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Here is where I post information and pictures of my collection of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit miniatures, works in progress and battle reports.
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Saturday 30 June 2012

Battle Report - Seize the Prize Part 2


Here’s a quick summary of the battle up to this point:
·      Erestor has the ring
·      The Dwarves have killed 8 Elves
·      The Elves have killed 2 Dwarves

Turn 7:
            Erestor, deciding that his skills would be put to better use in the thick of battle, passes the ring into the care of a trusted Elven warrior. The group moves around the ruins to get a clear run to the other end of the battlefield.


The Elven archers exchange fire with the Dwarves outside the ruin, but even the Elven arrows fail to penetrate the Dwarves’ thick armour. Sniper Dwarf takes out another Elf!


Dain and two Elves fight each other to a standstill, but Durin in his wrath takes out two Elves with a single crushing blow from his axe.


Meanwhile, on the crumbling upper floor of the ruin, two Dwarves push an Elf archer off the edge. The Elf landed headfirst, and his neck was broken, much to the dismay of his comrades.


However this only served to spur on Glorfindel and an Elven warrior who each chop down a Khâzad Guard with swift and deadly slices from their Elven blades.


 

Turn 8:
            Erestor and his comrades are efficient warriors, and with flashing swords end the lives of two Dwarves. In the opposite corner of the ruins, Glorfindel continues to fight off surrounding enemies and kills another Dwarf. The axes of the Dwarves are busy too, and Dain and Durin claim a victim each. The Great Eagle screeches in pain and rage as cold Dwarf steel meets his flesh.


Turn 9:
            One of the Dwarves who pushed the Elf to his death jumped down from his lofty position to join the combat, but his friend decided he would be safer staying put.


With loud battle cries, Erurainon the Elf Captain used all his might to bring a Khâzad Guard to his doom. The mysterious power in Erestor’s Noldorin Daggers spelt death for an unfortunate Dwarf in close combat. Durin also continued his killing spree as his axe split helm and head of an Elf warrior. Truly the day was a day of heroes! (albeit rather foolish ones to be fighting each other…)

Turn 10:
            Finally, the short legs of the Dwarves catch up with the Elf bearing the ring! One Dwarf caught the Elf, raised his axe to strike and… bam! The foolish Dwarf lay dead and the two Elves whose blades cut him down looked down with sad disdain. This turn was bad for the Dwarves: the blood of another Dwarf was splashed on the stones of the ruins by three Elves. Glorfindel killed yet another Dwarf, who had leapt from a high position only to find a blade through his heart. Erestor, while charging a Dwarf, threw a slender Noldorin Dagger into the Dwarf’s head, and the Dwarf moved no more. The Eagle also swallowed a Dwarf (which was quite crunchy). Other Dwarves fell as well. Only one Elf fell in return.


Fate was with Durin and Dain, however, and Dain managed to keep alive even under five sharp spears.


Turn 11:
            Erestor the assassin kept up the deaths with another flying Noldorin Dagger in a Dwarf’s face, and they cut down a Dwarf who had charged him in close combat also. With a large gulp from the Eagle as Dwarf ranger was swallowed, the Dwarves realized with dismay that their force was broken!


Another Dwarf fell to an Elf’s blade, while Dain relied on his final fate point to survive the continuing onslaught of Elven spears.

Turn 12:
            The Elven bowfire results in a Dwarf death, and Erestor and co. take out yet another Dwarf. However, the Dwarves do kill another Elf. This was part of what we called the Eternal Fight, as the Elf spearman and a Khâzad Guard had been dueling for ages! Despite the Elf abandoning his spear and resorting to clobbering the Dwarf with his shield, the Dwarf’s heavy axe eventually beat the Elf into the ground.


Fate was on the side of the King’s Champion, who continued to battle with Glorfindel.

Turn 13:
            After being broken, Balin had to use might to remain in the battle. The sneaky Dwarf rangers, who had moved to intercept the ring-carrier along with Balin, now caught up with the Elf. He was trapped against the board edge with two angry Dwarves! He bravely defended the prize, but failed to deal any damage to his attackers.



Meanwhile, Sniper Dwarf (who had managed to avoid death unlike his fellows) was surrounded and cut down, despite his valiant efforts.


Balin used his last might to strike down the Eagle as it swooped towards him. With its final cry, the Elves chilled as they realized they had lost half of their force. The Elves were broken!


In revenge for the death of the Elf in the Eternal Fight, the banner bearing Elf stabs the Khâzad Guard who killed him and stains the fabric with the Dwarf’s blood.

Turn 14:
            Balin, having defeated the Eagle, seemed to have tired of the battle, and promptly fled! Much to the delight (and bemusement) of the Elf ring-carrier, his two attackers swiftly followed! He took the chance to make a run for the board edge.


One of the heralds suddenly had a panic attack at the sight of Glorfindel on his powerful horse and froze in his tracks. A Dwarf ranger, attempting to intercept the escaping ring-carrier, was shot in the back of the head by a keen-eyed Elven archer. Dain, however, managed to withstand a terrifying 16 attacks whilst surrounded and hence prompted a rendition of “Dain, Dain-Dain-Dain, Dain-Dain, Dain-Dain, can’t touch him…”


Turn 15:
            At last! The Elf exits the board, leaving the trail of woe behind him.


Elf minor victory!

The remaining forces:

·      Elves:

·      Dwarves

Dwarf of the Match Award goes to… Dain (can’t touch him) for outstanding sturdiness!


