The Tournament
This was an 80pt GBHL event of Good vs Evil teams, using 600pt armies and the regional rules at the back of the Match Play Guide.
My Army
I decided to continue the trend of my Moria use and although I love me a Cave Troll, couldn't fit him and the Drake in together.
Durburz (Leader)
Goblin Prowlers x5
Moria Goblins x9 w/ 2x Shield and 7x Spear
Groblog
Moria Goblins x12 w/ 6x Shield and 6x Spear
Moria Goblin Captain w/ Shield
Batswarm
Moria Goblins x8 w/ 4x Shield and 4x Spear
Moria Goblin Shaman
Moria Goblins x6 w/ 3x Shield and 3x Spear
Cave Drake
Might: 10
Numbers: 46
Game 1- Breakthrough (Rivendell/Lothlorien (Jonathan))
Opponent's Heroes: Glorfindel (L), Gildor and Haldir
Opponent's Warriors: Wood elves and Noldorin Exiles
Region: Rohan
Bonus: All Heroes gain 'Horse Lord'.
This was going to be a great opening game, as I’ve played Jon before and he’s always been a joy. I was worried about Glorfindel, but decided that, if need be, I can slow him down with Groblog calling a Heroic Defence for a few turns. If possible, I could slip the bats in too and try my luck on him.
We deployed and ended up with the bulk of my force to the right of the tower, covering the centre and right objective. While Durburz and the Drake’s warbands were to the left of it covering the other side. Jon put Gildor and his wood elves to my left, Haldir’s unit to my right and Glorfindel in the middle.
He got the first priority, which suited me. He threw an elf at the Cave Drake, to keep it from advancing. Glorfindel charged into the Durburz’s unit from the other side. Haldir’s unit pulled back towards the alley, preparing to shoot. I attempted to throw the bats upon Glorfindel, but they failed their courage test. So I kept the spear support behind the goblin and advanced the rest of the warband towards the wood elves. The rest of the army split, with Groblog and a small unit peeling behind Glorfindel and the rest pushing towards Haldir.
The shooting killed a good pile of Goblins with their elven bows and throwing knives. But in the combat, Moria got off to an obnoxiously good start.
The Drake called a Heroic Combat and killed the elf, charging into the wood elf on their line’s flank, hurling him down it. Killing 5 more of them, flooring their banner and Gildor! This wasn’t unexpected with what I had planned, what was unexpected, was Glorfindel losing his combat and Asfaloth, through all 3 of his fate!
Tasting blood, Groblog called a Heroic Move to pin the Elven Lord and Gildor with his warriors. Gildor got the move off though and attempted a counter attack. An elf was thrown to hold the Drake back as the rest held the line to prevent a pincer. Durburz was blocked from joining the fight by his fellow goblins, so I kept him back, ready to pounce on Glorfindel, when the chance arose. The bats failed to charge him again, so I threw Groblog upon him and called a Defence. The Captain led the rest of the goblins into a frontal assault on the Lothlorien lines.
The elves hit back and killed some more goblins, but the Defence convinced Glorfindel to target the warriors. Another couple of wood elves fell along with a small number of Galadhrim.
A war of attrition began on both fronts but the goblins had the upper hand on the left, forcing Gildor and his banner to pull back. He took a wound from a throwing dagger however. The bats finally charged Glorfindel, allowing Durburz to launch his attack along with Groblog and his goblins. The elf fell to the overwhelming attack and Durburz sent his goblins up towards the elven objective. The Drake sat on the left, two goblins remained on the right and the bats flew back to the rear one.
Up at the front, the captain led the goblins in their attack on the Galadhrim. Haldir leapt from the wall and joined the fray, slaying the Captain. The wood elf sentinel also fell the the blades of Moria and Gildor, despite a heroic effort (not losing a single fight all game), fell to another throwing knife. His banner also killed just after.
The game ended with me owning my objective, the two centreline ones and outnumbering the elves on their own. I had also slain his leader and broken him, giving me a 10-0 Major victory.
Game 2- Domination (Khazad Dum (Stuart))
Opponent's Heroes: Durin (L) and King's Champion
Opponent's Warriors: Hearthguard, Iron Guard, Dwarf Warriors and Dwarf Rangers
Region: Rhovanion
Bonus: All failed courage tests for breaking, must be rerolled
Previous round bonus: None (Teams drew)
I hadn’t played against Stuart since before lockdown so had high expectations for this. Last time we had played, I was mobbed by a tsunami of hobbits. This time, he had a smaller more elite force of heavily armoured of dwarves.
With the numerical advantage, I deployed across the centre with the intention to push them back and wrap around the rear to kill off a flank and continue folding around until dominating the board. I deployed Durburz’s unit to the far left with this task, with the shaman and Captain on the wooden structure to hold the centre. And Groblog alongside the Drake to the right. Stuart had placed Durin opposite my centre and the Champion across from Groblog.
Stuart began well, as he destroyed many in Groblog’s unit with the Hearthguard. The Drake killed two Iron Guard on the charge and Durburz began his flanking move. In the second turn, the Champion charged into the Drake and Durin got onto Groblog. I called a Heroic Defence with Groblog, but Durburz managed to climb over some crates on a 6 and charge a warrior with the bats. He then called a Heroic Combat, allowing the bats the fly over the battle and pull the Champion off of the Drake. The champion then heavily wounded the bats and a warrior finished it off the next turn.
