SoBH Campaign 3 - Battle 11

Battlefield: River Crossing
Weather: Heavy Rain
Scenario: Send For Help.
Defender: Dwarves

Forces:
New additions marked in purple italics

Dwarves (568 pts):

• Valgen Maest: DWARF COMMANDER 103 Pts, XP: 3 , Quality 3+ Combat 4
  [Brain Damaged: Worse Quality ],Short Move, Leader, Fearless, Free Disengage, Shieldwall, Snow Walk, Hatred (Barbarian)
• Falster Vonlyr: ELITE WARRIOR 65 Pts, XP: 3,  Quality 2+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Steadfast, Fearless, Free Disengage, Shieldwall
• Halgar Snowbeard: ELITE WARRIOR 50 Pts, XP: 3, Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Opportunistic, Snow Walk, Shieldwall
• Ireheart: ELITE WARRIOR 40 Pts XP: 3, Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Quality 3+, Combat 4, Short Move, Lethal (vs Barbarians)
• Manon Hardfoot: WARRIOR 48 Pts, XP: 2, Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Shieldwall, Snowwalk
• Rod Grimiron: WARRIOR 48 Pts, XP: 2,  Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Shieldwall, Snowwalk
• Hono Pickbattler: WARRIOR 48 Pts, XP: 2,  Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Short Move, Shieldwall, Snowwalk
• Cerri Crakshot: CROSSBOWMAN 38 Pts, XP: 1, Quality 3+, Combat 3
  Short Move, Medium Shooter, Snowwalk
• Haggar Swiftbolt: ELITE CROSSBOWMAN 44 Pts, XP: 0 Quality 3+, Combat 3
  Short Move, Medium Shooter, Good Shot, Unerring Aim
• Boindel Beaststrider: BEAR CAVALRY 68 Pts, XP 1 Quality 3+ Combat 4
  Mounted, Running Blow

Barbarians (568 pts):

• Ardaric Blackmaul: BARBARIAN COMMANDER 90 Pts, XP: 1  Quality 2+, Combat 4
  Leader,  Fearless, Free Disengage, [Equipment: Charmstone, Healing Potion]
• Ooko: ELEMENTALIST 34 Pts (+ 75 Pts Summoning pool), XP: 1 Quality 2+, Combat 1
  Elementalist, Short Move, Acrobat [Equipment: Healing potion, spell scroll]
• Erwig Bonetooth: ELITE ARCHER 72 Pts, XP: 1 Quality 3+, Combat 4
   Fearless, Shooter (Long), Forester,  Free Disengage [Equipment: Charmstone]
• T-ord Keenbow: ARCHER 50 Pts, XP 0 Quality 3+, Combat 3
    Fearless, Shooter (Long), Free Disengage
• Remos Arcfur: WARRIOR 52 Pts, XP: 3 Quality 3+ , Combat 4
   Fearless, Steadfast
• Rodulf Wolfhowl: WARRIOR 52 Pts, XP: 2 Quality 3+, Combat 4
   Fearless, Steadfast
• Cohan Deathaxe: VETERAN WARRIOR 30 Pts XP: 0 Quality 4+, Combat 4
  Fearless, Short Move, Opportunistic
• Garos Bearclaw: WARRIOR 36 Pts, XP: 2 Quality 3+, Combat 3,
  Fearless
• Halka Skulldrinker: WARRIOR 36 Pts XP: 0 Quality 3+, Combat 3, 
  Fearless

Setup:

The Dwarves had to get Valgen, or if Valgen died and second, unknown messenger off the opposite side of the table. The table was set up with a river running across it. The river had 3 crossing points, a bridge in the centre and two fords, one each side of the bridge slightly up/down stream.

The Barbarians could deploy anywhere on the table, at least 2 long away from the Dwarves. They chose to form round the central road and bridge, with archers in the woods to ambush anyone coming across the fords.

The Dwarves started at then table edge, protecting Valgen.

The Dwarves started out at a pace, with a couple of inconsequential slips. Valgen, Falster and Boindel made for the most northerly crossing point. Snowbeard started a lonely plod to the south and the rest of the warband headed towards the bridge.

The Barbarians held position and waited. Ooko decided to summon a Water Elemental in the river, and it would not be slowed.

With the barbarians holding, the dwarves rushed across the the ford, again with a couple of slips due to the Heavy Rain. Rod, Manon and Cerri managed to the bridge edge to form a barrier for any barbarians looking to flank in behind and attack Valgen.

Ooko Summoned a Fire Elemental at the other side of the bridge to try and hamper any further progress across by the foe, with Rodulf moving in to support. The other barbarians took cover in the woods to ambush the force crossing to the North.

Looking to create a diversion, the bear cavalry and troops start to flank round, staying out of archer range.

Whilst the main body gather for a possible push over the bridge. Tries to start some covering fire, but not only does he slip whilst firing he also breaks his crossbow in the process.

Ooko summons a second fire elemental to block the numbers across the bridge, but his water elemental slips in the river (yeah I know!!) and hands an early turnover.

New Recruit Hagar fires a shot at the prone Water Elemental, but only succeeds in pushing the artificial creature down river slightly. Halgar moves to join his Elite Warrior Snowbeard, but Snowbeard slips on his move so little progress is made and then Cerri slips and ends the turn.

The water tries to get back up but slips again whilst the archers move over to the bridge behind the fire elementals in case of any rush, confident they can cover the southerly ford if need be.

The Dwarf push starts. Hagar fire off a bolt at Remos but misses. The two axe brothers and Cerri move onto the bridge, with Manon and Rod forming a Sheildwall on Valgen's command. In the North the cavalry and 2 infantry continue to move round and in.

Ooko manges to transfix the last remaining dwarven threat, Hagar. The water elemental surges up the river and attacks, but fails to connect it's attack. Erwig then takes careful aim and kills his opposite number. The Fire elemental moves but slips, and the other fire elemental and Remos move to cover the bridge to stop the dwarves gaining a foothold on that side. T-ord moves in on the other side of the bridge, but slips. Garos moves in next to him to protest the archer from the flanking dwarves.

Both sides then try to re-organise, but with Valgen still on the starting side of the river time is too short for him to make the opposite edge, and the Barbarians are not moving for Snowbeard's decoy run, so the message does not get through.

Battle Result: Barbarian Win.