Grab the Money and Run

Welcome back! Once more my friends and I are diving back into the screaming childish drama fest that is Battle Companies. No glorious heroism this week, oh no. We're here for a poor man's heist movie featuring handbag flailing and epic level cowardice. Once again, the Orcs of Cirith Ungol are on extended leave due to food poisoning or some such excuse, leaving the Alliance the Goblins and the Dwarves to take the field. Let's begin...

This weeks mission was a treasure hunt. Six objectives, 2 of which are valuable relics that score big rewards to the model that gets them off the board, the rest are just small potatoes. Simple. To add some extra spice, the Alliance of Men and Elves have their own personal mission as one of their top ranking heroes was lost in the wilderness after last weeks battle. This week will be their only chance to rescue him so let's see how they do.

The Goblins edge their way up along the river, ever careful of the Alliance's wounded comrade across the ford.

The Alliance waist no time in securing their missing officer, though it is a risky position to hold long.

Meanwhile, the Dwarves divide their forces, hoping to delay the Goblins from their treasure hunt long enough for the Alliance to get out of their way.

The Dwarf Leader scales the wall and stairs down the Goblin archers in the ruins. The rest of the Dwarves edge their way towards the rest of Goblin mob.

The Goblins find one of the relics in the shallows of the ford as the Numenorians stumble upon the other in the bushes close by.

The Goblins and the Alliance back away from each other. Niether side willing to provoke the other until they're ready. The Alliance still hoping to rescue their wounded comrade before committing to too much fighting.

The Dwarf Leader is rushed by the Goblins and thrown from the rafters. Once more the Dwarf "Leader" fails to live up to any expectations.

The second group of Dwarves arrive to harry the Alliance's flank as the Goblins withdraw to safety of the far side of the river with the relic.

The Dwarves dispatch the Goblin assassin amongst the ruins and engage the Numenorians by the river. The Elven sorcerer, still carrying his bow, shoots down the Dwarven ranger as a response to the aggression.

Goblins continue to sneak about the river unopposed.

At every engagement, the Dwarves are met with punishment. The Alliance out paces the Dwarves near the river and goes on to slay their surviving archer before carrying their wounded hero and their relic to safety.

Leaving the Dwarves in the ruins to fend for themselves, the Goblins begin to amass their numbers against the Alliance.

With the relic secure and the wounded hero safely off the board, the Alliance steals itself for combat, the Dwarves are the first to feel their fury.

With the Dwarves broken the Goblins charges the Alliance hoping to cause some casualties for past insults. The Goblins are overconfident however and several of the unwashed rabble are put down. The Alliance seeks to finish the Goblins, but the game ends as the Goblins across the river escape with the other relic. With the Goblins and the Alliance both claiming a relic, the Goblins win, scoring a final point for killing the Dwarf Leader in the early stages of the battle.

So there you have it. Another Goblin victory. It'll be another week before the Alliance get their man back on the field as they had to win the game to have him back next game, not that they're worried. the Alliance are already skilling up some nasty extras as another elf gets promoted to a hero. Not looking to be out done, two Goblins gain promotions to being heroes. Not sure how that'll play out, but it's making the Goblin mob pretty spike as a few other lads get the elite status of Prowler and Blackshields. The Dwarves have continued their slow decent as the Leader has been lost in the wilderness. Like the Numenorian and the Goblin archer before him, the Dwarves will have a chance to save their less than heroic leader next week.

From The Ashes

Back to Middle Earth for another week of Battle Company carnage. This week the warbands are attempting hold separate objectives whilst their forces arrive on the board in stages rather than all at once. Further more, My Goblin crew has a secondary objective: Save the lost archer! Last week I was unfortunate as to lose one of my heroes to the wilds and this game will be my ONLY chance to save him from certain death. A huge blow to my already struggling band of goblin hooligans. The Alliance of Men and Elves are very much the dominant force of the campaign and this could be a good chance for the Dwarves to give them a bloody nose if they play their cards right. The Orcs of Cirith Ungol are away again this week (Corporate team building seminar at head office or something) So that leave the Dwarves and the Alliance to play for glory and the Goblins to play a desperate rescue mission in the background before they get noticed.

The Goblins rush to grab their wounded comrade before the goodies can secure the area. The Goblins will need to drag the unconscious Hero off the board to assure his survival.

The Men of Numenor ford the river to claim the objective by the crossing.

The Dwarves, likewise take the bridge, the only other river crossing.

The Dwarf Leader spies the Goblin mob and bravely steps out to meet them in battle before they can flee with their wounded gang mate.

Alas his efforts prove fool hardy indeed as the Goblin assassin reveals his lethal skills and fells the Dwarf Leader in a single round of Combat. Shockingly, the Goblins are the first warband to score a VP.

The Dwarf reinforcements arrive and march on the Numenorians at the ford.

The rest of the Dwarves, enraged by the death of their Leader, make their way back across the bridge to attack the Goblins.

The skirmish at the river goes ill for the Dwarves. The Alliance reinforcements have yet to arrive, but it will spell doom for the Dwarves if they can't pull back from their dire situation.

Meanwhile, the Goblins continue to rush their comrade to the board's edge just as their own reinforcements arrive.

The ford remains contested ground as another Dwarf joins the fray.

With their lost comrade carried to safety, the Goblins regroup and take the fight to the Dwarves. The Goblins have massed their numbers and the Dwarves are spread out fighting a battle on two fronts.

The Goblin Leader sneaks away from the main battle and takes the objective within the ruins.

Finally the Elves arrive just in time to see the Numenorians drive off the Dwarves at the ford. The Elven Sorcerer holds the objective by the well as his kin march on the center of the field.

The fight at the bridge escalates as more goblins pile on the remaining Dwarves.

But there is a change in the wind. The Dwaf warband is broken and the survivors take cover as the Alliance forms up and marches up the field. The Goblins spot the greater danger of the Alliance from their vantage point on the bridge and chose to ignore the broken Dwarves.

The Alliance bares down on the thin line of Goblins, but not before a lucky shot fells an elf. The Goblin are clearly looking for some petty revenge for past wrongs.

The sole remaining Dwarf takes a chance to enter the combat as the Goblin assassin claims another enemy hero before being dispatched himself by the Numenorian Leader.

Both the Alliance and the Goblin forces break on the same turn, but the game ends their. The centre of the field remains contested and the Elf Sorcerer holds only a single objective for the Alliance to score 1 VP. Smirking from the shadows of the ruins, the Goblin Leader holds an objective of his own. With the Dwarf Leader killed earlier and the ruins in Goblin hands, the Goblins (by an outside chance) win the game 2-1.

Well there you have it. I aimed to save my missing hero and leg it before things got nasty. I was going into this game as the weakest warband due to casualties and lack of progress, but I will take any victory. No matter how jammy. To be fair I was helped by the Dwarves decision to split their forces. This kept the Alliance away from me long enough for me to get my forces together otherwise I think it would be a different story.

Next week we should have the return of the Cirith Ungol Orcs, but in a further twist of fate, the Numenorians have lost their Warrior Hero. Like my lost Goblin, they'll have a chance to reclaim him next week, but as drama goes, it does make things very interesting!