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Mike and Andy played as the Good guys leading Thorin’s Company into the Halls of the Mountain Kings. Darryl and Bruce led the Evil side with Moria Goblins and Goblin Town.

The Halls of the Mountain Kings

More images can be seen here:

The Scenario

Thorin’s company have escaped Azog’s clutches for now but must traverse the mountain to cross the Misty Mountains. Fortunately there is a clear road and a bridge across the chasm that easily will get them quickly onto Mirkwood. Balin even has a map and knows a secret door on the Eastern side that will get them through quietly.
Unfortunately the bridge has collapsed and to make matters worse two tribes of Goblins have made their home in the now ruined mountain halls. Durburz and his Moria Goblins hold the Gatehouse. The Goblin King in uneasy alliance with his brethren holds the rickety ramparts across the chasm and has turned the room with the secret door into his treasury; unaware of course that it is a handy passageway to any dwarven loremaster who should head this way.
Seeing the situation with Goblins on the ramparts and the gates guarded Thorin’s Company with the aid of Gwahir and the Eagles realise that a two or three pronged attack is necessary in order to cause a diversion and sow confusion. Again Balin’s map shows two alternate routes; a Northern postern gate to the cellar and a southern door (now broken) to the South leading from the ramparts.
The Eagles can be used to distract the rampart goblins and carry dwarves onto the ramparts. They of course cannot enter the Dwarven Halls. There is no real need to fight with the Eagles and rampart Goblins as each will play no further part in the scenario.
Though the bridge cannot be used until the draw bridge is released which must be done from the chasm side an unstable pillar can easily be brought down by a skilled member of Thorin’s company hurling a missile or rope to furnish an alternate route to reach the controls or the other side of the chasm.
The Dwarves must enter the Gatehouse by two different routes. Failure to do so will allow Durburz to realise his ally is under attack and the Moria Goblins will enter the Eastern chasm and the walk ways. However if both routes are used Durburz and the Goblin Town Horde will think each is attacking the other and with the Eagles also in flight to the West no Goblins will leave the Gatehouse Halls.
Any dwarf (or companion), or the Goblin King who falls from a rampart will take 1 wound and end up in the cavernous part. If Bilbo falls he loses 1 turn but is then rewarded with the One Ring.
If the Dwarves visit the Grotto: One companion may rest in contemplation at the hidden grotto for one turn and retrieve all their will and fate points.
The Goblin King is convinced the dwarves are after his treasure and will not leave the long rampart or his throne room.

AAR:  How it turned out.

The two sides were roughly the same at 1000 points but splitting Thorin’s Company made it hard for the Good team as some are weaker than others and they act synergistically at times with their special abilities.  To balance this the Umpire (Phil) allowed them an element of surprise and not all the rules for defending strongholds were used to better represent the rapid progress of the Heroes through Goblin Town as seen in the Hobbit film.

The Dwarves led their forces North via the ramparts with the aid of the Eagles and South into the cellar led by Thorin and Gandalf respectively.

Gandalf’s force burst through into the cellar and rapidly killed the Shaman.  Hearing the sounds of battle Durburz led his forces into the attack from the Feasting Hall but found Dwalin too strong a defender in the doorway.  As Gandalf and his party fled up the stairs and into Goblin Town Durburz could hear the sounds of alarm from the Drums in the Deep and therefore did not pursue but headed back to investigate.

Meanwhile Thorin and his dwarves had burst through into the main gatehouse and found to their horror a Cave Troll and a group of Goblins.  The Goblins proved no match for heroes but the Cave Troll was another matter.  Barging Dori out of the way the Troll wounded Nori.  However he was then cruelly surrounded and slain.  This all took time and effort however and in the confusion Dori was seriously wounded (killed or otherwise out of action).  With the Drums in the Deep surrounded Thorin found his entry towards the main crossing into Goblin Town very difficult and with Durburz and his spearmen attacking from his western flank.  However when Durburz was killed in combat against Thorin and the Drums silenced the way was clear; but at heavy cost for Kili was now out of action too.  Charging bravely down the fallen pillar into Goblin Town poor Kili was surrounded by the Chitterning Horde of Goblins and also out of action.  It took Thorin himself leading the way to force his way off the narrow pillar and into the Town proper.

