Issue55 FinalDraft HighRes

March 2017 | ISSUE 55
March 2017 | Ironwatch Issue 55|

Gareth Humphreys Michael DeFranco MDSW
Editors Gary Bomhoff Mike Carter
Abbie Waters George Adsett-Knutsen Mike Tittensor
Austin Peasley darkPrince010 Gerry Lee Nathan
Donn Turner Glenn Allan Neil Dixon
E. McIlraith Crow Grant Mahoney Neil Jones
Geoff Burbidge Giuseppe Aquino Walac Nick Williams Daedle
Chris Bahnweg lernaean-hydra Guido Quaranta Nicodemus Sandberg
OnePageAnon Guillaume Bertin Karadram
Guy Sodin Olaf Bressel
Ian Powell Panda
Contributors imm0rtal reaper Patrick Lefevre
Aaron Leahy Sardonic Wolf Jack Evans ManticfanboyLAD Patrick the Betrayer
Aaron Magno sewersaint James Hewitt Paul Mitchell
Adam Morrow Jamie OToole Paul Mullis Osbad
Alex Visentin reVenAnt Jason Flint Weedy Elf Paul Scott
Alex Younger Jason Moorman Paul Welsh
Alistair Moore platemail Jim Kew Pete Harrison
Andrew Evans Joe Ketterer Pete Kijek Pathfinder Pete McF
Andrew Schaffert Joe Murphy Peter Bogdasarian
Andre KritzingerStratego John CousenMister C. Peter Grose
Andy Beckett Needles John Hoyland katzbalger Peter Tek Thornisson
Arcaneshield Jonathan Faulkes Raffaele Passarelli
Azazelx Jonathan Hicks jontheman Raymond Mercer
BAE Jonathan Peace Richard August
Ben RantallBensome Jon Peletis Richard RimingtonRimmo
Ben Stoddard Jose Manuel Chasco Gonzalez Rob Allen Briohmar
Bil Orcsbain Josselin Amoravain Joss Rob Burnam
Blake Earle Juanje Robert Dunham
Boris Samec Thane Bobo Kara Brown Rob Phaneuf
Boz Androic The Boz Keith Mullumby Rob Taylor
Brad Kendunsforddownunder Rogue General Hunter
Brad P. Kenny Moncrieff Russell BarnesSpruce
C.A. Monteath-Carr Owesome Kris Kapsner Ryan Shaw The Dire Troll
Cedric Boudoya Boston left64 Sebastian Pietrzak
Miniatures Leon Lynn Shane Baker Shaneimus
Chris Cousen Mister C Liam Markey Shane Knerl
Chris Davis Geist Loic Boudoya Sharad Vora
Chris Livingstone stlwarrior Maccwar Skolo
Chris Schlumpberger Darkover Malcolm Blackwell Sneaky Chris
Christopher Verspeak Marcel Popik marseall Steicy Jourdan
Ciaran Darcy Marek VlhaPaboook Stuart Smith Merlin
Claudia Zuminich Maren Wolff Sukura636
C M Minis Mark Cox Tas Stacey
Cornonthecob Mark Peasley Taylor Holloway
Craig Johnson Spooney85 Mark Relf Tristan Coulson TSNC
Daniel Darklord Mark Smith scarletsquig Tyr E.
Daniel King Mark Zielinski Vane Dolenclord_blackfang
Dave Johns Mart Hooiveld MArtyDagger Vincent Pascaud
David Reid Martin Geibner Summoning Wes Shipley
Davyd P. Nash Matt Dustcrusher William Buchanan
Dennis Browning-Saunders Matt Gilbert mattjgilbert
Dorf_Pally_Dan Matthus Mieczkowski Max Jet
Douglas Thoin Matt Adlard
Doug Newton-Walters Matthew Beer
Hellebore Matthew Lindsay
Dusty Matt I. JoV
Dwarf Giant Maxwell McDougall Lord
Ender ThompsonCivitar Marcus
Eric Hopkins Mel BoseThe Terrain Tutor
Frederic Ramirez Michael Carter puggimer
2 | Ironwatch Issue 55 | March 2017

Abyssal
Were gradually making some behind-the-
scenes changes that should help us enhance
the quality and relevance of the pictures you
Tidings see alongside the articles, but please
remember we always love to accept more
A Message from pictures to use! As with articles youd like to
the Editor-in-chief submit, please send us any images for the
magazine to ironwatchmagazine@gmail.com
Welcome back to Ironwatch and wed be more than happy to include
Magazine! This month weve got a ton of them in future issues!
fantastic content, including stories of GCPS
encounters against the vile Veer-Myn, as Lastly, the Ironwatch Annual Year One is
well as stories of the Inquisition from the slated to release sometime in the next
Star-Struck City, and more! month; weve collected feedback about how
you viewers would like it formatted, and will
One thing were truly excited to bring to your be making sure we deliver the cream of the
attention is the release of the Quarantine crop in terms of content for the Year One
Basic Rules from Ironwatch Games! This release. Following that will be the first
spacecraft battle game pits capitol ships in Ironwatch Tales release, a collection of our
the cold void of space, using the same base fluff stories, so please send us feedback
rules as Deadzone in order to provide a through our email or on our Facebook page
great, hard-science approach to movement as to whether youd like Kings of War or
and positioning without sacrificing fun or Warpath stories to be the focus of the first
play speed. You can find out more about that Ironwatch Tales release. Thanks for reading,
on page 16, so please give it a shot and let us and Welcome to the Watch!
know what you think! --Austin Peasley
Cover art by Boris Samec All models used in this publication are from the
Title art by Mark Peasley respective author's own personal collections, and
any models displayed herein are not intended to
Contact us and submit articles at: challenge the status of the copyrights of their
ironwatchmagazine@gmail.com respective owners.
If you find any errors, grammar mistakes, or
rule imbalances, please contact us on the This publication is completely unofficial and is not
Mantic Forums (Look for the discussion produced by Mantic Games. It is fan-made
labeled Ironwatch Issue X Feedback) and material based on the original works by Alessio
let us know what we could do to improve Cavatore and Jake Thornton, and produced by
your fan-produced magazine. If you are Mantic Games. Mantic, Dungeon Saga, Kings of
interested in writing, illustrating, or editing War, Warpath, Deadzone, Dreadball, and all
for our magazine, please let us know on the associated characters, names, places and things
feedback discussion as well so you can get are TM and Mantic Entertainment Ltd 2015.
in on the action! Used without permission. No challenge to their
status intended. All Rights Reserved to their
respective owners.
March 2017 | Ironwatch Issue 55| 3

Table of Contents
Iron Forge ............................................................................................................. 5

See the amazing array of top tier paintjobs from our team of professional-quality
painters.
The Mantic Calendar ............................................................................................ 13

Learn what Mantic related events and tournaments are upcoming in your area.
Quarantine ........................................................................................................... 16
Check out the newest release from Ironwatch Games: space fleet battles!
The Walking Dead: All-Out War Showcase, by Andrew Schaffert .......................... 17

Andrew shows us his beautiful Walking Dead miniatures and custom terrain
Advertisements .................................................................................................... 87
Our section where you can advertise your local Mantic game group or store for
free!
The Battle of Crowburg Grove, by BAE .............................................................. 24

Chikauq readies himself for battle against the foul greenskin armies
Clash of Kings Australia: Best Painted Army, by Ben Rantall.................................. 33

Come see Bens Abyssal Dwarf force, one of the best-painted Mantic armies
in the world. Dont forget to check out his costume!
At What Price, by Donn Turner ............................................................................. 39

Two Inquisitors share a tale of their past, amongst the ruins of the cursed city
Ultrasonic Part 1, by Sebastian Pietrzak................................................................ 48

A squad of GCPS marines ventures to flush out a Veer-myn infestation
Exham IV: Ironbreaker, by redemption .............................................................. 57

A desperate GCPS force attempt to hold off the howling hordes of plagued
locals attempting to flee off-planet

Mhorgoth and his Zombie horde by Claudia Zuminich
The Iron
Please include your name and/or Mantic
forum name. You can also provide
descriptions of your paint jobs and titles if
Forge youd like!
Welcome back to the Iron Forge.
On display this month for you we have:

Marcel Popik, with some outstanding
Deadzone Forgefather Brokkrs and Valkyr
Paul Welsh, with a stunning set of
converted custom Varangur units,
complete with custom lighting!
Keep tuned in next month for more fantastic
models, and if you have some painted
Mantic minis youd like featured to possibly
become an Iron Forge artist, please email
high resolution photos of your miniatures to
ironwatchmagazine@gmail.com. Forgefather Dreadball Player by
Chris Schlumpberger

Marcel Popik

Marcel Popik

Paul Welsh

Paul Welsh

Paul Welsh

Paul Welsh

Paul Welsh

Mantic March
3/4 Hammerhead
Calendar From 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Tickets are 5 per adult, 3 for minors
(16 and under), Children under 9 free
If you have Mantic-related events or
Every game at Hammerhead is visitor
tournaments youd like to add, please PM
participation, which means that you
Matt Gilbert or Austin Peasley on the
are very welcome 'to have a go at a
forums or email us with your events date,
wide variety of different historical and
time, location, cost, a brief description, and
fantasy based games run by intrepid
a URL for more information.
gaming clubs, historical societies,
wargame companies and enthusiastic
Please note that this list is not exhaustive
groups of gamers
and indicates where Mantic games are
The Showground, Lincoln Road,
being enjoyed, not necessarily where
Winthorpe, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY
Mantic will be making an official
appearance (Save for the Mantic HQ, of
course).
Converted Bug (counts-as Elves) cavalry by Daniel King

3/11 AireCon
From 6:00 PM on 3/11
to 6:00 PM on
3/13
Tickets are 23 per
adult for all three
days, with cheaper
options available
for partial-weekend
passes, day
passes, and youth
passes.
AireCon is a friendly
and inclusive
analogue gaming
festival in Harrogate
International Centre.
Whether you've come
alone or with a Zombie Troll Shaman by C.M. Minis
massive group you'll find plenty of Renaissance Schaumburg Convention
fun to be had and new friendly faces Center, 1551 N. Thoreau Dr.,
to meet. Schaumburg, IL 60173, USA
Harrogate International Centre,
King's Rd, Harrogate HG1 5LA, UK April
4/1 Teescon 2017
3/22 Adepticon 2017 From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
From 5:00PM on 3/22 to 4:00PM on Teesside Wargames Convention, Eston
3/26 Leisure Centre, Normanby Road,
Weekend badges start at $25 Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough TS6
We have expanded from a 9AE, UK
handful of events to well over
400 tournaments, event games, and 4/22 Salute 2017
hobby seminars covering all From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
aspects of the miniature war gaming Tickets start at 12.00 online and
hobby. Despite the continued 20.00 at the door.
growth and necessary expansion, Salute is the biggest independent one-
we have made every effort to day wargaming and gaming event in
keep consistent focus on one major the UK. Our aim is to promote the
priority: to present to our attendees very best in the hobby. Held at ExCel
the highest quality wargaming London, there will be the usual
event possible traders, with some from overseas as

well, along with plenty of May
demonstration and participation 5/6 Mantic Open Day
games to see and take part in. From 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Hear from the Mantic team, enjoy
Western Gateway, London E16 1XL, UK both games and painting activities,
check out the new and upcoming
4/28 BrisCon 2017 releases, and more!
From 6:00 PM on 4/28 to 4:00PM on Mantic Games, 193 Hempshill Lane,
4/30 Bulwell, Nottingham, NG6 8PF, UK
Brisbane's Best Weekend of Gaming!
BrisCon is looking to host a number of Looking for an event, but dont see it listed?
gaming competitions in 2017, and will We rely on the Mantic Calendar for events,
host a Bring and Buy market for all so please either coordinate your event there
gaming, hobby and related items. or let us know directly if you have an event
Kings of War is the premier fantasy youd like to have featured on the monthly
wargaming system in QLD. Masses of Calendar!
ranked warriors battle, wizards and
dragons fight, all in this superbly
written rule-set. If you are interested,
come along to our events on the 29th
and 30th and have a go!
BrisCon, 68 Green Terrace, Windsor,
Queensland, Australia.
4/28 Lonewolf Tournament of Texas

