The Battle of the Burned Banner, Imperial Year 1214
The High Elf stronghold of Tol Ista, a treaty port on the west coast of Estalia was besieged by a large warband of marauding Orcs and Goblins. These were the remnants of tribes driven out of Bretonnia and which had taken refuge in the rugged mountains of Estalia, led by Bruza da Big. A desperate attempt to sally out was repulsed and the Orcs captured the Elven banner. The surviving Elves fled back within the walls and were so greatly outnumbered that they prepared to abandon the port and sail away across the sea where the Orcs could not follow. At that moment a message was received from a carrier hawk. This said that an Elven force, led by Prince Ethwar was on its way to relieve the stronghold and was only one day's march away. The besieged Elves sent back the hawk with another message telling Ethwar that they would hold out for one more day and then abandon the stronghold.
Ethwar pressed on to reach the stronghold, knowing that if he failed to break through the Orcs and Goblins, the garrison would have no option but to abandon it and save the ships and whatever else they could. Carrying aloft the Elf banner, which he had set alight as a burning beacon for his troops to follow, Bruza deployed his army on rising ground behind a stream so as to block the Elven advance, the flanks of the greenskin's position being protected by boggy ground. On the highest point he planted the Elven banner where it could be seen by the besieged and the relieving force as a taunt to Elven pride. Thus the engagement became known as the Battle of the Burned Banner.
The Orcs and Goblins began shooting at the advancing Elves as they struggled to form up a battle line. Ethwar's force was mainly cavalry and being sorely pressed for time, as well as enraged at the sight of the burned banner, recklessly charged the strongly held Orc and Goblin positions. Despite a timely attack along the Orcs' flank by the garrison of Tor Ista, the difficult approaches and massed formations of the Orcs and Goblins took a heavy toll on the Elves until the Elven army eventually recoiled and fled in confusion. As the sun set in the west, the last Elves of Tol Ista put to sea under cover of night and abandoned the stronghold, which was sacked by Bruza da Big the next day.
Overview
In this scenario the attacking force is divided between two armies, each attacking from a different direction. If they coordinate their attack well the defender will be overwhelmed, if they attack piecemeal they will be destroyed one army ar a time.
Armies
Both armies are chosen using the Warhammer Army lists to an agreed points value. The players need to decide who is attacking and who is defending.
Battlefield
The defender's deployment zone is centred on an important defensible feature such as a hill or village. Other than this the players should set up the terrain in any mutually agreeable fashion.
Deployment
Before any deployment, the attacker assigns up to one third of their army (in points) to be the flanking force. Units cannot be split between the two forces. The attacker must also write down whether these are flanking to the left or the right.
The players roll a dice each, highest scorer is allowed to choose a table edge.
Each player rolls a dice and the highest scorer may decide whether to begin deploying first or second.
Taking it in turns, each player deploys one unit at a time, no closer than 24" to the enemy deployment zone. Units can be no closer than 12" to the neutral table edges.
All war machines in a player's army are deployed at the same time, though they can be deployed in different parts of the battlefield.
Champions are deployed with their unit, all other characters are deployed after all other units in a player's army, all at the same time.
Scouting units are not deployed with the rest of the units. Instead they are placed on the table after all units in both armies have been deployed, as described in the rules for Scouts.
Who Goes First?
Both players roll a dice, the player who finished their deployment first may add +1 to their dice roll. The player who scores highest may choose whether to go first or second (re-roll ties).
Length of Game
The game lasts six turns.
Special Rules
At the start of the attacker's third turn, they start to roll to see if the flanking force has arrived. On a roll of a 4+ the flanking force turns up. If it does not turn up, roll again at the start of subsequent turns, adding +1 to the dice roll for each roll after the first (they turn up on a 3+ on the fourth turn, and so on).
The units in the flanking force move on from the table edge nominated before the battle, in the opponent's half of the table. Units may not charge on the same turn that they move onto the table, but do not count as starting their move within 8" of the enemy and so may march. You do not have to move all units on at the same time, units that are left off the table can move on in subsequent Movement phases.
Victory Conditions
The standard Victory points are used to determine the winner.
Historical Re-fight
The Battle of the Burned Banner took place between a High Elf host and an Orc and Goblin horde. A burned banner is placed in the middle of the defender's deployment zone, on a hill. Any attacking unit within 18" of the banner hates the enemy. At least half the units in the High Elf force must be cavalry and the General must stay with the main force.