Risk of the Rings

Well, it has turned out to be unexpectedly quite the gaming weekend for the Wargamesmonger. Friday morning I received an e-mail from my buddy Michael, asking if the lad and I were available for an impromptu game night.

Why even ask the question?

So we bundled ourselves and a selection of games over to Michael’s Haven of Hospitality (basement den) and proceeded to choose a favorite for an evening of strategy, tactics, and inevitably bad dice rolling.

The choice of the evening? One of my favorites: Risk: The Lord of the Rings, Trilogy Edition— based, of course, on the noted novel and the Oscar-winning film trilogy. This game is perfectly suited for a four-player evening of conquest, and is far more than just Risk with a pretty wrapping (though that wrapping is terrific).

The Beginning of the Beginning of Middle-Earth.
Left to right: Alexander (Sauron), Michael (Michaelfindel) and Chase (Saruman)

Rules of the One Ring

I won’t go over the rules of Risk again— this game has been a wargaming staple so long it needs no introduction. However, The Lord of the Rings edition is a truly variant game, with special rules of its own that go beyond just the gorgeous map of Middle-Earth. A quick summary:

• The game is played in teams, 2 “Good” players versus 2 “Evil” players.
• Every army has two Leaders at the start of the game. Leaders add 1 to their side’s highest die roll in combat (assuming the Leader is in the warring territory), and allow you to gain special cards and achieve special missions during play.
• The game has a deck of Adventure Cards that trigger special events, allow players to take special actions (like attacking through normally impassable barriers), or give extra troops to certain “Sites of Power” territories (like “Edoras” or “Weathertop,” etc.). They also boost victory points at the end of the game.
• Ports allow for sea-born attacks between connected ports.
• Certain territories have “Strongholds” that add one to the highest defense die roll when that territory is attacked. Stronghold and Leader bonuses add together, so a +2 advantage is possible (and darn hard to beat).
• The One Ring is a token in the game that serves as a randomly progressing game clock. It moves from Hobbiton to Mount Doom, following the path of the Fellowship. The game ends when the Ring is successfully cast into Mount Doom (a die roll).
• Card combination bonus troops are set at a flat rate rather than an escalating progression. The rates are 4, 6, 8 or 10 armies, depending on the specific combination turned in.

The changes are fairly simple, but they add a great deal of variety and twists to the game, and the best strategy prepares for these twists (as will be seen).

Hasbro offers the rules as a free download.  (This link is directly to the PDF, so expect a download and a bit of a wait).

The battle for Middle-Earth begins...

Good vs. Not As Good
The boys both clamored to be the “bad guys” (what is it with teenagers?), while the two dads joined forces as defenders of all that is “good and green in the world.” We set aside our armies and divided the board up. The initial deployment is determined according to “Good” and “Evil” status— 16 Good territories are randomly assigned to the two Good players, 16 “Evil” territories to the two Evil players, and the remaining “neutral” territories are done through the “take turns picking one” method. From there it was a matter of piling our starting armies about, and then the great War of the Ring began.

Michaelfindel (gold armies) would be first, followed by Chase (red armies— think “Saruman”), then myself (“King Howarden” green) and last Alexander (black— think “Sauron”).

A play by play of a Risk game isn’t likely to be worth reading, so I’ll stick with highlights.

The War Begins

We opened with fighting to secure the two extremes of the world (like that never happens in any Risk game). Rather than South America and Australia, this fight would be over Rhûn (northeast bonus region) and the Haradwaith (southeast bonus region). Mordor was going to be solidly Sauron’s almost from the start— Alexander had black over nearly the whole thing, and the only other spaces were held by his ally, Chase (red). Meanwhile, the central areas of Mirkwood and Rohan would be contested largely by yours truly (green), while my ally Michael (gold) held the majority of Arnor.

Early moves saw Saruman-Chase (red) claiming Rhûn and Harad, but he never managed to hold either long enough to collect a bonus, thanks to constant attacks by Michaelfindel, who also quickly established control over Arnor for the 7 point bonus, and kept Sauron-Alexander from gaining control over the Eriador bonus region in the northwest.

Rhûn falls to Saruman, but Michaelfindel holds Arnor.

I managed to claim most of the Rohan bonus region which would likely fall on my next turn, and my ally broke into the Haradwaith, inflicting severe harm on Saruman-Chase. I managed to follow up by driving the forces of evil out of Mirkwood the Great, gaining yet another bonus region. Michael and I openly discussed using my forces in Rohan to break Sauron-Alexander in Mithlond via the sea route, putting his Eriador forces between the golden hammer and a green anvil.

Alas, that plan would never come to be...

Rohan rising— only Minhiriath and the port blocks my path.
Oh, and there are some goblins in Moria. Nobody worries about them.

“They Have a Cave Troll”

Thinking ourselves secure in Arnor and Rohan, and assuming that Saruman-Chase would contest us primarily for Harad and Ithilien, where his armies and leaders were, Michaelfindel and I had unwisely ignored the goblin stronghold of Moria, leaving only token defenses near it. Saruman-Chase saw our folly, and poured out of the curséd depths of Khazad-dûm with a terrifying army— they did indeed have a cave troll in Moria. (And a ringwraith!) Bursting through Eregion, Chase broke Michaelfindel’s hold on Arnor and shattered my feeble forces in Rohan, claiming even the sea port of Minhiriath, and eliminating my leader there!

Unholy Balrogs! Where did those orcs come from? Oh... right. Moria.

 Things looked bleak indeed as a great shadow spread across the realm of Middle-Earth. The Valar were with the Free People, however— Saruman-Chase drew the event card “The Mustering of Middle-Earth,” which ended up adding battalions to lands held by Michaelfindel and yours truly. Quoth the sage Michaelfindel: “You kicked our butt, and then you put a bandaid on it.” 

Resisting the Shadow

Minas Tirith and Mirkwood are both in peril!

Though set back, the will of the Free Peoples remained indomitable. Though I surged back in Rohan, I could not take it nor protect it. Fortunately, I still held the great forest of Mirkwood, and built up the southern woodlands to defend against a certain break-out by Mordor. 

Angmar sneak attacks the Carrock! Hold, elf, hold!

 But Sauron-Alexander was far craftier, and countered by cutting across Arnor instead, and laying down a “The Way is Under the Mountains” card from within the realm of Angmar to assault my lone battalion in Carrock! If he succeeded, my bonus in Mirkwood would be lost... 

Angmar is foiled!

So in the forgotten realm of the Carrock, one lone elf looked up to see the orc hordes emerge from hidden tunnels beneath the Misty Mountains. Undaunted, he raised his bow, and took aim... and stood his ground! The orcs could not break him, and Mirkwood remained free.

The Return of Some Relative of Isildur (or Someone Important Like That)

Sailing into Gondor. Didn't somebody else do this once?

The relief of both the North and South fell upon Michaelfindel (Isildur’s Heir’s Second Cousin’s Third Great-Nephew, Twice Removed). He began by driving Sauron-Alexander’s forces completely out of the North, seizing Eriador, and also driving Saruman-Chase out of western Rohan, also blocking the bridge across the Wold as added security (“None Shall Pass” card). In the South, he drove up into Gondor, putting pressure on Saruman-Chase in an effort to lift the siege of Minas Tirith, alas to no avail. Minas Tirith fell to Saruman-Chase’s forces, who drove up into Rohan— but could not reach either Arnor or Mirkwood. But the Dead Marshes were teeming with orcs, and Mordor looked strong...

