Build Me an Army Worthy of... The Kingdoms of Khazad-Dum and Moria

Hello readers, after my return last week with a post on the Serpent Horde, James, a fellow EAHC member, asked if my next 'Build Me an Army Worthy of...' post could be on the Kingdoms of Khazad-Dum and Moria so here we are! Although technically two army lists, I'm looking at them together here as they share 90% of the same options. Further, as I look to build a 500pts and 800pts army I would take to an EAHC event, I think the Kingdom of Moria shines at less than 650pts, whereas the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum is stronger above 650pts. 

Now any flavour of stunty-boys are new to me and don't typically fit my playstyle but, since the beginning of the pandemic, I have painted a large LOTR dwarf force and an Army of Thror force, both of which I am itching to see on the tabletop. Therefore, I have spent plenty of time theory-crafting lists, as well as listening to the EAHC Podcast episode focusing on dwarves with Ali King on YouTube as he is the GBHL authority on all things dwarven. It is well worth a listen if you get the chance! Now I feel well-prepared to delve deeply into the Kingdoms of Khazad-Dum and Moria.

Balin of Many Banners - 500pts

Balin, King of Moria

5 Khazad Guard

4 Vault Warden Teams

King's Champions w/ 2 Heralds

4 Dwarf Warriors with shield

3 Dwarf Warriors with dwarf bow

2 Iron Guard

25 models, 3 bows

My 500pts dwarven force comes from the Kingdom of Moria list, where I feel as though Balin's drawbacks as a Leader are lessened thanks to the more restrictive points value. At 500pts, going the Durin route, most likely with accompanying Hearthguard, is just too expensive. At the core of this army, we have the literal wall of Vault Warden Teams, the only spear supports in the army list, who bunker down the centre of the army whilst their peers go chopping with their axes. With a reasonable number of models, a few bows to attempt to pick off key cavalry models and strong heroes at 500pts, this list has a few tools up its sleeve. Combine that with a hero who can March, 2 Heroic Strikers and 2 banners, Balin and his beardy brothers can be a tough opponent.

Balin, King of Moria, is a solid profile and he is a capable leader of the force. Probably a little over-costed in terms of points, nevertheless, being S4 with a master-crafted axe for a constant +1 to wound means he is very effective at wounding the enemy. Being limited to 2 Attacks is frustrating but, with a banner more than likely in range, 3 dice at FV6 will win most fights. Balin's Heroics are what make him great in this force, with Heroic March a key addition to any dwarf force to counter the 5" move and lack of cavalry. Additionally, having Strike is always strong and allows Balin the opportunity to challenge higher quality heroes, especially with his D8 forming an effective fail safe if he does lose the Duel roll. Finally, his access to Heroic Defence, albeit largely redundant due to his heavy dwarf armour, does mean you can surprise an opponent who has managed to charge him with a high Strength monster or is benefiting from a to Wound bonus. The final bonus touch everyone's favourite tomb-dweller offers is his Longbeard rule, allowing you spend one of his 3 Will to re-roll your priority roll. This is perfect late game where you both roll 1s and 2s for priority, although if you are cursed with the same luck as the EAHC's Sam, you'll probably re-roll into a 1 when it matters anyway! Some things to consider with Balin though include not only his 2A but also the fact he only has 2W and 1F. This means that despite his D8, a few lucky rolls for your opponent, or an abundance of S4, can be problematic.

Supporting their ill-fated king, we have a key aspect of the army, 4 Vault Warden Teams. At D9 on the front rank, FV4 and S4, these vertically-challenged gentlemen will hold down the centre of your batteline for eternity. Sit these guys on an objective or push them into an enemy shield wall and they will comfortably bunker down and pick up many kills along the way, especially if the King's Champion lends them a Herald with banner. Monsters also need to be concerned by your Warden Teams as they are robbed of the ability to use their Brutal Power Attacks and the foe spear's +1 to wound against them greatly helps remove the threat of cave trolls and the like. You do need to be wary of getting flanked with your small Vault Warden block as the -1 when not supported by a foe spear can be problematic, but then the D9 is often enough of a forgiving get out. Also accompanying Balin, I have picked 5 Khazad Guards who add a extra dose of axe-shaped killing power with their S4 and option to 2-hand. At FV4, D7 and the Bodyguard rule, they will often more than make back their points. 

