War of the Shrine part 16: Orcs and Goblins turn 3

Alaquippa gazed with glee at the carnage on every side. Oh, sure, some of it was his own army getting torn to shreds by the Treeman, Wardancers, and even the stunty shooting...but plenty of blood was being drawn from the foes as well.


Briefly he considered sending out some orders...but it quickly became apparent he did not need to.

The troll and Chariot, no longer with White Lions in front of them, simply went after their next target.



Without the screen of bowmen in front of them, the howling, frenzied Savage Orc Big uns charged into the stunties in front of them.


Alaquippa gestured to Growling Bear. "Let's go hunting!"

Together the two orcs spurred their boars to action and charged the nearest enemy they could see...a Thane and cannon crew.

Even the goblins overcame their natural fear of elves to charge into battle with the badly outnumbered Glade Guard, shrugging off the hail of arrows to come to grips with them.

On every side the orcs and goblins laid about them in brutal hand to hand combat.

And it was brutal. Under the combined force of the chariot and Troll, the High Elf archers fell in droves. It was too much for them, they broke and ran only to be run down by the troll as the Chariot thundered into the flank of the startled mage...the Dragon prince was proving no protection.

Even the final White Lion succumbed to the assault of the mighty Giant (who did a whopping 11 S6 hits, 8 of which wounded...and 7 of which were Ward saved!)

The Dwarf Thunderers also fell to the thunderous charge of the Savage Orcs, and were hacked down as they tried to flee. The force of the charge was such it carried the Savage Orcs into the lines of the Miners behind who, grief stricken over seeing their brethren slain, were ready to deal out some retribution of their own. But first they would have to withstand the charge.

Alaquippa showed why he was the Waaaagggg leader, slaying the thane outright even as Growling Bear slew the cannon crew. Inspired by their success, the two Orc leaders charged into the thunderers standing on the lowest level of the Shrine.

Casualties

1 Dwarf pirate

11 Thunderers

1 Cannon & Crew

1 Hammerer

7 High Elf Archers

1 High Elf Mage

1 White Lion

2 Glade Guard

Suffered:

1 Wolf rider (errant Doom Diver shot)

2 Night Goblin Archers

6 Night Goblin Spearmen

2 Goblin Spearmen

War of the Shrine Part 15

Frantically the mages scrambled to find cover...a single Dragon Prince was better protection than being on his own, as was a line of Archers. Briefly they considered fleeing...but the humiliation would be worse than dying upon the field of battle.


The hapless White Lions struck again and again, only to see the Troll shrug off the damage, the chariot's iron deflect their blows...and the return blows were too much, slaying many of them.


Nor were things good for the heroic elf who handily died to the Chosen. He died as a High Elf should, defending his machine and his position.


Casualties:
1 wound dealt to the Troll

Lost: 4 White Lions
Repeater bolt Thrower

War of the Shrine Part 14: Warriors of Chaos turn 3

Idly Varangia reflected that when you had men...and monsters and whatever that spawn was...who lived to kill, it really did not take much effort to manage a battle, which is what allowed him the luxury of things like his maniacal but highly diverting charge into the Dryads.

He was curious for a moment where Prince Chrysolopis had flown off to but decided it did not matter.

He knew the Warhounds, having recovered from their momentary panic, were probably consumed by bloodlust and seeking out some squishy elf for a mid-battle snack.


At the moment, Prince Chrysolopis was turning back to look with glee on the devastation he had left in the High Elf lines in his wake. His smile did not lessen when he saw he would have to battle hard to make it back to his own lines.


Meanwhile, the Knights charged in to help out Shaggy, the gigantic Shaggoth who had become somewhat of a mascot to them.

Alongside them, the Dragon Ogres thundered into the Hammerers already fighting the Marauders, seeing in them a worthy foe.



The Second Wasteland Marauders, led by their dual Exalted heroes, charged pell-mell after the fleeing hammerers, only to be intercepted by 2 Dwarf heroes. They almost laughed when the first roared mightily and challenged Eric the Mighty to a solo duel.

Meanwhile, Varangia charged into the Dryads battling his last spawn while the Chaotic Knights of the Fjord charged into the Wardancers.

Sigvald, seeing the approaching slayer and knowing it was vital to protect the battle standard, left his unit to challenge the Slayer to one on one combat. This would be an epic duel for the ages. He almost missed a step as he was lost in thought of the glorious songs that would be sung about the deeds he was about to do.

Of course, he did not miss a step...there would be no halting his greatness on this day.

Suddenly time seemed to stop as Prince Chrysolopis called upon his magic and in mere moments, fully 80% of the Dragon Princes died.

