Battle of Bloody Rock Pass

A raven squawked at them from a pine tree expectantly. Grôn looked at the rocky hill sides around the valley, admiring the stone and wondered how easily it would be to quarry. "Our feathered friend seems to know something."

"Aye" said Dani, fingering his greying beard. "Ravens talking to Thain all morning."

"Orcs you think?" said Sami, looking up from the camp fire. 

Their Captain, Thorkl Stonehammer, stomped over from the King's fire. "Right you lumps! Arm up and fall in! We've got a fight coming!"

Grôn, Dani and Sami helped each other don armour and fell in around their banner, a rampaging mountain black bear and waited. Grôn looked at the hillsides around them. "Nice stone here" he said.

"What would you know about stones?" Dani teased. "Except maybe you are one!"

"Ach! You're a stone!" Grôn adjusted his shield and tightened the grip on his spear.

A harsh, blaring horn echoed up the valley towards them. "That'd be Orcs then" observed Sami, putting out his pipe. "Their horns have a terrible mid-range. It's the metal they use, cheap tin or bronze. Or horn." Sami patted the silver horn he carried affectionately. He'd made it himself in his workshop.

Thorkl turned his head. "Quiet you lot!"

After painting the shield wall of new Dwarves, I had to set up a game and get my Dwarf army on the table again. So I played a solo battle over a few nights on some thematic terrain. Each army is 43 points in Dragon Rampant, with some ideas ported over from Lion Rampant. The Dwarves have 37 figures. The orcs and goblins have 96. The objective is to hold the pass.

Orc host. Goblin light foot and light missiles in front. Uruk-hai (heavy foot offensive) in middle. Uruks (heavy foot with mixed weapons) in rear

The shieldwall is heavy foot offensive with javelins. 4x units of elite foot. King's unit also has the Strongsword trait, rerolling failed attack dice. Single figure, reduced model unit; Baldor Foe-Cleaver. Elite foot with magic armour (6+ save) and Bloodthirsty.

4x4 mountainous playing area

The deep throated, dragon headed horn of the King's company called out and the Dwarves began tramping up the valley to take position near a big pile of rocks that cut the valley in two.

Dwarves advance!

Orcs advance!

Soon Grôn could see hunch backed goblins loping along towards them beneath a black and red banner, waving spears and curved scimitars belligerently. Thorkl lifted his warhammer. "Ready javelins!" When he judged the goblins close enough he dropped the hammer and the rear rank of the shield wall hurled javelins and heavy throwing axes at the approaching goblins. Several fell. The others screamed and ran away.

"That was easy" someone mumbled. 

"Shut it you!"

Goblins swarm ahead

Dwarf flanking force

Behind the goblins came bigger orcs, heavier armoured and carrying long heavy polearms to smash through their armour. Companies of Dwarves armed with the best hauberks and two-handed axes and great swords moved past the shieldwall on either flank.

Baldor Foe-Cleaver, hero of the bridge that now bears his name, strode forward as well. The Dwarves clashed spears to shields and cheered him on.

taking the fight to the enemy

The black tide of orcs fills the valley

Screams and the crash of axes on helmets rang out and the rocks were turned black with orc blood.

Baldor jumped on the rock in the middle and taunted the orc host in the common tongue. "I  am Baldor, son of Fundin, son of Kim! Holder of the bridge and slayer of trolls! C'mon then if you think you're 'ard enough!"

A company of orcs armed with heavy shields and axes screamed in rage and swarmed up the rocks to get to him, but his great sword swung in great vicious arcs, cleaving heads from shoulders and limbs from torsos.

The fight in the pine copse at the foot of the hill swayed to and fro. Eventually the great uruks fled, leaving most of their number dead . But several dwarves were dead too and the company retired with only half their strength.

Sneaky goblins climb the rocky hill!

The orc warlord, now brought his third wave forward and sent his goblin archers to climb the hill over looking the battle field.

