Build Me an Army Worthy of... The Kingdoms of Khazad-Dum and Moria

Hello readers, after my return last week with a post on the Serpent Horde, James, a fellow EAHC member, asked if my next 'Build Me an Army Worthy of...' post could be on the Kingdoms of Khazad-Dum and Moria so here we are! Although technically two army lists, I'm looking at them together here as they share 90% of the same options. Further, as I look to build a 500pts and 800pts army I would take to an EAHC event, I think the Kingdom of Moria shines at less than 650pts, whereas the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum is stronger above 650pts. 

Now any flavour of stunty-boys are new to me and don't typically fit my playstyle but, since the beginning of the pandemic, I have painted a large LOTR dwarf force and an Army of Thror force, both of which I am itching to see on the tabletop. Therefore, I have spent plenty of time theory-crafting lists, as well as listening to the EAHC Podcast episode focusing on dwarves with Ali King on YouTube as he is the GBHL authority on all things dwarven. It is well worth a listen if you get the chance! Now I feel well-prepared to delve deeply into the Kingdoms of Khazad-Dum and Moria.

Balin of Many Banners - 500pts

Balin, King of Moria

5 Khazad Guard

4 Vault Warden Teams

King's Champions w/ 2 Heralds

4 Dwarf Warriors with shield

3 Dwarf Warriors with dwarf bow

2 Iron Guard

25 models, 3 bows

My 500pts dwarven force comes from the Kingdom of Moria list, where I feel as though Balin's drawbacks as a Leader are lessened thanks to the more restrictive points value. At 500pts, going the Durin route, most likely with accompanying Hearthguard, is just too expensive. At the core of this army, we have the literal wall of Vault Warden Teams, the only spear supports in the army list, who bunker down the centre of the army whilst their peers go chopping with their axes. With a reasonable number of models, a few bows to attempt to pick off key cavalry models and strong heroes at 500pts, this list has a few tools up its sleeve. Combine that with a hero who can March, 2 Heroic Strikers and 2 banners, Balin and his beardy brothers can be a tough opponent.

Balin, King of Moria, is a solid profile and he is a capable leader of the force. Probably a little over-costed in terms of points, nevertheless, being S4 with a master-crafted axe for a constant +1 to wound means he is very effective at wounding the enemy. Being limited to 2 Attacks is frustrating but, with a banner more than likely in range, 3 dice at FV6 will win most fights. Balin's Heroics are what make him great in this force, with Heroic March a key addition to any dwarf force to counter the 5" move and lack of cavalry. Additionally, having Strike is always strong and allows Balin the opportunity to challenge higher quality heroes, especially with his D8 forming an effective fail safe if he does lose the Duel roll. Finally, his access to Heroic Defence, albeit largely redundant due to his heavy dwarf armour, does mean you can surprise an opponent who has managed to charge him with a high Strength monster or is benefiting from a to Wound bonus. The final bonus touch everyone's favourite tomb-dweller offers is his Longbeard rule, allowing you spend one of his 3 Will to re-roll your priority roll. This is perfect late game where you both roll 1s and 2s for priority, although if you are cursed with the same luck as the EAHC's Sam, you'll probably re-roll into a 1 when it matters anyway! Some things to consider with Balin though include not only his 2A but also the fact he only has 2W and 1F. This means that despite his D8, a few lucky rolls for your opponent, or an abundance of S4, can be problematic.

Supporting their ill-fated king, we have a key aspect of the army, 4 Vault Warden Teams. At D9 on the front rank, FV4 and S4, these vertically-challenged gentlemen will hold down the centre of your batteline for eternity. Sit these guys on an objective or push them into an enemy shield wall and they will comfortably bunker down and pick up many kills along the way, especially if the King's Champion lends them a Herald with banner. Monsters also need to be concerned by your Warden Teams as they are robbed of the ability to use their Brutal Power Attacks and the foe spear's +1 to wound against them greatly helps remove the threat of cave trolls and the like. You do need to be wary of getting flanked with your small Vault Warden block as the -1 when not supported by a foe spear can be problematic, but then the D9 is often enough of a forgiving get out. Also accompanying Balin, I have picked 5 Khazad Guards who add a extra dose of axe-shaped killing power with their S4 and option to 2-hand. At FV4, D7 and the Bodyguard rule, they will often more than make back their points. 

Now the other hero in the army is the shockingly good value, King's Champion. Included in his cost, you get the Champion and 2 tag-along Heralds who both come to battle with banners. When you reduce the cost of 2 dwarves with shield and banners from the Champion's profile, you are left with an incredibly cheap, very-killy hero. At FV6, S5 and with 3A, the Champion will chomp through troops and make a mess of all but the strongest of heroes. Couple his impressive stats with 2 Might to Strike, he really is a big threat to your opponent's plans. With only 2W and 1F, he looks a little squishy, but he has a couple of ways to counter this, both linked to his trusty Heralds. When 2 of the 3 models are in base contact with each other, they get a +1D boost, which is increased to +2D when all 3 are in base contact. D9 is incredible, but you are only realistically going to have a +1 boost in most circumstances. The other benefit the Heralds provide is the fact the Champion can spend the Herald's 2F each to stop wounds. This means it is possible to have a D9, 5F Champion! Not likely, but an interesting proposition.

With the Champion, we have a few different warrior profiles. First, he has a couple of Warriors with bows. A small contingent of bows is always useful and they are there purely to threaten heroes with mounts and hold objectives. At S3 with dwarf bows, albeit only 18" range, they can easily scare an opponent into playing more conservatively with their heroes. The other great benefit is that they are still stout, hot-blooded dwarves at FV4 and D6 so can hold their own if you need to chuck them into combat. 4 Warriors bring shields to access D7 and secure the flanks of the Warden block. Their job is to road block the enemy, shield with banner support in range and survive long enough for the Khazad and Iron Guard to do the killing. Speaking of Iron Guard, we have a couple of them tagging along with the King's Champ. At FV4, S4 and with 2A, these beardies offer a great killing punch but are a rather large points investment, especially at the comparatively low for dwarves D6. With throwing axes in tow, use the Iron Guard to turn the probability in your favour on one flank as the shield-bearing dwarves hold the other flank.

Tactically, this army wants to sit on an objective as their opponent throws bodies into the Warden shield wall. Overpower one flank of your Warden Teams with the Iron Guard and Khazads, backed up by the King's Champion and a banner. On the other flank, bunker down and shield up with your Dwarf Warriors and a banner to buy time for the other flank to do their thing. Balin can help shore up the defensive flank or apply further pressure with the Khazads and Iron Guard as appropriate. It certainly has its tough match-ups but this force is hard to dislodge and outfight.

