It was great fun today to meet up with Chris for a second go at Warlords of Erehwon. Chris was using his Orcs again whilst I opted to give my goblin warband a go. All figures are of the 'Old School' collections we have been acquiring recently. As host Chris set up the scenario which we kept reasonably simple to help us further understand the rules better. The idea was that my Goblins led by Kruk 'the Destroyer' was raiding deep into Orc lands when his warriors came across some Orcs of the 'Severed Hand' resting amidst some ruins. Hagar Sheol, leader of the Orcs gathered his warriors around him and rushed to meet their foes.
Chris set the scene with the following tale... Gurk, the goblin shaman and lover of all spells sparkly manipulates Gruk into attacking the orcs...
"Dem orcs got a good kickin" Gurk mused aloud.
"Yer wot?" Snarled Kruk.
"Dem orcs. Dey is weaker now, and I knows ya don't like em. I mean, if I was a 'Destroya', I'd be all over dem like mange on a dire wolf".
The bigger goblin thought it over. His shaman could see the effort this took.
"Cos dey'd be easier to destroy, but folks'll just remember how yer destroyed em, not how you wus all sneaky and taktikal like" Gurk added, helping the process along.
"Ere, Gurk. Ow de yer fancy using yer sparkly magic against dem jumped up Severed Hands? I fink nows a great time to get a bit of destroyin in".
With a sigh, the smaller goblin nodded. It was hard work, but he needed to use blunt tools like Kruk to further 'The Plan'.
Deployment, the goblins face off against the Severed Hand Orcs emerging from the ruins.
Looking magnificient in his spikey helmet Kruk discusses tactics with Gurk.
The Severed Hand Orcs emerge from cover with Grashnak Cra, the Orc Champion on lookout at the top of the steps.
Some goblin spear troops and the goblin archer advance through the woods.
Grashnak advances at the run.
Orc archers shoot at the advancing goblin archers at the front of the wood killing one but losing three in return when the goblins shot back.
Over on the goblin right flank the two foes are getting closer.
The goblin warriors and the goblin guard unit were soon to find out how tough Orc warriors can be. Only the goblin guard leader remained.
(I am a little disappointed in the quality of my photo's taken with my new phone camera.)
The orc warriors having despatched of most of one of my goblin warrior units now approach Gurk. With an impressively sparkly show of magic Gurk totally fails to cast his 'Aura of Timidity' spell - he is in trouble now.
Gurk just about survives the orc attack but his two gobbledog guards are killed.
At this point, the game was getting frantic and very closely balanced but I seem to have forgotten to take more photo's.
Gurk finally managed to cast his spell showering the orcs with some very sparkly pin markers. Over on the left flank the goblin archers rout the one remaining orc archer. They then advanced and shot Grashak killing hilm. Kruk hurls his 'Skull crusher' magic weapon at Hagar as the Orc chieftain leads his bodyguard into a ferocious melee with Kruk and his guards. With Hagar getting the better of the first round of melee we sadly ran out of time just at the climatic moment which would have resolved the battle. With an arrogant nod, Kruk back away and Hagar stepped back, licking the blood from his axe, determined to resolve this clash another day.
This was a very enjoyable game that left me keen to play again soon. I like how the main characters seem to be developing their own personalities. We both agree that we need to get a better understanding of some of the various rule tests one needs to do, but otherwise we are forming a good understanding of the rules.