The Fellowship of the Ring - Scenario 8: Amon SulForcesGood - Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin
Evil - Witchking and 4 Ringwraiths with minimum Will (10 and 7 respectively).
TerrainObjectivesGood - Defeat all the Nazgul
Evil - Kill Frodo!
Special RulesThe Nazgul can use "Cry of the Nazgul" once a game, reducing Good courage by 3. The ancient ruins are warded against Evil and the Nazgul count as broken all game. Whole board is difficult ground. The hobbits all clutch flaming brands and if they beat a Nazgul it must retreat D6".
DeploymentThe hobbits form a defensive ring. Aragorn is not present yet, he can arrive from turn 2 on the roll of a 4+ The Ringwraiths are then deployed around the outside, climbing up from the hill below. One of them slips back and falls prone, how embarassing!
Merry picked up a stone as the Ringwraiths closed in. Frodo backed away as the others grimly prepared for battle. Aragorn did not arrive this turn, however the slipped Nazgul failed his courage test and had to burn 2 of his precious Will points to stay in the fight. Merry's stone hit the Witch King, but pinged harmlessly off.
Evil then won priority and gleefully charged in, with the Witch King charging Sam, and 2 wraiths charging Merry. Still Aragorn did not arrive - Sam managed to defeat the Witch King, driving him 5" back with his flaming brand, however poor Merry was born down under the blows of the 2 wraiths, knocked down and out of the battle!
Good won priority, and Pippin and Sam passed their courage tests to charge in onto one of the wraiths, while Frodo continued to retreat, clutching the Ring. Still no Aragorn!
The hobbits won their fight, striking severe blows with their barrow-blades, and the Ringwraith goes down!
Winning priority again, they charged in. Still Aragorn does not arrive, this is getting ridiculous... The Nazgul close back in, 2 of them manage to get in combat with Sam while one charges Pippin. Frodo flung a desperate stone at the Witch King, but missed.
Pippin wins his fight, pushing the Nazgul back 5" with his burning brand. Sam also wins (who needs Aragorn?), pushing his opponents back 4" and 6".
Sam and Pippin move into a defensive position in front of Frodo, and Aragorn finally arrives! He can't get into the fight this turn, but moves towards the hobbits.
The Witch King rushes in to fight Sam, but Sam once again is victorious! 6" backwards goes the hapless lord of the Nazgul, but Sam uses both his points of Might to drive his blade squarely into the faceless mask, temporarily at least banishing him!
Evil then won priority, charging into Pippin and Sam. Sam wins yet again, his furious frying-pan flying. Pippin loses, but does not take a wound.
Aragorn finally charges into battle, and Sam and Pippin squeak their hobbit battle cries and pile in alongside him. In a disastrous turn for Good, they lose all 3 fights, with Sam being wounded and Pippin falling to the blows of the Evil wraiths!
Taking heart from this, Evil won priority and charged in to try and press their advantage, though one lost a point of Will to pass a courage test caused by the ancient wards of the watch tower. 2 Nazgul charge Aragorn, one charges Sam - Frodo, no longer willing to let his friends face all the danger on his behalf, charged in to assist.
Sam lost his fight, but passed his Fate roll, leaving him only just hanging on, Aragorn won, but could not land a killing blow. Frodo has to spend a point of Might to win his fight, but drives the wraith back 4" with his flaming brand.
Good won a vital priority roll, so Aragorn shepherded Frodo into a corner, out of reach of the Nazgul for now, and boldly charges 2 of the Ringwraiths. Sam shrank into the opposite corner, wounded, exhausted and terrified.
Aragorn won the fight, slaying one of the wraiths, while the other faded away from loss of Will points.
Aragorn charged into the final wraith, and finished it off. All the Nazgul are gone, and now he must use all his healing skills to bring Merry and Pippin back from the brink of death!
It had been a while since we played, and the Ringwraiths magic abilities were forgotten, which could really have changed things. Sam definitely hobbit of the match, winning several fights and putting down the Witch King!