Looming Shadows (Open)

[Gregor Clegane]

They had arrived in the Northlands without incident, crossing the borders of from the Riverlands to the north a great distance from the Kingsroad. Marching into the Neck to arrive in the forests had taken more time than many would have liked and a number of potential deserters had been executed publicly to remind everyone who was in charge, but in all most towns had been skirted and although it was impossible to move a force of more than 3000 men in complete secret, many villages would simply refuse to act on what they had seen out of fear. They all knew the standard that flew at the head of the small army and they all knew the man it belonged to was not one to be crossed.

The Mountain sat astride his massive steed at the head of his force. While they only numbered 3000 or so, there had been a promise of more to add to the campaign and even a force this size could create chaos in the vast expanses of the North. Sofar they had been unopposed but even the brute Gregor knew that it was only a matter of time before some militia of sorts was mobilised to oppose them while an army could be gathered to drive them off completely.

The few scouts that had been sent out had all returned reporting that for now the way to Barrowtown was clear and they were no obvious signs that they were expecting any trouble. The huge man could do nothing but grin wickedly as he anticipated the slaughter that would soon take place, waving his men onwards in their columns, already close to the border of the Barrowlands, the woods of the Neck having shielded them from most prying eyes...

[Gregor Clegane]

By now someone would know there was a foreign force in the North that much was certain, and with the new influx of troops that had joined Ser Gregor's army there was no hiding it now. Small holdings had been ransacked for supplies and set alight on the order of the Mountain to send a ripple of fear running through the smallfolk. Defy the invaders and die, cooperate and flee with your lives. It was a simple gesture but it tended to have the required impact.

Soon they would be ready for the march on Barrowtown, and now with 15 thousand plus men at his command The Mountain was ready to bring the fight to the dogs of the North, their people would pay the price for turning on the King and then they themselves would be next. Something had started that couldn't be stopped now and sides were being picked.

The order went through the ranks, the army marched and Barrowtown would burn in the morning...

[Deleted]

The Lions saw fit to send one of their cubs into territory that they had no business setting foot in. When Robb heard news that the Mountain and his army set foot in the North, the Young Wolf had already been making his preparations to march on King's Landing. It seemed as though the fight had gotten to him quite early. There was no more time to waste on planning and strategics. He was ready to show the Lannisters that this attack wouldn't be taken lightly at all.

The King in the North cleared out Winterfell that night, so that when the morning had come the men of the North had arrived by the time the sun had risen. The horns sounded through the air as Robb waited on his horse. Grey Wind wasn't too far away from him. He'd brought all of his men and he was quite sure that he outnumbered whatever force the Lannisters saw fit to throw at them.

Swords were drawn.

"THE KING OF THE NORTH! THE KING OF THE NORTH!"

Robb Stark drew his own and was one of the first to ride off to meet the southern men. The battle had begun and there was much blood to be spilled. The fearsome wolf would let the lions know that though he was new to war, he would refuse to be taken lightly.

[Gregor Clegane]

With Barrowtown in his sights the attack had been moments hours away when word reached the Mountain and his commanders that the false King marched this way, the walls of Winterfell practically empty as the boy rushed to meet the invader. At last estimate some 30,000 men marched to meet them, odds of 2 to 1 against the men that followed Ser Clegane but any word of fleeing or parlay was swiftly dealt with. Despite what the men may have felt about following te brute Gregor there could be no denying that may of them felt the same way about the upstart from the North. The King sat on the Iron Throne and they would fight any traitor who claimed otherwise.

The orders were given to back from the open plains to the tree line and prepare to meet the enemy. 6000 Pikemen ranked up along the edge of the trees, a slight cruve to their line to counter any charge the Stark dog might make, behind them archers prepared their arrows, stuck into the earth ready to unleash volley after volley into the advancing ranks. 500 Horsemen protected each flank while the remainder moved away from the main army, attempting to circle around and flank the bulk of the Stark forces, The Mountain riding with them. Swordsmen ranked up behind the archers, gaps in their line to allow there ranged companions to flee should the line of pikemen break and close quarters break out.

