Darrin popped by to play some games this evening and I talked him into playing some more Hordes of the Things, because… well… I’m a bit fixated at the moment. I thought I’d start by playing a scenario generated by the HOTT Campaign Play-test. Now I had already worked the results of the battle out – for the purposes of the playtest – but I was curious how it might have worked out played out on the table top…
(Note to players – This is just a “what if” and does not change the outcome of the battle that took place!)
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Hammar, Nordland, Autumn 823 NA
SITUATION
In the Summer the Nordlanders had returned to their country to relieve the siege of Hammar – which was under attack by the treacherous Dwarves! The two armies went at each other hammer and tongs! Neither side gaining any advantage until a rumor spread through the Nordlanders line that their King had fallen, struck in the eye with an arrow. The morale of the Nordlanders broke and they fled the field.
Truly, Njal was struck in the helm, and arrow wedged in the eye socket of his helm, he fell to the ground and bled profusely from the scratch in his forehead, but he was far from dead! Quickly he rose to his feet and threw himself back upon the enemy, but alas it was too late. Panic had spread and his army melted away. With the army defeated Hammar fell.
Njal’s men retired to Starsgard. As the weeks rolled by, and their King did not return to the capitol, the Nordlanders believed him dead or captured. Either way it was determined by his Jarls that the King must be recovered. Hastened by their fury they arrived at Hammar while the Dwarves were still mopping up and preparing for their march to Starsgard. The lines arrayed and the Nordlanders charged….
FORCES
Dwarves
1x Hero General
1x Shooter
9x Blade
Nordlanders
1x Blade General
5x Blades
1x Warband
THE GAME
Now the Dwarves greatly outnumbered the Nordlanders – but I was curious to see how long the Nordlanders could hold on and how many dwarves they could take with them…
(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)
The Dwarves lined up for battle!!
The Dwarves were slowed by some woods and a lack of PIPs so the Nordlanders made the crest of the hill North of Hammar before the Dwarves could.
After the first clash – almost all along the line the Dwarves were thrown back. But up the hill they went again!
Because of the sheer numerical advantage there was little the Nordlanders could do about the Dwarves getting on their flank and rolling them up.
After three turns they had the Nordlander General flanked and that was the end of the game!
Losses
Dwarves
1x Blade
1x Shooter
Nordlanders
1x Blade General
1x Blade
1x Warband
How was this different? In the Campaign the Dwarves took no losses and knocked out 8 Army Points worth of Nordlanders thus gaining 8 Prestige (and no losses!?). Here they gained only 6 prestige points (2 for the amount killed in excess of their own, plus four for the general) – but would have been down a couple of stands. Not that it would have mattered as the dwarves had 5 cities and could have replaced up to 12 AP during the winter that immediately followed. The Nordlanders would have had 2 more AP survive though… Every little bit would have helped given the situation they are now in
Afterwards Amanda and Darrin had a quick battle. Amanda decided to try out the Orcs and Darrin wanted to see what he could do with a full strength army of “nordlanders”.
FORCES
Orcs
1x Warband General
5x Warband
1x Blade
1x Spear
1x Behemoth
2x Beasts
Nordlanders
1x Hero General
9x Blades
1x Warband
THE GAME
Darrin won the dice-off to see who was the attacker – so angered by all the border raids the Nordlanders raised the Liedang and marched across the border into the wilds to go hunt some Orc!!
(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)
Amanda and her Orc Tribe
Darrin and his Nordlanders desperately trying to avoid the woods!! (honestly, if Amanda could have put more woods on.. she WOULD HAVE!! Beasts and Warbands against Blades in the woods – a recipe for a slaughter!)
I missed the first couple moves as I was downloading pics from the Second Battle of Hammar and starting this After Action Report…
Amanda rapidly trying to redeploy her forces to meet the Nordic onslaught.
… and doing not too bad a job of it..
Crunch the lines meet – the Nordlanders find their General flanked by ambushing Wolves from the woods! But they were quickly driven off.
Just to the General’s left the Trolls made their way into the Nordish line smashing, stomping and eating away – but their success was to be their undoing as they were quickly flanked and dispatched!
Keeping the pressure on my harassing the Nordlander’s flank.
After the initial clash, the lines begin to reform…
Impatient and hungry for man-flesh the wolves rush out! As they dies in anguish the Orcs realized they could not beat the Nordlanders today and faded into the woods to wage a guerilla war until the Nordlanders decamped and headed back to their communities in the fjords.
Losses
Orcs
1x Blade
1x Spear
1x Behemoth
2x Beasts
Nordlanders
2x Blades
Wow… this is turning into the House of HOTT madness – I’ve played at least one game everyday this week!?
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