Scott,
Turn 1 results have arrived. My first impression is that it is going to be a fun game and who knows what is going to happen. Now for those that like to read game summaries like me here we go:
I’ve read it and read it again, I still enjoy it. It never ceases to amaze me on what you and your crystal ball have found out! Why, I’ve read my turn results at least 10 times and I still don’t know what happened. To quote Lex Luther on Superman, “Some people can read War and Peace and come away thinking what a great novel, while others can read a matchbook and discover the secrets of the world,” (or something close to that). Well, the War and Peace guy is me. You must be the matchbook guy.
- Arty Spells: Hahaha! What’s that. Well my 50 mage failed to learn the basic spells. My LA at 83% failed to cast…hahaha! So looks like I am behind the 8 ball here. If I can not somehow makeup for it this turn, I could be in trouble here.
Artifacts? I thought when Middle Earth told us that this was a “No One Ring” game they just left off the caveot “Or any other Artifact, either”. Not what I’d call a good artifact locating mage spell list.
- NW (WK/Rhu) area:
-Three army battle this turn:
—NE will be destroyed by 2200 Rhu troops.
—Cards made it to 1910 and face off with 1910 starting army. Cards should win based on my calc’s
—Arth army ran into Rhu army at 1809. I believe Rhu will win depending on what he sent out to meet me with.
-Looks like one of WK’s armies decide to run and hide at 2106? If this was a order mistake don’t feel to bad my WM had a similar problem.
Summary: No advantage to either side.
Well, we agree. No advantage to anyone, yet!!! Being on the offensive, in itself, is an advantage. So, who’s offensive now? Why the orcs, that’s who!!! They smell really bad and they’re UGLY. Durn, it’s hard to look at them. I think I’m just going to send them to their death. So, it’s death to Orcsses, yesssss, my precious, nasty orcses, many many nasty orcses roam these hills and they are all going to die after they take out at least 4 humans each. Then there’s the pointy ears, the orcses will each take out 8 of them:D Yes, the orcses took a right turn when they should of turned left. Well, what can I say? Orcses aren’t very smart.
- Mirkwood/Greenwood:
-Goblin gate army stayed home and recruited. Soon to face the battle axes of the DW…hopefully.
-WK’s Mt. Gundabad army move out to 2506. A good openning move that I like also. This is where my army transfer did not work (transfered vs s/h split).
Now you have 4 different targets to hit so which ones do I protect?
-DrgL move capital army out to 2712, WM camp. Now they have a number of options also.
Summary: Looks like you have a nice number of targets to pick from so I give you this T1 moves advantage (not that you will take Mirkwood but your openning moves worked).
Yes, the Goblin Gate army wanted one last fling with their female orcses. They are a horny bunch, that’s why there’s sooooooo many of them.
Thanks for the compliment, there usually come few and far inbetween. I’ll take it:) Now, what to do with them? So many targets, so few men (but whole bunches of ORCSES!!!). I really don’t know what I’m going to do yet, my wife is demanding my time and money:(
- Rhun Area:
-Who really knows with LR armies somewhere?
-Looks like the goods are trying to get an army in the back door 
Now where is LR/DogL/BS armies???
Summary: No news is good news to me in this area but I think that is going to change…
This area is a total newby for me. I’ve been here a bunch of times, but always as the light bulbs, never as the eye. Let me see… Should I camp Din at Shrel-Kain or have him visit the Eothraim? Again, more options than with the Free. Don’t know if I can handle it, I might have an overload and start smoking again (from the ears). I do see the light bulb sneaking in at 4222, we will have to put out the welcoming committee. “Welcome to Mordor my Friends, where the fun never ends. Have you met our chairman? His name is Ji, and his game is torture”.
- Mordor Area:
-Gets interesting here with DrkL sending out his cav army from 3120 that I did not expect as I was trying to combine my force down the road more so NG and three EO armies face a little cav force of DrkL at 3017 but the problem here is he has his main challange guy here, Gothmog. So what do I risk or do I play it safe, that is the question?
-EO cav force ran into DogL main cav force just south (3018) of the above armies. I am toast as I can not stand up to this cav without all of mine.
-3120 raised to MT T1. Guess I know where Urzahil was on T0. I do not like this.
-DrkL hired 300 troops at his town and sees on the plains sees a good army fast approaching. Your army will not live long if I have anything to say about that.
-4222 a Good Army Icon To Mordor we go!
-Ithil Pass, as expected FK and DrkL advanced on Ithil and it will fall this turn.
-IK moved entire force onto 3024 and will battle NG there. IK will win army battle but should not be able to take 3024…we shall see on this as how much risk does IK want to take.
-Where are the CL and BS armies headed? Please tell.
Summary: I think evils have some nice blocks in place with IK army at 3024 so that should slow down advance some of the goods.
Whole bunches of battles in this area. Oh boy, Oh boy, Oh boy; I LOVE IT!!! Will the nasty orcses take it on the chin? Or will the golden boys fall from grace? We won’t know till the die is cast and the rest of the free lament the fallen golden ones. Well, it sounded good in my head when I was thinking of it, but it lost something inbetween the space between my ears and the space between the lines. The evil ones blocks are only temporary, the all seeing eye can see SG traveling up the road from the south. This is going to more than crush the pitiful blocks put down by my gallant forces. Will the eye’s reinforcements make it in time?
- Harad Area:
-Looks like LR cav did what I considered last game and moved on Harad’s town at 2731, nothing I could have done about this.
-QA sent capital navy out to 2632. I was almost going to block against this but figured QA would want to wait to hire characters first but I was wrong.
-QA second navy ran into me at 2533. QA will burn but what other navy did the Corsair’s put into motion.
-Evils (QA/Corsairs) have line of evil icons from 2335 to 2438. Guess we will have some battles soon
Summary: Darks advantage already with taking down 2 towns in N. Harad and maybe more next turn depending on what I send in to support Harad.
Playing the free in the south reminds me of Tom Clancy’s novel “Red Stom Rising” where the Soviet Army Commander, Pasha Alekseyev said that he had more objectives than forces. It seems like whom ever has the Corsairs instantly has the initial advantage. I saw it last game but there was nothing to do but try and divert SG troops south when they were urgently needed at the Ithil. It’s a no win scenario, in my humble opinion. Now watch John kick my buttocks down south, it could happen… and probably will;)
Overall, I have to totally agree with John’s assessment. But, it’s early…
.