It would be a battle the likes of which Barrowtown had never seen, a bloody mess that would not end well for one of them. With no word from the Hand of reinforcements it would be an uphill battle but the Kingsmen would make the northerners pay with blood every step of the way...

[Deleted]

It surprised even Robb how many men had rallied to his cause. He was confident that the Lannisters wouldn't just send the Mountain up North to do their dirty work. They were much smarter than that and they would most likely attempt to take advantage of the fact that this was Robb's first war. He was still no fool, however. Their numbers were much fewer than Robb's own, so he would need to make quick work of whatever he had in front of him before more men arrived.

The hill at his back had many archers at its top. Their arrows were aimed high in the air with their bows drawn back. When they fired, a dark cloud of destruction and death rained down towards the men that rode out to meet the bulk of the King in the North's forces. They readied another volley, this time preparing to aim towards the trees. They could no longer risk hitting their own men as the Lion and the Wolf finally clashed.

Blood was being spilled already and Robb was at the forefront, hacking and slashing at any Lannister soldier he could get his hands on. They had no knights among them. As far as highly trained soldiers went, Robb had the advantage with his Heavy Cavalry that numbered at one hundred. They would cut a swath through the horsemen that met them and make their way towards the soldiers that hid behind the trees in the forest. Those archers had to be taken out.

The King in the North would have his work cut out for him in the next few days, that was for sure.

[Torin Lannister]

OOC

I'll be moderating this thread. I'll post after each IC participant has posted or at some point after 72 hours since my latest OOC post, to keep things moving. In the event you have not posted, it will be assumed your last remaining orders stand and your forces shall continue.

Please make instructions to units or their actions clear, in the event sufficient detail has not been provided I shall make a reasonable assumption based on provided information, edits shall not be made after a round has resolved bar numerical mistakes.


List of forces involved:
Robb Stark
100 Heavy Cavalry
10,000 Horsemen
14,000 Pikemen
11,000 Swordsmen
10,000 Archers

vs

Ser Gregor Clegane
6,000 Pikemen
4,000 Swordsmen
2,500 Archers
5,000 Horsemen

Lena Arryn Arrived OOC, yet to post
10 House Lannister Knights - Ser Torin appointed bodyguard
30 Knights
12,000 Horsemen
10,000 Pikemen
2,600 Archers
1,000 Swordsmen
1,600 Militia

Alric Baratheon Arriving tomorrow OOC
10,000 Militia
250 Catapults

From this point characters involved (Rob Stark, Gregor Clegane, Lena Arryn & soon Alric Baratheon) may not send Ravens nor order troops to be moved from locations without first leaving the battlefield and retreating to a safe location.

First round of actions:
Gregor Clegane brings forces "back from the open plains to the tree line"
Gregor Clegane archer fire on advancing troops: 1 Heavy Cavalry killed, 25 Horsemen
Gregor Clegane sends 4,000 horsemen to "circle around and flank," rear attack killed 200 pikemen, Gregor kills 5 more

Robb Stark leads his men "at the forefront"
Robb Stark archer fire on horsemen riding out: killed 110 horsemen
Robb Stark archer fire on enemy at tree's: long distance, enemy have cover killed 0
Robb Stark leads charge on enemy main force, killed 200 pikemen, Robb Stark kills 5 more
Negative result: Horsemen & Heavy Cavalry charging pikemen, 280 horsemen lost, 20 Heavy Cavalry

Current situation:
Robb Stark
79 Heavy Cavalry
9,695 Horsemen
13,795 Pikemen
11,000 Swordsmen
10,000 Archers

Ser Gregor Clegane
5,795 Pikemen
4,000 Swordsmen
2,500 Archers
4,890 Horsemen

[Deleted]

There would be no staying in this situation for long. Should Robb continue to press forward with his troops, it would likely be a blood bath and his forces would be cut in half. He would need to fall back and out of this open field. The brute had done a fair job at engineering this kill zone. He would need to draw these men away from the trees if the forces of the North were to do any real damage to them.

