Trench Crusade: Heretic Legion vs Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent 900 ducats / 8 glory points game

Report & Story: Jakub Polkowski
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Story

There are whispers in the front-line trenches, carried in the choking fog between bombardments. In the rot-choked wastes, there are names even the damned speak with care.

They speak of a once a most beautiful girl in the world. Now trapped inside the rotting and mutated corpse-frame of the Faithfull creations. She moves with the precision of an executioner, her long-barreled anti-material rifle pitted and blasphemously etched with profane sigils that coil around the steel like black vines.

Once, she was Wanda Krassowska, last scion of a fading Polish noble line. Her father, desperate to save his crumbling estate, bartered her hand to a Prussian baron whose cruelty was whispered about in hushed tavern corners. The marriage was meant to unite two houses under one iron will. But Wanda was not bred for chains.

On the eve of her binding, she slipped from her candlelit chambers into the frostbitten night, taking only a ceremonial sabre and a hunter’s rifle. Her absence was marked not by the cry of alarm bells, but by the slow and deliberate toll of the manor’s funeral bell.

No one speaks of how she came to the Heretic Legion, but some claim she followed the carrion birds to their camps. Others swear she was led there by a black-robed preacher whose mouth whispered scripture in reverse. Whatever the truth, she was remade in the Legion’s image — flesh branded and fussed with the body of the enemy. A mockery, cruel joke and blashsemy at the same time. Her name was struck from the rolls of the living and replaced with one that would be whispered from trench to trench: Wanda the Unconquered.

In battle, Wanda the Unconquered is patient as the grave. She stalks the no-man’s-land unseen. Waits in the ruins, in the blasted belfries, in the blackened treelines — unmoving, unbreathing, a silhouette against the sky. The shot always comes without warning: a single thundercrack that unravels helmets, ruptures armor, and reduces the faithful to red ruin.

It is said she does not simply kill. She chooses.
She marks officers, chaplains, standard-bearers — the heart of a unit — and leaves the rest to break like glass in the mud. Her bullet is not merely metal; it is a curse, carried across the no-man’s-land to hollow out the spirit as well as the flesh.

Two winters after her disappearance, Baron Friedrich von Rabenhorst was struck down during an inspection near the Eastern Trenches. One shot. Through the breastplate. Through the heart. Witnesses claim they saw, far in the distance, a female creature lowering a rifle and disappearing into the fog, the wind carrying a voice that whispered "I am my own vow."

The Legion does not command her — they request. The enemy does not hunt her — they pray not to be chosen. And so her name is written in mud, blood, and cordite - Wanda the Unconquered. The Bride Who Wed War.

Not all who hunt Wanda do so for vengeance. In the decadent shadow of the Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent, the Praetor — a serpent-eyed demon-prince swathed in gold-threaded warrobes — has taken an unholy interest in her. To him, she is not an enemy, but a prize. A creature of rare defiance and beauty, perfect for breaking. He imagines her leashed in silver chains at his side, a living trophy to parade before the other Courts, her will eroded until she whispers only his name.

The Praetor has issued a standing command to his warband - Bring her to me, unbroken if possible, breathing if not. Entire skirmishes have been waged not for territory or resources, but to corner Wanda in the ruin-scattered wastes. Each time, she slips through the Serpent’s coils like smoke.

But this time her scent was fresh and strong. There was no escape from his lust.

Armies

Heretic Legion

Welcome Back to the Trenches!

Since the last battle report, we’ve played dozens of games with various factions and with every match, our love for Trench Crusade only grows stronger!

This time, I'm fielding my brand-new warband: the Heretic Legion. I'm especially proud of them because they won a bronze medal at Kontrast 2024, the biggest painting competition in Poland. I hope they'll prove their worth on the battlefield as well.

