Time for another War in Rohan battle report, this time Plant the Charges. (Charge the Plants, on the other hand, should definitely be a Fangorn-based scenario name.)

As a mild spoiler, I wasn't too impressed with this one, for reasons outlined in the report. I'm interested to hear corrections and counterarguments!

http://davetownsend.org/Battles/LotR-20200915/

Aw, that's too bad about the scenario. Charge the plants sounds like it would be fun, though!

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"Diplomacy is the art of saying 'nice doggie' until you can find a rock." -Will Rogers

I think the biggest problem with this scenario is the lack of other Uruk-Hai on the field to get in the way of arrows. May not do much with the advantage of shooting down from the wall but like you said, just looks wrong. The Uruk-Hai needed to do a testudo like they did with the battering ram.

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"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

Could always go the option of Uruk-Hai with torch and give them all shields...

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"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

I suspect that shields alone wouldn't make enough of a difference. Those elven S3 bows are at '6' to kill vs both D6 (normal Berserker) and D7.

Hmm that's disappointing to read! It makes me wonder if this scenario was play tested at all. Like you said, maybe they've split this scene up too much in the War in Rohan book. I found the scenario from issue #29 in BGiME to be quite balanced and thematic. On paper that seems to have exactly what this one didn't have: more troops on the ground with the bomb squads and a turn limit giving Evil an incentive to push forward as quickly as possible. It also makes full use of all participants.

Fortunately the other scenarios you've played through seem a bit better. I'm looking forward to trying them out myself at some point!

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Full Lord of the Rings campaign: https://aiwendil.net/

You're right, I was just trying to think of something to help out the scenario. How about a dice modifier that Rohan has to use to spot the torch bearer? I would think that they would occupied with the ones on the ladder and the wall but use of a modifier they spot the demolition team approaching and then could shoot at them.

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"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

Thanks, Voyager360.

Mapper, those spotting rules work for me as game mechanics, in that I agree that they'd have the intended effect. But I'm having trouble with the rationale for guys on the wall possibly failing to see the three guys on a 99% empty field that are carrying flaming brands!

Wow, this scenario sounds like a real bummer and to me, to have it be from Helm's Deep and be a stinker is really a miss by GW. I think you'd definitely have to try and houserule this one as I'm not sure how else you could make this fun. Having said that, your report was excellent as always and a fun read. Hopefully the next scenario is better though I suppose it might be hard for it not to be in this case!

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You can find me at: https://KuribosPainting.com/ and on Instagram @kuribospainting.

That's the problem, the field should be filled with uruk-hai, many of whom were carrying torches. I just watched that scene again and there are torches right next to the opening in the wall, it is the sparkly torch and the orcs making way for it that catches Aragorn's eye. The dice modifier would compensate for the empty game field and special torch. No one noticed the explosives being carried up.

Bottom line, I think the score you gave the scenario is correct.

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"Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer."

Thanks, Kuribo!

Usually I like to be right, Mapper, but in this case I wish I wasn't.