A Dark Conspiracy: 30th Anniversary Global Campaign

Zambula

WEEK 2

Position: #15
W/D/L: 0/2/7

This week the Mercenary grit is failing against top-tier armor.

In Karak Norn:

In a 3000 pts of a Sheer Heroism! scenario, the Hordes of Chaos commanded a mix of hell spawns, beastmen and mortals, and obtained a Solid Victory over the dogs of Luccini_Merchant.
Seeking vengeance, the other grand mercenary general of the club (Tilean_Paymaster) divided their forces into two Border Patrols that attempted to disrupt the logistics of the Chaos followers: a Draw and a Minor Defeat.

In the global front

a 2000 pts force of Lizardmen fought in a Flank Attack scenario against a mercenary camp in Lustriabeing the Tilean massacred and devoured.

Zambula

WEEK 3

Position: #16
W/D/L: 2/2/9

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 mercenary general rode to war on hippogriff-back against a cold-blooded host anchored by a Bastiladon and an Oldblood champion. The approach became a slaughterhouse. Hired artillery opened the engagement, one cannon misfired and exploded, but not before the Bastiladon’s solar engine was silenced. The hippogriff then carried its rider in a reckless overrun directly into the Oldblood’s guard, cutting the ancient saurian down in single combat and shattering the Lizardmen command around him. The pike block planted itself across the temple approach and held against a Troglodon’s charge, the scaled beast unable to break the serried ranks. With the Oldblood dead and the line collapsing, the Slann’s palanquin retreated from the field.. 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.

See the blog post for the rest of the battles of the week

Zambula

WEEK 4

Position: #16
W/D/L: 4/3/9

The paychest is lighter than expected. The swords are still sharp enough.

Luccini_Merchant brought a special-character-commanded Dogs of War Standard host into what became the most complex engagement of his local campaign: a 2000-point 2v2 Pitched Battle alongside Queek_Swiss's Skaven with Screaming Bell. It was a fractious partnership from the start, the mercenaries and the ratmen watching each other with professional suspicion even as they faced the combined weight of Zambula's Chaos Dwarfs and Settra_Chris's Quatar's Army Tomb Kings. Four veteran forces across a full battlefield. Dawi-Zharr artillery opened; Skaven warp-lightning answered; Quatar's constructs advanced on one flank while the mercenary pike blocks ground into position on the other. Neither coalition found the decisive opening. The engagement ground to a hard Draw: 762 VPs each for the mercenaries and ratmen, 703 each for the Dawi-Zharr and eternal dead. Honourable stalemate in difficult company, and the only local action of the week.

On the satellite fronts, the paymasters found better news.

• In a 500-point engagement over a village of the Border Princes, the mercenaries earned their pay the hard way. The mercenary Captain fighters held the village square through rain, mud and panic: the Brigands pinned and killed the Chaos Spawn, then survived the Dragon Ogre long enough to run it down, while the Badlands Bulls locked the Gorebull in a savage, unresolved brawl by the well. Once the halberdiers and militia broke the Ungors and Gors street by street, the Brayherd slipped back into the forest. The village still stood, barely, and the mercenaries held the field: 500 VPs to 150, a Solid Victory for coin over claw.

• In a TOW 1000-point Table Quarters battle against Tomb Kings, the mercenaries won by the width of a paymaster's ledger: 571 to 533, a Minor Victory that edged the dead out of the decisive quarter.

The contracts continue. A few more engagements like this one and the Dogs of War might trouble the middle of the table.

Zambula

WEEK 5

Position: #13
W/D/L: 6/5/13

Three massacres in a single week. The paychest grows heavier in some quarters and lighter in others. That is the mercenary condition, and the ledger improved regardless.

The Dogs of War enjoyed the sort of week only mercenaries could call profitable: ruin in one quarter, treasure in another, and enough spectacular local victories to drag the paychest three places up the standings.

In Karak Norn, Luccini_Merchant met Tyrant_Urs's Ogre Kingdoms across two 6th Edition 2,000-point Pitched Battles. Both engagements ground to a halt without a decisive result, brute force meeting mercenary discipline in contests that neither side could fully resolve: Draw, and Draw.

Then the week's ledger swung wildly in both directions against the Orcs & Goblins.

• Luccini_Merchant led the mercenaries against Grimgor_Nick's greenskins in a 6th Edition 2,000-point Pitched Battle and found the Waaagh! in disarray. The pike blocks crashed home and the greenskin horde was shattered end to end: Massacre for the paymaster's ledger.