I originally assembled them for demo games I run, playing the antagonists to my Trench Pilgrims. But with each game played, I became more and more hooked. I simply love how they operate. Their special abilities add so much tactical depth. In my opinion, they’re much harder to master than the Faithful, but their ability to adapt and react to different threats is fantastic. That’s why, for the upcoming Trench Crusade event – WYŁOM 2025, I’ll be taking them as my main warband.
In this game, we’re also playtesting the first custom scenario from the event.

So, what’s my list? I’ve got 900 Ducats and 8 Glory Points to spend.

Elites
My leader is, of course, the Heretic Priest. He’s equipped with a Semi-Automatic Rifle, Trench Club, Blasphemous Staff, Reinforced Armor, Combat Helmet, and a Mountaineer Kit. This setup lets him deal damage both at range and in close combat. Thanks to the Staff, his core ability, Puppet Master, becomes far more reliable. The combo of armor and Tough makes him hard to kill, and the Mountaineer Kit adds even more flexibility.

Next up is the Chorister. He carries a Trench Club, Sacrificial Blade, Reinforced Armor, and a Combat Helmet.
I’ll be honest. In theory, he’s great at making life miserable for the enemy. But in most of my games, he does almost nothing... aside from dying really fast. Maybe I just haven’t learned how to use him properly yet.

Last of the Elites is the Death Commando, armed with Tormentor’s Chain, Tartarus Claws, Reinforced Armor, Combat Helmet, and a Mountaineer Kit.
I love the model. I love the rules. But his biggest flaw is that he has no Dash bonuses, which means he fails them at the worst possible moments. To mitigate that, I gave him Tormentor’s Chain instead of Gas Grenades, which I usually equip him with. I also tend to lose him early, so I need to be more patient and commit him only when the time is right.
He’s perfect for taking out unarmored enemies like basic Pilgrims or Wretched and the Chain gives him even more strategic value.

Troops
A brand-new addition to the warband is Wanda the Unconquered. A damsel who chose to join the Heretics rather than marry a Prussian.
She’s an Anointed Heavy Infantry armed with an Anti-Material Rifle, Trench Knife, and Infernal Brand Mark.
She’ll provide much-needed long-range firepower… though, being a newly painted model, I suspect she’ll die before getting off a single shot (as is tradition).

Then there’s the Artillery Witch, equipped with a Trench Shield and Standard Armor. Despite being an iconic model, she’s done absolutely nothing for me in most games. She either misses completely or fails to inflict serious damage. Still, maybe this game will be different… (I tell myself that before every battle).

Next are two Heretic Troopers. One has a bolt-action rifle with a bayonet.
The other carries a Musical Instrument, Trench Shield, and Grenades. Their role is simple - secure objectives and provide bodies. The musician boosts Dashes, which I definitely fail way too often.

And finally, my all-time MVP - the War Wolf Assault Beast.
In my humble opinion, the best unit in the entire game. I can’t overstate how much I love this model. He’s won me so many battles, killed countless enemies, and strikes fear into the hearts of opponents. Even my opponent in today’s game holds a grudge, after the Wolf one-shot his Praetor in a previous battle.
The Wolf is ultra-fast, tough, reliable, and brutal in combat. Simply put - he’s the best!

Battle Plan
My strategy is straightforward: Seize and hold as many objectives as quickly as possible. I’ll leave the less important units to defend them, while the War Wolf and Death Commando push forward and do the heavy lifting.

The Court is likely to grow stronger as the game progresses, as they’re far better at long-range combat than my poor Heretics. And with that Hunter lurking, whom I have a personal grudge against...

My goal is to hit hard in the early turns, score as many VPs as I can, and then try not to get slaughtered too quickly.

Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent: Sin of Lust

Ladies and gentlemen, lo and behold - the Sin of Lust warband takes the field!

Since we’re running a higher-budget list today, let’s see if I can pack a hefty punch to derail the Heretics.

