{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} Ooh, jammers. Haven't gotten to play with these here yet. Alright, so, here're my thoughts on strategy. I'm sure they'll expect us to rush to capture as many regions as possible (and rightly so), but I'm guessing that they be looking for much more than that. That said, I propose that we not only capture regions, but that we also start besieging as many sub-HQs as we can as soon as possible. At the very least, we need to contest their most-desired regions, and set up defensive positions in key locations. My first move is to be to rush the Forodwaith, Celduin, and ultimately Gundabad. I'll be sending a steady stream of troops (as soon as they're generated) straight from the Iron Hills to get to the Forodwaith before Tuvok/Gundabad, while a few troops from Erebor secure Celduin. All generated troops (besides minimal defending forces) will be moving to secure those two regions until things are under control, then all additional forces will march on Gundabad. My goal is to restore Gundabad to the Dwarves before Tuvok has time to fortify it too heavily. As for other HQs, I have a few suggestions. First, someone, probably Rivendell, needs to contest the High Pass. MM's made it clear that Goblin-town is going to be swarming the High Pass right off the bat. The more we make him fight for the region, the more troops it will cost him, and the more time. If the Beornings could reinforce them, it's possible that the High Pass could actually be secured, which would greatly frustrate MM's plans. He'll be spending all of his resources on it, and I don't expect him to rest until he has it within his grasp (which would make it a drain for our troops too, but less so than for him). Some troops should also be sent to Hollin so as to delay Moria and buy time for Bree to expand. Bree, on the other hand, should make all haste for Tharbad and Angmar to intercept advancing Wildmen and Orcs. If they do that, and I can get the Forodwaith, than that leaves Evil cut off from most of Eriador, which Bree can take control with just a few troops without too much worry. If all goes well, Bree should become a powerhouse in just a few days, with perhaps as many as fourteen regions. Mirkwood is obviously going to need to be holding back Dol Guldur. Actually, I think that that's what they should spend most of their resources on. If Mirkwood can pin down Dol Guldur, that will give the rest of the Northeast some breathing room to focus on border control with Rhun, Gundabad, Isengard, and Moria/Goblin-town. On the whole, they should advance southwards, primarily Mirkwood and the regions between it and the Misty Mountains. Lothlorien, on the other hand, should immediately blockade the Dimrill Dale with all possible troops in order to hold back the tides of Moria for a time. Next, Dale should move south, staying on the east side of Mirkwood. They'll be directly facing Rhun, and perhaps Mordor soon after. The Beornings, on the other hand, should be much different. If a few of them could initiate the Siege of Gundabad, that would make my job with the Forodwaith a little bit easier, and I'd be able to take over the siege much sooner. Besides that, they should assist our nearby allies, reinforcing the High Pass, and whatever Mirkwood ends up having to face. If things go well, they can move south and reinforce Lorien at the Dimrill Dale. And lastly (sorry Gondor, you're on your own ), Rohan's first priority should be to fortify the West Emnet. I don't see much hope in us capturing the Gap of Rohan early on (or at least not hold it). If they can hold the West Emnet, the Isengard will be kept to the west side of the Misty Mountains, further contained by Bree at Tharbad along with Rivendell at Hollin. As soon as the West Emnet is deemed secure enough, Fangorn can move north and assist with the Dimrill Dale (and perhaps Dol Guldur), while Edoras should move east to secure as much land as possible and also check on Mordor. They'll probably need to assist with the Ithilien area, too.
How does this sound to everyone? If all goes well, we'll keep Moria and Isengard from expanding any significant amount, we'll cripple Dol Guldur by frustrating its plans and capturing Gundabad, while keeping check on Rhun and Mordor. If things go fast enough, we might even be able to secure the North so that further troops could move southwards. It'll require a lot of cooperation and communication though (and each of us keeping an eye on each other's backs), as we'll have to act fast in order to stay one step ahead of Evil as it reacts to our movements.
{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{Spoiler}{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} Good! But make sure you move westwards, too. Mirkwood/Lothlorien are the ones responsible for holding the eastern side of Moria. That would be Gundabad, but hopefully not for long.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} Ooh, jammers. Haven't gotten to play with these here yet. Alright, so, here're my thoughts on strategy. I'm sure they'll expect us to rush to capture as many regions as possible (and rightly so), but I'm guessing that they be looking for much more than that. That said, I propose that we not only capture regions, but that we also start besieging as many sub-HQs as we can as soon as possible. At the very least, we need to contest their most-desired regions, and set up defensive positions in key locations. My first move is to be to rush the Forodwaith, Celduin, and ultimately Gundabad. I'll be sending a steady stream of troops (as soon as they're generated) straight from the Iron Hills to get to the Forodwaith before Tuvok/Gundabad, while a few troops from Erebor secure Celduin. All generated troops (besides minimal defending forces) will be moving to secure those two regions until things are under control, then all additional forces will march on Gundabad. My goal is to restore Gundabad to the Dwarves before Tuvok has time to fortify it too heavily. As for other HQs, I have a few suggestions. First, someone, probably Rivendell, needs to contest the High Pass. MM's made it clear that Goblin-town is going to be swarming the High Pass right off the bat. The more we make him fight for the region, the more troops it will cost him, and the more time. If the Beornings could reinforce them, it's possible that the High Pass could actually be secured, which would greatly frustrate MM's plans. He'll be spending all of his resources on it, and I don't expect him to rest until he has it within his grasp (which would make it a drain for our troops too, but less so than for him). Some troops should also be sent to Hollin so as to delay Moria and buy time for Bree to expand. Bree, on the other hand, should make all haste for Tharbad and Angmar to intercept advancing Wildmen and Orcs. If they do that, and I can get the Forodwaith, than that leaves Evil cut off from most of Eriador, which Bree can take control with just a few troops without too much worry. If all goes well, Bree should become a powerhouse in just a few days, with perhaps as many as fourteen regions. Mirkwood is obviously going to need to be holding back Dol Guldur. Actually, I think that that's what they should spend most of their resources on. If Mirkwood can pin down Dol Guldur, that will give the rest of the Northeast some breathing room to focus on border control with Rhun, Gundabad, Isengard, and Moria/Goblin-town. On the whole, they should advance southwards, primarily Mirkwood and the regions between it and the Misty Mountains. Lothlorien, on the other hand, should immediately blockade the Dimrill Dale with all possible troops in order to hold back the tides of Moria for a time. Next, Dale should move south, staying on the east side of Mirkwood. They'll be directly facing Rhun, and perhaps Mordor soon after. The Beornings, on the other hand, should be much different. If a few of them could initiate the Siege of Gundabad, that would make my job with the Forodwaith a little bit easier, and I'd be able to take over the siege much sooner. Besides that, they should assist our nearby allies, reinforcing the High Pass, and whatever Mirkwood ends up having to face. If things go well, they can move south and reinforce Lorien at the Dimrill Dale. And lastly (sorry Gondor, you're on your own ), Rohan's first priority should be to fortify the West Emnet. I don't see much hope in us capturing the Gap of Rohan early on (or at least not hold it). If they can hold the West Emnet, the Isengard will be kept to the west side of the Misty Mountains, further contained by Bree at Tharbad along with Rivendell at Hollin. As soon as the West Emnet is deemed secure enough, Fangorn can move north and assist with the Dimrill Dale (and perhaps Dol Guldur), while Edoras should move east to secure as much land as possible and also check on Mordor. They'll probably need to assist with the Ithilien area, too.
How does this sound to everyone? If all goes well, we'll keep Moria and Isengard from expanding any significant amount, we'll cripple Dol Guldur by frustrating its plans and capturing Gundabad, while keeping check on Rhun and Mordor. If things go fast enough, we might even be able to secure the North so that further troops could move southwards. It'll require a lot of cooperation and communication though (and each of us keeping an eye on each other's backs), as we'll have to act fast in order to stay one step ahead of Evil as it reacts to our movements.
sounds good.
Good! Now let's all just keep tabs on this topic, in case there are any changes.
Dale: For Dale I am planning on pushing out into Rhovanion I want to send 4 armys of 3000 to claim east, west, south, Rhovanion, and the brown lands, or maybe dorwonion. I will also send 5000 troops to Dol Guldor to hopefully win the battle at C mirkwood, freeing the Mirkwood to help in the vale of the Aundun
Lothlorion: I want to send out some troops to claim celebrent, and maybe the wold. And then send the rest of that army to the Drimall Dale to Hold off Moria.
