Gotrek Versus Siggurd

I have been slowly reading the Gotrek and Felix books, and for the most part enjoying them. They get better and better as you go. I’m actually a very fast reader but with laundry and dishes and meals and soccer and everything else that comes with four kids my free reading time is pretty much nonexistent. I’m lucky to read twenty pages a week.

But enough complaining!

If you don’t know, Gotrek Gurnisson is a dwarf slayer. As some point in the past he did something shameful and to atone for it he has become a slayer. In the cult of the slayer they shave their heads into orange Mohawks, get covered in blue tattoos and seek a heroic death. That heroic death is remembered instead of their ignominy.

Gotrek and Felix are a Warhammer novel series that follows the travels and battles of Gotrek in his quest for a demise worthy of remembering. Felix Jaegar is a human that follows Gotrek around, oath-bound to record the slayer’s death.

I usually read a little bit and then tell my children what has happened in the story- and so they have been chomping to make a custom figure of Gotrek.

I finally found a Warhammer metal slayer- the first metal figure I’ve painted- and boy did I have a hard time gluing his hands on! The figure comes pretty much complete but you have your choice of what hands with weapons to attach. I hate glue. But perhaps you already knew that? Glue does not like me. Or rather I should say it likes to get on me, but refuses to do what I ask it to do. Just like my children. But I digress…

One of our favourite figures is Siggurd the Frost Giant. He’s a D and D figure from the Night Below set, and in my opinion one of the nicest sculpts they’ve done. He of course was a rare figure and hard to find. His picture was usually pictured prominently on the Night Below booster box.

Well, my then seven year old fell in love with the figure and that’s all he could talk about. When asked what he wanted for his birthday, Christmas or anything like that he’s say “The Frost Giant.” He dreamt about it, drew pictures of it and sang little songs about it. It was pure parental purgatory.

I tried hard to find a Frost Giant. Looked into buying one online. But I don’t have a credit card and am poor as a goat. We used to go into our LGS and look at the dwindling number of Night Below Boosters and wonder if one might contain a frost giant.

Finally, there was only one Night Below booster left, and I couldn’t stop myself. I bought it. My kids weren’t even with me. I sat in the car in the parking lot and opened it. I loved those blind boosters- a little like Christmas. I reached my hand in, heart racing, and pulled out a frost giant. A fairy tale ending in a true story!

And so Siggurd was born into our family. He became my younger son’s favourite figure and he has fought in almost every battle we’ve had.


Siggurd the Frost Giant Jandar
Frost Giant, unique hero, warrior, powerful, Large 8
2 life, 7 Move, 2 Range, 6 Attack, 8 Defense, 150 points
Specials:
Frost Ring: In addition to his normal attack Siggurd can create a frost ring 2 hexes thick in all directions from the hex he occupies. This frost ring rises from the ground and extends upwards in the sky. Shake 4 dice once for the frost ring’s attack
Icy Defense: Defense +1 against any fire attack


So one night during supper we were talking, as usual, about Scape. And the challenge somehow came up- Gotrek versus Siggurd. Gotrek is a little tiny dwarf with a move of three. Siggurd is a giant and his sword is so long his melee range is 2.

I admit I was the only real backer of Gotrek. The figure hadn’t even been played yet- I was being rather Gotrekish- bragging, egging on, and looking for a glorious doom. I must admit I like that about Slayers. They don’t care about consequences. They’re going to do what they’re going to do and eventually it will end in death. They don’t worry too much about anything else. Meanwhile everyone was laughing at me, certain I would lose.


Gotrek Gurnisson
Dwarf, unique hero, slayer, ferocious, small 3
2 Life, 3 Move, 1 Range, 5 Attack, 5 Defense, 90 points
Specials
Rampage: Gotrek may choose for his attack to hit all adjacent figures, or just one.
Berserker Attack 13: shake the 20d. 13+ Gotrek may move and attack again
Fate: Gotrek has unlimited fate points. (meaning if he takes a wound, shake the 20d, if you shake 11+ ignore the wound)
Rune Weapons: +2 Attack against chaos, undead and wild creatures


We had just finished a largish game and had left the board up just in case. The two figures faced off.




the face off


Siggurd is huge. Gotrek is small with low movement. The only way they could engage was if Siggurd wanted to. Gotrek chased the frost giant around the board in the begining, goading him and insulting him.





crikey! Who's that watching in the background?


Finally my son had enough and turned towards me. I tried to race to a height but never got there before becoming engaged.



Siggurd used his superior movement to attack first. He has two attacks- the Special Frost Ring and his normal attack. My son shook his four dice for frost ring and came up with two skulls. I shook for defense and got my usual all skulls roll. Gotrek has unlimited fate points- if he receives a wound, shake the 20d. 11+ ignores the wound. I shook a two.

Things were not looking good. Gotrek was wounded and Siggurd launched his normal attack, which ended with three skulls. I was able to block that one.




Gotrek's red rage! (or what happens when your finger accidentally covers the flash)



Then it was Gotrek’s turn. Five dice made three skulls. Siggurd rolled two shields and took a wound. I rolled for Beserker attack and failed.

Siggurd attacked again with frost ring, getting two skulls. I blocked. Siggurd attacked normally and got five skulls. I rolled for fate and ignored the wound.

Gotrek attacked, four skulls and Siggurd fell. He house erupted in screaming and shouting. Everyone was shouting. Gotrek had won!

I got pressured into an immediate rematch. I never should have done it. Of course I lost the rematch. And then because it was tied one to one, we had to have a tie-breaker. I lost that as well. The children celebrated, having proven yet again their superiority over their feeble father. Siggurd retained his crown as our most awesome coolest figure.




endgame


But I think they missed the point. Gotrek won that battle, fair and square. There are few rematches in life, and none in fights to the death. You can keep playing anything until it falls your way and then claim victory. Gotrek won, as far as I’m concerned. That first win, combined with the following two losses, made for him a glorious death.