Ekotai’s March: The Battle Of Crystal Falls Pass 2

Introduction 2
1.0 Tactical Situation 3
2.0 The Armies 4
Table 2.1.1 Crimson King’s Army War Law Statistics 5
Table 2.1.2 Crimson King’s Army Arms Law Statistics 5
Table 2.2.1 Nochtiach Expeditionary Force War Law Statistics 7
Table 2.2.2 Nochtiach Expeditionary Force Arms Law Statistics 8
3.0 Characters & Magic Items: 8
3.1.1 The Crimson Crown 9
3.1.2 The Crimson Sword 9
3.1.3 Ekotai’s Armour 10
3.2.1 Sword Of The Crimson Primate 10
3.2.2 Armour Of The Crimson Primate 10
3.3.1 Fichera 10
3.3.2 Atiatoch’s Armour 10
3.4.1 The Banner Of Noch Geongechuth 11
4.0 Crystal Falls Pass 11
4.1.1 Crystal Falls battle map 12
4.1.2 Initial Deployments 13
5.0 The Battle Of Crystal Falls Pass 14
5.1 War Law Turns 1-4 14
5.2 War Law Turn 5 14
5.3 War Law Turn 6 16
6.0 Post Battle Notes 16
 Ekotai’s March: The Battle Of Crystal Falls Pass

A War Law Campaign Set On The World Of Nytheun

Introduction

To say that the war against the Cambions of Nochtiach was not going well was to, evidently,
describe the situation in the most simplistic of terms possible. For indeed, the darkest hour was upon
what remained of the Erupuan nation as the demonic hoards of Eqyrega, the Sorcerer-King of
Nochtiach, ravaged every corner of the former Empire. And the great Erupuan dynastic king,
Gycherun XII fought bravely with a small league of allied Erupuan states in the hopes of preserving
what remained of a once glorious culture. What follows, is the heroic tale of one of Gycherun’s
greatest allies and his noble fight against the evil of Eqyrega, the Black.

Greetings readers! As promised, here is a War Law Campaign set during the terrible
Demon Wars on my world of Nytheun. But first, a little background on my interest in War
Law. Back in the heyday of my RM2 playing, my friends and I also experimented playing
other game systems, as I know many others have done as well. The one game that we
played almost as much as RM was Games Workshop’s Warhammer table top mass-combat
battle game. We loved building armies and pitting our limited tactical knowledge against
each other. But we all wanted to find a way to connect this love of tactical army combat
with the characters we were playing in our RM2 Campaigns. And so, I went out and I
bought War Law in the hopes of bringing that desire we had as a group to reality.
For those of you who don’t remember, or who never perhaps knew, War Law is
RM2's mass combat system. We never really played War Law as extensively as we had
played Warhammer, but we all liked how we could take our characters to a whole new level
simply by having them raise armies which could change the course of a campaign’s history.
And so I present to you, Ekotai’s March - a series of War Law battle reports that I hope
might inspire others to discover the mass combat side of Rolemaster. Of course, if you
want to play out this War Law battle for yourself, you can just ignore the material in section
5.0 (the actual battle report) and use the information given in the other sections to play
your own version. Also, the background information on the world of Nytheun that is being
developed through this exercise might interest some of you. Perhaps it might interest you
in the stories and plots I am developing for Nytheun and the legendary Court of the
Crimson King (more on that particular setting in a few moments). Or perhaps my world-
building method might be of interest to others. Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy what
I have to offer.
1.0 Tactical Situation
 It has been more than a thousand years since the peace of Ravenstone has been in danger.
In those last chaotic days of the old Empire, when my great Ancestor, Munammeren, declared
independence from the Imperial Throne and made himself the first Crimson King of Ravenstone, the
peace and security of the realm were in doubt. It was only through the kind aid of our ancient allies,
the Iperatesi elves, and the heroic deeds of our greatest warriors that our realm was made secure
against the Usurper’s armies.
Yet now we face a new and more terrifying enemy. The Sorcerer-King of Nochtiach has
brought devastation to the lands that once formed the Imperium and the fragile alliance I hold with
the King who sits upon the old Imperial Throne in Eruplong may not last the year. The vile demonic
fiends of Eqyrega are a scourge, but what power do we simple men have against them? I fear the
time of the Erupuan people - a once proud and noble people - might soon come to an horrific end.
From The Personal Journal Of Ekotai
Crimson King Of Ravenstone

