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Thread: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

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  1. #1
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    Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    LotR or WotR battle report: WotR
    Yesterday, my buddy and I re-played our game from last week, bumping up the points to add more Epics and bigger units. We played on the same 8' x 6' table with a few changes to the terrain, particularly removing the objective hill in the middle of the table.

    Whoo boy, it took much longer than we had expected.

    On turn 3 we had a cavalcade of epic and heroic actions up and down the battle line that was on the verge of being a confusing mess. We did our best to play it out with our common sense and our still tenuous grasp on this part of the rules.

    This thread could also be titled "How NOT to run a Mordor army." as my inexperience with Mordor - particularly how to best leverage and coordinate Ringwraith magic - resulted in utter annihilation of its pillage-in-force expedition into the farmlands of Gondor. If we learn best from our mistakes, you'll soon see ample evidence of my schooling.

    Even better, this time we remembered to take pictures!

    Corn for the White City

    It is late summer, in the first decade of TA 3000 and Witch King leading an large expedition to destroy Gondor's crops before the fall harvest with the intent of diminishing the city's stores of foodstuffs in advance of the Dark Lord's full scale siege.

    Even under the eye of the Witch King, summoning a force orcs, trolls and distant human allies, is a chaotic and time-consuming effort. In his first outing as captain of the Ithilien Rangers, alert to the warning signs, young Faramir has warned Denethor well in advance. In a moment of lucidity, he summoned a portion of his levies and charged Boromir and Faramir with defending the harvest at all costs. This expedition also affords the Steward the happy opportunity to be rid of Mithrandir, nosing about in the royal archives. Maybe he'll overreach himself this time.

    Under the energetic leadership of Gondor's future, they expeditiously marshal their forces in time to challenge the Witch King at the outer edges of Gondor's fertile farmlands, out beyond the Rammas Echor.


    To be continued...
    Last edited by Avatar of the Eldar; 09-05-2010 at 21:12.
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

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    Wargaming in Westeros

  2. #2
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Forces of Gondor!

    It's important to note that these 2400 point lists were cobbled together with more of an eye on trying out certain units than ensuring balance. I'm sure more experience players could critique them till the cows come home.

    On to the piccies...

    The entire army on the bar in my friend's converted garage pub. (Get yer dang finger out of the shot, chucklehead!)

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...rcesofGood.jpg

    The heroes - Boromir, Gandalf and Faramir

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...cesofGood2.jpg

    3 companies of Men-at-Arms of Dol Amroth (MaADA) with Capt & Banner (not needed but adds color)
    3 companies of Ithilien Rangers
    3 companies of Clansmen of Lamedon with Angbor and Banner (Actually, just a banner pole. Lamedon is not the wealthiest fiefdom ya know.)

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...s-Clansmen.jpg

    5 companies of WoMt with Capt & Banner
    5 companies of Osgiliath Veterans with full command - Don't leave home without these guys!

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...thVeterans.jpg

    And, finally, 3 companies of Archers of MT
    5 companies of KoMT with Capt & Banner
    5 companies of SKoDA with full command (Imrahil stayed home to keep an eye on things.)
    2 Avenger Bolt Throwers

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...A-Avengers.jpg

    Mordor up next...
    Last edited by Avatar of the Eldar; 09-05-2010 at 20:10.
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

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    Wargaming in Westeros

  3. #3
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Forces of Mordor!

    Back to the bar...

    The whole kit and kaboodle...

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...yWiPMordor.jpg

    4 companies of Morgul Knights with Capt & Banner
    3 companies of Grishnakh's Trackers
    Gothmog in the front (I prefer to use the Mouth of Sauron model. No likey elephant man orc)
    Witch King on Fell Beast in the back
    Mordor Troll
    5 companies of Morannon Orcs with shields, Capt, Banner, Taskmaster

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...-WK-Gothmo.jpg

    6 companies of Mordor Orcs with 2HW, Capt, Banner, Taskmaster
    6 companies of Mordor Orcs with Shields, Capt, Banner, Taskmaster
    2 more Mordor Trolls
    4 companies of Easterling Archers with Capt
    4 companies of Haradrim Raiders with Bows

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...adrim-Trol.jpg

    After the battle (read: massacre) I realized how poor some of these choices were. But more on that at the end.

    Next up, the battlefield...
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

    Hive Fleet Kali-Ma

    Wargaming in Westeros

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    Re: Batrep #2 - The Battlefield

    On to the field of battle...

    48 square feet of gaming goodness...

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...ngGoodness.jpg

    Beyond the Rammas

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...dtheRammas.jpg

    Save the corn!! Cornfield Capacity 4, +1 Defense. Granary Capacity 4, +3 Defense. Why? Just felt like it.

