Prologue - Osgiliath

Warning: this post contains over 40 photos

Gothmog has set out from Minas Morgul with a host of orcs. Their sole intent to drive the outnumbered Gondorian defenders from the metropolis. Denethor discovers these plans and dispatches Boromir to aid Faramir in the defence of Osgiliath.

Objectives: Control more objective markers than the enemy, after either force is broken.

Beregond and his guard are sandwiched between orcs lead by Gorbag

Boromir and his guard arrive, three men attack near the fireside
In total 20 orcs and two of their captains reinforce Gothmog

The Fireside building in garrisoned, three orcs block the paths of 
Faramirs and Boromirs Men

Gothmog seizes the weapons stash, and moves orcs to take the fireside

The men secure one objective, defend the wall against the 
oncoming orc group with their captain

The pantry is secured, while Beregond is attacked on all sides 
by orcs and a captain, more orcs move towards the square

Faramirs rangers fire their arrows to little avail, so attacks the 
blocking orcs while Boromir moves slowly forward

Gothmog command the party taking the fireside,
Shagrat brings many orc reinforcements

Beregond still trapped as more orcs and men enter the fray around

The orcs gather a battle line, longer than the men's

An orc captain slices apart a man near the edge

Orc traffic through Osgiliath

The rubble is defended by the gondorians, 
as Faramir and Boromir fight through orcs

The fireside building is invaded by orcs, killing two,
elsewhere a ranger and an orc are draw from either side

Two more men fall to orc blades

Some struggles here

The Gondorian encourages his men to attack the orc battle line

The square ignites in a fierce melee

Gothmog sets up an orc barrier to defend the fireside

More orc reinforcements, and Beregond is surrounded again

Orcs move from the hill, the men in the square are attacked

Beregond is finally killed, trying to buy time for his comrades

Men and orcs fall alike, as death carpets the city streets

The orcs have the upper hand, as the men fail to breach the defensive line

Boromir finally assails the defences, Faramir leads his 
rangers in combat securing their flank

Orcs swarm the beleaguered Gondorians 

And surround the thinning supply of men

Boromir blasts the horn of Gondor in the orcs face and scythes down 
two orcs, Faramir crumples one to his will too, as another ranger falls 

The orcs have secured this objective by the looks of it

The captain finishes off the remaining reinforcement

More orcs come from the Pantry, clouding the vision on any men near

The men are near breaking so the captain gambles,
 charging against many orcs

Boromir and Gothmog face-off, as the Gondorians are forced 
back from the fireside

Another man and two orcs are cut down, while 
more orcs seem to come towards the fireside

The captain's gamble pays off, as two orcs hit the floor while 
he rushes towards more orcs

One an is left against too many orcs...

Who move to completely secure the other objective

Two orcs attack the rear of the Men

Rangers and guard try to get near to the fire, as their numbers dwindle

The last man falls, but not easily

Boromir and Faramir stab orcs in the chest, as three more men fall
claiming any more objectives seems too far...

And for a single moment all was silent. Boromir and Gothmog glanced around themselves, weighting the odds of the battle...

The weapons stash secured by orcs

The captain, unable to gain a foothold at the well

The store-house, uncontested

The fireside fought over, but in orc hands

Boromir knew Gothmog had out-fought them here. He sounded the retreat, the men vaulted over barriers, parrying their way West. Faramir sounded another horn, and Knights of Minas Tirith appeared at the rear of the orc host. 
Boromir rallied his men in one last stand; Gothmog bought it, charging headlong into the anvil of Gondor warriors. The Knights, crashed into the exposed rear of the orcs, tearing them to disarray and Gothmog, unable to muster them, reluctantly retreated East of the river...

The defence of Osgiliath was dearly bought. Hearing news of orc warbands marching northwards, an exhausted Faramir gathers the rangers and makes for Cair Andros.
While Boromir is ordered on a more secretive mission, to find Imladris and the key to their salvation...

