Scenario - January 2014

Western(esse) Martial Arts / Numenorean Martial Arts....

Combat and self-defense in Middle-earth

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Greg
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Scenario - January 2014

Post by Greg »

You are a single Ranger who was patrolling in the southern end of Hollin in the rocky foothills of the Misty Mountains. You snuck up on a camp in the late hours of the night, and discovered it to be a group of Orcs. You were about to leave their immediate vicinity when you were noticed. You don't know how your position was given away, but you are being pursued in earnest. You thought you gave them the slip on a few occasions, only to find they still had your trail, because they have hounds leading their way, and they are hot on your scent.

What do you do?

The Enemy:
Eight Orcs
Three Hounds

Your Resources, other than terrain:
A Bow and seven arrows
An Arming Sword
A Camp Knife
A Camp Tarp+10 feet of thin rope
Rations for a Week

Things like "I find a rock and..." are permissible, but no "iceberg" solutions like "A jar of cayenne pepper was floating along the Glanduin, so I dumped it on my trail and the dogs inhaled it..." Reasonable, practical, POSSIBLE solutions. No "I jump into the middle and go all Viggo on their orc-b-hinds." Use your resources, and use your knowledge of the area. Here's a map for reference:
http://lotrproject.com/map/

I'd recommend posting your answer without reading replies first...we tend to be heavily influenced by others' opinions. After you've posted, you can edit your post with comments on others' ideas.

Reeeeadyyyyy....GO.
Now the sword shall come from under the cloak.
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mcapanelli
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by mcapanelli »

What season is it?
Winter is coming
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Elleth
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Elleth »

time of year? more precise location?

If the river is close enough and deep enough, I would think grabbing a log and "golluming" it out downriver would be the win. No scent trail once you're deep in... water might be too cold though. Another possibility in more scrubby terrain -not a good one, but if the stakes are desperate enough it might be worth considering- start a brush fire. If it's dry enough to throw a goodly amount of smoke up, it could mask your scent and make a decent distraction in its own right.

A lesser version of the same idea is to get your skivvies that have riding next to your skin for weeks, maybe pee on them to boot, and hide them in a pile of brush- preferably a deep holly thicket or someplace else thorny and hard to get to. Then head downwind, take a smoke bath, and hope it bought some time.


thats all armchair though. Im curious what our professionals have to say. :)
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mcapanelli
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by mcapanelli »

Assuming its January, so winter? If that's so the rivers out of the question (Provided its even close enough to get to before being overtaken) I'd try and make a false trail to split up the hounds and try and take them down once the odds were more in my favor. The orcs alone would have a hard time tacking me so taking out those dogs would be top priority. I maybe cut myself and soak some blood on a piece of cloth, create a false trail, and use an arrow to carry my bloodcloth down the fall trail far enough to be just within the dogs scent range. Then I'd work on taking those dogs down ASAP if the ruse works and they split up.

I don't think I'd risk trying to make it back to my encampment because I'd basically be letting the enemy know where home is. I'd also not light any fires as smoke would alert everyone to my presence. Assuming that the orcs are a scouting party, the main body may be close enough to see the smoke as well. Like I said, I'd try and split the orcs up and take down the hounds first. Then I'd reassess the situation and determine if I should engage or try and slip back home. Taking them on would be a last resort but something I'd seriously consider if my escape could possibly lead them back to my encampment.
Winter is coming
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Ringulf
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Ringulf »

If I have a sufficient lead, I will head for the Hollin Ridge and gain higher ground so that I might be able to see those that are chasing me.
It should not be difficult to stay out of sight by keeping back from the apex of the ridge and using the cover to mask my outline.
As a Dwarf I am going to have to utilize the strengths of my race and minimize the weaknesses.
Having great stamina I will keep heading at a sure pace upwards onto the ridge and constantly seek higher ground to keep my pursuers below me.

