Kill the Messenger

I compiled the two battle companies, named all my figures, and rolled up the first scenario.  I rolled up scenario 11-kill the messenger.  Now as I was playing solo, I dealt with the issue of the messenger easy enough by me not knowing who the messenger was for either side, and randomly selecting the messengers after the game.

Kazak's goblins and Aldhelm's hardy band met on the Wold amongst scattered rocks and gorse bushes.  Aldhelm's men formed shield wall, and met the Goblin's frenzied charge.  Aldhelm's men were pushed back and were losing momentum, and just when it looked like they would be pushed right from the battlefield, the archer Uhtred stepped up and threw himself into the fray on the flank.  The Goblins broke and ran shortly afterwards as their leader fell.

As it happened, Aldhelm and his company drove Kazak’s goblins from the field (just), but lost their messenger. By contrast, despite Kazak’s heavy losses, he could take some comfort in having achieved his objective and obtaining more influence with the Goblin King.  There are plenty more Goblins of course, and Kazak is rewarded with Gesnik the prowler

Kashak's Goblins

The initial battle company sheets are attached.  In the post recovery phase, all the wounded warriors survived, but crucially Reeak (Goblin Spear Hero) will miss the next game. Also, Theowold’s left arm now hangs uselessly at his side can no longer wield a shield, but he assures Aldhelm that he is fit for the next patrol…

Young Uhtred the archer picked off 2 goblins with his arrows before charging in and finishing off 2 more with his sword.  Adding another experience point for participating in a battle (on the losing side), means that he can now roll on a Hero Progression Chart.  He chooses the Shooting Progression chart, and rolls a 5 = Special Rule!  He rolls again on the Shooting Skills Chart, and rolls a 3 = Deadly accuracy.  Uhtred may now re-roll all in the way rolls.  Not bad!

Finally, Kazak himself lies wounded on the battlefield, and so the next scenario must be RESCUE!

Aldhelm's Men of Wold

Battle Companies Campaign

Battle Companies Campaign

Well it has been a long time between posts. New houses, new businesses, a few birthdays… And here we are back again. I finally found enough space to get some toy soldiers out again, together with some energy and some inspiration.

The catalyst was the publication of the new battle companies book for what is now the “middle earth strategy battle game”.  That seemed to me to give the kind of narrative game I need to keep me interested and get a campaign starting without a lot of fuss. In the grand arc of the storytelling, I now intend to start with a single battle company (Rohan - as always my favourite), tracking the band through from the initial stages of skirmishes and incursions for the layout to the largest battles of the third age. I also now have enough models and rule sets in enough different scales to enable me to do that.

So the basic idea is this:

•  start with Battle companies and play as many games as I want or need to get the group started with its own identity, back story, and up to its maximum of 15 models
• then I will transition to Dux Britanniarum, with my battle company being the Lord, champion and group leaders.  I was inspired by Gunnar Lopez’s work  (see his Dux Arda Posts at https://wartoendallblogs.blogspot.com/.  South Bay Miniatures Guy has made some cards to suit:  https://sbminisguy.wordpress.com/2019/01/04/dux-arda-gaming-middle-earth-with-dux-britanniarum/
• then when I feel like it, or from time to time, I can include either the Battle Company into a larger MESBG game, or into a War of the Ring Game (28mm), or a Sword & Spear Game (10mm) depending on the narrative

So – letting it grow a bit more organically, and story driven, so I can do more gaming and put less obstacles in the road to enjoying my hobby.

The Wold

The Wold

I selected the location: The Wold.  This is an area that seems to me to be right for conflict and adventure. It is full of history and centrally located:

•   immediately to the north across the river Limlight is the field of Celebrant, and beyond that Lorien (Elves and a site of a great battle)

•          to the East lies the Anduin (the Great River) (a natural boundary, except for the Undeeps – see below)

•        to the west lies Fangorn, and beyond the Entwood, Isengard (ents and uruk-hai are not far away)

•          to the north-west lies the Misty Mountains and Moria (goblins!)

•          to the north-east lies Mirkwood and Dol Guldur (Sauron’s orcs)

•          to the south lies the Mark, and East Emnet (Rohan)

The Wold itself is unforested uplands. I imagine it is a bit like a moorland in the English sense: scrubby, rocky, elevated, windswept, inhospitable. A place where poor people might scratch out a living on the edges, but it is not going to support a permanent population or sustained agriculture.  But it might be entirely suitable for use by the men of Rohan to occasionally spell their rich pastures and take their herd animals into the Wold for a time in Spring and Summer, particularly their prized horses.

