Brutality: Age of Ishtar Game III

The Arena District

Before the city was laid waste, this area was home to the fighting pits and the Arena Maximus. The stones still resound to the cheers of the bloodthirsty ghostly crowds.

Designate one area of the Battlefield as being "the Arena".

Environmental Effects

• Global: First Blood! The first kill is worth 2VP. 
• Global: Blood and Dust! Killing anyone in the arena is worth +1VP.

• Minor: Baying for Blood! Immediately move the character the shortest distance necessary to place them in to contact with the nearest enemy. This is treated exactly like a Charge. This is a free action.

• Major: The Crowd Goes Wild! All Altars and Stashes are removed. Only in death is there glory.

Deployment

The Blood Takers arrived first, spreading out along the Eastern side of the ruins.

The Skull Takers took up positions opposite them.

In the centre of the battlefield stood the collapsed remains of a temple of Ishtar, surrounded by six collection boxes stuffed with ancient treasures.

The remains of the Arena lay to the North of the Temple. 

Turn 1

Noskull and Headhunter quickly moved to search the collection boxes by the Arena.

While, away to the South, Horns plundered another stash of forgotten wealth, and Topknot dashed to a treasure trove to the south of the temple.

Meanwhile Threeskulls swooped towards the treasure on the Northern side of the ruined Temple.

Unfortunately, for the Skull Takers, Threeskulls became the first of many to run afoul of the arena's stands; clipping them, and failing to reach his objective.

Things got worse for the new recruit, when Bloodstoker, backed up by Banner, moved to contest the same collection box.

Dentax flew to a vantage point, and Teleported Skullbeard to his side.

From there, Skullbread hurled his axe at the hobbling Topknot (Dex: 0). Topknot was able to deflect the attack, though he dropped his weapon in the process.

Bloodsecrator and Skullhelm rushed in to the ruined Temple.

Victory Points

Skull Takers: 1VP (Noskull)

Blood Takers: 2VP (Headhunter and Horns)

Turn 2

Ignoring the danger posed by Skullbread, Topknot rearmed himself and searched his treasure trove. Horns followed suit, ignoring the enemy and concentrating on filling his purse with ancient gold.

Skullbeard decided to hurl his flying axe at Banner, attempting to strip him away from protecting Bloodstoker. The whirling axe streaked through the ruins and took a slice out of Banner's arm.

Dentax swooped down on Topknot, looping around him and then charging him from behind. Dentax wounded and disarmed his foe. However, even disarmed, Topknot badly mauled Dentax in reply.

In the arena, Headhunter, Threeskulls and Noskull engage in a desperate struggle. Headhunter proved his metal, emerging from the battle unscathed, while his two opponents both suffered injuries.

Banner and Skullhelm both moved to join in the arena fight. Both stumbled clambering on the stands, and failed to make it in to combat.

Threeskulls cursed Bloodstoker (-2FS), but this only served to enrage the mighty discipline-master.

Bloodstoker scaled the area stands and lashed Noskull.. Bloodstoker's barbed whip tore Noskull to bloody pieces, his corpse collapsing in a steaming heap on the arena's thirsty sand.

The arena shook to the phantom cheers of the long dead fans! "First Blood!" and an "Blood and Dust!" to boot!

Leaping past his slain comrade, Threeskulls flew around Headhunter's flank and then charged him. Both emerged from the duel will fresh wounds.

Bloodsecrator sidled out of the temple ruins, and caught Topknot unawares; slaying him with a flurry of blows.

The hollow cheers still echoed through the ruins, but they were chanting the honour of Bloodsecrator!

Victory Points

Skull Takers: 1VP (Bloodsecratorl)

Blood Takers: 5VP (Bloodstoker, Horns, Topknot)

Turn 3

Dentax was still cheering Topknot's demise, when Horns charged from the shadows, cutting Dentax down.

Back in the Arena, Skullhelm charged Headhunter from behind, leaping from the stands, like a wrestler coming off the turn-buckle. Skullhelm's axe bit deeply, and the Arena was, one more, drenched in vital gore.

But, for the Skull Takers, victory was short lived. Bloodstoker threw himself in to the maelstrom of death. Exploding Threeskulls like an over-ripe melon.Once again the phantom audience cheered as another life was ended within the Arena's abattoir precincts.

Enraged at the demise of Dentax, Bloodsecrator fell upon Horns like a runaway wagon filled with anvils. Nothing was left, but a smear, a red mist and a horned helmet bouncing away through the rubble.

Skullbeard now set his sights on the biggest prey. Whispering endearments to his cruel axe, he sent it speeding towards Bloodstoker. The axe buzzed through the ruined temple and struck Bloodstoker a telling blow upon the arm.

Victory Points

Skull Takers: 3VP (Skullhelm, Bloodsecrator)

Blood Takers: 2V (Bloodstoker)

Turn 4

The rage flowed through Skullhelm and he charged up the bleachers, launching himself at Banner. The standard-bearer proved no match for the assault, and his headless corpse tumbling down in to the arena.

And then again, the Arena resounded to the clash of battle, as Bloodstoker sought to avenge his fallen standard-bearer. Charging around the arena steps, Bloodstoker pummeled Skullhelm.

However, the arm wound inflicted by Skullbread's axe had weakened Bloodstoker's cleaving arm. Skullhelm escaped without injury.

Skullbeard sensed victory. If he could but slay Bloodsecrator, the Skull Takers would have slain all of the Blood Takers in a single battle. Such a feat would earn great favour with Ishtar.

Unfortunately, the fickle fates robbed Skullbeard of this singular glory, and his blows only managed to further wound the mighty Bloodstoker.

Now Skullbeard's axe streaked forth out once more. If it could slay Bloodstoker, the Skull Takers' would be lauded in myth and song. But, once again, Bloodsecrator proved indominatable; the axe only taking a chunk out of one of his legs.

Finally it fell to Bloodsecrator to try to wrest victory from the corpse of Bloodstoker. He was too far away to charge his foe, but, if he could enlist their help, the ghostly citizens of the Arena District might come to his aid.

Shaking a collection box, Bloodsecrator implored the ghosts to deliver him to Bloodstoker's side. But it was all for nought. The specters paid him no heed, and, once again, bitter gall filled Bloodsecrator's mouth.

Victory Points

Skull Takers: 2VP (Skullhelm)

Blood Takers: 0VP (no one)

Work out the final victory total. Check the score for the last Turn

Postmortem

If the Skull Takers had managed to kill Bloodstoker, they would have earned double Favour, for a Total Party Kill, drawing the series and setting up a final game for total victory.

As it was, the Blood Takers managed to win by another tidy margin; beating the Skull Takers by 9VP to 7VP. This neted the Blood Takers their 3rd Favour Point with Ishtar, winning the series and earning Bloodstoker and his retinue passage out of the Aether Realm.

I think that the Blood Taker's Faction Trait (+1FS and +1Attack), might have been a bit too over powered in a group with so many fighters. This was compounded by the Skull Takers generally failing their slightly enhanced Save (+2 from their Faction Trait), and also the fact that the Skull Takers concentrated on killing over praying or searching. Attacking the Blood Takers played in to their foe's strong offensive capability.

All in all, this was a fun little series of games, and I am looking forward to playing again with some different Warbands.