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Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
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Author:  andymeechan [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Having recently started working through the Fellowship campaign - and recently having stumbled upon Celevue's excellent thread - I thought to post here to garner thoughts on a related subject, namely: which models should be used in the Fellowship book?

Assuming the standard participants list, I specifically seek opinions (and experiences) on scenarios 1-4, 7 & 9. The FAQ simply points to the Equipment box-out on Page 4, which is great if you have limited models. However, I was fortunate enough to get everything I needed for the whole book in place before we began, so have a choice available.

We played through The Hunt Begins three times, Trust of Arnor twice, and Short Cuts Make Long Delay five times. It took us to the first play of this third scenario to realise that our problems in the first two would have been aleviated by having the Ringwraiths mounted. Once we applied mounted models, the Short Cuts scenario became, well, fun - and a lot closer in terms of match-up. (Evil failing to exit Sentry mode notwithstanding.)

So, the question is: to mount or be on foot. What are your experiences with the scenarios? My gut says mounted for 1-3, foot for 4, and mounted again for 7 & 9. (Scenarios 6 & 8 are obviously on foot.)

Cheers folks.
Author:  Batman of The Shire [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 11:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
I actually talked to adam troke and asked him the exact same question. His verdict: 'Yeah, that was a mistake on our part. If they are mounted in the film, well there's your answer'. Hope this helps !!!
Author:  Celevue [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 2:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Thanks for the kind words, Andy!

Interesting - we have only played the scenarios 1 & 2, and with the Nazgûl on foot. I must say I did spare the ranger might points, and probably could have had a better chance of good victory in scenario 2 if I had used heroic moves (I was playing good in that scenario). But then again, the first two scenarios are in our campaign only to wear the Ringwraiths down a bit. The game gets more interesting once the named heroes are on the board, and it becomes imperative to protect Frodo.

Time allowing, we will try the scenario three with both mounted and foot wraiths. Our ferry scenario will use a larger board, so mounted wraiths might be appropriate there. We will omit scenario 7 (pursuit into the wilds) altogether (the fellowship has it hard enough already). Whether or not we play the Fellowship book scenario 6 (The grey pilgrim and the black riders) is dependent on the scenario "Wizards' duel" between Saruman and Gandalf. If Gandalf wins, he gets to Bree in time to catch up with the hobbits. Thus, he is actually present in the Amon Sûl scenario along with Aragorn.

Do you use the older might/fate/will/wound recovery rules, or those in the Hobbit rulebook? We use the older, with a slight modification to the reroll rule - we allow the winning party of the previous scenario, be it good or evil, to either reroll one of his/her recovery rolls or force the opponent to reroll. The journeybook rule is more inequal.

We'd also be interested to hear your thoughts on the rule for someone else carrying the Ring than Frodo - the courage test rule is quite harsh, and we've been thinking that those tests would be introduced gradually, and at a rate dependent on the race of the Ringbearer.
Author:  Monotone_Matt [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 6:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
The 'ringbearer' rule always seemed quite harsh to me, too, even though I've never attempted a campaign of this scale! I guess that giving the ring to Gandalf would be the best best in the event of Frodo dying (as G's the only Fellowship model with 7 courage), but then Gandalf can only be in play till Moria and he explicitly says that giving him the ring would be a terrible mistake. Quite a conundrum, looking forward to seeing your interpretation of the rule, Celevue!

And I agree, Wraiths on horses would make the two beginning scenarios much more challenging for the poor Dunedain! Horseback wraiths in scenarios 1, 2, 3, 7, 9 sound reasonable to me, however, I think scenario 4 could profit from them, too! As mentioned above, the board might have to be lenghtened a tad though!
Author:  andymeechan [ Mon Feb 18, 2013 9:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Thanks for the feedback, folks.

Celevue wrote:
I must say I did spare the ranger might points, ... But then again, the first two scenarios are in our campaign only to wear the Ringwraiths down a bit.


Scenario 1 was a real eye-opener and we played the Ringwraiths three ways: in a group, split 2-and-1, and finally spread evenly across the table. Whenever the Rangers had a chance to hit the Ringwraiths en masse (mainly the first two play throughs), Heroic Move became simply game-winning: and they could virtually do it to order!

