LOTR Campaign - Battle #3 From out of the Wetlands.

The foot hills of Moria.

The men of Gondor and Rohan are on patrol, for a few days now refugees have been streaming into human territories as Orc raiding parties had been attacking settlements all across the region. News had reached them of several defeats in the south and the morale of the troops was starting to fall.

Captain Petrus stared across the valley to his front the ruins of an old temple drew his eye the perfect place for an Orc ambush and so it proved from out of the mist he spotted Orc skirmishers quickly followed by a large Orc war party.

Petrus was a veteran of several battles and knew the Orc's and their tactics, the beating of shields, the roar and the headlong charge..... He knew if he could weaken their fervour and keep his ranks tight he had a chance. Petros gathered his archers and massed them behind his shield wall. That would give the Orc's something new to think about.

On the left flank his rangers scampered through the woodland and poured fire into the orc's to their front. Petros signalled his attendant who blew his horn calling forward the rest of his flanking force including his warlock accompanied by yet more riders.

Elven riders secure the high ground raining arrows into the massed ranks of orcs.

But success was not to last as beserkers burst from the ranks and push his light cavalry from the hill.

In the centre his men hold the line as rangers pushed into the temple. Another objective secured on this bloody patrol.

As the encounter settles into an exchange of missile fire, the mass ranks of pike enter the battle and start marching towards his forces.

The forces of darkness were not done, the dark one had not been idle in his birthing grounds of eebayye he had created more Warg riders to counter the horsemen of Rohan. At least two more units, Petros knew something was up, when the Orc had been able to screen some many ambush points.... 

A troll rushed forward from the dark woods crashing into the human riders who fall back seeking respite behind the shield wall.

A terrific fight for the hill top commenced with sword, spear, hoof and claw, the riders gave ground as the extra weight of the warg riders told, time was running out for the men of Rohan they needed to complete their mission of visiting 4 terrain features before his men's morale slipped to nothing.

From out of the wetlands and bog the old sage slipped, for a wizard of 2000 years old he sure can move.

As the battle raged he waded through mud and bog clearing one terrain feature and then the other completing his task and a valuable victory for the forces of man.

Another great encounter, both sides tried different tactics seeking out their opponents weaknesses. The additional mounted units for the Orc's was quite a surprise, that will change the make up of future encounters, the massed archer ranks presented a new challenge for the Orcs and worked well in restricting their mass charges.

Onwards to Round 2.....