Beornings: The skinchangers will claim the wilderland, VOA, and gladin fields regions first. They will then split ip and head to Gundabad and the high pass/goblin town.
Dale: For Dale I am planning on pushing out into Rhovanion I want to send 4 armys of 3000 to claim east, west, south, Rhovanion, and the brown lands, or maybe dorwonion. I will also send 5000 troops to Dol Guldor to hopefully win the battle at C mirkwood, freeing the Mirkwood to help in the vale of the Aundun
Lothlorion: I want to send out some troops to claim celebrent, and maybe the wold. And then send the rest of that army to the Drimall Dale to Hold off Moria.
Beornings: The skinchangers will claim the wilderland, VOA, and gladin fields regions first. They will then split ip and head to Gundabad and the high pass/goblin town.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} Sounds good, although I was kinda hoping Mirkwood would be able to have more regions than just Central Mirkwood. If it's better that way, though, I won't complain.
Dale: For Dale I am planning on pushing out into Rhovanion I want to send 4 armys of 3000 to claim east, west, south, Rhovanion, and the brown lands, or maybe dorwonion. I will also send 5000 troops to Dol Guldor to hopefully win the battle at C mirkwood, freeing the Mirkwood to help in the vale of the Aundun
Lothlorion: I want to send out some troops to claim celebrent, and maybe the wold. And then send the rest of that army to the Drimall Dale to Hold off Moria.
Beornings: The skinchangers will claim the wilderland, VOA, and gladin fields regions first. They will then split ip and head to Gundabad and the high pass/goblin town.
{JAMMERS! -Good- ONLY!} I don't know if you should rush Moria like that. Perhaps you could take the Dimrill Dale, but not attack. Simply keep MM restrained until EE or someone else can bring in a large, fresh army to finish him off.
Dale: For Dale I am planning on pushing out into Rhovanion I want to send 4 armys of 3000 to claim east, west, south, Rhovanion, and the brown lands, or maybe dorwonion. I will also send 5000 troops to Dol Guldor to hopefully win the battle at C mirkwood, freeing the Mirkwood to help in the vale of the Aundun
Lothlorion: I want to send out some troops to claim celebrent, and maybe the wold. And then send the rest of that army to the Drimall Dale to Hold off Moria.
Beornings: The skinchangers will claim the wilderland, VOA, and gladin fields regions first. They will then split ip and head to Gundabad and the high pass/goblin town.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} Sounds good, although I was kinda hoping Mirkwood would be able to have more regions than just Central Mirkwood. If it's better that way, though, I won't complain.
{JAMMERS! -Forces Of GOOD- ONLY!} I was just going of of KK's plan, if you want a reagion like wilderland or VOA, you can have it, I was just thinking that most of Mirkwoods forces would be needed defending against Dol Guldor. And this plan is only for the beginning and I'm sure that you and mirkwood will end up with several regions.
Dale: For Dale I am planning on pushing out into Rhovanion I want to send 4 armys of 3000 to claim east, west, south, Rhovanion, and the brown lands, or maybe dorwonion. I will also send 5000 troops to Dol Guldor to hopefully win the battle at C mirkwood, freeing the Mirkwood to help in the vale of the Aundun
Lothlorion: I want to send out some troops to claim celebrent, and maybe the wold. And then send the rest of that army to the Drimall Dale to Hold off Moria.
Beornings: The skinchangers will claim the wilderland, VOA, and gladin fields regions first. They will then split ip and head to Gundabad and the high pass/goblin town.
{JAMMERS! -Good- ONLY!} I don't know if you should rush Moria like that. Perhaps you could take the Dimrill Dale, but not attack. Simply keep MM restrained until EE or someone else can bring in a large, fresh army to finish him off.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} So, updates! I'm going to start from the beginning again, just to make sure everything gets put down neatly.
First off, it looks like all HQs are going to start fully generated. That means that we can all use every one of our units right off the bat, but it also means that our raids on the different sub-HQs are going to meet much more resistance earlier on, and won't be able to limit their troops as well. Second, these are our opponents, along with my suspicions of what they'll do:
Moria/Goblin-town, MM (and Thrawn, I think): MM has made most of his plans pretty clear now. He's intent on capturing the High Pass, and I don't believe he'll give up until he owns it (even at the cost of missed opportunites). Let's use this to our advantage. Expect about three thousand Goblins going to the Gladden Fields on the first day, and nine thousand to the High Pass. I haven't been able to gather quite as much about Moria, but there isn't a whole lot he can do there. It looks like he'll be putting a little more emphasis on Hollin than the Dimrill Dale, though, so expect ten thousand troops to Dimrill and about fourteen to Hollin. Beyond these first-day moves (which hopefully he won't get past too quickly, with our troops), I expect general expansion from him, without too much focus on individual key regions. Keep in mind that he likes tanks and Trolls, so bring some artillery if you can if you're going to fight him.
Dol Guldur/Gundabad, Tuvok: Like MM, I'm guessing that he'll try to expand as quickly as possible in every direction, but I'm also guessing that he'll put more focus on Central Mirkwood and probably Angmar. If my memory serves me right, he'll have a lot of Trolls and heavy infantry.
Rhun/Khand, Thrawn: Since Thrawn's new, I sadly don't have much to go off of for him. However, using my top-notch Sherlock Holmes deduction skills, I've got a few ideas. Based upon a few things, including his username, the way he talks, and just my general first impression of him (in other words, I have absolutely nothing of any weight to back up my suspicions ), my guess is that he'll be quite aggressive. Expect him to expand as fast as possible, and he may even attack the Iron Hills right from the get-go. However, despite this aggression, he doesn't appear to have a whole lot of tactical experience (based upon his conversations in the LotR Cafe, so I actually have something to back this up with ). Putting these two traits together, there's a good chance that he'll be somewhat reckless in his movements. When fighting him, stand strong against his attacks, but keep some troops and an eye out for any openings he gives you. Once you find one, strike hard and fast, and either his army will cave in upon itself or he'll leave the attacked troops to destruction.
Isengard/Dunland, CC (and maybe MM): CC is probably our most experienced opponent (though I never did get to fight him), but also the most orthodox. That's not to say that fighting him will be any easier, though. His Dunlendings will probably move straight to Tharbad and Hollin, while most of his Uruk-hai will go for the West Emnet. A few, however, may actually try to strike Andrast, though I'm not so sure about that. As I said, I never got to fight him, but I have gathered a few things. In combat, he will know how to respond to your moves, so don't expect victory to come easily even if you manage to get the upper-hand on him. But while he will be crafty in his attacks, he will also be relatively conventional (at least compared to others). Watch yourself, and make sure you don't leave yourself exposed.
Mordor/Minas Morgul, Shamrock: Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Shamrock. My suspicions, though, tell me that his Minas Morgul troops will move to Osgiliath and whatever lies southwards, while Mordor will split between eastern Rohan and Osgiliath. He'll probably leave the North and East to others.
Harad/Umbar, MLB: MLB I should know well, though I don't. Despite that, my guess is that Harad will move north, probably to Osgiliath, but maybe Lebennin too. Umbar will probably attack somewhere on Gondor's southern coast, though he may take inspiration from Rex and attack the Grey Havens or some other place in Eriador.
