Fantasy Fellowships Part VII Finale- For Frodo/Bilbo

 As the Ringbearers make their way ever closer to Mount Doom, the Men of the West gather what strength they have left and march to challenge the Dark Lord and distract him. The final battle begins.

CJ

Scenario 23- The End of All Things 

Particpants- Bilbo, Dori with Sting, Bard, Arathorn, Saruman, Dwalin, Alfrid, Grima, Eomer, 25x Warriors of Minas Tirith (1x Banner, 8x Shield, 8x Spear and Shield, 8x Bow) and 25x Warriors of Rohan (1x Banner, 8x Shield, 8x Throwing spear and Shield, 8x Bow)

Evil- Mordor Troll Chieftain, the Mouth of Sauron, Gollum, 3x Morannon Orc Captains and 50x Morannon Orcs (2x Banner, 12x Shield, 12x Spear, 12x Spear and Shield)

The remaining men, able to still fight, march on the Black Gate. They wish to create a distraction for Sauron to buy Bilbo the time he needs.

The Gate opens and hordes of orcs march out, enveloping the forces of Good. Alfrid mutters some words in Bard’s ear, getting him charged up with rage (up to 6 might). Saruman casts terrifying aura and they brace as the orcs charge!  The Troll chief and orcs hit the front hard. Arathorn and Bard cut through the orcs before them, when the troll barges four men to the floor and rushes Bard, but somehow fails to cause any wounds (triple 2).

Bilbo begins the last stretch, but the Ring is attempting to corrupt him and weigh him down. But the Hobbit perseveres. Back at the Black Gate, Bard leads the charge, and a turn of Heroic Combats follow from Dwalin and two orc captains. All three succeed and both orcs charge the Rohan banner, while Dwalin grabs one of the captains and cuts him in half with his two-handed axe. The Banner bearer is killed but the banner is picked up by another. Eomer beats another Captain and causes a wound upon him. During all this, Arathorn draws Anduril and charges the Troll Chief! He runs in and swings, but his blow is parried aside and before he can follow up with another attack. The King of Gondor is picked up and thrown through a crowd, Grima is saved from death by his armour, an orc is killed by the impact but every Minas Tirith warrior is unscathed. However, Arathorn lies still, his body broken and dead, Anduril lies beside him.

Bard is in shock and just snaps himself out of it to dodge the Troll the next turn (triple 1 to wound). Dwalin is enraged and takes off a second captain’s head in one hard swing. Saruman, who has been fluffing his magic throughout, fails again to immobilise the troll for Bard. And Eomer is piled by orcs and takes a wound from them. As Bard struggles on with the Troll, the Mouth of Sauron charges into the flank on his horse and begins killing Gondorians and Rohirrim around him, hellbent on slaying Alfrid or Grima, whose very presence was causing the captains difficulty with their commands. Saruman finally pulls off a compel and the Troll stumbles away from Bard, who is looking exhausted, having spent 5 of his 6 might.

Bilbo, despite the problems that the Ring is causing him, continues to push forward with Dori and enters the doors into Oroduin. Back at the Gate, the losses are taking their toll and Eomer takes another wound. A morannon orc rushes through a gap and before anyone can stop him, buries his blade deep in Alfrid’s gut. He collapses and passes as loyal soldiers slay his killer. Bard is beaten by a captain and orcs, taking two wounds from them for it. As Bilbo enters the chamber in Mt. Doom, he hears a familiar cry and Gollum pounces on top of him, Bilbo’s combat experience from his quest to Erebor and this show as he rolls a 6 and wins the fight, then causing a wound. Before his loyal companion, Dori, slams his flail into Gollum’s chin, plunges Sting into their attacker and pushes him over the side into the pit.

The battle is getting desperate as the small circle gets smaller. Eomer charges the Mouth and brings him off his horse, then causing a wound (1w, 0f). The Mouth retaliates by putting Eomer in the same position. As Bilbo closes in on the platform, the rest of the Fellowship fight like demons. Bard leads a last-ditch charge, in which Dwalin drops his two-handed axe and draws two instead, immediately hacking a third captain to pieces and Grima manages to push off an attacker with his elven dagger. Eomer stumbles over to the Mouth and prepares to deal one final blow, but it never comes. The Mouth is too quick and strikes him down where he stands. The Leader of Rohan falls, so close to where the King of Gondor lies.

