Domination: Dwarves vs. Goblins

Because the Wood Elves and Uruk-Hai fought against each other in the final round of the tournament, the Goblins and Dwarves are due for another game. This game will be the final game before a month of games surrounding the Fellowship of the Ring, as they bring up their total number of games from one to five. In this tunnel fighting game, we have the following combatants.

The Host of Erebor: 500 points

Gimli, Son of Gloin - 90 points

Balin, Son of Fundin with Durin's Axe - 95 points
8 Dwarf Warriors with shield - 72 points

10 Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf bow - 90 points

6 Khazad Guard - 66 points
7 Dwarf Rangers with throwing axes - 70 points
1 Dwarf Ranger with Dwarf longbow - 10 points
1 Dwarf Ranger with two-handed axe - 7 points

35 units, 11 bows + 9 thrown weapons, 2 heroes

The Denizens of Moria: 500 points

Durburz, Goblin King of Moria - 60 points

Ally: The Witch King of Angmar with Morgul blade and +2M/+2W/+1F - 105 points
1 Cave Troll - 80 points

1 Bat Swarm - 35 points

16 Goblin Warriors with shield - 80 points

16 Goblin Warriors with spear - 80 points

12 Goblin Warriors with Orc bow - 60 points

48 units, 12 bows, 2 heroes

The scenario we will be playing is a Domination game on a board that is 48" x 48". Our four objectives are as follows: everything within the field boundaries in the southwest, everything within the three walls in the southeast, everything on the rocky terrain piece in the northeast, and everything on the rocky cairns in the northwest. The teams will select a corner to start the game from and will fight until one side is broken. Once one side is broken, a dice is rolled at the end of each round: on the roll of a 1-2, the game ends and the objectives are counted. If one army holds all four of these by the time one force is broken, they win a major victory. If three are held, it is a minor victory. If two are held by each (or one by each), the game is a draw. If there is an objective that is unclaimed, it is not factored into the scoring (so holding 2/3 means a minor victory).

The map is set up as specified above. No terrain pieces were allowed to be placed within 6" of any objective, though there was not much in the way of terrain added to this game. The Dwarves won the roll off and have chosen to select their corner (the southeast corner), ceding priority to the Goblins for the first turn.

This game should be interesting for two reasons: first, I'm play-testing Dwarf Rangers, who I'm anticipating purchasing around Christmastime. The idea will be to convert the Dwarf Warriors with two-handed axes into Khazad Guards and 2 Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf bows. This will not only finish up the volley team, but add 5 more Defense 7 troops. The Rangers will not only allow me to build an "Unexpected Party" from The Hobbit in anticipation of the new movie, but will also provide a wild card element to an otherwise boring army. In today's game, Elves with Elven blades represent Dwarf Rangers with throwing axes, the Elf with spear represents a Dwarf with two-handed axe, and the Elf with bow represents a Dwarf with longbow. With this large core of Dwarves, the game is not solidly decided...why you ask?

The answer is found in the second reason the game will be interesting: this is the inaugural game of the Witch King, ally of the Denizens of Moria. Though there is no indication in the books that the Witch King favored these warriors at all, the hand of Sauron has now stretched to the Misty Mountains and to tap the great host of Goblin Warriors, the Dark Lord has sent his most powerful emissary. This figure, appearing in the twilight form that a ring-bearer would see if he were wearing the Ring, comes with the standard grey-and-black color that much of the army has. You can also see a touch of red in his face, if you look very closely (which I thought made him look a bit more intimidating). The Witch King has a healthy 12 Will points with which to cast all sorts of magic against his foes and the dreaded "Morgul Blade," which will kill any opponent unless the wound is stopped with Fate point. I'm anxious to see how this unit fares against the hardy army of Erebor.

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Turn 1: The Enemy Arrives (Priority - Goblins)

Both teams move towards each other and the volley teams prepare to fire. The Goblins hit Balin but failed to wound him through his tough armor (as predicted).

The Dwarves volley and score three hits, failing to wound Durburz or the Witch King (as also expected), but succeeding in killing a Goblin spearman.

Kill count: Dwarves 1/48, Goblins 0/35.

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Turn 2: An Objective Claimed (P - Dwarves)

Both armies continue to move, with the Goblins claiming both North objectives (thanks to the Bat Swarm and the Cave Troll). It appears that the Goblins may get some strong positions in that northern objective before my Dwarves can get there. Nothing interesting happened in the Shoot phase. In case you had not noticed before, Gimli and Balin have split forces this game, Gimli leading his troops to the south and Balin leading his troops to the north. I'm hoping splitting up my heroes doesn't cost me later in the game.

Kill count: Dwarves 1/48, Goblins 0/35.

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Turn 3: The Tension Rises (P - Dwarves)

The armies continue to move towards each other and it looks like we should have some combats next round. The Witch King fails to cast "Compel" on a Dwarf Warrior, using the first of his 12 Will points.

In the Shoot phase, both volley teams failed to wound anyone. The Dwarf Ranger with longbow (24" Strength 2 weapon) hit and killed a Goblin spearman, nailing him in the chest with a sleek bodkin.

Kill count: Dwarves 2/48, Goblins 0/35.

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Turn 4: A Deadly Clash (P - Dwarves!)

Our first fights will be underway, but the fronts are threatened on all sides. The Witch King transfixed a Dwarf Ranger with throwing axe (2/12 Will) and the Cave Troll and Bat Swarm charge into Gimli and a Dwarf Warrior respectively (would have gotten them in the same fight, but I couldn't). The Bat Swarm is safest when it is engaged in a combat against a single foe (as is the case here), since he cannot be shot at by my Dwarves.

