A Greyloch Campaign Battle Report

Introduction

Before I tell you about the games and adventures they represent, it is important to lay down a bit of foundation for you.

Greyloch is a fantasy world that I’ve slowly been writing out. It features many of the classic fantasy tropes, though some may have a bit of a twist. I have been searching for a long time for a system that could support my world. For years I have been missing that campaign-style element in my wargaming, and I really wanted to do it within the confines of a world I had created. Initially I had looked at Warlords of Erewhon as my engine, a fine game based on d10s and an order dice system, but it just felt as if something was missing. Instead, I opted for Hounds of War, a sort of “build-a-bear” experience that allows each general to hand-craft their armies and have total control over every facet of their units and experience. Roster creation can be tedious, but fortunately I’ve been working on an app to mitigate that, and allow anyone to play within the world of Greyloch!

The First Campaign

While organizing the first campaign set within this fantasy world I had taught my son, Eli, how to play. I needed reps, and he really liked the idea of being able to use any models he wanted. He immediately fell in love with the concept, from the card/deck activations to the flexibility it offers. As soon as we finished our first walk-through his first question was “Can I also do the campaign?” So what started as a three player campaign is now a four player campaign.

But it didn’t stop there. We playtested our armies, as you need to do with Hounds. The game does a pretty good job of keeping units and points balanced, but you still need to test things in order to understand how they stack up, and to make sure everything is scaled properly. He wanted to set the table, so I stood by and watched as his creative little mind began sculpting a dense forest battlefield on our wargaming table. Thick patches of dense trees choked narrow pathways, and slowly opened into a glade on the fringe of the forest. It is here where the Gilasaurs had made their camp.

The elves of the Gloamwood, surprised by such a large raiding party, were caught unaware.

Thaeldrel (commander) Fenariel, mounted atop his glorious warhawk, Servane, led his warband into battle against these mysterious invaders.

The battle commenced. Bowstrings snapped, swards clashed, and warriors poured blood, sweat, and tears into every move that they made. It felt like a stalemate, but Fenariel had laid a trap to lure out his unknown opponent. Feigning with a band of skirmishers to draw out the cavalry. Heavy footsteps thundered through the forest as Rapteragons rampaged through the woods. Sinewy, muscle-bound Gilasaurs atop them sliced everything down in their path, and the treekin, known in the elven tongue as Thalien, were cut down, but not in vain. Fenariel and his warhawks countercharged, and soon both commanders were locked in an epic duel!

Fenariel charged in and grievously wounded the enemy commander, causing it to flee the battlefield.

The day was won, but who were these foreign invaders, and why were they pushing so deep into the Gloamwood?

Game 2 of the “mini-campaign”

What started as a simple one-off game has now become an interconnected series of battles, and we just finished the second.

The enemy commander was on the run and Fenariel was in pursuit. He didn’t know what had brought them into the realm of elves, but he would stop them in their tracks and run them back to wherever they came from. He was the Guardian of the Briarshade, and in his duty he would not fail.

He pursued his quarry to a glade, and once there found that the enemy commander had set a trap, fleeing towards a Gilasaur encampment with reinforcements that sprang to life upon the return of their commander. Outnumbered, Fenariel had to make a decision, and with iron resolve vowed to cast these marauders from the Gloam once and for all.

From deep within the encampment a terrible roar shook the very earth, it was followed by the shadow of a great fire dragon swooping down into the battle. This battle would truly test Fenariel’s skill as a commander, and he summoned ancient Gnarlwraiths to aid him, giant walking trees that flowed with the magic of the Briarshade. Titan fought titan.

The dragon unleashed a firestorm that decimated ranks of friends and foes alike before slamming into a unit of Thalien (dryads). Once again Fenariel’s feint had worked and an Ancient Gnarlwraith countercharged with surprising swiftness. Amlugruin unleashed another firestorm that devastated much of the elven army. A few brave units held firm, and a prolonged combat with the ancient treeman saw Amlugruin sustain major injuries that caused him to flee the battlefield. With their fiendish firestorm now off of the battlefield Fenariel was able to concentrate what little forces he had left in repelling the Gilasaurs once again.

With the Gilasaurs gone, Fenariel must decide whether or not to pursue them all the way back to the arid lands of Gilarid and attempt to cripple their forces so badly that they never dare set foot into the Gloamwood again.

Conclusion

I will write up more battle reports like this. I hope you all enjoy it. It has brought so much joy into my life to be able to share this experience with my son! Thank you for sharing in it with us!

Chris