Erfman the Barbarian

[_Wiz_]

(As long as they remain in a single stack and the back rank do not possess a ranged attack then Grim believes they will not be able to attack)

[WurmD]

Grim's orders are to *Retreat!*
Warlord Intuition! 'Can I fire and retreat with impunity? Or must I retreat without firing to guarantee zero hits taken?'

Grim fires and retreats only if he thinks he can get away with not being touched
otherwise just immediately fly back

[_Wiz_]

Deciding to be cautious Grim immediately pulls his mount around and retreats. The Wavens immediately give chase racing after the fleeing Stinger cawing loudly as they go though they are forced to stop once Grim crosses the hex boundary. The Wavens then maintain their position stacked up close to the hex boundary.

[WurmD]

"Good call Grim, maybe we'll try again on the way back"

Then

Alleria (stacked with Grim and 6 archers, injured archers in back) on brim, Luggage steps North into Vulture hex;

If Vulture immediately visible, shoot, stack step out, all archers shoot;*

All 4 stacks step out, restack as image, carefully scout hex borders, collect body on the way;

[SomeGuy411]

It's in the way, and has to go. We find light opposition anywhere on the path to the obelisk, I say we punch through.

[_Wiz_]

"Good call Grim, maybe we'll try again on the way back"

Then

Alleria (stacked with Grim and 6 archers, injured archers in back) on brim, Luggage steps North into Vulture hex;

If Vulture immediately visible, shoot, stack step out, all archers shoot;*

All 4 stacks step out, restack as image, carefully scout hex borders, collect body on the way;

Not sure I understand these orders. Where is Grim’s stack?

[WurmD]

Alleria (on Luggage brim, looking out)
Archer (in stairs, to be in front)
Archer (in stairs, to be in front)
Archer (in stairs, to be in front)
Archer (in stairs, to be in back)
Archer (in stairs, to be in back)
Archer (3hits) (in stairs, to be in back)
Grim (in stairs, to be in back)

[_Wiz_]

(Ok they will not count as being in a stack but they will be in a position to be first out of the luggage. Proceed with original orders?)

[WurmD]

Yup proceed

[_Wiz_]

Reorganising the troops within the luggage Erfman has Grim form a stack and position them close to the opening at the top. Alleria the Sniper Knight then climbs to the top and pops open the hatch before leaning out of the luggage with her bow drawn. The luggage then begins to move and marches across the border and in to (00,-04). As soon as they are across the border Alleria spots a flying feral perched atop one of the trees.

Round 1

Acting on her orders Alleria immediately draws her bow and fires. The sniper’s aim is terrible and not only does she miss the feral but she hits the completely wrong tree. (Critical failure). Disturbed by the bow shot the feral spreads it’s large dark wings and takes flight swooping straight towards the archer with its talons extended. Alleria however is able to duck and the feral barely misses her head.


Feral stack

Carryon Bird

Fanon stack 1 - At melee range with feral.

Alleria

Fanon Stack 2

The luggage

(Moving a stack out of the luggage will take one round and use their actions for the round. Only one stack can be orderly marched out of the luggage per round.)


Orders?

[WurmD]

Hm, given this new understanding, the best move would have been to Round1 simply 1 stack walk out of luggage

Something for next time

Warlord's Knowledge! 'Can a unit do a *Total Defense* action in combat?' (take no attacks to get a bonus to AC)

Orders: 1 stack move out
Bob (in front, Total Defense if possible)
Alleria (in back)
Grim (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)

[_Wiz_]

Hm, given this new understanding, the best move would have been to Round1 simply 1 stack walk out of luggage

Something for next time

Warlord's Knowledge! 'Can a unit do a *Total Defense* action in combat?' (take no attacks to get a bonus to AC)

(I have given this a lot of thought and gone back and forwards several times. I have eventually decided to allow a total defence action but it will only give a minor benefit. Performing total defence will increase a units defence by 1 for 1 turn. (I have limited it at plus 1 as this is relatively a lot when you consider some units only naturally have a defence of 1). Infantry units will also not take the total defence action on their own they have to be commanded to do so by a command unit.)

Round 2

Deciding to go on the offensive Erfman sends a stack marching out of the luggage they quickly stack up with Alleria and form a long line while Bob takes a defensive position infront of them. The feral however completely ignores Bob flying over his head as it swoops at Alleria once again. Although it was a well aimed dive Alleria is able to dodge out of the way at the last moment.

