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 =)
another exciting episode! 'getting quite a large crew now. must take awhile to complete a game. especially a coop game.
ReplyDeleteUsually between 30 minutes and an hour I guess, way, WAY quicker than an army battle as at most you're only ever moving 10 or so guys! Most missions are also organised now (like this one) so that you're moving between an edge and the center rather than the old style of going from one side to the other (which at the Hobbit 4" move would take a LOT longer!) That's excluding the setting up and packing up, which a) takes a little while sometimes and b) Oscar loves doing to "make interesting scenes". =)
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