Either side of the Wold are the downs, areas that are notoriously short of water but slightly better country for grazing animals like sheep.  According to Karen Wynn Fonstad, the downs north of the Wold were “rolling downs of withered grass” and those to the south were “long treeless slopes” at whose feet “the ground was dry and turf short”. 

The other important geographical feature of the Wold and the Downs are the valleys that lay between them, both north and south.  These valleys intersect with the Anduin to form the North Undeep and the South Undeep.  Both of the Undeeps had many shallows and wide shoals that afforded an easy crossing for an army. These shallow fords or crossing places on the Anduin were used both by the Wainriders (Balchoth) and the Eotheod (Eeorl the Young) to cross the Anduin at the Battle of Celebrant.  The Anduin Undeeps then became the north eastern boundaries of Rohan.

Aldhelm

So my battle company is a group of hardy Rohirrim warriors who come from the Northern extremities of East Emnet, bordering the South Downs and the Wold.  They are poor men, from poor families, who eke out a living grazing their animals and horses in the great expanses of the south downs, the Wold, and even the north downs.  But it is a place on the cross-roads, a place where great armies have crossed in the past, a place under threat from raiding orcs and goblins from both the east and the west.

Their leader is Aldhelm, an ambitious young man who has attracted a small and loyal band of followers.  With the support of his village elder, he has begun patrols into the Wold to detect and deter raiders, and help to bring safety for the northern approaches of these hardy people.

Kazak

Opposing Aldhelm (at least to begin with) is an equally ambitious Moria Goblin, Kazak, looking for loot and spoils.

And so we begin.

The Return of the Blog.

So, it has only taken me three years to come back to this project.  In between have been some flirtations with the Great War, 2 new businesses, moving house, and the usual vicissitudes of life.

In short, life got in the road.

But I am back, and I have been rethinking my approach.  One of the reasons why the idea stalled was I was making it too complicated and generally overthinking it.  Time to simplify. And the easiest way to simpify is simply ti use something I already have.  SPI's old War of the Ring.

So I have mounted the map, put it up on the wall, set up the campaign game and we are ready to roll.

The SPI War of the Ring had two games - the character game and the campaign game.  The character game was 'OK' but most people agree that the campaign game was a bit broken and well, a bit dull.  It should have been fun, people wanted it to be fun, and when I first opened it as an adolescent (Xmas present), it looked fun.  But it wasn't fun.

So to deal with that, I will make a couple of simple changes.  Well, hopefully simple.

• I will take the character game out altogether.  The campaign opens just after the breaking of the fellowship.  Boromir is dead, Frodo and Sam have literally disappeared off the map, and Merry & Pippin are in Fangorn with Gandalf the White.  Aragorn, Gimli & Legolas are in East Emnet.
• The ring will be destroyed after a random amount of time.  We assume the ringbearer will succeed eventually.  Sauron never imagined that destroying the ring was the goal of the West, and so did not guard against the possibility.  The drama for the players comes from the not knowing when.  If the forces of evil move quickly, then there will be no good cities left, and the orcs will rule even without Sauron.  Alternatively, if Good can hold on long enough, then Sauron will ultimately be defeated.  So then the race is on for the evil player - how much can they conquer in as quick a time as possible, but they are still limited by the shadow poiint mechanism. For good, holding on as long as possible to give the ringbearer a chance to save the world before it is too late.
•  So...each turn, evil has shadow points that it can use for moving armies, attacking or searching for the ring or all 3. Nazgul give bonuses.  For good, they just have to hang on. Pick where to make a stand and when to fall back.
• When will the ringbearer succeed?  How about this for a trial mechanism  Roll for progress, each turn.  d6. +1 for gandalf helping (taken off the board). -1 for every SP and -0.5 for every nazgul used in searching (can't lead armies). When the total adds up to 20 or 30 maybe (I can fudge it)?? then the ring is destroyed . Rolls by umpire.
• Evil armies must have a nazgul with them to move (max of 9 armies).
• Shadow Points increase by capturing good cities/regions?
• Saruman player?? Just one move at a time?

Some stuff to work out, but basically if I follow the SPI rules, and depart from them when it seems more fun, then all good.  Its my campaign so like all good umpires, I will do what I like.

In terms of scale, I still like the overall relationship using the three rules sets for skirmish (LOTR SBG), intermediate (GW WOTR) and grand tactical (Warmaster/BoFA).

