Manchester: Battle Report - Game 1 of 2

Here, as announced, the battle report from our first game in Manchester, beautifully written in his delightfully entertaining manner, by the one and only master-scribe Warboss Kurgan.

Thank you for the great report WBK!

Enjoy the new pics! :)

You can also read the Tales of the Cod & Cutlass thread with and about this report on the forum. It contains some extra (juicy) background and even a map!


Game 1: Occupy Vercuso

A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy!

Vercuso: a harbour on the eastern edge of Sartosa, the Pirate Island. It used to be a seedy, disreputable and downright dangerous place but it has gone downhill recently.

During the invasions and subsequent wars much of the town was ruined, many of the houses were stripped for timber to make ships (ironic since most were built from salvaged shipwrecks!) and nearly every part of the town was ransacked, looted and generally ruined.

The most famous tavern in Vercuso is the Cod and Cutlass, on the quay-side in the docks. Even though it is now a ruin the tavern still acts as a focal point for much of the activity in the town. The presence of massive amounts of Wyrdstone (fragments of the shattered Bloodfane) draws dozens of small warbands to search the ruins, hoping to find enough to make their fortunes.

~ ~ ~


A strong stench of dead fish wafted through the harbour district. As the morning mists were burned away by the rising spring sun, Murlok the Shaman shaded his eyes and squinted down the street. The rest of the Halibuteers waited impatiently, gathered around their leader, Kap’n Hadduk. In the distance Murlok could see something moving and he pointed it out to Hadduk – just a glimpse but someone rushed from ruined building to ruined building. A few seconds later and three more figures scampered across the street about a hundred yards ahead.

“Dis is da place Kap’n” muttered the Shaman.
“Well we ain’t the first here but we gotta make sure we have control of the port. We can’t let them bilge-swabbers and chum-buckets think they can just do whatever they like!” said Kap’n Hadduk.
The Halibuteers grinned and nodded silently in agreement.
“Roight, let’s go!” said Hadduk and jumped up, the Fishmen followed him as he ran into the Shambles.

~ ~ ~

Shouts and cries rang out. Swivel-gun, handgun and pistol fire echoed through the town. The ringing clash of steel on steel filled the streets. Seven warbands ringed the Cod & Cutlass; all intent on being the dominant force in this vital area. Control the docks: control the town!

The Pirates team

Pugwash’s Pirates: A band of scurvy dogs lead by Captain Kharn.
The Wreckers Guild: Pirates from Marienburg equipped with underwater breathing apparatus.
The Sneakers: Skaven Assassins and Wyrdstone hunters.
The Unpronounceables: Dark Elf Corsairs

The Orcs team

Kap’n Hadduk’s Halibuteers: The Fishmen of Sartosa
Ug Ugg Uhg-ug: Savage Cave-Orcs from a time before history.
The Boring Boyz: Orcs from the Great Forests of the Empire

~ ~ ~


The Halibuteers split up; some climbed the walkways over the Shambles while others headed for the Gatehouse. The Boring Boyz left a couple of Sentries in the Wizard’s Tower and headed north for the Pie Shop while the Unpronounceables headed south for the Pie Shop. A fight was definitely going to start there!

The Sneakers occupied the Revenue House, scampering over the wall into the back yard and looked greedily towards the Sailmaker’s Shop. The Eshin Sorcerer was a little incautious and was fried by a jet of green lightining from Oooog, the Savage Orc Shaman who, along with the rest of Ug Ugg Uhg-ug, had camped in the Sailmaker’s Shop and was looking rabidly towards the Revenue House!




Pugwash’s Pirates boarded the Hogwasha and surveyed the town from her raised forecastle. Their swivel-gun could reach almost any point they could see and they planned to make its existence felt! The Wreckers Guild emerged from the water, having walked to the town. They headed south for the Shambles leaving a few harpoon gun armed Wreckers in cover at the harbour-side to watch their backs.

The Squigtapus (known to some as “Slipery Jack”) moved silently through the dark waters. It was hungry and sensed the chance of a tasty lunch.

~ ~ ~



Suddenly it got really bloody, really quickly! With a squeal and a roar the Sneakers and Ug Ugg Ugh-ug fell upon each other in a ferocious frantic melee: Hythe the Sneak, angered by the death of his Sorcerer leapt on Ugg and impaled him with a fighting claw in the dank street between the Revenue House and the Sailmaker’s Shop. In revenge Ugga-Ugg delt Hytje a terrible blow with his club. Garin, the Skaven leader, skewered Uggg as he burst into the Revenue House.

