Last year, we decided to end the year with a big blowout battle with multiple players, when we did the Siege of Edoras. Annoyingly, with the coming release of War of the Rohirrim, that could have been a great theme for this year. Instead, we discussed and decided that it would be a lot of fun an dramatic to search for the largest battle in 'Rise of Angmar', settling on the Battle of Fornost.
We then decided that to make it larger and better, we should scale it up. So we added extra points to both sides to keep it even, including some additional heroes, that could have been there, and eventually had our participants looking like this.
Earnur
Minas Tirith Captain
Glorfindel
Erestor
Cirdan
Aranarth
Knights of Minas Tirith x9
Warriors of Minas Tirith x43 (1 Banner, 14 Shield, 14 Spear/Shield, 14 Bow)
High Elf Warriors x43 (1 Banner, 14 Spear/Shield, 14 Elf Bow)
Rangers of the North x11 (2 Spears? I have lost track of how many we used in the end)
Dunedain x3 (1 Spear)
Rangers of Arnor x12 (4 Spear)
Hobbit Archers x8
The Witch King
The Tainted
The Dwimmerlaik
The Shadow of Rhudaur
Nazthak
Aldrac
Fraecht
Shade
Barrow Wight
Wild Warg Chief
Angmar Orc Captain (Shield)
Angmar Orc Warriors x84 (2 Banner, 26 Shield, 28 Spear, 14 2h, 14 Bow) (Some bows proxied by Orc Trackers)
Carn Dum Warriors x12
Wild Wargs x12
Dead Marsh Spectres x6
Werewolves x2 (Proxied by Mounted Azog and White Warg)
Hill Trolls x2
Over 260 models in play!
We split the forces amongst our 6 players; Minas Tirith (Josh), Rivendell (Will), the Rangers (James), the Orcs (Tom/Vince) and the Men of Carn Dum/Wargs (Myself).
The one and only objective in this game is to completely destroy your foes! Please note that tactics and efficiency was taking a backseat to the rule of cool and creating a spectacle, so there may be some questionable tactical choices made.
The Battle
Turn 1- Evil Priority
The Rangers and their Halfling allies under Aranarth
The High Elves led by Glorfindel and Cirdan
Earnur with his Gondorian army
The Host of the Witch King garrisoning the Fortress
The layout of the battlefield
The horns are blown signalling the evil army to attack. The Orcs pour forward en masse towards the elves, while the men of Carn Dum, with the Dwimmerlaik and Orc bows, hurry towards the Rangers, under a Heroic March from Fraecht.
In the shoot phase, both sides fire their bows. The elves are unaffected but kill 4 orcs in return, while on the other flank, a Ranger of the North loses his fate as a man of Carn Dum is struck and killed.
Aranarth gives the order to fire
Turn 2- Evil Priority
Evil rushes forward as an elf is fell lighted into their malicious jaws. Erestor, not happy to leave a fellow elf to die, leaps in to fight beside them. The first wargs manage to get at the rangers and reduce the bowfire on their allies marginally.
The evil hordes swarm towards the elves
The smaller force rushes towards the remnants of Arnor
In the shoot phase, evil hits back. Tom, who is renowned for having 'a bit of a thing against elves' cackles maniacally as he shoots dead an elf! Although he is less pleased when a hill troll takes a wound from a Gondorian bow. Meanwhile, the Hobbit archers, who I have vowed to exterminate, show their valour and roll triple 6, killing three wargs!
James proudly shows off his three 6s *Cough* Markofthedevil! #Arewethebaddies?
In the combats, the wargs are easily slain by the superior Rangers. While Tom manages to kill his first elf in combat, and while dizzy with the excitement, beat Erestor too! Although he failed to wound him.
Tom's dream of violence against elves is granted.
Turn 3- Evil Priority
Winning yet another priority, evil puts as much force as they can into an all out attack. The Shade throws up Swirling Mists to protect against Gondorian bowfire. Tom sends his orcs screaming into the elves as Vince starts to get into a position to help. The Tainted casts Black Dart at Earnur and lands a wound that he tanks.
Meanwhile, the Carn Dum men finally get to fight on their terms! They rush into the Rangers screaming bloody murder. In the thick of it, Aldrac gets ahold of Aranarth!
The dishonourable evil Ringwraith wounds the King of Gondor
The vengeful men of Carn Dum attack the Rangers
This turn, the combat kicks off. Glorfindel kills two orcs, while Erestor spends might to kill another two. Earnur, not wanting to let his allies fight alone, calls a Heroic Combat and uses it to charge a Hill Troll alone. Using another might, he drives the tip of his lance through the beast and takes it down! The other Hill Troll, clearly enraged by the loss of his kin, picks up an elf and throws him, killing 3! Vince and Tom are squealing with delight at causing such misery for elf-kind.