Bilbo draws the Ring and holds it over the drop. He stares at it as it speaks to him, giving visions of power, tempting, and intimidating him. Bilbo draws on his last reserves of might….and drops it. The Ring is destroyed!

Kills

Bilbo- 0                 Arathorn- 1

Dori- 1                  Dwalin- 5

Bard- 3                  Alfrid- 0

Saruman- 2           Grima- 0

Bravest- Grima    Fool- Arathorn

GOOD WIN

Endings

Arathorn, Alfrid, Eomer and Gollum are slain.

Arathorn’s son, a young Aragorn, is brought out of hiding and coronated King after his father’s death, with assistance until he comes of age through Ecthelion, the steward of Gondor. And his father becomes a man of legend.

The Rohirrim crown Eowyn, the last surviving Royal, as Queen of Rohan after her heroics at the Pelennor.

20 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses. 316 total kills, 31 slain enemy heroes, 1 slain enemy monster. 6/9 original Fellowship members survived.

Sam

Scenario 23- The End of All Things 

Particpants- Old Bilbo, Lotho with Sting, Hurin, Saruman, Haldir, Dain, Aldor, Grima, Eomer, 25x Warriors of Minas Tirith (1x Banner, 8x Shield, 8x Spear and Shield, 8x Bow) and 25x Warriors of Rohan (1x Banner, 8x Shield, 8x Throwing spear and Shield, 8x Bow)

Evil- Mordor Troll Chieftain, the Mouth of Sauron, Gollum, 3x Morannon Orc Captains and 50x Morannon Orcs (2x Banner, 12x Shield, 12x Spear, 12x Spear and Shield)

Note: Gollum is written in as Bilbo struggling to overcome the Ring’s seduction.

Bilbo and Lotho finally close in on their destination. As they struggle up the slopes, Bilbo feels the strain and the cracks in his mind broaden. When he comes back, he is wrestling Lotho on the ground and has hit him with a rock but failed to kill him. With Bilbo back under control, they get towards the doorway. Bilbo again loses his focus but uses might to avoid caving again.

Down at the Black Gate, the men of the West have formed a defensive circle with Grima in the centre putting down the enemy. Saruman casts terrifying aura on himself and calls out ‘For Smeagol!’ (not knowing of his death). Dain rushes across the circle towards the Troll Chief’s side. As the Orcs close in, Aldor looses an arrow that takes out a captain’s spearman and Haldir fires a shot that gets into a gap of the Troll Chief’s armour and wounds him.

Just as the fighting is about to begin, Saruman blasts an orc and Haldir charges the troll chief. Two orc captains call heroic combats but the Rohirrim warriors manage to fight them both back. Saruman takes a wound from orcs and Hurin bloodies Anduril. Haldir beats the Troll but fails to wound it. Saruman then turns and blasts the Mouth of Sauron off his horse causing a wound. He then suffers for it as he takes another wound from orcs. Eomer takes on a captain and deflects a strike with his shield, landing two of his own, which is saved by fate. A loud cry of dismay is heard as the Troll Chief smashes through the elf’s defence with an almighty strike, shattering his elven blade, and Haldir’s limp corpse is casually tossed aside.

Seeing that their defences are taking losses and holes are appearing, Saruman calls a heroic move to close up some of the bigger gaps. Eomer, joins the move and tightens up his line of Rohirrim. But as the orcs rush back in, the old warrior Aldor, who has been struggling under such numbers is overwhelmed and takes a blade to the gut. He falls beside the leader of his people. Grima is enraged at the death of the man, who had become a close friend in their adventures, and lunges into the fighting, furiously stabbing an orc. In his fury, he goes in too deep too quick and ends up with a similar fate to his friend.

The Orcish captains sense blood and rush into the fray against heroes (Hurin and Saruman). Hurin wins but fails to land any blows upon his foe. He and Eomer both rally their men and once again, tighten up the ranks, the latter is finally wounded and the former attacks the Mouth of Sauron and a captain at the same time. With a loud warcry, Anduril swings and knocks back the captain before swinging back and taking off the head of the Mouth. Dain finally gets a chance to rush the Troll Chief and with a mighty flurry of strikes from his hammer reduces it to 1w, 0f. Many of good’s warriors fall.

