I'm organizing three public games of WotR in the next roman Tolkien Day. It is intended as a demostrative play, with up to 10 players, explanation of the rules and support in the game turns.

The program:

http://www.jrrtolkien.it/2018/03/11/il- ... ay-a-roma/

The event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/164294420861813/

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Here is the report of the first of the two battles played (time laked for the third one).

Battle of the Five Armies, by Daersalon
viewtopic.php?f=88&t=29943

Ground
Battle of the Pass.

Two hills surround most of the long sides of the board; in the bottom, the Great Gate of Erebor, flanked by partly inaccessible mountains, concludes them occupying the entire short edge of the table. In the middle flows a small river, which sorts from those mountains; it is considered difficult terrain except at the ford, and somehow it cuts the battlefield in two.
The last short side of the table is free and flat.



Even if the photos are taken for the majority with the Mountain at the bottom, "right" will mean the right bank of the river - which is usually on the left in the photos.

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Victory conditions
Gundabad forces win if they take the Gate within the end of ninth turn. If they fail, they lost, because at that point the great eagles come and sweep them off automatically.


Armies and deployment
Erebor has four formations of Men of Lake-town (5 + 5 infantrymen and 2 + 2 archers - Sworn rules of Rohan) with Bard (Faramir rules), two of Dwarves (2 infantrymen + 4 Khazad) with Thorin and Dain (captain + banner rules), and four of Elves (4 Galadhrim on horseback with bow and captain, 6 Galadhrim on foot with shield, 2 + 2 Wood Elf archers) with Thranduil. Also has Beorn, which can appear randomly from fifth turn onwards.
Gundabad has three formations of Goblin (9 Blackshields with command, 9 + 9 Goblins with shield, 1 captain), one of Orcs (9 with 2hws), two of Wargriders (6 with shield and captain, 6 with bows), one of Wargs (7 coys), one of Cloud of Bats (4 coys), three Cave Trolls, Drûhzag and Bolg (original hero). In addition, two Goblin formations (4 + 4 without shield) that can appear behind the Erebor lineup, on the hills on either side of the gate, randomly from second round.

Erebor's forces deploy first, blocking the valley in front of the Gate. Half of the archers of Lake-town and Mirkwood are placed on the hill to the right of this (for those who leave); at their feet and to the right of the river are Thranduil’s infantrymen backed by a formation of those of Lake-town. On the left bank is the other formation of infantrymen of Lake-town with Bard, and behind them Dain with his Khazads of Iron Hills, ready to intervene in case of failure of the first line. The hill that overhangs them is watched by the other half of the archers on foot and by those of elves on horseback.
Given the opponent's array, the forces of Gundabad decide to come into play by focusing more on the left bank of the river, with a formation of goblins (represented by orcs with shield) along with Drûhzag, all the wargriders and bats. Whereas on the right only the other goblin formation (also represented by orcs with shield) enters, together with Bolg. The rest will have to wait for the second turn due to lack of space.

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1st Turn
Gundabad’s initiative.
Bolg fails the To the Run throw with which he intended to engage the archers of Lake-town on the right hill, while on the left Drûhzag succeeds and leads to charge distance from those on the opposite hill; from there he shoots a Bolt of Fire on the Elven knights and eliminates three of them. wargriders and bats advance. On the opposite side, Bard approaches shooting distance for his throwing weapons; Thranduil shoots a devastating Nature’s Wrath on wargriders, sending four of them to Hell. In the shooting phase the wargriders take revenge against Bard’s Men, while those shoot to the goblins climbing on the hill, killing seven, helped by the Elves to the left that eliminate another company. All other Erebor archers shoot with poor results.

Drûhzag performs a Heroic Charge against the archers of Lake-town and clips the Men of Bard below the plateau; but then he slips away among the wargriders using his Epic Cowardice. The battle rages: the goblins crush the two archers on the hill, while Bard's response is bland. Despite the heavy beating, the troops of Lake-town are resolute.

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2nd Turn
The initiative is given to Gundabad.
Bolg’s goblins succeed in To the Run and flight upon the right-hand plateau; behind them the wargs enter game. On the left both wargrider formations advance, reaching charge distance from the formation of Bard; the cave trolls also enter game with the Guard of Bolg (Moria’s Blackshields – here Morannon Orcs were used). Drûhzag shatters the shields of Bard's soldiers, then shoots with a 6 an Exsiccate on those poor guys, sweeping away two entire companies!
On the left Bard, in battered ranks, is forced to retreat in front of the goblins. On the righ Thranduil fires a Call Winds on the bats and forces them back; then with his infantry he places himself in support of Lake-town’s archers against Bolg.
Rain of arrows on Bolg’s formation, that loses almost two companies. The survivors of Bard shoot throwing weapons on the goblins, who lose a company, while their archers on that side destroy one of wargriders.
The goblins inarrestably charge the Men of Bard, reducing them to a single company and suffering a dozen losses.

