350 Goblins v Minas Tirith

JamesR · **Posted:** Sun Jan 19, 2014 8:58 pm

My first ever battle report, hope you all enjoy. Comments, critiques, whatever welcome as always. Apologies for a lack of pictures I didn't have my camera handy and my phone was near dead.

So recently I journied on up to my "local" GW (if you can call 80 miles local) and played a 350 point battle with my Goblins against Minas Tirith.
Both myself and the store manager Brett have been hoping to build the SBG community in the area.

My opponent (Kevin) had recently gotten back into the game after a hiatus and really was keen to build up his army of Minas Tirith.
His army saw him taking a Captain of Minas Tirith with shield as his army leader and the other Warband led by the Knight of the White Tower. He had 6 men with bows, a horn-blower and banner as part of his force.

Normally at this point range I love to take Durburz (recently acquired on Ebay) and two Goblin shamen with warbands of plain goblins to spam my opponents, and this works quite well. Durburz has enough might and can stand well enough against other 2 attack heroes (had him slaughter Legolas and Haldir without being touched last game in thanks to some heroic combats). But this time I wanted to do something different, as I've never used the Watcher in a real battle I decided to take him and a Goblin Shaman with his warband of Goblins (a few having spears).

So we deployed and decided to just play a standard "kill all of them!" (As my Gobos call it) type game. The board was a 4x4 square with a small village on my right, a forest on my left and some rocky areas scattered about. Of course I kept the Watcher in reserve but didn't tell my opponent what I was holding back.

As he was the less experienced player I let Kevin go first and he moved his forces up keeping 3 archers on each flank.

My Goblins, having no bows and knowing they need simply survive headed for the trees! To avoid enemy bow-fire, and my Shaman popped a channeled Fury with rolls of 6 and 3. So we're all set.

As everyone had moved too far there was no shooting or combat. So priority 2. Goblins took it! And quickly took even better cover behind the trees! Because they're not cowards or anything... it's purely tactical...
Gondor moved up and let loose a few shots that all missed badly.

Turn 3 priority- Gondor! Exactly as I hoped! My opponent continues to move towards my badly outnumbered Goblins in a rather loose formation with his archers still on the wings.

My turn. I roll for the Watcher and score a 4! Great! And place the Watcher right in the midst of his forces but slightly behind so his banner and horn are within reach. My Goblins, seeing that their "buddy" has arrived, spring from the trees and charge towards the Gondorians who are still struggling to come to grips with what's before their eyes, the Shaman letting out a war-cry to his enraged troops!

The Gondor bowmen fire but only one manages to calm himself enough to hit his mark, wounding the Watcher with a lucky strike.

The Watcher, enraged by its prey fighting back makes 6 shooting attacks in response! Slaying the banner bearer outright and dragging the Captain, Knight, and horn-blower, screaming, in close.
In the ensuing fight phase the Watcher kills the horn-blower but accomplishes nothing more, for now.

The next priority phase goes to evil and the Goblins form a wall before their leader (the Shaman) and watch as the Watcher charges the Knight.
Good responds by pushing forward (fleeing the terror that is the Watcher) and seeing these Goblins as the much preferable foe.

This shoot phase the Watcher only manages to pull a single Warrior and the Captain into combat and Gondor's archers must hold their fire for fear of hitting their friends.

The Watcher begins the fight phase by winning and BPA rending the Knight, inflicting 4 wounds! And thus removing his biggest threat.
Gondor fairs a bit better against the Goblins and kill 2 (their Shaman's magic not being quite as potent as he promised).

The next few turns continue much the same way. The Watcher killing a few troops and the Goblins losing one or two but failing every fury save and killing nothing in return.

Finally the Captain decides he's had enough and runs his full movement away from the Watcher only to be dragged back into combat, kicking and struggling the whole way. And finally he too falls to the Watcher's gaping maw. BUT all hope is not lost! As Gondor has broken the Goblins! Now they just need survive!

Priority again goes to Gondor, and seeing their chance the remaining men rally and manage to reach the Shaman! Hoping to cut off the head and deny them their fury so they flee. The Watcher pushes forward picking off a few more stragglers but cannot reach the Shaman! The dice roll and the Shaman loses combat! But saves the single wound with his fate point (his fury save also failing him too). And the Goblins relieved, live to fight another day!