From 6:00 PM on 4/28 to 3:30PM on
4/30
Registration is $70.
The LoneWolf is a Kings of War grand
tournament in the United States, with
a rich history of epic competition, top
notch players and some of the coolest
trophies around. For more than
fourteen years the tournament has
been operating as one of the premiere
wargaming tournaments in the south.
DFW Airport Marriot South, Main
Ballroom, 4151 Centreport Boulevard,
Fort Worth, Texas 76155, USA
Gridiron Tony by Darren Lysenko

they had already infected. Naturally the
Were proud to announce the second Enforcers will try to protect the rest of
Ironwatch Game: Quarantine! mankind from the risk of the Plague, even if
they have to kill a significant number of
Set on the fringes of civilized space, people to do so.
Deadzone and Warpath are games of
futuristic battles fought among the ruins of What were posting now is the basic rules;
human colonies against a variety of alien Behind the scenes, were working on a
threats. Quarantine represents the actions deluxe/full version complete with stories
of the spaceships orbiting above the from Ironwatch issues, pictures, and art from
shrouded worlds. artist Boris Samec. The deluxe version will
also be available for free, and well be
Quarantine is played with model ships on a putting up the deluxe version for printing off
battlefield that is represented by a gaming of Lulu at-cost if you would like a hard copy
mat. As a player you will take command of a as well.
squadron of vessels manned by the elite of
human and alien spacefarers. Each turn you Can you man the helm and survive the
decide which of your models to move and enemies youll face in the unfeeling void?
what they will do, advancing through space
and shooting at your enemies. Come get the Basic Rules for Quarantine
here!
This is game is based off of Deadzone, and
focuses on the Containment Protocol
operations in space. It is designed as a set of
simple to play space combat rules based
around the Mantic system and should
therefore be easy for Deadzone players to
learn and add seamlessly into their games.
The original concept was to add an insertion
scenario at the start of a Warpath or
Deadzone campaign and end it with a daring
escape from the planet, whether the team
plays heroic Rebs, steely-eyed Marauders,
profit hungry Forge Fathers or even the
malevolent Plague leaders intent on
spreading the Contagion beyond the worlds

The Walking convention I did a piece for, and although I
am not much of a gamer, this one caught my
Dead: All-Out interest. My wife and I have been playing it
non-stop.
War Showcase
About this particular project.
By Andrew Schaffert
I created the cars from $5.99 CVS pull back
A little bit about me, I have been painting toys ranging in different scales from 1:35 to
miniatures for 2 years now. I dabbled with 1:48. I masked off the windows, re-primed
table top games in the past and got really them and went to town detailing them. I
into painting when I entered my first contest started with a base of oranges, reds, and
two years ago; I have been hooked ever browns and then applied AK Interactive's
since. I use a combination of airbrush, oils, chipping medium over it. After airbrushing
and acrylic paints in my work. I saw a the top layer, I used distilled water and
demonstration of All Out War at a
gently brushed away the
chips where I wanted them.
After that, I added rust
streaks using oil paints and a
small dab, literally half of a
water bottle cap full, of
turpenoid to thin them out
and get a realistic effect (I
avoid turpentine or mineral
spirits although they smell
terrific?). Finally I added
small highlights on the chips
to "pop" them out and give a
three dimensional feel. You
can see a before and after of
a toy car to the right.
The barriers I made from

scraps I had in my bitz piles.
The oil drums may have been
from an old Tamiya kit or
something (the box has been

lost to the sands of time). Obviously, the to give them a patina. I also used some old
pallets I made from balsa wood (no secret decals I had laying around (of course Valhalla
there), I sculpted the sand bags, and the is a tribute to the great Fury Road film;
steel bars I made from excess sprue (I may WITNESS ME!).
be a bit of a cheap skate, but seriously it is
the perfect texture for steel beams). The trash strewn about I made by printing
small newspaper pages to .25" size and then
The supply kits were made from an old printing them out in small sheets. I stained
Tamiya accessory pack. the sheets and then crinkled them up to look
like garbage. If you look close enough you
I made the road signs from the plastic that can see that one the headlines read "The
comes in blister packs and thick gauge steel Dead Walks" and there is a Casablanca
wire. The plastic makes a perfect facsimile newspaper ad; they are so small I am not
for sheet metal at a small scale. I used the sure you can see them in the pictures!
same weathering process as I did on the cars

The characters themselves I did mostly with enjoy the game but I am not entirely sure
airbrush. I worked from small parts to large how to write battle reports (I am a humble
areas, masking off the respective layers with painter, and I leave the strategy to the
blu-tac and then continuing. I would mask generals).
off the smallest areas first like hands and
faces, and then mask larger areas like shirts It is a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope to
and vests, and do the legs last (generally the hear from you soon!
largest areas). Although tedious, it produced
excellent results, and I am quite quick with it
now. I start with a base color between a
highlight and a shade, then highlight from
above, then shade from underneath (pretty
standard airbrushing). For large amounts of
minis I go for a zenith lighting. After the
airbrush was complete, I highlighted further
with a brush making the textures "pop" as
much as possible.
If you have any more questions about any of

my processes please let me know. I really

blacksmiths fires. He wondered whether
Tepotzil was still practicing his art,
surrounded by those pools of bubbling lava
from which the products of his craft were
made. He remembered the rows of axes
hanging from the cavern ceiling, waiting for
their third and final tempering. And being
led to the pit from which this killing tool was
to be pulled. The drawing of this blade from
the seething fires was the culmination of
many years of excruciating training, from his
birth in the spawning pool right through to
adulthood and the right to wield a weapon
and fight for his race. He remembered
pushing his hand into the thick, searing
liquid to press his unique imprint into the
shape of the handle, then drawing it out
carefully but surely until he could feel the
full weight unsupported by the pit from
which it had been born. It had been years
since he had seen Tepotzil or the fiery peaks
Orc Flagger by Jonathan Faulkes of the Three Kings, he realized. It never
seemed that long until you thought about it.
The Battle of The sounding of great war drums and horns
Crowburg from across the undulating landscape
Grove snapped him back to the present. As the

earth rumbled from the orcs starting their
advance, Chikuaq relaxed and allowed the
By BAE military training ingrained into his very fiber
assert itself. Feet shoulder width apart, one
Chikuaq looked down and stared at the foot slightly behind the other, knees bent,
blade in his scaled hand. The simplicity of its arms wide, stance ready. He imagined his
design belied the quality of its supreme homeland and what he was fighting for, and
craftsmanship. Its handle was molded to sit how much his orc opponents were a vile
perfectly when tightly gripped and arced into antithesis to everything he found
a viciously sharp edge in a single, solid piece sacred. The building rage of his burning hot
of magmite steel. He had used it in core flooded his entire being, singeing the
countless battles to fell innumerable foes grass around his feet and causing a thin
since it was forged at the heart of the Three smoke to exude from his nostrils. Pure,
Kings, but still the weapon was as keen as violent heat coursed through his veins and
the day he had first lifted it from the master limbs, his palm heating the handle and then

blade to white hot. A thin, keening sound looked left and right at the front rank of his
from the blade grew louder and louder as regiment, each salamander waiting patiently
the sheer amount of energy being imbued for his command. Raising his weapon arm to
into the blade reached its limit. Chikuaq the skies, the sword now acted as a flaming
screamed a hiss as the anger built, and as beacon indicating to his regiment to ready
the twin sounds transformed into an ear- themselves for action. Bringing it down
piercing screech, the sword burst suddenly swiftly in the direction of the enemy, the unit
into flame, roaring and spitting its readiness started marching forward in unison.
for battle. By this point, smoke was
billowing from his nose and mouth, his A deluge of hulking green savages wielding
inside a raging inferno, perfectly ready for crudely constructed axes was flowing
the battle ahead. Although Chikuaq had towards the full width of the salamander
been briefed on the battle strategy by a battle line. Across to his right, in the middle
ghekkotah runner, there was little need to of the field, a horde of greenskins carrying
have done so considering his experience. He especially huge, spiked axes was building its
Orc Axes by Darren Lysenko

Orc Axes by Guiseppe Aquino
momentum towards the center. Looming army was no doubt somewhere near the
behind the mass of orcs, lumbering trolls in giant. Krudgers may have reached the top of
skin loincloths flailed small boulders orc society, if it could ever be called that, but
strapped to broken tree branches as though that didnt entail any refinement; they still
they were already engaged with the derived the same sick enjoyment from
enemy. Screeches and snarls and bawls rose watching pain inflicted on others, and a giant
from the writhing plague like a thousand was guaranteed to deliver.
wolves calling to the moon, yet despite this
wall of noise Chikuaq could still hear the On his own side, a swarm of ghekkotah
deep booming of war drums emanating from carrying shields and shortspears made up
somewhere within. His nose twitched with the majority of the front line. Although
the stench of unclean, sweating, muscular nearly the size of a human, these
bodies, covered in streaks of rotting blood amphibians looked tiny compared to the
from previous foes which travelled the bulk of both orcs and salamanders. Their
length of the battlefield long before the orc movement seemed chaotic but Chikuaq
front line. Behind all of this, a huge giant; a could see their many head crests displaying a
mountain of bone, sinew and flesh; loomed bewildering myriad of changing colors as
over all. Although the beast carried an they communicated to organize rough battle
entire tree as a weapon, Chikuaq knew that lines. On their own he would have worried
it was just as adept at stomping, punching that they would be too weak to stem the
and biting anything that stood in its sheer strength of the oncoming creatures,
path. The krudger that commanded the but towering above them all in the center

was a hulking ankylodon. The monstrous opponents and turn. Increasing his speed,
reptilian beast crushed the ground with each he glanced across and saw the ghekkotah
ponderous step, the long horns protruding atop the ankylodons howdah release a
from its forehead and spiny protrusions volley of blowpipe darts. A handful of the
down its sides shaking with each fastest orcs slammed into the ground
impact. The wooden platform on its back holding their faces: the darts may not be
carried blowpipe-wielding ghekkotah enough to kill them, but the lethal poisons
peering over the side to survey the scene they were coated with would soon finish the
below. Ankylodons had long been in service job. A split-second later a huge ball of fire
to salamander armies and as such Chikuaq fizzed past the right of his unit, erupting in a
knew the devastating power that they could massive explosion as it reached the opposing
deliver. Behind this formidable front line, a line, distributing green body parts far and
horde of salamander unbloodeds readied wide. The screams of the wounded were
themselves to charge through the ghekkotah drowned out by the baying roar of their
once the latter had stemmed the orc fellow orcs, but not for long; they were
advance. Although these salamanders had quickly trampled into the ground by those
passed their rigorous training they had not behind.
yet fought enough battles to prove
themselves, so fighting alongside them was As the centers of the lines came together,
the battle captain leading the army, Chikuaq saw the bent and broken bodies of
Melathaq. On the flanks were two stronger, massive orcs being flung like ragdolls from
more experienced units; a regiment of highly the horned head of the ankylodon. The
decorated ceremonial guard across to the ghekkotah were faring a little worse against
right and his own unit of salamander the superior physical might of the orcs.
warriors to the left. These would defeat Although they were able to dart between
their respective opponents and wheel
inwards, forcing the orcs to fight in three
directions. Finally, a salamander mage-
priest, energy crackling all around him, was
preparing himself just to the right of
Chikuaqs warriors.
Due to their slightly larger frames, the orcs

wielding the spiked axes in the center were
pulling ahead of the rest of the line. Chikuaq
was slightly relieved that his unit wasnt
further to the middle; the fight between
such strong brutes and the enormous
ankylodon was going to be a thankless
carnage. Still, all the ankylodon, ghekkotah
and unbloodeds had to do was hold the line
until the flanking units could rout their Goblin Wizard by Matt Gilbert