Immovable Bearded Object and Unstoppable Bearded Force - 800pts

Durin, King of Khazad-Dum

8 Khazad Guard upgraded to Hearthguard

2 Dwarf Warriors with dwarf bow

5 Dwarf Warriors with shield

Dwarf King

6 Vault Warden Teams

King's Champions w/ 2 Heralds

2 Dwarf Rangers with dwarf longbow

2 Dwarf Warriors with dwarf bow

3 Dwarf Warriors with shield

3 Iron Guard

42 models, 6 bows

At 800pts, Durin, the almighty tank he is, makes an appearance. At 42 models, this is a great model count when you take into account the quality of the troops. This force acts in a similar way to the 500pts list above: you want to form an unbreakable centre with your Warden teams and shield Warriors whilst your heroes and Khazad Guard, particularly with the Hearthguard upgrade, overwhelm one flank. The Vault Wardens role is explained above, as are the benefits of the King's Champion and Iron Guard. The bows in this force are again there to offer an answer to removing enemy hero's mounts.

Big daddy Durin is the first big change in the increase to 800pts and with him comes a change to the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum list. A massive upgrade on Balin, for a big chunk of points more, he also carries a fancy master-crafted axe (the exact same axe Balin ends up wielding, in fact) but he has 3A to make more use of it. With 3W and a D9, he is also much harder to kill, although the 1F point is still a slight concern. The King of Khazad-Dum also has a rule allowing the player to re-roll a priority die, but this time it is a one-off thing. Despite this, it can be a clutch moment in a game, if you remember to use it! Durin is also sporting a fancy horn which not only provides a nice, if often not required, courage boost but also makes Durin super scary with Terror. A fine leader who suffers from the lack of a mount option which his peers also bemoan, Durin is a fine bearded hero to lead the dwarves to battle.

As Durin does not have March, the next new hero is an important one, the Dwarf King. Hailing from what I imagine is a lesser dwarven hold so as to not bear any grudges against the clearly more kingly King Durin, the Dwarf King provides a solid base line of stats and access to Heroic March, a must have for the dwarves. Dwarf Kings offer so much more than their Captain brothers: It is always worth the extra investment, particularly for the FV6. At D8, 2A and 2W, the King will not set the world alight but will easily crack open a fair number of heads for the good of the dwarves. 

The last key changed to this army when compared to Balin's entourage is the addition of the Hearthguard Khazads. The upgrade gives the Khazads Burly, allowing them to 2-hand without penalty. Being S4 and adding +1 to Wound, these guys become seriously killy! Now the upgrade cost really adds up if you take too many and they become a big investment for a 1W model without any spear supports. Nevertheless, place these on one flank with Durin and the King's Champion and there are not many things in MESBG they won't wreck. Having a Herald's banner nearby is vital as without that flappy bit of fabric, you are relying on a single D6 in most fights which is always bad.

Durin and crew take the core ideas of the Balin list and add an extra lethal edge. Not many lists will relish the high defence wall of armoured, bearded, axe-wielding warriors and their tank-like core. Mobility is always going to be an issue but, when you get to a battle of attrition, the dwarves will be singing the victory songs long into the night in the caverns of Khazad-Dum.

So that's my take on a couple of LOTR dwarf lists. In theory, it will work wonders and bring me much joy, and my enemies much despair, on the MESBG battlefields. However, I may have completely messed up and created 2 dire lists that will bring the dwarven kingdoms to ruin. When the world returns to some sort of normality, I guess I will find out! Let me know what you think: Glory to the dwarves or the end of Durin's line?

Kieran

Build Me an Army Worthy of... The Serpent Horde

Hello readers, It's been a long time since my last post (a global pandemic can really affect productivity!) but I'm back with a continuation of the 'Build Me an Army Worthy of...' series. If you look back through the blog, I've already covered Angmar, Numenor, Mordor and Rohan and today I will be presenting 2 Serpent Horde lists. As has been the inspiration for these posts, I have 2 lists, of 500pts and 800pts, that I would bring to an East Anglia Hobbit Community (EAHC) event. At the EAHC, we pride ourselves on holding friendly, relaxed tournaments with a competitive edge to test the skills of any general of Middle Earth and we can't wait to get some dice rolling going again when we safely can.

The Serpent Horde are an army I enjoy to play. With their interesting aesthetic, unit variety and access the Dumbo's murderous, angry cousins (not making an appearance today unfortunately), they are an army with the potential to cause an opponent a whole host of problems. Tactically, they are a diverse list that can be tailored to suit most players styles, whether you are looking for a cavalry force, range superiority or a choppy-choppy horde. For those of you looking for a defensive, impenetrable shield wall type army though, keep on walking. The one thing you can guarantee with a Serpent Horde army, regardless of style, is a battlefield massacre. They will die and die easily but they will often slaughter the opponent at a quicker rate. If you looking for an aggressive army that also means your games will finish quickly enough for you to avoid the queues for your coffees and teas, you've found your army. So, let's check out which Serpent Horde flavour I've gone with today!

The Fat Snake - 500pts

Suladan the Serpent Lord with armoured horse (Leader)

4 Abrakhan Guard 

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

6 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

6 Serpent Riders

Harad King with horse and war spear

5 Abrakhan Guard

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

8 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

35 models, 14 bows

This list, for 500pts, does a bit of everything. It has mobility with the 8 mounted models and both heroes have March, although you won't ever want to use Suladan's Might to March. It has ranged strength thanks to the Serpent Horde's Army Bonus giving them a 50% bow limit and the fact they have poisoned arrows for rerolls of 1 to wound. It has combat power with 9 FV4, S4 burly troops and 4 2 Attack warriors, all supported by poisoned spears and 7 +1 to wound war spear armed cav models. Surely to cover all of that you would pay for it by having a smaller force? No chance! At 35 models, this force is almost certainly going to be outnumbering your opponent at 500pts. So what are the downsides? Well, 5 Might across the army is very average and each point has to be carefully considered before being spent. At D4/5 across your entire army, S4 troops are going to cut through you like a hobbit mashing potatoes and, if the opponent brings a big, killy hero, Suladan suddenly looks a little sheepish. Let's explore the army list in more detail.

Starting with the leader of the army, the Hero of Legend, Suladan. For the price you pay for him, Suladan may well be one of the most points efficient models in the game. For an incredibly affordable points cost, you are opening up 18 warrior slots, getting a FV5, 3A with poison weapon, 3M hero with a 12" Stand Fast! (which he will pass the first time if broken thanks to Hero of Legend). That's straight up value. However, just like Netflix, Bernie Sanders memes and the LOTR extended editions, Suladan is the gift that keeps on giving! Whilst his warriors fight and die around him, Suladan likes to wave his prized Serpent Horde banner like a kite in the wind. Not only is this an actual banner, not a fake, wannabe banner effect (looking at you Aragorn, Thror and Imrahil), so it counts for banner VPs, it is extended to a 6" range. Position him right and you've got a 12" front line under a banner affect for 3 (4 if it's a Watcher of Karna) dice to win a fight at what is usually FV4. Nasty! Now Suladan is only D5 with 3 Wounds and 1F so he is pretty squishy but he can hold his own against mid-level heroes and munches troops. Honestly though, use him as a mobile banner and reap the rewards.