Not possessing great speed, I will use the terrain and elevation to my advantage, to minimize theirs. I will most likely have a better general knowledge of the mountainous terrain but if not, I will still be very comfortable in the rocky foothills. I will not stop to rest until I reach the mountain slopes, there I will start to climb any reasonably steep, but sure path. (I do not want to get trapped in a dead end or find myself cornered with nowhere to go) I will wait until darkness to try to see my pursuers behind me, but will utilize any opportunity to send rocks and debris down upon them trying to kill the dogs, which will be in the lead and trying to follow my scent so they will have their noses to the ground.
I will be looking for a very steep face that might have a good vantage and will not be easy to climb or circumvent and scale it after making sure that they have taken enough damage to have become very wary and fearful of climbing up the path in the dark while being pelted with falling, jagged rocks. The darkness should hide my presence on the rock face and the make it very difficult for the dogs to get a scent past my point of ascension.
If I can manage to find a difficult enough face that the dogs can not climb without assistance I will be in a good position once I find a proper ledge with natural Rock and boulder ammunition to hold them off till they are either dead, exposed to my bow fire, or reluctant to pursue me any further.
If they camp below me, I will use their light to devise a targeted landslide or avalanche. I will only change my position and head higher if I see that they continue pursuit and may overwhelm my position, or I use up all the available ammunition in that location.
Fortunately the mountain is my mother and my friend and I will most likely never run out of something deadly to hurl.

When their numbers are thinned to the point were their siege breaks and they retreat I will go on the offensive. However, I am optimistic that a good avalanche or even a nice storm should send them packing in short order. I have a weeks rations that with care could be extended by going on half rations. Two weeks will see them dead or in worse spirits than I, and I will not use my arrows unless assured of easy orc kills.

The rope and tarp can be used as needed to provide shelter, cover and even help me rig some quick triggers for dead fall type traps using large rocks and trip wires if possible.

If all goes awry and they overcome every obstacle I will find an area such as a very narrow path, crevice or cave, that can be defended alone, with a good view in front of me for a killing zone. This will make them come at me up hill and single file. the ropes and tarp can be made into a fence or tangle to slow them down and keep them in my line of fire until all arrows are expended then I will fight with sword and knife pressed against a wall to my left so that they may have a greater disadvantage in fighting uphill and left handed (this may not be effective for left handed orcs, but it will still give me a distinct advantage in right handed downward swings. they will also have a difficult time fighting over any of their slain comrades in front of them.

If by some chance they are able to rush me after all this, I will grab as many as I can and go to meet my forefathers with a loud cry of Baruk Khazad! as I grapple them trying to push them off the cliff or we all topple from the mountain. (perhaps they will break my fall and I will live, but if not, I will be welcomed into the presence of my ancestors with a great story of battle to tell in the halls of waiting. :wink: :mrgreen:
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
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Peter Remling
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Peter Remling »

Cake walk:

Keep ahead of the Orcs for 2 days, always on the move never resting. I eat on the run and drink from streams I pass. Late on the third day I slow down a bit, shoot arrows killing the dogs. When the hungry Orcs stop to eat the fresh dog meat I circle around. The Orcs after stuffing themselves late into the night, bed down because they can't see the trail until morning anyway.

Slip into camp while they slumber and kill them.
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Ringulf
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Ringulf »

Simple, confident and to the point! Now that is a Ranger! :mrgreen:
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
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Chris Russo
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Chris Russo »

Okay, here we go.

First problem is those hounds. So, I cut into the rocky foothills and find myself a nice steep cliff, climbable but too steep for dogs. Up I go, straight up and over. The orcs will be forced to either leave the dogs behind (unlikely) or find another way around.

This should buy me a little distance, if I chose my cliff well.

I would use the distance gained to find a good bottleneck point. If I have time, I'd dig a shallow pit, sharpen a few stakes from fallen branches, set them upright, and stretch my camp tarp flat over the pit's top. With a little mud, a few leaves, and a lot of luck, I might have a trap that could take out a dog or two. Even if there is no time, I can at least take the high ground and bend my bow. The hounds are my targets: I want to hit them suddenly, take out as many hounds as I can, and then retreat along a prepared escape route before the orcs can surround me. If my aim is true and the Valar with me, I might be able to neutralize the orcs' advantage.

If I can kill, hobble, or outdistance all three hounds, then I can play the fox of fable -- double back, leap across rocky ground, and other tricks to confuse the orc trackers. The dogs' noses would have "seen" through such tricks, but the orcs themselves don't have the same ability.

And now, I am the hunter.
"If you bring a Ranger with you, it is well to pay attention to him."
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Greg
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Greg »

I'm liking the responses thus far! Good thinking on all sides!

I didn't really specify a season...sorry about that. I'm going to be posting one of these monthly, which is why there's a date in the title. I'll mention season next month. This time around, you can assume it's not so cold that there's snow.