"Back!", the King in the North shouted to his own men. "Away from their Pikemen!"

Even now with the losses he just took and the losses he would take from the archers that were fire on his retreating men, Robb would still have more men than the Mountain. He didn't know how many reinforcements the Lannisters would send for him. At the moment, that didn't much matter to Robb. What mattered was pushing them back.

The Horsemen that followed Robb would push through the horsemen that surrounded them and ride back behind the archers on the hills, all of whom rained more arrows down on the enemy forces. This time they fired at will, rather than all at once. They would need to take down whomever would advance towards them. Robb found himself at a position now where he could better command his men. The swordsmen that waited behind the hill stood ready for attack still. All the Mountain would be able to see was his archers that stood at the top.

"Pikemen! To the forefront! Make sure those archers are defended! Push them back!"

And so they moved to the front lines in order to oppose those that would make their move to the hill. The Swordsmen and the Horsemen at Robb's side would take care of anyone who broke through the lines or were bold enough to move around.

[Gregor Clegane]

The fighting on both sides had become brutal and bloody, horses and riders of the north impaled on pike men that held fast as they steadied themselves against the charge of the Starks. Despite their bravery pike men began to fall as their weapons became useless at such close range, and the sheer impact from a heavy calvary charge took its toll on them. The screams of the dying filled the trees and the sky as their blood spilled onto the cold hard ground, turning it into a muddy crimson mess beneath both man and best.

The horsemen stationed on the flanks of the Clegane line moved, charging into the sides of the retreating Stark riders, harassing them as they fled away from the pike men, leaving the protection of the trees to cut down as many as they could, there captains as eager for battle as the men they commanded.

With a command the pike men began to reform their lines, filling the gaps that had opened up from the vicious charge of the northmen, and with a steady beat they stepped once more to the edge of the tree line, freeing up space once again for their archers to emerge and release a few volleys of their own into the backs of the retreating riders. The swords men continued to hold, eager to engage but being held back by their commanders, the defensive line for the archers being held, safe in the knowledge that the thick trees provided at least some cover against the archers opposing them.

Some 4000 horsemen thundered round to the left flank of the Stark army, watching as the almost 10,000 strong horde of riders fled from the treeline back to the hill, harassed along the way by the over eager flank protection of the Clegane force. Slowing still some distance away the horsemen following the Mountain wheeled and slowed their charge, redirecting their path to hold away from the fleeing riders, a few outriders being set out to scope the surroundings while the main bulk of the horsemen under his command held their ground. A brute yes, a fool no, even Gregor wasn't about to ride his men into a force twice the size of his own without reinforcements.

As loathe as it felt...he could be patient for a time...

[Lena Arryn]

Lena Arryn sat atop her horse waiting for the opportune time to join the battle. This was why she cheated fate at it's untimely game of motherhood, she was a warrior not a doting mother. Her hands were meant for taking life not rearing it.

Drawing her sword she watched as Gregor's men pick of Stark's at the flank. "Horsemen, assist Ser Gregor at his task, Archers; prepare take aim for the enemy forces."
That was what her husband had sent her here for wasn't it? To cover her self in glory as the Shield maiden of the great Mountain the Rides?
Well, when the time came she'd show her worth as the Lady protector of the Vale, but for now she settled to her own task.

When the archers had their bows strung and arrows waiting to be loosed Lena gave the signal to hold the great volley of fire. The Archers of Robb Stark were the immediate threat for now and once they had moved from their cover they'd be mowed down by her own archers, then it would make it easy for the combined forces of Gregor and Lena to cut through Stark's men like a hot knife through butter.
But for now, they waited.

[cadyren]

10,000 men had followed Alric to the North, as he approached the battlefield he wondered how many would follow him back. If things went well, Lena and Gregor’s forces would be the ones doing most of the fighting, while his men operated the catapults they had brought from King’s Landing. However if the self styled King in the North attacked his men, they would be slaughtered. Many of his men had probably never used a weapon before, and the weapons they carried with them were pathetic.

