Specialist Arms Forum
Warmaster => [WM] Warmaster Fantasy Discussion => [WM] Battlereports => Topic started by: Sjapie on December 25, 2015, 08:25:08 PM
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Snagga's ambush force (Orcs an goblins) vs. Zorn and his escorts (Empire)
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Overview
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Location: Road to Rutgar's keep (badlands)
Date played: dinsdag 22 december 2015
Snagga's ambush force (Orcs an goblins)
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General: Snagga Kneecap
Hero:
(GHero) Goblin Hero
Infantry:
(G1) 3 Goblins
(G2) 3 Goblins
(G3) 3 Goblins
(G4) 3 Goblins
General:
(Gen) Snaffa Grimtooth (General)
Infantry:
(G5) 3 Goblins
(O1) 3 Orcs
(O2) 3 Orcs
(O3) 3 Orcs
Hero:
(OHero) Orc Hero
Infantry:
(G6) 3 Goblins
(O4) 3 Orcs
(O5) 3 Orcs
Wizard:
(GSham) Goblin Shaman
Chariot:
(WC1) 3 Wolf Chariots
(WC2) 3 Wolf Chariots
(WC3) 3 Wolf Chariots
Hero:
(OH) Orc Hero
Cavalry:
(WR1) 3 Wolf Riders
(WR2) 3 Wolf Riders
(WR3) 3 Wolf Riders
Hero:
(GHero) Goblin Hero
Cavalry:
(SR1) 3 Spider riders
(SR2) 3 Spider Riders
(SR3) 3 Spider Riders
Zorn and his escorts (Empire)
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General: Mannfred Munch
Order of march in the column:
Hero:
(Hero1) Hero
Cavalry:
(K1) 3 Knights
(K2) 3 Knights
Hero:
(Hero2) Hero
Infantry:
(C1) 3 Crossbowmen
(Hal1) 3 Halberdiers
(HG) 3 Handgunners
(Hal2) 3 Halberdiers
(Zorn) Wizard, Zorn Brightspark
Artillery:
(C2) 2 Cannon
(H) Hellblaster
Hero:
(Hero3) Hero
Infantry:
(C3) 3 Crossbowmen
(Hal3) 3 Halberdiers
(C4) 3 Crossbowmen
(Hal4) 3 Halberdiers
Cavalry:
(K3) 3 Knights
(K4) 3 Knights
(Gen) General, Manfred Munch
Infantry:
(C5) 3 Crossbowmen
(Hal5) 3 Halberdiers
Deployment
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx02_zps3d4shpwl.jpg)
Turn 1 - Snagga's ambush force (Orcs an goblins)
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx02_zps3d4shpwl.jpg)
Snagga blow his Warhorn, the signal to spring the trap. The wolfriders envigorated by blessings from the shaman stormed forward and with a mighty waaaaggghh! slammed into the flank of the front knight brigade. On the other side of the field the spider riders drove straight at the rear knight unit. The whole center advanced onto the Empire reinforcements.
Volleys of arrows were loosened all over the line to limited effect, except for the head of the column where an arrow struck the Halberdier captain in the eye resulting in confusion at the head of the column.
The wolfriders bowled over the knights before they had a chance to resist. At the tail of the column, the charge by the spider riders was so lackluster the knights were able to turn the charge and retaliate in a countercharge, killing off all spider riders.
Notes: The charge of the spider riders took the knights in the flank, but the dice rolling was very poor compared to the saves of the knights which were awesome. The rearmost knights not only managed to survive a flank charge, but had destroyed the two charging units without the loss of a single stand.
Turn 1 - Zorn and his escorts (Empire)
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx03_zpsl7yika29.jpg)
Mannfred Munch saw the greenskins advance and knew he had to act immediately. The two closest infantry brigades were given orders to defend the column and the guns at all cost. They filed forward and fell into line moments before the greenskins stormed into the flanks of the column. The surviving knights slammed into the reserve spider riders. Confusion reigned at the head of the column. While the halberdiers brought order into the ranks, their supporting crossbowmen filed in line to protect their flank. Gustaff Mannheim, seeing the slaughter of the knights, and ordered a retreat from the thousands of greenskins, leaving the other infantry brigade very isolated.
Only the leftmost crossbowmen had time to fire after their rapid deployment and drove back the large Orc and goblin unit.
The knights mopped up the last of the spider riders and reformed on the flank of the greenskin army.
Notes: A blunder by the hero really didn't improve things for the front of the column, with Enemies on both sides the confused halberdiers and the crossbowmen protecting them formed a small island in a mass of greenskin.
Turn 2 - Snagga's ambush force (Orcs an goblins)
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx04_zps78yb9afg.jpg)
16.00 The wolfriders had regrouped and assaulted the isolated brigade. On the left flank, the goblins launched an attack at the crossbowmen, shortly followed by a charge of a unit of orcs.
