Battle at Creeping Caves

[as occurred in Year 4 Month 3]

Dwarf (2365 point) versus Ogres (2000 point + 150 point core troop muster)

Caveat: I'm the Dwarf player, this report may be biased and my knowledge of Ogre army or rules is limited.

Background: 

At the start of the year, the Dwarves landed in force and occupied large parts of the Ogre Isle of Kanesdue, taking multiple provinces from the Ogres. The Ogre's then attempted to oust the Dwarven foothold in the Fortress at the Creeping Caves. The Dwarves retreated behind the walls, which the Ogre's then bombarded for a full month.

While the Ogre's were occupied battering the fortress, another much smaller Dwarf batallion had walked into the undefended Ogre capital. The Dwarves rejoice, but Ogre army is still at full strength and gunning for revenge. The Ogre's halt their bombardment, and attempt to move north to take back their Capital. The Dwarves in the Fortress at Creeping Caves sally forth and attack.

The Ogre's fight for their very empire, should they beat the larger battallion of Dwarves they will then outnumber the Dwarves in their Capital and can take it back easily. This would set the Dwarves back severely in their advance on Kanesdue.

An Ogre loss could mean the end of their Empire.

Army Lists: 

Note that these army lists are chosen as a single large legal army list per Empire. The Empire then divides up the larger one into smaller banners, which do not have to be legal on their own.

Ogres, 2000 point + 150 point core muster: 

From left to right in the Deployment Picture:

- 3 Leadbelchers
- Rhinox + Scraplauncher & 7 Gnoblars on board
- 5 Ogres, FC, GWs + Butcher
- 5 IronGuts, FC, GWs + Hero with BSB
- 3 Leadbelchers - 5 IronGuts(?), FC, GWs + Lord (=General & King)
- 5 Mournfang Cavalry
- 5 Ironguts (150 points of mustered core troops)

Mustered Ironguts on far right flank

Dwarf (2365 points): 

- 115: Thane with RoStone and MRoSpite (=General & King)
- 145: Thane with BSB & Strollaz's Rune
- 351: Runelord with Anvil, MRoGromril, RotFurnace
- 440: 30 Hammerers, FC,MRoGrugni
- 420: 30 Hammerers, FC, RoCourage
- 254: 19 Miners with FC + Steam Drill
- 254: 19 Miners with FC + Steam Drill
- 120: Organ Gun - 125: Cannon with RoForging
- 140: Gyrocopter Dwarves win the roll and go first.

Turns:

Turn 0+1a - Dwarves

Strollaz moves Dwarven units in turn 0, turn 1 Dwarves keep on marching. The Dwarven Cannon hits the Rhinox+ScrapLauncher and causes 4 wounds. Only 1 wound left! The Anvil attempts to finish it off with the Rune of Wrath and Ruin, but fails to cause a single wound.

Turn 1b - Ogres

Scraplauncher gets a hit in.

Ogres move up. Scrap launcher hits but scatters just enough, hits 6 Hammerers (one in each unit), kills 3. Butcher being near the wizards tower knows all the spells in his book. The Dwarves don't even notice the tickle of whatever was cast.

Turn 2a.1 - Dwarves - 'in which shit gets real'

- Both units of miners show up, one behind the Tower, and one behind the right hand unit of Leadbelchers.
- Oh noes! The Gyrocopter is in the way of Hammerers charging. He knew his duty, he went to his certain doom by charging the Leadbelchers on the right thus clearing the path for the Hammerers.
- Both units of Hammerers charge, #1 takes out the unit of Ogres with Butcher, #2 takes out the IronGuts with BSB overrunning into the Leadbelchers.
- Cannon kills a Mournfang after this shot, but fails to wound the second. The cannon ball bounces off it's flank!
- Anvil lets the newly emerged Miners charge into the back of the Leadbelchers which the Gyro is attacking.
- The Organ gun lines up the incoming Mournfang and lets loose. BOOOOM! 2 hits. 1 wound. Spectacular .
- Hammerers#1 fail to catch Ogres + Butcher.
- Hammerers#2 catch the fleeing IronGuts and BSB are caught, and overrun into the Leadbelchers which the Miners and Gyro are in combat with. The Leadbelchers kill the Gyro, but lose Combat Resolution fleeing the table. Miners pursue and catch them, but are off the table. Hammerers#2 also pursue

Turn 2b.1 - Ogres - 'The Mournfang Menace'

- Fleeing Ogre+Butcher rally and turn to face Hammerers#2.
- Scraplaunchers moves forward trying to escape the Miners behind the Tower.
- Leadbelchers on the left move towards Anvil and fire, causing no wounds.
- The Mournfang charge the Organ gun for it's impudence.