Gandalf and his party with the benefit of surprise was able to take out the Goblin Town guards defending the entrance route from the cellar but their Tiny Captain got away!   Raising the alarm more Goblins were soon arriving from the deep (Scribe) and the way to the exit was defended by Grinnah and his forces.  Also hearing the commotion the King had stirred from his slumbers to defend the ladders leading to the high walkway and the exit.

The Goblins proved terrified of Gandalf’s bright aura (spell) and were held off at the rear.  Gloin and Dwalin crashed through Grinnah’s and Tiny’s forces and onto the central area.  As they did so Thorin’s forces also broke through but sadly Bofur had fallen;  surrounded and dragged down by the chittering horde.   With the Scribe dispatched Gloin and Thorin ascended the steps supported by Bifur and Nori.  Without his Goblin Guards the King was surrounded.  His Blubbery Hide proved no defence against Thorin wielding the mighty Orcrist (Goblin Slayer) and the King was eventually trapped and killed.  With the way to safety now clear and with their force broken and leaderless Thorin’s Company was able to make it to the secret door and out of the Halls.  However Four Dwarves had been badly wounded in the strife (Kili, Fili, Dori and Bofur).  Well done the players as it was a lot of fun with some memorable moments.  Thorin’s first to wound rolls against the Goblin King with three 1’s rolled; Gandalf’s inability to dispatch a fallen Goblin; The Cave Troll using the Barge Rules to stroke at Nori unexpectedly; the fall of Bofur and the mighty duels with Thorin against Durburz and then the Goblin King himself.

More images can be seen here:

Solo Adventure using Song of Gold and Darkness supplement for Song of Blades and Heroes.

Terrain: Dwarven Forge
Models: Dungeon Command
Adventurers: Heart of Cormyr
Denizens: The Curse of Undeath and Blood of Gruumsh factions.

Scenario:
The Dragon Knight has gathered about him a stalwart band of elves (archers), dwarves (warriors and cleric), halfling (thief) and humans (wizard, ranger (plus the dedicated Half-Orc Undead Hunter)). They must put a stop to the Vampire who has been terrorising the villagers and stealing away victims for terrible fates unknown.

The Vampire has founded a Temple of Blood in the Lair of the Lich and gathered about him an army of Undead. Also he has formed a pact with a band of Savage Orcs led by a vicious Chieftain. In exchange for their lives he has allowed them to stay in the Lair and sends them on raids to capture victims for his bloody sacrifices. For their part the Orcs fear the Undead but benefit from the security of the Lair and the assistance of powerful Vampire and Lich; who are easily appeased by regular deliveries of pathetic humans taken from the surrounding villages or travelling the highways.

Can the Dragon Knight and his brave comrades put a stop to this tyranny?

Progress:
The party arrive in the antechamber (south). To the North is a corridor with 3 doors. An elven archer opens the door to the west on an empty room and finds the door to the North locked (which requires the Halfling Thief to unlock).  The Halfling moves to the door but the Earth Guardian simply bashes it open whilst he is looking for his picks.  The Archers with their Quality 3 and Medium moves prove useful scouts so head up the long corridor and check the doors finding them locked.  The Dragon Knight’s Leadership bonus certainly helps keep the party moving and they soon head into the corridor and move towards the first door as a group.

A dwarf warrior forces his way through the first door and rushes into the room.  It is filled with undead; a skeleton guardian and some zombies and skeletons.  The party advance into the room but find their elven archers relatively useless against the Undead.  However whilst half the party is fighting in the room a Gruumsh patrol appears in the corridor to the North; an Ogre with two Orcs.  The Earth elemental advances towards the Ogre who ignores the spells and arrows coming towards him.  His Orc minions appear dumbfounded.  In the room the Dragon Knight and the Dwarven warriors defend themselves against the skeletons whilst an archer attempts to find a useful firing position heading towards the treasure chest.

