Battle of the Boiling River

Today Mat and I played another Bogavania versus orcs battle. I was the orc commander.

We used a combination of home made and Warhammer rules. As we play with 1/32 the ranges and movement are twice those of normal Warhammer scale.


I based the terrain on that of a Warhammer scenario using the 'Mysterious Rivers' rules. The battlefield was set up with river running from near one corner to the other across the battlefield. Unlike the Warhammer scenario I placed three rather than two bridges. Forests, hills and bridges were sited randomly and decided by dice. Forces were deployed initially on a map with deployment no closer to 12 inches from the river. We could then set up simultaneously.

One could also attempt to cross through the river but necessitating a roll on the result table. 

My plan was to cross on my right with the two large beasts and the giant. The river here proved to be difficult terrain with rolls on a D6 causing a wound. As the creatures had multiple wounds it was no big deal although they crossed without mishap, except for Big Tooth which was shot down by musketry. The squiggoth went on to cause its customary mayhem, destroying a unit of mounted knights which charged it, a musket regiment and an artillery battery.

Orcs and goblins were subject to animosity rolls which delayed their movement a number of times. At one point goblin archers even fired at a unit of orcs; it was engaged in combat so casualties also occurred among the knights it was fighting.

View from the end of the battlefield, Orcs are to the right.

  Goblin catapults. The catapults actually shot projectiles and rarely hit although very destructive on one occasion.

                        Bogavanian pike press forward on to the bridge and fight mutants.

                     Trolls repeatedly fail their 'stupidity' rolls but shamble forward.

                              The pike men get attacked by mutants orcs and trolls and are massacred!

   Goblins in the forest get a six on the animosity roll and charge the knights. They were outmatched but held the knights up for a number of moves.

  Pike at the third bridge engage the Black Orcs. They have an advantage with their pike but are eventually destroyed after a number of moves.

                                                              Mutants and Black Orcs

                                                Dead Big Tooth and rampaging Squiggoth.

             Bogavanian artillery failed to get into action as their field of fire was blocked.

               Fezians (allies of Bogavania) take up position behind a ruin and shoot across the river causing many casualties among mutants and orcs.

                            A unit of knights gets pushed into the river by orcs and drowns!.

             A strong Bogavanian position but of little use as the orcs had no plans to assault the hill.

                                                Other knights move up to support the pike.

                              Perhaps getting drunk is  good option in such circumstances!

                                   Musketeers finish off a mutant unit before being charged in the flank by Black orcs who crossed the river.

              The orc general charges the Bogavanian one The battle is inconclusive.

                                                                  Orcs claim a bridge.

                              Goblins in the howdah deplete the enemy arillery and musketeers.

OUTCOME:

The squiggoth lost its mahout and then guarded his body, fighting anyone who came near; this happened to the Bogavanian cannon crews who were pushed towards it by the giant. The giant then tuned back to the river and finished of a unit of musket men before being shot down by another musket regiment.


Results of crossing through river water were interesting. First crossing there was no harm. Next some mutants were swept away by currents. Then some goblin archers overcome by sudden fanatic enthusiasm. They were coated in bloody waters from the blood God causing fear in the charged musketeers. This was followed by a spell of Light which reduced the enemy to hit dice roll. Even so the musketeers eventually killed them all. even though suffering many casualties.

After the 12 moves were over we rolled dice to see how many moves, if any remained and it was 4 more. At last move Orcs controlled one bridge and disputed two. There remained a unit of orcs, Big orcs, howdah goblin archers, riderless squiggoth, a very depleted mutant unit and two catapults with goblin crews. On the Bogavanian side were a  large regiment of muskets and a small one. The two commanders were engaged in combat!
At the end of battle numbers on both sides were seriously depleted but with orcs in ascendant with control of one bridge and two bridges disputed. (In order to claim a bridge it had to have no enemy within six inches..