Scouring of the Shire - 5 The Southfarthing

We actually played this last week, but I'm only just getting to it today, sorry! With all that's going on at the moment, sometimes even just the thought of doing this upload is too much to handle.

Today we actually played a battle companies game, but totally forgot to take any photos. Just as well as my son thrashed me completely!

Anyway, on to the Southfarthing. Right from the start I had a huge advantage. There are five objectives in play, I get to start with three of them! I also had Farmer Maggot thanks to a previous mission. In this mission any casualties can still come back on a 1 or a 2, because Oscar won the storehouse mission previously, he gets to come back on a 1, 2 or 3. We play until there are eight casualties at which point the game can be over on a 1 or 2 on a D6.

Firstly, check out some of my new scenery. Some mdf put together stuff that just needs a little assembly and painting up (maybe I'll show some of the other pieces in another post) but now we have a cute little windmill with round doors and windows just like Hobbits should have =)

So Oscar charged forward and my archers immediately took down one poor guy.

On the next round the ruffadrim came right back on, choosing to make a sneaky assault on the objective behind the inn. The D8 you can see there is tracking guys I've taken out (hence the 1 in this picture).

Farmer Maggots trusty hounds are heading towards the ruffadrim down near the chest.

And you can see quite a few archers spread around, with other guys guarding different items.

The hobbit shooting takes out one of the ruffadrim archers...

As well as another incoming close combat troop!

And then another archer! In the back right you can see some Shirrifs coming to help the dogs (they're just half the speed!)

And Paladin Took himself charges into the fight and uses a point of might to help win.

It's really not gone well for the ruffadrim, with seven casualties already, most of whom have come on the same side, but have not reinforced luckily. They have managed to take out a hobbit here...

And a hobbit there...

But with just one casualty able to be taken, these three guys are about to get ganged up on big time!

But these hobbits are now getting surrounded by superior fighters!

And another hobbit goes down!

But so do more ruffadrim...

And a growling dog seals the deal and the game is over, the ruffadrim were catching up at the end, but it was too little, too late and the hobbits win!

This mission seemed unfair at first, but as soon as the ruffadrim started getting more into the combat, the hobbits started dropping, it was just as well we ended when we did as I think the tide would have well and truly turned in the next couple of rounds.

Scouring of the Shire - Episode 4 - The Store House

In the midst of a farmstead is a storehouse full of all the goods that the ruffians have stashed away. The hobbits are sick of the thievery and are planning to break in, grab some beer and pipe-weed and whatever else they need for second breakfasts.

There are three ruffians sleeping in each of the small dwellings and two sentries at the storehouse. Twelve hobbits (six from each corner) are going to try to sneak to the storehouse then back off the table again. If they are seen the alarm is raised and the other ruffians will come yelling out!

Here's one group of hobbits, including my new guy blowing a smoke-ring which I'm particularly fond of! There are some traps right in the corner, so if I can get in, get the loot and get back to the corner I may be in the clear! Of course, with 4" movement, that's easier said than done!



Well... the hobbits get within ten inches of the storeroom and I say the fatal words "this'll be fine unless you manage to roll a 6!" No surprises, a 6 is rolled and the jig is up! Out come ruffians as the hobbits run in and try to make a break for it!

Only one ruffian is at the north east corner and he quickly engages a hobbit as the others swarm around him to grab stuff!

A very lucky Shirrif bonks a ruffian on the head as he races past (in this mission the ruffians are knocked down and on a 6 they can recover - but what are the odds of that happening!?)

The north-east hobbits are now all carrying stuff, but there's still a ruffian harassing them.

Down to the south west the hobbits are already on their way back, but there are ruffians everywhere!

It's looking good for the hobbits at the north east side, but there's another ruffian just behind that northern fence!

Hobbits are being knocked down and sent to the lock-holes in the south, their short legs just not allowing them to outrun the ruffians!

And in the north the brave hobbits have met their matches as two more here are arrested!

So far only one ruffian has stayed down that was knocked down, but another Shirrif falls as only two more hobbits are left in the south.

And with that the hobbits are broken and the mission is a failure!

Phew, what a mission, there were hobbits running everywhere, ruffians intercepting them and in one turn there were four successful hobbit-whippings! I shouldn't have taken that initial gamble as I reckon one more turn advancing carefully would have helped a great deal.

So far the hobbits have won 3 of the 4 games, but they seem to be getting more difficult for the little folk!

More itsy bitsy spiders! Shire protectors battle company battle report 5

Not to be outdone (and to use the same scenery set up so we didn't have to think too hard) the Shire Protectors also found themselves under assault by eight legged beasties! With lower strength, defence, attacks, fight value etc. the Hobbits were really going to need protecting! I deployed down one corner, hoping to make the spiders take at least two turns to get to me if they appeared at the other end of the board (the six big terrain features were the spider spawning spots, with a D6 to randomise where they would appear).

Turn one started really well! Stones were thrown, arrows flew and two spiders dropped dead with one getting a wound on it!