To summarize, our plan is to hold back Evil's expansion. Focus on the bottleneck regions and stop the enemy there. The few border-regions we have, the more concentrated our troops will be and the few places we can fail. Because Erebor will be focusing solely on Gundabad at first, most of you will be outnumbered, but don't panic. With most of the battles you'll be in, your goal isn't so much to defeat the enemy as it is to simply stand in their way. You don't need to win, you just can't lose. And if you find that you're not well prepared against the enemy, or simply that your troops won't be able to hold on much longer, let us know here as soon as you can. Tell us where you're in trouble, what you're against, and what you need, and we'll get it to you. Some armies will be less pressured than others and should be able to send reinforcements if needed. The key to the plan working is communication and cooperation. Don't wait to ask for help until it's too late, and don't pull troops from other places to stay alive unless that's the only option. Chances are, somebody's got a better way to deal with your problem, has less of a need for the troops, or is simply closer. Now, onto the details! This is going HQ by HQ, with a few sub-HQs under their own section (due to having completely different focuses than their parent-HQ):
Erebor/Iron Hills, myself/LB: The Mountain will be acting as the invasion force for the general operation. Our first target will be Gundabad, along with the Forodwaith. Personally, I'll be taking thirteen thousand troops directly to Gundabad. My goal there is to overwhelm and capture it as quickly as possible. Hopefully thirteen thousand will be overkill, so that I can send some as reinforcements to other places, but I'm not counting on that being the case. LB, I'm going to have you take five thousand troops from the Iron Hills straight to the Forodwaith to capture it, then bring a couple hundred to the Withered Heath to secure while leaving the last two thousand or so at the Hills themselves as reinforcements or defense should Thrawn invade. We can re-distribute our troops later, but at first I need you to handle the Iron Hills' movements while I control Erebor to keep things simple (mainly because getting two users to fight to same battles in tandem is just going to make things more difficult for us). Once you capture the Forodwaith, I'll either have you reinforce me at Gundabad, or else go to help someone else (likely somewhere in Eriador).
Dale, 8L: You'll be holding the eastern front and watching our backs while you're at it. You'll mostly be facing Rhun, but probably Dol Guldur and maybe even Mordor too. I need you to move southwards as quickly as possible, covering as much of Rhovanion as you can. You're taking Celduin (and Esgaroth of course) along with any other region to the south that you can beat Evil to (which unfortunately won't be many). Should Thrawn meet you in Celduin, don't get held up there. Leave just enough troops to deal with him, but send as many as you can further south. Besides that, attack any nearby region that's left exposed, and then you may be sent as reinforcements somewhere when the time comes (perhaps the Iron Hills if Thrawn invades, but more likely somewhere against Dol Guldur or Mordor).
Bree/Rivendell, EE: As I said before, you'll probably have one of the hardest jobs here. But remember, most of your battles you don't need to win, you just need to make sure the enemy doesn't expand uncontested. Specifically, you'll have at least three different fronts, and probably five separate battles. I'd recommend sending two thousand Elves to the High Pass and five thousand to Hollin (leaving five hundred at Rivendell). You need to contest both of these regions and make sure the enemy doesn't get past them too quickly. The Beornings should take over for you at the High Pass after a day or two, but you'll need to keep MM from claiming it until they get there. Fortunately, should Eregion fall to the combined attacks of Moria and Dunland, it isn't your last defense. Through expansion by land, the next target is Rivendell itself (though obviously that should be avoided). Bree will need to split its forces between Tharbad and the Angmar area. Tharbad first, though. Hold the enemy at Tharbad, and most of your southern lands should remain safe (assuming the enemy doesn't get too crafty). While a few troops will need to go to the North Downs and Lone Lands, you just need to hold Tuvok back for a short amount of time. Ideally, his troops in Angmar will pull back to reinforce Gundabad, and then later LB can take some Dwarves down to assist you either there or somewhere else. Try not to spend to many troops on securing the local regions, but also don't leave your coast too exposed until MLB's navy is confirmed to be engaged elsewhere.
Beornings, 8L: First priority is to keep MM busy at the High Pass and Gladden Fields. Move troops immediately to both of these regions as needed to deal with him, but also try to capture the Upper Vales of the Anduin (and lower, if you can/if Lothlorien doesn't get it). There's a chance that you may also need to come up to Gundabad, but hopefully not.
Lothlorien, Rex: Keep Moria from expanding beyond the Dimrill Dale. You should also capture Celebrant and the lower Vales of the Anduin, but frustrating MM's advancements is your first priority. If things go well, you may get to go reinforce Rohan, but that won't be until later.
Mirkwood, Rex: You'll need to keep Dol Guldur busy. Get Central Mirkwood, obviously, but from there you'll need to go around Dol Guldur to move southwards. You'll also be a backup for both the eastern and western fronts, so we may call on you if 8L somehow gets overwhelmed.
Edoras/Fangorn, LA: You'll also have a hard job. First priority is to secure the West Emnet and set up a defensive there so that CC can't expand eastwards. You may also have to keep Mordor in check in the East, so keep an eye on Shamrock's movements. Be sure to grab a few regions to your east, including Anorien, Nindalf/Noman Lands, and maybe the Emyn Muil. If things go badly for Lothlorien, your Ents will likely be the first ones we call on.
Minas Tirith/Dol Amroth, LB: Just hold out for us, and we'll get aid to you eventually. Don't worry about going on the offensive, but focus on keeping you three/four enemy HQs back. Try to set up a defense at Pelargir and Osgiliath, as those will be the easiest places to hold. Fortunately, you have the advantage with these two regions. You've got a one-day lead on Minas Morgul going to Osgiliath from Minas Tirith, and a two-day lead on Harad to Pelargir from Dol Amroth. Don't forget to send some troops to Andrast in case CC attacks your backside, and make sure that Anorien gets secured by either you or Rohan. You might also want a small navy to offset the threat of Umbar.
And I believe that should be all. Again, keep tabs on this topic, and don't hesitate to pass any information on. The key to our success is communication and cooperation. If you have any struggles, let us know here and we can try to do something about it. Also make sure that when we start you get your first moves out as early as possible, as that could make the difference in a few of these battles.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} So, updates! I'm going to start from the beginning again, just to make sure everything gets put down neatly.
First off, it looks like all HQs are going to start fully generated. That means that we can all use every one of our units right off the bat, but it also means that our raids on the different sub-HQs are going to meet much more resistance earlier on, and won't be able to limit their troops as well. Second, these are our opponents, along with my suspicions of what they'll do:
Moria/Goblin-town, MM (and Thrawn, I think): MM has made most of his plans pretty clear now. He's intent on capturing the High Pass, and I don't believe he'll give up until he owns it (even at the cost of missed opportunites). Let's use this to our advantage. Expect about three thousand Goblins going to the Gladden Fields on the first day, and nine thousand to the High Pass. I haven't been able to gather quite as much about Moria, but there isn't a whole lot he can do there. It looks like he'll be putting a little more emphasis on Hollin than the Dimrill Dale, though, so expect ten thousand troops to Dimrill and about fourteen to Hollin. Beyond these first-day moves (which hopefully he won't get past too quickly, with our troops), I expect general expansion from him, without too much focus on individual key regions. Keep in mind that he likes tanks and Trolls, so bring some artillery if you can if you're going to fight him.
Dol Guldur/Gundabad, Tuvok: Like MM, I'm guessing that he'll try to expand as quickly as possible in every direction, but I'm also guessing that he'll put more focus on Central Mirkwood and probably Angmar. If my memory serves me right, he'll have a lot of Trolls and heavy infantry.
Rhun/Khand, Thrawn: Since Thrawn's new, I sadly don't have much to go off of for him. However, using my top-notch Sherlock Holmes deduction skills, I've got a few ideas. Based upon a few things, including his username, the way he talks, and just my general first impression of him (in other words, I have absolutely nothing of any weight to back up my suspicions ), my guess is that he'll be quite aggressive. Expect him to expand as fast as possible, and he may even attack the Iron Hills right from the get-go. However, despite this aggression, he doesn't appear to have a whole lot of tactical experience (based upon his conversations in the LotR Cafe, so I actually have something to back this up with ). Putting these two traits together, there's a good chance that he'll be somewhat reckless in his movements. When fighting him, stand strong against his attacks, but keep some troops and an eye out for any openings he gives you. Once you find one, strike hard and fast, and either his army will cave in upon itself or he'll leave the attacked troops to destruction.
Isengard/Dunland, CC (and maybe MM): CC is probably our most experienced opponent (though I never did get to fight him), but also the most orthodox. That's not to say that fighting him will be any easier, though. His Dunlendings will probably move straight to Tharbad and Hollin, while most of his Uruk-hai will go for the West Emnet. A few, however, may actually try to strike Andrast, though I'm not so sure about that. As I said, I never got to fight him, but I have gathered a few things. In combat, he will know how to respond to your moves, so don't expect victory to come easily even if you manage to get the upper-hand on him. But while he will be crafty in his attacks, he will also be relatively conventional (at least compared to others). Watch yourself, and make sure you don't leave yourself exposed.
