A glorified round of 'British Bulldog' with Durburz trying to get across a troll-infested map... dust off the cave trolls it's time to squish some goblin!
Troll Trouble (or The Struggle for Mount Gundabad)Background.Third Age, 1975. Arnor has fallen. The Witch-King launches an all out attack on Fornost to destroy the last Dunedain of the North, but is himself defeated by an expeditionary force from Gondor and the Elves. He flees back to Mordor, his task completed, the destruction of the North kingdom of the Dunedain, using only his abilities, and those allies he could sway to his will already on the edges of the kingdom.
With the defeat of the Witch-King the realm of Angmar is falling into pieces, as the disparate collections of evil men, orcs, trolls, and beasts fall back to their own devices, and to protect their homes. One mighty stronghold was the orc/goblin capital of Mount Gundabad, long independent and home to vast hordes of orcs and goblins. The Witch-King subjected it to his will and used it to provide the backbone of his armies to ravage Arnor, and the linchpin of the kingdom that spanned both sides of the Misty Mountains. Durburz, the Goblin King, flees the ruin at Fornost with his bodyguard towards Mt Gundabad, to lick his wounds.
However, more than just Durburz has their eye on the ancient stronghold, as Burhdur, the wily Troll lieutenant of the Witch-King seeks power. He gathers his warband and those remnants of Angmar he can bully, to launch an attack on Mt Gundabad. The orcs and goblins are weakened after their defeat by the forces of Good, never is there a better chance to carve out his own small empire in the North.
The day comes, and wily Burhrdur intercepts Durburz on the road east, just miles short of Mt Gundabad. Durburz looks doomed, but is close enough to get reinforcements from the mountain, many cave trolls and similar beasts under the control of the sneaky goblins. Will Durburz break through and reach the safety of his kingdom, or will Buhrdur become the new master of the Mount?
Forces:Burhrdur's forces (Angmar)Burhrdur.
Fell Folk: 800 points of cave trolls or Draugfaer* or Gulavhar (ignore the Decree of Rarity for these beasts)
Angmarim: 800 points of other Angmarim forces, and a Fate. Excluding Nazgul.
(Note the legendary formation Burhdur's warband may be taken, in this case Burhrdur is 'free', the points for the cave trolls are taken against the 800 for 'Fell Folk', and the cost of the legendary formation itself and other troop requirements against the 800 points for 'Angmarim')
*
Draugfaer - single model - 40mm base - rare (angmar faction)
Spirit Monster M 10 F7/- S5 D5 A3 R2 C4 Mt -
Weapons: Mouth and Claws. (hand weapons)
Special Rules:
Terror. Hard to Kill.
Feral Charge. Gains +6 attacks on the charge
Mount Gundabad (Misty Mountains)Durburz, the Goblin King
The King's Bodyguard - 4 Companies Gundabad Blackshields
The Stragglers: 300 points of Misty Mountains*
Reinforcements:a. Mighty Minions: 650 points of cave trolls or drakes and up to one stone giant.
b. Relief troops: 350 points of Misty Mountains troops
* No Druzhag, balrogs, dragons, spiders of any kind.
(Note Durburz's Legendary Formation may be taken, in this case Durburz is 'Free', the points for the cave trolls are taken against the 800 for 'Fell Folk', and the cost of the legendary formation itself and other troop requirements against the 800 points for 'Stragglers' and 'relief troops', although parts of the battlehost will probably deploy in two groups and not the usual one)
Setup: 8' x 4' board.
5 small woods (cap 4), 3 wooden shacks (cap 3), 2 Ruins (cap 4), 6 moderate hills.
3 difficult (rocky/mountainous) terrain.
Deployment:Angmar. Anywhere in the eastern half of the board.
Misty. Durburz, His bodyguard and 'The Stragglers' set up in the western short board edge, within 12" of it.
Reinforcements. May be split into one or two groups. the first (or only) group may arrive on the northern board edge at the start of turn 2. The second (or only) group may arrive on the eastern Board edge on turn 3.
Victory Conditions.Misty total victory. Durburz manages to move off the eastern board edge before the end of turn 8 (including via a 'fall-back' move, he isn't proud!)
Misty victory. Buhrdur is slain, Durburz still alive at end of turn 8.
Angmar victory. Buhrdur and Durburz are still alive, but Durburz hasn't escaped.
Angmar total victory. Durburz is slain.
Special Rules:Shake thy Bonds! At any time Burhdur during his move he may spend a Might point and call 'Shake your bonds' to call the subjugated goblin trolls to break free. Any enemy cave troll within 12" must make a Courage Test. If it FAILS it comes under the control of the Angmar player who may move it (if it has not already) and use it to shoot or charge on his turn. At the start of each priority phase if the troll makes his Courage Test, he once more has been cowed by the goblins to do their bidding, and the moments of 'freedom' have passed.
Tunnels of the Goblins. Before deployment the Misty player may choose, and secretly record, three defensive terrain features, these have tunnels and trapdoors extending under them which some sneaky miners will collapse if some enemy enters, these can be revealed at any time the Misty player chooses. Any formation inside the feature will take d3+3 strength 6 hits from falling damage and rubble collapse.
Some pics from a test game:Near: Durburz tries to break through
Far: The stone giant and trolls molest some orcs...Near: Durburz with some wargs tries to run through the centre
Everywhere: pockets of combat