The Realm of the Crimson Kings is situated on the western most peninsula of the
western continent. To the east, toward the heartland of what once had been the Erupuan
Empire, are a large number of petty kingdoms who once held allegiance to the Imperial
Throne at Eruplong - including the evil kingdom of Nochtiach. The Realm of the Crimson
Kings has prospered in its independence from Eruplong thanks to its strategic position on
the Crimson Strait, a vital military and trade corridor which connects the Erupuan Sea to
the south and the North West Sea in the north.
The demon armies of Nochtiach have slowly been conquering many of the petty
kingdoms along this western peninsula in a bid to reunite the old Erupuan Empire under
the new leadership of Eqyrega, an evil mage who has sold his soul to a demon lord in order
to gain power. It is now the late spring of 1120 of the Crimson King’s Era and the
Nochtiach demon armies have taken control of Eaglecrest, the small kingdom just east of
Ravenstone’s eastern border. The young Crimson King, Ekotai, realizes the threat the
Nochtiachi pose to his realm and is busy organizing its defense. His plan is two fold: firstly
to bolster his eastern defenses and to move the majority of the rural population into the
fortified urban centers. Secondly, to lead a small army of his most skilled warriors in a
preemptive strike into the eastern reaches of Ravenstone to hopefully catch his enemy by
surprise.
Ekotai has chosen the Crystal Falls Pass along the southern portion of the Eagle
Mountains as his initial preemptive strike against the forces of Nochtiach. His scouts and
spies have informed him that a small expeditionary force is building an outpost at the
eastern gateway to the pass. This force is currently camped near the construction site of this
small tower. The information he has been able to receive on this Nochtiach division is that
it is mostly consisting of engineering units tasked with the construction of the outpost.
However, there is a contingent of Nochtiach infantry as well as one unit of the deadly
Nochtiach Cambion Warriors who provide security for the engineers as well as performing
harassing missions into the eastern reaches of the Realm of the Crimson Kings.

2.0 The Armies

“The men await your order to depart, your highness.” Reported Afishinax Plashane, the
Primate of the Crimson Knights. Ekotai looked out amongst the gathered soldiers who were
preparing to embark on the river-ship that would take their force to the eastern frontier. He saw
courage, pride and a little bit of fear painted on their faces, and again the young Crimson King
wondered how many of them would never see the walls of Noch Geongechuth, the capital, ever again.
But Ekotai pushed those thoughts far from his mind. To show doubt or weakness before his men,
who trusted him and were willing to defend their country without question was to dishonour them.
No, his men meant far too much to him, for he knew that most of them had families they were leaving
behind. Families and other citizens they swore to defend. And this was their chance to fulfill that
vow.
“All right, Afishinax.” Ekotai replied in a commanding tone, “Give the order to embark. Let
us go forth and meet our destiny.”

Ekotai’s raiding force consists of one hundred and twenty-six men divided into four
units. The Crimson King commands the entire force, but he does so through a small
command structure consisting of Captains, who command each separate unit. Ekotai goes
into the field with his personal retinue of seventeen guards. This unit not only serves as
a heavy infantry combat unit, but it also functions as the command unit for the entire force.
There is also a contingent of Crimson Knights, the elite fighting force famed for their ability
to fight on the backs of great eagles. They are small in number, totaling eighteen in number
- including Afishinax Plashane, the Primate of the Crimson Knights. The remainder of the
force consists of two units of forty-five men each. The first unit is a light infantry combat
unit armed with pole-arms and swords. The second is an archer unit who is also armed
with swords as a secondary melee weapon. The bulk of the force travels on foot. However,
as previously mentioned, the Crimson Knights travel via their great eagle steeds. It is this
special ærial cavalry unit that Ekotai believes can deal a decisive blow against the
Nochtiach forces who have occupied the Crystal Falls Pass.

