SoBH Campaign 3 - Battle 9

Battlefield: Eagle Eyre Top
Weather: Snow
Scenario: Warmachine
Defender: Barbarians

Forces:
New additions marked in purple italics

Dwarves (496 pts):

• Valgen Maest: DWARF COMMANDER 103 Pts, XP: 2 , Quality 2+ Combat 4
  [Brain Damaged: Combat -1 ],Short Move, Leader, Fearless, Free Disengage, Shieldwall, Snow Walk
• Falster Vonlyr: ELITE WARRIOR 65Pts, XP: 2,  Quality 2+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Steadfast, Fearless, Free Disengage, Shieldwall
• Halgar Snowbeard: ELITE WARRIOR 50 Pts, XP: 2, Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Opportunistic, Snow Walk, Shieldwall
• Ireheart: ELITE WARRIOR 40 Pts XP: 1, Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Quality 3+, Combat 4, Short Move, Lethal (vs Barbarians)
• Manon Hardfoot: WARRIOR 48 Pts, XP: 0, Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Shieldwall, Snowwalk
• Rod Grimiron: WARRIOR 48 Pts, XP: 0,  Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Shieldwall, Snowwalk
• Hono Pickbattler: WARRIOR 48 Pts, XP: 0,  Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Shieldwall, Snowwalk
• Odel Bowtwanger: Novice CROSSBOWMAN 24 Pts, XP: 2, Quality 4+ Combat 3
  Short Move, Medium Shooter
• Cerri Crakshot: CROSSBOWMAN 30 Pts, XP: 2, Quality 3+, Combat 3
  Short Move, Medium Shooter
• Slii Shadesmith: THIEF 38 Pts, XP: 2, Quality 2+ Combat 3
  Short Move, Stealth

Barbarians (490 pts):

• Ardaric Blackmaul: BARBARIAN COMMANDER 90 Pts, XP: 2  Quality 2+, Combat 3
  Leader,  Fearless, Free Disengage
• Ooko: ELEMENTALIST 34 Pts (+ 75 Pts Summoning pool), XP: 2 Quality 2+, Combat 1
  Elementalist, Short Move
• Erwig Bonetooth: ARCHER 56 Pts, XP: 2 Quality 3+, Combat 3
   Fearless, Shooter (Long), Forester,  Free Disengage
• T-ord Keenbow: ARCHER 50 Pts, XP 1 Quality 3+, Combat 3
    Fearless, Shooter (Long)
• Remos Arcfur: WARRIOR 52 Pts, XP: 1 Quality 3+, Combat 4
   Fearless, Steadfast
• Rodulf Wolfhowl: WARRIOR 52 Pts, XP: 0 Quality 3+, Combat 4
   Fearless, Steadfast
• Garos Bearclaw: WARRIOR 36 Pts, XP: 0 Quality 3+, Combat 3,
  Fearless
• Cohan Deathaxe: VETERAN WARRIOR 30 Pts XP: 3 Quality 4+, Combat 4
  Fearless, Short Move

Setup:

Ardaric's Barbarians started in the ruins containing a valuable mortar, while the Dwarves came in from any direction. For ease of memory, the white counters are for the dwarves that have to special rule snow walk.

The Dwarves closed in from 2 directions. Ooko bolstered the defenses with a fire elemental.

Cohen Deathaxe, who was manning the mortar, fired and scored a direct hit on the Dwarf Commander,  knocking him down.

With only his pride dented, Valgen was soon up and advancing with his troops. Ooko summoned up another fire elemental as the foe closed in. Erwig loosed an arrow at Snowbeard but missed. Cohen fired the mortar again before the Dwarves got too close, but the shot drifted and missed any target.

The dwarves were now gathering in force at the entrance, using the ruin walls for cover.

Two of the Axe Brothers, Manon and Hono, moved round the side to take up a seperate flank.

Looking to halt the advance, fire balls flew from the ruins, but the only result was Slii Shadesmith being knocked down.

The dwarves were also taking fire from the windows round the other side, with Hono being knocked down by an arrow from T-ord. As it was not safe to fire the mortar anymore, Cohen abandoned it in favour for his trusty axe.

Snowbeard charged in and knocked back the Fire Elemental, clearing the path into the Barbarian camp. Rod came in behind his comrade and knocked the Barbarian Remos down. On the other side Hono stood back up from his arrow attack, but that halted the Dwarfs action. Remos regained his feet and power attcked Rod, knocking him back. Fire balls again rained in at the Dwarf attackers, but all missed. Rod also resisted a magical tranfix attack from Ooko.

The Dwarves pressed on, with Ireheart, the Barbarian Slayer, coming in to support. Snowbeard came and attacked Remos with no result. Then Rod attacked Cohen, only to be knocked down. A turnover meant that stalled the movement into the ruins, but disaster struck for the Barbarians as Ooko immediately rolled three "1"s, not only handing play back to the Dwarves but exhausting his magical powers for the rest of the battle.

Encouraged by the wailing of their foe, the Dwarves took heart. Rod stood back up a attacked Cohen, but the Old Barbarian stood firm. Snowbeard attacked Remos, slaying him. Ireheart then moved in to attack Cohen, but again the Veteran Barbarian stood his ground and knocked his assailant back. The other Dwarves moved rouns for best attack lines. First to respond was a the large Fire Elemental, but only managed to one action to move into contact with Ireheart, the other dice causing yet another immediate turnover for the Barbarians.

Snowbeard attacked joined Rod to attack Cohen. Under extra numbers the old barbarian went down. Rod finished him off. Ireheart power attacked the Fire but was knocked down. Hono and Manon had used their "extra" turns to get round to the back of the Barbarians and Hono rushed in to attack the Ardaric, with the leader being knocked back. Falester moved in and attacked the remaining Fire elemental to prevent it using its ranged attacks. Looking to take advantage of the downed Ireheart the Fire rushed in, but Ireheart still knocked the elemental to the ground. Garos then followed up, only to suffer the same fate. Erwig fired an arrow at the flanking Hono, for once his aim was off and he missed. With the Dwarves swarming in and half his force on the ground Ardaric decided to flee the battle.

Ireheart stood back up and attacked Garos. The Barbarian warrior had no chance and died. Snowbeard power attacked the downed Fire and killed it. Falster powered home an attack on the other Fire Elemental and killed it as well. Rod Attacked Remos, knocking him down, then Slii moved in an finished the job. This caused a morale test, with only T-ord failing and moving away. Manon moved up and attacked the drained Ooko, but could only knock him down. A similar result happened when Hono attacked T-ord.

The battle, however was well and truly over. An emphatic Dwarven win.