SSL Batrep in Pikshers

Song of Splintered Lands; my favourite Favourite Thing. Sir Odo of the Kentish came South again yesterday for more Toy Soldier & Food entertainment. Rather than lots of words, thought I'd tip my hat to the old White Dwarf batreps from when I were a lad by actually showing what was going on. Nothing spectacular here, just a bit of scribbling in Gimp on a lazy Easter Sunday.

We played three games all told, but the pictures are for the first game of the day - SSL Ambush scenario.

Abbot Sugar, his Son, and their Faithful warband of Mice Spears (pushed around the table by me) are on their way back to the Wyldewood, escorted by two Badgers. The road is long and perilous, even for an accomplished bunch of veteran warriors such as these chaps.

As the afternoon wears on they approach the edge of the forest when one of the Badgers spots movement ahead in the tree line. Ambush!



The Badgers charge up the right hand side of the road to engage the would-be attackers. As they do, from out of the trees on the left pile a gang of crazed berserker Shrews. Abbot Sugar calmly orders his mice to form up a shieldwall to face the Shrews. He knows that two Badgers will make short work of whatever they've scented, and will return shortly to deal with the Shrews. The Mice only need hold them for a while.



As the mice form up, the good Abbot becomes separated from his Bodyguard.



On the hill behind the Shrews, the Hare archer sees the lone Abbot, and starts placing some well aimed arrows at him. The Shrews, enraged by the presence of, well, everything, charge the Mice. Up to the right, the Badgers have uncovered the Hare captain (leader) and Hare spear. They make short work of both of them. Lurking behind the Hares is an Armoured Badger - finally, a worthwhile opponent! Their battle will be legendary! (apologies to Ian McShane in Kung Fu Panda)



With two dead Hares, and 2-1 Badger Advantage (tm), the Abbot's band are confident of Final Wictory (again, tm). The Ambushers, however, have other ideas. The Hare archer confidently nails the Abbot, who is saved at the last moment by his Son's ultimate sacrifice. The Shrews smash into the end of the Mouse line and a gruesome kill forces a morale check, with two retreating. One of the Shrews gamely charges a Badger, in an effort to relieve the pressure on his own Badger.



But then, as is so often the way with Songs, Fate decides it is not to be the Abbot's day. In fact, it's not his day at all as the sharp shooting Hare finds his mark and kills him. The two shaken Mice retreat further, and the Shrews deal with the one who stood firm.



Not too much drama though - the 2-1 Badger advantage will surely win through, and two shrews and a hare archer aren't going to put up much fight against them when they do. Won't they? Erm, well actually, no they won't. The Badgers lost their fight, and the Mice continued to stream off the field, hotly pursued by the Shrews.

Defeat!

No worries though, turned it around and played it again - I ambushed Mike this time. Same warband for him, but I cracked out the Dwarfs. I lost that one too.

Then we played SAM/SBH/SSL mix with 28mm Dwarfs against my Saxons. Which I lost as well.

Ho-hum, sometimes the dice just aren't with you. Personally I blame the Laughing Ferret - I've been reading his Bloodbowl Tourney reports, and I think I've collected a bit of his statistical improbability.