• In a 500-point Capture Border Patrol against the same opponent, the tables reversed entirely. Grimgor_Nick's greenskins seized the objective and the mercenaries could not take it back. The paychest absorbed a humiliating Massacre defeat.

The finest local work belonged to Tilean_Paymaster, who took the fight to Hashut_Yannick's Chaos Dwarfs in two 6th Edition 2,000-point Pitched Battles and dismantled the Dawi-Zharr lines twice in succession.

• In the first engagement, the mercenary pike formations broke through the Chaos Dwarf position with methodical ferocity: Massacre.

• In the second, the sons of Hashut deployed again and paid the same price: a second Massacre for Tilean_Paymaster, and the week's most impressive local hat-trick when tallied alongside the Orcs & Goblins result.

On the satellite fronts, the contracts ran against the mercenaries.

• A TOW Table Quarters engagement against Tomb Kings saw the eternal dead outmanoeuvre the mercenary formations on the objective ground: Solid Defeat.

• A 6th Edition Pitched Battle against Hordes of Chaos on the satellite fronts found the northern warriors too physical for the mercenary line at this scale: Solid Defeat.

• A 6th Edition Pitched Battle against Dwarfs sent the mercenary force into a stunted wall that did not yield: Solid Defeat.

The contracts continue. Three massacres bought three places in the standings, and the Dogs of War will take that bargain every week it is offered.

Zambula

WEEK 6

Global standing: #13 (stable).
W6 performance: #14 ↓ (from #8).
W6 return: 7 games.
Record: 8/5/18 (+2/+0/+5).

The mercenaries tasted both gold and ruin. Tilean steel earned two glorious local massacres, but the paychest was lightened by defeats to Chaos, Dwarfs and the Empire, leaving the Dogs of War with little room for boastful songs.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] Across a field fought as Night Raid, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War crossed blades with Khorne_Mathias’s Hordes of Chaos in a 500-point Border Patrol; their army could not withstand the assault and suffered a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Night Raid, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War advanced against Khorne_Mathias’s Hordes of Chaos in a 500-point Border Patrol; their army was forced back by the narrowest of margins in a Minor Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and confusion of Meeting Engagement, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War met Zharr_Naggrund_K’s Chaos Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army. A Lammasu swept above the Dawi-Zharr line, its sorcerous presence terrible to behold. Their army broke the foe utterly in a Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War advanced against Ghorgon_Eric’s Beastmen in a 2,000-point army; their army left the field strewn with wreckage after a Massacre.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Under the demands of Pitched Battle, a mercenary company of Dogs of War clashed with an Imperial army of Empire in a 2,000-point army; their army yielded the field after a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] With the battle plan set as Capture, a mercenary company of Dogs of War met a Dwarf throng of Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army; their army was driven back in a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] On ground marked for Capture, a mercenary company of Dogs of War fell upon a Dwarf throng of Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army; their army yielded the field after a Solid Defeat.

A mercenary captain can dine out on two massacres, but the campaign table is less forgiving. The Dogs of War need paying victories, not heroic anecdotes.

Zambula

WEEK 7

Global standing: #15 ↓ (from #13).
W7 performance: #15 ↓ (from #14).
W7 return: 10 games; 0.90 PPG.
Record: 10/7/24 (+2/+2/+6).

The paychest took a beating. One local massacre and a named satellite victory gave the mercenaries something to toast, but too many contracts ended with broken pikes and unpaid survivors.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Chosen Objective, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War drove into Druchii_Steff’s Dark Elves in a 500-point Border Patrol. The line bent, broke, and was driven from the field: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] Across a field fought as Chosen Objective, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War pressed hard into Druchii_Steff’s Dark Elves in a 500-point Border Patrol. The line bent, broke, and was driven from the field: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] On ground marked for Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War fell upon WhiteTower_HP’s High Elves fielding High Elf Sea Patrol (SoC, 9.94-95) in a 2,000-point army. Across the field, the High Elf Sea Patrol moved with cold coastal discipline and spear-bright confidence. Renowned champions were reported on both sides, turning the engagement into a clash of names as much as armies. After the last charge spent itself, the battle remained unresolved: Draw.

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War drove into Zharr_Naggrund_K’s Chaos Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army. By the final turn, the field was nothing but wreckage and trophies: a Massacre.

