Announcing TMAT's THRO 2016 - Battle for the Mark!

Good morning gamers,

It is my great pleasure to announce the fifth annual THRO tournament! The purpose of this tournament, like previous THROs, is to try new things and (and less on gaining prestige). The tournament will be held at Patrick Henry College on November 12, 2016. For this year's tournament, we're experimenting with a few new things: smaller lists, basically one scenario type, and limited army choices. Without further ado, here are (in my typical style) the Ten Commandments of the Tournament (Rules):

1) Thou Shalt Understand The Canon

The ruleset from the One Rulebook (ORB) and warbands sourcebooks will preside over this tournament, as well as the "House Rules" section on the TMAT website. Errata and FAQs on the GW website for the sourcebooks and rulebooks (both the ORB and the new Hobbit rulebook) will apply, so far as they explain the sources above or explain scenario scoring rules. When in doubt, the ORB reigns supreme.

2) Thou Shalt Honor Thy Alliance

This years tournament is themed "Battle for the Mark" - half of the participants in this tournament will play on the side of "Rohan." Available army lists include:

• Legions - Theoden's Hosts;
• Legions - Lothlorien (may only take Haldir (Defender of Helm's Deep version only), Rumil, and Galadhrim Captains as heroes; may only take Galadhrim Warriors as warriors);
• Legions - Fangorn;
• Legions - The Fellowship of the Ring (may only take Gandalf the White, Aragorn/Strider, Legolas, Gimli, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took);
• Warbands - The Kingdom of Rohan (cannot take Eorl the Young);
• Warbands - Lothlorien & Mirkwood (see previous Lothlorien entry);
• Warbands - Wanderers in the Wild (may only take Treebeard and Ents); and
• Warbands - The Fellowship (see previous Fellowship entry).

The other half of the participants in this tournament will play on the side of "Isengard." Available army lists include:

• Legions - Isengard Raiders;
• Legions - White Hand of Isengard;
• Legions - Dunland; and
• Warbands - Isengard (cannot take Sharkey and Worm or Ruffians).

Note: For our Rohan players, remember that Riders of Rohan taken from any of the "Legions" army lists do count towards your army's bow limit. Riders of Rohan taken from the "Kingdom of Rohan" warbands list do not count...

Important: at the end of the tournament, the total battle points (2-10 scored per round, see #4 below) across the alliance will determine which side wins (with greatest among equals determined, of course).

3) Thou Shalt Honor Thy Lists And Alliances

All armies shall be worth no more than 400 points. Any army using the adapted Legions of Middle Earth rules (instead of the new Warband schema) must include a hero/heroes whose cumulatively worth is at least 120 points. Each army is allowed to take only one named hero (unless that hero comes from the Fellowship of the Ring). In addition, there can be only one copy of each named hero across the alliance (e.g. only one Rohan army can have Eomer).

Once a list is submitted on this blog, it may not be edited based on the opponents it faces. The army brought to the tournament must reflect the army lists provided on this blog. For the purposes of this tournament only, players are allowed to use models for a named hero they possess that has already been claimed in another player's army post to substitute for a different named hero. For example, if the first Rohan player chooses Eomer as his named hero, another player who intends to play on the Rohan alliance may use his Eomer model to represent Theodred. Players are encouraged to procure/borrow the models from other players if they can, but aren't going to be penalized for leaving a perfectly good model at home (especially if they would have brought that hero normally).

4) Thou Shalt Know The Scenarios

This tournament will pit Rohan armies against Isengard armies (good vs. evil). All scenarios are "To The Death" scenarios, with armies deploying within 18" of a corner, instead of the normal deployment rules. After each scenario is scored, the following Battle Points will be awarded:

• Major victory (10 pts): awarded if one army scores at least twice as many scenario points as his opponent.
• Minor victory (8 pts): awarded if one army scores more scenario points but less than twice as many points as his opponent.
• Draw (6 pts): awarded if an army scores the same number of scenario points as his opponent.
• Minor loss (4 pts): awarded if an army's opponent receives a minor victory.
• Major loss (2 pts): awarded if an army's opponent receives a major victory.

The rules for To The Death are provided below - note that each table has a different special rule for how to accumulate more victory points:

• To The Death: armies roll to deploy within 18" of their starting corner. The game ends when one army is reduced to 25% of its starting force. Points are scored if there is at least one friendly banner alive at the end of the game (+2), killing the enemy army leader (+2 points), if the enemy is broken (+3 or +5 if enemy is broken and own army is not broken), and if the enemy was reduced to 25% by the end of the game (+1).
• Table A Special Rule - Hold the Ford: the center objective on the map is an important ford at a river in Rohan. Any model may attempt (as allowed) to leap over the river, following normal rules. Fords in the river count as difficult terrain but otherwise have no other penalties. Models who choose not to jump the river (or can't) are allowed to enter the river just enough to get their base fully in the water. At the start of each turn, any model that is in the river (not a ford) rolls for footing: if the roll is failed, the model is knocked to the ground. At the end of the game, each side gains +1 point for each model it has in the river (fords included).
• Table B Special Rule - Storm the Camp: the starting corners for each army will be one of two small outposts. Each outpost will have two palisade wall sections and a gate of sorts. Gates are open and can never be shut. Palisade walls can be jumped or climbed over (following normal rules). Any model that is on the rampart of the palisade is treated as if in base contact with the wall. If a model is on the rampart but identified as not in base contact with the palisade wall must slide to the bottom of the hill. At the end of the game, each side gains +1 point for each model it has in the opponent's camp.
• Table C Special Rule - Celebrity Bash: okay, this one isn't LOTR themed, but we're going to have fun with it. :) In the center of the map will be a picture of a celebrity. Its Defense and Health will be listed on the picture. One side may defeat this celebrity - if they do, they gain 2 points and the picture is flipped over. The other side may now beat this other celebrity - if they do, they gain 1 point and the celebrity flips again. Any player may beat the first celebrity - this goes on and on and on until the game ends.
• Table D Special Rule - Where The Wild Things Are: all four corners of the map will have a warg pit, each with 2 Wild Wargs. After each side rolls for priority, the player who lost priority can move the wargs up to 6" away from their lair (or 12" away if it can charge someone) and must charge the nearest enemy model, if possible (no matter who controls it). Each army gains +1 point for each Wild Warg it slays.
• Table E Special Rule - Raise the Standard: at the end of the game, any side with at least one banner remaining gains +4 points (instead of +2).

