Lord of the Rings SBG - Farmer Maggot and Shortcuts

Enthused by fighting Amon Hen, General Ballroom and I convened for more LOTR.

We decided to play through the campaign (or at least give it a go) and so began with the Farmer Maggot scenario. This is a "learning" scenario where the hobbits have no M/W/F and no-one actually dies. Designed to ease new players into the game it worked fine for easily confused gentlemen of a certain age too.

The innocent farmer's farm.

Nefarious would-be turnip thieves - the hobbits are actually the "Evil" side in this game!

Grip, Fang and The Other One.

Pretty soon General B had set the hounds on me 'obbits! Nasty.

Though Sam had got his hands on a carrot or two.

Merry got bitten a few times.

Pippin and Frodo made off with some more of Farmer Maggot's fine produce.

But Frodo found himself surrounded and badly mauled

The hobbits soon all fled, leaving the Farmer free to shout "Gerroff moi laaaand" in traditional fashion.

That had got us back in to the swing of things, so we swapped sides and went again.

Grip, Fang and The Other One went bounding off in search of hobbit britches.

The miscreants stayed bunched together

Soon the hounds were on them.

We added sound effects whenever this happened - because you have to.

Pippin dropped off another cabbage.

Frodo dealt with Grip (or possibly Fang, or maybe The Other One)

And Sam bought home the bacon (or possibly a firm young carrot) to claim the win for the hobbits.

By this stage I was played two, lost two.

We still had time (LotR, especially small games plays quick) so we moved on to the next scenario - pone I've played a version of before where hobbits are trying to escape Nazgul and Gildor ("not another f*%$ing elf") helps them out.

The hobbits hide behind a hedge as the Ringwraiths close in.

Over there...maybe...

The Wraiths blundered around a fair bit at first.

Gildor skipped nimbly to the middle of the board.

I'm coming to get yooohooooo!

A rare roll of three sixes in a row meant the Nazgul suddenly caught the scent of the ring and all closed in.

The alarm is raised!

Hobbits start fleeing and the Black Darts start flying

Bravely Pippin launched himself at a Wraith

Gildor meanwhile got on with banishing them.

Frodo and Sam made a bolt for the hedge, with the Ringbearer taking a wound from first one and then another Black Dart! Only Fate kept his quest going.

Despite at least one Nazgul banishing himself trying to cast a spell the hairy footed little fellas managed to get to the hedge and safety.

Hurrah, goodness triumphs. Boo that meant i lost three in a row!

That was enough for one evening, but we're definitely going to continue the quest - just 25 more scenarios to get through! Wonder if I'll win any of them?

Xenos Rampant - Konvoy!

Matt came over for a game of Xenos Rampant. At one point we were due to be joined by more players for a muti-player affair but in the end it was just the two of us.

We rolled of ra scenario and came up with Charlie - which involves getting a convoy off one side of the board. As I had nothing resembling sofskin vehicles for the Black Templars it was clearly the Orks who were on a resupply mission.

I set up my desert terrain - I made most of this a few years ago for games of 40K with the boys. However I always lacked a suitably coloured matt for desert gaming. Wanting one for Armoured Storm, Blitzkrieg Commander and Sudan games in the future I looked in Boyes recently. They didn't have anything quite right (a sandy coloured throw was a bit too shiny) but when the Current Mrs Tom's Toys Soldiers asked what i was looking for she exclaimed "but we have a throw that colour on the rocking chair - you have than and I'll order new one". This of course ended up being more expensive all round than the bits of fabric I was considering, but it did mean it didn't come out of my soldier funds, so I think it's a win. Possibly needs a dusting with some sprays in places to break things up a bit but is otherwise just fine for my purposes.

The peaceful Ork Konvoy prepares to move out

In the distance Black Clad shapes are lurking

Sneaky.

Oooh look, there they are - could be an ambush!

The Big Hammer guy leading the Templars.

Templars try and sneak around a flank - the Nobs are on to them.

While the Lootas blaze away at the Assault Marines.

The Nobs get the better of the fight.

As the Truck rumbles forward.

Dakka, dakka, dakka!

 

The lads bravely make a green shield for the buggy

The assault marines are driven back and pinned (flame marker).

The Nobs continue to force back the chainsaw armed Templars

It all gets a bit crowded in the middle

More Orks try and sneak up on the Templar command.

The chainsaw Templars are assaulted twice in quick succession and ripped apart.

Still more frothing Ork boys attack the Templars

I forgot to take many more pictures. However the Ork Mobs made short work of the Marines in Close Combat and despite the game ending were able to sneak one buggy off the board and wipe out the Templars.

Da supplyz will get froo!

Good fun game - Berserkers are *brutal* in close combat (generally my ladz have been shot up before charging home in previous games).

Think the Marine Commander needs some sort of a boost - Matt described him in current form as a glass cannon without much actual cannon...