...with dwarves trampled to dust! I just wish this happened in the campaign, but any victory is fine enough. Again, I apologise for the picture quality (to balance this, I raised their quantity ;-) I guess I'm going to buy a green cloth at least.
Scenario: All-Out Battle
New Company:
- Udo the Unready, Leader (P); Q3+, C3, Leader, 60 pts
- Antar (P), Q3+ C3, Group Fighter, 36 pts
- 3 halberdiers, Q4+ C3, Dashing, 27 pts each
- John, bowman; Q3+, C3, Shooter: Long, 44 pts
- Vladimir, bowman; Q3+, C3, Shooter: Long, 44 pts
- crossbowman; Q4+, C3, Shooter: Medium, Good Shot, 33 pts
Dwarves:
- Gorm Shieldbearer (P); Q2+ C4, Leader, Fearless, Short Move, Steadfast, 95pts
- Ragnar "Knock-knock" Shieldbreaker, Q3+ C4; Fearless, Short Move, Steadfast, 46pts
Giml... just a warrior (shield and axe); Q3+ C3, Short Move, Steadfast, 30pts- Robur Scabby (shield and hammer); Q3+ C3, Short Move, Steadfast, 30pts
- Skadi the Sharpshooter; Q3+ C3, Good Shot, Shooter: Medium, Short Move, 44pts
- Lorn the Leery, crossbowman; Q3+ C3, Good Shot, Shooter: Medium, Short Move, 44pts
Game
The New Company won the inititative, and elaborated a cunning plan: Halberdiers venture to the centre supported by one bowman and under a direct supervision of the leader, crossbowman hides in the woods to get an ambush bonus and John and Antar take the left wing - perhaps they could strike enemy's flank in the right moment.
The dwarves responded in kind, sending appropriate force to my left wing with Skadi promptly forcing John to take cover, while the rest advanced cautiously. After some preparations, where both men and dwarves regrouped and prepared for the clash, Udo was the first to move and signal his men, which he - probably due to urgent needs - didn't. (Rolling two failures on my first activation is still a thing I can't get used to...)
Fortunately, the dwarves were not that fast to exploit this opportunity. Skadi missed Antar, who was then charged by Gimli - and knocked him back.Lorn tried his aim on one of the halberdiers, also missing, while Ragnar and Robur ran to the same boulder.
The crossbowman moved out of his cover reasoning than if the dwarves wouldn't come to him, he'd have to go to them. At that time, Udo was supposed to run from behind the woods and yell "Charge!" at his men - instead, he earned his epithet and my spite.
This was only to be trumped by Gorm, who still hasn't finished his pipe, so he just gave few vague orders and returned to smoking. Skadi lacked his commanders' calm, and his bolt released in a hurry failed to hit Vladimir.
This time, Udo made it to his men and all hell broke lose: Both Vladimir and the crossbowman struck down their targets, and halberdiers finished off poor Robur.
One of the halberdiers was knocked down by Lorn's bolt to be finished off by Ragnar, while Skadi got up and missed Vladimir... again.
Gimli pulled himself to his feet, again attacking Antar and again failing. This time he had to retreat and was only barely missed by John's arrow. Vladimir knew the trick already and struck down Skadi, while halberdiers dispatched Ragnar. Enraged, Gorm came crashing in, but his aim was wide and the halberdier survived.
Lorn saw his commander's dire position and rushed in, his attack was not much help though. However, Gorm was never the one to be scared by superior numbers, and forced one of his opponents back. Skadi rose again, with mixed feelings of resolve and resignation, but pulled the trigger anyway, sending Vladimir to the ground.
Antar, while being skilled in fighting multiple opponents, failed to threaten Gimli and after a stunning blow had to abandon his attack. Gorm was thrown back...
...only to charge in again, prompting Udo to join the fray too. Returning to old habbits, Skadi missed Vladimir again, while Gimli had to retreat from stunned Antar.
Perhaps the dwarves could still have won, as Gimli killed Antar and Skadi hit Vladimir for the last time, but Gorm then fell to a combined strike of two halberds. While Skadi fled the field and even Gimli considered the option of fighting another day, Lorn proved his mettle and stood firm to the very end.
Attemting to revenge his leader Gimli charged John, only to be knocked down and shot to the face.
Summary:
Before this game, I decided to use more of a teamwork and group tactics, which was exactly what I did and my opponent didn't. Having spread his forces (and not enjoying advantages of certain warband advances) he was significantly easier to deal with. I am not sure about using flanking force, however, as the flanks were rather secondary theatre for both of us, and men on the wing were men that I missed on the main stage.