The Unpronounceables reached the Pie Shop and coldly dealt with Squiggy Squig –a the first of the Boring Boyz to get there.




As Murlok the Fishman Shaman climbed the broken wall of the Gatehouse, accompanied by two fishy hench-orcs, the Boring Boyz decided not to contest it (much to the annoyance of one of the Boring Boy’s Goblins who made his feelings clear in a tirade of foul language and abuse aimed at hi mob!). The Fish Troll stood still and dribbled a bit and Chum, the smallest Halibuteer, also took offence at something and stopped to scream high-pitched insults at his fellow Fishmen.






The Wreckers moved quietly and efficiently into the Shambles and took up firing positions overlooking their sometime allies the Fishmen.

~ ~ ~



The fight for the Sailmaker’s Shop and the Revenue House got even nastier! Oooog the Shaman zapped Bleaksneak with a blast of green energy, Uggg clubbed Sneaky Sneak to the ground with a furious rain of blows and Garin knifed Ugga-Ug (a Savage Orc Big’Un) in the back. Ugggg was pounced on by Backstabba Sneak as he finished Sneaky but it didn’t go Backstabba’s way - Ugggg made short work of the unfortunate Skaven.

With a howl the Boring Boyz rushed the Pie Shop in vast numbers and a whirling and confused fight erupted: A Goblin spiked Urial in the kidneys with a spear, then Mathiew the Dark Elf sliced up a Boring Boy Big’Un but another Goblin chopped the back of Mathiew’s knees and brought him down in revenge. Lhunaru’s superior sword-work overcame the Boring Boyz’ Boss.





In the Shambles Joss Merlin of the Wreckers Guild unleashed a hail of magical silver darts at Kod the Halibuteer, who fell from the wooden rofftop walkway with an indignant cry. Prospero took careful aim at Kap’n Hadduk with his duelling pistol and felled the fishy Orc Boss with a single shot. Murlok and his mates reached the top of the Gatehouse and took cover behind its stone walls. The Orc Shaman prepared a magical defence in case anyone else tried to get in, but no one dared try to winkle them out. Makrul the Fish Big’Un scrambled into the Cultists House through a window.



~ ~ ~

Chum the Goblin scurried along the ladder between the Shambles’ roof and the Cultist’s House window and dived to safety as a hail of harpoons and pistol bullets zipped past his fishy tail.


The Boring Boyz made a mess of the Unpronounceables while the Skaven leader Garin was strangled by a frothing Ugggg! A Goblin drove his squig-prodder into Lhunaru, a Boy pushed Dalva down and stamped on his head, and the remaining Boring Big’Un punched Naggairo to the floor and the Boring Boyz made short work of the fallen Elf. The Dark Elves were dealt with…

~ ~ ~


The Wreckers took possession of the Cod and Cutlass and made a big show of looting the bar, while their shipmates got ready to board Da Hogwasha: the pirate crew had left just the swivel gunner and his mate on-ship; the big gun sent a cannonball hurtling across town and narrowly missed Dagon the Troll. The rest of the Pugwashes followed the Wreckers towards the Cod and Cutlass licking their lips thirstily.

The Sneakers fell back to lick their wounds, having been finally driven out of the Revenue House.

~ ~ ~



The Wreckers slipped over the gunwales of the pirate ship to outnumber their allies, Pugwash’s Pirates, on board. But the pirates didn’t care as they took the Cod and Cutlass from the handful of Wreckers and were further distracted by the death of Kharn, their captain, at the hands of Oooog the Savage Orc Shaman.

Dagon the Fish Troll was on the receiving end of a barrage of fire from both the human pirate warbands but managed to survive it all unscathed. The rest of the Halibuteers kept their heads down – and who could blame them with the swivel gun roundshot and Wrecker’s harpoons lobbed in their direction every time they so much as poked a flipper into sight! Ug Ugg Uhg-ug took possession of the Revenue House and the Boring Boyz set to loot the Pie Shop and look through the maps, charts and logbooks stashed in the Warehouse.

~ ~ ~

Pugwash’s Pirates: 1VP (The Cod and Cutlass)
The Wreckers Guild: 8VP (The Hogwasha)
The Sneakers: 0VP
The Unpronounceables: 0VP
Kap’n Hadduk’s Halibuteers: 10VP (Gatehouse 6, Cultist's House 4)
Ug Ugg Uhg-ug: 9VP (Sailmaker's House 2, Renvenue House 7)
The Boring Boyz: 8VP (Warehouse 5, Pieshop 3)

~ ~ ~