Cob Wargaming
Weathertop
​"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl. We shall rest here tonight."
One of the most iconic scenes and moments in The Fellowship of the Ring is the attack at Weathertop by the Ringwraiths the first real trial the Fellowship has to endure. It seemed most fitting that we should start our play through of all the Fellowship scenario's with this legendary battle of wills!
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We would be playing out the scenario as described in the original rule book, and since we were using the scenario from the original rule book it seemed best that we use the stats that were given in this first edition.
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The scenario:
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In this scenario, the hobbits are gathered around a campfire in the dead of night, in an old ruined watchtower called Weathertop. As Aragorn, ventures away from the hobbits to gather firewood, the Witch King of Angmar leads an ambush of fellow Ringwraiths to attempt to overwhelm the hobbits and capture the Ring!
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The scenario revolves around the idea of holding the area surrounding the campfire which is represented by a 6" circle of ruins. The Ringwraiths are attempting to drive the hobbits out into the darkness and the hobbits and Aragorn are trying to hold the Nazgul back driving them away to protect Frodo!
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Set up:
The scenario is centred around the old ruined watchtower of Weathertop! The map calls for Weathertop to be a 6" circle of ruins with the campfire in the centre.
However, we had just received our order of the new Ruins Of Osgiliath scenery and we were too tempted to put some together and use it to represent the old ruins!
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So excuse the fact that they are unpainted we simply couldn't resist getting them blooded in! This did mean that the 6" circle became more of an 8" square! But it was worth it for such an impressive centre piece which looked far more spectacular than just a circular smattering of some low walls and rubble!
Forces
Evil.
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The Evil side consists of four Ringwraiths and the Witchking.
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To keep track of the Raiths and their stats the 'Raiths were numbered 1-4.
They go 4,3,2,1 from left to right.
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Each Raith has 0 might, 7 will and 0 fate, the Witch King is the same, but he has 10 will and is armed with the Morgul Blade. They all have access to the following spells: Transfix, Compel, Drain Courage and Sap Will.
Good.
The Good side consists of the four hobbits, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. They are accompanied and guarded by Aragorn who is only known as the mysterious ranger 'Strider' at this point in the Fellowship. The hobbits benefit from being resistant to magic (which gives them a re-roll when using will points to resist a magical power) Although they do not yet have elven cloaks. Aragorn has his Mighty Hero special rule which gives him 1 free point of might to use each turn.
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Deployment
Good:
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The hobbits were deloyed in the centre of the ruins, around the campfire (represented by the cotton wool as we had no other alternative!)
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Aragorn is deployed in the far right corner of the board by the fallen trees, just over 6" from the ruins.
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Evil:
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All The Ringwraiths were placed along the nearest board edge 18" from the closest point of the ruins.
Turn One
Good
Good wins priority on the first turn automatically in LOTR, so naturally they got to go first! A special rule of the scenario is that the good side cannot take any action until the danger of the approaching Ringwraiths has been detected. This is done by rolling a 4,5 or 6 at the start of their turn.
Clearly, the longer the Raiths go unnoticed the more vulnerable the hobbits will be and the further away Aragorn will be favouring the Evil side.
However, of course, LOTR loves the forces of Good and the Good side roll a 5 and spot the danger straight away!
The hobbits immediately gather closer to the fire, and Aragorn flies back towards the ruins.
Evil
The advantage of a sneak attack lost, the Raiths move as fast as they can towards the Hobbits. They fan out to surround the ruins and ensure that the hobbits cannot merely hide behind Aragorn.
Turn Two
Good
Good side wins priority again. Another special rule of the scenario is that Hobbits may take flaming brands from the fire to help drive the Raiths away. Aragorn continues his brisk movement back to the ruins and enters them leaving the forces of Good breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
Evil
The Raiths are just outside the ruins now, for the Evil side it will now all depend on how successful their magic can prove to be! However, when they run out of will they are banished from the game and count as slain, so each Raith must use his magic wisely. This turn Evil just get their Raith's into position continuing their sweeping flanking movement.
Turn Three
Evil
Evil wins priority! The Raiths enter the circle of ruins and work themselves into surrounding positions! Aragorn is in a close charging position, and so Raith '1' casts Transfix successfully and Aragorn does not resist, he is pinned in place for the rest of the turn.
The Hobbits are close but just out of reach! Raiths '2' and '3' both use a point of will to cast compel on Sam, but both fail!