Back at Mount Doom, Lotho sees Bilbo again teetering on the edge of madness. They once again end up fighting as Lotho pushes Bilbo up against the wall and slowly struggles him down the corridor. Bilbo again tries to fight on the walkway above the lavaflow, this time he gets the upper hand and nearly ends up sending them both over the edge, but Lotho’s yells finally get through to Bilbo…seeing how close they are now and driven by purpose, he approaches the end of the walkway…

At the Black Gate. Eomer rushes to Dain’s side and stands before the Troll, but the troll overcomes them both and hurls Dain across the fighting, where he lands upon Saruman’s spearman. The White Wizard overcomes the difficulty of fighting alone and slays the captain before him. The Banner of Minas Tirith falls nearby as it was forced to the frontline. Hurin, refuses to lose hope due to this and strikes down another captain nearby. The strain is showing for the forces of Good, which is exacerbated by the sudden death of the White Wizard, when he is overcome by orcs and has his throat cut! Hurin is also overwhelmed and finally wounded and Dain rended by the Troll, going down to 1w, 0f. Suddenly, there is a very real chance of the forces of Good being obliterated!

Dain, heavily wounded and unable to lift his hammer due to a broken arm, snatches a fallen orcs mace and charges the Troll again. But due to his state, it’s more an act of defiance than a real threat. The Troll picks him up one last time and slams the dwarf into the floor. The King under the Mountain has fallen. The victorious Troll then sees Hurin, bloodied and tired before him. Wanting to make the hat-trick, he charges, roaring at the Warden of the Keys. Summoning the last of his energy, Hurin ducks the Troll’s swing and stands, driving Anduril under the Troll’s chestplates and up through its heart!

Bilbo staggers up to the precipice and raises the Ring, but immediately feels the madness rising again, threatening to take over and force him to keep the Ring. Before he can give in though, a hand lashes out and smacks it from his grasp. The Ring flies through the air and falls down into the volcano below. As Lotho drags Bilbo away from the edge before he can leap in after it. The Ring is destroyed!

Kills

Bilbo- 0            Haldir- 0

Lotho- 0            Dain- 0

Hurin- 8            Aldor- 1

Saruman- 2       Grima- 1

Bravest- Hurin    Fool- Aldor

GOOD WIN

Endings

Haldir, Dain, Saruman, Aldor and Grima are all slain in battle. Each is returned to their homeland for burial, besides Saruman, who is cremated and scattered to the wind.

Eomer takes his place as the King of Rohan, in place of his uncle Theoden and former heir, Theodred.

Hurin earns his place as a true hero of Gondor and takes on the role of Steward in place of Denethor and Faramir.

Bilbo and Lotho return to the Shire. Bilbo is eventually taken across the seas to the west and Lotho gains the position that he craved as tales of his exploits become legend.

14 wins, 1 draws, 8 losses. 261 total kills, 30 slain enemy heroes, 3 slain enemy monsters. 1/9 original Fellowship member survived.

Will

Scenario 23- The End of All Things 

Particpants- Frodo, Pippin with Sting, Boromir, Gandalf, Faramir, Irolas, Damrod, Denethor, Eomer, 25x Warriors of Minas Tirith (1x Banner, 8x Shield, 8x Spear and Shield, 8x Bow) and 25x Warriors of Rohan (1x Banner, 8x Shield, 8x Throwing spear and Shield, 8x Bow)

Evil- Mordor Troll Chieftain, the Mouth of Sauron, Gollum, 3x Morannon Orc Captains and 50x Morannon Orcs (2x Banner, 12x Shield, 12x Spear, 12x Spear and Shield)

The armies of Gondor and Rohan circle up outside the Black Gate. They spot the Mouth of Sauron dangling a Mithril coat and blowing raspberries at them. 

'Pippin!' yells Damrod.

'No!' cries Denethor.

Gandalf silences them. And Boromir stares silently at the forces of Mordor before slowly turning and whispering 'For Gondor...'. The entire army of the Free Peoples charges towards the Orc lines.

