Last year, I had the idea to keep note of all the unfortunate moments I had that were just ludicrous/hilarious/incredibly bad timing. The best one last year being when Grimbeorn charged the Balrog, had his two assisting elves removed with a well place throwing knife, and then lost the fight and was torn apart with 4 wounds, before failing enough of his fate. All in the first combat of the game.
And it seemed people enjoyed my suffering, so I did the same again this year, hope you enjoy my misfortune and, some of others too.
Please note that the rankings are not necessarily by odds, but how dramatic/funny/out of the blue, I feel them to be.
10. Seven Stones (Vs. The Farbrothers (May))
Scenario: Lords of Battle
Radagast the Brown was in my crosshairs the entire game, and was relentlessly pursued and charged most turns by Elladan, a High Elf Captain and several elves. Despite this, Radagast insisted on winning most of the fights and only lost his sleigh in the penultimate turn, meaning that he survived the game. Not only that, but also Sebastian had personally slain 3 elves.
9. Practice game (Vs. Ash (Jan))
Scenario: Retrieval
The Witch King charges a lone High Elf warrior. To everyone’s mild surprise, the elf wins and kills WK’s horse. Annoying, but not the worst odds ever.
What was unexpected, however, was when WK rolled a 1 for his thrown rider roll, then took a wound from the fall and ended up burning all his fate to avoid death!
8. Siege of Edoras Megagame (Vs. James/Jon/Will (Dec))
Gorulf is first upon the walls, as I had wished for the drama. He heroically cuts down a couple of defenders and allows some of his friends up.
Then he takes a throwing spear, the next turn he takes another, but saves it with his fate. In the combat against a Royal Guard, I had a banner to assist him with a reroll so went for a piercing strike. To my horror, he managed a 3 high with his reroll included, while his opponent scored a 4. I did however, breathe a sigh of relief when James rolled a 4 to wound…until I remembered my piercing strike. Naturally, this is when my 6 appeared, bringing him to D2 and meaning that he was very much dead.
7. 7th City Grand Prix (Vs. Carl (Feb))
Scenario: Retrieval
Carl’s Breaking of the Fellowship LL has rightfully holed up on their objective to allow me to break my army against them in the effort to get it and win.
Unexpectedly, things went well and I pushed them apart fairly quickly and took away a lot of might. Suddenly, in the dominant position, I had my Witch King charge Aragorn while mounted, immobilise and surround him with 3 orcs assisting.
I called my Heroic Strike and won the fight, I then announced that I would be using my Morgul Blade and had a lot of confidence that Aragorn (being D6) was, to put it scientifically, buggered. I rolled my 6 dice for the orcs first, trying to take away some fate. But they got a 3 highest.
Ok, it happens, guess the Witch King will take his swing with his 8 dice…only to also get a 3 highest also…Aragorn had escaped the toothless jaws of death.
6. Desolation of Stowmarket (Vs. Ryan (April))
Scenario: Divide and Conquer
After a few lucky turns and some careful setup, I had Hurin down to 1w, 0f. Boromir was being his usual dangerous self, when I managed to surround them both with goblins and get my Cave Drake to charge a lone Minas Tirith warrior, ready to hurl through both, dismounting them and potentially killing Hurin, if I was lucky.
Sadly, I wasn’t lucky and Hurin survived, not because the Str 3 hits failed to wound him, but because they never happened. That warrior triumphed over the Drake, despite her charge bonus and might point. I didn’t get another chance to line that hurl up as perfectly.
5. Throne of Skulls (Vs. Tom (Nov))
Scenario: Clash by Moonlight
My Dunlendings braved the hailstorm of arrows from Dale and launched themselves into a headstrong charge. After a few turns, amongst this fight, Gorulf and my Chieftain managed to get 2v1 against Bard II. I went for the Heroic Strike and hoped to win with my larger amount of dice and potentially one shot him.
Bard obviously called a counter Strike, we both went to F8, we both rolled a 6 and Tom won the roll off, nevermind.
Thing is that Bard then proceeded to kill both heroes…and even though I killed Brand myself in the same turn, the advantage helped Tom to claim the victory…rats!
4. Practice game (Vs. Will (Sept))
Scenario: The Imp’s Curse (Unique scenario for Lord of the Imps, that deploys both leaders in each others board half in the centre. VPs were essentially for killing the leader, the lieutenant (leader of the secondary force) and breaking.
Turn 1, Prince Imrahil under Wills control decided not to fight the Balrog and ran backwards to hit my army at full force. Will is shocked when the Balrog manages to pull him back with his whip, through 4 in the ways and out of combat.
Imrahil calls a Heroic Defence, but then shocks us all. When he not only wins, but successfully wounds the Balrog on a 6/4. He then seized the chance and pulled away for the rest of the game. I ended up in a dominant position, killing his Lieutenant Boromir and breaking him, while broken myself. The Gondorians completely on the backfoot and retreating. However that one wound caused, ended up getting me a draw!
