WarmaHordes: Lost Crusade 500

Lost Crusade 500, by Chris

The Reckoner shuddered as its cables were reconnected, restoring motive power to its arms. The attendant choir chanted hymns of purification as blighted Nyss blood was wiped from its chassis, the cloths immediately thrown into a brazier lest their taint spread.

The vassal wiped grease from his hands, nodding to himself as the Reckoner shook the stiffness out of its limbs. The successful repair may well have saved him a “ritual cleansing” at the end of a scourge that evening.

Severius himself was preoccupied with the newcomers, a group of faithful Menites from a neighbouring outpost. The were no Exemplars, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t serve a purpose.

The most fun part of any game, for me, is the campaign system. Watching forces grow, skills and resources develop. While what we’re doing here really doesn’t compare to a campaign system like Necromunda’s, it’s still a hoot expanding on the previous stage, trying to shepherd the army’s growth into a worthwhile fighting force.

The first addition at 500pts probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone.

Yup, Zealots. These guys are to some extent an auto-include in any Protectorate army. Even aside from their bombs, the single turn indestructability can completely mess with an opponent’s advance, as their elite melee unit is pinned by a bunch of dudes that cost less than half the points.

And of course, what makes the Zealots worth their mustard? The Monolith Bearer. I quite enjoyed painting this guy in the end, and I’m really looking forward to figuring these guys out. I’ve only had one or two games with Zealots so far, but I’m getting there.

Yes, thought Severius, these believers would serve well. Diamonds in the rough, as it were… He motioned to his attendant Heirophant, instructing him to have these men outfitted with a supply of rudimentary melee weapons, and some firebombs.

He was interrupted by a shout from outside the camp. The Blessing of Vengeance surged foreward, wary of a threat to its master, when from the scrub walked a hulking brute – an Ogrun – and a short man bedecked in pockets and brass. Striding alongside, resplendent in his blessed armour, was the unmistakable form of a Knight Exemplar. 

My next choice will likely raise some eyebrows, and justifiably so.

I really wanted to add an artillery base of some sort to the army – something to add some AoE fire support. The Protectorate normally have two excellent options for this, in the form of Deliverers and the Redeemer, and either would be a fine addition to the army, but… Neither can hit the broad side of a barn.  They’re pretty much reliant on lucky scatters, or targetting knocked-down opponent. Since I’m not packing a reliable knockdown effect, I wouldn’t be able to rely on the skyhammer rockets cracking anything other than lightly armoured troops.

Since my first Warmachine army was Searforge, and I had plenty of unpainted Searforge models, I had an alternative.

Herne & Jonne don’t have the range of the Skyhammer rockets, but they can actually hit a target. 10 wounds makes Jonne reasonably survivable with his barrage arqueus, and though I won’t be pumping out up to 10 AoE’s a turn, but I WILL be putting three down in close proximity to each other, improving my chances of maximising kills in a single unit, and worst comes to worst, it’s still a POW14 direct hit at 12″ range.

Having them painted up also lets me count them towards completed Searforge models. I’m a cheat like that.

Tobias Bakkar, Seneschal of the Knights Exemplar, took to his knee in front of the Grand Scrutator.

“Your holiness, if it pleases, I have heard of your pilgrimage and wished to join you. These other two were of assistance en route, and  have pledged their service in exchange for the opportunity to field-test a new artillery device.”

The final addition at the 500pt level for my Lost Crusade is another auto-include for most Menite forces, the much beloved awesomeness of the Exemplar Seneschal.

And yes, I freely admit that I kinda sorta cheated here – I already had him painted up. Considering I only finished painting Jonne today on my lunch break, it’s probably a good thing that I didn’t have to paint up my other Seneschal from scratch just yet.

Severius rested a hand lightly on Tobias’ armoured shoulder and nodded. 

“By the will of the Creator, let it be so.”

Lost Crusade – 500pts
23 Models, 21 VPs

Grand Scrutator Sevarius – 66pts, 5vps
Blessing of Vengeance - 88pts, 3vps
Reckoner – 126pts, 3vps
Heirophant – 19pts, 1vp
Knight Exemplar Seneschal – 34pts, 1vp
Vassal of Menoth – 19pts, 1vp
Holy Zealots (8) + UA – 74pts, 3vps
Choir of Menoth (6) – 22pts, 2vps
Wrack (2) – 1opts, 0vps
Herne & Jonne – 42pts, 2vps