Song Of Blades And Heroes Report: Gondor Ambushes Isengard - Part Two

FARAMIR LEADS HIS SWORDSMEN FORWARD INTO THE URUK-HAI HORDE

“The story so far… At the bidding of Sauron, the Lord of Isengard has sent forth Lurtz and some of his Uruk-Hai to clear out the human defences at Osgiliath. However, before the "great soldier-orcs" can launch a devastating attack upon the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Gondor, Faramir has sprung a trap and ambushed Saruman's formidable force as they are emerging from between the Fallen Angel and Blasted Terrace..."

THE TABLETOP - OSGILIATH: BEFORE THE TRAP WAS SPRUNG

Song Of Blades And Heroes Report: Gondor Ambushes Isengard

The handful of Uruk-Hai who had emerged from the western shadows raced towards the two Gondorian archers positioned to their north. The foul-smelling orcs were starting to get close to their attackers and there were clearly still large numbers of them nearby shrouded by the darkness.

THE FIRST FEW URUK-HAI ARE WHITTLED DOWN BY GONDOR'S ARCHERS

Faramir joined the 'threatened' pair of bowmen in the north, in order for them to utilise his Leadership Trait [increase the Quality rolls of any friendly model within Long distance (180mm) by one]. One of the archers loosened an arrow into Lurtz's emerging throng and staggering scored a Gruesome Kill; causing one of the large orcs to retreat back west and another to actually flee... Inspired by their comrade's skill, the two bowmen to the south of the Crumbling Remnants also fired into the dark morass and revealed another Uruk-Hai. Behind them, all of the emboldened Warriors of Minas Tirith pressed west towards the centre of the battlefield.

Something had clearly gone amiss with Saruman's raiding party within the western shadows, as for a fourth time, no perceptible activity took place between the Fallen Angel and Blasted Terrace. Perhaps the "large, smart orcs with slanted eyes, thick legs, and large hands" were yet to recover from their birthing strains within Orthanc's breeding pits..?

FARAMIR'S TRAP IS SPRUNG, AND THE URUK-HAI FALTER IN THEIR ATTACK

Regardless, the northern Gondorian archers continued to fire at those targets which they could see, and sent another orc scurrying backwards. To the south, the bowmen took advantage of their opponent's idleness and rushed beyond the westernmost edge of the Crumbling Remnants, before loosening their arrows. One Uruk-Hai retreated, whilst another fell to the ground, dead.

Lurtz was suddenly barking orders out from somewhere within the western shadows, as another "fighting Uruk-Hai" emerged and urged his brethren east towards the closest of the human bowmen. The Gondorians responded by killing one of the orcs, and were joined on the 'front line' by Faramir and a swordsmen; it seemed certain that within moments the two warbands were close together and hand-to-hand fighting would take place.

THE URUK-HAI CONTINUE TO POUR EAST TOWARDS FARAMIR'S FORCES

With a roar those creatures of Isengard visible to their foes suddenly swung south and headed straight towards the pair of startled archers stood just by the southwestern edge of the Crumbling Remnants. The orc 'surge' was momentarily 'pushed back' by a panicked hail of arrows, and sensing that perhaps the moment had come for a heroic deed, the warrior of Minas Tirith beside Boromir's brother, charged into the nearest Uruk-Hai... And was unceremoniously hacked to pieces...

The smell of man-flesh and human blood presumably finally incensed Saruman's lack-lustre force into action, and the entire morass of dark, vaguely-shaped shadows flooded forwards and reached one of the Gondorian archers. The bowman desperately tried to use his weapon to fend off the attacking Uruk-Hai, but was unsurprisingly knocked to the ground. However, before the man could be run through with one of the orcs' vile swords, his colleague fatally pierced his assailant with an arrow.

THE TWO FORCES FINALLY ENGAGE IN HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT

To the north, one of the archers' bows snapped asunder through over-use, and as a result, the two bowmen decided to retreat east away from their formidable-looking enemies. The Gondorian line was still holding Mount Fang's minions at bay, as well as dwindling away their numbers. But their 'trap' was starting to falter and their own strength beginning to ebb away...

Sensing that a sudden savage push could 'break' the weakling humans and hurl them back east in tatters, the Uruk-Hai pushed further east, with one orc fast-approaching the fallen Gondorian archer, and another even daring to challenge Denethor's youngest son. Amazingly however, before any sword could fall in anger, the prone human bowman was suddenly back upon his feet and firing an "Aimed Shot" at the oncoming creature of Isengard...

THE URUK-HAI'S BREAK-OUT FAILS JUST AS THE GONDORIAN LINE IS ABOUT TO BREAK

With a groan, the servant of Saruman the Wise fell dead to the ground, and the Uruk-Hai's fighting spirit was momentarily broken - Faramir's plan had worked, and Osgiliath would remain in Gondor's hands for a while longer at least.