they have a...Battle Companies Solo Campaign Round 3

Third Round

“They have a …..”

The scenario is rolled for as before….. Tame the Beast!

A single Cave Troll is placed in the centre of the board, the companies enter from opposing edges, the winner will be whoever slays the troll. 

The Good Team

As they continue upon their journey to Edoras to petition Théoden to release Eomer, Theowulf is approached by a group of worried villagers. A large Troll has wandered into Eastemnet and has been terrifying the inhabitants, smashing its way through local settlements and leaving devastation in its wake. Theowulf resolves to come to their aid “Its what Eomer would expect of us” he tells his weary band. They set off in the direction the villagers indicate and before long, they see the troll ahead of them in a clearing. 

Nearby, Galastor and his Men of the West, are on the trail of the orcs that they recently defeated in a skirmish. “These are dark times” he confides in his comrade Estendor” Orcs in the Eastemnet and these strange, man like Uruks, that I have never encountered before. Whatever next? A giant?” 

A loud roar cuts across his musing. It is coming from a clearing a short way ahead of them. As he leads his company towards it, they see mighty foot prints in the soft soil.

“Not a giant” he says “A troll! These are strange times indeed”

Baldor points out the obvious

The troll becomes aware of Galastor and his band and charges! On the other side of the clearing Theowulf and his band appear. “For Rohan” he cries “Death!” and the Rohirrim ready their weapons and head towards this new foe.

                

“Gondor!” Galastor and the fearless Hastor charge the troll.

Not everyone can be hero! Trolls cause Terror and it requires a courage test to charge one.

Galastor injures the troll, causing two wounds, but loses the second round of the duel and is knocked from his horse to lie dazed on the ground

The Rohirim rush up, everyone hacks at the troll. The troll injures Evandor but is eventaully dispatched by the gallant Hastor.

Evandor , dies from his wounds

Hastor earns Troll slayer and gains an exte advancement. He rolls extra strength.

After the battle ,Theowulf and Garulf agree to put their differnces aside. The orcs and the Uruks present a threat to Rohan and the two companies quickly set off in pursuit of the invaders.

The Evil Team

Gorluk is worried. There has been no sign of the “halfling” he was sent to find. His company has been attacked and beaten by some strange well, armoured men in filthy white tunics. They escaped and then ran into the Straw heads. They gave the horse lovers a good whipping, but now, weary and fed up the Uruk Hai are heading home. Just a few days hard marching and they will be out of danger. 

They had come across another Uruk that morning and he had joined their band. He had not spoken to any of them, would not answer questions, just loped alongside them as if they were not there. He carried a long double handed, double edged sword over one shoulder and wore nothing but a loin cloth and rusty metal helmet. Gorluk knew he was a berserker, one of those strange, wild Uruks, famous for their battle rage. He would be an asset if there was any more fighting, but his strange demeanour and his silence were disconcerting.

Gaakh, for that was his name, stopped abruptly, sniffing the air, then he bent forward, peering at the ground. “Two!” he said suddenly “Two troll go dis way” and he gestured up the trail ahead with his sword. “Dis good “he said “Dey split up, dats good” He smiled, a fearsome sight ”one troll feed everybody!”

They came in sight of the troll that evening. He was stood in an ancient circle of crumbling stones.

Madgash was heading for home too. His gang had done well in the two skirmishes with the filthy men. They had put some distance between themselves and the terrible white knights with their filthy horses. 

Up ahead Skarig was making the sign for danger. In the centre of a ring of old standing stones there stood a troll.

Troll stood alone in his ring of stone, and munched and mumbled a bare old bone …

                       

The troll spies the white finger first and trundles towards them. No one could call, the Uruks shy, they charge in Gaakh leading the way

The troll wins the first-round injuring Ogzul and Ugbad.

The Uruks win the next round Gorluk and Vargan both score injuries on the troll, he is reeling with one wound left

                                         

The troll wins the next two rounds focusing his wrath on Gaakh, but fails to wound on 6 hits!

The Mordor orcs are closing in.

The troll wins the next two rounds focusing his wrath on Gaakh, but fails to wound on 6 hits!

The Mordor orcs are closing in.

Madgash and Ugzug rush in

The troll wins the next round and takes out Gaakh and Ugzug

And the next round injuring Gargul and Vargan

Orcs being orcs!

The troll wins the next round injuring Zugug

Madgash beats the troll and kills him earning the epithet Troll slayer and gaining +1 might.

After the battle the Mordor Orcs are joined by a welcome new member, a big burly dark-skinned orc, a member of the Black Guard no less. The Uruks and orcs decide to join forces as the safest way to get back.

This proved to be a very enjoyable couple of games, I had no idea that one Cave Troll would be so difficult to defeat.

From a narrative point of view, rolling this scenario could not have been a better result, providing a very good reason for the companies to work together even though they are technically enemies.

The fates have conspired to bring these opposing forces here at this point for the ultimate battle, the final fight of the campaign