Table 2.1.1 Crimson King’s Army War Law Statistics

Unit Sz HPT OB1 OB2 DB SB AT

Crimson Guard 18 2373 133bs 138cp 45 N5 19

Crimson Knights 18 2329 130bs 115la 45 F5 19

Great Eagles 18 5040 120HCl 80LBa 50 No 4

Ravenstone Infantry 45 3410 80bs 65hb 15 N 14

Ravenstone Archers 45 3410 80bs 85cp 15 N 15

Unit UBM R MR LR Lvl Dis Sur Fer End

Crimson Guard 36 100 57 10 95 79 85 98

Crimson Knights 36 100 41 10 92 96 98 92

Great Eagles 75 100 15

Infantry 28 100 7 4 78 65 62 63

Archers 28 100 9 4 81 85 85 54

Table 2.1.2 Crimson King’s Army Arms Law Statistics

Unit/Nam e Lvl Hits AT DB Sh Gr MM

Ekotai Geongechuth 25 163 19* 55 N15 A/L 10

Crimson Guard 10 130 19 45 N5 A/L 20

Afishinax Plashane 18 119 19* 65 F15 A/L 15

Crimson Knights 10 130 19 45 F5 A/L 15

Great Eagles 15 280 4 50 No No 20

Infantry Captain 8 110 14 30 N A/L 15

Infantry 4 75 14 15 N A/L 5

Archer Captain 8 110 14 30 N A/L 15

Archers 4 75 14 15 N A/L 5
 Unit/Name Attacks Notes

Ekotai Geongechuth 170bs*/175cp The Crimson King Of Ravenstone

Crimson Guard 130bs/130ss/135cp Ekotai’s personal guards

Afishinax Plashane 160bs*/145la/165sb Primate of the Crimson Knights

Crimson Knights 130bs/115la/135sb Fighters (Cavaliers, if RM CIII is used)

Great Eagles 120HCl/80LBa</95LPiÖ Lesser Great Eagles

Infantry Captain 115bs/100hb/120cp Fighter

Infantry 80bs/65hb/85cp Fighters

Archer Captain 115bs/100hb/120cp Fighter

Archers 85cp/80bs/65ss Fighters

Some Notes on the Codes used above:

< Weapon and attack codes follow the Rolemaster standard weapons and
attack codes.
< SB means Shield Bonus. The following shield codes are used: N=Normal
Shield; F=Full Shield; No=No Shield. The number next to the shield code
designates an extra bonus added to the normal DB given for that shield type.
< UBMR is War Law’s Unit Base Movement rate equal to (Average Individual
Movement Rate) x 0.5.
< MR is War Law’s Morale Rating.
< LR is War Law’s Leadership Rating.
< The final four columns in the War Law stats are unit statistics, namely:
Dis=Discipline; Sur=Survivability; Fer=Ferocity; End=Endurance.

Atieno Ebiethesh peered over the outcropping of rocks, down into the ravine below. From this
vantage point he could make out the entire Nochtiach camp as well as the construction site of the
outpost they were building. He quickly scanned the entire area, noting the different areas of the
encampment, how it was laid out and what sorts of watches guarded its perimeter. Noting the
arrangement of tents, Atieno began counting the number of men who occupied the camp, making
quick notes with a small chunk of charcoal on a small piece of parchment he kept for exactly this
purpose. Their numbers weren’t great, but he noted there seemed to be a large supply tent which
hinted at either an extended stay or the possibility of reinforcements that were to be expected some
time soon. Scratching a few final notes, the nimble scout then returned his parchment and charcoal
to its pouch that hung from his belt and then silently crept back up the mountain path from where
he had come.
 As stated previously, the Nochtiach expeditionary force is comprised mostly of
engineering units tasked with the construction of the outpost. The battle-readiness of these
engineers is not all that great. However, they are being protected by a large contingent of
Nochtiach regular infantry armed with spears and swords. Also, an elite Cambion unit
operates as both a heavy infantry unit protecting the site as well as a command and
administration unit for the entire Nochtiachi force.
The army itself is under the direct command of Atiatoch Uteniezeg, a twentieth level
evil paladin (use evil ranger if RMCI is not available) who has been in the front lines of
Eqyrega’s advancing hoards for the last two years. His newest mission is to secure the
western border of Eaglecrest and begin attacking the Realm of the Crimson Kings. His
main force is located in Eaglecrest’s capital, Noch Atizith and is awaiting the completion
of the Crystal Falls Outpost before it marches into the southeastern reaches of Ravenstone.

