Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Night Wars - The Abhorrent Swarm

 This evening we are starting the first of the Pillage Journeys to take down Kritza the Rat Prince in Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Night Wars. (Sorry... Spoiler for those following the campaign; Last week's Decapitation Journey was successful!). These are similar to the Deliverance Journeys in the Ulfenkarn in Peril campaign - running through the streets of the city, randomly generating tiles as you go... but instead of shouting warnings to the citizens of the city to get out of the way of the Suffocating Graveside... the object here is to smash shit and steal as much loot as you can from Kritza, all the while keeping ahead of The Abhorrent Swarm!

The Abhorrent Swarm is a literal Tide-o-Rats... and is represented by  a diminutive cardboard counter in the game - much like the Suffocating Graveside in Ulfenkarn in Peril. 

As there WAS a Suffocating Graveside miniature that did look imposing...

I tracked one down and added a lot of flagstones - to match the bases of miniatures and tiles of Cursed City and... 

It DID look a lot more terrifying to have that chasing the characters around than... 

The diminutive cardboard counter... 

So I thought I'd do the same for THIS campaign... even though it would only be used in about three games (assuming all were successful!?). There isn't, however an Abhorrent Swarm miniature, like there was with Suffocating Gravetide... The Skaven do have an Endless Spell called "Vermintide"... 

But is is hardly the WAVE of a thousand rats - as described in the Night Wars book... but it was rats... scurrying over rubble and ruins... and, if put on a flagstone base and with some EXTRA rats... I though it could look the bit. 

A few months ago Fenris Workshop had both a used set of the Skaven Endless Spells AND a full set of Cursed City Rat-Swarm models... I briefly thought about buying those and cutting the Cursed City rats off their bases and adding them to the Vermintide base... I probably would have cost about $80 to put that together... which seemed a bit ridiculous... but I could use it in the future for other massive rat-swarms in other games - or with my shaven as an extra-ratty vermintide!? Unfortunately I took too long thinking about it and they BOTH sold out..

So, the other option I'd been considering was just getting some greestuff world rats and trying to stick them ALL onto one base... when they arrived... they were small...I'd have needed many more packs to fill a BIG base like the Suffocating Gravetide! So I did what I could with the rats that I had and assembled all the rats onto an oval cavalry base... Then never got around to painting it until THIS WEEK when I finally NEEDED it!?

The Abhorrent Swarm!

(Now that I'm' looking at this photo I've posted... I feel like I need to go back in and make the ears a little pink and touch up a few noses and paws I'm now noticing I've missed... and... maybe lighten up the rubble, to create a bit more contrast between the rubble and the rats!? GAH!? Or... maybe I'll just leave it all be...) 

It isn't nearly as imposing as the Suffocating Gravetide was... 

Ah, well... I only need it for a 3-4 games.

Hopefully it's at least a little more interesting/impressive than the cardboard counter included in the game... 

Still need to finish up the latest Cursed City Game report (in which the Abhorrent Swarm was used!), and the Ravaged Coast campaign wrap up, AND a game of Spearhead DOUBLES we tried playing on Sunday, AND the latest episode in our What We Do in the Realm of Shadows campaign... Mind you, I'm going to be painting minis like a mad bastard for the next four days trying to complete enough of the Warhammer Quest: Darkwater minis to try out the game with some friends on Tuesday... so... don't hold your breath thinking they might be done before then! 

Boxing Day

I walked over to my FLGS - Dragon's Den Games - for Boxing Day. I hadn't initially been planning to go, but they sent me a message late afternoon on Xmas Eve to let me know that the Dreadscythe Harridans I'd asked them to get in MONTHS ago had finally arrived!!it is the ONLY unit I need to complete the Nighthaunt Cursed Shacklehorde Spearhead army. 

While I was there I also picked up some Flamers of Tzeentch... because they, also, are the only unit I need to complete a Spearhead army. 

Both things I was going to get at some point in the not-to-distant future... so might as well pick it up at 20% off! 

Dreadscythe Harridans and Flamers of Tzeentch

The difference between the two is ALL of the other stuff needed for the Nighthaunt army is painted - once these are assembled and painted the army will be DONE! Only ONE unit in the Tzeentch army is painted... I still have four units to paint (including these) to complete that army - but these will be handy for the Soulbound Role-playing campaign. 