So the figure scale is roughly:
Skirmish scale - SBG Rules 1 figure = 1 man
Intermediate scale - WotR Rules - 1 figure = 15 men; 6 figures = 1 Company of 90-100 men; 4 company bases is a 'formation' of 400 men (cavalry formation of 8 figures on 4 bases  = 100 riders)
Grand scale - BoFA Rules - 1 figure = 25-30 men; 10-12 figures = 1 base (1 WotR Formation); 3 bases = a 'regiment' of 1000 men (1 base of cavalry of 4 figures is a WOTR cavalry formation, so a regiment of 3 bases = 300 cavalry).

The points on the campaign map counters can be up to 25 and 30 point counters for orcs, and around 10 to 15 point counters for good.  So for a single strenth point could represent 500 pts in the SBG (roughly 50 to 70 figures a side - about as much as you want for a skirmish game); 100 points in the WOTR rules (so a 10 point counter is about a 1,000 point WOTR army) and I will work out the equivalence for BOFA when I get there - perhaps it is 50 or 25 points.

Overall situation at turn 1.

The Forces of Mordor and Gondor face each other across the narrow strip of Ithilien.

Mrikwood, Dimrill Dale, Rohan and Isengard

The Northern War - Esgaroth, Rivendell and the Lonely Mountain

The Orcs of Mordor

Only 5 days to go before I get to go home and get the toys out for the beginning of the campaign for real.


In the meantime, I have been thinking about the fate of the 80,000 or so orcs, uruks and trolls at the battle of the Pelennor Fields and the more than 60,000 orcs, uruks, trolls, Easterlings and Haradrim that fought at the Black Gate.



As I said in my Armies of Harad post, the losses were undoubtedly heavy, but orcs are not by nature (in my view) going to stand once the battle goes against them.  Even more so when first the Witch King of Angmar is destroyed by Eowyn at the Pelennor Fields and then Sauron and the rest of the Nazgul are destroyed with the destruction of the One Ring.  Some fought on bravely, particularly the Easterlings at both the Black Gate and with there backs to the Anduin on the fields of Pelennor (which is something to be remembered when looking at the way the Easterlings fight - their discipline and morale is excellent).


In my Fourth Age campaign, significant numbers of orcs and other creatures survived and were scattered.  Whilst many were pursued and killed by the victorious men of the west, there were simply too few men to finish the job completely.  Whilst the victories were definitely crushing, the defeated servants of Sauron were not destroyed, merely scattered and leaderless.


The Easterlings finally surrendered and were sent home in peace by Aragorn.  Just as the Dunlendings were made to swear not to attack men.  All fine and dandy, but I don't think either the Easterlings nor the Dunlendings are going to feel bound to their peace treaties once they get home again.  The Easterlings in particular I see as one of the historical tribes of the East.  They sweep into Europe (Middle Earth) under pressure from behind and looking for new lands to settle in.  The Easterlings, like the Wainriders before them, will continue to push west.  But that is for another post.




The Orcs are no longer a cohesive force, but as for the Haradrim, I am assuming 50% survived unhurt, and a further 25% may be wounded but will ultimately recover.  That means there are still more than 100,000 fighting orcs in and around Mordor.  I will also assume that there are generals of some substance, such as Gothmog (whose fate was unclear in the book), who are capable of preserving at least a modicum of order in the post-Sauron Mordor.


So for campaign purposes, I am treating Mordor as 3 distinct entities: the orcs of the black gate, the Morannon, Durthang and the plains of Gorgoroth as one entity (30,000 strong); the orcs of Minas Morgul and the Ephel Duath as one entity (30,000 strong), and the orcs of Nurn as a third entity (10,000 strong). 


Each of these 'factions' will have its own leader and have slightly different objectives; mainly rebuilding some sort of society and surviving whatever the world of men will throw at them.  They are still clearly a force to reckon with on numbers alone, have strong natural (Ephel Duath and Ered Lithui) and Gondorian built defences (including Durthang and Minas Morgul itself), and a naturally strong survival instinct.


Like the orcs of Gundabad, the goblins of Moria and the survivors of Mirkwood, the orcs of Mordor will be unlikely to band together to threaten the world of man's survival, but they will also not be easily destroyed.       


I think the orcs of Mordor will be an interesting obstacle to the new Pax Gondora in the Fourth Age.