Elites
Praetor – With a whopping 288 Ducats invested, this bad boy has everything a modern demon-human hybrid prince needs to aura-farm in the trenches.
He’s equipped with a Serpent Assault Gun, Malebrache Sword, Trench Club, and Reinforced Armor, paired with a Combat Helmet. For Goetics, I’m running Forbidden Pleasures and Exquisite Pain.
This loadout gives him both ranged and melee threat, plus decent protection, as he’s a known bullet magnet. The Goetics provide early Blood Markers and the potential to manipulate rolls using Exquisite Pain.

Sorcerer – The Goatman Returns.
A fairly standard build here: Trench Club, Reinforced Armor, and a Musical Instrument, with Burning Inferno, Forbidden Pleasures, and Call of Flesh as Goetics.
The goatman is a reliable armor-ignoring option. The Musical Instrument and armor are crucial for survivability. Like the Praetor, his spells rely on early Blood Markers, and this time we’ll see if Call of Flesh can be as annoying as Puppet Master is in the Heretic arsenal.

Hunter of the Left-Hand Path
Straightforward: Reinforced Armor and Headtaker is all we need to create a credible threat.
This time, I’ll try to keep him out of harm’s way, so the -2 Armor is a must. I’d love to test an Unholy Relic, but at 15 Ducats, it’s out of budget for this list. Maybe next time.

Hell Knight – Lust Variant
The Lust variant seems promising for a ranged-focused Court warband, so I had to give it a shot.
He’s rocking an Ophidian Rifle, Double Sword/Axe, and a Combat Helmet, with Exquisite Pain for some dice manipulation. Paired with the Hell Knight’s natural, unignorable -2 armor, this setup lets us snipe from a distance while still posing a threat in melee thanks to +2 Melee Stat from the dual weapons.

Troops
Nothing new here, sadly. The Court is a Blood Marker-reliant faction, and the Lust variant takes that to the next level.
I’m running two blood battery units, each consisting of a Wretched (with Trench Knife) and a Yoke Fiend (with Torture Instrument). One Wretched carries a Troop Flag, just in case the Praetor eats too many bullets.

Mercenaries
Scripture Guardian
First time fielding this unit! His ability to ignore armor and gain a +X to Injure rolls based on Blood Markers makes him a natural fit for a Lust warband. I’ve added a Trench Club for that handy double melee attack in close combat.

Game Plan
As usual, my plan is pretty straightforward: Ignore objectives and kill enough enemies to force a Morale Test as soon as possible.
The problem with the Court is that we lack models that can hold objectives reliably. Our Elites are scary, but our cannon fodder... not so much. We don’t want to lose our Blood Batteries, and we don’t have the Ducats to buy more bodies.
The Heretics pose big threats with their War Wolf, Death Commando, and Artillery Witch, so rushing objectives might backfire quickly. The goal is to leverage action economy through Blood Batteries early and find opportunities for early kills, opening the board for the Hunter to strike.

Pre battle

Scenario 1 - Recon by Fire

Map:
Setup: Players roll a d6 and alternately place 5 objective markers (25mm bases), starting with the higher roll. Markers must be at least 8” from deployment zones and 6” from each other, not in impassable terrain.
Deployment: Players roll a d6. Higher roller picks their deployment zone and begins alternating model placement.
Infiltration: Allowed with restrictions – not within 8” of objectives, unless in own deployment zone.
First turn: Player with fewer models starts. If tied, roll off.
Game length: 4 turns. After turn 4, the player with fewer models rolls a d6. On 5+, play one extra turn.
Scoring: 1 VP at end of each turn per controlled objective (1” radius, no enemy models, own model not “Down”).
Winner: Player with the most VPs at game end.

Secret Order

Heretic Legion:
Unshakable Faith
1 VP – Perform 2 risky actions in a single activation with one model during a turn.
3 VP – Perform 3 risky actions in a single activation with one model during that turn.

Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent:
Iron Discipline
1 VP – Pass 1 Morale Test.
3 VP – Pass 2 Morale Tests.