Raith '4' casts compel successfully and Sam fails to resist the spell! He is taken control of by the Evil player and is forced to charge the Witch King!
Good
With Aragorn transfixed (choosing to save his will points for a more crucial time) and Sam looking vulnerable, the only Good character in range to assist Sam is Pippin! The brave Hobbit passes his courage test and charges in to assist his friend!
Combat Phase
Sam and Pippin manage to defeat the Witch King (who only has one measly attack and with zero Might he needs a lot of luck with his rolls!) Sam is compelled and unable to strike blows. Pippin fails to wound. However, the Hobbits have claimed flaming brands with allows them to move the Raiths directly away from them by 7" but only if the Good player chooses. Good decides not to at this time, opting to keep the Raiths close to Aragorn for quick dispatching!
Turn Four
Good
Good wins priority and Frodo immediately retreats to the back of the ruins. Sam and Pippin have found themselves quite out of position and move as far from the Witch King as possible but are still vulnerable to attack! Aragorn who opts not to charge any of the Raiths but instead block the Raiths advance towards Frodo and allow himself to stay close to Sam and Pippin.
Evil
As well as casting spells the Raiths also lose a point of Will at the end of each round of combat! Realising that killing the Hobbits off will improve their chances Raith's '2' and '4' (seen in the picture) as well as the Witch king all charge Sam!
Combat Phase
The three Raiths beat Sam with their combined attacks! They manage to cause two wounds on Sam! Sam only manages to save one wound with his two Fate rolls leaving him with only one wound left. The Ringbearer's faithful companion is in a very perilous condition.
Turn Five
Good
Good wins priority and Sam and Pippin beat a hasty retreat back towards Frodo. Sam being in the worse shape moves directly behind Aragorn for some protection! Whilst Pippin jumps up onto the ruined ledge to escape. Aragorn covers their escape by charging the Witchking and Raith '2', Raith '4' being just out of reach for him to charge all three.
Evil
Raith '4' casts Transfix on Aragorn, casting on a '6' Good decides not to burn any Will resisting and allows it to go through. Raith '4' charges Pippin who defends the ledge whilst Raith '1' sneaks behind Aragorn and charges Merry who blocks his way to Frodo.
Combat Phase
Merry manages to win his fight! Continuing the Hobbits impeccable 1 on 1 combat record! He fails to wound but uses his brand and forces the Raith back to the edge of the ruins.
Pippin also manages to buck the trend by winning his combat, the brave Hobbits showing the Raiths up in true style! Again he fails to wound but drives his adversary back to the edge of the ruins also.
Aragorn loses his combat due to his mesmerized state. As the Hobbits have bunched so tightly together near the ruins Aragorn is actually trapped in the combat by Sam who is hidden in the corner with no where to go! The Raiths get double strikes on Aragron but even with a grand total of 4 dice, they cannot inflict a single wound.
Turn Six
Evil
Evil wins priority, however, Aragorn calls a Heroic Move with his free point of Might. With no might to speak of the Raiths cannot call one of their own to counter-act this!
Aragorn charges Raith'2' and '4' to prevent them from slipping past him and attacking Frodo! The Hobbits merely sit and wait to see how the Raith's will act.
The Raith's seize upon the opportunity and pounce!
The Witch King slips through the gap and charges a trapped Sam!
Raith '1' and '3' charge Merry and Pippin again
determined to make amends!
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Good
Frodo can only sit and hope that Pippin and Merry can keep up their excellent fighting record and prevent him from being attacked!
Combat Phase
A nervous round for the Good side! Having priority Evil gets to choose the order in which the combats are fought!
Starting with Pippin, who wins his fight, again! He doesn't strike wounds but pushes his adversary back again with his flaming brand! The plucky little Hobbit is proving too much to handle!
Plumping for Merry next, the Evil side continues it's hot streak of rolling '1' and '2' and Merry once again manages to best a dreaded Raith who are looking pretty toothless! Merry, however cannot convert his luck to dispatch the Raith but opts not to drive him back, hoping to keep him there for Aragorn to deal with.
Aragorn wins his combat with room to spare, his three attacks and superior Fight Value make him a tough nut to crack.
He rolls low to Wound however, but still manages a single '6' to kill Raith '4', Good chose to slay this Raith hoping to charge the Raith that had been pestering Merry next turn.
