Playing Middle Earth SBG v. Champs

"For Gondor!"  "OOORRRRRRGGGHHHH!" [trans. "for Moria!"]

Somehow, got talked into participating in a tournament at The Wargamer's Guild in Yardville, NJ. It was all day for three rounds at 800 points.  I didn't think I could swing it, but got talked into it by kindly peer pressure, so decided to give it a go and really test out how much I like playing the game by drinking from the proverbial MESBG fire hose.

I didn't have enough Moria Goblins to do 800 points, but was kindly loaned an army by one of the regional champion types, Alisher A.  I did use a few of my models, like my cave troll.

My first opponent was I believe an Angmar list by Andrew P, another champion type. I tried various things, and forgot a lot of rules and tactics, and muddled through it best I could.  I was a key part of Andrew winning the tournament, I feel!

Below, my Spider Queen and her brood advance.  We are playing one of the objective scenarios, represented by the treasure chests. My Goblins are somewhat scattered about, showing poor training and leadership as usual! Why the Cave Troll is out on his own at left... I dunno, and neither does he...

Melee in the middle. my bats are mixed in with orcs and Black Numenoreans, who all cause terror.  I brilliantly left my Fury-casting Shaman on a hill nearby.

The Witch King, with all the trimmings.  Yes, he has "every old thing" possible, and he flies "Wraiths with wings!!"  He casually wanders the field killing everything.

We BOTH have a spider queen, Andrew's is very nicely done.  She throws a goblin down this line to good effect, knocking a few down.

Big bat beating on the little bats!

In the end, I was left with - I believe - on goblin on the field.  He went back to his hole and told a tall tale of a near victory and his personal heroism. Andrew was well started on his tournaments victory.  Nice models, helpful opponent with the rules [which I'm still learning.

There were two other games that day, one against Isengard fielded by John H, and a final game against Evan A using Erebor dwarfs.  Both games had a lot of hard fighting, and the Moria Goblins definitely got some heated action, altho they lost badly in points in both games.

As happens all too often, I got caught up in the game and took no pics, especially unfortunate as they both had lovely armies, with great conversions and alternative models.  

All three players were great opponents, knew the rules and fought hard but were helpful regarding questions I had, and how to do things I wanted to do - can definitely recommend the scene to a newer player. The Wargamer's Guild organizers, staff, head cooks and bottle washers [both of them] were gracious and helpful, and ran a great event.  I'd definitely return for another event in the future.

While I didn't win or place, I was 100% successful in two goals:

- bettering my game and testing if I really want to play the system a lot, and

- a 100% success in something...in this case, it was placing last, for which I got:

I assume this symbolizes the beating that Moria took!?

          *          *          *          *

The next opportunity I had for a game against another Big Shot Player was just a week later. Ted L was willing to escape the confines of the city and visit the suburbs for some battle, pitting his Minas Tirith men against my Moria Goblins for 550 points. He clearly knows a lot about the game and what he's doing, so grateful he was able to make it.

After some discussion, we decided to use a circular table for "something different". This made for a few unusual issues with measuring table entry/exit and such - the "Reconnoitre" scenario is from the main rulebook; rolling to enter the board, and leaving the table is a victory condition. We probably should've just used the 8' tables that were also available. 

I put out "not Gondor" terrain and set up some ruins - ended up like below:

The might of Gondor, still potent in the Third Age altho their power wanes:

Ted uses clear bases, in which I see some positives and negatives. While they do match the below terrain better, they have a continuous "halo" effect around them!

My Goblins advance in a couple of waves. At top is Groblog The Pretentious and the Shaman, Drum Team, Cave Troll, and a cast of thousands. Below is another Captain, Cave Troll, and the usual sword-fodder.

The Shaman rolls for turns 1-3 to cast "Fury" and rolls a '1' each time, a first for him.  No Fury today, lads!  You'll just have to settle for being "Mildly Perturbed".

To right, the Cave Trolls and Goblin Horde close in on Gondor's Finest.

Among other things I forget, is that the Goblins get +1 to Fight when they trap opponents, their special "We cannot get out - they are coming!" rule.

Hurin charges into Groblog the Pretentious and takes him out - the Cave Troll stands by, looking confused [not hard to do, confuse a Cave Troll].

Nearby, Gondor shows how to take out a Monster with about a dozen guys. The Goblins did not help the troll much. It was inevitable really, as this Cave Troll had "new model syndrome" all over him...

Next turn, in a burst of anger, Painted Cave Troll Rends Hurin limb from limb!

But retaliation is swift, and Ingold takes him on with a lot of help...

...and they inflict the last two wounds on the troll: EERRR, EEERRRRRGGHHH [CLICK]

Nearby, and towards the Gondorian side of the board, a bunch of goblins are fleeing the field, erhm, "exiting the battlefield to Reconnoitre and Accomplish the Mission" they say... but do we believe them??  Gondor moves to stop them.

More plausibly, on the opposite flank entirely, over a dozen goblins under the leadership of "Not-Durburz" the Humble Goblin Captain are also trying to exit the board, and are very very close.  As Gondor has only exited two models [the two Knights of Gondor] exiting 6 or more would be a sizeable victory point help for the Goblins as they are definitely not winning the straight-up fight! Indeed, the Goblin force is "Broken" and quickly going to pieces due to being scattered and lacking Heroes for "Stand Fast". 

On the game-winning left flank, Not-Durburz rolls a 6, +3 Courage for a 9!  Now all the goblins will have to check, and few will pass [THEY - SHALL - NOT - PASS!!!]. 

BUT, in a burst of misguided chivalry, the Gondorian commander reminds me that I can spend Not-Durburz's one point of Will to make his roll a '10' and pass!  I can't believe it, but we re-think the math and he does in fact, pass.

Not Durburz takes on multiple Gondorians in a burst of frenzy, if not outright heroism. The last Goblins flee the board, bringing the total to 8 I believe.

In the end, we both killed the enemy Leader [Hurin, Groblog], then my force was broken and Gondor's wasn't [3 pts] but I trebled the Reconnoitre force of Gondor, which was worth 7 points, so we ended up 9-5 and a Moria Goblin victory!

This was the Moria Goblin's first victory, and altho it didn't "feel" like a victory by sticking doggedly to the victory conditions and a little bit of furtunate dice [and help from Ted] they got the points.

In post-game analysis, we both felt that the scenario was finely balanced, and could've gone either way. Ted felt that he could've held back a bit and let me come to him instead of maneuvering to meet me farther out. But, the terrain was better for him forward, and maybe I would've broken through somewhere and then been close to exiting the board.  His knights I couldn't do anything about, not having any fast-moving figures.  Maybe some Bats would have been useful...

As for me, I need to maneuver better, be more decisive on where to put key figures like the Goblin Drum, and also stay together better. Plus, get more familiarity with the rules.  As it stands, my only victory so far was due to m opponent's helping!

A couple more games already scheduled, so more to come soon!