Council of Elrond

[Updated 2018-June-18]

A battle may rage on the plains east of Mirkwood.
Uvatha is tasked to ready for the Power Decks minion Man factions to Gondor or Northern Rhovanion.
First, Uvatha is to send the man factions into Rhovanion to destroy King Vidugavia's forces.
Otherwise, man factions can be sent to the Misty Mountains if Azog fails.

Uvatha has six factions (51 FN) and Ren has four factions (28 FN) for two fronts.
Ren's faction will stay in place as a guard of Nurn once Saruman forces are dispatched
unless there is no threat from the heroes to raid into Nurn. Ren has the Heavy Infantry
Chey and Muranians, Light Calvary Chyans, and Light Infantry Orcs of the Ered Hamal.


Three factions are expected to be fought between the alignments: Variags, Wain-Easterllings,
and Easterlings. Uvatha will engage hero factions once two of his factions are in play. But the
Ringwraith wants to avoid battling dual factions unless it is unavoidable.


Vidugavia will battle with factions when one of the dual factions is on his side.
He has two hero Man factions and two animal factions along with the three dual factions.
Vidugavia needs to control two of the three dual factions to have a chance to prevent
the minion man factions to move westward for an FN of hero: 32 v minion: 33]
Saruman has the Light Infantry Ahar and small Heavy Infantry City Guard of Tenolkachyn.

These man factions may move around Mordor on the southeast towards Harondor
if Imrahil stops Adunaphel and threaten the advancement of the mumakril.


Vidugavia Variags of Khand.............UvathaVariags of Khand
Vidugavia Wain Easterlings.............Uvatha Wain Easterlings
Vidugavia Easterlings....................Uvatha Easterlings
Vidugavia Men of N. Rhovanion .......Uvatha Asdriags
Vidugavia Men of Dorwinion.............Uvatha Corsairs of Rhun
..............................................Uvatha Nurniags

I fully updated the first post in this topic.

This war will be won by who can play the factions faster.
A victorious hero player will stay in the east until all
minion factions are killed. A victory for minions will
mean failure for hero factions in Anorien.
As you can see from the list below of playing factions,
minions will have four factions played by Turn 11
and five by the Warlord Phase against two hero factions.
Minion Easterlings will stay garrisoned long enough
for King Vidugavia to influence them away.

14__Vidugavia---Rhun---Easterlings
15__Vidugavia---Rhun---Men of Northern Rhovanion
17__Vidugavia---Rhun---Men of Dorwinion
20__Vidugavia---Rhun---Variags of Khand
22__Vidugavia---Rhun---Men of Dale
23__Vidugavia---Rhun---Wain-easterlings
v
2__Uvatha---Rhun---Wain-easterlings
4__Uvatha---Rhun---Corsairs of Rhûn
10__Uvatha---Rhun---Easterlings
10__Uvatha---Rhun---Nûrniags
10__Uvatha---Rhun---Variags of Khand
13__Uvatha---Rhun---Asdriags


20__SARUMAN---Rhun---Ahar
20__SARUMAN---Rhun---City Guard of Tenolkachyn
v
14__Ren---Rhun---Chey
18__Ren---Rhun---Orcs of the Ered Harmal
20__Ren---Rhun---Múranians
24__Ren---Rhun---Chyans

COMMENTARY
This group of avatars did not follow expectations. I thought that Vidugavia and Uvatha would battle in Rhun. Vidugavia was slow to play factions while six minion Man factions hit the table. Thus, those minions visited Gondor for battle in the First Wain-Rider War. That proved costly to Denethor. Then Pallando and Valdacli were threatening the Mumakaniril advancement. Uvatha moved his factions southwards for Battle of the Sands.

Vidugavia influenced away Easterlings, Variags of Khand, would have had Wain-Easterlings but that faction was too far south to expect Vidugavia to reach there. Vidugavia will need to factor moving great distances to influence away minion factions. And Prince Imrail may need to target characters protecting these factions from influence attempts. Al l of this takes away character turns for other purposes. This means that Vidugavia needs to play his factions fast so to keep Uvatha’s factions in Rhun. Even if Vidugavia weak Man factions are killed, he has the chance to balance the lost by acquiring some heafty dual factions like Easterlings.

The First Wain-Rider war had four rounds beginning on Turn 13. Akhorahil had the first go with Aukuag, but decided to wait. Riders of Rohan and five other hero Man factions were waiting. The five Man factions had +1 while defending a haven; I have Prince Imrahil +1 for defending another Dunadan haven. Uvatha went next and one faction was tapped by Rangers of Ithilien. Heroes total FN at 51 – Minions FN 56. There was one tie, two minions wounded and Men of Lebennin killed. Adunaphel had round three. Black Numenoreans had Filled with Fury, which added power. Men of Lossarnach and
Riders of Rohan were wounded. Battling at Osgiliath was a great advantage for Denethor. Theoden must send someone to heal Riders of Rohan. Denethor had round four and killed Corsairs of Rhun and Bozishnarod. Aukuag barely escaped death; I think the body stats are not too high. Imrahil and Theoden were prudent and did not risk battle since Black Numeroeans could counter. Else both avatars would have gone against four wounded minion factions.
Vidugavia moved his man factions westward to aid Radagast. Other battles discussed below.