Behind the shieldwall, Sigmar deployed his reserve infantry. The shieldwall was the most important part of the army- if there was even the slightest give, it would be the undoing of men. It also reduced the frontage of Sigmar's army, ensuring the Orcs could not bring their numerical superiority to pay as well as they liked. The boulders protected their flanks, and split the line so that if one war and was broken and made to flee, it was less likely to effect the rest of the line. Warbands of men and dwarfs formed up into shield walls between the boulders, their flanks secured by solid rocks. Some say that these rocks were placed by the ancient men in honour of their gods, others that the gods themselves put them there, and still others that it was Sigmar's army that moved them to their current location. At this location, the pass is only two miles wide, and a row of boulders span the width of the pass. The First Battle of Black Fire Pass forever stands testament to the courage and military genius of Sigmar, who recognised the inherent tactical advantage of setting up his forces at the pass's most narrow corridor, in order to counter the Greenskin's indisputable advantage of numbers. It is said that, on the eve of the battle, Sigmar had a dream in which he stood by Ulric's side and joined him in drinking the blood of his enemies, while howling wolves circled them. Drums beat as hundreds of thousands of men and women marched up to Black Fire Pass.
Such a large force had never been seen before in the lands of men, and was termed Sigmar's Hammer. In the spring of -1 IC, the army of the humans mustered at Bloodmoss Plain, in the lands of the Merogens.
Soon, the rest of the kings had followed suit. However, the tides shifted when Marbad, King of the Endals, swore allegiance to Sigmar of the Unberogens. For a time, it seemed as if the realms of men would be crushed because their leaders were unwilling to cooperate. Known as the Council of Eleven, this meeting quickly fell into dissension and petty squabbling, as each proud and independent monarch was unwilling to relinquish military control to a single leader. In Nuln did Sigmar receive their warning, and he called together a council of the leaders of men. Envoys from King Ironbeard were the first to bring news of the enormous orc horde advancing on the Black Mountains, intent on destroying the realms of dwarfs and men forever. However, this was not to last long, for the orc invasions of the previous years were merely the storm before the hurricane. Their combined forces broke the greenskin invasion decisively at the Battle of the Aver. Soon they had retaken all the territory north of the River Stir, and then they had advanced to the River Aver At the Battle of Black Road, the orcs were smashed by a combined army of Ostagoths, Taleutens, Cherusens, and Asoborns This army later linked up with hosts of Unberogens and Dwarfs. However, the allies of Sigmar, King of the Unberogens, were able to drive the orc menace back from their lands. Although the warriors of the Dwarf realms were able to hold back the majority of these forces, the number of greenskins pouring into the lands of men was nevertheless unprecedented. In the years leading up to the Battle of Black Fire Pass, orc incursions into the lands that would later become the Empire increased.
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