Short Cuts Make Long Delays - The Hobbit/LOTR - AAR

Game three of our FotR campaign...

So with the Dunedain stoutly defending the southern Borders of the Shire, against the threat of the Ringwraiths, the Witch King must find another time and place to find 'Baggins'... Spreading his forces out to surround the Shire, he hopes some wraiths will find him somewhere as their net closes in from all sides...

This scenario sees Frodo, Sam and Pippin, making their way from Hobbition towards Crick Hollow (as per the novel). They are travelling cross country, having been advised to stay off the road, as it is no longer safe. Whilst travelling through the countryside of the Shire, they gradually become aware of a menacing presence closing in... But wait, some hope exists in this rural setting... Elves are travelling westwards towards the Grey Havens, and with them is Gildor Inglorion.

Will he arrive to save the day, and keep the Ringwraiths at bay!?
{Tolkien must be rubbing off on me - I'm getting poetic!  ;-)  }

The Hobbits start at the break in the hedge. Three wraiths are closing in; coming from behind and to either side of them. Ahead of them is Gildor...

Again the Wraiths are at low power, each with only 4+D3 Will, representing their exhaustion during the hunt...

The wraiths are trying to kill Frodo. Frodo is trying to escape to the far side of the board, hopefully with his companions still with him!

The Hobbits have just passed through the gap in a large hedge when they sense an evil presence approaching... the wraiths coming at them from behind and to both sides...

...yet hope lies in front of them, with the sound fair voices singing, in the dusk twilight...

The hobbits press on, yet the sound of footsteps approaching from behind is unnerving...

Evil closes in from the flanks, whilst hope is rekindled ahead...

Gildor also senses something is not right in these lands tonight, and approaches to investigate...

A wraith approaches and attempts to weaken Frodo's resolve, casting Sap Will. However Frodo is made of stern stuff, and resists manfully (or 'hobbitfully'!), though this still costs him a Will point...

Gildor has arrived to greet the Hobbits in their moment of need, but the wraiths move in. Sensing the potential threat posed by the elf, they turn their attention to him. Another Sap Will is cast this time at Gildor, and his resolve must have weakened, for his Will crumbles to naught! Another evil presence further assails him, weakening him again, his Courage starting to falter...

Seeing the elf weaken, the wraiths close in, further draining his Courage. Bolstering his nerve however, Gildor still charges the wraith by the woods, as the hobbits also bravely charge the wraith in front of them! Blades whirl in the dusk, but there are no injuries... yet...

Concerned at the bravery of Gildor, and the daring pluck of the hobbits, the wraiths take Gildor out of the fight, hitting him with sorcerous powers and Transfix him to the spot. They then surround and attack Frodo from all sides, trapping him between them! But both Sam and Pippin rush to their friends aid, and each attack a wraith, leaving Frodo to only have to deal with one...

But Frodo still finds himself caught up with the swirling melee all around him. A sword thrust from the wraith slices through his travel cloak, Fate saving the hobbit from more serious harm. Pippin and Sam, fight for their lives against the evil menace.

Sensing the Ring before them, the wraiths again press their attack on the Ringbearer, and again leave Gildor rooted to the spot, Transfixed in place by the wraiths dark influence.

Sam and Pippin again bravely try and distract the wraiths away from Frodo, and he fights off the sole wraith left against him desperately, though is jostled on all sides. The wraiths blade cutting through his waistcoat, and leaving a deep gash in his side!

The wraiths seem to have the upper hand but their own strength is starting to falter. At a crucial moment, the fates give impetus to Gildor, rousing him from his magical stupor, and with a strength of character, hurls himself at the neatest wraith! Pippin and Sam again both show enormous courage, the pained cries of their friend urging them on. With the wraiths distracted momentarily, by the elf's onslaught,  and the hobbits attack, the wraiths lose track of the Ringbearer, and he slips away into the cover of the woodland...

The Valar again must heed their plight, and give aid to those in direst need. Gildor strikes down the wraith he is fighting, as the exhausted forms of the other two wraiths, dissipate into the night air, a last flailing sword tearing Pippins cloak...

Evil is held at bay once more and the hobbits survive a very close shave. Terror in the twilight it was indeed!

-----o0o-----

A hugely enjoyable game again. I feel I am getting the hang of these wraiths and their abilities a little better. Despite sapping Gildors Will and knocking 3 points of Courage off him, Chris kept rolling a straight 10 on 2d6, so I couldn't keep Gildor out of it. The Transfix being the only thing to keep him out of the fight.

Chris got a little careless perhaps allowing Frodo to get into a position where he could be trapped, but he survived and kept piling the exhaustion on the wraiths with each round of combat fought.

And another mission where I could have used 'Cry of the Nazgul', if I had remembered - it could have froze out the hobbits coming to Frodo's aid, leaving him trapped against 3 wraiths...

Exciting stuff this one, I thought I had the Ring for Sauron... close, all Frodo's fate used up and one wound caused... but no cigar! Or should that be, no pipe of Longbottom Leaf!

Maybe next time Mr Baggins, next time...

-----o0o-----

On a related note, my young 'Mr Baggins', flushed with success, and currently enjoying all to do with Tolkien's Middle-Earth, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit; the movies, novels, computer games, Lego, and GW's SBG, has decided to start his own blog, here. I've helped him set it up, now its up to him to write it. It's still early days, but check it out if you get the chance. Please bear in mind the age of its author. I'll be keeping a close eye on it (Cyber-safety and all that). Thanks, Scott.