Year 1, Turn 5

  Before we get started on turn 5 the Re-organization phase was initially skipped on turn 4!  During this phase the Rhordians attempted to shanghai a few more troops into their army from the southern village but they just would not take anymore of their iron fisted rule!  The village has rioted with 500 points of peasants who dare to stand in their way.

  The elves faired little better as they attempted to starve out the 1000 points that were dug in to the fortress only causing minor hardship and weakening the walls by -2 nerve.

  We now bring you back to your regularly scheduled turn 5...

  The Abyssal Dwarves scouted out to  the north this time in hopes of taking a new settlement however the northern lands were found to be quite barren.

Of course this did not stop them from taking moving on the independent city that the Rhordians found last turn bringing two full banners to bear on it.  This began a rather short lived siege against 600 points of stout goblin defenders.  After the siege the dwarves transformed the few goblin survivors into 240 points of Slaves gaining a Slave orc regiment and a Troop of gore-riders.

  On the naval front the evil stunties managed to sink the independent fleet resulting in gaining 2 baggage and 1 gold!

  The Rhordians held true to their alliance (and desire for free experience) and ended up joining the Abyssal legion against the small holdout force of goblins!  This would bring over 4000 points to besiege a very stubborn but terrified goblin force.

More northern territory was scouted resulting in a rather chilly 500 point nature mercenary army.  Having no immediate treasury during the first year they were unable to hire the banner at this time.

  Feeling a more than a little insulted that a village would dare to rise up in protest the Rhordians decided to squash the peasant rebellion and launched an immediate assault on the village.

Their naval fleet did manage to scout out the island as well.  The scouts returned with news of a new village joining the league!

  The Salamanders continue to hold the truce line between themselves and Rhordia though neither side seems eager to move troops out of the area...

In their southern boarders a City is discovered.  This is extremely unfortunate as I seem to have run out of cities to even paint up so for now it is represented as a fortress.

Along the northern coastline they manage to find a village however the 300 points of peasantry refuse to step in line and form ranks to repel the lizardmen.  After the usual offers of surrender the salamanders call their bluff.

The independent fortress the elves have been besieging does lose 80 points to starvation though it is a far cry from falling at this point as both it and the banners have nearly the same points value.  As such the besiegers become lax in their siege building and decided instead to scout the wasteland to their west.  This yields an extra village for the elven empire!  The fortress under continued siege suffer a lowered moral and will face a penalty on further starvation rolls.

Trading manages to be marginally successful with the scaled ones resulting in a point of baggage.

Trade along their own coastline however does not garner any noticeable goods.

Year 1, Turn 5 Battles

  This would appear to be a turn of battles indeed!  The first of which is the Salamanders attack on an independent village...

Ghekkotah Revolt

The mostly peaceful Salamanders have run up against a village that refuses to get in line and join the cause.  This unruly village of Ghekkotah have decided to stand in the way of cold blooded progress.

The Salamander army consists of

1 Ankylodon Battle Platform
Clan Lord on Fire drake (Xo Thunder) with Pipes of Terror
Battle Captain on Rhinosaur (Ska Iktar) with Inspiring Talisman
1 Regiment of fire elementals with Brew of Haste
1 Horde of Salamander Primes with Brew of Sharpness
1 Regiment of Kaisenor Lancers with Potion of Caterpillar
Mage priest (Sol Tandur) with Heal 3 and Weakness
Mage Priest on Raptor (Tal Vak) with Soul Drain
1 Regiment of Ancients with Healing Brew

The Ghekkotah's short lived rebellion consists of:

1 Regiment of Warriors
2 Troops of Hunters

The Ghekkotah got a Last Stand Scenario and purchased a Hill and three obstacles to defend.  The grand army of the salamanders charged in from the sides in a pincer move.

Tal vak and Xo Thunder rained fire down upon the hunter troop destroying them utterly.

The warriors foolishly charged into battle against Kaisenor Lancers who were left so dumbfounded by their bravery that they were wavered!

The last troop of hunters managed to do a single point of damage to Ska Iktar enraging both him and the beast.  The little Ghekkotah that could were allowed to feel good about their moral victories for but a brief moment...

Xo Thunder came to the aid of his dumb struck cavalry immediately destroying the warriors.  Finally Ska Iktar charged into the hunters bringing them to their knees and wavering them effectively ending the battle.

Rhordian 'Civil' War

  Second in line of battle are the Rhordians quelling a knightly revolt on their southern border.  Yes it would appear that a contingent of knights have decided to foolishly rebel!