Mordor/Minas Morgul, Shamrock: Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Shamrock. My suspicions, though, tell me that his Minas Morgul troops will move to Osgiliath and whatever lies southwards, while Mordor will split between eastern Rohan and Osgiliath. He'll probably leave the North and East to others.
Harad/Umbar, MLB: MLB I should know well, though I don't. Despite that, my guess is that Harad will move north, probably to Osgiliath, but maybe Lebennin too. Umbar will probably attack somewhere on Gondor's southern coast, though he may take inspiration from Rex and attack the Grey Havens or some other place in Eriador.
To summarize, our plan is to hold back Evil's expansion. Focus on the bottleneck regions and stop the enemy there. The few border-regions we have, the more concentrated our troops will be and the few places we can fail. Because Erebor will be focusing solely on Gundabad at first, most of you will be outnumbered, but don't panic. With most of the battles you'll be in, your goal isn't so much to defeat the enemy as it is to simply stand in their way. You don't need to win, you just can't lose. And if you find that you're not well prepared against the enemy, or simply that your troops won't be able to hold on much longer, let us know here as soon as you can. Tell us where you're in trouble, what you're against, and what you need, and we'll get it to you. Some armies will be less pressured than others and should be able to send reinforcements if needed. The key to the plan working is communication and cooperation. Don't wait to ask for help until it's too late, and don't pull troops from other places to stay alive unless that's the only option. Chances are, somebody's got a better way to deal with your problem, has less of a need for the troops, or is simply closer. Now, onto the details! This is going HQ by HQ, with a few sub-HQs under their own section (due to having completely different focuses than their parent-HQ):
Erebor/Iron Hills, myself/LB: The Mountain will be acting as the invasion force for the general operation. Our first target will be Gundabad, along with the Forodwaith. Personally, I'll be taking thirteen thousand troops directly to Gundabad. My goal there is to overwhelm and capture it as quickly as possible. Hopefully thirteen thousand will be overkill, so that I can send some as reinforcements to other places, but I'm not counting on that being the case. LB, I'm going to have you take five thousand troops from the Iron Hills straight to the Forodwaith to capture it, then bring a couple hundred to the Withered Heath to secure while leaving the last two thousand or so at the Hills themselves as reinforcements or defense should Thrawn invade. We can re-distribute our troops later, but at first I need you to handle the Iron Hills' movements while I control Erebor to keep things simple (mainly because getting two users to fight to same battles in tandem is just going to make things more difficult for us). Once you capture the Forodwaith, I'll either have you reinforce me at Gundabad, or else go to help someone else (likely somewhere in Eriador).
Dale, 8L: You'll be holding the eastern front and watching our backs while you're at it. You'll mostly be facing Rhun, but probably Dol Guldur and maybe even Mordor too. I need you to move southwards as quickly as possible, covering as much of Rhovanion as you can. You're taking Celduin (and Esgaroth of course) along with any other region to the south that you can beat Evil to (which unfortunately won't be many). Should Thrawn meet you in Celduin, don't get held up there. Leave just enough troops to deal with him, but send as many as you can further south. Besides that, attack any nearby region that's left exposed, and then you may be sent as reinforcements somewhere when the time comes (perhaps the Iron Hills if Thrawn invades, but more likely somewhere against Dol Guldur or Mordor).
Bree/Rivendell, EE: As I said before, you'll probably have one of the hardest jobs here. But remember, most of your battles you don't need to win, you just need to make sure the enemy doesn't expand uncontested. Specifically, you'll have at least three different fronts, and probably five separate battles. I'd recommend sending two thousand Elves to the High Pass and five thousand to Hollin (leaving five hundred at Rivendell). You need to contest both of these regions and make sure the enemy doesn't get past them too quickly. The Beornings should take over for you at the High Pass after a day or two, but you'll need to keep MM from claiming it until they get there. Fortunately, should Eregion fall to the combined attacks of Moria and Dunland, it isn't your last defense. Through expansion by land, the next target is Rivendell itself (though obviously that should be avoided). Bree will need to split its forces between Tharbad and the Angmar area. Tharbad first, though. Hold the enemy at Tharbad, and most of your southern lands should remain safe (assuming the enemy doesn't get too crafty). While a few troops will need to go to the North Downs and Lone Lands, you just need to hold Tuvok back for a short amount of time. Ideally, his troops in Angmar will pull back to reinforce Gundabad, and then later LB can take some Dwarves down to assist you either there or somewhere else. Try not to spend to many troops on securing the local regions, but also don't leave your coast too exposed until MLB's navy is confirmed to be engaged elsewhere.
Beornings, 8L: First priority is to keep MM busy at the High Pass and Gladden Fields. Move troops immediately to both of these regions as needed to deal with him, but also try to capture the Upper Vales of the Anduin (and lower, if you can/if Lothlorien doesn't get it). There's a chance that you may also need to come up to Gundabad, but hopefully not.
Lothlorien, Rex: Keep Moria from expanding beyond the Dimrill Dale. You should also capture Celebrant and the lower Vales of the Anduin, but frustrating MM's advancements is your first priority. If things go well, you may get to go reinforce Rohan, but that won't be until later.
Mirkwood, Rex: You'll need to keep Dol Guldur busy. Get Central Mirkwood, obviously, but from there you'll need to go around Dol Guldur to move southwards. You'll also be a backup for both the eastern and western fronts, so we may call on you if 8L somehow gets overwhelmed.
Edoras/Fangorn, LA: You'll also have a hard job. First priority is to secure the West Emnet and set up a defensive there so that CC can't expand eastwards. You may also have to keep Mordor in check in the East, so keep an eye on Shamrock's movements. Be sure to grab a few regions to your east, including Anorien, Nindalf/Noman Lands, and maybe the Emyn Muil. If things go badly for Lothlorien, your Ents will likely be the first ones we call on.
Minas Tirith/Dol Amroth, LB: Just hold out for us, and we'll get aid to you eventually. Don't worry about going on the offensive, but focus on keeping you three/four enemy HQs back. Try to set up a defense at Pelargir and Osgiliath, as those will be the easiest places to hold. Fortunately, you have the advantage with these two regions. You've got a one-day lead on Minas Morgul going to Osgiliath from Minas Tirith, and a two-day lead on Harad to Pelargir from Dol Amroth. Don't forget to send some troops to Andrast in case CC attacks your backside, and make sure that Anorien gets secured by either you or Rohan. You might also want a small navy to offset the threat of Umbar.
And I believe that should be all. Again, keep tabs on this topic, and don't hesitate to pass any information on. The key to our success is communication and cooperation. If you have any struggles, let us know here and we can try to do something about it. Also make sure that when we start you get your first moves out as early as possible, as that could make the difference in a few of these battles.
{JAMMERS! -Good- ONLY!} Looks good. Here are a few points.
MM: Sounds right, but I believe we forgot about the Redhorn pass. I don't know if we want to claim it, but we should be aware that it's the only way for good to get across the misty mountains except for the high pass.
Turvok: I guess that he will focus most of his power on C mirkwood. And IDK about what he will do with Gundabad.
Thrawn: I think you are right in that he will be aggressive, but I feel like he might be better than we think. And should be dealt with caution. Which I will use, like always.
CC: sounds right. He will proably field large amounts of pikes, and crossbows. So bring pleanty of your own arrchers, and some siege.
Sham: I don't know either, he is a good general but not a great one. That sounds like what he would do.
MLB: I agree with you.
Plan: got it, hold them back.
Dale: I'm going to send groups of 3000 pikes and crossbows, with a few cav, to , Celduin, W rhovanion, S rhovanion, brown lands, E rhovanion, and the Dol Guldor HQ to attack and claim those regions.
Beornings: They will hold the gladin fields, and the northern VOA, as well as the high pass. Mirkwood is going to get the lower VOA I think.
Lothlorion: I have Lothlorion, rex gave it to me. I shall rush the Dale, and claim the celebrant and the wold. I will also claim the Lower vale for Rex.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} So, updates! I'm going to start from the beginning again, just to make sure everything gets put down neatly.
