Though the High Elf armies of old were a force to be reckoned with on sea and land, the implacable advance of the Dwarfs could not be stopped. Where exhaustion and weariness would halt the armies of the High Elves, hatred and vengeance pushed the Dwarfs ever on. The hammering of the Dwarf 's mighty mattocks took their toll on the Elven armies forcing their retreat west towards the sea and their vast, glimmering strongholds.

Where they could, the High Elves tried to make a stand in their cities and fortresses, but the Dwarf engineers and miners were masters of stonework, both their crafting and their destruction. Open battles in the mountains, on the plains and through the forests soon turned into horrendous sieges and desperate fights to hold the walls and gates.

One notable siege took place at the High Elf city of Athel Marya. There, the Dwarf armies led by Brok Stonefist had his final confrontation with the High Elf Lord Salendor of Tor Achare.

Overview: The scenario is a fight to the death between the High Elves defending the fortress and the Dwarf attackers. The High Elves have mustered all their forces for the defense of the city and must repel the Dwarfs or die.

Armies: Both armies are chosen using the Warhammer Army lists found in White Dwarf #264, #265, and #266. The defender has half the points of the attacker. Eg, 2,000 points of attackers would face 1,000 points of defenders.

Battlefield: The battlefield consists of the castle walls, towers and gateway, and the surrounding countryside. There should be at least 24" around the castle free of terrain (cleared to create a defensive killing ground).

1. The besiegers are deployed first. They may be deployed anywhere on the battlefield but no closer than 24" to any part of the castle.

2. The defending force is deployed afterwards anywhere in the fortress.

Who goes first? The defender goes first.

Length of game: The game lasts for seven turns. If the fortress is not captured within that time, the assault will fail.

Special rules: The defenders are expecting to die and so are immune to panic.

Victory conditions: If either side is completely wiped out, then their opponents win by default.

Otherwise, the area within the fortress walls should be divided into four equally sized zones. Note that the towers and walls are not included this area.

To control one of these zones, a player must have a unit of at least 5 models in the same zone. If both players have at least one unit of 5 units in the same zone, then neither player controls the zone. Note that flying troops do not count towards the victory conditions as they cannot take the fortress by themselves.

The player who controls the most zones at the end of the game is the winner. If both sides have the same amount, the game is a draw.

Siege Equipment: You may freely purchase any siege equipment allowed for the besieging force. See the Rules of Siege section for details.

During the War of the Beard, Brok Stonefist and Lord Salendor fought many battles against one another. They finally came to grips with one another inside the walls of Athel Maraya. As the city burned down around them, the two warriors weaved a deadly dance of sword and axe, ignoring the entreaties of their comrades to flee the city. Eventually, the Dwarfs and Elves were forced to flee the intense heat, leaving the two heroes battling until the city was completely engulfed.