(01) Battle of Agrina Commons [Dwarven Minor Victory]

Battle of Agrina Commons
Campaign Day 1 (Battle Day 1)

The Dwarven 3rd Legion had mobilized and began it's march from the Southern Entrance of the Republic of Ever-Winter. They followed their ancestral maps and intended to siege the Ezrian capital of Coronne. However, while trudging up a heavily snowed and mountain path they encountered an Ezrian scouting force under the command of Battlemaster Kulash. While small, the force had sizable advantage in it's location at the top of a heavily snow covered hill and one where only two companies in battle formation could march. Cavalry would have a very difficult time charging up the hill and the Dwarves had a tough battle on their hands. However, the Dwarven 3rd Legion is massive in size compared to the Ezrian scout force as well as a huge logistical train with them.

Their orders in hands, both sides acted. The four companies (900) of Dwarven Heavy Infantry marched forward up the hill. They were stockier but the snow came to just below their waist and trudging was a slow and meticulous process. They continued to move up the hill and advance toward the Avian frontline even under the willowing fire of the Ezrian light infantry. From behind, two companies (600) of Light Infantry advanced as well, although they could do little as there was no room to get into the inevitable melee, and no Avians had visibly taken to the air. The Dwarves continued their march, Dwarven bodies began to line the hill with Ezrian arrows sticking from them, but moments later ; battle was joined.

The Ezrian Light Infantry comprised the left and right flank as a split, the Ezrian Heavy Infantry comprised the center formation. The first few Dwarves were skewered, but the elite Heavy Infantry of the Ever-Winter Republic would not be dissuaded so easily. The battle rang out with harsh cries and squawks. The momentum was slightly in the Ezrian's favor, but Dwarven axes quickly found the appeal of Ezrian flesh. The battle is joined and it is a mass of flesh and steel on both sides.


Casualties

Kingdom of Ezria
28 Light Infantry
11 Heavy Infantry

Republic of Ever-Winter
45 Heavy Infantry

Forces

Kingdom of Ezria
272 Light Infantry
289 Heavy Infantry
100 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
2,400 Light Infantry
1,755 Heavy Infantry
1,200 Light Cavalry
600 Heavy Cavalry
1 Battering Ram (20 Dwarves + Battering Ram)


Notes
-- This is Moderation Mark 1.
-- Sundown occurs at Moderation Mark 6.
-- Battlemaster Corba's Reinforcements will arrive at Moderation Mark 4.
-- The Agrina Garrison Force would not arrive before sundown.

The four companies at the top of the sloping hill were the only ones who could see the enemy clearly. Some 20 to 40 Dwarves had fallen reaching the top of the rise, but when the dwarven blades meet the Avian's metal their deaths were begining to be avenged. The drums at the top with the assualt force were heard by General Sid and those below the fighting.

Avian forces at the top. Light Infantry on their flanks, middle is held by heavy infantry. Cannot see further.

All the dwarves knew what the last dum beat meant, the front lines couldn't see over their enemies to find out what other forces they had. General Sid informed his own drummer, "Inform our troops to make their flanks fold. If we can surround their heavy infantry puhaps we can finish the battle and set camp up in a more defensable position."

The drummer nodded and conveyed the message from the General in simpler terms to the fighting forces up the slope:

Hold the middle. Force the flanks to collapse. Surround and kill.

Without orders having to be issued by Commander Felix the left and right flanks of the dwarven force suddenly began to wade into feirce combat with the light infantry of the Avians in front of them, while the middle ensured that the enemies heavy infantry force remained intent on trading blows with them.

Commanders of the light infantry hearing the drums order the dwarven light infantry tears to follow the heavy infantry and support them as the front lines plunged into combat.

Summery:

-The forces at the top maintain their middle line against the enemy Avian's Heavy Infantry while their left and right flanks aim to collapse the enemies own right and left flanks of Light Infantry.

-Heavy Infantry of the Dwarven forces react to the drums as if they were orders from their commander himself.

-Light Infantry receive orders from their commanders to follow the Heavy Infantry Tears into the thick of combat to support them if needed.

