Assault on an Orc Village

  Putting together a single linked sheet of the events of March 13th, 2022 in the Burmstone Campaign.  Originally I put this together on Minds.com.  

Attacking an orc lair/village. That red square SE is a ballista. Range calculations for keeping mass of troops out of harms way. Rained fire arrows, bolts, and bullets down, indiscriminately killing occupants. Cavalry is waiting for the enemy to sally, and the light infantry off to the west is waiting for the sally to infiltrate. A dwarf fighter/thief hugs the wall, lobbing firebombs over the wall against the towers. Mayhem rules within.

Orcs emerge from tunnels and surround the main missile squad. Cavalry races to crush the orcs' rear flank, shattering morale of some orc units. Light infantry reach the west gate, and their fighter leader kills an orc while some of his men break down the gate. The fighter/thief takes two firebombs off the infantry, after firebombing the last watchtower. The ballista tower is consumed in flames.

Our rough estimation is there is 150 fighting orcs present. The battlefield commander is wavering, and calling for retreat. He's taken some pretty hard losses, can't blame him. The Lights and their leaders are not yet aware of this, and continue to fight on. 

On the other side of the gates burst open, the porkish reserve of 12 turns and charges the Lights. They look like mean bastards. We win initiative, and set to receive charge, 19 spears against 12. The Fighter2 leader fires at the oncoming assault. Then they meet the set polearms. 

HALF of the unit is slaughtered. The fighter/thief lobs a firebomb into the mix, and on an 18 sets 4 on fire. 5 pigmen left. One light is killed by their charge. 

Next round, we win initiative, and slaughter the rest of the pigmen. The fighter/thief advances in and throws a bomb into the tunnel to cut off any possible force from pursuing them through that vector, and another three firebombs are lobbed at other structures. Retreat is called, and the Lights retreat with a spring in every footfall. Quite unlike the slingers who bleed out in the field, unit shattered, or the Heavies and their other ranged charges who didn't get off as easy.... 

The ranger lord is not as elated as he had hoped, seeing the smoke joining the cloud deck, but awards 200 gp for the effort regardless, even if we did fail to claim the big bounty.