Devout vs Obsidian Elves
Author: Commander Gawyn Đ 1998
In this game we didnt want to care about points, to tedious to count them and we really wanted to see all our troops in action. To make it balanced we decided that I should attack his fortifications. After all I had an army of about 1900 points and he around 950. Even odds? No but we invented some new defender rules to even it out.
- First of all I want to mention that SoK book havent come to sweden yet so I dont know if there are any rules in it that mentions anything that I might say... Well we said that when attacking down a wall u where getting a charge bonus plus an extra +2 CC if your opponent was climbing.
- Any model could climb upp a straight wall the lenght of his height per action spent on it. This means he could be climbing between turns. A 6" wall for example would take some turns for my risens to climb when my Harbringer could make it in one.
- Any model that just finished climbing could not charge on his 2nd action. This was meant to show how exhausted u were after climbing.
- The drawbridge of the fort could be manipulated freely by the defending force if he had a model beside it inside the fort.
- Archers atop of the wall didnt have to shot at the closest unit if the enemy was on lower ground than the archers.
- And finally to even things out even more we decided that fear could only be brought to panic if a model was the last standing in his unit. This to show the higher moral of a defending player when he is inside his home.
Devout Commander Gawyns forces:
2 Dusk Realm Demons
1 Harbringer of Darkwings acompanied by one Darkwing (I only got one in my package...:(
1 Warped lord (with all spells except Dark ones Fury)
1 Necromancer (all spells excpet corrosion)
8 Elven Risens
8 Cursed
4 Followers
8 Greatswords with a banner and leader (10 all counted)
7 Dark Eyes (commander aZZo is keeping number 8th in his painting prison..)
House of the Obsidian Serpent defenders:
1 Greatswordsman (acting as an individual as the Elven swordsmen hasnt been released in sweden yet..)
8 Elven spearmen +bannerman,leader (10)
8 Elven archers
8 Elven axemen +leader,axemaster,bannerman (11)
The fort was placed on high ground with a smaller ring fort which attacking forces had to enter before they got tho the actuall fort.
The ring forts gate had 1 wound and an armour of 20
The Drawbridge to the BIG fort had 3 wounds and an armour of 20
More than one unit could charge the gates but didnt get any CC bonus because of backup(It isnt easier to hit a gate if your friend is doing the same thing...) the bonus CC for a charge was still intact though. We never really discussed it...the charge CC bonus that is.. :)
Aleha had been furious about the Obsidian raids against her supply lines. The Dwarven northen country was rocky and dwarven ambushes was quite common. We were after all invading the Horned ones ancestrial territory. But according to Aleha the obsidian serpent should keep its scaly nose out of it! Not that they where helping the dwarves in any way, they where just advancing in elven politics by seemingly doing something against the Devout....
An example had to be made. A small fort, crucial for the serpents movements in the mountain country was to be taken at all costs...that is at all costs for MY forces..I didnīt have the courage to point that out for her highness. One could only take that much disfavour before entering her personal torture chamber..
Gawyns demon mount was nervous, his master was angry, very angry. By storming this fort he would lose the greater part of his hard won army. Few gave respect enough to survive his masters bad tempers. Aleha was one of them.
The warped lord and necromancer were nervously fingering their staffs. If their spells failed today their master would probably dispose of them for some new recruits...such was the way of the Devout and their master. In normal cases Gawyn was a mild commander compared to the devout standard and it had been a relief to serve him instead of their former vicious brainless commander. Gawyn was usually the opposite to that. But not today..
Today the Devouts was going to be slaughtered if a victory was to be at hand. Aleha had firmly declined him any Tormented or missile carried jackals... Even a nameless subcommander was denied him...He had nothing to speed up his advance, except a spell to quicken the risen. If his necromancer wasnīt making a fool out of himself again...
At the fortress the elves was more than prepared. The ring fort was full of spearmen and the fortress walls where full of elven bowmen. And through dark magic Gawyn knew that well inside the fortress, if he got there, fierce elven axemans were waiting for them. At least he wouldnīt be facing any lotus eaters or their highly feared Golems. But that was all the luck he would have..
