wargamesdiary   A diary of war games and board games

Beginning with the skirmish at Bree the evil Ruffians plan to scour the shire and enslave the hobbits.

In our scenario Balin has led a small force through the gate and encounters a small scouting patrol of goblins.

Bruce managed to get one of them into the mines to raise the alarm. However the patrol tried to hold back the powerful dwarven attack and was massacred. Yet Balin was badly wounded in the melee.

When the goblin captain leading the reinforcements failed his courage test and fled the field the other cowardly goblins ran away. This allowed Balin and his guards to pass through deeper into the mines.

Next we played two battles between Gandalf and the Balrog. This ended honours even. Finally we played through two games of the Treachery of Sméagol and Sam was victorious twice!

So in the end a great day of Moria themed strategy battle gaming. Well done to Bruce and his goblins who smashed the hapless foolish dwarves in the main battle of the day!

So we started with the Darrowdelf scenario.

Bruce formed his goblins up behind the Troll heading towards the bridge whilst the dwarves split into three groups, with Balin and Floi leading the main force towards the bridge.

The dwarven archers picked off their opponent’s archers and this kept the goblins in cover for the most part. Nevertheless as the dwarves advanced they also lost some casualties to arrows from the dark and of course that hurt more as a guard is more expensive than a lowly goblin.

The iron guard held up the Troll and then dispatched it. Balin moved up behind them waiting for a gap whilst across the bridge The goblins and their king kept in cover and waited.

The dwarves bravely kept across the chasm thinking to close with goblins and move in and help Balin cross the bridge. However so many rolled a one and fell to their doom that they fell prey to the goblins on the opposite side. Having armour six or seven is not so good when losing a fight when outnumbered let alone surrounded.

With their numbers dwindled even though they had succeeded in forcing the path across the bridge the dwarves chose to withdraw. Victory to Bruce and his evil goblins.

Battlefields trust have a very useful website for those visiting the moor. You can stop opposite the monument. The battlefield is not sign posted otherwise. We walked up the path opposite. Unfortunately the track leading to the famous white sike has been blocked by the landowner. However you do get a great view of the largely unspoilt battlefield.

Is this a piece of revisionist history? The overall commander, the Scottish Leslie reduced to a supporting role in Cromwell’s victory?

We walked along Moor Lane with the Royalist deployments on this side of the road to the left and right of the track.

The view across the White Sike where the Earl of Newcastle’s regiment of foot made their famous last stand.

The high ground where the Parliamentarians deployed.

The landowner clearly does not want walkers following the track and visiting the white sike or linking up with the public footpath.

Overall a great place to visit. You get a fascinating view of the parliament position holding the high ground from the royalist side which is very flat in comparison. Also the drainage ditch along the track is deep and wide giving an idea of how the ditch across the Royalist front may have appeared. Clearly a difficult place to cross. It would have broken up any attempt at a cavalry charge where it was deep and wide.

New metal goblins.

Two new Easterling commanders.

It is 1274 BC. Rameses II of Egypt and Muwatalli II of the Hittite empire are fighting over control of Syria. This is the campaign that led to the famous battle of Kadesh.

In our apocryphal battle the two armies will face up near Kadesh but deployed for battle with equal forces. What if Rameses had been warned of the approach of the Hittites by his scouts and was ready for them?

One of the largest chariot battles in history shall take place at Kadesh near the banks of the Orontes River.

Each army will also have 3 hero counters.

The battle will be fought on a 6×4 table. Maybe my new gridded battle mat will arrive in time?

Edit: My new map arrived from Deep Cut Studios so all I need are an opponent!

Holding aloft the banner of dol guldur