Let’s Play Warlord Ascendant 2e! The 12th Infernal Legion Part 8
Hello, sympathizers of the banished. With seven units, the 12th is ready to increase its expansion efforts.
Belerion joined begrudgingly, originally sent to assassinate Absalom. Like it or not, he's now a member of the Legion.
Management Phase
Management Phase Event
Everyone refuses to sell or buy from you. You cannot take the Trade action this Phase.
Damn it, I really wanted some armor. Prejudice against demons is very real in Neia.
Upkeep Payment
17 (units) + 2 (Stronghold constructions) - 5 (Mine) = 14 Supplies paid, down to 66.
Warband improvement
Absalom: Presence increased by 4 (74).
Belerion: Close Combat increased by 1 (61).
Stronghold Management
Not building anything right now.
Town Management: Winterbury
Town Event
Smugglers and Black Markets: An illicit economy is thriving. While disruptive, it brings in goods. The settlement produces an extra 2D6 Supplies, but Order decreases by -1.
Same event as last time. Order down to 2.
Upkeep: Paid 10 Supplies, received 10 + 2d6 (=5), plus 5 Materials.
I'm sending everyone except Belerion and Durvael to work for d6 + 1 Supplies each.
Mahalat, Kano, Oboro, Vordana 4d6 + 4: 19 Supplies
Great! I'm probably building a Warehouse next.
Civic Project
I'll reinforce Order with Absalom.
Presence check (74): 22! Success and marked for improvement.
Order in Winterbury increased to 3.
Town Management: Northshire
Town Event
Community Festival: The citizens organize a festival to celebrate a recent victory or holiday. Discontent is reduced by -D4 (to a minimum of 0).
d4: 1
Fucking d4. Discontent down to 1.
Upkeep: Paid 10 Supplies, received 15, plus 5 Materials.
Civic Project
I'll try to reinforce Order with Durvael here, as that can be attempted with Resolve.
Resolve check (42): 42! Hahah success!
Exploration
Forward Post
Location: Workshop. A place of nascent industry, producing 5 Construction Materials every Campaign Turn. Additional Workshops grant +2 Construction Materials.
Location name: Grim Marsh
Occupied by: Ikanu
Belerion
Sending him to the Monastery again. +1 XP.
Invasion Check
D10: 2, safe!
This is so funny. On my previous playthrough, I got invaded every single turn. On this one, it's yet to happen.
After the rush to find new locations in the early game, I'm only now seeing how important and useful doing other things really is.
It's great sending units to the Monastery to gain an XP point, or to work and get extra supplies, etc.
With a Forward Post, I get a garanteed Location every phase, so I can grind for Supplies and do other stuff.
I'm going for a Monastery Kano found in Part 6. It's located in Orblanc's Castle and occupied by bandits.
Let's go.
Combat Phase
My Command Actions
Demonic Terror: The host howls and cackles, terrifying their opponents and forcing all enemy characters to make a Morale check.
Demonic Speed: During this round, Demonic Cohort characters increase their Speed by 3.
Relentless: You get a new turn this round, immediately after your first one.
Corrupted: Pick a friendly character. Their body is ravaged by corruption, causing all opponents to be Frightened of this character for the remainder of the battle.
Battle Event Gear Cache. There’s a chest full of potentially useful gear in the battlefield. To find where it's located, put a marker in the center of the battlefield and then move it D6+1 squares in a random direction. A character must spend an action and pass an Athletics check to open it. Once open, roll on the Spoils of War table (page 180).
Full cover squares from trees are marked in white.
Strategic Point is ours. The cache is too far, but maybe I can try to rush it at some point. Bandits have ranged attacks, so gotta be careful.
Round 1
Bandits got the initiative. B, D, and the Leader were activated, moving forward to shoot at random targets. B and D missed Mahalat, who also missed her Defense both times, taking 1 damage from each.
Leader missed Durvael, who fumbled the Defense. Marked for improvement!
During my turn, I used the Command Action:
Demonic Speed: During this round, Demonic Cohort characters increase their Speed by 3.
Kano dashed to the SP. Belerion used Battlecry and charged the Leader. I Ensured his attack (MP 4/5), leaving his Close Combat with a total of 91, and used Target Weak Spot with his shortsword. This maniac hit with an 89! His Trait activated for a +1 Piercing damage. His extra damage dice rolled 6 total for 13 (Bandits have 2 Protection).
Absalom charged the Leader to finish the job, but even Ensured (MP 3/5), he only dealt 4 damage. Leader still has 3 Vigor.
Round 2
Bandit Leader suffered 1 Piercing damage.