Groblog quickly fell to the King as I couldn’t get help to him quickly enough, after losing roll offs for Heroic Moves. But Groblog and Durburz both kept up the momentum, killing many dwarves on my left flank. A big red flag came up, when the Drake lost its roll off to the King’s Champion and was destroyed in two turns of combat. Opening up my right flank to the Iron Guard. Stuart then ran a couple of warriors through the gap to my rear objective. I realised, too late, that I couldn’t depend on them fleeing due to the region’s bonus.
Durburz pushed round the back and, with a prowler, managed to seize the dwarven objective by killing the Ranger stood on it. However, a lone Iron Guard climbed the wooden structure and slew the goblins holding it for me. Eventually, time was called with many dead on either side.
Stuart held the central objective, the left one and my one. While I held both in their half and we had broken one another, giving Stuart a 7-5 Minor victory! Sooo close!
Game 3- Divide and Conquer (Minas Tirith (Ryan))
Opponent's Heroes: Boromir, Captain of the White Tower (L) and Hurin
Opponent's Warriors: Fountain Court Guard, Rangers of Gondor, Knights of Minas Tirith and Minas Tirith Warriors
Region: Gondor
Bonus: All models gain +1 courage
Previous round bonus: (Good) Leaders gain 'Fearless' rule
Ryan was a brand new opponent for me, Boromir was a concern with his infamous banner and I would have to make sure that I slew Hurin too, if I want to make it count.
He was forced to deploy his heroes in opposite corners, while I put Groblog and Durburz together in one corner and the Captain, Shaman and Drake in the other. Figuring that that was the best way to not have a ‘weak side’.
I moved the two Kings towards the centre, using the buildings to shield myself from a hard cavalry charge from Gondor as Hurin rushed through the centre to link with Boromir. Who had sent a small group of 10 men around to head for the centre. Due to this, I kept most of the Captain and Shaman’s warbands on the central and western objectives, away from the battle about to start in the East. The Shaman threw up a fury to keep the goblins there in line. The Drake gave a slow chase on Hurin but was munching her way through the sacrifices put before her.
The fight began as Boromir threw his men forward and galloped in himself. The Knights charged my right flank and Hurin joined in the centre, losing a fight to two goblins and taking 2 wounds, using a fate to save himself.
The men began to get the upper hand, hacking their way through the lightly armed goblins, but eventually the Knights fell and allowed Groblog to pincer a flank. It was at this time, the Drake arrived and charged a lone man to the rear. She had the perfect hurl lined up, that would hit both Boromir and Hurin. She naturally lost the fight…
Luckily for me, I won the next Heroic Move off and this time lined up the hurl and got it off. Boromir was dismounted and two warriors were killed, but so was Hurin! This evened the balance out and I was able to hold them back and just edge ownership of the Eastern objective.
As the game neared its end, the small warband assaulted the centre that I held. I had sent my captain back, and with one short intense turn of combat, to decide who took the centre, we just held it!
By the end, I held the western objective and outnumbered on the centre and the eastern ones. We had broken each other and I had scored a 6-1 Major victory.
Game 4- Assassination (Rangers of Mirkwood LL (Adam))
Opponent's Heroes: Legolas (L) and Tauriel
Opponent's Warriors: Wood Elf Sentinels and Mirkwood Rangers
Region: Mordor
Bonus: The Eye of Sauron is moved up to 6" by the player with priority. Good models within 3" get -1 courage. Evil models reroll 1s to wound, when making strikes.
Previous round bonus: None (Teams drew)
Going into this round, to our horror, the only non drawn round, had landed in favour of good! Meaning the black land itself was in danger and evil needed to fight back to save face for the Dark Lord! I was placed against Adam for this round, another new opponent, who I recognised from previous tournaments, but had not played as yet. I chose to use the Drake as my assassin, figuring that she would be the best chance to nuke Tauriel, who would be my automatic target.
I placed the goblins in a large mass with the captain placed roughly in the middle, to allow him to call marches and get the army forward quickly, as the elves had (understandably) deployed in some woodland. I kept the Drake round the flank, as I was worried that she may get pinned in place and unable to move.
We advanced under heavy fire, losing about 10-15 goblins on the approach. But then the lines hit! And they hit hard! Taking care not to outnumber the elves in combat, unless via spear support, the numbers against them caused many elves to be slain quickly. The Drake rushed into a small group on the flank and trampled most of them in a Heroic Combat lunging forward with the she-elf now in sight. Unfortunately, I won the follow up priority, meaning that I couldn’t risk charging in and so pulled back to finish off the elves separated from friends. Tauriel turned to join the main battle.
The elves had a turn of pushback, where they killed many goblins and pushed Moria to breaking point. But I had wheeled my Drake around the tent, back within range of her nest and prepared to strike on Tauriel, who was out of might. Legolas was beset by Durburz, who time and time again won the fight, but the wounds were all saved by fate. Groblog attacked for the final turn but lost and narrowly avoided taking damage himself! The Drake rushed into Tauriel and both got the 6, Tauriel with her last dice, and she won the roll off! If she had lost it, she most likely would have died and got me the 7VPs.
Instead, the only VPs awarded were for breaking, as we did to one another. He failed to wound his target, Groblog, *Gulp*. So we had a 1-1 draw!
So after all was said and done, I had finished the tournament with 2 Major wins, a draw and a Minor loss. This left me in 6th place out of 30 players, which I was ecstatic about. Arguably, my best GBHL performance to date!
Winning team: Good *Angry goblin noises*
We will be back to avenge this injury!
Tournaments that I will attend
Seven Stones (Oh yes!) 2x400pt doubles- 28/29th May
Republic of the Shire 500pt- 10th June
The Wolf’s Lair 750pt- 12/13th August
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