Good Monsters vs Haradrim - Domination

Well, after smashing my way through numerous humans, my monsters were tasked with holding several key sites while being assaulted by more of the dark clad evil men. Five objectives to hold. I have six figures. This could be interesting!

We're playing with the recently made old rules, I guess we'll get The Hobbit rules when they're not stupidly expensive (or we'll just buy them from overseas or eBay).

Check the last report for the forces we used for this game, in summary my good monster army versus a triple hasharin haradrim force.

So, fortunately, although I have only a few figures, they are TOUGH. Just a recap for some of the questions I've had:

I know eagles don't get a charge bonus, we've never played them that way. They may only have two attacks, but they have extremely high defense, fight values and three wounds each! They can fly, which means it's easy to block Radagast from attack or to attack just a couple of humans after they have moved and they can evacuate pretty easily too! I don't list each and every battle result, so if the humans win, but fail to wound I often won't mention it. This may give the impression that the eagles are doing a lot better than they actually are! When they roll a 6, though (which is pretty likely on two dice, about 30%) they win due to their high fight scores even if they're surrounded by a bazillion guys. 

Radagast is very hard to attack because he doesn't need to have line of sight to his target in order to cast a spell due to his special ability (his scouting birds). I forgot this a few times (and you'll see him get wounded as a result!) Since you can't assault someone you can't see at the beginning of your turn he spends his time hiding from view and casting heal =) Since he's on stag-back he can also stay just out of charge range of foot soldiers if he wants to come out into the open.

My whole army has terror (after Radagast casts his opening spell) and I don't list all of the failed courage tests, so this also inflates my winning power as I'm rarely attacked by as many humans as you might think.

Any other queries, please feel free to ask!

Here's the initial board setup. It's pretty quick to deploy three warbands with only six models in total =)

We actually played this game a couple weeks ago, but I've been overseas, so I'm only writing it now, hopefully my written notes will be enough to bring it all back, but it's likely to be more pictures than words I'm afraid!

The two ents started off at a treasure chest objective, who knows how useful the gold and items will be to the war effort?

Radagast deployed behind cover and within easy spell range of the others. The three eagles deployed near some supply crates.

The Harad horde were well spread across the table, with the tomb, battle ruins and well covered. He had the numbers, but since the game doesn't end until one team is down to 25% of its initial numbers those numbers won't hold right to the end.

Turn 1 - Priority Good.

Sky-wolf swiftly soars to engage the Haradrim near the ruins, assaulting the blue Hasharin, but neither side can gain the upper hand.

Radagast casts terrifying aura on himself successfully so that my entire army causes terror =) The Betrayer casts black dart at Leaf-fall (Treebeard) who fails to resist it, fortunately no wound is taken!
Barukshathur (Gwaihir) and Leaf-fall both attack, but fail to wound.

Turn 2 - Priority Good.

Radagast repositions so that he's within easier healing range of his allies.

Barukshathur wings in and takes on two spearmen and a Watcher, he wins the combat and slays the Watcher. White-beak takes on two raiders and decapitates one with a slash of a talon. 

Leaf-fall takes on two raiders and pounds them both into the ground.

The Betrayer casts transfix on Shy-bark, who is mobbed by two Watchers and two Hasharin! He takes two wounds - sap gushing from numerous cuts and slashes!

Sky-wolf is beset upon by six spearmen and a Hasharin! Yikes, fortunately his swift flying helps him evade any serious damage. I completely underestimated the walking distance and courage taking abilities of this mob of guys! Can't believe I didn't take any wounds!

Turn 3 - Priority Good (again).

Sky-wolf, the headstrong, young, giant eagle, assaults the Haradrim again and AGAIN they are amazingly courageous. Up against six spearmen and a Hasharin this time he is victorious and a spearman is eviscerated. 

