High-Noon in Middle-Earth: a Hero vs Minion scenario

Post Reply
User avatar
sarma72
Council Member
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:55 pm

"High-Noon Scenario" (updated version Apr 20, 2022 - added optional rules for consideration, could become standard)

This is a Hero vs Minion scenario, which culminates with a final company vs company (CvC) battle at a pre-designated site where one of the players acts as the defender and the other as the attacker. The defending company is there to support a besieged army while the attacker is there not only to support their own army but also to eliminate the defending company. Players can agree in advance their alignment or come to the game with both a Hero and Minion deck.

Roles, alignments and the final-battle site are determined at the beginning of the game before drafting and through a roll of die. The player who rolls the highest is declared the defender and will go first. Unless these were pre-agreed, at this point the defender further decides the game alignments. The attacker then chooses a corresponding Hero or Minion site to attack. Minion companies can attack any border-hold, free-hold or haven whereas Hero companies can attack any non-underdeep shadow-hold, dark-hold or darkhaven (including Geann a-Lisch which would be a Ruins & Lair for the Hero attacker).

= Victory conditions: have more MPs than the opponent after the final CvC battle at the end of the 5th turn or have prevented your opponent either from reaching the site of the final battle, from supporting their army or from engaging in the CvC battle itself at the end of their 5th turn. If neither the defender nor the attacker can reach the final battle site, support their army and engage in the CvC battle by turn 5, another final turn is taken by both players to try meeting these conditions repeating again if necessary. To support their army, both player must be able to tap a warrior character or ally during their own site phase.

= Special rules:

a) Only characters, allies, items at the final site are considered for the final MPs count. Likewise, permanent events need to be in play at the final site or on characters, items or allies at the final site to contribute to the final MPs total. Factions MPs, kill MPs and negative MPs modifiers for eliminated characters or prisoners are still counted normally.

b) The final CvC attack cannot be cancelled. This includes ignoring part of the on LE site cards stating that minion companies cannot be attacked at most darkhavens and that they cannot attack another company at a hero haven.

c) During the final CvC battle factions act as prowess modifiers according to the balance of total MPs for faction in play. If this balance is in favour of the defending player, the excess MPs can be used to support any character when facing their strike, as if there was a corresponding number of untapped characters not taking part in the attack. Conversely, if the balance is in favour of the attacking player, the excess MPs can be considered as extras strikes to be used as -1 modifiers to the strength of any defending character.

d) Hero attacking players receive +4 MPs at the end of the game if the final battle took place at a darkhaven or a site in Gorgoroth or Udun. Otherwise they can receive +2 MPs if they had attacked any other dark-hold. Likewise, Minion attacking players receive +4 MPs if the final battle was at a Hero haven or +2MPs for attacking a free-hold.

e) Attacking players also receive 1 extra MP for each untapped character or ally at the end of their final turn.

f) Seek without Success and Baduila's special ability cannot be used to prevent a company from reaching the site of the final battle. Likewise, Lost in Free-Domains cannot be played on a company moving to the final-battle site.

g) The final battle site always returns to the location deck.

h) For each extra turn played after turn 5, the defender receives a -1 MP penalty.

= Optional rules:

i) Healing at havens and darkhavens moves characters from wounded to well and untapped

ii) After roles are assigned, players can replace up to 5 cards from their decks wth an equal number of cards of the same type from their sideboards.

Standard rule for deck construction when playing against Minion players still applies.
Last edited by sarma72 on Wed Jan 18, 2023 2:03 pm, edited 6 times in total.
“The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.”
User avatar
sarma72
Council Member
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:55 pm

This clearly needs testing!

Are 5 turn enough? Should full healing at havens be included for such a short game? Is the role of faction overpowered? etc..
“The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.”
Post Reply

Return to “Scenario Games”