As Bilbo ventures alone with the dwarves, the White Council coordinates an attack on Dol Guldur. Now we know that Sauron fled before them, but were there any confrontation with its servants? So other than what Peter Jackson has in store for us, any info on how the attack on Dol Guldur was conducted?

I would presume that Gandalf and Galadriel didn't just walk to the gate yelling "Yo Sauron boy! Come out and fight like a man!" (I mean last time Elendil tried that, he had to besiege Barad-dur for a full freggin year!) I would guess that they came with an army of some sort. Even if the wise planned to wrestle with the Necromancer/Sauron themselves, they must have also planned for a garrison of orcs and servants. Now that I think of it, they may even have planned for a potential siege.

I can imagine a detachment from Rivendell, and perhaps archers for the Lothlorien. Woodlands elves of Thranduil? Woodsmen of Mirkwood with Radaghast?

my gut impression memory of all the supplementary reading I've done (simarillion, unfinished tales etc, and so on) completely agree with what you wrote. I can't really cite anything though and my imagination may have had to fill in some gaps so.... I could be wrong, but yes I seem to remember the white counsel attacking in force, presumably with whatever free allies they could gather, I think Thranduil was too far north and more occupied with goings on in the north however wasn't he? I just re-read the hobbit but I can't remember what was said of Thranduil between when the dwarves were there and the battle of five armies.... I definitely see the elves of Lothlorien playing a major role, as you say woodsmen are very well located to help... and Rivendale is quite likely: wasn't Elrond on the white counsel?

The only thing I remember is Gandalf saying that it was largely through the devices of Saruman that they won.

In fact Googling it turned up an article from TheOneRing.net that says we are going to see Gandalf and Saruman preparing these devices in the Hobbit trilogy.

That's the most precise info we get. Thus I'd see the White Council members (Galadriel, Elrond, Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast[?]) as the leaders, supported by some troops out of Imladris and primarily Lórien. Woodmen might be involved as scouts for the local area, but I don't see them participating with the "main force". Thranduil is neither counted among the Wise nor is he a member of the WC. In addition (as already said), he has matters on his doorstep to attend to. His people may put a bit more pressure on Dol Guldur's minions along the borders though, drawing attention and forces away and thus indirectly support the attack on DG.

I guess the attack on the fortress is done without any "heroic" challenge like the one mentioned above. If it happens, it makes for a nice scene - a challenge greeted only by the silent fortress... At least Sauron wouldn't heed it anyway unless he deems himself unassailable - which he isn't. Sauron thinks and acts much too logical and pragmatic to burden himself with "cumbersome" concepts like personal courage or heroism. He is only interested in a favourable outcome for himself.

Since Sauron has long anticipated this move of the WC, he has prepared the events meticulously. The defence (and defeat) is made in a manner that the White Council thinks they have evicted him after a hard and vicious(?) fight and put him to flight, destroying his power base. As we know however, it was all carefully orchestrated by Sauron in this way and he made a long-planned move to Mordor which has been prepared for him by the Nazgûl. IMHO almost nothing in this "defeat" happened that was not carefully planned by the Dark Lord this way.

After all, Sauron's defeat is a cleverly orchestrated sham to lull his enemies into believing him defeated.

Cheers
Tolwen

True, I had forgotten about that. Thanks!

That's without a doubt, but that's why I'm tempted to believe that there was a confrontation of some sort with a rearguard or "fake" garrison used to fool the White Council long enough to lose the track of Sauron and his most trusted servants.

Alternatively, the first wave of advanced scouts visit an empty Dol Guldur and report the flight of Sauron before armies are even dispatched.

For the sake of my campaign, I will play that Sauron planned a confrontation to put the White Council off-track, with enough servants left in the tower to hide his flight. Radaghast will have rounded the Woodsmen and the Mountain Folk (perhaps because Thranduil didn't answer his call?) to prevent the spreading of escapees toward the mountains or the heart of the forest, but these Men were never meant to approach (never mind participate in) the assault on Dol Guldur.