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3rd Turn
The initiative is given to Erebor.
Bard takes refuge among the Dwarves. Thranduil casts a Call Winds on Bolg’s goblins, but they cannot retreat because of the wargs at their backs. Then Bolg advances up the hill to the right, while bats and wargs move towards Thranduil. On the left the Guard of Bolg climb very quickly the hill with a Heroic Move, followed at a distance by trolls, while the orcs also enter the field. Drûhzag fires a Nature’s Nature on the elven archers of the hill, decimating them.
In retaliation, the elven archers shoot the last two wargriders with bows, killing them and thus eliminating Drûhzag along. The five last infantrymen of Lake-town with their throwing weapons kill a couple of goblins.
The Khazads charge the goblins to protect Bard's last infantrymen, while Thranduil fails to charge the bats of Gundabad. Even the last formation of wargriders rolls a 1 in charging the Dwarves. On the right Bolg’s goblins charge Esgaroth's archers.
The attackers are victorious in both fights: the archers are swept away, while the goblin formation still in game by a nose, remaining with but 5 figures.

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4th Turn
The initiative is given to Erebor.
The ranks of Erebor recoil: Dain withdraws towards the Gate, archers and knights retreat along the hills. Gundabad answers by advancing on the whole front.
On the right the elven archers shoot and kill a half-company of Bolg. On the left, the last 5 infantrymen of Bard eliminate one of the wargriders with throwing weapons, and another one is eliminated by elven archers; those on horseback finish what’s left of the glorious goblin formation.
Thranduil's infantrymen charge the bats and are counter-charged by wargs. Bolg charges the archers of Mirkwood to the right, to the left the wargriders assault the surviving infantrymen of Lake-town.
Double victory of Gundabad, which eliminates men and archers, but suffering heavy losses among bats and wargs.

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5th Turn
Gundabad initiative.
On the right the orcs diverge towards Thranduil; on the left the wargriders move to charge a flank of the Khazads, while the Guard, trolls and wargriders advance to threaten their opposite flank and front. Dain then uses a Heroic Moveme to escape and the Dwarves are now compacted in front of Erebor's door; Thranduil, on the other hand, destroys the last bats of Gundabad with a Nature’s Wrath, then moves forward to the ford and orcs, getting away froom the Lonely Mountain.
In the shooting phase only elven horsemen act and injure the first cave troll.
Thranduil spends one point of Might and charges the wargs, annihilating them.

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6th Turn
Gundabad’s initiative.
The two goblin formations behind Erebor forces come into play: one on the hill to the right - too far from the formation of Thranduil; the other one immediately at backs of Mirkwood archers.
Nobody shoots.
The orcs fail to charge Thranduil at the ford, so he countercharges them on their flank; they also fail the terror test, so their Mastery falls to 0. The Guard fails to charge the riders, who in turn do not charge. On the right Bolg attacks the last formation of infantrymen from Esgaroth, with whom is now Bard.
Bard challenges Bolg and kills him, but then loses the fight and nearly two companies. At the ford, in a bloody clash Thranduil suffers 9 losses and the orcs 28. It goes wrong for the elven archers on the hill, which are eliminated by the goblins.

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7th Turn
Erebor’s Initiative.
The orcs defeated by Thranduil stay disordered. Beorn comes into play, behind the formation of late Bolg. The right-hand prowlers advance towards Thranduil, which is still too far.
Skirmish in the shooting phase: some losses among the goblins, then trolls come into action and kill a rider.
The Guard performs a Heroic Charge on the riders of Mirkwood and is counter-charged by the Dwarves. Thranduil's infantrymen charge the disordered orcs, while Beorn fails the dice roll. The former Bolg’s goblins and a troll attack Bard's men.
Elven cavalry dissolves but the outcome of that battle remains uncertain, with 9 losses per side. At the ford Thranduil castigates the orcs, which are now reduced to less than three companies. The formation of Bard is decimated by trolls and goblins, remaining with little more than one company.
The forces of Erebor are almost annihilated, Thranduil is far away, the Gate is threatened.

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8th Turn
Erebor’s Initiative.
For the second time the pragmatist Bard slips among the Dwarves, leaving the last soldiers of Lake-town to their fate. Thranduil hurls a Nature’s Wrath on the Guard, causing some losses. The trolls loom before the gate defended by the Khazad of Iron Hills led by Dain and Bard, all the goblin prowlers from the hills converge to their aid.
Skirmish of throwing weapons from Esgaroth men and troll, with minimal losses. Thranduil unstoppably charges the usual ulucky formation of orcs, while the last company of Esgaroth charges the goblins, which Beorn takes from behind. Dwarves unstoppably charge the Guard, being counter-charged by but a single troll – the other two failing their dice throws.
The orcs dissolve, the Goblins survive with 5 figures, Bolg’s Guard is bloodily repulsed from the Gate.

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9th Turn
Having no chance of attacking the Gate in the last round of play, due to the presence of the last two Khazad companies from Iron Hills with Dain and Bard, the Gundabad players abandons.

Best in the game: Thranduil.

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