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Post by aspenivan on Oct 6, 2014 17:38:59 GMT
In the week's previous raids, the dwarves had had advance warning, but not enough to fully prepare for the onslaught of giants. But this time, they were organized.
Reinforcements had arrived from the Capital, 1,000-strong, proper city-trained pike militia. And the peasants, this time, were ready. Most of the people had already been evacuated along with food stores, though there was no way to move heavy loads of ore in time. Furthermore, they had called for help from the new village to the North, whose entire militia was sent as quickly as possible.
Thane Gudrik had done well to time his landing in deep night, but he could not have anticipated how well-prepared the Guhrim would be this time. It was not sheepherds that spotted them but military scouts, who relayed the message much more quickly than simple villagers could have. The village itself was situated on high ground, functionally accessible from only one direction due to the rocky formations on three sides (there was a mountain pass behind, but the giants would have had to travel all the way around the mountain range to attack from there). The defenders had made the approach even more treacherous with stakes and ropes Gudrik could barely make out in the dim light. He was also hearing something unusual over the shouts and running of the village garrison...the faint echo of boots marching and weapons clanking from the mountain pass beyond...
ORDER OF BATTLE:
Jotun Clans (Vaklu)
LEADER: Thane Gudrik the Blood Dancer (General) - 1 General, 50 bodyguards
-- 414 City Roundshiers (1 unit, giants)
-- 447 City Shock Infantry (1 unit, giants)
-- 50 Marines (1 squadron complement)
-- 125 Raider Marines (1 squadron complement)
Sultanate of Beg Guhrim (Moderator)
Garrison
-- 1,000 City Pikes (1 unit, dwarves)
-- 2,000 Peasant Roundshiers (1 unit, dwarves)
-- 1,000 Peasant Archers (1 unit, dwarves)
Reinforcements
-- Composition unknown to Jotun, will arrive after first modmark
Players will post in the following order:
Vaklu
Moderator
Moderation Mark
This battle will end with the second moderation mark.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 6, 2014 18:07:55 GMT
"See at how gallant they look up there. Tell the men to capture the commander alive if possible, I may have him bronzed." Thane Gudrik's musings brought a soft chuckle from his huscarls. "Let's see how much they can hold up shall we?" The jotun lines would become a flurry of activity. the raiders that manned the lonships would repeatedly make short trips up the hill firing at the entrenched dwarves constantly moving to make it even harder for the Villages to find their targets. Mean while with the enemy's attention firmly on the raiders, a portion of the roundshiers would work to clear the obstructions on the hill. Preparing a path for a later charge. The rest of their compatriots were making ready to charge as soon as the work was finished with a small group of marines trading fire with the dwarves. The Greatswordsmen and the Thane's huscarls had moved to be out of range of the enemy's missile fire saving their strength for when they would engage.
-Raider Marines operate move and fire tactics concentrating on the enemy archers and city pikes.
-50 Roundshiers attempt to clear the path up the hill while the enemy is distracted.
-364 Rounsdshier and the Marines are preparing for the hill to be cleared for a charge. Marines are firing at dwarven units.
-Thane Gudrick and his retinue wait with the shock out of enemy range to support the roundshiers' charge
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Post by ravigen on Oct 6, 2014 18:20:37 GMT
The Village elder of Keles had heard of the wave of death coming from the other villages, scouts and survivors had told the story and he knew Keles was an inevitable target, it was with good conscience that he had sent the civilians away from the village and to safety, they had nothing to worry about here. Those giants would get nothing from this village as long as one dwarf still lived. He could see barely the movement of the Giants from the bottom of the hill, he could figure what they were doing, but they wouldn't succeed.
He turned to one of the younger members of the village.
"Go with some others and grab the vats of animal fat and oil in the storeroom. Pass them along to the archers, tell them their first volley will be fire arrows, light up the night."
He addressed the city commander whose pikes would help the most at this point.
"Form your pikemen up along the narrowest point in between us and them, choke them into your spears." The roundshier would wait in reserve behind the pikes, ready to move at a moments notice --
The peasant archers begin firing at the giant forces, their first volley will be fire arrows and every fourth volley will be fire arrows until they run out to light up their targets.
The pikemen will form up along the easiest spot to block the giants charge
The roundshier set up behind them ready to react to whatever is needed.
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Post by cerdigon on Oct 7, 2014 17:20:03 GMT
Moderation Mark
Like an annoying gnat, the fire from the peasants kept coming. It was incessant, and more than one giant found himself stuck with a burning arrow in his arm or leg as he ascended the hill. Clearing the obstacles was not easy, the giants lacked proper military engineers to clear out the spikes and ropes. Not to mention, it was the middle of the night and it was difficult to see (even with the fires that the dwarves had started as a result of their efforts). After over an hour of blundering, firing, and counter firing by the giants and dwarves, the way was clear for the assault. The charge up the hill was difficult, the roundshiers had missed several traps and dozens would die in the ascent of the hill. The fight at the top was even more brutal. Word of the Giants ruthless actions at Harmancik and Buyukorhan had spread. The Dwarves knew would what happen if they broke and ran. The well disciplined pikes kept the giants at bay, with each dwarf that went down, a peasent roundshier stepped into the formation to fill his place.
The arrival of the Thane briefly tilted the balance in the favor of the Giants. They carved a bloody swathe through the Dwarven ranks and for a moment it seemed as if they would flee for their lives. A massive war horn blew however to the rear of the Dwarven force. Torch light flickered, lighting up the horizon. A force of thousands of Dwarves, militia drawn from the North, had arrived to reinforce their brethren.
Battle Remarks:
-- Dwarven reinforcements have arrived and can now enter the melee.
-- Dwarven morale is up at the result of their brethren coming to their aid.
-- Jotun shocktroops have broken the pike formation, the Sultanate's troops are attempting to reform.
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Post by Vaklu on Oct 7, 2014 17:59:37 GMT
Gudrik was cutting down dwarves by the score now, his sword flashing in great bloody arcs through the throng. "Hold together, they're just peasants. Forward for glory and riches men!" His huscarls and the greatswords plowed further into the melee, the Dwarven pike couldn't be allowed to reform. The Marines that had followed the Rounshiers up the hill had fallen back and were firing over the dwarves and into their reinforcements. A horn sounded from the behind the giant's lines now as the raider Marines plunged into the fray with blade and shield . The Jotun would bring their full weight to this battle and smash aside the fleas that stood in their way.
-Roundshiers, Shock and Retinue will follow up to prevent the sultanate from reforming.
-Marines fall back and begin fireing into the dwarven reinforcements.
-Raider Marines charge into the melee to boltser the attack.
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Post by ravigen on Oct 7, 2014 18:29:59 GMT
The peasant roundshier of the village charged valiantly into the melee while their ranged comrades fired at the giants in the fray. The pikemen began to attempt a retreat to reform but their movements were hampered by the giants, the roundshier's charge had given them a good cover to attempt a retreat.
That was when the reinforcements arrived from the mountain pass, a shout as their allies rejoined them and the efforts were redoubled as 2,000 more roundshier joined the fight and the reinforcing pikes added their strength to the formation.
The battle was far from over
2,000 roundshier enter the fray in the village
The peasant archers continue firing at Giant forces
The reinforcing roundshier enter the fray alongside their bretheren while the pikes attempt to reform into a cohesive battle line |
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Post by cerdigon on Oct 8, 2014 2:09:51 GMT
Moderation Mark
The crash of steel on steel filled the air, the squelch of bone being crushed to pulp under giant underfoot filled hearts with fear, but the Dwarves fought on. The onslaught of reinforcements slowly and methodically pushed the Giant's back down the hill as the Dwarven pikes reformed and drove back into the Jotun formation. Thane Gudrik was forced to call a fighting retreat, the casualties for the Sultanate were horrendous, and the Thane was able to retire without much in the way of pursuit -- although he had lost a good deal of his own men. While this particular raid would fail to register as a success, across the Sultanate, the sudden onslaught had lit a political firestorm that the Sultan would not survive. Assassinating, murder, all became common place within the capital. Soon, regional infighting became common as the Sultanate collapsed into political turmoil as the Dwarves turned on one another.
SUMMARY:
-- Jotun Clans Defeated
Jotun Casualties:
-- 1 Unit of City Roundhiser (DESTROYED)
-- 287 City Shocktroops
-- 100 Raider Marines
Sultanate of Beg Guhrim:
-- 1,000 Peasent Roundshier (DESTROYED)
-- 1,000 Peasent Archers (DESTROYED)
Political Ramifications:
Sultanate of Beg Guhrim collapses into political anarchy and factional infighting.
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