Reports of battles across the world

• [The Old World – Satellite] With the battle plan set as Table Quarters, a mercenary company of Dogs of War drove into a Nehekharan host of Tomb Kings in a 500-point Border Patrol. Neither side could force the final breach: Draw.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] With the battle plan set as Pitched Battle, Zambula’s Dogs of War advanced against a midnight host of Vampire Counts in a 2,000-point army. The line bent, broke, and was driven from the field: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Under the demands of Breakthrough, a mercenary company of Dogs of War clashed with a greenskin horde of Orcs & Goblins in a 2,000-point army. The line bent, broke, and was driven from the field: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] On ground marked for Breakthrough, a mercenary company of Dogs of War fell upon a Dwarf throng of Dwarfs in a 500-point Border Patrol. The field was lost before the army could turn the fight back in its favour: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] With the battle plan set as Breakthrough, a mercenary company of Dogs of War advanced against a Dwarf throng of Dwarfs in a 500-point Border Patrol. The line bent, broke, and was driven from the field: Solid Defeat.

• [The Old World – Satellite] In the smoke and confusion of Pitched Battle, the Dogs of War fell upon the Lizardmen in a 2,500-point army. The air shimmered with temple-magic and the cold design of the Old Ones. The advance held, the enemy gave ground, and the result was clear: Solid Victory.

A mercenary captain can survive a bad week. A campaign cannot be won on unpaid bravery, and the Dogs need better contracts quickly.

Zambula

WEEK 8

Global standing: #15 (stable).
W8 performance: #11 ↑ (from #15).
W8 return: 1.22 PPG over 9 games.
Record: 13/7/30 (+3/+0/+6).

The paychest rang loudly and hollowly in equal measure. The mercenaries smashed Beastmen and Bretonnians, but defeats to Dwarfs, Kislev, Chaos Dwarfs and Beastmen elsewhere left their accountants frowning over the final column.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] Beneath the hard rules of The Patrol, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War met Athel_Sarah’s Wood Elves in a 750-point warband. In the end, the advance carried through and became a Solid Victory.

• [6th Edition – Local] With the battle plan set as Meeting Engagement, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War crossed blades with Ironbreaker_Chris’ Dwarfs fielding Standard List (DW2-AB) in a 2,000-point army. Named champions were reported on both sides, turning the clash into the stuff of campaign legend. In the end, the force yielded ground after a Minor Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] With the battle plan set as Breakthrough, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War locked shields with Ghorgon_Eric’s Beastmen in a 2,000-point army. In the end, the field was left strewn with wreckage after a Massacre.

• [The Old World – Local] On a field fought as Capture, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War engaged Grail_Seeker’s Bretonnia in a 2,000-point army. In the end, the field was left strewn with wreckage after a Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and confusion of Capture, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War locked shields with Grail_Seeker’s Bretonnia in a 3,000-point grand host. In the end, the host was broken utterly in a Massacre.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Under the demands of Breakthrough, a mercenary company of Dogs of War advanced against a Kislevite rota of Kislev in a 500-point Border Patrol. In the end, the army was driven back after a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] In the smoke and confusion of Meeting Engagement, a mercenary company of Dogs of War engaged a Dawi-Zharr column of Chaos Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army. In the end, the army was driven back after a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] With the battle plan set as Pitched Battle, a mercenary company of Dogs of War locked shields with a brayherd of Beastmen in a 500-point Border Patrol. In the end, the army was driven back after a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] In the smoke and confusion of Pitched Battle, a mercenary company of Dogs of War fell upon a brayherd of Beastmen in a 500-point Border Patrol. In the end, the army was driven back after a Solid Defeat.

Some captains got rich, others got buried. The mercenary life continues exactly as advertised.

Zambula

WEEK 9

Global standing: #14 ↑ (from #15).
W9 performance: #3 ↑ (from #11).
W9 return: 2.00 PPG over 7 games.
Record: 17/8/32 (+3/+1/+3).

The mercenary ledger glittered this week. Losses to Slayers stung, but local massacres over Beastmen and the Empire gave the paymasters their strongest headline in weeks.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] Across ground marked for Flank Attack, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War fell upon Ghorgon_Eric’s Beastmen in a 750-point warband. The mercenaries forced the issue and secured a Solid Victory.

• [6th Edition – Local] Across ground marked for Capture, Zambula’s Dogs of War locked shields with Heldenhammer_ZH’s Empire fielding Army of Middenland (SoC, p.43-51) in a 2,000-point army. No mere skirmish of nameless captains, this field drew commanders of reputation on both sides of the gun smoke. Neither side could force the final yard, and the battle ended in a bloody Draw.

