Oldhammer Battle pics, 6th edition carnage.

[Pictors Studio]

https://preview.redd.it/ql7440znj7k71.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=59651581be6ed4fbc0f75635d81deebe3e43c792

This was a 6th edition game using a pre-gunpowder Empire army against a horde of Ogres and their minions.  The Empire troops were a rear guard and only had to stop the Ogres from getting off the table edge for a number of turns. 

They weren't really equipped to deal with the whole of the Ogre force in any real way but I thought they could slow them down.

The Empire Army:


From the left, front line:

Hochland swordsmen
Middenheim swordsmen
Hochland greatswords
Hochland halberdiers
Ulric fanatics

Reserves

Hochland swordsmen
Middenheim swordsmen

The Ogre army:


From the Ogre Left

Giant
Rhinoxen Cavalry
Gnoblars
Butcher, Butcher and Bruiser
Ogre Brutes
Giant
Orcs
Giant


Then there are two units of Sneaky Gits out front and for the reserves we have a unit of Iron Guts and a unit of Orc crossbows.



The forces of the Empire try to expand their frontage to meet that of the enemy. 

The Ogres manage the first charge and get the Rhinoxen cavalry in.  The Empire swordsmen hold them and then a neighboring unit charges them on the next turn and drives them off leaving a fleeing unit in the midst of the Ogre units on the next turn.




The Ogres aren't particularly bothered and ignore the fleeing cavalry.



All along the line the Ogres charge in response and even where the Empire soldiers hold, they do not have enough troops left to resist long. 

The only bright spot is on the left flank where a unit of swordsmen drive a giant back and then swarm and overwhelm another giant after he falls over while jumping up and down on them.




As the Ogres break through the Empire line the poor Battle Mage is caught by the Ogre Bruiser and turned into a quick snack.




And here is the narrative leading up to the battle if you're interested.

The men looked up from the small fire they had managed to kindle in the damp night. Several outriders trotted up to the camp and then slowed and picked their way through the disorganized mass of tents, fires and men. Though their pace was slowed they still moved with a sense of urgency.

The men were silent as they watched the group pass and then set to whispering among themselves but only for a short time before each man, worried by the looks on the faces of the scouts, ran out of things to say and kept their own council.

The first of the horsemen to arrive at the large pavilion tent at the center of the camp quickly dismounted. The guards opened the flap for him and he was momentarily blinded by the brightness inside compared to the gloom outside. He heard his name called out by a familiar voice before he was able to see his interlocutor.

"Berlichen! How did it go? What did you see?"

As the people in the room came into focus Berlichen saw Ottos clearly. The man's red cloak and gold cloth managed to hide some of the bulk of the man but he was well removed from fitness and youth.

"It is not a good situation Ottos. The army is large and Garich claims that he saw giants."

"A giant!"

"No. Giants. He claims he saw at least two."

". . ."

"We can't face them here. Our Knights Panther will be useless in this terrain. We will not stop them until we get to the plains."

Ottos steepled his fingers then said, "We must leave then. Tonight. I will arrange for some of my men to stay as a rear guard to cover our retreat."

"They won't stand alone," said Berlichen, "some of my men will stay too. And I will stand with them."

The Hochland count did not argue. Though he and Berlichen had recently been at odds, or perhaps because of it, he respected the man's courage. His respect was only increased by this and while the death of Berlichen would rid him of a powerful rival, Ottos was sad to see such a man die. As Berlichen swept out of the room to get his men ready for the fight they would face at dawn, Ottos made a promise to himself that he would not take advantage of the fall of this man.

Only the men who had not seen the scouts return to the camp were able to sleep that night. The others, those that had seen the Middenheim general move through the ranks, were kept awake by the fear they saw on the man's face.

**************************************************************************************

The sound of the army packing moving out of the camp could still be heard by the men as they stood in the clearing just before the bridge. They had gone forward and planned to keep the enemy from getting over the bridge. With their backs to the river there were few places to run and each man promised himself that he would sell his life dearly. They had moved quickly, dressing and then marching to the place where they would make their stand. Even in the cold fall night each man had worked up a sweat getting to where they were. But now there was nothing to do but stand in the ranks and they felt the damp creep in and their own sweat only made things worse.

Each man starred at the wood line opposite their position. The first to see the tops of the trees moving gave a short gasp, followed by others who were jerked awake at the sudden noise. They could then hear the treat of large feet and the high-pitched screeching sound of Orc voices.

The lead sky had brightened just a bit so it was possible to see a little way into the dark wood.

"There" a voice called out but before anyone had time to see where the finger pointed it was irrelevant. The enemy were there, but they were also over there and there. The Ogre army moved inexorably through the dark, open forest and the trees shook at the passage of the giants.

All that was left for the men to do was to hold the enemy back. Berlichen looked over at the leader of the Hochland Greatswords that held the center of his line and nodded. His little army advanced to meet the foe.

[Plisken]

Thanks for sharing it looks like it was a lot of fun.

It's great to see folks still willing to play battles using such mismatched forces. I remember back when I used to play a lot of Warhammer in the first through third editions we'd often play battles that were last stands and things like this that were always, like this, narratively more aligned to the Battles of Rorke's Drift, Roncevaux Pass, Thermopylae, Nishimonai, Chancellorsville, Pavan Khind, the Alamo, etc. Those massacres we played or amazing (and lucky) performances by the underdogs are the games I remember as being a whole lot more fun than ones that were 'fair'.