As Alric’s forces approached the battle he had his commanders, who he had been forced to promote from the ranks of the militia, get their men into position. Any man that wasn’t operating the catapults was helping to form the defensive line in front of them. It was an extremely simple strategy, but it needed to be with simple men such as the ones under Alric’s command.

Northern archers could clearly be seen on the hill where the battle was taking place, as well as pikemen moving to the front to defend them. Alric was sure there were more men over the hill, as far as Alric could tell there was nowhere else they could be.

If I take out the archers, that will help making the fighting easier for my side. I guess it is time to find out if my men can use these things.

Alric signaled for his men to move forward. Alric rode his horse in front of the men that would be all that was between Robb’s men and the catapults, though hopefully that would change once Lena sent her men onto the field.

Alric knew that 250 catapults would be anything but stealthy, but he still hoped that he would get his first volley off before Robb managed to organize a counter attack. Once the hill was in range Alric looked back to watch as his men prepared the catapults, adjusting them as well as loading them up for the first volley.

Alric was anxious, this was his first battle where he had thousands of men at his command, and right now his success would depend on how quickly his men fired the catapults. It would have been safer to wait for Lena to send her men into the battle he knew, but his men would have grown more restless. And if Robb managed to attack him while he was waiting, the odds of him bringing his force back together would be slim, untrained soldiers were not so brave in battle, and would likely run if they thought that the battle wasn’t going their way.

Alric was lost in thought when the first volley was sent off, Alric watched as the rocks flew through the air and towards the hill, and hopefully on top of some archers and pikemen. Well if Robb Stark didn’t know I was here already, he certainly does now.

[Torin Lannister]

(Lets try a more narrative approach)

Robb Stark called his men to fall back towards the tree line to the west and while most of his mighty army had to engage and it was an easy thing for them to turn around and make for the safety of the hilltop, for those that had been at the front of the fighting it was terribly difficult, it was difficult enough to turn a horse at a sudden moment, nevermind with the ground wet with blood and littered with the bodies of dead horses and their riders. Ser Gregor's pikmen make it any easier. But the Stark force would not make it a total loss, as they fell back they forced their way through Clegane's horsemen, killing as they could and under the cover of Robb's archers.
(Stark horsemen kill 100 Clegane horsemen)
(Stark archers kill 100 Clegane horsemen)

Clegane riders came down on the Stark horsemen as they fell back, coming in hard and smashing their way straight through. Those that Clegane led personally moved themselves to a safer spot and cut down any who rode too close, it was brutal business but it was brutally effective. Back at the main force they were forming up and the archers taking further toll on the Stark army as they fell back to safety. Clegane himself rode back towards his men at their own treeline in the east.
(Clegane Pikemen kill 100 Stark horsemen)
(Clegane horsemen kill 300 Stark horsemen)
(Clegane archers kill 100 horsemen)

Lady Lena Arryn arrived with a host from the Vale, her main force back a safe distance on the south flank of the already battling forces. Her horsemen rode down to form up with Clegane's riders and formed a larger force while her archers marched in range of Robb's force atop the hill. Her archers took aim and awaited for Robb's force to reveal itself from the treeline.


Ser Alric Baratheon arrived up the same south road that the Arryn host arrived on. His force took position beside Lady Arryn's main force. His catapults, though designed to break the walls of Castles had a force so large the shots were mere childs play. The two hundred and fifty war machines unleashed the giant chunks of stone debris and devastated the front lines of pikemen and archers, the tree's provided no defense against this weapon.
(Baratheon catapults kill 500 pikemen)
(Baratheon catapults kill 500 archers)

Robb Stark
79 Heavy Cavalry
9,195 Horsemen ~Morale shaken
13,295 Pikemen
11,000 Swordsmen
9,500 Archers

vs

Ser Gregor Clegane
5,795 Pikemen
4,000 Swordsmen
2,500 Archers
4,690 Horsemen

Lena Arryn
10 House Lannister Knights
30 Knights
12,000 Horsemen
10,000 Pikemen
2,600 Archers
1,000 Swordsmen
1,600 Militia

Alric Baratheon
10,000 Militia
250 Catapults

[Lena Arryn]

Lena watched as the catapults unleashed a hailstorm of stone upon the enemy, her face cold and unfeeling.
Her own choice would have been to sit out this war of kings, or perhaps to try and talk reason into the son of her father's ward, but it had come to war, and her allegiance must be with her husband. Such was the price she paid to save the Vale from her brother's idiotic rule.

