Year 5 strategy
The final year of the campaign and all is to play for. I think now is the time to dispense with following randomly rolled strategies and look at the situation. I will allow the Army builds to stand and I will inform decisions based on the aggression factor but will not follow it where to do so is detrimental to each nations chance to win.
I think for this last year, home regions should be as “invadable” as any other region and the loss of the home region should equal loss of the game for the owner. This gives the opportunity for a knock out blow. Home regions will also count as two regions adding a further incentive to attack them.
I guess another method would be to use the random strategy generator (it has a name!) at the close of each season rather than once a year..hmmm…sophistication! Let us burn that bridge when we come to it, meanwhile lets consider each nations choices and what they need to do to win.
Dahar are in a much stronger position than last year with 4 subdued regions. Thery have a decent sized army at 800 points and can utilise their strongest units. Their defensive stance prevents them making a dash to Mudwater the only unoccupied region so they will need to choose between taking on Malthodor at Mount Spyre or Harno at Harteshorn. From either of these points they could consider a drive on either opponents home land and go for a straight win. Malthodor is the weaker of the two but attacking them will leave Dahar open to attack from Harno, this going to be a coin toss I think.
Harno are also in a strong position. They have three Dahar-occupied regions one forced march away. An obvious tactic for them would be to snatch Snake Pass away from Dahar as it is harder for Dahar to defend and Harno’s army can fall back from there to defend it’s home lands. Despite being very defensive it would make sense to force march there and strike what may be a killer blow. Their options then are Snake Pass or Ashemoor and drive on Dahar itself. Another coin toss.
Malthodor have two options . Attack Dahar, either at Broad Plain or Snake Pass, or go for Morrod, the weaker of the two, take the Black Hills and push on to Morrod itself. They are far more likely to succeed against the hapless Orcs however, taking a region from Dahar will lessen a top rival’s chance of victory. Another coin toss!
Morrod are is sad state compared to the magnificence of the previous year. They have lost their warlord (and his son) and have only half the army they had previously. They have rolled the Rabble Raiser strategy and so have poor quality troops. Ther options are limited, Mudwater is the easiest region to subdue (and it has the lovely Schlurpee) Dourcliffe or the Forest of Nee (tis a strange place) provides the opportunity of taking a region from an opponent. From the Forest of Nee, Morrod could attack Malthodor in it’s home region, a potentially game winning ploy. As they have rolled aggression I think the Orcs will be going to the Forest. Did I mention that it’s a strange place?
Year 5 spring
The battle of Mount Spyre
The final year of the campaign. I decided to dice for the order of play as the strategy of each nation was very dependent on what their rivals might do.
Dahar 1-3 Harteshorn 4-6 Mount Spyre rolls 4, force marches to Mount Spyre, fails to subdue
Malthodor Attacks Dahar at Mount Spyre, batrep below
Harno 1-3 Ashemoor 4-6 Snake Pass rolls 5 force marches ,attacks and fails to subdue Snake Pass
Morrod attacks and subdues the Forest of Nee
Mount Spyre is a sparsely populated, bleak land of grim, grey mountains and scree slopes and one very tall mountain that towers above all. No one knows how high it is as it has never been scaled in this age of men and its summit is hidden from the world, being perpetually crowned with cloud. Legend has it that a great wyrm, a winged draco of gigantic proportion, Spyros or possibly Spyro once dwelt here. So huge was he that when he spread his wings the shadow of him blotted the sun from the sky and the coming of him was like a great storm cloud, darkening the land below.
Then men arrived and plundered his horde. He grew so angry that in his rage he burnt every cot and croft, every ham and byre, levelling the villages and destroying livestock and harvest alike. So great was his wrath that he burnt swathes of the land down to bare blackened rock. So hot grew his flame that his breath melted the very bones of the mountain. So very great was his anger, so hot grew his firey breath that one day, while in pursuit of some questing knights, he exploded in a great ball of smoke and flame, the ground scarred forever into two great blackened mounds where his body smote the earth in his ruin. To this day no thing will grow on his sinister grave.
The armies of Malthodor and Dahar meet at the foot of Mount Spyre, in the valley where the twin black mounds of the Wyrm still dominate the land scape.
The army of Malthodor is led by war mage Fagland now known as the Withe after some strange transformation, presumably because of his withdom. The army he leads is mostly formed by troops from Meoland, light horse, spearmen and the Hearthguard led by Bognar, there are the axemen of Lanochross and their rotund chief Longfor the Aft, the chastised archers of Northdom with Ruinhid and finally a detachment of the fierce warriors of Vaelinglor
Dahar are the attackers and will use the red tokens, Malthodor are the defenders using the blue tokens. Malthodor sets up on ther Eastern edge. Both sides roll a 2 for flanking manoeuvres. Objectives, both sides roll for Regime change, they must each kill the opposing leader.