The North is free (or at least cheap)! But look at Mordor...

Saruman makes his move...

The Scouring of Mordor

... but the Rohirrim and Elves had done some recruiting! Amassing every troop I could muster (and I mustered quite a few), I went all out, slamming directly into the hordes on the Dead Marshes. They could not withstand the charge of the Rohirrim, and broke. The way lay open into the Black Gate, and I took it, storming through Mordor with wrath and fury, claiming the heights of Mount Doom, the fortress of Minas Morgul, and even Sauron’s great dark tower of Barad-dûr (where I repeatedly poked a stick in the eye of Sauron— because I could). Only the fields of Nurn remained in Sauron’s hands—‘twas a furious battle, but Sauron-Alexander’s lone orc proved that he could be as feisty as an elf on the Carrock, and held his ground. Mordor was not yet done...

Minas Tirith avenged! But what's that white stuff?!?

Last Stands

Sauron-Alexander turned in, gaining ten battalions for his orcs in Nurn, and seized the Gorgoroth plains. But once again, the Valar had intervened— winter storms had struck, and the Udun Vale, which had not known any covering but the ashes of Mount Doom, lay waist-deep in pure, white snow— a more formidable obstacle than any gate built by men, elves, dwarves or orcs. With no path to break out, Sauron-Alexander bided his time, marshaling further forces.

Michaelfindel contemplates his move.
Behind him, Sauron tries to generate power for a hair dryer to melt the snow.

Michaelfindel turned his focus on Saruman-Chase. With ample recruits, and facing a divided enemy, Michaelfindel split his forces into the realms of Haradwaith and Gondor. Marching north up the great river Anduin, Michaelfindel struck the red orcs with unmatched resolve, retaking Osgiliath, Minas Tirith, the Gap of Rohan and finally breaking Saruman-Chase from the stronghold of Isengard. The orcs were also driven from fair Ithilien— only the distant Haradrim Encampment survived his onslaught.
The Haradrim could do no damage, however, and the final act would fall to yours truly.

Saruman's last grasp. His arm has grown very, very... short.
And Sauron's hair dryer scheme doesn't appear to be working.

 Intelligences suggested that Sauron-Alexander had access to many hidden forces (he held a large hand of territory cards, and he and Chase were openly discussing his next move). Fortunately, I too had discovered a Way Under the Mountains— and this time the lone orc in Nurn could not withstand my onslaught from Minas Morgul. The forces on the Plains of Gorgoroth proved otherwise— I could not crack them, and Sauron-Alexander laughed with glee.... but he had not accounted for two small hobbits.

Dang, those are tough orcs— but who's that climbing up the volcano?
It ain't Edmund Hillary...

Throw It in or Jump in with It— We're Not Picky!

 The One Ring had reached Mount Doom. Would Frodo succeed in his quest? Or would Sauron have his moment of revenge? Every eye watched as I lifted the lone die to the top of the Tower of Fate...
Clatter...
clatter...
clatter...
...thunk.
6.
The game was over— the One Ring perished in the fires of Mount Doom, and the shadow was banished from Middle-Earth with the gentle blow of the West wind.

The Ring is consumed by the fires of Mount Doom— Middle-Earth is free!
(Note Sauron's cards in Chase's hands— doom was at hand, if not for Frodo.) 

FINAL NOTES

It was a great evening and a fun game. Even the boys enjoyed it down to the end, despite the slaughter of their forces. Perhaps a little more building and a little less rampaging on their part might have turned the tide in their favor, but the dice rolling really hit them hard at the last.

This remains one of my favorite Risk variants, and not just because of the setting. The cards give the game unexpected moments that keep the end from seeming inevitable. I also like the team-play aspect— it does eliminate the wheeling and dealing of the classic Risk game, but the open plotting of strategy fills the void and keeps the interaction strong. (You can, of course, play the game without teams, still using the Adventure Cards, and keeping the scheming in place, if you prefer).

Alas, the game itself is Out of Production, which is a shame. If you don’t have a copy, you’ll probably not find one cheaply. Be aware that there are actually two versions— the “Conquest of Middle-Earth” version released after the first movie, which plays the same but has only a partial map and fewer Adventure Cards— and the Trilogy Edition, which you see in the photos. Hasbro did release an expansion set for the first version, so ask if the seller has that, if you cannot find the final edition.
Hopefully Hasbro will re-release it or a Hobbit-themed edition as the new movies come about. In the meantime, if you can get a copy, do so.
But you’ll not get mine...

Okay, I'm really not *that* obsessed.

Really.

Despite what my wife says.

:-)

Thanks for reading!

The Wargamesmonger in S-P-A-A-A-C-E!

Gaming in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

(An X-Wing After Action Report and Review)

 Greetings, young Jedi, and welcome back to Parzival’s Place. This time around we shall leave the green fields of Earth (or someplace like it) and set out into the grand and glorious void of space... a long time ago in a galaxy, far, far away. (Okay, at my friend Will’s house in Nashville).

 This is my semi-occasional-regular-when-we-can-all-schedule-it gaming group, which consists of my friends Will, Jim, and Michael, my son Alexander, and Michael’s son, Chase. For Christmas I had received from my lovely and amazing wife the gift of Fantasy Flight Games’ Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game, along with several expansion packs. Though I myself had fiddled around with the game, this evening would be the first exposure for the rest of the group, and I was eager to find out what they would think of it.

Why should the bad guys be the only ones to use the Force choke?
Left to right: Padawan Alexander, Commodore Howard (yours truly), Captain Will, Darth Chase, Darth Michael. Not pictured (the sneaky devil), Lord Jim

How X-Wing Works

(If you know, skip ahead to And the Battle Begins...)

 X-Wing attempts to echo the classic dogfights from the various Star Wars films (the original trilogy only at this time). Players control one or more iconic spaceships from the movies, choosing maneuvers and special actions for their craft, and blasting away at their opponents.

 Play is simple: A turn begins with everyone secretly plotting their crafts’ maneuvers for the turn. This is done on a very handy little dial that depicts all the possible maneuvers for a specific craft. Different craft have different capabilities— TIE fighters, for example, are faster and generally more nimble than other craft, but can’t make shorter movements except for sharp turns. X-wings are less speedy, but can make gentle maneuvers at low speeds that TIEs can’t match. And the Y-wing (an expansion craft) is a lumbering hog, though it also can make slow maneuvers that TIEs can’t.
Certain extreme maneuvers (such as a 180° turn) are “stressful”, and result in limitations on a craft’s actions for a while, until a gentler maneuver is picked that allows the pilot to correct the “stress.”

 Once all maneuvers are plotted, movement begins, starting with the lowest rated pilot (crafts are rated from 1 and up, with 1 being the worst) and then working up in turn to the highest rated pilot. To move, a simple template matching the chosen maneuver is placed in front of the craft. The fighter moves along this template until it reaches the end, or, if the end would place it on top of another craft, until its base touches the other craft.