I think we'll go back and play the Nazgul mounted as you're quite correct: the scenarios are only there as a speed-bump to wear them down a little. When we played, Evil never won scenario 1 and only just got the requisite 5 off board in scenario 2 - and they were on 3 or less Will each!

I don't mind asymmetric, but that seemed a bit much.

Celevue wrote:
Do you use the older might/fate/will/wound recovery rules, or those in the Hobbit rulebook? We use the older, with a slight modification to the reroll rule ...


We're using the one in the Journeybook. I like your modification: although the one in the Journeybook does fit with Evil, it may quickly become harsh. We'll play through and report back :)

Celevue wrote:
We'd also be interested to hear your thoughts on the rule for someone else carrying the Ring than Frodo - the courage test rule is quite harsh,...


Am I missing something? I feel that I must be as Monotone_Matt mentioned this too. You only make the tests to remove The Ring, right? We haven't found this to be a problem as Frodo hasn't remembered that he's got it in any game. From what i'm reading from you both I feel that i'm missing a Ringwraith ability to force Frodo to slip it on his finger?!? I wouldn't be surprised if I had missed that as it's been a while since we'd played and we're re-learning as we go.

Well, the Green Stuff is dry, the undercoat applied... I have The Nine on horseback to paint...
Author:  Monotone_Matt [ Mon Feb 18, 2013 10:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
No, there's a rule that states that if Frodo is killed, a new ringbearer must be decided upon from the remaining fellowship models. However, this character then has to take a courage test before every (!) move phase. If it fails -> Game over, Evil wins!
Author:  Celevue [ Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Exactly, and with my dice luck, that courage test will certainly fail sooner rather than later. We have also entertained some ideas that even the failed courage test would not mean immediate game over - perhaps the witless Ringbearer does not necessarily put the Ring on, and he/she can be attacked by the other good models? We would want some kind of safeguard to invoke in case the courage test does fail. But perhaps it never comes to that, if we take good care of Frodo!
Author:  Monotone_Matt [ Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Yeah, even with Gandalf's value of 7, there's still a 2.78% change of failing the courage roll. May not seem like much, but over the course of a lengthy campaign you can be sure that snake-eyes will turn up precisely when you don't want them to...
Author:  andymeechan [ Sat Feb 23, 2013 12:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Thanks for clearing that one up, folks.While I feel slightly foolish for not realising what you were discussing I could say it was because I never thought of letting Frodo die. If this were to happen then why shouldn't the campaign become a lot harder to continue?

For me, at least, this element only adds to the narrative and when played alongside the rules for recovery makes for some interesting challenges!

It it remains a concern, then I suggest that one plays through the campaign on 'easy mode' first: characters are restored to full health, deaths ignored, etc. for each scenario. Then play through on 'intended mode' with the recovery rules as published, etc. (the middle level, 'modified mode', could use Celevue's modification to the recovery rolls.)

The advantage to at least two play-throughs is that as the familiarity with the scenario grows, the challenge does too.

Keeps it all interesting, eh?
Author:  andymeechan [ Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
We played through Scenrio 4: Buckleberry Ferry last night and, yes, it works well enough with the ringwraiths on foot.

These opening scenarios really are aimed at chipping away at the Hobbits, rather than challenging them overly. As I realised while we played last night there are two approaches to these scenarios: the narrative or gamer.

Narrative Approach: “Master Frodo, we must race to the Ferry: it’s our only hope for safety.”
Gamer Approach: “Wait Sam, there are four of us and only one of them in range: take him to the kerb, boys!”

The collective noun is "a swarm of Hobbits."
Author:  Monotone_Matt [ Thu Feb 28, 2013 9:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Nice battle report! It always makes me laugh when weaponless Hobbits can take down a Ringwraith with their bare hands - I once read a bat rep of this scenario where Sam was 'sacrificed' as a lone rearguard but ended up managing to not only survive, but kill three Nazgul, on his own, whilst unarmed!
Author:  Celevue [ Thu Feb 28, 2013 11:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fellowship Campaign - Which models to use?
Me and my friend are definitely in the narrative approach category! We have agreed that we can replay a scenario, but only once, and no matter what happens then, we accept that as the ordained turn of the plot. But we do want a Fellowship to be sent south, and we do want to use all those Moria boards we have at our disposal, so the safety of the Ringbearer is the absolute highest priority.

Nice report, it will be fun to follow your games, as our campaign has largely the same scenarios. Have you considered doing WotR games, too?
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