| Battle at Cold Hearth | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|||
| Previous: Landing at the Scarlet Palisade | |||
| Next: Battle of Agamand Mills | |||
| Campaign: The Invasion of Tirisfal & Quel'Thalas | |||
| Date: July 9, 623 K.C. | |||
| Place: Cold Hearth Manor, Tirisfal Glades, Lordaeron | |||
| Outcome: Major Alliance Victory | |||
| Belligerents: | |||
|
The United Horde Forces |
|||
| Commanders and Leaders: | |||
|
Grand Knight Gottfried Helheim |
Sovereign Volanaro Ael'aran |
||
| Strength: | |||
|
58 Crusaders |
8 Forsaken Defense Vanguards & 20 Auxiliary Sin'dorei reinforcements |
||
| Casualties and Losses: | |||
|
Moderate - Heavy |
Moderate |
||
The Battle of Cold Hearth Manor was a large engagement between the crusading forces of the Congregation of the Silver Hand and an auxiliary force of Horde troops sent to halt the Alliance advance on Brill. Centered primarily around the small covered bridge near the Forsaken outpost located at the ruins of Cold Hearth Manor, the battle was a bloody conflict which ultimately resulted in a major victory for congregational forces. By taking the bridge near the manor and managing to dislodge the defending forces at the Vanston Heights, a large large hill which overlooking Brill, the Crusaders managed to situate themselves comfortably in a highly threatening position to the the Forsaken forces.
Preface[]
Map portraying field positions before the battle.
With the Forsaken in complete retreat after their failed attempted to stymie the landing of the Congregation of the Silver Hand at the Scarlet Palisade, the crusaders were successful in securing their base of operations at the coastal ruins. Much to the dismay of the Forsaken High Command in Silverpine, the invading force was also able to overrun the northern Tirisfal Garrison's forward post at the Calston Estate, thus seizing a large amount of territory to the Alliance on the first day of battle. Although shocked by the brazen invasion, the Banshee Queen was quick to summon reinforcements to the area to halt the adavcing forces, relying on a large cadre of Sin'dorei from the Dominion of the Sun to plug the holes of the Forsaken defense whilst reinforcements were brought up.
Capitalizing on their victory at the Calston Fields, the Congregation was quick to dispatch vanguards to the Agamand Mills and Coldhearth Manor in order to scout the areas, as well as quickly erect a makeshift barrier to isolate the grave-village of Deathknell from the Undercity.
Battle[]
The forces of the Congregation and Dominion of the Sun clash within the tight confines of Cold Hearth Bridge
Engagement at the Covered Bridge[]
Under the command of Sovereign Volanaro Ael'aran, the large contingent of auxiliary Sin'dorei forces who had answered the call for aid arrived at Cold Hearth Manor with orders to halt the crusader advance towards Brill at the bridge near Cold Hearth. The Congregational army arrived under the command of Dame Amaliana Bradford with a much larger force than the defending Horde forces and the battle soon commenced.
The fighting for the bridge was quick to commence but slow to gain any advantage for either side. Both forces fought with feverish tenacity yet the bridge changed hands back and forth near continuously. Frustrated with the inability of his forces to push back the seasoned Sin'dorei forces, Grand Knight Gottfried Helheim ordered some of his most hardened veterans to the front and pushed them hard against the Horde defenders. The gambit eventually paid off and the veterans were able to dislodge the elves of Quel'thalas from the area surrounding the bridge.
Vanston Heights[]
The Horde attempt to hold the Vanston Heights against the crusaders.
Quick to follow on his victory at Cold Hearth and unwilling to allow the momentum of victory to fade, the Grand Knight of the Congregation ordered his men to assault the Vanston Heights, the series of large hills directly overlooking the town of Brill. The first charge was a success but the experience and skill of the Sin'dorei resulted in a victorious counter-charge which forced the Alliance forces from the hill.
With the Vanston Heights playing a crucial role in the Congregation's plans for sieging Brill, the Crusaders threw the entirety of their forces against the Sin'dorei in a desperate assault. The Forsaken and their Dominion allies defended the Heights with dogged determination but the sheer numbers of the crusading contingent forced the defenders from the hills.
Outcome[]
Map portraying the movement of soldiers during and after battle. The yellow lines represent small forays that took place after the primary battle was completed.
With the Forsaken forces purged from the lands immediately west of Brill and the crucial Vanston Heights under Alliance control, Brill was left vulnerable. Unwilling to squander time after the Horde retreat, the crusaders were quick to begin fortifying their strong position on the Heights in order to make way for the seige engines that would lay waste to the town.
In addition to their efforts in entreanching themselves on the outskirts of western Brill, several teams were deployed to expand and consolidate Congregational control of western Tirisfal. The forces of the Seventh Vanguard under the command of Marshal Deronas Daerint were able to infiltrate Brill to gather information and soon returned with news that the Forsaken were moving large quantities of plague to the front. Sir Jeremaes Edrickton took command of the Royal Army forces who had joined the campaign and set off to fortify the Alliance flank at the Agamand Mills whilst Sir Berenal Grayblades forces were dispatched to infilitrate Deathkneel by air in order to destroy a large cadre of Forsaken bat carriers.
The special strike force under the command of Lord Grayblade was temporarily split during the attack.
The fortification the Agamand Mills was met with no resistance whilst Lord Grayblade's troops found heavy resistance from a small force of elite Death Guards within the grave-village. Although they were forced into a small skirmish and suffered heavy casualties, the forces of the Blades of Greymane were able to kill the supply bats and escape the death-trap of a town.
Through these combined efforts the Alliance forces were able to gain confident control over most of the west while the Forsaken army began amassing a large force of defenders at Brill.
