Galen had modified his infantry phalanx formation. The original sword-and-shield formation was too limited, preventing soldiers in the third rank from attacking. So, Galen replaced some of their equipment.
He equipped the rear ranks with three-meter-long spears made of rare, Tier 3 fine steel. The first two ranks formed a shield wall, while the spearmen behind them thrust their spears through the gaps, greatly increasing their lethality.
The clash between the infantry's steel wall and the Orcish green tide was intense. Both sides suffered casualties, but the presence of numerous peons among the Orcs reduced their overall combat effectiveness, and the infantry phalanx advanced steadily.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
A barrage of crude spears, some tipped with iron and others with sharpened stones, flew from the forest.
Orgrim had secretly provided the Trolls with fine steel weapons and equipment looted from Ironforge. The Trolls were otherwise too primitive; their numbers and physical strength were their only advantages.
However, Zul'jin only equipped his elite warriors with these weapons. The Revantusk Tribe, considered expendable, used only discarded old equipment.
The human shield wall effectively blocked the crude javelins. Those that slipped through bounced harmlessly off the soldiers' well-made steel armor.
A team of elite Orc warriors, led by a centurion, broke through a section of the infantry's shield wall in a berserk charge. Sylvanas led an elite ranged squad to eliminate the Orcs who had breached the line.
The Orcs were forced back by a hail of arrows. Mike, the infantry commander, quickly reorganized his troops to plug the gap.
"Long ears! Long ears! Revantusk warriors, attack those long ears first!"
Hex, the high priestess of the Revantusk Tribe, was a female Troll. The sight of the High Elves showing off behind the humans triggered old grudges, and she issued a reckless order!
"Troll! Shut your mouth!" Varok Saurfang was furious. Did the Trolls not know the range of their Headhunters? He had seen High Elves snipe Orc warriors from afar!
The conflicting orders from the Orcs and Trolls caused confusion, which Alleria noticed. She glanced at the Troll leader, Hex, and felt a vague sense of familiarity.
However, she didn't dwell on it, continuing to fire arrows, specifically targeting the two-meter-tall Orc warriors. She could easily distinguish between Orc warriors and peons.
The Orc and Troll ranged units were drawn away by Galen and his reinforcements, greatly reducing the pressure on Kurdran. Only a few javelins were thrown at them, and the agile Gryphons easily dodged those. Moreover, Kurdran hadn't seen any Red Dragons, boosting his confidence.
"Smack!"
A Stormhammer crushed an Orc's skull. Kurdran then began a low-altitude dive. This area was beyond the range of the Troll Headhunters, so he didn't need to worry about being attacked.
The Stormhammer left blue lightning on the Orc corpses, which spread to nearby Orcs, paralyzing them!
Sky'ree's wingspan was over three meters, but this didn't hinder his speed. He executed a sharp turn, avoiding an Orc's battleaxe, then disemboweled the Orc with his front claws. Immediately after, he pierced the skull of the Orc behind him with his sharp beak!
The deaths were brutal!
Tsk tsk tsk!
Galen, witnessing this, sighed inwardly. Then, he saw Kurdran on Sky'ree's back raise his warhammer in salute.
Galen laughed and returned the gesture with his longsword, then spurred his horse towards the approaching Worg Riders.
By now, the tide of battle had turned. Galen's heavy cavalry was a tough obstacle, Saurfang's strategy had faltered, and the encircling Orcs had suffered heavy losses.
With Kurdran and the Gryphon Riders circling above, the Orcs were forced to defend from all directions. Their morale was low, and the conflicting orders between Saurfang and Hex sealed their fate!
The battle continued for another hour. Saurfang's attempts to reinforce his troops failed, and he finally blew the horn to retreat. The Orcs withdrew to the northwest, leaving behind a field of corpses.
"A glorious victory! Haha!"
The Wildhammer Dwarves roared from the sky. They had been suppressed by the Orcs and Trolls in the first half of the battle and were extremely frustrated. Only with the arrival of Galen and his reinforcements did they get a chance to unleash their full potential.
Kurdran landed with his guards and approached Galen. The remaining Gryphon Knights landed atop Aerie Peak to rest.
"Human friend, I am Kurdran Wildhammer, High Thane of Aerie Peak. Thank you for your assistance! And welcome to Aerie Peak!"
Kurdran put away his warhammer and walked towards Galen. "We owe you a debt for your help. We were worried those greenskins would overrun our forest. There were so many of them!"
So this is Kurdran, the hero of the Wildhammer dwarves, one of the five heroes of the Dark Portal. His statue will be erected at the gates of Stormwind City in the future, Galen realized.
"High Thane Kurdran, I am Galen, Prince of Stromgarde, Lieutenant General of the Alliance, and commander of this force!" Galen stepped forward and bumped fists with Kurdran, a traditional Wildhammer greeting.
Kurdran was surprised.
"You are Galen!"
Kurdran stroked his beard, not minding that his hands were still stained with Orc blood.
"I have heard of you, the generous prince of Stromgarde! I saw your name in the letter from Elder Firebeard!"
"Oh! My friend, you have already earned the friendship of the Wildhammer!"
Oh, so Aerie Peak's reputation is already friendly? Does the reputation of Firebeard provide such a bonus?