Orc Axes by Jonathan Faulkes
legs and stab rapidly in all directions, their as they collapsed to the ground. Seeing a
front rank had been all but crushed under blade coming down at him from the right he
steel-capped boots. parried, and then quickly reacted to deflect
an axe being thrust like a sword by the orc
Facing forwards once more he judged the behind those he had just felled. Trusting the
distance still remaining: fifty yards, forty regiment around him to deal with the
yards, thirty-five. At thirty he started to attacker to his right Chikuaq lunged forwards
break into a run, his regiment still close and raised his sword parallel to the ground
either side but eerily silent save for the soft to block the axe that was now being brought
rumbling of footfall. Twenty-five down with almighty force at his head. The
yards. Running faster, the rumbling clash of the two weapons coming together
crescendoed, with a few of the more eager caused a shower of fiery sparks from the
letting out angry hisses. And at twenty, all flaming magmite steel. This unexpected
hell broke loose. His regiment erupted into a burst caused the orc to falter for a split-
frenzy of rasping shrieks and hisses and second, giving Chikuaq time to grab the axe
bolted forwards as fast as they where the head was attached, pull it to the
could. Sprinting with only a couple of yards side and thrust his sword deep into the
to go, Chikuaq raised his flaming blade, abominations chest. From previous battles,
screamed one last hiss and leapt into the Chikuaq knew the physical fortitude of his
raging torrent. opponents. Even removing limbs would be
highly unlikely to slow down an orc so each
Landing solidly on both feet he threw two slash and thrust had to be aimed at killing in
swift, downward swipes, one to the right, one blow. As he kicked the massive body of
one to the left, catching the necks of both the dead orc off his blade a huge, steel-
orcs immediately in front of him. Green- plated fist swung from the left and
black blood oozed from the gaping wounds connected with Chikuaqs jaw. Stumbling

into the salamander to his right, he saw an regiment. He used the momentary respite
axe following fast behind the fist. Being off to assess how the rest of the army was
balance he could not raise his sword in time, faring. The ghekkotah had taken heavy
but a salamander jumped into the breach to losses, but the ankylodon was still going
block with his shield. This rash defense of strong. In most situations surrounding a
the units leader cost the salamander dearly beast was the surest way to take it down,
as the axe of another orc lodged itself deep but ankylodons were very much an
into the warriors right shoulder. Unable to exception to this rule. If an opponent was
maintain grip on his weapon, and with only a able to avoid being gored by the horns at the
shield to defend himself, the disarmed front, they then faced being trampled under
salamander quickly fell prey to a flurry of huge, crushing feet. If this second danger
blows. was avoided, they finally faced a muscular
tail, tipped with a heavy lump of bone
By the time Chikuaq had steadied, he found decorated with yet more spiky protrusions
himself in the second row of his which the beast could swing with deadly
Orc Kludger on Gore by Darren Lysenko

Goblin Mawbeast and handler by Guiseppe Aquino
accuracy. Chikuaq could see orcs piling in to directly in the chest. The force of the
attack the animal but very few were living explosion threw the monster backwards, the
long enough to strike. The ones that did entire front of its lifeless corpse a melted
were struggling to draw blood from the thick mess of burnt flesh.
skin and were not standing long enough for a
second attempt. The unbloodeds had A salamander fell to the ground, but Chikuaq
moved through the ghekkotah and seemed did not move to fight the orc now facing
to be holding the orc line admirably: if the him. Like a cat not knowing what to do until
battle went well he could see Melathaq the mouse runs, even the orc paused in
promoting some of their number to full confusion. Heavy, dull thudding
warrior status. The mage priest, careful to crescendoed into an earthquake. With a
avoid friendly fire, was focusing his spells dawning realization of the cause, the orc
towards the trolls now starting to lope with slowly closed its eyes in acceptance of its
increasing speed towards the swirling fate. The troll let out a sound like a bellowed
melee. Two fewer were standing than retch and burst through the orc ranks,
Chikuaq had counted at the start of the crushing the solemn orcs skull sideways with
battle, and as he looked another fireball a wild swing of its crude weapon. With its
ripped through the air, striking a third free hand, it grabbed a salamanders neck

and yanked. Wrapping its enormous, mallet. Horrified by what was happening
salivating mouth around the snout, it bit before him, it took Chikuaq a few seconds to
down hard with green, rotten teeth, react. Finally realizing that this was his
wrenching broken flesh, teeth and bone free chance, he darted behind the distracted troll
from their owner. It surged forwards, and thrust his sword below the ribs and
swinging its weapon at Chikuaq who was upwards towards the heart. It took the
only just able to dodge. His warriors were dumb animal a few seconds to understand
palpably nervous, retreating slowly from the what had happened. At first it tried to reach
unhinged monster. Even the orcs had ceased behind its back to claw at the hilt. Then,
their pressing attack, knowing that they gradually, it started to slow, tottering slightly
were just as likely to receive a boulder to the as its arms lazily carried on in their
face as any salamander if they came too objective. Finally, the mouth gurgled, the
close. Realizing the onslaught could quickly eyes rolled back, and the trolls face hit the
turn into a rout, Chikuaq readied himself, ground.
raised his sword and charged. A handful of
his warriors followed his example and rushed Unable to yank the now extinguished sword
forwards. The small boulder swung in a low from the body, Chikuaq rolled, deftly
arc, pulverizing two of them. Chikuaq and selecting the axe of a fallen comrade before
the remaining few slashed and hacked at the leaping back to his feet. With the threat of
beast. Blood sprayed in all directions from the troll gone he had expected to find orcs
its limbs but still it swung them, its fist swarming around him, but instead they were
sending another salamander sprawling. An frantically shuffling backwards, hiding behind
axe bit into side of the trolls each others shields. With the enemy
knee. Stumbling and yowling, the boulder wavering and on the brink of fleeing,
came back in an instantly reply, smashing Chikuaq bellowed his order without having
through the salamanders shield and hurling to think.
the wielder to the floor. Losing itself in a
rage, the troll started pounding the limp Charge!
body like a cook tenderizing meat with a
Goblin War Trombone by Claudia Zuminich

Orc Fight Wagons by Jonathan Faulkes
As he leant forward to start his run his mind into mincing machines. In an instant, the
punched him in the gut with the realization chariots were upon them. Body parts flew,
that something was wrong. The orcs had not chaos and blood spewing in all
fared so badly that they should be running directions. Wails of agony falsettoed over a
yet. And their faces. However gnarled and chorus hysterical screams as his regiment
hard to read they were, they were not the started to flee from the onslaught. One of
faces of the fearful or frightened. What was the chariots churned past Chikuaq, an orc
meant to be a run turned into a few fallen rider following through with a mace. As the
steps as he stared at the front rank of orcs, whirling spikes mangled themselves into his
looking for clues. While most of his unit leg, the mace crunched into his
noticed Chikuaqs hesitance, checked their shoulder. Incapacitated by pain, he dropped
advance and stood ready, a couple of quicker to the ground. Shaking violently as he
salamanders raced ahead and were swiftly struggled to get back up, he collapsed again
hacked down. A large orc wearing a tattered immediately as his left leg gave way beneath
kepi broke into a wide grin as his blood red him. Still refusing to give up, Chikuaq tried
eyes met Chikuaqs. Having opened a gap of to roll on to his back by pushing with the one
about thirty feet, the orcs halted and arm still working, but his quivering limb
Chikuaq noticed an odd sound coming from could not shift the weight of his
his left. Terror clenched his throat as three body. Slumping back down he wallowed in
boar-pulled chariots exploded over the crest pools of muddied earth and blood. Why
of a small ridge to their left and came here?, he thought as the pain started to
hurtling down. The clattering, squealing fade like a distant memory, I want to go
contraptions bristled with jagged steel, the home. His eyes became heavy, the world
wheels transforming some of the protrusions started to slow, and then there was nothing.

Clash of My Abyssal Dwarf army The Abysst of
Frinds was the recent winner of the Best
Kings Painted Mantic Army at the Australian Clash
of Kings 2017.
Australia: The name of the army came from the
Best Abyssal allies that are present: the Abyssal

dwarfs and Forces of the Abyss seemed like
Painted
they should be best of friends. Using my
powers of command over the English
language, I deformed both words to that
Army which suited plus, its fun to say.
This 2000 pt. army is made of:

By Ben Rantall 2 troops of Gargoyles
1 troop of Slave Orcs
1 regiment of Lesser Obsidian Golems (with

War-bow of Kaba) The archfiend was a kit-bash I made years
1 regiment of Abyssal Halfbreeds (with ago and love, but rarely sees the table, so
Brew of Haste) you could say that he was the inspiration for
1 horde of Abyssal Grotesques (with Potion the entire army. Its made up of bits and
of the Caterpillar) [Forge world bull centaurs pieces from various manufacturers.
as Mantic doesnt yet produce these]
1 Greater Obsidian Golem There are also small conversions throughout
1 Ironcaster (with surge and Inspiring the army: Basusu is holding the head of a
talisman) recent victim, two Flamebearers were
1 Abyssal Halfbreed Champion (with promoted to Brazierbearers, the gargoyles
quicksilver rapier) had been removed from their standard
Basusu the Vile plinths and worked into poses mid-flight, the
slave orcs had the feet manacled to form a
Allied with: chain gang.
1 regiment of Flamebearers
1 Archfiend of the Abyss (with wings) The backstory of the army was that the
Ironcaster had taken his best creations and
slaves north in search of more lesser-beings

to capture and bring back for servitude. The Ben, in costume for commanding his forces
terrain is rough and often hit by snow is a Supreme Ironcaster on Great Winged
storms, remnants of surface towns barely Halfbreed, an Overmaster on Great Abyssal
visible under mounds of snow. Miss Bruce, dragon, more slave orcs (both on foot and
the Archfiend, always up for the destruction mounted), more golems, and Abyssal
and torture of humans, brings his retinue of Berserkers if Mantic release the figures
Flamebearers. They, dragging along the again.
Brazier of Hapish, use the heat of the evil
flame to fight off chill which the North Wind My main project for next years Clash of
brings. Kings is to complete the Herd army I started
a while back. Every figure has been
As for performance, they did ok. There is converted in some way in an attempt to
little shooting in this list but as a whole, it is make them fancy. Think bowler hats, top
quite fast. I ended up placing 11th out of 62 hats, judges wigs and giant gavels just to
players with one of the lower attrition scores name a few examples
for the bracket it seemed that it was better
at winning through objectives rather than -Bensome (from the Direct Misfire podcast)
killing the enemy which kind of fits the
theme; a dead opponent cant be used as a
slave (not counting the undead).
I plan on continuing to build the army up to

try out different playstyles. Already planned

At What
into the grey stillness of the ruined city, the
crisp crackle of the dry leaves only seemed
to reinforce the feeling this was no longer a
Price place for the living. This was a place of
loss. Of regret. Of death.
By Donn Turner Why do you torture yourself so? Elizabet

whispered, finally breaking the long silence.
Ianel and Elizabet stood quietly in the middle
of the windblown street. Once, there had HumphI could ask you the same thing.
been life here. The commotion of the Ianel replied.
market square. The clamor of the
blacksmiths beating on their anvils. The I come here, because I know that you will
laughter of children. be here. Elizabet said with a little sadness in
her voice.
Now, there was only the sound of the north
wind gently playing with the dry leaves of Am I that predictable? Ianel Asked.
autumn. Instead of breathing some life back
Human Cavalry by Daedle

