A Call to Arms: The Battle of Queenscross

[SkaForHire]

To Dr. Cogg, yes. I will try my best to get them in there in the final act.

To Gideon, sorry, he actually is still set up facing off with the Cyclops king. I hope to get a few more turns in before tonight.

But, I have three more sections to write up first. I am posting Part three and Four now.

[SkaForHire]

Battle of Queenscross Day 2: Part three – Streets paved in bodies.

The second most contended area of the field so far has been the Street by the Green Berry Inn. We built a makeshift fortification there to protect the great chain across the river. The chain would stop large ships from making it to the bridge, and help keep that area defended. Thus, the small fortification to protect the chain was paramount to our strategy. At this location we had the Cresentthorn Elves, with a contingent of warriors and archers that came in the night, along with Sergio Jarrett, Azc, and Carol Anne the Defiler and Klugg, along with some of my personal guard.

DSC_2164 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Immediately lined up against them were the Black Boars and some dwarves from Cedrica… But the real fighting came from the Stoneface Clan who double-timed it to the flank of our warriors. They also meant to shock us with their Warg cavalry, but these proved a little less effective than they though. Still, the amount of troops they sent against us was eventually enough to force a withdrawal – but not until the chain was severed on the other side of the river, thus making the position on this side unneeded.

DSC_2165 by skaforhire, on Flickr

DSC_2186 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The elven archers were effective, especially against the dwarves and the lighter armored orks. The main fighting line consisted of a few elven warriors, Sergio, Azc, and Klugg though. The Cresentthorn warriors did alright, but the Wargs did a number on their leadership. More importantly was the dozen of elven archers behind their backs putting holes in bad guys all over the field.

DSC_2202 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The position was holding for the most part until action from the middle spilt over into this section of the battle. The sand troll, much tougher to bring down than we would have ever imagined, picked up the main portion of the barricade – a large wagon, and chucked it into the middle of our elven archers. Although many dodged the attack completely , and only one was killed, their position was broken.

Additionally the ship on the river made it to the fortification and men began to jump off the ship and attack the chain from behind the fortification.

DSC_2204 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The position was lost and Sergio, in command, called the retreat. Klugg decided to hold off the advancers, and spilt the blood of many greenskins for ten minutes while the remaining elves and Carol Anne moved up a chain to the bridge. What they found there was a disaster. More on that later.

DSC_2215 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The rest of the troops, Sergio included, jumped onto the attacker’s ship, which was now taken over by the Derenghar the Bull, who had attacked the ship from behind. They had thrown bodies of the enemy overboard and began to steer the ship down river, as the chain had been broken on the other side. The remaining forces escaped onto the boat, only to get stuck on the bridge, but out of harm’s way from the Orks.

Klugg fell again, but I have a feeling that this will not be the last time he dies.

Battle of Queenscross Day 2: Part Four– Rivers of Blood.

The river battle began as a boarding by Derenghar the Bull’s men onto the ship piloted by the River Ghoul King. The River Ghoul King may be the stuff of legends, but his supernaturally powered boat arrived to fight us in the flesh nonetheless. The pale image of a man had many volunteers for his raid on the river chain, and outnumbered the Bull significantly.

DSC_2163 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The initial boarding went well, only one man was shot dead by the crossbow men on the deck. Two more became critically injured on the deck of the ghoul ship, but for the most part the Bull’s men were winning.

DSC_2175 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The Ghoul King decided to separate the men, and used his power to move the ship to its destination, leaving three men stranded aboard and the Bull and the rest of his men on their raft.

DSC_2190 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Despite being alone, two of the three men cleared the deck, the third perishing to traitor’s hands. When the raft made contact with the boat again, the bull and his knight Brandon Black boarded the ship.

DSC_2206 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The bull took the lower deck and Brandon fought the River Ghoul King one on one. Brandon made a counter attack that left his war hammer in the side of the river king’s crown and the being ceased its existence.

