The Battle for {Insert Name Here}

[Nihila]

As I erm... simplified the scouting situation, and all four sides have declared their pops, I will post the results from Twoy's scouting orders to the Sparrowhawks.

@D5:
1 Decrypted Sourmander; 8 Attack; 5 Defense

@C5:
3 Decrypted Sourmanders, 1 Decrypted Archer @ 3 Hits; 30 Attack; 3.75 Defense

[Twoy]

Turn 5 Move:

This is a proposed move. I don't have time to do the mathamancy now.

Sparrowhawk 1 relays orders to units in C3 and C4 then moves to C5 when it is cleared.

Thundercats x 2 (C3), Thunder Infantry x 1, (C4) Ewinyes x 1, (C4)
attack the Sourmander at D5, then move to C5 aafter it is cleared.

Thunder Lizard x 2, King Edmund (C4)
hit the enemy stack at C5.

Thunderbat 1 at E7 moves to E8 to spring the ambush if there is one.

[Nihila]

Quick addendum to the above findings:
@C4:
2 Decrypted Archers, 12 Attack, 0 Defense.

Not part of scouting, just there beforehand.

[Siralus]

I rest easy in this judgement. Go ahead, send the little squawkers to their death. We shall send them to a glorious death in battle to the thematic anthem of our people. Ride the Lightning.

[LTDave]

Petulantly: But I wanna rush in where angels fear to tread! You guys never let me have any fun!

All Generic Stacks HOLD and await further instructions.

[Twoy]

From A1: Thunder Bat x 1, Hellflame Dwakes x 2, Gwiffon rider x 1, (Att-43, Def-4)
To C4: vs. 2 Decrypted Archers, 12 Attack, 0 Defense.

[Twoy]

Defenders strike first killing 1 Thunder Bat and 2 Hits on Hellflame Dwake:

Spoiler: show

COMBAT!
Battle is joined in hex: C4
TIME OF POST (in minutes and seconds): 1805
Attacker:
Total Attack Value: 33
Level of Highest Commander: 1
Number of Units: 3
Stacking Bonus: 1.3
Average Defence: 4.0
Terrain Bonus of Hex: 0.0
Special Bonus: 1.0
Random Percentage: 95%
Total Damage: 45

Hits Inflicted on the Enemy: 45

Defender
Total Attack Value: 12
Level of Highest Commander: 0
Number of Units: 0
Stacking Bonus: 1.2
Average Defence: 0.0
Terrain Bonus of Hex: 0.0
Special Bonus: 1.0
Ambush Bonus: 1.0
Random Percentage: 65%
Total Damage: 9

Hits Inflicted on the Enemy: 5

2 Decrypted Archers destroyed.

[Twoy]

Sparrowhawk 1 relays orders to units in C3 and C4.

Thunder Infantry x 1 (C4), Thundercats x 2 (C3), Ewinyes x 1, (C4) (Att-28, Def-4)
attack the Sourmander (8 Attack; 5 Defense) at D5, then move to C5 after it is cleared.

[Twoy]

Defender's 1st strike inflicts 2 Hits on Thunder Infantry.

Spoiler: show

COMBAT!
Battle is joined in hex: D5
TIME OF POST (in minutes and seconds): 2437
Attacker:
Total Attack Value: 28
Level of Highest Commander: 0
Number of Units: 4
Stacking Bonus: 1.4
Average Defence: 4.0
Terrain Bonus of Hex: 0.0
Special Bonus: 1.0
Random Percentage: 90%
Total Damage: 35

Hits Inflicted on the Enemy: 13

Defender
Total Attack Value: 8
Level of Highest Commander: 0
Number of Units: 1
Stacking Bonus: 1.0
Average Defence: 5.0
Terrain Bonus of Hex: 0.0
Special Bonus: 1.0
Ambush Bonus: 1.0
Random Percentage: 55%
Total Damage: 4

Hits Inflicted on the Enemy: 2

Decrypted Sourmander destroyed.

[Twoy]

Thunder Lizard x 2, King Edmund (C4) (Att-56, Def-5)
hit the 3 Decrypted Sourmanders, 1 Decrypted Archer @ 3 Hits; 30 Attack; 3.75 Defense at C5.

[Twoy]

Defender's 1st strike inflicts 10 Hits on Thunder Lizard.