I had, briefly, considered rolling out to the Warhammer Store on Boxing Day - they had some special edition miniatures available... 

image ©2025 Games Workshop and used here entirely without their permission! 

The Steel Rook looked pretty cool... cooler than some of the other commemorative minis I've picked up... but... ugh... I just couldn't. I've spent so much on minis this year. (Also, Amanda might have murdered me if I had!). 

Orion was considering of picking her up as well - thinking she'd make a great Vampire Lord! 

I'm going to be really sad if they release rules for this one for Warhammer Quest: Darkwater, or something... 

In other hobby news... 

ALL of the Warhammer Quest: Darkwater miniatures are assembled and primed and over the weekend I'm going to try and knock out the heroes and a few of the hostile groups so we can try the game out on Tuesday with a few friends! 

I'll probably assemble and prime the Dreadscythe Harridans and Flamers... and then leave them be until I'm done the stuff I need for Tuesday... but then I might try to knock out the Dreadscythe Harridans on Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning - just to see if I could get ONE MORE Spearhead army done this year!! 

Looks like I'm going to be in the red again this year (purchased more than I've painted)... ah, well... I've gotten painting again and having acquired most of the things for most of the armies I'm interested in, MAYBE I'll be able to lay off the acquisitions next year and just focus on getting stuff DONE!!!

I've gotten a bit behind on the game reports again. I think I have three to catch up on, and I'll try to do that before the end of the years so I can start with a clean slate in the new year! 

Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - Night Wars 10 - Decapitation Journey: Carmilla's Doom

After the slaughter of her minions and familiars at the Tallyman's Lodge, Carmilla DuSang's power base had been severely disrupted and it was time to go after the vampire herself... But as with Lady Annika before her, Carmilla DuSang would lash out at the citizens of Haven... 

And our heroes were waiting for them... But when DuSang's Minions came, they did not come for the Heroes... 

They came to punish the citizens of Haven by destroying the things which they hold dear...

(it was supposed to be wells... they were coming to destroy/pollute the wells... but I didn't have four little wells, so... a random assortment of scatter terrain bits/mysterious objects were used... the bats above were attacking the small lending library... Finnegan suggested the tyrant vampires were worried about the citizens of Haven reading too many "woke" books that portrayed vampires in a bad light... and so they decided to cancel ban those books!) 

Qulathis felled a number of Fell Bats... 

Brutogg smashed apart a patrol of the Ulfenwatch. 

Glaurio came to aid Qulathis and shot down the last of the Fell Bats. 

Then dashed on to deal with another patrol of Ulfenwatch that had arrived on the scene! 

Qulathis turned her attentions to swarms of smaller bats that were ruining the small lending library! 

Then joined Glaurio and Octren who were dealing with MORE Ulfenwatch, that seemed to just keep arriving from the same direction! 

Those were dealt with... 

Brutogg had bats of his own to deal with. 

Octern stared down another flight of bats. 

For a moment, they thought they'd driven them all off.. 

But then more Ulfenwatch arrived. 

and Fellbats that picked up Octren and carried him away! 

Which they quickly learned was not the best plan! 

Brutogg just kept smashing more ulfenwatch as they arrived... 

And then they were gone, the last of them fled... the Heroes tracked them back to Carmilla DuSang's lair in the Betrayer's Way... 

Entering the Betrayer's Way in the permanent dark brought back memories of the loss of their dear friend Dagnai... 

Qulathis pushed out of the Landing Zone, past a swarm of small bats... then Shot a fell bat waiting by a doorway she passed... 

Then found three Ulfenwatch guarding Carmilla DuSang... 

And shot them all down... 

Then Brutogg bullied his way past the same small bat swarms and stormed into the square past Qulathis and alternatively pounded on Carmilla DuSange with his Marrowmasher and Gutgouger... and she was down... 

(Seriously... Carmilla DuSang, who, on paper, looks absoloutley terrifying, was taken out on the second activation... I then re-read the scenario... TWICE... to see if I MISSED something else they were supposed to do... and, nope, they just got VERY lucky that she missed all her dodge attempts and never got to hit back!?) 