Deployment:

The Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent won the roll-off and claimed their chosen deployment zone.
Thanks to the Forbidden Pleasures upgrade on the Praetor, 3 Blood Markers were placed on the Wretched before the battle began.

Battle

Disclaimer!
We use white dice to mark model has not been activated yet, and red ones to mark Blood Markers.

Turn 1

With a lower model count, the Heretical Legion chose to activate first.

A Heretic Trooper wielding a bolt-action rifle dashed forward, empowered by the nearby trumpet’s inspiring aura, and moved onto an objective.

The Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent responded with the Hell Knight, who aimed his Ophidian Rifle at Wanda the Unconquered - an Anointed Heavy Infantry bearing an anti-materiel rifle.

He invoked the Exquisite Pain Goetic power, transferring 2 Blood Markers onto Wanda. The shot struck true. Another Blood Marker was taken from the Wretched, and both from Wanda, fueling a brutal +3 Dice to the Injury roll. But the result - just 10 on two dice wasn’t enough. Wanda, her armor reinforced, went Down with 1 Blood Marker.

The Hell Knight advanced into the next trench.

Wanda stood, leveled her rifle at the Praetor, and fired. But with -1 Dice due to range and cover, she missed.

The Sorcerer emerged from his bunker and unleashed Burning Inferno on Wanda. The spell hit, ignoring armor and with a Blood Marker spent for an extra die, she went Down again.
Clutching a musician’s instrument in one hand, the Sorcerer tried to Dash, but failed.

The Chorister dashed and moved to the center objective beneath the cross.

The Yoke Fiend activated, using his Torture Instruments to attack a nearby Wretched, but missed. He then retreated.

Another Heretic Trooper, trumpet in hand, dashed and claimed a second objective.

The Praetor took to the skies, landing atop the bunker. His Serpent Assault Gun roared: the first shot downed the Anointed Heavy Infantry again, while the second missed.
He attempted to Dash, but failed.

Sensing an opportunity, the Artillery Witch dashed to a vantage point with line of sight on the Praetor.

She unleashed her hellish bomb, but rolled a 1 and 2 for hit, failing spectacularly.

Next came the Hunter of the Left-Hand Path. He dashed and teleported beside the Heretic troops using his dark path.

His Bow of Lethe struck the downed Heavy Infantry, and he used Blood Markers to activate Bloodbath, ignoring armor. It was more than enough to finish her off.

He then charged a Heretic Trooper with a bolt-action rifle, downing him.

The Heretic Priest moved from cover and fired his rifle at the Praetor but missed.

Then, using Puppet Master, he forced the Hunter into close combat with him. The downed Heretic Trooper attempted an attack but missed.

The Priest swung his staff: the main blow failed (double ones…), but the off-hand attack scored a minor hit.

On the left flank, the Yoke Fiend attacked a Wretched, causing 2 Blood Markers, then moved around the bunker. His Dash failed.

The Death Commando attempted to Dash and failed, remaining at his objective.

The Wretched on the left flank advanced toward the Yoke.

The War Wolf Assault Beast moved and dashed, positioning beside the Chorister.

The second Wretched advanced toward the right-flank Yoke.

The last to act was the Scripture Guardian. It lumbered toward the Hell Knight but failed its Dash.

End of Turn 1 Score

Heretical Legion: 3
Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent: 0

Turn 2

The Artillery Witch opened the turn, targeting the Praetor again. This time, she hit with a devastating 16 on the injury roll. The demon lost his Tough and was Downed!

The Hunter of the Left-Hand Path slashed at the Heretic Priest with the Headtaker. The blade landed, causing only a Blood Marker.

Using his Shadow Walker ability and Left-Hand Path, he retreated from the melee and teleported to the top of the trench near the Hell Knight. He fired his bow at the Artillery Witch, but long range, cover, and a Blood Marker penalty meant the shot missed.

The trumpet-bearing Heretic Trooper moved and dashed to secure an objective on the far left.

