Battle Report - Middle Earth Isengard Vs the Mighty Ents #MESBG

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been a bit busy recently with things so it's been about 3 weeks since I last rocked up at Otty's shed for some game time. After some suggestions that a change in venue is forthcoming it would seem like he's started, but more on that at the end. In the mean time Liam from Blue Warp Studios is continuing his unofficial one man challenge of painting every Middle Earth faction! I mean he's also muscling in on my Dark Angel territory, but they're not the only children of the forest he's been working on - he has Ents! A couple of the characters and kitbashes and then a week or two slap-chopping and flocking them and here were are. He and Ben teamed up with the trees while Otty and I went Isengard. Don't ask me what mission, I wasn't paying attention! But half your army is within a 6" strip on one side of the centre, the other half is in the 6" strip on your board edge and vice versa. This is partway through turn 1 where I'd deployed my orc scouts and crossbows thinking Liam might split his force and not get a turn 2 charge on the Ballista - my tree-killing 'ace in the hole'. It turns out he didn't split his force, or even bother with the Ballista - just went from my scouts.

The Ballista managed to hit, avoid the inbetween and actually hit Treebeard, rather than scatter onto the other character Beechbone. Ultimately I had to use the Ballista captain's Might point to get the wound off. But then the trees just started stomping on Orcs.

The other three surged up the battlefield, thanks to Quickbeam calling a March. He's 'fast' with an 8" move but he was moving 11", with the two other trees marching 9". They'd be in my lines next turn. 

And as you can see there's a lot less there now. It didn't help that Merry and Pippin actually killed an Orc throwing stones at them. Otty is his bringing his force into the mix, but the Ballista couldn't hit a barn door after it's initial promise. W got lucky and won a duel against Treebeard, who was trapped and we started to do damage, but by using all his fate and might he was still alive on 1 wound.

Our casualties started to pile up, made even worse by the amended Demolition Charge rules. It transpires you can only set it off, if you're in range of two enemy models. Otty just couldn't position them in such a way to set it off without putting the team in danger of being charged before they could. It was mightily underwhelming, almost as bad as the Ballista. 

But we pressed on and thanks to repeatedly trapping the trees some crossbow and scout orcs managed to fell Beechbone "TIMBER!" Yes, they then neatly stacked him into a woodpile. 

A turn later and Quickbeam also succumbed. Now you may get the impression we were turning the tide. and on paper perhaps we'd made a comeback. We were 1 point behind, and if we killed Treebeard, who only had 1 wound left, we'd be 2 in front. But the Orcs were broken, the Demolition Team dead and the hail Mary, of shooting the Ballista at Treebeard, which hit, but had an 'in the way' for the Demo Charge... but hoping it would set it off - wound 4+ and explode on a 6. We wounded the charge on a 6 and got a 5 to explode! No joy.

We continued on way past sensible o'clock, but it was such a great game. Our dice were shocking. Ben's rolling was obscene. Any time he needed a 6 he got one. Every duel I had with him if he rolled first he got max 5 and my roll would be max 5, meaning he would win the duel thanks to the Ents having a higher fight value. Even when Otty did win a duel we couldn't convert. The two dead Ents were anomalies rather strategic wins. But we had so much fun, I'd say it was a blast, but that brings up bad memories of the Demo Charge. I can't see that in Otty's lists in future. 

Here's a few more pics of Liam's Ents. There are a couple more to make the full list.

And lastly, Otty has been busy extending the decking around his summer house. The gaming shed is currently  up past the bush at the back and we're walking on his grass which can be a bit messy. The shed itself is having its roof removed to reuse the wood in a larger structure, with the current shed becoming Otty and his wife's workshop. It's all going to be mighty epic in the end.

Battle Report - Middle Earth #MESBG

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been playing games again but sadly, although I've taken many pictures of the games I haven't found the time to write them up and so most of them are somewhat redundant. It also meant that when I had a game of MESBG recently I didn't take as many pics and then I was compelled to actually write it up so we'll make do. Otty is still buzzing from his Double's tournament at Warhammer World where he even got to play against Adam Troke. I played against his Moria army, with a Dweller and a Balrog the other week and it was hard going, this time I got to be the goblins and he had a large force of Rohirrim, with Théoden leading them. We were playing the Relic mission, where there are 6 objectives and if you end your turn next to them on six on a D6 it is the relic and you have to hold onto it until the game ends. However, it's a cursed item of power and you can become transfixed by it. On top of that it was maelstrom deployment - each of your army's warbands arrives randomly, or not at all, from board edges via dice roll. Otty won priority, he brought one warband on from the east, one from the west, the one from the south [the top middle] and his last warband didn't turn up. His cavalry picked up the banner objective on the left to inspect it, rolled a 6 and found the relic instantly! Which made my deployment somewhat easier. I got to deploy the Balrog force to the South, in an attempt to cut off the inevitable desperate escape the horse lords would attempt now they had my cursed banner. I also brought my Dweller on from the left, to shadow his force. I'm much less mobile so my Warg Marauder was the great grey hope... Unfortunately my last warband, led by Durbûrz, rolled a 1 to arrive, so didn't. I could have used Might points to increase the roll, but 1 or 2 points would have meant Otty getting to choose, which would be totally isolated. Using all Durbûrz's 3 Might points would have got me on north or south but that's all his resources so I left them off.