• [6th Edition – Local] Across ground marked for Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War locked shields with Bugmans_Father’s Dwarfs fielding Slayers of Karak Kadrin (SoC, p.61-70) in a 500-point Border Patrol. The mercenaries yielded the ground after a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War fell upon Bugmans_Father’s Dwarfs fielding Slayers of Karak Kadrin (SoC, p.61-70) in a 500-point Border Patrol. The field slipped away hard, ending in a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and press of Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War came to grips with Ghorgon_Eric’s Beastmen in a 2,000-point army. The mercenaries broke the foe utterly, the final tally nothing less than a Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] Across ground marked for Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War crossed blades with Heldenhammer_ZH’s Empire in a 2,000-point army. The mercenaries left the field strewn with ruin and claimed a Massacre.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition – Satellite] When the horns sounded for Pitched Battle, Zambula’s Dogs of War came to grips with an Imperial army of Empire in a 2,000-point army. The mercenaries held just enough ground for a Minor Victory.

The paychest is heavier, and for mercenaries that is almost a theology.

Zambula

WEEK 10

Global standing: #13 ↑ (from #14).
W10 performance: #2 (stable).
W10 return: 1.89 PPG over 9 games.
Record: 22/8/36 (+5/+0/+4).

The paymasters had one of the week’s sharpest turns. A local disaster against Dark Elves was paid back in mercenary fashion, with Chaos Dwarfs, Kislev and Bretonnia all feeding the contracts that carried the Dogs upward.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] With the battle plan set as Pitched Battle, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War fell upon Druchii_Steff’s Dark Elves in a 2,000-point army. A paymaster’s champion strode with the mercenary line, where courage and coin proved difficult to separate. A dreaded noble of Naggaroth rode with the raiders, making the attack sharper and crueller by the hour. By the end, nothing remained but ruin and a Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] Beneath the hard rules of Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War met Hashut_Yannick’s Chaos Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army. The attack found its mark and the result was a Solid Victory.

• [6th Edition – Local] With the battle plan set as Breakthrough, Zambula’s Dogs of War advanced against Zharr_Naggrund_K’s Chaos Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army. A paymaster’s champion strode with the mercenary line, where courage and coin proved difficult to separate. A black-armoured tyrant of Hashut rode with the column, its furnaces and cruelty burning in step. It was a hard-won edge, recorded as a Minor Victory.

• [The Old World – Local] With the battle plan set as Pitched Battle, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War engaged Zharr_Naggrund_K’s Chaos Dwarfs in a 2,000-point army. By the final turn there was little left to count but wreckage: Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and press of Pitched Battle, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War clashed with Tzar_Dom’s Kislev in a 2,000-point army. The mercenaries broke the foe utterly and left the field as a Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] With the battle plan set as Meeting Engagement, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War met Le_Duc_85’s Bretonnia in a 2,000-point army. By the final turn there was little left to count but wreckage: Massacre.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Beneath the hard rules of Pitched Battle, a mercenary company of Dogs of War met a northern warband of Hordes of Chaos in a 500-point Border Patrol. The enemy carried the field, leaving them with a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Across ground marked for Breakthrough, a mercenary company of Dogs of War met a greenskin horde of Orcs & Goblins in a 3,000-point grand host. The field slipped away hard, ending in a Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Beneath the hard rules of Pitched Battle, a mercenary company of Dogs of War engaged an Ogre warband of Ogre Kingdoms in a 500-point Border Patrol. The enemy carried the field, leaving them with a Solid Defeat.

The paychest is heavier, and the ranking reflects it. Mercenary glory may be temporary, but the points are real.

Zambula

WEEK 11

Global standing: #12 ↑ (from #13).
W11 performance: #10 ↓ (from #2).
W11 return: 9 games.
Record: 25/9/41 (+3/+1/+5).

The paymasters found profit and pain in roughly equal measure. The movement on the global board was favourable, even if the road was not clean: 3 wins, 1 draws and 5 defeats were enough to climb.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War met Queek_Swiss’s Skaven fielding Clan Skryre - SAD (Appendix) in a 250-point border patrol. Warpstone energies crackled behind the skaven advance. The Skaven line carried the stink of Clan Skryre engineering, all sparking devices and cowardly precision. They yielded only by the narrowest margin: Minor Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] With the battle plan set as Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War advanced against Queek_Swiss’s Skaven fielding Clan Skryre - SAD (Appendix) in a 250-point border patrol. Warpstone energies crackled behind the skaven advance. The Skaven line carried the stink of Clan Skryre engineering, all sparking devices and cowardly precision. They yielded only by the narrowest margin: Minor Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and confusion of Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War locked shields with Queek_Swiss’s Skaven fielding Clan Skryre - SAD (Appendix) in a 250-point border patrol. Warpstone energies crackled behind the skaven advance. The Skaven line carried the stink of Clan Skryre engineering, all sparking devices and cowardly precision. They yielded only by the narrowest margin: Minor Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] On ground marked for Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War clashed with Queek_Swiss’s Skaven fielding Clan Skryre - SAD (Appendix) in a 250-point border patrol. Warpstone energies crackled behind the skaven advance. The Skaven line carried the stink of Clan Skryre engineering, all sparking devices and cowardly precision. Neither side could force the final breach: Draw.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and confusion of Breakthrough, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War locked shields with Waaagh_Silvan’s Orcs & Goblins in a 2,000-point army. The line was broken utterly: Massacre.

