Post by dunk on May 22, 2010 9:58:02 GMT 1
Last night saw a full on pitch battle of little Woodland creatures - 530pts apiece faced each other across the small clearing. The good guys (me) were led by the Mouse cleric Abbot Sage, accompanied by two of his bodyguard sons, five mice spearmen, a mouse warrior, no less than three armoured Badgers, with archery taken care of by a Hare and a Squirrel.
The Rebels blocking their way formed a fearsome mass of warriors; the hero Wolverine in all his 122pt glory, a Rat Shaman, a Rat Leader, five rat warriors, a Pine Marten, and a quartet of foxes - two of them with bows - presented themselves for combat.
The Druid's Children formed up with the Mice forming a solid line across the small gulley, in front of the Abbot, with a plate armoured Badger on their right flank. Further to the right, the Squirrel Archer flitted amongst the trees on the high ground looking to find a good vantage point. Two Badgers pushed over to the left flank, with the Hare in tow.
The Rebels surged forward in a great mass, the Foxes seeking to find cover on their right flank facing the Badgers and Hare. The Wolverine and Pine Marten led the charge of the Rat line along the gulley, over a small stream, and in to face the Mice.
As the Abbot stood his ground and began the incantations necessary to distract the fearsome Wolverine from his grim business, a series of activation failures plagued the Children. The rats crossed the river first and levelled their line to engage, but just before the battle lines met, a long shot from a Fox archer found the rightmost Mouse Spearman, and gruesomely killed him.
The Mice were shaken badly by the death of their comrade, and their carefully ordered battle line withdrew in a haphazard fashion; the discipline needed to hold the Rats, Wolverine, and Pine Marten was gone! The Wolverine and Pine Marten, sensing an early victory, rushed over the stream to join their comrades.
The Badger to the right of the Mice crossed right between the two Rodent shield lines, bellowing curses and challenges to the Wolverine who was now on the Mice left. The other two Badgers, knowing how mighty a combatant the Wolverine would be, hurried to join the their comrade. The Rats pushed in towards the disorganised Mice, and the Pine Marten bullied his way through them to arrive at the Wolverine's side.
Mouse Abbot was so surprised by the speed of the Rebel's advance that he found himself dithering out of range of spells, surrounded by the squeaking morass of alarmed Mice spears. The archers on either side failed to find their mark, and the Foxes on the other side of the stream pushed up to the water's edge to prevent the Hare raining arrows onto the Rats.
Then the Children's situation deteriorated even further; a mouse that had been the left of the line had ignored the earlier death of it's comrade - no doubt bolstered by the presence of no less than three Badgers - but this brave show was to prove his undoing. The Pine Marten got to him before anyone else, and as if to warm his muscles before the real combat began, sent the mouse to a gruesome doom.
The Children's line now began to waver - it was disordered before, now it was verging on disintegration. Even one of the Badgers took a step backwards, fearing the day was lost. In their eagerness to join the slaughter, the Rat Shaman and Leader pushed up to the stream's edge. Another two mice fell to the line of advancing Rats. The Pine Marten, his battle rage aroused by the easy death of the mouse moved towards the Abbot and his sons, seeking perhaps to make a name for himself by butchering the little rodent.
The Pine Marten shrugged off the Abbot's transfix spell as he advanced, but the Badger to his right recovered his wits, ignored the Pine Marten, and charged into the Wolverine - joined by his two brothers. It was do or die!
The Wolverine was a mighty foe indeed, but even he was no match for three Badgers in plate mail. He fell beneath the onslaught, caught by the sword of the second Badger to the fray.
With the death of the Wolverine, the Rebel's morale evaporated like the morning mist - now it was their turn to fall back in disarray. The Pine Marten was set upon by the now unoccupied Badgers, and another fearsome warrior fell. The Rat Shaman, who had advanced to the very back of the Rat line, was attempting to harangue his troops back into order to face the Badgers - the Wolverine and Pine Marten may be down, but the day was not yet lost!
Lurking on the edge of some trees to the Children's right, the Squirrel could not resist such a target. The Rat Shaman fell backwards with an arrow pierced into his black heart. The sight of this finished any coherency the Rebels had maintained, and the flight to safety began. The Badgers bristling with anger recklessly charged after the rats - pushing themselves far ahead of the support of Mice and archers...
The Rebels, sensing the chance to pick the Badgers off individually, turned to face them in a last ditch attempt to rescue the day. Alas, it was not be - as the Badgers mowed into the remaining Rats, the battle was finally decided as one of the Badgers gruesomely butchered a rat and more than half the warband was now dead or dying upon the field...
The Rebels ran!
The final tally was Four Mouse Spears in exchange for a hero Wolverine, a Pine Marten, a Rat Shaman, a Rat Leader, and four Rat warriors.