Table 2.2.1 Nochtiach Expeditionary Force War Law Statistics

Unit Sz HPT OB1 OB2 DB SB AT

Cambions 18 2611 100th 75sp 50 No 17

Infantry 45 1270 60sp 40bs 0 N 13

Engineers 45 1632 40bs 20da 0 No 9

Supply 36 836 40bs 20da 0 No 9

Unit UBM R MR LR Lvl Dis Sur Fer End

Cambions 40 100 32 12 75 84 98 50

Infantry 25 79 5 2 68 56 62 71

Engineers 25 60 4 3 84 57 60 99

Supply 28 44 2 2 61 77 55 72
 Table 2.2.2 Nochtiach Expeditionary Force Arms Law Statistics
Unit/Nam e Lvl Hits AT DB Sh Gr MM

Atiatoch Uteniezeg 20 231 18 50 No A/L 15

Cambions 12 140 17 50 No A/L 10

Infantry Sargent 4 38 13 0 N No 5

Infantry 2 28 13 0 N No 0

Engineer Sargent 4 48 9 0 No No 5

Engineers 3 36 9 0 No No 5

Supply Sargent 4 31 9 0 No No 10

Supply 2 23 9 0 No No 10

Unit/Name Attacks Notes

Atiatoch Uteniezeg 124th*/100sp*/124DSpe Evil Ranger (Use Evil Paladin if RM CI

ll/40BSpell available). Half Erupuan, Half Demon

Cambions 100th/75sp/12BSpell Fighters. Half Erupuan, Half Demons

Infantry Sargent 66sp/46bs Fighter.

Infantry 60sp/40bs Fighters.

Engineer Sargent 43bs/23da Rogue. (Use Craftsman if RM CIII available)

Engineers 40bs/20da Rogues. (Use Craftsman if RM CIII available)

Supply Sargent 46bs/26da Fighter.

Supply 40bs/20da Fighters.

3.0 Characters & Magic Items:

Afishinax Plashane walked smartly toward the Royal Pavilion in the center of the
encampment, his armour shining brightly in the morning light. It was cool, for the dew still
caressed the ground which disappeared in those spots where his leather boots had touched the ground
behind him. The knight enjoyed the low temperature knowing that in a few hours he and his men
would be in the thick of battle and the cool air would be a blessing. Arriving at the Royal Pavilion,
he noted the two Royal Guards on guard at the door, but almost immediately turned his gaze to
Ethezith Luusenoch, the Captain of the Royal Guard who had just exited the Pavilion.
“His Majesty is waiting for you, Afishinax.” the red-haired warrior informed him.
“Thank you, Ethezith.” the Primate of the Crimson Knights replied as he quickly walked past
the two Royal Guards and their Captain, into the Pavilion beyond. He found the King eating the
rationed breakfast of hot gruel and cinnamon at a table near the center of the large room which
served as the war room for the army in the field. Ekotai looked up from his steaming bowl and
motioned the Primate to have a seat opposite him.
“What news, Afishinax?” Ekotai inquired after another spoonful of the cinnamon spiced
gruel.
“The scouts have returned, your Majesty.” the noble warrior reported, “Their assessments
confirm our intelligence regarding the Nochtiachi force at Crystal Falls. Also, a messenger has just
arrived from the coastal village of Blyenun. The Royal Flagship Munammeren and its fleet set sail
from Pläsh Yggyma three days ago. Admiral Ebieren Coothgoite is expecting to meet us at Noch
Atizith by the end of the week.”
“And what of the men outside in the encampment?”
“Morale is high and they are simply awaiting your orders, your Majesty.”
“Good.” Ekotai finished his breakfast and then stood up. “Break camp, Afishinax. It is time
to attack our enemy.”

There are three major characters involved in the Battle of Crystal Falls. All three
have briefly been described previously and their statistics have also been given. However,
it is now time to describe in further detail the special items they have with them.
King Ekotai Geongechuth carries the hereditary regalia of the Crimson Kings. These
include the Crimson Crown and the Crimson Sword. He also wears his own personal suit
of armour. The powers of these items are listed below.

