War of the Ring

I played the Shadow, my son the Free Peoples. Definitely one of our most interesting plays of this game.

The Hunt for the Ring got off to a great start for the Shadow, with the Ringbearer taking large corruption hits very early on. This, combined with further threats to the fellowship by some nasty shadow cards, caused the Free Peoples to quickly rally to war against the Shadow.

The Witch King soon led a massive assault on Minas Tirith and was routed at the last minute by the arrival of Aragorn and Gandalf's army from the north. Path of the Woses....aaaaahhgg! An army of Rohirrim suddenly appeared in Osgiliath, splitting the shadow armis in two!

The Witch King was defeated in the pincer maneuver and the ensuing push of Gondor's army INTO Morder, as far as Barad Dur and the Crack of Doom itself, was a sight to behold!

I imagine that Tolkien was spinning in his grave at this point.

(Aragorn and Gandalf leading a huge army INTO Mordor while Frodo and the ring remain in Rivendell. These are strange times, indeed.)

It was definitely a valiant effort by the Free People's, though. For much of the game the FP player was only one or two VP from a military victory.

Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul and the Mouth of Sauron soon appeared in Mordor, cornering Gandalf and Aragorn's army in Barad Dur. With some tactical maneuvering the army of men was trapped.

The Southrons took Minas Tirith and Dol Amroth. Orthance finally took Helm's Deep. Then the Balrog appeared in Moria. The demon of fire and shadow gathered his armies from Moria and Gundabad, laying siege to Rivendell and Lorien, thus sealing the fate of the Free Peoples.

This game never ceases to amaze me.