In Suladan's warband, first up let's talk about the Serpent Riders. They bring mobility to the force and even more killing power. With FV4 to win the fight, 2 attacks on the charge and +1 to wound with a poisoned weapon, these guys on the charge will wreck your opponent's front line. As is standard procedure for the Serpent Horde, the D4 is a problem but it's a problem you just have to put up with as a Serpent Horde player. Next up we have the Abrakhan Guard, affectionately know as fatties, and these guys are awesome. For an almost criminal points cost, you get a FV4, S4 choppy boy with a 2 handed sword and the burly special rule. That's 4s to wound D6 troops and only 5s to wound the common D7 found on heroes. Suffering from the standard D4 draw back, they die quickly but if the fatties get going, they can be hard to stop. A couple of Watchers of Karna find their way into the list too as having a couple of 2A models can be very handy and their Steely Nerves rule can be clutch against Terror and Spirit models. Now at D3, they have arrived on the battlefield in their pyjamas but I find that opponents usually have other priority targets for bow fire so the Watchers can make it to combat and prove their worth. Besides, if the opponent does target them, that's 1 more fatty or Serpent Rider who has survived.

Finally, Suladan's warband is rounded off by 6 Harad warriors with bow and spear. Having both a bow and spear gives you the flexibility to tailor your tactics. Happy the sit back with the 14 poison bow shots you have? Sit them in the second rank and ping away at the enemy. Need to grab objectives? Leave a few behind to shoot but move up to support with the rest. Against a the filth that is Rangers of Ithilien? Follow the front line, look to engage in combat and pray you make it there!

The second warband in the list is essentially a repeat of above without the Serpent Riders and a different leader. The warriors form a battleline and engage or sit back and shoot as appropriate. This time however, it is a Harad King leading the way. At FV5, it is always worth taking the King over a Chieftain and he also provides 3 extra warrior slots. With 2A mounted and a war spear, the King can hack through troops but also provides 2M to call Moves or Marches with in order to preserve Suladan's Might pool. At C5, he is also more likely to deal with Terror or stick around when broken when compared to a Chieftain. Don't expect him to set the world alight but he can certainly do a job.

Tactically, this army is looking to achieve victory through a 2-step tactic. Step 1: Thin the enemy ranks with overwhelming bow fire. 14 poison bow shots is enough to whittle down enemy ranks nicely at 500pts after you have dealt with opposing cavalry and mounted heroes. Step 2: Chop, slash and poison your way to victory with you 12" banner coverage. What is left of your opponent's front line should find themselves outnumbered and out-muscled by your troops and heroes. You will take casualties and lots of them but bodies are cheap, and yours are much cheaper than you opponent's 9 times out of 10, so chuck your guys in. As long as you are matching your opponent's kill tally - which with your FV4, burly, poison-weapon, 3 dice to win batleline you easily should be - you will come out victorious.

The Fat Snake Makes it Rain - 800pts

Suladan the Serpent Lord with armoured horse (Leader)

4 Abrakhan Guard 

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

6 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

6 Serpent Riders

Harad King with horse, bow and war spear

5 Abrakhan Guard

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

8 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

The Betrayer on Fell Beast

5 Abrakhan Guard

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

8 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

51 models, 22 bows

Scaling up to 800pts, we take the 500pts list in its entirety, adding a bow to the King due to left over points, and add Harad's signature spooky boy, The Betrayer. The Betrayer's warband is a carbon copy of the King's and, as such, is looking to build upon the strengths mentioned in the 500pts list. But The Betrayer himself adds a lot of new things to the list. First, a small upside is the access to magic he provides. The Betrayer is one of the weaker wraith casters but an important transfix here or there can change the course of a battle. Honestly though, you are not taking him for his casting, or Harbinger of Evil, you take him for his Master of Poisons rule. Granting a 6" bubble of full rerolls to wound for poison weapons, suddenly your 22 bows become much scarier, as do all of your poisoned spears thanks to your army bonus. This rule means you can make it rain poison arrows on your opponent for a couple of turns, making it even easier for your large 51 model force to overpower them in combat. I would take him purely for Master of Poisons but I also enjoy putting The Betrayer on a fell beast. This gives him mobility, the chance to fly over troops to get into the back line heroes with his 3A on the charge and Bane of Kings for to wound re-rolls and the chance to line up some juicy hurls. The fell beast is also a wonderful deterrent for the opponent. Even if you never fully utilise it, the fell beast changes the way your opponent plays so drastically, it is well worth it. Now you could drop the flappy boy for more numbers but, with maxed warbands, you would have to invest in a pricey hero first so becomes too much of an investment. 

This army essentially looks to achieve the same as the 500pts list but more effectively with the Master of Poisons rule, added combat punch and a continuation of high numbers. Might is a big issue with 7 across the army but, if you can, you just sit back and thin the enemy ranks early so when it comes to combat, you only need to spend Might on a few key Moves. You will die quickly with this army but, often, your opponent will die quicker. For Suladan and the South!

That's my 500pts and 800pts lists for the Serpent Horde. A fun, unique army. Let me know your thoughts and how you create your hordes from Harad.

Kieran

Fantasy Fellowships Part VI: The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

While the Ringbearers struggles their way into Mordor, the rest of each of the Fellowships have their own part to play, as the largest battle in an age is about to erupt outside of Minas Tirith.

CJ

Scenario 19- Atop the Walls

Participants- Saruman, Grima, Irolas, Beregond and 24x Minas Tirith warriors

Evil- Zagdush, 2x Orc Captains and 36x Mordor orcs

The orcs surge over the walls and attack the defenders, one fires his bow and takes away Beregond’s fate. The defenders strike back and kills several orcs. A few Gondorians falls as Zagdush leads the retaliation. On the defenders’ left, an orc captain leads a breakthrough.

Saruman blasts Zagdush allowing Irolas to charge him while down, Zagdush is forced to spend all his might to avoid being killed. While across the wall, the breakthrough captain beats down Beregond and in the centre, Saruman loses all his fate to four orcs. It is Grima, of all people, who fights back as he knifes another captain to death with his elven dagger.

The orcs swarm through the now decimated, left flank and Saruman calls the defenders back to reform a shield wall. Grima kills another couple of orcs on the other flank, leaving good one kill from a victory. Saruman begins the next tun, blasting two spears and killing one. The orcs push hard, desperately trying to slay the white wizard but can’t get to him. Grima is injured and barely gets away with his life as the wall is held.