Now the other hero in the army is the shockingly good value, King's Champion. Included in his cost, you get the Champion and 2 tag-along Heralds who both come to battle with banners. When you reduce the cost of 2 dwarves with shield and banners from the Champion's profile, you are left with an incredibly cheap, very-killy hero. At FV6, S5 and with 3A, the Champion will chomp through troops and make a mess of all but the strongest of heroes. Couple his impressive stats with 2 Might to Strike, he really is a big threat to your opponent's plans. With only 2W and 1F, he looks a little squishy, but he has a couple of ways to counter this, both linked to his trusty Heralds. When 2 of the 3 models are in base contact with each other, they get a +1D boost, which is increased to +2D when all 3 are in base contact. D9 is incredible, but you are only realistically going to have a +1 boost in most circumstances. The other benefit the Heralds provide is the fact the Champion can spend the Herald's 2F each to stop wounds. This means it is possible to have a D9, 5F Champion! Not likely, but an interesting proposition.

With the Champion, we have a few different warrior profiles. First, he has a couple of Warriors with bows. A small contingent of bows is always useful and they are there purely to threaten heroes with mounts and hold objectives. At S3 with dwarf bows, albeit only 18" range, they can easily scare an opponent into playing more conservatively with their heroes. The other great benefit is that they are still stout, hot-blooded dwarves at FV4 and D6 so can hold their own if you need to chuck them into combat. 4 Warriors bring shields to access D7 and secure the flanks of the Warden block. Their job is to road block the enemy, shield with banner support in range and survive long enough for the Khazad and Iron Guard to do the killing. Speaking of Iron Guard, we have a couple of them tagging along with the King's Champ. At FV4, S4 and with 2A, these beardies offer a great killing punch but are a rather large points investment, especially at the comparatively low for dwarves D6. With throwing axes in tow, use the Iron Guard to turn the probability in your favour on one flank as the shield-bearing dwarves hold the other flank.

Tactically, this army wants to sit on an objective as their opponent throws bodies into the Warden shield wall. Overpower one flank of your Warden Teams with the Iron Guard and Khazads, backed up by the King's Champion and a banner. On the other flank, bunker down and shield up with your Dwarf Warriors and a banner to buy time for the other flank to do their thing. Balin can help shore up the defensive flank or apply further pressure with the Khazads and Iron Guard as appropriate. It certainly has its tough match-ups but this force is hard to dislodge and outfight.

Immovable Bearded Object and Unstoppable Bearded Force - 800pts

Durin, King of Khazad-Dum

8 Khazad Guard upgraded to Hearthguard

2 Dwarf Warriors with dwarf bow

5 Dwarf Warriors with shield

Dwarf King

6 Vault Warden Teams

King's Champions w/ 2 Heralds

2 Dwarf Rangers with dwarf longbow

2 Dwarf Warriors with dwarf bow

3 Dwarf Warriors with shield

3 Iron Guard

42 models, 6 bows

At 800pts, Durin, the almighty tank he is, makes an appearance. At 42 models, this is a great model count when you take into account the quality of the troops. This force acts in a similar way to the 500pts list above: you want to form an unbreakable centre with your Warden teams and shield Warriors whilst your heroes and Khazad Guard, particularly with the Hearthguard upgrade, overwhelm one flank. The Vault Wardens role is explained above, as are the benefits of the King's Champion and Iron Guard. The bows in this force are again there to offer an answer to removing enemy hero's mounts.

Big daddy Durin is the first big change in the increase to 800pts and with him comes a change to the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum list. A massive upgrade on Balin, for a big chunk of points more, he also carries a fancy master-crafted axe (the exact same axe Balin ends up wielding, in fact) but he has 3A to make more use of it. With 3W and a D9, he is also much harder to kill, although the 1F point is still a slight concern. The King of Khazad-Dum also has a rule allowing the player to re-roll a priority die, but this time it is a one-off thing. Despite this, it can be a clutch moment in a game, if you remember to use it! Durin is also sporting a fancy horn which not only provides a nice, if often not required, courage boost but also makes Durin super scary with Terror. A fine leader who suffers from the lack of a mount option which his peers also bemoan, Durin is a fine bearded hero to lead the dwarves to battle.