The Praetor, recovered, soared back atop the bunker and fired at the War Wolf Assault Beast.

The first hit dealt 2 Blood Markers, and the second shot hurt the beast - Out of Action, stripped of Tough, left sprawled with 3 Blood Markers.
The Praetor dashed and landed in the trench.

The previously downed Heretic Trooper stood and held his objective.

The Hell Knight lined up a shot on the Artillery Witch. Thanks to long range and cover bonuses, he rolled a Critical Hit - double sixes. Her head exploded in a blast of gore.

The Heretic Priest fired at the Hunter, missed, moved.

The Praetor heard the whisper coil through his mind like a serpent through wet earth.

"Go on. She is there. Waiting for you. Nothing can stop you."

He did not hesitate. Not for a heartbeat. The temptation was a hook in his soul, and resistance was an alien thought.

How proud he was… how certain in his dominion…

The Praetor stepped through the smoke-wreathed breach, his taloned boots grinding the bones of the fallen into the mire. The seven shadowed faces that crowned his helm hissed and whispered in a dozen tongues, urging him forward.

Through the haze, he saw her. Wanda — broken, bloodied, crawling through the ash like a dying beast — yet still clutching that cursed rifle to her breast. Even now, defiance that had denied him before.

He savoured the sight. This was no mere quarry. This was a prize, a living trophy to be broken and remade.

Mine.

Then successfully cast Puppet Master on the Praetor, dragging him forward along the trench.

On the left, the Yoke Fiend struck a Wretched, inflicting 2 Blood Markers, moved toward the trench, but failed to Dash.

The Chorister dashed and charged the Praetor.

His sacrificial dagger plunged deep causing a Critical Hit, 12 on Injury roll and the Court’s leader was eliminated.

On the right, the Yoke Fiend wounded Wretched with 2 Blood Markers, then moved closer to the center.

The Death Commando hid and held his position.

The Sorcerer took flight and landed on top of the trench.

He cast Burning Inferno on the Heretic Priest, knocking him Down and adding another Blood Marker from the Fire effect.
His Dash though failed.

The War Wolf, now standing, moved to the edge of the trench, maintaining control of the objective.

The Scripture Guardian advanced and tried to recite his holy scripts at the War Wolf, but long range blunted their force. His Dash also failed.

Both Wretcheds moved toward the Yokes on their respective flanks.

End of Turn 2 Score

Heretical Legion: 7 (+4)
Court: 0

Turn 3

The War Wolf Assault Beast was first. It dashed and charged both the Hunter and the Scripture Guardian.

Both attacks targeted the Hunter: the first Downed him, and the second was negated by Oracle Beast Cloak but three Blood Markers were spent.
3 risky actions were performed by a single model in one activation and Secret Order was fulfilled!

The Sorcerer repositioned and cast Burning Inferno on the Chorister. It hit, and he went Down with 2 Blood Markers. The Sorcerer dashed behind the bunker.

The wounded Heretic Priest stood, missed a shot at the Sorcerer, but successfully cast Puppet Master on the Hunter, pulling him away from the War Wolf.

The War Wolf used his free attack and struck again the Hunter. Using Bloodbath with +3 dice he tore him into pieces. The Priest dashed toward the large trench.

The Scripture Guardian counterattacked the War Wolf with his club Downing it and stacking 4 Blood Markers. He attempted to read another script but failed despite the bonus die.

The Death Commando, sensing danger, dashed and unleashed Tormentor Chains to drag the Hell Knight into melee, protecting the War Wolf.

He attacked twice but only one Blood Marker got through.

Yoke on the left side bloodied the Wretched once more causing 2 Blood Markers.

The Chorister rose and advanced on the Heretic Priest, failing his Dash.

The right-side Yoke failed his Dash attempt.

The same happened to the trumpet Heretic Trooper.

And the Wretched on the left flank.

