Battle Report! (no pictures)

Hey guys, hope you are all doing well.

Lastnight my girlfriend and I played a small battle on the 4x4 board i've recently been working on.  Sadly, I didn't feel the pictures would look so good as it's still missing terrain (bits of flint filled in as rocky mounds) and my hobbits aren't properly painted yet (about halfway there, just got a few minor bits left to do). But anyway, on to the report.

Participants:

Evil: 4 Ringwraith with 0M/4W/0F

Good:
Frodo baggins with Barrow blade (2strength instead of Sting's 3)

Sam with Barrow Blade and frying pan (useful for cooking some nice sausage and bacon on the go!)

Pippin with Barrow blade

Aragorn - Strider.

The backstory:
As Frodo, Sam and Pippin make there way through to Crickhollow, they are beset by Ringwraiths arriving from two different directions. Not known to the hobbits, Strider is nearby and hears the wails of the Nazgul, and rushes to help them.

So basically, a what if scenario where instead of Gildor, Strider happens to be patrolling the area instead. I didn't go rule heavy for this scenario, missing out courage checks for example, as it was an introductory scenario for my girlfriend, as we hadn't played except once, quite a while back.

The hobbits deploy on the west edge, and the objective was that Frodo is slain for the Ringwraith to win, or Frodo escapes off the East edge of the board to win.


I played Evil, and she played the forced of good, so without further a do:

Bethen rolled three dice for the three hobbits, and on a 4+ they could have one free move before the forces of evil arrive. Rolling a 5 for Frodo, 5 for Sam and 3 for Pippin, the two hobbits gingerly move forwards to the Eastern edge, whilst Pippin is distracted by some mushrooms.

Turn one: Priority: Evil.

Rolling a 4+ for each Ringwraith to arrive anywhere on the North and South edge of the board, only one arrives, filling the air with fell shrieks as he steps on to the North edge of the board, close to Sam and Frodo, and casts Compel on Frodo, moving him two inches towards the Ringwraith, ready to pounce the next turn!

Turn two: Priority: Good.

Sam swerves to the North moving at a diagnal line, whilst Frodo continues to run forwards to the Eastern edge. Pippin runs towards the ringwraith, blocking line of sight to Frodo.

No Ringwraith arrive this turn, so Pippin is charged by a lone Nazgul! However, Pippin may not be skilled with his blade, but that doesn't stop him flailing it around like a speed demon, in his panic to get away, and it is this unskilled act that stops the Ringwraith from being able to find an opening to strike down the hobbit.
However, Pippin is unable to land a killing blow (rolling a 6 and then a 4 is not easy!)

Turn 3: (from this turn onwards, Bethen could bring on Aragorn anywhere on the Eastern edge, with a dice roll of 4 or more!) Priority: Evil.

Rolling two 5's, a Ringwraith arrives on the North, and Southern edge of the boards. Frodo continues to hurry forwards, and Sam follows suit. Pippin is charged again by the wraith, and the second Northern wraith attempts to compel Sam away, but fails the spell. Again Pippin fights back the Wraith, but fails to land the telling blow again!

Turn 4: Priority: Evil.

No other Wraiths arrive this turn, and with one that has only one will remaining, it was now or never. I risked the will to cast Black dart at Frodo, and hits! But fate saves it (darn). However, both fate points were wasted on saving the wound.

The Ringwraith dissipates with a fell shriek, angering the other Wraith.

Again, Aragorn fails to show.

Pippin makes a break for the Eastern Edge, as do Frodo and Sam.

Turn 5: Priority: Good.

Aragorn arrives! However, Frodo now leaves the board. And that ends the scenario.

A nice simple scenario, which was a lot of fun. Things didn't go right for me at all, except in obtaining priority. Where I really needed them, the dice failed me!   But perhaps for next time I will try a more sneaky, ambush like approach.

Bethen did well, choosing when and where to move, and used some good techniques such as blocking line of sight to frodo, so he could not be hit by compel.

All in all, very fun. We plan on playing it again tonight, with her controlling the forces of Evil.

Thanks for reading, and watch this space for more!

Until next time.