Mordor vs Rivendell: To The Death 400 points MESBG Battle Report

As the Elves march to the field of battle to meet up with their Numenorian allies, Sauron has send forth two of his lieutenants to oppose and prevent the mighty Elven heroes Gil-Galad and Elrond of joining this Last Alliance.

Okay, so this is it, the culmination of our smaller scale skirmishes the pat months into the first full fledged MESBG battle, with all horns and banners of the rules included.  Enter mighty named heroes, magic and balanced points costs, as we sat down for scenario 2 of the rulebook.

Noshi took along 419 points of her elves (the 400 in the title was just rounded out for easiness sake), and as such had a small band of only 9 models, but including two very strong heroes in the form of Gil-Galad AND Elrond.

I on the other hand had a lot more models, taking along 15 Mordor orcs with a hotch potch of gear (wysiwyg), led by two maxed out stats "basic" Nazgul, and a Mordor troll, culminating in 414 points.  Basically everything I have painted up for Mordor so far...

I mentally prepared to finally win against Noshi, who is proving to be a very tough cooky to crack in this game... so my plan was simple, get the Nazgul to Transfix the heroes and the Troll to stomp them as they are prone...

The table was set up, using some of the older printed scenery we have at the club back from the days of Mordheim.  So it is in this village that fate will decide if Gil-Galad makes it to the Last Alliance, or Isildur and Elendil will not see their ally show up...

Both forces are deployed, the elves taking defensive positions and ready to await the enemy coming their way.

The Mordor force starts moving towards the thin golden line, but soon the first of the orcs falls to the ground, an elven arrow sticking from it`s head.

Slowly but surely, the gap is closed and the forces of Mordor are preparing themselves to crash into the Rivendell lines.  The mounted Nazgul (the one on foot was my general) starts moving around the side, hopefully getting the drop on some enemies engaged in combat.

Right before the Mordor forces make their assault, another one is shot down however.  Unfortunatly for me (I mismeasured the gap, stupid me, in enthousiasm) the mounted Nazgul gets the drop on by Elrond and a swordsman.

The lines finally clash, and I hope my sheer numbers can overwhelm the Elves to get them broken, before the orcs are mowed down in numbers.

The troll does just that, smashing the first Elven casualty to the floor, but on the other side of the house it`s an orc that goes down against the shining elven blades, supported by Gil-Galad.

Against all odds, the Nazgul manages to wound a Transfixed Elrond twice, but Noshi saved one of the wounds using a point of Fate and the power of Vilnya.

The lines are now intermingled, and with my Mordor army bonus I might actually hold out in this one, as Gil-Galad joins the fray against the Troll before he can kill to many of the Elves.  However, it is the measly orcs next to the troll that take down another elf instead.

On the other side, the forces keep pushing each other to and fro, while Elrond keeps getting Transfixed by a Nazgul whose Will points are starting to run low. I really need to take him out soonish or the Ringwraith will disappear.

But alas, a flash of Elven steel, and the Troll comes crashing down, impaled on the speartip of Gil-Galad's Aeglos.  This is bad news, as the mighty beast was the one standing a chance to wound the Lord of the West had it just managed to actually win a fight against the lord.

On the other side, another Elf is taken down while Elrond, again Transfixed, is being ganged up by Orcs... and yet still they fail to wound the mighty warrior.  He should have been taken out thrice over by now, but he keeps winning fights and get back up... but the elves are now one model above Broken and points I might actually score.

Oops, it doesn`t help if your archers make their only kill of the day... one of their own brethren.  Life is indeed cheap in the service of Sauron.

The Mordor line is slowly but surely being reduced, and I barely outnumber my enemies now to be able to make my army bonus count.  At this rate, I will be broken even before the Elves will, and with my not so impressive Courage that might spell bad news.  It doesn`t help that the Mounted Nazgul disappears in thin air, after trying a Black Dart on Elrond to no effect as the mighty elf resisted the power, and he then swiftly cuts down the orc nearby.

My force now broken, two of the Mordor orcs leg it of the table...

The few survivors of the Orcs are now doing their best to score at least some points by trying to take out a fifth elf and breaking Noshi's force, but Gil-Galad is now in duel with my Nazgul general as well.  Both generals will be fighting each other, but who would prevail?

One duel later, and the expenditure of Might on both sides, results in the Nazgul general being banished again, while a lone Orc is now standing surrounded by the two mighty elven lords and their warriors. The orcs do have their archers still, but those guys can`t seem to hit a barn door standing next to it today... and as one of them get`s charged, the other bravely legs it...

So it is down to the last Orc standing, who will surely cut down that one needed Elf!

Now surrounded on all sides, he swings his mighty two-handed weapon at the head of an Elf in front of him... only to be struck down moments before he could lower his blow.

Okay, tabled... there goes the plan... Noshi won with a mighty 10 - 0 score, as I kept failing to kill that fifth model from her band, nor did the troll ever stood a chance against Gil-Galad.

The two elven lords are truly strong forces all amongst their own, and decimated my lowly soldiers left and right with their high F and multiple attacks, and in hindsight I thought it a miracle that Elrond took so long to take out the Ringwraith, even though I couldn`t really finish him while Transfixing him all the time, unfortunatly draining my Will to do it as such...

So Gil-Galad made it to the Last Alliance, and as we all know, he was there to defeat the Dark Lord as a result...