Finally, the Warg Chief hits combat and rips apart a Rangers of the North and Ranger of Arnor. While Aldrac and Aranarth both thrown down, both called Heroic Strike and reach F10. Aranarth triumphs, but fails to land a telling blow! Around them, the Rangers brace and absorb the charge, killing several men, but a Hobbit is brought down by a warg.
The Elf/Orc front becomes chaos...
...with the Witch King attempting to manage it from the back.
King Earnur brings the first big spectacle of the game, slaying a Hill Troll, single handedly!
The surviving Hill Troll makes his displeasure known with a devastating hurl
Turn 4- Good Priority
Good finally claims a priority! Fraecht calls a Heroic Move for Carn Dum and casts his Endurance ability. The men slam into the Rangers again and Aranarth is assaulted by Aldrac a second time. The Dwimmerlaik transfixes the spear support behind Aranarth.
Glorfindel leads the counter attack against the orcs on the opposite side, but evil sees a chance and throws Nazthak forward. The Barrow Wight then Paralyses the elven banner bearer. Nazthak calls a Heroic Combat and slays the elf he faces, taking his shield. Then rushes forward and attacks the elven banner, which he also kills and steals! Tom is dancing with joy at this point, and not even Glorfindel also calling a Heroic Combat and slaying five orcs with it, can bring him down. Warriors fall on both sides in the fights around them and Earnur runs down two orcs, while the Troll hurls another elf to his death.
In the other fight, yet more men of Carn Dum are killed by the more experienced Rangers, but the Warg Chief (now affectionately known as 'King Dog'), kills another two Rangers. Things take a sudden turn when Aldrac lets out a bone chilling battlecry and splits Aranarth's head in two, causing two wounds with a might point, getting through one fate and Mighty Blow doing the rest.
Nazthak's greedy piggy eyes spot an opportunity...
...and he snatches it, figuratively and literally
The Gondorian cavalry hits, but is largely ineffective and several are killed
Turn 5- Evil Priority
A Ranger of the North, Glorfindel and the Shadow of Rhudaur call Heroic Moves, and the Shadow claims it. Tom and Vince hurl their orcs forward, encouraged by Nazthak's success. The surviving Gondorian cavalry are encircled and the Tainted spitefully Black Darts Earnur's horse. The army of Minas Tirith joins the battle on evil's flank.
The Rangers, now with a burning desire for revenge, bodily slam into Carn Dum and the wargs, with the latter being surrounded by Hobbits.
In the combat phase, multiple Heroic Combats are called; by Glorfindel, Aldrac (Free due to previous kill) and the Orc Captain. Glorfindel slays his two orcs and then another two afterwards. The Captain loses to the elf and has Tom spitting feathers. Aldrac swings his mace wildly, the bloodlust from his vital kill inspiring him, but misses (rolling 3 high) and finds the Ranger spears embedded in his chest. He falls, confused over what had just happened. Beside him, the shockwaves take effect as more men fall and both Fraecht and the Dog King are wounded.
Nazthak clinging onto his prizes, shields for dear life as the elves close around him and survives the onslaught.
The Rangers launch a savage counter attack
In which, Aldrac is slain
Erestor ends up deeper behind enemy lines as the orcs push forward
The Troll and Glorfindel continue to maul one anothers lines
Turn 6- Good Priority
With the fall of Aldrac, the men of Carn Dum are...well...doomed. The Rangers overwhelm their survivors and while King Dog is able to repel his attackers and rip apart another, Fraecht is cut down by their swords, along with many others.
A Heroic Move for evil on the other side allows the Shadow of Rhudaur to cast Curse upon Erestor, and rolling a 6, it becomes channelled. Erestor is left fateless, and is then transfixed by the Witch King and charged. In the combat phase, Erestor manages to repel the assault, to Tom's dismay and to compound his upset, his Orc Captain falls to the blades of the elves.
The writing is on the wall for the men of Carn Dum and their canine allies
Erestor shrugs off the magical bombardment and fights off the enemy General
Turn 7- Evil Priority
Things heat up in the middle as Vince and Josh's lines truly clash. With Earnur off to one side, holding his own on foot. The Witch King again engages Erestor, who is now out of Might, Will and Fate. Nazthak is still behind enemy lines desperately holding his own with the elven banner and shield. While the few survivors of Carn Dum throw themselves back at the Rangers.
As the fighting breaks out, several are slain on either side, including almost all the remaining Gondorian cavalry. King Dog is finally overrun and speared to death by the Rangers. But the Witch King makes up for this as he finally runs down Erestor, much to Tom's delight.