My main issues I came across were as follows:

1) Of course, the dogs. If the Greyflood is reachable and shallow enough that I can cross it on foot, so can they, so going up or downstream in the water to re-direct my scent would only delay them in eventually re-acquiring my trail with the dogs after a cursory search of the opposite bank. It'd buy time, but wouldn't solve everything.
2) Night time. The orcs see much better at night and are more comfortable with it physiologically than I am. I'd prefer to avoid engaging them in any way in the dark, because it would limit my advantages, most specifically my ability to escape quickly. Hard to run safely in the dark.

The cliff suggestions have merit, for certain, and Pete's idea could actually work, regardless of humor...but it's betting Orcs' appetites against their thirst for man-flesh. A fair wager, to be sure, but it's still gambling.

The one issue I personally have with the cliff dealy-o is the distance lost when climbing. I don't picture Hollin as having a large amount of steep, "un-follow-able" cliffs...it's noted for its Holly trees, and was loved by the elves in the second age. I'd be concerned that you wouldn't find any true usable cliffs until you literally hit the walls of Moria...that could be a long haul, depending on when you started.

Let it be made clear that I'm not bashing anyone's ideas...I'm loving the open discussion and every idea posted so far could work, given the right circumstances. I just like finding as many options as possible, and thinking through what this Ranger must be mentally working through as he/she runs from his/her pursuit.



My take on it, currently, would be to make for the Greyflood in a direct line. The pursuit would follow eagerly, anticipating my use of the watercourse as a means to cross and reappear on the other side up- or down-stream. Traditional, and by-the-book. What I'd do instead, would be to follow the river downstream as fast as possible, near the opposite bank, running up onto the bank occasionally and backtracking to the stream to create an occasional scent location for the dogs to pick up as they search the far bank. The actual destination would be the original, northern bank, a quarter mile downstream (west) of my original put-in location. I would use this to circle around to the west and north, leaving them well behind and unable to continue pursuit, and allowing for me to connect with another patrol to strengthen my numbers. If this fails or they are too close to me for success in losing them, staging ambushes to take out the dogs individually with my bow between long, hard runs to create distance would be the most versatile means of taking out the sniffers, as it doesn't rely on a specific form of terrain that I may not be lucky enough to find.
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by armchair »

The thing to do is hightail. This is too much foe for me, and I have to wonder, if there's one hunting party after me, might there be others?

Step one is take out the hounds.

I'm inclined, weather permitting, to head for Redhorn Pass. Holding higher ground, in the mountains, there should be plenty of rocks available. Starting with only seven arrows, and needing at least three to neutralize the dogs, I need some sort of force multiplier. The mountains should provide me with plenty of those -- big ones to roll at my pursuers, and small ones for beaning them. Could possibly rig a sling from the rope and a segment of the tarp.

Even if I shake pursuit or eliminate them all, I'm concerned that there more, so I would continue through the pass, and make for Lorien or maybe the Beornings and hole up for a bit.

That's what I have off the top of my head. Let me think about this for a while and I'll probably be able to pick out several flaws.
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Beornmann
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Beornmann »

LOL. Had a detailed response ready to post, then saw Pete posted a more succinct account.
So, WHAT PETE SAID!
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Greg
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Greg »

Armchair, I like it. That nixes my concern of not knowing exactly what the terrain is in Hollin...you're making instead for a well-known ME locale with a a predictable terrain that would be easy to find on the horizon. Good call.
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by brownl_91 »

I would create short false trails, that hopefully would fool the dogs, just for a brief period of time, and I would keep a look out for places where I could make a short stand. This would take place over several places. My number one priority with these advantage points and false trails is to neutralize the dog threat. The dogs are the main reason I'm being chased and hunted so vigorously.

If I am still being chased after the hounds are dismissed I would use the same technique to dismiss the leader and or any archers. This assumes I didn't use all of my arrows on the dogs...With 7 arrows and 3 dogs lets hope that not the case but it could be possible.

Now I am out of arrows. The dogs are dead along with a couple orcs, What now? If there are only a few I would try to take them by surprise by looping back around and surprising them. However, If i had the time I could sneak up and take them out one by one if I am very lucky. Most likely that would not be the case.

