UW 2950 [Game 200]: Needs 7 players needed (duos allowed). [20/11]
We're got some of the players from the FTF wanting to play the format again,
they liked it... 
Face to Face feedback on the Untold War (5v5) Game.
Kevin O'Keefe: "Thanks for the FtF last week, it was fun and enjoyable and I
like the new 'Untold War' 5v5 variant, if you plan on releasing this as a
module to play via email rather than just at a FtF, then let me know and
I'll sign up for a game."
Rob Glass: "Really enjoyed the weekend and would be up for another, maybe
playing the dark servants this time."
Mike Sankey: "I had a great weekend. Pass on my thanks to Sam and Ed as
well."
Chris Courtiour (Gunboat designer): "I did enjoy the mini game which has
more elements of the stuff that I like without the unbalancing rubbish in
1650 and I don't have to e-mail 7,000 people."
Face to Face report, by Clint, Free People.
Last weekend we had our FTF event and, as usual, it was a mixture of panic
and madness, yet also allowed some quiet reflection. With the module being
totally new to all the players (they got to see it 2 days before the event)
and new to the designers, both teams spent a couple of hours discussing the
game and strategy as soon as teams were announced. For the FP the overall
plan was to hold the North of Mirkwood and attack into the heartland of the
South of Mirkwood and keep the pressure on there; hold off any attack on
Imladris (2209) for as long as possible and keep the Riders alive. A tall
order in the end but one that was to prove interesting.
Turn 1 saw the FPs move to consolidate their agent items onto one killer
squad. The Noldo @2209 vacated to take 2108 and the camp @ 2210. Down
south, bad news - the might of the WW was sent to 2120 against some forces
of the Riders (both starting armies in the area). Theoden went north to
2617 to threaten the Dragon Lord PC there and after dumping the 2720 army's
food attempted to block any troops from the Dog Lord coming towards the
Riders, nothing appeared though. Dwarves sent one army south to 3109 and
the Northmen defended 3112 ready to aggress in that area. FK's 2409 force
went towards the Northmen but failed to get past the blocks there.... Duran
turned up to take up the Noldo forces at the capital. Bad news was that the
DS bought out all the mounts. WK up north moved towards 2405 ready to
threaten next turn... overall honours pretty much even.
Turn 2 Map (see the forum for more details)
Turn 2-4; Block 2 @2120 - this would continue for the rest of the game, the
WW not able to move his forces off (the question later was who blocked
whom!) FP threats @2617, 2210, 2108 all succeeded and the FK troops @
Imladris moved into the fray in the West. The first of the hordes of WK
troops came south and blocked by the Dwarves @ 2506, this would be a
continuing battle for the rest of the game as the FPs desperately tried to
keep them from hitting the pcs @2508 and 2608. The battle for Sarn
Gorwing was also an interesting side battle, with the archers from the
Silvan capital being obliterated by the infantry from the Dragon Lord,
although there were no following recruitments from the DrL to stop the
hordes descending. A cunning move to take 3104 from the Dog Lord backfired
slightly with the Doggie blocking.
Noldo lost 2617 and 2513 to DS forces over turn 3, Riders its capital to WW
cavalry and an excellent Sabotage Fortifications (ditto the FP @ 2715 for
future aggression). Gothmog's threaten of 2617 was followed by taking
2419. The DS went for a quick Sickness squad that caused no end of trouble
against the Riders, DS having decided to go for a Curse squad. With worries
that 2514 would fall Riders turned up to assist there, if 2514 falls the
game is pretty much over in favour of the DS IF 2715 is not taken so those
two locations were key for many turns. Slowly the FP horde in Mirkwood took
MT, City and left only 2715 for later attack, the DS not countering in that
area but forcing the Riders into deeper and deeper trouble.
Throughout the game the Divine Nation Forces and Scry area were used to good
effect by both teams, in a restricted area map they get a lot of
information.
Mid-Game Turn 5-8
Imladris gets revealed, just as a Tower turned up on it, the next turn FK
turned up with more forces, only to find a Fort there, eventually the place
falls to FK aggression, backed up by WW. However, lucky Eagles (the FP were
blessed throughout the game with lucky encounters in this manner), helped
take out the main WW force around Imladris and a sneak attempt to take 1910
failed in much the same manner as the remnants of the Silvan capital force
failed to take 2809 at its first attempt. Turn 5 saw the first dragon for
the DS, causing no end of mayhem as the FP attempted to hold it off in the
North West Mirkwood arena. 2321 falls, quickly followed by 2419, 2220,
2320, leaving the Riders desperate for a back-up (the NM kindly offering
2711, later to cost the FP a MT) but there the rots stops as the FP killer
agent supported by the, now active Curse squad, meant that the FP Sick and
Killer moved northwards wreaking havoc in that area.
Turn 7 saw the main DS attack on 2514 just fail to take the PC, a fluffed
925 and inept play by the Noldo meant that his main army was away blocking
attacks onto 2711, but earlier intel caused a Sick to be misplaced, lucky
for the Noldo. 4800 troops aside was probably the biggest battle of the
game, with honours even 279 HC on the DS side remained after the battle (the
Dog Lord's forces had arrived!)
Turn 5 map
Turn 9-13 and the demise of the DS...
Saw the FP push their advantage. The DS had managed to gain some early War
points, and turn 9 saw 2609 taken by them (they kept it to the end of the
game in one form or another). WW however got unlucky with more Eagles and
saw the Riders move through 1918 with a threaten to take the prize of a WW
MT @2017 the following turn. 2409 also fell to the Dwarves, so that meant
that the DS had lost 4 MTs, the FPs only 2 so way ahead. Agents and
Curse/Sick continue to wreak havoc throughout the game and a sneaky attempt
by the WK to create camps off map and attack the weak underbelly of the
Northmen's capital region was spotted and dealt with. Silvan had attempted
to both draw off attention by forcing his way into the WK's homeland but
soon got defeated. At this point the Dragon Lord managed to bring off a
nasty surprise with Duran moving from off map to hit 2904 - the FP unable to
defend that location and in deep fear that 2608 (Silvan) would fall as well
bringing the DS back into parity.
At one point the FP almost took out a key component of the DS Sick squad
only to find it had several back-up mages ready to take up the mantel! The
strength of that DS squad was shown on turn 11/12 when it turned up @2711,
killed the army and infed the PC - 250 War points to the DS, along with 2904
the very next turn. However, all this aggression meant that the Dragon Lord
capital was left without enough resources to defend it and the horde of
Silvan, Noldo and Dwarves descended to take it on turn 11, the turn before
having cleared it of fortifications and armies. The last few turns were a
mad rush for War points, making the last few turns very competitive as hard
choices to be made - some War points weren't able to be achieved (the DS
pulled off some excellent ones towards the end, the FP floundered slightly
behind) but with 4 MTs per side taken/destroyed (WK and Silvan kept theirs)
the key loss of 2715 to the FPs cost the DS the game.
Final turn map
Overall it was enormously competitive, with strong economies, stronger
armies and even stronger characters (relative kills per side were higher
than normal). Eagles (and 1 Ent) clearly helped the FP, 3/4 times they gave
an advantage and once a key advantage to taking out a rampaging WK army and
another in annoying the WW. Agents were used primarily to remove the
fortifications of the enemy but kills were important as well. The game
could have gone either way at LEAST 3 times during the 13 turns run, Riders
on the ropes at several points as well as the Dragon Lord in a similar
situation, defence of North Mirkwood just holding off the WK, Imladris
slowing down FK assistance in that area, battle Royale after battle Royale
around 2514/2715 and to finish off Emissary Squads taking key PCs. Whew....
Clint