Hey all
This is one blog that I always look forward to doing each year, where I write out the biggest WTF moments from my games of the year.
Bear in mind that these are ranked, not necessarily on odds alone, but sometimes also by drama and hilarity.
Merry Christmas and enjoy!
Number 10
Good- Practice Game (Jim (Sept)
In Stake a Claim, I had a rough start as Jim got to the objectives quickly and got a headstart on fortification points.
Later on, as the game was coming to an end, Jim is one away from quartering himself and ending on a win. The last goblin of the turn, is fighting two Hearthguard and a Vault Warden team. That goblin wins his fight and receives an utter bollocking from Jim for his selfishness!
The next turn, I now have enough objectives to overtake on fortification points. Until the Watcher yanks two dwarves off an objective in the shoot phase, making it uncontested and levelling the score again.
Then that same goblin from earlier is killed and receives an utter bollocking from Jim, again, for making his objective uncontested for me and ending the game as my victory!
Bad- One Book to Rule Them All (Kepa (June))
Time is coming to an end for the round, and I desperately need to break Kepa to have a chance. He is also in a tight spot, and is forced to charge Grima at Prince Haleth. Through the entire combat phase, I am one away from breaking him and just cannot get a kill. Time is called during the combat phase, and as we get to the final combat it’s almost guaranteed…except then Grima overcomes the Prince, leaving me gobsmacked, but mercifully doesn’t also wound him to rub it in.
Number 9
Good- Seven Stones (Larry and Sam (May)
Our opening game of Seven Stones, we manage to get Grima to run up the tower in the centre with the table's Palantir at it's top, and use our other 'Traitors' to protect the door.
Sam or Larry then makes the joking suggestion that they would 'allow' us to throw the Palantir at them if we wanted.
So we obviously did, Grima hurled it out the window (at Strength 10!) and crushed the skull of a Hillman against Saruman beneath!
Grima was, unfortunately, then unable to get out the tower, as the Hillmen held the door closed and the archers used him as a moving target in his little room. Until they eventually got him.
Bad- Throne of Skulls (Ossie (Nov))
We’re playing Sites of Power (a night battle) and my catapult has been firing blindly throughout, simply missing. Not an issue, as my orcs are fighting well and draining Thorin’s Company’s resources quickly!
Finally, I roll the 6! The rock sails through the air magnificently…before I'm watching it slowly veer off course…and land on Bombur, who uses a fate. When it kills five of my orcs…exposing Gothmog, much to his surprise, to four or five angry dwarves.
This causes an absolute avalanche in momentum change, as my solid line is shattered, heroes are left exposed and Gwaihir is freed to cause carnage. Quickly, this snowballs into an absolute wipeout for me.
Number 8
Good- Practice Game (Jason (Jan))
Jason is winning and needs to kill one more guy to end the game. He has three corsairs surrounding a Grim Hammer with +1 to wound for Backstabbers. He rolls his six dice, needing a single 5+, and gets a four high. In the next turn, I’m able to swing the game into a draw.
Bad- One Book to Rule Them All (Kepa (June))
Same battle as the Grima entry earlier. I got Prince Haleth and a couple of riders charging a lone Uruk for a Heroic Combat, using Haleth’s last might. This would allow me to slingshot the three into the main fight and shatter a flank to give me control, hopefully giving me a big advantage later.
I win the fight and roll my twelve strikes to wound…but get a four high…the Uruk lies confused in the mud.
Number 7
Good- EAHC Halloween Event (Darren (Oct))
In this event, there is a lot of wacky wargear options opened up to the army leaders. So my Thorin is mounted on a goat, and Bolg against him in Contest of Champions is on a chariot...
I lose the move off and the chariot slams into Thorin, but I am pleasantly surprised when the goat isn't wounded!
Less pleasantly surprised, when Thorin is wounded twice...