In the Shoot phase, the Dwarf volley team used one of the Dwarves at the northeast objective to direct their fire at the Goblin volley team. The archers scored a hit, a successful in-the-way roll, and a wound against a Goblin archer. Nothing else interesting happened in the Shoot phase.

In the Fight phase, Balin paid a Might point (1/3) to win his fight against the Cave Troll and scored two successful hits (he rolled two 6s, but wounds the troll on a 4+, so hopefully this luck will continue). The Bat Swarm lost its fight, but sustained no wound.

Kill count: Dwarves 3/48, Goblins 0/35.

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Turn 5: Battle Is Joined (P - Dwarves again!)

With my Dwarves getting priority yet again, I got to choose the battles. The Witch King paid 1 Will (3/12) and 1 Might to cast "Transfix" on Gimli, who paid 1 Will (1/2) and 1 Might (1/3) to resist it.

In the Shoot phase, the Dwarf volley team fires as one for the last time this game (at least for the next few turns) and nails one Goblin archer. The Dwarf Ranger with longbow snipes another archer off the top of the cairn, scoring his second kill of the day. I like the range on this bow, and against even-Defense targets, it works just as well as a Dwarf bow!

In the Fight phase, the southwest objective was a bit anti-climactic. Gimli failed to kill his opponent and the Goblins more or less survived every round. The exception was against a Dwarf Ranger with throwing axes at the bottom.

On the other side of the field, Balin paid 1 Might point (2/3) to tie the Troll, lost the roll-off, but was not wounded by the Troll. Thank the Lord...in the other fights, two Dwarves died - one to four Goblins and one to two Goblin archers who trapped him (thanks throwing axe buddies).

Kill count: Dwarves 6/48, Goblins 2/35.

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Turn 6: Pressed By The Enemy (P - Dwarves - this is getting a bit unfair, you know?)

In the Move phase, the Witch King cast "Transfix" on Gimli with 2 Will (5/12) and after rolling a 6 on one of those dice, Gimli decided not to resist. Nothing much happened in the rest of the Move phase.

In the Shoot phase, the Dwarves shot up the approaching Goblins and killed three of them. Gaius seemed to expect this, but the archers were guarding the uncontested objective, so the chance had to be made. If he can get priority next turn, he should be clear of the archers.

In the Fight phase, the Troll won his fight and wounded Balin (though he failed to wound the Ranger who was assisting the great Dwarf lord). Balin paid his last Might point to make the Fate point work and save the wound. In the other fights nearby, the Dwarves killed one Goblin and the Goblins killed a Dwarf Ranger with throwing axes.

Down in the South, Gimli escaped from combat unscathed, while his warriors killed a Goblin. The Goblins in return killed a Dwarf Ranger with throwing axe. Durburz lost his fight but was not injured by the Khazad Guard opposing him.

Kill count: Dwarves 11/48, Goblins 4/35.

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Turn 7: The Witch King Emerges (P - GOBLINS!)

In the Move phase, the Witch King transfixed Gimli again (7/12) and Gimli failed to resist with his last Will point. The Goblins near the southeast objective rushed past the archers and the Khazad Guard and press for the north entrance to the objective. We will see what happens there...

In the Shoot phase, only the Dwarf Ranger killed someone, this time shooting one of the Goblin archers that had descended from the cairn.

In the Fight phase, the Witch King won his fight against Gimli, but failed to wound him with the Morgul blade (he rolled a 2 and a 1...4 Will remaining). He will probably need to take more of a passive role now. In the other fights, Durburz killed the Khazad Guard he was fighting by paying 2 Might points (2/3) and one other Dwarf was killed nearby. A Goblin was also killed, ganged up on by two Dwarf Rangers with throwing axes.

Near the southeast objective, no one died. Four Goblins still press to break past the Dwarf defenses and take the objective, which currently only has one defender.

At the northeast objective, the Dwarf expeditionary force is having a rough time. Balin lost yet another fight to the Cave Troll, but was thankfully not wounded. One Dwarf was, however, and no Goblins were killed this round up there.

After taking the previous photo, we noticed one fight wasn't resolved (or we couldn't remember doing it). The Goblin won and killed the Khazad Guard he was fighting. Bummer...

Kill count: Dwarves 13/48, Goblins 8/35. The Goblins are 11 units from breaking, while the Dwarves are 8 units from breaking. It's fairly close, actually.

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Turn 8: The Dwarves Respond (P - tied, Dwarves)

As the Dwarves charge, I am noticing how few little bearded fellows I have left in certain parts of the board. The Goblins still outnumber me, but we'll see how the war in the north plays out. One of my Rangers with throwing axes killed a Goblin during the Move phase in the north, which really helped make the battle lines easier to draw.

In the Shoot phase, my archers were hot again, slaying three Goblin archers as they prepared to fire. The two other Goblins (to the right of the frame) failed to hit anyone...pity that.

In the Fight phase, Gimli used his two-handed axe and won against the Witch King (no penalty is really great sometimes). He then successfully wounded the Witch King (saved by Fate) and paid his last 2 Might points to wound him again, dispatching him from the combat. WOOOHOOO! In the fights nearby, one Goblin and one Dwarf Ranger were killed.

At the southeast objective, the Dwarves won most of the fights and even managed to kill a spearman. Nothing much of interested happened here since the Shoot phase.

At the northeast objective, Balin lost again and suffered a wound to the Troll (1/2). The Dwarves lost most of the other fights (if not all), but none were killed. YAYE TEAM!

Kill count: Dwarves 20/48, Goblins 9/35. Thanks to some amazing rounds of archery, the Goblins are within 4 units of breaking and the Dwarves are 9 units from breaking. I'm feeling pretty good about this, except that I only control 1 objective (right now, game could end as a draw).