"Ser Baratheon, so nice you to join us." She shouted across the fighting bellow. "Well, now that the path has cleared some why don't we offer a bit more support to Ser Clegane? Shall we?"
Lena steered her horse towards the front of the line, and noted to her archers. "Fire upon horsemen of Winterfel, militia, Pike men hold your ground until my signal." She didn't want them crushed by the newly arrived war machines.

[Deleted]

Just as Robb had expected, Clegane would have received his reinforcements from the South. He had no idea that the Vale would join forces with the Lannisters. It mattered not. They would get dealt with all the same and Robb would figure out later what exactly had happened for such events to take place. Defending the North from this invading force is what mattered the most now. Lena had made the mistake of sending her force to join Clegane's. It wouldn't happen without Robb sending some of his own men to harrass those forces.

"My Swordsmen! Take your revenge for what was done to your fellow Northmen. Spill the blood of the new invaders and their horses! Make sure they don't make it to those woods clean."

Clegane would likely advance in order to aid Arryn's forces. He had something ready for that as well.

"Bannerman. Send two thousand pikemen out with them. Show the men of the Vale how the wolves wage war on the dishonorable."

Robb's 11,000 swordsmen along with 2,000 Pikemen rushed out to meet Lena Arryn's horsemen on the battlefield. Robb was quite sure they would be butchered out on the center, while trying to make it to Ser Clegane. Hopefully, Clegane would march forward soon so Robb could deal with him as well. He would have another force prepared to deal with them as well. His own horsemen were shaken by the events that just took place.

"My brothers! This is not how the men of the North react to bloodshed! Look out there on the battlefield! We cannot afford to be shaken by these cowards from the south! They butchered your liege Lord and they would do the same to your land! We shall not allow them to do it again! The next time the Mountain rides, we will be ready for him!"

Robb turned to his archers, who were taking aim between the trees at the Arryn archers that were now in range. They would receive the coverage from the trees that the Arryn archers wouldn't.

"Pikemen! Show Arryn's archers a little hospitality! Archers, spread out and give the pikemen some aid! Render the catapults useless!"

Five thousand pikemen charged out onto the field to meet the archers that came into range of the trees. After the archers spread themselves out within the trees and across the hilltop, they fired their arrows ahead of the pikemen and into the Arryn's archers. It would rain arrows on them first before the pikemen arrived and slaughtered them. Robb still had just over 6,000 Pikemen left to use that he would split to both sides if it came to it.

Robb ordered his horsemen to fall back further into the trees, so as not to risk being hit with the catapults. He had the advantage as far as position was concerned.

[Gregor Clegane]

Gregor spat as he sat atop his massive steed watching the death that both sides brought to the battle field. With the arrival of the Vale bitch and the Baratheon whelp the odds had turned in his favour, his several thousand riders joined by several thousand more from the Lannister reinforcements sent to him. Catapults hammered the rear of the Stark lines while his own archers pelted the fleeing Wintefel horsemen, the flanking riders from the Clegane line doing little more than harrass the northmen as they ran. The bulk of his riders merged with the riders from the south forming a massive horde of thundering hooves that he left to the girl the Lannister boy had sent in place of a man. Let them chase down any who decided to flee, he had sighted Robbs own banner and was eager to rend the little pups head from his shoulders...maybe he could catch up to the boys sisters before the bulk of the forces arrived...