 After moving, a player may select an “action” for his craft. These differ depending on craft and pilot, but generally the actions are Focus (which improves odds of winning in combat rolls), Evade (which automatically avoids one hit in combat), Barrel Roll (which allows the craft to spin to the side immediately after moving), or Target Lock (which allows re-rolls when shooting a specific target). “Stressed” pilots can’t use an action until they perform a gentle maneuver to remove their stress (a “stressed” pilot keeps a red triangular “!” marker next to his craft).
Once all movement and actions are chosen, combat begins, starting with the highest rated pilot and moving in order down to the lowest rated pilot.

 Combat involves checking the range to the target and rolling the eight-sided red attack dice versus the eight-sided green “evasion” dice. Attack dice results are either blank, an eye (the “focus" action turns this into a hit) or a starburst (a hit— some starbursts indicate critical hits). Evasion dice results are either blank, an eye (“focus” turns this into an evasion) or a curved arrow (a successful evasion). Each curved arrow rolled cancels a hit rolled. Range may give the attacker an additional die (short range) or the evader an additional die (long range).

 Once the attacks are done, damage cards are handed to those hit (or shields are removed for craft that have them). Depending on the craft, three to five hits will destroy it. (Cards also show special effects, but for simplicity’s sake we ignored these.)

Repeat above until one side is destroyed or the scenario objectives are complete.

And the Battle Begins...

 We tossed aside the scenarios in the book in favor of a straight out battle of equal forces— Empire vs. Rebels. Chase, Michael and Jim took charge of a patrol of TIE fighters, while Will and Alexander took command of an X-wing each, and I, as the veteran, sat at the controls of a reliable, sturdy (and slooow) Y-wing.

 I expected the fight to finish quickly, but I neglected to consider the newness of everything to each of us. It’s very easy to discover that your carefully planned maneuver did not actually place the enemy in your sights— not helped by the fact that TIEs can barrel roll, effectively changing their final position by about an inch and a half. The Imperial patrol made good use of that tactic early on, and our Rebel fighters often found ourselves shooting at empty space!

"They're just two ships who pass in the night..."

 The first turn amounted to an approach only, with no one in range to do anything. The second turn saw Lord Jim and Padawan Alexander exchanging shots (removing one of Alex’s shields), but nothing significant, and on the following turn they zipped past each other, waving and exchanging friendly Force gestures through the cockpit windows.

Target Lock acquired! Hold it, hold it... prepare to keep holding it...

 Meanwhile, I had Darth Michael in my sights, and immediately set a Target Lock on his craft (which would remain active until the end of the game). Darth Michael opened fire on Captain Will, to no avail, and the good captain returned fire with equal results (that is, none). My shots also missed, and I decided to hold the Target Lock for a better opportunity. That opportunity would be a looooong time in coming.

Fire at Will! (Not at me!)

Captain Will: "I hope this doesn't hurt."
Darth Chase: "Pew pew pew pew!"

"Wow, you, dodged that one!"
"It's all in the wrist."

The Rebels strike back. (Oh, come on, you had to know I was gonna say that.)

Padawan Alexander turned to support Will and me, who were now in a very confusing muddle with the other TIEs. Lord Jim zoomed in as well, but wound up in Captain Will’s crosshairs. The good captain, never one to turn down a heaven-sent gift, introduced Lord Jim to stardom (meaning, his TIE fighter momentarily achieved the light and heat of a small star). Boom— scratch one of the Emperor’s minions.

A target-rich environment. Which way are we gonna move?

Okay, wait— how did we *all* end up with no targets?!?

The imminent destruction of Dark Lord Jim (leftmost TIE) and Padawan Alexander (rightmost X-wing).
Captain Will:"I have you now!"
Lord Jim: "Wait, that's supposed to be *my* line." BOOM!
Padawan Alexander (shortly after): "I've been hit! I've been..." BOOM!

Alas, revenge was swift, with Darth Chase swooping down upon Padawan Alexander. The young Jedi apprentice was caught in a blast no amount of Force could overcome, and his X-wing exploded in a fiery ball as well.

With both sides at even success, Darth Chase and Darth Michael kept doing their dance with Will and me. I was plodding my way about, trying to get Darth Michael’s TIE— on which I had the Target Lock— back in range, only to have him dart and barrel roll aside at every turn. Meanwhile, both Chase and Michael took shots at me, reducing my shields (like I was worried— I had three shields and five hull points). Thanks to Captain Will, the two Imperial lackeys took hits as well (2 and 1, respectively). 

Darth Chase plots his move...

Darth Chase: "I can roll dice and drink soda AT THE SAME TIME!"
Darth Michael: "That's not really a Force trick, young apprentice."
Captain Will: "Why is there a stone tower in space?"
Commodore Howard: "That's no tower... well, it is a tower. Just roll the dice in it, okay?"

Unfortunately, Michael and Chase wound up having to leave before the game ended, so Jim and Alexander took over their craft, but the change in pilots mattered little. Will gunned down his target (the TIE fighter formerly known as Darth Chase), and, with the object of my Target Lock finally back in my sights (after following that blasted thing around space for turn after turn), I took full advantage of the re-roll, producing three hits on my second attempt to blow the last Imperial fighter into its constituent atoms.

A Rebel Victory! Hurray! Huzzah! Let's have an ewok roast!

Huzzah for the Rebels! Time for a victory celebration, wookie dance (we don’t believe in ewoks), and a medal ceremony!

Battle Analysis

It’s a bit difficult to break this game down into a play-by-play, as every fighter is constantly changing position and angles— which is exactly how a good dogfight game should go! I will say that when we started putting things away, we realized that we had failed to take the points values of the craft into account— our Rebel forces amounted to 62 points total, while the Imperial forces had only 44. Theoretically, this was a highly unbalanced fight in favor of the Rebels (not that it felt that way at the time). I will say that the Y-wing’s high shield and hull strength probably was telling, but I never took that much fire during the game anyway— the slow maneuvering usually wound up with the TIEs zipping out of my firing arc, but also passing me so that I wasn’t in theirs, either. We also ignored the damage cards’ special effects, which probably allowed the TIEs to hang in longer than they should have (but that cuts both ways).

In any case, we all had a great deal of fun, and I’m certain this game will be back in demand for a rematch soon— hopefully with some more ships (I now have Darth Vader’s TIE Advanced fighter, and the next round of expansions is on my radar— including the Millennium Falcon).

A Quick Game Review

I have to say, Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game is everything I could have wanted in a Star Wars dogfight game. The components are gorgeous, from the miniatures down to the cards, markers and templates, and everything is solid quality. The basic concepts are simple and easy to grasp, making this easily playable with even elementary-aged kids (and adults who think like them). Within two turns, everyone in our group had a solid hang on how maneuvering, combat and even the special actions worked. The back cover of the rule book was the only real reference we needed, and that just to become familiar with how the Focus, Evade and Target Lock abilities functioned, and to confirm the effects of range on combat. Otherwise we looked up the “Barrel Roll” rule once to determine exactly how it worked, and that’s about it.

What you wind up with is a game that feels very much like a Star Wars dogfight (even if only on a two-dimensional level). The ships zip about, crazily weaving in and out and making desperate maneuvers to line up shots or avoid being shot at. Instant kills are rare, but damage accrues quickly, so somebody at some point is gonna buy the evaporator farm— and that’s just good Star Wars fun. Plus you get plenty of lucky scrapes, unexpected moments— “how did I end up there and you there?”— and all in all a very satisfying tactical experience. The Force is with this game!

