Battle Report
With Balin and his dwarven archers making a move up towards the hill on their right flank, approximately at the centre of the board, Arathorn and his ranger warband, supported by 2 rangers of the north moved to the left of a forest on the flank to moved up and match them and hopefully pin them down with their greater range, accuracy and numbers.
In the centre, Halbarad secured the wall which overlooked a rather more open central area of the board, where Durin would be due to lead his warriors across, as they emerged out of the cover of the ruins and light woodland adjacent.
And on my right, Gimli was sneaking his warband up through the cover of the forest, which was only covered by three Ranger of the North.
Even partially covered by the low hill ahead of them, the Dwarven archers of Balin came into range of the Grey company left flank. The hail of accurate arrows soon started to leave a mark upon the Dwarven armour and it wasn't long before the Dunedain were finding the weak armour about the neck and under the armpits of the Dwarves... And with this, the first casualties of the battle (and my first kills in SBG ever!)
It was clear from this exchange that the strategy had to be to break the small dwarven force by targeting dwarves with the lowest defence BEFORE they reached my lines. If I killed 10 they would break... so this was the target. This still required sixes to kill to hardy dwarves, but the messaged was passed along the lines to the diligent grey company warbands...
In response, the dwarves attempted to take action and so in the centre they deployed in columns as they marched out into open ground, protecting those dwarves without shields with those with shields and the heavily armoured heroes of Durin's folk (all requiring upwards of 6+4s to wound)
But Balin's company had no such protection and the hill was proving little defence against the accuracy and volume of Arathorn's rangers. Decimated without firing a shot, only heroic Balin was left marching to link up with Dain in the centre, as the grey company left flank moved up to counter.
Over on the right flank, the three Rangers of the North tasked with anchoring the flank, moved backwards to avoid combat as Gimli pressed his force on, losing some dwarves on the way. Again, dwarves with shields attempted to protect their brethren, with mixed results, some being felled by arrows themselves.
In the centre, brave Dain closed in on the wall that was held by Halbarad. Wavering, half of Halbarad's force inched backwards to avoid combat, whilst the other half now focused on supporting the right flank with fire, assisting the 3 rangers of the north against Gimli's assault. With this support, those Rangers on the right now focused their line of fire towards Dain's warband in the centre, targeting the flanks of the non-shielded Iron Guards. With Arathorn's Rangers having taken and moved up on the left flank, iron guards were caught in a deadly cross-fire... resulting in the 10th casualty and the breaking of the Dwarven force.
The heroes of Durin's folk rallied their dwarves onwards, all standing fast in the oncoming onslaught that was the counter-attack of the Dunedain. Finally, throwing axes were launched at Halbarad's company and although none hill, the Iron guardsmen clambered over the wall and charged the men of the north. They were joined by dain, swinging his great battle axe he crashed into the right flank.
But it was not Dain who's axe first bit mans flesh, but Balin. Cut off and intercepted by Arathorn's warband on the left, he desperately used all his might to win his fight, slaying a ranger and temporarily beating back his foes whom vastly outnumbered him...
On the right flank, the remaining dwarves broke cover. Gimli lead the charge towards the rangers of the north, not close enough to force them into combat but throwing his axe and felling one of dunedain blood. But he was now exposed and taking wounds... and his warband crumbling around him under the intense cross fire from three directions. One dwarven warrior with a shield charged forward towards the wall where 6 rangers from halbarad's company continued to rain arrows of death upon them...
In the centre, Dain's axe was now in full swing using his might to defeat two of the 6 rangers that had him trapped against the wall.
But Balin, exhausted on the left was now surrounded, his body horribly pierced by 8 spears he fell.
With the dwarven right now completely demolished, the full weight of the Grey company was brought against the dwarves in the centre and with only one of durin's folk remaining to support a surrounded Dain... all looked lost.
But it was the death of the dwarven warrior charging the rangers at the wall which finally broke the stoic and hardy dwarves.
And so the dwarves of Hashut's Blessing were defeated by the Grey Company of Thermo. The first ever battle of our newly formed little club in Greater Manchester.
List of the fallen
Hashut lost 14 dwarves, mostly warriors without shields or iron guard with throwing weapons, along with Balin.
I lost 3 Rangers of Arnor and 1 Ranger of the North.
Dwarven remaining force - 5
Grey Company remaining force - 28
Result
Neither of us bothered to try and escape the table and just fought it out, but victory points came because the dwarves were broken at the end of the game whilst the men of the west were not.
3-0 to the Grey Company
Conclusion and observations to come below!
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You have endless enthusiasm!
I've since tweaked the list to something I'd be more likely to use (essentially, even more Dwarfs with shields