Spoiler: show

COMBAT!
Battle is joined in hex: C5
TIME OF POST (in minutes and seconds): 2921
Attacker:
Total Attack Value: 56
Level of Highest Commander: 5
Number of Units: 3
Stacking Bonus: 1.3
Average Defence: 5.0
Terrain Bonus of Hex: 0.0
Special Bonus: 1.0
Random Percentage: 90%
Total Damage: 98

Hits Inflicted on the Enemy: 52

Defender
Total Attack Value: 30
Level of Highest Commander: 0
Number of Units: 4
Stacking Bonus: 1.4
Average Defence: 3.8
Terrain Bonus of Hex: 0.0
Special Bonus: 1.0
Ambush Bonus: 1.0
Random Percentage: 65%
Total Damage: 27

Hits Inflicted on the Enemy: 10

3 Decrypted Sourmanders and 1 Decrypted Archer destroyed.
King Edmund gains an xp.

[Twoy]

Orders: Thunderbat 1 at E7 moves to E8 to spring the ambush if there is one.

[Nihila]

Actually, it does have a purpose. No ambush in E8.

[Twoy]

Oops.
Orders: Thunderbat 2 at E7 moves to F8 to spring the ambush if there is one.

[Nihila]

No ambush in F8. Earlier post will be filled with rambling. Or not. Whatever.

[Twoy]

It was my mistake. Just leave it.

Orders: Thunderbat 3 at E7 moves to G8 to spring the ambush if there is one.

[Nihila]

G8... None there either.

[Twoy]

A1:
Archers x 8, Captain Ordinarius (Att-72 Ranged, Def-5).

C4:
Ewinyes x 2 (Att-12 Ranged, Def-2).

C5:
a. Thunder Lizard x 1, Thunder Infantry x 1, Thunder Cats x 2, Thunder Lizard x 1 (-10 Hits), (Att-70, Def-4.8).
b. Hellflame Dwakes x 1,
Hellflame Dwakes x 1 (-2 Hits), Sparrowhawk x 1 (Att-19, Def-3).
c. Gwiffon Rider x 1, King Edmund, Sparrowhawk x 1 (Att-44, Def-3.67).
d. Ewinyes x 1 (Att-6, Def-2).
e. Thunder Bats x 4, Sparrowhawk x 1.

G8:
a. Ogre x 2, Guardsmen x 6, Captain General Genericus, (Att-123, Def-5).
b. Thunder Infantry x 3, Thunder Cats x 4, CDR Lightning (Att-59, Def-4.625).
c. Thunder Infantry x 7, CDR Thunder (Att-51, Def-4.125).
d. Thunder Bats x 5 (Att-25, Def-3).
e. Hellflame Dwake x 8, CDR Vis (Att-81, Def-4).
f. Bezekiwa x 8, CDR Agrach (Att-72, Def-5).

If anyone has any suggestions, please speak up. If not, give me a thumbs up and I will make these final. And sorry, Captain General Genericus, no one for you to kill this turn.

[LTDave]

Very well. We will move to G8 as ordered, and prepare for the final conflict!

OOC: I'm concerned that it sets a dangerous precedent for the GM to give hex by hex responses to 'moving scouts'. Players might opt not to pop scouts, and just do everything by blind advance. I think it would be better if the GM insisted on all movement being posted before indicating ambushes, etc.

[Nihila]

Perhaps, but I was online and I wanted to get it done fast. Also, if you do decide to do everything by blind advance, the efficiency is minimal, and there is a very, very high chance that a massive force can quietly evade pursuit when scouts would have revealed it. Or, even more dangerous, if there are two moderately mobile forces, finding one results in a "scout" croaking, and that one might not even be croakable on that turn, and then there is either one or two forces, at least one of which is invisible.

So, I will modify the rules again, to prevent a potential exploit: In the case of an ambush, I will only reveal what is in the ambush hex if there are survivors. If all pseudo-scouts croak, I do not reveal units, reduce the ambush bonus, or reduce the special bonus. I will post the combat results, but the "Attack" box will have the real attack--with Leadership and stacking bonus calculated in--the Leadership and Stacking bonus boxes will always say 1.0(that is, "Level of Highest Commander"=0), and the number of units will always say "0".

This minimizes the chance that you can figure out what my force is, beyond speculation. Which feels right, the Romans after Teutoberg Forest probably had some speculation, if no hard facts. Will this work?