• [The Old World – Local] With the battle plan set as Capture, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War advanced against Le_Duc_85’s Bretonnia in a 2,000-point army. When the last ranks broke, the field belonged to them in a Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and confusion of Meeting Engagement, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War locked shields with Tzar_Dom’s Kislev in a 2,000-point army. When the last ranks broke, the field belonged to them in a Massacre.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Across a field fought as Meeting Engagement, a mercenary company of Dogs of War crossed blades with a Kislevite rota of Kislev in a 2,000-point army. By the close of battle the field was theirs: Solid Victory.

• [6th Edition – Satellite] In the smoke and confusion of Pitched Battle, a mercenary company of Dogs of War locked shields with a Bretonnian lance of Bretonnia in a 500-point border patrol. The fight slipped beyond recovery: Solid Defeat.

The contracts continue, and so does the climb, though every purse came stained with blood.

See the rest of this week's battles here

Zambula

WEEK 12

Global standing: #11 ↑ (from #12).
W12 performance: #8.
W12 return: 8 games; +3/+1/+4.
Record: 28/10/45 (+3/+1/+4).

The mercenary ledger was brutally simple: gold from Bretonnian ruin, pain from greenskin counterattacks, and just enough profit to keep the paymasters smiling through clenched teeth.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [6th Edition – Local] Across ground marked for Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War fell upon Le_Duc_85’s Bretonnia in a 2,000-point army; no subtlety survived long once the lines closed, and when the killing was done the field belonged to them alone: Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Capture, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War met Le_Duc_85’s Bretonnia in a 2,000-point army; every yard around the objective was paid for in blood, and when the killing was done the field belonged to them alone: Massacre.

• [6th Edition – Local] In the smoke and clamour of Table Quarters, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War crossed blades with Grimgor_Nick’s Orcs & Goblins in a 500-point Border Patrol; the field split into hard-won parcels, each one contested with stubborn malice, and neither side could force the final stroke: Draw.

• [6th Edition – Local] With the orders set for Table Quarters, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War locked horns with Grimgor_Nick’s Orcs & Goblins in a 500-point Border Patrol; the field split into hard-won parcels, each one contested with stubborn malice, but a handful of yards and bodies decided against them: Minor Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] On a field shaped by Table Quarters, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War advanced into Grimgor_Nick’s Orcs & Goblins in a 500-point Border Patrol; the field split into hard-won parcels, each one contested with stubborn malice, and the line bent, broke and yielded the field: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] Across ground marked for Capture, Zambula’s Dogs of War closed upon Waaagh_Silvan’s Orcs & Goblins in a 2,000-point army; every yard around the objective was paid for in blood, and the line bent, broke and yielded the field: Solid Defeat.

• [6th Edition – Local] Under the demands of Capture, Zambula’s Dogs of War fell upon Waaagh_Silvan’s Orcs & Goblins in a 2,000-point army; every yard around the objective was paid for in blood, and the line bent, broke and yielded the field: Solid Defeat.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition – Satellite] Across ground marked for Pitched Battle, a mercenary company fell upon a Bretonnian lance in a 2,000-point army; no subtlety survived long once the lines closed, and the field was theirs by nightfall: Solid Victory.

Coin was made, men were lost, and the contracts continue. A mercenary could ask for worse.

See the rest of this week's battles here

Zambula

WEEK 13 - Campaign Finale: The Jade Staff is Lost to Naggaroth

That is it. The last dice have rolled, the last standards have been counted, and the campaign ledger can finally be closed. Week 13 brought 181 more battles crashing into the record, enough blood, ash and bad handwriting to keep any map-room scribe busy until winter.

When the smoke cleared, one banner still flew above the rest: the black banner of Naggaroth. The Dark Elves are the champions of the campaign. Congratulations to the Druchii generals, who fought their way through thirteen weeks of grudges, ambushes, night raids and outright slaughter to recover the Jade Staff.

