Battle of Red Cairn

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Previous Fall of Heldenhame
Concurrent Battle of Ghoul Wood
Next Death at the Nine Daemons
Battle of Red Cairn
Conflict The End Times
Date Autumn 2524 IC
Location Red Cairn, Sylvania
Outcome Dwarf pyrrhic victory
Combatants
Dwarfs of Karak Kadrin Beastmen
Commanders
Ungrim Ironfist
Malakai Makaisson[2]
Malagor
Strength
several thousand many thousands
Losses/Survivors
80% losses, half the survivors wounded massive casualties


The Battle of Red Cairn was an early battle of the End Times fought between the Dwarfs and Beastmen through the machinations of Mannfred von Carstein.

While working with Arkhan the Black to bring about the resurrection of Nagash, Mannfred's realm of Sylvania was simultaneously beset by five armys: a force of High Elves commanded by Eltharion the Grim; Hans Leitdorf and the Knights of Sigmar's Blood; a Dwarf throng under the Slayer King Ungrim Ironfist; a Wood Elf expedition led by Araloth the Bold; and the Bray-Shaman Malagor's massive warherd of Beastmen.[1a]

Mannfred considered the two greatest threats to be Malagor's horde and King Ungrim's Dwarf throng. He cunningly devised a scheme to draw these two forces into battle with each other, thus eliminating two obstacles in one fell swoop.[1b] To this end he dispatched his lieutenant Count Nyktolos of Vargravia with a swarm of Fell Bats, terrorgheists, and other flying creatures to harass the Beastmen herd. Through a series of aerial hit-and-run attacks, Nyktolos incited the primal fury of the Beastmen, distracting them from Malagor's commands and luring the warherd eastward. Nyktolos also destroyed a scouting party of Dwarf gyrocopters, robbing King Ungrim's throng of any warning of the Beastmen heading toward them.[1c][2]

After following Nyktolos' swarms through Hunger Wood for several days, Malagor's warherd finally broke through the trees and came upon the massive Dwarf throng of Karak Kadrin. King Ungrim Ironfist had heard the clamor coming from the woods and realized what it signified, giving him just enough time to unlimber his artillery and form a shield wall before the first Beastmen crashed through the tree line. Unable to control his warherd's battle-lust any longer, Malagor resigned himself to fighting the Dwarfs.[1c][2]

Though the warherd was enormous, in fact significantly larger than the Dwarf army, the Beastmen lacked the discipline of their foes. Three times did the stout shield wall of the Dwarfs drive off the frenzied horde, and three times did the the Children of Chaos regroup and charge the lines again, driven forward by their bloodlust. Many Slayers fulfilled their oaths against the beasts, and the shield wall contracted more than once as the losses began to take their toll.[2]

At the end of the second day, the Beastmen horde finally broke and fled, leaving behind a field covered with the mutilated and half-devoured bodies of the dead. Despite their victory, however, the Dwarf were badly mauled; eight of ten warriors who had marched from Karak Kadrin lay dead on the battlefield, and half of those who remained were too wounded to wield an axe. Though King Ungrim had achieved perhaps the greatest victory against the Beastmen in the history of Karak Kadrin, he knew that his army could go no further. His warriors were too few to aid the High Elves and Imperials who awaited them at Templehof. Burdened by his failure, Ungrim sent a small company of volunteers to bring word to his allies, then led the remainder of his throng back to its hold.[1d]

