Over the holiday break, I was able to get a game in with Adam- who I always enjoy playing! We first played at a 600 point tournament, and again for a fun game where he ran a horde of Uruk scouts. I decided to take the Great Beast out for a spin again- and also wanted to try the Witch King on a Fell Beast after doing a full 360* on thinking it's a worthwhile purchase. We rolled for scenario, and got Destroy the Supplies which is quite possibly my favorite of all of the scenarios.
Adam's list both looks super fun, and like something I might need to invest in- needing only 15 models to add to my
existing Iron Hills! I really love the Mirkwood army list so... it will probably show up here sooner rather than later.
Honestly, on paper this seems like a really cool list! I do think the Great Beast works at 650 and lower; higher than that and most lists have something that can easily deal with it.
Deployment was pretty straight forward! I deployed the Great Beast last and opted to head for elves due to their lower armor class AND the fact that Dain would get to Master of Battle any heroic moves I called with it.
9 Orc Bows ain't nothing to sneeze at.
I put the Morgul Knights in only because I hadn't actually played with them myself yet, despite
recently painting them and just loving the models.
Dain n' the boys. I so love how Adam did his shields for them; they pop so nicely.
Thranduil n' the gang. Look at those gorgeous fall leaf bases!
Turn one sees a general advance; no real shooting to speak of.
This is a picture after the fight phase of round 2. Dain and the two goat riders advanced pretty far forward; so the Witch King compelled a Goat Rider forward, while just staying outside of 2.5" of Dain. Then hurled that Goat Rider through Dain and the other goat rider; killing both riders and de-pigging Dain. Quite a strong open from the Witch King!
Turn three sees us continue to advanced; and orc bows knock Thranduil off his horse- AND he rolls the 1 for thrown rider. Luck has really been on my side here. Before being unhorsed, Thranduil did cast aura of dismay.
As the lines prepare to clash; a lot has gone my way! On my right flank I've unhorsed Thranduil and killed one elf with bow fire. On my left flank I've unpigged Dain, AND killed both of Adam's goat riders. I've lost priority this turn, but the potential trample is far too tasty with the great beats so I call a move. With Thranduil too far away Adam does not counter call.
Here I do make a pretty big mistake. First, the great beast fails to trample the first elf he slams into. Second, Adam gets 4 elves into the Great Beast so I have the
brilliant idea to heroic combat from the witch king, slam into one of the elf spear supports, and hurl him into the Great Beast's fight- thus knocking the elves prone but leaving the beats unharmed. My dumb mistake here was, of course, that I did not have priority this turn :) Palm forehead moment for sure! That being said... the great beast somehow wins the fight against the elves and kills 2 of them!
On the following turn my Morgul Knights just start chopping dwarves. It's kind of insane. I keep winning priority letting my knights charge dwarves over and over and I outnumber Adam enough to keep dwarves tied up. Adam does do a few heroic combats with Dain and whittles me down; trying to take down my banner.
On the elf flank, Thranduil wins a move off with and casts a nature's wrath on the Witch King; and I have no choice but to try to counter it because losing my fell beast mount would be rough! I spend a heap of will and manage to cancel the spell. But Thranduil and 3 elves manage to get the three point trap on the Witch King. The beast tramples a few elves- Adam's down 8 elves on this flank now!
Thranduil and the Witch King both strike up- tying on 9... and the elven blades make all the difference! With that, the Witch King drops hard after Thranduil spends a might to score the final wound. Thranduil is now out of might. Goroth knows what he has to do.
The dwarf flank is now a swirling melee. Honestly, Adam's dice are hilariously bad- he is losing dwarves faster than I am losing orcs except to Dain who naturally cuts through them. My black numenorean is heading to the objective in the back left woods, while I am hoping to let one Morgul knight ride down the central objective.
Goroth passes courage to charge Thranduil, and strikes up to surpass his fight value. He strips a fate and a wound.
My Morgul knight and black numenorean make it to Adam's objectives. My remaining morgul knight finds himself surrounded...
But wins the fight and kills two dwarves. The other charges back into the melee.
At this point I have two of Adam's objectives, and he starts the following turn broken.
Orcs continue to swamp dwarves and come out on top.
On the right, Goroth smashes Thranduil and the Great beast tramples the remaining elves AND lands on the objective. Adam is quartered and the game is over.
Nabbing all 3 objectives earns me 6 points. Breaking Adam without being broken nabs me 2 points. We each have a banner remaining at the end for 1 point each. With the Witch King dead at Thranduil's hands, that earns Adam 2 points.
So in the end this is a 9-3 win for Mordor.
Closing Thoughts: First of all, Adam's dice were pretty hilariously bad and I won many fights I had no right winning. I never took a single wound on the great beast and in such proximity to my own orcs that could have easily changed the whole nature of the game; but that's the chaos you have to embrace when playing him? My morgul knights were insanely good this game; between the two of them they captured one objective and probably killed 6 dwarves- if not more. The Great beast was also responsible for many elf kills and a crucial unhorsing. This was a fun list, but it definitely lives on a knife's edge. Adam's garbage dice really swung this for me.
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