First off, it looks like all HQs are going to start fully generated. That means that we can all use every one of our units right off the bat, but it also means that our raids on the different sub-HQs are going to meet much more resistance earlier on, and won't be able to limit their troops as well. Second, these are our opponents, along with my suspicions of what they'll do:
Moria/Goblin-town, MM (and Thrawn, I think): MM has made most of his plans pretty clear now. He's intent on capturing the High Pass, and I don't believe he'll give up until he owns it (even at the cost of missed opportunites). Let's use this to our advantage. Expect about three thousand Goblins going to the Gladden Fields on the first day, and nine thousand to the High Pass. I haven't been able to gather quite as much about Moria, but there isn't a whole lot he can do there. It looks like he'll be putting a little more emphasis on Hollin than the Dimrill Dale, though, so expect ten thousand troops to Dimrill and about fourteen to Hollin. Beyond these first-day moves (which hopefully he won't get past too quickly, with our troops), I expect general expansion from him, without too much focus on individual key regions. Keep in mind that he likes tanks and Trolls, so bring some artillery if you can if you're going to fight him.
Dol Guldur/Gundabad, Tuvok: Like MM, I'm guessing that he'll try to expand as quickly as possible in every direction, but I'm also guessing that he'll put more focus on Central Mirkwood and probably Angmar. If my memory serves me right, he'll have a lot of Trolls and heavy infantry.
Rhun/Khand, Thrawn: Since Thrawn's new, I sadly don't have much to go off of for him. However, using my top-notch Sherlock Holmes deduction skills, I've got a few ideas. Based upon a few things, including his username, the way he talks, and just my general first impression of him (in other words, I have absolutely nothing of any weight to back up my suspicions ), my guess is that he'll be quite aggressive. Expect him to expand as fast as possible, and he may even attack the Iron Hills right from the get-go. However, despite this aggression, he doesn't appear to have a whole lot of tactical experience (based upon his conversations in the LotR Cafe, so I actually have something to back this up with ). Putting these two traits together, there's a good chance that he'll be somewhat reckless in his movements. When fighting him, stand strong against his attacks, but keep some troops and an eye out for any openings he gives you. Once you find one, strike hard and fast, and either his army will cave in upon itself or he'll leave the attacked troops to destruction.
Isengard/Dunland, CC (and maybe MM): CC is probably our most experienced opponent (though I never did get to fight him), but also the most orthodox. That's not to say that fighting him will be any easier, though. His Dunlendings will probably move straight to Tharbad and Hollin, while most of his Uruk-hai will go for the West Emnet. A few, however, may actually try to strike Andrast, though I'm not so sure about that. As I said, I never got to fight him, but I have gathered a few things. In combat, he will know how to respond to your moves, so don't expect victory to come easily even if you manage to get the upper-hand on him. But while he will be crafty in his attacks, he will also be relatively conventional (at least compared to others). Watch yourself, and make sure you don't leave yourself exposed.
Mordor/Minas Morgul, Shamrock: Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Shamrock. My suspicions, though, tell me that his Minas Morgul troops will move to Osgiliath and whatever lies southwards, while Mordor will split between eastern Rohan and Osgiliath. He'll probably leave the North and East to others.
Harad/Umbar, MLB: MLB I should know well, though I don't. Despite that, my guess is that Harad will move north, probably to Osgiliath, but maybe Lebennin too. Umbar will probably attack somewhere on Gondor's southern coast, though he may take inspiration from Rex and attack the Grey Havens or some other place in Eriador.
To summarize, our plan is to hold back Evil's expansion. Focus on the bottleneck regions and stop the enemy there. The few border-regions we have, the more concentrated our troops will be and the few places we can fail. Because Erebor will be focusing solely on Gundabad at first, most of you will be outnumbered, but don't panic. With most of the battles you'll be in, your goal isn't so much to defeat the enemy as it is to simply stand in their way. You don't need to win, you just can't lose. And if you find that you're not well prepared against the enemy, or simply that your troops won't be able to hold on much longer, let us know here as soon as you can. Tell us where you're in trouble, what you're against, and what you need, and we'll get it to you. Some armies will be less pressured than others and should be able to send reinforcements if needed. The key to the plan working is communication and cooperation. Don't wait to ask for help until it's too late, and don't pull troops from other places to stay alive unless that's the only option. Chances are, somebody's got a better way to deal with your problem, has less of a need for the troops, or is simply closer. Now, onto the details! This is going HQ by HQ, with a few sub-HQs under their own section (due to having completely different focuses than their parent-HQ):
Erebor/Iron Hills, myself/LB: The Mountain will be acting as the invasion force for the general operation. Our first target will be Gundabad, along with the Forodwaith. Personally, I'll be taking thirteen thousand troops directly to Gundabad. My goal there is to overwhelm and capture it as quickly as possible. Hopefully thirteen thousand will be overkill, so that I can send some as reinforcements to other places, but I'm not counting on that being the case. LB, I'm going to have you take five thousand troops from the Iron Hills straight to the Forodwaith to capture it, then bring a couple hundred to the Withered Heath to secure while leaving the last two thousand or so at the Hills themselves as reinforcements or defense should Thrawn invade. We can re-distribute our troops later, but at first I need you to handle the Iron Hills' movements while I control Erebor to keep things simple (mainly because getting two users to fight to same battles in tandem is just going to make things more difficult for us). Once you capture the Forodwaith, I'll either have you reinforce me at Gundabad, or else go to help someone else (likely somewhere in Eriador).
Dale, 8L: You'll be holding the eastern front and watching our backs while you're at it. You'll mostly be facing Rhun, but probably Dol Guldur and maybe even Mordor too. I need you to move southwards as quickly as possible, covering as much of Rhovanion as you can. You're taking Celduin (and Esgaroth of course) along with any other region to the south that you can beat Evil to (which unfortunately won't be many). Should Thrawn meet you in Celduin, don't get held up there. Leave just enough troops to deal with him, but send as many as you can further south. Besides that, attack any nearby region that's left exposed, and then you may be sent as reinforcements somewhere when the time comes (perhaps the Iron Hills if Thrawn invades, but more likely somewhere against Dol Guldur or Mordor).
Bree/Rivendell, EE: As I said before, you'll probably have one of the hardest jobs here. But remember, most of your battles you don't need to win, you just need to make sure the enemy doesn't expand uncontested. Specifically, you'll have at least three different fronts, and probably five separate battles. I'd recommend sending two thousand Elves to the High Pass and five thousand to Hollin (leaving five hundred at Rivendell). You need to contest both of these regions and make sure the enemy doesn't get past them too quickly. The Beornings should take over for you at the High Pass after a day or two, but you'll need to keep MM from claiming it until they get there. Fortunately, should Eregion fall to the combined attacks of Moria and Dunland, it isn't your last defense. Through expansion by land, the next target is Rivendell itself (though obviously that should be avoided). Bree will need to split its forces between Tharbad and the Angmar area. Tharbad first, though. Hold the enemy at Tharbad, and most of your southern lands should remain safe (assuming the enemy doesn't get too crafty). While a few troops will need to go to the North Downs and Lone Lands, you just need to hold Tuvok back for a short amount of time. Ideally, his troops in Angmar will pull back to reinforce Gundabad, and then later LB can take some Dwarves down to assist you either there or somewhere else. Try not to spend to many troops on securing the local regions, but also don't leave your coast too exposed until MLB's navy is confirmed to be engaged elsewhere.
Beornings, 8L: First priority is to keep MM busy at the High Pass and Gladden Fields. Move troops immediately to both of these regions as needed to deal with him, but also try to capture the Upper Vales of the Anduin (and lower, if you can/if Lothlorien doesn't get it). There's a chance that you may also need to come up to Gundabad, but hopefully not.
Lothlorien, Rex: Keep Moria from expanding beyond the Dimrill Dale. You should also capture Celebrant and the lower Vales of the Anduin, but frustrating MM's advancements is your first priority. If things go well, you may get to go reinforce Rohan, but that won't be until later.
Mirkwood, Rex: You'll need to keep Dol Guldur busy. Get Central Mirkwood, obviously, but from there you'll need to go around Dol Guldur to move southwards. You'll also be a backup for both the eastern and western fronts, so we may call on you if 8L somehow gets overwhelmed.
Edoras/Fangorn, LA: You'll also have a hard job. First priority is to secure the West Emnet and set up a defensive there so that CC can't expand eastwards. You may also have to keep Mordor in check in the East, so keep an eye on Shamrock's movements. Be sure to grab a few regions to your east, including Anorien, Nindalf/Noman Lands, and maybe the Emyn Muil. If things go badly for Lothlorien, your Ents will likely be the first ones we call on.