Sources

Beastmen
Units Beast Lord - Bestigor - Bray-Shaman - Centigor - Chaos Giant - Chaos Ogre - Chaos Spawn - Chaos Troll - Chaos Warhound - Chimera - Cockatrice - Cygor - Doombull - Dragon Ogre - Dragon Ogre Shaggoth - Ghorgon - Gor - Great Bray Shaman - Harpy - Jabberslythe - Khorngor - Minotaur - Pestigor - Razorgor - Razorgor Chariot - Shaggoth - Slaangor - Tuskgor Chariot - Tzaangor - Ungor - Wargor
Characters Brrak Gorehorn - Ghorros Warhoof - Gribbleback - Gorthor - Kartok Great-horn - Khazrak - Malagor - Moonclaw - Morghur - Ograh - Rurkhar Festigor - Slugtongue - Taurox - Ungrol Four-Horn
Images - Miniatures - Quotes
Dwarfs
Units Anvil of Doom - Artillery Guard - Brewmaster - Daemon Slayer - Doomseeker - Dragon Slayer - Dwarf Bolt Thrower - Dwarf Cannon - Dwarf Engineer - Dwarf Firethrower - Dwarf King - Dwarf Lord - Dwarf Master Engineer - Dwarf Miner - Dwarf Mountaineer - Dwarf Ranger - Dwarf Seadog - Dwarf Stone Thrower - Dwarf Thane - Dwarf Warrior - Engineers Guild Organ Gun - Flamecannon - Goblin-hewer - Grudge Thrower - Gyrobomber - Gyrocopter - Hammerer - Ironbreaker - Irondrake - Long Drong's Slayer Pirates - Longbeard - Quarreller - Runelord - Runesmith - Slayer - Thunderer
Characters Alaric the Mad - Alrik Okrisson - Alrik Ranulfsson - Anarbarziz - Arngrim Redbeard - Baldrikk - Baragor - Behram Gundarson - Belegar Ironhammer - Belgrina Fargunsdotr - Borri Silverfoot - Bowli Griefwing - Bragi Axebiter - Berndt Lavaspear - Brok Stonefist - Brokk Gunnarsson - Burlok Damminson - Byrrnoth Grundadrakk - Crazed Khargrim - Drong - Dumwin Stoutbelly - Duregar - Durzak Dragonback - Ergrim Stonehammer - Ethgrim Paingrinder - Finn Sourscowl - Garagrim Ironfist - Gazul - Gorth One-Eye - Gotrek Gurnisson - Gotrek Starbreaker - Grandin Air-Talker - Grimcrag Grunnson - Grimm Burloksson - Grim Grunnson - Grindan Deeplock - Grombrindal - Grungni Ironhand - Gurdok Granitehelm - Gunnar Hrolfsson - Gunnar Torkilsson - Hadrin - Haki Skavensplitter - Heglan Copperfist - Helgar Longplaits - Hengist Cragbrow - Josef Bugman - Kadrin Redmane‎ - Kazador - Kazgar - Keela - Kragg - Kraggi - Krudd Mad-Mattock - Kurdan - Kurgan Ironbeard - Kurgaz - Long Drong - Lunn Yorrisson - Malakai Makaisson - Moera Sure-Strike - Morgrim - Morgrim Bargrum - Mungrun Steelhammer - Nadri Copperfist‎ - Nurn Shieldbreaker - Olaf Greatnose - Olif Thumpcrush - Orrick - Ranuld Silverthumb - Rogni - Skag - Skalf Blackhammer - Skavor - Skorri Morgrimsson - Smednir - Snekki One-thumb - Snorri Lunngrin - Snorri Nosebiter - Snorri Spangelhelm - Snorri Thungrimsson - Snorri Whitebeard - Stromni Redbeard - Sven Hasselfriesian - Thorek Ironbrow - Thorgrim Grudgebearer - Tordrek Hackhart - Throndik Snorrisson - Throndin Stoneheart - Thungni - Thurgin Ironheart - Thurgrom - Thuringar Zaladrinsson Orc-hewer - Trygg Trollslayer - Ulfar Stonehammer - Ungrim Ironfist - Valaya - Yazeran
Holds Karaz-a-Karak - Barak Varr - Grimmpeak - Karak Angazbar - Karak Angkul - Karak Azar - Karak Azgal - Karak Azgaraz - Karak Azul - Karak Kaferkammaz - Karak Eight Peaks - Karak Eksfilaz - Karak Gantuk - Karak Grom - Karak Hirn - Karak Izor - Karak Kadrin - Karak Norn - Karak Ziflin - Karak Zorn - Zhufbar
Images - Magic Items - Miniatures- Vehicles