Due to the limitations of my collection, the forces were not exactly as detailed in the War in Rohan campaign book. The Rohirrim were short of three Outriders, but had an extra Rider of Rohan in Elfhelm's command, whereas for the forces of Isengard, Thrydan Wolfsbane was replaced with Gorulf Ironskin and the 9 Dunlendings were substituted by 12 Wildmen of Dunland.
Also, for reference, we used alternate models for the Rohirrim heroes. Theodred is Eomer, Gamling is Grimbold of Grimslade and Elfhelm is a Royal Guard with a ridiculously long spear.
Deployment
Having heard the news of Saruman's servants advancing into Rohan, Theodred had recklessly led a small force to hold the Fords of Isen against the invaders.
In order to support this effort, Grimbold of Grimslade was marching his Helmingas with all haste to support his prince.
This was fortunate, as Theodred was massively outnumbered and the evil servants of Isengard were swarming down to engulf his small force.
Turns 1-2
Leaving his force to block the ford, Theodred rode back to greet Grimbold's reserves and give orders to reinforce the fords and hold until whenever Elfhelm arrived.
Volleys of black-fletched arrows sang out towards the shieldwall and gaps began to appear in the line. Some of them embedded with thicker, shorter quarrels, impacting with deadly force.
Vrasku watched as his shots went true, dropping the strawheads where they stood.
The Uruk-hai crashed into the Rohirrim line, which looked like it would buckle and break until Theodred recklessly charged into support his faltering men.
Theodred heroically cut down several of the foul creatures, but as his allies were cut down or pushed back, he was in danger of advancing too far and being cut off.
Things looked desperate and it was doubtful that even the Helmingas would help to stem the tide, but at that moment, clear horns sounded in the distance.
Elfhelm had arrived...early...
Turns 3-6
Riding down towards the river, Elfhelm divided his forces. He led the main group as fast as he could to support Prince Theodred whilst directing a smaller force to slow their horses and fire into the mass of Uruks to thin the herd.
Meanwhile, Grimbold and the Helmingas rushed in to fill the gaps in the Rohirrim line and preventing Theodred being isolated (a timely heroic move and Theodred being able to tactically charge backwards saved his bacon here).
Grimbold's commanding voice could be heard bolstering morale as the wave of Uruk-hai crashed against the Rohirrim shield wall. Urging the men to fight defensively, the men of Rohan did not slay many of their foes but had begun to push them backwards, step by step, across the river.
Riding to the rescue, Elfhelm realised his cavalry could not make an impact in the battle at the ford and slowed his advance to fire arrows into the mass of the enemy.
The press at the ford became more intense as Gorulf Ironskin struggled to get through the struggling mass of bodies to make his axes count in the fight. The Warg Riders moved to behind the ford to shield themselves from the arrows now flying thick and fast from the other side of the river.
With the enemy cavalry hiding from view, Elfhelm wheeled his cavalry to take aim at the Uruk Scouts who were making themselves a nuisance on the southern bank and had taken the horses from under two of his riders.
The massed bows of the Rohirrim began to tell and one by one the Uruk Scouts fell. With the ranged threat from Isengard neutralised, it was all about the fight at the ford.
Turns 7-9
Grimbold was tiring (out of Might) and greater strength of the Uruk-hai was beginning to tell. Theodred was a flurry of slaughter, but he couldn't be everywhere. As once again the line began to buckle, Elfhelm rode into the ford to take command and ensure that the shield wall held.
Theodred's recklessness caused him once again to plunge into the heart of the enemy lines and he found himself surrounded and alone on the far bank.
He once again slew all about him, but another surge of the enemy cut down more of the men of Rohan, but the line held once again as Elfhelm's men thundered into to ford.
The charge of the Riders threw the Uruks back in disarray and put a ring of steel around the prince, but Gorulf Ironskin was now able to make his axes felt and Riders were hewn from their horses around him.
The defensive line Elfhelm had posted as a rear-guard were also drawn into the frothing, bloody fray as men, horse and Uruks died in the frothing waters of the fords.
Turns 10-12
Despite taking heavy losses, the Rohirrim has pushed the remaining forces of Isengard back across the river and Theodred was leading from the front.
Vrasku and Gorulf Ironskin had been given two goals: to take the fords and to slay the impetuous prince of Rohan. Control of the fords was now beyond their reach, but Theodred was still within striking distance.
Vrasku and the remaining Uruks and Wildmen threw themselves into the enemy, trying to leave Gorulf a path through to Theodred, A single Rider stood in his way and was hewn down in a furious frenzy. Ironskin's path to the prince was clear.
As the Dunlending chieftain charged into the heir to the throne of Rohan, the rest of the Rohirrim rode to his aid and aimed to finish off the last of the enemy forces. Vrasku was surrounded and trapped, but somehow managed to overcome Grimbold and several of the men of Rohan, bursting out of the ring of foes and running for the safety of the treeline.
Gorulf and Theodred clash in a battle of champions. Their skills were evenly matched and their blades were a blur of steel. Suddenly the flurry of blows stopped. Gorulf stood still, staring as blood flowed from the wound in his throat cut by Theodred's sword.
The fords had been held.
Aftermath
This was a really tense affair which the pictures don't really capture. The pushing and shoving at the ford was full of intricacies and back and forth, and certainly, early in the game the Rohirrim could easily have been cut down, but three elements seemed to turn the tide of the battle:
- Elfhelm's cavalry arrived as early as they possibly could, wiping out the Uruk-hai's advantage almost immediately. Had they turned up on turn 9 (as was possible) things could have been very different.
- Having more heroes was a real bonus to the Rohirrim as it meant that I was able to ignore the whims of the initiative dice for much of the battle and prevent the line from breaking and the Uruk-hai surging through the gaps.
- Fighting defensively at the fords had the unforeseen effect of keeping Gorulf Ironskin trapped behind his own men for much of the battle. He would have cut down the Rohirrim line and although he lost to Theodred, if he'd had allies in that fight, things might have been different.
Unfortunately, Theodred surviving means that Theoden's will won't break and Grima Wormtongue will not be able to convince him to not oppose Saruman, ultimately ruining the entire plot of The Lord of the Rings.
Oh well...looks like the campaign is over...
Postscript
As the strawheads gathered around their prince and cheered their victory, Vrasku watched from the darkness of the treeline.
Theodred, the warrior who had seemed to burn like a bright flame in battle. Such a warrior would rally the men of Rohan and lead them against Saruman's forces. The muster of the horselords would run down the Uruk-hai on the plains and the White Wizard's plans would come to nothing.
Lifting his crossbow, he took careful aim at Theodred and let fly. The shot flew true and thunked into the shoulder of the crowing princeling, knocking him from his horse. Vrasku leered, the blow wouldn't kill him, but the venom he had smeared onto it would eat away at the man and lay him low in a day or two. His end would be painful, and he would never ride again.
As horses thundered up towards his hiding place, Vrasku turned and slipped into the shadows. He alone would return to Isengard to tell Saruman of what had transpired.
Fantastic battle report
ReplyDeleteThanks. Glad you enjoyed it.
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