Simon's report:
Chapter Four- Nordland Rules the WavesThe hordes of Chaos had been driven off but at terrible cost. Night had fallen during the tortuous battle and the heat of the day rapidly dwindled.
“Reform,” rang out from various Sergeants as the surviving Nordlanders picked through the detritus of the battlefield, praying for the dead, carrying the wounded and dispatching the enemy. A deathly silence gathered outside the garrison as Jeridian dismounted his horse to move amongst the men.
Cannon shot rang out from seaward and many of the men cowered anticipating the inevitable hit from the endless pirate bombardment. It never came.
“The fleet, the fleet,” a distant call from the soldiers still manning the garrison walls.
Mutterings of confusion grew amongst the men outside.
“Sergeants, reform your men, gather the wounded,” Jeridian barked, already breaking into a jog towards the garrison’s battered wooden gates. More distant cannon shot, Jeridian straining under the weight of his plate armour as he broke into the courtyard and marched up the stairway to the battlements.
“My Lord, their here!” a soldier blurted, excitedly. Jeridian turned to the sea, still perplexed at the cryptic references. There amongst the anchored pirate ships sailed the war galleys of the Nordland naval fleet in broadsides, battering the sitting targets as their pirate crews hurried to get under sail. Jeridian grinned, the gesture masked by dirt and dried blood.
“Prepare the stores for transport, ready the men to embark on ship,” Jeridian ordered, “spread the word!”
A sigh escaped from nearby soldiers, the weight of being trapped in this cursed garrison lifted from them.
Jeridian strolled down the stairway towards his quarters to gather his maps and belongings. He was already looking ahead to hunting down the flagship of the scurvy pirate that had bombarded his men for the passed days. The only place Nordlanders fought better than on land, was by sea.
Week 4, Game 5- Pirates of ArabyBeen a while since I’ve played a Naval battle and we both had to have a refresh of the rules.
I took the Salzenmund, medium ship, with the following crew:
Captain Jeridian- Sword, shield, pistol, full plate armour. 66pts
Handgunners- 10x 1xMarksman- Hochland Long Rifle. 105pts
Free Company (Ship’s crew)- 10x 50pts.
Swordsmen (Nordland Marines)- 13x78pts
Great Cannon- 1x. 3xCrew. 200pts
500pts
Saul took the Hogwasha, medium ship with the following crew:
3x Stone Throwers. 9xGrot crew.
Big Boss- Stuff.
A lot of Orc Boyz- roughly 15-20.
500pts
I had 3 Rock Lobbers (with 9 Grots and three Orc crew), 22 Orc Boyz with extra Choppas, 2 Orc Bosses with extra Choppas, and an Orc Big Boss (but no bling, just an extra Choppa). WbKThe board was a 5’ x 4’ stretch of sea with a small island at the centre. Initially a deadly game of chase was started, both ships being either side of the island and moving anti-clockwise around it whilst trading cannon shot.
This lasted for several turns, with the Stone Throwers doing damage to the Salzenmund and the Great Cannon replying in kind.
With much of my Handgunners unable to get good line of sight I made the bold move of pushing them overboard to swim onto the island. There they set up small firebase to pepper the Orc ship as it sailed passed.
The sniper in the crow’s nest used his Hochland Long Rifle to great effect picking off the standard bearer and anyone foolish enough to pick the flag from his corpse.
Saul soon realised that I could afford to keep sailing around trading shots, especially with Handgunners on a patch of land without risk of sinking. He made the bold move to turn about, the wind behind him so he managed to begin sailing clockwise, a collision course with the Salzenmund.
At was at this point the remaining Stone Throwers cracked a hole in the Salzenmund’s hull and it began taking on water. It would sink in 3 turns.
I could no longer afford to stay at distance. With a battlecry, Jeridian ordered the Salzenmung to ram the Hogwasha, tearing a hole in its hull- through good fortune the Hogwasha would sink in 1 turn.
The Nordland Marines stormed aboard but where predictably repelled by Orc’s who then boarded the Salzenmund. A vicious close combat ensued.
Both sides took casualties, but held. The Great Cannon crew bravely staying with their sinking cannon to fire shots rather than save themselves.
Finally the Hogwasha sank, and most of the Orc crew ended up flailing in the drink whilst being picked off by the Handgunner firebase.
The Empire good fortune was short-lived as the Salzenmund a few turns later sank beneath the waves, and now everyone was flailing in the water.
Trying to fight hand to hand whilst swimming is not the easiest task and numerous warriors from both sides drowned.
Jeridian, wearing full plate armour dropped like a lead weight on touching the water, an embarrassing end.
The few survivors from each side scrambled for the island, but the Handgunner firebase ensured I had the upper hand, taking out Orcs as they crawled onto the beach.
In the end only a few Empire Handgunners defiantly stood amongst the dead on the island, wondering how exactly they would be rescued.
Jeridian of course, washed up on shore moments later, to fight another day. As did, no doubt, a number of ‘important’ Orc combatants.
A great game, I always like naval battles, and not just because Nordland has a proud tradition of sea-faring and can kick ass when their enemies must swim to them.
A Draw for the Araby Reclamation Pact against the Brethren of the Sea.