The tactic was simple. The risens would prove a shield for his Greatswords and cursed until they faced the outer gate. From there speed was esential and the risens couldnt keep up with that. A small unit of Followers where to circle the fort and draw missile fire if able, or if they where unnoticed they would climb the walls at the side to keep the axemen busy while his troops poundered the gate and climbed walls for all that they where worth. The demons where to Escort the dark eyes into the fort as a first wave..Their armour of 25+shield should keep them alive long enough...hopefully.
The last wave would consist of Undead knights and newly risens. Not much yo hope of if the axemens still where alive but all hang on the first waves anyway. If they werenīt to enter the final gate things would turne out to be a disaster...
Hoblin watched his commander nervously. If things didnīt work out today, he would have a tough time. Aleha wouldnīt be forgiving and their only hope would be to switch sides, to join Negrals forces.. Nemeth and Lokoth despised traitors among their own ranks. But Negral might be able to see the usefullness of Hoblins master...maybe..
With his Dark eyes he looked again for elven assassins but he saw none. The Serpent didnt play honest and Hoblin was aware of the fact that these hills could be crawling with elven assassins...
With a blew of the Horn of Decay Gawyns troops began to march. Missile fire quickly made it impossible to keep the two front waves at a common speed, so the demon rank took the lead followed by seven dark eyes.. The arrows rained at them but the Dusk realm demons was a though sort and made it over the first wall into the ring fort closely followed by the Harbringer and the Dark eyes.
The risen and those who followed behind began to pounder at the first gate when first blood was drawn.
The Demons entered the courtyard of the ringfort and three different waves of fear swept over the spearmen. The two Dusk realms took up the dirty infighting while the harbringer began to lead the Dark eyes over the next wall. Almost all dark eyes fell to missile fire and the Harbringer was wounded when he reached the top. His darkwing charged a bowman without success and he himself occupied two others in melee. In the meantime the Greatswords got tired of waiting for the risen to finish the gate (I made three "20" dice rolls) and they climbned the outer wall. Unfourtunaly they where hit by heavy missile fire and lost a few of their comrades..
The Dusk Realm demons made an elven graveyard of the spearmen, with the help of one dark eye they fought so well the remaining elves had to retreat to the drawbridge..which ofcourse was closed. The elves showed no mercy for their friends outside. And when the next wave of cursed and greatswords entered the courtyard(they had finally brought that gate to pieces with the assisstance of the curseds axe) The lonely spearmen where quickly brought down.by now I had lost one of my Dusk realm demons and and 5 of my dark eyes and my darkwings was wiped out to the very feather in close combat with his Elven bowman opponent(they really suck in CC).
All forces except the risens began to climb the innerwalls. My ordinary followers at the side climbed the outer walls ofcourse.. The D.R.Demon brought down the Drawbridge with the help of a cursed and charged into some waiting axemans on the inside of the keep. The Harbringer joined him after he had let the disposal of the remaining archers on his side of the wall over to the followers.
To bad he have so low armour. 21 isnt any good when facing an Elven axemen with an damage of 16 plus strenght. He and his Demon friend died quite quickly in the hands of those sharp axes..
Well after some dirty infighting Gawyns forces finally won the day. His casulaties could have been worse all his demons died and the elven axemen fought viciously for several turns. But they were finally brought down by a mix of Cursed and Greatswords.
The Obsidian commander was actually able to escape along with two archers. Iīm expecting to see him in future battles, probably with larger forces..
Aleha was quite happy with the news and she promised me that soem jackal would arrive soon. My suggestions of a tormented was as usual ignored...
Afterthoughts:
Gawyn: As i mentioned above we didnt want to think to much on the points in this battle. For a time it feelt quite balanced and I wasnīt that sure I could reach the innerfort with so many troops alive. When 4 of my Dark eyes went down in the same turn from missile fire I got really scared course my backup troops was a bit behind schedule(I still canīt forget those three "20"). I lost more than half of my army after I had climbed those walls, and those darn axemans didnīt make it any better. It was really fun though, but I think the tide of the battle was decided when his drawbridge went down...
Commander Eriksson: (He havenīt read this yet and Iīm still waiting for a comment or correction. It was some weeks since I played this scenario so I hope I havent mixed it up with something else...)
Comments
First version from 24.03.2008. Last Version from 24.03.2008.
