This is the sixteenth report in our narrative campaign series, Campaign of Thrones. After each battle, the characters on the losing side will potentially be captured or killed. This will transform the story as we know it, inspiring new ‘What If?’ scenarios and battle reports. Join us on this alternative dice-driven version of the War of the Five Kings and battle at the Wall.
It seemed as though the Iron Islands had fallen into the devoted hands of the Faithful, but a rugged challenger has stepped forward to defend the Old Way.
The battle was 40 Points per side. The lists were:
HOUSE IRONMAKER:
Units (Attachments)
Ironmakers (Erik Ironmaker, Commander)
Ironborn Bowmen
Ironborn Bowmen
Ironborn Reavers
Ironborn Trappers
Drowned Men
Drowned Men
NCUs
Asha Greyjoy
Wendamyr
BLACKTYDE/FAITH ALLIANCE:
Units (Attachments)
Blacktyde Chosen (Baelor Blacktyde, Commander)
Harlaw Reapers (Warsworn)
Warrior’s Sons (Champion of the Faith)
Poor Fellows (Champion of the Faith)
Poor Fellows (Champion of the Faith
NCUs
Rodrik Harlaw
Tristifer Botley
DEPLOYMENT
Erik the Just has the advantage of deploying on the same side as Nagga’s inspiring bone ruins.
House Ironmaker had a clever deployment strategy focused on area control, with the Ironborn Bowmen patrolling the left & right flank. If the Blacktyde army wanted to control those flank objective tokens, they’d be hit with a barrage of ranged attacks. The Trappers supported the Bowmen on the right-side, while Erik and the Reavers placed themselves directly in the center (unlike the green coward Baelor Blacktyde). Behind Erik and the Reavers were 2 Drowned Men who could support them from the safety of the rear.
Baelor placed the Warrior’s Son directly across from the imposing Ironmakers, with a unit of Poor Fellows on their left. On the left flank was Baelor Blacktyde himself in a unit of Blacktyde Chosen. The game mode is Clash of Kings, so the commanders will be extra important this scenario. Baelor hoped to make quick work of the Bowmen across from him and then sweep across the battlefield. On the right side were the Harlaw Reapers and second unit of Poor Fellows.
After deployment, an obvious question was raised by our Blacktyde player: was there anyway the Blacktyde/Faith Alliance could crack the Ironmakers with that formidable double Drowned Men support? They prayed to the Warrior for guidance as they were about to find out.
ROUND 1
First, the commanders divvied up the ability cards. Baelor was quite happy to take both vicious and sundering. Erik went for a more unusual strategy by grabbing precision and the highest attack die value card. At the start of the game, Erik gave his own unit of Ironmakers the pillage token from his Gifts of Silver and Bronze ability. It was clear that unit would be the heart of his army. Baelor was first player.
The remainder of the first round saw Erik’s 2 early strategies pay off brilliantly. While the House Ironmaker army marched forward with confidence, the Blacktyde army held back to stay out of range of the Bowmen. Their combined range covered much of the play area. Loading up his Ironmakers with that early pillage token and having the Drowned Men support from the safety of the rear also made the central objective incredibly intimidating.
ROUND 2
Baelor began the round by using Rodrik Harlaw’s ability and dumping 3 cards. Asha claimed the horse zone and the Ironmakers confidently claimed the central token, daring the Warrior’s Sons to challenge them. The left flank Bowmen used a Wendamyr token and their own shift to move up 5” and get into range of some Poor Fellows (or as Erik’s team called them, the Pillage Generators). The Bowmen shaved a rank off the Poor Fellows and used Divide the Spoils to give a pillage token to the Ironborn Reavers, which was then flipped to the Ironmakers using Erik’s Just Shares ability. The Ironmakers were now at full strength with a 2+ save. ERIK! ERIK ANVIL-BREAKER! ERIK KING!
The Warrior’s Sons successfully war cried the Ironmakers to make them vulnerable, then charged in. They did a commendable 5 wounds with their attack and the panic test, but the Ironmakers were quickly healed by the Drowned Men behind them. It’s 15 points of units, but for the psychological effect of having an unkillable anchor, it may be worth it.
The Harlaw Reapers and Trappers battled on the right-side while the Poor Fellows got into position to counter any potential charges from the Ironborn Reavers. The Faith units were War Crying like mad, raining tokens upon their godless foes, though they surprisingly failed a few War Cry morale tests over the course of the battle. The Bowmen on the right-side held the objective while getting free shots at the occupied Reapers.
The Reavers charged recklessly into the Warrior’s Sons flank, hoping to take a chunk out of the enemy’s number 1 weapon. They suffered 5 wounds from the Reavers’ attack. King Erik the Just activated soon after, giving his unit precision from the ability cards. Erik preceded to clap back at the Warrior’s Sons and rolled three 6s having both critical blow and precision. The Warrior’s Sons suffered 3 auto wounds and 5 hits total. The 5 hits turned into just 2 additional wounds after the Sons expended a faith token to block 2 hits. They then played Lash Out to deal 4 wounds to the Ironmakers.
At the end of the round, Erik's Ironmaker unit controlled the center token and his Bowmen controlled the right flank token.
The score was 2 – 0 for ERIK! ERIK KING!
