Scenario: The Ruins of Annis Minnor

 

The Ruins of Annis Minnor

A Middle-Earth Scenario for Song of Blades and Heroes

All along the watchtower

Princess kept the view

While all the women came

And went bare-foot servants too

Outside in the cold distance

A wild cat did growl

Two riders were approaching

And the wind began to howl, hey.

Bob Dylan

It was in the year 2935 of the third age that rumours first reached Rivendell of trouble in the north. Travellers told of a king rising in the Ettenmoors. Claiming to be descended from the last kings of Rhudaur, placed on the throne by the Witchking of Angmar, he was unifying the wildmen, and some said other fell creatures were gathering under his banner.

A party of warriors, elves, rangers and a dwarf were dispatched into the border lands of the Ettenmoors to verify these rumours. On the fifth day of their journey they reached the ruins of Annis Minnor. Once a thriving market town, Annis Minnor been abandoned centuries ago, only one building now stood intact, a watchtower serviced by the rangers.

It was at this tower the party was camped one moonlit night, when out of the forest ominous shadows began to emerge…

Forces

This is a skirmish level battle fro two players. One player takes the forces of good, and should pick a party consisting of Elves, Dwarves and Rangers. The other takes the forces of evil and should pick a party consisting of Wildmen, Orcs, Trolls and other fell creatures of the Ettenmoors. Each side should be built on the same points.

Table Set Up

The table should be set up to represent the ruins of Annis Minnor. Some ruins should be placed to the south of the board, and forest to the north. The ruins should include one intact watchtower and a ruined tomb, 'The Tomb of Ennadin' (rules below).

Deployment

The evil side deploys first. They do not place any miniatures on the board but instead place ten numbered counters within Medium distance of the north table edge. They should then write down which miniature is at which counter. Up to three miniatures may be at the same counter, and some counters can have no miniature.

The good side must deploy all their miniatures within medium distance of the watchtower.

Special Rules

Secret Movement: The evil player may move the counters. They all count as Q:3+ and may be group activated, up to 5 at a time as long as the are with long distance of a central point.

At any point the evil player may choose to reveal any miniatures represented by a counter. To do this place the miniatures in contact with the counter, then remove the counter. If at any time a miniature from the good force can draw a direct line of sight to a counter then it is revealed.

Dawn: The battle begins under the cover of darkness (though on a moonlit night so there are no restrictions on line of sight). At the beginning of each turn a die is rolled and a cumulative total kept of the results. When this total reaches 25 then day light dawns. This will affect all models with the 'Fear of Sunlight' and 'Photopetrification' rules (see below).

Fear of Sunlight: All orc/goblin miniatures must be given this rule. It has a base point modifier of -2. On the turn daylight dawns (see above) this model gains the coward rule. In addition it must take a moral check at the beginning of this turn.

Photopetrification: All troll miniatures must be given this rule. It has a base point modifier of -10. All miniatures with this rule must roll a die on the turn day dawns (see above). On a 4+ they are turned to stone and removed as a casualty. On a 1-3, they will automatically turn to stone at the beginning of next the turn.

The Tomb of Ennadin: One the ruins on the table is the Tomb of Ennadin. When any model moves into the Tomb of Ennadin for the first time in the game, roll on the following table to decide what they find:

1. Numenorean Blade: The model finds a magical sword from times long gone. This blade negates any bonuses anyone fighting the bearer would normally get for combat, be they from skills, ambush etc. IE They only ever use their basic Combat score. It also negates any free disengage they may get.
   
   
2. Numenorean Amulet: The model finds an ancient armlet with magical warding properties. If the bearer looses a combat, roll a die, on a 5+ the result is instead a draw.
   
   
3. Skagger: An orc from the red mountain tribe has taken refuge in the tomb after being pushed southwards by the shifting power in the Ettinmoors. He has the following stats: C:3, Q:4+, Fear of Sunlight. He joins the evil side.
   
   
4. Baashab: A gigantic spider unfolds it's self from the tomb. It has the following stats: C:4, Q:3+, Huge, Entangle, Dashing, Long Move, Tough, Terror. Follow the AI rules below each turn to determine motivation.
    
5. Giant Spiders: C:3, Q: 3+, Dashing, Entangle. Follow the AI rules below each turn to determine motivation.
6. Re-roll (or you could have a cheap good character join the good side)

AI for Spiders:

The Spiders will try to make d3 activations. The four great spiders will activate as a group, though their AI should be worked out individually.

If the spiders are in combat, they will fight. If against more than one opponent they will randomise their attack. Otherwise roll a dice each turn and consult the table below:

1. The Spider will attack a random standing enemy who is within short distance. If no enemy is within short distance they will attempt to drag an entangled enemy towards the tomb. If no models are already entangled they will attempt to Entangle any enemy on the floor with in long distance. If there is no such target they will move towards the tomb.
   
   
2. The Spider will attack a random standing enemy who is within medium distance. If no enemy is within medium distance they will attempt to drag an entangled enemy towards the tomb. If no models are already entangled they will attempt to Entangle any enemy on the floor with in long distance. If there is no such target they will move towards the tomb.
   
   
3. The Spider will attack a random standing enemy who is within long distance. If no enemy is within long distance they will attempt to drag an entangled enemy towards the tomb. If no models are already entangled they will attempt to Entangle any enemy on the floor with in 2 x long distance. If there is no such target they will move towards the tomb.
   
   
4. The Spider will attack a random standing enemy who is within 2 x long distance. If no enemy is within short distance they will attempt to drag an entangled enemy towards the tomb. If no models are already entangled they will attempt to Entangle any enemy on the floor with in 2 x long distance. If there is no such target they will move towards the tomb.
   
   
5. The Spider will attempt to drag an entangled enemy towards the tomb. If no models are already entangled they will attempt to entangle any enemy on the floor with in 2 x long distance. If no such target exists the spider will move towards the tomb.
   
   
6. The spider will move towards the tomb.

Victory

Their are no winners in war. This is a narrative battle so judge for yourself whether the benefits outweighed the costs for your party.

A battle report is soon to follow...