The chariot reserve moved up on the left flank, ready to finish the job, should the wolf riders fail.
With the whole empire front line engaged, there was no opportunity for missile fire.
The halberdiers at the head of the column were less confused than would be thought and fought the wolfriders to a standstill. Before falling back and supporting the crossbowmen, who with their help were able to also fend of the wolfriders. In the centre meanwhile, the goblin assault turned into a vicious hand to hand fight, with both sides taking heavy casualties, except for the orcs who dominated the fight where they had attacked.
Notes: A major decision that needed to be taken was where to move the reserves to. Would the attack be reïnforced, or did I need to reinforce the flank threatened by the knights.
The assault on the halbardiers turned into a draw thanks to some armour saves for the Halberdiers. The unexpected draw led to the necessary support to actually draw again against the crossbowmen.
Fallback moves from the goblins/orcs assault we so minimal that they could just move out of the way as a roadblock for the flanking knights.
At this point it felt like the battle was turning.
Turn 2 - Zorn and his escorts (Empire)
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx05_zps2r2wrbds.jpg)
The knights and the halbardiers charged the survivors of the goblin units that had assaulted the previous turn. The cannons and hellblaster on initiative ran towards the line established in the rear. With a successfull order from the general, the last infantry brigade fell into line with the guns, completing a defensive line in the rear.
The newly formed gunline exploded and the orcs that had so successfully assaulted last turn were now heavily repulsed, threatening the orc attack. Two orc units moved to the side as the shot at greenskins, were driven all the way to the ridge. On the empire left flank, the crossbowmen only had one hit, but it was enough to drive the biggest surviving wolfrider unit backwards, where fingerpointing soon led to an internal fight within the unit.
Unsurprisingly the knights bowled over the goblins, and the unit they flanked, the last goblin unit managed to get some hits on the halberdiers, resulting in some goblins acually surviving the combined assault.
Notes: The driveback on the orcs was a massive 15 cm. To be able to keep the other orc units in the fight they had to move lateral which they did. The confusion on the wolfrider unit I had earmarked to flank attack the isolated brigade on the Orc right did put a dint in my plans.
Turn 3 - Snagga's ambush force (Orcs an goblins)
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx06_zpsadklygnr.jpg)
17.00 With the isolated brigade in range for most of the orc left wing, initiative took over, wolf riders charged in on the flank, Orcs on the other flank. In the center, the orcs that had been held in reserve, were rushed over to create a temporary defensive line, but allowing for a hole through which the chariots could charge. Snagga blow his horn once more and the greenskin charioteers whipped their wolves, one unit splitting off to hit the isolated brigade, the others shooting through the gap like a arrow at the leftmost halbardiers. A last order to one fo the wolf rider units also added them to the assault.
To ensure the knights wouldn't have an easy target, some remaining goblins were moved into a flanking position on them.
The isolated empire brigade stood no chance, and fighting to their left and right were completely smashed apart as the charioteers ran them over before they hit the main line the other chariots were assaulting.
The momentum of the chariots was unstoppable and both the handgunners, their supporting halberdiers and the cannons were unable to withstand the onslaught as they were either crushed under or cut through by the enormous scythed wheels.
Notes: As the fight against the enraged knights was starting to potentially turn really bad, the right flank had a lot of opportunity with the isolated brigade. Before making the assault with the chariots, I moved my reserve infantry to bolster the line, moving some goblins into the flanks of the knights, in the hope of detering them, as initiative would take them away from the fight, not into the fight. I made sure to leave a gap for the chariots to rush through, which they did on a double 1.
The isolated brigade, suffered such casualties from the initial impact, that the halberdiers were destroyed because they were pushed into enemy troops, allowing the chariot unit to join it's brethern in the assault against the deeper empire line.
Turn 3 - Zorn and his escorts (Empire)
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(http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/hh506/bbSjapei/Warmaster/Idol%20of%20Gork/Idol_of_Gork_scenario_2_-_the_Ambush_mapEx07_zpsjvbsrota.jpg)
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I love batrep's with pictures like these :) It's like reading WD from years back :) interesting battle too :) thanks for writeup! ^_^
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Forgot to ask - how do you go about documenting and writing/creating the batrep?
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Basicly take some pictures and use those as reference when making the maps. It does help if you're making the report not too long after you've played
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Happy to be reminded of the glory days of WD. =)
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Really nice battle report Sjapie, it perfectly described how my empire reinforcements were smashed to a bloody pulp by those sneaky greenskins.
After the first turn things looked really bleak for the empire side. The front of the empire army got butchered by the waaghed unit and I felt I was in for my shortest battle ever. But the knights on the rear column were able to make the battle more exciting, even giving me some small hope of getting out a draw.
The chariot reserve really finished things off though. Nicely played by Sjapie.
Now up to our next battle, where I will avenge this foul deed by burning some orc huts. At least - that's the plan...
Jo
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Like the graphics. Many thanks for the report.