Nirnaeth Arnoediad begins!

Failing to restrain himself, Gwindor surprises everyone by singlehandedly charging the orc horde! He quickly cuts down the murdering orc (although he could have struck down two orcs if his rolls had been a little better) His men from Nargothrond quickly follow after. I chose to not permit any other warriors, either Fingon or Morgoth, to react to reflect their surprise...

Turn 2: Fingon holds the initiative and gets to move his forces first. (In GW Middle Earth Rules, there is a Narrative Game, this being an example, giving one side the initiative. One side moves, then the other; then the first side shoots missiles, then the second; and finally melee in the same order) Here are the armies after they move, and archers have shot...

Elven Archers down a stand and Beleg adds another, while the Men of Dor-lomin drop x3 more! The individual orc casualties represent a stand of orcs being eliminated! The orcs succeed in only one instance getting an Elf from Falas. The melee sees two orc stands failing against the Elves who lose one to the orcs. You can see Gwindor just about center of photo...

Turn Three: Fingon's army advances while the second and third ranks of the orcs withdraw, second rank, three inches so its archers can fire...

In the archery exchange, 4 orc stands are eliminated while 1 Elven and 1 Man is struck down. During melee, The Elves and Men get 2 more...

...while Gwindors slays his opponent...

Turn Four: Fingon's Army continues their advance...

 The Elven archers have a miserable turn and score no hits, but the Men destroy the last two stands that are in range. In melee, 2 more orc stands go down against no losses for Fingon. There are only two orc stands remaining from their first two ranks! However an orc captain not only stands his ground (center photo)...

...but fights off Mablung, and defeats a Noldor!

Turn Five: Gwindor and his men push on, but the rest of Fingon's forces use part of their move to reorganize and allow their archers catch up.

 An amazing turn for Morgoth's forces...not a single orc is destroyed! But x2 Elves are taken down AND Mablung (bottom of photo)is fought off by the orc captain!!

Turn Six: On the Elven Left Flank, Gwindor (center of photo) continues to charge after the orcs, followed  by his men (although they are falling behind his pace)...

The remainder of the Western Army begins its charge again with some left behind to finish several bands of stubborn orcs...

Mablung rolls three d6s to finish the orc captain...

Turn Seven: As Gwindor continues...

The archers from the Falas clear his way...

On the Right Flank, the Men of Dor-lomin and Brethil begin swinging to their left to link up with the Elves, while Mablung and Beleg (on the left edge) add their swords against one of the remianing orc bands

 Mablung and Beleg finish one of the three orc bands still resisting (although the other two still stand!)...

Turn Eight: The view southward across the whole battlefield with Gwindor at left center, and King Fingon seen in upper right. Yes, there are only five stands of orcs remaining!...

As in the previous turn, the Falas archer downed the orcs immediately to Gwindor's front...

King Fingon (left of center) moves forward, while one of the remaining orc stands finally goes down, leaving one which still stands...

Turn Nine: Nearing the gates of Angband itself, seen in background, Gwindor charges up to an orc stand. 

The Falas archers fail to bring any orcs down, but one of the Nargothrond Elves fall to orc arrows. Gwindor then destroys the orcs to his front...

And finally, the last of the orcs far to the rear of the Elves, is destroyed...

Turn Ten: The orcs try to cut off Gwindor from the entrance to Angband...

while King Fingon (left of center) brings up the rest of the Army (you can just make out the dark outline of Angband top center of photo)...

Elven archers (the Falas contingent on right edge) destroy x2 orc stands before they can reach Gwindor, while the remaining orcs drive back x2 Nargothrond soldiers...

Turn Eleven: Gwindor pushes on while the Elves of Nargothrond and Falas engage the last orc band...

...and the rest of the Western Army closes in on Angband...is this victory?

The Elves fail to destroy the last orc band, simply driving it back...

Turn Twelve: Gwindor draws nigh to the Gate of Angband, while the Elves Nargothrond race to catch up to their Lord...

Fingon and his men fast approaching...

Falas archers strike down one of the orc guards before Gwindor, while others destroy the last orc band!

Turn Thirteen: Gwindor charges the guards as his men continue to race up. and engage one of the orcs..

The remainder of the Western Army...

Success! His Nargothrond men dispatch the guard, and Gwindor destroys the remaining guards!!

Into Angband charges Gwindor and the men from Nargothrond! Victory!!!

(Or is it?

