10-11-2007, 07:10 PM
Battle of the Five Armies - Part 2
JEFFERY A DOBBERPUHL and SCOTT MOYES play head to head in this new MEPBM variant ...
[Last issue, Jeffery and Scott described their reactions to playing head-to-head in this new scenario. Jeffery, who plays the Dark Servants, has the Necromancer, the Warg Riders, the Goblins and Gollum. Scott plays the Free Peoples, with Bilbo Baggins, the Elves, the Dwarves and the Northmen.]
Turn 2 - First blood
Jeffery A Dobberpuhl: Dark Servants.
This game is intense. The designers have done a great job of putting both sides into a cat and mouse environment. But since the cats are 900-strong cavalry armies and the mouse is a 3000-strong dwarf army, this is nail-biting stuff.
My plan of keeping my armies together is starting to unravel as the enemy begins to block some of my movements. None-the-less, I am feeling more 'together' than I gather my foe is. This last turn, I did not lose a single army and crushed a couple of my foes. Plus, I managed to wipe out some of my enemies' population centers. That has to hurt! The bad news for me is that I have 1200 elves sitting at Sarn Goriwing, and they don't look happy. The worse news is that the dwarf 3000-strong heavy foot army decided to go north. I have 400 steel clad lads and a major town facing this foe. It looks grim.
Overall, though, I think I'm in better shape. I should wipe out almost all of the major elf starting population centers this turn and next. This will mean very little elvish economy available to support elf warriors. My next foe will definitely be the northmen.
The Goblins:
The Goblins' battle report was awesome! Page after page of information detailed all the glory of my major victories over my foes. It was really fun to read through and see the turns I worked on so hard turn into stories. At least three enemy armies were destroyed.
This turn, I focused on consolidating my forces. In the north, I took all my extra commanders and put them in population centers to hire more armies. I need to take down that Dwarf juggernaut! Then, I moved armies, even though they didn't have lots of troops, into the path of the dwarves. With luck, I will block the dwarf army and give me more recruiting time. In the south, I found a path open to an unguarded Northmen Major Town. Goblins love to pillage, so I gave the orders to charge in. I will have to wait and see if the Northmen can stop me!
The Warg Riders:
The Warg Riders are doing great! The Necromancer easily defeated his foe and now stands poised to capture my first elvish town. I decided on capturing instead of destroying because I really believe I can hold the town. Next turn, I will move next door and try to capture or destroy another town. This will leave just the hidden elvish capital at 2908.
I discovered that Bilbo moved to the south part of the map, near 2913. I don't know what this move is about. I know he was at 3207 last turn because I got a message saying gold was stolen and that li'l thief is my number one suspect! Gollum managed to haul off a tidy sum of gold and will move to 2912 to pilfer what he can next turn. Further, I decided to use my best character tracking spell, locate character true, to see if I can pinpoint Bilbo next turn.
As to Sarn Goriwing, I'm wondering if it was worth trading population centers with the elves. I'm guessing it was because I have more population centers than the pointy ears do. Anyways, I moved two armies into the hex. Hopefully I will catch and destroy that elf army!
Scott Moyes: Free Peoples
"How bad is it, Burglar?" Thorin Oakenshield said behind his long beard which was soaked with small droplets of ale.
"Again, as last time, most of what you wanted to happen, happened. First the bad news: the Elves were mauled along the Northern Road in both places. The Necromancer then moved to the town of Kelume. This, too, shouldn't stop him. It's his next move that is going to be the decisive one. Smart money is that he'll move east to the town of Tuilindo, but then again he could move either southwest to the Warg Rider village, or worse yet, southeast to the Elven camp of Erelinden. After destroying Hen Gwerion, Captain Krusnak of the Warg Riders went northwest to the Elven camp of Tol Pantir. The failure to block this army by the Lords Thranduil and Ohtar is dire beyond belief."
The Elven leaders hung their heads as the thought of their slaughtered people hung before their eyes. The evil ones didn't take prisoners.
Bilbo went on, "Commander Camthalion and his 800 Heavy Infantry finally arrived at Buhr Edhel, but there isn't a Buhr Edhel anymore. 400 Trolls under the Goblin leader Angulion burned it to the ground, there were no survivors."
Rage, and some tears were evident on the Northmen leaders. They had friends at Buhr Edhel: well, no longer.
