Edge of the Abyss

The Hochland defence force has been successful, in halting the tide of orcs attacking across Ardovikian Plains. The Green lady’s call to arms for the human kingdoms, to assist the other realms in defending against the onslaught has not gone unheard. The Elected Grand Baron of Hochland was confident enough, in the security of his realm, to send a relief force to the trident realms war. An expeditionary force was mustered and marched to the nearest port.

Though the people of Hochland were never known for their Seamanship, with hired mercenary sailors, ships and guides from the Trident realms. The expeditionary force arrived near the mustering area at the serpent mouth without incident and in good time.

The General commanding the expeditionary force was assigned by the Green Lady’s high command in the area to relive some small human villages further inland. They had reported sightings off a heavy Ratkin infestation in the area. And with the Hochlanders having great experience with dealing the Ratkins, it was a natural utilisation of the army’s skill.

Nearing the site of the infestation only confirmed the villager’s reports, along with obvious sign of: Looting, burning, desecration and mutilation of buildings and corpses. There was a heavy influx of refugees and survivors that sought protection at the Hochland army from the marauding Ratkin.

Finally after several days of small skirmishes, the main force of the Ratkin was located in a small village situated by a small river. The rats appeared busy with looting some strange, crystals that surrounded the river. With a vengeance and fury the Hochland army engaged the Ratkin army, intent on putting them to the sword, for the atrocities they have committed against mankind.

Vanguard move:

Kingdoms of men: Mounted scouts move up to threaten the Ratkin artillery and scurries

Ratkin: Scurries move up to protect the artillery from the scouts, and the assassin stays in position

Turn 1 – Kingdoms of Men
The General sets aside his fury at the Ratkin atrocities, his men requires his clear headed leadership not his sword arm at this moment. He orders the advance across the river intent on driving the Ratkin from their hill position.

The mounted scouts move further up to threaten the scurries with shooting. The rest of the left wing making at the double move to support with the exception of the beast of war. The right flank also move fast to get in a better flanking position. The shield wall horde move closer to the crossing locking eyes with the warrior horde. The bowmen move at the double to take a commanding position on top of a building.

The Kingdoms of men shooting start with the scouts firing their pistols at the scurries, hitting 3 times and wounding the lightly armoured rats 3 times, routing the scurries from the field. The Beast of war shoots at the spear regiment but miss. The mortar takes a shot at the large death engine but also misses. Ending turn 1 for the Kingdoms of men.

Turn 1 – Ratkin

The War Chief wagging his tail with excitement, at the prospect of looting more human soon to be corpses, orders his weapons team forward to burn the humans!

The Ratkin facing the cavalry force are quite nervous, having seen the destructive impacts the knights can do. They slowly move forward the shock troops prodding the spear regiment forward, and staying safe behind them. The warrior horde “encouraged” by their chief to engage the shield wall move forward, with the weapon team moving just far enough forward to burn the humans. The chief with his death engine and brutes stay safely behind the warrior horde. The assassin taking advantage of his wings of honeymaze flies over the building in front of him and in a flanking position on the shield wall troop.

Ratkin shooting starts with the artillery lobbing digesting goo at the knights, hitting once and causing 2 wounds. The knights hold and with the Hochland army’s resolve bolstered by the green lady the knights remove 1 damage. The assassin shoots at the shield wall troops, hitting 3 and wounding 3, which is enough to rout the troop. The weapon team opens fire (literally) on the shield wall horde hitting 5 times but only causing 1 wound. The shield wall horde holds and removes the damage with resolve. The death engine shoots at the bowmen, only getting 1 hit and 1 damage, with the bowmen also holding the line with resolve.

Turn 2 – Kingdoms of Men
Noting the rodents’ reluctance to move forward, the General orders his men to press forward and corner the rats into an unfavourable position.

With the scurries out of the way and the rats eager to abandon their artillery to their fate, the mounted scouts charge the artillery. The Hochland again presses forward eager to fight the Ratkin. The wizard spying the assassin in the river moves up to cast a fireball at it. With most of the units either now crossing the river or have crossed the kingdoms of Men are taking the fight to the rats.

Eager to shoot at the dangerous war machines of the Ratkin the Kingdoms of men army are targeting the Ratkins ranged elements. The Mortar hits the large siege engine, but sadly the shot was poor and only caused 2 wounds, with the death engine shrugging it off. The bowmen in their good position shoots at the weapon team, but only manage a single hit and wound on it. However this is more than enough apparently to rout the weapon team, with the chiefs inspiring threats not changing their mind.
The Beast of war even though it moved, manage to hit the shock troops once, but only causes 1 wound, with the shock troops holding their line. The wizard surging with magical power from the crystals proximity manages and impressive 5 hits on the assassin, but only wound 2 times. This is however enough to waver the assassin.