At first I thought the game could use some collision rules— as written, landing on top of another ship just forces you to back up— but I suspect such might slow down play. As it is, play is rather speedy, provided everyone makes their maneuver decisions in a reasonable amount of time— a factor that did affect us due to our unfamiliarity with the ships’ capabilities. (Michael admitted spinning repeatedly through his TIE dial, looking for a short, straight “1” maneuver, which TIEs can’t do.)

We did take considerable time with our game, but again, we were new to it, had not picked a specific scenario, and goofed about a bit before hand. Plus, I am notoriously long-winded at explaining rules. ("I just like for everyone to be clear!" I say. “We know!” my group replies back.) So I put actual playing time at about an hour or two, depending on the number of players and how experienced you are with the game (for two players, the time will be much shorter).

For the record, I do recommend picking up two of the starter game boxes. These come with two TIEs and one X-wing, plus three each of the attack and evade dice, as well as the maneuver templates and other accessories. The sets run around $35-$40, versus $15 for the expansion packs, which have only a single spacecraft each. The advantage of the expansion packs are that they included other pilots as well as “booster” cards (we didn’t use this option) which give craft special abilities or additional actions or weapons (like proton torpedoes, astromech droids, special pilot skills, etc.). My current collection includes two starter sets (the extra dice come in handy), one X-wing expansion, two TIE expansions, two Y-wing expansions and one TIE Advanced expansion. Late February or early March will see the release of the Millennium Falcon, Slave 1, A-wing and TIE Interceptor expansion packs. They’re on my list!

In conclusion, if you want a great time with your gaming buddies (and buddettes), and you love Star Wars, you can't go wrong with the Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game from FFG.

Other Notes

The starfield is a 6’ x 6’ expanse of black glitter felt purchased at Jo-Ann’s Fabric store. The white dot grid was painted by me, using a sheet of peg-board as a guide. The grid is not actually needed for the X-Wing game, but rather something I created for my own game, G.O.B.S.! (Generic Outlandishly Big Spacefleets!). But even with the grid, I think the mat looks much better than a bare tabletop, which the photos bear out. The silver moon, well,— “That’s no moon... that’s an oversized plastic Christmas ornament sitting on top of a bit of round clear plastic packaging!” Which is exactly what it is. I use it as an obstacle in combat, but we didn't set it out for this game.

“That’s no... Line?”

Though fans of Star Wars, my group was woefully inept at coming up with the “That’s no moon” line, even after prompting. Here are some of their attempts:
“That’s no moon— it’s a... what is it again?”
“That’s no moon— it’s a star...no, a space... uh, ship. Spaceship. No! Star station! What?”
“That’s no moon— it’s... I forget.”

*Sigh*

I think it’s time for a refresher viewing.
At least they made decent TIE fighter sounds...

Use the Force, young padawan! (It helps if you make odd faces.)

The Battle of Angrehmeh (Warmaster AAR)

The Battle of Angrehmeh

A Tale from the World of Warmaster

(According to me, anyway)

An epic fight at a small scale (10mm.)

No one really knows how the great Dwarf pilgrimage of the Grumpoff came to be. The Great Book of Grudges is silent as to its origins, which is made no less remarkable by the inherently grudge-like nature of the event. After all, it is a long and arduous trek to a distant shrine to a nearly forgotten god whose nature is best described as one of perpetual irritation— what reason would motivate dwarfs to make such an effort other than a truly Great Grudge? Especially in light of the fact that no tavern, indeed no source of anything to drink but two minor rivers is known of at the spot. All that is there is the Great Stone Circle of Angrehmeh, the only known temple to the god Angrehmeh (ancient Dwarf for “Spiller of Stale Beer,” which might explain the irritation). But to Angrehmeh the trek must be made, to pour a flagon of the King’s Brewmaster’s Second Cousin’s Finest on the sacred central stone, and appease the “PO’ed little drunk in the corner of Walhalla” for yet another season. This year the duty fell upon the noble dwarflord Hovart Helmblind, of storied past and many a half-finished saga, who, being in nature very much like the god Angrehmeh (what dwarf isn’t?), decided to bring along his entire army just in case he ran into anybody notably irritating along the way. Alas, irritations were minimal en route (which was irritating itself), the only others encountered being two dwarf captains who went by the odd names of “Thorin” and “Dain” and their small revenue, but dwarfs are welcome companions (well, by other dwarfs), no matter how strange, and soon the entire irritated body was in sight of the ford west of the ancient shrine.

That’s when, praise be to Angrehmeh, or someone equally as grumpy, the scouts reported a massive army of orcs and assorted hangers-on approaching the shrine from the east! One can imagine the thrill that surged through the dwarf ranks when they heard their commander’s traditional war prayer leave his helmeted lips— “Thank the gods— here’s someone we can pummel!”

*****

Why orc war boss Stomphen Smashflat decided to “go on rumpus” that week, no one in his army really knew. But then, given that the brightest mind in his army was probably the goblin shaman, and nobody much cared what he thought as long as he kept up the holy sacrifices of goats (or lambs or dogs or old ladies or whatever was handy), not knowing what Smashflat had planned (if anything) was pretty much life as usual. March here, smash something, march there, bludgeon somebody, march that way, burn, march this way, pillage (after burning— they always muddled that bit). It wasn’t a good life or a merry one, but it was consistent and that had something going for it. Then they caught rumors of a dwarf shrine, which were usually good pickings, and some big red beast who called himself “Smog” (or something like that) joined up along the way, and, well, the world smelled like war (or excessive amounts of soot, blood and dirt, which is much the same thing). And then the wind brought the smell of dwarf, too, and that was enough— the rumpus was on!

*****

Parzival’s Notes

Inspired by some of the recent Warmaster After Action Reports on The Miniatures Page recently, I pulled my forces out for my on little go around. As I wanted a big battle, I decided I also wanted big scenery, and set up two hills and two rivers (each forded), several woods, and a nice big ancient stone circle with mysterious powers. Also, rather than going with a long-edge deployment, I decided to have both armies arriving at opposite corners, with the obvious goal being an attempt to take the middle ground between the rivers, where the battle would most likely unfold.

Brief Note for Those Unfamiliar With the Game

(Scroll down to The Battlefield if you know about the game)

Warmaster is a tabletop battle game that uses 10mm figures for a “grand tactical” scale game— each player is a general commanding an entire army. This means the battle unfolds in a fluid manner, focusing on battlefield events rather than any attempt at an even measure of time— so whole groups of troops may move and fight multiple times in a single turn before other troops take action.

Each army is divided into “units” which represent groups of functionally identical troops (as a block of infantry, a block of archers, a troop of cavalry, etc.) Most units have three stands, though some units, such as monsters, are one stand, and some are even two. Heroes and generals (basically, the army’s command officers) have one stand each, which might have more than one figure based on them, but aren’t considered units and don’t move or battle in the same manner. As a unit takes damage in combat, certain threshold amounts will cause a stand of figures (a single group on a single base) to be removed. Different troop types move at different rates— Cavalry are faster than infantry and infantry are faster then artillery, as you might expect.