They both call Heroic Strikes, both go up to F9, and Thorin wins the roll off with Orcrist. None of the blows go past the chariot. I mutter 'Well if I can kill the chariot, I'll let all that go...' Thorin rolls 6, 6, 5 to wound, so spends a might and shatters the thing!
Bad- Side by Side with a…Friend..? (Fergus (Sept))
My Fellowship is against Fergus’ Harad army with a Mumak. In the opening turn, I rush onto a bridge, to give me some cover from the enemy archers, and keep safe from a trampling.
Gandalf puts up a Blinding Light and I feel pretty safe. Until the Harad upon the Mumak fire their five shots at Legolas. They get four hits and then score four wounds on him! He is left on two might, one wound and no fate immediately!
Number 6
Good- Practice Game (Ryan (Jan))
Wanting to get a few kills and maybe take the out of my heroes, Ryan calls a Heroic Combat with Aldrac against my two dwarves. He then spends a might to win the fight and another to kill. He charges Young Balin afterwards, but I succeed with my own Heroic Combat, and Young Dwalin and a dwarf trap Aldrac.
In the combat, Aldrac has F7 due to charging, so when I roll my six dice and get a four at best, my head falls into my hands…until Ryan rolls a two high, and has spent too much might to save it! Aldrac is cut to pieces.
Bad- One Book to Rule Them All (Richard (June))
My Army of Edoras is just settling into the thick of battle against the hardy Battle of Five Armies list. In the fray, Beorn picks up a Rohirrim and hurls him at the King, which was to be expected.
Less expected was Helm taking a wound from the fall from his horse, not the impact, failing all three fate on ones and then being slain by two dwarves the next turn! Setting me up for a swift defeat!
Number 5
Good- One Book to Rule Them All (James (June))
Helm Hammerhand has pushed too deep and slain the Gondorian cavalry. But now Earnur has him on the ropes with no might, two wounds and no fate, while riding at him with lance lowered. He also has the assistance of two elves and a banner in range.
In desperation, I pull out the stops. Frealaf and Hera both call Heroic Combats. Frealaf succeeds and takes the spear support off from against Hera, as he can't directly help Helm, but can make Hera's odds better. She then succeeds her own combat and charges the banner and Earnur.
Not only does she then win that fight, but she also slays the banner and dismounts the King, who takes a wound from the fall!
Bad- Ride to War (Josh (Dec))
The final game of the day, against Riders of Eomer with my Barad-Dur list. Sauron has had a good day, helping me secure a win and almost doing it again in the second game.
In this game, the backswing came in hard. And over five turns of combat, he never rolled above a four, as his orcs were destroyed in two turns. We carried on as we had plenty of time left, to see if Josh could kill Sauron. Eventually he did, but Sauron had only survived that long due to the Ring.
Number 4
Good- EAHC Not GT (Tom (March))
I have The Three Trolls, drawn against Fangorn. I feel like I’m against it, fighting tougher beasts, with larger numbers.
However, in the opening turn, the trolls put on a performance. Tom first faces Beechbone and wins to score three wounds against him! Bert then defeats Birchseed and his Oak ent, scoring two wounds on the weaker one, finishing it off the following turn! And finally, the leaders face off, with Bill winning and doing his 'Mince 'em fine' rule on Treebeard. I rolled a six to Treebeard’s one, causing four wounds on the lead ent!
I ended up losing the game anyway, but what a start that had been!
Bad- City of Kings (Alex (April))
Alex has brought an army of Troll Brutes led by Bolg. I figure that my best chance is to get a couple of early kills and snowball the damage quickly.
To achieve this, I got Princes Haleth, Hama and five warriors to surround one and call a Heroic Combat with the former’s last might. Alex rolled his dice and got a five high. So I rolled my twelve dice and banner reroll, only getting a four…
Those trolls then absolutely annihilated me with a tsunami of trampling.
Number 3
Good- The Clouds Burst (Jimmy (Nov))
Zagdush finally has a chance to show his quality...