Next turn and I lose priority, we both try Heroic moves and I think I won so I managed to trap some of his force but forgot Grôblog has to move first and he was effectively surrounded by goblins so I couldn't move far enough to snag the banner, which promptly scampered off. The rest of Otty's Elfhelm warband went on to surround Grôblog. His final Warband arrived and came on in the top left corner to try and take my Balrog's force, but too far away.

My Balrog moved forward but it's only got a 6" move and the goblins 5" so it was wishful thinking. The Balrog has an 8" flaming whip attack, which killed a Royal guard but that was it. Durbûrz rolled a 2 for deployment, which meant Otty could deploy him, but I spent 2 Might to make it a 4 and bring him on from the south [top of the board]. I was hoping to scuttle between his middle warband and the one in the top right [out of shot]. Unfortunately the gap between them was 12-13" so they would be charged from either side next turn. So I moved them more towards the middle so if they did get charged it would be by only one warband, and it would pull them away from the Balrog. It worked, the next turn Theoden charged me, but also got the Warg Marauder too, which gave the banner chance to move further out of reach. Eventually my Marauder from the left caught two of the body guards but couldn't kill them.

However, the dweller caught one and Balrog caught the other which allowed the Marauder to slip between them and chase down the fleeing rider with the banner, who had not succumbed to its accursed powers so far.

Meanwhile Elflhelm decimated Grôblog and his warband was down to slim pickings at this stage.

Similarly my southern force was now caught between two of his warbands and Durbûrz was surrounded. I think I had one last chance for my Marauder to killer the rider with the relic, failed and with Otty getting the next turn's priority he would tie him up with infantry and the rider would make for the borders. A loss, but such a good game.

I'm not sure I've had a bad game of MESBG and despite some frustrations, cursed dice rolls and a loss as the dust settles it felt like such a cinematic game. Discovering the banner from the very beginning and racing it across the field as flaming demons stomped from the sides and behind was epic. Now Otty did say it wasn't a banner they found but Grôblog's Mithril crown, as he failed every chance to make his fight better for the warband around him but either way that race to escpae the board was awesome. I had some last ditch chances, some Marauder archers trying to pick him off long range and catching up with him right at the end but Moria just didn't have the pace.

Anyway, I love this game and I felt compelled to share it because the fact I can't get behind 10th edition 40k shouldn't overshadow then genuine hobby joy I'm getting from other game systems. It's disappointing I'm not getting the best out of the myriad of painted 40k figures I have, but it's a small price to pay for the pleasure and fun we're having at Otty's shed.

Not Battle Reports - Middle Earth Strategy Battle Games

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been playing games again, in fact a fair few but I haven't shared them with you because they take too long to write to so I struggle to fit them in rather than do the hobby, blog about the hobby or play the actual games. What I have here are three games of #MESBG, I'm not sure I can relay what happened but if I can convey just some of the joy I got from these games it's all that really matters. 

Otty and Ben are going to a MESBG doubles tournament at Warhammer World so Liam and I have been 'sparring' with them so they can familiarise themselves with the rules more and also help fine tune their army list.

Ben may have been absent for this game, so Otty's son subbed in. The rules have you in control of one half of the army and I had this half with a much feared dweller in the dark.

Otty's Moria Goblins had loads of Warg Marauders for speed and durability.

Liam charged forward with his Orcs, a lot faster than the Goblins I had, which I tried to use the rocks to hide behind. 

We were all trying to get the objective in the centre, behind the picket fence, which gave me an idea.

I put the Dweller in the picket, his bulk meaning no one could get into the area, unless they climbed over the fence - so I had the objective...

Or so I thought, the mission actually stated it was a 6" area and the player with the most in was the winner. I had assumed it was a 3" area and blocked off access to it. All I ended up doing was trapping my own monstrous creature who did nothing for the entire game - much to everyone's amusement. We got royally trounced thanks to this cock-up.