Most of the time, units must be given an order from a “hero” or a “general” in order to take an action (unless an enemy is nearby; a reaction to them can occur for free). If that order fails (a die roll result), then no other orders may be given by that hero for the turn, nor may that unit receive any other orders for the turn. If the general fails an order, no other hero may issue orders for that side’s turn (so generals are usually saved for the last and most critical orders). If an order succeeds, a hero or general can continue to issue orders to the same unit until either an order fails or the officer decides to issue commands to a different unit. Fortunately, units can be combined into “brigades” of four units or less (type doesn’t matter) that can be ordered to move together, provided the units remain touching each other in some way at the end of the move (this can be a long chain of stands or a block or whatever).

Only movement is an order— shooting and combat happen if an enemy is in range or contact, with no need for an order to be given. Shooting can force units to retreat (a “drive back”), while combats can roll across the battlefield with “pursuits” and “advances”— which could be taken by a unit out of turn, if they win a melee!— or end in a draw, with both engaged elements retreating. As a result, the positions of units on a battlefield at the start of combat can be quite different from the positions when the fighting is done!

Combat and shooting results can cause a unit to become “confused,” meaning that it can’t take orders or shoot, and has a penalty in combat for a brief time. Charging an enemy or pursuing an enemy offers bonuses in combat; occupying defensible terrain (like ruins or a hillside) offers defensive bonuses. In general, however, it’s more advantageous to charge than to wait to be hit.

A typical battle lasts until either half of a side’s stands (including hero stands) are eliminated, or for a set number of turns (usually 8), or a general is completely surrounded or is attached to a unit that is eliminated in battle. A hero or general may “attach” themselves to a unit to give it a bonus in combat; however, unattached heroes and generals are immune from attack. Nevertheless, if completely cut off from their forces, they are eliminated. 

The above should be enough info to help you follow the reason as to why events unfold the way they do in this account, and understand the drastic changes of position shown in the photos.

How a turn works:

Side with initiative follows this pattern:

1. Command Phase (issue orders and move all units)
2. Shooting Phase (unengaged shooter units that have a visible, unengaged target in range may shoot. Drive back movements, if any, are completed immediately.)
3. Combat (units engaged— touching— an enemy must melee; both sides roll attacks and defense. Side with most hits wins. Casualties are applied. Loser retreats, winner pursues if possible and desired, and continues combat if possible. If equal, the battle is a draw, and both sides retreat.)

Play then changes to the other side’s turn. Repeat until victory occurs or 8 turns are reached.

The Battlefield

The battlefield at the Shrine of Angrehmeh.
Dwarf army to the left, Orc horde to the right.

All terrain is pretty much straightforward. The hills are climbable slopes (by infantry), though only along the grassy ramps and areas— no force can scramble up bare stone (house rule). If a unit is “among” the trees (even partially) or touching a tree, the unit is considered to be in woods. Otherwise the woods are woods, the rivers are impassable except at their respective fords, and the hills and ruins offer “defended” status for any unit which successfully occupies them... but there’s an “if” to that latter situation.

The ancient temple of the Irritated One. Enter at thine own peril!

The Shrine of Angrehmeh

This is not merely an old stone ruin but a place of mystic power, sacred to a very lesser but very irritable old dwarf god. And he’s pretty much irritated at everybody, so he doesn’t care of you’re dwarf or elf or orc or a pack of pink ponies, if you enter his shrine (well, without a decent beer), he’s probably going to “do something.”

Angrehmeh’s Mood Ring Chart

If any stand of any unit enters the circle of the ancient shrine (whether intentionally or not), that unit’s player must immediately discover the mood of the Irritated One by rolling a d6 and consulting the Mood Ring Chart:

1— Angrehmeh is Seriously P***ed (And Not Just Because He’s Drunk): Unit is blasted by 3d6 shooting dice. Armor is no protection. Roll for drive backs, directly away from the shrine (opposite the direction by which the unit entered).

2— Angrehmeh is Irritated: Unit is automatically confused for one full turn (so this status is not removed until after the player’s next Command phase, if the entrance occurs during the current Command phase). If the entrance happens as part of a charge, the unit suffers the Confusion penalty. The unit also gains no defensive bonus for being in the ruins during either combat or the shooting phase until the Confusion ends.

3-4— Angrehmeh is More Meh Than Angry: Nothing happens. The unit may continue its move as normal; if it remains in the stone circle, it may treat the ruins as defended terrain. As long as the unit does not leave the circle, it need not roll again on the Angrehmeh’s Mood Ring Chart.

5— Angrehmeh is Mildly Annoyed, And Waves the Pest Away: The unit is instantly teleported 2d6 x 10cm away from its current location, in a direction chosen by the player controlling the unit. Terrain does not block this move. The unit ends the move Confused, and cannot charge any enemy. (This confusion is removed at the end of the Command phase as usual.)

6— Angrehmeh Likes His Beer: The unit may restore 1 lost stand (if any), and any outstanding combat or shooting hits are also removed. If the unit is uninjured, nothing happens. The unit may continue its move or remain in the shrine as normal. If the unit remains in the shrine, no further effects occur, and the unit can take advantage of the shrine’s defended terrain status.

Being a dwarf or an orc (or anything else) has no effect either way on the results of the roll. After all, mysterious and unpredictable are the ways of Angrehmeh— or, well, any drunken dwarf.

The Forces:

Dwarf Army

5 units of Warriors

2 units of Thunderers

1 unit of Rangers

1 unit of Trollslayers

2 units of Cannon

2 Flame Cannons

3 Gyrocopters

2 Heroes (Thorin and Dain, though both use standard Warmaster dwarf hero stats)

1 General (Hovart Helmblind)

Total point value: 1740. Total stands: 39. Breakpoint is 20.

Orc Horde

2 units of Orc Archers (same stats as Goblins, but with 30cm range, cost 45)

2 units of Goblins

2 units of Orc Warriors

1 unit of Goblin Chariots

3 units of Goblin Wolf Riders

2 units of Boar Riders

3 Rock Lobbers

1 Giant (Dymbuhlb the Dumb)

1 Dragon (“Smog,” uses Smaug’s stats from Battle of Five Armies book)

3 Goblin heroes

2 Orc Heroes

1 Goblin Shaman

1 General (Stomphen Smashflat)

Total point value: 1760. Total stands: 48. Breakpoint is 24.

Note that technically this violates the min/max for Orc Warriors (I count archers towards the goblin min/max). Well, I don’t have any suitable Orc Warriors painted yet. So sue me. I hate that min/max stuff anyway. And so does Angrehmeh.

The Disposition of Forces.

Both armies began the battle arrayed as best they could to cross the fords on their respective sides of the field.

The Orcs Approach

The initial deployment of Warmaster Stomphen Smashflat. Mind the dragon!

Stomphen’s forces were arrayed into three full strength ad hoc brigades and one 3-unit brigade, plus monsters and characters, as follows, from left to right (and front to back as indicated):

Dyhmbuhlb the Dumb (giant), goblin hero, orc hero

FIrst Bunch of Blighters Brigade: Wolf Riders, Chariots, Orc Warriors, Orc Archers

Goblin Shaman, Goblin Hero, General Smashflat

Second Bunch of Blighters Brigade: Wolf Riders, Goblins, Goblins, Rock Lobber

Smog

More Blighters Brigade: Wolf Riders, Orc Archers, Orc Warriors, Rock Lobber

Orc Hero (some dude named Bolg.)

Ugly Guys on Pigs Brigade: Rock Lobber, Boar Riders, Boar Riders (as a heavy reserve).

The Dwarfs Approach

Dwarflord Helmblind's forces sight the ford. But what's that in the distance?

