Archaon's Blood Drinkers advanced on the Faithful but disaster struck as the dismayed Chaos troops found that they had charged across a peat bog, and many of their units were being held by sucking mud, while the defending Elves and Lizardmen capitalised on the terrain to wreak a bloody vengeance. Despite this, the ferocious warriors of the foul Chaos gods broke through one of the Faithful contingents, and some ground was gained.

The Daemonic Banelords swept into battle crying threats, and praying to their dark deities. Gibbering insanities born of nightmares crashed into the Celestians, who, caught unawares, were sorely pressed and lost much ground to the fierce Dark Elves and horrifying Daemons.
Dawn brought the stench of death and fear to the Daemonchasers. Ancient enmities were brought to the fore, as Khemrian and Skaven alike faced their most hated enemies, the Vampire Counts. The Undead servants of the Von Carsteins, and their living swains turned to face this eternal foe, but the power of hatred proved too strong. Their battle lines were crushed by the charioteers of Khemri, and the fevered creations of the vile ratmen, the Necromantic power of the Sylvanian lords as broken as the nerve of their living allies.

A bloody dawn on the first day of what promised to be a desperate struggle for the undermanned Chaos forces. At the end of the battle the map looked a little like this (Click the image to see a better view of the map):

After this first and unexpected clash, the defenders were thrown into disarray as the commanders at the Middesgade attempted to redeploy their forces more effectively. In the subsequent retreats and redeployment, the forces of the Faithful marched on the Banelords, so as to let the powers of the Old Ones and Ulthuan combat those of Naggaroth and the Daemon world. It was to no avail though, the baying creatures of the nether realms proved too powerful, anchored to this reality in a stronger fashion than had previously been encountered. Supported by their Daemonic allies, the Dark Elves of the Cult of Slaanesh fell upon their brethren with a vicious hunger, tearing the mithril armour asunder and burning the proud banners of Ulthuan.

Fearing the power of the Skaven and Khemri alliance that had exacted such a horrendous toll on their forces, the Daemonchasers of Sylvania moved to hold against the Brotherhood, as the doughty Stone Shields stepped to counter the Death Haunters.

This unit of mercenaries from the deserts of Araby was hired by the commander of the Celestians - Click for a larger image.

Sore from the last engagement, the Daemonchasers descended upon the Brotherhood's last position. As the sun reached its peak, the forces of Sylvania attacked. In the mayhem that ensued, heroes - both living and dead - took heads and lives across the moors, and a fierce slaughter concentrated in one area. However, to the north, a large element of the Brotherhood forces struck out towards the Middesgade, slipping past the maelstrom of destruction the Sylvanians had wrought.

Across ten miles of moorland, the Stone Shields were taking the fight to the Death Haunters. Cannon roared, and chariots were smashed apart. Mercenary giants bellowed their war cries and thundered into savage combat, weapons the size of battering rams crushing all before them, the cowardly ratmen fleeing in terror. Fierce as this resistance was, however, the seemingly unstoppable Death Haunter forces broke through again and again.

Still bogged down in the marshes, the Blood Drinkers found themselves under attack from the Celestians. Again the treacherous terrain proved frustrating for the Chaos armies, with the agile and ferocious Wood Elves harrying the flanks, the Empire guns supporting. However, the reckless knights of Bretonnia forgot the the treacherous terrain in their lust for battle and charged headlong into the Chaos lines. The sucking mud broke many a horses leg, throwing proud knights to the ground. Taking advantage of this disaster, the Chaos forces moved in to slay the fallen warriors.

Thus were the second battles on the first day of the battle, but spurred by a desperate need for success, the forces of darkness threw themselves forward once more, and the late afternoon sun shone on more bloodshed.

The end of round two left the map looking like this (Click the image to see a better view of the map):

Next: Battle of the South Gate Report Part 3.
Previous: Battle of the South Gate Report Part 1.