DSC_2197 by skaforhire, on Flickr

However, it was too late. The boat had made it to the chain and the men who were not killed by the Bull’s men were chopping at the chain. Before our forces could get over there to stop them, on the other side of the river came a loud CRACK! A ninja who had run through the last guard from Mypa Stedor and severed the chain while the rest of his compatriots were either dealing with an ork advance on that side of the river, or were in a row boat trying to help the Bull. (They actually went out to rescue a man that was stuck on the chain and to get closer to shoot at the ghoul ship – Sir Alex Kristo also ran down the ninja that severed the chain).

DSC_2198 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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With that, Derengar decided that he would use the ship to pick up the troops who were being forced back on the road and sail past the bridge to unload in safety. Unfortunately, she ship got tangled in the bridge.

DSC_2232 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Meanwhile, an olden refloated Royal war galley appeared out of the fog. It was loaded with those missing Hand of Corruption forces. They now had a free reign of the river.

DSC_2221 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Paulos’s letter continues in my next post.

[Mike S]

If I had known the wingless dragon would be there, I would have sent some Karinca Sickletoe riders to counter. Great story so far!

[robuko]

What an epic battle! I hope the tide turns soon in our favour

[Maxim I]

Like said in my updated Chal VI entry, my army is on its way to Cedrica. So it's up to you if you want to use them to make a stop at Queenscross to help the brave defenders of Kaliphlin!

[SkaForHire]

Battle of Queenscross Day 2: Part Five– Treachery in the Middle.

From the beginning of the battle, the middle, the Old Crown Road that leads up to the bridge, looked troublesome. The three Trolls showed up there, the snake dwarves and the wingless dragon were also in this section. However, until our enemy’s real plot was unveiled, it seemed that we would hold the foot of the bridge with little problem – at least while the other flanks held.

The trolls advanced, and we lost many brave men, but Bishop Jamon’s Flame Archers brought down the first troll quite quickly, and our many bowmen in the two towers were successful picking off many of the dwarf snakes and the undead that eventually entered their range.

DSC_2181 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Things began to go wrong when the sand troll made it to the barricade. Despite being poked by many footmen with pikes, he lifted the large wagon that made up the majority of the barricade and threw it into the elven archers on his left.

DSC_2187 by skaforhire, on Flickr

DSC_2199 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The Jungle Troll in armor had success against our men. He killed the captain of the town guard with a swing that knocked the man 50 feet from his saddle and into the bridge tower wall. At the point the captain that came with Steen Larrson’s men took over as captain of the unit.

DSC_2188 by skaforhire, on Flickr

It was about this point where I signaled for the cavalry charge on the Forum flank, but had the cavalry split between the two sections. Captain Tiven led the portion of horsemen that road into the remaining Dwarf Snakes and the Jungle Troll. Three brave men attacked the Jungle Troll, but only two would survive. The third, being the leader of the men from Vaholl had his head taken clean off.

DSC_2189 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Eventually a shot by Artesdror, perched in the Tower of the Old Kings, pierced the beast’s armor and the second of the trolls were fell. Meanwhile, the rest of the Cavalry became unseated while fighting on the road.

The Sand Troll was finally brought down after he had thrown the wagon. Three brave footmen working together finally too him down, after the Flame Archers put a few holes in him.

We thought we had secured the middle, even with the river flank falling back, but then in view came an old re-floated crown war galley full of Hand of Corruption elite troops. The chain had already been snapped, so we worried that they would land at the bridge and attempt a boarding. Still, the GEAR 2^nd Light Cavalry “The Hotknives”, now on foot and in formation, was upon the bridge. It looked like it would be a hard fight, but a manageable one.

DSC_2221 by skaforhire, on Flickr

However, as soon as the ship came into view, commotion broke out on the bridge. From what we could see in the tower, men of the Hotknives began cutting one another down. We could not figure what was happening, and we sure as heck did not have any flag signals to tell senator Craxus on the bridge what was going on.

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Before our eyes we watched many men that had fought at my side before slaughter one another. We have no idea who could have orchestrated this, I just know that many of these men followed my brother Petera for years.

All of this was to gain a foothold on the bridge.

