The Anvil of Whispers [Game 1] : The Attack on Bleaker's Farm

 

Ive been working for a little while now on retro fantasy figures with no direct goal in mind other than to "at some point" use them in a game, with Warhammer Fantasy long dead, Dragons Rampant seemed like the most favorable candidate, as it's very versatile and quick to organize.  I decided to toss together a little outline for a quick 3 game solo play campaign a la my "Woodcutters Due" 40k scenarios, and place them in a fantasy setting i've been using for a few years for traditional RPG's to help build some flavorful events to riff off of in future games set there.  Just as I had everything set up to get the game in my lovely girlfriend Jess, asked if I could show her how to play, and so I set her up with the civilized southern militia while i took control of the savage northmen. She caught on after a few turns, and seemed to enjoy things, so hopefully we will see her leading more forces into the fray in the near future!   

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Summary: The year is 2807 and the Brennaveld Imperium is in the midst of a Succession Crisis after the death of Emperor Maximilliam VII. The Imperiums greatest Marshall, the Lord Bannock, has recently met his own demise at the hands of a band of sellswords in the heart of his vast Manor in Antinar County, lost to an all-encompassing madness brought on by his fascination with foreign magics. Robbed of its Lord, and with many of its fighting men away in the Imperial Heartland defending the Capitol from illicit claimants, Antinar is now vulnerable to attack. 

North of Antinar County, the Free Tribes are being brought under a single banner, the Tal'Shahan or "Iron Men" in common, has perfected the mysteries of ancient dwarven metal shaping, and their ambitious Chieftan Renga Firesbreath, is already beginning to eye the treasure-laden cities of the Imperium, after all the best way to ensure the loyalty of a diverse tribal horde is to give them a common foe, and one with lots of gold tends to help. 

Still working to gather tribes under the banner of the Tal'Shahan, Renga Firesbreath sends his cousin, Iglak Wol, and a hundred Palvoti (Bondsmen) across the border to go to The Anvil of Whispers, a powerful Dwarven artifact, resting in the abandoned ruins of the Dwarf Hold outside the town of Honsveyl. With the Anvil, the Tal'Shahan could lace their armors and weapons with potent runic magic, but beyond this potential reward, Iglak Wol's expedition will act as a reconnaissance in force of Antinar County's military capabilities, as well as serving to survey a possible northwestern invasion route.

After only a few days, Iglak Wol's vanguard was countered at Bleaker's Farm, by a scrappy force of Antinar Provincial Militia and Knights of the Radiant Sun led by Sir Kirkegard, who had heard of the Tal'Shahan's movements by a panicked Gnome Mushroom poacher that spotted the tribesmen while out in the wilds 

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Imperial Milita of Antinar

12 Points

Knights of the Radiant Sun (3men) - Elite Foot

2x Provincial Militia (6men) - Light Foot

Vanguard of the Tal'Shahan

12 Points

2x Palvoti (6men) - Heavy Foot

Dire Razor Wolves (3 dogs) - Lesser Warbeast

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The Imperials start inside the farmyard while the Tal'shahan begin play just breaking the treeline behind the farmhouse 

The Tal'shahan deployment 

The Imperial Deployment 

The Men of Iron advance, their wolves moving quickly forward around the house

The first unit of Palvoti hops the stone wall and gets to grips with the Knights, 

The other unit of Palvoti continues its flanking march, the razor wolves find a nice tasty chicken and thus fail to activate for their move order 

The first unit of Palvoti are repulsed, losing a man, but wounding a knight. They are not unbowed and begin reforming for another charge

The Palvoti again charge the knights, just as the second unit of their kinsmen make It around the wooden fence and threaten the Militia who have formed into a schilltrom in anticipation of the attack 

Both units of Palvoti are repulsed, the unit fighting the knights loses yet another man and becomes "battered", but in the fierce melee manage to kill a knight, forcing that unit to become "battered" in return. The Palvoti fighting the militia wound a man, and lose none in return but the milita stand their ground and so the tribesmen move back in good order to build up their strength for another push.  

The knights recover from their battered state and Sally into the Palvoti by the wooden fence, in the fighting they manage to slay two of the tribesmen, in exchange for only one wound. The tribesmen break and rout from the field in response.   The Razor Wolves,  finally finished mucking about in the backfield leap the fence and attack the still formed up Militia.

The Razor dogs kill one militia man and wound another but lose one of their own number and become battered for the effort.

The ebb of the fighting has tipped decidedly in the Imperials favor with the remaing Tal'Shahan, either in rout or shakily reforming in their deployment zone

The remaining unit of Palvoti reforms for the 3rd time and moves through the wheat field for one last attempt at the Imperial position

The Razor Wolves as well get their wits about them (or at least, their desire for eating things) and move back into the courtyard to descend onto the militia

The wolves kill another militia man and wound another, but are wiped out in the course of their single minded assault.  The Palvoti, get to grips with the Knights, killing one, and suffering an injury in the process. The mounting casualties and injuries. Proves too much and one of the tribesmen abandons his kinsmen and flees, leaving the rest of his unit struggling to reform as the full strength of the Provincial Militia and remaining knight moves across the field towards them.

In the end, the last unit of Palvoti couldn't muster a 4th attack, but had to be sheparded from the field by the advancing Imperial forces none the less, eventually withdrawing back into the woods in good order.  

The advance of Iglak Wol, has been successfully blocked at Bleaker's Farm forcing the Tal'Shahan into a much more dangerous route through the mountains to get to their goal.