Dracknare - Age of Sigmar Path to Glory Campaign Battle Report - Turn 16 - Daughters of Khaine

“Ezrass!” Vacaris was stood holding the severed head of some Witch Aelf who’d got too close. “Ezrass! You are not fit to lead this army! Step down now, and seed control to me!” Ezrass stepped forward and looked down at Vacaris, “Oh Vacaris, you have overplayed your hand again.” A knife pierced through Vacaris stomach as she looked down in astonishment. “Kill her followers.” Ezrass turned and left to the sounds of slaughter fading in the background…

Continuing my battle reports from this campaign here’s the last turn I played with my Daughters of Khaine. You can see a lot of them painted in more detail in my previous articles if you want to take a look. This week, the Devotees are trying to establish their territory and control of the area by improving their stronghold. Will they succeed against the madcap Gitz army, led by Trugg himself? Let’s find out!

Army Lists

Daughters of Khaine - The Devotees

• Army Subfaction: Hagg Nar
• Grand Strategy: Bloodthirsty Zealots
• Triumphs: Indomitable

LEADERS

1 x High Gladiatrix (90)*

• General
  • Command Traits: Zealous Orator
  • Artefacts: Arcane Tome

1 x Slaughter Queen on Cauldron of Blood (300)*

• Prayers: Sacrament of Blood

BATTLELINE

20 x Witch Aelves (110)*

• Hag
  • 4 x Death Pennant Bearer
  • 4 x Hornblower
  • Paired Sciansá

10 x Sisters of Slaughter (120)*

• Handmaiden
  • 2 x Death Pennant Bearer
  • 2 x Hornblower
  • Kruiplash and Bladed Buckler

20 x Witch Aelves (110)*

• Hag
  • 4 x Death Pennant Bearer
  • 4 x Hornblower
  • Paired Sciansá

10 x Witch Aelves (110)*

• Hag
  • 2 x Death Pennant Bearer
  • 2 x Hornblower
  • Sciansá and Bladed Buckler

BEHEMOTH

• 1 x Avatar of Khaine (130)*

OTHER

• 5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (100)
  • Shryke
• 5 x Khinerai Heartrenders (100)*
  • Shryke

  • CORE BATTALIONS:

• *Battle Regiment

POINTS

• TOTAL POINTS: (1390/2000)
• DROPS: 2

Orruk Warclans

• Army Type: Ironjawz
• Subfaction: Da Choppas
• Grand Strategy: Krump ’Em All!
• Triumph: Inspired

LEADERS

• Orruk Warchanter (120)*
  • General
  • Command Traits: Master of Magic
  • Artefacts of Power: Arcane Tome
  • Warbeats: Killa Beat
• Gordrakk (460)*

BATTLELINE

• Orruk Ardboys (220)*
  • Gorkamorka Glyph Bearer
  • Ardboy Boss
  • Ardboy Choppas
• Orruk Ardboys (220)*
  • Ardboy Boss
  • Gorkamorka Glyph Bearer
  • Ardboy Choppas

OTHER

• Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
  • Gore-grunta Boss
  • Pig-iron Choppas
• Orruk Gore-gruntas (170)*
  • Gore-grunta Boss
  • Pig-iron Choppas

ENDLESS SPELLS & INVOCATIONS

• 1 x Burning Head (30)

CORE BATTALIONS

• *Battle Regiment

POINTS

• TOTAL POINTS: 1290/1500
• DROPS: 1

Battle plan and other notes

We played Fountains of Frost from the 2023-24 GHB. The Devotees are a path to glory army and can use their path to glory veteran upgrades. We used the Honest Wargamer Terrain Pack.

Deployment

The IronJawz, finished deploying first, wary of being charged and of the Khinerai dropping in behind them they quasi castled on the back left board edge. The DoK seeing this, deployed on the bottom right, this would be a game of who makes the first charge and who cans survive the counter!

Turn 1

The Orruks decided to go first to ensure their first turn battle tactic “Magical Dominance” go off without a hitch! Still wary of the Khinerai dropping behind them and trying to take out a warchanter, whilst trying to stay out of range of a first turn charge from the DoK.

The Devotees picked ‘Cruel Delight’ as their tactic which means 2 Khinerai units were incoming. They made sure to land within 12 of lots of IronJaws units meaning that if they were going to Hero Phase move next turn they’d have to charge the Khinerai rather than move forward. On the right flank the Sisters of Slaughter moved into the pigs. The goal here was to pin the pigs for 2 turns and mitigate a charge down the right flank… this was partially successful! Only one of my Sisters remained alive doing very little damage in return, however, this meant if the IronJawz went next they couldn’t get to my big unit of Witch Aelves without a very big charge.