Kingdoms of Men Spearmen by Andre Kritzinger
No. You are many things, my old Master, NoNo, it is I that should be apologizing
but predictable is not one of them. You are to you, mymymy old friend. I am sorry
toogoodfor our profession. Elizabet for raising my voice. I amsorrythat I
replied. dragged you here so many times before. I
am sorry that you had to witness the site of
Ha! How can you say that? Especially here, my biggestfailure. Ianel struggled.
of all places? Ianel retorted.
Ianelyou cannot blame yourself for this
Because, unlike so many of us, you feel. It any longer. You had no choice. You know
is your one weakness. You care about those that. Elizabet replied.
around you. You care about the ones that
get hurt. Especially thechildren II was sosure, that we could stop him. I
was so convinced of ourrighteousness.
Thats enough! Ianel interrupted. Ianel admitted.
IIm sorry Elizabet apologized as she He was a beast. A monster. You were right
lowered her gaze to the old cobblestone to put him down. If you hadnthis disease
street. would have spread. Elizabet countered.

Kingdoms of Men Standard Bearer and Hero by imm0rtal reaper
Maybe. But...II fearthatonce you know fountain. He looked tired. Defeated.

the whole truth of it, you may not be so
forgiving. Ianel struggled. I am not your confessor, Ianel. I am your
student. I am your peer. But, most
What more is there to know? You are an importantly, I am your friend. Yourgood
Inquisitor. A Master of the Order, no less. It friend. Please. Please tell me what hurts
is your sacred duty to hunt down and you so. Elizabet consoled.
destroy the filth that plagues our world. He
was a threat. A perversion. It was your duty I wasyoungso youngas you may
to destroy him. Elizabet pressed as she drew remember. I had just been taken as an
near Ianel. Apprentice by Alek. He wassuch a good
teacher. He inspired me, Elizabet. He was so
Yes. Yes, that is so. But, I never told you pure. So good. The light of the Shining Ones
the whole story. Ianel admitted. seemed to gleam out of his eyes. He was so
easy to follow. Like following the light of the
Ive read your accounts. You have told me sun. So full of warmth. Hehe was a holy
the tale. You were praised for your efforts. terror to his enemies. Of that, I can assure
Elizabet countered. you! Ianel remembered.
NoI have not shared thewhole You have always spoken of him fondly.
story. Not with anyone. It is myold Elizabet replied softly.
wound. I thought that it would heal. With
time. Maybe, with enough time, it would He waswellwe had a lead. It was just a
not hurt me so. Ianel said with obvious rumor, really. Someone saw a beast. You
regret in his voice. He slowly sank down to know how it is. Some farmer gets a belly full
sit on the edge of a broken stone of sour wine, sees his shadow, and suddenly

the hills are alive with demons. But, we had What became of that merchant? Elizabet
just finished prosecuting another case, so we inquired.
looked into the story. Turns out, the lead
was a merchant, and not one to dismiss out Hehe did not survive Ianel struggled.
of hand. So, we came here, to Northwind.
Ianel remembered. Imsorry.please continue. Elizabet
encouraged.
Yes. I remember reading your account. The
merchant was of noble birth, and had many When we first arrived in Northwind, it was
years of education, did he not? Elizabet a growing little city. The demand for
asked. mammoth ivory and hides was strong at that
time, and the nomad tribes wanted forged
Thats correct. He had assumed control of metal, so the merchants were making quite
his family business, and was trying to live up a bit of coin buying and selling. Northwind
to his obligations. He was also a pious man, could have been great. It had everything
being tutored by monks during going for it. We reasoned that this why
childhood. We were lucky, at the start. Had Ormont had chosen Northwind as his hide.
Ormont not asked the lad to join hispack Ianel stated as he looked out at the vacant
then we may have never known that there city.
was a problem. Ianel reflected.
He was the sixth son of a failing line. He
had nothing but the arrogance of station.
Kingdoms of Men Spearmen by ManticFanBoyLAD

A Kingdoms of Men Warband explores the Star-Struck City by Austin Peasley
Elizabet remembered. His kind disgusts me. He could have done

so much in this world. But, instead, he
Yes. He was a spoiled little noble that served only himself. Ianel fumed.
always believed that he deserved
more. Through various unsavory means, he Please continue with your account.
gathered a group of outcasts and Elizabet encouraged.
mercenaries to his banner. Selling
themselves out to the worst of petty tyrants By the time we arrived in Northwind,
and would be kings, he amassed a small Ormonts little band of cutthroats had
fortune. But, it was never already wormed their way into the wealthier
enough. Somewhere along his travels, he families of the city. We heard tales of wild
acquired the power of lycanthropy. The parties, strange disappearances, and animal
curse only empowered Ormont to commit mutilations. It was not difficult to discern
greater and greater acts of cruelty. Ianel the truth of things, even for those blessed by
said with obvious venom in his voice. ignorance. Ormont did little to hide his
activities. Maybe he felt so emboldened by
In all of these years, I have only heard you that time, he simply did not care to hide.
mention his name a few times, but it is Ianel reflected.
always with bitterness in your voice.
Elizabet observed. If only all heretics announced themselves so
openly Elizabet mused.

So, we moved on him. At that time, it was yes. Alek fell that night. Ianel said in an
only Alek, myself, and three other uncharacteristically small voice.
assets. They were good assets, but Alek was
not foolish. So, we used a fake identity, and So far, you have recounted the tale as I have
had the town guard surround the large heard many times. We lose friends. That is
house that Ormont and his crew were the nature of our business. You know this.
reveling in that night. We thought that if we Elizabet pointed out.
hit them hard and fast, they would not know
the danger until it was too late. Just to be Yes. Yes, we lose friends. Aleks death
sure, we had silver edged weapons and saddened many of his peers and
crossbow bolts. Ianel stated. associates. But, that is not what pains me
so. Not for all of these years. Ianel
But, it did not go according to plan. Alek confessed.
was lost. Elizabet continued.
You can trust me. Unburden yourself, so
that we can move beyond this pain. Elizabet
Basilean Paladins by Andre Kritzinger

Kingdoms of Men Knights by imm0rtal reaper
urged. Im here. Elizabet whispered.
During the strike Ianel hesitated. Shesmiled at meher eyesher blue

eyesthey were turning yellow Ianel
Please. Elizabet encouraged as she took struggled.
Ianels hand into her own.
What happened Ianel? Elizabet asked in a
Alek and I had kicked in the door that soft voice.
barred entry into a small room. It was
nothing more than the servants quarters II couldI couldnt fire. She was just a
Ianel struggled. girl! She was just a 12 year old girl! Ianel
sobbed.
You can trust me. Please share your pain
with me. Elizabet consoled as she gently The enemy takes on many forms. You
kissed Ianels trembling hand. taught me that. You must know that she
wasnt just a little girl. Elizabet soothed.
There was a girlnot more than 12
summersshe was so pretty. Blonde Sheshe pulled a carving knife from
hair. Blue eyes. She was terrified. Alek behind her dressAlek never saw her
moved into the room, while I blocked the moveit was my responsibilityI was
door. He challenged the little girl, who supposed to cover himI was supposed to
cowered in fear. Alek held out his hand to protect him Ianel cried.
keep the girl at bay, and turned to inspect a
large wardrobe to his left. The little girl Its OK. Im here. Im here my love.
looked at me. So innocent. So Ianel Elizabet sobbed as she cradled Ianel in her
stumbled. arms.

Sheshe moved so fastshe rammed that side, but it was too late. With his last
knife right through his breastplateno little breath, he pulled me close, and told me to
girl should move so fastshould be so let none escape. Ianel said with no emotion.
strong Ianel cried.
He was right, of course. If but one of them
The two Inquisitors sat for a long time in the escaped, they could spread the curse to
cold. They both cried. After some time, they another. Elizabet stated.
gradually regained their composure.
Yes, he was right. So, we burned them
I watched Alek fall to the floor. The little girl all. We werevery thorough. After that
smirked at me, mocking my hesitation. I put night, I dismissed the assets. They were
a silver tipped bolt right through her good assets. But, they had seen
forehead. When her body hit the floor, it enough. They had endured enough. I had
was half girl and half wolf. I ran to Aleks them watched, of course. Just to be
By Daedle

sure. None of them turned. But, they never I am always here for you. Just as you are
took up arms again. Ianel stated. always here for me. You know that you are
vindicated, just as Alek was vindicated. You
And, one by one, the townsfolk got them all. Elizabet said, rising.
left. Northwind died a slow death. Ormont
killed this town with his evil. You had to do Yes. We got them all. Ianel said, as the pair
what you had to do. Elizabet consoled. turned, and started the long walk out of the
city.
Every year, I come to this damned
place. Not out of remorse. Not out of Just as the Inquisitors vanished from sight
guilt. I would burn them all a hundred times down a small alley, the pale moonlight was
again, if I could. No. I come here, because I caught in the yellow eyes of a large black
need to remind myself, that there is a cost to beast.
what we do. Ianel said with conviction.
At what price? Elizabet wondered aloud.
Everything. The price is everything that we

are. We give all in service to others. Not for
praise. Not for glory. We do it, because it
must be done. We pay the price for
humanitys survival with our very souls. Not
a single night goes by where I dont see her
face. Not a single night goes by when I dont
scream at myself to pull the trigger. To save
him. But, I cant. He dies. And she mocks
me. Ianel admits.
The price is high. Too high. But, as you

said, it must be paid. Elizabet reflected.
Im sorry that I brought you into this

life. Im sorry that I burden you with Ianel
apologized.
Hush. If you will recall, I was the one to

seek you out. And, you did warn me. I just
didnt listen. Elizabet interrupted. Kingdoms of Men Spearman by ManticFanBoyLAD
Thank you. I just needed toget that

out. It is an old wound. Ianel said, standing.