Feral stack

Carryon Bird

Fanon stack 1 - At melee range with feral.

Bob (in front)
Alleria (in back)
Grim (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)
archer (in back)

Fanon Stack 2

The luggage

[WurmD]

Warlord knowledge! 'Can all flyers skip screeners like that?'

Orders:
- Fire!
- Cadaver's stack step out

[_Wiz_]

Warlord knowledge! 'Can all flyers skip screeners like that?'

Unknown

Round 3

The archers open fire on the Carryon bird and despite the birds best efforts to pluck out Alleria’s eye as she draws her bow back the feral is promptly struck by every single arrow fired with one even burying itself deeply in the ferals eye (critical hit). Pierced all over the feral does the only thing that it can and promptly falls down croaked.

Cadaver’s stack then marches out of the luggage but by this point it is too late, the battle is over and the feral is croaked.

[WurmD]

All 4 stacks step out, restack as in original image, mindful of potential hidden enemies carefully scout hex borders, collect body on the way;

"Grim, Strife, what was that?? Can any flier just bypass screeners like that? Can you mounted on a Stinger hit an enemy Warlord in the backlines?" he grills them

[_Wiz_]

All 4 stacks step out, restack as in original image, mindful of potential hidden enemies carefully scout hex borders, collect body on the way;

The stacks continuing to march out of the luggage and form up in to neat orderly stacks. While this is going on the hex is quiet, nothing else seems to be move. The body of the Carryon bird is quickly retrieved and placed in to the luggage.

The army then moved out and begins to carefully scout the borders of the hex

(-01,-03) Nothing but thick forest can be seen
(-01,-04) Nothing but thick forest can be seen
(00,-05) Nothing but the dark twisted trees of the dark forest can be seen
(01,-04) Nothing but the dark twisted trees of the dark forest can be seen
(01,-03) A stack of Wavens hover at the border of the hex all intently staring in to the hex the army are currently in. Behind them yet more dark twisted trees can be seen.


"Grim, Strife, what was that?? Can any flier just bypass screeners like that? Can you mounted on a Stinger hit an enemy Warlord in the backlines?" he grills them.

”Fliers tend to have greater manueverbility and can outmanoeuvre units on foot easier letting them choose which direction to attack from” Grim replies.

”Yeah and you’re front rank was only one unit... not exactly much of an obstacle ! strife adds.

”Course we could...” Strife then replies to the final question. ”If we then wanted to get attacked by the entire stack in return” Strife then adds with a hint of mocking.

[WurmD]

"That is very good and very bad to know." he replies seriously

"First the bad: How will you protect me, and other valuable units, besides positioning them in the back row? Would being mounted guarantee safety? (Fliers attack from above, and a mount is below..)"

"Then the good: We *will* have a stack of flyers, and this means they can hit valuable targets Round 1 bypassing the front lines. Yes?"

Everybody into the Luggage
Luggage step North, Everyone out of Luggage, Grim's stack first
Scout hex borders

[_Wiz_]

"That is very good and very bad to know." Erfman replies seriously

"First the bad: How will you protect me, and other valuable units, besides positioning them in the back row? Would being mounted guarantee safety? (Fliers attack from above, and a mount is below..)" Erfman questions.

”There are a number of ways to protect against fliers...” Grim begins. ”Personally I would form three ranks with the valuable units in the middle and equip the front and rear ranks with reach weapons...” Grim continues.


"Then the good: We *will* have a stack of flyers, and this means they can hit valuable targets Round 1 bypassing the front lines. Yes?" Erfman then asks.

”If the right situation presents itself... yes” Grim replies.

Everybody into the Luggage
Luggage step North, Everyone out of Luggage, Grim's stack first
Scout hex borders

The army then returns to the luggage before the golem marches across the border and comes to a stop. The army then quickly marches out of the luggage one by one and quickly forms in to neat stacks. The stacks then repeat the process of scouting the hex and it’s borders. Other than the trees nothing is found in the hex itself.

(-01,-05) Another deep forest hex however a couple of canine ferals are spotted at the border of the hex. They quickly disappear in to the depths of the forest as soon as they are spotted.
(00,-06) Another dark forest hex filled with twisted trees.
(01,-05) Another dark forest hex filled with twisted trees.