The orcs fighting Baldor fell back, rallied and surged forward again. Again Foe-Cleaver swung, the heavy blade smoking with black blood in the sunlight. The orc captain was struck down, his head and golden helmet rolling at Baldor's feet. The remains of his company fled in terror.

Thain rashly lead his company of Hall Thegns forward to get to grips with the orcs, hoping that if he can defeat the orc warlord's company, he can finish the battle.

The orcs stop to shoot their black feathered arrows. An unlucky barb hits Thain in the eye, felling him! A ripple of doubt washes through the Dwarven ranks.

Thain son of Thrain, King of Naurgorod is felled by a black orc arrow in the eye!

With tears and screams of rage, his Thegns charge forward, dying to avenge their Oath Lord.

Thain's hall thegns fall trying to get revenge

Baldor meanwhile jumped down from his rock to finish off a panicking company of orcs. He then charged a second in the flank cutting down a third of them in his first attack and routing them thoroughly.

Baldor takes another orc unit in the flank. He's responsible for eliminating 3 out of the 8 orc companies.

Thorkl rises his warhammer again. "Forwards! To the King!" Keeping shields locked, they tramp past Baldor's bloody rock. Orc arrows thunk into shields. Shields crash into shields, spears stab, Sami takes a spear thrust in the shoulder, orcs fall cursing and stabbing as they die, Dani gets a wound in his neck. The Dwarves fall back battered to regroup. 

Grôn raised his shield as more black orc arrows patter down like hail from the rocky hill above them. Axemen charge out to strike the orcish warlord in the flank, breaking his company. The goblin archers on the hill fire a few more barbs and then melt away before the Dwarves can climb up to get them.

Singing slow, mournful dirges, the Dwarves cleared the field. The heaps of orcs are left for the wolves and ravens after their arms are scavenged for the scrap metal or trophies. Their own dead are set aside and a cairn built over them, with Thain in their midst. As Grôn cut turves to lay over the barrow he passed Baldor, who was getting his many wounds tended. Baldor regarded the golden helmet of the Orc captain he slew and then tossed it on the grass to light his pipe.

"Well!" he growled around the pipe stem as he struck flint and steel. "That was a proper cock up!"

So ended a bloody, close fought victory for the Sons of Durin. The post battle war council lead by Baldor has determined that the Dwarves really need some missile capability, and more shield wall troops. The Dwarves had taken 19 casualties out of 37. The Orcs and Goblins suffered 84!

I felt that the 'heavy foot' profile didn't feel orcish enough. I may try 'bellicose foot/warrior' instead next time.

More Dwarves!

It's been almost six years since I last painted some Dwarves!

Reinforcements for Durin's Folk are really long overdue, but soon they can take the field with an even bigger host!

Here is the first 12 figure shield wall unit of offensive heavy foot/expert sergeants or whatever we want to call them. Even though axes are iconic with Dwarves, I think a tight wall of shields with spears would be most useful in a tunnel. As a Dark Ages Re-enactor explained, two handed axes in your shield wall are very useful for knocking the other side's shields down so the spearmen can jab him. Thus the inclusion of the champion with the axe.

Shield slung on champion's back

This unit is made from two packs of Conqueror Model dwarf spearmen with some command and a figure from the Heros pack. I had a lot of fun painting the captain's cloak and shield, which is supposed to be a wolf curled around the shield boss and  biting it's tail.

Figures from rear rank brought forward to show shields

Fairly basic designs for the rank and file spear carriers, very much inspired by Viking era shields. I sprinkled some runes on them which may just be identifying their kit. 

Some have the triangle motif which makes me think of mountains.

When complete, I will have four such units. One banner for each featuring either a bear, raven, wolf or ram.

The flag is inspired by a flag I painted earlier this year for some Medieval Swiss troops. 

Humorous Interlude

A couple of funny items from the internet I thought I'd share, just because.

When that unit, down to its last figure,  keeps passing it's morale tests:

Mrs Rabbitman can relate to this one:

Dwarves coming soon! 

First Austrians Done!