White-beak is trapped versus 2 watchers, a banner bearer and The Betrayer! I attacked the banner bearer but wasn't expecting to be so swarmed in return! The giant eagle loses the fight, but evades all the blows! Until The Betrayer works his evil ways and strikes again! This time the venomous blades bite deep and the eagle takes two wounds! 

Barukshathur takes on two raiders, buffets them back with mighty swings of his wings, but fails to wound either of the nimble horsemen.

Reeling from the previous assault, Shy-bark is healed by Radagast as he retreats back towards the objective. And the healing was just in time, a Watcher of Karna assaults the ent and wounds him! (This would have killed him except for the heal!)

Leaf-fall takes on a Hasharin and two Watchers of Karna to aid his willow friend. He uses a point of might to kill a Watcher (I rolled soooooo badly, a 1 a 2 and a 3!)

Turn 4 - Priority Evil.

The Betrayer, capitalising on the previous turn casts evil magic and summons a hideous black dart that strikes into the sky and brings down White-beak!

Sky-wolf, hearing the echo of his fellow eagle's death cry, lunges forward in a killing frenzy, slaying two spearmen in a rage.

Barukshathur, the leader of the eagles in this part of the world is so distraught by his companion's death that he barely fends off the attacks of a Watcher of Karna.

Shy-bark is hard fought, surrounded by enemies, but he has true friends! Radagast heals the mighty ent. 

Treebeard calls a heroic combat, slays a Watcher of Karna, then stomps back to his willowy friend and attacks a Hasharin! He slams into the dark assassin, who would be dead instantly from the mighty blows were it not for his nimble agility and luck. Two wounds, both saved with fate!

Freed up and healed, Shy-bark backhands the Watcher of Karna who faces him - SMACK - straight into the lava pool nearby! The screams are short-lived.

Turn 5 - Priority Good (tied on 1s!).

Sky-wolf is again assaulted by evil men, four spearmen and the blue Hasharin, who continues pressing the attack. Overcome with grief for his compatriot, the brave eagle cannot bear up under the blades of the evil assassin, who uses a point of might to strike home and cause two wounds!

Leaf-fall charges in to assault the Betrayer. He wins the combat, but cannot land a telling blow against the wraith (rolling a 1 and two 2s!)

Radagast races across the lava (making his jump roll) to stop his attackers from hemming him in and heals Shy-bark. The mighty willow grabs and stomps at the Hasharin, who barely dodges one massive blow only to be caught by another, leaving him reeling and tipping right on the edge of the lava! (All his fate is gone now!)

Exposed to the sneaky bowmen, however, Radagast may have saved the ent but incoming arrows fly around him. 6s fly on the dice! Radagast is wounded three times and only his luck saves him (thank goodness for fate!)

Barukshathur, sensing the tide turning against the good, lunges forth at two more foes, bringing down a pair of Watchers of Karna in fountains of blood from claw and beak. 

Turn 6 - Priority Evil.

Sky-wolf, brave but possibly foolhardy, is brought low by the blade of the blue Hasharin, who leaps up onto a pillar, then acrobatically flips onto the mighty eagle as it flies low. From there a double slash down into the mighty neck ends the life of the noble bird.

The willow healed, Radagast turns his attention to the nearby Hasharin and attempts to immobilise him, the evil man is not so weak willed and with some might and will he fends off the wizard's powers. Behind him a charging horseman and an archer attack Barukshathur, who cannot avoid the rushing horseman and takes a wound.

It turns out that Shy-bark does not need the assistance! Stomping and smashing forward he knocks a Watcher of Karna flying into the lava and squishes a Hasharin beneath his massive feet. He then lumbers around, mighty arm flinging outward to break the arm of the Hasharin behind him (who failed three fate rolls!)

Both Leaf-fall and the Betrayer call heroic moves, the ent wins the roll-off! The ent lunges forward at the black horseman, but the dark fates are with him and he escapes uninjured (rolled a 1, 1 and 4, fate saved the wound).

Turn 7 - Priority Good.

Barukshathur immediately lunges forward at the insolent humans that wounded him last turn and slays both of them!

Radagast heals the mighty eagle before riding back to the safer hilly region. Other horsemen try to charge him, but their horses are too scared to go up against the horns of the stag Radagast rides.

The Betrayer, hissing venomously, lunges at Leaf-fall, but his evil blade cannot penetrate the thick bark. 

Shy-bark faces off against the Hasharin, but neither can land a blow that causes any damage.

Turn 8 - Priority Good.

So excited by how close the game was I forgot to take photos! Radagast immobilised the Betrayer, who is then smashed by Leaf-fall. The Betrayer was down to his last will anyway! Barukshathur kills a raider, there is no damage done in a fight between Shy-bark and three archers plus a Hasharin. Meanwhile the humans are spreading out from the lower corner to solidify their numbers. Remember, the game is won by controlling the five points!

Turn 9 - Priority Good.

Leaf-fall takes out the last banner bearer near the central objective.

Radagast immobilises the Hasharin facing the willowy ent... 

...who easily smashes the evil assassin as well as kicking a human archer into the lava pit.

Barukshathur soars up and over to the tomb, taking out one of the men guarding it. The force is almost broken. If the game ended now the evil men would win!

So at the end of Turn 9 the Haradrim are broken, but still hold the majority of the objectives! The game ends when a side is reduced to 25% so it's anybody's game!

Turn 10 - Priority Good.

Leaf-fall takes out the remaining men at the well...

Radagast immobilises an archer, then charges into battle, stag horns lowered for the charge. He bowls over two men and tramples them under hoof and smacks them hard with his staff.

Shy-bark whacks another two men into the lava pit, which has a distinctly unpleasant burnt flesh smell emanating from it now.

Barukshathur takes out another defender of the tomb area.

It's turn 11 - Priority goes to the good side. Note - I won 9 of the 11 priority rolls. Those of you who play with magic users and smaller armies will know that this is incredibly rare and incredibly useful, but probably also particularly unfair.

With his handy line-of-sight rules, Radagast immobilises then charges the last horseman, stopping him from being able to contest a domination position. This was the last of his will and might, but worth it!

Barukshathur takes out the last remaining human near his objective.

And that was it! Game over!

Tallying up the victory points made the Good side a clear winner, but on closer inspection it was actually really close. If Radagast hadn't killed that last raider we would have been tied on domination victory points!

A run through the various locations at the end of the game:

Good side owns the treasure chest.

Good side holds the tomb.

Good side holds the well (that spearman was *just* out of contention range).

Evil holds the supply crates.

And evil holds the remnants of a previous battle cache.

So there you go, if Radagast hadn't killed that last raider and if that spearman had been slightly closer to the objective it would have gone a different way!

Great game, so many really close moments that could have tipped the balance. I very nearly lost the willow ent on numerous occasions, it was only through Radagast's heals and Leaf-fall's heroic combats that I kept him alive. Radagast was down to one wound, so if he had died or the willow had died it would have been a complete walkover victory for evil. I really love Radagast's line of sight rules, so very, very useful for both attack and defence!

Looking forward to the new rules when my good side monster army will become even MORE powerful. Of course, so will my trolls, so my evil side monster army will need another workout too =)

And stay tuned for my next project which I'll try and post about later today or maybe tomorrow.

Battle Report - Lords of Battle

Hey all! It's been a while but it was worth it (for me at least) as I got another High Distinction for another of my Masters subjects, hard work with not much time for gaming. I need at least a 5-6 hour block to get over to my brother's place, set up, play a game, pack up, get home and as you can imagine, with uni and a toddler it's not easy to manage!

Still, thanks for all your comments and emails etc. I hadn't quit or anything, was just busy!

I should mention that some of the rules may have changed in the rulebooks from the very first lord of the rings game. We are using the Mines of Moria rulebook. We've modified slightly so that the wargs this time will not get any bonuses for charging (they never should as they are not cavalry - some of you need to be mindful of this) but we won't play that they get knocked over by a charging horse (though a charging horseman still gets the bonus attack). Wild wargs are not cavalry! They will cost the same number of points as always.

Today our Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game is a modified "Lords of Battle" scenario. The old version was all about your commander, obviously we now have multiple heroes per side so it's not fair to restrict them =)

1 victory point for every wound or fate point a hero causes someone to lose.

1 victory point for scoring a wound on the enemy commander

3 victory points for killing the enemy commander

1 victory point if the enemy force is broken at the end of the game.

3 victory points if you are unbroken at the end of the game.

Special rules: every time one or more of your heroes is in a fight in which an enemy hero dies, one of your heroes who was in that fight regains a lost might point.

To end the game, when one force is broken roll a die, if it's a 1 the game ends. At the end of each subsequent turn the roll needed increases by 1.

So, for some fun we decided to play with a hill-fort. The ruins of an old fortress lies on a hill in the barren wasteland near Mordor. There are strategic points throughout the area, the fortress itself has a source of clear spring water via a well. 

700 points each (though we went slightly over to 712 so I could use all my wargs!)

The Betrayer has convinced Suladan that holding the area will be of vital importance and will personally give the Serpent King a powerbase in the area. Buhrdur, Druzhag and a whole lot of evil creatures believe that this area should be human-free.

The stage is set for an intense battle within the narrow confines of the fortress walls!

The Betrayer and his cadre of archers feel the ground tremble and peer over the walls to see the heads of three trolls bearing down towards them!

Suladan and his raiders sweep around the fortress walls to ensure that the perimeter is clear...

Which, of course, it is not! A wild warg chieftain leads a band of wargs looking for horse-flesh to sate their hunger.

To battle (priority creatures)! One of Buhrdur's "pet" wargs bounds into the room full of archers to stop them from peppering his master. The Betrayer points his sword at the creature, dark, sibilant voice flowing from the dark space under his turban. The warg is transfixed and the haradrim troops swarm over it, smashing it down with their bows and slashing it's throat. 

Druzhag calls out in a gutteral, goblinoid voice and the green spider's eyes turn from their usual yellow to a bulging red as it's joints creak and power oozes from it as it is enraged by the spell. Leaping, chittering towards the Hasharin nearby it stabs and slashes with razor-sharp fangs and abdominal spike. The Hasharin is beaten back, three punctures in his cloak - somehow fate is on his side and the spider has hit concealed weapons next to the evil man's body rather than drawing any blood. (Three wounds and all were saved by fate! His luck must be continuing from the previous game!) The spider itself suffers an internal rupture, a wound caused by the spell's power in its body.

At the end of the turn there is already melee happening - we love these new rules, so fast to get into action and so much adventure with more captains and warbands.

Turn 2 (priority creatures) and Buhrdur's towering form strides into the central chamber. No fewer than five evil men strike out at the beast, but his massive sword sweeps around in a mighty arc and two men fall decapitated, too slow to duck. (One point of might and two kills for a hero, so Creatures: 2, Haradrim: 0)

Behind this fight a brown spider pops over the wall, only to be transfixed by The Betrayer! Somehow the spider still manages to avoid being slain, taking one wound from a spear in the thorax, green ichor spurting from the crack.

Outside the clashing sounds are dimmed by the walls as the two fast moving warbands near each other, growls from the wargs, thumping from the hoofs...

Druzhag has enraged the green spider again and this time it bodily smashes into the Hasharin, bearing the man to the ground and sinking it's huge fangs into his neck. Just as he dies the spider also thrashes around, tearing the human's body even further before it curls up dead - the effects of the spell rupturing more internal organs and leaving the Hasharin torn and covered with ichor.

The other two trolls fight in the corridors outside the central room. The spear wielding troll almost impales the Hasharin before it, but fate is with the man and no blood is lost as the tines of the spear pin his arm to the wall, but fail to draw blood!

The troll with the hammer finds it hard to swing the mighty weapon in the confines of the corridor and the human spears jab at its body, though the tough folds of skin are not scratched by the sharpened metal.

At the end of the turn the frenzy in the middle is about to be joined by the clash of the creatures and horse-men outside.

I took some shots before we started the turn just to show how cool the fortress was, it was really fun playing in such different terrain, though I fear it was to my advantage with the trolls being so tough. See the spiders lurking near the walls, ready to climb over! (Another advantage to me, I think, though I guess they're worth lots of points!)

And here's a low angle view, just a few trolls loom over the walls!

Turn 3 and priority goes to the Haradrim. Buhrdur again faces four men, who have bravely overcome their fears to engage him (passing courage tests) but the colossal sword flashes in a 180 degree arc of death and bisects another two men, splashing red entrails over the supporting spearmen. (Creatures: 4, Haradrim: 0)

The brown spider wins its fight against another group of four men and stings one man, the puncture wound from the massive spider tears his guts out, while slashing and biting the face from another, eight legs swarming over the poor human.

Druzhag casts his enraging spell on one of his bat swarms and follows it into assault against a spearman, the bats fly through the air, each one taking a chunk of man-flesh with it before Druzhag's sharp-tipped staff spears into the poor man's chest as he flails wildly at the bat swarm. (Creatures: 5, Haradrim: 0)

He dies screaming as does the man behind him, where a giant orange spider has leapt out from the walls of the ruins. Although the spears fend off the eight-fold attack, one tiny nick from a spider fang quickly pulses red, then purple, then green and the swift-acting poison causes the human who was bitten to scream in pain as his heart literally bursts from pumping toxic blood.

You can also see in this picture more spiders lurking...

And here's some aerial photography, perhaps taken from a passing Great Eagle?

Suladan's warband charges into the wargs! Suladan himself rears his horse back, kicking a warg in the head before he lunges down and slashes open it's jugular with his sword. (Creatures: 5, Haradrim: 1)

Nearby another of his raiders takes on the wild warg chieftain and another warg! The brave man deftly manoeuvres his steed and spears down to kill the warg while avoiding the claws of the chieftain!

The Betrayer again casts his evil magic, this time on the troll with the spear - transfixing the great monster! The nearby Hasharin unpins himself and with a backflip he swings his swords around, causing two massive wounds in the troll, blood spraying out onto the walls. (Creatures: 5, Haradrim: 3) 

The troll with the hammer is again hampered by the close confines of the walls and wins his fight, though cannot swing quickly enough to take out the faster moving humans.

The eagle's eye view shows how tightly packed the action is today!

Turn 4, priority creatures! Buhrdur has finally cleared a path to The Betrayer, but wait! The Betrayer goes for a Heroic Move, Buhrdur counters with one of his own, the tiebreaker goes to... The Betrayer thanks to his pact with the dark power of Sauron. With one flippant gesture and a muttering of black speech that makes the air turn cold he transfixes the spear wielding troll and rides away from the central room, leaving the brave haradrim there to face the angry troll!


Aforementioned angry troll uses his last few points of might to wade forward into three humans, he kicks one into the wall, shattering his spine, then sweeps the gargantuan sword (which is longer than the men are tall) through two others, the room is now covered in blood and gore. (Creatures: 8, Haradrim: 3.)

The brown spider in the room also launches into some of the men, eight legs, massive fangs and deadly stinger are almost matched by the martial prowess of the haradrim... almost - two more humans are slain by the arachnid in a messy gorefest of poison and stabbing. (So lucky, the spider won on a tie!)


The purple spider is beaten back after squeezing it's massive bulk through a window and attacking two men, one spear punctures the creature, spraying green oozing ichor across the walls.

