Pursuit in to the Wild - LOTR/Hobbit AAR

The next game in our Fellowship of the Ring campaign, game seven, is the Pursuit into the Wild.

This game sees four Ringwraiths, go up against Gandalf and six Dunedain rangers...

Gandalf has decided to flee the ruins of Amon Sûl, and head north, hoping to draw off the wraiths, distracting them away from Aragorn and the hobbits... Four of the wraiths give chase, but soon a group of Dunedain are encountered and join with Gandalf to ambush the wraiths... the hunters becoming the hunted!

The wraiths, realizing the diversionary tactic of the forces of good, must survive the ambush and head back south.

Victory Conditions
For the Ringwraiths to win, they must either, kill Gandalf, or get 3 wraiths past the Dunedain and off the southern board edge.
For Good to win, Gandalf must get back over the southern board edge, or they must stop the wraiths escaping south in numbers by killing at least two of them.
Gandalf also has the option to escape from the north, east or west board edges if need be. If he does this, he will not count as a casualty.

Special conditions
Gandalf is in a weakened state after his encounter at Amon Sûl, and only begins the game with 1 Might, 2 Will, and 1 Fate.

Key
Red tokens number the Ringwraiths to track their Will points
Green tokens number the the Dunedain to track their Might, Will and Fate.

Deployment:
Gandalf is placed on the northern board edge, then the Dunedain on the Southern Board edge. Finally the wraiths are placed in a box in the centre of board.

This makes for a very interesting game as it can be won in several ways, so each player has to decide before hand what their plan is going to be...

Will the wraiths turn back south, or will they get their revenge on the wizard, in his weakened state?

Gandalf and the Dunedain spring their ambush and move towards the wraiths, Gandalf using his staff to cast Terrifying Aura upon himself... but the Dunedain are still a long way off, and Gandalf suddenly feels a little exposed... this feeling is reinforced as he is assaulted by dark energies as Black Darts assail him!

Not to be deterred, Gandalf pushes on, buoyed up by his previous success against these foul creatures... the Dunedain getting closer, trying to come to his aid... but more Black Darts find their mark and the wizard weakens...

Realizing his error in trying to contest the wraiths in his weakened state, he tries to flee once more to the north... but the wraiths follow and lash him once again with their foul energies... the Grey Pilgrim slumps to the ground and is motionless...

... far away, Galadriel senses a great loss... a lament for Gandalf will sung this night...

-----o0o-----

This game was over in the blink of 'The Eye'! Three consecutive turns of being slammed by Black Darts and Gandalf crumpled in his weakened state...

We played the game three times more...

Gandalf tried to skirt the edge of the playing area, keeping away from the wraiths, but this time they Compelled him forward towards them, making him charge them so they could surround him and he was cut down.

Again Gandalf tried to sneak down the side but was blasted by Black Darts once more.

Finally the wraiths tried to see if they could escape south instead... this they achieved but it was very close, one wraith was killed as were 3 Rangers, the last wraith escaping off the board at the last possible moment, and I had remembered Cry of the Nazgûl this time!

I think for the good side to win this game, Gandalf needs to taunt the wraiths northwards for one maybe two turns making them waste Will casting spells at him, to weaken them. Then he flees the board edge, and the wraiths then have to head south past the Dunedain who will be close by this point...

-----o0o----

Oh, it was my birthday this last weekend..., at the end of our game I was presented with a humble cake baked by my good wife, with a Hobbit green door motif! How delightful!

Happy birthday to me! :-)

I had blown out the candles, but they were those sneaky ones that sometimes relight...

Scott, Chris and Becky

Till next time, and back to Weathertop!