Last Thursday, we played a scenario prepared by Alasdair, in which Saruman’s forces stormed Edoras, defended by the Rohirrim. We used the War of the Ring rules for this game.
UMPIRING: Alasdair Watson
1. Forces.
2. The Game.
In our game, the hosts of the White Hand were set to lay claim to Edoras. First, they must break the mighty walls of the king’s city. To that end, the trolls, with a grim company bearing a great ram of iron, had to win their way to the gate and shatter it. The riders of Rohan were sworn to stand against them and let it not come to pass.
Beneath a brazen clang of horns and the deep rolling of drums, the hosts of war leapt forward to their doom. The Rohirrim, proud horse‑lords of the Mark, swept on like a rising wind over the plain, and soon the space between the armies was no more than a bowshot. Then the air grew dark with feathered shafts; arrows hissed and whistled, and the foremost orcs toppled lifeless to the trampled earth.
Most grievous was the ruin among the wolf‑riders, for the Orc cavalry upon their vile varg-steeds withered beneath the storm of Rohan’s bows. Yet still they pressed on, snarling and shrieking. Then the warriors of the Mark set their purpose in one accord: to cleave a path through the rearward ranks of the foe, to hem them in as with an iron ring, and to leave none of that fell host to trouble the green fields of Rohan again.
Upon the green fields before Edoras, the design of our battle was swiftly undone. On the leftward wing of the Rohirrim, where Theodred, son of Théoden, held command, his household knights rode hard against a second company of orcish riders astride their foul Vargas-beasts. Yet fortune turned against them. Pressed by sheer numbers and black malice, the riders of Rohan were driven back in disorder.
Rallying to their lord’s call, they wheeled about and charged once more. But even as their spears fell, a knot of returning orcs upon Vargas swept in upon their flank, while a grim line of pikemen advanced before them. Hemmed in on all sides, the horsemen found no clear path to break free.
Then, from behind the shielding ranks of the enemy, there came a bitter hail of iron. Arrows from crooked bows and cruel crossbows fell upon the knights of Rohan, glancing from helm and hauberk or finding chinks in mail. Amid the cries of men and the harsh laughter of orcs, the field grew dark with peril, and the fortune of Rohan seemed ill indeed.
Yet the sons of Eorl were not dismayed. More fiercely still did they fall upon the orcs, above all upon the right wing where I rode at their head. I spurred my steed against those foul creatures, and in bitter hand-to-hand strife, we overthrew the black horsemen and broke their mounted ranks. Then the riders of the Enemy were driven back in confusion toward the rear of their own press.
There they faltered and were forced to halt and gather again, and this was far other than the stroke they had purposed. Meanwhile, the riders of my company and of Tim’s swept through the midst and the left, hewing down the orcs without stay. The light waned and time grew short, yet still the gates of Edoras stood fast. Thus, in that hour, the Rohirrim prevailed, and victory was theirs.
3. Summary
Alasdair hadn’t run many games before, especially not ones this large, but in my opinion, he did quite well.
As for the game itself, I would have let the forces of evil start a little closer to the ramparts of Edoras, so they’d be easier to reach for players who weren’t familiar with the rules; explaining everything took quite a bit of time. Our tactic of breaking the enemy’s flanks was partially successful, but it forced the enemy to stall rather than push forward.
We didn’t manage to kill a single troll, which would have been both spectacular and incredibly difficult. We also didn’t have a single dwarf or elf to help us…
Overall, the game was very engaging, and we’ll definitely return to Middle-earth for another battle.
4. Links.
SESWC:
FLICKR:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720334067717/