Against Thranduil's Halls, he first rushes the frontline, and Heroic Combats through it to kill the spears behind too. The following turn he rushes and slays a wounded Legolas. Before being attacked by the elven King himself, who he holds back for several turns.
Until the troll also breaks through and holds Thranduil still to allow Zagdush to also kill him! Zagdush had personally ended the Royal line of Mirkwood!
Bad- The Clouds Burst (Ed (Nov))
Playing Treasure Hoard, my Gothmog’s Army vs Return of the King. It’s late game and I’m going for broke. Goroth is holding two treasures and attacks Legolas with three Morannon Orcs, one of which also has a treasure.
Both use their final might to call Heroic Strikes, both getting to F7. Legolas rolls a five high. So I roll, expecting a swift victory and end to the elf…but get a four…Legolas slays the treasure bearer and snatches it! The game ends there due to time and causes me to lose 10-9!
Number 2
Good- Side by Side with a…Friend (Phil (Sept))
The Fellowship has taken a right kicking from the Legions of Mordor. Legolas and Gandalf stand alone in a ruin on an objective surrounded by orcs and Easterlings.
As the game nears its end, Phil's Ringwraith on Fellbeast swoops down onto the central objective (Divide and Conquer). Legolas is in combat with Amdur and draws his bow, firing three times at the leading Wraith. One hits Amdur and wounds, the other two hit the Wraith. One of them wounds, and goes through both fate to slay him and score me leader VPs!
Phil, as one of hte loudest anti-elf voices in our local community, was not pleased. 😂
Bad- Reinforcements in the South East (Kepa (Sept))
Playing Escort the Wounded, I have decided to ignore two of Kepa’s objectives and focus down just one, while getting all three of mine past, as well as killing his leader, and breaking him.
This started well, as I got one past and the other two were making good progress, getting in behind him. Just as Durin and his guard were ready to break them out, and maximise my VPs, I couldn’t win a priority for the life of me. The Uruks won all five of the last priorities, and the move offs.
To add salt into the wound, a captain and a berserker both trapped Durin and one shotted him after some insane dice rolls to really hit it home!
Number 1
Good- Throne of Skulls (Liam (Dec))
It’s the last turn of the game in Convergence, I have only one of the four objectives, but it’s in the middle. Liam has one within my reach and the other on the edge of the centre.
I get a Heroic Move and Amdur charges the Rivendell knight holding the closer one. He calls a Heroic Combat with his last might in one last desperate hope, as I eyeball the distance, and he seems close enough.
Amdur quickly cuts the elf down, snatching the heirloom, and I measure the distance. He’s a little under the six inches and charges into the next! Bringing his blade down and slaying the second knight to claim a second heirloom that he could only do as he was a hero!
It was in the final combats of the game, and had swung the VPs by twelve accumulatively, to win it for me! A truly great Throne of Skulls moment, where a big 'Hail Mary' comes off!
Bad- War of the Rohirrim (James (Jan))
It’s the local league opener and I’m against my often suffering doubles partner, James.
It’s Hold Ground, and my Gundabad orcs have done well. We have killed Faramir, Madril and all the rangers/Minas Tirith warriors off. I have my Catapult troll and leading Captain in the centre with a group of orcs. Now, having already rolled a few times to continue the game, we just wait to win…
After the fifth turn of rolling to end the game, and still continuing…my numbers have thinned out. My lead Captain has done a runner and taken a few orcs…
After the seventh, the Catapult troll has also run…Frodo and Sam, who have sat off to one side behind a pillar to avoid the catapult projectiles, now emerge and start shuffling towards the objective.
After nine turns, I have a lone Gundabad spearman left in the middle. And the hobbits are closing in!!!
In turn ten of rolling, I have to charge the hobbits to try pushing them off the centre. They naturally win, but have the good grace not to table me, as the game finally ends! Now that they’re in range…
My 15-3 victory was turned into a 16-6 defeat!
Hope you all enjoyed these and cheered for my good fortune or laughed at my terrible luck! I’ll begin the next list in the new year!
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