Years ago, when I was running a games shop I used to take
participation game to wargames shows based around the Ambush at Amon Hen, where
the Fellowship of the Ring finally disintegrated and Boromir was slain. The
game used 54mm figures that had been produced by Britains for the release of
Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films. Whilst tidying up by loft storage the other
day I can across the figures again and thought it would be fun to do something
with them and Sellswords and Spellcasters would be the idea rules for a small scale skirmish.
I wanted to have a go at something more akin to Tolkien’s original
version of events at Amon Hen from the novel, rather that that of Peter Jackson's film. The book essentially splits
the action into three sequences of events. Firstly you have Frodo using the One
Ring to escape the rest of the Fellowship to continue the quest to Mordor
alone, a plan upset when Sam follows him and very nearly drowns himself. Not
much gaming potential there.
Secondly there is Boromir’s redeemingly heroic, and ultimately
fatal, defence of Merry and Pippin against the hordes of orcs. There is more of
a game in this, but the presence of numerous orc archers are ultimately going
to make this pretty one-sided, unless I go along with a film version of the
hobbits and make them dead-eye, lethal snipers with a just handful of pebbles.
Thirdly you have Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas hunting orcs through the
surrounding woods. I thought this would be an easier slice of the action to
start off with. I decided to play around with the orc’s stats for this, the
standard orc in S&S seemed a bit weak for the uruk-hai, but the orc brute
was way too strong. Combining the two seemed to work, treating uruk-hai as
DL10, HP 1 and DAM 1.
For the first game I created my three heroes using the standard
party creation from S&S. I allowed the PCs to use the Buckler trait, more
to represent a skill in parrying the opponent’s melee attacks rather than
representing a physical shield.
ARAGORN
FIGHTER SWORD +2, HORDE FIGHTER +1, BUCKLER (PARRY) +1
Equipment: Sword, Knife
LEGOLAS
ARCHERY +2, FIGHTER SWORD +1, FIRE INTO MELEE, BUCKLER (PARRY) +1
Equipment: Longbow, Short Sword (Long Knife)
GIMLI
FIGHTER AXE +2, ARMOUR +1
Equipment: Axe, Mail Armour
I started with a simple scenario. 12 uruk-hai started randomly placed on the table, 3 hordes of 3 and 6 individuals. The game continues until the three heroes had crossed the table or killed 30 uruk-hai (or been killed themselves).
The cast, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the uruk-hai.
The battlefield at the start of the game.
Viewed from the trio's starting edge.
Aragorn and Gimli advance onto the table.
Legolas moves forward and takes down his first uruk-hai.
Gimli takes on a uruk-hai.
One down, then two more rush forwards (Monster Frenzy card). Gimli takes a hit, which pierces his armour, but then cuts down the first uruk-hai.
Aragorn starts forward towards an oncoming horde, but fails an activation and springs an ambush. He takes a wound but then kills the uruk-hai.
Reinforcements arrive!
Aragorn charges into the horde. He kills one, takes a hit but parries it, then kills a second uruk-hai.
Gimli does a good job of slicing and dicing his way through a horde of uruk-hai.
Having taken out a bunch of uruks, Aragorn and Gimli join forces as another mass of orcs descend upon them.
In the meantime Legolas draws a bead on his 7th uruk-hai.
As another uruk approaches, the elf pauses to adjust his hair, before sticking an arrow in the orc's head.
An overview of the action towards the end of the game. Gimli goes on to take another wound taking out the horde of 4 uruks around him which takes his total to 12! At the same turn Aragorn cuts down his 10th uruk, which takes to total kills to 30, winning the game for the heroes. But they are in a bad way, Aragorn and Gimli each have two wounds and Legolas has one.
Where did you get the orc figs from and are they 54mm
ReplyDeleteThey are 54mm figures produced by Britains.
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