Superiority

"I will be directing my forces south, kommandant," Vladimir Tzepesci spoke with a thick accent. "My sources inform me that there is heavy activity of Cryx and Orboros there."

"Prince Vlad," Irusk interjected, "Merywyn is to the south. The Protectorate is now in alliance with them. Furthermore, I have received no official marque of deploying our forces toward Merywyn." The kommandant laid a stern look at his fellow warcaster.

Vlad paused uneasily and started to turn away.

"There is no order to march south, Prince Vlad," Irusk's tone was louder this time.

"My sources are infallible," Vlad replied, "And my war group has already made preparations."

"Prince Vlad!" the kommandant shouted, "You are bordering on insubordination! Your actions have not been cleared with the council and your attitude is disapprovingly discourteous!"

Vlad started to walk away. "As I have said, preparations have already been made. I will be taking the Behemoth."

"You should take heed of the word of the council for they are of the Empress," the kommandant addressed, "And not of that old witch!"

Irusk knew those words struck as offensive to the prince, but Vlad seemed to ignore the remark.

+++

"Prince Vlad," Irusk shouted across the field, "I offer you this final warning. Turn back. Or I will have you dragged back!"

Vlad reached for the complex cortex of the massive warjack before him. "This matter does not concern you, kommandant. I regret, but you are in my way."

The double bombards of the Behemoth took bear and with a loud thunder, let loose against Irusk's assembled war group.

+++

"You dare!" shouted Kapitan Alexei, "you dare raise your arms against your kommandant!" His pikemen just finished off Vlad's Drakhun's massive mount, Irusk's strong winds preventing his men from being charged. Drawing their weapons from the fallen steed's corpse, they slam their shields close fluidly, reading for the Drakhun's attack.

Spinning his massive annihilator blade, the dismounted Drakhun charged at the Iron Fang rank. Suddenly, an extremely loud boom echoed. The Drakhun slowed and dropped his weapon, the armor covering his torso massively blown apart. Kommandant Irusk stood behind the line of his pikemen, his sword cannon glowing with arcane energy.

"Death to the traitors of the Motherland," he muttered. The lined Iron Fangs answered with an exuberant howl.

+++


The Behemoth's chassis groaned under the strain. There was no more energy being pumped to its lower limbs. The Winterguards' precise blunderbuss barrage succeeded in crippling the gigantic warjack.

"Submit, Vlad!" Irusk shouted, almost muted by the loud crash as the disabled Behemoth hit the ground.

The prince was ablaze with his own Blood of Kings. His voice rang clear across the field although it was just but a whisper. "I am beyond you, kommandant. You know not of what you are meddling with!"

"You do not control my destiny."

Seeing that he was alone on the battlefield, his war group asunder, Vlad turned his back to Irusk once again and walked away.

+++

Scenario: 500 points SR3 Beta Assassins
Opponent: Dick Sy
Opposing warcaster: Dark Prince Vlad

I succeeded in keeping Vlad and his forces at bay by spamming Inhospitable Ground.

I took out the Drakhun foremost, because it would be the one who would move farthest into rough terrain with Vlad's Boundless Charge.

Next, I tried to bring down the Behemoth since it was firing it's bombards even at the edge of Irusk's CA. It actually managed to bring down Irusk to two wounds with a boosted bombard shot. I promptly downed his bombards by taking out its sub cortex with Widowmaker snipes and Eiryss Death Bolts.

I had superior numbers by the time Vlad took to hide behind BOK and Wind Wall. I would have tried to heal Irusk back up before whittling down Vlad with a Winterguard Mortar or Irusk's Airburst. Or corner or bait him somehow so that Vlad gets charged. Battle Lusted CMA from charging Winterguard was my alternative, or have Irusk charge himself; but no need to add insult to injury as Dick already conceded anyhow.