Of course, anyone expecting the Dark Elves to hand a priceless artefact back to the temple-cities has not been paying attention. The Jade Staff was meant to be delivered to the servants of the Old Ones. Instead, the Druchii have claimed it for themselves. No solemn return. No honoured pact. Just cold smiles, black sails and a relic vanishing north towards Naggaroth.

The Lizardmen will not take long to understand the insult. When Lord Mazdamundi learns that the Staff has not been restored but stolen, the answer will not be a polite summons. It will be the slow, dreadful turning of an ancient will towards the Dark Elves. Skink messengers will run through temple avenues, spawning pools will stir, and somewhere in Lustria the heavens themselves will be consulted for war.

So let the Dread Lords enjoy their victory while they can. The Jade Staff is theirs, but so is the wrath that follows it. Now Naggaroth must choose where to hide the prize, which fortress will bear the honour, and on what bleak shore the Druchii will face the coming sea of claws and scales.

The Final Campaign Scoreboard

Here stands the final order of the war. Not a weekly form table, not a rumour from the front, but the finished campaign ranking after thirteen weeks of fighting.

#1 - Dark Elves, Campaign Champions. Final record: 80/33/21; Week 13: +11/+8/+16 over 35 games.
#2 - Skaven. Final record: 51/23/19; Week 13: +6/+6/+2 over 14 games.
#3 - Hordes of Chaos. Final record: 63/18/28; Week 13: +8/+5/+8 over 21 games.
#4 - Lizardmen. Final record: 44/22/21; Week 13: +6/+4/+2 over 12 games.
#5 - Daemons. Final record: 49/15/30; Week 13: +2/+2/+9 over 13 games.
#6 - Vampire Counts. Final record: 51/16/32; Week 13: +7/+5/+8 over 20 games.
#7 - High Elves. Final record: 51/25/32; Week 13: +3/+2/+11 over 16 games.
#8 - Tomb Kings. Final record: 65/41/36; Week 13: +6/+12/+11 over 29 games.
#9 - Wood Elves. Final record: 39/20/27; Week 13: +6/+4/+6 over 16 games.
#10 - Dwarfs. Final record: 59/27/43; Week 13: +7/+9/+8 over 24 games.
#11 - Dogs of War. Final record: 32/12/46; Week 13: +4/+2/+1 over 7 games.
#12 - Ogre Kingdoms. Final record: 34/32/36; Week 13: +2/+9/+8 over 19 games.
#13 - Chaos Dwarfs. Final record: 34/14/54; Week 13: +2/+4/+11 over 17 games.
#14 - Kislev. Final record: 21/13/45; Week 13: +2/+3/+7 over 12 games.
#15 - Bretonnia. Final record: 49/19/87; Week 13: +4/+7/+15 over 26 games.
#16 - Orcs & Goblins. Final record: 46/29/110; Week 13: +9/+8/+25 over 42 games.
#17 - The Empire. Final record: 40/17/100; Week 13: +7/+2/+20 over 29 games.
#18 - Beastmen. Final record: 25/22/66; Week 13: +3/+4/+9 over 16 games.

What the Final Week Leaves Behind

The Dark Elves did not win cleanly, and that is probably how they prefer it. They were not untouched, not beloved, and not always comfortable, but they were there at the end with the prize in hand. That is the sort of victory the Druchii understand.

Behind them, the Skaven finish close enough to make every sentry nervous, while the Hordes of Chaos complete the podium with the air of an army that has not so much lost as been temporarily pointed in the wrong direction. The Lizardmen finish fourth, which matters more now than it did when the first games were played. They are not the champions, but they are the offended party, and offended Lizardmen tend to arrive with dinosaurs.

There were other stories worth a cheer. Dogs of War posted the sharpest performance of the final week, Tomb Kings filled the ledgers with stubborn Nehekharan endurance, and the Dwarfs did what Dwarfs do best: survive, record the insult, and promise to make it expensive later.

Lower down the table, the campaign was less kind. Bretonnia, the Empire, Chaos Dwarfs and Beastmen all leave with more scars than songs. Still, no army that fought for thirteen weeks truly leaves empty-handed. There are grudges to settle, trophies to polish, and revenge lists long enough to start the next campaign before the ink is dry.

For the last time, here is the master ledger of the campaign’s final week.

WEEK 13

Global standing: #11 (stable).
W13 performance: #1. !!!!
W13 return: 7 games; +4/+2/+1.
Record: 32/12/46 (+4/+2/+1).

