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.

Good Monsters vs Hasharin Trio - To The Death!

Well, thanks for your patience, my uni subject this semester was brutal and I used pretty much all my spare time on it.

But... finished my last assignment now and today was my first day off - what better way to spend it than brushing off the old miniatures and going to battle against my brother! A long overdue Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game Battle Report yay!

Remember you can click on images for a bigger version.

Anyway, off we go - I had an army of six. That's right, just six =) My Good-guy monster army. Three giant eagles, two ents and Radagast the Brown. The turns were fast and furious given how few combats there could be, so we were done much more quickly than usual (though it still took two hours with our photo taking and having forgotten so much in the last several months). We rolled a random scenario and got To The Death. Subtle.

775 points a side in the end, here's my army: Radagast the Brown, mounted on stag (just counts as a horse). Leaf-fall (counts as Treebeard), Shybark (ent), Barukshathur (counts as Gwaihir), Sky-Wolf (the down low eagle) and White-Beak (because I can't think of a good name for him).

My brother had plenty of guys to throw at me, 39 in fact. Here The Betrayer leads a force of mounted troops. In the background you can see a warband full of spearmen led by a Hasharin.

And here you can see another warband of archers in the foreground, led by a Hasharin.

And my brother borrowed the latest Hasharin I painted so that he had a warband full of Watchers of Karna led by him. That's right THREE Hasharin. Nasty stuff! With three attack dice and a re-roll in the event of a fail to wound, these guys are vicious! 

Turn 1 - Priority Harad.

Radagast casts the spell that gives him terror, so now every single one of my models has terror. During the course of the match we gave up counting how many men failed the tests to charge into combat =) Fortunately for my brother, with lots of spearmen he only had to get a few guys in and then back them up.

Leaf-fall is charged by two spearmen, his long arms smash through the men, sweeping them aside in a splintering of bones. Behind him White-Beak's razor sharp talons rend the flesh from another spearman, sending him out of the fight, on his other flank Sky-Wolf pounces down to tear the life from still another human, blood splashing over the ground.

Barukshathur is assailed by four Watchers of Karna and a blue-clad Hasharin, but the sweeping wings blast back the humans and two Watchers fall to the Great Eagle's flashing talons. Shybark is not accustomed to combat, and backs off in the face of two Watchers of Karna, the flashing blades dazzling him.

The raiders charge up the hill and through the ruins, heading towards the back of the massive creatures.

Turn 2: Priority Good.

The Betrayer falls back in the line of charging cavalry, sets his sights on White-Beak and transfixes the Great Eagle!

Magical energies befuddling the great beast, four spearmen press the attack, but fail to do more than ruffle some feathers. Apart from Radagast, all of my models had three wounds and 8 defence!

Leaf-fall strides forward, one massive foot slamming down and crushing the banner-bearer while a massively heavy branched arm swipes out and smashes another spearman into some nearby rocks. Using all his might he also strikes out at the Hasharin, who uses two fate to escape serious injury in a series of leaps and tumbles.

Here's an aerial view of some highly amusing combat. The dead men at the foot of the willow, Shy-bark, are there due to getting some arrows in their backs. The archers, urged on by the Hasharin nearby, fired at the ent, hitting multiple times, but not causing any wounds. Some of the shots were impeded by the soft flesh of their comrades. Ahhh, evil side armies. Barukshathur is assailed by a Watcher and the blue Hasharin. Radagast casts a spell and immobilises the blue Hasharin, the Giant Eagle is so focused on this that the Watcher momentarily escapes his notice and strikes - fate is not with the eagle and blood is spilt! Sky-Wolf pounces down, having swept across the battlefield to fell a Watcher.

Turn 3: Priority Good.

Charging to battle another evil man, Shy-bark lift his creaking arm high, only to have the human fall with an arrow in his throat. Turning in surprise another series of arrows thunk into the solid bark - one finds a particularly sensitive spot, causing a bellow of rage to escape from the normally placid ent. (Yes, my brother had to roll to hit, roll an "in the way" due to the Harad guy, then he rolled double sixes to get the wound!) Barakshathur is again beaten back, this time he concentrates on the Watcher who wounded him last turn, but the Hasharin slides in behind the Eagle and slices upwards, gashing the great beast. Radagast casts heal, but fails.