"But that's not all. The Northmen armies under Swiftwulf and Girion II were manhandled by two Goblin armies under Duran and Ogrod and a Warg Rider army under Rashkuk. It wasn't even close, their numbers were too great. Now the Dwarven army commander Bombar will meet the Goblin Captain Ogrod and the Warg Rider Commander Rashkuk at the same place. Regent Duran moved his army southeast and is directly east of us. Poor Fili is there with only 300 Heavy Infantry: he'll be crushed."
Thorin looked at the map. He could see that the evil ones were slowly surrounding them. He knew that the riches of The Lonely Mountain were what they were after, and of course, they only lived to kill. He wondered how the creator of those creatures could live with himself, knowing he forgot to give them a conscience. Then he thought again, and he knew Sauron made them, and the Dark Lord hasn't ever had a conscience.
"Well, we do have Regent Dain II and his 3000 Heavy Infantry army at the Goblin Major Town of Lag Agul. But, your move was guessed. And the Goblins have two small armies under Angulion and Rogrog there. My guess is that they're both 400 Trolls apiece." Bilbo wound up his brief.
Thorin then stood up and walked to the front of the assembled leaders. "There are more evil ones than ants on a hill, but we have to continue to battle as best we can. The looks on your faces tell me that we should bring Dain south, but that is the advice of desperation."
"Well, Thorin, that's all and good. But the Elves are desperate! It's our people the evil ones are slaughtering. The Dwarves are safe to the east in the Iron Hills. Your women and children aren't the ones being murdered, it's ours," the Elven leader stood and screamed at Thorin.
Thorin didn't flinch, he stood taller (which is quite a feat for a Dwarf) and spoke clearly and in a reasonable tone, "Hear me, it is not for lack of compassion that I speak of the other way to do battle with them. You see, I have been battling these Goblins and Warg Riders for a long time and I know how they work. The Goblins are the key, take out all their leaders and they will run like frightened children. Dain is poised to do just that. I propose that he take Lag Agul and then instead of moving south, he move northwest to the Goblin Major Town of Valaina. Dain should take both easily. We have Oin, who's already at Lag Agul, hire an army and this one will move south. After Dain takes Valaina, he then moves again northwest to the Goblin capital of Yalumea. If, and I repeat, if Dain can do this, the Goblins will be no more in the north. Bombar will move to Valaina and he will hire an army there. Gloin is at Iron Hold and he's going to be moving 1200 Dwarven Heavy Infantry as fast as he can to aid us. I only hope he'll be in time. Meanwhile, we move the defeated army commanders of both the Elves and Northmen south to hire more armies. With the distance the Warg Riders have to travel, and Dain taking the Goblin recruiting centers away, we just might survive. Remember, this is for my life. too."
All the leaders looked around. Clearly they didn't like gambling with their people, but they could see the logic behind it. They all nodded at Thorin...
Turn 3 - Dire straits
Jeffery A Dobberpuhl: Dark Servants.
I'm not sure, but I think my plan is working! So far, I have only lost two major towns, and I believe the elves are down to just their capital. In the meantime, I'm poised to take out two Northmen major towns in the next turn or two.
The scenario sure puts you right in the action. It's fun to maneuver your armies back and forth over the different terrains. Depending on the army you have, foot or cavalry, and depending on what the terrain is you are moving in, you get varying amounts of movement per turn. This map has a lot of different terrains to play with: mountains, roads, plains, rivers, forests, hills and combinations thereof. As it is, the Elves managed to have one of their biggest armies escape me down off a mountain, leaving me to face just their smaller army.
The Goblins:
The Goblins have really gotten into an interesting position. They are pinning an enormous dwarf army up in a mountain chain. I am rotating commanders from the front lines to the rearward recruiting centers, hiring more armies, and throwing them into the mix. In the meantime, my opponent is doing great at sending smaller blocking armies at me, keeping me from putting my full strength on the dwarf army.
The Warg Riders:
My continued tracking on Bilbo appears to have paid off! I now have Gollum in the same hex as Bilbo, and Gollum will be trying to steal his ring back. "My Precioussssssss ..." I hissed as I typed that order!
In the meantime, the Necromancer is going to try to burn the last elf town outside of the capital, then move back to his lair for more troops!
I did note that the Wargs are running out of money. This means I have to start burning off more troops or capturing more enemy territory. If you don't have enough money to pay your nation's expenses, you lose the game via bankruptcy!
This is a great, nail-biting game. It's still very early and I have no idea how it will turn out.
