Re: (TFT) My new TFT Web Site

[Mark Tapley <mtapley@swri.edu>]

Cool!

A couple of comments/questions wrt the Khazad-Dum scenario:

1) Gandalf should have 4-hex or 7-hex fire! Not that he used it in 
the book at *that* battle, but he did use (something like that) on 
the Wargs. That could make holding a bridge a lot easier until the 
Balrog shows up at that bridge.
Imagine: Troll drops bridge into place, then Gandalf sets the *whole 
length* of it afire. Sam waits to finish off whatever singed remnants 
make it across.
2) Is Gandalf -4 DX with Glamdring? He might merit an exception to 
the Wizards/weapons rule.
3) "Slippery Floor" is a spell that I'll bet Gandalf would have 
enjoyed. I can't think of any precedent in the books, but still... 
and that spell on a bridge could be particularly nasty.
4) Gandalf appears to know 17 spells on an IQ of 16, in addition to 
the ones I suggest. I'd boost his IQ.

5) You allow Legolas Missile Weapons, you might allow Gimli Thrown 
Weapons and at least one spare throwable Ax/mace type weapon. In 
support of this, you might have some or all of the orcs carry hammers 
or hatchets or something Gimli can ready/throw in a single turn, when 
he is standing beside the body of a fallen orc.
6) You might make Gimli's Battle Ax Fine +1 or Fine +2 (not magic). 
(cf. his complaining about getting it notched, later at Helm's Deep.)
7) Of the four main fighters (Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli), you 
have rated Gimli the weakest (by 3-4 points). I'd vote him a few more 
points of DX, so he can effectively make Sweeping Blows with his Axe. 
With that and Iron Flesh from Gandalf, he could hold the sharp end of 
a bridge for a pretty good while.

(can you tell I'm a dwarf sympathizer?)

8) Legolas might merit the Running talent, in view of the chase in book 2.

9) Trolls may be stupid, but they hate fire. I think they probably 
should be subject to the 2-hex fear of the Balrog, a "creature of 
fire".

Strategy questions:
What happens if:

1) Fellowship swarms to the edge of the fire crevice, and holds the 
near side until the Balrog appears (Gandalf saves strength, Legolas 
kills archers, trolls neutralized on bridges by Defending Hobbits).

2) Gandalf and Legolas go after the Balrog with lightning and arrows. 
If he gets close, Gimli throws axe, getting large-target DX bonus.

3) When Balrog dies, Fellowship falls back behind Merry and Pippin, 
who just do Disengage-Disengage-Disengage-retreat across bridge. 
Legolas finishes off Goblin archers. Endgame is for Merry and Pippin 
to disengage out door, following others.

How does this fail? It looks to me as though the fellowship has the 
resources to win most times. All they have to do is kill the Balrog 
and get out? Gandalf should do about 70 points with a 21-ST 
lightning, leaving just 30 for Legolas to finish off at 1.5/shot 
(average). That's just 5 turns for Legolas. Surely the others can 
dodge, defend and disengage to keep the orcs and trolls busy that 
long? After that, it's just getting out the door.

Actually, if I'm right, the Fellowship could just hold the stone 
bridges until Legolas finishes off *everyone* but the trolls, then 
swarm them. But that would take a while, and a limitless supply of 
arrows for Legolas.

--
					- Mark
			210-522-6025, page 888-733-0967
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