Ironhold
Home ground · HillsDeep-mountain forgeclans
“The earth bends to our stride. Cross the mountains, break the walls. Let them learn why the hills answer to *us*.”
Gruff, unyielding, and precise. Ironhold speaks in the language of the forge: measured strikes, no wasted motion. They do not beg for victory—they *take* it, one hill at a time.
Lore
The deep halls of Ironhold are not carved—they are *forged*. Every tunnel echoes with the ring of hammer on anvil, every slope a testament to the unyielding will of the forgeclans. Hills are their birthright, where the earth itself bends to their stride. A Pickguard marches where others falter, crossing mountains at a cost of 5, not the impossible baseline. Here, the land is not an obstacle; it is a tool.
War is not fought with poetry or prayer. It is a contest of strength, measured in cold numbers. An Anvil Lord strikes first—always—before the enemy’s blade is raised. Their 8 strength is not a boast; it is a promise. The forge does not ask for mercy, and neither do they. When the battle is done, the hills remember who stood upon them.
Cave Wyverns do not sing of freedom. They are bound to the stone, their wings cutting through the dark like a smith’s breath through bellows. Their ranged volley is not a whisper—it is the crack of ore splitting under heat. No forest slows them, no marsh swallows them. They move where they please, and the enemy bleeds before the melee begins.
The Forge Bombard does not *besiege*. It *erases*. A city’s walls mean nothing when the mountain itself is your weapon. The clans do not wait for gates to break. They bring the mountain to the doorstep, and the doorstep to the dust.
Strategy
Ironhold thrives on Hills, where their entire army gains +1 strength. Exploit movement quirks: Pickguards and Hammerkin cross mountains at a cost of 5, while Ram Cavalry charge across Plains at 1.5. Anvil Lords strike first, Cave Wyverns open with ranged volleys, and Forge Bombards cancel city walls. Stack leadership (Anvil Lords grant +2) and let the enemy break against your frontline.
Roster
The six Ironholdunits, in roster order. Stats are pulled straight from the engine, so they match the live game — see each unit's full entry in the compendium.
The backbone of the clans. Pickguards march where others cannot, crossing mountains at a cost of 5. Hills are their highway; no slope slows them.
Tactics · Cheap and expendable, but their 4 strength adds up. Use them to hold chokepoints in Hills—enemies will tire before they do.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (5 to enter)
Hammerkin do not flinch. Their 6 strength and +1 leadership make them the anvil every enemy blade shatters upon.
Tactics · Slower than Pickguards (mv 8), but their durability and leadership bonus anchor any stack. Let them soak the first blows.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (5 to enter)
Ram Cavalry charge across Plains at 1.5 cost, faster than any foe. Hills do not slow them—only forests do.
Tactics · Weak alone (str 4), but their speed lets them flank or retreat. Use them to harass or secure key terrain before the enemy arrives.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Plains (1.5 vs 2) · Slowed in Forest (4 vs 3) · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (5 to enter)
Anvil Lords strike first—always. Their 8 strength and +2 leadership turn battles before they begin.
Tactics · Their 2 HP means they survive one defeat. Place them where the fighting is thickest; their First Strike will decide the opening blows.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (5 to enter)
Cave Wyverns open with a ranged volley, wounding foes before the melee begins. No terrain slows them—mountains, marshes, all the same.
Tactics · Their 5 strength is deceptive; their ranged attack softens enemies before the clash. Use them to weaken heavy units before the Anvil Lords strike.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Forest (2 vs 3) · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (2 to enter) · Crosses Water others cannot (2 to enter) · Moves swiftly through Marsh (2 vs 4)
Forge Bombards do not fire—they *unmake*. Their siege role cancels city walls, and their 5 strength is a hammer to the gates.
Tactics · Slow (mv 7) and fragile (1 HP), but essential for city assaults. Bring them up last; their siege role is their only purpose.
Terrain · Moves swiftly through Hills (2 vs 3) · Crosses Mountains others cannot (5 to enter)
Stat lines
| Unit | Str | Mv | HP | Cost | Turns | Upkeep | Leadership | Favored | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PickguardInfantry | 4 | 10 | 1 | 40g | 1 | 1 | — | Hills | — |
| HammerkinHeavy | 6 | 8 | 1 | 80g | 2 | 2 | +1 | Hills | — |
| Ram CavalryCavalry | 4 | 15 | 1 | 70g | 2 | 2 | — | Hills, Plains | — |
| Anvil LordElite | 8 | 7 | 2 | 150g | 3 | 4 | +2 | Hills | First Strike |
| Cave WyvernFlyer | 5 | 14 | 1 | 120g | 2 | 3 | — | — | Ranged |
| Forge BombardSiege | 5 | 7 | 1 | 110g | 3 | 3 | — | — | — |