Hobbit SBG Dwarves v Cirith Ungol

"...There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"          

                                                    - Gimli Son of Gloin, The Lord of the Ring          

Lord of the Rings battle report

The Hobbit Strategy Battle Game Rule Book

Hobbit SBG - Dwarves v Cirith Ungol, Mordor Uruk Hai 750 points

This week was a battle between Craig and myself each leading a 750 point army  between good, the dwarves of Moria v Mordor's Cirith Ungol army led by Khamul the Easterling, with Shelob.

Again, we are playing the new Hobbit SBG rule from Games Workshop. 

We set up on a 6 x 4 battle field with the clubs desert board to represent a desolate region between Moria and Mordor, where the battle between good and evil would be fought.

This is the latest SBG battle report from East Grinstead Wargamers, which sees a battle for points - killing heroes, banners, captains and breaking an army will earn points. 

Deployment was simple - same as last week, place your troops in your third of the field and fight if out. 

I took the northern end of the board positioning the Drar Hunter Dwarf Rangers on the hill, while Gimli led the rest of my army to cover the rest of the field.

Craig and Adrian, spread their Cirith Ungol Mordor Uruk Hai, with Shelob across the battlefield.
My plan was simple, wait for them to get to me, shooting what I can before they get here then smash them hard and fast (as fast as dwarves can be).

Hobbit SBG: The Deserts of Middle Earth

Gimli, Son of Gloin leads the Dwarf army

Gimli The Dwarf General Leads the feared
Khazad Guard

Drar's Hunters, an elite unit of
Dwarven rangers

Floi The Stonehand, Lore Master of Moria
command the dwarven axes.

Mardin's Guard, shielded Royal Dwarven Guard

The Mordor Army from Cirith Ungol, 
Led By Shagrat and featuring Shelob

The Mordor Uruk Hai with Captain and Banner

Shagrats Tower Guard army with deadly weapons!

The Mordor Army Deploys in Warbands
covering either side of the board

Shagrat's Tower Guard prepare to assault the hill
and the Dwarven Rangers led by Drar

Ready and waiting the rangers open fire and start to kill Uruk Hai...
Shagrat, falls back behind his cannon fodder troops

The main dwarf army holds firm in the middle, nothing will move them

Gimli calls out to the Uruk Hai and calls a challenge,
"Come and get me if you think your hard enough...!"

Meanwhile Floi, manages to avoid the orcs bow fire,
 which given suffers a -1 to hit with movement.

Drar readies his Hunter Dwarf rangers 
who will hold and fire together

The Mordor Uruk Hai march across the field...

Forward you maggots

Mordor advances onto the slopes as the
sun shines onto the Dwarven rangers - there is still hope

More casualties for Mordor as the
rangers continue to punish their every step

Khamul the Easterling leads his warband of
Mordor Uruk hai

Still Floi laughs at the orc bows who are focused on
trying to take him out

The Mordor army reaches the dwarven line and battle starts

Shelob pounces onto Mardin and his guard
have to muster their courage to attack the huge bulking beast of 
spider pass - Cirith Ungol

Mordor Uruk hai, reach the hill and Floi sounds the advance -
time to save the rangers

Surrounded, Shelob is suddenly alone and feeling the pressure

 Craig's Mordor Uruk Hai charge Drar and the dwarven rangers

"Protect the Banner" Craig cries as his
Uruk's punch into the rangers

The rangers, spurred by Drar and the support of
Floi and his axes get the upper hand on the Mordor Uruk Hai

 "KHAZAD!!!!" The dwarves are now outnumbering and beating
 the Mordor Uruk Hai

Fighting is tough for Mordor as they fail a few desperate dice rolls

Shagrat rallies his troops as Floi prepares to move in for the kill,
meanwhile a stray arrow actually kills a dwarf!