Kills

Saruman- 8

Grima- 3

Bravest- Saruman

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Grima is fully replenished.

Saruman- 1m, 1will, 1f due to Denethor's Madness limits.

Scenario 20- Charge of the Rohirrim

Participants- Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, Alfrid, Gamling, Deorwine, Elfhelm and 24x Riders of Rohan

Evil- Gothmog, Gothmog's Enforcer, 2x Morannon Orc Captains and 36x Morannon Orcs

As the Sun rises, the Rohirrim arrive with a vast horde of cavalry, headed by King Theoden. He gives an inspiring speech before leading a mass charge. They hit the orcs at full speed and call multiple heroic combats. Eowyn scores a wound on Gothmog’s Enforcer. Deorwine is beaten by an Orc Captain and just saves his own life by a thread (1w, 0f). Alfrid shows his complete lack of experience and is immediately knocked from the saddle and spends the rest of the battle on the floor screaming. Gothmog halts Eomer’s charge and scores two wounds on the Marshal.

An orc captain gets the heroic move and the orcs counter charge. In the counter counter charge, a rider slays the Enforcer with a throwing spear. Eomer returns two wounds back upon Gothmog, but a captain kills two riders in return.

Gothmog manages to get a charge and attacks Eomer, bringing him down to 1w, 0f. Things look bleaker as a captain slays Deorwine, but Elfhelm manages to slay another captain in return. Theoden and Eomer charge together and both strike against Gothmog, who mimics. He manages to win and Eomer is taken out of the fight. Theoden is enraged and the turn after, charges and rides down the orc leader. The lines of Mordor are broken and although the King would be slain by the Witch King later, this was a pivotal moment for good.

Kills

Alfrid- 0

Fool- Alfrid 

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Alfrid is fully replenished before the finale.

Scenario 21- Denethor's Madness

Participants- Saruman, Grima, Beregond and Faramir

Evil- Denethor and 4x Citadel Guard

Beregond calls a Heroic move and rushes to the side to distract the guards. Grima leaps from Saruman’s horse and runs around into a guard as Saruman hits the other two. Grima is nearly speared but dodges it narrowly.

Saruman charges Denethor atop the pyre as Beregond attacks another two and Grima pulls Faramir free. Beregond loses his fate to his opponents. Denethor is enraged but blocked off by Beregond, who proceeds to hold him back for a couple of turns as Grima gets further away, but Saruman’s horse is killed.

As time runs low for evil, they rush back to seize Faramir and beat down Grima as Beregond is finally injured. But as a guard carries Faramir to the pyre, the captain of Gondor stirs, and realisation finally hits! Denethor throws himself on the pyre as madness and guilt seize him.

Kills

Saruman- 1

Grima- 0

Bravest- Saruman

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Saruman and Grima are fully replenished for the finale.

Scenario 22- The Docks of Harlond

Participants- Bard, Arathorn, Dwalin, Elladan, Elrohir, Halbarad, Angbor, 12x Rangers of the North and 12x Clansmen of Lamedon

Evil- Guritz, 3x Morannon Orc Captains and 36x Morannon Orcs

The ships of the corsairs arrive in the Docks of Harlond and the orcs are surprised, when rather than the expected allies, a man, elf and dwarf leap over the side. They are joined by a horde of clansmen, battalion of rangers, who have come to their leader’s aid and the twin sons of Elrond.

The orcs rush forward with heroic marches, as the rangers take aim. They find that the orcish armour is thicker than what they are used to though as only two are killed. The good forces do, however, win the heroic move off that follows and Bard with Arathorn leads the charge into the orcs. Arathorn engages the leader, Guritz and deals a wound upon him, while around him many clansmen and orcs are killed. Beside him, an orc Captain takes away one of Bard’s fate. Arathorn responds by dealing a second wound then a third over the next two turns. He slams his sword down through the skull headpiece and slays Guritz where he stands.

To the right, a ranger is slain, and he is quickly followed by Angbor as a hulking captain overpowers and stabs him, the leader of the clansmen falls on the docks. Over on the left, Dwalin repays the debt, cutting down a captain with his axe in a heroic combat with Bard. They rush past the body and run for the gate to join the battle.

Arathorn leads the men in defeating the remaining orcs as he cuts down a second captain and Elladan ends Angbor’s killer. As victory, is all but confirmed, Arathorn is suddenly surrounded by a wave of orcs in a last-ditch effort of spite and brought down with wounds but is saved by the loyal rangers and clansmen.

Kills

Bard- 1

Arathorn- 2

Dwalin- 4

Bravest- Arathorn    Fool- Bard

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Bard, Arathorn and Dwalin are fully replenished before the finale.

Arathorn receives Anduril, Flame of the West to lead the free peoples.

Sam

Scenario 19- Atop the Walls

Participants- Saruman, Grima, Irolas, Beregond and 24x Minas Tirith warriors

Evil- Zagdush, 2x Orc Captains and 36x Mordor orcs

The assault upon the walls of Minas Tirith begins. Before long the siege towers are opening and orcs pour over the battlements. Saruman kills the first with a blast and a captain rushes into him. Both sides start tearing each other apart as Saruman blasts another two orcs dead before taking a wound from the attacking captain. Yet another is killed by Saruman’s magic before he is suddenly left exposed as Zagdush and a captain kill the Gondorians to either side of him.

The next turn is disastrous for good as many warriors of Minas Tirith are killed by the onslaught of orcs and Zagdush attacks Gandalf, the orc calls a heroic strike, despite Grima lurking nearby, and also gives in to his berserk nature (str5, def4). Saruman manages to dodge the frenzied attack despite losing. However, a huge gap has opened in the defences beside him.

The White Wizard puts up a terrifying aura and rallies his defenders into a much tighter formation. He then deals two wounds on Zagdush with a spear support. And before the orc and charge him again, blasts him back, slaying the evil leader. Very few defenders remain but they are only 5 kills away from victory. It’s all made very tight as Saruman suffers 3 wounds from a captain and orcs in that combat phase.

Saruman casts yet another blast that kills two orcs and calls out for the defenders to drive them back. Beregond is defeated by the orcs and Irolas is slain by both captains in the struggle, but Grima manages to plunge his elven dagger into an orc, making the kill tally 30 and scoring a victory for the defenders!

Kills

Saruman- 8

Grima- 2

Bravest- Saruman

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Grima is fully replenished.

Saruman- 1m, 1will, 0f due to Denethor's Madness restrictions.

