Oathmark Solo Test Game, Turn 6

I finished rebasing and varnishing some metal Uruk-Hai Scouts I purchased second hand some years ago, and I promptly put them on the table.

The Dwarven Archers were still picking on the closing Dunlendings, but they still kept coming!

The Dunlending Warriors smashed into the flank of the Dwarven Soldiers....

...but got beaten back.

The Human Cavalry again charged the Uruk-Hai Scouts on the far right.

This time the Uruks broke...

...but panic did not spread to the Uruk-Hai Warriors nearby...

...who then charged into the flank of the Cavalry, killing all the Humans.

The Uruks were Disordered by the fray, but the steel fist of the Human force had now been checked!

Textbook material, the Cavalry was followed up by Infantry (Rohan Spearmen). They would have been better off attacking in larger numbers, though.

The Uruk-Hai made sure the Rohirrim stayed within reach, only pushing them back 1".

The Trolls truly had turned to stone.

The Rohan Archers still made a nuisance of themselves.

The Dunlending Warriors just closed ranks and sucked it up.

The Dunlending Spearmen attacked the Dwarven Archers, but did not fare well.

Meanwhile, the Orcs (Goblin Soldiers) suffered badly at the bowmanship of the Minas Tirith Archers.

The Uruk-Hai Crossbowmen tried their luck at the Rohan Archers, but to no avail.

The rest of Turn 6 was merely moving and maneuvering, and here are the usual pictures of the battlefield at the end of the turn.

At this point things have started looling a wee tad bleak for the forces of Evil. Their left flank is all but turned, and their main battle line is beginning to show signs of wear and tear, whereas the enemy has several intact or almost intact large units to draw on.

I think we should see a conclusion during the next couple of turns, but who knows - maybe the Dice Gods yet have something to say about it...?

Oathmark Solo Test Game, Turn 5

As expected, I got a bit of hobby time squeezed in Wednesday May 13, and as I was able to finish rebasing some Orcs and Uruk-Hai, I sent them onto the table as reinforcements for the Isengard army.

The Dunlendings finally reached the Dwarf Archers, but those stunties know how to handle a sword as well as a bow.

The Dwarves did get Disordered by the fight, though...

...although they held their ground well enough.

On the other flank, the Cavalry charged home once more. The Disordered Uruk-Hai Scouts did their best to fend off the attack...

...they even managed to pass their Morale Test...

...but were pushed back, forcing the Uruk-Hai Warriors back, too.

Some Uruk-Hai Scouts smashed into the Rohan Archers, but with no great effect (I since realized that I have been forgetting the Charge and Wild Charge special rules for the Orcs, but, well...)

Both units got Disordered from the fighting.

And the tied result left the Uruks in a tight spot.

The Dwarf Soldiers seized the opportunity for hammering into the flank of the Scouts, and run them flat over.

The Dwarves were then, in turn, attacked by the Dunlending Warriors.

They kept their nerve...

...but were pushed deep into the allied lines, causing some displacement and confusion. I chose to have units reaching the table edge dispatching along the edge, and I consider house-ruling that units can actually be pushed off the edge, as I otherwise find it too convenient for armies with good archers to hang back and let the enemy cross the entire board while being peppered with arrows. With the displacement along the edge, it is possible to break through an enemy battle line, even if it sits back on its edge, and if pushing units off the table is allowed, it gets outright dangerous to rely too much on defensive tactics. Well, I shall have to give this some consideration and discuss it with my gaming buddies...

The Uruk-Hai Crossbowmen (Orc Archers) were charged by the Fiefdom Spearmen, and battered real hard.

They even got Disordered.

And then pushed well back.

But of course, the Spearmen were now all alone among enemies, and the Orcs (Goblin Soldiers) pivoted and charged them in the flank.

The Spearmen somehow survived, but ended up in an even more exposed position than before.

Seing their comrades-in-arms' peril, the Minas Tirith Archers let fly a deadly hail of arrows.

Decimating and shattering the Orcs.

But it could not save the Spearmen, now being run over by the Orc Warg Riders (Goblin Wolf Riders).

The Trolls may have turned to stone.

The rest of the turn was just moving and maneuvering, so here are some shots of the battlefield at the end of Turn 5:

In th emeantime, I have played Turn 6 as well, and I should be able to post it tomorrow (or even later today, but that depends on a couple of uncontrollable factors).