- The Ogre King's unit attempts to charge Hammerers#1 (on the far left) but fails and moves 3".

- The Mournfang reform after wiping out the Organ gun in a single turn.

Turn 3a.1 - Dwarves 

look! it's a really crappily pasted in skyline! 

- Dwarves The Dwarf cannon targets Ogre General, but rolls a 1, not even denting his breastplate.

Turn 3a.2 - Dwarves 

- Dwarves Miners charge and kill the Scrap launcher, Hammerers#1 reform.

Turn 3a.3 - Dwarves 

- Dwarves Miners#2 come back onto the field.
- Hammerers reform to face the Ogre King.
- The Anvil hits the Mournfang with Wrath and Ruin, causing no wounds by halving their movement next turn - in the hope that they can't reach the Cannon when charging.

Turn 3b - Ogres

 - Ogres Unfortunately the Ogre King fails another charge (I think this is what happened, I'm a little hazy).

- The Mournfang with their half movement also fail their charge against the cannon. Turns out they couldn't have made it even with full movement.
- Ironguts keep moving and firing on the Anvil, but fail to cause any wounds.

Turn 4a.1 - Dwarves - 'Kingly Kombat'

 - Dwarves Both units of hammerers charge the Ogre General's unit

The Dwarf King challenges the Ogre King! He confidently accepts, why wouldn't he? He has an awesome weapon which allows him to always strike first!

The Ogre King lines up the little Dwarf, and lets fly causing 3 wounds. The Dwarf King saves 2 with Armour, and 1 with a ward save. The Dwarf King lets loose with his own attacks, 2 of 3 hit, but both fail to wound. Meanwhile the Hammerers take their blows from the Ogre Kings unit, but then wipe it out so that only the King is left. The King needs a double 1 to pass his combat res roll, and fails.

Turn 4a.3 - Dwarves

 - Hammerers beat and run down the Ogre King

Turn 4b.1 - Ogres

- You can't see them, but there's a unit of 5 Iron guts moving towards the front right unit of Hammerers.

 

Turn 4b.2 - Ogres

- Ogres Leadbelchers charge the Anvil, Mournfang charge the cannon.

Turn 4b.3 - Ogres

- Leadbelchers & Anvil do battle, both take a wound. Mournfang charge and wipe out the Dwarf Cannon in a single turn, but miss their overrun roll to get into the cannon.

Turn 5a - Dwarves 

All the units are too far away to help the Anvil now, it's on it's own.

Turn 5b.1 - Ogres

- Mournfang charge Anvil

Turn 6a - Dwarves

- The Miners keep moving towards the Anvil, but they already know they won't make it on time.
- The Hammerers form up to take a charge by the 150 points of mustered IronGuts. They are feeling over-confident since they killed the Ogre King...

Turn 6b.1 - Ogres

- The Anvil stands (barely!).

Turn 6b - Ogres - 'a prelude to mortality'

- The right hand Hammerers unit takes the charge from the Ogre mustered Iron guts, and gets wiped out except for King and BSB - they fail their CombatRes roll(they need snake eyes), but Flee 10 inches. Ogres don't catch, but you can't rally in turn 6 so the King and BSB are wiped out.

The Tallyman cometh, a count of dead and wounded: 

The Ogres kill 1229 points of Dwarves, killing the Dwarf King.
The Dwarves kill ~1800 points of Ogres, killing the Ogre King. 

The Ogres had been kept from retaking their capital. A mortal wound dealt to the Ogre Empire...but at what cost? The Dwarven King fled from a valiant unit of hungry ogre farmers, his cowardice witnessed by all...he has only one choice. He shaves his beard and breaks out the emergency supply of bright orange dye - joining the cult of the Slayers and leaving his kingdom in a state of disbelief and shock.