In the corridor the Earth Guardian forces the Ogre to recoil who is then knocked down by the elven archer.   Finally he is Transfixed by spells from the Human Wizard and Dwarven Mage.  In the room the Elven Archer fired a perfect shot at a skeleton causing a gruesome kill.  The burst of psychic energy thus released destroyed the remaining Undead who failed the resulting Morale checks.  The treasure proved to be extremely heavy but contained a very useful ring of carrying which the Elven Archer used to carry it.

Meanwhile the Earth Guardian and the others dispatched the Ogre and his minions.  The other Archer opened the next door and found the Lair of the Lich!  A fiendish room with a ramp forcing the party to fight their way through the Dracolich and skeleton warrior before they could reach him and the treasure.  Also the heroes would need to slay the Lich (or the Orc Chieftain) before they could find the Final challenge and the Vampire himself.  The elven archer found his weapons useless against the Dracolich but the party advanced into the room (the Assassin keeping to the shadows).  The Lich cast Transfix spells on the two mages but not before they were able to Transfix the Dracolich.  The Undead Hunter then fired his crossbow at the trapped creature and destroyed it.  The heroes rushed towards the skeleton who proved tougher than expected managing to kill one of the dwarf warriors.  The party soon surrounded the Lich who was powerless in combat and was destroyed.  Luckily no wandering monsters appeared.  The chest was trapped so whilst the Halfling slowly advanced towards it to disarm it the heroes headed off in search of the Vampire (now they had broken the magic seal to the Temple if they could find it).

The Halfling duly arrived whilst the Archer with the ring of carrying waited patiently and declared the trap impossible to disarm (level 3).  So the Archer set it off and fell over.  In it was a cloak of flying which the Halfling grabbed to save him the long trip back down the stairs whilst the Archer picked up the heavy chest.

The heroes found an empty corridor with 3 doors and an empty store room.  Advancing towards a heavy locked door the Earth Guardian managed to force it open and reveal the Temple of Blood!  There was the Vampire with a Ghost and a skeleton archer.  A tricky room with a pool, pillars, skulls and a broken grate plus the whole room counted as Vampire soil (which put the heroes at -1 combat).  This latter was to prove highly deadly.

Our heroes bravely rushed into the room, again their archery proving useless against the Undead.  The room contained a pile of treasure and the Vampire was wearing a necklace of teleportation should he require it.  The Earth Guardian and a Dwarf warrior advanced towards the Ghost and the Vampire whilst the Knight and the Assassin moved round the pool towards the skeleton.  The others advanced towards the room as fast as they could but were slower than expected due to the fear emanating from the room (bad rolling on activation).

The combination of Terror and Vampire soil proved deadly for the heroes.  The dwarf and elven archer soon fell to the deadly blade of the Vampire.  Surely the Earth Guardian would do better but it too was smashed to pieces by the powerful vampire.  Things looked very bad now as the Undead Hunter fled in panic from the Ghost narrowly escaping with his life.  The Assassin choosing discretion also fled the room (claiming she was coming to the aid of the Undead Hunter and Mages outside) whilst the Knight slew the Skeleton.  At this point things looked bad for our heroic leader alone in the Temple room but the Vampire failed to activate!  The Ghost was dispatched and the mages entered the Temple.  The Dragon Knight moved towards them and the Vampire.  The Mages successfully Transfixed the Vampire as the Halfling and assassin moved behind him.  Finally the Undead Hunter closed and fired his Crossbow and the Dragon Knight moved in.  With the Vampire transfixed it was possible to dispatch it and the battle was done.

The Knight, Wizard, Undead Hunter, Mage, Wizard, Assasin and Halfing had survived to fight another day.

Victory Points:  52

Thoughts:

An interesting game.  The rules on dungeon exploration for solo games were quite successful.  Remembering to roll for wandering monsters was a challenge.  Having lots of goons who can respawn certainly makes for a challenge.  The Vampire was very tough and on reflection making the entire room count as Vampire soil was hard (next time it will just be the grates).  A minus one is a big difference in combat.   The treasure weight rules would have been very annoying without the lucky find of the Ring of Carrying ad perhaps don’t work on solo delves.  Transfix proved incredibly useful, especially against the Undead who are resistant to missiles from the Elven Archers.

Forces:

SBH_Warband _w_cardscormyr SBH_Warband _w_cardscurse