The Longest Middle-Earth Tournament

Dan Stu: I've posted about this event on various Middle-Earth community pages, but for the uninitiated; the Longest Middle-Earth Tournament is a half-tourney, half-hike charity fundraising event from the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (MESBG) community at Element Games in Stockport. As far as I’m aware, this is the first event of its kind, but it certainly won’t be the last!

Our JustGiving page for the event can be found at THIS ADDRESS, and we’ll talk more about Mind, the mental health charity, and why we chose them, at the bottom of the article. If you can spare us a few pennies, every bit of loose change really does make a difference. 

The event will kick off on Saturday morning at Element Games, Stockport, and will conclude on Sunday evening at the sister store, Element Games in Sheffield – and we four intrepid players (plus a golden retriever) will be covering the 45 miles in between by foot, over the course of 2 days.

Of course, this has a bit of similarity to the beginning of Frodo's story in the Lord of the Rings, so we'd be remiss to not take liberal inspiration from this, and have decided to base our tournament around the ‘Quest of the Ringbearer’ MESBG supplement, with its pre-defined scenarios marking the key early stages of the Hobbits’ quest out of the Shire.

The following is our best stab at a plan – and as we all know, no plan survives first contact with the enemy! We’ll be sure to follow up with another article chronicling our adventures both expected and unexpected, as well as the all-important tournament results and donation total, at a later date.

Day 1

Round 1: Saturday 8am, Element Games Stockport

Farmer Maggot’s Crop

Distance covered: 0km

Credit: Games Workshop

After a bright and early start, our first round will see us playing under a roof for the second-to-last time of the weekend! We will get to take full advantage of Element’s gaming mats, tables and terrain, playing a scenario in which the hobbits will be trying to escape with as much plunder as possible without being caught by the respectable Farmer Maggot. Similarly, we’ll be filling our water bottles and grabbing any last minute snacks for the road before leaving the comforts of the Shire and heading out of the front door by 9am, with the wise words of Bilbo Baggins ringing in our ears – “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to”. I don’t expect our adventure to be quite as unpredictable as Frodo’s, but who knows!

Round 2: Saturday Lunchtime, somewhere between Marple and Hayfield 

Short Cuts make Long Delays

Distance covered: ~14km

Credit: Games Workshop

The scenic outskirts of Marple will be a fine substitute for the Shire’s East Farthing. The scenario calls for plenty of trees and bushes dotted around to “give the impression of a densely wooded area”. I don’t think we’ll struggle! We’ll stop for a light hiker’s lunch and a portable stove coffee, before breaking out the dice and models for scenario 2. The hobbits, joined by Gildor Inglorion, must slip past three Ringwraiths undetected. We’re fortunate enough to not have any such adversaries on our journey! The scenario calls for a long hedge running the length of the board, so we will have to approximate this with whatever moss and foliage we can find at the time.

Round 3: Saturday Evening, Somewhere on the Kinder Plateau

Buckleberry Ferry

Distance covered: ~25km

Credit: Games Workshop

After a pub dinner and a brisk climb up from Hayfield, summiting the Kinder Plateau will mark the end of day 1. After a strenuous day's hiking, and this being October in the UK, we expect to cool down very quickly on the tops after we’ve stopped moving, and we’ll be keen to make camp and get in to our sleeping bags. Before that, though, we’ll be looking for a mountain stream, to play out the Hobbits’ flight to the ferry crossing! It’s probably worth stating at this point that we won’t be using models we’re too precious about – between playing on the ground, getting wet and spending the weekend being jostled inside a rucksack, I don’t expect them to be in pristine condition by the end of the weekend!

After a few more miles and with the sun setting by 7pm, we will have a quick supper and then it’s in to our tents and sleeping bags for as much sleep as the British Autumnal hill weather will allow.

Day 2

When we were putting this trip together, we quickly agreed that one thing was a must – a hearty breakfast of tomatoes, sausages, and nice, crispy bacon - with some mushrooms, too, of course. Fortunately, James, an ex-mountain guide, is well equipped to fry up a full English in literally any conditions. After breakfast we’ll be packing away our camp, finding some water for the journey ahead, wrapping back up in our hopefully-not-too-soggy hiking gear and getting underway.

