Hobbit: Batrep - The Siege of Minas Tirith

"The board is set, the pieces are moving. 

We come to it at last, the great battle of our time."

Gandalf the White, Return of the King, The Lord of The Rings

The battle for Minas Tirith

With a bit of organising and players pulling in their models, we were set for a fantastic 4 v 4 battle for Minas Tirith on a beautifully created board by Rick Fryer.  This was a chance for a few members of our club Midsussexwargaming or arrange a game, have some beers and enjoy a BBQ.

Hobbit Battle Field - Mega SBG Battle:
 Walls of Minas Tirith

Sam Page - Gondor
Louis Jones - Fiefdoms
Rick Fryer - Rohan
Craig Harrison - Grey Company

George Seymour - Mordor 1
Michael McDonald - Mordor 2
Thomas Secombe - Khand & Easterlings
Dan Fyer - Harad
Me - Umbar 'Corsairs'

Each army was 1000 points (Mordor had 2 x 750) and both Mordor and Gondor were able to deploy immediately, the rest would roll two dice and add the turn number... if that was 12 they could enter the battle.

The battle field was 6 x 6 ft, with 1/2 covered by Minas Tirth, the rest Pelennor Fields.

The City of Gondor:
Minas Tirith

The Gondor and Fiefdom armies deploy within the walls of Mina Tirith,
protecting the central statue and the objective

The Gateway to Pelennor and the enterance to Gondors City

The walls protecting the city buildings of Minas Tirith

Gondorian Trebuchet with Commanders

Minas Tirith Commanders Hall
'Officers Mess'

Entrance to the Keep

The High walls of Minas Tirith

Gondor buildings behind the walls

The Army of Mordor appear on the battle field and deploy

"Defend the walls" Gondor archers line the walls to prepare to fight off the attacking evil armies

Gondorians and the Fiefdoms form a defensive ring around the main objective and protect the gate

Fiefdoms army deployed to the defend the gates of Gondor

Gandalf the White takes to the walls to support Gondor in its hour of need

Beregond also takes to the battlements

Gondor buildings protected by a host of warriors

Mordor siege tower

The Witch King on Fell Beast leads the assault

Orcs n Fell beast

The Mordor Army deploys on the outskirts of Osgiliath

"Send forth all Legions"

Gondor (and Rick) brace for the Mordor assault

Gandalf the White prepares and casts blinding light

Fiefdoms defend the centre statue and the objective

Black Root Vale archers test the Mordor Line with bow fire

Slowly, slowly the tower advances, while the catapults open fire on the walls

Mordor orcs carry ladders to scale the walls

Gondor return fire with the Trebuchet

Orc eye view from the Ruins of Osgiliath

The Fell Beast cover the flanks of the troops

The catapult barrage continues

Next round - Enter Harad and their Mumak

The Harad Cavalry

The Harad infantry

The Mumak advances

The battlefield so far...

Gondor view

The rangers continue to fire...

...picking their targets to try to whittle down the Mordor orcs and the ladders

The city of Minas Tirith under siege

The Mordor siege tower is almost at the wall

Next round and Umbar arrive.
The Corsairs spread out to prevent another army deploying on their flank

The Harad cavalry race to the opposite side of the board to await the deployment of good

Meanwhile the Harad infantry advances

The Corsair fleet form up and prepare to move to the gate and the siege tower

Armies of evil swarm the battlefield

BUT, the Grey Company arrive and immediately charge the Corsair flank!

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli lead the charge

Just as a horn sounds... ROHAN!

Forward Eorlings!
Rohan arrive with 1000 points of cavalry

The evil army pause and asses the situation....
meanwhile Rohan charge full on into the Mordor Flank

The Three Hunters and twins lead the Grey Company onto the Corsairs

The Corsairs are taken by surprise and falter

The Eleven Twins with army of the Dead rush the Corsairs and take advance of their deployment

The Corsairs desperately try to regroup and leave a warband of pirates to the mercy of the Grey Company

Across the battlefield the Rohan Riders split and charge the orcs

But Theoden has over stretched and is now facing the Harad cavalry and fell beast counter charge

Theoden and his knights attempt to take down a fell beast

The riders continue their charge

FOR ROHAN!

Oh dear, Harad come to the rescue of the Fell Beast

The fight is now in full swing as Theoden fights for his life

The Siege tower hits the wall

Rohan call for aid...

and the fiefdoms answer, breaking formation to open the gates and aid Rohan

Rohan riders

in the thick of battle

The fell beast loom over the battle field and the riders of Rohan continue to fight

The Trebuchet even targets the fell beast to assist

Harad infantry stop and wait... and watch the riders of Rohan

Rick's Riders need the priority

Theoden is surrounded

and the fell beasts swoop in for the kill

Fiefdoms march to the gate
"Now is the hour"

Meanwhile the corsairs are being dealt a bloody nose by the Grey Company

Rohan look in trouble

Catapult fire decimate the second war band of Rohan riders

Riders strewn across the field

Eomer leads his riders to defend the king

but the fell beasts keep coming

and now the Harad Cavalry are helping to mop up the riders of Rohan

Despite the sun, this is a dark day for Rohan

Theoden makes a last charge against the fellbeast...

but his battered remains are scattered on to the battlefield

The corsairs quickly regroup and the archers fire into the Grey Company

Enter the Dragon -
 Easterling and Khan swarm onto the field, right behind the now exhausted riders of Rohan

A mass of riders, chariots and easterling focus onthe stranded Rohan

Rick's last knights withdraw to protect the Kings body

but the Khandish eastern warriors are a sight to behold.