As Durin does not have March, the next new hero is an important one, the Dwarf King. Hailing from what I imagine is a lesser dwarven hold so as to not bear any grudges against the clearly more kingly King Durin, the Dwarf King provides a solid base line of stats and access to Heroic March, a must have for the dwarves. Dwarf Kings offer so much more than their Captain brothers: It is always worth the extra investment, particularly for the FV6. At D8, 2A and 2W, the King will not set the world alight but will easily crack open a fair number of heads for the good of the dwarves. 

The last key changed to this army when compared to Balin's entourage is the addition of the Hearthguard Khazads. The upgrade gives the Khazads Burly, allowing them to 2-hand without penalty. Being S4 and adding +1 to Wound, these guys become seriously killy! Now the upgrade cost really adds up if you take too many and they become a big investment for a 1W model without any spear supports. Nevertheless, place these on one flank with Durin and the King's Champion and there are not many things in MESBG they won't wreck. Having a Herald's banner nearby is vital as without that flappy bit of fabric, you are relying on a single D6 in most fights which is always bad.

Durin and crew take the core ideas of the Balin list and add an extra lethal edge. Not many lists will relish the high defence wall of armoured, bearded, axe-wielding warriors and their tank-like core. Mobility is always going to be an issue but, when you get to a battle of attrition, the dwarves will be singing the victory songs long into the night in the caverns of Khazad-Dum.

So that's my take on a couple of LOTR dwarf lists. In theory, it will work wonders and bring me much joy, and my enemies much despair, on the MESBG battlefields. However, I may have completely messed up and created 2 dire lists that will bring the dwarven kingdoms to ruin. When the world returns to some sort of normality, I guess I will find out! Let me know what you think: Glory to the dwarves or the end of Durin's line?

Kieran

Build Me an Army Worthy of... The Serpent Horde

Hello readers, It's been a long time since my last post (a global pandemic can really affect productivity!) but I'm back with a continuation of the 'Build Me an Army Worthy of...' series. If you look back through the blog, I've already covered Angmar, Numenor, Mordor and Rohan and today I will be presenting 2 Serpent Horde lists. As has been the inspiration for these posts, I have 2 lists, of 500pts and 800pts, that I would bring to an East Anglia Hobbit Community (EAHC) event. At the EAHC, we pride ourselves on holding friendly, relaxed tournaments with a competitive edge to test the skills of any general of Middle Earth and we can't wait to get some dice rolling going again when we safely can.

The Serpent Horde are an army I enjoy to play. With their interesting aesthetic, unit variety and access the Dumbo's murderous, angry cousins (not making an appearance today unfortunately), they are an army with the potential to cause an opponent a whole host of problems. Tactically, they are a diverse list that can be tailored to suit most players styles, whether you are looking for a cavalry force, range superiority or a choppy-choppy horde. For those of you looking for a defensive, impenetrable shield wall type army though, keep on walking. The one thing you can guarantee with a Serpent Horde army, regardless of style, is a battlefield massacre. They will die and die easily but they will often slaughter the opponent at a quicker rate. If you looking for an aggressive army that also means your games will finish quickly enough for you to avoid the queues for your coffees and teas, you've found your army. So, let's check out which Serpent Horde flavour I've gone with today!