Scott Moyes: Free Peoples
"Well, the Dwarves are now blooded, and things are falling in place. Although not quite as well as hoped. Bilbo, you were right, the Necromancer did go to Tuilindo," Thorin said as he went through the reports. "Dain did take Lag Agul but the Goblins rushed another small army there, so Dain will have to fight, but this time he'll move immediately northwest. He'll do this because if he plays it safe, the Goblins could wear his army down and our goal of taking out the Goblins will go by the wayside. By the way, that has got to be their plan. Also, to take as many of our population centers as they can and hope that we go bankrupt. I feel that if they can take out all of our well trained veterans, then they'll march on the Lonely Mountain. It's a good plan, but they can't know our resolve. But they can see our general plan, especially with Dain ignoring our southern plight and moving on the offensive. Now, if the Elven agents can sabotage the fortifications at Yalumea and Thiach, the armies will have an easier time taking those Major Towns. Bilbo, take a break, I'll start with the Dwarves and give a general outlook of what happened and what our plans are. First, Regent Dain is at the town of Lag Agul along with Regent Bulrakur of the Goblins with a small army, Dain will crush this army, but as I said earlier, he'll move northwest to the Goblin Major Town of Valaina. There is a risk in doing this: Dain is open to challenge from Bulrakur, and even so, Dain is no pushover and should win. Oin is also there and he'll round up an army to hold for enough time to get around 1000 Dwarven Heavy Infantry and then he'll move south. Fili is moving northwest of Lag Agul to Valaina to begin getting ready for Dain. Hero Gloin is marching quickly west with 1200 Dwarven Heavy Infantry. Captain Kili is recruiting at the town of Naugrim, but I believe a Warg Rider army is heading towards the Iron Hills and Kili will move to intercept. He'll only have 600 Heavy Infantry, but the army moving east has already been whittled down a bit. And of course, I have 300 Heavy Infantry here and I'll round up around a hundred more soon. And that is the Dwarven report."
It took awhile before the Elven leader came forward, he was going over the reports from the Elven scouts and the maps laid about. Finally he said, "The Elves didn't fare as well. Even though Regent Thranduil took Sarn Goriwin, the Warg Riders moved an army there, and it should be close. As you said earlier, Bilbo was right; the Necromancer is at the Elven town of Tuilindo, it also will fall. How many Elven lives must be lost, Thorin, before you see that offense is not good unless you also have a strong defense? Anyway, Commander Camthalion is again on the Northern Road with 800 Elven Heavy Infantry and he faces two Goblin armies, a small one under Captain Anglach and a large army under Commander Gashbuz. Lord Legolas is at the Elven Camp of Tol Pantir with 800 Elven Heavy Infantry and he'll move northeast to the Northmen village of Buhr Gasug. Lord Ohtar is at the Elven Camp of Erelinden with 568 Heavy Infantry and he'll move northeast past Tuilindo, hopefully catching up with the Necromancer. Argaldor will hire another army at Crug Abarr and Lindal will attempt to sabotage the fortifications at Yalumea, although the latter is a very risky mission for Lindal. He isn't as well trained as he should be for this mission."
"No one is ready for this war, my lord Elf," Thorin said quickly.
The Northmen representative moved to the front of the spacious hall and began his summary. "Not much happened. Regent Bard, with 800 Heavy Infantry is at the Elven Camp of Tol Pantir with Lord Legolas and also will move to the northeast. Hero Koldana is at the Northmen Camp of Amon Gastal with 215 Heavy Cavalry and 400 Heavy Infantry and also will move northeast. These two armies are with the Elves in trying to trap the Warg Riders' starting armies. Beorn will hire an army at Esgaroth and Girion will hire an army at Nuath. The only plus for the Northmen is trade hasn't been interrupted yet. This is a facet of this campaign that we need to continue to exploit. We need to keep the market saturated with our goods so that the Evil ones can't make enough money to support their armies."
The representatives from the three nations stood, looked at each other, nodded and began drafting the necessary orders.
To be continued ...
Middle Earth PBM at a glance
Team-based fantasy wargame from ME Games Ltd, with 'Lord of the Rings' setting. £10 for startup + 2 turns, further turns £4.50. Turnaround depends on the game, ranging from 1 to 3 weeks. There's a variety of scenarios available, with Battle of the Five Armies - which is based on 'The Hobbit' and consists of just ten turns - especially recommended for players unfamiliar with the main game.