It was then stacks on to two close by spiders, which both fell!

On the next turn, the spider the hobbits were fighting only rolled a two and a three and I had four hobbits and Cookie charging on the pony. The hobbits all rolled twos! Cookie rolled a one and... a 5! Phew!

The spiders continued advancing, my Sentinel, Geleth, kept singing Eldamar Madrigal, which made the spiders keep moving away from the fighting - very helpful!

Cookie on his pony kept on saving the day!

So far, so good, the dwarves, sentinel and Cookie have been doing the major work, while the other hobbits throw stones and fire arrows. The tough dwarven armour took a dent on this turn as Skodi took a hit from the purple spider, fortunately fate was on his side, though it used his might and fate points.

Hedger manages to take out a green spider, but the others are all getting very close now.

The spider against Hedger rolled double sixes, he needed a six to stay in the game...

And thanks to Geleth singing the Mirkwood spider away and joining in another fight, yet another spider goes down. Hatless Harry shoots an incoming green spider right in one of its eyes!

The Shire protectors continue to put a wall of slightly tougher warriors in between the spiders and weaker hobbits!

And on the other side of the tree Loki and Cookie intercept another spider, killing it.

The brave Sentinel, Geleth, puts himself right in the way of the Mirkwood spider, and it proves too much for him.

Loki intercepts another incoming beastie!

And on that final turn, both Skodi and Hedger lose to an orange arachnid, laying down their lives for the Hobbits!

At the end of the match, with the exception of Loki, the other proper protectors were all knocked out, but the halflings all survived! In the injury rolls they were all okay except for Hedger who has to miss a game to recover from the spider poison. 

Hedger managed to get one wound in, Loki made 6, Cookie got 7! Some of the other hobbits got a few hits in with arrows and rocks.

For rewards, Hedger received an elven bow and seasoned archer (can move and shoot). Skodi is now a blade master (can reroll a die in a duel). Loki is a dual wielding specialist (a skill we made up for dual wielders which allows either an extra attack or an extra defence instead of burly). As well as that a new dwarf, Monty, has joined the team (he has a shield) and also has a pet magpie. I've upgraded the models for Loki and Skodi as well so they look a little more epic after their spider slaying abilities!

Shire Protectors Battle Company Battle Report 3 - They have a cave troll!

Well, Loki was captured by some goblins... and it turns out they have a Cave Troll! Yikes! These beasties can really ruin your day, with three attacks and a higher fight value than any of my crew, if they get into close combat and roll a 6... well... let's just say that there may be hobbit bodies here, there, and everywhere!

Some of the pictures didn't turn out so well, so excuse the slight gaps in the story! Loki is being held prisoner, he counts as unarmed and as long as three goblins stay around him he can't go anywhere. Meanwhile, the cave troll charges towards my squad. Arrows fly from Hedger, Tom, Harry and Geleth, they hit, but bounce off the tough troll skin!

The troll continues to charge down the hill, with arrows and rocks just ricocheting off the beast! Just before the troll charges, Tom's arrow manages to pierce the cave troll! And then a stone flung from Farmer Maddock also hits the troll in a very sensitive spot - it's down to one wound as it charges into the hobbits! I surround it with everyone and gulp as my son rolls the dice... a 1... a 1... and... a... 4! I have a chance, I just have to get a 5 with any of my eight guys. I roll a 2... a 4... a 3... a 1... a 3... a 2... a 4... another 4... and then... finally... a 5! Phew, that was almost a total disaster! Now I just need to roll a six! I get it first try with Hedger! Down goes the cave troll! Very anti-climactic, we were expecting to lose a few hobbits before the cave troll was defeated.

Now onto the remaining goblins. Three snipers are up in the ruins, with a smattering of other goblins. We race forward, arrows flying from both sides, but no damage is done.

Closer and closer we get, some arrows hit, but nothing manages to wound.

Finally Harry takes out one of the goblin archers. The other two archers hit hobbits, but can't manage to do any damage!

Tom and Harry take out the other two archers in a dazzling display of Hobbit archery! We are now super close to rescuing Loki!

Skodi takes out a goblin, and so does Cookie, CLANG goes the frying pan! Meanwhile, Farmer Maddock takes out a goblin wielding a spear!

It's all stacks on to the goblins near Loki, most of whom run chittering away!

And off the little buggers go! Victory to the Shire Protectors! Loki, who was a rescuer of Jolly has himself been rescued in return!

And with enough influence to roll twice on the reinforcement charts we have three more hobbits join up, Fatty Cooper, Marmadoc (M.C. Hammer) and Andwise (Andy) the Shirrif. Loki has also been promoted to an Iron Guard! So now I have four proper fighters (a ranger, two dwarves and an elf) and ten hobbits!

My son has been very patient as we wanted to level up my company to be roughly equal to his so we can do a teamed up mission. However, after three missions and mostly hobbit reinforcements, his Elven battle company still way outclasses mine - hobbits don't count for much! In any case, we're still going to do a cooperative mission next time, I'm sure he won't mind having better guys than me =)