  The rebelling knights consists of a 'historical' list of"

1 Regiment of War elephants (represented by the gryph riders)

1 Regiment of Heavy Cavalry with the Ambushers upgrade

1 Troop of Heavy Cavalry with the Yew Longbow upgrade

  The Rhordian banner consists of

1 Horde of Halfling archers
Von Boos the Headtaker (duke on ancient winged aralez)
1 Regiment of Household Knights with the potion of the Caterpillar
1 Regiment of Dogs of War with Blood of the Old King
Lars the Army Standard bearer with the Lute of Darkness
1 Organ Gun (which we forgot was destroyed earlier in the campaign!)
Gunther the Strange (wizard with bane chant and bloodboil)
1 Horde of Honour Guard with brew of haste
and 1 horde of City Militia

The scenario was morning assault which is a custom scenario for this campaign.  this particular one represents the horrible luck of the knights being awoken at dawn to find that their camp is partially surrounded by the rhordian army forcing a hasty and woefully inadequate defense.

  The knights took up arms and bravely advanced over two turns getting into position.  The Rhordian line continued to advance in an attempt to route the rebellion quickly.

Von Boos rode his griphon into the knight troop single handedly taking the flank and gaining a rather nasty shot at the war elephants rear!  Meanwhile the cavalry regiment ran into the dogs of war causing minimal damage after being repelled.

The war elephants were destroyed quickly by a rear and flank charge while the rest of the knights fell to the double charge of knights and pikemen.

The village was re-claimed for the league and the peasants taught a swift lesson.  As a reward for this epic beatdown the experience gained leveled several units gaining Veteran abilities.

The City Militia and Halfling Archers gained Elite

Dogs of War - Vicious

Household Knights - Headstrong

Honour Guard - +1 Nerve

Lars - Stealthy

and Gunther, the strange - +4 to his Fireball to a Fireball(10)

Siege of the Goblin City

   Last but possibly not least is the combined might of the Abyssal Dwarves and Rhordians against a very stalwart and sneaky pack of Goblin bowmen:

The Abyssal Dwarf force consisted of:

3x hordes of lesser obsidian golems (one of which is proxied as 2 lessers and a greater I did run out...)

1 Horde of Slave Orcs

1 Regiment of Berserkers

1 Regiment of Slave Orcs

2 Katsuchan Rocket Launchers

1 Horde of Deimators with the Chant of Hate

1 Heavy Mortar

2 Regiments of Immortals (1 with brew of strength)

1 Regiment of Halfbreeds

1 Horde of Blacksouls

Overmaster McScrewb leader of the dwarf line with the Banner of the Griffon

Slavedriver Zar'Gozamoth with the Lute of Darkness

Iron Caster Argoth with Surge 8

and Iron Caster Steve of Accounting with surge 8 as well

The Rhordian's came to the battle with:

1 Battle Shrine
2x Hordes of City Militia
1 Regiment of House Guard (still proxied as the dude on the giant base!)
1 Regiment of  dogs of War
2 Troops of Household Knights
2x Volley Guns
Billy the Army Standard Bearer
and Hans the Wizard leaving the battle line.

The Goblins had gathered every last bow, arrow, stick and rock to defend their city to the last with:

2x Hordes of Bowmen
2x Regiments of Bowmen
2x sharp stick throwers

Sadly my goblin army is in major disarray and some proxies were required of course...

The attackers deployed with ladders and a battering ram in an impressive if not will breaking display of power.  The goblins being heavily outnumbered are at -2 to their waver value but would put up an impressive display of murderous prowess during the ensuing battle.  Despite this it was obvious that the final outcome could not result in a true victory...

The combined might of Abyssals and Rhordians charged forward with reckless abandon but before the Goblins started their hail of arrows against the dwarves.  The decimators took 5 damage and the slave orc horde took a further 6!

In retaliation the dwarven artillery fired on the left tower and destroyed a  war machine.

Undaunted by the loss of their artillery the goblins fired another volley in turn two! The damage on both the decimators and orcs pilled up but the decimators stayed true to their dwarven heritage and stayed.  The slaves on the other hand fled the battlefield and would later fail to rally giving the goblins somewhat of a moral victory.

The victory was fleeting however as the artillery again pounded another tower and blew up the goblin artillery.  The blacksouls easily took the center wall slaying the goblins to the last. The city militia likewise takes the gate abandoning their battering ram and slaughtering more goblins.

The immortal guard and the berserkers charged up the ladders causing plenty of damage but failing to route the archers from the walls.  Further on the right the dogs of war attempted to take the wall as well but only managed to waver the goblins.

The goblins were good and dead at this point but unwilling to surrender they poured boiling oil down upon the rhordians and dwarves.  The battle line held however and came back to take the wall in its entirety.

After the battle the orcs were no where to be seen and left the banner for good.  The Immortals, though bloodied, recouped enough to maintain their full strength.  The remaining Abyssal Dwarves gained an experience and all leveled up to Veteran level 1.  The units now gain:

blacksouls horde - elite
Abyssal Berserkers - +1 Defense
Slave Orc regiment - iron resolve
Lesser obsidians - brutal
lesser obsidian - fury (yep sad but true a non wavering unit has fury now)
Katsuchan rockets - +1 nerve
Katsuchan rockets - tough (can't tripple attacks against it)
Steve of Accounting - Heal(4)
Argoth - elite