If it were possible for a violent psychopath to be any more maniacal, the laugh that emanated from deep within him would certainly have been called a maniacal laugh. At the very least a villainous chortle.

Buoyed by the valiant charges all around, the Chosen finally dispatched the amazingly resilient High Elf archers and began to rampage across the field...only to see a lone, obviously suicidal or deranged elf step up to protect his Eagle Claw Bolt thrower.

In one on one combat, Eric caused Grim to disappear in a bloody heap, wound upon wound causing blood to spurt.

Ligar broke and ran and surely would have been slain had not Rigal stepped up alone to face the onrushing horde. Though it meant certain doom, he would stop this disaster...or die trying.

All over the field the mighty northmen waxed triumphant. The nameless Giant took a third bite out of the Treeman who finally, sap flowing freely, went down for the last time.

The Wardancers saw several of their number die and fled, closely pursued by the Knights.

Varangia himself slew the final three Dryads and charged past them to face the Wood Elf hero who stepped up in a vain attempt to stop his rampage.

And the Slayers all achieved their wish...slain by mighty Chaos Knights and a huge Shaggoth. Rigal would not be pleased to know they gained no glory, doing not a single wound to their enemies.

Casualty List:

4 High Elf Archers in close combat, rest slain my marauder Horsemen when they broke

6 Slayers

4 Hammerers

1 Thane

1 Slayer Hero

Remainder of the fleeing Hammerers

2 Dwarf Warriors

Treeman (restoring Giant to full health)

3 Dryads

5 Wardancers

Lost: 4 Marauders

War of the Shrines Part 13: Dwarf Turn 3

Lagir grunted angrily. "It is not the Dwarf way, Rigal Stonesplitter. You should have known better!"

Rigal snarled back, the growl emanating from deep within his core. Briefly he considered adding his twin to his book of grudges, but the moment passed. Below, because of his decisions, his friends and family...brothers, uncles, cousins, kinsmen of every description...were engaged in battle for their lives.

One motion sent Hammerers into battle alongside their warrior kin.

The Slayers saw the threat to the flank on their own and did what they did best...sought the biggest, toughest monster on the field and went after him. What more glorious death than a heroic charge against overwhelming odds?

Rigal nodded in satisfaction. The gap in the lines was closed.

He gestured to Lagir and the Dwarf known only as Grim, the epitome of a heroic but doomed Slayer if ever Rigal had seen one. "It is time for us to bolster the courage of our men."

Without waiting for their response, he descended the steps of the Shrine.



Meanwhile, the Warriors pressed home their attack against the Glade Guard. Had they not lost so many to bow fire, it would have been an easy victory. Still, what harm could weak little Elves do to the mighty Dwarfs in their stout armor? They drove home the charge, confident of victory.

Next to them their brethren Warriors shrugged off the ineffectual bow fire of the Waywatchers and charged into them.

On the backside, a second unit of Miners, seeing their beleaguered brethren falling to, of all things, Night Goblin archers, charged in to support them and put the greenskins to flight once and for all.

On the flank where the tattered remains of the High elf army sought a way to extricate itself, the cannon lined up a shot at Prince Chrysopolis whole the Warriors reformed to face the deadly men of the north.

It was disheartening to see the Prince shrug off a cannonball that every Dwarf clearly saw strike him dead center, nor were most of the other cannons any more effective, though one seemed to wound the Orc Shaman who had been so deadly.

One, however, had the flank of the Glade Riders and the shot was devastating, slaying 4 of them and sending the 5th fleeing in terror.

The Thunderers were more effective. Their deadly fire slew so many Orc bowmen that the remainder took to their heels.


Most of the close combats were back and forth. The heroic slayers failed to do any damage to the mighty Shaggoth, who slew two of them in return.

It was the Hammerers who proved too weak, however, as the mighty Exalted heroes slews several. The unit had enough and, in most un-Dwarflike fashion, took to their heels with the howling Marauders close behind.

Every Hammerer would have been slain had not Rigal and Grim stepped in front to take the charge.

Casualties:

2 Glade Guard

5 Glade Riders

3 Waywatchers

3 High Elf Archers

9 Orc Arrer Boys

5 Night Goblin Archers

3 Night Goblin Spearmen

4 Chaos marauders

Taken:

3 Hammerers

6 Dwarf Warriors

This was a devastating turn for the Dwarfs. They could not break the Night Goblins in any combat, did no damage to the Shaggoth on the charge, and could not defeat the Wood Elfs. When I elected to go aggressive with them, it was imperative they win at least a couple of these combats in order to have time to get back to the Shrine. Their fate is not sealed...but it is getting close.