The mounted scouts being hindered by the steep rocky hill only hits the artillery 3 times but the rats seek cover behind their artillery and remain unharmed, ending a sad combat phase.

Turn 2 – Ratkin
The War chief cursed at this turn of events, his weapon team routing because of a little arrow fire! He now had no choice, but to order his warrior horde forward to attack!

The Ratkin still formed a tight right flank not wishing to be target of a knight charge. The spear regiment on the right flank, moving slightly forward intent on charging the militia troop if they got too close. The centre of the Ratkin army moved forward with the warrior horde charging the shield wall horde.

The artillery not having been disordered proved to be a boon for the Ratkin, with and incredible amount of luck, the artillery hit the Beast of war with both shots on 6, which the blast rule turned to 8 hits. The tough beast of war took 6 wounds from the artillery, but still held the line. The death engine shot at the foot guard but only got 3 hits and wounds on them. They also held the line and with resolve removing some damage from both targets.

The warrior hordes charge caused 8 hits and 4 wounds on the shield wall, which initially wavered the shield wall but the house hold standard of Baron Kastillien inspired the shield wall to hold the line against the Ratkin.

Turn 3 – Kingdoms of Men
The general heard the sounds of close combat from the centre, and he knew it was the time to pressure the Ratkin with his left flank.

Even though the sand slowing down the troops, was of some concern the foot guard and beast of war was still within charge distance of the spear regiment, and they did a combined charge. The shield wall horde counter charged the warrior horde, and the scouts charged the artillery for a second time. The left flank troop of militia mob, was encouraged by the knights to move at the double, in front of the blight regiment.

The shooting was short and ineffective, with the bowmen and mortar missing the brute’s regiment. The wizard again surging with power hit the assassin with a fireball getting 6 hits, but only 1 wound on the assassin. No doubt him standing in a river, saved his fur and he passed his nerve check.

Due to the hindered nature of the Beast of war charge, it had trouble hitting the spear rats and only 3 hits and wounds, the Foot guard managed 8 hits and 6 wounds on the rats, which resulted in a rout. The foot guard pushed ahead, while the beast of war reformed to face the brutes. The mounted scouts’ performed much better now and got hits on the artillery with 5 wounds, also routing it and they reformed.

The Shield walls counter charge was like a charge, from the heroes of old, managing 17 hits and 12 wounds on the warrior horde. The incredible display of prowess routed the warrior horde, with a surprised war chief not changing anything about the rout.

Tur 3 – Ratkin
With a surprised squeak the war chief saw the warrior horde butchered and routed by the human swords men. With a cry of “I thought they would last longer in combat!” the War Chief repositioned himself nearer his shock troops.

With his army forced into a bad situation, the rats had no choice but to attack. The blight charged the militia mob troop. The shock troops charged the foot guard and the brutes charging the beast of war. The assassin flew away from the wizard, and hiding behind the building, with a sight line to the second militia mob troop. The spear rat regiment reformed to handle the collapsed centre, and the warlord moved closer to his shock troops.

The death engine shot at the shield wall horde, getting 3 hits and 3 wounds. The shield wall horde wavered at first, but the inspiring from the army standard, made them hold the ground. The assassin shot at the militia troop and hit and wounded 3 times, wavering the militia mob.

The blight got 10 hits with 4 wounds on the other militia mob troop which routed the unit. The shock troops hit the foot guard 7 times and wounded 5 times, but the foot guard held the line. The brutes hit the beast of war 5 times, but in a sad display of strength only wounded the beast 1 time. The beast of war held the line against the brutes.

Tur 4 – Kingdoms of Men
The general seeing the battle in full swing, decided it was time he personally joined the fray, and charged the biggest monster he could see, his raised sword glowing with magical energy.

A lot of counter charges were made and charges were made, as a reaction to the Ratkins assault. The shield wall horde eager to bring down the death engine charged it, while the foot guard counter charged the shock troops. The beast of war and the general did a combined charge against the brutes. Thanks to the noble sacrifice of the militia troop the knights and pole block troop did a combined charge against the blight regiment.

The bowmen shot at the reformed spear regiment and hit 4 times and wounding 3 of the rats, but they held the line for now. The mounted scouts shot at the enforcer bolstering the regiments around him, getting 3 hits and 2 wounds which routed him, but the newly arrived War Chief inspired/threatened him to stay.
The wizard bane chanted the shield wall horde.