[WurmD]

Everybody into the Luggage
Luggage step North, Everyone out of Luggage, Grim's stack first
Scout hex borders

EDIT: if nothing spotted ahead (00.-07)
Everybody into the Luggage
Luggage step North, Everyone out of Luggage, Grim's stack first
Scout hex borders

[_Wiz_]

Everybody into the Luggage
Luggage step North, Everyone out of Luggage, Grim's stack first
Scout hex borders

EDIT: if nothing spotted ahead (00.-07)
Everybody into the Luggage
Luggage step North, Everyone out of Luggage, Grim's stack first
Scout hex borders

The army once again marches back in to the luggage before it starts moving and crosses over in to the next hex. (00,-06) This time however something is different and alarm bells instantly start going off in Erfman’s head. The hex is contested! Some one or something is here!

(Please confirm you wish to go ahead with unloading troops)

[SomeGuy411]

I can think of exactly 0 situations that we don't unload the troops. AoE? It'll hit them in luggage. Mass charm? Hit them in luggage. Enemy army? We want to be stacked up and ready. Single scout? Honest mistake, you walked right into the middle of the column. Feral? More bows means better chance to hunt the thing down.

[WurmD]

Unload troops plx, Grim stack first
(Note, Grim stack includes Multi-purpose Saddle in Hog)

[_Wiz_]

The troops once again start marching out of the luggage though this time there is is tension in the air from the knowledge that there is a hostile unit in the hex. The units form in to neat stacks but as they do so Erfman begins to realise just how dark this twisted forest hex is and everytime that he looks in to the distance the shadows seem to move.

All the of the units however finally manage to make it out of the luggage and get in to position without incident.

[WurmD]

Slowly march around the hex close to the hex borders (expecting something to jump out at them)

"Steady.." says Erfman to his troops "We'll clear this hex before we proceed, even if we have to burn it down, so we can return through it unmolested"

[_Wiz_]

Slowly march around the hex close to the hex borders (expecting something to jump out at them)

(I presume you are moving as one large group with the luggage following you)

"Steady.." says Erfman to his troops "We'll clear this hex before we proceed, even if we have to burn it down, so we can return through it unmolested"

The army begins to slowly move marching cautiously around the borders of the hex. Slowly moving one step at the time they make their way around the hex and eventually they complete one full circuit. During their patrol they spot no signs of life either in this hex or any of the ones surrounding it yet Erfman still has the feeling that the hex is contested.

”What now my liege?” the loyal lancer asks as he makes his way over with a concerned look on his face.


Edit: (Please note that if you manage to start an inferno in this hex it will burn until the end of the turn)

[WurmD]

"Now we cut some wood. Was planning on doing this on the way back, but now seems a useful time"

Luggage regurgitates Jessie,
"Cadaver, please wake up Jessie with 20 of your Juice" Erfman requests, inquiring with his look if he needs directions

As Jessie powers up, have her start cutting the closest tree, then move the wood units into the Luggage, then proceed in an enlarging semi-circle.
4 stacks always nearby and at the ready

Luggage kept close and between two stacks at all times

(The last and only time we used 4 move to cut wood, over 21 units of wood were cut)

[_Wiz_]

(Jessie was not on the list of units you brought with you. Also the luggage is currently full of units there will not be much room for wood. Please reconfirm the units with you so that I can calculate how much space for wood is left.)

[WurmD]

(hm, the first iteration of the plan included taking 40 units of wood and stone to Farm, to rebuild it
So I think it's a good time to compute and make clear the actual capacity of the Luggage in "medium" units and in wood/stone units )

EDIT: if Jessie and Woodie were not stored in Luggage as assumed, AND/OR 4 Stacks of units + 2 Stingers + prisoners don't fit in Luggage alongside 40 units of wood, then

- Everyone carefully walks around the hex to the North boundary
- Everyone into Luggage, Grim at the brim looking out
- Luggage steps North
- Everyone out and carefully scout hex boundaries

[_Wiz_]

(There is definitely not enough space for the army plus 40 units of wood. Please confirm the units that should be in the luggage)

[WurmD]

The army: 4 stacks, 1 with 9 units = 33 units
Extras: 2 stingers, 2 golems = 4 units
Prisoners: 7 stabbers = 7 units

So currently 44 units.

How many units we estimate can fit in an empty Luggage?
How much space does a unit of wood/stone take in comparison to a unit? (can be stacked up vertically to more efficiently fill the space? But with Luggage Moving Parts special we can accommodate units in two floors)