Hovart Helmblind also divided his forces into several brigades, made up as follows, left to right, front to back:

Thorin (hero)

Forlorn Hope Brigade: The Blackblood Brotherhood (Trollslayers), Dwarves of the Iron Hills Part One (warriors), Dwarves of the Iron Hills Part Two (warriors)

Dain (hero)

The Green Ore Duck (gyrocopter)

Big Whammy Brigade: Blue Thunderers (handgunners), The Emerald Eagles (warriors), Blue Boomers (cannon)

Blackfire Brigade: Wee Frazzy Frazier’s Rangers (rangers), The Black Sapphires (warriors), Smokin’ and Stokin’ (two flame cannon units)

Raging Red Brigade: Titanic Thunderers (handgunners), The Ruby Regiment (warriors), The Red Rain Battery (cannon)

The Red Beer One (gyrocopter)

General Hovart Helmblind

The Blue Bolt (gyrocopter)

And, thus arrayed, the battle began.

The Day Begins

The orcs advance. Note the dragon harassing the enemy in the distance— such an eager beast!
(I regret the poor quality of this image... allowing the window lighting was probably a bad choice.)

The smell of uncooked dwarf gave the orc horde all the impetus it needed to storm the field first (that, and a higher die roll). One of the orc heroes ordered the First Bunch across the ford; however, as they had to remain in contact, this resulted in the wolf riders having to form a line to link up with the slower archers and warriors; the archers also ended up in an irregular formation. While that did get the First Bunch mostly over the ford, it blocked anyone else from doing anything other than entering, and I didn’t even attempt a second order (poor thinking... I might as well have at least tried it). I continued this mistake, issuing only one order to each brigade; the More Blighters made the Ford (mostly), but neither of the two others moved at all. Stomphen’s only order sent the very eager Smog off to harass the enemy early on. [Actually, I almost screwed up here, as Flyers can’t charge anything further than 60cm away, despite their 100cm movement, which I forgot. But I decided to hang back for shooting, and that’s okay. Oh, note the red d8 on the hill; that’s the turn counter, with the battle ending at 8 turns, regardless. The “stone” box to the side is the base of a dice tower.]

Smog Breathes!

Smog breathes, dwarfs flee in dismay!

We thus leave the great orc general’s main host, and join the dreaded golden red beast swooping down to toast his favorite snack— dwarf!

“What’s he doing here?!” screamed the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, scrambling backwards from the fiery blast in confusion and dismay. The Green Ore Duck was forced to launch unprepared or be overrun, and whirled off sideways, her pilot struggling to comprehend what was happening (confused). Fortunately, the other members of the brigade remained unperturbed, calmly making way for the passage of their discomfited brethren.

The dwarfs face a pickle... and a dragon.

This left the dwarf army in a bit of a pickle— a large band of dwarf warriors blocked the path forward to the ford, and a bloody great dragon stood in the way. “‘Och! Tis just a big wee beastie!” cried the Blackblood Brotherhood, and the doughty (and nutty) band of trollslayers, aid by the Iron Hills Part Two, surged forth to charge the dragon, who was nonplussed at being attacked by nearly naked dwarfs (“That’s not how we do things back at the Mountain,” he muttered). Red Beer One and The Blue Bolt also spun up to the left side to try their hand at shooting the winged horror, should the battle go ill. Thorin ordered the Big Whammy Brigade forward to create a defensive line shielding the confused Green Ore Duck, but they were slowed by their artillery, and couldn’t press further. This forced the command decisions to Dain, who ordered the Raging Red Brigade to disband, hoping to slip them in beside the trollslayers. The Ruby Regiment successfully set up a flanking line in the woods on the right, but could not approach the dragon (as the beast was out of their line of sight at the start of their movement, and thus could not be charged... at least, that’s how I understand the rules).

Dwarfs attack, Smog falls back!

The Titanic Thunderers pressed forward under an order from Helmblind himself, but could not maneuver around the blocking melee, nor assist in the fight. Orders to the Blackfire Brigade went unanswered, to Helmblind’s frustration, so the half strength Forlorn Hope was left to face the dragon alone. In a furious fight, both sides came up even, giving as good as they got, but sustaining no casualties. Smog fell back behind the ford, befuddled that his accustomed food could actually put up a fight, and not wishing to become the middle of a gyrocopter and dwarf warrior sandwich. And thus ended the first moments of the battle, with the orcs surging forward and the dwarfs barely shaking off a surprise attack, but still caught behind their ford.

Turn 2: Smashflat eyes his options...

Turn Two: Enter the Shrine!

The orcs tempt the Irritated One...

POOF! Uh... Boss? Where are we? Boss? Bueller?

As Smog flew hastily back from the surprisingly tough dwarf line, Smashflat’s forces decided to establish a quick presence in the center. The First Bunch formed a strong line between the hill and the shrine, while the orc archers opted to risk the god’s irritation in hopes of gaining a defensive position from which to shoot the dwarfs. Alas, Angrehmeh decided to bat away the annoying pests, and in a smell of stale beer and a golden rain of mysterious origin, the archers vanished, only to appear on the opposite end of the battlefield, far behind the dwarf left flank!

So stunned was the entire orc army by this event, that all others except Dymbuhlb refused to budge, even when Stomphen himself pounded a goblin warrior’s head with a handy bone (as entertaining and encouraging as that always was). Even Smog was too busy licking his wounded sensibilities to engage in action (“Naked dwarfs? Really? In this day and age? What is Middle-Earth coming too? I just don’t know”).

Hey! Where did my archers go?

The Dwarfs cross the river. (End of Turn Two.)

Taking advantage of the orc shock, the Forlorn Hope (sans the Iron Hills Part One) quickly crossed the ford and took up a menacing position across from the orc vanguard, flanked by The Blue Bolt and The Green Ore Duck, who poured fire into the goblin line.

In the dwarf center, The Red Beer One turned north to aim its gun upon the unsupported (and now leaderless) teleported orc archers, driving them backwards. The Titanic Thunderers advanced as well— though, alas, not into range. The Blue Thunderers set up a shooting line to cover the ford, and the Emerald Eagles and Iron Hills Part One formed a small column, but failed to enter the ford. Orders to the artillery contingents and the Blackfire Brigade went completely ignored, again (which was to be a theme of this battle).

Meanwhile, back at the front, the repeated fire of the two gyrocopters succeeded in driving the wolf riders backwards, but had little other effect.

And thus, the second moments of battle (okay, Turn Two) came to its end.

 Turn Three: Smashflat Smashes Forward (and the Giant Takes a Stroll)

Turn Three Begins— Go get 'em, boys!

Hey, Dymbuhlb! Not *that* way!

On the principle that the best defense is a strong offense (phrased as “If they’re near enough to smell, they’re near enough to eat”), the First Bunch of Blighters roared into the dwarf line. Smog took up a position atop the hill to provide fire support, if needed. Meanwhile, the More Blighters performed a remarkable forced march to set up flanking positions on the right, anticipating action (or fresh snacks) later.

Alas, Dymbuhlb lived up to his name, and rather than bringing his considerable presence to the fight, opted to wander off to see if their were any fishes in the river beyond the shrine. Stupid giant. (For the unfamiliar, giants in Warmaster take random actions after failing to receive an order— in this case I rolled “Giant moves towards closest table edge.” Pffft.)