Mishaps Occur! The Panithol revered as Othbaal is enthusiastic and advances 3 b/w as are the archers who advance 4 b/w and the cavalry 2 b/w. The whole army is fired up for their battle and can’t wait to get to grips with the enemy!
Not so the army of Malthodor, the axeman of Lanockross arrive in a state of illness, something they ate in this cursed land. The archers of Northdom are 4 b/w late and the men of Vaelinglor 2 b/w.
Turn 1 and 2 no random eventsOn the Malthodor left flank, the Meoland light horse advance way out in front to harry and skirmish the enemy.
Sativa, sorceress, seducer of men, serpentress supreme stops at the troll hoard and retrieves the Winged Boots of Alacrity
It is said a thousand hearts have paid for her beauty-she does not think it too many
The Noble cavalry advance to meet the light cavalry of Meoland
 |
| The Noble cavalry of Dahar |
On the other flank, the tardy archers of Northdom are slow to get into action. The plan was for them to cross the river quickly and climb the wooded hill there to pour countless clouds of arrows down upon the enemy, but their lateness has ruined the plan
Fagland and Longfor cross the River Dross with the Hearthguard and spearmen of Meoland.
Noble Cavalry charge the Light cavalry who evade
Turn 3 Random Event! The Watcher in the Water
The unfortunate archers find themselves under attack from a swarm of Dracoflies! These strange giant insects, resemble hand sized dragon flies and like dragons, they each breath a small blast of fire. They cause 2 hits on the hapless men of Northdom.
Meoland light horse sting the Noble cavalry with 5 hits of skirmishing fire.
The Noble cavalry charge them, they attempt to evade but are caught!!! The light cavalry take 11 hits and deal out 6
The men of Vaelinglor charge into the flank of the Noble Cavalry causing a further 4 hits
The Panithols advance
Yelling their battle cries, the Hearthguard and the spearmen of Meoland charge the mighty beasts
"Strike at his feet! They are sensitive on the feet!"
"You what......?"
Turn 4 no random event
Sativa curses the men of Vaelinglor, they are -2 melee this turn
The Dahar archers charge into the flank of the Malthodorians
The light horse are being hacked to pieces by the Noble cavalry of Dahar, they disperse.
Ruinhid is killed in combat with the Dahari archers
turn 5 no random event
Everybody conforms. The Man of Vaelinglor disperse
Fagland casts empower on the Hearthguard. The Dahar heavy infantry move up on their flank
Sativa casts Confusion on the axemen of Lanochross but they roll “in your name” and carry on as usual.
Turn 6 Random Event! Late arrivals
A detachment of Meoland light horse arrive on Eastern edge of the board! They are impetuous and decide to be not too hasty!
The awful Ubhadi charge into the flank of the Lanochross axemen. The lumbering “half trolls” have been struggling to make any progress in the rough scree that links the twin graves.
With some thaumaturgical assistance, the Hearthguard and spearmen of Meoland have defeated...
... the two Panithols who disperse! Their loss does not effect the Rout level greatly, they each only count as one!
Turn 7 Random Event Watcher in the Water!
The Dracoflies, like angry wasps at a picnic, are always eager to disoblige and cause distress. They jet their nasty little flames at the flanks of the horses of the Noble cavalry who bolt taking their distraught riders with them.
The light cavalry roll “In your name” and advance towards the Dahar archers
Fagland empowers the Meoland spear and the Dahar heavy infantry disengage from combat
Turn 8 No random event
Dahar archers cause two hits on Meoland light horse who roll fall back on impetuous table, looks like the reinforcements are non-too brave!
Sativa cast confusion with no success
turn 9 No random events, everyone breathes a sigh of relief
The Meoland light cavalry reinforcements roll run away and leave the field
Longfor the Aft,
Rallies the Hearthguard, Fagland casts empower on the Meoland spears.
Sativa curses the Meoland spears, they don’t know whether they are weak or strong, happy or sad…
And then the heavy infantry of Dahar roll 8 dice and 5 of them are 6’s!
The Meoland spear scatter and the battle is lost!
Post battle
F'Khaaar is truly dead.
Bognar is truly dead, crushed by a Panithol whilst stabbing it in the foot
The men of Vaelinglor, who survived,have returned to their valley, no more to fight in this campaign.The Axemen of Lanochross are bloodied and will have - 1 Resolve for the next battle
Dahar hold Mount Spyre and with six regions held are winning the game.
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