AGAINST THE OGRES: DEVOURERS IN THE DARKNESS

Overview Dwarfen mines and tunnels crisscross under the eastern edge of the World's Edge Mountains. Compared to the northern Dwarf Territories, this area has been relatively quiet – until now. A strange new menace has befallen one of the Dwarfs' eastern settlements. Two giant, stinking, slavering, pale Ogre Gorgers have found their way into the Dwarf tunnels nearby, driven mad by the smell of tasty Dwarfs. Miners have begun disappearing. The Dwarfs must eliminate this threat before the foul Gorgers find a way into the Dwarfen hold and devour the delectable families of the Miners.

Battlefield

This scenario takes place on a 4’x4’ table that is designed to look like a Dwarfen (or Skaven, or Goblin) mine. Based on the map shown on this page, lay out enough terrain to form four or six connecting shafts (you can use existing scenery, solid objects like books, or even masking tape to create this board). To build your own catacombs board, modify the design in the following Black Gobbo 15 article.

Alternatively, if you don't play Dwarfs, you can set up the terrain to represent the streets of an Empire or Bretonnian town, the paths of an Elven forest or Orc village, or the catacombs of a Vampire Count's nocturnal lair.

Objectives

The Dwarfs are trying to stop the Gorgers from getting out of the mines (off the Dwarf edge) and into the Dwarfen hold. The Dwarfs are also trying to keep their losses to a minimum – dying in the toothy maw of a Gorger is not a good way to check out. The Gorgers, of course, just want to kill and eat, and young Dwarfs are more tender than Miners.

The Defender (Dwarfs) wins the scenario if he kills both Gorgers without the help of the Trollslayer.

Requiring the assistance of the Trollslayer to kill the invaders will result in a draw.

If either or both of the Gorgers make it off the Dwarf table edge, it counts as a victory for the Attacker (Ogres).

Deployment

The Attacker deploys the six tokens face down anywhere on his table edge. The Defender should not know which tokens are the Gorgers and which are harmless-but-noisy rats.

After the Attacker has placed the tokens, the Defender deploys his forces. The Defender can place three Miners anywhere on the Dwarf half of the board (within 24” of the Defender's table edge). The Defender deploys the Ironbreakers within 6” of the Defender’s table edge.

The Defender can move the Trollslayer onto the battlefield as if he had pursued enemies off the table the previous turn. The Trollslayer deploys via the Defender table edge at the beginning of any Defender turn. However, the appearance of the Trollslayer has an affect on the outcome of the scenario as described above, so use him wisely.

Who Goes First?

The Attacker goes first.

Special Rules

Skirmish. This battle is a Skirmish game. All the rules on pp. 242-246 of the Warhammer rulebook apply.

Dwarfen Tunnels. Tokens and Gorgers move at a rate of 6” and cannot march move in the narrow, low Dwarf mine tunnels. Gorgers can, however, charge their full 12”.

Dwarfs move as normal in their natural environment. On a successful Leadership test, a Miner can find a weakness in the rock wall and can burrow between existing mine tunnels at 3” per turn. Once these new tunnels have been created, Dwarf-sized models can squeeze through these openings at regular speed. Use a marker (string, paper, revealed tokens) to denote where the Dwarfs have dug new tunnels.

The Beast Revealed. When a token and a Dwarf in the same mine shaft come within 8” of each other and have line of sight, flip over the token to reveal whether it is a deadly Gorger or a harmless rat. A Dwarf can force the flip of a token regardless of line of sight if he is in the same tunnel and gets within 4” of the token (see Illustration 1, and Illustration 2 for clarification). The Ogre Kingdoms player has the option to reveal his Gorgers at any time.

The Hold Gates. When a Gorger gets within 12” of the Defender table edge, it begins to smell the young Dwarfs that the Miners are so valiantly trying to defend. If there are no enemies within 4”, the Gorger can move directly toward the Defender table edge. This rule is an exception to the Gorger’s Ravenous rule.

All Dwarfs within 12” of their own table edge know the consequences of their failure and are thus Immune to Fear. Fleeing Dwarfs automatically rally at their own table edge.

Shift Work. As long as no Gorger is within 12” of the Defender table edge, the Dwarf player can redeploy any slain Miners at the beginning of his Movement Phase as long as one Dwarf turn has passed since the Miner's death. The Defender can move the Miner onto the battlefield via his table edge as if he had pursued enemies off the table the previous turn.

Part of a Larger Battle

The results of this scenario will have a significant effect on the next Against the Ogres scenario.

If the Dwarfs dispatch the Gorgers quickly with few losses, the investigation into where the Ogres came from can begin sooner. If the Dwarf player wins Scenario 1, they are the Attackers in Scenario 2.

If the Gorgers get through and devour the inhabitants of the Dwarfen hold, the Ogres will find out about the Dwarfen presence when the Gorgers return to camp and cough up Dwarf bones and armor. If the Ogre Kingdoms player wins Scenario 1, the Ogres get to be the Attackers in Scenario 2.

If Scenario 1 ends in a draw, then determine who gets to Ambush in Scenario 2 by a dice off.

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