JEFFERY A DOBBERPUHL and SCOTT MOYES play head to head in this new MEPBM variant ...
[Last issue, Jeffery and Scott described their reactions to playing head-to-head in this new scenario. Jeffery, who plays the Dark Servants, has the Necromancer, the Warg Riders, the Goblins and Gollum. Scott plays the Free Peoples, with Bilbo Baggins, the Elves, the Dwarves and the Northmen.]
Turn 2 - First blood
Jeffery A Dobberpuhl: Dark Servants.
This game is intense. The designers have done a great job of putting both sides into a cat and mouse environment. But since the cats are 900-strong cavalry armies and the mouse is a 3000-strong dwarf army, this is nail-biting stuff.
My plan of keeping my armies together is starting to unravel as the enemy begins to block some of my movements. None-the-less, I am feeling more 'together' than I gather my foe is. This last turn, I did not lose a single army and crushed a couple of my foes. Plus, I managed to wipe out some of my enemies' population centers. That has to hurt! The bad news for me is that I have 1200 elves sitting at Sarn Goriwing, and they don't look happy. The worse news is that the dwarf 3000-strong heavy foot army decided to go north. I have 400 steel clad lads and a major town facing this foe. It looks grim.
Overall, though, I think I'm in better shape. I should wipe out almost all of the major elf starting population centers this turn and next. This will mean very little elvish economy available to support elf warriors. My next foe will definitely be the northmen.
The Goblins:
The Goblins' battle report was awesome! Page after page of information detailed all the glory of my major victories over my foes. It was really fun to read through and see the turns I worked on so hard turn into stories. At least three enemy armies were destroyed.
This turn, I focused on consolidating my forces. In the north, I took all my extra commanders and put them in population centers to hire more armies. I need to take down that Dwarf juggernaut! Then, I moved armies, even though they didn't have lots of troops, into the path of the dwarves. With luck, I will block the dwarf army and give me more recruiting time. In the south, I found a path open to an unguarded Northmen Major Town. Goblins love to pillage, so I gave the orders to charge in. I will have to wait and see if the Northmen can stop me!
The Warg Riders:
The Warg Riders are doing great! The Necromancer easily defeated his foe and now stands poised to capture my first elvish town. I decided on capturing instead of destroying because I really believe I can hold the town. Next turn, I will move next door and try to capture or destroy another town. This will leave just the hidden elvish capital at 2908.
I discovered that Bilbo moved to the south part of the map, near 2913. I don't know what this move is about. I know he was at 3207 last turn because I got a message saying gold was stolen and that li'l thief is my number one suspect! Gollum managed to haul off a tidy sum of gold and will move to 2912 to pilfer what he can next turn. Further, I decided to use my best character tracking spell, locate character true, to see if I can pinpoint Bilbo next turn.
As to Sarn Goriwing, I'm wondering if it was worth trading population centers with the elves. I'm guessing it was because I have more population centers than the pointy ears do. Anyways, I moved two armies into the hex. Hopefully I will catch and destroy that elf army!
Scott Moyes: Free Peoples
"How bad is it, Burglar?" Thorin Oakenshield said behind his long beard which was soaked with small droplets of ale.
"Again, as last time, most of what you wanted to happen, happened. First the bad news: the Elves were mauled along the Northern Road in both places. The Necromancer then moved to the town of Kelume. This, too, shouldn't stop him. It's his next move that is going to be the decisive one. Smart money is that he'll move east to the town of Tuilindo, but then again he could move either southwest to the Warg Rider village, or worse yet, southeast to the Elven camp of Erelinden. After destroying Hen Gwerion, Captain Krusnak of the Warg Riders went northwest to the Elven camp of Tol Pantir. The failure to block this army by the Lords Thranduil and Ohtar is dire beyond belief."
The Elven leaders hung their heads as the thought of their slaughtered people hung before their eyes. The evil ones didn't take prisoners.
Bilbo went on, "Commander Camthalion and his 800 Heavy Infantry finally arrived at Buhr Edhel, but there isn't a Buhr Edhel anymore. 400 Trolls under the Goblin leader Angulion burned it to the ground, there were no survivors."
Rage, and some tears were evident on the Northmen leaders. They had friends at Buhr Edhel: well, no longer.