The Armies of Harad

Harad

I have to give some thought to exactly what has happened to the survivors of the Pelennor Fields, particularly the Haradrim.  Undoubtedly, the casualties were heavy, but the main factor in the fallen realms armies was the death of the Witch King of Angmar at the hands of Eowyn, and the subsequent reinforcements from the Anduin, led by Aragorn. Caught between the hammer of the Rohirrim and the anvil of the southern Gondorian reinforcements, the forces of Mordor and the fallen realms were routed and then scattered.  Casualties were undoubtedly heavy on both sides, and there is no doubt that the Haradrim were crushed as an effective fighting force.  However, there is also no doubt that significant numbers of Haradrim soldiers and even some mumakil escaped the slaughter.  Some of Sauron's forces, notably a contingent of easterlings, fought to the last man to buy time for the rest of the army to escape.

Tolkien estimated the Haradrim army to be 18000 strong before the battle, with perhaps 2000 scarlet clad Southrons as well.  Even with a catastrophic 50% killed, there would be at least 10,000 warriors from Harad heading home from The Pelennor Fields.  I shall assume 50% casualties, but half of those would be walking wounded.  So in round numbers, I shall say there are 15,000 warriors of the Harad heading south as the campaign opens.  Of those 15,000, 5,000 are walking wounded and are simplymaking  there way home as best they can.  The combat effectives number 10,000 but are highly disorganised and have formed into 2 distinct groups, a smaller group comprising the main command, the surviving mumakil, an infantry guard regiment and cavalry detachments.  This group escaped the battle more or less intact (I am assuming they formed the main reserve and escaped in good order when the battle was lost).  The larger group comprises the bulk of the survivors; they are disorganised, have no overarching leadership (although lower unit leadership) and are carrying casualties with them.  This group is moving more slowly and is vulnerable to interception by Gondorian forces.

For campaign purposes, the smaller group needs to disrupt any Gondorian probes in order to buy time for the bulk of the Haradrim forces to escape across the Poros.  Both groups will start in South Ithilien, but I have yet to decide exactly where.

So, the smaller group, under Lord Vadayr, comprises:

2 Regiments of cavalry (300 men)

2 regiments of guard infantry (1200 men)

3 Mumakil and handlers and crew (300 men)

The larger group comprises a mixed lot 8000 infantry and 5000 wounded and stragglers.

They fight with brittle morale and are capable of organising rearguard actions but are unlikely to stand against a determined foe.

8 regiments of infantry (8000 men) with brittle morale. Each regiment has its own commander with a modest command rating, but as there is no overall commander, the regiments cannot form larger formations or cooperate closely together.

As for the rest of Harad, well there is not much left behind in the homeland.  It it critical that the fighting men return, as it is only the men who have seen too many summers or the boys who have seen too few summers that are left.

I have plagiarised heavily from the excellent third age mod for Medieval Total War II for the following descriptions.  I will put it all on the map in due course.


South Umbar - capital Vatavea - Lord Jubayr - corsairs

Umbar - huge city - corsairs - black númenorean in charge -Lord Qusay

North Umbar - Kas Shafra - town - not a port - lord Ghasaan - spearman and archers

South Harandor - Has Yayb village - Lord Hannad spearman

East Harandor - Harandor town - lord Ubaadah - spearman and archers

Gobel Ancalimon - eponymous castle - lord Musab - spearman, archers and cavalry - lies in the valley feeding the bay north of Umbar

Harad - Hyarmen capital of the Haradrim - chieftain Khuzmayah - this large city lies on an oasis on the main trade route south. Lying just to the south of the more fertile lands of Harandor, Hyarmen is where the mighty mumakil and camels are brought from the wastes to be trained into Harad's armies.

Amrun - Amrun castle - lies on the north south trade route. Also the main road up the valley towards near a Harad and Khand - Lord Yaman - spear, archers and horse

Near Harad - Hamen town - Lord Jibran - spear archers and horse

Haradwaith - Haranaer village - Lord Utbah - camelry, Troll-men

Far Harad - Urabhaya village - Lord Haarith - spear, archers and troll-men

The Army of Gondor

The army of Gondor at the end of the War of the Ring and the beginning of the Fourth Age is a depleted and exhausted one, even though they are the victors!

The majority of Gondor's forces are citizen soldiers, only pressed into service in times of desperate need, such as the War of the Ring!  So at the end of the war, much of the manpower of Gondor is going to be diverted into more peaceful pursuits: farmers, fishermen, craftsmen and merchant folk.  These militia men can be called upon, but only at a great cost to the economic rebuilding of Gondor.

