hos muscled assailants.

More Dwarves arrive inthe clearing, including the leader Valgen. He moves straight in with the spearman to attack his opposite number Ardaric. Fredrick Redmist rushes round to help his commander. His Blood Boil trail gives him a slight boost first time round, but it is enough to push the spearman back again and still keep his own feet.

The extra help is crucial as Ardaric just survives Valgen's axe, but the attack seems to get Frederick's blood boil as he rolls a maximum boost, killing the Dwarven Commander, but also knocking him down.

The gruesome loss of their Commander causes most of the remaining Dwarves to break and retreat, and having finished with the upper hand (3 killed versus 2) the Barbarians are happy to let them go.

A Barbarian Win

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This was the first game of the finalised new "Advanced Song of Blades and Heroes" ruleset (as published under the Fighting Fungi title) - all previous examples being playtests.

The reaction system still works well. We decided that it should only apply to models with 2 Long from the model failing an activation (optional in the rules) and is brings an extra dynamic feel to the battle. Enough models also had the new "block" rule to see that tested numerous times. it is by no means a sure-fire save so it also helps with the excitement of battle. The new Blood Boil trait (replacing the berserk rule in the core rules) works as well, with it's randomised reward\risk nature being evident.

Once again the magic user was found exposed. The new magic rules are very tempting, but it will take a bit of practice\nerve to use as spell casters are very squishy point magnets!

Looking forward to our next game.