Finally Sam took on the Witch King and the Hobbit's and their ridiculous fighting prowess finally ran out. Sam was bested in the fight easily and trapped by the ruined steps he suffered double hits! The Witch King easily rolls a '4' and Sam is slain! A hard loss for the Good side!
Turn Seven
Evil
Evil wins Priority but with the loss of Sam and the Witch King having a clear run at Frodo, Aragorn uses his free Might point again to do a Heroic Move! He charges the Witch King and Raith '2.' The Hobbits again do not move hoping to counter act the Raith's movement in their own turn.
However, Evil has an Evil plan!
Raith '3' uses his last two points of Will to cast Compel on Frodo! Frodo has to burn all three of his Will and even a Point of Might to resist and as the Raith has no more Will left, he is banished and removed from the game!
Ringwraith '1' uses a point of Will to cast Compel on Frodo, it is cast and Frodo has no more Will left to resist! Evil forces Frodo to leap over the wall and slip on the ring! Frodo is now outside the circle and incredibly vulnerable! The Raith seizes the opportunity and charges Frodo.
Good
Good is thankful that it has kept it's Hobbits movement until now! Merry charges the Raith in combat with Frodo and Pippin also rushes to help but is outside of charge range!
Combat Phase
A crucial round for combats once more!
Raith '1' manages to defeat the two Hobbits! Finally the Evil side seems to be turning it's fortunes around! As a Raith does not lose a point of Will for fighting a model wearing the ring, the Evil side uses this almost 'free' combat to try and cause some more damage to the Good forces and opts to attack Merry rather than Frodo! The Raith manages to cause a wound and Merry with 0 Might and one Wound with only 1 Fate has a very important 4+ roll to make! However, LOTR seems to be abandoning the forces of Good and Merry fails his Fate roll and is slain!
Aragorn once again easily beats the Raith's and again causes a single wound, and chooses to dispatch the Witch King before it can use the dreaded Morgul blade!
Turn Eight
Evil
Evil once again wins priority and (what is quickly becoming standard play for this scenario) Aragorn calls a Heroic Move with his free point of Might!
Goods first action is to force Frodo to remove the ring, he easily passes his courage test and removes the ring!
Aragorn charges Raith '1' to ensure Frodo's safety. Pippin remains on the ruined steps and Frodo re-enters the ruins.
With only one Raith left who only has a measly two points of Will remaining Evil now sees that winning the scenario is going to be impossible! The Raith casts compel on Pippin successfully and forces him to jump down off the ruins, where he is then charged by the Raith!
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Combat Phase
Raith '1' is beaten and slain by Aragorn with little fuss.
The Evil side's hopes of inflicting one last insult with the death of Pippin is short lived. As once again the little Hobbit manages to defeat a Raith in 1 on 1 combat! The Ringwraith isn't wounded, but that combat used up his last point of Will and he is banished!
Post Game
"Back you devils!"
In the end, it was a fairly comfortable win for the forces of Good! There were some dicey moments especially when Frodo leapt over the wall and slipped on the ring! But Aragorn is an incredibly powerful hero and with his endless supply of Might with which he can dictate the flow of the game it is virtually impossible for the Evil side to win this scenario.
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The Raith's in this edition are incredibly weak because they are operating so far from Mordor, with no Might or Fate and a pitiful supply of only 7 Will there is little they can do to damage the Good side in this Scenario with out being very lucky with their magic. The Good side has a total of 10 Fate points and 9 Wounds, the Raiths have a lot of combats to endure if they ever hope to slay them all, and as we saw, with no Might and only 1 attack they will be very lucky to win fights even against the Hobbits!
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Of course their success really hinges on how long it takes the Good side to notice the danger, if Aragorn is in the circle of ruins before the Raith's they have little to no chance of any success. The Raiths need a good two turns head start to get to the unprotected Hobbits, in order to overwhelm them and slay Frodo, their only hope of coming close to winning this scenario. It is also very difficult for the Good side to make it through without suffering any casualties, it could have been even worse if the Witch King had been able to use the Morgul blade early on or if Frodo had been made to put the ring on earlier
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So in our scenario, Aragorn successfully managed to defend Frodo and repel the Ringwraiths! However, it came at the heavy cost of Merry and the Ringbearer's faithful companion Sam! ​How would the story of the fellowship have changed with out these two hobbits?!
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Thank you for reading we hope you enjoyed!
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