Turn 2

DoK won priority and gave the turn to the IronJawz.

Picking ‘Intimidate the Invaders’ the IronJawz moved up and the two pig unit set themselves up for making charges. The unit on the left not having to do much, but the unit on the right, avoiding the individual Sister and deciding to go round the terrain to try and hit the big block of Witch Aelves. And with a deafining Waaaaaagh! called the trotters of a 6 large pigs charged across the battlefield and made it in combat against the Khinarai and the Witch Aelf/Slaughter Queen Combo.

And boy did they fluff. The pigs on the top left didn’t even make it through all the Khinerai. The pigs at the bottom did marginally better, doing some damage to the Cauldron and to the Witch Aelves, but in return they lost 2 of their number. A terrible turn in terms of damage done but dropping just one point as they could not hold more objectives than their opponent.

Moving in for the kill the Devotees decided to go all in! Picking “Clash of Arms” and trying to get 3 charges off was the order of the day. In the Hero phase I got the Witch Aelves on the right to fight and take down the remaining pig, freeing them up to move. Then, aside from the Khinerai who retreated out of combat, having definitely served their role!, the rest of the DoK moved up as fast as they could.

It was only after making all my charges I realised my mistake. I was about to drag Godrakk into combat, and the IronJawz could out activate me and make sure he’d have space to move into.

The Avatar did his business tying up the pigs, killing one and a bit and taking minimal in return. On the right the Witch Aelves did not do as well as I had hoped! I’d accidently moved them outside of range of the High Gladiatrix meaning they weren’t as juiced as should have been. The lack of rend really hurting. The Ard Boys doing lots of damage in return.

The Witch Aelves in the middle absolutely blended the Ard Boys in front of Godrakk… Godrakk looked down pityingly at the puny Aelves and obliterated the Witch Aelves in return. Smoosh.

So a mixed bag in turns of damage but a full point turn meaning the Devotees eeked ahead.

Turn 3

Theres always one isn’t there? I forgot to take enough photos during this round. Sorry!

The IronJawz won priority and took the turn. Godrakk went barreling into the middle of the board to get their battle tactic “Dat’s Our Turf Now” and obviosuly, smash some more pointy ears. With the Warchanter in toe he blatted both the small unit of Witch Aelves and the High Gladiatrix.

It was as this point that I realised the win condition here was for me to avoid Godrakk and force my opponent to make a choice abotu what primaries they focused on. The Avatar finished the remaining pigs and Cauldron, having watch the general die at the hands of Godrakk, moved over and charges the Ard Boys managing to finish them off. A rally or two as well during that time left Godrakk isolated in the middle of the board and forced to pick targets to claim objectives.

Turn 4

Starting to realise the battle was turning against him Godrakk decided to smash as much face as he possibly could. The Warchanter set his sight on the remaining Khineria managing to get in a take down the unit. Godrakk of course made his way ominously over to the Cauldron of Blood and promptly lifted it off the table with ease.

With only remnants of the army left, the remaing DoK scattered to make target priority in the remaining turn difficult for Gordrakk. But all importantly racking up a pefect turn in turns of points.

Turn 5

DoK won priorty meaning now the result was academic as the IronJawz couldn’t prevent a pefect turn.

Ensuring they got that battle tactic and controlling more objectives meant they got the 5 points.

Enraged, Godrakk relentlessly continued to try and smash as many Aelves as he could, ensuring more casualty rolls would need to be made in the Path to Glory after game.

Result

Daughters of Khaine 26 - Gloomspite Gitz 20

My ability to control more objectives in this game for most of the game ended up winning it for me.

The DoK ability to score battle tactics reliably and ensure your grand strategy means you can really concentrate on controlling the primary objectives.

In the next game I want to do the following better:

• Manage my distances, Witch Aelves out of range of the High Gladiatrix just won’t do the work you need against high armour targets.
• I think I traded really well in this game and gave the right tasty morsels for Godrakk to focus on whilst I took out the rest of the army. I want to keep doing this.

Ezrass surveyed the battlefield and saw nothing but slaughter. Whipped up into a frenzy since last night, she’d been unable to contain the murder lust within D’ra G’nar who’d taken a sizeable force and lashed out into whatever she found first. That turned out to be a bunch of angry Orruks seemingly spoiling for a fight.

The Orruks themselves didn’t seem to be a problem, their dead and injured littered the area just like hers, however, what was a problem was that huge beast prowling around the outskirts of the forest seemingly looking for more victims. On top if it was the single largest and angriest of their kind she’d ever seen. Bellowing to the sky now as if it had an answer.

She’d work with Sinessa to create a distraction so the wounded could return home. This had been a good week.