There is a standing army, a core of professional soldiers, principally based in Minas Tirith in the north and at Dol Amroth in the South.  These warriors will form the basis of King Aragorn's plans to clear Gondor of stragglers, protect his borders, push into Ithilien and perhaps, eventually, re-establish the lost Kingdom of Arnor.

I have described the troops qualitatively, but not with any rule set in mind.  More just as an indication that I can consider during the campaign.  The descriptions I have used are, in descending order: elite, veteran, regular, average, poor (untrained or unmotivated or both).

The army of Gondor, clockwise by province, is as follows:

Arnorien

Standing Forces

One Company (200 men) of household foot troops in the service of the Lord of Anorien.  Average Quality.

One Garrison Company (200 men) of militia protecting the beacons strung along the White Mountains towards Rohan.  Poor Quality.

Available Levy

One Regiment of foot archers (600 men).  Average quality.

Ithilien

No forces

Minas Tirith

Standing Forces

1 Guards regiment under the command of Hurin, Warden of the Keys
                                 1 company of Guards of the Fountain Court (200 men) - Elite quality
                                 2 companies of Citadel Guards (400 men) - Veteran quality

3 regiments Minas Tirith Warriors (1800 men) - Heavy infantry armed with spear and sword - Regular quality.

1 regiment of Minas Tirith Archers (600 men) - armoured archers - regular quality.

2 regiments of Minas Tirith cavalry (300 riders) - heavy cavalry with spears - veteran quality

Prince Faramir's White Company - 1 company of the Prince of Ithilien's personal guard (200 men) - Elite quality

1 regiment of Ithilien Rangers (600 men) - foot archers, skirmishers and ambushers - veteran quality

1 regiment of Gondorian Rangers (600 men) - foot archers, skirmishers - regular quality

Levy Forces

3 regiments of Minas Tirith militia (1800 men) - spear foot - poor quality

Lossarnach

Lossarnach is a relatively densely populated region immediately south of Minas Tirith.  The region is fertile farming and grazing land, and also lies along the main trade route between Minas Tirith and Pelargir.  It is the region that has perhaps been the least touched by the War of the Ring, and so remains a prosperous and well-settled region.

Standing Forces

1 squadron of household heavy cavalry (50 riders)  in the service of Lord Forlong the Fat - veteran quality

3 regiments of Lossarnach heavy foot (1800 men) armed with axes and shields - regular quality

1 regiment of Lossarnach scout cavalry (150 riders) - lightly armoured spear cavalry - veteran quality

Levy forces

3 regiments of spear foot (1800 men) - poor quality

1 regiment of unarmoured foot archers (600 men) - average quality

Lebennin

Lebennin is the most densely populated province of Gondor after the great city of Minas Tirith itself.  Lebennin's principal city is Pelargir, the trading port of Gondor.  It is home to the Gondorian Navy and a relatively prosperous trading middle class who can afford arms and horses.  Consequently, Lebennin has a mix of forces, mainly focussed on protecting the province from raids by corsairs from Umbar and the men of Harad.

Standing forces

2 squadrons of heavy horse (100 riders) in the service of the Lord of Lebennin.

Gondorian Navy - 10 ships survived the attack of the corsairs in the War of the Ring.  Each ship can carry 50 Gondorian marines.

1 regiment of Gondorian Marines (600 men) - medium armour mixed foot and archers - veteran quality

2 regiments of Pelargir Guardsmen (1200 men) -  heavy spear foot - regular quality

1 regiment of Pelargir Archers (600 men) - armoured archers - regular quality

2 regiments of Pelargir medium cavalry (300 riders) (maintained by the burghers of Pelargir) - regular quality

 Levy forces

1 regiment of Ethel Anduin fishing folk (600 men) - handy in a boat or ashore - skirmishers

1 regiment of Lebennin foot archers (600 men) - shortbow - poor quality

2 regiments of rural Lebennin militia (1200 men) - spear and shield

Principality of Dol Amroth (Belfalas province)

Belfalas province has long been held by the Princes of Dol Amroth, who claim Numenorean and Elvish descent.  The current Prince, Imrahil, owes allegiance to the King of Gondor, but in reality he conducts his affairs semi-autonomously from the remote capital of Minas Tirth.  The fortress of Dol Amroth is home to the Prince and his small but high quality standing army, which is needed to protect the long coastline of Southern Gondor from the predations of the Corsairs from Umbar.