Nirnaeth Arnoediad

Morgoth sent a vanguard of some 100,000 orcs to the foot of the Ered Wethrin, to coax the Elvish Army to attack. King Fingon (standing on the parapets of his fortress Barad Eithel, seen in the lower right-center of photo), with his Western Army planned on waiting for Maedros and his Eastern Army to advance up from the south first and then to attack with combined forces. So while the orcs stood at the base of the Mountains of Shadow, the Elves and their Edain allies bided their time...

To bring more pressure to bear on the Elves, Morgoth's orcs brought forth a prisoner they took at the Dagor Bragollach (Battle of Sudden Flames). He was the Elf Gelmir, brother of Gwindor of Nargothrond. He was tortured by having his hands and feet cut off, then finally beheaded (note the center orc)...

The view towards the Ered Wethrin, from Angband. That is Barad Eithel in the center (you can see King Fongon a little right of center), with the Edain on the left, Elves from Hithlum in center; those from Nargothrond right of center; Elves from Falas on right; and Morgoth's orcs in foreground)...

Unfortunately for Fingon's plans, the Elves stationed under cover, directly in front of the execution of Gelmir, was none other than Gwindor, his brother! Unable to withstand the gruesome murder of Gelmir, Gwindor, followed by his men, charged the orc herald! The battle was on!

The view southward across the Anfauglith towards Himring (left) and the passage of the Sirion (right). The fires of Dagor Bragollach had burned more of the land, but I wanted some contrast for my field and so left some of the plain only browned...

View towards Angband (upper edge, and right of center) ) with the Fens of Serech in the lower right. The right flank of Fingon's Western Army is seen to the left of the Fens...

Feanor

Had already perished in battle before Nirnaeth Arnoediad, but how can the Wars of the Silmarils be discussed w/o the "mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valor, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Iluvatar, and a bright flame was in him." Feanor...
  

He is a Pathfinder miniature, who fit my image of the Noldor King...

The Dwarves and Men of Maedros' Eastern Army

Coming from their chief strongholds, Belegost and Nogrod, the Dwarves were led by Azaghal (unfortunately forgot where online I found this, looking for a totally armored-up dwarf)...

His bodyguard consists of GW Grim Hammers, as above, was searching for totally armored Dwarves that could resist dragon-fire!

To flesh out the rest of the dwarfish force, I dug into my old collection of Der Kreigspeiers...

Next up, the Men of Bor, starting with the chief himself (a very old unidentified Celtic figure)...

Then his three sons, Borlad, Borlach, and Borthand (again, so old I don't remember where they originated)...

The the warriors of Bor, made up of a Minifig D&D line from the 80s...

Finally, some more unknown miniatures standing in for Bor's picked troops...

Lastly, comes the Men of Ulfang, the chief first (a GW Corsair/Umber taking his place)...

...his three sons, Ulfast, Ulwarth, and Ubad (made up by another corsair in center, flanked by two unknowns)...

...and the warriors of Ulfast (including more Der Kreigspeiers on left)...

...some more Minifig D&D...

Next up, the field of battle, Anfauglith, originally known as Ard-Galen before it was tuned into a wasteland by the Dagor Bragollach (Battle of Sudden Flame)...

Maedros' Eastern Army

Now to the Sons of Feanor and their forces. First is Maedros himself (From GW LotR collection)  followed by some of his men. And, yes, I did remove one of his hands...

These figures come from GW Age of Sigmar. Decided to go beyond the LotR box for added diversity

Feanor's second son, Maglor and a selection from his men, also taken from Age of Sigmar...

Celegorm, Feanor's third son, with his men (again, from Age of Sigmar)...

The fourth son, Caranthir and his men (GW LotR line)...

Next, Curufin, the fifth son and his men (GW Galadhrim Warriors)...

Finally, the twins, Amrod and Amras, and their troops (Also from GW LotR)...

Some Elven cavalry (filled in by Elrond and his men from GW LotR)...

Final Elven forces include a small detachment of Green Elves from Ossiriand. Scale creep over the decades is very apparent here, with some old Minifg (25mm) in foreground and a new 28mm from Bones I believe in the background...

Up next, the men of Bor and Ulfang...

Heroes of Doriath

The first photo shows Mablung, one of two Elves from Doriath, who answered the call of Maedros. I believe it is another Bones miniatures

Another Bones minister I think, standing in for the second hero from Doriath, Beleg.

The Armies

Prior to moving on and seeing the Eastern Army lead by Maedros and the Feanor brothers, here is the Western Army, drawn up against the Ered Wethrin (Mountains of Shadow)...

and the Orcish Vanguard beginning their advance (with the entrance to Angband on the left)...

Just a small note, there are over 500 Orc miniatures shown in this army!

Next, the Eastern Army of the Feanor brothers...