The Khandish chariots chase down the last few riders

All is now lost for Rohan

Now the orcs are reaching the walls with their ladders, and the tower becomes the target for the Trebuchet

And so the Harad Infantry, safe in the knowledge that there are no more Rohan continue their advance

The Grey Company pause as riders of Harad arrive to their rear

Craig sends out some warriors of the dead to intercept them and over the Grey Company rear

Taking advantage of the pause, the Corsair open fire into the Grey Company

Forcing them to continue their advance

Red and Gold now covers the field, where once there was a ave of Rohan green 

The evil army now dominates the fields of Pelennor

The Fiefdoms are unable to aid Rohan in time

and decide to return to their stations and await the assault

Khandish riders charge across the field in front of the walls

The King of Khand feels victorious

and the fellbeasts, fresh from the kill, turn their attention to the walls of Minas Tirith

The Eastern Army

The age of men is over

The orcs make for the siege tower

and the Mumak advances

The Knight of Umbar on Fell Beast

Eomer still defiant, but hope is lost

Denethor, failing is courage test moves closer to the ledge, hope really is lost

The Siege tower reaches the wall

Fiefdoms regroup

But there are no troops in the tower!

Aragorn and the King of the Dead charge the Corsairs again

As The Khandish mop up the last of the Rohan

Every single one of them!

The Witch King
"NO MAN CAN KILL ME!"

Harad race to the gates

Rick deploys his secret weapon... a warband of Woses, right behind the Mordor Catapults

The end of Rohan

but on the other side of the field,
the Corsairs are losing fight after fight tot he might of the Grey Company

Halbarad and Aragorn secure more Corsair deaths... can the flank hold

Time for the Fell beasts to move

All advance

More Harad riders race to assist the flanks, this time to engage the woses hidden in the ruins

Harad nearly reach the tower, time for war

as the fell beasts stay out of bow range

The Woses open fire

Aragorn is surrounded by Corsairs, will he kill another lot!?

BANG, the trebuchet fire contiues...

...and the tower is lost

The fell beast move across the field, Aragorn is in their sights

The battlefield so far

A Corsair Reaver climbs a ladder,
but faces a captain and 2 warriors, plus an in the way for the wall... no chance!

The troll now faces the Gates of Gondor

as the evil army moves ever forward

The Khandish king advances flanked by Fell beast and his riders

Evil forces 

Aragorn loses and is slain  

The troll is prone

and the fell beast still race across the field

Shock hits the Grey Company with the fall of Aragorn, but still the Reavers and Corsair keep coming

Halbarad fights for his life

Harad still seem to be faltering 

Khandish riders charge for the gate

Evil George -
"Job Well Done"

The Mumak reches the wall, but not before a volley
of arrows kills the Mumak Mahaud leader 

Halbarad fights on

Bored of waiting for evil to get the walls Gondorians climb down the ladders to engage the Corsairs and help the rangers

The troll stays prone to allow the catapults to fire on the gate

Craig continues to push his Grey company onto the Corsairs, even with the fell beasts bearing down

Fiefdoms prepare for the gate to go

as the fell beasts turn towards the wall

The gates are open and a Khandish chariot leads the charge

Good shooting!

The Khandish King with full entourage march proudly forward...

...until - A trebuchet shot wipes the Khandish King on chariot and about 10 riders in one go,
 OUCH!!!

The Elven Twins help Halbarad

and get stuck into the fight

Harad race to the gate

But the Mumak fails it's courage and is turned towards it's own army

The troll stands and waits to get stuck in... but the fighting is tough and Harad fail to push through he gates

The Witch King moves forward

Fight for the Gate

For Gondor!

Unable to risk it, the Witch King engages the Fell beast to get rid of it

And the Easterling start to climb the walls

Still outnumbered and  on the ladders, it is going to be tough

With the light fading time is running out

The Battlefield now

Gondor still retain control of the walls and the inner fortress

The Corsairs try the ladder again

As the last of the Grey Company fight on

Stalemate at the gates

The fell beast finally goes over the wall

and smashes the rangers

Gondors number at eh gate are still strong

The evil army are stalling and are failing to break into Minas Tirith

One final push, but this is too little too late, and evil fail to break the walls of Minas Tirith

With the light gone it was time to call the game.
A victory for Good as evil could not break through the walls and gates

Man of the Match:
Gandalf the White

Man of the Match
I think this has to go to Gandalf the White, just because his blinding light made it virtually impossible to shoot the troops on the wall, needing a 6 to hit, 5 to get passed the in the way and then needing 5/6 to wound it made the evil bows useless. He didn't do much else as the evil army couldn't get to the wall and lay siege.

Final thoughts
I loved this game and can't wait to do another.

Next time I think I will set objectives for each army, which will be hidden from everyone else, perhaps printed on cards for extra points, so that players have to get stuck in and try to score their max points.

I think the new rules DO NOT lend themselves to sieging... next time I will look at the old siege rules and come up with some agreed house rules so that walls can be smashed and ladders climbed easier.

All in all a really fun day, with loads of food, beer and a BBQ.

Thanks to Rick Fryer for the Minas Tirith board and houses - they are truley amazing.

The mass of evil armies on the fields of Pelennor

We welcome anyone interested in playing The Hobbit SBG, Lotr SBG, WotR or any Warhammer/40K, X-Wing battle or table-top war game - why not let us know so that we can arrange some starter battles,

Or if you/your club want to challenge us. We have all the figures and scenery from the Mines of Moria to the siege of Helms Deep, snow fields to desert boards ready and waiting; fighting in the ruins of Osgiliath, Helms Deep and Far Harad, you cannot afford to miss it.

Why not join our watch list for updates and look out for more battle reports, campaigns and armies on parade...  as well as our brilliant GBHL Hobbit Hobby Tournament.

Feel free to come along to Midsussexwargaming or arrange a game.