The mercenaries stole the week’s purse. Three savage local results and a stubborn line of lesser actions gave the Dogs of War the best weekly return in the campaign desk.

Battles in Karak Norn Wargaming this week

• [The Old World - Local] In the smoke and clamour of Meeting Engagement, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War clashed with Ghorgon_Eric’s Beastmen in a 2,000-point army; both forces crashed into contact before either could shape the perfect battleline, and when the killing was done the field belonged to them alone: Massacre.

• [6th Edition - Local] Under the demands of Pitched Battle, Luccini_Merchant’s Dogs of War closed upon Le_Duc_85’s Bretonnia in a 2,000-point army; no subtlety survived long once the lines closed, and when the killing was done the field belonged to them alone: Massacre.

• [6th Edition - Local] With the orders set for Chosen Objective, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War closed upon Tzar_Dom’s Kislev in a 500-point Border Patrol; one chosen patch of ground became the only thing that mattered, and neither side could force the final stroke: Draw.

• [6th Edition - Local] Beneath the harsh call of Chosen Objective, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War locked horns with Tzar_Dom’s Kislev in a 500-point Border Patrol; one chosen patch of ground became the only thing that mattered, and the field was theirs by nightfall: Solid Victory.

• [6th Edition - Local] With the orders set for Chosen Objective, Tilean_Paymaster’s Dogs of War closed upon Tzar_Dom’s Kislev in a 500-point Border Patrol; one chosen patch of ground became the only thing that mattered, and neither side could force the final stroke: Draw.

Reports of battles across the world

• [6th Edition - Satellite] Beneath the harsh call of Pitched Battle, a mercenary company clashed with a greenskin horde in a 2,000-point army; no subtlety survived long once the lines closed, and a handful of yards and bodies decided against them: Minor Defeat.

A paymaster could retire on this week’s bragging rights, though no mercenary ever does.

The Wrath of Mazdamundi

Now that the Dark Elves have secured the Jade Staff, they will hide it from the Lizardmen. Lord Mazdamundi is reuniting their forces to recover it!

Next week we will reveal the location of the epic battle that will conclude the "A Dark Conspiracy" 2026 Campaign.

Zambula

The summer campaign has burned hot, and now, at last, we get a moment to breathe before the Final Battle.

For 13 weeks, from the Prologue to the eve of the last great clash, the war has raged across club tables, kitchen counters, cellars, garages, store boards and distant battlefields. When we finally gathered the notes, checked the results and tried to make sense of the ledger, the number was almost absurd.

1,014 battles.

One thousand and fourteen games fought for glory, revenge, territory and the Jade Staff. That is not just a good campaign tally. That is the sort of number that makes veterans nod, rivals mutter, and organisers wonder how they are meant to process everything before the next report goes out.

It began simply enough. A small muster in a half-sleeping wargaming club in the Alps. A few familiar generals, a few familiar grudges, the usual dice, the usual threats, the usual laughter. Then allied clubs answered. Then more commanders heard about it. Soon reports were coming from beyond Switzerland, then beyond our usual circles, and eventually from across the ocean.

Each week the battle reports went out through forums, chats and club groups. People read them in English, French, Italian and German. Some cheered as their faction climbed the table. Others cursed their defeats, blamed the dice, demanded revenge, or simply decided that the next week needed more blood. And, being proper wargamers, quite a few of them picked up dice and joined in.

Before long, the distant fronts outnumbered the original musters. We started it locally, but the community made it much bigger.

And now here we are, with a mountain of notes, battle reports, score sheets, half-remembered heroics, shocking massacres, miserable defeats, stubborn draws and victories that will no doubt grow larger every time they are retold. There are tales here fit for tavern songs, grudges that will survive into the next campaign, and losses that will be blamed on treacherous dice until the end of time.

So let us open the great ledger one final time before the last battle drums begin.

Total recorded battles: 1014
Campaign length: 13 weeks
Average battles per week: 78.0
Median week: 75 battles
Quietest week: Week 2, with 36 battles
Busiest week: Week 13, with 181 battles

Battles week by week:

Week 1: 41 battles
Week 2: 36 battles
Week 3: 39 battles
Week 4: 48 battles
Week 5: 75 battles
Week 6: 78 battles
Week 7: 63 battles
Week 8: 114 battles
Week 9: 75 battles
Week 10: 93 battles
Week 11: 85 battles
Week 12: 86 battles
Week 13: 181 battles

Of those 1,014 battles, 368 came from the campaign core. These were the games fought by the Zurich group and the players closest to it: club nights, home tables, kitchen campaigns, cellar wars, garage grudges, store games and visits from allied clubs we knew personally. Not every one of those battles was fought in the clubhouse, nor did it need to be. This was the beating heart of the campaign, the circle where the first banners were raised and the first map hexes were stained with blood.

