"So
King Theoden rode from Helm's Gate and clove his path to the great
Dike.
There the company halted. Light grew bright about them. Shafts of the
sun
flared above the eastern hills and glimmered on their spears. But they
sat
silent on their horses, and they gazed down upon the Deeping-coomb.
The
land had changed. Where before the green dale had lain, its grassy
slopes
lapping the ever-mounting hills, there now a forest loomed. Great
trees,
bare and silent, stood, rank on rank, with tangled bough and hoary
head;
their twisted roots were buried in the long green grass. Darkness was
under
them. Between the Dike and the eaves of that nameless wood only two
open
furlongs lay. There now cowered the proud hosts of Saruman, in terror
of
the king and in terror of the trees. They streamed down from Helm's Gate
until
all above the Dike was empty of them, but below it they were packed
like
swarming flies. Vainly they crawled and clambered about the walls of
the
coomb. seeking to escape. Upon the east too sheer and stony was the
valley's
side; upon the left, from the west, their final doom approached.
There
suddenly upon a ridge appeared a rider, clad in white, shining in
the
rising sun. Over the low hills the horns were sounding. Behind him,
hastening
down the long slopes, were a thousand men on foot; their swords
were
in their hands. Amid them strode a man tall and strong. His shield was
red.
As he came to the valley's brink, he set to his lips a great black horn
and
blew a ringing blast.
'Erkenbrand!'
the Riders shouted. 'Erkenbrand!' "
JRR Tolkien. The Two Towers, chapeter 7: Helm's Deep.
We used the scenario of the same name of the siege of Gondor book, the evil objective is to kill at least four good heroes while the free peoples have to reduce the evil army to a 25% of its original numbers.
The host of Isengard (divided into four groups of roughly 23models)
4 uruk captains (horn) 220pts
4 uruk banners 160pts
6 bersekers uruk hai (2 handed axe) 90pts
20 uruk hai with shield/bow 220pts
4 Uruk hai with crossbow 48pts
20 orcs with two handed weapon 100pts
23 dunland men with shield 166pts
The defenders of Rohan
From the Hornburg:
Theoden 75pts
Eomer 90pts
Gamling 60pts
Aragorn, armour, Anduril 260pts
Guimli 80
Legolas 85
5 riders of Rohan 65pts
Erkenbrand's infantry:
Erkenbrand (Rohan captain, shield and armour) 50pts
Gandalf the white in Shadowfax 215pts
10 warriors of Rohan 70pts
They appear behind the isengard forces in turn 6.
The defenders of Helm's deep seize the initiative and charge forward
Led by Theoden and Gamling
A piket of Dunland men deployed at the head of the causeway begin to give ground
Meanwhile the rearmost grup of evil soldiery adopts a blocking formation to await Erkenbrand and Gandalf
A sea of uruks boils around the causeway
The uruks ready their crossbows
And kill Eomer before he can even enter the fray
A company of heroes descends the causeway with letal intent; from left to right: Theoden, Aragorn, Gamling and Gimli, a rider of Rohan in the background.
The heroes crash against the uruk lines like waves onto the beach
Aragorn leads a second grup that forces the uruks right flank jumping from the causeway
However, the isengardian general won't be fooled and preapres a combo of three banners (+3 attacks in a 8cm radius) to counter the charge
With dealy effect for the riders of Rohan!
The heroes close ranks as more and more uruks surround them
Fortunatelly Erkenbrand (red cloak and shield -of course!-) appears behind the isengardian lines and engages the group of orcs and dunlendings there
Gandalf also appears, and launches the terrify spell upon him wich will hel to keep at bay those menacing dunlendings
Realizing the relevance of the banners in the combat, Legolas drops one with a well placed arrow
Gimli keeps fighting in the causeway, but the uruk that he was about to split in two is brought low by bolt of his own comrades, wich shot into the combat regardless of their own losses, infamy!
The heores near the causeway lose all the combats, except for Aragorn. The heir of Isildur is all but unkillable in this game thanks to the free point of might each turn wich allows him to add +1 for each to the combat result and thus win virtually all combats, chopping then uruks at 4+ thanks to Anduril.
Theoden and Gamling are butchered mercilessly, the rider of Rohan was killed shortly afterwards
The combat continues in the rear with a slight edge for the evil forces
Two heroes against the world! At this point, the evil player only had to kill one more hero to claim victory, not a very balanced scenario Matt Ward!
Gandalf begins to get caught in the combat, being moved into the middle of the isengardian army by the free peoples player for unfathomable reasons
However he gives the dark forces a taste of istari magic
The uruks charge Gimli and try usucesfuly to kill Aragorn with bolts
None shall pass!
Erkenbrand joins the fray
But his side keeps losing combats
The uruks surround Aragorn and Gimli at the causeway
Legolas kills yet another banner +1 attack less for the uruks
But all in vain, Gandalf is killed by an uruk berseker and the day is lost (or won for Isengard)
As an epilogue to the two towers we will play the ambush in Ithilien as our next lotr game.
