It was a Dark & Stormy Night

Ruffians on the Run 

The scenario takes place on a dark and stormy night, as a band of ruffians attempt to sneak through Farmer maggot's farm. But they hadn't reckoned with farmer Maggot's faithful hounds finding them. 

Mr Pumpkin the Scarecrow

This scenario features in both versions of the Scouring of the Shire source book with only a few minor adjustments. In the new version there is an extra ruffian (taking the total to six) and now three of them have bows. However, they now have to get four figures off the board instead of three from the original scenario. So, I don't think it has got much easier for the ruffians.   I don't have the new army book, so had to use the stats in the original version not that I expect they have changed much. 

One of the biggest challenges from this sourcebook is that all of the games are very small, this one only has ten models in total. Therefore, a little bit of luck can change the game quite dramatically (as was the case in this game) but if the scenario is well balanced then this should work out (most of the time). Something which I think was a problem in the first edition of the sourcebook and which I will come back too as I play more scenarios. 

If I can manage to get organised, then I will try and run through the scenarios in something like the right order and actually use the campaign rules in the 2nd edition. 

Farmer Maggot with Fang, Grip & Wolf

Villains of the piece led by Old Will. 

Battle Summary 

The ruffians decided to split into two groups and skirt round each size. Luck was on their side, and they managed to get halfway across the board before one group were spotted by a lone hound. The closest three ruffians decided to take their chance and charged the hound, one ruffian losing his nerve before he could reach the hound. The other two got a nasty surprise and the hound bit back, but none were wounded (and this set the pattern for the rest of the game, as the good side didn't cause any wounds for the entire game). 

Dirty sneaks. 

The other group saw this as their chance and raced for the table edge down the middle. Two archers stayed back (very noble for ruffians! or perhaps they were hoping the hounds wouldn't notice them) trying to draw the hounds away from the fleeing mob gathering in the centre.  Farmer maggot was roused (at the first attempt) at this key point but ended up on the wrong side of the fence. Ironically arriving later may have helped the good side, as they had to guess where the ruffians would head towards whilst they were still quite far from the table edge. And so, he was too far over to one side. Maggot did score one hit but failed to wound later in the game. 

Ruffians on the run. 

From this point onwards it was a race to the edge as the ruffians were generally luckier with priority, crossing obstacles or in single combats. And so, one by one all three hounds were lost, and all the ruffians escaped. It seems quite a one-sided tally for the battle but for a couple of turns it could have gone either way if the hobbit or the hounds had managed to score a wound...

Anyway, a fun start and in the campaign, the ruffians gain an additional three models in the battle of the Bywater scenario. 

Rob