The ship, which was too tall for clearance in rainy season slammed into the bridge right where the traitors had made a landing zone. Off hopped Hand of Corruption troops, with only a few of the tinker’s guild to repel them.

DSC_2235 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The ship was long enough that they were able to begin exiting the ship on the ground level outside of the Monument to the King.

Lord DaMaximus’s men, and Hugh Hos and his men began to double time it back to the bridge, but the Hand was now on the bridge.

DSC_2245 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Worse yet, Senator Craxus and his men are stuck between a traitor army and the undead and orks coming towards the foot of the bridge on our side of the river.

Still it got worse, out of the fog near where the Undead showed up, a royal ballista appeared. They quickly set up and fired for the Bridge Tower. Their hit was devastating, wiping out much of the guard within the tower. Florbad the Mighty, the former leader of the 2^nd Light Cavalry before my brother Petera replaced him with Hadrian Beltzor, was crushed below the rubble caused by the ballista.

DSC_2237 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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At this point and unsure what to do, I pulled all available men back to the Tower of the Old Kings. We must find a way to make a crossing in order to try and hold the bridge from the other side.

[gedren_y]

"poorly illustrated" and "head off" LOL. Hugh does have a good dislike of those who skulk in the shadows.

[Niku]

I just have to say the battle is a-w-e-s-o-m-e

I am in suspense. Things are worse than I would ever imagined.

Keep them coming.

[Alfadas]

Indeed, it reads like a thriller!! Cool that Alfadas made it for now! (It is allright if he dies in the next battle, only if he slays a lot of monsters!)

[Gideon]

Incredible work with the battle! Keep it up!

[Alfadas]

How many days are left? I hope a lot!!!

[Captain BeerBeard]

It's so violent! How often do you guys change fig poses? Looks like a lot of work to play.

[kabel]

Gee! I guess I should have sent my men later them being the first to be wiped out completely. What a tragedy, their loss will be morned greatly in Mitgardia ...

[Infernum]

This is epic! I love the scale of the battle! Looks like things aren't going well...

[SkaForHire]

Sorry Kabel, The Mitgardian lot won the honor for being in the parle when we did a random roll. I also did not realize how overwhelming the orcs would be. In our game mechanics, armor is really good, and the orcs are naturally tougher than humans, so they ended up being incredibly brutal in that fight. I know I did not mention much about your men, but the captain of your men still lives, he actually took over for the captain of the guard (in game mechanic = they use his superior stats when they have to roll to flee). Your foot soldiers held at the forum well, and killed many of the rebel Mitgardian foes. They actually only fell when the Cyclops king took that side. It is a similar story for Ecc's troops, although his commander met an end to one of the trolls.

@Jeroenna I am guessing we are half way through the story. As the observer (my brother skypes in commands for the good guys, and I play it out, and my friend moves the baddies) and sometimes rulemaster, I would take a guess that the badguys are out of tricks, and it is really just a matter of pushing the good guys out. However, spectacular things happen. It took the t-rex 5 turns to eat Blaore. The thing had massive stats, so it should have devoured most anything it came across quickly, resulting in heroes having to gang fight it. Blaore almost killed it in one hit, but missed by 2 out of 40 points. One character should have a very little chance of killing that thing outright. Also, the blow that Alfadas lived through was the highest roll that we have ever had and a character live through. 46 points - more live than the T-rex had. But due to armor and "wounds" that Alfadas could sustain, he lived... barely. On a similar note, the only archers that are actually doing anything of use are the Flame Archers, as the townguard and the elven archers have continuously missed their targets for turns now, with only few shots connecting. Luck can change the whole game. We will see when Dr. Frankenstein and Jokas get there. That is two more units to add to the good side.

@CB when we normally test our rules and play these fights, they are usually squad based or smaller. This is the largest scale test of the rules in the 6 years we have been writing them. So, posing figs doesn't take as long then. This time around, when anything "memorable" happens that I think might get uploaded, I try to pose the figs a little. I gave up trying to put blood down. And we decided not to remove bodies, which we would normally do if a unit is beyond resuscitation, for the pictures. Although it is getting hard to move in the street of bodies now. On the other hand each turn takes pretty long, maybe 20 minutes. So, that is why it has not been finished yet.