3. The Fog of War (Tom vs. Will (Jan))
Custom scenario
This one was ridiculous, I wasn’t even playing as I was the TO. However, as I wandered and watched various games, I got to the game between Tom, who notoriously hates elves, against Will, and his Rangers of Mirkwood LL.
Tom had got King Thorin into a fight with 3 rangers and offered me to roll the combat for him. I took the 3 dice and promptly gave him a triple 1. I quickly took one back reminding that Thorin is a banner to himself, and got another 1. Thorin lost his goat.
These were my first rolls of the new year.
2. Escalation of the East (Vs. Tom (Feb))
Scenario: To the Death (I think)
My elves are engaged in a tough battle against the Iron Hills, when I spot an opportunity. Thranduil could call a Heroic Combat with his warriors and trap Dain Ironfoot, who is out of might and held down by Tauriel. This comes off successfully and Tom is nervous as Thranduil has a might point still, as well as Tauriel and 3 warriors fighting against him for a total of 10 attacks with F7 from their king. When they win, Thranduil and Tauriel will have 14 strikes between them needing 6s and the warriors will have another 6 needing 5/3 due to their army bonus and Thranduil's proximity. Essentially, he may not die, but he's gonna take a good hiding.
The small issue was that it wasn't 'when' but actually 'if'. As Dain rolled a 6 with his attacks, and I got a 5 highest. Ok well I have a might point, so no problem right? Well good ol' Thranders rolled a 4...hmm.
Suddenly, I was the one taking the beating as Dain smacked 3 wounds on our king, who promptly failed 2 fate, going to 1w, 0f.
Special mentions
These are for the astounding moments that I witnessed, but were not my own misfortune. As I simply couldn't not mention them.
3. A Time of Heroes (Me Vs. Rob (Aug))
Scenario: Clash by Moonlight
Rob was using Lothlorien and I had Champions of Erebor. Knowing that I was in for a tough match against dangerous bows made more potent, I simply ran using terrain towards them. I called Heroic Combats to close the gap and launched Gloin forward towards Haldir as his friends dealt with some elves.
Gloin was isolated and surrounded the following turn by Haldir and several elves. We both called Heroic Strike and somehow, Gloin won the roll off and one shotted Haldir, before cutting down the only Galadhrim knight with his 3rd blow. Rob was left gobsmacked.
2. Siege of Edoras Megagame (Me/CJ/Josh Vs. James/Will/Jon (Dec))
Custom Scenario
The game was in it's dying embers as time was running out. Good wanted to attempt to retake their walls as it was one of the objectives.
With this in mind, James had a Rohan archer in a watchtower. Earlier in the game, I had got a Dunlending to leap from the wall to the watchtower ladder, and later Legolas had leapt from another onto the wall.
Emboldened by this, James' teammates pushed him to take the leap of faith 'For the team!' James went with it, although clearly not certain. The man of Rohan ran and leapt, he flew through the air and his foot caught the edge of the wall...before slipping and smashing his face into the floor. The stunned man fell over the edge and plummeted to his doom.
Evil claimed the walls.
1. The End of All Things (Jonny Vs James (Nov))
Scenario: Assassination
This one was incredible, and I was so tempted to make it number 1, despite not being mine.
I was TOing and so just milling around and watching games. As I sat and watched their game, Haldir ended up isolated and had Madril, along with several warriors surround him. Unsurpisingly, Haldir failed to roll his 6 on two dice and lost the fight. As the strikes were made, Madril got the killing blow.
Haldir had been Jonny's assassin target and Madril had been his assassin. And since either force only had two heroes, a leader and another, then excellent! Great success, Jonny has clearly won, having claimed the 7VP swing.
However, this is where the water gets muddied again, as Haldir fell. His special rule came into play and he swung his blade up, and killed Madril... So James ALSO gets the 7VPs for his assassin killing his target, as they both just killed each other! I can't think of any other way that's possible, without Haldir.
Sadly, for James, Jonny had claimed the other VPs available to win 12-7, but still...
My Best of the Year- Lord of the Imps (Vs. Seraj (Sept)
Scenario: Seize the Imp (Seize the Prize with a few small changes)
My Balrog-led Moria force is up against the Fellowship. They have taken the Imp (the prize) and I am pushing hard to keep them back. The Balrog has a turn of being pummelled by 4 heroes and takes 4 wounds, nothing too unexpected.
The next turn, I decide to not charge with the Balrog, which means that they can't pile him. So instead, they pick on goblins. My goblin archers spy Legolas behind the Balrog and a handful shoot, they naturally hit the Balrog and 1 rolls the 6/6 to wound!
Later on, Frodo is before the Balrog and fails his Ring roll. He runs up to the Balrog and gets charged. It's time for some vengeance....but then the Hobbit overcomes the fiery demon and wins the combat in a one on one. The next turn, the Balrog had to let goblins deal with him, for the shame was too unbearable. It hadn't been a good day for him, wounded by friendly archers and losing a combat to a passive Halfling!
Hope you all enjoyed this little list, I’ll repeat it next year and might also include my most fortunate moments since I actually had some this year!
Merry Christmas all!
No comments:
Post a Comment