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...ecttheCorn.jpg

    Mordor fully deployed with Grishnakh's lads laying in wait in the granary. (Yeah, the laundry needs to get done too, dammit.) From left to right:

    - Haradrim
    - Morgul Knights with Dark Marshal
    - Orcs with shields screening 2 Trolls
    - Morannon orcs with shields positioned to go right or left around the granary where needed.
    - Orcs with 2HW with Gothmog (Big mistake #2, right after taking WK on a Fellbeast. But more on that later.)
    - Easterlings screening a Troll

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...lydeployed.jpg

    Mordor battle line viewed from their left flank.

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...ordorTurn1.jpg

    Witch King calls a pre-game Epic Fail. In retrospect, a harbinger of what's to come.

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...ngerofwhat.jpg

    Gondor takes the field. Viewed from Mordor's right flank. From the bottom up:

    - WoMT Archers
    - SkoDA
    - MaADA (other side of the woods)
    - Avenger (just beyond MaADA)
    - WoMT with Boromir and Gandalf

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...dleftflank.jpg

    Gondor deployment from the other flank. From bottom up:
    - Clansmen
    - Avenger
    - KoMT
    - Veterans
    - Ithilien Rangers in ambush in the cornfield

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...rightflank.jpg

    Ready to rumble...

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...soitbegins.jpg

    This doesn't look like enough dice...

    http://i679.photobucket.com/albums/v...enoughdice.jpg

    Next up: Turn 1
    Last edited by Avatar of the Eldar; 09-05-2010 at 21:07. Reason: Added images
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

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    Wargaming in Westeros

  5. #5
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    Re: Batrep #2 - The Battle Starts!

    Well, here comes the hard part because it involves translating my illegible foolscap and my hazy memory for detail into a cogent narrative. It doesn't help that I got enmeshed in managing the game and forgot to take photos at the end of turn 1 / beginning of turn 2.

    Given a 6' deep table, we agreed to a 20" deployment zone.

    Turn 1 - Mordor had priority

    Movement
    Both sides move up at the double (for the most part) and get ready for shooting. Grishnakh revealed in the granary and the Ithilien Rangers revealed in the cornfield.
    (We completely forget to use magic for the next two phases. D'oh!)

    Shooting
    Easterlings double timed and cannot shoot.
    Grishnakh spends Might for "Take Aim", taking a company off the Knights of Minas Tirith, driving them back 2".
    Haradrim shoot at the softest target available to them - Men at Arms of Dol Amroth (MaADA) plinking two.

    The Archers of Minas Tirith (AoMT) shoot at the Morgul Knights and take one down.
    Avenger Bolt Thrower (ABT) in the center of Gondor's line shoots into the mob of Orcs with shields swarming up alongside the granary taking down 6.
    Osgiliath Veterans (OV) shoot into the Easterling Archers and take out half a company.
    The second ABT on the far end overshoots the Easterlings..
    Ithilien Rangers (IR) punish the lightly armored Haradrim that carelessly moved within range taking out a company, pushing them to the right a bit.

    Charges/Combat

    Not many opportunities yet but the Haradrim and the Morgul Knights attempt a combined charge on the Swan Knights, but the MK quail at the monstrously flamboyant helmets while the Haradrim go on into be the charger and not the charge on a 6! and only kill one knight, losing 2 in return, and are disordered.

    Turn 2
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

    Hive Fleet Kali-Ma

    Wargaming in Westeros

  6. #6

    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Looks good so far. I love a good batrep. How many points were you playing then?

  7. #7
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Good choice in brews.

  8. #8
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Quote Originally Posted by HRM View Post
    Good choice in brews.
    It was my first one and I enjoyed it.

    My buddy is a transplant from..wait for it...Halifax. His wife's cousin (who lives down here) has a boyfriend up there and she smuggles back every time she visits him.
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

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    Wargaming in Westeros

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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Quote Originally Posted by Avatar of the Eldar View Post
    It was my first one and I enjoyed it.

    My buddy is a transplant from..wait for it...Halifax. His wife's cousin (who lives down here) has a boyfriend up there and she smuggles back every time she visits him.
    LOL @ smuggling Keith's out of Halifax. I wish I could smuggle some opponents IN.

  10. #10
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    excellent battle report so far: clean, good oversight, good pictures, lovely models and terrain
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Quote Originally Posted by Mars View Post
    excellent battle report so far: clean, good oversight, good pictures, lovely models and terrain
    Thanks, Mars. BTW are you an Aikidoist?
    Last edited by Avatar of the Eldar; 11-09-2010 at 23:12.
    With goodwill towards all, and malice towards none.

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    Wargaming in Westeros

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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Quote Originally Posted by Avatar of the Eldar View Post
    Thanks, Mars. BTW are you and Aikidoist?
    I was for 10 years. I'm taking a break now, tired of all that rolling around

    no follow up on the battle report? I'd really love to see those massed formations slug it out
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  13. #13
    Chapter Master TheSanityAssassin's Avatar
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    Re: Batrep #2 - Corn for the White City! @2400pts

    Indeed, I'd love to see a result for this one. And as a happy Canadian, Keith's pleases me greatly.

    Try the red or white. Stay away from the Dark.
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