Reb Commander and Judwan Medic by Jamie OToole
Ultrasonic out gracelessly upon the steel floor, while

their carelessly slung weapons knocked
rhythmically against the rest of their kit.
Part 1
The soldiers overconfidence, which
By Sebastian Pietrzak bordered on negligence, caused the soldiers
to fail to notice another pair of eyes peering
In the dusty gloom of an abandoned tunnel, out of the darkness. Crouching motionless,
a three man team of soldiers continued their nestled in the comfortable gap between the
lazy patrol of the underground corridors heating pipes, was a lone Veer-myn.
below the residual hub. Since nothing here Twitching slightly every time the soldiers
could be regarded as a tempting target for boots rang out an unpleasant tone on the
saboteurs or vandals, they roamed the metal floor, the Veer-myn waited impatiently
corridors at ease, and joked easily. As the for the Humans to leave the area. The Veer-
soldiers marched on, their shod boots rang myn had used this route several times by

now, and already knew, more or less, the
routine. He knew that he wouldnt be seen
as he approached the production halls and
power stations.
These were Burrus favorite places to rest

and listen. The constant, rhythmic, patter of
pistons stamping. The torn, sloppy hiss of
steam spouting. That was his kingdom.
Concealed between the machinery, he would
be hidden from any prying eyes or
surveillance systems. Sozzled by the
background noise, Burrus would sleep like a
pup.
As Burrus approached one of his favorite

resting places, he noticed that something
was not right. The Humans were
everywhere. Several technicians were
attending mechanisms, and they were
clearly agitated. Leaders of the Human herd
were shouting orders with shrill voices, often Reb strike force by Paul Mullis
shaking with excitement. Or was it fear?
Burrus did not understand the unpleasant everything they touched. Metal would fizzle
Human language well, but his limited and collapse upon itself. Exposed skin would
knowledge was enough to deduce some quickly condense and evaporate with a
meaning. The Humans had been attacked on sough. Unfortunate victims usually looked
the surface, and were trying to prepare quietly in disbelief for a few seconds, before
some sort of defense here. uttering a cry of unbelievable pain. The cry
would soon die out, along with its owner.
Remembering the orders of the Brood
Mother, Burrus guessed it was Lugens pack Looking at the commotion, Burrus was not
that had assailed the Human outpost. so sure about the outcome of the battle
Knowing their biochem inclinations, Burrus above the ground. The Humans were not
smiled. Veer-men employed night raids, running amok. They had their respective
preceded by a heavy barrage, to keep the duties and orders, and were clearly trying to
Humans occupied in an inefficient exchange prepare something. Deciding to listen to his
of fire. All the while, the real threat crossed intuition, Burrus did not leave the area in
the no mans land, and sprayed enemy search of a more desolate place to rest.
positions with caustic liquids. These Instead, he stayed to listen.
chemicals reacted with oxygen while still
airborne, and would instantly melt

Burrus found a more comfortable position, howl. Even through the tens of meters of
pricked up his ears, and watched the material that separated him from the
commotion near one of the heating pumps. surface, Burrus was able to hear an
Human technicians began to roll out bundles unbelievable roar of energy. After a few
of cables, and attached them to one of the seconds, the phenomena stopped, along
large devices. As soon as the coupling was with the machinery.
completed, they began to flip switches,
adjust valves, and pull levers. All of these The Humans began to move again. Some of
seemingly random actions brought the them had grabbed fire extinguishers, and
machine to life. Burrus was drowned in a were trying to cool down parts of the
wave of sounds, as the area came alive. cabling. It had become red-hot, and was on
the verge of melting. Anticipating the end of
Pumps began gurgling as if pumping water. the show, Burrus withdrew deeper into the
Giant fans began their thumping rotation shadows. Before he retreated to make plans
slowly, only to speed up, and suck heat from for his pack, Burrus cast one last hungry look
some canal below. Dust particles and small at the amazing device.
pebbles began a quick ascent, swirling,
whizzing, and tapping on metal rotors as ***
they travelled all the way up. Somewhere
inside the machine, coiled inductors, each Mr. Tarczynsky, if you please, spare me a
length of fully grown rat man, began to moment? The hoarse voice of Space Port
collect heat, quickly becoming red-hot and commander Adam Kovalsky halted the
sizzling sharply. Finally, the machine Comms Specialist in place.
revealed its purpose. All of these primal
forces were harnessed and transformed into
raw energy, which began a journey through
the cables to an unknown destination above
the ground.
To Burrus sensitive ears, all of these sounds

combined to create an irresistible music.
Unconsciously reacting to the rhythm, the
unseen Veer-myn began to wag his tail.
Soon, Burrus had begun to tap his claws on
closest surface, matching the subtle rhythm
of the machine orchestra.
Suddenly, all of the lights in the room

dimmed, almost to the point of fading. The
machinery began to transfer energy to its
unseen destination at neck breaking speed,
and the subtle hum changed into a mad Reb Grogan by Toulouse Miniatures

I know I gave you a free hand regarding the Thats pretty vague. Can you give me
analysis of rats behavior, but I would like for something more concrete? Kovalsky asked.
you to provide me with some more details on
what you already know, and what your Right away. Yesterdays attack on
suspicions are. Production Hall PH 7 seemed very inefficient
and ill-planned. The enemys barrage was
Of course, sir. As you know, over the course highly inaccurate, until one of the rats
of the last 7 days, we have encountered 24 opened the light control box, and modified
acts of hostility of some kind. At least 7 of something inside. After that, the lights in the
them were theft or vandalism caused by Veer hall went dark, and then switched back to
-myn, which was confirmed by surveillance. life in ultraviolet mode, until the fluorescents
There were also 4 direct attacks on our above our positions were overloaded, and
facilities. These actions were also confirmed exploded.
as Veer-myn attacks. However, this
information is not really the interesting Once turned to ultraviolet, the rats barrage
part, the Comms Specialist reported. I became much more accurate. You could say
mean, of course, these actions are serious, almost sniper like, if you consider their usual
and we need to react. But, there is other efficiency.
footage of rather peculiar rat behavior.
These incidents cannot be directly linked to Yes, I remember this in the report. There is
the hostilities that we talked about in todays something mysterious to it, youre right.
briefing. However, I think that Im starting to Kovalsky replied.
see a pattern.
Whats more, is that Ive seen a
few times where lone Veer-myn
were standing in seemingly random
corridors. They were doing nothing
at all, or so it seemed. I would like
to focus on such occurrences, to see
if they might have any correlation to
other cases. Ive seen at least one
such session of doing nothing take
place near a facility that was
attacked not long after, the Comms
Specialist said.
Well, Im no xenobiologist, but the

rat looked rather agitated when it
disappeared into that maintenance
shaft at the end, Kovalsky stated.
He exhaled deeply before speaking
Veer-myn by Geoff Burbidge again. Well, its a mystery... but, in

Deadzone firefight at Adepticon 2015, courtesy of Mantic Games
my experience, if you have a hunch, its Surveillance cameras had detected Veer-myn
worth pursuing. Alright, crack on. I expect a activity in this underground facility earlier.
report in 6 hours. Dismissed. This squad was dispatched to intercept one
of these groups and eradicate the vermin, to
*** give a clear sign for others to stay away.
Soldiers were moving swiftly and silently Once near the target location, the soldiers
through the underground corridors. turned off their flashlights and gathered in a
Underslung flashlights on their weapons defensive formation, taking preassigned
constantly swept the pathway in front of positions and scanning the area. It was a
them, behind, above, and on the sides huge warehouse, crammed with tall
where entrances to the maintenance shafts containers, water and fuel reservoirs, and
might be. They knew the enemy they might stacked crates. Observation of the whole
encounter: the stealthy and dexterous rat room was out of the question it was a true
men were well known for their ambush maze. Once fully operational, all menial work
tactics, often utilizing narrow pathways here was done by mechanical servitors using
usually overlooked by humans. magnetic chips on containers as signposts.
For now, however, the warehouse was not in
use, and its robotic denizens sat on the

outskirts of the maze, gathering dust. effective weapon they had at their disposal.
He clicked something on the weapon, and a
The troopers scanned the area for small flame ignited below the barrel.
immediate threats. Not spotting any Veer- Another trooper, the strongest of the group,
myn outside of the maze, they soon realized was carrying a heavy burst laser which he
they would have to venture inside to get removed from his back and mounted on a
them. Not wanting to break the silence and tripod with a quiet click. Then he attached a
notify the enemy about their presence here, portable energy cell to it, which began to
the lieutenant gave the orders in sign hum softly as it transferred energy to the
language. Everyone in the squad checked weapon. Finally, he turned on the proximity
their weapons, ammo, and combat knifes. warning systems, sat heavily on the ground,
One of them, the one carrying a and focused on covering his squad on the
flamethrower, was surrounded by his squad move.
mates. In narrow confines of the maze that
awaited them and against such swarming The soldiers arrived at the entrance to the
enemies, a roaring cone of fire was the most labyrinth, and without pause they ventured
Enforcer with heavy weapon by C.M. Minis

Flanking Veer-myn by Paul Mullis
inside. Finally, they reached the first turn and However, the sound was weak and the
disappeared from the sight of their colleague acoustic properties of the maze made it
with the heavy weapon. impossible to assess from where the sound
was coming or how far away the source was.
Inside, the squad began crawling through the The forward soldier looked at the officer
endless turns. Every time they reached the while pointing the way he guessed the sound
crossroad or a split, the lieutenant would was coming from; the lieutenant nodded
consult the plans he had on the HUD display with approval and the unit took off.
of his tactical helmet, and would choose the
way forward; their assumption was the Veer- Soldiers began slowly following along the
myn were gathering at the heart of the labyrinth towards the beckoning sound.
labyrinth, so he followed the course leading Once again, the column stopped. They all
them ever closer. heard it without the signal from the point
man: in the distance, they could hear
Suddenly the point man raised his clenched intermittent whirring sounds, as if someone
fist, immediately halting the entire team. was playing with the driller turning it on
The silence hung in the air for a long minute, and off. However, the sound was coming
and the lieutenant was about to give the from different direction than the scratching.
order to move out again, when they all
heard something. A jarring sound of metal As the lieutenant didnt want to split the
scratching metal. It felt as if someone was group, he ordered the team to resume
pulling something on metal floor tiles. marching towards the original target. After a

while he requested a report from the rear message for them.
guard.
The feeling of being surrounded overtook
It never arrived. the whole squad. They instinctively took the
defensive positions in a circle to cover all
He ordered the group to halt again. Seconds possible lanes of attack. Sounds of their steel
later, they realized one of them was missing. -clad boots, rustling of their uniforms and
The rear guard was absent and was not clicking of weapons being reloaded they all
responding on teams radio frequency. As a were drowned out by the maddening sounds
check-up, commander contacted the heavy of dozens of drills coming from all around
gun sentry he was still there, reporting no them.
enemy activity.
Now suddenly tense, the

soldiers moved out towards
their initial goal yet again,
even more cautiously this
time. They had just lost a
man with no-one noticing.
Not a single sound was made
when one of them was
abducted. Only a scratching
noise in the distance and
jerky sounds of drills coming
from
The soldiers suddenly

realized the sounds were
now coming from multiple
directions and distances
some getting closer with
each passing second. Even
more drillers could be heard
every few seconds, every
time distorted by acoustics of
the maze they were in. They
couldnt tell exactly which
corridor led to which
whizzing sounds, which alley
led to which scratching
sounds, sounds of claws
scrawling an ominous By Marcel Popik

The vermin tide crushed in on
them from all directions. Only
veteran instincts and training
allowed them to react quickly
enough to use their weapons.
Laser rifles hummed and
shrilled when firing energy
lances into the living tide of
fur. A few rats were hit and
their burning pelage fizzled
under the extreme heat of
laser beams; the creatures
howled with pain and anger
but did not stop their charge.
Their commander had

enough time to contact their
rear guard and shout a
warning. Before he received a
reply, the soldiers overrun,
and all they could hear were
the roaring melodies of
By Chris Schlumpberger weaponized mining drills.
Suddenly all was quiet. Every noise To be continued

disappeared, every drill stopped its furious
rotation. The silence was so sudden and
deep, they could hear their frightened hearts
beating and blood pulsing through their
veins. Cold sweat doused them, hands began
to shake, and chapped lips yearned for a
nervous lick.
Without warning they were assailed by the

cacophony of howls, squeaks, and roars of
the drills. All around them Veer-myn
emerged from the shadows, hideouts in
crates and concealed maintenance shafts. A
few even jumped from the tall stacks of
containers in almost suicide attack.