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Turn 9: Spirits Fall (P - Goblins)

The armies continued to lock against each other in the Move phase. The Dwarf archers have moved more towards the center of the map, focusing on securing the southeast objective and moving towards the northeast objective. Nothing of interest happened in the Shoot phase, as only the Dwarf Ranger with longbow participated and failed to wound his target.

In the Fight phase, Gimli attempted to rally his troops into a more organized defense. They killed one Goblin (credit went to the Dwarf with shield, not Gimli), but lost a Khazad Guard and a Dwarf Ranger.

At the southeast objective, one Goblin was killed and all the Dwarves are still alive. Things are looking good down there, but I don't control this objective anymore - despite having so many troops outside of it!

At the northeast objective, things were terrible. One Goblin was killed, but Balin was finally slain by the Cave Troll. This blow leaves only five Dwarves left to fight in the north and the odds are not good.

Kill count: Dwarves 23/48, Goblins 12/35. With the Goblins one unit from breaking and no heroes in the northeast, I'm hoping that the majority of the forces will flee and I can then shoot the Cave Troll down. We'll see if that actually works.

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Turn 10: The Day Closes (P - Dwarves!)

The throwing weapons finally paid off. One Goblin was killed during this round, which means the Goblin force will be broken on their turn. As such, I only attacked strategic targets, trying to keep the best possible position I could. Durburz passed his courage test after paying both of his Will points, calling a Stand Fast! which covered most of his remaining troops in the western objectives. In the Shoot phase, the Dwarf Ranger who has killed so many Goblins already killed the Goblin archer he shot at last time.

In the Fight phase, Gimli and two of his Dwarf Warrior kinsmen killed the two Goblins they were facing. This has them outnumbering the Goblins at this objective. At the southeast objective, no one died, making it a tied 1-1 at that one.

In the northeast objective, the Dwarves killed two Goblins and lost one Dwarf to the Troll. With this score, the objective is tied 4-4.

Kill count: Dwarves 29/48, Goblins 13/35. At the end of this turn, we rolled a dice on a 2, the game ended. With both sides being in control of one objective (Goblins in the NW and Dwarves in the SW) and two objectives equally contested, the game was a draw. If we counted how many points of units were killed in this game, the win barely goes to the Dwarves with 245-215, which shows that this game was a really close tie, despite the Goblins having superior numbers.

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Conclusion:

Assessment by Gaius:

So the Witch King didn't work out so well this game. Charging Gimli is probably not one of the best ideas and I probably should have called a heroic combat then. At the same time, I was a bit surprised that he could wound me twice. All the same, lesson learned with the spell caster. I also thought it was interesting that I was able to cross the field past a slew of archers and bring the Dwarf starting objective into jeopardy, leading to a draw instead of a minor loss. With a few tweaks, this army will be a lot of fun to use. Next time, though, I won't leave half of my army without a hero with some Courage, like I did this game.

Assessment by Tiberius:

For starters, I was a bit disappointed that Gimli had such a bad game. In his defense, he was keeping the Witch King at bay while the rest of his soldiers tried to defeat the Witch King's bodyguards. At the end of the day, that objective was won, so I can't complain. Where I can complain is how the Cave Troll won every fight after Round 4 and didn't give me a chance to make it close. I probably shouldn't have charged any units in the north at the beginning of Turn 10, as the Goblins, Troll, and Bat Swarm would need to pass courage tests (and with a Courage 3 as the highest level, many would have fled). Still, we learn, don't we?

Stellar unit for Goblins: Goblin Warrior with spear

The spears killed a large amount of the Dwarves who fell (them and the archers did). I'm not counting any role they played in supporting Goblins with shields - if you look back through the pictures, you'll see them taking on and killing Khazad Guards and shield troops just as easily as the other units did. I don't think I've ever given these guys this award, but they deserve it after playing as many games as they have.

Stellar unit for Dwarves: Dwarf Ranger with Longbow

The Dwarves with shields killed five units and the Rangers with thrown weapons killed four units this game. Both of those numbers are incredibly high. The Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf bows killed 10 units this game, but all of these units scored one kill or less during the game. Hence, our tribute goes to the lone Dwarf Ranger with longbow, who single-handedly shot down four Goblins and scored the number of kills that the Dwarf heroes should have been scoring (if they hadn't been busy elsewhere). The rangers, as you can see from the scores above, are well-worth their investment and should be fun to play with. Though not as durable as their Warrior cousins, their proficiency with throwing axes and longbows (or their much cheaper cost if you only purchase a two-handed weapon) makes them well-worth the investment.

Ill Met By Moonlight: Uruk-Hai vs. Wood Elves

So Gaius' two armies are competing in the tournament. As he can't control both of them, he gives one to me...and of course, in an "ill met by moonlight" scenario, he gives me the team with a single archer who already wounds his targets on a 4+ and now a 3+. I'm really not enjoying how this game is looking, as there is lots of terrain and so many enemy archers (who now wound my shield-bearing Uruks on a 5+ and my pikemen on a 4+). This, I'm sure, will be a good, uphill game. Here are the forces:

The Fist of Isengard: 401 points

Uruk-Hai Captain with shield and heavy armor - 60 points

17 Uruk-Hai Warriors with shield - 170 points

16 Uruk-Hai Warriors with pike- 160 points
1 Uruk-Hai Warrior with crossbow- 11 points

35 units, 1 crossbow, 1 hero

Host of Lothlorien: 402 points


Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien - 130 points
8 Wood Elf Warriors with Elven blades and thrown daggers - 80 points
4 Wood Elf Warriors with Elf bows- 36 points
12 Wood Elf Warriors with Wood Elf spears - 96 points
6 Galadhrim Warriors with Elf bows - 60 points


31 units, 10 Elf bows + 8 thrown weapons, 1 hero

The scenario we will be playing is an "Ill Met By Moonlight" game on a board that is 48" x 48". In this final game of our tournament, no units will be allowed to shoot at an enemy unit from a distance of more than 12". All ranged attacks, though, receive a +1 bonus to wound because the darkness prevents units from dodging missiles as easily as if it were daylight. Both armies will divide their forces into two groups: one will be deployed between 18-24" of the army's starting board edge, while the other starts within 3" of the board edge. These units are placed at the choice of the general, as opposed to the "To the Death" games we've played in the past. The game is played until one side is destroyed (death or rout). In this game, we may play until one side cries "uncle," depending on how bad the game is going.

The map is set up as follows: all terrain pieces are within 3" of each other, with the first piece of terrain being placed was a circle of rocks (normal ground, rocks are climbable) in the center of the map. There are two forests, two cairns, two hills, and a ruin, and the Amon Hen structure (which will be improved in the future, I promise). The Uruks won the roll off and have chosen to select their board edge (south), ceding priority to the Elves for the first turn.

The advantage (though meager) that the Uruks have is that for once, I outnumber the Wood Elves - which, considering my units cost more than Gaius', is a huge blessing. Added to this advantage is that his units will not be able to shoot at mine until we are close (we've ruled this to include volley fire, as "seeing" units is limited in this game to 12"). Gaius did ask if he could substitute Galadriel for Celeborn and I promptly informed him that the armies couldn't be changed mid-tournament...mostly because "Cast Blinding Light" doesn't do much in this scenario.

The reason for that is as follows: the scenario happens at night. With the nighttime conditions comes two advantages: archers can't shoot beyond 12" and ranged weapons gain a +1 to wound. When "Cast Blinding Light" is in effect, anyone within 12" of the caster can be seen as if it were daylight (this means that units within 12" of the caster can be shot normally). The "+1 to wound" bonus is hard to figure, but the special rule attributes it to not being able to see the arrow and dodging out of the way. It appears then that this would prevent anyone shooting into the light from gaining the +1 to wound as well as preventing those inside the light to gain +1 to wound (as the target, who is still being shot at from 12" away if not in the light, can see the shaft coming). All told, the power defeats the purpose of the scenario and doesn't play much of a role in a game with 1 enemy archer in the first place. Instead, it keeps the crossbow moving most of the time until battle is waged. As such, I'm sure Gaius will not be casting it during this game.

My forces have been divided evenly as far as pikes and shields are concerned, with my captain at the back (I don't want him immobilized during the beginning of the game by Galadriel and then see my army fall to pieces should we be broken). I've placed my crossbow Uruk-Hai in the first group and placed around him a guard of units. Knowing that Gaius will want to stack the trees with soldiers, I'm a small band practically in one wood while keeping my crossbowman watching the other.

Gaius split his forces evenly, which means I will begin with archers at in the best case scenario end with archers as well. It'll be a good uphill fight, but I need to strike first if I'm going to take his Elves apart. As you can see from the picture above, Gaius has formed a nice "bulwark" formation with four Wood Elves with spears, probably counting on repelling my pike-supported Uruk-Hai with his high Fight 5. As the cheapest Elves with both the shielding rule and the spear rule, they're pretty awesome like this...need to break them now and remember that tactic later.

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Turn 1: Foes In The Dark (Priority - Elves)

The armies move and fights ensue. The Elf bulwark is engaged, with one Elf not being attacked (he'll be supporting his friend in the fight, methinks). By the woods, I have a few Uruks coming up around one side, while other Uruks are guarding the crossbow to make sure he can fire safely this round. The Elves are shifting around with their archers and will be fighting in one fight by those woods this round.

If fighting Elves in the day was hard, fighting them at night is even harder. Though Gaius will need to measure all of his archer shots this game, his throwing weapons simply benefit from the +1 to wound rule. Still, the 4 throwing daggers only took down 1 Uruk-Hai with pike this round, while a Galadhrim archer and a Wood Elf archer took down two of my Uruks. Grrr...I knew this was going to happen.

The Uruks on the left have killed two of the Elves with spears (good-bye, bulwark strategy), while the Elves with spears push back the Uruk pikeman but fail to get the 5+ required to wound. You will also see one of the Uruks near the crossbow has a shiny token on him: he was immobilized by Galadriel to keep him from charging the forest. The shiny token will pop up in this game when someone is immobilized.

Kill count: Uruk-Hai 2/31, Elves 3/35.

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Turn 2: The Midnight Foray And Ambush (P - Elves)

My supporting team of Uruks are trying to catch up to the fighting going on at the far side, but much of the battle is now flowing against me. With the Elves gaining priority, the two remaining members of the "bulwark" formation have retreated to the safety and numbers of the Elven reinforcements. The sheer number of spearmen in the formation means that I need to engage units carefully, as their units can support while alongside. The Elves use their thrown daggers against my center formation, killing 1 Uruk with shield. They have also engaged my Uruks at the forest, keeping their archers clear of any entanglements. You will also see that the crossbowman has been immobilized by Galadriel. Come on...

The Uruk with shield at the top of the picture was killed with a throwing dagger in the Shoot phase (handy skill for these Elves to have), but on this side of the battle, only an Uruk pikeman was killed. Off to the left of this picture is a Galadhrim Warrior with Elf bow and a Wood Elf with Elf bow, who both took aim and send feathered arrows into this poor chap.

On the other side of the field, the crossbowman withstood the firepower of the Elven archers, though a pike-carrying companion was not so lucky.

In the fights that ensued, the Uruks won 1 fight and killed an Elven swordsman. The Elves failed to wound most of their foes, with the exception of a pikeman (seeing a theme here?). The two Wood Elves with Elf bows you see in this battle line are actually spearmen, so don't be deceived.

