Writing a battle report is an art. A battle report is not only an explanation of how the battle was fought. It's a story, a tale. Even a boring-looking battle can be made interesting if the report is well written. I never wrote one, but I've read quite a few of them and I spotted what make some of them as captivating as a fantasy novel and others as boring stiff as my last year's maths teacher.


WHAT KIND OF BATTLE LOOKS GOOD IN A REPORT?

First off, you've got to understand if a battle was worth a report. During the fight, just take notes ("greatswords kill two black Orcs", "Ratling gun misfires" and such). Once the battle is over, try to see if really that game was interesting. A boring match may still make a good batrep if told well, but a few elements are more interesting than others:

-Hard-fought battles. Massacres don't make so good batreps. If the outcome of the fight is still in doubt until the last turn, it's very captivating, as the reader doesn't know who will win and is likely to read the report to the end.

-Heroism. It's always fun when a small unit holds the line against a regiment two times their numbers during three close combat phases, or when a character smashes half of the enemy army by himself. In the batrep of White Dwarf 249, we can see a single Free Company fighter ruin the Orcs' strategy by disturbing their march moves and killing their shaman. Things like that always look good in a report.

-Cool scenarios. Any pitched battle can make an interesting report, but a siege is even better. In the excellent batrep of White Dwarf 254, we are completely captivated by the assault of an Elector Count's castle by a Dwarven force twice the value of the Empire army.


STRUCTURE OF THE BATTLE REPORT

1. First, explanation of the scenario to the reader. It's important that he or she knows what kind and size of battle it is: Siege or rescue? Ambush or escape? How many points?

2. Then, both players may explain their point of view about the slaughter to come. This part must be written before the fight. The players write what they plan to do with each of their units and add what they think about the battle, for example if they're confident or if they're sure to lose. This part is not so important (most people don't do it), but it's still interesting to compare the players' strategy and predictions to what actually happened during the game.

3. Next, the army lists. This is a vital part of the report: the reader must know what's on each side in order to follow the battle's events. Every single piece of equipment must be noted too.

4. First part of background and fluff. It must explain why the two armies fight and, if there is an alliance, why they battle alongside. This is especially important if the war is unlikely. For example, what could lead Wood Elves and Tomb Kings to fight against each other, and what could explain an union between the Empire and Dark Elves? Use your imagination. The fluff is the core of any well-written batrep, so it's very important.

5. The battle report itself, of course. Divide it like this: Army A's first turn, Army B's fifth turn, etc. Further details about how to write the batrep and make it the most interesting possible are indicated in another part of this essay.

6. The last part of the background. How did the battle end? Was it the arrival of reinforcements? The losing army's surrender? You should also say what happened at the end for the characters left. The standard bearer who had fallen at the end of turn three might have been only stunned and would fight another day. Perhaps would the losing Skaven warlord be beheaded at the orders of the Council of Thirteen. And maybe would the spiteful and bitter Dwarf Lord swear to take his revenge, in which case there might be another battle...

7. Finally, the conclusion. This is a general analysis of the battle. Did my strategy work well? What would have happened if my Chaos warriors had not failed their leadership test at the wrong time? Could I have prevented my opponent to flank my Tomb Guard? Each player may have his own conclusion or write it together.


THE BATTLE REPORT ITSELF

The core of this essay: how to write an interesting battle report. Even after a bad battle, it's quite possible to write a good batrep. Games of any size (even a skirmish) can look cool if told with imagination and a lot of fluff. But to make sure it's a great report, there are a few ways to increase the interest level of the battle:

-Write it as if you were there. We don't want a battle seen from the point of view of a player. We want one that looks like told from a bard or a story-teller of the Warhammer universe. Here's an example of what you read in a bad report: "The knights failed their morale test, but as the battle standard was within 12", they re-rolled and, this time, succeeded." Now here's what you would read in a good report: "The knights' bravery faltered, but as they were about to flee, their gaze fell upon the battle standard. Filled with a newfound courage, they turned to face their foes and held the line."

-Create cool characters. Characters are something very important in any kind of story. No need to talk about every day of their life since they were born, but make them cool... The ruthless Skaven warlord who mercilessly sends his own soldiers to death, the noble Bretonnian paladin who fights only for honor or the mysterious and shady necromancer, create anything, but be imaginative.

-Don't be afraid to make it long. If it's worth writing, it's worth writing with a lot of details. Even a 100-points skirmish can make a long report if you explain every duel. But if it's interesting enough, no one will complain about it.


CONCLUSION

I hope this helped. No, I've never written a battle report before, but I've written a lot of fantasy tales and it's about the same. Again, a well-made batrep must look like a story and not a description of dice rolls. After all, it's called a battle report, not a game report. Someday, when I'll have enough time, I'll take notes during a battle and I'll write a good batrep. The only problem is that my Warhammer opponents hate it when I stop the game for two minutes between each phase to note how many warriors died and how. I'll try to convince them, and I hope I'll be able to write a good report someday.