Enforcer Peacekeepers by Cedric Boudoya
Exham IV: terrible was happening outside the walls of

Space Port Salvation. In fact, something
Ironbreaker terrible had been happening on Exham IV for
quite some time. In its past the planet had
By redemption been incredibly resource rich owing to
collisions with other planetary bodies in its
The dull thud of weapons fire carried well formative years. Following its discovery and
through the thinning atmosphere of Exham the very literal bidding war that followed, Mi
IV. For hours now the shots had interrupted -Gan corporation had emerged the victor
the frantic peace in the station, but there and turned the planet into an industrial
had been no word from anyone yet as to mining center.
why all shuttles had been cancelled. Only
that they were to remain where they were Twelve cycles ago Exham IV had almost
until further notice. It was clear now to collided with a rogue planet hurtling through
everyone in the station that something space, resulting in a catastrophic orbital shift

away from the systems star. The terrible ice developing around the space port. This high-
age had slowly put an end to all mining profile contract was brought on by the
operations on the planet as conditions outbreak of a new plague on the already
rapidly deteriorated. Much of Exham IV was dying planet. The sickness began with severe
now abandoned, the vast urban areas and subconjunctival hemorrhaging. Eventually
enormous mining colonies that were once hypovolemic shock set in. The victim would
home to billions were now left seemingly then drown in their own dissolving lung
empty and devoid of life. All urban areas that tissue; thus, the disease had been dubbed
is, except Transit Station Salvation. The the bleeding sickness. Those under the age
transit station was a mid-sized space port of 12 or over the age of 65 seemed to carry
with 3 launch bays built into the central the virus but very rarely died from it. The
structure that acted as landing platforms for rest of the population werent so lucky,
shuttle craft that took travelers to and from resulting in an 80% fatality rate. Despite all
Priory orbital station. What was left of attempts at medical intervention the virus
Exham IVs population had dubbed the place was still decimating the population, turning
Salvation, as it had been the only remaining the planet into a refugee crisis.
transit station on the planet for some time.
Most of the company were billeted at the
White Talon Security, a leading name in still bustling and profitable orbital station
private force application, had deployed Priory, their presence reassuring the
Marine company D-7 Ironbreakers on hundreds of ships that passed through Priory
Exham IV one cycle ago. Led by the every week on their way to the outer
enigmatic Major Vaughn, their orders had systems. With them were 3 full strength
been to supervise the security situation battalions of Mi-Gan troopers who
performed the day to day security
operations for the station. The terms of the
contract had been simple; to supervise Mi-
Gan operations and deal with any situations
the less well trained battalions couldnt
handle. Having spent a year since the
outbreak on the planet evaluating the
performance of the Mi-Gan marines, Major
Vaughn had ordered all officers including
those on planet to report to Priory command
center to politely discuss his findings.
Leaving a skeleton crew of White Cat officers
to maintain order, Vaughn had put captain
Walsh in command on the planet for what
had supposed to be a few hours.
Three hours later, Walsh and his team had

Enforcer Defender by Adam Morrow lost contact with the orbital station. In the

resulting panic the already desperate code of ethics and calm head in times of
refugees had attempted to attack the outer crisis. What the Lieutenant lacked was the
wall, they hadnt even come close before the company connections, rich parents or
automated defenses along the outer blackmail material normally required to for
perimeter had blown them to pieces. At high level promotion in the various private
least that was what everyone had thought, military organizations that made up the
as the captain and twelve veteran white Galactic Co-Prosperity Sphere Marine Corps.
talon marines were found torn to pieces a
few hours later by what seemed to be crude This time however, Medfords position of
handmade cleavers of some kind. They were respect in the company had earned him the
still investigating how anyone had breached rank of next in command, as the new captain
the security perimeter undetected. was extremely dead. Fighting had continued
non-stop as the survivors had tried
Approaching 30, Company Lieutenant desperately to overrun the automated
Medford had led his platoon for the past 2 defenses. The cost in civilian lives was no
years. His field promotion to Lieutenant longer worth counting. Now he was in
following the brutal fighting on Icran III was command of a situation that was long past
the stuff of legend. In fact, after the his control, all he could do was hold out and
Forgefather Wars that followed Lieutenant hope for reinforcements.
Medford was one of the most highly
decorated heroes of the company. Medford Space port Salvation was a 400-foot-tall
was a born leader, highly respected for his carbon-steel sphere, coated in a blast proof
Deadzone Plague attack by Nicodemus Sandberg

entering the station and still performed its
primary functions, with marines and station
staff ensuring only those who had been
approved for travel were allowed into the
station proper. The area between the middle
ring and the main station barricade was
packed with the recently erected cheap
concrete structures. These buildings were
home to the two Mi-Gan battalions and
thousand strong station staff that were
responsible for maintaining order in the
overcrowded space port.
Medford sighed. Taking a deep breath, he

began the short march from the helipad to
the hastily erected forward command center.
The irony of waiting for rescue from
Salvation didnt escape him. But he
reminded himself that there were two
Tiger Corps by Marcel Popik
thousand very unlucky civilians now trapped
protective glass sheath that reflected the inside Salvations main building. Not to
three concentric walls surrounding the mention the rest of planets population that
station. The walls had been repurposed by had taken refuge in the slums that had
the security forces, and now functioned as formed beyond the outer rings of the
security barricades and quarantine station.
containment centers. The outer wall of the
facility had been modified many cycles ago Gentlemen, were in trouble.
to separate the residential slums outside the
transit station from the hotels turned The Lieutenants tone was grave as he
refugee camps within the outer rings. Exham addressed his newly improvised command
IV was for all intents and purposes a dead structure. We all know what a planetwide
planet now, its entire population dedicated nav shutdown protocol means. The
to leaving the system for a better life veterans stared intently at the officer in front
elsewhere or resigned to their fates amongst of them, already knowing what he was about
the cold iron rich dust of their homes. to say. The Council of Seven has grounded
the planet. What that means for us is that
This created an enormous logistical were stranded on a frozen iron-oxide hell
challenge for the station staff and White hole, surrounded by a diseased and
Talon. Those fortunate enough to be desperate population who have suddenly
deemed uninfected could take residence taken to throwing themselves at our
between the outer and middle rings. This metaphorical bullets.
area was originally designed for travelers

The Lieutenant moved over to the table that
stood in the center of the room. On the table
stood a holographic map emitter that
contained live relay feeds of the surrounding
space port. The Lieutenant tapped in the
authorization codes via the command device
at his wrist, quickly bringing up the live feed
holograph of Salvation. The red warning
symbol flashed above the display, acting as a
grim reminder that the feed from orbital
station was absent. Beckoning the soldiers to
the table, he moved the projection into
focus around the outermost ring..
Activation of the live feed revealed the

carnage unfolding below. From beyond the
wall Medford and his command could see
hundreds of unreadable targets attempting
to engage with the automated turrets and Enforcer by Matthew Beer
marines stationed along the barricades. Riot
demographic software had flagged the Muttered curses began to fill the room. The
engagement, and had deployed the turrets handful of them had been forced to take
lining the outer walls to return fire with high charge of the hundreds of marines stationed
caliber explosive munitions. This barely at salvation, now they were facing a full scale
registered with the lieutenant, or the other planetary uprising. Comms chatter
marines present whose eyes were drawn to accompanied the panicked voices that filled
the enormous red alert covering the the room as the marines stationed on the
northern sector of the outer wall. A flurry of outer wall requested further orders.
symbols and warning rushed across the Medford raised his fist, the sudden
projection, warning of heightened distressed movement of the acting station commander
levels from the crowd. The marines didnt took the assembled men and women by
need the warning symbols to see what was surprise, ushering silence into the room. I
happening. The display above them showed want at least 4 Mi-Gan platoons stationed on
hundreds of thousands of desperate that wall- The command radio strapped to
potential infected had gathered since nav- his shoulder came to life before he could
transmissions had ceased. Medford didnt finish. Sir this is Corporal Reeves, acting Q4
need tactical overlay to understand what command, What the hell are you boys
was happening. They were preparing to doing? I mean- sorry to interrupt sir we
break through the wall, or die in the need command to outer wall Q4 ASAP.
attempt.
The Lieutenant smiled. Reeves had served
under Medford for 2 years now; he was a

good soldier and friend that always spoke his There was something here that didnt add
mind. Occasionally though, that also meant up, he was sure of it. Medford closed the
using his skillset to hack command observation port and stood from his seat,
frequencies he shouldnt even be aware of, using the handles that lined the transport
to relay said thoughts. We know corporal, compartment to steady himself, he made his
sit tight. Keep the marines in cover and let way to the cockpit. Ive seen enough. Bring
the robots do their job. He looked up at the us down on top of the wall over there. He
men in front of him and prepared to give gestured to the landing platform where he
orders. Cavalry incoming. had ordered Reeves and the rest of the
White Talon troops already at the walls to
Medford finished relaying commands to the gather.
troops from his seat on one
of the Standard Pattern GCPS
Hornet Transport ships on
standby close to the station
building entrance. Soaring
above the outer walls, the
hornet performed a high-
altitude surveillance
maneuver over the desperate
ocean of bodies forming
below. Digital enhancement
from the relay feed was one
thing, but holograms left no
room for instinct. The crowd
was wreathed in the dust
cloud formed by their
numbers, meaning the only
effective reconnaissance was
from the air. Even at this
height Medford could smell
the violence in the
atmosphere, yet he struggled
to understand the scale of
what was happening. What
could have driven these
people to such
madness? There was no way
all of them could be infected,
but a gathering like this was a
feast for blood disease and
suicide for everyone else. GCPS Ranger by Christian Schlumpberger

As the Hornet began its descent, Corporal He found it hard to argue with the corporals
Reeves couldnt help but think that the assessment.
trumpets of heaven might sound a lot like
the thrum of those wing mounted Even the newest White Talon recruit was a
propellers. The corporal had the long thin veteran of at least four years with an
nose, handsome features and tightly exemplary record. So he knew these men
trimmed beard typical of his core world were battle hardened at least; their pay and
heritage. Despite his youthful face and equipment reflected that fact. White Talon
notorious sense of humor, at twenty-six protective gear was state of the art, and the
years old Corporal Reeves could easily have reinforced carbon-fiber armor plating of
passed for a man in his 30s. Have a nice trip their armor was adorned in the uniform
Medford? The lieutenant sighed as he white of their employers. The red insignia on
jogged down the ramp past the troops their helmets marked their platoon and
assembled below. Thats lieutenant to you company assignment.
core-shine. Reeves laughed, Youre not
going to like this lieutenant, but its only Even the black company-issue under-armor
me, Brooks and seven of the newbies that covered the rest of their bodies was
stationed here. Oh, and about four hundred engineered for sub-zero combat conditions
Mi-Gan. So, its ten to ten thousand I guess. and was inlaid with the ballistic resistant
Medford struggled not to laugh at the fibers and Nano-circuitry which linked to
reactions of the assembled Mi-Gan troopers. their helmet visors, providing advanced
GCPS Marines by Liam Markey

