Not a Battle Report - Middle Earth Battle Strategy Game - Charge of the Rohirrim

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been playing #MESBG again. I genuinely wish I had more time and was more organised. It frustrates me that I can't get these battle reports properly recorded but they just take too long. Even if it was just for my own records it would appease my tortured soul. Instead you'll get some photos I'm compelled to share with limited context, uderming any effort to bother going through them!

Anyway, Otty and I decided to play the Charge of the Rohirrim from the Two Towers a few weeks back. He's been playing this scenario a lot, adding elements to both factions to create a more film accurate game, but still keep some balance between the two factions. I ended up with the Rohirrim and he was the Uruk Hai.

I think you can guess how the first few images are going to look. The Horse Lords move forward, closing the gap. He has no ranged weaponry, while I have bows and some throwing spears. With no terrain to worry about this comes down to positioning, judging distances, who gets turn priority and then how you go about taking advantage of heroic moves, combat and charge tactics.

Otty moved the Uruk Hai forward, soI was probably within firing range here and started to take some pot-shots with my archers. 

I then decided to move over to the right flank, forcing Otty to make decisions about what to do.

His line shrank back and started to condense into the top right corner. I kept out of charge range, but in throwing spear range while a group of archers halted their charge to take aimed shots at the orcs as they fell back. I wanted Gandalf to sorcerous blast one of the Uruk Hai off the board, but we couldn't find if it was possible in the rules. 😔

As I reformed, Otty fell back to the edge of the battlefield, which put me out of range for my throwing spears.

But what arrows did find their mark were true and 8 Uruk Hai were slain before our lines had even met.

More repositioning, I was convinced that corralling him into this corner was going to allow me apply overwhelming force when they charged in.

Charge!

Unfortunately I misjudged the charge and only half my force made it into the Uruk Hai to take advantage of Gandalf's blinding light.

After my dice had been running hot there was a sudden swing in fortune and Otty managed to bring down quite a few horse and riders. He was even able to reach my back line.

I reformed and charged again but the forces of evil started to swamp my cavalry.

Otty's dice rolling was brutal, with his banners being particularly effective about bringing about changes to the outcome of our combats.

At this stage I think I was broken and Gandalf was consigned to skirting the background rallying the troops so they didn't run away but the outcome was almost inevitable now.

The slow demise of the great horse lords

A few Uruk Hai fall, but more Rohirrim run for the hills. Going...

...going...

...gone! Eomer falls and with the second character gone I lose the game.

It's amazing how much fun I can have from a game I have no 'investment' in. That seems misleading as I've bought Moria Goblins, but I mean this is a random scenario, these aren't my figures, I've not brought them with me. It's just freeing to see what happens. If I lose I don't feel bad, if I win I don't feel amazing - it's just the experience and admittedly it's random dice roles that define the outcome but it's those outcomes that create the drama and humour. I love it to bits I just wish 40k  was so straightforward and engaging, because I've invested so much in that.

Not a Battle Report - Bolt Action

We've had mixed opportunity to game recently. Liam has been laid up with a bad back so we've been role-playing Cyberpunk on Zoom, which means finding time to get to Otty's shed can be challenging. However, a few weeks back Ben went for a game of Bolt Action and I gate-crashed for the social aspect. So not a battle report, even if I ended up being co-opted to draw the action dice from the bag and roll a few actual dice [which Ben swiftly regretted].

The thing about Bolt Action is it looks awesome, just like scenes from a film and choosing those action/order dice is a great mechanic for activating units.

It might be a random element that makes things unknown but I like it.

My dice rolling was appalling in places, but as it wasn't my army I just got to laugh as things fell apart.

That German tank just failed to do any damage to the rather feeble, but surprisingly resilient opposite number.

Otty did such a good job painting these, so effective, I'd probably go insane doing something in this scale.

Ben somehow managed to throw it all away in the end, failing to hold onto the objectives that were all practically within his deployment zone.

He'd been far too reserved, which allowed them to be snatched out from under him. They have a corkboard campaign map on the wall, so all these few and far between battles do actually contribute to a long-term campaign. It's really cool. I won't be starting it up but I do enjoy dipping into it with such good figures, boards and passionate players who are well versed in the history for context.

Terrain is everything - Munitorum containers - White pics

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Munitorum Containers and they are TO DONE! Here's the last two, on a white backgroudn with some close-ups to get a feel for everything.

One of the delays was that I had wanted some of these triangular decals from the old Space Marine Vehicle decal sheet.

 I'd arbitrarily decided that the yellow arrow down and red arrow up needed to be on everything but there are less yellow arrows. Liam had some but because he's had a bad back for so long I hadn't been able to meet up and collect them so I just decided to freehand the yellow ones [don't tell him 😉]. 

Now they may not be perfect but the red ones developed the dreaded decal halo, despite my usual prep-work that avoids this! But I'm pleased with the results. It might just be a simple triangle but it's quite hard to do when you have a perfect one next to it. And yes, it does look like the varnish has gone a bit frosty, but I think that just emphasised because of overexposure and zoomed in. 

It's much better elsewhere and in real life.

I painted the yellow arrows here too.

Big numbers always look cool - FACT! These colours match my Genestealer Cult.

Hence the warning propaganda - used by those it targets to hide their very nature! Sneaky... 

And the turquoise one with it's functioning doors. I probably wouldn't do that again but at least one warranted the experiment.

A lot of sepia wash to get the weathered look.

And all 4 in situ.

Terrain is everything - Munitorum containers - TO DONE!

Afternoon #WarHamFam and #WarhammerCommunity I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Munitorum Containers and they are TO DONE! Not just the white and orange container, but the turquoise and red.

I added some propaganda poster too just for a little more detailing.

Some arbitrary numbers as well, they always add some level of authenticity.

All four of my containers together, when I'll ever use them in a game is debatable but they worked out for my #ArmiesOnParade and I'm sure they will be useful in the role in the future.

Sure, the weathering is a bit OTT but they're consistent in execution if completely different in colours. Arguably the level of weathering does not need to be consistent at all as the very nature of these container would be that there is no guarantee they have been subjected to the same conditions.

Should I ever do anymore, I will probably consider a different level of weathering and change the pattern. Perhaps a horizontal stripe or some chevrons? But plenty of other things to do before I get more of these, especially when I already have plenty of my own containers already.

And with that a GREAT Big RUSTY Stamp of Approval. Although it might deserve two, one for each 😉!