Elf of the Match Award goes to… Erestor, for expert assassination!


All in all it was a very enjoyable and exciting match to play (helped by the fact I won). At the end of Part 1 it seemed that the Dwarves would butcher their way to victory, but alas for them the tables turned and the Valar were with the elves. If only Aulë had given the Dwarves longer legs, they might have had a chance!

Thanks for reading!

Battle Report - Seize the Prize, Part 1

My friend and I had a very enjoyable game of LotR Strategy Battle Game the other day. The scenario was ‘Seize the Prize’ from Legions of Middle-earth. I was playing as High Elves, while my friend used his Dwarves.

Background: Rumours had spread that an important (and very shiny) object was enclosed in an ancient tomb in the wilds of Middle-earth. Thus the Elves, lovers of all things shiny, set out to retrieve the artefact. However the Dwarves, also lovers of all things shiny, had also set out to claim the artefact as their own. So the stage was set for a tragic (but very exciting) confrontation.

Elf army:

·      Glorfindel on Asfaloth and with Armour of Gondolin
o   High Elf with banner
o   11 High Elves with spear and shield
·      Erestor
o   High Elf with banner
o   High Elf with spear and shield
o   4 High Elves with Elf bow
o   6 High Elves with Elven blade
·      High Elf Captain (Erurainon)
o   8 High Elves with spear and shield
o   4 High Elves with Elf bow
·      Great Eagle (as reinforcements)

Dwarf army:

·      Durin
o   12 Khâzad Guard
·      King’s Champion and 2 heralds
·      Daín
o   8 Dwarf Warriors with shield
o   4 Dwarf Warriors with bow
·      Balin (reinforcements)
o   4 Dwarf Rangers with two-handed axe
o   2 Dwarf Rangers with bow

Battlefield Layout and Deployment:

            In the centre of the board was a large ruin, with the tomb containing the artefact at the centre. The Elves (minus the Great Eagle) deployed on the road in the forest. The Dwarves (minus Balin’s warband) deployed around the cave at the opposite corner.

The Battlefield 
The objective in the tomb

Turn 1:
This turn had each army moving towards the objective.

Glorfindel leads his warriors down the forest road
The Dwarves move out

Turn 2:
            On the roll of a 5, the Dwarven reinforcements arrived, emerging from the dark cave.


The two armies continued towards the objective.




Turn 3:
The longer stride of the Elves meant that Erestor reached the tomb first. He makes his first attempt at unearthing the artefact, but the heavy stone lid is difficult to move.


Turn 4:
            The Dwarves, noticing that the Elf nearly had his hands on the object, were spurred on to try and retrieve it. The King’s Champion moved in on the tomb, while the Khâzad Guard vaulted over the ruined walls in their eagerness. In retaliation, the first group of Elves formed a line across the objective in defence of Erestor.


Seeing the roaring Champion thundering towards him, Erestor threw one of his Noldorin Daggers at the Dwarf, but the slender blade bounced harmlessly off the thick armour. Not wasting any time, Erestor quickly returned to removing the tomb’s lid – and succeeded! He reached in and lifted out the glittering object – a ring!


Turn 5:
            Erestor swiftly made an exit from the ruins carrying the ring, while the battle lines joined. The Dwarves were not going to let the pointy-ear get away that easily!


Over the first cries of battle the screech of an Eagle, flying to the aid of the Elves, was heard.


A Dwarf archer, whose arrow ended the immortal life of an Elf warrior, claimed the first blood. Glorfindel beat off a Herald, but even his Elven blade failed to penetrate the Dwarf’s defences.


Three other Elves fell to the axes of the King’s Champion, Durin and a Khâzad Guard. Only one Dwarf fell to the blade of an Elf.

Turn 6:
            As the battle continues, the Dwarf archer (now named Sniper Dwarf) who took out the first Elf, claims his second victim. The Elven archers shot down a Dwarf in revenge.


Dain and Durin killed three Elves between them, while Asfaloth’s flailing hooves knocked a Khâzad Guard to the ground, and another falls to a sharp Elven blade.




END OF PART 1

Hope you have enjoyed it so far!




Part 2

Hobbits and Dragon

Here are three almost completed hobbits. Just some details and basing to complete.

Merry:

Pippin:


Sam:


I also painted a dragon to terrorise the armies of the West. I used a gold colour scheme, and I will probably ally him to my Easterlings. After all, their Dragon Knights must be inspired by something:


Pinnath Gelin

I have used the Perry Bros' excellent Wars of the Roses miniatures to create an army that I have based loosely on Pinnath Gelin, one of Gondor's Fiefdoms. It could also be used for Arnor or other armies as well I suppose.

First up, Hirluin the Fair (on horse), a trumpeter and a captain:


Here is a brave knight of the Green Hills accompanied by a banner bearer. The banner features my family crest and a White Tree of Gondor to keep it LotR related:


Three archers. Like the rider above, they have the White Tree on the green half of their jacket to mark their allegiance to Gondor's capital:


The army also includes more riders, archers and men-at-arms. I hope to get the plastic Mercenaries set from Perry Miniatures to do some conversions and add lots of pikemen.

Thanks for reading!

Friday 29 June 2012

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

This is where I intend to post pictures and information on my collection of 28mm Lord of the Rings miniatures, including works in progress and battle reports.

Thanks for visiting!