On Sunday I challenged my son and my wife to a game of The Hobbit SBG in a point match as opposed to a scenario. The object of the game was to try to get used to using the heroic actions which up until now we hadn’t used.
So for once the goblins had the same points value as the dwarves so all the Escape from Goblin Town goblins were on the board facing Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Bombur, Oin and Dori. We played on a 2”x 2” board and there was a time limit of an hour as it was near the time my son had to get ready for bed.
I used the goblins and we faced each other across the board with the Goblin Town scenery in the middle.
The first four turns were just about moving towards each other as the dwarves had no shooting and I only had the Goblin King who could throw a minion, but only tried once. So now the board was set with the Dwarves trying to keep a strong line but the goblins stretching much further. The next turn one group would charge the other.
The Dwarves won priority and I decided not to call any heroic moves. Thorin had a direct path to the goblin king, but would need zones of control neutralised by his brother Dwarves. Dwalin and Dori made a path for Thorin and my son rolled for Thorin to take a courage test so Thorin could charge the Goblin King. Double one! I have to say that he has my luck when it comes to dice rolls! But all was not lost, I pointed out that Thorin could use 2 of his Will to make the dice roll 4 so he would make his courage test (Thorin has courage 6). So Thorin ploughs in.
The goblins crowd into the Dwarves, but the king and Thorin are left to their own devices. The dwarves manage to kill 4 goblins, but take a wound and have to use some Fate points so it didn’t go all their way. But now it was Thorin’s turn. When we have played the first scenario of the Escape from Goblin Town, Thorin always takes the King down in the first round of combat so my son is up for it. We roll 3 dice each. Thorin wins by 1 point, I use Might to draw it. They decide to use Might to win it, I use another Might to draw it. They use Might to win it, I use my last Might to draw it. Thorin uses his last Might to win the fight. So now both generals are out of Might!
My son picks up his 3 dice each wound he causes will cause D3 wounds before fate rolls! The Goblin King will be made into pate. He rolls the dice……not a single wound! They will use a point of might…wait, it’s all been used. The Goblin King backs away from Thorin, “What are you going to do now dwarf?” The next round begins.
Priority goes to the dwarves and they charge in again but they are in a bad way as all of them are trapped except Thorin who jumps back into the fight with the Goblin King. The scribe calls for reinforcements and 4 turn up as close as they can to the fight, but by the end of another turn of fighting another 6 goblins have been killed with the dwarves surviving their fights, but losing wounds and fates.
Thorin and the Goblin King strike at each other. This time it’s Thorin who loses. What do I do? Shall I hurl the dwarf and get him away from the fight, or at least making him prone to follow up next time? Shall I rend him? Or, in the interests of not putting my son off playing the game again, shall I just strike Thorin. I decide to strike and cause 3 wounds! But Thorin has 3 Fate to try to stop the wounds. My son picks up one dice and rolls, a two! My wife picks up a dice and rolls, a two! One dice left to keep Thorin in the game. My son rolls………………a four! Thorin lives and with that time is called.
I really enjoyed the game. We didn’t use any of the heroic abilities in the end as we were so used to using Might to add one to duel roles and we were saving it for that purpose. I would have liked to continue the match as although Thorin hadn’t sorted out the Goblin King he had kept him busy whilst the other dwarves edged the Goblins to their break-point (10 goblins dead). But the goblins had numbers and were easily trapping dwarves.
Cheers
Deacon
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