Shelob, fights on, using will and might to stay alive, while the
Khazad Guard and Gimli surround her again

 The beauty of fight values and rolling a "6"
Shelob wins and knocks the guard to the ground

Drar takes a well aimed shot and gains a point by slaying
a not so hidden Mordor banner bearer

Mordor Flank is failing, they are now heavily outnumbered!

The Dwarf rangers and Drar again lead the attack
to kill the Mordor Uruk Hai

Hobbit SBG: Down goes the Mouth of Sauron and now there is
only a small gathering of Mordor on the hill - this was almost the end for Mordor.
 
The battle ended 5-1 to the dwarves
Shagrat, 3 x banners and a Captain were killed as well as only two troops from being broken
Gimli suffered a wound from rolling a fate roll of "1"

Final Thoughts

This Dwarven army was fantastic, it looked and performed better than I thought and literally took the Mordor army to pieces.  The bow fire was good and I picked of 5 Uruk Hai before they even got to the fight.

Shelob, despite always being surrounded by 6-8 Khazad Guard just wouldn't die! Clearly she had preyed to the dice gods and secured her survival - this didn't prevent the dwarven army from taking the Mordor army apart - the Uruk Hai were simply no match for the dwarves and at every fight they got a bloody nose.

Craig was unfortunate as he didnt take any shields to aid his defence and lack spear support which is often cheap for Mordor. He also played into my arms and was forced to cross the field and attack my strongly defended lines.

Man of the Match

This was hard, Gimli never seemed to get into a fight, Shagrat held off Floi several times, but really this has to be "GIRL OF THE MATCH" Shelob soaked up the bearded ones and spat them out... yeah she didn't really kill anything, but she could have swung the tide of the game had the Mordor army been able to perform better.

Yeah, she costs a bit, but she worked well and looked very beautiful on the battle field.

A lesson for Craig - Take spear support, those extra dice rolls will be worth more than those banners and will give you more troops!

So a win for Moria's Dwarves and Gimli .

Thanks I hope you enjoyed it!

To see my fully Painted Armies please visit this blog:

Hobbit Dol Guldor / Mirkwood Army (UPDATED) 

http://eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-hobbit-sbg-necromancers-army-of-dol.html

LotR / WotR Dwarf Army (UPDATED) 

http://eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.com/2011/10/wotr-dwarven-army.html

LotR / WotR - Moria / Misty Mountains army

lhttp://eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.com/2011/10/wotr-misty-mountains-moria-army.html

LoTR/ WotR Angmar Army

http://www.eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/wotr-angmar-army.html

LoTR / WotR Huge Mordor Army

http://www.eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/6000-point-mordor-army.html

LoTR / WotR Isengard Army

http://www.eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/wotr-warg-riders-of-isengard.html

  

We are about to start playing The Hobbit SBG - both skirmish battles LotR/Hobbit and walk through the books/films as well as the odd WotR on club nights.

We welcome anyone interested in playing The Hobbit, Lotr SBG, WotR or any warhammer/40K battle - why not let us know so that we can arrange some starter battles, like the one above, or if you/your club want to challenge us. We have all the LOTR SBG figures and LOTR scenery from the Mines of Moria to the siege of Helms Deep ready and waiting.  

Feel free to email us to come along or arrange a game.

East Grinstead War Gaming club 

Sussex

The Ring Wraiths of Mordor

“In rode the Lord of the Nazgul.  A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair…”

J.R.R Tolkien, The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings

The Nine Ringwraiths of Mordor 

Dark Riders or Nazgul are ring wraiths dispatched from Mordor by the Dark Lord Sauron to hunt for the one ring held by “Baggins” in the "Shire". 

LotR WotR: The 9 Abroad

LotR WotR: The Nine Dark Riders

LotR WotR: The 9 Abroad

The nine riders from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings were once nine kings of men - The Great Lords of Numenor, from a time long passed. 

When each of the nine was given a ring of power it granted them great power and endless life and during their mortal years they prospered and became great in each of their kingdoms.

