Playing Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, Battle Companies. Game 2

My Friend Lou and I started a Battle Companies campaign. If your not familiar with it, BC allows you to play out linked battles, grow your warband over time, using the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game rules.

"An expansion for the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game, this 80-page hardback allows you to assemble a small warband and, over the course of many linked games, watch as its members gain experience, learn skills and become battle-hardened." 

I went with a Lothlorien force and Lou chose Uruk-Hai. I had 3 Galadhrim Warriors and 3 Wood Elves, 2 of which had bows. Lou had 7 scouts 2 of which had bow.

 We had one battle already that I won, but can't find the pics to do a Battle Report. So this is our 2nd battle. Each of us had small upgrades to our Warriors. 

We rolled on the Scenario chart and came up with - Rescue. One side sets up 3 figures in the center of the table (Defender) and the other side sets up 6 inches away (Attacker). The Attacker has to kill a specific model. The Defender has to reduce the other side to 50%. The balance of the Defenders forces come on at the end of turn one. Lou was the Defender and I was the Attacker. 

 Overall Board

 Ready for action

 Here we go.

  I get priority as per the scenario. I charge 2 guys into my target with support.

 Lou responded by adding 2 guys into the fight to peal off the support. I won all 3 combats, but only killed one, not my target.

 Next round he flees towards his reinforcements

 I pursue.

 I catch up but the Uruk-Hai quickly bring up support.

 My Target is on the right, out of combat. I gang up on one guy.

 His support comes up and again splits off my support. I lose badly, 2 dead.

 My Archers pick off one of his Archers.

 I retreat back towards my Archers so I don't get ganged up on.

 We pull back again, so I can get some shooting in, but no luck.

 If I lose priority he will be on me.

 And I lose priority, so we clash. My target is off the left, he doesn't want to risk him in combat.

 I kill one.

 He has priority again, our lines get mixed. He commits his guy I need to kill to the fray.

 No one dies and we are back at it. 4 individual combats.

 If I lose 1 guy I go below 50% which is his victory condition. If his one Uruk dies that I have to kill, that is my victory condition. So we are all in!

I lose one, and fail to kill my target(lower right Uruk) and so I lose the game! 

It was a fun game back and forth. After the game you figure out advances and effects of wounds. I rolled very badly on the "recovery" chart. The effect is Lost in Battle, meaning I left a man behind. So the next battle I play with my warband is Secure the Area, with my wounded guy in the middle of the board. So I'm down a guy going in, and have to rescue him. 

Some of the Recovery effects add character to the game. The Uruk-Hai's leader has a leg wound so he is minus one move. My Galadhrim Archer who is lost had got a free might point in shooting in the first battle, so he is the last guy I want to lose. 

We are gonna try to get some more guys in the campaign so we can mix up the armies. Failing that we will just start new Warbands and randomly roll to see who fights that night. 

Cheers, Xin