Post by escilius on Jan 28, 2006 11:30:18 GMT 1
I played my last game as a FP and scored a military victory. This actually was my first game with FP, so i guess i was quite military-minded from the beginning. Oh well, the fellowship bogged down due to my inactivity/caution and some devious SP fellowship-torturing events.
However, my military was a total success. I managed to get "Fear, Fire, Foes" in my starting hand, split a hobbit in the first turn, got into bree and advanced the north into war. (this really wasn't my original plan, I initially figured to play quite fellowship-oriented game.) Immediately after this, I started to move the elves from gray havens westward.
Got two ent cards, killed Gandalf, brought him back and left him in Fangorn, waiting to bust Isengard. SP realized what I was up to, and didn't move with Isengard at all. Scared stiff of those trees, he was. While he was sitting in orthanc, I managed to recruit some more into Rohan with appropriate cards, massed them to the Fords of Isen. Saruman was so discouraged by this, that his passivity just continued. I guess this stale-mate benefited me. Okay, Gandalf was stuck in Fangorn, but hey - whole Isengard was paralyzed with feat so that wasn't too bad. I still got the extra die.
In Gondor, SP moved towards Osgiliath, but not too aggressively. Again, with appropriate cards I managed to recruit more people in Gondor and moved them all to osgiliath. When Shadow finally attacked, i retreated with minor losses to minas tirith.
In the north, elves entered the war, joined with the northeners in eriador and moved swiftly towards Angmar and Mt.Gundabad. Some more fear and distress in Barad Dur war room. SP fumbles by recruiting a token force in Angamar. They were wiped off with no casualties whatsoever. (note: no use recruiting forces with no actual chance in the coming battle) Rushed towards Mt.Gundabad and sieged it before SP could recruit some serious defence there. Later reinforced the siege with a lone regular from Carrock.
What about Fellowship, I hear you say? I realised my chances were in fast military victory (Mt.G and Orthanc) so i took the risk and left them just sitting on the western slopes of misty mountains.
Stalemate in Rohan continued. Moved dwarves from iron hills south, to block easterlings, but they never came. Total passivity in DEW-line. (i guess SP was so concentrated in the west that he lost all hope in the east..)
Mordor troops crossed anduin and after a brief battle, I retreated into Minas Tirith stronghold with 5 elites and 1 leader. Preparing for a long siege.
SP built up a mixed army of dunlendings and moria orcs and advanced north. Attacked rivendell, sieged but couldn't take it. Many turns situation with rivendell was that only 2 elvish regs defended against, say, 1 SP elite and 4regs. However, SP didn't have the will or dice to take finish them off.
In the north, after getting some appropriate combat effects, I broke orcs' resistance in Mt. Gundabad wit small losses and started advancing south - to relieve Rivendell.
Then, Dead men of Dunharrow appear in my hand. Split Strider and Boromir (about time to find something useful for them to do), got into Fords of isen, played the card and into Llamendon in one turn. Fast moving, i must say. Crown aragorn.
Situation in south risky. Umbar empty. I try to go for it. Rush southwards with Aragorn, boromir and three regs. SP hastly musters an elite in umbar, and sends his army after me. I realize I don't have enoug dice and turn east towards Far harad. Previously sent another war party there, so now trying to merge with them. I do, and Gondor and S&E do battle in Near Harad. I'm outnumbered badly, so retreat. More battles and retreating, and finally Aragorn, Boromir and their brave yet foolish lads get it. d**n, lost a die.
SP recruits Witch King, Rohan becomes active and enters war. I muster some. Play 2 ent cards (been holding on to them for most of the game, about time to use them!) and do terrible damage. (5 hits out of 6 possible!) Then attack Isengard. Siege ensues, Saruman musters into dunland. Moria is emptied in a hurry, and a relief force rushes southwards, gathering dunlendings on the way. Orthanc gives in, but it was still costly. Not too many rohirrim left. Move Gandalf there. And prepare for defence.
With his last dice, using elven rings, SP storms the walls of Orthanc with a hastly gathered army and a bunch of nazgul. Gandalf tries to nullify them, but "words of power" kick in. Looking bad for rohan. SP scores one lousy hit, attacks again and again. Run out of elites and dice, and has to cease the attack. Gandalf with one Rohan reg still hold orthanc, and thus the game is ended.
My opponent was devastated.
Analysis:
There were some lucky cards for me, particulary havin "fear, fire foes" in the first turn. That sort of solved the situation in Eriador.
And I guess my opponent didn't use his troops in the best way possible. He has mostly played with FP in the past, and I guess some sort of "defensive doctrine" was still messing his thinking. Me, on the other hand, had a aggressive approach because of my experiences with shadow armies.