The shield wall horde divine inspiration had obviously faded and they only hit 7 times but caused 5 wounds on the engine, but it was holding its ground. The beast of war hit the brutes 8 times and caused 5 wounds, with the general adding 3 extra hits, but only causing 1 wound. Barely with did they rout the unit, and only thanks to brutal of the beast of war.

The foot guard had less success with only 5 hits and 1 wound caused on the shock troops, the tougher Ratkin held the line. The pole block troop hit the blight regiment 3 times and caused 2 wounds, with the knights adding 10 hits and 9 wounds on the blighted Ratkin. Blight just barely got routed by the charge and allowed the knights to reform.

Turn 4 – Ratkin
The War Chief controlled his urges to spray the musk of fear, his warriors were routing before the human army, only his shock troops in the way of the terrible knights and him. He needed a way out NOW!

With the Ratkin army being rout by the human army there were precious few options to push them back. The death engine unable to shoot, declared a combined charge with the spear regiment, on the shield wall hoping to break through. The shock troops counter charged the foot guard, sensing weakness and fear in them. The enforcer and war Chief both charged the pole block troop, hoping to rout them and slip around the knights.

The assassin once again shot on the Militia mob troop causing 4 damage and 4 wounds on them, routing the mob for sure.

The Death engine charge hit 7 times and caused 4 wounds on the shield wall, the spear warriors doing less well and only getting 4 hits and wounds on the them. The shield wall held the line against the Ratkin attack.
The Shock troops were besting their human counterparts handily by getting 8 hits and 6 wounds on the foot guard. This routed the foot guard and revealed to the shock troops the waiting knights behind the foot guard.

The enforcer and the War Chief mirrored each other, by getting 2 hits and causing 1 wound on the pole block. The pole block troop was unfazed by the Ratkin leaders and held the line.

Turn 5 – Kingdom of Men
Pulling his sword free of the brute carcass, the general saw the rout of his foot guard from the shock troops. With a shout he rallied his knights around him, for a charge against the elite Ratkin troops, hoping to break the Ratkin’s resolve with their deaths.

The shield wall horde eager to fight Ratkins again counter charged the spear regiment, while the beast of war thundered into the flank of the death engine. The knights and the general did a combined charge against the victorious shock troops. The pole block troop looking eager for revenge, charged the enforcer.

The wizard again bane chanted the shield wall horde. The mounted scouts opened fire on the war chief hitting him 3 times but only caused 1 wound, the bowmen in a remarkable display of accuracy hit him 5 times and caused 2 wounds, the War Chief held the line eager for revenge.

The beast of war smashed into the death engine getting 9 hits and caused 8 wounds, which shattered the strange Ratkin contraption and sent the engineer running for the hills. The shield wall followed up with attacking the spear rats, hitting 10 times and getting 8 wounds, which send them routing in the engineer’s direction too.

The knights hit the shock troops 10 times and caused 8 wounds on them, with the general adding another 2 hits and 1 wound. The shock troops routed in the face of this charge, and the war chief could only look on in horror, while his bodyguards abandoned him. The pole block troop hit the enforcer 5 times and caused 3 wounds which wavered the lone Ratkin.

Turn 5 – Ratkin
The War Chief is furious, his well laid plan of looting the magical crystals has been stopped, his rage is directed toward the human leader.

With only 2 models to move around the Ratkin turn is short, the war chief do a mischievous charge on the general to spite the humans. While the assassin fly on top of a building.

The assassin shoot at the mortar, hitting 3 times and wounding times, wavering the mortar crew.

The war chief hit the general 4 times and wounds him 3 times, but the general shrug of the Ratkin’s blows and holds.

Turn 6 – Kingdoms of Men
The War Chief’s attack was unexpected but not unwelcome for the general, he smiled as he committed to the duel.

The general counter charged the war chief, while the knights and poleblock charged the enforcer.

The bowmen, beast of war all shot at the assassin but missed. The wizard tried to remove the rodent problem with fire, she got 3 hits and 1 wound on the assassin wavering him again.

The knights demolish the enforcer with 11 hits and wounds, not bothering with pole block attacks, the enforcer is routed. The general hits the chief 3 times, and wounds him twice, the chief initially wavers but he inspires himself to hold.

Turn 6 – Ratkin
The war chief is a corned animal, and there is nothing more dangerous than a corned animal.

The chief charge the general, getting 5 hits, but only 2 wounds which wavers the general and ending the game.

The Ratkin have 250 point remaining, while the Kingdoms of Men have 1190.