The Second Bunch of Blighters, and the Ugly Guys on Pigs, plus the assorted Rock Lobbers, managed to move forward, but got stuck watching the giant wander off. (This, too, would become a theme of the battle.)

The Melee Begins, and the Dwarfs Advance

Let's you and me fight!

A furious fight ensued in the center; though inflicting heavy casualties, the Blackblood Brotherhood earned their death wish, becoming the first victims of the fight (trollslayer units deduct victory points from the enemy if destroyed— they’re essentially a suicide squad).

Take that, you stinkin' naked dwarfs!

Bring up reinforcements! And we need a bigger copter!

While death may have been the Brotherhood's preference, the loss left the dwarf vanguard divided and in a very shaky state. Iron Hills Part Two opted to fall back to form a battle line, and were grateful to be joined by the Ruby Regiment; together they shielded the ford in hopes that their comrades might soon cross. Both The Blue Bolt and The Green Ore Duck returned for instructions, with the The Green Ore Duck subsequently returning to pepper Smog with its gun, to no effect. And at this point the entire remaining dwarf host apparently decided to take a time out to trim their beards. Dain scurried forward at least to assist the line against the obviously approaching onslaught.

Careful Whom You Pick A Fight With, and POOF! Part Two

The Fourth Hour: Smashflat thinks he's got 'em.

The onslaught came with the rise of the fourth hour (game turn). The remnants of the First Bunch slammed into the dwarf line and The Green Ore Duck, while Smog opted to return for a bit of advice from an orc hero— and promptly ignored it (failed command roll). The archers of the More Blighters took a flanking defensive position on the hillside, though the rest of the disbanded brigade did absolutely nothing! (Grrr.)

Hey... what's Dymbuhlb doing over there?

Dymbuhlb gathered his marble (he’s really that dumb), and took a chance on the shrine— once again, Angrehmeh batted the pest away, but this time only 50 cm, landing the giant behind the dwarf front line! Alas, the mystic journey confused the poor giant (not unlike most things), so he couldn't take advantage of his fortune.

Trying to hurry more forces into position, the Second Bunch Brigade managed to cross the ford, and disbanded to send the wolf riders forward... yet once again, nobody else moved. (The reserve was proving to be very reserved.)

Look, more dwarfs— CHARGE!!!

This is not what Smashflat had in mind.

And then the melee commenced! And what a melee it was; the orc line almost completely shattered. The goblin chariots were wiped out, the orc warriors followed, and only the lone stand of wolf riders held its ground, succeeded in forcing back and confusing The Green Ore Duck (which also forced the Iron Hills Part Two to reform as a column to avoid the crazily careening copter). Meanwhile, fresh off the complete destruction of the orcs, the Ruby Regiment turned on the flanking wolf riders, causing heavy casualties and forcing the remnant into a hasty retreat. The Ruby Regiment then fell back to reform their line, securing their right against the river.

The Dwarfs Stand Tall... or Tall Enough

The Fourth Hour: Helmblind makes his move.

Note that all of the above was actually initiated by the orcs, not the dwarfs— which left the dwarfs in the position of choosing the subsequent action to a fight they had already dominated! Naturally emboldened by their brethren’s success, the dwarf host rushed across the ford. The Red Beer One and The Blue Bolt took to the heights to dislodge the orc archers, while the Iron Hills Part Two charged the weakened wolf riders below. The Ruby Regiment, supported by Dain, advanced against the orc warriors and their captain, while the Blue Thunderers crossed the ford to aim their fire on the lone wolf rider stand beside the river. The Iron Hills Part One now marched across to form a strong connecting line in the center, while the Emerald Eagles, backed by Thorin, slammed hammer and tongs and axes into Dymbuhlb, who, though far from the orc leadership, was a clear threat to the dwarf position. Alas, in the dwarf rear practically nothing of note happened— Helmblind’s reserves were being as reserved as Smashflat’s.

Operation Stop the Big Dummy!

The gyrocopters atop the hill, as well as The Green Ore Duck, were highly effective against the archers, killing one entire stand and driving them off their position in confusion. Down below, the wolf riders were forced backwards, but survived the fight. Amazingly, the Emerald Eagle warriors beat Dymbuhlb handily, driving him backwards into the woods. The Ruby Regiment did not fair so well; their fight ended in a draw, with both the orcs and the dwarfs taking casualties and having to fall back. So at the end of the third hour, a great deal had happened, but nothing decisive was apparent— though the dwarf host held a stronger and more consistent line in the center than the more scattered orc horde. Would that position win out, or would the horde’s numbers tip the balance? The fifth hour would be telling...

A Whole Lotta Bashin' Goin' On

Turn 5, Smashflat launches his final assault. "Thiz had bette' woik..."

“Enough pussyfooting around!” roared Stomphen, and the orcs went all out. Smog finally got his composure together and decided that dwarfs were dwarfs, naked or not, and nothing to fear (and besides, the naked ones were gone anyway). He saw his traditional foes, the Iron Hills, and went at ‘em. Meanwhile, the two lone wolf rider stands each respectively withdrew— one fleeing straight through the shrine, with no reaction from Angrehmeh at all (perhaps he likes dogs). The orc warriors howled into the weakened Ruby Regiment, while a contingent of goblins managed to sneak up and attack the Blue Thunderers. Even the Rock Lobbers managed to move forward— though those stupid Ugly Guys on Pigs still refused to budge. “A reserve is for reserving, ain’t it?” said one, who thereby earned himself a place on Smashflat’s “List of People I’m Gonna Have for Dinner— With Ketchup.”

The orcs roar in for the smashin'...

... and get smashed...

... totally and completely smashed.

It may have begun with an orc surge, but it ended with an orc rout. The Ruby Regiment and the Blue Thunderers completely obliterated their orc and goblin foes, and rushed forward to knock out the second group of goblins by the shrine— which they did, handily, also slaying the orc hero joined with them (on top of an already pummeled goblin hero). Satisfied with this slaughter (and with no one to advance against), the dwarfs fell back towards their own line, to await another fight.

The battle against Dymbuhlb was nearly as epic; the dwarf warriors lost a stand as casualty, and eventually stood at a draw, but their dimwitted foe was forced back yet again, severely wounded and weakened (and therefore at half strength for the rest of the battle— against a giant, that’s a big deal). At this point the count stood 6 dwarf stands lost to 18 orc stands lost and four orc characters dead! (That’s 22 units— two shy of the breakpoint.)

The Iron Hill dwarves proved themselves an equal match for Smog. They took heavy casualties, but managed to hold their ancient foe to a draw, preventing him from sweeping further destruction on the dwarf line.

The Fury of the Dwarfs

Helmblind's final assault.

Once again, the orc charge had ended with the dwarfs dominant and in a position to force an advantage. The fresh regiment of Iron Hills Part One took up the fight against Smog, while the Emerald Eagles again pressed on against Dymbuhlb. Meanwhile the Ruby Regiment turned to flank a lone wolf rider stand, while the Blue Thunderers moved into position to open volleys on the Rock Lobbers (still largely ineffectual in the fight, despite a single lucky shot that drove The Red Beer One from the hill top).

The shooting phase saw the orc archers driven once again in confusion from the hillside, and the wolf riders equally discomfited down below. Far in the dwarf rear, the cannon and the Titanic Thunderers were finally getting shots in on the hapless teleported orc archers, driving them back along the river, but with no stands lost by anyone. The battle would come down to melee.