In the woods, one Elf lost his fight, while the other lost his and died. Go Uruks!

Kill count: Uruk-Hai 4/31, Elves 7/35. Uruk force is broken after 11 more kills, while the Elven force requires 12 more...oh no, I hate it when this happens.

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Turn 3: Reinforcements Arrive (P - Uruk-Hai!)

So the Elves in this game not only get superb mastery in an "ill met by moonlight" scenario due to their heavy use of archery, but they also have a spellcaster in this game (and the only spellcaster in the whole tournament). After my Uruks charged into the Elves in the woods (engaging a Galadhrim Warrior with bow), Galadriel leaned over, successfully cast Command, and moved the Uruk away from the archer he had charged, running shamefully into the middle of the field where he can be a prime target for the 2 Elves perched on the ruins or the 3 Elves in the woods. The other units moved as you'd expect, engaging some units and all three remaining Uruks in the Elven backfield are trapped. Oh, goody...

Sink me already...the Elves kill 3 more Uruks with their bows this round. You will remember I mentioned there were 5 archers who could shoot this round...well, 3 of them got lucky. What did my crossbow do this round? Or the first round? Why nothing but miss his targets...why do you ask?

LOOK AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT! Three trapped Uruks, three choices to "shield," three 6s rolled, and no 6s rolled by the Elves! I'm so happy. Elsewhere on the field, the angry combatants decided to flail at each other, so as to not kill anyone, but two of my Uruks successfully stuck to their training and killed an Elf with Elven blade. I'm so happy I've forgotten may dismay about the Shoot phase.

Kill count: Uruk-Hai 5/31, Elves 10/35. As great as it was to not lose any Uruks during the Shoot phase, I need to kill more Elves if I want a chance at winning this game.

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Turn 4: Consolidation And Confusion (P - Elves)

Galadriel did an annoying Command spell again - this time against my Uruk Captain. She successfully cast it using 1/6 Will points + her free Will point. Isengard doesn't have good heroes per se, and most of them happen to be glorified Uruk-Hai who possess no more than 1 Will point each. Such is the case here, so I used my 1 Will point to roll 1 dice, hoping to roll a 6 (though in a way, it was pointless). I know from past experience that if you don't resist the casting of a spellcaster, they'll keep the targeted enemy hero out of combat for the entire game. With 2 Might points, I had a 50% chance of stopping the spell. I rolled a 2...so the Captain advanced in the opposite direction while his troops rushed towards the center. My Uruks are in trouble elsewhere, as you can see, so I'm not pleased with this position. You'll also see that an Uruk with shields was killed by a throwing dagger in the center deadlock.

Crossbow kill! A Galadhrim warrior bites the dust as a quarrel gets the better of him. Unfortunately for me, the other Elven archers in the area decide to mow down my Uruks, claiming 4 more kills. Three of these kills were Uruks with shields, who usually have the advantage of only being killed on a 6, but when the nighttime conditions makes that a 5+, they fall ever so quickly. Not liking this at all...but I kinda guessed it would happen.

The fights went surprisingly well. Only one of my trapped Uruks died (keep it up other guys), while an Elf with Elven blade died to his angry Uruk foe. The Elves won all but 1 fight (the shielding Uruk-Hai on the right won his fight), but failed to wound anyone besides the trapped Uruk at the bottom right.

Kill count: Uruk-Hai 7/31, Elves 16/35. The Elves are 9 units from breaking, while the Uruks are 2 away. This is probably a good indicator that I am losing.

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Turn 5: Reforming The Lines (P - Elves)

Of my two remaining Uruks in the backfield, one was killed by a thrown dagger, while the other has been trapped and immobilized (courtesy of the Lady of Lothlorien). He has also been trapped by two archers and a swordsman with throwing daggers (who thankfully didn't take him down). You will see, however, that just above this fight the Elves have re-established their bulwark formation. Just as before, they are trying to keep out my 6 invading Uruks with their spear-work, so we'll see how that fares. My Captain is attempting to avoid Galadriel while keeping near the core of my units. As my force is now 1 unit from breaking, I need to keep my army together.

As there was no shoot phase, we move straight to the Fight phase. Here you can see that the Elves won every fight down low, killing 3 Uruk-Hai in the process. The bulwark worked...congratulations Gaius. The Uruks are now broken, so we'll see who stays.

On the other side of the field, my Uruks are slightly more successful, as one of them shielded his way to victory, while the other units lost their fights (the shield unit surrounded by archers managed to live after the blows fell, the pikeman died, and the crossbow-shield combo fight were rebuffed by the Elven spearman (who failed to wound the crossbow Uruk).

Kill count: Uruk-Hai 7/31, Elves 21/35. The Uruks are broken...great.

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Turn 6: Rally, Rout, and Rage (P - Uruks - broken, remember)

Since my units are doing so poorly (and I control the camera), I took a bit of a privilege  taking shots of things that could be cool. Here, you can see my brave (more like incredibly angry Captain shouting to his men to stay in the fight). Those seen here are the ones who could hear him over the din of combat and chose to stay, after seeing his valiant stand.

Four of the five Uruks who were repelled by the bulwark, however, did not hear the Captain, and seeing that the enemy was gaining the upper-hand, promptly fled the field. Their lone companion shouldered his pike and headed to the left of the frame to support someone else in the fight. You can see the Elves here wondering if they should pursue the Uruks or ensure that the battle was won. In the end, discipline in the ranks won the day.