(OOC: Veteran troops are better didn't wanna be like Dwarves are slicing and dicing I'll leave that to moderator but figured they'd be more adapt at obey orders and did it better as a whole fighting force which makes them so feirce or something like that idk but that's how I RP'd it.)

Once more into the breach...

The battle for the hilltop was fierce. Kulash could see the bloody crash of forces together as the Ezrian's used their momentum to try and push the enemy back. The hedgehog of halberds were lowered, attempting to cut a bloody swathe through the Dwarven troops. Kulash could seen the strain that his light troops were under, soon the flanks would break if Kulash didn't find someway to relieve them.

The answer to that problem came from the Kashig whom had been waiting in the wings for a moment like this. The Imperial Bodyguard were the elite of the Ezrian Royal Army, the massive Gryphons they rode were shock troops by themselves. Kulash waved the troops forward, the Kashig company splitting into two groups of 50 to support the left and right flanks. Into the churning breech they went, the massive Gryphon's using their devastating talons to rend armor to pieces and their riders using swords and axes to fight back against the Dwarven Heavy Infantry. '' FORWARD! '' Kulash roared, urging his troops on. The solid wall of iron attempting to crash forward and send the invaders rolling down the hill into the light infantry companies behind them.

SUMMARY:
Kulash sends his heavy cavalry into the fray in order to relieve pressure on his flanks.

Battle of Agrina Commons
Campaign Day 1 (Battle Day 1)

The Dwarves had quickly discovered how to win the battle, by pressing hard on the edges of the formation, they could win. The light Ezrian infantry were no match for the elite Dwarven Heavy Infantry. Although the Ezrians had enough bodies to stand three or four deep at the very apex of the hill, caws and squeaks indicated that more Ezrians than Dwarves were being cut down. The orders had been given via drum and conveyed just as quickly. A handful of Dwarves on each side began to press forward. Swathes of Ezrians falling with huge swings of Dwarven battle axes, the battle was tilting in favor of the heavier Dwarven armament, but the battle quickly swung back around when Battlemaster Kulash gave the order. It wasn't tactical brilliance or luck, just good, fashioned planning.

The cavalry charged forward, thundering into the withering formation and turned the tables right back against the Dwarves. The Dwarven Heavy Infantry still standing was seemingly stunned, those no longer standing were probably dead, and for a short few moments the Dwarves had whatever foothold across the top of the hill they had garnered. The battle had started to slip into the Dwarves favor, but the presence of the Ezrian Heavy Cavalry had returned the pendulum back to the middle, though Heavy Cavalry in stagnant combat were still less effective than the elite Dwarven Heavy Infantry

Casualties

Kingdom of Ezria
51 Light Infantry
38 Heavy Infantry
4 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
44 Heavy Infantry

Forces

Kingdom of Ezria
221 Light Infantry
251 Heavy Infantry
96 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
2,400 Light Infantry
1,711 Heavy Infantry
1,200 Light Cavalry
600 Heavy Cavalry
1 Battering Ram (20 Dwarves + Battering Ram)

Notes
-- This is Moderation Mark 2.
-- Sundown occurs at Moderation Mark 6.
-- Battlemaster Corba's Reinforcements will arrive at Moderation Mark 4.
-- The Agrina Garrison Force would not arrive before sundown.

Comannder Felix's drums sounded off again informing the General of the assualt on the hill and the Avians who defended it feircly.

Flanks were falling. Heavy Cavlry reinforced. Stagnate battle. Orders

Sid knew exactly what to do as he was looking at the backs of his own heavy Cavalry, "Drummer give orders to the for the 3rd Light Infantry Tear to move forward and shoot the enemies heavy cavalry. Have our Heavy Infantry begin eating away at the flanks again as they see the cavalry die."

The drum rang out clear: 3rd Light Infantry Tear move forward, target Cavalry. Heavy Infantry target the flanks when Cavalry begin dying, middle hold the line.