The Fat Snake - 500pts

Suladan the Serpent Lord with armoured horse (Leader)

4 Abrakhan Guard 

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

6 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

6 Serpent Riders

Harad King with horse and war spear

5 Abrakhan Guard

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

8 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

35 models, 14 bows

This list, for 500pts, does a bit of everything. It has mobility with the 8 mounted models and both heroes have March, although you won't ever want to use Suladan's Might to March. It has ranged strength thanks to the Serpent Horde's Army Bonus giving them a 50% bow limit and the fact they have poisoned arrows for rerolls of 1 to wound. It has combat power with 9 FV4, S4 burly troops and 4 2 Attack warriors, all supported by poisoned spears and 7 +1 to wound war spear armed cav models. Surely to cover all of that you would pay for it by having a smaller force? No chance! At 35 models, this force is almost certainly going to be outnumbering your opponent at 500pts. So what are the downsides? Well, 5 Might across the army is very average and each point has to be carefully considered before being spent. At D4/5 across your entire army, S4 troops are going to cut through you like a hobbit mashing potatoes and, if the opponent brings a big, killy hero, Suladan suddenly looks a little sheepish. Let's explore the army list in more detail.

Starting with the leader of the army, the Hero of Legend, Suladan. For the price you pay for him, Suladan may well be one of the most points efficient models in the game. For an incredibly affordable points cost, you are opening up 18 warrior slots, getting a FV5, 3A with poison weapon, 3M hero with a 12" Stand Fast! (which he will pass the first time if broken thanks to Hero of Legend). That's straight up value. However, just like Netflix, Bernie Sanders memes and the LOTR extended editions, Suladan is the gift that keeps on giving! Whilst his warriors fight and die around him, Suladan likes to wave his prized Serpent Horde banner like a kite in the wind. Not only is this an actual banner, not a fake, wannabe banner effect (looking at you Aragorn, Thror and Imrahil), so it counts for banner VPs, it is extended to a 6" range. Position him right and you've got a 12" front line under a banner affect for 3 (4 if it's a Watcher of Karna) dice to win a fight at what is usually FV4. Nasty! Now Suladan is only D5 with 3 Wounds and 1F so he is pretty squishy but he can hold his own against mid-level heroes and munches troops. Honestly though, use him as a mobile banner and reap the rewards.

In Suladan's warband, first up let's talk about the Serpent Riders. They bring mobility to the force and even more killing power. With FV4 to win the fight, 2 attacks on the charge and +1 to wound with a poisoned weapon, these guys on the charge will wreck your opponent's front line. As is standard procedure for the Serpent Horde, the D4 is a problem but it's a problem you just have to put up with as a Serpent Horde player. Next up we have the Abrakhan Guard, affectionately know as fatties, and these guys are awesome. For an almost criminal points cost, you get a FV4, S4 choppy boy with a 2 handed sword and the burly special rule. That's 4s to wound D6 troops and only 5s to wound the common D7 found on heroes. Suffering from the standard D4 draw back, they die quickly but if the fatties get going, they can be hard to stop. A couple of Watchers of Karna find their way into the list too as having a couple of 2A models can be very handy and their Steely Nerves rule can be clutch against Terror and Spirit models. Now at D3, they have arrived on the battlefield in their pyjamas but I find that opponents usually have other priority targets for bow fire so the Watchers can make it to combat and prove their worth. Besides, if the opponent does target them, that's 1 more fatty or Serpent Rider who has survived.

Finally, Suladan's warband is rounded off by 6 Harad warriors with bow and spear. Having both a bow and spear gives you the flexibility to tailor your tactics. Happy the sit back with the 14 poison bow shots you have? Sit them in the second rank and ping away at the enemy. Need to grab objectives? Leave a few behind to shoot but move up to support with the rest. Against a the filth that is Rangers of Ithilien? Follow the front line, look to engage in combat and pray you make it there!

The second warband in the list is essentially a repeat of above without the Serpent Riders and a different leader. The warriors form a battleline and engage or sit back and shoot as appropriate. This time however, it is a Harad King leading the way. At FV5, it is always worth taking the King over a Chieftain and he also provides 3 extra warrior slots. With 2A mounted and a war spear, the King can hack through troops but also provides 2M to call Moves or Marches with in order to preserve Suladan's Might pool. At C5, he is also more likely to deal with Terror or stick around when broken when compared to a Chieftain. Don't expect him to set the world alight but he can certainly do a job.

