Here I'll post my playthroughs of the Shadow & Flame scenarios. It will probably take quite a while (maybe years) before I actually start the linked campaign, but I wanted to start with the three Appendix scenarios because I have most models already painted for them and wanted to play some SBG while preparing on the next scenario for the Lord of the Rings campaign.

Full overview:
https://aiwendil.net/shadow-flame-campaign-overview/

Appendix
Scenario 5: Fog on the Barrow-downs (05-10-2020)
https://aiwendil.net/shadow-flame-scena ... row-downs/
Scenario 6: Surrounded! (16-10-2020)
https://aiwendil.net/shadow-flame-scena ... urrounded/
Scenario 7: Fangorn (01-11-2020)
https://aiwendil.net/shadow-flame-scenario-7-fangorn/

The first one is the first version (to my knowledge) of the Fog on the Barrow Downs scenario.




Very cool and themey although there are some improvements that could be made (but sadly were not made in the new Quest for the Ringbearer book, as far as I could tell ).

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

Interesting write-up and analysis. It looked good, too.

This is one of my favorite scenarios using the old rules (and some common-sense house rules to prevent the hobbits just ahistorically rushing a Barrow Wight so as to get Tom in early). It's a bit disappointing to hear that the new edition's changes (no doubt aimed at competitive/tournament play) have made this scenario less interesting rather than more.

It seemed like at one point all four hobbits were paralyzed? I thought they were goners at that point. I'm glad (....mild spoiler.....) they pulled it out. more or less.

Thanks Dave!

I can understand why it might be a favourite of yours. It is a really cool and very thematic scenario!


That is correct. I thought the same thing, but fortunately for the Hobbits a lot of 6's were rolled that turn, waking the Hobbits up.



By the way, I've played through the next appendix scenario, Surrounded!. It was nice to use Glorfindel for the first time ever.




https://aiwendil.net/shadow-flame-scena ... urrounded/

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

Nice writeup. Sounds like a shallower hill is the way to go. I suppose some more trees might help balance out the Elven bow advantage, too, although you could argue that it's pretty silly to build a watch tower where the lines of sight are obstructed.

I've seen some people rag on the old Glorfindel model, but I rather like it. It was fun to see it in action.

Thanks Dave!

I thought about adding more trees, but I've limited myself strictly to what is shown on the layout in the book. So I had the exact amount of trees, at approximately the right place. I also reasoned the way you did, a forest would have looked nicer and given more protection, but I figured the builders of the watch tower would have tried to cut the surrounding forest down as much as they could for maximum advantage.

The old Glorfindel model I have to say has never really been my favourite, but I've grown to really like it after painting him up for this scenario, especially after playing the scenario and seeing his awesome powers in action. The mounted model is even cooler. Initially I wasn't too big of a fan of that light blue colour scheme, but it does make him and the Elven twins stand out, so that has grown on me as well.

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

I like the hill fort you did, very nice. I think it will do quite nicely in a battle companies scenario.

Could always justify more trees, the hill fort is old, all the trees they cut down before have grown back

Feel like the evil side would have a hard time winning as written, another GW scenario that wasn't play tested too well.

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

True, Mapper, adding more trees would make the game more interesting (and it would look better!).

I've played through the final Appendix scenario in this supplement, Fangorn, which can be found here:
https://aiwendil.net/shadow-flame-scenario-7-fangorn/

I've always wanted to play this one, since Radagast used to be my favourite LotR character and what is cooler in Middle-earth than Radagast, Gwaihir and Treebeard all together, in/near Fangorn? Unfortunately it didn't go quite as I had hoped.

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

Bummer how it all played out. Just curious though, why was Radagast your favorite LOTR character? Agree with you, I like the old metal pose.

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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 laughed reading your report because you addressed every reaction I had to what you had written!

I read the first playthrough. "Hm, that went quickly. I wonder if going after the Uruks was the right move?", I think. Then I read "I decided going after the Uruks first was likely a huge mistake."

Read some more. "Hm, the extra board length seems to have taken the 'fun' good models (Radagast, Treebear, Gwaihir) pretty much out of the battle". Then I read "The true solution then, I believe, would be to reduce the board to 4′ by 4′, so that it is more likely that you actually get to use the fun stuff."

Spooky!

Couldn't agree with you more about how fun this scenario looked, and liking the old Radagast model.

I'm sorry the results were so disappointing for you, especially if it's turned you off to the whole game for a while. There's still a lot of great scenarios out there.

Thanks for sharing despite all that. I added the map size correction and your replay to sbginventory.com, and hope your game-playing mojo will return soon!

Nice to read the battle report and your thougths about it.
One thing though, is that models can't charge if they move with a heroic march. You may move faster, buy you may not charge that turn.. that could give the riders an extra turn.

It's because I really liked animals, birds and nature and Radagast being a wizard who occupies himself with all those things really interested me. Furthermore I just love the (GW) look of him (that's why he's also my profile picture on this site).




Haha, that is very interesting!




For sure there are great scenarios out there! I am in no hurry to write this game off, it's just that playing (semi-)large scenarios like this one solo takes quite some effort, especially because I don't have a 'natural' 6'x4' table so I have to move my desk from another room, grab the terrain from many different and not always easily reachable places, etc., so it takes a bit of time and effort and then the scenario doesn't go as you hoped, twice. The plan is to move house early next year and to store all the hobby stuff mostly in one place so it will be less of a hassle to set a game up.

I think my game-playing mojo will return sooner than having everything ready for the next scenario. I haven't decided upon which scenario that will be yet. I'd love to continue the LotR campaign but I'm waiting for Zorpazorp's Minas Tirith gate house tutorial, which will likely not be released till January.



Thanks so much! You are right, I completely forgot about that part! I think one of these days I will read the full Rules Manual again just to see if there are any other mistakes I frequently make.

I think that Heroic March + charge was pretty essential for the end result, so I think playing it correctly would make the scenario a lot more balanced and interesting. I might replay it some day after I get a table that is 6'x4' from itself so it's less of a hassle to set up.

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