[soccerkid6]

Meant to make some guys for this earlier, but better late than never right?

Mitgardian reinforcements, from left to right: Taras, a stealthy assassin, expert with bow and short sword; Arimil, a stolid warrior, comfortable with many weapons, but favors his spear and shield; Kessler, rather hot-headed and impetuous, but a fearsome warrior, only uses his large battle axe.

You've been doing a great job with the write ups Ska

[robuko]

I wish we were faster to send the heliotropes, they could have destroyed the ships easily. What is the treachery on the bridge? Amazing battle. It seems Viktor's forces are a lot stronger than we feared

[kabel]

Unfortunately I will not be able to sent my Varlyrian sell sword unit as I'm not done with the moc depicting their landing in Historica, darn ...

[Pyrovisionary]

Can't wait for my Anti-cavalry to arrive.

Their formation

P=Pike

A=Archer

P P P P P

P A A A P

P A A A P

P P P P P

Edited April 17, 2013 by Skyrimguy

[SkaForHire]

Ok, so... Now that I finally have a hulk, I am going to proceed tonight. I am going to also call a cut off for new heroes / bad guys to make it into the actual battle - 11pm Friday, EB forum time. After that I think we will be in the last throws of the battle, and bringing in new heroes doesn't make much sense.

[Kai NRG]

This is awesome so far Ska, I've caught sight of Azc a few times now so it's good to know he's not dead... yet!

[SkaForHire]

So... It is over. Took forever to run, but got through to a point where we knew one side would eventually win. So we made the other side retreat. I will try to work on the write-ups this week, but I have a lot of deadlines to make by Friday for work, so we will see.

[robuko]

oh wow, I'm in suspense. It has all been going the wrong way so far.....

[SkaForHire]

Battle of Queenscross Day Two Afternoon: Part One – Building Bridges .

In the hand of Paulos MacLean.

Blood and ashes stain Queenscross. I write to you, noble lords of the realm, of the hard fought battle that has left this fair city in chaos and ruin.

At about noon on the second day we had been betrayed by the GEAR 2^nd Cavalry, the “Hotknives.” They had held the bridge in our favor, then half of them turned on their comrades and slaughtered them. They then acted as a guard as the elite Hand of corruption soldiers landed a ship against the bridge and poured out onto the bridge and underneath it.

DSC_2250 by skaforhire, on Flickr

At the same time, the battle in front of us was collapsing, the far right evacuated via a ship that got caught up on the bridge. The middle being hit from both the front and the back by the betraying army. And the left, the forum had been a hard fought victory snatched away from us by a massive wingless dragon that had forced the rest of our flank to fall back to my position. At roughly the same moment as the final showdown between Sir Gideon and the Cyclops King was ending, a ballista round shattered the top of the Tower of the Old Kings where I had taken up a vantage point.

DSC_2275 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Due to this, I left the tower with my men and the sniper Artesdror to the sea to meet the Centaur Shaman Darnari. We were desperate for a new way to cross the river, or else the army on this side would have to flee into the mist that surround the battlefield. She told us that she could call in a favor, but that I would probably have to give up something to. I had no idea what she meant, but she went to the water and cast a spell. Within a few minutes merfolk showed up.

DSC_2249 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Now being of a sailing family, I know how treacherous these creatures could be, but we had no choice. The Mer-leader offered to build us a bridge if I would owe him a favor to be determined at a later date. I agreed, not knowing how he would deliver on the bridge in time.

To my surprise his people dove to the bottom of the river and pulled up old ship pieces from the many wrecks over the centuries beneath the great span. They then held the pieces in place to make a bridge… a shaky bridge.

DSC_2262 by skaforhire, on Flickr

I quickly sent the first men across, I warned them not to take their mounts, but some felt that in order to fight the orks on the other side they needed them. Well, the first two made it across, but no other horse would successfully make the journey. The first across attempted to flank the Orks who were coming off the enemy vessel.