Tactically, this army is looking to achieve victory through a 2-step tactic. Step 1: Thin the enemy ranks with overwhelming bow fire. 14 poison bow shots is enough to whittle down enemy ranks nicely at 500pts after you have dealt with opposing cavalry and mounted heroes. Step 2: Chop, slash and poison your way to victory with you 12" banner coverage. What is left of your opponent's front line should find themselves outnumbered and out-muscled by your troops and heroes. You will take casualties and lots of them but bodies are cheap, and yours are much cheaper than you opponent's 9 times out of 10, so chuck your guys in. As long as you are matching your opponent's kill tally - which with your FV4, burly, poison-weapon, 3 dice to win batleline you easily should be - you will come out victorious.

The Fat Snake Makes it Rain - 800pts

Suladan the Serpent Lord with armoured horse (Leader)

4 Abrakhan Guard 

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

6 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

6 Serpent Riders

Harad King with horse, bow and war spear

5 Abrakhan Guard

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

8 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

The Betrayer on Fell Beast

5 Abrakhan Guard

2 Watchers of Karna with twin blades

8 Harad Warriors with spear and bow

51 models, 22 bows

Scaling up to 800pts, we take the 500pts list in its entirety, adding a bow to the King due to left over points, and add Harad's signature spooky boy, The Betrayer. The Betrayer's warband is a carbon copy of the King's and, as such, is looking to build upon the strengths mentioned in the 500pts list. But The Betrayer himself adds a lot of new things to the list. First, a small upside is the access to magic he provides. The Betrayer is one of the weaker wraith casters but an important transfix here or there can change the course of a battle. Honestly though, you are not taking him for his casting, or Harbinger of Evil, you take him for his Master of Poisons rule. Granting a 6" bubble of full rerolls to wound for poison weapons, suddenly your 22 bows become much scarier, as do all of your poisoned spears thanks to your army bonus. This rule means you can make it rain poison arrows on your opponent for a couple of turns, making it even easier for your large 51 model force to overpower them in combat. I would take him purely for Master of Poisons but I also enjoy putting The Betrayer on a fell beast. This gives him mobility, the chance to fly over troops to get into the back line heroes with his 3A on the charge and Bane of Kings for to wound re-rolls and the chance to line up some juicy hurls. The fell beast is also a wonderful deterrent for the opponent. Even if you never fully utilise it, the fell beast changes the way your opponent plays so drastically, it is well worth it. Now you could drop the flappy boy for more numbers but, with maxed warbands, you would have to invest in a pricey hero first so becomes too much of an investment. 

This army essentially looks to achieve the same as the 500pts list but more effectively with the Master of Poisons rule, added combat punch and a continuation of high numbers. Might is a big issue with 7 across the army but, if you can, you just sit back and thin the enemy ranks early so when it comes to combat, you only need to spend Might on a few key Moves. You will die quickly with this army but, often, your opponent will die quicker. For Suladan and the South!

That's my 500pts and 800pts lists for the Serpent Horde. A fun, unique army. Let me know your thoughts and how you create your hordes from Harad.

Kieran

Build Me an Army Worthy of... Rohan

Welcome to the next in our Build Me an Army Worthy of... blog posts. Once again, I will be sharing 2 lists which I would bring to an EAHC tournament so the lists are competitive but not super filthy! This week, we move on to my army of the moment: Rohan. At the start of 2020 I decided to change up the army I played for the EAHC league events and Rohan was my chosen Good army, replacing my favoured Last Alliance themed forces. The much-loved pony lords have since taken me to 3 1st place tournament finishes, with their furious charge only blunted by the arrival of a global pandemic! 

Before I move on to the list, I think it is important to mention that both lists use the Riders of Theoden LL. There are a number of Rohan LLs now available but, in my opinion, the Riders of Theoden is clearly the best and is a top tier SBG army. Other army styles and builds are certainly viable but the Riders of Theoden allows you to recreate an iconic movie scene whilst improving on the strengths of a Rohan list. In short, all of the things you would include in a standard competitive Rohan list are available to the LL with the added bonus of the Death! special rule, so running the legion is a no-brainer!