He grinned under his helm as his archers continued to fire into the retreating masses, watching with disgust as the arrows began to fall short. The safety of the treeline would have to be left behind and the fight would need to be taken to the northmen.

"SWORD!"

Roared the Mountain as his dismounted, pushing through the ranks of swordsmen to join them at the front, a squire struggling to each him as he dragged the massive two hander to his Ser. Pushing the boy to the side Gregor hefted the blade as if it weighed nothing, his gigantic frame making it look no bigger than the ones his own swordsmen used. His giant shield in the other hand, the command was passed down the line.

"FORWARDS!"

5000+ Pikemen and 4000 swordsmen began to advance towards Robbs position in the west, breaking into a charge as the distance closed, Ser Clegane storming forwards with pike,em and swordsmen alike, smashing into whatever line waited for them, the Stark force was so massive that it was impossible to miss the Pikemen that laid in wait. His greatsword hammered this way and that as he carved a bloody path towards where he had last seen the pups banner fleeing over the hill. He would not be deined by the whore or the child that had joined him, he would have the glory of this battle.

The Clegane Archers advanced a little more slowly, taking up position to cover any retreat and to loose a few volleys over the front lines and into the mass of men in the rear.

The Clegane horsemen took up ranks with the those from the Vale, awaiting further orders...

[Torin Lannister]

By the time Lady Lena Arryn gave the signal to fire their arrows her archers had plenty of time to line up the attack. The arrows came down and peppered the horsemen.
(Lady Lena Archers kill 200 Stark Horsemen)

Robb Stark had thirteen thousand men of his infantry charge the enemy's position, going after the Arryn horsemen that were standing with the Clegane riders. The pikemen were ideal for such a thing and hit hard as they drove in, what the swordsmen lacked in ideal weapons they made up for with their numbers and the number of foes to target.

By the time his infantry had engaged in the center his archers were letting loose their arrows upon the their counterparts in the Arryn force, there was a moments respite from the catapults and they made the most of it, the pikemen hit in right after and dealt another harsh attack. The Stark men had run the length of the battlefield three times however and fatigue was becoming apparent.
(Stark pikemen kill 300 Arryn Horsemen, Stark swordsmen kill 100 Arryn horsemen, Arryn horsemen kill 100 Stark swords men in defense, Clegane horsemen kill 100 Stark swordsmen in defense)
(Stark archers kill 150 Arryn Archers, Stark Pikemen kill 200 Arryn Archers)

Ser Gregor Clegane brought nine thousand men of his infantry up to the fighting, getting in close and personal and cutting down the men that had done him the favour of coming to him. It was dirty and brutal, just as Gregor liked it. His archers pelted out arrows into the mass of troops, but firing on the move gave less time to fire.
(Clegane swordsmen kill 100 Stark swordsmen & 100 pikemen, Clegane pikemen kill 100 Stark swordsmen and 100 pikemen. Stark swordsmen kill 100 swordsmen in defense)
(Ser Gregor kills 5 Stark swordsmen)
(Clegane archers kill 100 Stark swordsmen)

Alric Baratheon, standing orders
Ser Alric gave no update change to orders, so his catapults continued to bombard the same location, targeting the Stark archers & pikemen. Though the Archers attempted to move apart to make themselves harder targets, the sheer mass of men were an easy target and while the trees made for good cover against the Arryn Archers they constricted the movement and made spreading out such a force far more difficult.
(Baratheon catapults kill 500 pikemen)
(Baratheon catapults kill 500 archers)

Robb Stark
79 Heavy Cavalry
8,995 Horsemen
12,595 Pikemen (~Fatigued)
10,495 Swordsmen (~Fatigued)
9,000 Archers

vs

Ser Gregor Clegane
5,795 Pikemen
3,900 Swordsmen
2,500 Archers
4,690 Horsemen

Lena Arryn
10 House Lannister Knights
30 Knights
11,600 Horsemen
10,000 Pikemen
2,250 Archers
1,000 Swordsmen
1,600 Militia

Alric Baratheon
10,000 Militia
250 Catapults