Up the slope the 3rd moved forward. Before had they dared not target the Avian's infantry for fear of hitting their fellow dwarves but with the cavalry entering the fry they towered above the Dwarves forces riding on their mounts. Easy prey and no chance of hitting a dwarf. As they loosed their bolts and squaks were heard the flanks once again begain their push against the Avians Light Infantry and Heavy Cavalry soldiers at the flanks with the support given by the 3rd. The middle fought tooth and nail against their Avian counterparts in an attempt to prevent them from aiding their weakening flanks.

Summery

-3rd Light Infantry Tear (two companies) equiped with Crossbows take aim at the Heavy Cavalry who Tower over the dwarves on their steeds without fear of friendly fire which prevented them from firing at the Avian's infantry forces who although taller then the dwarves were too close to height of the front lines.

-Heavy Infantry flanks push against the Light Infantry and Heavy Cavalry forces of the Avians with the support of the 3rd Light Infantry Tear who are targeting Cavalry troops. Middle hold the line against their Avian counterparts to keep their attention trained on what's in front of them and not who's dying besides them.

The problem with shooting at one of the Avian Kashig (Heavy Cavalry) was that both rider and mount were armored head to toe in plate and more than capable of warding off individual arrows or crossbow bolts, unless the shot struck in one of the small gaps in the armor. The Gryphon's themselves were covered in iron barding to ward off blows. They were titans, and amidst the swirling conditions of the chaotic battlefield it would hopefully be difficult for the Dwarves to find their mark (at least not without shooting a few of their own men in the process).

The Avian Nukur (Light Infantry) began to fall back around the flanks of the heavy cavalry, moving into a supporting role and allowing the Kashig to do the bulk of the heavy hitting. Meanwhile, the sun was beginning its inevitable descent..soon Corba would be arriving. Kulash's hope was that with sheer force of numbers he could force the Dwarf's back down the hill. Night was fast approaching and any attack the dwarves mounted in darkness would be in terrible conditions and probably do more harm to the Dwarves than the Avians. By dawn, he hoped to strengthen his position with even more troops from Agrina and Coronne..If he could only hold them for a bit longer....

Summary:
The heavy cavalry attempt to hold the line against the crushing wave of Dwarven troops until Corba can arrive.

Battle of Agrina Commons
Campaign Day 1 (Battle Day 1)

Although the Ezrians possessed the genuine tradition of a warrior, Battlemaster Kulash understood at this point the Dwarven Legion would overcome his forces, even with the arrival of Battlemaster Corba's own troops. The battle had begun to look grim, although the gryphon mounted Kashig were fanatical in their defense, they faltered against the elite and well trained discipline of the Dwarven Heavy Infantry. The right flank was still a furious battle, but prolonged casualties from the Ezrian light infantry put too great a strain on the Kashig on the left flank and it was beginning to falter. While the Ezrians were trained to fight to the last man, an additional five hundred dead Ezrians did little for the war effort. In Battlemaster Kulash's opinion, the battle had hopefully given the army at Agrina adequate time to prepare. The battle still raged, Kulash need only to give the command to pull back. The hill was lined to the brim with Dwarves, and in a retreat Kulash understood that logistics problems would ensure that the Dwarven Legion would not be able to realistically pursue the Ezrians back to Agrina for at least another day and a half.

The Dwarves continued to push, and the Heavy Infantry fighting against the Ezrians own Heavy Infantry, Heavy Cavalry and Light Infantry began to notice the faltering in the left flank. They pressed their advantage there, cutting down lightly armed Ezrians and slicing armor plated Avians from atop their steeds, or simply hacking into the steeds' legs themselves. The battle was still in full swing, Dwarves and Avians fell and corpses littered the hill and hilltop, but the Dwarven Heavy Infantry began to take it's toll on the much smaller and less equipped Ezrian force.