Evil gives chase and the Mouth of Sauron slams into a pair of Rohirrim. Good opens fire, killing three orcs with their volley. The Mouth calls a heroic combat and then after spending his second might to kill the first warrior, fails to kill the second. On the left flank, several Rohirrim are slain. But at the front, the cluster of heroes hits the orcs hard.



The next turn the Mouth fluffs a second fight and this time loses his horse to two Rohirrim. The Troll Chief barges four men of Minas Tirith back, punching a large hole into the circle! Many more of the Rohirrim are overrun and slain. Gandalf finally succeeds in casting and blasts the orcish banner away!

Frodo and Pippin are getting close to the Crack of Doom and have so far been unhindered.

Boromir, Irolas and a Morannon Captain call heroic combats. The Captain punches another hole in the defences and flanks a couple of Minas Tirith warriors.

Irolas goes next and manages to charge the Troll chief. He is then closely followed by Boromir, who adding in the fight 7 and Anduril for elven blade, has suddenly turned the fight heavily in favour of good! Both sides roll a 6 and good snatches the win on a 3! Irolas spends a might to cause a wound and Boromir causes three more on the trapped Troll, spending a might to cause a 4th and guarantee that the beast is slain! The Sword of the King of Gondor brings down the biggest threat!

To the rear the Rohirrim desperately hold back the tides! Gandalf still continues to fail with his magic (clearly his staff was integral to his abilities) and calls a heroic move to reorganise the defences. The Mouth sees an opening and casts immobilise on Boromir, using the chance to surround Irolas and go in for the kill! The man of Gondor calls a heroic Defence with his final might. As a result he only takes a single wound and survives the ambush. Boromir, who was also assaulted, repels an attack too.

Back in Mt Doom, Frodo and Pippin get into the entrance of the volcano. When the long awaited attack arrives and Gollum pounces! He catches them off guard, knocking Frodo back, he bites and savages Pippin, removing an ear (0f)! He then retreats into the shadows and attacks again! But this time they are ready and Pippin drives his blade into the assailant! Gollum is slain!

Continuing his streak, Gandalf fails again with his last will point to cast (1 successful spell all game). Good continues to hold on, and do so well, with only Irolas injured.

Over the next couple of turns, many of the men are slain but they stubbornly hold back the assault, led by Boromir. Irolas manages to slay a captain!

Frodo and Pippin edge closer as the Ring attempts to weigh its bearer down. But Frodo is resilient.

Boromir lunges out of the crowd at the Mouth and after a couple of turns of jabbing and parrying, Anduril gets through the defence and claims a second hero!

Frodo reaches the edge of the platform and immediately feels a wave of temptation hit him. But before it can take hold, he hears Pippin call 'Don't you dare!'. Frodo summons all his remaining strength and opens his fingers, the Ring falls out as if in slow motion and plops heavily into the magma below! 

Kills

Frodo- 0             Faramir- 2

Pippin- 1            Irolas- 3

Boromir- 8         Damrod- 2

Gandalf- 3          Denethor- 2

Bravest- Boromir    Fool- Gandalf

GOOD WIN

Endings

Frodo returns to the Shire, where he spends several years before quietly leaving via the Grey Havens with Gandalf to sail into the West.

Eomer is crowned the new King of Rohan and his sister Eowyn heads East, where she is wed to Boromir, at Denethor's insistence. Faramir is very unhappy and surprisingly isn't very keen to accept Denethor's mumbled apology about the attempted murder in Amon Hen business. He only does so to please his brother. 

Denethor remains the Steward of Gondor and without the hefty weight of war with Sauron on his mind is considerably easier to be around and continues to be guarded by the Citadel Guard including Irolas and the newly appointed, Peregrin Took. Boromir remains the Commander of Gondor's armies, while Faramir takes up the role of rebuilding Osgiliath assisted by his loyal friend, Damrod.

16 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses. 309 total kills, 28 slain enemy heroes, 2 slain enemy monsters. 8/9 original Fellowship members survive. Impressive.

Cheers for reading guys, we have four other Fantasy Fellowships still at work but they are currently held up by the state of the world at the moment. I'll update them as they are done in the future.

The next series that I'll be doing will be a Battle company campaign with 10 players total*. Hope you stick around to read about those.

*At time of writing

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'!