BGiME #3 “Pursuit of the Ringwraiths” Battle Report

With some freshly-painted Frodos in my collection, it was time to try out the "Pursuit of the Ringwraiths" scenario presented in BGiME #3. I put the call out and two of my The One Ring players answered, meeting prior to our Sunday night TOR game. We had enough time to run the scenario twice.

Game #1 saw me playing Frodo and Aragorn, while Tom and Dave took command of the Ringwraiths. All I had to do was get Frodo off the board to achieve a victory for Good, but I had to contest with the debilitating power of the Ring. Each turn I had to roll 1d6 and if the result was a "6," Frodo could not take any action during the Move phase as he struggled with the Ring. With a slow movement rate, I knew even one lost turn could prove devastating...and it did. Aragorn rushed to Frodo's aid from the opposite side of the board, but Frodo was forced to contend with the Ring's power on the second turn, allowing the Nazgul to swoop down upon him. Facing off against three Ringwraiths quickly spelled Frodo's doom and the Ring fell into Sauron's hands soon after the flight from Bree. Middle-Earth was doomed.

Starting positions. Aragorn is a long way away!

And just like that, it's over.

Game #2 was a much better scenario. Tom and I took control of the Ringwraiths while Dave commanded Frodo and Aragorn. This game could have gone either way in the final few rounds, but a poor tactical decision lost the game for one side.

Pursued by Nazgul, Frodo flees into the Wild

"Stupid short hobbit feet!" The Ringwraiths close in on Frodo

"Hold on, Frodo! I'm on my way!!!"

A close-up on the detailing I did on my Ringwraiths. I'm pleased how they turned out.

Frodo faces three Nazgul as Aragorn fends off the Witch-king.

Frodo flees the battle as Aragorn tries to cover his escape! Alas, two Nazgul pursue.

A Ringwraith is slain by Aragorn as Frodo makes for safety!

The Ringwraith cannot slay Strider, but he cannot keep them all in check.

Frodo continues his flight as Aragorn tries to keep the Nazgul from pursuing.

The Ringwraiths move in from both sides to trap the Ringbearer.

What?! Frodo, you're going the wrong way!

The Ringbearer falls.

The forces of Good came really close to winning this one, but Frodo, trying to run around a Ringwraith, got forced back the way he came, moving him away from the victory line. When Aragorn got bottled up in melee, the rest of the Nazgul managed to surround Frodo and swiftly brought him down, ensuring Evil once again regained the Ring.

As I mentioned in the overview of this issue, this scenario was a tough one for the forces of Good. Outnumbered, outrun, and facing strong enemies, the Ring's influence easily turned the tide of battle when it asserted itself early in the first game. In the second game, Strider's interference and use of control zones to block the Nargul allowed Frodo to gain some distance, but a single misstep was all it took for Evil to catch up and put Frodo down. Despite back-to-back wins, this is an interesting scenario and I'll likely play it again.