Look to the east, and you’ll see that The Burning of the Westfold supplement is right on the horizon. We’ve caught up with Tom from the Design Studio to discover what Middle-earth fans can expect to find within its pages.
Tom: Rohan is a realm that has played host to countless stories, from the kingdom’s founding days under Eorl the Young to the bitter conflict of Helm Hammerhand’s final years and the turmoil Rohan faced during the War of the Ring. The Burning of the Westfold focuses on the last of these, taking us from the first village raids by the forces of Isengard through to the Rohirrim’s efforts to lift the siege of Minas Tirith.
Picking Scenarios for this journal meant choosing a selection of exciting events to focus on – a difficult task given the impact Rohan had on the War of the Ring. Naturally, we wanted to include the most inspiring and iconic moments, such as the defence of Helm’s Deep and their charge across the Pelennor, plus plenty of excuses to field Riders of Rohan!
With 11 Narrative Scenarios, we drew upon moments in the movies that are as gripping today as they were at release, and took time to reimagine Scenarios from previous editions of the game to test the mettle of both new and existing players.
The initial Scenarios focus on the opening clashes between Rohan and Isengard, with The Prince of Rohan – a brand new Scenario, which sees the Good player leading raids upon Dunlending camps in an effort to halt their attacks. The fan favourite Warg Attack makes a return, with Théoden and the Three Hunters protecting the vulnerable people of Rohan against an ambush by Saruman’s Warg Riders. We’ve also got the return of the Woses in the Paths of the Drúadan, where the reclusive woodsmen guide the Rohan troops to ensure they reach Minas Tirith in time. As always, all the Scenarios are linked together, meaning you can run an extended campaign in which the winner of a Scenario gains a bonus for another one later in the campaign.
My personal favourites are the Walls of Helm’s Deep and the Ride of the Rohirrim. Walls of Helm’s Deep really captures the frantic battle for the Deeping Wall as the forces of Good fight desperately to hold off the Uruk-hai and stop the approaching bombs. Ride of the Rohirrim is the high point for Rohan, the iconic charge on the Pelennor – if you listen carefully, you can already hear the soundtrack! The Scenario is designed so that both Good and Evil get their moment – the Good with a devastating charge into the ranks of the Orcs, and the Evil when the Mûmakil arrive to trample every one of the horse lords they come across!
Alongside the Scenarios and campaign there’s a hobby section full of terrain and painting guides. Included are tutorials for creating unique buildings using the Rohan House kit, such as a great hall, stables, and storehouses, plus step-by-step guides to recreating the Plains of Rohan and the Fords of Isen. There are also tips for painting horses, so your Riders of Rohan look glorious during their charges!
Thanks, Tom! The Burning of the Westfold will be available to pre-order on Saturday, alongside the new Riders of Rohan miniatures. Come back tomorrow when you’ll be able to download the latest Middle-earth™ Strategy Battle Game errata, and one of our friends in the Design Studio will be talking us through it.