3.1.1 The Crimson Crown (Artifact)

Powers: a) +25 DB Mithril Crown inlaid with three Rubies

b) Protects as a Full Helm
c) +25 to Ravenstone Military Units Morale rolls when worn by the Crimson
King in combat.
d) Casts: +100 Triad Of Flame up to seven times daily
e) Wearer may Long Door (500') at will

3.1.2 The Crimson Sword (Artifact)

Powers: a) +45 Elemental Mithril Two-Handed Sword

b) Flames with intense elemental fire - will illuminate up to 45' R and melt
metal.
c) Casts: +100 Greater Fire Cone three times daily (or a +125 Fire Ball if
Elemental Companion is unavailable)
d) May be thrown as a knife up to 450' & will Long Door back to the wearer
of the Crimson Crown up to 4.5 Miles away upon command.
e) Orc & Goblin Kin Slayer
f) Does an additional “E” Heat Critical
 3.1.3 Ekotai’s Armour (Potent)

Powers: a) +25DB Mithril Breastplate and Greaves

b) Protects as AT 20; encumbers as AT 8
c) Casts: Bladeturn III three times daily

Primate Afishinax Plashane is equipped with the Sword and the Armour of the
Crimson Primate. Their powers are described below.

3.2.1 Sword Of The Crimson Primate (Most Potent)

Powers: a) +20 Broadsword

b) May cast 50PP per day from the Arms Master Base Lists up to 50th
level (use Mentalist Base Lists if RMC7 is unavailable)

3.2.2 Armour Of The Crimson Primate (Potent)

Powers: a) +25 DB Mithril Breastplate and Greaves

b) Protects as AT 20; encumbers as AT 14
c) +25 to the wearer’s riding skill involving either War Horses or Great
Eagles.

Atiatoch Uteniezeg carries a great two-handed sword named Fichera (Black Fang)
as well as wearing enchanted armour.

3.3.1 Fichera (Most Potent)

Powers: a) +30 Unholy Black Eog Two-Handed Sword with gold-alloy hilts
b) Does an additional “C” cold critical
c) When the wielder uses his full parry bonus, Fichera will add an
additional +15 to the parry attempt and if successful (i.e., the attack
delivers zero hits), the opponent’s weapon must resist against a 5th
level cleaving attack (magic weapons receive their OB as a bonus on
the RR roll)

3.3.2 Atiatoch’s Armour (Modest)

Powers: a) +15DB Black Breastplate & Greaves

b) Protects as AT 18, encumbers as AT 14
 One last item of note is The Banner Of Noch Geongechuth (The Banner Of Castle
Ravenstone). This item is carried by Ekotai’s standard bearer who is part of his unit of
Royal Guards.

3.4.1 The Banner Of Noch Geongechuth (Potent)

Powers: a) +25 to all allied units’ Morale Rolls if those units are within a 500'
line of sight of the banner.

4.0 Crystal Falls Pass

It had taken Ekotai’s force all day to march and to get into their positions in the Crystal Falls
Pass. And now, as night began to fall in the Eagle Mountains and the cook-fires began to be lit in
the Nochtiachi encampment, Ekotai readied his mind for the battle that would begin shortly. The
evening was warm and the powerful sound of the Crystal Falls filled the entire vale. It was this
thunderous reverberation that Ekotai hoped would help his army keep the element of surprise. But
only time would tell if his carefully laid plans would indeed bear fruit and bring his army the victory
they needed.
Looking around, he noted the faces of his Royal Guardsmen, seeing the determination and
pride in their eyes. It filled his heart with hope. Perhaps then the darkness that the Sorcerer of
Nochtiach had brought to the world could be vanquished. Ekotai turned and nodded silently to
Ethezith Luusenoch. The Captain of the Royal Guards nodded in understanding and then hooted
like an owl three times giving the signal to attack.
Below you will find the battle map for the Crystal Falls Pass. North is the top of the
map and each hex equals one hundred feet. The construction site of the Nochtiachi outpost
can be found four hundred feet from the eastern edge of the map. Their encampment is in
the adjacent hex to the south east. A small copse of trees can be found one hundred more
feet to the south east from the encampment. Approximately one hundred feet to the north
west of the outpost is Crystal Falls Bridge which spans 225 feet long and 25 feet across. The
bridge is constructed of two stone arches with a walkway of wood planks and is in very
good condition. Crystal Falls itself is located approximately three hundred feet to the north
of the bridge. There is a small island which has about a 25 foot diameter on the south side
of the bridge located almost at the span’s center point.
 4.1.1 Crystal Falls Battlemap

