Return of the Goblin King Campaign Log

Our 2011 Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game campaign has drawn to a close, and Middle-Earth is set for woe...

Return of the Goblin King

A Campaign of Good vs Evil in Middle-Earth

The Encroaching Darkness

It's been quite some time since the darkness has pressed in around the elven lands west of Mordor.  The last time there were stirrings of evil, a ringwraith known as the Goblin King threatened to return to the darkness of Dol Guldur and bring forth the armies of Sauron.  Now that the Wise know of the Necromancer's presence in the Hill of Sorcery, provisions have been made against his return.

Now, it seems those provisions weren't made in vain.

The Goblin King has returned at the head of vast hordes of orcs and evil men who have somehow traversed the darkness of Mordor and have begun raiding the lands to the west.  In the Last Homely House, Elrond of Rivendell has given the order to mobilize.  Those elf-lords who still have the heart to fight have mustered there, and messengers have been dispatched to those folk whom they believe may aid their cause.

Among men, Rangers from Gondor and a few warriors loyal to continued safety of the Riddermark have traveled to the woods near Rivendell and Mirkwood to battle this threat to their spirits.  However, their enemies are many - goblins, orcs and evil men from Harad are counted amongst the forces of evil, and battle will soon be joined.

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The campaign will consist of a round robin for each player.  Each player will fight each enemy team member once during the campaign in a 1 on 1 battle.  

Further, there will be an equal number of 2-player team games.  Each team has been divided into 4 teams, and each team will fight each enemy team once during the campaign in a 2 on 2 battle.

Lastly, there will be two 4 player team events in which the entire team will fight the entire enemy team.

Games will be a random size between 300 and 1000 pts, determined by a d6 roll on the Game Size Table.

All wins, losses and draws will be kept track of per player and per team.  If a players team wins a team game, both players on that team score wins and both players on the defeated team accrue losses.

To win the campaign, a look must be taken at influence.  Campaign influence accrues as you fight battles, and is simply the percentage of victories a given party has.  There are three kinds of influence you can accrue.  They are, in no particular order:

• Personal Player Influence
• 4 Player Team Influence (Good or Evil)
• 2 Player Team Influences (Each player will be involved in 2 of these teams)

Good or Evil Influence at the top tier will determine the campaign victors for the narrative.  The team that has the highest 4 Player Team Influence wins the campaign.  2 Player Team Influences can severely change the narrative, and Personal Player Influence will determine our actual placings for the Wargate Campaign Awards.

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Game Size Table

            d6 Roll             1 player                 2 player                      Team 

              1-2                    300 pts           250 pts each               250 pts each 

              3-4                    500 pts           400 pts each               300 pts each

                5                     750 pts            500 pts each              400 pts each 

                6                     1000 pts          600 pts each              500 pts each     

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Campaign Record

All teams have lost the campaign.  All Influence has been reduced to 0% for all sides!

This means that Middle-Earth remains in the grip of constant fear of war, and the Free Peoples are helpless to do anything about it!  Scouts from Rohan and warriors from Rivendell are powerless to stop orcs and fouler creatures from rampaging past the walls of Mordor!

Likewise, the Dark Lord's armies are stymied.  Unable to convene forces from Rhun and Harad due to the meddling of men and elves, he waits and builds his strength in secret.  Soon, Easterlings and Southrons will attempt to spill into Gondor, but the first portions of the armies have been diverted.

Next year, we'll seal the deal with a fully developed campaign to help direct the points of attack against the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth!