Our First Game of The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game.

Hey Everyone, we did get in our game last weekend, in fact we got in two games, but Ill post the first one up and I’m waiting on the reports by each side to add the follow up and conclusion.

It kind of turned into a little story for both players, which you will see how it unfolds in the second game (I don’t want to spoil the end of this or give anything away on the second game).

Our first game was 150 points a side.  I added a couple house rules, but for the most part it was the basic game in the Fellowship of the Ring book.  I did allow them to use the might points for their hero’s and the house rule I used was for courage.  Since both players were new I gave them a set number and their forces would retreat.  If the Mordor Orcs lost 13 troops they had to run away.  If the men of Gondor lost 8 they had to run.

Another victory condition was if two of the Orcs solely occupied the stronghold then the men would fall back toward friendlies off the board.  The Orcs also only had 12 turns because by then the Gondorian Cavalry would show up and over run what was left of the Orcs.

So the scenario was set, a Mordor Orc band was attacking a old stronghold that guards a grain tower.

Game was played on a 4×2 area and this is the roster listed in a previous post (changed a bit, the Orc captain didn’t want any bows).

1 Gondor Captain w/shield & armor
8 Warriors w/shields
4 Warriors w/bows

1 Orc Captain w/shield
15 Orc’s Warriors with Shields
3 Orc’s Warriors

So anyway, here are some pictures, Ill add a few comments on the flow of the game and at the very end I highly recommend you read the Orc Captains report (my son Jared) and the Gondorian report (my friend Nate) to see how they each pictured the battle.

This is the opening set up, you cant see two of the men of Gondor are inside the stronghold.

Lord of the Rings Game Setup

It took a couple of turns, but the Orcs charged straight toward the line of Gondor.  A few Orcs got hung up by the stone wall the right of the picture.  You can see the Captain and 3 Warriors getting ready to take their stand on the left flank.  Men have moved up to protect the objective, the Stronghold as Mordor Orcs start to swarm the steps leading up the entrance.

Orc and Gondor Lines About to Clash

Close up of the Orc captain as he starts to assault the stronghold.  Casualties for both sides at this point have been fairly even and fairly light, but things would heat up in just a bit.

Mordor Orcs Attack the Gondor Stronghold

Here is another shot showing the full line, Gondor lost a warrior on their far left, and the Orcs are starting to swarm the captain and the lone warrior as Gondor tries to move and rally toward the stronghold.  The archers managed to pick off a few, but they needed to get a few more to help that left flank.

Full Battle Lines of Gondor and Mordor

A couple more turns into it; the captain has been doing his best to hold the left flank of Gondor, but the Orcs just keep coming.  Even the archers are getting thrown into the skirmish now to try and help turn the tide as the horde of Orcs continues to slam into Gondor’s defenses.

Fighting Continues between Orcs and Men

Things are starting to get tight for Gondor, they an only loose a couple more warriors before hope will flee the hearts of men.  Will the men of Gondor turn back the Mordor Orc horde?

The Morale of Men is Starting to Waiver

Alas!  After a very valiant effort, striking down Orc after Orc the lone captain is overwhelmed and men up on the stronghold see their captain go down as the last defender on the left flank.  I must say, he did fight off numerous turns of 2 and 3-1, but 6-1 finally did him in.

The Gondor Captain Goes Down!

Here is the final turn, you can see the Orcs on the far right continue to move around and the few Gondor defenders finally break and try and flee.  Orcs win the field today.

Mordor Orcs Win the Day.

We all had a great time, both players had fun and I helped teach the rules and keep the game moving.  Take a moment and read the reports by each flavor, they both tried to add a little drama to it.

Jaredock the Strong’s Battle Report

Lord Sauron, the battle at the Gondorian outpost and silo was a success! I looked out across the battle field and saw the Gondorians. They were ripe with fear! I decided to form a line in my troops and charge strait into the enemy. I figured that if I got two orcs into the outpost we would have victory. Unless I killed eight men, then they would flee in sheer terror from the power of Mordor. My retreating point was twelve orcs. We had a limited time. To do this for Gondorian cavalry was quickly heading our way.

As we started our charge our lines were cut into three sections: on the left was a small group of orcs including me. In the middle was a huge line of orcs and on the right was a small group of about three to six orcs. I knew we could use this to our advantage it gave me a plan. My group would head for the outpost while the middle group would take on as many Gondorians as possible. Once the group on the right got through all the rough terrain, they would come charging through the men, hook back up with the middle group, and come back to me. My plan worked and we managed to surround and kill the captain.

Nate’s report:

Sgt Vass escaped from the orcs while they slaughtered the captives.

This is my report to captain Valnok of the 2nd command.  Our company was lead by young captain Bask, a very young captain and inexperienced.

He made one very critical mistake; he set his men to far away from the command post, leaving only two men to protect it.  The orcs caught us off guard even though we had received a dispatch they were in the area.  The captain just didn’t have the experience to see what was coming.

The orcs attacked in a straight battle line, with their commander leading the attack. Their right end of the line attacked our flank.  Our archers hit them as they advanced; only killing a few.  It gave our men a morale boost; I could hear their cheers across the battlefield.

The sun was hot, and the air was heavy, it had not rained in a while, and orcs smell even worse when it is hot.

As the battle continued we moved to try and protect the command post.  The captain held them at bay for a while, but I personally saw him collapse.  He knew he made a mistake, and he protected his men with his life.

There were just too many orcs, and we kept getting pushed back and killed one by one.

Thanks for checking out the post, feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you think.   Till next time, may your dice come up sixes (at least if youre playing Lord of the Rings)