LOTR Campaign - Battle #2 Ridgelines and Riders.

It's been said by a few that I am suffering an unconscious bias for the force of Good, Sorry the Humans... so this posting is for all the fans of the Orcs...

The second campaign game and the forces of Isengard march into the Gap of Rohan....

Krag watched and waited, his Warg scouts had reported the approach of a Rohan foraging party, the humans were hungry and that would be their undoing.

The humans were many in number, with riders and foot troops together with a number of wagons laded with supplies gathered from the surrounding area.

Rohan archers scampered ahead of the humans looking to shield their infantry, Krag sent forward his shooters to pin the skirmishers whilst he signalled his main body.

He called forward his warriors from their hiding place in the burnt out farmstead, these were veterans of many a raid on human kind. The company of Granluk beat their shields as they worked themselves up into a fervour.

A new foe appear, pale creatures with pointed ears - Elves they thought themselves immortal, we shall see murmured Krag.

The Granluk regiment attempted to move to react to this new treat, when the elven cavalry drove into their flank, the warriors fled, Krag snarled he would have their teeth for there cowardice. 

As the Elven riders paused and reordered themselves Krag signalled his berserkers from their hiding place they charged towards the elven riders. So it proved the elves were not immortal after all.

Before the fanatics could seek a new target, more enemy horse appeared, riders of Rohan throwing spears and striking down his beserkers but they had served their purpose and others would be born to take there place.

The humans thought they were clever flanking the ridge looking to secure the livestock and crops on the left, however Krag called forward his mass of pike, these were trained warriors clad in metal to protect them from enemy blows and well versed in the tactics of men. They would put a stop to the human endeavours.

Krag signalled his musician, who blew on his horn, his Trolls, brutal creatures who strike fear into the hearts of men rushed forwards the trolls drove into the Rohan Riders throwing them from them from their horses and slamming their bodies to the ground, the others fled in manic, the trolls would eat well tonight.

Krag smirked his forces were rolling up the flank of the humans, with very few humans on the right of the ridge however silver armoured humans were becoming a nuisance slinging arrows into the trolls exposed flesh. The Trolls raced towards them and another human unit was crushed under foot.

However was victory about to be snatched from his grasp? On the ridge line the riders had recovered their composure and had charged up the hill driving his skirmishers from their vantage point, being true Orc's they had stood their ground but they were no match for the lancers of the men in green.

But the human cavalry was a spent force and fled from the regiment of Granluk who had recovered their composure and advanced up on to the ridge line, meanwhile the mass pike blocked the path of the humans the 8ft spears creating an impenetrable barrier.

The trolls had carved a path through the human ranks, Krag released his Warg riders they crested the hill seeking to tear into the mass ranks of men who were hemmed in by the mass pikes, all but the old man stood in there way. The sage and his tricks were no match for his mounted warriors he was pushed aside as the rider rode on.

Once again the humans morale was shattered and they abandoned the field to the Orc's. Krag smiled as another region fell to his warriors... On to Helm's Deep where the last of the Rohan had fled.

Another great encounter. it ebbed and flowed. The Elves gave a good account of themselves in the first engagement, the trolls continue to be a thorn in the side of the human forces. For the humans pushing down the left hand flank was a gamble but unfortunately too many troops were unable to bring their combat power to bear and were not able to close with the pike or turn to stop the treat of the trolls who had driven the cavalry off.

Next up the actions shifts to Moria surly the forces of darkness can't win three in a row?