5) Thou Shalt Recognize Remarkable Achievements

Players may attempt to complete any of the following achievements during a game: upon completion, each will add 0.5 Battle Points. Each achievement may only be scored once per game and a max of three achievements can be scored in any game. Players will receive 2.5 Battle Points if all five are successfully scored over the course of the tournament:

Slayer of Foes: a hero kills at least 5 units, the sum of whose points is equal to or greater than his own.
Valiant Heart: any units in the army successfully pass three courage tests on the roll of a "natural 10+" (i.e. the sum of the two dice rolled for the courage test is 10 or more). These courage tests could be to charge models with terror, staying in combat after the army is broken, or because of a special rule (i.e. the Horn of Gondor rule).
Cowardly Scum: a hero fails a Courage test to remain on the field after his army is broken on the roll of "snake eyes" (sum of 2 on the dice).
Rotten Luck: a hero is dealt enough wounds in a single round equal to his Wounds and Fate points.
Loved by the Valar: a hero successfully passes a Fate roll on a "natural 6".

Tournament Director's Note: The kudos for this tournament are designed to be hard to achieve (though not unrealistic) but quantifiable to remove some of this subjectivity. They are also thematic: the "slayer of foes" is the traditional "I can kill my points worth of units" deed, the Valiant Heart/Cowardly Scum rules reward very successful (or very unsuccessful) Courage rolls, and Rotten Luck/Loved by the Valar reward overwhelmingly awful/incredible Fate rolls made by models with more than 1 Fate point (needs to be hard to get, guys).

6) Thou Shalt Attempt To Keep Thy Oaths

For each game, after deployment, select 1 Oath not previously sworn and announce it to your opponent. If both players achieve their oath, each scores 1 Battle Point; if neither player achieves their oath, each scores 0 Battle Points; if only one player achieves his oath, that player scores 2 Battle Points.

Blood-sworn Enemy: Choose an enemy hero - he is your arch enemy and they must die before the end of the game
Future King: Your army leader must continue to lead his force at the end of the game, neither slain nor "heroically departed".
Chivalry in Battle: Your army leader must fight the enemy leader in close combat for at least one round and survive. Your army leader may not use the shielding rules in this effort.
Line in the Sand: Nominate a piece of terrain within 12" of your opponent's board edge (or place a marker if there is no suitable terrain). Your leader must end its move within 3" of it at least once during the game.
Battle Prowess: Your army leader must kill more models than your opponent's army leader.

7) Thou Shalt Not Take All Day

All games will have a maximum time cap of 60 minutes. Time will be displayed visually for all games and will only be stopped in the event of a "red flag" being thrown. A red flag will be thrown when two players cannot agree on a rule (line of sight, special rules for a unit, etc.), in which case all fights will stop and the other competitors will mediate what the proper ruling is. If a resolution is still not met due to an even number of players voting evenly on the issue, a dice will be cast by one of the competitors not playing in that particular game to determine what the rule is for that game. Should the time limit elapse without the victory conditions being met, the current round will be played and then the game will end. Any player found intentionally stalling the game to make time run out will be awarded a major loss as indicated in Rule 4 above. Between rounds there will be 15 minutes to finish the round, determine the standings, move to the next table, and answer "the call of the wild."

8) Thou Shalt Fight In Middle-Earth

Players who have built terrain for a particular Rohan/Isengard-themed board (36" x 36") are encouraged to bring their boards to be used in the tournament. Players should use their best judgment when building their maps to ensure that armies are able to maneuver the map within the time constraints (e.g. having too many walls, doors that must be battered down, difficult terrain, etc. can make a game more tedious than interesting). If more boards are supplied than are needed for the tournament, priority will be given to those posted first.

9) Thou Shalt Be Gentlemen

Players must be courteous to their opponents and play these games in the spirit of good fun. Should a player conduct himself in a manner which destroys the fun atmosphere of the tournament, a red flag will be thrown and depending on the severity of the infraction, the player may be issued a warning against future infraction, forfeit the game, or be dismissed from the tournament.

10) Thou Shalt Not Be Late



Players who are bringing terrain to the tournament must arrive by 9:15am to set up the tables and register their armies. All other players must arrive by 9:30am in order to get preliminary check-in requirements, set up their armies at their tables, and fellowship with other players. All armies need to have a sheet of paper that provides their complete army list (with profiles), along with necessary unit-count information (total units in the army, how many units are to be lost when the army is broken, and how many units must be lost to be reduced to 25%). The tournament will follow this schedule:

• 10:00am - 11:00am - ROUND 1
• 11:15am - 12:15pm - ROUND 2
• 12:15pm - 1:30pm - Lunch
• 1:30pm - 2:30pm - ROUND 3
• 2:45pm - 3:45pm - ROUND 4
• 3:45pm - 5:00pm - Tournament Score Summary and Clean-Up

Looking forward to see the armies that participate!

Tiberius