Year 1, Turn 4

Still trying to tweak the formatting of these posts a little bit so here we go!

The Abyssal Dwarf Kingdom discovered a fortress hiding out in the Desert that they quickly subjugated into their realm.

On their Southern borders another Fortress was discovered by their newly acquired fleet of ships on an island not far from the coast.  They however refused to relinquish their fleet of ships nor their territory as 1000 points of soldiers defend the walls.  The fleets exchanged cannon fire but no ships were sunk.

In the north the mountains were scouted but nothing of interest was found.

The League of Rhordia expanded into the south claiming a village next to the Salamanders border.

On the western border a band of scouts uncover a city next to a desert oasis proving that this is a well inhabited and apparently fruitful desert.  The city however refused to join the League and their 600 points of soldiers remained in the desert without conflict for now.

The frigid wasteland to the north of course yielded exactly what a frigid wasteland normally does when scouted.

The Salamanders uncovered a village in their norther borders expanding right up to the Rhordian border and stationing a banner in defense should the treaties fail.  In the south they maintained the siege opting this time to assault the fortress.  The ensuing battle can be found here.

The Salamander fleets did well in their trade gaining a Gold Crown and Cargo!

The Elves in the South, war hungry from their previous siege, scouted out an independent fortress but the scouts failed to warn them that they were up against 1000 points of battle ready free people!  The army moved on the castle and has laid siege to its people for now.

The rest of the banners shuffled around trying to position themselves in defense of their neighboring Salamanders should tensions rise.  Their fleets managed to trade with the lizards for some extra baggage.

Only a few free and open spaces remain at this point and winter is only two turns away...

Year 1, Turn 4 Battles

Turn 4 sees the battle between the Salamanders and an independent Rhordian Fortress in the south.  The Independent army consists of 800 points:

Two Halfling (giant halflings) Volley Guns
A regiment of City Spear Militia
A Troop of City Militia
A regiment of (again giant) halfling archers
Two Regiments of Dogs of War (one with a helm of confidence)

For their siege preparations they have Reinforced all but one wall section, gained 2D3 units worth of fire pots, and equipped the walls with boiling oil.

 The Salamanders have come with a full 1500 points led by Khal Sargo with an additional 100 points of deserters from the fortress forces:

a traitorous regiment of city militia
a horde of salamander primes with brew of sharpness
a horde of acients on rhinosaurs with potion of the caterpillar
a regiment of ancients with blood of the old king
a clan lord on fire drake named Khal Sargo (clipped wings so no flying!) with pipes of terror
a battle captain named Red Ripper with inspiring talisman
a mage priest named Sidewinder on mount with soul drain and myrddin's amulet of the fire heart
and an ankylodon battle platform.

For their siege preparations they have opted for the usual ladders, a siege tower and two siege artillery.

 The Salamanders took the first turn and pressed aggressively forward.  The catapults more than earned the two months of building by each hitting the volley guns that were once in the tower destroying them utterly and severely tipping the odds in the lizards favor.

The defenders could only attempt to put fire a few shots from the halflings as the rest of the force braced for the invasion at the walls.

The Salamanders pressed forward quickly in the next turn bringing the Anklyodon into the gatehouse nearly shattering it in one charge while the traitors set their siege ladders and began their attempt at assaulting the ramparts. The only blessing the defenders would receive is the continued bombardment of the artillery falling short of hitting anything the rest of the battle.

The spearmen were able to easily repel the traitor militia shouting insults and hurling boiling oil down into their ranks but to no avail.

The Heavy cavalry and clan lord began to tear down the walls brick by brick surviving both fire pots and boiling oil with ease.

By turn three the horde of primes invade via siege tower and waver the dogs of war pushing them off the wall and breaching the defenses.

To make matters worse the anklyodon crashes through the gate house to take a short rest inside the gate while the battle captain Red Ripper climbs the ladders and wavers the spearmen all by himself showing the humans how a real warrior does it!

 The battle continues with the anklyodon smashing the wavered spearmen one turn only to rampage through the dogs of war in a subsequent turn.  The primes in turn wiped out the militia to secure the left flank of the castle.

The defenses had failed spectacularly so far and the right flank was no better...

Khal Sargo and the rhino cavalry had smashed the wall down after three turns of continued battering sending the dogs of war into disarray and plummeting along with the wall to the ground.   Facing the combined might of the most elite units of the army the humans surrendered the fortress after a four month long siege.

 The Salamander army had taken the castle and surprisingly without permanent casualties to the army!