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Archaon the Everchosen sat up proud in his saddle as he observed his army’s march. After years of campaigning, the forces of Chaos had broken the human kingdoms of the Empire. Cities burned and what few survivors remained fled in fear. The rest were either dead or bound in service to the true gods.
The Vampire Counts had also been put to the sword. Just like the Empire, they had refused Chaos and so were destroyed. Their undead hordes that did not know the touch of Nurgle’s kind had broken and turned to dust. Now, everything to the Northeast of the Grey Mountian either belonged to Chaos or was ashes.
He could have turned to the Southwest and dealt with the humans and elves there, but Khorne’s next sacrifice made itself known to him. To the South, a mass of Greenskins gathered in the Zhufbar mountains. If left unchecked, Archaon had no doubt they would spill North like a flood. So, the forces of Chaos marched south to destroy a new foe.
The army was split into two columns, one commanded by Kairos the Fateweaver and the other commanded by Archaon himself. The two groups could each fight a war on their own if needed, but were coordinated. United in their purpose of destroying the filthy Greenskins.
As they approached Karag Dromar, scouts began to report in. The Greenskins had amassed a force of similar numbers to those boasted by Chaos. This brought delight to the men. They were blessed by the gods and had won countless battles while outnumbered. This would be an easy challenge.
However, even early on the Greenskins posed a problem. The Greenskins had divided their forces and camped some distance apart from each other. This was likely because the savages were so undisciplined they would be unable to keep from fighting each other if kept together. Normally, Archaon could exploit this flaw by sending one column of Chaos around the flank and surrounding the foe, enabling him to easily fight each group separately and destroy them with ease.
However, by pure happenstance, the Greenskins had placed each camp close enough to the steep mountain slopes that it was impossible to send an army around that flank. A gap existed between them, but any attempt to march through that route would simply have his army attack from both sides before they could get into position.
He could attempt to split the columns and send each one to attack each Greenskin camp on its own. However, anything less than perfect timing would have the Greenskins of one camp hear the sounds of fighting at the other and come running. Such a case would see half of his army facing off against both groups of savages at the same time. He was confident they could win such a battle, but not without terrible losses.
While it wasn’t ideal, the only solution would be to link the two columns and have them march straight for one camp. They would have to fight hard and fast, but if they could swiftly overwhelm the Greenskins, they could destroy one group before the other had a chance to arrive. Even if not, they had the numbers to pull forces away from mopping up the first group to engage the second and delay them when they arrived. It was a plan that could not fail.
When forces of Chaos deployed on the field, they laughed at the small disorganized rabble before them. By splitting their forces, the Greenskins had unwittingly doomed themselves to death. Their folly was quickly shown to them as the greater numbers of the Chaos army wrapped around both flanks of the Greenskins.
It was shortly after this double envelopment closed into place that scouts reported the second mass of Greenskins beginning to appear on a distant hill. But, it was too late. Archaon could see the will of the Greenskins before him was already breaking. Even as the second group of Greenskins came into view, the first group was beginning to flee. Archaon laughed with triumph as he ordered Kairos to withdraw his men to form a battle line to meet the second force.
However, something strange happened when the units attempted to disengage. One particularly large Greenskin remained engaged in the fight upon seeing the people fighting him trying to leave, he raged and charged forward into them. Time and time again, this single Greenskin prevented an entire army of the best soldiers in the world from disengaging and reforming their lines. Without a shred of tactical thought in his thick head, one Greenskin unmade every attempt at tactical maneuvers by the forces of Chaos.
Archaon could feel the jaws of a trap closing on his army as he saw the second force of Greenskins line up on the ridge overlooking the current fight. Disorganized as they were, they held formation and calmly waited until their troops were in the right position before moving down the hill. Archaon knew that his army could defeat them if they could properly form their ranks, but with a foe that would not retreat or die throwing soldiers around left and right, that would not happen.
Archaon himself charged into the fray with the intent of either killing this beast or at least holding its attention so his men could do their work. However, as he closed he found himself physically tossed aside as the Greenskin charged into the latest unit that attempted to organize and withdraw.
The second Greenskin force soon closed in on Chaos. Where Archaon looked around in despair as he attempted one last time to organize his army. But, where he wanted an organized battle line, he found only… chaos.
At last, he understood. This must be the will of Tzeentch. Ever the schemer, his plots were beyond the knowledge of even the other gods, let alone mortal men. It must have been his plan, to have Chaos come so close to achieving complete victory only to have it snatched away by something beyond their control. It would remind even the most powerful followers of Chaos, that the gods were beyond them.
Archaon laughed as the stampede of Greenskins stomped him into the ground. He would survive and withdraw with some of the Chaos forces. But, in one fell swoop, the Greenskins had broken the back of their army. Instead of destroying the Bretonnians and the Wood Elves, Chaos would flee with their tails between their legs. The Greenskins hounding their every move. It would be centuries before Chaos was once again prepared to march upon the world.
Unbeknownst to Archaon, the Orcs were celebrating their victory as a great tactical achievement of Grimgor Ironhide. It had been his decision to split their army. Not because he feared infighting (the Bois feared and respected him too much for that) but because he didn’t want Chaos trying to slip away from a fight. Better to give them no choice but to fight in the tight valley than to have them march away and fight somewhere else.
Then, when the will of his own Bois failed him, Grimgor had both the brutality and cunning to see the tactical situation and know that he didn’t have to kill the Chaos Bois, only keep them looking at him. Grimgor had seen his second WAAAGH! marching down the hill and knew he only needed to hold out for a few minutes. He berated the Orcs who fled as cowards, but praised them for softening up the Chaos Bois enough that he could keep them in place.
From that day forth, no Orc would ever question Grimgor. Clearly, he was blessed by Gork and Mork. As cunningly brutal as Gork and as brutally cunning as Mork. Grimgor’s victory at Karag Dromar was taken as a sure reminder of how the Orc gods were “BEDDA DAN ALL DA REST” and how Grimgor held their favor.