After a bunch of delays and faffing about I have finished the first 16 figure batch of Austrians for my 1809 Sharp Practice force.

Very tired and depressed looking test figure

The head down is a result of the back of his helmet hitting the top of his pack

As the old Benjamin Moore commercial says: "White is a very difficult colour, Leonard."

For these fellows I went with a tan base coat, instead of my usual burnt umber, and then dry brushed white over top. I then blocked in the burnt umber on skin and black on helmets, gaiters and cartridge box. Then it was paint all the skin, equipment and facings before finally highlighting the uniform and belting with white again.

"Meh, close enough!" My very scientific way of making sure the paint I just bought was right.

For this formation I choose light green facings for IR 54 Froon. Simply because I liked the name. Although with every Austrian regiment having different coloured facings, my previous tactic of just bunging in command stands to make 4 stand battalions for General d'Armee will require a bit more planning. Fortunately, the Austrians did tend to keep both battalions of a regiment together in the same brigade, which will help.

Wait, I said this would just be a small force for Sharp Practice, didn't I?

Tried to get cute with this fellow. The right hand is holding a cartridge for a loading pose, but I figured he could be munching on a biscuit or something while he marches along.

Easier than I thought they'd be. Pants, jackets and belting all being white does reduce the steps. The hardest part is keeping the helmets tidy.

Our Lady of Kapusta

I got this Sarissa Precision 20mm Russian church done and decided it needed to be in a game.

I went with the 20mm model to save a few Pounds on the price, save some space on the footprint and to have it match my 20mm Russian buildings which honestly work just fine with my 28mm Napoleonics.

During assembly I noticed that the base was on it's own sheet of MDF, and nicely centered. Eureka! A few minutes with an electric drill, some glue, a few coffee stirrers and bamboo skewers and I made a fenced church yard for it.

The onion dome was supposed to made from MDF disks, but that doesn't look so great, so I replaced it with a foam ball and a washer from the craft store. I coated the ball in Mod Podge to seal it before spray painting. The Celtic style cross niggles at me. I'll have to gather my courage and replace it with an Orthodox cross, perhaps made from some thing sprue.

Table set up

The objective for the game was to seize the hill with the church on it for the building of an artillery battery. Roughly equal forces were dispatched by both sides. Placement of Deployment Points was a random die roll. The Russian DP was in the center behind the village. The Bavarian DP came up opposite the church.

Both sides came on strong with their main infantry formations and skirmishers deploying first.

Hauptmann Wahl leads his Fusiliers forward behind a screen from the Light Company

Russian musketeers get to the church on time

Jaegers sweep through the village, picking up stray cabbages and pigs

Bavarian light company rushes forwards to the wood and starts some heavy musketry on the approaching Russians

Some bonus volleys from Random Events and Command Cards pour the fire into the green coats

Meanwhile, Russian Uhlans try sweeping around the other flank and are driven off by the Chevauxleger

The Fusiliers deploy beside the Lights and begin heavy, controlled effective volleys into Russian Grenadiers and Jaegers

Jaegers fire fight the Bavarian Fusiliers.

Light company dashes forwards to seize the church. More musketry sees the Grenadiers collapse under a pile of shock and Russian Force Morale collapses with them.

My expensive Sharpshooter detachment took forever to come on table. I used a Command Card on the Tiffin to push them up into the woods in the center where they could support the Chevauxleger and shoot at the Jaegers. But the game ended before they fired a shot.

Meanwhile the Bavarian artillery is stuck in the mud, moving only 7 inches all game

The Russians got their unicorn howitzer unlimbered just as the Grenadiers broke and ran.

I think the game would have been very different if the Bavarian Deployment Point had been at the other end of the table. Or the cards fell differently. Or they hadn't rolled seven 6s for effect during a volley on the Russian Grenadiers. Or anything. But it was fun that reminded me why I like Sharp Practice so much.

Scott loaned me all three volumes of  Thunder on the Danube, so some 1809 Austrians are up next!

"Kapusta" is Russian for "chickens".