Charge, my hawk... uh, dwarfs! CHARGE!!! (Oh, but do remember to shoot first.)

When Dwarfs Attack...

Dwarfs— a menace, I tell you, an absolute menace!
They have GUNS, dangnabbit. All I've got is a rock (lobber).

Old enemies, together again.

The fight against Smog was one of fire and fury, ending in a draw— a remarkable outcome, but not decisive. More telling was the Ruby Regiment’s assault on the goblin wolf riders, which eliminated the penultimate stand towards the horde’s breaking point.

The battle would come down to the fight between the Emerald Eagles and Dymbuhlb the Dumb. Hammer and tongs, club and foot, they went at it, the blows ringing through the trees. No support to look for, and no quarter, the large versus the little, a David and Goliath matchup (well, if David was about 4 foot 2, had a long beard and carried axes, and there was way more than one of him). When the clanging and swinging and bopping and cutting came to a crashing end, a crashing end it was— Dymbuhlb, still wondering about the fishes, fell long upon the earth, and mighty was the sound of his falling.

With his last cry of “Where da fishies?” echoing through their ears, the orc horde turned as one and fled— even the dread red-gold dragon had no fire in his belly for a further fight.

The Orcs Flee!

Thus ended the Great Battle of Angrehmeh, the last light of the setting sun pouring over the dwarfs’ celebration as they broke out the casks of The King’s Brewermaster’s Second Cousin’s Finest and held a grand feast. (And yes, they did pour a libation to Angrehmeh... well, more of a drop, really. No use wasting good beer on a two-bit drunk— even if he is a god.)

Helmblind Triumphant!

MY AFTER-BATTLE ANALYSIS:

Well, I clearly made a mistake not going all out with my command attempts as the Orc Horde commander early on. I had more orc and goblin heroes than I knew what to do with; I should have just made the attempts, regardless of the odds. Having more troops in a position to “do something” might well have made the difference in the battle. As it was, the orc forces wound up scattered and unable to effectively support each other. Another solution might have been to pull the forward forces back, evading the dwarfs and trying to lead their forward lines away from their approaching secondary. Reviewing things, I can see that the dwarf ability to come up very quickly from the rear probably made a big difference.

As the dwarfs commander, I nearly blew it with my initial deployment, especially placing the cannon and flame cannon so far to the rear. They should have been forward for the approach, at least to get as close as possible to the river. Or I could have moved them at least onto the hill to give some range support near the ford. As it was, they wound up bringing little or nothing to the fight.

I also made some risky moves with the gyrocopters. As melee units, they’re near about worthless. Their advantage is in the shooting phase as harassment and stand-off, and work best when paired with other shooters. Three shots is average for any unit, but add those in conjunction with even one other shooter on a shared target, and suddenly you’re viable to actually inflict casualties in the shooting phase. But the copters need to be kept out of the way of potential charges. I never lost one, but that was more luck than planning.

On the other hand, due to the dwarfs hanging back a bit (more accident than design), they received crucial reinforcements at significant moments, handling threats like the horde’s initial successes and the sudden appearance of the giant on the dwarfs’ left flank. Only the timely arrival and charge of the secondary dwarf warrior unit kept that from going very bad, very quickly— and that unit had some remarkably lucky rolls (while the giant did not) to stay alive and keep the monster from having any great effect. It also helped that the dwarfs were able to dominate the melee on the orc horde’s turn, allowing the dwarfs to then set the pace for subsequent combats.

I think I did utilize the dwarf formations very well to create lengthy battle lines where needed, with relatively secure flanks. (But luck played a role there as well; had the combats gone the other way, the lines could have collapsed as easily as the horde’s did.)

The special units— the giant, Smaug and the gyrocopters— ended up playing less significance to the battle than I had originally assumed. Ordinary ground units dominated the fight throughout.

And finally, though I had a goblin shaman, I largely forgot about using any magic at all during the battle. Although I’ve never seen magic have much affect, due to the odds against it even working at all, nevertheless there’s always the chance that it could have helped, either boosting in combat or allowing extra moves among the sluggard reserve units. (If I had gotten those boar riders involved at all, the game could well have gone differently.)

As for magic, my decision as orc horde commander to tempt the fate of the shrine chart wasn’t sound. As a result, I lost the use of one unit completely, which might have made a difference in the initial battle line. And while the giant-in-the-flank event appeared to be a dangerous threat to the dwarfs at first, he was in no position to gain support during the battle, and being separated from his allies, could not fall back to a more secure position. Instead of a rogue threat the giant turned into an isolated target.

Finally, aside from the shrine, terrain primarily only had the affect of hampering movement for both sides at the fords. The dwarfs did successfully use the river as an anchoring point for their flank, but otherwise neither the woods nor the hills played much part in the battle.

ASSORTED DETAILS and ENDNOTES:

This was a solo fight, which is relatively easy to do with Warmaster— you just play each side and try your best. Apparently, my dwarf side dominates my orc side. You will note that though I had a goblin shaman on my list, I never attempted magic. I tend to forget that it can happen in Warmaster, which I did for this game. Oh well.

Angrehmeh’s Mood Ring Chart (and Angrehmeh himself) are my own creation. I realized after the orc archers got teleported almost off my battlefield that I had given the teleportation result too high of a range. In the future, I’m going to restrict it to 1d6 x 10cm. At first I was concerned that teleportation would be a big advantage; clearly, it wasn’t, as it caused units to be too far away for orders or effective support.

Scenic bits: The hills are GW’s Citadel Large Hill halves, included in the Battle of Five Armies boxed game (OOP) (I have two sets, thus I have a full hill). The printed cardboard rivers are also from these sets.

The ruins of Angrehmeh are from the “Build Your Own Stonehenge Kit,” a silly little item carried in bookstores (if it’s still in production). I got mine on deep discount from Borders sometime before they closed. It was pure coincidence that I discovered my ruin layout for this battle created a face— and an irritated face at that. This inspired both the name and the god and his mood swings.

The trees are from a big bag of Christmas village decorations I found on clearance at Lowe’s a few years back. I think I paid $7 for 21 trees. For that price, I can deal with the fake snow.

Figures: Most of these are either GW Warmaster figs or from GW’s Battle of Five Armies game, including Smaug. The dwarf gyrocopters are from Kallistra, as are the orc archers and the orc trebuchets (“Rock Lobbers”)— all significantly cheaper than GW’s prices.

The dice towers that can be seen in a few shots are made of cardstock, and are my own design. They’ve gotten a bit battered, so I need to print and make replacements, but they work well enough.

The pictures were taken with my iPad2 because I couldn’t find my camera. Hence the grainy quality of most (especially as I had very poor lighting). I apologize for that— next time I’ll hunt down something a bit better and use a tripod.

I hope you enjoyed this little AAR as much as I enjoyed playing the battle and writing it up! If you’re a Warmaster fan, break out your armies and give this set up a try. If you’ve never played Warmaster, hie thee to GW’s Specialist Games web site and download the rules (they’re free). Miniatures are still available from Games Workshop, or you can find excellent proxies from Kallistra, Copplestone Castings, and others (yes, they ship to the US, and even with shipping, they’re a great value).

Battle on, my friends!