Priority goes to the Goblins and the Shaman is again charged but fortunately this time the Watcher is close enough and fires into combat! Passing his "in the way" and drags the would be hero to his doom, and so the Shaman doesn't even have to fight!

The poor Gondorian of course loses combat and is hurled into a nearby tree, to his death, and the death of two comrades unfortunate enough to be in his way. The Goblins as well finally realize they have weapons too and kill their first Gondorian! Breaking the men of MT!

The next turn comes and several Gondorians fail their Courage tests and flee the field, the monster is too much for them! But a few rally once more, only to be cut down by the Watcher.

Finally the game is drawing to a close and all but one brave Warrior of Gondor flee, the Watcher too leaves, now thoroughly bored by the lack of play-things left on the battlefield. And the one lone Gondorian is surrounded by the Shaman and two remaining Goblins who slay him. Claiming the field! This village on the Outskirts of Gondor will burn! As the fires from Moria spread South, at the beckoning of the great eye!

Armandhammer · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:01 am

Well written and quite enjoyable to read. Thanks for posting!

Taking The Watcher at 350 against a relatively new player is a serious amount of cheese, but on the other hand it’s always nice to bring in centerpiece models to change things up a bit.

I hope you didn't scare him away from the game! Plus, did you give him any tips after?

Lastly, this particular segment puzzled me:

JamesR wrote:

… Of course I kept the Watcher in reserve but didn't tell my opponent what I was holding back...

From a narrative point of view, this makes sense (surprise attack by the watcher), but from a game point of view it’s an eye opener. Was he seriously oblivious to the fact that a Watcher would appear in the game? I mean, are you even allowed to hide models from opponents?

JamesR · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:50 am

I did give him some tips after, as did another guy who watched us (who is a LOTR vet himself). I knew the Watcher was good but had yet to use him in a real battle so I just wanted to try him out. We discussed quite a bit and had we fought the battle again I probably would have lost because we both realized the key (with his force) to easily beating my own.

As to the Watcher being "kept secret" we simply didn't reveal our lists we were bringing or show any models until they were on the board, he knew I had some stuff waiting in reserve and knew I owned the model, but didn't come into the game knowing "oh this is going to show up".

As to scaring him away, I don't think so lol, and thee Watcher simply provided good entertainment to both of us. We are both eager to get another game in, which I will probably try something else to experiment with Moria further.

Perhaps our best topic of discussion was discussing why the Watcher had left the field. He had taken only one wound and had expended all his will passing two previous courage tests, but there was only one Gondorian left, so he obviously wasn't fleeing in fear. That was a victory to Kevin lol, seeing that beast removed from play. So in the end it was super close as his FV was the highest remaining on the field and I barely outnumbered him (with the shaman out of everything but 1 point of will) 3 to 1

Batman of The Shire · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:18 am

Wow, I didn't realize The Watcher was such a beast. May have to think about buying one soon.

Sithious · **Posted:** Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:48 pm

Nice. For a first BR it reads well. This is why I went to a video version, I had taken photo's and was writing things down, but talking is faster than writing for me. Looks like the watcher can mess up a command groups day. I was thinking of using him as a random encounter (D&D style) in a BC match, perhaps that will have to wait until the some of the BC's are higher in points.

I think pictures would work wonders. Just an FYI, you can open pictures in windows paint and then you can add lines, text etc to them and resave them, then you can re-size the photo after and the lines will shrink too. This way you can show troop movements, deployment, whatever to partner with the written text (while only using one good picture of the board each time with just the paint markings of things).

Armandhammer · **Posted:** Thu Jan 23, 2014 3:29 pm

JamesR wrote:

As to the Watcher being "kept secret" we simply didn't reveal our lists we were bringing or show any models until they were on the board, he knew I had some stuff waiting in reserve and knew I owned the model, but didn't come into the game knowing "oh this is going to show up".

I don’t think I've heard of anyone playing like that before, which is why it was so surprising.

Certainly something worth trying

Hill-Troll · **Posted:** Thu Jan 23, 2014 5:28 pm

Watcher equals awesome! Very nice BR but next time pictures please?

JamesR · **Posted:** Thu Jan 23, 2014 5:47 pm

Hill-Troll wrote:

Watcher equals awesome! Very nice BR but next time pictures please?

I most certainly will lol, I'll check the camera before I leave to ensure its all good to go.

350 Goblins v Minas Tirith

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