Fraid so mon capitaine Medford sighed, he
had long since given up trying to engage
with the standoffish markswoman. Instead
he called for attention from the assembled
soldiers.
Ok boys and girls, you each get 40 of

Exhams finest. I want 800 meters of
overlapping fire on the causeway. Mark your
scopes. From what I can see theyre going to
try and rush the gates and batter them down
somehow; its the only explanation I have for
this madness. He turned to address the Mi-
Gan troopers now, softening his tone.
Chances are no one is going to have to take
a single shot, the turrets will do their work
before they even get close. But this is about
as big a crowd as you greenhorns can
imagine, so I want us all prepared for the
worst. White Talon is in command for this
operation, see your handlers for orders.
Move out!
It took minutes for the marines to get to

Reb Human Trooper by Jamie OToole their position. Autocannons and riflemen
now lined the barricades, ready to support
tactical overlay. The mass produced standard the automated defenses. The cloud of dust
issue black armor and outdated rifles that was edging closer now, obscuring the mobs
the rest of their comrades were equipped advance. It began with a trickle at first, like
with seemed stone age by comparison. It pebbles on a mountain. One after the other
reflected the poor training and equipment groups began to charge out of the dust,
standards Mi-Gan corporation had employed screaming incoherently before being pushed
until now. Not that he blamed the troops for back by the withering hail of explosive
their inexperience, nearly all of them had munitions from the turret defenses.
only joined the corporation security forces to Eventually Medford made his address.
secure a trip off world for them and their Civilians, stand down and await processing
families when they were done. approval. Any attempts to breach the
perimeter will be met with deadly force.
Medford acknowledged Brooks with a nod.
We sure this is everyone? Brooks didnt As if in reply a great shriek filled the air,
return the gesture, instead finishing the sight taking the lieutenant by surprise. Before
adjustments on her rifle before she replied. Medfords brain could recognize the

Enforcer Strider by C.M. Minis
distinctive screech, another sound pierced some madness. At 600 meters the automatic
the air. The throng charged forward all at defenses reset their targeting parameters.
once, and the battle for Space Port Ignoring the unidentified weapons fire
Sanctuary began. attempting to distract the defenders, they
turned their attention on the crowd below.
The marines opened fire at the 800-meter Thousands died in minutes, but this wasnt
mark. A flurry of laser fire rained down from enough to slow the tide. By now the force of
the riflemen along the walls, taking a bloody the crowd was too much for those in the
toll on the first wave of bodies. Moments front to resist as they tried desperately to
later the gore-soaked thoroughfare was set flee the killing ground. At the 500-meter
ablaze as the marines unleashed their heavy mark, tears streaming down his eyes,
weaponry. From the walls, the sound of the Medford drew his rifle and joined the
automatic weapons fire was barely loud marines with controlled bursts of fire from
enough to muffle the screams of the dying. his weapon. At 400 meters, as he began to
Medford watched in growing horror as the reload for the second time he could see
crowd charged on regardless, possessed by Brooks and Reeves franticly yelling down the

speaker system. It was impossible to hear realization dawned on Medford as the
what they were saying above the roar of civilians below pounded the steel of the
heavy weapons fire, but the pain in their closed security gate. This time he had
eyes told Medford all he needed to know. recognized the screeching cry. Before he
could speak the words, the world below was
At 300 meters the tidal wave that had set washed away under a tsunami of amber
upon the space port finally began to break yellow and dark fur.
against the hail of fire from the defenders as
they brought their grenade launchers to The creatures that burst from the ruins of
bear. The impetus of the charge had broken. Exham IV raced on bipedal legs. Humanoid
Now the mob of infected had devolved into only in the roughest sense, they each had an
pockets of desperate survivors taking cover extra joint below the knee and vicious claws
amongst the fresh craters lining the
causeway. Most of the marines, weapons
spent, were slumped against their barricades
in various states of shock, unable or
unwilling to process what they had done.
Medford ran to Brooks, grabbing the
intercom radio from her shaking hands. He
climbed atop the barricade in full view of the
crowd below, a black silhouette against the
setting sun. Medford screamed down the
speaker system. Retreat you idiots! Stop
this insanity! Minutes went by without
reply from below, the marines had stopped
firing into the crowd but without any sign of
retreat Medford was forced to keep the
automated defenses active suppressing the
rest of the infected. As the distant star
illuminated the scene unfolding below, the
automated defenses at their position began
to shut down one after the other, munitions
either spent or barrels overheated. With the
thud of the weapons gone, an eerie silence
filled the air.
Another shriek filled the air from

somewhere in the dust beyond. If the
infected below were already desperate, now
they were frenzied with panic. Many of them
rushed forward, seeing their opening and
crowding at the gate. The horror of Marauder Trike by Daedle

that tipped the dark matted fur of their but watch the massacre unfold before them.
limbs. This evolutionary advantage gave The deep pang of the alien lasers had
them incredible speed as the horde confirmed the lieutenants worse fears. He
descended on the surviving infected. Many had fought these creatures before; on Icran
tried to flee along the no mans land to the III, they had taken to calling the strange
side of the causeway, seeking the shelter of weapons ray-guns. The creatures that
the buildings meters away. Those same carried them were part of the largest
buildings stained crimson by the sunset, infestation he had ever seen. Behind the
released their deadly contents onto the wall, enormous mining drills began to erupt
fields surrounding salvation. from beneath the surface, unleashing their
deadly payload across the station. Medford
Elongated rodent like skulls and jaws filled leapt from his position as the first of the
with filthy yellow fangs tore into flesh while beam weapons hit the barricade, landing
crude laser weapons fired haphazardly into amongst the soldiers he rallied the stunned
the panicked crowds. With the defenses troopers. Retreat! He yelled, sprinting
interrupted, the marines could do nothing down the barricade. He set his transmitter to
Forgefather fortification by Peter Tek Thornisson

They were everywhere in seconds, cutting
through the surprised defenders with
uncanny speed and savagery. They came at
them from the vents, from the maintenance
corridors and the container holds stored all
over the orbiting station. Brutal fighting
erupted around the station as isolated
groups fought desperately for survival.
Approaching his mid-forties, Sergeant Tanner

was just about sick and tired of fighting for
his life. Unleashing a furious torrent of
napalm death from the flamer at his hip, his
laughter was the only reply to the shrieks of
the Veer-myn that filled the hallway. The
stench of burning metal and singed fur filled
the sergeants lungs. Tanner lowered the
flamer at his hip, grinning to the shocked mi-
gan troops Extra crispy boys, thats how you
cook a rat! he said. Not content to sit and
guard the defunct communications room,
Enforcer Pathfinder by Loic Boudoya Tanner had taken his 10 marines into the
thick of the fighting, picking up as many Mi-
all frequencies All forces retreat to the inner Gan troopers as they could along the way.
wall, lift the processing and bring everyone The immediate hallway in front of them
you can into the inner ring. Its the Veer- cleared of the brightly armored bipedal
Myn! creatures, the sergeant addressed the men.
Now heres what were gonna do. Were
When orbital station Priory received gonna burn, shoot and stab our way to the
grounding protocol instructions White Talon armory just ahead. Then were gonna save
forces had been put on full alert. At the time those core-shiners in the command room
an apparent technical error had left the and get ourselves a nice bonus. Whos with
officers isolated in the command room, me?
meaning White Talon marines were tasked
with guarding the command vital operations The cheer of the assembled men and
of the station until command operation were women was cut short by the shrieking reply
restored. Meanwhile, the hundreds of Mi- of the Veer-myn reinforcements. You know
Gan troops around the station had been the drill people: urban engagement fire
remotely tasked with isolating all non- pattern. The Sergeant turned to face the
essential personnel to their ships or handful of survivors they had found. Private
quarters. Despite this, the Veer-myn assault Stan! The Mi-Gan weapons specialist
had still taken them all by complete surprise. jumped to attention. I want you and your

Deadzone firefight by Shane Knerl
boys to take those weapons of yours and then the door is on the right. Private howre
melt every air vent in this corridor as we we doing back there?
pass it, do you understand me private? The
young trooper shouted over the barrage of Doing fine Sir! Got a couple before they
the marines just ahead Yes sir!. Tanner had could jump out of the vents! The sergeant
put him in charge of the rear guard a few whooped in delight.
minutes earlier, as his name was the easiest
to remember. Hell yes Private, that is what I like to hear!.
Meter by meter the troopers advanced
The Veer-myn charge lost its momentum down the corridor. As they passed another
under the hail of coordinated laser fire. With ventilation shaft at their feet, one of the Mi-
no cover to be had in the long corridor the gan troopers moved to weld the vent shut,
marines had the advantage over the poorly but this time the stalking creature inside was
equipped creatures, who were once again ready. The trooper was met with a flurry of
forced back by the steady advance of laser fire as the creature burst from its hiding
Tanners marines. Just a few more meters, place. She fell to the ground, two cauterized

wounds beneath her shattered breastplate.
Sergeant Tanner answered in kind, sending
the Veer-myn soldier flying into the wall with
the metal toe of his boot. One of the
marines ahead finished the job, grabbing the
aliens fleshy tail and shoving his pistol in its
jaw.
Before his comrades could avenge the dead

nightcrawler, the sergeant shoved the nozzle
of his flamethrower into the exposed vent
and pulled the trigger. When the squealing
finally abated, the sergeant ordered the
group forward again.
The Veer-myn had not expected to be on the

defensive and were caught unawares by the
surprise counter attack. Tanner and the
group cut through the hallway, their shots
racing after the unprepared nightcrawlers.
When they arrived at the armory doors, the
marines formed a defensive perimeter. The
Mi-Gan troops moved into in the room first Enforcer by Jamie OToole
with the sergeant at their heads. Finding no
enemy targets, the marines fell back into the breathing folks, good job. Pass those charge
room. Rifles at the ready, they backed into packs forward Private Stan. Were gonna
the room with drilled precision, firing in need a lot of ammunition. The Sergeant
controlled burst that kept the Veer-myn opened a hatch above the container and
behind cover and unable to follow. As the keyed in his passcode. He gestured to the
last of the marines fell in, two troopers flamethrower at his hip, and then to the
moved to secure the armory door, the rest contents of the munitions container. How
took up defensive positions facing the many of you recruits know how to use a fire
doorway. stick? Unfortunately for the alien creatures
massing in the hallways beyond, every
Tanner opened the second blast door, trooper present raised their hands.
revealing the hundreds of rifles and
ammunition packs that lay beyond. The Vaughn ducked under the blade of the
sergeant strode past the weapons to the creature in front of him, the speed of the
green crate which was marked with the humans movements caught the alien by
white insignia of a hawk talon holding a large surprise as the wild swing took it off balance.
caliber bullet. A fierce grin covered his face Seeing his opening, Vaughn stepped into the
as he addressed the room. Were still night stalkers guard and took its throat in a

