Special Event: Battle for Middle Earth, Historicon 2023

[David Kuijt]

I will take the Mount Gundabad Orcs please. Thanks!

You got it. Is this Paul Pecena?

[David Kuijt]

7 players signed up now; plus me (waiting until the last minute to fill space -- I've got almost all those armies). Very likely also attending (but not signed up yet) are Larry Weichel and Brian Peruski and Dave Schlanger. So that's 11.

I'm going to take something at the last minute to allow other signups to have maximum flexibility -- I've got almost every army anyway in 28mm. From the current distribution, possibly one of the following:

• Mirkwood or Lorien Elves
• Gondor 1 or Gondor 2
• Rohirrim
• Leftover Mordor (because the Nazgul are cool beans)

The Battle for Middle Earth

This is an event that I've been wanting to run for a long time! Players pick one of a number of armies at the end of the Third Age, fighting for the West or for the Shadow. Exact details will be forthcoming as we get closer to the event. The main reason for this LONG advance notice is to give players time to build and bring their own army. Advance signup begins now. This is not completely free-form -- there are a set of army lists for each power. See the end of this note for a link.

WHEN: Historicon 2023. June 19-23rd. Exact date and time to be determined, based upon other events we will be running at that convention.
WHERE: Lancaster County Convention Center
SCALE: 28-30mm figures on 80mm wide bases only. Bring your own army. Advance signup required.

ADVANCE SIGNUP: If you signup for an army, you've got it and nobody else can take it. So you are committed to coming. Which means if real life happens and your plans change (as sometimes happens), you must let me know so I can free up your slot for another player.



AVAILABLE ARMIES:
My initial aim is to have 14-16 players as follows. If sufficient signups come in, I will expand.

Forces of the West:

• Elves of Mirkwood and Lothlorien: <available>
• Men of Rhovanian and Dale: <available>
• Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor and the Iron Hills: Troy Heck (Adam Stephen on FB)
• Rohan: <available>
• Gondor (Ithilien and Minas Tirith): <available>
• Gondor (Dol Amroth and the South): <available>
• flex (a second Rohan or Elven or a third Gondor): <available>

Forces of the Shadow:

• Misty Mountain Goblins: Keith Stemmel
• Mount Gundabad Goblins: Paul Pecena
• Mordor (Dol Guldur): <available>
• Mordor (the Black Gate): Spencer Ginder
• Mordor (Minas Morgul): <available>
• Easterlings: Mike Guth
• Haradrim: Rod Cain
• Southrons: <available>
• Saruman: Mike Sibilia. (Saruman is not present in the army -- he doesn't put himself at risk that way).
• flex (Umbar, Khand, or): <available>

ARMY LISTS: Armies will be 51 pts from a described list. All battle cards must be paid for -- nothing for free.
To save space on the forum, here's the link to the Google Doc where I am developing the army lists for this event:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

[Texus Maximus]

Yes, I forgot to mention that! This is Paul Pecena.

[Psybilliah]

I will bring isengard though I don't have wild men currently.

[David Kuijt]

I will bring isengard though I don't have wild men currently.

You got it.

Wild men of Dunland are easy enough to find and paint. Lots of Dark-Ages kinda 28mm plastics out there.

[Psybilliah]

Maybe, but I don't see those type of models light foot. Possibly warband or raider. So I was going to look for more ruffian looking. Or just omit them as models and use some orcs as light foot

[David Kuijt]

Maybe, but I don't see those type of models light foot. Possibly warband or raider. So I was going to look for more ruffian looking. Or just omit them as models and use some orcs as light foot

Raider doesn't work -- very few things in this army selection are Raider. Uruk-hai, Rangers (Ithilien or the North), and open-order Dwarves. In other words, only the best fighters who fight open-order. Making Dunlendings Raider doesn't fit -- that would put them as good as the best orcs (the Uruk-Hai), the Grey Company (Rangers of the North), or elite armored dwarves with two-handed weapons. No way the Dunlendings are that good.

Warband would be reasonable. But I don't see them as that psycho fierce able to break close-order foot. Also, there's a "boring" factor -- all the Goblin and Mordor armies are full of Orcs rated as Warband. I think Light Foot works very well for Dunlendings.

I've put in a Misty Mountain Goblin ally: 1-4 Rabble (Goblin foot), 1-2 Warband (Orcs), 0-1 JavCav (Wargs, usual battle cards). Allies aren't required, of course -- and if you take them, you have to use the ally rules for them.

[Psybilliah]

I think dundelings should not have a min of 2 regardless of the discussion. They should definitely be an option but not required.

[Rod]

Mike,
This should be like any other Meshwesh army, please provide some historical documentation? Original Tolkien sources only please and we don't cotton to no Amazon Prime crap around here

[David Kuijt]

I think dundelings should not have a min of 2 regardless of the discussion. They should definitely be an option but not required.

Saruman sent a bunch of them to Helm's Deep -- a siege. If you can imagine a less useful troop type for a siege than open order melee foot, I'm not sure what it would be. The battle of the Fords of Isen we don't have a lot of information about the Orthanc order of battle.

But I tell you what -- I'll make them an optional contingent. That should work. Not an ally contingent -- they had accepted Saruman's command.