Minas Tirith/Dol Amroth, LB: Just hold out for us, and we'll get aid to you eventually. Don't worry about going on the offensive, but focus on keeping you three/four enemy HQs back. Try to set up a defense at Pelargir and Osgiliath, as those will be the easiest places to hold. Fortunately, you have the advantage with these two regions. You've got a one-day lead on Minas Morgul going to Osgiliath from Minas Tirith, and a two-day lead on Harad to Pelargir from Dol Amroth. Don't forget to send some troops to Andrast in case CC attacks your backside, and make sure that Anorien gets secured by either you or Rohan. You might also want a small navy to offset the threat of Umbar.
And I believe that should be all. Again, keep tabs on this topic, and don't hesitate to pass any information on. The key to our success is communication and cooperation. If you have any struggles, let us know here and we can try to do something about it. Also make sure that when we start you get your first moves out as early as possible, as that could make the difference in a few of these battles.
{JAMMERS! -Good- ONLY!} Seriously? You have no specific orders for me, again?
Moria: I believe that 8legos will be seizing the Dimrill Dale ASAP. MM will take the High Pass almost instantly, and it will be a very long battle to defeat him there. If Bree/Rivendell can keep him from expanding to the west, he won't be going anywhere.
Dol Guldur: Take Central Mirkwood and fortify it. Eventually, Dale and Lothlorien will be able to help there as well.
Rhun: I think that if I can weather the storm of Easterlings in the Iron Hills, I can launch a successful counter-attack, perhaps capturing regions all the way to Dorwinion on the doorstep of Rhun.
Khand: I expect Khandish forces to mainly aid Thrawn's Easterlings, but I wouldn't be surprised if they show up in Gondor as well.
Isengard: I hope that Rohan will keep them contained long enough for me to seize everything south of Ered Nimrais. From there, I should be able to hold him off.
Dunland: The Wild Men will probably head north at the start and keep Bree a hard time.
Mordor: Shamrock is going to hit Gondor hard and fast, so I'll need to either stay in Minas Tirith and the surrounding regions until the battles end or move quickly to build a force to rival his. He'll have 30,000 easily accessible MWE from the start, whereas I will only have 20,000 in Minas Tirith. MLB will be keeping Dol Amroth busy in the south.
Harad: I'll have to contain MLB in Harondor or Poros. Poros would be a best-case scenario, but Harondor is more likely.
Umbar: MLB is going to harass me, most likely. I will use the majority of Dol Amroth's forces to counter Umbar's navy.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!}So, updates! I'm going to start from the beginning again, just to make sure everything gets put down neatly.
First off, it looks like all HQs are going to start fully generated. That means that we can all use every one of our units right off the bat, but it also means that our raids on the different sub-HQs are going to meet much more resistance earlier on, and won't be able to limit their troops as well. Second, these are our opponents, along with my suspicions of what they'll do:
Moria/Goblin-town, MM (and Thrawn, I think): MM has made most of his plans pretty clear now. He's intent on capturing the High Pass, and I don't believe he'll give up until he owns it (even at the cost of missed opportunites). Let's use this to our advantage. Expect about three thousand Goblins going to the Gladden Fields on the first day, and nine thousand to the High Pass. I haven't been able to gather quite as much about Moria, but there isn't a whole lot he can do there. It looks like he'll be putting a little more emphasis on Hollin than the Dimrill Dale, though, so expect ten thousand troops to Dimrill and about fourteen to Hollin. Beyond these first-day moves (which hopefully he won't get past too quickly, with our troops), I expect general expansion from him, without too much focus on individual key regions. Keep in mind that he likes tanks and Trolls, so bring some artillery if you can if you're going to fight him.
Dol Guldur/Gundabad, Tuvok: Like MM, I'm guessing that he'll try to expand as quickly as possible in every direction, but I'm also guessing that he'll put more focus on Central Mirkwood and probably Angmar. If my memory serves me right, he'll have a lot of Trolls and heavy infantry.
Rhun/Khand, Thrawn: Since Thrawn's new, I sadly don't have much to go off of for him. However, using my top-notch Sherlock Holmes deduction skills, I've got a few ideas. Based upon a few things, including his username, the way he talks, and just my general first impression of him (in other words, I have absolutely nothing of any weight to back up my suspicions ), my guess is that he'll be quite aggressive. Expect him to expand as fast as possible, and he may even attack the Iron Hills right from the get-go. However, despite this aggression, he doesn't appear to have a whole lot of tactical experience (based upon his conversations in the LotR Cafe, so I actually have something to back this up with ). Putting these two traits together, there's a good chance that he'll be somewhat reckless in his movements. When fighting him, stand strong against his attacks, but keep some troops and an eye out for any openings he gives you. Once you find one, strike hard and fast, and either his army will cave in upon itself or he'll leave the attacked troops to destruction.
Isengard/Dunland, CC (and maybe MM): CC is probably our most experienced opponent (though I never did get to fight him), but also the most orthodox. That's not to say that fighting him will be any easier, though. His Dunlendings will probably move straight to Tharbad and Hollin, while most of his Uruk-hai will go for the West Emnet. A few, however, may actually try to strike Andrast, though I'm not so sure about that. As I said, I never got to fight him, but I have gathered a few things. In combat, he will know how to respond to your moves, so don't expect victory to come easily even if you manage to get the upper-hand on him. But while he will be crafty in his attacks, he will also be relatively conventional (at least compared to others). Watch yourself, and make sure you don't leave yourself exposed.
Mordor/Minas Morgul, Shamrock: Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Shamrock. My suspicions, though, tell me that his Minas Morgul troops will move to Osgiliath and whatever lies southwards, while Mordor will split between eastern Rohan and Osgiliath. He'll probably leave the North and East to others.
Harad/Umbar, MLB: MLB I should know well, though I don't. Despite that, my guess is that Harad will move north, probably to Osgiliath, but maybe Lebennin too. Umbar will probably attack somewhere on Gondor's southern coast, though he may take inspiration from Rex and attack the Grey Havens or some other place in Eriador.
To summarize, our plan is to hold back Evil's expansion. Focus on the bottleneck regions and stop the enemy there. The few border-regions we have, the more concentrated our troops will be and the few places we can fail. Because Erebor will be focusing solely on Gundabad at first, most of you will be outnumbered, but don't panic. With most of the battles you'll be in, your goal isn't so much to defeat the enemy as it is to simply stand in their way. You don't need to win, you just can't lose. And if you find that you're not well prepared against the enemy, or simply that your troops won't be able to hold on much longer, let us know here as soon as you can. Tell us where you're in trouble, what you're against, and what you need, and we'll get it to you. Some armies will be less pressured than others and should be able to send reinforcements if needed. The key to the plan working is communication and cooperation. Don't wait to ask for help until it's too late, and don't pull troops from other places to stay alive unless that's the only option. Chances are, somebody's got a better way to deal with your problem, has less of a need for the troops, or is simply closer. Now, onto the details! This is going HQ by HQ, with a few sub-HQs under their own section (due to having completely different focuses than their parent-HQ):
Erebor/Iron Hills, myself/LB: The Mountain will be acting as the invasion force for the general operation. Our first target will be Gundabad, along with the Forodwaith. Personally, I'll be taking thirteen thousand troops directly to Gundabad. My goal there is to overwhelm and capture it as quickly as possible. Hopefully thirteen thousand will be overkill, so that I can send some as reinforcements to other places, but I'm not counting on that being the case. LB, I'm going to have you take five thousand troops from the Iron Hills straight to the Forodwaith to capture it, then bring a couple hundred to the Withered Heath to secure while leaving the last two thousand or so at the Hills themselves as reinforcements or defense should Thrawn invade. We can re-distribute our troops later, but at first I need you to handle the Iron Hills' movements while I control Erebor to keep things simple (mainly because getting two users to fight to same battles in tandem is just going to make things more difficult for us). Once you capture the Forodwaith, I'll either have you reinforce me at Gundabad, or else go to help someone else (likely somewhere in Eriador).