If I'm honest, I have no recollection of this game whatsoever, which is why these aren't battle reports.

I think I vaguely remember Otty being exceptionally lucky with his dice rolls, because I think the next time we played [Turnip28] he continued to roll hot.

But it didn't matter that I lost again, I had been having so much fun just playing and once again realising - not my figures, not my problem if I lose.

Ultimately I'm seeing my role as helping Otty get better, so if I win or lose it doesn't matter - being a good friend and having fun does!

This time we got all four of us to play, but Otty went with me and Liam partnered with Ben running Rohirrim and Gondor. I wasn't sure on the logic of this as Ben needs to get familiar with the Goblins rather than his own Gondorian warband. But they did pretty well by focusing on Otty's side of the battlefield.

It was a mission where the heroes had to rack up kills, Which meant Otty's Goblin Shaman and my Durbûrz were at something of a disadvantage to Liam's mounted Theodred.

He just seemed to slice through the Goblins and there was only one drama where Otty managed to shoot into combat, avoid numerous 'in the ways', hit Theodred's horse a couple of times and almost kill it, if not for some special rule that allowed Theodred to escape being unhorsed.

The game carried on with Otty's half getting decimated an my half out of position, struggling to join the fray, my Dweller once again doing almost nothing, again to everyone's amusement. Throw in the fact that Liam's dice were on fire - almost any time he needed a 6 it would magically appear to ensure he won a duel or kept somebody alive. Otty couldn't believe it, I was hysterically laughing. Genuinely one of the best night's gaming I'd had in ages. Doubles makes it so much better.

Battle Report - Middle Earth Battle Companies - Baggage Train

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity - I've been playing #MESBG [Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game] again at Otty's. I appreciate this is rapidly making a mockery of blogs title of 40kaddict but I go where the fun is. This was an exciting game against Liam's Elves, We rolled the baggage train where I had 5 'pack horses' along my [southern] board edge. My aim was to have 3 pieces of cargo at the end of the game. I also got an influence point for each item moving off the board. Liam had to kill a pack train and steal it's cargo and then escape on the northern board edge.

Now we read the rules quite a few times as it felt like the victory conditions were the wrong way round. I just had to hold onto the cargo, but that promise of extra influence points was mighty tempting. So I headed off to the right side to try to make for the trees and cover

Unfortunately Liam's Elf bowmen had range, accuracy and proper deadly. I soon realised the long march up the board needed more cover.

So, I started to sneak behind the trees and then took full advantage of the slightly larger than your average pack horse - wagons and cattle to hide some of my units behind them. 

Liam could see me heading to the northeast board edge so reposition to cut me off. But my convoy continued on and I was beginning to struggle with congestion in some areas but still used the wagons for cover.

Things are beginning to get tense now, Liam closed off my escape and managed to get his foot troops and archers into the woods too. Priority is going to ne essential.

I move further up, with my cattle hoping to sneak off down the flank, the other items still as obstacles he has to get round, or kill. I have to say my heart was pounding at this stage. Numerous turns building up to this point.

I'm guessing I lost priority as it's all kicking off now. My pack train was both a boon and a curse, getting in the way, blocking charges but also trapping some of my own models. Sadly I missed a picture before this. I was in a very lucky position where the troll managed to pick up a knight on his horse and hurl it 6" through a wagon a 3 other infantry. Each warrior he hit managed to avoid injury but one of them clipped the knight as he crashed into them and he was injured in the final sprawl as he landed. It was an epic moment.

But Liam had quality fighters in his warband and started to pick off my Goblins, while my own success dwindled after the mighty thrown cavalry. He'd also misunderstood his objective in killing the back train and taking the cargo, so quickly set about destroying wagons and my herd of pigs But I think he was too bloodthirsty in his zeal and may have tipped me into 25%. I'd lost my force but I think I'd won the game. I still had 3 pieces of cargo and Liam had failed to steal those he'd taken from the damaged train.

A really tense and exciting game, plenty of suspense leading up to the first clash of battle. The combat itself was challenging and I was lucky with the outcome, but the victory conditions were really confusing, certainly moreso for me in control of the pack train and it didn't help that Liam hadn't understood he had to kill/destroy each pack horse and then steal away it's cargo. I'm sure he'll play it differently next time.

And there we have the map, I've started to make inroads to Scott's domain in the south. I'd thought to make a buffer between My red hexes of Moria and Lothlorien and Otty's green hexes, but thought if I'd put the marker I used in the south there Otty my see it as aggression. Instead he took those hexes and now I have him breathing down my door. That's what happens when you don't play to your faction!