That heart kept beating because the campaign was not built only on grand 2,000 point set pieces. Many of those games were fast, savage Border Patrols and skirmishes, the sort of brutal 500 point clashes that can be squeezed into a weekday evening and still give everyone something to shout about afterwards. They kept the map alive. They made small advances matter. They turned minor roads, ruined towers and nameless valleys into places worth fighting for.

Then the wider world answered.

The remaining 646 battles came from the community beyond the core: allied clubs, old forum generals, distant warlords and readers who followed the weekly reports, grabbed their dice, and sent their own battle tales back to the front. Across Austria, Italy and the wider internet, the classic 2,000 point battle remained a mighty engine of war, with full armies marching out to decide the fate of territories they had never seen, but were now determined to conquer.

That is when the campaign stopped being merely ours.

Every submitted result pushed the front line forward. Every battle report added another scrap of smoke, steel and sorcery to the story. Every commander who joined made the war larger than the map that started it. The core raised the signal fire. The community answered with armies.

Now, let's focus on the next milestone of the Campaign: The Siege of Nagronath.

The Jade Staff now lies in the hands of the treacherous Druchii, yet the bargain has been broken. Rather than return the relic to the Slann as promised, the Dark Elves have claimed it for themselves, and in doing so have kindled a fresh war.

Far away in Lustria, Lord Mazdamundi stirs in wrath. The ancient Slann has read the omens, and the old words carved upon the ruined walls beneath the Temple-City of Huatl speak plainly enough: the time for reckoning is at hand. Hosts are being gathered, old alliances reforged, and new pacts sworn in the face of the danger now rising from the west.

On one side stand the Druchii, their cause strengthened by grim bargains with infamous powers drawn by greed, ambition and the promise of plunder. On the other gather the servants of the Old Ones and their allies, bound not by avarice, but by duty and prophecy.

Even the Skaven have slunk into the shadow of Naggaroth, siding with the Dark Elves out of spite for the spawn of Sotek... or perhaps because the Council of Thirteen has designs of its own upon the fate of the Jade Staff.

Now the stormfront closes over Albion. Armies gather, fleets are readied, and every broken oath breeds another grudge. The old alliances have shattered, and the new ones are already being tested in fire.

The final reckoning draws near. Prepare for the Siege of Nagronath.

(Published originally here)

Zambula

As we said, the Dark Elves have won the campaign and now hold the Jade Staff, but instead of returning it to Lord Mazdamundi as promised, the treacherous Druchii have claimed it for themselves. The old alliance is broken, and even the cold blood of the Slann now boils with fury. And in the real world, we have been discussing about the final battle for weeks.

And we conclude that the original 3vs3 siegue is not enough. We want something at the height of the expectations.

So the Final Battle will not be a simple siege after all. It will be The Siege of Nagronath, a massive face-to-face 5vs5 battle, with 10,000 points per side and 20,000 points on the table. It will include the top10 factions during the campaign!

the Dogs of War are #11, so we are barely left out... as DoW standalone army... but some of the commanders that will lead in the Final Battle have confirmed including hired RoR in their final lists.

The Defenders of Nagronath will be:

Dark Elves (4,000 pts)
Skaven (2,500 pts)
Hordes of Chaos (2,000 pts)
Daemons of Chaos (1,000 pts)
Vampire Counts (500 pts)

Total: 10,000 pts

Against them march the Reclaimers of Mazdamundi:

Lizardmen (4,000 pts)
High Elves (2,500 pts)
Tomb Kings (2,000 pts)
Dwarfs (1,000 pts)
Wood Elves (500 pts)

Total: 10,000 pts

The battle will take place in Albion, on a custom terrain-heavy board inspired by A Dark Shadow. Expect mud, forests, broken ground, ambushes and dirty fighting. We will use the multiplayer rules from The General’s Compendium, with each army fighting alongside its allies but keeping its own command, magic and tactical problems.

Lists are being written, models are being bought at the last minute, and plans are already turning into threats. Next week we will reveal the full scenario rules. For now, the armies gather, the old alliances shatter, and the Siege of Nagronath approaches.

If you want to read about the details and drama check the blog entry.

Willmark

Damn Dark Elves (shakes fist!)