Dale, 8L: You'll be holding the eastern front and watching our backs while you're at it. You'll mostly be facing Rhun, but probably Dol Guldur and maybe even Mordor too. I need you to move southwards as quickly as possible, covering as much of Rhovanion as you can. You're taking Celduin (and Esgaroth of course) along with any other region to the south that you can beat Evil to (which unfortunately won't be many). Should Thrawn meet you in Celduin, don't get held up there. Leave just enough troops to deal with him, but send as many as you can further south. Besides that, attack any nearby region that's left exposed, and then you may be sent as reinforcements somewhere when the time comes (perhaps the Iron Hills if Thrawn invades, but more likely somewhere against Dol Guldur or Mordor).
Bree/Rivendell, EE: As I said before, you'll probably have one of the hardest jobs here. But remember, most of your battles you don't need to win, you just need to make sure the enemy doesn't expand uncontested. Specifically, you'll have at least three different fronts, and probably five separate battles. I'd recommend sending two thousand Elves to the High Pass and five thousand to Hollin (leaving five hundred at Rivendell). You need to contest both of these regions and make sure the enemy doesn't get past them too quickly. The Beornings should take over for you at the High Pass after a day or two, but you'll need to keep MM from claiming it until they get there. Fortunately, should Eregion fall to the combined attacks of Moria and Dunland, it isn't your last defense. Through expansion by land, the next target is Rivendell itself (though obviously that should be avoided). Bree will need to split its forces between Tharbad and the Angmar area. Tharbad first, though. Hold the enemy at Tharbad, and most of your southern lands should remain safe (assuming the enemy doesn't get too crafty). While a few troops will need to go to the North Downs and Lone Lands, you just need to hold Tuvok back for a short amount of time. Ideally, his troops in Angmar will pull back to reinforce Gundabad, and then later LB can take some Dwarves down to assist you either there or somewhere else. Try not to spend to many troops on securing the local regions, but also don't leave your coast too exposed until MLB's navy is confirmed to be engaged elsewhere.
Beornings, 8L: First priority is to keep MM busy at the High Pass and Gladden Fields. Move troops immediately to both of these regions as needed to deal with him, but also try to capture the Upper Vales of the Anduin (and lower, if you can/if Lothlorien doesn't get it). There's a chance that you may also need to come up to Gundabad, but hopefully not.
Lothlorien, Rex: Keep Moria from expanding beyond the Dimrill Dale. You should also capture Celebrant and the lower Vales of the Anduin, but frustrating MM's advancements is your first priority. If things go well, you may get to go reinforce Rohan, but that won't be until later.
Mirkwood, Rex: You'll need to keep Dol Guldur busy. Get Central Mirkwood, obviously, but from there you'll need to go around Dol Guldur to move southwards. You'll also be a backup for both the eastern and western fronts, so we may call on you if 8L somehow gets overwhelmed.
Edoras/Fangorn, LA: You'll also have a hard job. First priority is to secure the West Emnet and set up a defensive there so that CC can't expand eastwards. You may also have to keep Mordor in check in the East, so keep an eye on Shamrock's movements. Be sure to grab a few regions to your east, including Anorien, Nindalf/Noman Lands, and maybe the Emyn Muil. If things go badly for Lothlorien, your Ents will likely be the first ones we call on.
Minas Tirith/Dol Amroth, LB: Just hold out for us, and we'll get aid to you eventually. Don't worry about going on the offensive, but focus on keeping you three/four enemy HQs back. Try to set up a defense at Pelargir and Osgiliath, as those will be the easiest places to hold. Fortunately, you have the advantage with these two regions. You've got a one-day lead on Minas Morgul going to Osgiliath from Minas Tirith, and a two-day lead on Harad to Pelargir from Dol Amroth. Don't forget to send some troops to Andrast in case CC attacks your backside, and make sure that Anorien gets secured by either you or Rohan. You might also want a small navy to offset the threat of Umbar.
And I believe that should be all. Again, keep tabs on this topic, and don't hesitate to pass any information on. The key to our success is communication and cooperation. If you have any struggles, let us know here and we can try to do something about it. Also make sure that when we start you get your first moves out as early as possible, as that could make the difference in a few of these battles.
{JAMMERS! -Good- ONLY!}Looks good. Here are a few points.
MM: Sounds right, but I believe we forgot about the Redhorn pass. I don't know if we want to claim it, but we should be aware that it's the only way for good to get across the misty mountains except for the high pass.
Turvok: I guess that he will focus most of his power on C mirkwood. And IDK about what he will do with Gundabad.
Thrawn: I think you are right in that he will be aggressive, but I feel like he might be better than we think. And should be dealt with caution. Which I will use, like always.
CC: sounds right. He will proably field large amounts of pikes, and crossbows. So bring pleanty of your own arrchers, and some siege.
Sham: I don't know either, he is a good general but not a great one. That sounds like what he would do.
MLB: I agree with you.
Plan: got it, hold them back.
Dale: I'm going to send groups of 3000 pikes and crossbows, with a few cav, to , Celduin, W rhovanion, S rhovanion, brown lands, E rhovanion, and the Dol Guldor HQ to attack and claim those regions.
Beornings: They will hold the gladin fields, and the northern VOA, as well as the high pass. Mirkwood is going to get the lower VOA I think.
Lothlorion: I have Lothlorion, rex gave it to me. I shall rush the Dale, and claim the celebrant and the wold. I will also claim the Lower vale for Rex.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!}MM: The idea is that he won't be able to get to Redhorn. He will try to capture it, but I don't think he'll get to that until either Hollin or the Dimrill are secured. Nonetheless, be sure to get it before him, if only to have it as a small foothold. We will also have the Forodwaith and Gundabad in the North, but that's a long way to go for HQs like Rohan. Unforunately, though, Redhorn will be useless as a crossing point unless we own both Hollin and the Dimrill, which is unlikely as that'd mean completely boxing in Moria.
Thrawn: That was the first impression that I got too, but I'm not so sure now that I've talked to him a bit. I certainly don't expect him to be incompetent, but I don't think he has the experience to make sure he doesn't expose himself at all. My guess is that he's skilled in theory, but lacking in practice. So of course use caution as always, but keep an eye out for openings.
{JAMMERS! -GOOD- ONLY!} So, updates! I'm going to start from the beginning again, just to make sure everything gets put down neatly.
First off, it looks like all HQs are going to start fully generated. That means that we can all use every one of our units right off the bat, but it also means that our raids on the different sub-HQs are going to meet much more resistance earlier on, and won't be able to limit their troops as well. Second, these are our opponents, along with my suspicions of what they'll do:
Moria/Goblin-town, MM (and Thrawn, I think): MM has made most of his plans pretty clear now. He's intent on capturing the High Pass, and I don't believe he'll give up until he owns it (even at the cost of missed opportunites). Let's use this to our advantage. Expect about three thousand Goblins going to the Gladden Fields on the first day, and nine thousand to the High Pass. I haven't been able to gather quite as much about Moria, but there isn't a whole lot he can do there. It looks like he'll be putting a little more emphasis on Hollin than the Dimrill Dale, though, so expect ten thousand troops to Dimrill and about fourteen to Hollin. Beyond these first-day moves (which hopefully he won't get past too quickly, with our troops), I expect general expansion from him, without too much focus on individual key regions. Keep in mind that he likes tanks and Trolls, so bring some artillery if you can if you're going to fight him.
Dol Guldur/Gundabad, Tuvok: Like MM, I'm guessing that he'll try to expand as quickly as possible in every direction, but I'm also guessing that he'll put more focus on Central Mirkwood and probably Angmar. If my memory serves me right, he'll have a lot of Trolls and heavy infantry.
Rhun/Khand, Thrawn: Since Thrawn's new, I sadly don't have much to go off of for him. However, using my top-notch Sherlock Holmes deduction skills, I've got a few ideas. Based upon a few things, including his username, the way he talks, and just my general first impression of him (in other words, I have absolutely nothing of any weight to back up my suspicions ), my guess is that he'll be quite aggressive. Expect him to expand as fast as possible, and he may even attack the Iron Hills right from the get-go. However, despite this aggression, he doesn't appear to have a whole lot of tactical experience (based upon his conversations in the LotR Cafe, so I actually have something to back this up with ). Putting these two traits together, there's a good chance that he'll be somewhat reckless in his movements. When fighting him, stand strong against his attacks, but keep some troops and an eye out for any openings he gives you. Once you find one, strike hard and fast, and either his army will cave in upon itself or he'll leave the attacked troops to destruction.
