Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game – Battle Report

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Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game – Battle Report

This post takes a look at the first time that I ever played Middle-Earth the Strategy Battle Game. Now, this rule set covers both The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings miniatures games by Games Workshop. In the case of this Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game – Battle Report, we were playing in the Lord of the Rings setting.

Before getting into it, I want to say that this report was a long time in the making. This game actually took place last March at Hotlead 2019. These pictures have been sitting in my “to write about” folder for a long time. Unfortunately Hotlead 2020 could not run this year due to concerns about COVID-19, but I figured I would use this opportunity to clear up some of my backlog in posts.

With all of that out of the way, let’s get into the Battle Report.

An Epic Game

Being a convention game with 6 plus players, this game was huge!!! Each player controlled a handful of miniatures. The table was set up with sides and players would naturally gravitate towards one-on-one battles before swinging around and helping out the other people in the same army.

Blurry photo of the Lord of the Rings Demo table at Hotlead 2019's Gaming Convention.
A fuzzy picture of the full game table. This is here to give you an idea of the table size we were working with. Look at how great that table looked!!! Don’t worry. There are better pictures further into this report.
My Forces of Gondor
Circled above is my army. A hero on a horse, many foot soldiers and a Gondor™ Avenger Bolt Thrower. I would make up the right flank of our army.
Tabletop view of the battle A Ringwraith comes down on soldiers of Gondor
A look at the battlefield from my models’ point of view. I think that Ringwraith™ flying on a Fell Beast will be flying straight in for my group of soldiers.
Lord of the Rings Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Report / AAR
A closer look at my allies.

Getting in on the Battle

With the rules explained and our objectives set, we started the battle. Immediately my group clashed with the Ringwraith™ flying on a Fell Beast.

Ringwraith™ on a Fell Beast takes on many soldiers at once. 28mm tabletop gaming.
The enemy brought the Ringwraith™ on a Fell Beast in early to the battle for an Alpha Strike. It hits hard, but flew too far ahead of its allies. My warriors fend it off.
A Gondor Avenger Bolt Thrower - 28mm miniatures by Games Workshop
My Gondor™ Avenger Bolt Thrower even gets a few lucky shots out. The Ringwraith™ would not last long at all.
Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Lord of the Rings at Hotlead 2019
An image of the action from a little further away. It’s going pretty good for my forces. In the middle of the table, you can see the cavalry and scouts breaking off to go down the canyon.

After the defeat of the Ringwraith™ the enemy reinforcements clash into my lines.

Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Miniature Battle - Games Workshop Miniatures for Lord of the Rings in battle
With the Ringwraith™ out of the way, my group clashes against some Orcs without their “hero” support.
Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game AAR
It would not take long for my group to mop up what was left of my opponent’s forces. I then turned my Bolt Thrower crew towards the battle in the center to help there. My foot soldiers were too far away to be of assistance to the center battle.

Tactics Tip… If you are going to split your forces be careful how you do it. Two waves of head-on-attacks by my opponent did not work well for him. It would have worked better for them if they held back the Ringwraith™ for a better coordinated attack.

The Rest of the Battle

My battle was but a small part of the overall battle happening simultaneously on this Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game table at Hotlead 2019. At this point I was able to refocus and catch up with what happened on the left flank and center of the table. Let’s take a look at that action.

Lord of the Rings Miniatures game at Hotlead 2019 gaming convention
Across the board, tons is going on. The left flank marches its way up a hill while the center troops charge down a canyon on their horses.
LoTR Battle Report
A look at the enemies on the left flank. That Troll is up there hurling rocks upon our cavalry. There are plenty of Orcs for our troops to push through before they can take on that troll. At the top of the building, an Orc claims an objective marker.
Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Battle Report / Lord of the Rings After Action Report - AAR
Here our cavalry clash into a set of Morgul Knights. Those Knights were much stronger than expected and our troops pull back.

Who Won this Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game?

I don’t remember which force won. I know I defeated my enemy and captured the objective on my side of the battle. Whether we won on the rest of the table, I am unsure. I believe that my forces controlled two of the objective markers at the end of the game. I don’t remember how many there were in total.

Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Table Scenery
Some scenery on the game table.

So who won? I guess everyone who had fun, which was presumably everyone at the table. Overall, it was a lot of fun to play this demo game and I enjoyed the experience.

And check out that table!!! Doesn’t it look awesome?! That is one of the nice things about gaming at conventions. You get to try new games with minis that aren’t yours. Often, the people who run these games put a lot of effort into their tables and miniatures. This table certainly has a wow factor!!!

If you were in attendance at Hotlead 2019 and remember the outcome of this game, please let us know in the comments below.

Wrapping it up…

Games Workshop does not get a lot of coverage on this site. That said, I really enjoyed this game and the people that ran the table did a really good job. I enjoyed the experience and the battlefield looks absolutely awesome!!!

Unfortunately, Hotlead 2020 could not run this year due to concerns about COVID-19. Despite this, be sure to watch for Hotlead 2021. This event has always been great and I did miss it this year. Their biggest draws are numerous participation games and a huge bring-and-buy table.

Also, I think it is worth linking to the awesome Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit gaming tables on Must Contain Minis. Check out these awesome Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game tables from Hotlead 2018 and 2019. These gaming tables are absolutely stunning and well worth a look!!!

For more Hotlead 2019 articles, be sure to check out my Article Round Up Page for the event.

Until next time, Happy Gaming Everyone!!!

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