Casualties

Kingdom of Ezria
61 Light Infantry
42 Heavy Infantry
18 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
49 Heavy Infantry
18 Light Infantry

Forces

Kingdom of Ezria
160 Light Infantry
209 Heavy Infantry
78 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
2,382 Light Infantry
1,662 Heavy Infantry
1,200 Light Cavalry
600 Heavy Cavalry
1 Battering Ram (20 Dwarves + Battering Ram)

Notes
-- This is Moderation Mark 3.
-- Sundown occurs at Moderation Mark 6.
-- Battlemaster Corba's Reinforcements will arrive at Moderation Mark 4.
-- The Agrina Garrison Force would not arrive before sundown.
-- Battlemaster Kulash (Great Leadership Trait) has identified that the left flank will fall by Moderation Mark 4 and suggests a tactical retreat. A tactical retreat will succeed at this point. A chance of tactical retreat after Moderation Mark 4 will have much less chance of success after the left flank has fallen.
-- If a tactical retreat is called, Battlemaster Corba's forces will link up with Battlemaster Kulash forces and can continue to fall back to Agrina, or attempt an additional stand outside of Agrina.

While physically Kulash's men had been defeated, the Battlemaster knew that in the grand scheme of time that he had won a valuable tactical victory. Not only had he held the enemy back long enough for Coronne and Agrina to prepare their defenses, he had gotten a measure of the enemy and their tactics. The Dwarven Heavy Infantry was some of the best that he had ever seen, but in the open field and with the bulk of the Ezrian folk gathered..the Battlemaster knew that the second battle for Agrina would be much closer than this slaughter. Corba would could not arrive fast enough to save him, this Kulash knew. His left flank was teetering on the brink of ruin and collapse. The Kashig the bulwark of his line were slowly being cut down, one by one. It was like watching ants overwhelm an elephant. It was time for his men to retreat.. A few more hundred dead Ezrian's in the overall picture would change nothing.

'' Signal the withdrawal. Send a messenger to Battlemaster Corba that we will link up with him and to the Agrina Garrison marching to our rescue. They are to halt immediately and begin gathering outside the city until War Master Hulagu joins us with the rest of the Army. '' He barked at one of the few officers that was not directly in the battle for the hilltop. Two loud horn blasts signaled to the Ezrian troops of the order to withdraw. The Ezrian troops did not turn tail and run, it was a fighting retreat. Realistically, it would be difficult for the dwarves to pursue him. They lacked the lay of the land and with night fall coming, they would be sending men to their deaths...not to mention their logistical supply lines must have been a mess. Slowly he watched his lines give ground as his men fell back in good order.

Summary:

-Battle Master Kulash orders a tactical withdrawal and will link up with Battlemaster Corba. They will retreat and gather with the rest of the local garrison outside Agrina to await additional reinforcements from Hulagu and the East.

[OOC Note: Posting this a bit early so we can wrap up this thread and move onto the rest of the campaign. ]

Battle of Agrina Commons
Campaign Day 1 (Battle Day 1)

The battle was over. The Ezrians gave the order to fall back, but it was not haggard and routine. It was disciplined and precise. Few Ezrians were cut down from the back, and the Dwarves themselves did not help the situation in that the Dwarven leadership had stacked the box so to speak and so it was a traffic jam of steel and flesh at the top of the hill and the incline of it. Hundreds of bodies littered the brazen snow and splotches of crimson were as routine as flowerbeds in a summer plain. The Ezrian Heavy Cavalry were the last to fully pull back, their heavy falchions and armored steeds allowed them to slow Dwarven stragglers who veered in for the extra kill. The Ezrian Light Infantry was too tired to fly, and so they fled along the ground with their own troops. They were not demoralized, although it was a legitimate military defeat, they had stemmed the Dwarven invasion for at least another day, as the sun had begun it's long descent into the horizon and the Dwarves would not be able to reach Agrina unless they dared to brave the freezing cold of the Ezrian Mountains.

Casualties

Casualties

Kingdom of Ezria
21 Light Infantry
19 Heavy Infantry
6 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
21 Heavy Infantry
9 Light Infantry


Forces

Kingdom of Ezria
139 Light Infantry
190 Heavy Infantry
72 Heavy Cavalry

Republic of Ever-Winter
2,373 Light Infantry
1,641 Heavy Infantry
1,200 Light Cavalry
600 Heavy Cavalry
1 Battering Ram (20 Dwarves + Battering Ram)