Until then

Fish

The Fellowship in Flight

Scenario 5: Flight of the Fellowship
The Fellowship have left the mines, although Gandalf didn't make it. Aragorn takes up leadership of them, but many hills lie between them and the safety of Lothlorien. Some returning goblins plant an ambush for the Fellowship and soon after the trap is sprung more goblins emerge from the mines to avenge their brethren.

Objectives: Good must move four members of the fellowship off the Eastern board edge by the end phase of turn ten. Evil must prevent this.

Special rules: Tide of goblins - At the end phase of each turn, from turn 2 onwards, roll a D6, the evil player may place goblin(s) with shield, spear or bow at the Western board edge based on the result from the roll:

• 1-2 One goblin
• 3-4 Two goblins
• 5-6 Three goblins

Goblin forces: 20 Goblins (8x spears, 8x shields, 4x bows)

Playing area: 24''/61cm x 24''/61cm

Deployment, 2 goblin archers are deployed within 3''/8cm of either
corner. The fellowship within 3''/8cm of the centre of the western board
 edge. And seven goblins within 6''/14cm of the centre of the board

The archers shoot at the hobbits to little avail,
as they are in combat

Boromir and Legolas claim a kill each, while Aragorn takes a wound

The archers close in further as the sides melee again

Boromir slices and Legolas stabs another goblin each and Gimli joins
them squishing a goblin beneath his axe

One goblin draw by the sounds of battle

Aragorn urges the Fellowship forward while he holds a couple of
goblins back

Three more goblins rush onto the field

Aragorn gets more tied up and more members are engaged

But four goblins fall under the superior fighting skills of the Fellowship

Two more this turn

Aragorn seems to be soaking up most of the goblin's attention

Letting the four hobbits race, slowly, eastwards

Boromir and Gimli redeem Aragorn's lack of fighting skills

Three more arrive, much to Aragorn's annoyance

And eagerly charge straight into combat

The hobbits get closer to the board edge

Boromir downs another goblin, where Aragorn succumbs to the weight of goblins around him

Another three hastening to the battle cries

The Fellowship back away, and the hobbits inch closer to the
eastern board edge

An archer arrives

The Fellowship gain priority and the hobbits move over the board edge

Giving the Fellowship a victory and an overall victory 3-2!


This was quite a difficult scenario to make, as too many goblins in the centre would prevent any chance of members getting through and with too few the Fellowship would not be slowed down enough to allow the other goblins to catch up.
The main problem though is that the goblins had to get priority consistently, as they did in this battle, to have a chance at killing five members. 
This could either be solved by allowing the player with priority to choose the deployment edge or allow them to deployed at the Northern and Southern edges instead?
Moreover more terrain is needed to slow the progress of the Fellowship and so the goblins can use their cave dweller special rule.

Boromir was the only hero to kill an opponent in every combat he fought in, totalling five so gains the Performance of the battle. While Aragorn won a couple of combats but couldn't capitalise on them so gets the Flop of the battle.

Performer of the Campaign goes to Boromir, he managed to get 16 goblin kills in 4 scenarios. 
Aragorn did reasonably in the third and fourth battles, but slacked in the other three, despite this he managed 14 kills and two wounds on the troll from 5 scenarios.
Legolas managed 6 kills, one by bow, from 4 scenarios. 
Gimli managed 9 kills and the troll from 4 scenarios. 
The hobbits managed 7 kills from their 4 scenarios.
The Flop of the Campaign though, has to go to Gandalf, he managed a single kill in the 3 scenarios he played, not only that, he was a casualty in one, despite having three wounds and used blinding light to little effect.

This concludes my Easter jaunt, hope you enjoyed or learnt something from the battles, painting and my long tactical analyses which I have been 'trying' to keep to a minimum.
Hopefully when I'm back I shall cover some different ground, maybe in the Siege of Gondor booklet or a couple of The Two Towers scenarios, some more board work and finish of some painting...

Until then

Fish