War of the Shrine Part 2 Recap

The Warriors of Chaos made some nice progress. They are well set up to do some serious damage on both flanks.

Turn two saw some holes open on both ends. On the left, the Shaggoth and Dragon Ogres, bottled up until now, finally have lines at some important charges. If those charges succeed, they will roll up the left flank and left-center of the field.

It would be boosted by a Knightly charge if not for the epic defense of the high Elf archers, who managed to save, between armor and Wards, something like 11 wounds from the Chosen. Not only have the Archers fought the Chosen to a standstill in two rounds of combat, they actually have WON both rounds...one of those, "No, that has no chance of happening" moments that are great about the game.

Meanwhile, the Dwarfs threatened momentarily to completely obliterate the center of the WoC lines. They still might win one of the combats, but their situation is suddenly rendered precarious by the success of inserting 2 Exalted Warriors into one of the fights.

The Dwarfs still figure to win the combat against the other Marauders, but it will be too little, too late as they will not have enough juice left to take on the Chaos Warriors and Sigvald who are behind that Marauder unit.

Meanwhile, on the right flank the Treekin initially held up well but then disappeared more or less in one go, essentially dooming the Dryads and Wardancers on that flank.

With pressure from the Dwarfs in the middle, the WoC on their left, and the O&G army on their right, the Wood Elf hope at this point is simply to take down as many enemy as possible before being slain. They are simply incapable of fighting a three front battle.

The High Elf army is shattered and will have no important role in the remainder of the battle.

The Orcs and Goblins are still hemmed in. They have enough power to cause some problems, but seem highly unlikely to do well unless the WoC and Dwarfs absolutely wear each other out and are therefore easy pickings for the too-small Orcs and Goblins.

The Dwarf army made the right move in trying to swing over and develop a battle line, and their desperate gamble to charge nearly gave them a real chance at winning, but when it failed...it probably doomed them to nothing but a heroic last-stand effort against the WoC.

Overall, it was a very fun turn with some great moments...the Wood Elf shooting phase, the Wardancers and Treeman knocking off mass amounts of Night Goblins, the Fanatics running amok, and the clutch refusal to die of the High Elf archers.

I cannot wait to see what surprises are in store in turn 3.

War of the Shrine Wood Elf Turn 2, part 12

Oakheart Wylde was everywhere at once.

He directed the Glade Guard in a furious hail of arrows at the onrushing Dwarf warriors, pointed the Waywatchers at one Fanatic who might run wild through the Wood Elf lines...and away from another who looked like he might run into the Dwarf lines.

A flick of his wrist sent his Eagle Riders screaming in to help out the Glade Riders in their short-range duel with the marauders.

On he right, the Treeman and Wardancers were steamrolling the hapless Night Goblins.


At first, things went well.

The combined firepower of the Eagle riders and Glade Riders finished off the small unit of Marauder horsemen.


The Dryads demonstrated their ferocity, slaying one of the hideous spawn.



Then things began to fall apart. The Chaos Warrior on the Juggernaut attacked with ferocity and the Knights ably assited him, slaying both treekin and even as they crumbled to the ground in their death throes, the mighty Treeman took another hit and the giant got even stronger.

In the center, the combined bow-fire took out several Dwarf Warriors...but it might be too little, too late. The bearded midgets prepared to charge and the Glade Guard knew they were in trouble.

Casualties:

6 Dwarf Warriors

1 Night Goblin Fanatic

6 Night Goblins

2 Marauder Horsemen

1 Chaos Spawn

1 Chaos Knight

Suffered:

2 Treekin

1 Wound to Treeman (and Giant recovered one)

War of the Shrine, Part 11, Turn 2 Orcs and Goblins

Little Bear came up to Alaquippa.

"Orders, A-Quip?"

Alaquippa's smiled stretched from ear to ear. He pointed to the right. "See the pointy-ears?"

Little Bear nodded.

Alaquippa pointed straight ahead. "See the stunties?"

Little Bear nodded.

Alaquippa pointed to the left. "See the other pointy ears?"

Little bear nodded.

"Go smash them."

Little Bear hesitated, then argued, "The fanatics are getting a bit out of control...they went right through the Wold Riders and the Wolf Riders left their post."

Alaquippa shrugged. "They saw some stunties and went after them. Your point?"


"What should we do about the fanatics?"

"Ignore them. General advance. It is time for the Orcs to do what we do best...squish stuff."


Fanatics rumbled through the Wolf Riders and Hammerers, dealing out modest destruction as many wounds were saved this turn.

Meanwhile, the Night Goblin archers managed to slay 2 Miners and won the combat.



Casualties:
3 Wolf riders
6 Night Goblins

3 hammerers
2 Miners