Standing army

1 squadron of the Prince of Dol Amroth's household Cavalry (50 riders) - elite super heavy cavalry

1 regiment of Swan Knights (150 riders) - heavy cavalry - veteran quality

2 regiments of heavy spear foot (1200 men) - veteran quality

1 regiment of foot archers (600 men) - regular quality

1 regiment of Belfalas Rangers (600 men) - archers and skirmishers - regular quality

Levy forces

2 regiments of Belfalas Militia (1200 men) - spear and shield - poor quality

1 regiment of Belfalas skirmishers (600 men) - slings, javelins, shortbows - poor quality.

Anfalas

Remote, sparsely populated and rural, Anfalas has no major cities or fortifications and the only standing force is the household of the Lord of Anfalas, Golasgil.  However, Anfalas is also where the rangers from the Pinnath Gelin patrol to protect what little they have.  Whilst the rangers are levy strictly speaking, their reaction to external threat is very quick and so can be considered as a standing force for the purpose of the campaign.

Standing forces

Lord Golasgil's household: 1 troop of heavy cavalry (12 riders) -  veteran quality
                                            1 company of heavy infantry (200 men) - regular quality

Hirluin the Fair, Captain of 1 regiment of Pinnath Gelin Rangers (600 men) - archers, skirmishers, ambushers

Levy forces

1 regiment of Anfalas rural militia - scantily equipped hunters and herdsmen and men of little villages- poor quality

Blackroot Vale

Located near the paths of the dead, the hardy men of Blackroot Vale are relatively secure from both Corsairs and Orcs, and so can readily provide a levy when called upon, which is often.

Lord Duinhir with his sons, Duilin and Derufin.

1 company of household heavy infantry (200 men) - sword and shield - veteran quality

1 regiment of Blackroot Vale Rangers (600 men) - ambushers, archers, skirmishers - veteran quality


Ringlo Vale

The upper reaches of the Ringlo River breeds also breeds hardy folk that are much prized in times of war.

Like the men of Blackroot Vale, the men of Ringlo Vale are quick to respond with their levy when called upon.

Lord Dervorin's household: 1 company of heavy foot (200 men) - veteran quality

1 regiment of Ringlo Vale foot (600 men) - regular quality.

Lamedon

The sparsely populated high country of Lamedon also breeds hardy souls noted for their ferocity on the charge and their war-cry that scatters lesser men and orcs.

The men of Lamedon have few permanent settlements and no recognised lord.  They elect a war chief, who is usually the boldest and bravest, to represent them when needed.  But like the men of Ringlo and Blackroot Vales, the men of Lamedon are quick to volunteer and their service is highly valued by the Kings of Gondor.

1 regiment of unarmoured highland foot (600 men) - veteran quality, ferocious charge.

Tolfalas

Tolfalas is the island off the coast of the Ethir Anduin.  A mountainous and inhospitable place, Gondor maintains a small garrison of marines to keep watch on the movements of corsairs and to light the warning beacon at the top of the island.

1 company of Gondorian Marines (200 men).

2 Gondorian navy vessels.

Conclusion

So Gondor is described.  Now to consider the scattered remnants of the Haradrim and Mordor armies.

To summarise, Gondor's forces, both standing and levy, are approximately 38 regiments of foot (about 23,000 men) and 7 regiments of horse (about 1200 riders).  That may seem a lot, but Gondor has a lot of work to do and is still surrounded by threats on all sides.

Gondor mapped

Only a little progress the last couple of days, work has been busy.

I have very modest picture editing skills, and an even more modest free software tool, but I have managed to add a little detail to the War of the Ring map that will be useful to the campaign.  More will be added as time goes by.

Tolkien enjoyed his geography, but tended only to fill in the map as his story developed.  That means many places, like Anfalas, seem empty, probably because there are no significant settlements and is sparsely populated anyway.  But there will be some modest settlements placed and named as the campaign develops.

The East Gondor map has the stream of Morgulduin added (the true boundary between North and South Ithilien), Osgiliath and Cair Andros, and some labels for places like Lossarnach.

The South Gondor Map similatly has Edelhond, Blackroot Vale and Ronglo Vale added, amongst others.

As I complete the description of Gondor as a faction, I will add more settlements and forts, as each province should have a capital and a principal fortification on the map, not just Belfalas.

Next task is still to finalise the military forces available to Gondor at the beginning of the campaign.