Defending Erebor against Sauron: Update: Third Battle

mertaal · **Posted:** Sat Nov 30, 2013 12:03 pm

I love your scenery!

slayeroftrolls · **Posted:** Sat Jan 04, 2014 1:30 pm

This was great! Fantastic to see so much effort going into a battle report! Really enjoyed reading it! :yay:

Erunion · **Posted:** Sat Jan 04, 2014 3:08 pm

This is really cool! Great terrain and painted miniatures, as well as good narrative descriptions to set up the battles. Keep up the awesome work!

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon Jan 06, 2014 5:50 pm

Really fun looking battles, with good photography! Glad to see some of Durin's folk get their vengeance in the second scenario.

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Mon Jan 06, 2014 6:24 pm

Reports like these encourage other to have a go - the standard of reporting and photography is excellent. Thanks for sharing.
I supposer this is going to go to the best of three (with one each so far for Erebor and Mordor?)

Galadrin · **Posted:** Mon Jan 06, 2014 10:08 pm

Great job, loved the report and pictures. Keep them coming

Phantom_Lord · **Posted:** Fri Jan 10, 2014 10:50 pm

Very nice! Can't wait for the next one!

Éomund · **Posted:** Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:50 pm

Hoe much battles are you going to do you think?
Really like them!

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:28 pm

Fun report!
I liked the yellow trees. The ruined towers were nice too.

Xintao · **Posted:** Wed Jan 29, 2014 3:57 pm

Great battle report. I enjoyed the read thru.

Also great terrain. Where did you get those trees? They look awesome.

Xin

Paboook · **Joined:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 pm **Posts:** 172

Thank you all for really nice and encouraging comments. I really appreciate it.

For those who are interested in the trees - these were handmade by guys in my local gaming club. I am sorry but I cannot give you any advise about them.

Since the last update, we have played a couple of new games in the campaign. But free time is precious (Yes, it knows, my precious, it knows!) and I prefer spending it with converting and painting of my Lotr collection rather than writing :shock:

Anyway, I have saved several hours today to put together third battle report. Stay tuned, it will follow probably tomorrow and you will witness a complete disaster for one of the rivals :wink:

Gshaw · **Joined:** Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:20 pm **Posts:** 99

Awesome can't wait for the third installment

Paboook · **Joined:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 pm **Posts:** 172

Part 3: Attack on Raven Outpost

Welcome to the third part of campaign report about the remorseless struggle between dwarfs of Erebor and Sauron’s hordes during the War of the Ring. The last time, dwarfs led by Gimli, son of Gloin, pushed back Mordor ambushers. But the evil cannot be defeated easily, and the Dark Lord desires for revenge...

Dwarf garrison of Raven Outpost remains unaware of the bloody battles in distant woods. The small fort between the Lonely Mountain and Dale is in great danger. Being strategically important for anyone who wants to control the road from the Lonely Mountain, it is this very fort what becomes the new target of Sauron’s wrath.

Servants of the Dark Lord know they must act quickly. The attack comes at down, when most of the garrison remains in sleeping chambers and guards are less numerous. The orcs need to defeat the sentinels as soon as possible, seize the gate winch and open the door to the fort. If Sauron’s minions achieve their task quickly, they will catch the remaining dwarfs unprepared. And terrible slaughter will follow...

For this battle, we modified the Attack on the East Gate scenario from the old Khazad-Dum sourcebook. We used 200 points of dwarfs and 150 points of Mordor orcs (the original scenario goes with Moria goblins). Fallen orcs can return to the game as reinforcements on a random roll. The gate winch is the only objective of the scenario. It is controlled by a model in base contact, while no enemy models are touching it. The game lasts 8–11 turns, depending on a random roll. The orcs need to seize the gate winch until the end of the game. Otherwise, the game is a victory for the sons of Durin.

Dwarf guards are unaware of the forthcoming danger. They stay disciplined on their posts as usually.

Suddenly, strange noise fills the entering hall... “The orcs are coming!” shouts captain Fimdri, while his orcish counterparts urge their horde forward.

Calm as stone, the defenders of Erebors create solid defensive line around the winch mechanism. They know they need to give enough time to the rest of the garrison. Several dwarfs including Fimdri stay behind the main line, and one shield bearer remains back at the winch.

Dwarf bowmen prepare their weapons ...

And one pesky orc fells to the ground, an arrow in his eye!

Paboook · **Joined:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 pm **Posts:** 172

The dwarfs stay still, but Fimdri knows his archers cannot shoot effectively in the dark hall full of rubble and strong pillars. Before the servants of Sauron reach the defenders, only one further orcs dies by dwarf arrow.

And even worse, orcs reinforcements keep coming!

The Mordor horde smashes into dwarf line. Fimdri relies on the skill of his men and their sturdy armor, both much more efficient then the enemy.

Yet the superior numbers and poor luck serve to the attackers. In a matter of seconds, two elite Khazad-Guards and two warriors die by the orcish blades!

Fimdri has no other option than stopping the enemy by himself!

Alas! Even the heroic captain is slain, hit by a number of cruel spears and blades!

Paboook · **Joined:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 pm **Posts:** 172

Luckily enough, Fimdri’s men form another line of defense. The war cry “Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!” fills the hall.

Orcs answer with evil laughter and ugly words in their black tongue.

Despite their bravery, dwarfs are unable to stop the overwhelming horde from penetrating their ranks once again. One after another, they fell under the blows of orc sabres and spears.

Suddenly, only few dwarfs stand among dead bodies. Their armor is cracked and shields damaged. Soon, the only dwarf defending the gate winch is slain. As he slowly falls to the cold ground, his mind confused and senses fuzzy, he can scarcely see the evil creature that gave him the fatal hit... (i.e. sorry for the blurry photo!)

The gate slowly opens and orcs run to the fort, filled with fury and blood thirst. Raven Outpost is lost! Did Valar abandon their children?

Paboook · **Joined:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 pm **Posts:** 172

I hope you enjoyed this battle report despite the fact the game was probably the most one-sided I have ever played. Dice were refusing to acknowledge the existence of statistics, as the number of 6s rolled by my Mordor fellow was just crazy. During the whole game, the dwarfs killed only three orcs, two of them returning back as Mordor reinforcements! The following picture documents the number of causalities at the end of turn 6.

In any case, the game was cool and I believe the scenario is fine and worth playing. Of course, our campaign goes on. The war for Erebor is still not lost! I won’t tell you the result of the game that followed, but I will post a new battle report when I find enough time to write it. Realy not sure when this happens... Meanwhile, you are welcome to visit my WIP blog http://www.one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=25598&start=80 Thanks!

Isilduhrr · **Posted:** Mon Apr 21, 2014 10:54 pm

just now rediscovered this thread (i had read the first one previously). really impreesed. i have been looking for motivation to start a campaign of my own, and this is of prime quality!

Frêrin · **Joined:** Tue Apr 08, 2014 1:50 pm **Posts:** 272

Really nice report, though I don't like scenarios your only option is running in close combat and hoping for good dice. The only strategic thing on it is building the right army. I think if the dwarfs fielded a captain with shield, a banner and dwarfs with shields and just do shielding all the time he would have won (3 dices per warrior and 4 for the captain with higher fight value should have done it).

Paboook · **Joined:** Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 pm **Posts:** 172

Thank you Isilduhrr. It's really great to know someone finds these battle reports inspiring!

Frêrin, I guess you are absolutely right. However, both me and my opponent play the campaign more for fun than as a competitive game.

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

I really like a lot of your ruin terrain. They really add character to the battle field.

Defending Erebor against Sauron: Update: Third Battle

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