Setup
General Slabgut’s Orcs set up mostly along the southern side of the village. General Slabgut and his Bodyguards formed up in the center, with the Orc regiments on either side of him. The stone thrower and the Orc archer regiment formed the right flank of the Orc line, ready to provide fire support for the attack. General Slabgut sent one Orc regiment on an outflanking attack, hoping they would appear along the northern side of the River Brag later in the game.
The defenders, under Mayor Grunchild, set up their bow-armed scouts on the palisade facing the Orc right flank, while the crossbow-armed Clan Stonehammer Dwarfs, along with their leader Jorgun Hammerson, set up facing the Orc left flank. Behind the palisade, one regiment of Braghafen militia led by Mayor Grunchild waited to repel the Orcs' main attack, while the lady ranger Victoria Seacrette waited close by. To the rear of the village, ready to counter any outflanking Orc attack, the second regiment of Braghafen militia led by Captain Gunther took up positions blocking the choke point at the village's stone bridge over the River Brag. The wizard Adhumla Brightsoul started the game hanging out on the veranda of the Golden Goblin Inn, no doubt grabbing a last snifter before the action got underway.
General Slabgut adjusted his belt and spat a thick gob of phlegm onto the muddy earth. Looking out across the southern approaches to Braghafen, he thought the village looked soft, ripe, and ready for looting. Around him, the ladz were grunting, checking the heft of their stickers and slashers, and shifting impatiently. Slabgut grinned, exposing a row of jagged, yellow teeth. He had sent some ladz on a cunning, wide march across the River Brag to catch the hummies from behind. “That's why I’s the General,” he thought to himself, “because I'm sneaky and tough.” Up on the right, the stone thrower crew was already squabbling over who got to pull the release lever. It was going to be a glorious day of lootin' and bashin'. Slabgut raised his sword high in the air, took a deep breath, and bellowed, “Attack!”
Mayor Grunchild stood behind the village's wooden palisade alongside his fellow villagers, his knuckles white against the pommel of his blade. The air smelled of the unmistakable, musk-heavy stench of an approaching Orc horde. To his flank, the stoic Dwarfs of Clan Stonehammer were methodically loading their crossbows, their low, rhythmic grumbling about ancient grudges providing a bizarrely comforting soundtrack. Behind him, guarding the stone bridge, Captain Gunther’s militia held the line with grim determination. The local ranger, Victoria Seacrette, adjusted her cloak and checked the edge of her axe blade with her thumb. The village was quiet, save for the occasional nervous bleat of sheep and a mumbled prayer to Sigmar. The calm was suddenly shattered by a roar of guttural Orc voices—the battle had begun.
Turn 1
The Orcs moved toward the village in a long battle line. They quickly noted the presence of Dwarfs among the village's defenders. This put any thoughts of settling scores with their own kind firmly out of their tiny Orcish minds, allowing the attack to proceed without falling into chaos due to failed animosity rolls. The Orc archers attempted to set fire to the village's palisade with fire arrows. Sadly, in a show of marksmanship that would become common during the battle, they only managed to hit the palisade with a single arrow, starting a small and unimpressive, smoldering fire. The stone thrower was even less impressive, missing the palisade entirely as the shot fell short.
The defenders decided that staying still and shooting was the order of the day. The only movement came from a few wandering livestock and the wizard Adhumla, who realized that hanging out at the Golden Goblin Inn probably wasn't his best position—especially with rumors that Orcs had been spotted marching along the north side of the river toward the village, with their first target likely being the inn itself. The defenders' fire had mixed results; the bow-armed human scouts did very little damage, but the Dwarfs and their crossbows were far more effective, forcing one Orc regiment to take a rout test, which they duly passed.
Turn 2
The Orc advance continued as the regiments marched forward again, coming within charging distance of the village palisades, ready for an assault next turn. With some great dice rolling, the Orc outflanking attack also appeared. The Orc regiment quickly started to march along the north side of the river with the intention of attacking Braghafen from behind. The Orc archers continued to hit nothing with their arrows. The stone thrower, however, showed the archers how it was done, landing a rock straight onto the palisade wall containing the village scouts. Not only did it destroy the palisade, but it also crushed an unlucky scout under the boulder, and several more scouts were killed by the collapsing wall. The remaining scouts, undaunted, passed their rout test.
