Border Princes: Turn 10 Moves

Border Princes Turn 8 Battle Report: Da Bushwhack Bash (aka 'The First Battle of La Maisonvert Abbey)

Da Bushwhack Bash (aka 'The First Battle of La Maisonvert Abbey')

Aided by a loyal merry band of woodsmen, Tybalt du Boix de Balzac sought to claim the forests north of Malko by re-taking the ruined Bretonnian abbey of La Maisonvert, long reclaimed by the forest but still of great strategic significance in the wild.  Tybalt was more wise and prudent than his crusading brother-in-law Baron Odo, and avoided a reckless charge into the dense ranks of savage orcs, trolls and greenskins. 

Rather, Tybalt held his veteren knights of the realm and otherworldly Grail Knights in check even as doomdivers wrecked havoc around them, waiting for just the right moment to charge.  All the while brave squires mounted upon their doughty horses rode in and out of the greenskin lines, taunting them with bowfire, drawing out their fanatics and trying to draw them out of the tight defensive position they had formed in the clearing.  Meanwhile, the merry band of brigands (er… bowmen) who had guided Tybalt to the clearing desperately rained flaming arrows down upon the horrific mangler squig which hurtled ominously across the battlefield.

Seeing that Tybalt was unlikely to be drawn into a charge and that the goblin doom-divers were struggling to find their mark, the wily Orc shaman Plodda da Olda summoned the Greenskin gods themselves to battle: the power of Gork (or was it Mork?) rained repeatedly down on Tybalt and his proud knights, who sought in vain to flee from the otherworldly onslaught.  When a shamed Tybalt finally regained his composure and returned to the field only one of his proud retainers and the damsel Jeannette remained at his side.  The damsel herself, desperately trying to channel the Lady’s power against that of the Greenskin gods, drew too strongly on the winds of magic and faded away into the mist that wreathes the Goddess’s sacred places.

Meanwhile, Sir Jasperre and Sir Renais had lead their retinue thundering through the woods themselves, protected from tangled root, low bough and forest spirit alike by an enchanted banner fashioned by the prophetess Iseult.  Smashing asunder the rickety Snotling pumpwagon sent against them, the knights burst from the woods behind the Greenskin lines, destroying one of their artillery pieces and wheeling to prepare for a final charge from the rear.

With shadows already growing long the savage warboss Handibul used all his will and menace to keep his savage orcs and trolls in a tight, solid battle formation amidst the insults and stinging bow fire of the mounted squires, several of whom slipped through the Greenskin lines to destroy the remainder of their artillery.  After devouring well nigh a dozen of the good-natured brigands who had guided Tybalt through the woods, the Bretonnian bowmen finally brought the horrific mangler squig down with their volleys of flaming arrows.  For his part Tybalt struggled to gather his Bretonnian knights into position, hoping desperately to find a weakness in the Greenskin block which would collapse under a combined charge.

Tybalt sounded charges from his realm knights in the south, the Otherworldly Grail Knights in the centre and prepared to join the fray himself, but only the Grail Knights timed their charge correctly and the others did not find their mark.  For their part, the Grail Knights held their own against the loathesome bile attacks of the trolls, but were unable to break the beasts.  With the light dying rapidly in the west and the Greenskin lines still intact and largely unscathed, a frustrated Tybalt sounded the withdrawal.  La Maisonvert Abbey would remain with the orcs and goblins this day.  

Da Bushwhack Bash (aka ‘The First Battle of La Maisonvert Abbey), part of the Border Princes War of 2516-2518 IC
Date: 27th Erntzeit, 2516 IC
Location: The Ruined Abbey of La Maisonvert, Woods North of Malko
Result: Orc & Goblin Victory
Belligerents
Bretonnians (Duke Tybalt’s Retainers)	Orcs and Goblins
Commanders
Duke Tybalt	Handibul, Savage Orc Warboss
Other Leaders
Iseult, Prophetess of the Lady	Plodda da Elda, Savage Orc Great Shaman
Sir Renais, Battle Standard Bearer	Hasnobul, Savage Orc Big Boss
Sir Jasperre	Brootus, Orc Big Boss
Jeannette, Damsel of the Lady(?†)	Smudge, Night Goblin Shaman
	Gresi,  Goblin Big Boss Hairball, Goblin Big Boss
Strength
2250 pts.	2250 pts.
Casualties
522 pts.	415 pts.
†=killed in battle

Border Princes Turn 8 Battle Report: Da Thump'n Bash Road Smash (The Battle of Tarnished Spurs)

D Thump'n Bash Road Smash (aka 'The Battle of Tarnished Spurs')

Fresh from bloody battles around the Bretonnian holdings in Araby, Baron Odo lead his crusading realm knights in a bid to claim the Silk Road for his brother-in-law Tybalt.  Against him marched the orc warboss Attaka da Gun and his ferocious Smakkadiks!