Sky-wolf, having flown across the battlefield again, is transfixed by The Betrayer! Even so, the spears of the Haradrim men cannot cause any damage. Leaf-fall again uses a point of might against the Hasharin and a spearman, fate is with the Hasharin again as he spins and ducks to avoid a mighty blow that instead pounds the spearman into the ground. White-beak swoops over the battlefield and dives down slashing, opening the throats of another two warriors.

Turn 4: Priority Haradrim.

The Betrayer points with his evil sword and summons a black dart, using some might he enforces his will and spears through the chest of the valiant Eagle, Sky-Wolf wounding it. 

White-Beak soars up and over the ruins before gliding and swooping in on the rear of the cavalry convoy, slaying two men who had failed their courage test to charge him!

Enraged by the sorcerous attack, the eagle redoubles its attacks on the nearby humans, they faced their fears and charged it, but their fears had been well founded and two more humans fall, blood and entrails messing up the ground. 

Shy-bark is beset upon by a Hasharin, his combat inexperience telling as the black-clad Hasharin beats him back, poison working even on the thick sappy blood of the ent, who takes another wound.

Barukshathur is healed by Radagast, the invigorating energy strengthening his attacks against the blue Hasharin and allowing him to score a devastating wound against the fast-moving human.

Turn 5: Priority Haradrim.

White-Beak continues his ravaging rampage against the horse-men, felling another two.

Radagast heals Shy-Bark who fends off the black-clad Hasharin but fails to wound the spry human (rolling his second triple-2 of the game!)

The Betrayer black-darts Sky-Wolf, wounding him as he attacks a spearman, the dart causing him to veer slightly and fail to injure the lucky human. Leaf-fall is solely focused on the purple-clad Hasharin now and no amount of acrobatic skill can fully protect the human, who takes a massive blow to his chest, cracking some ribs. 

Barukshathur savagely mauls the blue-clad Hasharin, but fate is on his side and all that happens is his cloaks get torn and shredded (two fate saves!)

Turn 6: Priority Good.

The Haradrim force has been broken and 5 humans run from the field.

White-beak fells yet another raider, almost single wingedly defeating the raider warband. Shy-bark is healed again by Radagast, but the invigoration fails to help him cause a mortal blow on either of the humans that are attacking him .

Two Hasharii and a Watcher of Karna gang up on Barukshathur, who falls beneath the multitude of blows (the last two dice of all the rolls are wounds - I thought I'd made it!)

Sky-Wolf takes out another spearman, dodging a black dart from The Betrayer, leaving only the purple Hasharin on that side of the battlefield. After an epic battle with the mighty ent, the Hasharin is the one who falls at the end. 

Turn 7: Priority Good.

Two more humans run, seeing one of the Hasharin fall.
Radagast heals Shybark again, who clobbers a Serpent Raider to the ground.

White-Beak, avenging his leader, takes on two Hasharii a Raider and a Watcher of Karna and sweeps the Hasharii back before killing the other two men.

Victory points are tallied - Victory Good!

It looked like a complete massacre from the battle report, but without Radagast's heals I would have lost three of my monsters! That would have made for a VERY different game if that had happened. 

Here are some of the shots that I thought added to the fun:

Friendly fire view:

As my brother said, he killed three of his own men (about 18 points worth) to do a wound to an ent (arguably about 40 points worth!)

At one point The Betrayer and Radagast eyed one another off...

The Betrayer missed one spell, a Black Dart that would have killed Sky-Wolf. Radagast didn't appear to contribute much until I added up all the wounds he'd healed!

The remnants of the Evil squad:

The victors!

Sorry for the relative brevity of the descriptions, but although my study is finished, my almost 2 year old isn't =)

Looking VERY forward to playing some more battles over the Christmas break!