Scenario 20- Charge of the Rohirrim

Participants- Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, Aldor, Gamling, Deorwine, Elfhelm and 24x Riders of Rohan

Evil- Gothmog, Gothmog's Enforcer, 2x Morannon Orc Captains and 36x Morannon Orcs

Theoden gives a speech that enflames the Rohirrim and they ride forth. They hit the orc lines with fury unmatched as many call heroic combats, Theoden and Gamling fail to move on but several others do e.g. Eomer, who kills four orcs total and Aldor scores his first ever mounted kill. The time of the orc is called by Gothmog the next turn as he charges Eomer with his enforcer. Aldor calls a heroic combat and slays the orc he faces, galloping full tilt and hitting the Enforcer causing a wound, allowing Eomer to fight more fairly with Gothmog.

Elfhelm is nearly slain by a captain and Eowyn is brought down by some orcs, while Eomer takes two wounds and is dismounted by Gothmog. They fight on and on, but just as the orcs are shattered, the Marshal cuts down the orc leader at last. Beside him Aldor manages to slay the Enforcer from atop his horse. 

The orcs beat a hasty retreat but before the Rohirrim can celebrate, they see the Mumaks of the Harad coming towards them.

Kills

Aldor- 3

Bravest- Aldor

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Aldor is fully replenished for the finale.

Scenario 21- Denethor's Madness

Participants- Saruman, Grima, Beregond and Faramir

Evil- Denethor and 4x Citadel Guard

When word reaches Saruman of what Denethor is up to, he rushes to the summit of Minas Tirith to try to stop it.

Beregond is there first and finds himself quickly attacked but repels it. He then calls a heroic move allowing Saruman to charge but is knocked out quickly. Saruman and Grima gallop past and the wizard attempts to blast Denethor away from the pyre but it is resisted. The guards pile into him and kill his horse as well as giving him two wounds. The next turn both of them are attacked and cornered. Grima is quickly beaten up and Saruman too after losing their third priority in a row. Saruman very nearly dies but is saved by the single might he had. They can only watch as the crazed Denethor burns himself and Faramir before them, they have failed.

Kills

Saruman- 0

Grima- 0

Bravest- Saruman    Fool- Grima

EVIL WIN

Carried stats

Saruman and Grima are fully replenished for the finale.

Scenario 22- The Docks of Harlond

Participants- Theodred, Haldir, Dain, Elladan, Elrohir, Halbarad, Angbor, 12x Rangers of the North and 12x Clansmen of Lamedon

Evil- Guritz, 3x Morannon Orc Captains and 36x Morannon Orcs

The ships of the Corsairs arrive at the Docks of Harlond but the orcs are surprised when, rather than their allies, a man in Rohan armour, an elf and a heavily armoured dwarf leap out followed by a horde of rangers, a unit of clansmen of Lamedon and elven twins. Theodred and Haldir have barely recovered from their injuries sustained at Helm’s Deep but insist on playing their part. Haldir quickly loads his bow and fires, killing an orc as they rush towards these new arrivals. An orc captain barrels into Haldir and sends him flying, knocking him out cold. Theodred receives another captain and shields him off for two turns as the elven twins attempt to assist him. He eventually manages to pull back from the danger and Dain leaps in onto a third captain. The twins cut their way through and get to the rear of the enemy. On the left, Guritz slays a ranger.

Theodred and Elladan pin down a captain and deal a wound as a clansman stands up to Guritz and lands a heavy wound upon him with a broadsword. At this point a wave of death sweeps the evil force, all three captains are slain by Dain, Theodred and Elrohir. Morale soars for the good forces as they surround their enemies and prepare to mop up. Guritz is caught and slain as Dain’s hammer crushes both the skulls on his shoulders. 

Victory is now all but confirmed for the forces of Good, when disaster strikes; a lone orc that hasn’t been tagged rushes from the crowd, knocks Theodred down (Theodred rolled a 5 that suddenly tipped over becoming a 4 against the orcs 5!) and even Halbarad’s interference in the fight doesn’t stop the orcs blade stabbing downwards and slaying the Prince of Rohan. A sudden defeat knocks the wind out of the assault. Despite this setback, the good forces manage to successfully defend the White City as Theodred promised to Aragorn but he gave his life for it.

Kills

Theodred- 1

Haldir- 1

Dain- 5

Bravest- Dain    Fool- Theodred

EVIL WIN

Carried stats

Theodred is slain on the Docks of Harlond and his body taken to join his father to be laid to rest.

Haldir and Dain are fully replenished for the finale.

The leaders of the victorious forces of good meet to decide their next move. Eomer takes up command of the Rohirrim in the absence of Theoden and Theodred. Hurin honours the lost King Elessar by vowing to lead the Gondorians to the Black Gate with Anduril, which Elrond had sent with his sons to inspire the Men of the West.

Will

Scenario 19- Atop the Walls

Participants- Gandalf, Denethor, Minas Tirith Captain, Beregond and 24x Minas Tirith warriors

Evil- Zagdush, 2x Orc Captains and 36x Mordor orcs

Gandalf and Denethor lead the defences of the walls as the Orc army approaches. The Siege towers hit, and orcs pour onto the walls. Denethor leads from the front and braces as he takes a charge from a captain and orcs. Gandalf sorcerous blasts an orc killing him and a spear but also knocking down Denethor and wounding him. The orcs pounce and the Steward is removed from the fighting in the first turn.

Gandalf casts terrifying aura and charges some orcs. The Gondorian archers at the back engage a group of orcs and Zagdush takes a wound in the combats. By the end of turn 2, nine orcs are dead. The warriors of Minas Tirith hold the orcs back but Captain Nearamir is beaten to the floor in the fighting and dragged away by his troops.  Beregond has a near miss as he uses his fate to dodge a sweep of a sword and Zagdush closes in on Gandalf with a heroic combat. The next turn as he prepares to charge the White Wizard, a sorcerous blast sends him flying from the battlements.

Gandalf begins turn 6 by blasting another pair of orcs but Beregond is finally beaten down by the orcs as his heroic archers are finally overwhelmed and killed. Another blast kills an orc spear and then Gandalf slays two more in combat to lift good’s kill count to 29.

The next turn Gandalf is surrounded and beaten down to 1w, 1f. But he gets priority in Turn 8 and blasts an orc to reach 30, this orc knocks down the last warrior of Minas Tirith left. Orc archers fire wildly and an arrow scratches his staff. The distraction is all that’s needed, and combined with the floored ally trapping him, the orcs defeat the Wizard, the walls fall as Gandalf flees.

Kills

Gandalf- 12

Denethor- 0

Bravest- Gandalf

DRAW

Carried stats

Denethor is fully replenished.

