Recently, we played an epic Lord of the Rings SBG scenario, recreating the legendary Battle of Pelennor Fields. Note: this is the fourth and last battle we played of a series we started, "the battles of Minas Tirith", so if you wish you can check the previous battles. The text of all these four posts are written by the younger player of our team. His name is Panos and I believe he speaks English better than the rest of us! As his godfather, I am very proud of him!
Forces of Good
The Riders of Rohan and their allies charged to Minas
Tirith’s aid:
Heroes and Leaders
King Théoden of Rohan
Éomer, Knight of the Pelennor
Grimbold of Grimslade
Gamling, Banner Captain of Rohan
Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan
Meriadoc, Knight of the Mark
2 Rohan Captains
Troops
36 Riders of Rohan
2 Riders of Rohan (banner)
4 Rohan Royal Guards
The Army of the Dead (arrived later)
Aragorn (wielding Andúril)
Legolas and Gimli
King of the Dead
15 Warriors of the Dead
4 Riders of the Dead
Halbarad (banner)
4 Rangers of the North
Forces of Evil
The armies of Mordor and Harad sought to crush Gondor
completely:
Mordor Forces
Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul (mounted on a warg)
25 Orc Warriors (two-handed weapons)
30 Orc Warriors (shield)
25 Orc Warriors (spear)
16 Orc Warriors (bow)
Haradrim Reinforcements (arrived later)
Witch-king of Angmar (on Fell Beast)
1 War Mumak (with 16 Haradrim archers)
3 Haradrim Chiefs
King of Harad (mounted)
15 Haradrim Warriors (spear)
15 Haradrim Warriors (bow)
8 Serpent Guards
4 Watchers of Karna
8 Haradrim Raiders + 1 Banner
Deployment
The battle began with the forces of Rohan emerging from the north, near
the walls of Minas Tirith. Théoden stood in the center with Gamling, protected
by four Royal Guards, while Éowyn and Meriadoc moved among the riders to stay
close to the king. Éomer led the left flank with a captain and banner,
supported by twelve riders. Grimbold commanded the right with a captain and
banner, again with twelve riders behind him.
The Orcs formed a solid shieldwall: Orcs with shields
in the center, spearmen supporting them from behind, two-handed orcs on the
flanks. Archers positioned behind the lines. Gothmog lurked behind the
shieldwall, ready to strike.
Haradrim reinforcements would later arrive from the
southwest, with their mumak at the center of their formation, shieldwalls on
the flanks, and elite warriors protecting the archers.
The Army of the Dead appeared later, sweeping in from
the southeast without formation, led by Aragorn and Halbarad.
The Battle
Rounds 1–3: The Riders Charge
The battle opened with a thunderous Rohan charge. The Riders tore into the Orc flanks, killing over thirty enemies while losing only two of their own. The momentum was entirely with Rohan as the Orcs struggled to form a cohesive defense.
Round 4: Breaking the Orcs
By mid-round, Rohan’s flanking maneuvers overwhelmed
the Orcs, leaving only seven Orcs alive under Gothmog’s command. Though Gothmog
personally slew three Rohan riders, he was forced to retreat. Victory for Rohan
seemed near, but a darker shadow approached from Minas Tirith’s walls: the
Witch-king of Angmar.
Round 5–6: Haradrim Arrive
From the southwest, the Haradrim entered the field.
King Théoden rallied his troops, but Rohan now faced a terrifying dual threat:
the Mumak and its archers, alongside the Witch-king moving toward Théoden. The
Army of the Dead arrived from the southeast, charging immediately.
Éomer’s forces crushed the Haradrim cavalry on the
left, though Haradrim archers felled three riders. Grimbold’s forces struggled
against elite Haradrim shieldwalls on the right, again losing three riders.
In the center, Théoden advanced toward the Mumak but
could not reach it, while Haradrim archers on the beast killed five riders.
The Witch-king approached Théoden, heralding a
confrontation that would decide the battle.
Rounds 7–9: Heroes Rise
The tide turned as the heroes of Rohan and Gondor
intervened:
On the left, Éomer killed the King of Harad, rallied
his few remaining riders, and shattered the elite shieldwall. Only two riders
were lost in the action.
On the right, the Army of the Dead split: half aided
Grimbold, while half charged the Mumak.
In the center, Théoden, Eowyn, Meriadoc, and the Royal
Guards engaged the Witch-king. After a brutal clash, Théoden, though wounded, slayed
the Witch-king. Legolas and the Rangers silenced the Mumak’s archers, killing eight
of the sixteen on top.
Rounds 10–12: The Tide Turns
The left flank struggled under relentless pressure,
but Éomer’s survivors countered, killing Gothmog in a final desperate duel.
On the right, Grimbold’s forces, bolstered by the
Dead, destroyed the shieldwall and advanced toward remaining archers.
In the center, Théoden, Aragorn, Gimli, and their
allies wounded the Mumak repeatedly. The beast began to falter, while Haradrim
archers were largely neutralized by Legolas and the Rangers.
Round 13: The Mumak Rampage
The Mumak, finally spooked and wounded, stampeded into
the elite shieldwall, annihilating the Haradrim defenders. The remnants of
Harad realized the battle was lost and fled across the Pelennor fields, leaving
the plains strewn with fallen Orcs, Haradrim, and Riders alike.
Aftermath
The Pelennor Fields lay silent but scarred. Rohan and Gondor had
suffered grievous losses: Éomer’s left flank was nearly destroyed, and Grimbold
was severely wounded. Théoden survived, as did key heroes including Éowyn,
Meriadoc, Aragorn, and the King of the Dead.
For the defenders of Gondor and their allies, victory
had come at a steep cost, but it was a victory worthy of song.