However the nine slowly succumbed to Saurons power over the rings and as the holder of the one ring, he enslaved them to his will and they became his formidable ring wraiths.  

LotR SBG: The 9 Abroad

All that now remains of the nine are their twisted spirits - their bodies having faded away to nothing and they need their dark cloaks to give form to their shape. 

The leader of the nine ring wraiths is the Witch King of Angmar. But together they are the most deadly of Sauron’s servants - the nine ring wraiths.

I have finally managed to complete (paint and base) my Nazgul Ring Wraiths for LotR Strategy Battle Game and War of the Ring - these are both the foot and mounted versions - some are the newer characters wraiths. 

WotR: The 9 Abroad

LotR WotR: The Nine Dark Riders

The Nine Abroad (see above) are now fully painted and based to fit in with ever growing Mordor army.  

To the left are the 9 abroad, to the right the dark riders, ring wraiths mounted on twisted Mordor Steeds, and although it would be tempting to have nine ring Wraiths on fell beasts, I don’t think that my budget would stretch that far…

…but wouldn’t that be something!

The Witch King of Angmar (Ringwraith)

LotR SBG: The Witch King of Angmar (Mordor)

The Witch-king is the greatest and most feared of the Nazgûl. 

LotR SBG: The Witch King of Angmar (Mordor)

Immeasurably ancient, and a source of prodigious power, the Witch-king draws his power from the limitless will of Sauron. 

The Witch-king is both a deadly strategist and sorcerer. 

His cloaked and armoured form a terror to all who behold it, and his presence upon the battlefield a horror that few can hope to withstand.

As long as his dark master survives, the Witch King endures. 

LotR SBG: The Witch King of Angmar (Mordor)

Minas Morgul, once a fortress of the Moon, is the Witch King's stronghold, a place of foul magic and sorcery.  

Just as the Witch King is enslaved to the will of Sauron, so too are the spirits and spetres that haunt that vile domain. 

The Witch King is foremost amongst the Dark Lords Leutenants.

The Dark Marshal (Ringwraith)

LotR SBG: The Dark Marshal Ringwraith

LotR SBG: The Dark Marshal Ringwraith

LotR SBG: The Dark Marshal Ringwraith

In the centuries since the Dark Marshal and his fellow kings became Ringwraiths, he has become even more sadistic and malicious. 

The most black-hearted and unrelentingly cruel of all the Nazgûl, his name is a byword for misery and death. 

Where the Dark Marshal passes, Evil creatures fight harder, fearful of their lives whilst Good warriors feel the icy touch of death upon their hearts.

Khamul the Easterling (Ringwraith)

LotR SBG: Khamul The Easterling Ringwraith

Lieutenant of Dol Guldur, Khamûl is second amongst the Ringwraiths, a dark 
terror clad in an impenetrable shroud of cloth and armour. 

LotR SBG: Khamul The Easterling Ringwraith

LotR SBG: Khamul The Easterling Ringwraith

The knowledge of how he came into the service of the Lord of the Rings has long been lost, though a few of the Wise believe that he once ruled a land beyond Mordor's eastern boundaries.

 This at least must be partially true, for only a king of great influence would have received the tainted gift of a Ring of Power. 

Other than this, little is known of Khamûl's past save what he has done since in the servie of Mordor. 

Whatever the deeds of the man that he once was, Khamûl walks now only where Sauron bids him, his will bound solely to that of his dark master.

The Shadow Lord (Ringwraith)

LotR SBG: The Shadow Lord Ringwraith (Mordor)

LotR SBG: The Shadow Lord Ringwraith (Mordor)

LotR SBG: The Shadow Lord Ringwraith (Mordor)

The Shadow Lord was once the king of a small and insignificant kingdom. 

When Sauron offered him one of the Nine Rings, the promise of its power proved irresistible. 

Now, his physical being all but gone, and his will enslaved to Sauron, the Shadow Lord wears his dark pride like a cloak, blotting the sun from the sky and dimming the sight of his foes.

The Betrayer

LotR SBG: The Betrayer Ringwraith (Mordor)

Cursed long ago for yielding the Southlands to Sauron's rule, the Betrayer is driven by malice and self-hatred that knows no bounds. 

Of all the Nazgûl, the Betrayer is amongst the lowest of Sauron's lieutenants, for even the Dark Lord is leery of placing faith in one who betrayed his kin so readily.

The Undying

LotR SBG: The Undying Ringwraith (Mordor)

The Undying has endured long where others have fallen. He is said to be the oldest of the Ringwraiths, and the last to succumb to the wasting influences of the Rings of Power. 

Through an obsessive mastery of evil magics, the Undying has learnt to draw sustenance from the magics of others, fortifying himself with the magical energy that flows around him.

The Dwimmerlaik

LotR SBG: The Dwimmerlaik
Ringwraith (Mordor)

The Dwimmerlaik is possibly the most mysterious of all the Nazgûl, for scant record of his past deeds exist in the tomes of the Wise. 

Yet in Rohan, this particular Ringwraith is feared beyond all others, for he has been a blight upon that realm for centuries untold, directing the Dark Lord's minions against the Sons of Eorl.

The Tainted

LotR SBG: The Tainted Ringwraith (Mordor)

Where the other Nazgul were slowly swallowed by the taint of their rings, the Tainted gave himself wholly and willingly to Sauron. 

Now all natural things rebel in his presence, vegetation withers, animals sicken and bold warriors cower. He is an abomination whose merest presence is poison to life, honour and hope

The Knight of Umbar

LotR SBG: The Knight of Umbar
Ringwraith (Mordor)

Like all of the Nazgûl, the Knight of Umbar's past is shrouded in mystery. 

If the rumours pertaining to him hold any truth, he was once one of the great Númenórean kings who ruled the Southlands prior to the days of the Last Alliance.

The Winged Nazgul (Ringwraith)

The Ringwraiths, or Nazgûl, were once the Kings of Men, the bearers of the magical rings created by Sauron. 

LotR SBG: The Winged Nazgul on Fellbeast

LotR SBG: The Winged Nazgul on Fellbeast

Their rings granted endless life but gradually enslaved the Kings to Saurons will. 

Together with their leader, the Witch-king of Angmar, they are known as the Nine and are the most deadly of Sauron's servant.  

The Fell beasts they ride live amidst the pinnacles of the mountains of Shadow, preying om any who draw near.  

They are simply brutal creatures, easily bent to the will of their cruel masters.

I am currently working on a huge Cirith Ungol army to complement my Mordor army... photos to follow along with Gorgoroth battle host and huge number of Gothmogs Morannon orcs... keep watching!

To see my fully Painted Armies please visit this blog:

LotR / WotR Dwarf Army (UPDATED) 

http://eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.com/2011/10/wotr-dwarven-army.html

LotR / WotR - Moria / Misty Mountains army

lhttp://eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.com/2011/10/wotr-misty-mountains-moria-army.html

LoTR/ WotR Angmar Army

http://www.eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/wotr-angmar-army.html

LoTR / WotR Huge Mordor Army

http://www.eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/6000-point-mordor-army.html

LoTR / WotR Isengard Army

http://www.eastgrinsteadwargamers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/wotr-warg-riders-of-isengard.html

  

We are about to start playing LOTR SBG - both skirmish battles and walk through the books/films each Monday night and WotR on club nights.

We welcome anyone interested in playing Lotr SBG, WotR or any warhammer/40K battle - why not let us know so that we can arrange some starter battles, like the one above, or if you/your club want to challenge us. We have all the LOTR SBG figures and LOTR scenery from the Mines of Moria to the siege of Helms Deep ready and waiting.  

Feel free to email us to come along or arrange a game.

East Grinstead War Gaming club 

Sussex