Gandalf- 1m, 1 will, 1f

Scenario 20- Charge of the Rohirrim

Participants- Theoden, Eomer, Eowyn, Damrod, Gamling, Deorwine, Elfhelm and 24x Riders of Rohan

Evil- Gothmog, Gothmog's Enforcer, 2x Morannon Orc Captains and 36x Morannon Orcs

The Rohirrim arrive with the dawn. Theoden gives an inspiring speech and leads the charge. They quickly hit the orcish lines and both Orc Captains call heroic combats as does Elfhelm. Elfhelm kills two orcs with a second might and charges the two spears behind. The first captain runs through the gap now there and charges Eomer from behind. The second loses his fight but avoids a wound. This is followed by many orcs being killed in the fighting. Gothmog, with 7 dice, only manages to roll a 3 highest then spends all 3 might to match Eomer's 6 and loses the roll off. CJ calculated the odds of that being 0.39%. Eomer then kills Gothmog with ease, the first turn of combat finally ends.

Damrod manages to kill two orcs using a heroic combat, while a rider wins a 1 on 1 with a captain and to the dismay of evil slays him. Elfhelm is assaulted by the Enforcer and takes two wounds but saves himself with fate. But is brought down the following turn by the determined orc. Gamling manages to bring down the second captain. As the scenario is coming to an end, Damrod makes it clear who is the victor as he runs down the Enforcer and slays him.

Kills

Damrod- 4

Bravest- Damrod

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Damrod is fully replenished for the finale.

Scenario 21- 'Not Denethor's' Madness

Participants- Gandalf, Denethor, Beregond and Captain of Minas Tirth

Evil- Captain of Minas Tirth (Denethor's stats) and 4x Citadel Guard

Gandalf arrives with Denethor to stop Whereveryouaramir (W) from burning Nearamir following his injuries upon the walls. Beregond waits in the tunnel to allow Gandalf to catch up. Denethor dismounts and attacks two guards. The wizard then blasts a third into the combat, killing the blasted guard and wounding Denethor. He then hurries to the pyre, dismounts and pulls Nearamir from the flames. W then turns on him in rage! But Gandalf manages to fight him off.

Gandalf calls a Heroic move and drags Nearamir away from the crazed captain. He is attacked again but avoids injury. Beregond spends a fate. A couple of turns later, Denethor is slammed into a wall and knocked out of the fighting. Quickly followed by Beregond. But due to key priorities being won, Gandalf has succeeded in keeping Nearamir away from his would be killer. W completely breaks down and flees the building, throwing himself from the top of Minas Tirith.

Kills

Gandalf- 1

Denethor- 0

Bravest- Gandalf

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

Gandalf and Denethor are fully replenished for the finale.

Scenario 22- The Docks of Harlond

Participants- Boromir, Faramir, Irolas, the King of the Dead, 20x Warriors of the Dead and 6x Riders of the Dead

Evil- Guritz, 3x Morannon Orc Captains and 36x Morannon Orcs

The boats of the Corsairs arrive at the Docks and the orcs are caught off guard, seeing three battered Gondorians leaping over the side. Before they can even think, suddenly an army of ghostly warriors rushing towards them. Elrond had sent Anduril, Flame of the West, to aid the Gondorians and he had used it to convince the Dead to fight for their Oaths, 

The orcs recover and form a defensive wall to either side of the fountain. The forces of good rush forward and attack to their left. Faramir engages a captain. While the King of the Dead forms a line to cover their flank from the right. The orcs rush forward to engage it, sending 4 to cover a small alleyway with two riders rushing up. A captain in that attack calls a heroic combat to attack more of the dead. Guritz also calls one to pull away Boromir's spear support. 

Faramir mistimes an attack and takes a wound to some orcs and beside him, despite 8 attacks coming from Galadriel's hair, Irolas loses to a captain and takes two wounds, saving himself with fate. Guritz loses his combat and takes two wounds from the Dead, using a might and fate to survive. The orcs begin to hammer at the flank's defenders. The Dead riders suddenly, swing around the house and attack the orcs from behind.

Boromir takes his chance in the confusion and brutally hacks down the Orcish leader, Guritz has fallen. A captain on the flank is slain by the Dead and another quickly falls to Irolas' fury! The Orcs are now heavily on the backfoot as Good crashes through their lines with such momentum. The three Gondorian heroes make a break for the gate as the Orcs finally shatter the flanks defence but too late. Boromir leads Faramir and Irolas into the Pelennor and victory!

Kills

Boromir- 4

Faramir- 1

Irolas- 1

Bravest- Boromir    Fool- Irolas

GOOD WIN

Carried stats

The three hunters are all replenished for the finale.

The leaders of the free peoples all encourage Boromir to wield the sword of the King of Gondor, as a symbol of hope in their final battle.

With Minas Tirith successfully defended, the forces of Good have been able to lick their wounds and decide that the best chance that they can give their chosen Ringbearer is a diversion. The next part will be the finale: 'For Frodo/Bilbo'!

Battle Report: Army of Thror v Easterlings (Jan 21)

 Battle Report: Army of Thror vs Easterlings

I got a message from Harry Parkhill a little while ago asking if I fancied a game on TTS as he figured that it is the best available way to play in current conditions. I accepted and we set the points at 650 and he chose to play as evil.

I have had an itch for nearly a year to try out the Army of Thror. Unable to decide whether I wanted to use Thror and Thrain or Thorin, Dwalin and Balin as my heroes, I did a coin toss. It told me to play as the three young dwarves, so I naturally felt disappointed and chose Thror and Thrain.

Harry had said that he was going to play as Easterlings as it sounded like he had got a taste for them recently and wanted Khamul to lead with a couple of smaller heroes.

We rolled for a scenario in the Matched Play Guide and got Lords of Battle.

Army lists

Army of Thror (Sam)

Thror (Leader)

Grim Hammers x16 w/ Guardian of the King upgrades

Erebor warrior x1 w/ Shield (Jarvis of Erebor)

Thrain

Erebor warriors x15 w/ 1x Banner, 10x Spears and 4x Shields

Total: 34

Break point: 17

25%: 8.5

Easterlings (Harry)

Khamul the Easterling w/ Fellbeast (Leader)

Easterling warriors x6 w/ Shields

Easterling warriors x9 w/ Black Dragon upgrades, Pikes and Shields

Dragon Knight w/ Armoured Horse

Easterling warriors x6 w/ Black Dragon upgrades, Pikes and Shields

Easterling Captain w/ Armoured Horse, Sword and Shield

Easterling Kataphrakts x3 w/ 1x Banner

Easterling warrior x1 w/ Pike, Shield and Bow

Total: 28

Break Point: 14

25%: 7

We rolled for deployment and I got to choose where to go. I chose the Southern edge with the intention to force Harry into a bottleneck as soon as I could and start cutting down his Easterlings with brute force. My main concern was the Fellbeast as that was his best shot as wounding my heroes.

I deployed in front of a house with a walled garden, but had made a mistake in that there wasn't enough room to fit the spears in behind as planned. Meanwhile Harry was forced to divide his forces either side of a house in the middle of his deployment zone.