The Rohan Bulldozer - 500pts

Theoden with heavy armour, shield and armoured horse

3 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Rohan Captain with heavy armour, shield and horse

2 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Deorwine with horse

3 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Dernhelm with horse

2 RRG with horse and throwing spears

15 models

This force is rather small for 500pts but with all models mounted, a strong core of D6, FV5 on the charge troops and 3 heroes with Strike, boy does it hit like a freight train! For those who prefer a few more bodies, you can get 3 more models in exchange for your Captain but I feel he is too valuable and 3 extra bodies end up being rather insignificant. The first few times I played lists like this one the model count did make me apprehensive but, after a few games, it was clear it wasn't a concern!

Leading the force we have Theoden King. The lynchpin of almost all Rohan forces, the King of the Horse Lords offers a lot for his points but should be used more as a force multiplier and support hero than a big hitter. With 2W and 1F, the King is a little frail, although D7 is nice, and he offers far too much to risk losing him in a tricky combat. Theoden is hugely important to the list due to the fact that all the RRG and the Captain become F5 on the charge within 12" of him which is amazing. Not only that, but you need Theoden on the battlefield to call the insanely good Death! rule! At the start of any Fight phase, once per battle, Theoden can shout Death! which allows every Rohan hero within 12" call Heroic Combat or Strike (if on their profile) for free. With this list, this rule is used to great effect as you can call 4 Heroic Combats and can easily average 3 kills per hero. 12 dead enemies, not including any your throwing spears or RRG may get, is enough to almost break a lot of 500pts armies in 1 turn! In short, keep Theoden alive and profit.

The troops accompanying the King are repeated in every other warband, Rohan Royal Guard. I love RRG! They are incredibly good for their points and are a clear improvement on the already decent Rider of Rohan. These shinier, more armoured pony boys can easily get to FV5, 2 Attacks, S4 on the charge which is enough to win most fights and, by giving them throwing spears, they will be picking up an odd kill on the charge too. Couple that with D6, helping the RRG stick around against S3 attacks, they kill things easily and are hard to be killed themselves. All in all, they are already a impressive package but they get even better with their Bodyguard special rule. Being fearless whilst Theoden is still alive, who of course should be given how important I have told you he is, is invaluable against Terror causing armies or auto-passing Courage tests late game to keep hold of objectives. RRG are superb and you won't regret adding them to your Rohan forces, although your wallet will take a bit of a beating!

So what about the other heroes? The Captain first. He is cheap in terms of points, has Heroic March (I know Theoden does too but the Captain saves Theoden's Might for when it's important) which allows you to close with any static enemy gun lines you might come up against and, with 3A at FV5 (within 12" of Theoden), S5 on the charge, he's pretty good at chewing through troops. Altogether a strong, if unspectacular, choice but he is another hero who benefits from Death! and that is why I favour him over more bodies. 

Next up, my boy Deorwine. What a gangster! F5, S5 with 3A on the charge, D7 for good staying power and Bodyguard to auto-pass Courage checks whilst Theoden lives (again, seriously, make sure Theoden stays alive!), he has a great stat line. With Heroic Strike and 3 Might to round of his profile, he is a steal for his points already. However, Deorwine has a special rule which makes him a top tier Rohan hero. For Theoden! allows Deorwine call a free Heroic Combat if Theoden is in combat within 12" of Deorwine. He must use that to join Theoden's combat, or as close as possible to Theoden if this isn't possible. With 11 Might in the list, 4 free Might from Death! and now Deorwine burning through more free Might, most opponents won't be able to cope.

The final hero in the list isn't just 1 hero, it is 2! Dernhelm, the combined Eowyn and Merry profile introduced in Gondor at War, is amazing. Costing less points than Eowyn and Merry would separately, Dernhelm is an incredibly well-costed FV5, 3 Attack (4 on the charge) hero with 3 Might points (2 on Eowyn, 1 on Merry) and access to Strike. She can reliably hunt down enemy heroes and is hard to kill as your opponent has to choose who to focus on in combat, with both heroes sporting 2 Fate. All in all, she is a fantastic addition and regularly recoups her points during the course of a battle.

