Infuriated by the death and defilement of his father Thror, Thrain leads the host of the unified houses of the dwarfs to Moria to claim the head of his murderer, Azog the goblin.
This battle will be won by the dwarfs if they kill Azog, if they manage to rout his forces but he survives the'll achieve a tide, if they don't manage any of the aforementioned objectives they'll lose; durin's folk is so determined on this day that they pass automatically any courage test that they are requiered to take.
The battleflield is the Dimrill Dale before the gates of Kazad-dûm (center, below), the Mirrormere lake blocks it in the left, surrounded by trees and with Durin's Stone in the place where he saw his crown of stars, the silverlode river divides the battlefield in the right surging from a source in the center.
The goblin armies of Azog are deployed in front of the gate, with his bodyguard of uruks on the stairs that led to the mines
Azog himself deploys in the gate, surveying the battle
Orc and uruk archers ready to shoot through the stone slits
The dwarfs deploy a third of their army with several heroes: Thrain, Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Fundin and Frerin (a brother of Thorin), the other third, representing the dwarves from the Iron Hills will come from their side's edge in turn 6 with Nain and his son Dain Ironfoot.
Dwarfs in the valley sir!
The dwarfs begin to advance while Azog's horde remains still, Thorin (light blue) picks up an oak branch from the forest to use as shield
First blood for the orcs, a dwarf banner killed by arrows
Several more shooting casualties
The lines come closer
And clash!
Thrain (light blue) leds from the vanguard
While his son Thorin hides behind the bushes...
The orcs and the dwarves are now engaged along all the line, Azog and his guard are held back to serve as a reserve for the main line
The dwarves fight valiantly, but their lack of numbers begins to tell and they become quickly surrounded
Their left flank crumbles
While their right smashes bloodily through the orc line
Thror and Balin (red) anchor the center
The Iron Hills dwarfs finally come to Azanulbizar advancing amongst cries of Azog! Azog!
With Thrain surrounded, Azog decides to take part in the battle
He and his guard move down to finish off the dwarf center before their comrades can help them
The circle narrows
Balin is killed by an uruk captain (horn)
Now Thrain is alone amongs a sea of orcs, Dwalin (in the right) is too embroiled in the fight to provide any help
With victoy assured, Azog advances against the king of Durin's Folk
The dwarf right flank has retreated to link with Nain...
...who observes impotent from the distance the fate of his cousin
Azog kills Thrain and lets his minions dismember the body, taking for himself a shinny golden ring from the corpse
Dwalin too is killed, surrounded by a tide of hate-filled orcs
The right flank is caught by the fight near the oak forest while the rest of the orc horde charges against Nain, Azog moves to the rear with his new trophy
Send the (uruk) guard!
A lone dwarf is killed in the center
Frerin too is surrounded by the orcs
With no time to kill Azog or rout his forces the dwarf player conceded defeat
Nain leds the retreat
Azog is now king in Moria (until his death in the battle of the five armies?); we can only specultate
In the appendices a total of three members of the line of Durin were killed: Fundin, Nain and Frerin, this refight has seen greater losses for the dwarfs, with the deaths of (from left to right) Frerin, Dwalin, Thrain and Balin, what is worse, Azog remains alive! A total defeat for the dwarves then, althought Balin wasn't really killed, just injuried and'll come back for vengeance in the shadow and flame campaign in September, until then enjoy the holidays!