In the corridor originally occupied by a Hasharin and his warband, the spiders are mopping up, clambering over walls to strike with lightning fast poisonous fangs and skittering legs. The orange spider takes out one human, while in the background...


Druzhag and his two accompanying bat swarms finish off the last human in the corridor, clubbing the man to death with his dwarf-skull staff while the bats swarm around, blinding the doomed spearman. (Creatures: 9, Haradrim: 3.)

The Hasharin, poisoned blade spinning, easily finishes off the transfixed troll, the massive beast toppling to the ground and shaking the rickety old walls. (Creatures: 9, Haradrim: 4.)

Suladan also called a heroic move... Charging into two wild wargs while his companions also spurred their horses on into the fray, in total four wargs are brought crashing to the ground! (Creatures: 9, Haradrim: 6.)

The hammer troll, hearing the ominous thump of his companion, finally works out how to swing the hammer in the narrow confines of the corridor and smashes a human to a bloody pulp on the rough stone ground.

The wild warg chieftain, with so many of his pack killed by the Haradrim raiders, savages one of them himself, leaping into the human and bringing him and his horse down, tearing the throat out of the man as he does so. (Creatures: 10, Haradrim: 6.)

At the end of Turn 4 the wargs have taken heavy casualties, but so have the humans in the ruins! The Haradrim have broken (Creatures: 11, Haradrim 6) but the game continues on...

Turn 5: priority to the creatures (four times out of 5!).


The Betrayer rides around the ruins to get a look at the hammer wielding troll and transfixes it, though it's tough, rock-hard skin manages to be impervious to the blades thrust at it.

Buhrdur charges across the room to slay another spearman, while the lucky bowman ducks under the colossal sword (Creatures: 12, Haradrim 6). The spiders lurk near windows this turn, waiting to pounce on the next (if there is one!)

Here's a shot that I thought was pretty cool of the yellow spider...

Suladan calls another heroic move and spurs his horse into another two wild wargs!

And shortly thereafter are two dead wargs enough to break the creature force (Creatures: 11, Haradrim 9)! Suladan rides on with his nearby banner bearer proudly waving the flag!

The wild warg chieftain pounces towards a spearman...

Is then charged by two other horsemen... but ravages through them, turning, leaping, snarling, biting and clawing until two are brought down dead (Creatures: 13, Haradrim 9)! The last of his pack falls nearby to another raider, warspear jutting from it's snarling muzzle.

At the end of turn 5 the die is cast... game over! The Creature army wins with 13 victory points to the Haradrim army's 9 points.

Gratuitous bat-shot...

And here we have a shot of the losing army. Suladan is particularly disappointed as he was about to clear out the last of the warg chieftain's pack (and probably the chieftain too!) and with the Hasharin about to strike a transfixed cave troll there were plenty of points on the next turn that could have turned the tables on the scores in an instant! Oh well (I say), what a pity =)

The winners pose proudly for the camera, having secured some loot after the battle! Buhrdur stands even taller than usual, having made up this game for his pitiful attempt last game. Druzhag (or his enrage beast spell) also did well, enraged creatures are truly scary to face! The spiders also did not disappoint this game, probably the first time I've been happy with them as their low defence means that when you lose a fight you die really quickly. This time they won fights and their multiple poisonous attacks worked a treat!

I've gotta say that although I won, I think the battlefield probably was in my favour for this match. With flyers and spiders that could just crawl over walls and trolls that were mostly only fighting a few guys at a time in the narrow corridors I think it was probably to my advantage.


Still, it was really great fun to play in such a different setting, the hill fort looked fantastic to play in, I hope the pictures do it some sort of justice. So much more fun than those games that have just three or four terrain pieces! At least, we think so!


At only five turns, this was a short, sharp, brutal battle that was over fairly quickly - again thanks to the new rules with the close deployment options. 


If you haven't played with the warband system and new scenarios on a terrain heavy board before, why not give it a try? 


Hopefully I'll get some more games in before my next semester starts, so keep your eyes out =)