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Wednesday 16 April 2014

First footsteps in moria

Here are the first two scenarios in the mines of Moria booklet:

The fellowship are down to reduced profiles, such that, no might, will or fate may be used. Moreover the only special ability any of them have, is use of Gandalf's blinding light. 
Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin have the same profile of: F(3) S(2) D(3) A(1) W(1) C(4).
Gimli has three attacks as he is using his one-handed axes, Legolas has only one shot per turn, and Boromir cannot use his horn.

Scenario 1: Into the Dark
Gandalf leads the Fellowship through the gloomy corridors as swiftly as possible, avoiding the arrows of the vile Moria golbins:

Objectives: Good must either kill all the archers or get all members through the doorway. Evil must prevent this.

Special rules: The Fellowship don't have time to stop and fight, as such no model many move within 1''/2cm of an enemy model.

Goblin forces: four goblin archers

Playing board: 42cm x 28cm


Deployment
Aragorn and Legolas flank the pillars to fire on the other goblins
One goblin suspects this, cocking his bow, finding Aragorn
The goblins back away, guarding door
Legolas and Aragorn block any flanking, protecting the hobbits
Aragorn repays his wounds
Gandalf and Legolas trap a goblin, the rest must block the door
More moving
Good defending from the Goblins
Eager Legolas gets an arrow in his stomach,
still unable to wound his adversary
...........
Legolas repays his blood like Aragorn
More moving
Unable to move through the door, the archers engage the fellowship
in a close range shot-off



Another arrow finds it's mark in the woodland prince's shoulder,
while Aragorn finally takes down another goblin
This gives the goblins a victory!

It's clear that if any evil player had sense to block the door with a couple of goblins, the game would turn into a shoot out, which is quite an even match, due to the omission of some special rules and no might or fate.
It's not only the hobbits who need protecting in this scenario, Legolas has defence 4 and one shot making him very vulnerable. In two instances the battles turned into shoot outs, at the end and beginning of it, while this scenario might need a bit of tweaking in terms of where the goblin archers can be placed, it is still a pretty good scenario all together. 

Their was no clear hero who over-performed, as Aragorn and Legolas with better bows and shoot values, clearly couldn't dispatch any of the archers at appropriate time leading to Legolas's death. So both gain the Flop of the battle.
While the Goblin archers performed in a satisfactory state, killing Legolas, wounding Aragorn and blocking the exit, so they gain the Goblins of the Battle.


Scenario 2: Ambush!

While the Fellowship is resting from outrunning the archers, Aragorn scouts ahead. An assembly of goblins ambush the ranger in one of the halls, he must fight his way clear and get back to his companions:

Objectives: The good side wins if Aragorn can fight his way clear, moving through the doorway. Evil wins if they can slay Aragorn.

Special rules: Trapdoor - At the end phase roll a D6, on a 4,5 or 6 a goblin with either spear or shield may be placed in contact with the trapdoor.

Goblin forces: 8 golbins (4x spears, 4x shields)

Playing area: 42cm x 28cm



Deployment
Aragorn shots at the goblins, to little effect
Another emerges from the trapdoor
Aragorn, losing focus, is surrounded by seven goblins
But still manages to fend them off, slicing through one
Yet he is engulfed again
He fares better this time, carving up two of them, while one comes
through the trapdoor to add to their numbers
Six attack him this time
And easily get the better of him
Giving the goblins another victory!

Here Aragorn is quite outnumbered, more than usual. Without fate and his free might points, he has to win every fight, due to his low defence, or at least choose the fights he losses.
Moreover Aragorn moved into the centre, and trying to kill goblins by archery, which was a mistake, he was less likely to win priority and would have been surrounded either way. 
So it was better to choose which three/four golbins he wanted to be attacked by in the first couple of turns, than by most of them in a subsequent turn.

Aragorn could've performed a lot better, but considering he was surrounded most of the time, the result is expected. So misses out on the Flop of the Battle.

Next time the Fellowship are surrounded, and Aragorn must hurry to their aid!


Until then

Fish

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