Holding the Gap of Rohan

The continuing tale of a couple of days gaming with three friends.

Game 2-of-3

Wanting a quick game that we could finish and still get to pub not too late, we opted for a game of Dragon Rampant using my Lord of the Rings figures I'd recently had painted up by Fernando Enterprises in Sri Lanka (see earlier post for details).

The terrain from our previous game (previous post) was quickly rearranged, removing the 15mm settlements and opening up the battlefield a bit.  The two armies consisted of:

The Goodies (Rohan & Gondor): Martin and Me

• 1 x Elite Riders - Prince Theodred
• 2 x Heavy Rider - Riders of Rohan
• 1 x Heavy Foot - Rohan Warriors
• 2 x Elite Foot - Rangers of Ithilien
• 1 x Greater Warbeasts - Giant Eagles 
• 1 x Lesser Warbeasts - Eagles

The Baddies (Isengard): Steve and Keith

• 2 x Bellicose Foot - Uruk Hai
• 4 x Light Foot - Orcs / Goblins
• 1 x Scouts - Orc / Goblin Scouts
• 1 x Light Riders - Warg Riders
• 1 x Lesser Warbeasts - Wargs
• 1 x Greater Warbeast - Cave Troll 

With various special abilities added to these troops the total points value of each side was 61 points.  With our scenario calling for the forces of Isengard to pass through the Gap of Rohan (exit off the opposing table-edge) we should have perhaps given them an edge as they needed to make all the running.

I didn't take a photo of the table set up, but I deployed on the left opposite Steve with, on my left, the Eagles and a unit of Rangers.

And, towards the centre, my other unit of Rangers backed up by the Giant Eagles.

As can just be made out in the above photos, Steve had a band of Uruks, two bands of Orcs, the Orc Scouts and a pack of Wargs.

Martin, commanding the forces of Rohan, formed our right wing.

While opposite him Keith had a band of Uruks, two bands of Orcs, the Warg Riders and the Cave Troll.

While I held back defending a couple of gaps between the impassable rocky outcrops, Martin led forth the Rohirrim; Forth Éolingas!

But some failed activations for Martin, and some unstoppable wild charges by my forces, saw the action begin in earnest on my flank.  The Giant Eagles quickly tore their way through the opposition taking heavy losses but resolutely passing all their Courage tests.

With my Rangers keeping the rest of Steve's troops at arm's length with their archery, Keith's Uruks charged the Rohirrim, who despite counter-charging took heavy losses but returned to the fray the following turn.

This time they were more successful, but the Uruks passed their courage test and the riders fell back.

The next few turns saw several more charges (but no photos!), that saw the Rohirrim drive off the Uruks and Orcs and turn to fall on the last hope of Isengard, the Cave Troll.

At first the Troll held his own but, as the riders fell back from combat and started to pelt him with arrows, the end was clearly in sight for the forces of darkness.  Then, to delight of all, the baddies conceded the field and the players all trotted off to the pub.