'Hurry, Before It’s Too Late!!'
or
'Do Not Wake the Sleeping Troll'
A Flintloque Scenario by the Chimerae Hobby Group
(Translated by Craig Andrews)
Some Krautian Dwarfs must regroup with the main army beyond the river across a bridge next to the ruins of several old, abandoned buildings. Unbeknownst to the Dwarfs there are two Trolls guarding the crossing...
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Scratching his long beard thoughtfully, Captain Wurstel-und-Senf looked around for the umpteenth time. He still could not understand how he had ended up cut off from the main body of the army. It must have happened at the height of the battle against those cursed Ferach, with their blue uniforms and pointy, effeminate ears. At some point, his Dwarfs had found themselves practically surrounded, and the Elves had fired so many musket shots that the air had filled with thick black powder smoke. Many of his Dwarfs, too many, in fact almost all of them to be honest, had been left dead on the battlefield by the well-aimed volleys of the Ferach.
Wurstel-und-Senf was no novice, but that day served to remind him of one of the fundamental rules of war: never underestimate your enemy.
The brave Captain did not lose heart. In a matter of moments, he had rallied what remained of his Unit around him and opted for a timely strategic withdrawal. All around them, the larger battle raged without pause. The forces of the Grand Alliance fought with determination. The Orcs stood out on the battlefield in their blood-red jackets, but the Dwarfs of Krautia and the Dogs of Ostaria were also doing their part on that accursed day. And yet, all their efforts seemed futile. The slender Elves in their blue uniforms appeared to be everywhere. Their Ferach muskets, the finest and deadliest in all of Valon, spewed storms of lead and death.
Even when they had seemed to be in trouble, the Elves managed to recover thanks to a detachment of Trolka no less! Huge and brutal, the Skandavians appeared invulnerable, and their towering presence was enough to sow panic even among the most disciplined foes. Few soldiers of the Grand Alliance had ever seen a Trolka, but everyone knew the dreadful stories told about them. Facing them in battle was a shocking experience in itself.
Slowly but inexorably, the Ferach were gaining the upper hand, and the allies had no choice but to retreat from the battlefield as orderly as possible. Many heroic deeds and glorious feats were accomplished that day, but few would ever be remembered. In his own way, Wurstel-und-Senf had also achieved a minor masterpiece by disengaging what remained of his Unit from the overwhelming enemy forces.
However, things had not gone as planned. In the rush to reach safety before being completely wiped out by enemy musket fire, the Captain had led his men in the wrong direction! A rookie mistake, perhaps, but understandable given the chaos of the situation.
Only now had he realized it, upon spotting the river. But the damage was done and could not be changed. There was nothing left to do but press on, demanding one last effort from the soldiers. If only it were not for that cursed fog, hanging over everything like a funeral shroud. The Dwarfs considered it an ill omen, and their already grim mood grew darker still.
Fortunately, sunset was still far off, and there was plenty of time to rejoin the main army before nightfall. After a day like that, sleeping under the stars would have pleased no one. Luckily, the river was not in flood, and the bridge looked solid enough. At least they would not have to get wet. On the opposite bank, through the mist, they could make out the crumbling walls of two or three roofless buildings. Not much remained of them, in truth, but the enemy could still use them to control access to the bridge.
Only five of them were left; all the others were dead. Wurstel-und-Senf paused for a moment, then touched the hilt of his sword and ordered his Dwarfs to advance with the utmost caution. He wanted to avoid any nasty surprises, but even if the devil himself were waiting under that bridge, they still had to cross to the far bank to reach their comrades.
They moved as quietly as possible, keeping to the cover of the trees. Then suddenly a heavy thud among the ruins alerted them that something was wrong. Straining their eyes, the Krautians managed to see something large moving among the rubble, trying to stay concealed. No one said it aloud, but the same thought crossed the minds of all the Dwarfs at once… it was not the devil waiting for them, but something even worse: the terrible, colossal Trolka of Skandavia!
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Map and Deployment
To play this Scenario you will need a gaming table measuring 150cm × 70cm and the terrain listed below. Prepare the playing surface following the instructions and deploy the troops as described later. Keep the Unit Roster, dice, and a measuring tape handy.
The battlefield is flat and fairly even, so no modifiers apply to Movement Speed. The ruined buildings (grey) provide Solid Cover. There are some trees and smaller bushes (green), which provide Open Cover. The river (blue) may be forded by shifting two columns to the left on the Movement chart. The bridge (brown) may be crossed without any Movement modifiers, and its banks provide Solid Cover.
The Krautian Dwarfs deploy first in their starting deployment area shown on the map, and each character must be within 10 cm of a companion. The Trolka deploy in their own deployment area, but only after the Dwarfs have been placed on the table.
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Scenario Objectives and Game Length
The Scenario lasts 10 Turns, or ends immediately when one of the two sides achieves its objective. A side also wins if it completely annihilates the opposing force.
Krautian Dwarfs
The Krautian Dwarfs win if, within the 10-Turn limit, both the Captain and the Corporal manage to escape through the long edge of the table opposite the one from which they started.
If only one of the two characters (either the Captain or the Corporal) escapes, the game ends in a draw.
Skandavian Trolka
The Trolka win in any other outcome.
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Scenario Forces
Skandavian Trolka (Ferach Empire)
Capt. Jari Mazzolantuonen (Veteran Trolka) (Regular) – Great Hammer – 49 points
Pvt. Tuumo Skiopponen (Average Trolka) (Regular) – Skandavian Kannonderbuss – 46 points
Total Unit Strength: 2 Trolka; 95 points
Krautian Dwarfs (Grand Alliance)
Capt. Heinz Wurstel-und-Senf (Large Veteran Dwarf) (Regular) – Standard Pistol, Sword – 29 points
Cpl. Fritz von Fritzenberg (Average Dwarf) (Regular) – Standard Pistol, Banner Pole – 23 points
Pvt. Jurgen EinZweiDrei (Average Dwarf) (Regular) – Standard Blunderbuss – 23 points
Pvt. Otto Klunk (Raw Dwarf) (Regular) – Standard Blunderbuss – 19 points
Pvt. Hans Kartoffel (Raw Dwarf) (Regular) – Standard Blunderbuss – 19 points
Total Unit Strength: 5 Dwarfs; 113 points
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Special Scenario Rules
This Scenario uses the following special rules. In case of conflict with the standard Flintloque rules, the rules below take precedence.
Fog
The battle takes place in an area shrouded in fog rising from the river, covering the entire battlefield. As a result, all characters suffer a modifier of ONE column to the left for Movement and ONE column to the right for Shooting.
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Playing the Scenario Solo
This Scenario can also be played solo, using the rules found in the main Flintloque rulebooks.
You may take the role of either side.
- If you command the Dwarfs, the Ferach Empire forces are Defensive.
- If you command the Skandavian forces, the Krautians are Aggressive and will prioritize helping the Captain and the Corporal escape (both considered Neutral), while the remaining soldiers fight to cover their retreat.
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Webmaster's Notes
This scenario was originally published on the Chimerae Hobby Group website (http://www.chimerae.it/) and is reproduced here with kind permission from the authors.
It was translated into English by Craig Andrews and first published on Orcs in the Webbe in December 2025 as the fifteenth entry in that years Advent Calendar.
Any comments in maroon in the article above have been added by me either to provide additional information or clarity. In many cases I have also made small changes to grammar and layout and may not have not marked these.
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