AAR: Dwarves vs Silvan Elves- Dwarven Riposte

**Jmonstra** · May 13, 2014, 05:02 AM

This is the follow up to a previous battle which can be found here: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showt...nshots/page265

When word reached his ears of the crushing defeat of the main dwarven thrust into the Woodland Realm and the horrendous slaughter of his kin, Captain Dori, commander of the dwarven reserve forces, swore an oath of bloody vengeance against the Silvan Elves.

Captain Dori was a much more cautious commander than his late predecessor. He suspected that the silvan army was making for the borders of Lorien and if they succeeded in reaching the Golden Wood then he would never be able to reach them before they crossed the Anduin eastwards into Mirkwood. In order to prevent this, he set his forces to work creating rafts with which to cross the river farther north of the site of the previous elven victory in order to cut them off south of the borders of Lorien.

Captain Dori's forces successfully forded the river and took the small splinter force left to guard the crossing at Rauros from the rear. The 400 strong garrison was caught completely off guard and slaughtered to an Elf. Having secured his line of retreat, Dori pursed the fleeing elves northward until he caught them in the wide open area of the Gladden Fields, the site of the ancient disaster which saw the death of Isildur, his sons and many Dunedain knights.

The Elves were shocked to see such a large dwarven force seemingly materialize out of the fog, but were saved complete destruction by the vigilance of their commander. Being so close to the Misty Mountains, the elven commander had ordered the construction of a fortified camp in case of any night time raids by Orcs.

Even though his plans for an easy victory had been frustrated by a fluke, Captain Dori resolved to storm the walls of the elven encampment rather than let his chance at revenge melt away into the woods. Trusting in the strength and bravery of the Dwarves under his command, Dori ordered his soldiers to form lines and prepare for battle.

The Elves rain fire down on the Dwarves as they advance towards the gate to their camp, pinning them down as keeping their attention elsewhere as their commander implements his hastily conceived plan to repel this unexpected counter attack.

The elven commander ordered several companies of archers and shieldbearers to the front of the camp to make a show of defence about the gate while he slipped his main force out the back gate. If their commander over commits at front gate, the rest of the army has orders to smash into the unprotected flank of the dwarven army and smash them to pieces.

The conclusion will be up tomorrow! Stay tuned!

**Flinn** · May 13, 2014, 09:53 AM

great to see you have started it here, I'll surely follow it

well done mate

**Jmonstra** · May 13, 2014, 02:05 PM

Continued...

Captain Dori's forces quickly reach the gate and reduce it to splinters with well drilled efficiency. The dwarven forces rush into the breach. Surrounding and isolating the few Elves left to defend the front gate.

The Elves spring into actions. Several companies of shieldbearers and heavy two-handed swordsmen form up on the dwarven right flank. The dwarvish crossbowmen harry their advance with a hail of bolts.

The Elves quickly form lines and charge, driving the crossbowmen back towards the safety of their friends, forcing the enemy army to clump up. Seeing disaster and defeat looming on the horizon, Dori assignes several companies of axemen and Dragonslayers to halt the elven charge.

More to follow when I get home from work!

**Jmonstra** · May 13, 2014, 06:38 PM

And the conclusion!

The Dwarves meet the elves on the charge and prevent their massed ranks of swordsmen from reaching the vulnerable flank of their infantry assaulting the front gate.

Meanwhile, the assault at the gate is going poorly for the Elves as the swarm of dwarven infantry force their way closer and closer to the interior of the encampment.

Seeing his troops being driven back from the gate into the camp, the elven commander stages a desperate counter attack with his remaining archer companies. The Elves draw their swords and charge.

On the dwarven right, things are getting desperate. The Elves have surrounded the companies sent to delay their attack and are slowly beating down the remaining Dwarves, who are forced to fight back to back. Hemmed in on all sides, there is little hope of survival.

The Dwarves soon find themselves surrounded. Captain Dori realizes that unless they can break out and retreat, he and his army will meet the same end as his predecessor.
Dori and his forces try to force a break out while the elven army tightens the noose.

Disaster soon strikes the Dwarves. While rallying his men, Captain Dori was struck down by elven commander's bodyguard. Without their leader, the Dwarves are in disarray. Soon the victorious elves fresh from their victory against the dwarven right complete the encirclement of the remaining Dwarves. They are completely cut off from escape.

With their leader dead and surrounded by a sea of enemies with no hope of escape, the ragged Dwarves have no choice but to fight to the bitter end.

The Dwarven reserve army is all but annihilated.

Aftermath: With the almost total destruction of two major armies in the span of a few weeks, the Dwarven Kingdom is forced to sue for peace on terms favorable to the Woodland Realm. In exchange, the prisoners from Captain Dori's ill-fated expedition are returned to the Dwarves unharmed.

The Elven army, though victorious, is a mere shadow of it's former self. Reduced to a mere 50% fighting strength, the army is recalled to the capital to be reinforced and redeployed elsewhere. There are reports of a resurgence of Orc activity in the northern mountains. The vicious creatures are taking advantage of the power vacuum left in the mountains in the wake of two major Dwarf defeats. The Woodland Realm's loss of half of it's best troops has left them open to attack by the Northern Orcs.

War is brewing in the mountains again.