WoV #4 - Orchaeology

 Fourth battle of the Wolf of Vengeance campaign.

After slowing down the Orcs in Gisoreux, Rhobar enters the Forest of Arden to unveil the mysterious reason of the Greenskin reckoning... 

Path of the Orcs Game 2

Orchaeology

September 3, 2020

Briefing

When you, Rhobar, enter in the deep forest, you discover that the Orcs dug an enormous excavation site, surrounded by rudimental fortifications. Your Battle Mages tell you that there's a powerful magic source here, and probably the Greenskins are channelling here for that purpose. They're searching for something... and you must find it first, whatever it is.

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Empire vs Orcs & Goblins. Battle, 1000 pts

The armies

The good ones

Empire Army - 1000 pts

Grimbeorn, for this battle, wisely decides to deploy as little cavalry as possible, and stake everything on the solid ankles of his Imperial State Troops. Two big units, one of Halberdiers and one of Spearmen, are surrounded by 4 (!) Detachments of 5 Crossbowmen each. 5 Pistoliers (unmissable) complete the picture. In addition to Rhobar, on the field there are a BSB and a Fire Mage, ready to rumble.

The bad ones

Orcs & Goblins Army - 1000 pts

The Greenskins have some useful fortifications on their side, and they're going to use them. The Orc Warboss, named The Red Orc from the colour of his armour, is on foot with a Savage Orc Shaman (hey hey, a colleague), the works supervisor of this site. A Goblin Shaman and an Orc BSB complete the Heroes section. The core of the army is formed by some Boyz, a nice group of Night Goblins with bows, two units of 10 Spider Riders each (obviously perfect for a fight in the middle of the forest) and 5 Orc Boar Boyz.

The game

I had 18 pics of this game, all took by Grimbeorn for the first time... and last, because almost every photo is really, really bad 😂 sorry mate, couldn't leave this chance to make publicly fun of you 😜

The starting deployment: you can see all the Empire Troops and the core of the Orc Army, safely secured behind the walls. They will try to channel the Humans between the fortifications

The main Orc unit with The Red Orc in the first rank

The final phase of the battle: one of the Spider Riders unit has been wiped out by the Spearmen which now aim to the walls; in the centre there's the fight between the two main units; the Pistoliers and the other Spider Riders are going to struggle near some rough terrain

The story

The struggle is surprisingly brief: the Winds of Magic bless you and your Fire Mage is crucial to achieve the victory by reducing to ashes the Orc Boyz. You capture The Red Orc and his Shaman and, careless of their protests, you and the Mage enter the orcheological site.

This reveal itself for a city into the bowels of earth, inhabited by the Greenskins in an far ancient era you can't even imagine. In the unnatural darkness, in the deep, you find what the Shaman was looking for: a magic staff, made by a special wood very sensitive to the Winds of Magic. You gave it to the Mage: he earned it.

When you ascend, you want to go deep even in the mystery of the Orc banner, the orcish skull with Sigmar's hammer on it. You question the Warboss, and you notice that the Greenskin wears an amulet... the same amulet your mentor gave you before his death: the symbol of the Brotherhood of the Stone Portal, with your mentor's name, Heinderich, carved overleaf! Raging, you want to know why a filthy Orc has such a medallion, but the Warboss doesn't yield: he will tell you only if you could beat him in hand to hand combat.

You accept the challenge, but the result isn't in your favor: the Orc earns his freedom. However, he's looking at you with a strange gleam in the eyes. He tells you that's not possible that your meeting is a coincidence. Gork, or maybe Mork, and your "ztupid god" must have planned something. So, he tells you that his tribe was founded by his father, an Orc of which he brings the name, Gorthul, who chose this symbol because of his friendship with a Human. This man, Gustav Heinderich from Zenres, in the Border Princes, and Gorthul fought side by side against a dreadful Orc Warboss who a hundred years ago ravaged the Empire (you have a vague hint of having studied this in the Imperial College, but fortunately you happily forgot everything). Their friendship was so intense that Gorthul put Sigmar's hammer on his banner, especially after he managed to return to Gustav his kidnapped loved one, Klara... the mother of your mentor Heinderich!

Gorthul son affirms that you two are the heirs of this story, and this must be part of a bigger plan. He asks you what are you looking for, and you, pushed by this thickened plot, tell him everything: "I need to defeat the Human warbosses that usurp my land, and one of them is here in Bretonnia". The Orc, after a brief thinking, make an offer: he will be your ally "in da land o' many horzes" if you'll help him free his father grave from the Greenskins desecrating it.

Torn between rationality and instinct, you accept. Allying with the Greenskin: you would never have thought of that. However, imagining a Giant assaulting the walls of Parravon is kind of a nice pic. The Bretonnians are too weak to provide troops, and leaving the matter in Gorthul's hands will leave you free to concentrate on the Empire...