At 500pts, with so much Might on the table, your opponent will struggle to cope with the threats in this list. Tactically, wait until your lose priority (whilst staying out of your opponent's charge range) and then charge with everyone, focusing on mid-level heroes (without Strike) and troops. Call Death! Combat through half their army, spending Might where needed, and push home the advantage in the following turns. 

An even Mightier Rohan Bulldozer - 800pts

Theoden with heavy armour, shield and armoured horse

3 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Rohan Captain with heavy armour, shield and horse

2 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Deorwine with horse

2 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Eomer with heavy armour, shield and armoured horse

3 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Dernhelm with horse

2 RRG with horse and throwing spears

Gamling with Royal Standard of Rohan and horse

2 RRG with horse and throwing spears

21 models

This list takes the strengths of the previous list and doubles down on them. Now the model count here is very low but you have so many threats on the table that it can overwhelm most opponents. With a strong core of my favourite RRG with throwing spears, you can block your heroes from ranged threats until combat is reached. When combat is joined, then your heroes just tear a bloody hole through the the enemies lines. The list has a crazy 17 Might, not accounting for free Might from Deorwine's combats, the Death! rule and an addition to the list in Gamling and his banner! You can easily spend 30+ Might with this list over the course of a game! So what do the new heroes bring to the Theoden and his crew?

We can start with Gamling. Gamling's stat line leaves a lot to be desired, at FV4, D6 and only 2W with 1F, he won't kill much and will die pretty easy (although Heroic Defence can help with this). So why bring him? It's all about the Rohan Royal Standard. Firstly, it gives the army a banner which is always useful. However, it is the extra benefit it gives which makes Gamling fantastic: at the start of a turn, 1 Rohan hero who is out of Might within 3" of Gamling gets 1 Might point back. More free Might! Now this effect is superb! It allows you to burn through the already insane amount of Might without worrying about running low. Late game this is crucial as, after your opponent has run out of Might, you can guarantee Heroic Moves for your charging Horse Lords. Amazingly, as I'm sure many of you are aware, Gamling's Royal Standard has been recently nerfed and used to provide a Might point to every Rohan Hero out of Might within 3" of the banner. Now that was stupidly insane! However, despite Rohan's answer to Oprah (You have a Might point, and you have a Might point!) being significantly less generous, he is still a valuable addition to the army.

The only other addition, besides more RRG, in the jump from 500 to 800pts is the real beatstick of the Rohirrim, Eomer. The beneficiary of a snazzy new sculpt, Eomer represents the pinnacle of the Horse Lords' fighters. 3s in all the right places, the chance to go crazy and get +1 to wound if Eowyn or Theoden die (with S5 on the charge, +1 to wound is incredible) and D7, Eomer is an offensive powerhouse, a defensive rock and a constant thorn for your opponent. Send him after your opponent's biggest threat and watch him prove himself an impressive future King of Rohan!

Just like the 500pts list, this army is built around Theoden's synergies, abusing Might advantage and that first, perfect charge. With 6 heroes reliably killing around 3 models each, your throwing spears and FV5 RRG, you can easily cut through 20+ models in the first turn of combat. Not many armies can stand up against that!

Both the lists above are hard-hitting, elite forces which can be very effective on the tabletop. The Riders of Theoden are my favourite flavour of Rohan. Let me know what Rohan builds you prefer.

Thanks for reading, 

Kieran

Build Me an Army Worthy of... Mordor

Hello readers, I have another 'Build Me an Army Worthy of...' post today. This time we look at the hugely versatile forces of Mordor. Once again, I have a 500pts and an 800pts list which I would bring to an EAHC event, the local fluffy yet still competitive community. For anyone in the East/South East of England, please join the East Anglia Hobbit Community group of Facebook so that you are aware of any events we have upcoming and can share your hobby work. We are always happy to see new faces at our events!

Before I share my first list, it is important to note that Mordor is a vast faction and I could have created countless lists which all achieved different things. Mordor is one of the most flexible factions in the game and its roster gives players access to many different play styles and approaches. For any new players reading this, Mordor is ideal for a beginner as it allows you to expand in many directions and will teach you most of the rules in the game. Anyway, let's march to war for Sauron!