After all the courage testing was done, the Elves moved and we have the fights as so. Three of the units in the Elven bulwark have moved on to close off one of the rocky passes, while the other rushed to aid the Elves with swords at the other entrance. You will see one Uruk (closes to the bottom right) engaging two Elves with swords. He is backed up by two pikemen, so that fight is a 4-3 if you include all the spear support. Gaius thought about immobilizing that Uruk, but I said that would be incredibly unfair and cruel. He settled instead for immobilizing the Uruk nearest Galadriel, who was being attacked by an archer, a swordsman, and a supporting spearman.

This Galadhrim Elf shot at the captain from his perch and landed a blow so hard on the Captain that any other Uruk warrior would have fallen. The Captain, however, fell to one knee, rose instantly, and urged his followers on as if nothing had happened (Fate point successful, basically).

Despite the whole game going down in flames, my Uruks managed not only to win their fights, but slay their opponents! Three more Elves bite the dust, as the five angry Uruks are surrounded by seven vengeful Elven warriors.

If things hadn't gone so ill on this side, I might have thought the game was save-able. As it turned out, two Uruks with shields fell to their opponents and the others managed to live through an Elven onslaught (the crossbowman actually winning his fight, but not killing his foe).

Kill count: Uruk-Hai 10/31, Elves 23/31. With only 8 Uruks left to fight off 9 archers, 9 spearmen, 2 throwing daggers, and an un-engaged spellcaster, I cried "uncle" and ceded the game (and consequently the third and final game of the tournament) to Gaius. Wood Elves seize a major victory.

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Conclusion:

Assessment by Gaius:

If it weren't the last game in the tournament, this game would not have had any glory to it. From the beginning, we all knew that the Elves were going to dominate with the archery rules and the Uruks were going to have to endure a lot of shooting and probably use a phalanx formation to break the Elven lines. Absent bad rolls on the part of the Elves, the game was going to be won by me. It was for precisely this reason that I didn't give Tiberius the Elves. :-P Still, fun game.

Assessment by Tiberius:

The game, as I believed from the get-go, was an up-hill game. Gaius and I both agreed that we liked the immediate battle that this provided, but the use of Wood Elves in this scenario is a bit...unfair. All the same, it was fun while it lasted and seeing the Uruks charge head-long into the Elven ranks was fun. Breaking the bulwark at the beginning, slaying the Elven fighters in the center at the end, and nailing a Galadhrim archer with a quarrel were all great moments, but unfortunately, no victory can be built on these alone.

Stellar unit for Uruk-Hai: Uruk Warriors with shields

The game, on the whole, went to the dogs. The shield troops, however, distinguished themselves under the pressure by not only surviving barrages of Elven arrows, but slaying Elven warriors and shielding themselves to fight another round. For two rounds, 4 ferocious Uruk-Hai kept at bay 12 Elven warriors, which is more than double their point totals in enemy units (with more dice and higher Fight values). In the end, however, the Uruks were never able to capitalize on this or pick up momentum. My metaphysical hat off to these guys and I wonder if any other unit will ever take this title away from these hardy troops.

Stellar unit for Wood Elves: Galadhrim Warriors with Elf bows

Though I never remember to keep track of which bows kill what, 13 kills were clocked by the archers of the Elves, about half of which could be assumed to be the direct result of the Galadhrim warriors. Beyond these kills, the Galadhrim Warrior from his perch plucked the Fate point off of the Uruk-Hai Captain, and these kills ultimately led to the securing of an entire side of the battlefield (the wooded area) and bogged down the Uruk army from charging into the center successfully. It should be no surprise that the archers won this game, as "Ill Met by Moonlight" is an archer's paradise.

Understanding the Strategy: Wood Elves

So the Wood Elves are by far my favorite army that I own. They require a lot of skill to use and always require a lot of terrain to stay alive (particularly woods). The hope that I have for this post is to open the floodgates of opportunity for the Wood Elves. We'll begin with the basic advantages of the Wood Elves and a brief overview of their disadvantages. After that, we'll look at the different formations and tactics that I find work rather well. Here's the army we'll be talking about:

Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien - 130 points (Army List: Lothlorien)
8 Wood Elf Warriors with Elven blades and thrown daggers - 80 points
12 Wood Elf Warriors with Wood Elf spears - 96 points
4 Wood Elf Warriors with Elven bows and Elven blades - 40 points
6 Galadhrim Warriors with Elven bows - 60 points
Ally: Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood with armor - 95 points (Army List: The Fellowship)

501 points, 32 units, 11 bows + 8 thrown weapons, 2 heroes

Potential allies: The Fellowship, Khazad Dum, Eregion, Fangorn, The Grey Company, Rivendell, the Grey Havens, Thranduil's Halls, The Host of the Hammerhand, Theoden's Host, Minas Tirith, The Army of the High King, Durin's Folk, The Wanderers in the Wild, The Wizards, the Eagles

The Strengths of the Lorien Elves

PROFILE

 The Wood Elves of this army are, like all Elves, gifted with several critical advantages. The first of which is they have a Fight Value of 5 and a Courage Value of 5. As a result, they will win ties in close combat against all basic troops and will tie/beat most heroes who are not champion brawlers by trade (Aragorn, Gimli, etc.). They will beat such heroes as Durburz (the Goblin King of Moria), Captains from any force (except Elves and Dwarves), and the Golden King of Abrakhan. For roughly 20% or less of the cost of any of these heroes, that's well worth the investment. They will tie down heroes like Ringwraiths, Dain, Eomer, and any named Uruk-Hai captain, which means that such heroes will need to win a roll-off, which they cannot alter with their Might points. Again, that's also not a bad investment. Their high Courage value means that they don't need to benefit from a hero's Stand Fast! most of the time (though I'd still advise it) and they can charge terrifying units more consistently than other basic troops. In cases that rarely apply, this Courage value is even better than some units (the Army of the Undead wounds Elves on 5s instead of the usual 4s and Spectres will rarely be able to use "A Fell Light Is In Them" against your units).