I got the initiative. Mahalat charged the Leader and hit with a 24, but it isn't enough to kill him. I rerolled (MP 2/5) and got a 75! Right at the top of her skill. Bandit Leader is down, and Mahalat gets +2 XP.
All enemies get a Morale check. A successful Resolve check adds +5 to the roll, and each friendly unit within 3 squares adds +1.
Bandit A: fails resolve, +3 = 4, Broken! Flees east, it was already at the edge of the battlefield.
Bandit B: pass resolve, +7 = 8, Broken! Flees east.
Bandit C: fails Resolve, +2 = 16, pass!
Bandit D: pass Resolve, +7 = 21, pass!
Bandit E: fail Resolve, +1 = 14, Broken!
Only two enemies left!
Absalom uses Battlecry, then dashes to the gear cache.
Athletics check (60): 49, success!
Spoils of War: d10 + 10 Crafting Materials
d10: 1
Goddamn it.
Belerion Charges Bandit D. He fumbles with a 77 and drops his weapon. Durvael dashes south toward the fray.
I use a CA:
Relentless: You get a new turn this round, immediately after your first one.
Mahalat charged Bandit D and used Target Weak Spot (critical if it hits), dealing 9 damage. Absalom charged them as well, dealing 4 damage after a reroll (MP 1/5).
Belerion picked up his weapon. Durvael dashed but didn't attack. He's already level 4, I wanna give the XP to someone else.
Bandit D attacked Absalom, but he defended. C charged Mahalat, but both missed, dealing 1 damage. D got another activation, becoming Fatigued, and dealt 1 damage to Mahalat.
Note: I forgot to remove Overwhelmed from Bandit D when C moved adjacent to them for this pic, but I did so at the start of Round 3.
Round 3
Initiative was mine. Durvael used Battlecry, then flanked Bandit C and used Target Weak Spot, hitting with a 04. I used my last MP to reroll and got an 89! His Close Combat is 72, +10 from Battlecry and +10 from flanking for a total of 92, so he hit close to the max. 7 extra damage for 13 dealt to the enemy, leaving them with 2. Durvael is a beast.
Belerion hit Bandit D with a 01, dealing only 1 damage. Absalom finished them off, getting +1 XP.
Bandit C broke and ran. Mahalat missed her attack of opportunity, but Durvael, of course, hit and killed the last enemy.
Combat is over and the 12th prevails! +1 XP to all combatants.
Monastery captured, +1 Loyalty to the Warband.
Loot
d10 Supplies: 5
d6 Construction Materials: 5Spoils of War
- Dagger
- Heavy crossbow
- Heavy armor
Did that seem like an easy battle? Well, you have to understand I'm a tactical genius. They don't call me Bonaparte for nothing.
Yeah, obviously kidding. I suck, but bandits are on the easier side as far as threats go. My units are also pretty strong, Durvael especially. He can solo a few enemies with no issues, one-shotting some with a lucky roll.
That's it for this session. Map and Absalom's journal next.
Fun note: this is now my longest running actual play series. It just surpassed the previous one, which was... Warlord Ascendant 1e! Love this game.
See you next time!
Absalom's Journal
Conquest is proving easy for us. Keeping what we conquer, however, is quite tedious.
A mine, a chirurgeon camp, two towns, two monasteries, two forward posts, infernal soldiers and grunts. Civic projects for an unruly mob, supplies and materials, trade arrangements.
It is death by a thousand ink signatures on parchment.
I understand the love of mortal rulers for thrones now. A comfortable seating arrangement is paramount.
Nevertheless, it has its moments. Slowly building my dominion and watching it flourish after bleeding and clawing for each new addition fills my black heart to the brim.
And I can see it excites my followers as well. Belerion the Bold shone again, proving himself a master swordsman. That is both impressive and worrying. I welcome a new pair of competent hands, but I would prefer my potential assassins to be indolent.
Mahalat and Durvael keep a close eye on him, though, and they both grow more powerful and skilled by the day. Mahalat is still the unmotivated wench, not one for torture on slow deaths, but she gets a job done.
Durvael is full of joy and life, probably getting it from the many he takes. Every leader must have a terrifying asset. That was true for the Lightbringer and Azrael, as is for Lilith and her ophanim.
The 12th is as loyal as demons can be. As long as I reward them and keep an iron hand when distributing punishment, they shall serve me.
Lilith showed the Abyss that nothing lasts forever, and even the fallen angel of death may die.
By exiling us, she meant to break those who stood closest to Lucifer. Instead, she gave us a world to conquer and discover what we can become.
The 12th Infernal Legion is far from finished.
If you want to use those character sheets, grab them here (File > Make a copy).
Warlord Ascendant 2e is available on Itch, DTRPG, Amazon as POD, and the Blackoath website.