It's interesting to see how things develop when we rematch.
However, my military was a total success. I managed to get "Fear, Fire, Foes" in my starting hand, split a hobbit in the first turn, got into bree and advanced the north into war. (this really wasn't my original plan, I initially figured to play quite fellowship-oriented game.) Immediately after this, I started to move the elves from gray havens westward.
Got two ent cards, killed Gandalf, brought him back and left him in Fangorn, waiting to bust Isengard. SP realized what I was up to, and didn't move with Isengard at all. Scared stiff of those trees, he was. While he was sitting in orthanc, I managed to recruit some more into Rohan with appropriate cards, massed them to the Fords of Isen. Saruman was so discouraged by this, that his passivity just continued. I guess this stale-mate benefited me. Okay, Gandalf was stuck in Fangorn, but hey - whole Isengard was paralyzed with feat so that wasn't too bad. I still got the extra die.
In Gondor, SP moved towards Osgiliath, but not too aggressively. Again, with appropriate cards I managed to recruit more people in Gondor and moved them all to osgiliath. When Shadow finally attacked, i retreated with minor losses to minas tirith.
In the north, elves entered the war, joined with the northeners in eriador and moved swiftly towards Angmar and Mt.Gundabad. Some more fear and distress in Barad Dur war room. SP fumbles by recruiting a token force in Angamar. They were wiped off with no casualties whatsoever. (note: no use recruiting forces with no actual chance in the coming battle) Rushed towards Mt.Gundabad and sieged it before SP could recruit some serious defence there. Later reinforced the siege with a lone regular from Carrock.
What about Fellowship, I hear you say? I realised my chances were in fast military victory (Mt.G and Orthanc) so i took the risk and left them just sitting on the western slopes of misty mountains.
Stalemate in Rohan continued. Moved dwarves from iron hills south, to block easterlings, but they never came. Total passivity in DEW-line. (i guess SP was so concentrated in the west that he lost all hope in the east..)
Mordor troops crossed anduin and after a brief battle, I retreated into Minas Tirith stronghold with 5 elites and 1 leader. Preparing for a long siege.
SP built up a mixed army of dunlendings and moria orcs and advanced north. Attacked rivendell, sieged but couldn't take it. Many turns situation with rivendell was that only 2 elvish regs defended against, say, 1 SP elite and 4regs. However, SP didn't have the will or dice to take finish them off.
In the north, after getting some appropriate combat effects, I broke orcs' resistance in Mt. Gundabad wit small losses and started advancing south - to relieve Rivendell.
Then, Dead men of Dunharrow appear in my hand. Split Strider and Boromir (about time to find something useful for them to do), got into Fords of isen, played the card and into Llamendon in one turn. Fast moving, i must say. Crown aragorn.
Situation in south risky. Umbar empty. I try to go for it. Rush southwards with Aragorn, boromir and three regs. SP hastly musters an elite in umbar, and sends his army after me. I realize I don't have enoug dice and turn east towards Far harad. Previously sent another war party there, so now trying to merge with them. I do, and Gondor and S&E do battle in Near Harad. I'm outnumbered badly, so retreat. More battles and retreating, and finally Aragorn, Boromir and their brave yet foolish lads get it. d**n, lost a die.
SP recruits Witch King, Rohan becomes active and enters war. I muster some. Play 2 ent cards (been holding on to them for most of the game, about time to use them!) and do terrible damage. (5 hits out of 6 possible!) Then attack Isengard. Siege ensues, Saruman musters into dunland. Moria is emptied in a hurry, and a relief force rushes southwards, gathering dunlendings on the way. Orthanc gives in, but it was still costly. Not too many rohirrim left. Move Gandalf there. And prepare for defence.
With his last dice, using elven rings, SP storms the walls of Orthanc with a hastly gathered army and a bunch of nazgul. Gandalf tries to nullify them, but "words of power" kick in. Looking bad for rohan. SP scores one lousy hit, attacks again and again. Run out of elites and dice, and has to cease the attack. Gandalf with one Rohan reg still hold orthanc, and thus the game is ended.
My opponent was devastated.
Analysis:
There were some lucky cards for me, particulary havin "fear, fire foes" in the first turn. That sort of solved the situation in Eriador.
And I guess my opponent didn't use his troops in the best way possible. He has mostly played with FP in the past, and I guess some sort of "defensive doctrine" was still messing his thinking. Me, on the other hand, had a aggressive approach because of my experiences with shadow armies.
It's interesting to see how things develop when we rematch.