The Wood Elves also benefit from having a high Shoot Value (3+). The high Shoot value is made even stronger when you have a Wood Elf units, as they are the only Elves that can purchase throwing weapons for their non-archer infantry. With a 33% bow limit instituted on all armies, this allows all Wood Elf units (for 9-10 points each) to utilize their Shoot value of 3+. It is also useful that they can have thrown weapons in that these weapons can be used as you charge an enemy in the Move phase, allowing you to kill units in all 3 phases of the game where units are doing something (Priority and End phases excluded here). In this army, throwing daggers have not been given to the spearmen to save money (since it would cost 24 points to give all of my spearmen throwing daggers - forcing me to use Haldir without Elf bow instead of Legolas with armor).

But the high Shoot value is made even more effective because the Wood Elves have the Woodland Creature ability. This allows Elven units to move through difficult wooded terrain without penalty. Since all infantry and monsters without this ability cut their movement in half (and all cavalry cut their movement to 1/4), the enemy can't travel more than 2.5"-3" through woods. Since your Elves can move half their movement and still fire their weapons, the Elven archers can move back 3" through the woods and maintain the same distance against their foes and still fire their bows. Enemy archers will need to travel 1.25"-1.5" if they want to shoot, which means you can really put a distance between them and you with a good-sized wood. Whenever I play as a Wood Elf, I make sure at least 2 patches of trees are used - I'll be able to place one and my opponent will probably choose to place the other. This will ensure that I've always got good woodlands to help my army when I need it. A "wood" in the Lord of the Rings game is about 6"x6", while a "forest" is about 12"x12", which means you'll have some room to maneuver if you can get some of those on your board.

WEAPONRY

We've talked some about the Elves basic profile, but let me touch now on their weaponry. The Elves benefit from Strength 3 ranged weapons, which is great for taking on moderately-armored targets (Defense 4-5). A Defense 5 unit would be wounded by a Strength 2 bow (and most bows are Strength 2) on the roll of a 6, but a Strength 3 bow increases that roll to a 5, which means you are twice as likely to wound your target as you would be with a weaker weapon. Elven bows also shoot at the same range as normal bows (24"), so for the extra point you pay for your unit, you are making it easier to hit the enemy shield-and-armor units, which is great. Thrown daggers are also Strength 3 with a 6" range, which means they're perfect for softening up an enemy during a Shoot phase before a charge. It will, of course, be better if you are able to charge the following round, since you'll be able to use your thrown weapons to cause devastating damage in the Move phase as well.

Elven blades and Wood Elf spears are also great weapons for 1 point each. An Elven blade gives an Elf warrior the ability to choose from round to round whether or not he will use his blade as a hand weapon or as a two-handed weapon. This gives him the flexibility to win a fight more easily or to wound their opponent more easily. Whenever possible, gang up multiple Elves in close combat against an enemy so that your Elven blades can be used as two-handed weapons, as the ability to wound Defense 5 units on a 4+ or Defense 6 units on a 5+ can cause some real fear in your enemy. Elf archers may also take these weapons and may choose to use them as two-handed weapons if they wish (otherwise restricted in other armies), but this army avoids that cost. Wood Elf spears not only get the normal rules for spears, but also allow Wood Elves to gain the "shielding" rule. Though you don't get the defense increase that a shield would give you, your troops will have the ability to ward off large amounts of enemies (who they will likely beat if they roll a 6) or keep a critical junction held for a while.

The Weaknesses of the Wood Elves

 The Wood Elves have many great advantages, as have already been addressed, but with these advantages comes a few critical weaknesses - ones you will need to take into account when you fight your battles. Each, of course, can be countered, which we'll delve into a little here but will spend most of our time talking about in the "Formations and Tactics" discussions.

The Wood Elves have no armor (Defense 3). Most bows will wound your units on a 5+, which means that you are vulnerable - very vulnerable - to missile fire. In close combat (and against Strength 3 or 4 bows), you'll be wounded on a 4+, which means that should a close-combat fight go ill, chances are your soldiers are going to die. Should you face a foe with 5+ Strength (Uruk Captains, Trolls, etc.), you'll be wounded on a 3+, which is really, really bad for your troops. All this to say, try to keep your men in fights that they can win and shielded from sight/protected by scenery while you are at a distance from your foes. Your Galadhrim Elves with Defense 4 will do well against units with Strength 3 attacks, but not much better, so don't count on them slugging it out in a tough fight - focus on battles you can win.

NOTE: sometimes not having armor is a good thing - like if you're trying to swim in a water feature. A unit without armor cannot drown while trying to cross a water feature, so the Wood Elves will never have to fear this (and have a better chance of moving their full distance through the water, instead of treating it like difficult terrain).

This army also lacks cavalry. This isn't a problem per se, unless your opponent has cavalry. When a cavalry unit charges into an infantry unit (or units), they gain +1 attack and knock over the units they fight. One of the most common ways to counter this advantage that cavalry have is to counter-charge them with cavalry so that they lose that bonus. Unfortunately, if you don't have cavalry yourself, you can't perform the counter-charge strategy. As such, you will need to rely on shooting them down - and I'm sure they'll try to rely on friendly units to screen for them or terrain to protect their movements.

Formations and Tactics: Line of Battle

Your infantry work well if they are in a line, with the Elven blades in front (10 Elves) and the Wood Elf spears in back. Your bladesmen will be able to throw their throwing daggers when they charge, while your spears can either move into base contact with the enemies on the flanks, doubling up with their Elven blade companions or supporting if this first option isn't possible. The thrown weapons could kill some of the enemies before the charging is done, opening up vulnerable spear units or allowing you to double up on other units in the front ranks. The charges can be deadly, improving the kill count before you add archery or melee combat. Keep in mind, however, that the objective of having thrown weapons is largely to skirmish the enemy (harassing them) until their lines are broken enough that your Elves will have an advantage wherever they charge. If the enemy doesn't reach you with his charge, focus on charging only half of the battle line so that you don't need to face the whole army at once OR continue retreating with your throwing weapons picking units off the front lines.