DSC_2256 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Meanwhile on the great span, our forces who were trapped were attempting to evacuate down the Bull’s newly acquired ship’s mast and into the boat. It was possibly the only place they could have gone. I set up a perimeter back to the bridge, hoping to get soldiers out, but we kept getting cut off.

DSC_2278 by skaforhire, on Flickr

On top of the bridge the good senator held with his personal bodyguard while the archers fled to the ship.

DSC_2260 by skaforhire, on Flickr

On the other side of the bridge, a few brave tinkers attempted to stop the rushing orks, but were soon overwhelmed. Hugh Hos brought his men up to hold the gap, knowing that if the orks poured through all would be lost. At the foot of the bridge, the Mpya Stedor troops engaged the other stream of orks.

DSC_2263 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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It was at this time that I learned about the enemy’s third thrust. Apparently the Stormmistress Avona had taken up position to create a third way across the river. She summed all her strength and raised blocks of ice out of the river. The ice formed and created a bridge. Immediately the enemy began to storm across it.

DSC_2296 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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With so few troops on the west side of the bridge, it was even more dire that we got more men across the rickety merfolk bridge. Unfortunately, many men slipped on the unstable surface and fell into the water, sinking to the bottom. Sometimes a mermaid would save a man, but we lost over 15 men to the bridge alone.

DSC_2300 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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[SkaForHire]

Battle of Queenscross Day Two Afternoon: Part Two – Holding the Line.

At this point the main objective was to get our men back across the river to the East side in order to make a final defense of the bridge. The West side was in ruins, and we had pulled out of two of the flanks and the middle was crumbling from attack on both sides.

DSC_2265 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The end of the battle at the forum was disheartening. After Gideon’s squire fell, the Cyclops King struck a mighty blow into Gideon himself.

DSC_2255 by skaforhire, on Flickr

It left him inches from death, but somehow, mustering all of his courage, he was able to press one last attack on the Cyclops king and defeat him – claiming vengeance for the fallen Sir Derrick.

DSC_2257 by skaforhire, on Flickr

DSC_2258 by skaforhire, on Flickr

Outside the forum was another matter, the wingless dragon had eaten over a score of men, including Blaore the Oak. Falconi tried to engage him, but heard the retreat that I ordered. Unfortunately, not all of Falconi’s men were as lucky to miss the appetite of the beast.

DSC_2268 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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At this point, Anallia, the leader of the Centaurs came to me where I was ushering people across the bridge. She demanded action for her clan. She informed me that the only way her people were crossing back to the East side of the river was over the great span or in a funeral pyre. She said that they would not risk the merfolk bridge. I respected that, and asked her to hold off the oncoming tide or Orks, undead, and that beast.

DSC_2273 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The Centaurs did not disappoint. They slayed the mighty wingless dragon (already wounded by the Oak’s attempt) in short order. I wish we would have sent them in first, but who could have forseen that heavily armored men would fair so poorly against the beast.

DSC_2288 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The centaurs also engaged the commanders of the enemy force, including Arangal Pastroo, who still seemed to be the general.

DSC_2291 by skaforhire, on Flickr

The enemy, sensing victory, began to utilize some of its forces to clear roads and drag away the troll bodies so that they could advance stronger on the final position.

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Meanwhile, our men under Senator Craxus and General Blane Redfist attempted to hold off a two prong attack from the betraying Hotknives and the undead that were making their way to the foot of the bridge. All the while, trying to keep open an avenue of retreat so that the rest of the men could pull out. Captain Tiven and what was left of the town guard formed a defensive line, while the centaurs smashed the oncoming creatures.

DSC_2314 by skaforhire, on Flickr

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At this point Gideon, bloodied and on his last legs came to me and insisted on staying by my side as we held this side of the bridge for others to cross.

DSC_2290 by skaforhire, on Flickr

I commanded him to send his men across, and along with them went the now healed Alfadas Manderdson. Gideon brought up the rear, but noted his objections. I instructed him to take control of the forces on the other side if Sir Alex Kristo had fallen. I hoped that command would keep the man out of the thick of things for a while.

DSC_2272 by skaforhire, on Flickr

To Be Continued in the next post.