Now for wrath...Now for ruin...and the Red Dawn: The Battle of the Trollshaws

As this will be the inaugural battle report for this blog, I am going to do a detailed report over several posts. Future battle reports are likely not to be so comprehensive.

The Battle of the Trollshaws - Part 1 outlined the setting and specific scenario rules for the battle. This blog covers the first two turns of the battle. The forces meeting in this battle are:

Angmar

Carn Dum Warband - 8 units (400 pts)
Ghostly Legion - 4 units (360 pts) - not starting on the table, must be summoned by the Cargul
Stone Trolls - 2 units (200 pts)
Carn Dum Marauders - 2 units (180 pts)
Wild Wargs - 1 unit (70 pts)
Warg Chief - Hero (70 pts) - permits +1 to Command checks with Wargs
Cargul - Leader (100 pts) - who is acting as the General for this battle
Sharman - Subordinate (90 pts)

Total points = 1,470 pts

Rhudaur

Spearmen - 4 units (180 pts)
Archers - 2 units (80 pts)
Rangers - 2 units (100 pts) - have the Ambushers house rule
Knights - 4 units (440 pts)
Retainers - 2 units (120 pts)
Scouts - 1 unit (60 pts)
General - General (100 pts)
Lord - Leader (80 pts)

Total points = 1,160 pts

Might house rule
The Might house rule is in effect in this battle. Each leader has a Might value (usually between 1 to 3 points). Might can be used at any time of the game, even in the opposite players turn. Might permits the leader to modify a single die roll by 1 point per point of Might. This can be used to modify command, shooting, spell or combat rolls, thus turning failures into success.

TURN 1

Angmar has the initiative as it is the invading force in this battle. As such, Angmar moves first in Turn 1. As it invades from the north, it also has the "northern" end of the battle field.

No units are in Initiative range and so the Shaman opens the Command phase of Angmars turn with trying to budge the Trolls and Wargs to the nearby wooded hill. His intent is to place them just inside the woods, where they wont be able to be attacked by the Rhudaur cavalry. The grand plan will be to use them to attack the flank of any Rhudaur units that attack the Angmar main battle line.

With a command of 8, and the presence of a Warg Chief (which grants a +1 to Command checks with Wargs) the Shaman fails miserably by rolling 11!

The Cargul gives the Shaman a stern kick in the rear and then orders out a brigade of Warband from the centre of the Angmar battle line. With a command of 9, the Cargul succeeds (just!) in the order.

Out moves the first brigade of Warband and Angmar is off the starting block!

Now to move the remaining Warband from the battle line.

But the Cargul fails the command role, with a roll of 10.

Looking sheepishly at the Shaman, Angmar's Command phase comes to a swift end and its movement of its battle line to a grinding holt.

With no shooting units and both the Cargul and the Shaman not casting spells this turn, no Shooting phase occurs. Likewise, with no combat, the Combat phase is over. Angmar's turn is now complete.

Rhudaur now gets to have its go starting with its Command phase. No Rhudaur units are within Initiative range. The Lord, with a command of 8, opens Rhudaur's turn by rolling a 7 and moving the brigade of Knights out.

A second command roll (at -1 penalty) for the Knights brigade ends in a failure by one point (rolling an 8). The Lord, obviously not wanting to appear incompetent in the face of Angmar's command failures, expends a single point of Might (see Might house rule above) and modifies the 8 to a 7, moving the Knights forward a second time.

The Lord then rolls a 5 to move the brigade of Scouts and Retainers out from behind the Rhudaur battle line.

Now needing to roll a 7 for a second command to the Scouts/Retainers, the Lord promptly stuffs it again with his second order rolling another 8. Fumbling around in his saddle, he remembers that he has one point of Might left and so decides to use it to make the role a 7. The Scouts/Retainers move out...

...taking up with the Knights a striking position on Angmar's disorganised battle line.

Now its the General's go. He rises in the saddle and scans the field ahead.

The General considers repositioning the two units of Archers from the watchtower to a more advantageous position on the battle field. However, he decides instead to keep them in place to guard both the watchtower and their settlement.

Instead he orders one of the right-most units of Spearmen (on Rhudaur's eastern flank) to form a straight line with the rest of the spearmen. He has a command of 9 and passes his command test.

The Spearmen form a single battle line.

With the Command phase over, Rhudaur moves to its Shooting and Combat phases. However, there are no units within shooting distance and no units are in combat. So Rhudaur's turn is over and Turn 1 comes to an end. The battle field now looks like this.

TURN 2

Turn 2 begins with Angmar's Command phase again. The Cargul recognises the threat that now faces the Angmar battle-line. A brigade of Warband now stand isolated out front with Rhudaur's cavalry within striking distance of them this turn. The Cargul looks at the Shaman with menace, he better not screw things up this time!

Feeling undead eye's burning the back of his head, he rolls a 6 and gets both the Trolls and Wargs moving finally.

They head for the wooded hill. Warg's are cavalry and reach the top of the hill easily. Normally cavalry cannot entre wooded/forested areas however Wargs are Pathfinders permitting them to entre wooded areas, so they head on to the hill receiving protection from any Rhudaur cavalry charge. The slower Troll units however are still on the plane behind them.

The Shaman smugly looks back at the Cargul. "Your go wraith," he mutters under his breath. The Cargul glares at the remaining Warband and (rolling a 7) they move forward reforming the Angmar battle line.

Now the for Marauders. The Cargul calls them forward but rolls an 11. Damned fools! The cavalry have now left the Warband's western (left) flank open to Rhudaur's cavalry. Angmar's Command phase is over and the Shooting phase begins.

With no shooting units, and the Warband having its left flank exposed, the Cargul casts the spell Faster You Dogs on one of the Marauder cavalry units. They surge forward to take up position on the Warband's western flank.

The Shaman then attempts the same for the other unit of Marauders and fails. The Cargul glares at the Shaman, "Not so good a magic user as you thought you were, Shaman," it hisses in its wraith voice.

The Cargul spies Burrow Hill. If it can only get there, it may be able to raise up to four units of Ghostly Warriors. If it can, it will put significant pressure on Rhudaur.

Rhudaur however is closing in on Burrow Hill, potentially shutting down the Cargul's chance to raise a host of the dead.

Rhudaur now have their turn. Spying the Angmar line, their Warband are no longer exposed. The opportunity to easily take out a brigade of Warband has been lost.

Sensing the Carguls desire to get to Burrow Hill, the Lord opens Rhudaur's Command turn with moving the Scouts/Retainers over towards the hill.

They take up position at the base of Burrow Hill and eye the oncoming Angmar battle line. The General then takes command and (on a roll of 3) motivates the Spearmen forward to back up the Rhudaur cavalry.

Bellowing, the General orders "At all costs, that Cargul must be kept away from those ancient tombs on Burrow Hill!" Suitably motivated (with a command roll of 6), the Spearmen surge forward a second time.