The Battle of Minas Tirith - The Gate Held

   Recently, we played a large Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game scenario recreating the desperate fighting at the Gate of Minas Tirith. What followed was a brutal, cinematic siege that very much felt like it had been torn straight from the pages of Tolkien. Note: this is the second battle we played, of a series we started, "the battles of Minas Tirith", so you should check the previous battle, and wait for upcoming content!

Forces of Good

   The defenders of Minas Tirith were a proud host drawn from Gondor and its fiefs: Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, Angbor the Fearless of Lamedon, Forlong the Fat of Lossarnach and Duinhir, Lord of the Blackroot Vale

Gondor Bolt Thrower, 8 Clansmen of Lamedon, 8 Axemen of Lossarnach

6 Knights of Dol Amroth, 14 Men-at-Arms of Dol Amroth

8 Warriors of Minas Tirith (shield), 8 Warriors of Minas Tirith (shield and spear), 8 Warriors of Minas Tirith (bow)

4 Citadel Guard (bow), 6 Citadel Guard (spear), 1 Warrior of Minas Tirith (banner) and 10 Blackroot Vale Archers

Forces of Evil

   The hosts of Mordor came in overwhelming numbers, determined to smash the gate and drown the city in blood:

1 Battering Ram, 2 Mordor Trolls 1 Mordor Troll Chieftain, 4 Morannon Orc Captains, 2 Orc Captains

8 Wild Wargs, 8 Warg Riders, 30 Orc Warriors with shield, 30 Orc Warriors with spear, 30 Orc Warriors with two-handed weapons, 14 Orc Warriors with bow

12 Morannon Orc Warriors and 12 Morannon Orc Warriors with spear

Deployment

   The defenders formed a layered, disciplined defense around the gate. Prince Imrahil, supported by his Knights of Dol Amroth and Men-at-Arms, formed a solid shieldwall directly in front of the gate. To the left, the,Clansmen of Lamedon under Angbor and the Axemen of Lossarnach under Forlong held the flank. To the right, Warriors of Minas Tirith formed another shieldwall.

   On the walls near the gate, Minas Tirith archers and the Blackroot Vale Archers under Duinhir took position. The Bolt Thrower stood atop the gate itself, overlooking the killing ground. Behind the main line, the Citadel Guard waited in reserve, ready to reinforce where needed.

   The forces of Mordor deployed with terrifying intent: The battering ram was already in contact with the gate. Trolls and wargs gathered at the front, eager to be the first through the breach. Morannon Orcs waited behind them, with the mass of regular orcs forming the final wave.

The Battle

Rounds 1–3: The Gate Under Siege

   The battle began with the thunder of iron against stone as the battering ram and trolls worked relentlessly at the gate. From above, the defenders responded with everything they had. The Bolt Thrower and Blackroot Vale Archers focused their fire on the trolls, managing to wound all three but failing to bring them down. Meanwhile, the archers of Minas Tirith fired upon the orcs manning the ram, but without success. Mordor’s archers returned fire, targeting the Blackroot Vale. Their accuracy proved deadly, three to four Blackroot archers fell in the opening exchanges.

Round 4: The Gate Falls

   At last, the gate shattered. The trolls surged forward, charging directly into Imrahil’s shieldwall. What followed was a moment of heroism worthy of song — surrounded by knights and men-at-arms, the trolls were overwhelmed, and two were slain outright. The Troll Chieftain turned toward Angbor the Fearless, but his warriors threw themselves into the fight. Against all odds, the troll was brought down, dying beneath a storm of blades.

   On the flanks, wild wargs charged in, killing four to six defenders, but they were swiftly hunted down and destroyed. The warg riders followed, only to be weakened by fire from the Citadel Guard archers and soon wiped out as well.

   Above the battlefield, the Blackroot Vale Archers continued to thin the orc ranks, but Mordor’s archers concentrated their fire on them. By the end of the round, almost the entire Blackroot Vale contingent had been killed, with only a few survivors remaining. The Bolt Thrower continued to reap a grim toll among the advancing orcs.

Rounds 5–6: The Morannon Assault

   The Morannon Orcs now charged. Most slammed into Imrahil’s shieldwall, where the fighting was fierce and evenly matched. Knights fell, but Morannon Orcs died alongside them. This was the most balanced and brutal fighting of the battle. Elsewhere, Morannon Orcs overwhelmed the flanks. The Clansmen of Lamedon were almost wiped out, and the Axemen of Lossarnach suffered heavy losses.

   In a sudden and shocking moment, a Morannon Orc struck down Angbor the Fearless, killing him with a single blow while he was already wounded. On the walls, the remaining Blackroot Vale Archers fought hand-to-hand with Orc archers, while the Bolt Thrower continued to tear through the massed Mordor ranks.

Rounds 7–9: The Breaking of Mordor

   By now, both sides were badly depleted. Slowly but surely, the defenders managed to destroy the last of the Morannon Orcs. The remaining regular orcs charged in desperation, killing a few more defenders before being overwhelmed. With more than half of the Mordor army dead, the courage of the attackers finally broke. Most fled the field; those who remained launched one final, hopeless charge and were cut down.

   Even in the final moments, the Bolt Thrower continued firing into the retreating horde, ensuring Mordor paid dearly for every step it had taken.

Aftermath

   When the dust settled, Minas Tirith still stood. The defenders had suffered grievous losses roughly a third of the army was dead but the gate was held, and the city endured. Prince Imrahil and the surviving warriors of Gondor lived to fight another day, while the forces of Mordor lay shattered before the walls.

   A brutal, cinematic siege and one of the most memorable games we’ve played.

   That's it for today! Stay tuned for more!