Isengard/Dunland, CC (and maybe MM): CC is probably our most experienced opponent (though I never did get to fight him), but also the most orthodox. That's not to say that fighting him will be any easier, though. His Dunlendings will probably move straight to Tharbad and Hollin, while most of his Uruk-hai will go for the West Emnet. A few, however, may actually try to strike Andrast, though I'm not so sure about that. As I said, I never got to fight him, but I have gathered a few things. In combat, he will know how to respond to your moves, so don't expect victory to come easily even if you manage to get the upper-hand on him. But while he will be crafty in his attacks, he will also be relatively conventional (at least compared to others). Watch yourself, and make sure you don't leave yourself exposed.
Mordor/Minas Morgul, Shamrock: Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Shamrock. My suspicions, though, tell me that his Minas Morgul troops will move to Osgiliath and whatever lies southwards, while Mordor will split between eastern Rohan and Osgiliath. He'll probably leave the North and East to others.
Harad/Umbar, MLB: MLB I should know well, though I don't. Despite that, my guess is that Harad will move north, probably to Osgiliath, but maybe Lebennin too. Umbar will probably attack somewhere on Gondor's southern coast, though he may take inspiration from Rex and attack the Grey Havens or some other place in Eriador.
To summarize, our plan is to hold back Evil's expansion. Focus on the bottleneck regions and stop the enemy there. The few border-regions we have, the more concentrated our troops will be and the few places we can fail. Because Erebor will be focusing solely on Gundabad at first, most of you will be outnumbered, but don't panic. With most of the battles you'll be in, your goal isn't so much to defeat the enemy as it is to simply stand in their way. You don't need to win, you just can't lose. And if you find that you're not well prepared against the enemy, or simply that your troops won't be able to hold on much longer, let us know here as soon as you can. Tell us where you're in trouble, what you're against, and what you need, and we'll get it to you. Some armies will be less pressured than others and should be able to send reinforcements if needed. The key to the plan working is communication and cooperation. Don't wait to ask for help until it's too late, and don't pull troops from other places to stay alive unless that's the only option. Chances are, somebody's got a better way to deal with your problem, has less of a need for the troops, or is simply closer. Now, onto the details! This is going HQ by HQ, with a few sub-HQs under their own section (due to having completely different focuses than their parent-HQ):
Erebor/Iron Hills, myself/LB: The Mountain will be acting as the invasion force for the general operation. Our first target will be Gundabad, along with the Forodwaith. Personally, I'll be taking thirteen thousand troops directly to Gundabad. My goal there is to overwhelm and capture it as quickly as possible. Hopefully thirteen thousand will be overkill, so that I can send some as reinforcements to other places, but I'm not counting on that being the case. LB, I'm going to have you take five thousand troops from the Iron Hills straight to the Forodwaith to capture it, then bring a couple hundred to the Withered Heath to secure while leaving the last two thousand or so at the Hills themselves as reinforcements or defense should Thrawn invade. We can re-distribute our troops later, but at first I need you to handle the Iron Hills' movements while I control Erebor to keep things simple (mainly because getting two users to fight to same battles in tandem is just going to make things more difficult for us). Once you capture the Forodwaith, I'll either have you reinforce me at Gundabad, or else go to help someone else (likely somewhere in Eriador).
Dale, 8L: You'll be holding the eastern front and watching our backs while you're at it. You'll mostly be facing Rhun, but probably Dol Guldur and maybe even Mordor too. I need you to move southwards as quickly as possible, covering as much of Rhovanion as you can. You're taking Celduin (and Esgaroth of course) along with any other region to the south that you can beat Evil to (which unfortunately won't be many). Should Thrawn meet you in Celduin, don't get held up there. Leave just enough troops to deal with him, but send as many as you can further south. Besides that, attack any nearby region that's left exposed, and then you may be sent as reinforcements somewhere when the time comes (perhaps the Iron Hills if Thrawn invades, but more likely somewhere against Dol Guldur or Mordor).
Bree/Rivendell, EE: As I said before, you'll probably have one of the hardest jobs here. But remember, most of your battles you don't need to win, you just need to make sure the enemy doesn't expand uncontested. Specifically, you'll have at least three different fronts, and probably five separate battles. I'd recommend sending two thousand Elves to the High Pass and five thousand to Hollin (leaving five hundred at Rivendell). You need to contest both of these regions and make sure the enemy doesn't get past them too quickly. The Beornings should take over for you at the High Pass after a day or two, but you'll need to keep MM from claiming it until they get there. Fortunately, should Eregion fall to the combined attacks of Moria and Dunland, it isn't your last defense. Through expansion by land, the next target is Rivendell itself (though obviously that should be avoided). Bree will need to split its forces between Tharbad and the Angmar area. Tharbad first, though. Hold the enemy at Tharbad, and most of your southern lands should remain safe (assuming the enemy doesn't get too crafty). While a few troops will need to go to the North Downs and Lone Lands, you just need to hold Tuvok back for a short amount of time. Ideally, his troops in Angmar will pull back to reinforce Gundabad, and then later LB can take some Dwarves down to assist you either there or somewhere else. Try not to spend to many troops on securing the local regions, but also don't leave your coast too exposed until MLB's navy is confirmed to be engaged elsewhere.
Beornings, 8L: First priority is to keep MM busy at the High Pass and Gladden Fields. Move troops immediately to both of these regions as needed to deal with him, but also try to capture the Upper Vales of the Anduin (and lower, if you can/if Lothlorien doesn't get it). There's a chance that you may also need to come up to Gundabad, but hopefully not.
Lothlorien, Rex: Keep Moria from expanding beyond the Dimrill Dale. You should also capture Celebrant and the lower Vales of the Anduin, but frustrating MM's advancements is your first priority. If things go well, you may get to go reinforce Rohan, but that won't be until later.
Mirkwood, Rex: You'll need to keep Dol Guldur busy. Get Central Mirkwood, obviously, but from there you'll need to go around Dol Guldur to move southwards. You'll also be a backup for both the eastern and western fronts, so we may call on you if 8L somehow gets overwhelmed.
Edoras/Fangorn, LA: You'll also have a hard job. First priority is to secure the West Emnet and set up a defensive there so that CC can't expand eastwards. You may also have to keep Mordor in check in the East, so keep an eye on Shamrock's movements. Be sure to grab a few regions to your east, including Anorien, Nindalf/Noman Lands, and maybe the Emyn Muil. If things go badly for Lothlorien, your Ents will likely be the first ones we call on.
Minas Tirith/Dol Amroth, LB: Just hold out for us, and we'll get aid to you eventually. Don't worry about going on the offensive, but focus on keeping you three/four enemy HQs back. Try to set up a defense at Pelargir and Osgiliath, as those will be the easiest places to hold. Fortunately, you have the advantage with these two regions. You've got a one-day lead on Minas Morgul going to Osgiliath from Minas Tirith, and a two-day lead on Harad to Pelargir from Dol Amroth. Don't forget to send some troops to Andrast in case CC attacks your backside, and make sure that Anorien gets secured by either you or Rohan. You might also want a small navy to offset the threat of Umbar.
And I believe that should be all. Again, keep tabs on this topic, and don't hesitate to pass any information on. The key to our success is communication and cooperation. If you have any struggles, let us know here and we can try to do something about it. Also make sure that when we start you get your first moves out as early as possible, as that could make the difference in a few of these battles.
{YO, GOOD DOODZ ONLY!} Some random notes in response to this:
- I believe MM will be joining DG, since CC is apparently far too strict as a leader. Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.
- "My guess is that Harad will move north." Really? I'd have thought they'd be heading south. Sorry, just had to say that.
- I have some thoughts on Thrawn, but I want to wait and see a bit more before I say anything.
- Bree/Rivendell. Meh, that's not too hard, I'm used to not winning. I'll try to hold Eregion, but if it falls, I'm not too concerned; Rivendell should be extremely hard to take, and I should be able to send in more troops quickly. Tharbad, Eregion, High Pass, and Angmar are the key regions at the start, it would seem. I should never have told MLB about Rex's foray's into the Havens.
- If CC delays at all, LA may want to take a very small number of Rohirrim through the Gap, and take Adorn/Druwaith Iaur before CC can. It's unlikely, but hey, you never know.
The day of prosperity makes one forget adversity; The day of adversity makes one forget prosperity.
