“Dear Vanyar,

It seems in this campaign our losses are lightly priced, but our victories costly, and this was sorely the case at Druaden.

Reports from our scouts at the Isolationists suggested the Woodmen of Druadan Forest were little to no threat, either in preventing us from victory or in injuring our party, neither was indeed true and we suspect collusions between the Isolationists and Druaden, a potential Two Tower Union, or those reports were grossly exaggerated.

Before the game our two largest egos faced off after a heated exchange of words, promptly refused to play together… this meant we were only 11 men strong.

The first half went according to plan, Druaden moved the ball to a flank but left their ball carrier exposed and we wasted little time in taking him down and stealing possession.

An early Fractured Skull on myself meant we needed to call in the Apothecary much earlier than we had hoped, but despite this set back we managed to carry the ball into the endzone after some stalling.

With only minutes remaining in the game the Woodsmen pressed deep into our half, we dropped back to cover and took out their biggest scoring threat, with Amili ensuring he stayed down. Our injured Lion Warrior then pressured the Woodsmen’s thrower.

Odds against them the Woodsmen tried for the pass anyway, but Amili wasn’t finished in preventing this drive and intercepted the throw. The Lion Warrior dodged into the endzone and then Amili threw a glorious long bomb to make it 2 – 0!

The second half is where things went awry – They blitzed us, the same accursed manoeuvre that cost us at Akallabeth, and tied up both our men and the ball.

We removed the guard on the ball and quickly took it to the flank, although heavily exposed in their half. Where we had failed to remove our markers the Woodsmen left little standing and proceeded to crack our armour like walnuts in their palms. They easily recovered the ball and gave it to their mightiest warrior.

Our new Phoenix Warrior was knocked to the floor had and taken to the injury box with a wound that will likely persist, and our noble Guardian, Torion was brutally slain.

Soon enough with but four men on the field we had no choice but to surrender the score, 2 – 1.

Aye, a victory at grand cost.

Now we face our cousins in Imladris once more, our decision to use the Ring of Dwarfkind was a good one indeed as they now languish beneath us where they belong… But alas, this battle will determine which of us procures passage to Mordor.

Regards,
Torin

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Good game Stu.

My blockless linos proved a liability and of huge RR squander, twice rolling skull/pows with RR and causing early turnovers. We were very fortunate however in scoring the second TD, without which the game would have been tied.

The CAS’ were harsh however, no BH or MNG just Nig, -AV and a RIP, all from a team sporting one capable MBer… I took far less damage from Borups freaks or the Khemri!

The first half was great for us, the second great for Stu whose team is now strengthening nicely and will make a good Two Towers partner for someone.
”