The Battle was all but lost for the Children, but the Wolverine was left alone with three angry Badgers. The momentum gained from his death proved to be the undoing of the Rebels, and demonstrated the wonderful thing about SBH - that a battle can unexpectedly turn in an instant.
A great hour and bit's entertainment.
The Rebels blocking their way formed a fearsome mass of warriors; the hero Wolverine in all his 122pt glory, a Rat Shaman, a Rat Leader, five rat warriors, a Pine Marten, and a quartet of foxes - two of them with bows - presented themselves for combat.
The Druid's Children formed up with the Mice forming a solid line across the small gulley, in front of the Abbot, with a plate armoured Badger on their right flank. Further to the right, the Squirrel Archer flitted amongst the trees on the high ground looking to find a good vantage point. Two Badgers pushed over to the left flank, with the Hare in tow.
The Rebels surged forward in a great mass, the Foxes seeking to find cover on their right flank facing the Badgers and Hare. The Wolverine and Pine Marten led the charge of the Rat line along the gulley, over a small stream, and in to face the Mice.
As the Abbot stood his ground and began the incantations necessary to distract the fearsome Wolverine from his grim business, a series of activation failures plagued the Children. The rats crossed the river first and levelled their line to engage, but just before the battle lines met, a long shot from a Fox archer found the rightmost Mouse Spearman, and gruesomely killed him.
The Mice were shaken badly by the death of their comrade, and their carefully ordered battle line withdrew in a haphazard fashion; the discipline needed to hold the Rats, Wolverine, and Pine Marten was gone! The Wolverine and Pine Marten, sensing an early victory, rushed over the stream to join their comrades.
The Badger to the right of the Mice crossed right between the two Rodent shield lines, bellowing curses and challenges to the Wolverine who was now on the Mice left. The other two Badgers, knowing how mighty a combatant the Wolverine would be, hurried to join the their comrade. The Rats pushed in towards the disorganised Mice, and the Pine Marten bullied his way through them to arrive at the Wolverine's side.
Mouse Abbot was so surprised by the speed of the Rebel's advance that he found himself dithering out of range of spells, surrounded by the squeaking morass of alarmed Mice spears. The archers on either side failed to find their mark, and the Foxes on the other side of the stream pushed up to the water's edge to prevent the Hare raining arrows onto the Rats.
Then the Children's situation deteriorated even further; a mouse that had been the left of the line had ignored the earlier death of it's comrade - no doubt bolstered by the presence of no less than three Badgers - but this brave show was to prove his undoing. The Pine Marten got to him before anyone else, and as if to warm his muscles before the real combat began, sent the mouse to a gruesome doom.
The Children's line now began to waver - it was disordered before, now it was verging on disintegration. Even one of the Badgers took a step backwards, fearing the day was lost. In their eagerness to join the slaughter, the Rat Shaman and Leader pushed up to the stream's edge. Another two mice fell to the line of advancing Rats. The Pine Marten, his battle rage aroused by the easy death of the mouse moved towards the Abbot and his sons, seeking perhaps to make a name for himself by butchering the little rodent.
The Pine Marten shrugged off the Abbot's transfix spell as he advanced, but the Badger to his right recovered his wits, ignored the Pine Marten, and charged into the Wolverine - joined by his two brothers. It was do or die!
The Wolverine was a mighty foe indeed, but even he was no match for three Badgers in plate mail. He fell beneath the onslaught, caught by the sword of the second Badger to the fray.
With the death of the Wolverine, the Rebel's morale evaporated like the morning mist - now it was their turn to fall back in disarray. The Pine Marten was set upon by the now unoccupied Badgers, and another fearsome warrior fell. The Rat Shaman, who had advanced to the very back of the Rat line, was attempting to harangue his troops back into order to face the Badgers - the Wolverine and Pine Marten may be down, but the day was not yet lost!
Lurking on the edge of some trees to the Children's right, the Squirrel could not resist such a target. The Rat Shaman fell backwards with an arrow pierced into his black heart. The sight of this finished any coherency the Rebels had maintained, and the flight to safety began. The Badgers bristling with anger recklessly charged after the rats - pushing themselves far ahead of the support of Mice and archers...
The Rebels, sensing the chance to pick the Badgers off individually, turned to face them in a last ditch attempt to rescue the day. Alas, it was not be - as the Badgers mowed into the remaining Rats, the battle was finally decided as one of the Badgers gruesomely butchered a rat and more than half the warband was now dead or dying upon the field...
The Rebels ran!
The final tally was Four Mouse Spears in exchange for a hero Wolverine, a Pine Marten, a Rat Shaman, a Rat Leader, and four Rat warriors.
The Battle was all but lost for the Children, but the Wolverine was left alone with three angry Badgers. The momentum gained from his death proved to be the undoing of the Rebels, and demonstrated the wonderful thing about SBH - that a battle can unexpectedly turn in an instant.
A great hour and bit's entertainment.