I am a relatively small guy. Honestly with ranger training, just due to the short reach of my weapon and lack of strength compared to my opponent, if there where more than 2 orcs remaining and I didn't feel like I could whittle away there numbers by making short stands, I would keep running.

Lets face it, by now at least the dogs would be neutralized. It wouldn't be overly hard to trip them up with false trails and just the use of stealth and cunning. Remember, he who runs away lives to fight another day.
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Frothgar »

Ranger escape and evasion.

My first thought is to put as much distance between them and me. I move quickly away from the orc pack, the baying of hounds likely fueling my body with adrenaline.

I move in the direction of the nearest brook, creak or stream, being these are foot hills i assume there would be many with plentiful runoff from the mountains. I wade or walk within the water upstream for maybe a mile and a half. I come out on the same side of the river i entered from, going back into woods that are at least slightly more familiar to me. I presume that it is now near dawn if not full daylight.

I make my way up hill and find any suitable clearing or area of bare rock. I ready a stand off position, putting arrows in the dirt or otherwise front of me in easy reach. I cut my camp tarp in half and wrap half around my left forearm, the other half i resling on my back. If I can I gnaw on what rations I can to keep up my energy.

As soon as the dogs are within site and ( presumably) heading for me I draw and fire and try to kill or wound as many as I can. If one closes to within 30 feet or so I drop my bow and draw my knife. I present my cloth covered arm to the animals mouth and allow it to bite, as soon as it is engaged I stab and slash at its eyes and throat. Eventually killing or mortally wounding it. ( If I only manage to kill one or none by bow shot I make my stand as best i can. I stab the first animal with the camp knife and leaving it in, and draw my sword to finish the others, Estimate 1 arrow left)

With the hounds dispatched my thoughts now return to running, the orcs will not be far behind their trackers, even in daylight. I make my way away from my back trail and make as much distance as I can. They will be slower now, without the dogs, so I imagine I will get a good lead. I leave a decent enough trail, not obvious, but definitely followable.

As I make pace I keep my eyes peeled for local fungus. If I find with deleterious gastric effects ( very likely) I will smear the some of my trail rations ( likely the jerky, as that would most appeal to an orc. ) with the fungus and leave my ration bag behind as if it were snagged on a tree limb and torn from among my gear. (Estimate 2 orcs either laid up or significantly weakened.)

Around noon I stop and prepare again, I tear my tarp into long thin pieces, and begin sharpening 11stakes. I then begin to set up a kind of trap alley. I set up trip lines with the twisted strips of my camp tarp between close set trees. I set 2 stakes slightly staggered about 4 feet from the line. I stagger 5 of these traps in a more or less straight 300-400 foot lane. I keep one sharpened stake in my belt as a crude stabber for my off hand. Going back to the start of the lane. I conceal myself and ready my final arrow. When the orcs come into range i take my time and make a shot that counts. I then break cover and make a show of fleeing panicky, feigning terror (fear i will no doubt be feeling, but terror is what will bring them after me) I lead them through the lane passing over each of the lines my self and drawing them after me. (Estimate 4 orcs killed.)

The likely final orc should have me within view the whole time. Once i have reached the end of the lane i turn and face it. I draw my sword and stabber, scream defiance and make a show that i am unafraid of it. The switch from crazed panic to powerful defiance will likely give me a psychological edge in the coming fight. I close quickly and do not relent until the creature is dead.

At this point i am likely running very low on energy and if i havent killed all the orcs i will make for bare rock and find a cleft or shelf to shelter in for sleep, keeping my weapon in hand. With a day of being active under the sun they will likely be worn down as well. I would reemerge at dawn and make for the nearest friendly dwelling. If i encounter the orcs again i will begin hunting any remaining orcs stealthily. But my priority will be to make it out and find support.

When its all over i return to my first stand and see that the dogs are given cairns. They were victims of cruel masters.

Bear in mind my approach to this situation would be far different if i were armed with my preferred gear (sling and axe). If people would like i will post that plan later.

Frothgar.
Civilization, it seems, prepared one to live, but not to survive.
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Frothgar
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Re: Scenario - January 2014

Post by Frothgar »

Love your post Ringulf, especially the final kamikazee option. Very within character

And I love the simple , direct, an adaptable plan Pete laid out.

Very fun.
Civilization, it seems, prepared one to live, but not to survive.
-Cimmerian proverb
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