Face-off 2013 1st round the Easterlings Vs Isengard raiders

Well, happy new year followers!

The Isengard Raiders replace the previous winners, The Serpent Horde, and face the Easterlings. One of the three sides with decent armour for their warriors and heroes, yet this will probably be negated due to the high strength of the Uruk-hai.

Because of the size of the board, the sides will be placed in two adjacent corners and have the artefact at the opposing end. The artefact will have to be carried off a different board edge fora victory to be achieved.

The Easterlings Vs Isengard Raiders (Seize the prize)

Deployment:

The archers of both sides face-off, to little effect

More shooting, but nothing gives. As the sides approach each other,
the next priority roll may decide who gets the dig first

The captain gets lucky and orders his men to form a wall,
blocking the path to the digging site

Lurtz orders the half men into the wall, knowing they have the advantage

Lurtz and co. charge the wall,
an Uruk vaults the hedge but is surrounded by easterners,
and the captain is halted in his digging process

Lurtz carves his shield and sword into the easterners,
while the vault Uruk is also killed

Another Easterling becomes man-flesh

The captain seizes the moment and digs hurriedly for the artefact
as his men's lives are at stake

The Raiders appear to be on top over here

A bowman is cut down

The Easterlings are slaughtered after their foolish challenges,
leaving the Easterlings Broken

The only bright side is that the artefact is found!

The captain manages to summon his courage(-1will)
and rally three of his men, the other man flees

His men stall the uruks while their captain tries to salvage a small victory

Lurtz wins the heroic move roll off, while they cannot attack the captain,
he attacks a single uruk

The other Uruks mop up the Easterlings

Two of the three succumb to their blades

Lurtz and co. waste no time in surrounding the two remaining Easterlings

And they are butchered

Giving the Uruk-hai a major victory! (18-4)

The Easterlings were totally outfought, the higher fight value meant that the Easterlings had to move around the Uruk-hai to gain any advantage, yet since they had the same move rate, also their advantage in archer defence was not utilised either, and their captain couldn't compete against normal warriors. 

Overall a total loss for the servants of Sauron.

The next battle is the start of the semi-finals, the Fiefdoms face-off the Elves of Rivendell in Reconnoitre.

Until then

Fish

Face-off 2013 1st round Moria Vs Theoden's Host

Well do I have a small late Christmas present for you, I hope you had a good one either-way.

Erkenbrand has a miniature legion of Rohirrim, to face off a small number of goblins and a troll. The advantages the goblins have is that they could be able to use their numbers sooner than the Rohirrim, who may end up waiting for all of their models to enter the board, and the troll will be able to outfight Erkenbrand. Once they have all entered, the goblins should be at a 33% number disadvantage, so securing the objective will be much harder even when they could be at half strength.

Moria Vs Theoden's Host (Take and Hold)

Deployment:

7 Rohirrim, 3 goblins and the troll enter the board

Four of the Rohirrim move towards the objective,
while the goblins and troll fight the others

One warrior falls to the tiny creatures

2 more Rohan warriors and all the other Goblins enter play

One is speared before he could even move

The goblins move towards the secured objective

Then Erkenbrand arrives

The Chaotic melee ensues 

And two are killed on either side

Erkenbrand tries to trap the troll, while more Rohirrim come to their aid

Yet the troll smashes the straw heads aside, and squashes two,
The goblin captain also claims one, breaking the Rohirrim

Yet the battle doesn't end to the Rohirrim's relief

The captain enters the main battle for the objective

The troll lands a blow to Erkenbrand's helm, which was left cloven,
and the veteran captain barely alive. The Goblin captain gets another,
and a single goblin is killed elsewhere breaking the Goblin force

The battle continues further!

One goblin flees

The Troll finally grinds Erkenbrand into the ground

And the battle ends

However the troll misses the 3''/8cm zone!

With two models of both sides within 3''/8cm of the objective, It's a Draw!

Since it's a draw the sum of all points earned will be the decider, such that:

Moria = 7pts(drawing scenario) + 3pts(killing leader) + 5pts(Breaking Rohirrim) = 15
Theoden's Host = 7pts(drawing scenario) + 5pts(Breaking Goblins) = 12

Therefore Moria shall progress to the next round, Leaving the Rohirrim feeling hard done by.

Ironically if Erkenbrand had used both might points to win the fight, the troll would have been within 3''/8cm of the marker, and given the Goblins a victory.
However losing the fight made the points difference smaller, clever Erkenbrand.

Next time will be the final first round battle between The Easterlings and Isengard Raiders in Seize the Prize. 

Until then

Fish

Face-off 2013 1st round the Cirith Ungol Vs the Fiefdoms

Cirith Ungol have numbers a banner and an extra might point to their advantage, however will that make up for the fact, that the gondorians are better fighters, and have better armour. Duinhur has a task on his hand, since if the Gondorians are broken he is as good as an orc captain to rally his men, which could prove to be his downfall...

Cirith Ungol Vs the Fiefdoms (Storm the Camp)


Deployment:

Gorbag issues his minions forth from their camp
while Duinhur holds his ground

One of Duinhur's arrows finds an orc heart

Closing in

..........

The orcs attack the hedge and wall

Duinhur claims another orc

Gorbag smashes his blade through the Gondorian's helm,
One orc manages to defeat the defending the hedge
then clambers over it

The orcs attack the defences again

Duinhur rushes to the spear-orc,
who levels his spear to find a chink in the Gondorian's armour,
Duinhur steps back, grabs the orc's spear and shoves it through his neck
Another Clansman is downed by a nearby orc

Duinhur reorganises his defences

Gorbag guts the knight attacking him(-1might) meanwhile two orcs
attacking the hedge defenders are cleared from the line

Duinhur swigs his spear in an arc across the edge of the hedge
cutting the throats of two orcs who had just lowered their guards(-1might)
The orc force is now broken!

Gorbag rallies his orcs and attacks into a seemingly one-sided melee

Another orc crushed

Duinhur orders another attack on the orcs

Where he claims another kill, and removes the banner bearer

Gorbag rallies the orcs a final time and charges the bright eyed men

Save the orc at the camp who loses heart and flees!
Moving a single Gondorian into this camp would give a victory

The Gondorians take light of this butchering a shield-orc and Duinhur even
manages to wound Gorbag which is then saved by fate(-1fate)

Gorbag has had enough so takes flight!

Giving the Gondorians a major victory!(15-4)

Fiefdoms = 10pts(winning scenario) + 5pts(breaking orc force) = 15
Cirith Ungol = 4pts(losing scenario) = 4

Well the orc gave a good game even though they were thoroughly out-skilled, mostly down to Duinhur's kills from afar that levelled the constituents, the orcs then couldn't handle a force with better fighting skills, higher defence and having a barrier on their side. Banner or no banner.

Next time is Moria Vs Theoden's Host in Take and Hold. 

Until then, have a merry merry Christmas!

Fish