Turn 1: Harry won the first priority so I called a heroic move with Thror to allow me to move forward and organise my spears behind the Guardians better. Harry didn't contest it so I went ahead. The Easterlings then lines up in two alleyways across from the dwarves. The two forces exchange arrows and throwing axes but nothing is wounded.

Turn 2: Thror leads the charge forward towards the Dragon Knight and Captain's warbands with his unit, although he can't join himself. The Dragon Knight orders his troops to engage. In the combats, two guardians are slain.

Thrain rushes towards Khamul's unit and is also attacked and Khamul flanks. He hurls a guardian through the crowd of Dwarves, killing Jarvis of Erebor! In the rest of the fights, the dwarves manage to avoid death!

Turn 3: Since good claims priority, evil calls heroic moves with both Khamul and the Captain. In response, good gambles on only attempting one heroic move in response with Thrain to preserve might if they go first. It pays off when they win the roll off. Thrain leads the charge into the gleaming horde and Khamul is pinned down! In combat, Thrain calls a heroic combat but then fluffs it, only managing to kill one of the two Easterlings he faced. A few Easterlings are slain to one or two dwarves.

On the other side, the uncontested Captain charges forward into Thror and a guardian with the rest of the cavalry joining against the unit. With sheer weight of numbers from his guardian and two spears, they beat the captain. The guardian successfully bashes the captain from his horse and Thror spends a single might to confirm the kill causing 3 wounds upon the floored captain. Having called a Heroic combat, he rushes forwards and kills a pikeman. His guardians backed by spears kill a couple of the Kataphrakts.

Turn 4: Evil gains priority so Thrain calls a heroic move. Khamul is again pinned in place as the Dwarf Lord leads another charge into the Men of Rhun. But the Ringwraith is cunning, he barges his opponents aside and slams into the Dwarven banner, killing it outright along with a spearman. Thrain is enraged and hammers two men out of the battle. 

On the other flank, Thror is isolated and the Easterlings quickly move to keep him cut off. The King under the Mountain is surrounded! But one plucky dwarf, runs to the hay bale and rolls a 6 for his climb test. He sprints over and pulls the Dragon Knight off of his King, but gives his life for it as the Dragon Knight furiously cuts him down for the sheer cheek of it. Thror manages to shield off his opponents and the rest of the dwarven unit kills two easterlings to open a path to the King again.

Turn 5: Good steals priority. The Dragon Knight calls a heroic move, intent on cornering Thror, while he is so exposed. Then orders his men to once again block the rest of the dwarves from assisting. The Dwarf King and the Dragon Knight both call Heroic strikes with their last might points and though Thror very nearly loses, he is saved when he rolls a 6 with his banner reroll! But he fails to wound the enemy hero. His men, once again cut an opening to him.

On the opposite flank, Thrain leads by example as he is finally able to reach the enemy leader and marches up to face him. He manages to land two blows on the Ringwraith but Khamul isn't giving up easily as he passes both of his fate in response! Their troops kill a few of each other beside the intense duel.

Turn 6: Sensing the chance for victory, the dwarves take priority again and charge heavily into the Easterlings. Thror faces the Dragon Knight once again and a throwing axe from a guardian, strikes true at last killing a warrior and breaking the Men of Rhun. The King fails to wound the Dragon Knight again but his spear manages to kill his mount! The Easterling Banner is finally defeated beside them and brought down.

Meanwhile, Thrain again charges Khamul and lets out a great warcry as his hammer crushes the breastplate of the enemy leader and defeats him. His troops go on to push back the Easterlings beside him.

Turn 7: Evil wins priority and two of their men flee, but most insist on fighting to the last man. They push back against their enemy with the might they have left. Thrain calls a heroic combat and ends up slaying two more men. Thror faces the Dragon Knight one last time and finally manages to land a decisive blow, scoring 3 wounds upon him and ending him.

Results

Objective (VPs)    Army of Thror          Easterlings

Wounds                        31(5)                      12 (0)

Enemy leader            Dead (2)                 Alive (0)

Broken enemy         Broken (3)             Unbroken (0)

10-0 Victory to the Dwarves!

Thanks to Harry for a fun game. My first points match in nearly 4 months. We may be doing another in the fairly near future.

Battle Report: Battle of the Five Armies

Battle Report: Battle of the Five Armies

Hey all and a Happy New Year! CJ and I thought we'd do a massive scenario to open the new year as best we can. So we chose this behemoth!

Participants

Good: Sam

Erebor Reclaimed

Thorin, Fili, Kili, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin

Iron Hills

Dain w/ warboar, Iron Hills Captain, Iron Hills Captain w/ Mattock, Iron Hills warriors x36 (12x Spear, 12x Mattock and 12x Crossbow) and Iron Hills Chariot

Thranduil's Halls

Thranduil w/ additional elven blade and elk, Mirkwood Captains x2, Mirkwood Elves x36 (12x Shields, 12x Elven Glaives and 12x Elven Bows)

Radagast's Alliance

Radagast w/ Great Eagle, Gwaihir, Beorn and Great Eagles x4

Evil: CJ

Azog's Legion

Azog w/ Heavy Armour, Stone Flail and Signal Tower, Bolg, Gundabad Captains w/ Shields x5, Goblin Mercenary Captains x2, Gundabad Orcs x60 (30x Shields and 30x Spears), Gundabad Trolls x4 (2x Crushing Clubs and 2x Scythes), Troll Brute, Gundabad Ogres x6, Gundabad Berserkers x24, Goblin Mercenaries x24, War Bats x6 and Catapult Troll

NOTE: Special rule that we added in is: If Thorin is on 1w, 0f and has fought Azog at least once, Legolas throws Orcrist to him, which he may use from then on.

The Battle

The Orc army rushes out from the burrows made by the Worms and they begin to rush across the plains straight at the good forces caught unawares. The Survivors of Laketown all rush away and into the ruins of Dale, leaving the elves and dwarves to face them. Dain, not one to back away from a fight, leads his Iron Hills warriors to meet them...

Dain charges forward, followed by his dwarves and they hit the Gundabad frontline. 

An Ogre on evil's left flank takes two wounds from elven archers and the Troll Catapult fires, narrowly missing Thorin, who has led the charge from Erebor.

An Ogre picks up an Iron Hills warrior and hurls him down the line, he fails to kill any but they are all left vulnerable to the oncoming wave of monsters! The Mattock Captain stands against a Troll but has no chance as a vicious swing of the club comes down on him and flattens him instantly with 4 wounds. Dain manages to kill two orcs on his charge. 

A metallic thundering announces the arrival of the Iron Hills chariot (which had almost nothing to do with Sam forgetting to put it on the table and everything to do with narrative!) It hits the frontline and kills 3 orcs quickly but the beasts of Gundabad rush towards it!

On Good's right flank, Thranduil is trapped against a rock after losing a heroic move off and surrounded on his elk. 

