Border Princes Battle Report: The Defense of Franzburg

[From a letter dated 2nd Erntzeit, 2516 IC.]

Sire,

I report that our lightening ride to aid your colonial settlement of Franzburg has succeeded in it's objective to safeguard the town against the Nehekarans, though at some cost to the local militia and huntsmen of the hamlet who bravely answered the call to arms raised by Arch Lector Albrecht.

Losses include: 
Hell blaster and crew - crushed by giant scorpion
10 Huntsmen - butchered by Nehekaran Sphynx
15 Franzburg's "finest" - smashed under the wheels of rampaging chariot
Sigmarite shrine destroyed under catapult fire 

The Schwarzspears acquitted themselves with distinction, despite their common status, retaking the Watchtower as the battle drew to a close. Schnelling may need some further training ground practice to steel his nerve to the challenges of battle.  

We march south to join with the southern contingent and maintain our position in the region.

For der Meinshaft!

Hans Rommel, captain of Der Panzergryphs, 4th company

The Battle of Franzburg

Turn 8: In a bold bid to sever the link between the Imperial forces and their Bretonnian allies, the Tomb King Nun’Keb (“the Erratic”) personally lead his Nehekharan Silent Legion in a bid to seize Franzburg, a tiny but strategically vital hamlet on the South Road.  Franzburg’s garrison and the local militia were reinforced with just hours to spare by Imperial forces under the Lector Albrecht the righteous, and together prepared the hamlet’s defense.
 

The Nehekharan screaming skull catapult levelled the local Sigmarite shrine in the centre of the Imperial lines, and those of the local militia who managed to free themselves from the rubble were quickly run down by skeletal chariots under the command of Khu’nil the Tomb Herald.  Another screaming skull narrowly missed the Franzburg Coaching Inn but immolated several of Gotthard’s Greatswords, sending the veterans into uncharacteristic panic!

Enraged by the blasphemous destruction of his church, Albrecht the Righteous lead his Schwartzspears and detachments in a furious charge against the Tomb Kings’ left flank, cutting their way through the Ushabti before being assaulted in turn by the skeletal bodyguard of King Nun’keb himself!  Meanwhile one of the tomb scorpions which had emerged behind Imperial lines scuttled up the watchtower and butchered the hapless hellblaster crew stationed there.

While Winzler’s Imperial huntsmen fell back before the advancing Warsphynx towards the dubious safety (and more dubious food!) at the Franzburg Coaching Inn, the Panzergryph Knights tore into the flank of Khun’il’s chariots.  Khu’nil himself was killed…er…cut to pieces by the captain of the Panzergryphs, and the remaining chariots torn asunder by the demigryphs. 

In the main melee, Nun’keb was deriving considerable satisfaction from cutting down the Imperial worthies: first the Schwartzenspears’ brave captain and then a grim Gotthard Goering fell to his bronze khopesh.  However, bolstered by the magics of the Lector Albrecht and Werner Gausser's Lore of Life, the Imperial State Troops destroyed skeleton after skeleton and brought down both the Nekrotect Quesser and the Hierophant Tjeto, 'Seeker of the Lost Gods'.  With Tjeto destroyed, the ancient magics binding the Tomb King army began to unravel and the Nehekharans began to disintegrate…

As the Nehekharan archers began to crumble to dust and the sepulchral stalkers were rent bone from bone by the Panzergryphs, an enraged Nun’keb issued a final terrible challenge.  The Imperial troops closed ranks protectively around Wilhelm Snelling and the Imperial Banner, but the Lector Albrecht stepped forward.  Nun’keb rained blow after blow upon the Lector, who had to call on all his faith in Sigmar just to remain standing before the wrath of older gods.  Just when it seemed the Lector could hold out no longer, however, his Schwartzpears cut down the last of Nun’keb’s bodyguard.  The magics maintaining Nun’keb himself failed, and the Tomb King crumbled into dust of bone and lapis and gold before blowing away south on a scorching ancient wind.

With Nun’keb defeated the Nehekharans disintegrated with ever greater rapidity.  Albrecht lead his stalwart Schwartzpears to retake Franzburg’s watchtower, and while the dread Warsphynx crushed Winzler and his hapless Imperial hunters it too crumbled away before it could challenge Gotthard’s Greatswords or destroy the coaching inn.  The day belonged to the Empire, and with Nun’keb apparently dead, or at least banished, reports began to circulate of Nehekharan forces disintegrating and blowing away all over the Border Princes…

The Defense of Franzburg, part of the Border Princes War of 2516-2518 IC
Date: 2nd Erntzeit, 2516 IC
Location: The Hamlet of Franzburg along the South Road (Territory 57)
Result: Decisive Empire Victory (Crushing Victory)
Belligerents
The Empire (Albrecht's Road Patrol)	Tomb Kings (Silent Legion)
Commanders
Albrecht the Righteous, Lector	Nun'Keb (the Erratic), The Everwakeful (†?) High Priest Tjeto, Seeker of Lost Gods (†?)
Other Leaders
Werner Gausser (Wizard Lord of the Lore of Life)	Khunil, Herald of the Lost Legion (†?)
Captain Wilhelm Snelling (Battle Standard Bearer)	Quessil, Hieromason (†?)
Gotthard Goering, Witch Hunter (†)
Strength
1835 ots	2250 pts.
Buildings Held by Empire vs. Held or Destroyed by Tomb Kings
3 buildings	1 building
†=killed in battle