The Heretic Trooper wielding bolt-action rifle stayed on his objective.

The Hell Knight, last to activate, struck the Death Commando. The first attack missed, the second hit. Due to Blood Magic a Blood Marker was transferred from the Wretched to the Commando, but only a minor wound was dealt.

End of Turn 3 Score

Heretical Legion: 9 (+2)
Court: 0

Turn 4

Once more, the War Wolf led the charge.

He stood and mauled the Scripture Guardian, Downing him twice - 3 Blood Markers applied.

The Sorcerer flew atop the bunker, unleashing another Burning Inferno on the Heretic Priest. A Critical Hit, rendering him out of Tough.
The Chorister caught some of the blast: a minor wound and a Blood Marker.
The Sorcerer failed his Dash.

The Heretic Priest, still breathing, rose and fired at the Sorcerer - missed. He then used Puppet Master on the Scripture Guardian, allowing the War Wolf to attack again.
With 5 dice, the Golem was obliterated in a Bloodbath.

The Hell Knight continued his grim duel, transferring a Blood Marker from the Chorister to the Death Commando. His first strike missed, the second landed, and a single Blood Marker inflicted.

A Heretic Trooper saw the towering Sorcerer and took aim. Even with -1 Dice, he struck but only caused a minor wound.

The right-side Yoke missed its attack and failed to Dash.

The Death Commando counterattacked the Hell Knight. One strike missed; the second put him Down.

The left Yoke wounded Wretched, then dashed toward the trumpet-bearing Trooper.

The Chorister dashed and charged the Yoke.

His sacrificial blade spilling black ichor. The Yoke Fiend was slain.

The second Heretic Trooper failed to Dash.

The remaining Wretched failed again to Dash.

End of Turn 4 Score

Heretical Legion: 11 (+2)
Court: 0

Endgame

The Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent, with 4 models taken out of action and with the Hell Knight down, faced a Morale Check.
Without a Leader, but with the Trooper's banner still raised, they rolled 7+ with +1 Dice. Success, achieving +1 VP from the Secret Order.
However, the game only continued on a 5+ and the roll failed.
The battle ended.

Final Score

Heretical Legion: 11
Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent: 0

Victory for the Heretical Legion!

Secret Orders

Heretics: +3 VP
Court: +1 VP

Epilogue

Wanda’s body-shell was broken. Torn, pierced, and burned, a ruin of flesh and bone. Almost beyond salvation.

She wept. Not from the all-consuming agony, but from the black despair pressing on her mind. All the years, all the sacrifices, all the blood she had spilled. They could not be for nothing. She would not surrender. Not to death. Not to this winged abomination.

She dragged herself forward with one hand, each movement leaving a smear of blood on the stone floor. The bones in her legs were shattered, useless. In her other hand, she still clutched her rifle.

Good, she thought. It was the only thing that mattered now. She would not be unarmed.

She slid from the broken floor of the ruins and crashed to the ground below. New fractures bloomed in her body. She felt them, heard them, but did not care. All that mattered was to crawl away — to hide, to heal, to kill another day.

Hatred was the fire in her veins.

Behind her came the din of slaughter. The maddening howls of the War Wolf, the staccato bark of rifles, the shrieks of hell-spawn feeding on the dying.

Through the dust and smoke, she heard his voice. The Praetor of the Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent. Smooth, honeyed, soaked in mockery.

“Crawl, little dove. Crawl while you still can. You will look exquisite in my chains.”

His silhouette loomed in the flames. Wings unfurled, scales glistening with blood. Around him, his warband swept forward, serpent-helmed horrors and goat-headed killers, cutting through the Heretic line with blades wet to the hilt.

The Puppet Master’s command cracked like a whip across the battlefield, dragging enemy fighters into the open only to be torn apart by the War Wolf’s slavering jaws. Explosions from the Artillery Witch shredded the street, hurling masonry and limbs alike into the air.