"But that's not all. The Northmen armies under Swiftwulf and Girion II were manhandled by two Goblin armies under Duran and Ogrod and a Warg Rider army under Rashkuk. It wasn't even close, their numbers were too great. Now the Dwarven army commander Bombar will meet the Goblin Captain Ogrod and the Warg Rider Commander Rashkuk at the same place. Regent Duran moved his army southeast and is directly east of us. Poor Fili is there with only 300 Heavy Infantry: he'll be crushed."
Thorin looked at the map. He could see that the evil ones were slowly surrounding them. He knew that the riches of The Lonely Mountain were what they were after, and of course, they only lived to kill. He wondered how the creator of those creatures could live with himself, knowing he forgot to give them a conscience. Then he thought again, and he knew Sauron made them, and the Dark Lord hasn't ever had a conscience.
"Well, we do have Regent Dain II and his 3000 Heavy Infantry army at the Goblin Major Town of Lag Agul. But, your move was guessed. And the Goblins have two small armies under Angulion and Rogrog there. My guess is that they're both 400 Trolls apiece." Bilbo wound up his brief.
Thorin then stood up and walked to the front of the assembled leaders. "There are more evil ones than ants on a hill, but we have to continue to battle as best we can. The looks on your faces tell me that we should bring Dain south, but that is the advice of desperation."
"Well, Thorin, that's all and good. But the Elves are desperate! It's our people the evil ones are slaughtering. The Dwarves are safe to the east in the Iron Hills. Your women and children aren't the ones being murdered, it's ours," the Elven leader stood and screamed at Thorin.
Thorin didn't flinch, he stood taller (which is quite a feat for a Dwarf) and spoke clearly and in a reasonable tone, "Hear me, it is not for lack of compassion that I speak of the other way to do battle with them. You see, I have been battling these Goblins and Warg Riders for a long time and I know how they work. The Goblins are the key, take out all their leaders and they will run like frightened children. Dain is poised to do just that. I propose that he take Lag Agul and then instead of moving south, he move northwest to the Goblin Major Town of Valaina. Dain should take both easily. We have Oin, who's already at Lag Agul, hire an army and this one will move south. After Dain takes Valaina, he then moves again northwest to the Goblin capital of Yalumea. If, and I repeat, if Dain can do this, the Goblins will be no more in the north. Bombar will move to Valaina and he will hire an army there. Gloin is at Iron Hold and he's going to be moving 1200 Dwarven Heavy Infantry as fast as he can to aid us. I only hope he'll be in time. Meanwhile, we move the defeated army commanders of both the Elves and Northmen south to hire more armies. With the distance the Warg Riders have to travel, and Dain taking the Goblin recruiting centers away, we just might survive. Remember, this is for my life. too."
All the leaders looked around. Clearly they didn't like gambling with their people, but they could see the logic behind it. They all nodded at Thorin...
Turn 3 - Dire straits
Jeffery A Dobberpuhl: Dark Servants.
I'm not sure, but I think my plan is working! So far, I have only lost two major towns, and I believe the elves are down to just their capital. In the meantime, I'm poised to take out two Northmen major towns in the next turn or two.
The scenario sure puts you right in the action. It's fun to maneuver your armies back and forth over the different terrains. Depending on the army you have, foot or cavalry, and depending on what the terrain is you are moving in, you get varying amounts of movement per turn. This map has a lot of different terrains to play with: mountains, roads, plains, rivers, forests, hills and combinations thereof. As it is, the Elves managed to have one of their biggest armies escape me down off a mountain, leaving me to face just their smaller army.
The Goblins:
The Goblins have really gotten into an interesting position. They are pinning an enormous dwarf army up in a mountain chain. I am rotating commanders from the front lines to the rearward recruiting centers, hiring more armies, and throwing them into the mix. In the meantime, my opponent is doing great at sending smaller blocking armies at me, keeping me from putting my full strength on the dwarf army.
The Warg Riders:
My continued tracking on Bilbo appears to have paid off! I now have Gollum in the same hex as Bilbo, and Gollum will be trying to steal his ring back. "My Precioussssssss ..." I hissed as I typed that order!
In the meantime, the Necromancer is going to try to burn the last elf town outside of the capital, then move back to his lair for more troops!
I did note that the Wargs are running out of money. This means I have to start burning off more troops or capturing more enemy territory. If you don't have enough money to pay your nation's expenses, you lose the game via bankruptcy!
This is a great, nail-biting game. It's still very early and I have no idea how it will turn out.
