Classic HOTT

I got out a couple of my more conventional HOTT armies this afternoon - my Dwarves and some Elves. Here they are. The Elves fielded four Spears (including the general), four Riders, two Shooters and  Hero. The Dwarves had five Blades (including the general), one Shooter, one Artillery, one Flyer, one Sneaker and a Behemoth.

The Dwarves defended, and the Elves found themselves attacking a pass between two rocky hills, with the possibility of a flanking move. The Dwarves deployed some Blades and the Artillery to counter a move around the flank, and the rest of their troops in the pass and on the adjoining hills. The Elves massed their Spears, supported by the Hero to attack the pass, the Shooters to clear the hill on one flank and the Riders to try and turn the flank of the Dwaves position.

The Elven cavalry advanced quickly, but their formation was disrupted by the Dwarves' gyrocopter. The Artillery added to their discomfort.

Most of the Riders reached the Dwarves, but their initial attack was driven back.

Meanwhile the main part of the Elven army advanced towards the pass. The Shooters swung ut into line, ready to take on the Dwarves defending the hill on that flank.

The Elven cavalry pressed forward again, and destroyed the Dwarves' Artillery. Unfortunately they then failed to get the PIPs to exploit their position; stuck behind the hill they were out of sight of their general.

Whilst the Elves stopped to reorganise the Dwarves slowly hauled their steam-tank Behemoth over the hill. The Elves' Shooters edged over to engage it.

Elven Spears advanced along the other hill, but ran into heavy fire from the Dwarven musketeers.

The steam-tank engaged the archers, who drove it off. meanwhile the Dwarves on the hill were fighting the other element of archers.

The Elves' cavalry had tried to exploit their advantage across from the pass, but the Dwarven gyrocopter was quickly redeployed and stabilised the position, destroying an element of Riders.

An overview of the battle.

The Elves pushed in their main attack, their Hero engaging the Dwarven general.

The archers drive off the steam-tank, forcing off the battlefield.

As the two battle-lines were locked in stalemate in the pass, the Dwarves got into the Elven rear with their tunnelling-machine Sneaker.

This broke up the Elven general's spear-phalanx, depriving the general of support. Overlapped and outclassed he was quickly cut down

Reeling from the loss of their general, the Elven army collapsed when the musketeers, supported by the gyrocopter, destroyed another of their Spear elements. The Dwarves had won, albeit by a narrow margin.

The Elves had a tricky position to assault, although their initial success with their Riders offered some hope. Their attack on the pass wasn't all bad either; they had the power to drive back the Dwarves, and with a Hero engaging the Dwarves' general a chance of a game-winning kill. Buy it was the Dwarves' gadgets - the Sneaker and the Flyer - which gave them the edge they needed for the victory.