The siege of Shailvascq

The Fist of Mackowskill managed to hold back the advancing Moledurssan force long enough that the Lord of Shailvascq made peace with the local Chitonet Order, offering them an alliance against the violent Blue clansmen.

The Lord's men-at-arms, the Mackowskill insurgents and the group of heavily armed holy men are ready to defend the small fort.

The attackers prepare their ladders in a hail of crossbow bolts. You'll see why these are what they are in a moment.

Dragging the heavy siege ladders is no small job, but the two groups on two sides of the fort order the levy to do it so nothing goes to waste.

Lord Moledurssan moves closer to the walls to inspire his men with an act of courage.

The ladders are set up.

This is how they work. It's one full movement to climb one or two steps, depending on how many men are before the climber.

The Greyhounds begin scaling their own ladder, but there are more archers on that side.

A battering ram with a large amount of archers in support reaches the gate. There are only two shooters on the battlements and one of them falls after a lucky shot from below.

The first attackers reach the top and the advantage in numbers begins to show.

Lord Moledurssan, in his pride, forgot to properly map the fort and its surroundings. So he does not know two things: one, the fort has two gates.

The besiegers slowly take control of the battlements, despite the defenders' bravery.

But there still are a multitude of archers and crossbowmen on the towers, in an elevated position, and they are also in reach of the archers on the other side of the fort.

The second thing Lord Moledurssan missed to inquire about is the stairs leading up the battlement: on that part, the pathway above ceases, and this is the exact spot the Greyhounds raised their ladder. They must either climb along the bricks or retreat.

A sudden emergency arises as the defenders rush out through the rear gate. The Greyhounds and the archers are recalled, but the rest is too busy fighting inside the castle.

Oh, there's a third surprise: part of the battlement can be removed with a slight of hand. A pair of men fall down and the rest are trapped in the archers' open ground.

Superior position in the furthermost tower.

The attackers are desperate and charge whomever they can reach.

The two crossbowmen are slaughtered, but the rest keeps on shooting and reloading.

The clash outside is bloody: the mounted warriors attack each other, while the slower fighters on foot must bear the enemy's arrows a little more until they can crash into their thin ranks.

The Methorin mercenary wakes up from his pretended sleep and charges the attackers. 

Lord Moledurssan is slain and the Blue army is now without a leader. They don't notice first in the general confusion.

The Methorin warrior is wounded, but the insurgent takes his place, jumping a few feet down onto the ramp.

As the Greyhounds' line breaks, a general rout ensues.

Many more are killed in the melee.

There is no way to stop the men from running, except a strike at the back of the head: a perfect opportunity for the knights.

Notes. The rules were Inter Arma, something I don't even need cheat sheets for by now. 

I have painted the table with cheap acrylics. If it takes too much scratching, I will just varnish it. I would like a nice piece of felt but I can't find any in the right dimensions (120x120cm). 

The fort looks cartoonish with the figures, but it serves its purpose and it was super cheap.

The prelude to this game, where the Fist of Mackowskill set up an ambush against the Moledurssan main force, remains unrecorded. It had a more narrative style and much less figures on the table.