She crawled faster, dragging herself behind the burned-out carcass of an armoured carrier. Bullets struck the plating inches from her skull, chipping rust and paint.

She would not die here. Not in his chains. Not as anyone’s pet. Blood filled her mouth. Her vision dimmed. But she kept moving.

Centimetre by centimetre. Hatred. Always hatred.

Post game

Heretic Legion

That was crazy!
I won 11:0, but honestly, things could have gone in a very different direction multiple times.

I was a bit surprised by Piotr’s choice of deployment zone. The one he left for me had three easy-to-grab objectives and a solid vantage point. The latter turned out to be a trap for poor Wanda, but still, it allowed me to control all objectives by the end of Turn 1, which gave me a huge comfort buffer for the rest of the game.

Piotr’s strategy was to ignore the objectives and try to force a victory through attrition and casualties, and it almost worked!

Losing Wanda in Turn 1 and the Artillery Witch in Turn 2 was a serious blow. That left me with just two weak ranged options, but luckily, my melee assets were untouched and I think I used them quite effectively.

Once again, Puppet Master was the absolute cornerstone of my gameplay. It helped me finish off the Hunter, the Praetor, and the Scripture Guardian. With the Blasphemous Staff, this power becomes incredibly reliable and in this match, it was a real game-changer. MVP of the game, no question.

The second award goes to the War Wolf.
Not only did he accomplish his Secret Order (Dash + two risky melee attacks in a single turn!), but he held an objective and once he reached close combat, he slaughtered everything the Court threw at him (with a bit of help 😉).
I’ll say it again - for 140 Ducats, this beast is an absolute bargain.

I was also really happy with how the Tormentor’s Chain worked on the Death Commando. This was my first time including it in a list, and it’s here to stay. Sure, he could have done more, but as usual, he failed key Dashes. Still, he played his role well and helped hold objectives.

All in all, the army performed exactly as planned. I can't complain about my dice either. On the other hand, Piotr had some really unfortunate rolls, especially those failed Dashes, and worst of all, two missed attack rolls in a row with the Scripture Guardian... Just when the War Wolf had 4 Blood Markers. A single hit there would have likely killed the Wolf, and the entire game could’ve turned on that moment...

To sum up: We both had a great time. With every game, we fall more and more in love with Trench Crusade. We tested one of the custom scenarios for WYŁOM 2025, and we played on a brand-new table.

What more could you ask for?

Court of the Seven-Headed Serpent

I almost had it!
The early turns played out well, despite almost half my attacks being spent trying to eliminate Wanda 😊. It worked in the end, but I think I lost momentum chasing her down.

Kuba took the opportunity to secure objectives and establish control over the center, especially with his War Wolf, which posed a huge threat to my Hunter. He would’ve been in danger in almost any teleport scenario.

Still, Turn 2 gave me a highlight: killing the Artillery Witch with the Hell Knight. The Ophidian Rifle is a beautiful, mind-bending weapon that opponents often forget - turning a Ranged 0 Hell Knight into a +2 sniper thanks to its ability. Glorious.

But from Turn 3, my plan started to crumble.

A major mistake: not teleporting the Hunter to safety at the start of the turn. Puppet Master was once again my downfall, and I really need to start accounting for how devastating that ability is. Kuba used it masterfully.

If I hadn’t made that error, I might’ve been able to teleport behind his Musician, potentially score two kills, and force him to stretch his position, opening the map for me.

After that, the Hellish Lords turned their backs on me, and the dice reflected it. Not much more to say. Sometimes you just lose the dice game 😊

That said, even without the bad rolls, by that point I’d already lost the key units needed to force a win through Morale Test.

The Court is definitely not an easy warband to play. Mastering it will take time. Losing even one Elite can shatter your game plan, so every activation must be deliberate and calculated.

Overall: great game, Kuba!
I had a blast playing on that beautiful table. I’ve made a ton of notes about my playstyle, and I hope to take advantage of them in our next game 😊