Round 4: Sunday morning, Win Hill  

The Old Forest

Distance covered: ~ 30km

Credit: Games Workshop

Serendipitously, a short walk from our planned camp spot (hopefully time enough for the brisk walk to warm us up), Win Hill is densely forested area off to one side. A short detour into the woods will set the ambience, and while it’s more 'plantation woodland' than 'mysterious ancient forest', beggars can’t be choosers (and we’ll probably still be too asleep to notice.) This scenario features no evil models, though twigs will have to fill in for the moving trees, and the Hobbits simply need to make it out of the woods without getting lost…or worse. Here’s hoping we will have no such troubles making it down the descent towards Bamford, though the steep and slippery climb will be our steepest of the weekend, and not one to take idly while wearing a heavy pack.

Round 5: Sunday lunchtime, somewhere around Stanedge Pole 

Fog on the Barrow-Downs

Distance covered: ~45km

Credit: Games Workshop

After losing all our hard-gained altitude on the descent from Win Hill, it’s a deceptively long climb back up the other side of the valley up to Stanedge Edge, which we briefly join before ditching the popular trail for the less-scenic open moorland behind the iconic escarpments. Still, the open moors will be a fitting match for the Barrow-Downs, on which the Hobbits must escape the Wights in the fog with the help of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry. This event marks perhaps the most perilous point of the early quest, and while I don’t expect us to be in quite so much danger, fatigue will almost certainly be setting in by now and I think the warmth of Element Games Sheffield and a hot pub dinner will be calling.  After completing all of our trip's ascents, it’s time to dig deep, cover up any blisters, and trudge along the gentle, scenic descent through wooded trails that reach almost all the way to the heart of Sheffield. It’s a beautiful route, and hopefully we’ll have enough left in the tank to appreciate it!

Round 6: Sunday Evening, Element Games Sheffield 

Nazgul in Bree

Distance covered: ~60km

Credit: Games Workshop

We’ve (hopefully) made it! And if you squint and turn your head sideways, Sheffield sort of looks like Bree, right?

After 2 days of scrambling around with miniatures in the mud, it will be a treat playing on tables with terrain once more – assuming we make it in time for their 6pm closing! Fittingly, at this point in the story, the Hobbits have made it to the Prancing Pony and are enjoying its warmth and hearty ales - something we may have to emulate. We wouldn’t want to stray too far from Tolkien’s vision, after all! This scenario sees Strider and the Hobbits attempt to flee from the Prancing Pony after they are tracked down by the Ringwraiths. I suspect we will not be in quite such a hurry to leave the warmth of Element Games.

After Element’s closing, it’s off to the pub for several thousand guilt-free calories after two packed days of hiking and playing, before heading to the station for the train back to Stockport. And then, if we are capable of keeping our eyes open…

Bonus Round: Sunday night, on a train table between Sheffield and Stockport

Weathertop

Distance covered: 60km and half a train journey

Credit: Games Workshop

The iconic Weathertop scene is too cool to not re-enact, although instead of the beautiful official Amon-Sul terrain kit, we will be playing on a board cobbled together from drinks cans, train tickets and bits of hiking paraphernalia. The 4 hobbits and Strider will be fending off the Wraiths with their flaming brands, much like we’ll be fending off sleep on the train!

There and back again

Here, at the doors of Stockport Railway Station, marks the end of our Fellowship. I imagine our elation will be matched only by our exhaustion, along with excitement about adventures yet to come.

We’re extremely proud to be (hopefully) completing this adventure on behalf of Mind, who have been wonderfully supportive throughout the planning process, and we’re really hoping it won’t be the last of these events.

Ian O’Reilly, Associate Director of Public Fundraising at Mind, said: “We are really grateful to the four intrepid Hobbits and their Golden Retriever for choosing to support Mind via "The Longest Middle-Earth" Tournament and we hope it goes well.

“It’s a difficult time, with many of us now feeling the impact of the cost of living crisis on our mental health and wellbeing, especially those of us with existing mental health problems. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, and it’s so important that no one has to face this alone.

 

“Every donation that Mind receives allows us to campaign to improve services and provide information and support. This includes through services such as the Mind Infoline, legal line, support line and our online peer support community for adults, Side by Side, so we can be there for as many people who need us as possible.”