This posting covers the battle report rounds 1-6. The back ground to the battle, troops and the set up is covered
here.
The report will be completed in the next posting.
"Sir, it was lord Janarion. Or it had been lord Janarion and he had been somehow brought back. But it still wasn´t him... like there was something evil in that ghastly creature".
Darcassan listened to a shore rider telling of the battle. The few riders were the first to return with the news. Both good and bad...
ROUND 1
My elves won the roll for initiative and moved first. Everyone exept the bolt throwers moved towards the dwarf lines. Shore riders started their flanking manouver going around the woods on elven far right.
Some long distance shots were fired and a single dwarf quarreler lost his life. He became the first casualty on this day.
More advancing followed on reserve phase. A second quarreler was fried by a lightning bolt cast by Eachotah.
The dwarves countered with the giant slayers advancing and crossbow armed warriors wheeling right to face the elven main assault. On far right everyone marched forward and flame cannon started building up pressure.
Quarrelers and bolt thrower opened fire and a single elf marine got shot down. Some more movement in the reserve phase and round 1 was completed.
ROUND 2
No charges were declared but the elven general advance continued. Scouts in far left reached the woods in front of them. Janarion the spectre walked steadily in ghastly silence towards dwarf center and wardancers made it to the forest in the middle of the battle field. Ship company and guards moved between two woods on right with the wizard Eachotah riding next to them. Shore riders made it past the forest and wheeled a bit to line up with quarrelers.
Shooting was quite uneffective with one dwarf warrior being killed.
More advancing on reserve phase and a lightning bolt cast with no effect but some sparks and reek of ozone.
Giant slayers headed for woods to face the wardancers. The crossbow armed dwarf warrior on the left tried to wheel backwards but failed their LD roll and halted. Hammerers and Warriors on the right hurried trying to get past the hill between them and the elf main force. Bolt thrower was turned to face left.
Flame cannon took aim on elf bolt thrower in the middle but overshot it. Another marine was killed by the quarrelers on the dwarf left but things were starting to look grim from them as coast riders were in position to charge them next turn.
Situation on the elven right flank at the end of turn 2.
Same situation from the dwarven point of view.
ROUND 3
As expected the shore riders charged the quarrelers who stood trying to buy time for their comrades. Guards advanced and ship Company wheeled to their left to better face the dwarf center. Wardancers and scouts took better positions in their forests. Janarion continued towards dwarf center.
Unsuprisingly the coast riders won the combat against the quarrelers who were pushed back but did not break despite being forced to roll as they now had lost more then 25% of their original strenght.
Bolt thrower in the middle hit the dwarf bolt thrower crew, killed two crew members and sent the other two fleeing towards safety.
More advancing by the guards, the marines and Janarion. With no usefull spells for the situation magic phase is uneventful.
As Janarion was starting to threaten the dwarf middle Juggo the giant slayer decided to leave his unit and go spectre hunting. Rest of the slayers wheeled a bit towards the woods where the wardancers were hiding and advanced. . On the right hammerers, warriors and flame throwers moved forward. Flame cannon was again building up pressure after last round´s shot. Bolt thrower crew fled the battlefield.
Quarrelers in close combat with shore riders lost another dwarf, broke and were followed by the elves. Free hacks were pretty uneffective and there were still five stunties standing.
In the dwarf center quarrelers standing on the hill took shots at elf scouts taking cover in the forest in front of them but all missed their target. Crossbow armed warriors slaughtered three marines but their morale held.
In reserve phase slayers reached the edge of the woods in front of them. Far from action hammeres, Warriors and flamers marched forward. Juggo tried to close in on Janarion.
Juggo goes spectre hunting.
They have a loooong way to go before they can help
their buddies on the other side of that hill.
Dwarf left is under heavy pressure.
ROUND 4
Janarion in his spectral for has reached the hill in dwarf center and charges the quarrelers waiting there. They hold and pass their fear check hoping that they by some miracle would not lose the combat and then Juggo would save them. You foolish foolish dorfs....
Marines stood and took aim on the Warriors in front of them. The guard wheeled and advanced to better face the dwarves. While manouvering they sang their hymn of hate promising torture and death to all stunties. A strange deadlock was developing in the forest nearby as wardancers and giant slayers did not want to close on each other.
Janarion froze two quarelleres, won the combat ans sent the rest automatically fleeing as they feared his spectral appearance. Following free hacks took care of another three dwarves. The other quarrelers were hacked by shore riders but two were still alive after this elven turn.
Both bolt thrower and the marines shot at warriors in the center leaving only 14 of the original 20 standing. But their morale was high and they passed their panic test.
Some marching took Place on reserve phase. Eachotah managed to take out two slayers with a lightning bolt.
On dwarf turn Juggo continued his hunt for the spectre now slaughtering the defenseless quarrelers. Hammerers, warriors and flamers continued their long march towards combat area. The quarrelers fleeing from shore riders left the battle field. The shore riders would spend their next movement phase reforming at the edge of board.
Crossbow armed warriors on dwarf left shot at ship company marines leaving only five standing and breaking the unit. A small relief to hard pressed flank.
Right after this the marines in the middle are shot at and break.
ROUND 5
Shore riders spent their movement phase reforming after chasing the quarrelers of the table. Ship company flees but stays on the battle field. Both the guards and the wizard move closer to the warriors getting ready to charge them in the next round. The strange stale mate between the wardancers and slayers continues in the woods.
Janarion deals death amongst the quarrelers and a single dwarf is all that is left of the unit.
The dwarf warriors from right flank are finally hit by the elf center bolt thrower that impales three on one shot.
Reserve phase sees shore riders changing front to face the dwarf warriors and the guards advancing.
The ship company rallies and is ready to do battle again. But they are pretty far from where all the action is.
The dwarf right continues to close in to the center where all the action is. The last remaining quarreler is lucky enough to escape Janarion out of the battle field. Janarion follows but stops at the edge of table and passes bound host check. He will remain on the battlefield to kill more stunties. But Juggo is closing on him.
On hard pressed dwarf left the warriors wheel to face both the shore riders and the guards.
The flame cannon manages to find it´s target hitting the scouts in the edge of the woods. Two elves are killed and the rest flee. Now there´s only the bolt thrower that can harrast the advancing warriors and hammerers.
Some more movement during the reserve phase ends round 5.
Juggo the giant slayer closing in on Janarion who sends
the last quarreler fleeing of the table.
Elf main force prepares to charge the warriors.
ROUND 6
The shore riders charge but the guard are still too far from the enemy and just march forward. Janarion spends his movement phase getting his things together after the chase. Ship company wheel left towards the center of the battle field and scouts flee just barely managing to stay on play board.
Only one dwarf is killed in the melee between shore riders and warriors but that is enough for elves to win the combat. The warriors are pushed back but their morale holds.
So ineffective shooting by bolt throwers once again. Eachotah would love to take a shot at Juggo but his view is blocked by the melee.
And then the scouts manage to rally.
Warriors and hammerers hurry on and are slowly starting to be a threat to elven main force. Juggo goes after Janarion now moving towards the flame cannon.
The close combat between warriors and shore riders end in a draw as both sides can´t manage to kill anyone. Time for the guards to step in!
A flame thrower tries to fire at rallied scouts but the distance is too long and the shot falls short.
Dwarven left flank - situation at the end of round 6.
At the end of round six things were looking good for the elves but the strongest dwarf units were still untested. Would they be able to turn the tables? That will become clear in the next part of this report.