Earnur's army locks horns with the central orcs
The King refuses to back down
King Dog, the last hope for evil's right flank, falls
The bloodshed between Will and Tom shows no signs of abating
When Tom lands a telling blow, slaying Erestor
Glorfindel and the Troll have almost cleared out their area of troops
Turn 8- Good Priority
The Witch King and Tainted both call Heroic Moves to push the advantage. The Tainted rushes at Glorfindel to try and score a wound via Miasmatic Presence. The troll rushes some of the few remaining elves and the Witch King barrels into elves. The Shadow of Rhudaur Curses Glorfindel removing a fate. A werewolf charges the Captain of Minas Tirith and the surviving Rangers and Hobbits start to spill past the remaining evil to assist their allies.
A slew of chaos ensues as the Witch King slays two elves, the Minas Tirith Captain is dragged down and killed by a werewolf, the Troll barges into Glorfindel as Vince gets grand ideas of heroism and instead is one shotted by him, and the turn ends with Nazthak finally being cut to ribbons by the elves. Tom is dismayed.
The Rangers declare victory and move on
The Witch King, high on his victory leads the charge and slays two more elves
The brave Captain of Minas Tirith is brutally killed by the werewolf
The Troll makes an ill advised attempt of Glorfindel's life
The battlefield in Turn 8
Turn 9- Evil Priority
Claiming yet another priority, evil goes all out. The Tainted goes for another attempt at Miasmatic Presence on Glorfindel, casting a Black Dart at Asfaloth as he went in, and sacrificing the Shade to cast it. He then rolls a 2 to wound and fluffs it, he then poofs away as the combat ends, having run his will dry. The Barrow Wight uses his remaining will to try paralysing Glorfindel, but is thwarted by the Fortify Spirit. The Witch King continues his furious charge running over another two elves.
By the Rangers, I use the Dwimmerlaik for pure spite, casting a Black Dart and killing a Hobbit with it. He then manages to withstand the attacks of the Rangers and surviving Gondorian cavalryman.
Glorfindel endures a blitz of Ringwraith attacks by magic and combat
The Rangers, appalled at such a petty attack on a halfling, vow to bring down the Dwimmerlaik
As the rest continue their push to their allies. A werewolf arriving and chomping another Hobbit
Turn 10- Evil Priority
Desperate to bring down the elf Lord, Tom and Vince redouble their attack upon him, launching the Shadow of Rhudaur into him. Tom throws a Black Dart at Asfaloth but fails to cast it with the Witch King. He then starts working his way towards him.
In combat, Earnur leads his men by slaying a werewolf, the one that killed his Captain. The second is slain by Rangers and Hobbits. Glorfindel lands a wound upon the Shadow and the Dwimmerlaik is finally pushed too far, runs out of will and poofs.
The elves, having held firm against the almost entire orc army, are showing cracks
Earnur leads as a true King, bringing down a monstrous beast
Turn 11- Evil Priority
The Witch King is now hellbent on taking down Glorfindel, he throws another Black Dart as Asfaloth, scoring a 6. But the elf then gets a 6 with Fortify Spirit, as Tom bites his shirt in fury! As the combats begin, Tom opts to start with two elves v two orcs and says 'Let's let this set the tone!' He promptly lost and his front orc was skewered. The Witch King disregarded that tone and killed another two elves. However, Glorfindel brought it back as he cut down the Barrow Wight.
'Let's let this set the tone...'
The Witch King spots his target
Turn 12- Evil Priority
The Witch King throws another final attempt at a Black Dart on Asfaloth, going down to his last will and Tom is screaming when Fortify Spirit foils him again! Having had enough, he charges the elven Lord wailing like a banshee and calling a Heroic Strike. Earnur calls a Heroic Combat nearby and charges some more orcs afterwards, killing 3+.
The Shadow of Rhudaur slays an elf, and being encouraged by this, the Witch King defeats Glorfindel. Tom takes a deep breathe and...fails to wound. The Witch King fades from the world screaming obscenities at Glorfindel as his will is spent.
Tom's last attack falls flat
Turn 13- Good Priority
Evils hope is all but extinguished, Glorfindel rushes the Shadow of Rhudaur and without much effort, brings down Evils last big hero. Earnur fights and slays two more orcs.
The Shadow of Rhudaur falls to the might of the West
Turn 14- Evil Priority
With the game pretty much decided and time almost up, we called the final turn. And in it, Evil almost left with a final slap across the face of Good as Glorfindel finally lost a fight and Tom almost collapsed to the floor in misery as he again failed to wound Asfaloth.
With that the game ends, it’s a resounding victory for Good as they claim the Fortress of Fornost. Evil had got them three away from breaking by the games end.
Cheers to the guys for a great game to end the year and edition on. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and I hope we can do another big game next year. Onto 2025 and the next edition!
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