Middle Earth Battles: Fords of Isen

Over the summer I've been going back and forth and thinking hard about the future of my Lord of the Rings collection.  My primary issue is the rule systems for the Middle Earth SBG and the War of the Ring rules.  I just fundamentally don't like how they play.

Moreover, I like the aesthetic of wargames to be that of densely packed troops in mass battles. While I certainly dabble in skirmish games (e.g. SAGA) my primary love has always been mass battle games.

I finally made a hard decision.  I've already completed my notes for what I'm tentatively calling "Middle Earth Battles (MEB)" which will be my adaptation of rules for fighting massed battles in Middle Earth.  I've also decided on an army organization and basing system that will allow me to represent the battles in such a way that I find visually pleasing on the tabletop.  For the rules, it is a shift away from shooting dominated foundation into a melee dominated foundation.  More to come in a separate post on that front.

My first inspiration for a game with these new rules is to do the battle at the Fords of Isen.  A classic and well covered battle.  To that end, I've designed this scenario to drive my work on this project for the next few months.

I have almost the entire Rohan force done and painted - but I'm sending off a large portion of the Isengard force to my trusty wizard Mr. Steve Dake.  While Steve hits those troops I'll be doing the Rohan buildings and river Isen.  I hope to play some tests of the system using completed troops soon so much more to come on that front.

Some initial notes to give you an idea of the rules/organization:

• Base size for cavalry - 75mm wide by 50mm deep.  Base size for infantry and monsters - 65mm x 50mm.
• Each stand is 6 figures for infantry and 3 figures for cavalry. Monsters are 1 per base (variable base size).
• Units are generally 4 bases, 6 bases (standard size), or 8 bases).
• Heroes are "unit level" or independent.  Unit level are essentially a command stand of their troop type.  Major heroes move about the battlefield individually.
• Magic and heroes will operate using a modified version of my "command point" system I recently added to my Empires at War rules.
• On a turn when a unit charges melee will be broken into an initial "impact" round of melee, then all subsequent melee is "normal" - but unlike my AWI, ACW and Napoleonic rules, melee can span multiple turns.

That is just a general idea of some elements of the rules.

Map & Deployment

Below you will find the map with all start positions marked.

Turns:  Games lasts for 8 turns.  At the end of turn 8, the Isengard player rolls 1D6.  On a 4+, play one final turn (turn 9).

The Isen Runs Red:  Any unit touching the river that loses a round of melee combat immediately suffers D3+1 casualties with no saves.

Flanking Force:  The Isengard flanking force may arrive anytime from turn 1 onwards.  On turn 1 the Isengard player rolls 1D6.  On a 4+ the flanking force arrives. If the flanking force does not arrive, on each subsequent turn add +1 to the die result (cumulative - turn 2 is +1, turn 3 is +2).  On turn 4 the flanking force automatically arrives if it has not already.

Relief Force:  Elfhelm's relief force may arrive anytime from turn 2 onwards.  On turn 2 the Rohan player rolls 1D6.  On a 4+ the relief force arrives. If the relief force does not arrive, on each subsequent turn add +1 to the die result (cumulative - turn 3 is +1, turn 4 is +2).  The relief force will automatically arrive on turn 5 if it has not already.

Elfhelm's Éored may enter the game from any point on the sourthern/bottom table edge.

Rohan Order of Battle

River Force

• Théodred's Royal Guard (Dismounted) - 6  (36 figures)
• Grimbold's Helmingas - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Oathsworn Warriors - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Oathsworn Bowmen - 4 bases (24 figures)
• Oathsworn Bowmen - 4 bases (24 figures)
• Riders of Rohan Éored - 6 bases (18 figures)
• Outriders Éored - 4 bases (12 figures)

Relief Force

• Elfhelm's Éored - 6 bases (18 figures)
• Erkenbrand's Éored - 6 bases (18 figures)
• Riders of Rohan Éored - 6 bases (18 figures)

Isengard Order of Battle

Main Force

• Uruk-hai Phalanx - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Uruk-hai Phalanx - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Uruk-hai Warband - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Uruk-hai Warband - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Uruk-hai Crossbows - 3 bases (18 figures)
• Uruk-hai Berserkers - 2 bases (12 figures)
• Isengard Troll - 1 base (1 figure)
• Isengard Troll - 1 base (1 figure)
• Dunland Warriors - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Wildmen of Dunland - 4 bases (24 figures)
• Wildmen of Dunland - 4 bases (24 figures)

Flanking Force

• Uruk-hai Scout Warband - 6 bases (36 figures)
• Warg Riders - 4 bases (12 figures)
• Warg Riders - 4 bases (12 figures)
• Feral Uruk-hai - 2 bases (12 figures)