Odo’s mounted squires took to the field first, the skilled huntsmen bravely baiting out the maniacal fanatics, squig hoppers and mangler squigs.  Indeed, five of the hapless squires were smashed into bloody pulp by one of the crazed fanatics, while another band of squires played a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the squig hoppers!

Meanwhile the Greenskins’ battle began with salvos from their bolt throwers and doom-divers, whittling down the ranks of Bretonnian chivalry.  In response a great granite rock was hurled from the Bretonnians’ trebuchet, flattening dozens of Night Goblins.  Terrified by this bizarre nightmare of flying goblins, manglers and boulders, a unit of Bretonnian bowmen felt it the better part of valour to leave the nobles to their madness and rather stumble around the woods eating hallucinogenic truffles!

Impatient to spill Greenskin blood, Baron Odo lead two proud units of realm knights forward on the right flank, while Sir Etienne and his knightly retinue carried Odo’s battle standard into battle with the savage orcs on the left.  However, Attaka da Gun moved with ensorcelled speed, cutting down six of the hapless realm knights before their lances even struck home!  Meanhile the remaining crazed savage orcs seemed almost impervious to the shock of the Bretonnians’ charge, and the remaining knights were soon bogged down in a brutal melee against a foe which never seemed to tire, desperately trying to hold until the arrival of their reserves.  The brave Sir Etienne himself was quickly dragged from his saddle and hacked to pieces, the Baron’s Banner carried away by the shrieking horde!

Enraged, Baron Odo lead his knights towards the left to aid his retainers, but not before ordering his other knights into a charge on the right, where they smashed a snotling pump-wagon to smithereens and then careening on into the horde of night-goblins, bristling with spears but uncertain before the knightly charge.  Baron Odo lead his personal retinue into a hellish charge upon the greenskin artillery, and his knights were whittled down by goblin bolt throwers, doom divers and the terrible gaping maw of the mangler squig. 

With no help yet coming from the Baron, the savage orcs were able to overwhelm the realm knights they battled, cutting down the remainder as they fled.  Behind Bretonnian lines, meanwhile, the trebuchet crew were slain by squig hoppers and wolf riders, though they in turn were seen off by the remaining squires.

Suddenly, the Bretonnian bowmen in the woods hurled themselves into the battle between the knights and the night goblins, apparently buoyed by the hallucinogens in the mushrooms they had been scoffing!  Whatever the cause, the night goblins broke and the knights gave chase, but their exhausted chargers were unable to keep pace with the fleet-footed greenskins! 

This brief turn for the Bretonnians was not to hold, however, for their reserves arrived too-late beside Baron Odo and what remained of his force.  The Savage orcs hurled themselves into the bewildered Bretonnian reserves, cutting them to pieces even as they looked around desperately for the knights they were supposed to be reinforcing.  Grinning brutally, Rumbilgutz lead his trolls in a charge into the few knights remaining upright in their saddles beside Baron Odo.  Seeing this turn of events, the fleeing Night Goblins found their courage and turned to form up against their knightly pursuers, chuckling nastily.

Intent on dying with as much greenskin blood on his mace as possible, Baron Odo issued a challenge to Rumbilgutz, and in the dying sunlight the two mighty warriors traded blows even as the trolls dismembered Odo’s remaining retainers.  Eventually, however, even Odo’s desire to die in battle was thwarted, for with all his knights slain and the hungry trolls closing in, the Prophetess of the Lady demanded Odo escort her safely from the battlefield… leaving the Silk Road to the wild hooting and cavorting of the greenskins as they danced amid the broken bodies of their beaten foe…

Da Thump’n Bash Road Smash (aka ‘The Battle of Tarnished Spurs’ , part of the Border Princes War of 2516-2518 IC
Date: 14th Ernzeit, 2516 IC
Location: The Central Silk Road, in the vicinity of Malko
Result: Decisive Orc & Goblin Victory (Crushing Victory)
Belligerents
Bretonnians (Baron Odo’s Crusade)	Orcs and Goblins (Da Smakaddiks)
Commanders
Baron Odo	Attaka da Gun
Other Leaders
Sir Etienne (Battle Standard Bearer) †	Baddass Wind, Shaman of Gork (or was it Mork?)
Margot, Prophetess of the Lady	Rumbilgutz, Big Boss (Battle Standard Bearer)
Elise, Damsel of the Lady(†?)	Trippin Fungi, Night Goblin Shaman
	Alcerus “You can call me Al”, Goblin Big Boss
	Ragfacescab, Goblin Big Boss
Strength
2450 pts.	2250 pts.
Casualties
1206 pts.	410 pts.
†=killed in battle