The shock of seeing the village palisade collapse so easily prompted some reorganization from the defenders. The wizard Adhumla Brightsoul continued to head toward the center of the village. The surviving scouts decided to leave the remains of the palisade and head for some nearby woods. They were followed by the ranger Victoria Seacrette, who had identified the Orc stone thrower as a major threat and decided to put her magical Boots of Speed to good use to deal with it. The Dwarfs of Clan Stonehammer, still safely behind their palisade, put their crossbows to work, inflicting more casualties on the Orc regiment in front of them. Adhumla also attempted to cast the spell Cause Panic on a regiment of Orcs now visible due to the collapsed palisade. Despite using an extra constitution point to augment his spell, the Orcs passed their Willpower check to avoid its effects.
Turn 3
The two Orc regiments facing the Clan Stonehammer Dwarfs charged, hoping to get to grips with their short, bearded, ancestral enemies. General Slabgut, his bodyguards, and the third Orc regiment clambered over the ruins of the palisade, entering Braghafen and getting ready to charge the militia under Mayor Grunchild next turn. Meanwhile, the Orc outflanking regiment continued to head toward the rear of the village. The Orc archers tried to shoot down the rest of the scouts heading for the woods but, true to form, missed all their shots. The Orc stone thrower crew wasn't able to follow up on the success of their last shot and missed everything. In combat, the two Orc regiments were beaten back by the Dwarfs. Even worse for the greenskins, the Dwarfs captured one of the regimental standards and both Orc units routed. The Dwarfs, safely behind their defensive palisade, sensibly opted to hold their ground.
The defenders prepared themselves for the coming storm by maintaining their defensive positions. One militia unit continued to block the choke point at the bridge over the River Brag to slow down the Orc outflanking attack, while Mayor Grunchild kept the second regiment of militia barring the way of the Orc general and his bodyguards. Adhumla Brightsoul positioned himself between the two militia regiments. The scouts successfully made it into the woods along with Victoria. Some minor shooting from the scouts and Dwarfs caused little damage. In the magic phase, Adhumla cast the spell Zone of Steadfastness, allowing both militia units within 6” of him to triple their attacks and become immune to psychology (though not to rout tests).
General Slabgut kicked a piece of splintered palisade out of his way, stepping over the crushed remains of a hummie. The palisade was breached! The rock chukka had done its job, turning the wooden wall into a pile of kindling. "Right then, ladz!" Slabgut bellowed, waving his massive sword toward the village square. "Inside! Kill the stabby hummies, grab the squishy ones!" To his left, however, things weren't going quite as well. Slabgut scowled at the sight of panicked Orc warriors fleeing away from the village. The ladz who had charged the stunties were sprinting back the way they came, leaving their banners behind along with their pride. Slabgut cursed under his breath, “Useless gitz.”
The sound of splintering timber and the screaming of wounded men sent a chill through the defenders. The palisade was gone, and the Orc tide was pouring into Braghafen. Mayor Grunchild tried to shout an order, but his throat was dry and it came out as a whisper. He coughed, trying to look confident, and shouted again in a slightly shaky voice, “Shield wall!” His militiamen locked shields but couldn't hide the fear etched on their faces. A massive Orc form—one-eyed, clad in thick armor, and carrying a shield decorated with a hideous daemonic face—loomed through the dust of the collapsed palisade. Behind him, more heavily armored figures started to emerge. Grunchild glanced around and saw the wizard, Adhumla Brightsoul, nearby, his eyes blazing with arcane energy as he channeled his magic. The wizard's voice raised as his incantation reached a crescendo, and a warm, golden light spread from his body, washing over the terrified townsfolk. Grunchild felt the effects almost instantly; he felt stronger and faster as the fear drained from him. He glanced at the militia all around him—the effects of the magic were amazing, infusing their limbs with unnatural vigor and turning simple bakers andu farmers into ferocious, unyielding protectors. He could see the change in them: they would stand, and they would fight, bolstered by the wizard's powerful ward.
Turn 4
The fleeing Orc regiments continued to rout. General Slabgut and his bodyguards charged the Braghafen militia in front of them. The Orc flank attack regiment attacked the undefended Mayor’s Tower in hopes of breaking down the door and capturing the civilian inside. Likewise, the Orc regiment that had entered Braghafen through the destroyed palisade attacked one of the cottages. In the shooting phase, the stone thrower flattened a couple of Dwarfs but failed to damage the palisade they were defending, while the Orc archers continued their duel with the remaining scouts, taking down another human and watching the last scout rout.