Each force deploys as follows: The Nochtiachi Engineers deploy to the outpost
construction frame while the remainder of the Nochtiachi force deploys to the Nochtiachi
Encampment. Ekotai’s Royal Guard and the Ravenstone Infantry deploy to the two
western most hexes of the roadway. The Ravenstone Archers deploy on the hex directly
south of the copse of trees (just southeast of the Nochtiachi encampment). The Crimson
Knights (who are mounted on their Great Eagles) deploy on the northwest corner of the
map.
 4.1.2 Initial Deployments
Counter Unit

Crimson Guard

Crimson Knights

Ravenstone Infantry

Ravenstone Archers
Now that the units have been
deployed, it is time to determine the Time
Scale for the battle. Normal Arms Law
combat occurs in 10 Second rounds while Nochtiach Cambions
War Law allows for variable lengths for its
combat turns. To determine what Time
Scale was to be used for The Battle Of
Crystal Falls Pass, the Time Scale Chart in Nochtiach Infantry
the War Law Refereed Game was
referenced. Using the smallest unit in
combat (18 individuals), the time scale for
this WL battle is determined to be 30 Nochtiach Engineers
Seconds, or three RM Rounds equal one
WL Turn.
The final considerations that will
impact the battle are the environmental Nochtiach Supply
variables, namely lighting conditions and
weather. The battle is set to commence at
dusk on Etorniung 23, 1127 ECK (the 23rd
day of the final month of spring in 1127,
Era of the Crimson Kings). The weather
is fair. Consulting WL’s Weather Table
(Table T-11), we find that there are no penalties for the weather and that there is no
classification for dusk. I determine that the penalties for dusk are equal to one half the
penalties for night. This means that movement and missile ranges are at three-quarters and
there are no negative modifiers to maneuvers, command & control rolls and OBs.

5.0 The Battle Of Crystal Falls Pass

5.1 War Law Turns 1-4:

5.1.1 Unit Positions at the end of Turn 3.

As this battle is being precipitated by
Ekotai’s forces, his army receives the initiative
by default. The Ravenstone Archers are
already in position and the Crimson Knights
have taken to the skies waiting to swoop down
and cause havoc amongst the Nochtiachi
encampment. Meanwhile, the task of the
Crimson Guard and the Ravenstone Infantry is
to take control of the bridge and join the battle
as a sort of rearguard. As such, the Crimson
Knights begin to approach the Nochtiachi
Encampment. The Archers move into the
woods while the Crimson Guard and infantry
begin moving toward the bridge.
The Nochtiachi force is now allowed to make a perception roll based upon the
general perception skill of the Nochtiachi Infantry (who are tasked with securing the
perimeter of the encampment and the construction site). A roll is made and the Nochtiachi
sentries do not notice anything out of the ordinary. This roll was made with a bonus for
possible noises made by the Ravenstone Archers moving into the copse of trees.
The second War Law Turn starts and the Ravenstone Forces continue their
movement (except for the Archers who now hold their positions). Again, the Nochtiachi
sentries are allowed a perception roll and again they notice nothing. The third and fourth
turns repeat the same movement as the second and again the Nochtiachi Sentries do not
perceive any Ravenstone soldiers. Finally at the end Turn number four, the Crimson
Knights are in position to attack the encampment

5.2 War Law Turn 5:

The Crimson Knights attack the main encampment, their battle cry reverberates
throughout the valley, mixed with the piercing cry of their valiant steeds, the great eagles.
Because the Knights are conducting an ærial attack in an open hoard formation, they are
able to make one mounted lance attack each round per Knight in the unit for a total of 54
mounted lance attacks (18 Knights x 3 RM Rounds). Following the WL combat rules, a luck
roll is made which obtains a result of +3. This luck roll result is added to the unit’s OB with
a mounted lance and the Nochtiachi Infantry’s DB is subtracted. Both units are considered
to be in an Open Hoard formation so there is no formation vs. formation bonus. The attack
is a surprise and receives the +20 surprise bonus as well as the +10 Charging Cavalry bonus.
It is ruled that the Encampment acts as a small village for terrain purposes and therefor a
-5 modification to cavalry attacks is applied from the T-10 Combat Terrain Effects Table.
The Total Unit Attack Modification then is: 143 (+3+115-0+0+20+10-5). We cross reference
this result on the Mounted Lance Unit Attack table and apply the results. We find that the
Crimson Knights have caused 28 casualties to the Nochtiachi Infantry and inflict 2008 hits.
The Ravenstone Archers open up with a barrage of arrows on the Nochtiachi
Cambions. Again, the number of attacks in determined as forty-five, as the Captain of the
Archers wants a well disciplined reload time. A luck roll is made and the result of +0 is
obtained. The Total Unit Attack Modification is calculated using the same bonuses as
above (except for the Cavalry modifications) with an additional -35 range modification. The
final result is determined to be: 20 (+0+85-50+0+20-35) and we cross reference this result on
the Compound Bow Unit Attack Table. The Cambions have suffered 180 hits and five
casualties.
Meanwhile, on the western side of the bridge, the Crimson Guard and Ravenstone
Infantry continue their march toward the stone span and now find themselves
approximately one hundred feet away.

5.2.1 Unit Positions At The End Of Turn 5

To say that the Nochtiachi camp is in
disarray is putting it mildly. The only ranged
weapon any of the Nochtiachi forces posses are
the Cambion’s Spears, but both the Crimson
Knights and the Ravenstone Archers are out of
range. The Nochtiachi units are therefor unable
to make an attack and the Turn is then ushered
into the Morale Phase. Both the Nochtiachi
Infantry and the Cambions have to make
Morale Checks. The Cambions receive a +15
Moral Check bonus on the next Turn. The
Nochtiachi Infantry on the other hand suffers
an “E” Morale Failure which results in 40% of
the unit surrendering and the rest retreating. Atiatoch Uteniezeg desperately tries to gain
control of his Infantry Unit and makes a Command & Control roll but fails to stop their
rout. In desperation, he makes another Command & Control roll in an attempt to send the
Nochtiachi Supply unit into the copse of trees to engage the Ravenstone Archers. His roll
is successful and the Supply Unit organizes itself into Line Formation and will begin to
march south toward the woods on the next Turn.

5.3 War Law Turn 6:

Turn six begins with the missile phase and again the Ravenstone Archers fire a
volley of arrows into the Nochtiachi encampment. These attacks inflict 220 more hits and
six more casualties on the Cambions reducing their unit size to seven. The movement
phase then commences and the Supply Unit moves toward the copse while the Crimson
Guard and the Ravenstone Infantry arrive at the bridge. The Nochtiachi Engineers have
formed a Line formation and move into the Nochtiachi Encampment. The melee phase
then starts and the Crimson Knights make their ærial charge again inflicting 1820 hits and
28 casualties completely decimating the Cambions. Atiatoch Uteniezeg is killed during this
attack - a result which was determined using the post battle casualty recovery system in
section 8.0 of War Law modified by +20% for his armour (according to 25.4 War Law
Optional Rule).
The Morale Phase begins. The two surviving Nochtiachi units (the Engineers and
the Supply Unit) have not taken any casualties and do not need to make a Morale Roll.
However, their commanders decide (wisely) to surrender to the Ravenstone Force and the
battle ends.

6.0 Post Battle Notes

The morning was misleading in its serenity as Ekotai stepped forth from his pavilion. His
men had put the Nochtiachi prisoners in the large mess tent in the middle of the Nochtiachi
encampment and had secured the construction site. After a long night of work, his army felt safe
in the encampment. Ekotai looked around at his men and saw the happiness in their faces. They had
defeated their enemies in a swift and decisive battle without any casualties or unexpected problems.
In fact, the strategy had worked almost too well.
Ekotai, however, knew better. This was just a small force and he had surprise on his side.
These two factors had contributed greatly to the victory. But it was a long way from winning the
war against the demon-spawn of Nochtiach. Indeed, the next phase in the campaign would prove
to be far more difficult then this small skirmish in the mountains. His army could rest for the day,
but tomorrow they would have to march to the south and out of the mountains to the village of
Blyenun and the ship that awaited them there. And then they would sail to the east to rendezvous
with the rest of the fleet in order to lay siege to Noch Atizith.
Yes, this battle at Crystal Falls was the easy part…
 I hope you have enjoyed this look at Rolemaster’s Mass Combat System and how
I have tied it into my world setting of Nytheun. My Ravenstone project is still under
development and I hope to share more of it with you all as I complete sections. I do plan
on writing a few RM2/RMC adventures set in the world of Nytheun, so look for upcoming
articles in relation to this. Also, look for Ekotai’s March: The Battle Of Noch Atizith battle
report coming soon - which should hopefully detail some of the Siege rules found in War
Law. Until next time, happy adventuring!