Scott Moyes: Free Peoples
"Well, the Dwarves are now blooded, and things are falling in place. Although not quite as well as hoped. Bilbo, you were right, the Necromancer did go to Tuilindo," Thorin said as he went through the reports. "Dain did take Lag Agul but the Goblins rushed another small army there, so Dain will have to fight, but this time he'll move immediately northwest. He'll do this because if he plays it safe, the Goblins could wear his army down and our goal of taking out the Goblins will go by the wayside. By the way, that has got to be their plan. Also, to take as many of our population centers as they can and hope that we go bankrupt. I feel that if they can take out all of our well trained veterans, then they'll march on the Lonely Mountain. It's a good plan, but they can't know our resolve. But they can see our general plan, especially with Dain ignoring our southern plight and moving on the offensive. Now, if the Elven agents can sabotage the fortifications at Yalumea and Thiach, the armies will have an easier time taking those Major Towns. Bilbo, take a break, I'll start with the Dwarves and give a general outlook of what happened and what our plans are. First, Regent Dain is at the town of Lag Agul along with Regent Bulrakur of the Goblins with a small army, Dain will crush this army, but as I said earlier, he'll move northwest to the Goblin Major Town of Valaina. There is a risk in doing this: Dain is open to challenge from Bulrakur, and even so, Dain is no pushover and should win. Oin is also there and he'll round up an army to hold for enough time to get around 1000 Dwarven Heavy Infantry and then he'll move south. Fili is moving northwest of Lag Agul to Valaina to begin getting ready for Dain. Hero Gloin is marching quickly west with 1200 Dwarven Heavy Infantry. Captain Kili is recruiting at the town of Naugrim, but I believe a Warg Rider army is heading towards the Iron Hills and Kili will move to intercept. He'll only have 600 Heavy Infantry, but the army moving east has already been whittled down a bit. And of course, I have 300 Heavy Infantry here and I'll round up around a hundred more soon. And that is the Dwarven report."
It took awhile before the Elven leader came forward, he was going over the reports from the Elven scouts and the maps laid about. Finally he said, "The Elves didn't fare as well. Even though Regent Thranduil took Sarn Goriwin, the Warg Riders moved an army there, and it should be close. As you said earlier, Bilbo was right; the Necromancer is at the Elven town of Tuilindo, it also will fall. How many Elven lives must be lost, Thorin, before you see that offense is not good unless you also have a strong defense? Anyway, Commander Camthalion is again on the Northern Road with 800 Elven Heavy Infantry and he faces two Goblin armies, a small one under Captain Anglach and a large army under Commander Gashbuz. Lord Legolas is at the Elven Camp of Tol Pantir with 800 Elven Heavy Infantry and he'll move northeast to the Northmen village of Buhr Gasug. Lord Ohtar is at the Elven Camp of Erelinden with 568 Heavy Infantry and he'll move northeast past Tuilindo, hopefully catching up with the Necromancer. Argaldor will hire another army at Crug Abarr and Lindal will attempt to sabotage the fortifications at Yalumea, although the latter is a very risky mission for Lindal. He isn't as well trained as he should be for this mission."
"No one is ready for this war, my lord Elf," Thorin said quickly.
The Northmen representative moved to the front of the spacious hall and began his summary. "Not much happened. Regent Bard, with 800 Heavy Infantry is at the Elven Camp of Tol Pantir with Lord Legolas and also will move to the northeast. Hero Koldana is at the Northmen Camp of Amon Gastal with 215 Heavy Cavalry and 400 Heavy Infantry and also will move northeast. These two armies are with the Elves in trying to trap the Warg Riders' starting armies. Beorn will hire an army at Esgaroth and Girion will hire an army at Nuath. The only plus for the Northmen is trade hasn't been interrupted yet. This is a facet of this campaign that we need to continue to exploit. We need to keep the market saturated with our goods so that the Evil ones can't make enough money to support their armies."
The representatives from the three nations stood, looked at each other, nodded and began drafting the necessary orders.
To be continued ...
Middle Earth PBM at a glance
Team-based fantasy wargame from ME Games Ltd, with 'Lord of the Rings' setting. £10 for startup + 2 turns, further turns £4.50. Turnaround depends on the game, ranging from 1 to 3 weeks. There's a variety of scenarios available, with Battle of the Five Armies - which is based on 'The Hobbit' and consists of just ten turns - especially recommended for players unfamiliar with the main game.