In combat, General Slabgut challenged Mayor Grunchild to single combat. Magically enhanced to six attacks, Grunchild wounded Slabgut but took a wound in return. The militiamen, likewise magically enhanced, took down an Orc bodyguard. Slabgut and his ladz lost the combat but did not rout. Next to this combat, the Orc regiment failed to break down the cottage door, while across the river, the Orc outflanking regiment successfully broke down the door to the Mayor’s Tower and stormed it, grabbing a helpless villager. Finally, the two routing Orc regiments rallied.
For the defenders, the scouts routed off the table. Meanwhile, Victoria, using her magical Boots of Speed, hot-footed it around a rocky hill, ready to attack the Orc stone thrower next turn. In the village, the Dwarfs held their position, as did the 2nd regiment of Braghafen militia under Captain Gunther, who felt defending the bridge was their best option. The Dwarfs proceeded to kill a couple more Orcs with their crossbows in the shooting phase. In combat, the two generals produced a display of swordsmanship that a geriatric goblin would have been proud of, completely failing to cause any damage to each other. The magically enhanced militia and Orc bodyguards traded blows, causing a casualty each and resulting in a drawn combat.
Turn 5
After their success with the Mayor’s Tower, the Orc outflanking regiment charged the Golden Goblin Inn in search of more defenseless villagers to kidnap. The two freshly rallied Orc regiments marched straight back toward the Dwarf-occupied palisade, determined to get some revenge. The Orc regiment inside Braghafen continued to attack the cottage, while General Slabgut and his bodyguards remained locked in combat. The Orc archers moved forward and sent a stream of fire arrows into the Mayor’s Tower, remarkably landing several shots and starting a major fire. The stone thrower again targeted the Dwarfs, but this time missed them and everything else.
In combat, Mayor Grunchild landed some blows on General Slabgut, but Slabgut's thick armor saved him, and his return blow cut the valiant mayor down. The militia and Orcs traded blows, with another Orc downed, resulting in a draw. The Orcs attacking the cottage again failed to kick in the door. Meanwhile, the outflanking regiment smashed into the Golden Goblin Inn and bagged another villager captive.
The defenders decided that the civilians grabbed by the Orc outflanking regiment needed to be rescued, so Captain Gunther led his men across the bridge toward the waiting Orcs. The bridge, which the defenders had hoped to use as a choke point, now slowed their own advance instead as they maneuvered across it. Victoria Seacrette launched a one-woman charge on the Orc stone thrower crew. The Dwarfs again put their crossbows to use on the advancing Orcs, getting another one for their troubles. In combat, the militia and Orc bodyguards in Braghafen battered away at each other in a spectacular display of very average sword-fighting skill, resulting in a draw. Victoria cut down an Orc crewman but took a wound in return. Adhumla Brightsoul decided to cancel the Zone of Steadfastness and opted to cast Cause Panic on the Orc regiment attempting to assault the cottage. Though the Orcs failed their magic save, they passed their cool test and refused to panic.
Turn 6
The two Orc regiments decided it was second time lucky and charged the Dwarfs on the palisade again. The Orc outflanking regiment, aware it had two precious civilian prisoners, decided to hold its ground. The Orc archers fired more fire arrows at the Mayor’s Tower, causing it to catch fire completely; it was counted as destroyed. The Orc regiment attacking the cottage again failed to kick the door in, although the door was now down to only one wound.
Without the magical enhancements of Adhumla's Zone spell, the militia unit was beaten and forced back by Slabgut and his bodyguards, who then followed up and captured the standard of Braghafen. The militiamen broke and fled, while Slabgut and his bodyguards chased after them, running straight into Adhumla Brightsoul. Victoria cut down the two remaining Orc stone thrower crewmen, rendering the war machine out of action for the rest of the battle. The Orcs and the Dwarfs battled it out again, seeing the Orcs forced back but not routed.
The defenders of Braghafen took stock. Captain Gunther and the 2nd Militia regiment charged the Orc outflanking regiment, desperate to liberate the captured villagers. Due to the bridge, the militia had to attack in a long but narrow-fronted column that was less than ideal. Victoria, flush from successfully overwhelming the artillery crew, bravely launched a charge on the Orc archers. The 1st Militia regiment continued its rout. The Dwarfs again nailed another Orc with their crossbows.
