The Battle For The Temple

Hi!

I Heres a report of a battle I played using the old Rogue Trader rules from the Games Workshop:

The Forces

Dwarves

The Boar Company

Grimli
Weapons/Equipment:
Hafted Weapon, Heavy Armour, Refractor Shield
65 points

Flint
Weapons/Equipment:
Hafted Weapon, Heavy Armour
10.5 points

Gunnar
Weapons/Equipment:
2 Hand Weapons, Heavy Armour
11 points

Boar Company Dwarf x4
Weapons/Equipment
Hand Weapon, Shield, Heavy Armour
36 points

Wildling
Weapons/Equipment:
Heavy Armour
128.5 points

Pig
Weapon/Equipment:
None
5 points

Total: 256 Points

Evil Alliance

Evil Doers

Marik Goldhelm
Weapons/Equipment:
Flak Armour, Conversion Field, Hafted Weapon, Meltabomb
Level 1 Psyker, Aura of Resistance, Mental Blow, Steal Mind, 18 Psi Points
69 Points

Mutated Minions x 4
Weapons/Equipment:
Flak Armour, 2 Hand Weapons
1 Skull Face Mutation
1 Prehensile Tail Mutation
2 Razor Sharp Claws Mutation
26 points

Krudger Bonecrusher
Weapons/Equipment:
Hand Weapon, Flak Armour, Shield
39.5 points

Orc Troopers x 4
3x Hand Weapons, 1x Hafted Weapon, 1x Bow, 2x Shields
14.5 points

Goblin Sneak
Weapons/Equipment:
2 Hand Weapons, Flak Armour
33.5 Points

2x Giant Bats
Max Flight Speed: 24
Min Flight Speed: 6
Acc/Dec: 6
TRR: 1
7 Points

Total 189.5

The Scenario

The remaining members of the Boar Company have staggered out of a raging snowstorm into what they thought was a cave but appears to have at one point been a temple to a forgotten god.

Unexpectedly they have stumbled upon their nemesis, Marik Goldhelm who is negotiating an alliance with a local Orc Khan, Krudger Bonecrusher. Both sides see each other at the same time and draw weapons and prepare to attack.

The Battlefield

A large chamber floored with stone tiles, the south west quarter is recessed and holds a pool of still blue water. The chamber itself has several piles of rubble where sections of the ceiling have fallen in.

Deployment

Marik and his minions deploy on the eastern edge of the chamber, Krudger and the orcs hold the centre and the giant bats in the west.

Grimli, Flint and pig deploy in the centre with the boar company while Gunnar and the Wildling on their Eastern flank

The Game

Evil Alliance Turn 1

At the order of their master, the giant bats fly over the rubble.

Seeing the distant Dwarves, Krudger Bonecrusher bellows at his troops and the Orcs move between the rubble in the centre of the battlefield accompanied by the goblin sneak.
Somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of the Dwarves Marik moves his minions in front as a human shield, mindful of their last meeting when the hated Boar Company had slain his minions, his dragon and forced him to flee for his life.

With this in mind Marik casts Aura of Resistance on himself, increasing his defense.

Finally the orc with the bow takes a pot shot at the Dwarven battle line but misses, resulting in a flurry of curses and cat calls from the Boar Company

Dwarf Turn 1

Despite their exhaustion from traveling through the storm, Grimli calls his troops to battle and the dwarves move cautiously forward forming a defensive battleline, shields interlocked against the possibility of further arrows.

Gunnar holds the Wildling back despite its rumblings and the keeper and his monstrous companion advance along the flank to provide cover for the remainder of the force.

The Dwarf Battle Line Advances

Evil Alliance Turn 2

The bats swoop forward, speeding up as they close their prey.

The Orcs fan out with Krudgers grunted commands and occasional blow, forming their own battle line as they close with the Dwarves.

Marik moves his coven forward and casts Steal Mind on the wildling leaving the beast dribbling and confused. The effects will not wear off for 3 turns leaving it unable to do anything. At a stroke the rogue sorcerer had taken the Dwarves most powerful character out of action.

The bow armed Orc takes another pot shot and hits one of the boar company who promptly fails his save and drops with a barbed arrow jutting from his eye. This time the returning curses are somewhat muted.

Dwarf Turn 2

Despite their loss, the Boar Company swings forward toward the Orc line. Gunnar, outraged at the sorcerous attack on his Wildling moves on the mutated minions of Marik with blood in his eyes.

Evil Alliance Turn 3

The bats sweep into combat with the Boar Company and the Orc line moves in behind them. Marik, content to allow his underlings and allies do the fighting for him holds his ground, instead casting Mental Blow at Gunnar who shrugs off the spells effect leaving Marik fuming at the Dwarves stubbornness

Bat Attack!

One bat hits Grimli but fails to damage the doughty Dwarf, while the other fails to even strike the Boar Company Dwarf it swooped on. In a flurry of blows the commander and trooper of the Boar Company reduces the beasts to pulp. A fitting end to such foul creatures.

Dwarf turn 3

Roaring their battlecries, The Dwarves plow into the Orc line wile Gunnar bravely hurls himself at the skull faced minion.

Battle Commences!

Grimli hits Krudger twice and wounds once, but is wounded in return.
The Goblin sneak repeatedly strikes the Dwarf facing him but his attacks are turned on his heavy armour. The Orcs repeatedly strike the Dwarves but fail to damage them apart from the Orc with the hafted weapon who succeeds in striking down his opponent.
Flint kills his opponent with a well-placed swipe that removes the beasts leg but the rest of the Dwarves fail to kill their opponents in the swirling melee. The fight is a draw but the Dwarves have a banner so push the Orcs back.

(In Rogue Trader, combat is fought according to initiative, so despite charging, many of the Dwarves struck last)

Gunnar meanwhile slays the skull headed minion. The sight of the death of his minion is obviously too much for Marik and he turns tail and flees with his remaining minions with Gunnar in hot pursuit obviously less than keen to chance combat with an enraged Dwarf.

Gunnar Attacks the Skull Headed Minion

Marik Runs Away!

Evil Alliance Turn 4

Marik continues to flee with his minions and leaves the battlefield.

In the remaining melee between Orc and Dwarf, Krudger and Grimli exchange blows but fail to damage each other and the Goblin sneak again strikes the Boar Company Dwarf but fails to damage him while Flint dispatches the Orc with the hafted weapon.

The Dwarf fighting the sneak manages to wound him but the banner bearer fails to damage the Orc facing him. The losses stack up and Krudgers Orcs break and run despite their leaders bellowed curses. The Dwarves, exhausted by their travels and battle, hold their ground.

Dwarf Turn 4

The Wildling finally shakes off its encorcellment while the remaining Boar Company consolidates their position.

The Boar Company Surveys the Battlefield

Aftermath

The Boar Company won again but with several more losses. Grimli decides to head to the Keep of Dur Zamor to rest and recuperate and recruit some more troops. The sight of Marik concluding an alliance with the Orcs needs reporting and something needs doing about the rogue sorcerer as his machinations are causing unrest throughout the region.

Grimli scratched irritably at the bandage covering the wound he had sustained at the hands of the Orcish Khan, "Still, the damned Orc will won't soon forget the kiss that Boar Splitter had given him!" he thought, absently patting the hilt of the well worn sword at his side.

Orcs consorting with the sorcerer Marik was a worrying development. The thrice cursed sorcerer was responsible for the deaths of several of the Boar Company and the Dwarf bore an abiding hatred for the gold helmed mage. "Next time we shall see if we cant separate his head from the rest of his body!" Grimli thought.