A Battle Report featuring Wizards, an Eagle, a Great Beast, a Great Beast Butt, and the Lords of Battle. 650.

Our local season 3 league is officially begun, and Andrew and I are up first! So, our lists are a rematch of a few days ago, but this time "for real". This time we rolled for Contest of Champions (hmm Gwaihir vs the Witch King? I veto'd), Domination (Andrew Veto'd) and Lords of Battle. I felt on my backfoot with Lords of Battle, but figured the Great Beast could maybe keep me caught up... the game did not go how I expected.

Gandalf's in the Danger Zone

Andrew's Highly experimental Minas Tirith List.

Great Beast and great spellcasting

Turn one deployment. I drum so I can make room for the beast. Andrew does a heroic channeling for Blinding Light...

and gambles a single (free) will on the roll. Naturally, it's a 1. He spends a 2nd might to get the spell off.

On the top of turn 2. Andrew wins priority and attempts to get a Fortify Spirit off on Gandalf...

...oh. Andrew does not might the 2 up.

Andrew charges Gwaihir into the Great Beast and puts one wound on it. Kardush's channeled fury (which... I forgot about all game) kept the beast under control.

A few turns into the game, and it's getting chaotic in there!

Top of 3. The Beast is able to trample into Gwaihir on a heroic move.. I score 2 wounds on the trample and Andrew spends 2 fate and takes a wound. Across the board I am winning fights pretty regularly. Kardush fuels up on the souls of his underlings and torches a few knights. The Witch King is mostly ineffective but does go for a cheeky "Your Staff is Broken" which Gandalf resists at some cost before getting "Fortify Spirit" active.

The Great Beast and Gwaihir square off for much of the rest of the game. Gwaihir wins a few fights but fails to score any additional wounds. Kardush starts snacking on the orcs infesting the beast.

Gandalf is careful to keep his distance from the Witch King. He tries again to Fortify Spirit and finally (just) succeeds. He also attempts a Sorcerous Blast on my banner... failing again.

It's a proper fight! I use cheap orcs to screen Kardush and the Witch King, but I've left an opening on Kardush...

He's blocked by the beast, but Gwaihir has charged Kardush this turn! The beast tramples Gwaihir, putting another wound on him...

But Gandalf passed his terror check to charge that gigantic, beautiful beastly behind and peels the creature off Gwaihir. Gandalf wins the fight (he's pushed back here because you always back away from a beast), but fails to wound. Gwaihir predictably and absolutely snacks upon Kardush earning him a might point back per the scenario rules. Gwaihir is now 1 Fate, 1 Will, 1 Wound, but all 3 might.

On the next turn, Andrew's force is broken and with his yellow alliance (no army bonus) combined with the Witch King's harbinger of evil... his men start fleeing the field. The Great Beast keeps bullying Gwaihir while Gandalf finds himself surrounded.

It all starts falling apart for Andrew... Shadowfax dies (earning me two wound points) and, spectacularly, the Great Beast slays Gwaihir. Probably 4 of the wounds on Gwaihir are from trample while the other two are from won fights.

I feel like the beast needs a name- any ideas?

Andrew rolls a 3 high on Gandalf's duel... and we roll the 6 wounds to kill him. Ugh.

The game refuses to end... but the great beast tramples Andrew's final two remaining models into the ground and Mordor is victorious.

Mordor scores 7 Points for earning triple Minas Tirith's wounds (40 to 13) (Side note- when Kardush eats orcs, it doesn't count for Andrew right? We read the rule and it didn't seem like it). 2 Points for slaying Gwaihir, and 3 Points for breaking Minas Tirith without being broken. 

That makes this game a nasty 12-0 for Mordor... (Editor's Note: FAQ Does cover Kardush, so I did not quite hit triple wounds. 10-0 for Mordor)

Editor's Note on the Editor's Note- Andrew was tabled so it IS a 12-0 per the scenario rules. Gonna leave this here so you guys can ride the same wave I have. Final edit.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: Listen. Seriously. Andrew's dice were SO BAD, and I am not one to blame dice on outcomes often. Gandalf cast ONE SPELL successfully. ONE. And one he got off with a might. he tried to Banish the Witch King- no. Sorcerous Blast- no. Tried to fortify spirit on Gwaihir- no. Just never worked out for him! Additionally, I won 8/10 roll offs (for tied duels or move roll offs). It was just... not Andrew's night. Ouch.