Formations and Tactics: Archers

This team can function as a volley team during the beginning of the game, but should move to a vantage point where they can shoot at their enemies while keeping their safety. It will not be surprising that I recommend woods for this job. You'll need to maneuver your battle line of infantry to expose enemy archers or spearmen to your own archers, since units who are engaged in combat are (with limited exceptions) not legitimate targets by archers. Should you have 2 woods in your set-up, I'd recommend splitting your archers (again, if you don't want to have a volley team) so that they can fire from both woods, keeping a fresh set of targets at all times. This will probably also require you to manipulate your forward line to keep the targets open.

Formations and Tactics: Legolas

Legolas is the best archer in the game. Period. He has a Fight value of 6 and a Courage of 6, which means he's a dependable fighter in close combat and should keep your army together should the tide run ill for your force. He is also easily the best archer in the game with his "Deadly Shot" special ability. This allows him to do one of two things in the Shoot phase: shoot 3 times with his 3+ shoot value OR shoot once and automatically hit his intended target (roll to wound as normal). This gives him flexibility between shooting several opponents or taking down one critical opponent - like a Nazgul or a banner-bearer that is obstructed by another unit.

With this second option, he also has the ability to shoot into a friendly combat - something that other Good force archers are not able to do. This is perfect for getting your other units out of a tough situation or letting some of your melee troops shoot with their thrown daggers. Keep him near your archers to not only make sure they stay in the Fight, but to kill off Defense 6 targets and expose less defended units behind them.

Formations and Tactics: Galadriel

Galadriel is, for 130 points, arguably the best spellcaster available to the forces of Good. With 6 Will points and a free Will point that cannot be taken away, she will be able to cast plenty of spells and counter enemy spellcasters (unless something goes terribly wrong). Galadriel's aid to the Elves comes not only in her profile (Fight 6 though unarmed, Courage 7, causes terror), but also in the spells she can use to aid those around her. We'll highlight two of those spells here: Cast Blinding Light and Command.

Cast Blinding Light is the signature use of Galadriel in this army: all ranged attacks against Galadriel, any units within 6", and any units obscured by Galadriel are only hit on the roll of a 6. This spell is a static effect spell and lasts as long as Galadriel has at least 1 Will point left, so cast it on the first turn (roll a 2+ on your free Will point) and use it to protect your forces quickly. Since your units are vulnerable to missile fire (especially from Dwarf bows and crossbows), Galadriel can take away the effectiveness of an archery force fairly well by reducing their shoot values to 6.

Though Orcs and Goblins won't see much of a reduction, you'll notice that Haradrim archers and Dwarf archers certainly will feel the effects. After 17% of the archers hit their targets (or thereabouts), only 33% of the remaining units will actually kill his target - that's only 6% of the total number of archers in the enemy force (if it follows the math)! With a force of 12-15 archers, the enemy will only be killing about 1 unit each turn that's within 6" of Galadriel - perfect for keeping most of your units alive when it matters. If this goes against Galadriel (which is risky), you could block the wound as well, keeping your units alive.

A word to the wise though: units who are using "volley fire" will not be affected by this spell, since they already hit on a 6 only, so get out of volley range quickly (usually this means within 24" of the enemy) so they need to target specific units! As crossbows and throwing weapons are unable to volley, you need not worry about this rule against armies that rely on these weapons.

Command is a bit harder to cast and I usually use 2 Will points (1 from my store) to cast this one if it's essential to cast. Command requires that you roll a 4+ and the targeted unit has its Fight value reduced to 1, its Attacks reduced to 1, and the unit cannot move, cast spell, shoot, or wound for the rest of the phase. This is an excellent way to stop a combat hero from doing anything or stopping a Troll from doing anything. If you want these units to stay where they are, cast Immobilize instead, since it is cast on a 3+.

Command also allows you to move the unit half of its movement (even if it's moved already this turn). If the enemy is close and you'd like to bring them closer to your battle line, use Command to lure a unit out and throw your daggers at it - one dead unit that you don't need to shoot the following round. You can also use this to move a banner bearer out of impact range (or keep a low-Will hero out of the fight for a while). In the picture above, Galadriel could choose to move the Cave Troll away from her bodyguards or bring the Bat Swarm into range of her guards' throwing daggers.

Formations and Tactics: What's Next?

I have the Fellowship of the Ring, who can ally with this army, based on what I need. If I know the enemy will be anti-archer (Shadow Lord), I can change Legolas out for Gimli as a powerful melee hero OR bring Frodo as a spell-caster hunter. Frodo costs 100 points with his Mithril mail and Sting, allowing him to be a Strength 3, Defense 6 spell-caster hunting machine. Putting on the Ring will mean that only Nazgul can target him or charge him and if your enemy is not a Nazgul, you can run with impunity towards the enemy ranks, pass through his units, and take off the Ring just in time to charge the caster. This can also be used to target aura heroes or tactical heroes who rely on having screens of men keep them alive through the early stages of the game (Durburz, the Golden King of Abhrakan, etc.). It's risky, but I can always leave Sting behind and instead take an 85 point Frodo with Defense 6 and 3 Fate points to keep any hero tied up for a while.

I've thought about Galadhrim cavalry, Wood Elf Sentinels, and a full box of Galadhrim Warriors, but right now, these are all pipedreams, so we'll see what happens. Only an overwhelming need to make the army reach 1000 points would justify purchasing any of these boxes.