Glaurio and Octren had held back in the Landing Zone, figuring Qulathis and Brutogg would have cleared the way out... were shocked to find swarms of small bats remaining just outside the landing zone!?

Octren eventually made his way to Brutogg and decided to investigate a mysterious object... 

and got embroiled in a side-quest that ended with him gaining a broken amulet and a curse (that only lasted until the end of the Journey)... but having to give up the Black Rose which he'd gained, but never had need of in Ulfenkarn in Peril!?

Glaruio was the last to leave the Landing Zone... 

Qulathis got snatched by a trio of Fell Bats and carried off. Glaurio came to her aid and shot one of them... 

But the space was quickly filled by swarms of smaller bats! 

Brutogg was attacked by some ambushing Ulfenwatch... 

I'm not trapped in here with you... yous all trapped in here with ME!?"

Then it was Glaurio's turn to be snatched by Fell Bats and carried off! 

Qulathis tried going to his aid... but fresh patrols of the Ulfenwatch started arriving 

Brutogg smashed another fell bat down while bellowing at the others to get to the extraction zone!!

Glaurio freed himself of the Fell Bat, only to have to deal with swarms of smaller bats... 

Qulathis, again was snatched and carried off by Fell Bats!? Octren tried to hold off the Ulfenwatch long enough for her to get away! 

After putting a few more arrows into some more fell bats, she did eventually get away... 

And all made it to the extraction zone to board The Adamant and fly off back to Haven.. 

Attempts at high-fives were made! 

This was such a bizarre Journey. It seemed harder to get out than it was to take out Carmilla herself!? The endless Fell Bats just kept picking heroes up and flying them to a far part of the board... 

WHEW!! Two down, one to go! 

We will next be hunting down Kritza the Rat Prince! 

Gelgus Pust, Prince of Sores, and Mulgoth the Cleaver

So, instead of working on the base level hostile minions and heroes, that would be useful for trying out or starting the game... I apparently decided I needed to start with the Biggest Boss himself and his Number One Lieutenant!? 

Gelgus Pust, Prince of Sores, and Mulgoth the Cleaver

Gelgus Pust, Prince of Sores - I did a bit of light converting on the model. The original wasn't wearing a helmet... and...  I did NOT love his goofy face... So I found some left over helmet bits from Putrid Blight Kings (or maybe Pusgoyle Blightlords?) and did a bit of a swaperoo! 

This Daemon Prince is the leader of the Nurgle forces that have infested the Jade Abbey in Warhammer Quest: Darkwater and is the Big Bad/Final Boss of the game

He's got some bug-bits - including wings on his back... I don't love how the wings turned out... but I'm not sure how to make them any better, so I'm calling it done and moving on!!

Mulgoth the Cleaver - Mulgoth is Gelgus Pust's Lieutenant and has served him for decades.

I also did a quick comparrison show of these two new Nurgle Lords with some of the older Nurgle minis...

From Left to Right; Plaguebearer, Gelgus Pust, Lord of Plagues, Mulgoth, Older Putrid Blightking

While I was painting them, having only Gelgus Pust as a reference, I was feeling like Mulgoth was rather small... but seeing him in this line-up next to a Lord of Plagues... He IS kind of a big boi! 

I really need to assemble and paint the REST of the Hostile Minions (Pox-Wretches, Pestigors and Blight Templars)... I have most of the Heroes and Hostile characters done - except for Shaman Foulhoof - the Boss for Act I!? I think that will be THE PRIORITY for the week - Shamen Foulhoof, Pestigors, and Pox-Wretches, and the four basic heroes! 

Played the final game of our Ravaged Coast Path to Glory campaign yesterday, so I have a game report to finish up for that. 

Last Tuesday, Amanda, Finnegan and I attempted a  Decapitation Journey for Carmilla DuSang in Warhammer Quest: Cursed City - and I'd hoped to have THAT game report done by today... and maybe I could still finish it up (at least I got the three other Warhammer Quest game reports I was behind on done!)

AND we played the lastest episode in the What We Do in the Realm of Shadows campaign AND a Spearhead Doubles game on Sunday... so, at some point, I'll have game reports for THOSE!?

Never thought I'd be saying this, but... I almost feel like I need to play less games so I can get caught up with the game reports and painting!?