A rock flies over the battle and comes crashing down with a sickening crunch! Bombur has been hit directly and stood no chance, he is killed instantly. Nori and Gloin are knocked to the floor by shrapnel but the company must push on!

Dain calls a heroic combat against two orc spears but loses the fight and is horrified as his boar is skewered! The raging dwarf lands perfectly however, and prepares to defend himself, calling out 'WHERE IS THORIN??'

Thranduil is cornered by the horrors of Gundabad and calls a heroic strike. He wins the fight using his last might point but then to the dismay of good fails to score a single wound to finish the wounded Ogre. Beside him, a Mirkwood captain and two elves face a troll. But despite their valour, the troll rolls a 6 and brings his club crashing down onto the captain, as he did the dwarf earlier, then sweeps it back taking out both of the elven warriors too.

The chariot fires a bolt and wounds an Ogre, but is then beaten in combat by two orcs, who score a wound upon it! The next turn, the surviving Iron Hills captain calls a heroic move with his last might point and the chariot hurtles forward, instantly slaying the wounded ogre, three orcs and causing two wounds upon the nearby scythe troll! The beasts of Gundabad pounce upon it as it comes to a halt!

The company spreads out to assist their allies.

Both Thorin and Azog close in on the frontlines. Thranduil is surrounded again and rolls poorly, his elves can only watch as he is beaten senseless by the monsters and taken out of the battle with 8 wounds. Dain fluffs a second heroic combat on the trot with 2s against the same two orc spears. A scythe troll slices the second Mirkwood captain in two and things are going poorly for the forces of good!

Another rock is sent flying over heads by the catapult, it soars and comes crashing down. Missing it's intended target of Gloin, it instead hits an orc...in combat with the chariot. The orc is vaporised and the Chariot shattered. Shrapnel from the war machine shatters and kills the clubbing troll beside it as well as a dwarf nearby! Suddenly, a large hole has appeared in the battle.

Beside this, the Iron Hills Captain takes heart and with his two comrades, they land two wounds on the Troll Brute! While Dain kills three orcs, at last finding his footing again! The Dwarves are holding on.

A troll hurls an elf, who hits several of the company (Balin, Kili, Ori) and wounds Balin! An elf and dwarf beside this work together and manage to bring an Ogre down to its last wound.

On Good's left flank, a handful of elves and dwarves tie up a battalion of orcs and two captains. Gloin and Nori arrive to assist.

In the centre, Thorin charges the heavily wounded Ogre and Dain sees his arrival, letting out the call 'TO THE KING!' The Dwarves rally and push back, the Champions of Erebor get into fights where they can reach! At this moment, Azog rushes in from behind and charges Thorin, calling a heroic challenge...The King Under the Mountain accepts and calls a strike...

Nori and Gloin reach the Southern fighting, Nori immediately slays a Captain and Gloin kills two orcs!

At this time a loud warhorn announces the arrival of the second Gundabad army, led by Bolg! 

Fili calls a heroic combat and fails attempting to get to Dain and help him. The Lord of the Iron Hills loses to an Ogre and takes two wounds. Bifur, Balin, Kili and Oin attack a scythe troll and prepare to cut it down. But War Bats then descend upon them and suddenly Bifur is left alone against the beast, which cuts him to pieces! The second member of the company falls! The elf/dwarf duo once again face the wounded Ogre and manage to slay the beast! 

Thorin gets up to fight 9 then with a loud warcry and quick dodge of the stone flail, manages to land two wounds upon Azog! The Iron Hills Captain is finally felled after a long and heroic stand by the Troll Brute.

Dain is thoroughly exhausted and still stuck on the frontline with monsters everywhere. He faces down the Troll Brute and a scythe Troll but simply can't match up to their brute force. He is cruelly sliced and then crushed with no chance of a victory. The Lord of the Iron Hills is dead.

On the right flank, Balin manages to batter a War bat to death with his mace! But Oin is left alone against the Troll as no one is able to assist him. Like Bifur before him, he is cut to pieces and slain!

Dori inspires those around him as he charges the frontline and manages to club an Ogre to death!

Hope is rekindled for Good as Thorin faces down Azog again. They both strike and while Azog gets to fight 9, Thorin reaches 10! Thorin scores his 6 using a might point and rushes forward, too close for the flail to help and stabs his dwarven sword through Azog's neck (rolled a 1 on fate). The leader of the Legion falls and Thorin regains 1 might from the challenge! But Bolg's forces are closing in!

A loud shriek is heard as the Eagles arrive! Radagast attempts to immobilise Bolg, but the orc manages to resist. Beorn drops from his Eagle and charges into the nearest orcs with fury! He calls a heroic combat in an attempt to chase after Bolg. He manages to score wounds on both of the berserkers but one passes it's fury roll and survives.

The Catapult fires and scores a hit on an eagle, killing it instantly!

Dwalin calls a heroic combat and slays a War Bat, using it to charge on into the Troll Brute. Using his two axes, he manages to hack at the beasts leg, dropping it to the floor and then finish it off!

Fili desperately fights on the frontline over the body of Dain, but the scythe troll before him is too strong and cuts him down too! Bofur nearby manages to slay another War Bat.

Balin finds himself in the same position as several of his fellow company members before the scythe troll. He makes a valiant effort, rolling a 6, but the troll matches it. Balin proudly joins his fellow dwarves as he is caught by the scythes and slain. Thorin faces many enemies (a Troll, a captain and a berserker). He shows his leadership and overcomes them all, dealing a wound upon the troll.

The forces of Good are reduced to 25%, ending the game.

But the fighting isn't over! Thorin rushes into the open against Bolg! This time it appears that he has bitten off more than he can chew, as Bolg knocks him flying with his warpick! He gets to his feet and charges again but his sword is slammed from his grip and before he can roll aside, it slams into him. The King under the Mountain falls.

Next up, Beorn rushes through the orcs and hits Bolg like a freight train, he bites and scratches dealing two wounds. But Bolg jabs his pick into the Bear's ribs causing two wounds in response. Regaining his feet, he swings the pick down and breaks the skull of the bear. Dwalin and Kili run in next, Kili is quickly smashed by the pick with barely any fight. Dwalin manages to stand up to his foe better but even the mighty dwarf can't defeat this foe and he too is slain!

It is Gloin, son of Groin, who charges barging a berserker aside and leaping off the body of a fallen orc brings his axe down hard, cleaving through Bolg's shoulder and finally slaying the last of the Gundabad leaders! The evil army is shattered and flees but at a terrible cost!

Results

Good- 5 in the centre, Thorin was alive at the end and Azog was slain.

Evil- 14 in the centre, Thranduil was stopped and the good forces were quartered first.

NARROW EVIL VICTORY

Hope you enjoyed! We are thinking of doing the Battle of Dale soon to cover the second side of the battle!