ROUND 3
Things were looking kinda rough for the Alliance. The Warrior’s Sons were surrounded by heavily supported Ironmakers and Reavers, with only those god-fearing hobos with their sticks hitting on 5+ in the vicinity to possibly help them. The Warrior’s Sons turned their attention away from the indestructible Ironmakers and towards the Reavers. Tristifer claimed swords and the Sons did 3 wounds against the Reavers. Asha healed the Reavers by claiming the bags, but the next turn the Sons got off a strong attack by playing Blacktyde Resentment. They dealt the Reavers 6 wounds, taking them down to their last rank. The Reavers decided to retreat using the tactics zone before the Warrior’s Sons could finish them off (and hopefully gain the Blacktyde/Faith Alliance some momentum).
A unit of Poor Fellows charged into the reeling Reavers and attempted to finish them off, but they only did 1 wound on the attack and the Reavers passed the panic check. The Pillage Generators then did their duty by letting the Reavers take off a juicy rank and granting them a pillage token to get their attack down to 3+.
Seeing the center of his army crumble, Baelor decided to spring into action. He charged the Bowmen, hoping to take them out quickly then turn his attention to the Reavers. They suffered 7 wounds and retreated the next turn. Baelor controlled the objective but took a risk by pivoting off the token to face the Reavers instead.
On the left side, the beatdown of the Reapers continued with the Trappers and Bowmen putting in good work. The Trappers, down to their last rank and throwing a whopping 3 dice, were able to land 3 big hits and finish off the Reapers once and for all. The score was 3 to zilch for the ANVIL-BREAKER!
On the last turn of the round, Erik activated and attacked the Warrior’s Sons once more. He only got 3 wounds from a commendable 7 hits, but shockingly the Sons rolled snake eyes on their panic test and were destroyed. Erik scored 1 VP from Victory Through Combat and an additional VP from the Clash of Kings commander scoring rules.
The score was 5 to 0. After objectives were scored it was 7 to 0. The players went over the game state and agreed that there was no way for Baelor to comeback, so the game was called.
Final score: 7 to 0 for ERIK! ERIK ANVIL-BREAKER! ERIK KING!
WRAP-UP
This was a tough one for the Blacktyde side. Their army had little synergy and the poor deployment was their death knell. It’s hard when 1 army has range or cavalry units and the other army is all melee-based infantry, which happens often in these scenarios when we try to use themed lists or try new things. I think this scenario could work well in the future once the Greyjoy army gets a few more releases that could flesh out the Blacktyde side of the conflict. But alas, the result is in the record books and the Faith has been booted back to the mainland.
CODA
Lord Baelor’s knees dragged along the dirt as two men hauled him across a field. His eyes, legs, and arms were tightly bound. Suddenly, the ground disappeared. It was a quick fall into a soft mound of earth. He reached up with his fastened hands and pulled the cloth down from his eyes. He was in a pit, recently dug. Above him, sat in his chair, was Erik Ironmaker. Beside him stood his grandson, Dagon.
“I have a gift for your darling gods,” Erik proclaimed. Dagon flung a hefty piece of shit at Baelor. “Tell 'em it was from the Anvil-Breaker, King Erik the Just.”
“You’re a damned fool, Erik. All we desired was a prosperous future for these lands. This was never about the gods. It was about Balon Greyjoy and his disastrous reign.”
“There you go again, telling folk what to think about this, that, and what. But your lies are short. Your lies didn’t bewitch the Harlaw men forever,” Erik informed Lord Baelor. “They sang jolly songs about the Old Way when they reunited with their iron brothers, and sang some more as they cut down your craven sparrows. They couldn’t wait to open the gates of Ten Towers and surrender their cowardly, double-dealing lord to the Anvil-Breaker. Now Rodrik lies in a pit on this island, buried with his beloved books. Did the same to that rat, Botley. He would’ve sunk Old Wyk to the bottom of the sea to get his little Wyk inside Lady Asha. But he’s breathing dirt now, and soon she’ll be my bride.”
Baelor Blacktyde knew his death was certain, that Lord Ironmaker would never forgive his revolt against the Greyjoys. He burst out in laughter. Erik turned red and squeezed his hammer tightly.
“A madman. Just as the drowned priests said,” Erik told Dagon.
“You mean to take Pyke as your own?” Baelor asked the old, seated lord.
“There’s no mean to it. Pyke is mine,” Erik answered defiantly.
Baelor guffawed, coughing and laughing in spite himself. “Then dig a grave for every lord of the Iron Islands, and be sure to dig one for yourself.”
“The drowned priests blessed me in the waters of Nagga’s Craddle, before the bones of Nagga herself. I saved the Iron Islands from your green dream, from the weakness you call progress. I am the King of Salt and Rock, the Anvil-Breaker, the Just. Your precious mainland sparrows are no match for the true ironborn. Let them come.”
“The sparrows?” Baelor goaded Erik. “I do not speak of the sparrows. Botley, Harlaw, Goodbrother...” He took a deep breath and composed himself. “The main reason they allied with the Faithful and I was because they knew that after the death of Balon his arrival would be imminent.”
“Whose arrival?” demanded Erik.
“You claim I'm a madman.” Baelor shook his head. “Balon was mad. Aeron was madder. And Euron is maddest of them all.”
Erik waved his hand and a dozen men stepped to the pit’s ledge. Heavy stones pummelled the Lord of Blacktyde, captain of the Nightflyer. He collapsed to the ground. Dirt was quickly shovelled on top of him, covering his eyes, filling his mouth and ears. He would never hear the sea again.