SHIFTING SANDS OF HAMMURABI IMPERIAL YEAR 1459 HISTORY When the undead army of the feared Tomb King Philzhar the Scarab Lord, unexpectedly withdrew from the gates of Copher and marched into the desert the crusading order of the Knights Jaguar pursued with zealous ferocity. For two days they gave chase, across the barren rocky lands. Eventually the dust clouds of the enemy chariots led them into a narrow sandy valley, sandstone cliffs rising sharply on either side. At the other end of the canyon stood the Scarab Lord's army in battle formation. The Grand Master ordered his men into a battleline, in readiness to attack. As the Knights prepared to charge, skeletal hands rose from the shifting sands grabbing at the horses' hoofs. It was only then that the Jaguar Grand Master realized they had been led into a trap. This was no ordinary desert valley, but the cursed sands of Hammurabi, the place where in ancient times, a mad king had ordered his entire army buried alive in underground tombs, so that they would accompany him into the afterlife. Undead creatures began to rise from the sands robbing the Knights of the charge and creating panic in the ranks. Philzhar's main force advanced on the already fighting Knights. A desperate retreat ensued. After suffering heavy casualties, only a few of the Knights Jaguar managed to escape the valley. The survivors fled to Copher with wild tales of a cursed valley and sands that came to life. Many of the survivors had been driven insane by the horrors of the ambush and nobody believed their story. To this day the valley of Hammurabi remains a myth. THE BATTLEFIELD The action takes place in the valley of Hammurabi. The two long edges of the table are sheer sandstone cliffs and are impassable to all units. The floor of the valley is barren and flat. The only possible terrain types are a few small sand dune hills and areas of rough rocky ground by the cliff edges. THE EMPIRE ARMY The Empire player's aim is to break out and re-group with as many of his units intact as possible. The Empire army may not choose any Artillery or Machine units. This restriction represents the special and unusual circumstances of the battle, where the Empire crusader force is in hot pursuit, leaving behind the war engines that would slow them down. Use the following army list as a variant on the standard Empire army. TROOPS MIN/MAX per 1000 points Grand Master - General 1 Hero -/2 Wizard -/1 Halberdiers 2/- Crossbowmen 2/- Flagellants -/1 Skirmishers -/- Knights 2/- Pistoliers -/4 The Empire force deploys first. He must set up in the center of the table in a 20cm X 20cm zone. The crusader forces may only escape via either short table edge. THE TOMB KING UNDEAD ARMY The Tomb King Undead army may include any type of unit. Before any deployment the Tomb King player assigns up to 50% (in points) of his army to be concealed in the shifting sands. The Tomb King player deploys his main force in a 20cm zone on a predetermined short edge of the table. This force must include the Tomb King. The hidden force must include a Liche Priest, which appears automatically when the first unit rises. With larger armies, additional Liche Priests may enter the battle on any turn that a unit rises from the sands. At the start of the Tomb King player's turn roll a D6 for each unit that rests beneath the sands. On a roll of 4+ the regiment has risen from the desert floor. The Tomb King player may place the unit anywhere on the board - even into combat. Units that rise straight into combat do not count as charging but may be placed to the side or rear. At the beginning of each turn roll again for any unrisen units. STARTING THE GAME The Empire player deploys first then the Tomb King player deploys his blocking Main Force. The Tomb King player has the first turn. The battle continues for six turns until nightfall ends the battle. VICTORY If all Undead units are slain or routed from the battlefield it is an outright victory for the Empire. If all the Empire units are slain or routed the battle is an outright victory for the Tomb King Undead. If either General is slain, the opposing player automatically wins. If night falls before either side has been decisively beaten, then calculate the victory points to determine who wins. Empire Victory Points Each enemy unit destroyed and each slain character, includes all mounts and magic items ............................................+ full point value VP Each enemy unit of three stands reduced to one stand and includes the value of any magic item ...............+1/2 point value rounded up to nearest 5 points VP For each Empire unit that leaves via either short edge with at least 2 stands surviving ...............................................+ full point value VP Tomb King Undead Victory Points Each enemy unit destroyed and each slain character, includes all mounts and magic items ..............................................+ full point value VP Each enemy unit of three stands reduced to one stand and includes the value of any magic item ...............+1/2 point value rounded up to nearest 5 points VP ALTERNATE SCENARIOUS You may change the size of the battle to suit the size of forces available to you. Both sides must have the same number of points. The forces of the Undead have used this valley for thousands of years to ambush and destroy armies that have invaded their lands. Play this scenario with any Warmaster army versus the Tomb King Undead. Just keep the same distribution of troops and the special rule that no Artillery or Machine units for the ambushed army. SOURCE This battle is an adaptation from the Warhammer scenario found in the Citadel Journal Issue 43.