vice like grip. The creatures armor grasped deck where the Veer-myn began their
in his other hand, the major roared in assault, the commanders of the station had
defiance and pulling at the yellow metal been ambushed first. This kind of fighting
plates bolted to the Veer-myns flesh. suited the battalion: they were White Talons
Agonized screeching flew through the room void warfare specialists, and operated well in
as the armor came away. splitting the the tight confines of the station. But despite
creatures body almost in half. Vaughn tossed their best efforts many had been killed in the
the corpse over the barricade into the crowd first hours of the ambush. When the marine
of stunned Veer-myn. He hadnt drawn his officers had run out of ammunition, most
pistol since the fighting began; there was no had begun using their side arms as hand
need. weapons, waiting for the opportunity to
crack skulls or stab at exposed patches of fur
The Major, along with the rest of the and flesh. Some of the Mi-gan officers had
stations command structure, had been managed to figure out how to use the
isolated on the command deck by the Veer- weapons the aliens carried and were
myn saboteurs. While outside the command providing suppressing fire as best they could
Wrath ambushes an Enforcer Sniper by C.M. Minis

with the crude pistols. Their initiative had command deck as the creature moved
not escaped the colonels notice. Reading the forward, hunched low to avoid hitting its
situation, he had led the men into the armored head on the ceiling of the
control room sealing all but one entrance. corridor. The deck fell silent as the marines
spied the creature preparing to advance on
Now there was only one way for the aliens them. Without warning, the creature rushed
to reach them, a long well-barricaded forward, moving with the same vicious
corridor. If they wanted to breach the agility as the rest of the Veer-myn and taking
command room then they would have to pay the horrified marines by surprise. A great
for it in blood. The first few assaults had crash sounded from the front of the lines as
been repelled easily enough, but beyond the the barricade broke apart.
barricade the troops could spy another
crowd of Veer-myn. This time something was The genetically enhanced nightmare was
different. The alien swarm parted, making a among them in seconds. Huge claws
path for the hulking creature beyond. attached to knotted muscles tore through
the nearest marine. Shrieking in delight. The
The enormous Veer-myn was covered in beast fired up the enormous mining drill in
thick steel plates, colored the same bright its right hand, mauling any troops that came
yellow as its comrades. It shared the same within range. The marines were routed by
rat-like features, but the size of this new the sudden appearance of the monster and
beast dwarfed its lesser brethren. Heavy fell back en mass. Lost in blood lust the
footfalls filled the ruined corridors of the nightmare charged forward on its powerful
legs, taking a bloody toll on the fleeing
soldiers. What marines had escaped the
initial impact fled through the corridor,
ignored as the nightmare fell into a frenzy of
greed, tearing into the flesh of the fallen
troopers with its gore stained muzzle. It
didnt take long before the nightcrawlers
were hot at their heels, picking off marines
with laser fire or leaping at exposed backs,
terrible blades cutting into unprotected gaps
in their armor.
Then the Major was amongst them, his

famous beam revolver finally drawn from
the holster at his hip. The deep boom of
laser fire rang through the hallway with each
step the commander took. One of the
creatures dropped headless onto the floor,
another flew back squealing at the gaping
Tiger Corps by Marcel Popik wound in its torso. The chase of the Veer-

Deadzone terrain by Paul Scott
myn faltered as they were forced to face this through the corridor, its massive drill aimed
new threat. The closest pack member leapt straight for Vaughn and his men. The soldiers
from atop a dead officer to the Majors right, watched in horror as the beast raced
another shot, another step and another forward, most fled down the corridor
dead Veer-myn lay on the ground. Their faith knowing their fate should the drill come
renewed, the soldiers stood behind their close enough. The Major stood firm and
commander as he strode forward. Then vented his laser revolver, calmly adjusting
death rained upon the startled Veer-myn, the setting on the grip. The mutated Veer-
pushing them back through the hallway, past myn continued its charge down the hallway,
the hulking monstrosity beyond. roaring in delight. The whirring of the battle
drill became deafening as the nightmare was
The nightmare was shaken from its feeding almost upon him. The stench of blood and
frenzy by the sudden change of pheromone alien filth overwhelmed the majors senses.
signals from the lesser Veer-myn. Alert and The nightmare was nearly close enough now
ready again, the colonel watched as the to strike, exactly where Vaughn wanted it.
beasts enormous frame came hurtling

In a single fluid motion, he lifted his weapon
and locked eyes with the creature. Im
finished with you now, vermin. Blue light
flooded the corridor as the overcharged shot
left the barrel of the Majors revolver. A
surprised expression would have been
painted across the creatures face Vaughn
imagined, were its head still attached.
Carried forward by its momentum the
corpse skidded forward, grinding to a halt at
the commanders feet.
Vaughn stepped over the steaming corpse of

the dead alien and vented his pistol. To
me! he cried and began his own charge
towards the unprepared Veer-myn beyond.
Enforcer Sniper by Matthew Beer
The sight of their champion so easily
dispatched by the figure racing towards above their heads, missing its intended
them was too much for the Veer-myn mark and blasting a hole in the wall behind
soldiers, and they fled before Vaughn and them. Despite their best efforts, the battle
the battle cries of the rallied marines. The was nearly over. They had fallen back to the
natural speed of the Veer-myn carried them second barricade with just enough time. As
from the battle faster than the marines could the night-stalkers spilled through the gates
follow. Seeking strength in numbers they and from the ground they had reaped a
moved to the sabotaged blast doors that bloody toll from the first wave of alien
blocked the emergency stair exit of the invaders, but they were not prepared for the
command deck. One of the larger creatures armored assault that followed.
pushed his way through the crowd, placing a
strange orange device on the blast door. Great tunneling drills had erupted from the
Moments later the door shattered, opening concrete beneath the walls, hailing deadly
the path to freedom for the fleeing horde. fire on the flanked defenders and trapped
The Veer-myn scrambled down the staircase civilians. Behind the great tunneling
to the deck below, happy to be free from machines came all manner of monstrous
danger for the time being. The larger nightmares, giant assault troops that had
creature that led the pack was first to the ploughed through the unprepared soldiers.
exit. The alien ripped the door from its As he ducked beneath another blast the
hinges and the relieved Veer-myn spilled Lieutenant could see now that he had
onto the deck below, where they met ordered the retreat to the final barricade too
Sergeant Tanner and the fires of hell. late, leaving the marines in a deadly close
quarter struggle as they fought to get to
Incoming! Medford fell to the ground safety. Fortunately the main station building
beside the men. Another focused beam flew still held: so far the blast proof glass coating

of the structure had proven impervious to dust and dull ringing replaced the frantic
the heavy laser weapons of the Veer-myn sounds of the battle around him. For a single
armor. moment, the only sensations left were the
spinning sky and the cold air against his
This was of no solace to Medford and the freshly exposed skin. The impact of the
marines as they fought a desperate retreat concrete was the last thing Medford felt
to the station building. He knew it was only a before the world went dark.
matter of time before the tunneling
equipment broke through the foundations. So Major, about that pay rise we were
giving the creatures the opening they discussing. The sergeant took a swig from
needed to overwhelm the beleaguered his flask, laughing at the look the Major gave
garrison. Medford could see the soldiers him. They had both stopped to catch their
around him taking cover in the smoldering breath while the younger men and women
ruins, doing their best to return fire. But they finished cleaning the command deck. What
were hopelessly outgunned and time was pay rise Tanner? the Major finally replied.
running out. The ground shook and the
sharp tang of o-zone overwhelmed Why, they one were discussing right now
Medfords senses. Peering over the wall he sir. The major gave the old sergeant another
could see the alien machine was preparing stern glare for a moment, but was unable to
to fire its weapon again. This time the Veer- keep up the faade. They both laughed, glad
myn operators found their mark, 4 marines to be alive after the events of the past
to Medfords right were vaporized as the twenty four hours. Well Tanner, usually
heavy laser swept through the ruined grunts like yourself arent paid until the jobs
structure, obliterating all it touched. The done. Tanner offered the flask to his
Lieutenant could only watch as the next commanding officer, Vaughm gladly obliged.
vehicle came into view and opened fire. Red And I might shoot you yet, so maybe Ill
GCPS Marines by Matt Gilbert

Deadzone Plague attack by Nicodemus Sandberg
think about it. Tanner knew that was the

best he was going to get. He stood,
discreetly retrieving his flask before stowing
it away out of sight.
Any further orders sir?
The Major stood and walked over to the

observation window. Staring at the planet
below, he thought of the soldiers still down
there. With his back still to the sergeant he
replied.
Why, first weve got a station to secure and

a quarantine to override, enforcers inbound
to probably try and kill us all and then weve
got a planet to rescue. The Major turned to
face Tanner.
Think youre up to the task, sergeant?

Looking to advertise your
game group, blog, podcast, or
other Mantic gaming
organization?
Contact the IRONWATCH

magazine to place your ad in
the magazine for FREE!
Outlanders Gaming Guild

Omaha, Nebraskas Premiere Tabletop Gaming Group
Kings of War played on Thursday night at Dragons Lair in Millard

5022 South 153rd St. 5-9PM
Contact Russ Barnes for more information by emailing

isanti314@gmail.com
Also look for us online at OutlandersGaming.Blogspot.com
We welcome all gaming

enthusiasts: young, old,
experienced veterans or
those new to the hobby.

Looking to advertise your
game group, blog, podcast,
or other Mantic gaming or-
ganization?
Contact the IRONWATCH mag-

azine to place your ad in the
magazine for FREE!

Mantic Radio has become Counter Charge!
Counter Charge! is the first podcast totally dedicated to Kings of War
Find us on iTunes or visit us at www.ohiohammer.com

Dwarven Ironguard by Peter Grose
Inside:
The Walking Dead brethren against the foul
showcase orcish menace...
See some great examples of
both paint jobs for the figures, E x h a m I V :
as well as amazing terrain and Ironbreakers
tips on how to make it... GCPS troops attempt to keep
control of their base against
Clash of Kings: the plagued locals, even as a
Best Painted Army much more dangerous threat
Check out some of the best lurks below...
paintjobs in the world for this
army of Abyssal Dwarves... And much more!
The Battle of
Crowburg Grove
Follow Chikuaq as he fights
alongside his lizardmen

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March 2017 | ISSUE 55

March 2017 | Ironwatch Issue 55|

2 | Ironwatch Issue 55 | March 2017

March 2017 | Ironwatch Issue 55| 3

Iron Forge ............................................................................................................. 5

The Mantic Calendar ............................................................................................ 13

The Walking Dead: All-Out War Showcase, by Andrew Schaffert .......................... 17

The Battle of Crowburg Grove, by BAE .............................................................. 24

Clash of Kings Australia: Best Painted Army, by Ben Rantall.................................. 33

At What Price, by Donn Turner ............................................................................. 39

Ultrasonic Part 1, by Sebastian Pietrzak................................................................ 48

Exham IV: Ironbreaker, by redemption .............................................................. 57

4 | Ironwatch Issue 55 | March 2017

Forge youd like!

Welcome back to the Iron Forge.

On display this month for you we have:

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Converted Bug (counts-as Elves) cavalry by Daniel King

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4/28 Lonewolf Tournament of Texas

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The barriers I made from

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If you have any more questions about any of

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Grove snapped him back to the present. As the

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Orc Axes by Darren Lysenko

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Due to their slightly larger frames, the orcs

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Orc Kludger on Gore by Darren Lysenko

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Goblin War Trombone by Claudia Zuminich

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Best Abyssal allies that are present: the Abyssal

Army which suited plus, its fun to say.

This 2000 pt. army is made of:

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I plan on continuing to build the army up to

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By Donn Turner Why do you torture yourself so? Elizabet

Human Cavalry by Daedle

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Maybe. But...II fearthatonce you know fountain. He looked tired. Defeated.

March 2017 | Ironwatch Issue 55| 41

Kingdoms of Men Spearmen by ManticFanBoyLAD

42 | Ironwatch Issue 55 | March 2017