Warhammer Age of Sigmar events returned to NOVA Open tabletop wargaming convention for the 3rd year, and the narrative event expanded to cover six linked but separate events across four days from Thursday afternoon through Sunday. Developing the results of the narrative from 2016, we brought back the ziggurat where Queen Neferata ruled over a corner of the Realm of Shadows called Dawnland.
From her throne atop the ziggurat she allowed the forces of Death to infiltrate and permeate the realm while a secret organization of spies & assassins known as “The Hands” planned a rebellion with prominent members of the noble Houses of Dawnland as well as some leaders of the Union of craftsmen. These Guilds were united in a common goal to remove Neferata from the throne and install a regent with interests more aligned with the realm.
The games started Thursday with the return of the ships built specifically for the Age of Sigmar narrative event last year. Each player took command of a ship and deployed a small warband on board and took to the shadow seas.
The first battleplan described an assortment of sea captains sailing toward the coast of Dawnland, attracted to a kingdom in political tormoil, and captains had the opportunity to raid or trade with other ships. In later battleplans the players moved their respective ships through dangerous shoals and eventually toward the rocky coast.
Thursday evening featured a full game of Triumph & Treachery including the cards adapted from the original T&T cards from Warhammer Fantasy Battles as players used coins to bribe opponents and purchase special indulgences from the ShadowGuild bank. Each player attempted to collect more obsidian shards from a long forgotten island in an attempt to collect mystical energy to strength respective guilds.
Friday was a full day of a Path to Glory campaign while the doubles event kicked off on the other side of the hall. Each player started with a small warband and added units and rewards to the warband after each round of games. Again, we used the Mod Cubes to designate mysterious scenery.
Twelve players were matched with starting warbands, and by round 3 the event shifted to paired team games while the doubles event raged in the background of the hall.
Sean (left in white shirt) won the Campaign Hero award for earning a number of Green Dragon Eyes from opponents and a NEO’s Choice certificate; Kevin (right) won Most Treacherous.
After a dinner break another Triumph & Treachery game commenced with 3-4 players at 3 tables using the T&T cards and coins for bribes and buying indulgences.
Saturday saw some minor skirmishing while the GT started in the main part of the hall. But Saturday night the guilds returned to fight over the dockyards along the edge of a burning city. Three separate games of T&T were played simultaneously with special rules for crossing units from one table to the next.
Renee’ (red shirt) reprised her role leading Queen Neferata’s loyal forces, but by the end of this round of games her control of the kingdom had eroded by the conspiracy of the Houses and the Hands guilds.
Loyalties shifted and changed throughout the evening, but at the end the Queen was on the edge of defeat and the Guild of Houses had the largest paychest to fund the final push in the war.
Sunday, as the GT finished the 4th & 5th rounds, a final T&T game was played at the foot of the ziggurat. There were few survivors. The Queen was forced to flee into exile, and the Hands finally secured the throne but found the treasury empty. The newly knighted Lord Svok, in a desperate attempt by the Queen to secure loyal allies, had absconded with most of the kingdom’s gold and set off at the head of the largest mercenary army of Ogors the realm had yet seen.
Mathew won “best army” for the grand narrative in addition to a NEO’s choice certificate for his assistance helping new players learn the game and leading his guild to controlling the largest paychest of coins.
Fancy Wars 