In combat, Victoria was cut down by the Orc archers. Meanwhile, Adhumla found himself face-to-face with General Slabgut and his bodyguards. Armed only with a walking stick, the wizard managed to hold off the Orc general in hand-to-hand combat. Captain Gunther attacked the Orc outflanking regiment with cold fury, cutting down two Orcs. The militiamen and Orcs caused no further damage to each other, resulting in the Orcs losing the combat and routing. The victorious militia quickly rescued the captive villagers. In the magic phase, Adhumla, realizing that being in combat with a mean-looking Orc was not a great idea, cast the spell Hammerhand on himself to boost his hand-to-hand combat skills.
Turn 7
The Orc outflanking regiment continued to rout straight off the battlefield. The two Orc regiments facing the Dwarfs charged again, hoping that the third time would be the charm. The Orc archers held their ground. In combat, the two Orc regiments again got their heads bashed by the resolute Dwarfs of Clan Stonehammer, resulting in the last few survivors of both regiments routing. Despite his magical boost, Adhumla failed to hurt the hulking Orc general but took no damage in return, resulting in a draw. The last Orc regiment finally stormed the cottage and grabbed themselves a defenseless villager to kidnap.
For the defenders, Captain Gunther and the second militia regiment held their ground on the north side of the river, while the survivors of the first militia regiment continued to rout away from the battle. Having successfully led his Dwarfs to victory, the dwarven hero Jorgun Hammerson left his clansmen manning the palisade and charged the Orc bodyguards of General Slabgut in an attempt to aid Adhumla. In the combat that followed, Slabgut wounded the wizard, but Jorgun cut down a heavily armed bodyguard, resulting in a drawn combat. Looking around at his decimated army, General Slabgut decided to call it a day and signaled a retreat.
General Slabgut parried a surprisingly fierce blow from the human wizard. He might look like a puny hummie, but his bare fists glowed with unnatural light. Slabgut wasn’t sure what the magical light could do, but he had seen enough wizards to know he didn't want to find out. Slabgut was momentarily distracted by the sight of a lone stunty with a big axe throwing himself into the fight, hacking down one of his bodyguards. Slabgut looked out across the village. Through the dust and smoke, he could make out Orc warriors fleeing. “Zoggin' losers,” he grunted. He was also aware that the large rocks from the rock chukka seemed to have stopped. To his left, two of his regiments were fleeing away from the village once again, and this time they looked truly beaten. To his right, the ladz of another regiment were whooping with success; their captive villager was currently hogtied and slung over a large Orc’s shoulder, screaming. Slabgut looked at his rapidly failing attack and then back at the hummie captive. “I’m sure that's the hummie the boss wants,” Slabgut nodded to himself. “Time to get the zog out of here.” He stared hard at the wizard, spat a big wodge of phlegm at his feet, and roared, “All right ladz, time to go!” As the Orcs slowly fell back through the ruined village, Slabgut secretly hoped they had grabbed the right hummie, as he was sure his wizard master wouldn't let failure go unpunished.
As the remaining Orcs melted away from the burning village, a heavy, exhausted silence fell over Braghafen. Adhumla Brightsoul sat on a barrel, drained from the immense magical energies that had coursed through his body during the battle. He unclipped a small hip flask from his belt, removed the cap, and took a long swig of the elven brandy inside. As the spirit spread its warmth through his body, he allowed himself a moment to study the scene before him. The Mayor’s Tower was still burning; he watched the roof collapse in on itself, sending the flames leaping higher. Mayor Grunchild was gone, cut down in the center of the village, but his sacrifice had held the line long enough to bring victory. Adhumla's eyes gazed across the bodies of dead villagers. “If this can be called a victory,” he sighed. Across the river, Captain Gunther and his militia stood comforting the terrified villagers they had successfully rescued from the Orcs’ clutches. Jorgun Hammerson wandered up and leaned heavily on his axe, nodding grimly to Adhumla Brightsoul. “A bloody day, manling.” Adhumla nodded. “Your clansmen stood like a mountain. The Orcs will rue the day they challenged Clan Stonehammer,” Adhumla replied. Jorgun gave a brief nod. “Orcs were tougher in my youth. This lot might as well have been goblins. Mind you, I'm glad that the ranger lady dealt with the Orc stone thrower. That thing could have caused some issues.” Adhumla realized he hadn't seen the young lass for some time. He stood and gave the Dwarf a polite farewell before heading out to locate the brave ranger. The village of Braghafen still stood, its people free, but the soil was deeply stained with the price of their survival.
Result
After checking to see if the Orcs' captive was the elusive Silas the Sage (he wasn't), the victory points were totaled up. The result was a costly victory for the Defenders of Braghafen.
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