NOT Battle Reports - Middle Earth Battle Companies - 2 battles

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity - I've been playing #MESBG [Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game] again at Otty's. I continue to take pictures of the games, but not always write the report soon after. This means these two games I had are really sketchy in my memory and not much of a report with so few images to remind me. 

First up though I was playing Recovery against Scott's Khandish [mainly] cavalry. This was a real disadvantage for me as there are 5 objective along the centre of the board. First to search an objective and find the sole relic hidden in one of them and escape the board wins. Scott's cavalry and chariot can all move 10", I just have two Wargs with that pace. Add in the fact I have massive hill between me and the objectives and I was going to struggle to win that race. It might have been more interesting to have swapped sides but it's moot now. I got priority and luckily my +1 and rerolls to climb tests at least got many of my Goblins to the op of the cliffs. Meanwhile my Troll went round the left flank and my Wargs the right.

I got the search the objective on the furthest right - no relic. Scott started on the left and then, like me, deduced it had been hidden by Liam and Otty in the centre objective, leaving that wagon right in the way of my Troll attempting to catch up with the warrior hot-footing it up the board with the loot. Somehow, one of my Goblin Archers picked him off from maximum range, dropping the little green relic, but another warrior was nearby to take up the prize. Meanwhile the rest of his army prepared to face down my Wargs emerging from the trees in the top right.

I came down from the hill, using the watchtower as cover. I may have searched the wagon to remove it as an obstacle, but the Troll managed to get past and perhaps squash on of the horsemen [or that's him next to the chariot], but it didn't look like I could catch the relic-bearer.

I vainly pushed on but I think it was just too far to catch up and I can't see any more Wargs. I think I lost this.

However, you can see my red pins I have quite an 'empire'. We started not from the yellow hexes, but I do have the Lake of Rhun, which means ever expansion phase, on a 4+ I get to secure an additional hex. Which I am going to try to use to my advantage. Also, having the Grey Havens means I can capture any coastal hex which might prove useful too.

I think the second game of the evening was Seize Ground against Otty's Rohirrim. I hadn't expected a second game as it was getting to 10:30 but he said it wouldn't take too long, I think I was there until 1:30am! Ordinarily I'd have knocked it on the head but this was one of the most tactical games I'd played so far 

As the mission was very similar to how 5th edition 40k used to play its objectives it was really cool to try to find ways to be sat on an objective just as the game ends. But the game only ends when a warband is broke. So, it's a finer window of success because who knows when that will happen? In 40k it was at the end of turn 5, unless the game carries on so you always had a clue when you had to be camped. Anyway, I was trying avoid his cavalry as much as possible, which is why my Wargs hid in the vegetable patch and I tried to put as much terrain between me and his more effective archers. I even hid behind a wizened old man objective in the bottom right - using him as a human shield! Very Goblinesque!

The hedge at the crossroad became a hugely strategic obstacle. It had stopped Otty from charging forward but having killed onw Warg with throwing spears he'd retreated and now it was slowing me getting to his horse warriors. Meanwhile his ghostly apparition [that randomly appears because he holds the Dead Marshes] held the strategic objective of a haystack.

I was able to advance up the centre of the board with my Troll, leaving the piggy objective in the crossroads unguarded. Otty sent the ghost to capture it but I sneakily managed to trap him, but not strong enough to despatch it back to the afterlife.

I think my Troll killed a Knight and a foot soldier, then stomped back to the crossroads while my Blackshield in the top right managed to engage with the remaining Knight and deny him the doggy objective.

Now, I'm not sure what happened in the end but I think I somehow managed to win this. I know Otty has the peasant objective in the top right and I still have bottom left, so that was one each. I think the knight in the top left might have been killed by the Blackshield, the middle objective was contested and the haystack unclaimed. I was absolutely knackered but really excited about how it was enjoyable for tactical reasons. I think I had been a little outclassed again but it felt like decisions I made, like surging my Blackshields towards the rangers in the top left forced Otty to change his tactics. 

Bearing in mind 4 of the objectives were in the top half of the board, only 1 in my half it was quite the slog for my slow moving gobbos. The Wargs are a useful addition for pace but it's a real challenge to get around, especially when you're up against cavalry and Otty, Liam and Scott are all using mounted troops, with increasing numbers in each. I think I need a third Warg to join the other two and definitely my Cave Troll is working well alongside the Blackshields. Once I've got those in place I might look to fill out more Goblins, I can take 20 models in my warband, rather than the usual maximum of 15. I'll see what my Influence points can get me after another Warg.