Cirith Ungol-ish - 500pts

Shagrat with heavy armour and shield of Cirith Ungol

5 Black Numenoreans

5 Morannon orcs with spear and shield

1 Morannon orc with spear, shield and banner

1 warg rider with shield

Gorbag with shield

5 Black Numenoreans

6 Morannon orcs with spear and shield

Shelob

26 models

This force is largely inspired by Cirith Ungol, with the heroes all hailing from around that area of Mordor, but it deviates from theme with the inclusion of black Numeoreans. The Numenoreans could easily be traded in for Mordor uruk-hai if you wanted to fully commit to the theme. At 26 models, with all but 1 at D6 or higher, you have a hard to kill, well-numbered force to do the Dark Lord's bidding, not to mention a 6 wound monster.

The leader of this list is the powerhouse Shagrat. Despite having a quite ridiculous name, he has overcome that adversity to become quite possibly the best value combat hero in the game. For the points you pay, you get, rare for an Evil hero, 3s in all the right places (3 attacks, wounds, Might, Will and Fate). Not only that, Shaggers is great at cutting down enemies with his S5 and should always pick up heavy armour and his unique shield of Cirith Ungol to get to D7. With all that combined, Shagrat is already a strong offensive and defensive option to lead your Mordor forces. However, he further adds to his value due to a few extra rules. First, his shield of Cirith Ungol grants him the knockdown bonus when he charges as if he were cavalry. What's better than 3 S5 attacks? 3 S5 attacks with double strikes! Blood and Glory is the second rule which helps Shagrat shine. Giving Shagrat a point of Might back each time he kills an enemy hero, Blood and Glory means Shaggy-boy can hunt down your opponents low-mid tier heroes, Strike up to win the fight and then use his 6 S5 strikes to kill them and regain the Might he just spent. Very nice! 

Shagrat is backed up by 5 black Numenoreans. Possibly my favourite troops in the game, the Numenoreans are less killy than your Morannons at only S3 but they come with a whole host of other benefits. At FV4, D6 and causing Terror, they are an excellent front line troop. The FV4 helps you to match or sometimes better your opponents FV, an issue when only fielding orcs. Further, their solid D6 means they often hold their own when they do lose a fight. However, Terror is where the real benefit comes in. Even if only 1 or 2 enemies fail to charge, each failed charge tips the combat more in your favour. Facing a terror wall front line is a real pain for any player and the decent C4 the Numenoreans come with also help to combat any Terror your opponent has. Back them up with the great S4, D6 Morannon orcs to do the killing and you have a strong shield wall, complete with a banner for those crucial duel rerolls. The lone warg rider in the warband helps to add a little mobility for grabbing objectives or denying a key charge from opposition cavalry.

Next up we have Gorbag. I think Gorbag is a hugely underrated model and offers a lot for his points. On initial inspection, Gorbag has the very average orc captain profile but costs a little more for an extra Might point and access to Strike and Strength instead of March. FV4, S4 and 2 attacks is far from inspiring but it is through his special rule, Orcish Brawler, where Gorbag shines. Any time Gorbag is outnumbered in a fight (spear supports don't count), he gains +1 FV and A. All of a sudden, you have a 3 Might, 3 attack, FV5 hero with Strike for little more than a captain! The rule is easy to trigger when you have priority as you can just chuck Gorbag into two enemies and stick a spear support on him for 4 dice at FV5 in a duel. But is also creates a problem for your opponent if they have priority. If they charge Gorbag with 2 models, they increase his stats so don't want to do that. However, if they only charge him with one model, it gives you the opportunity to call a Heroic Combat with a good chance of winning as long as you have a spear support. You can then use this to move into two enemies and boost Gorbag anyway. All in all, Gorbag is a plucky little orc who you will find often exceeds your expectations. His waband is completed with a mix of black Numenoreans and Morannon orcs to further extend your dangerous, terror-causing shield wall.

The final warband is but a single model: Shelob. A divisive choice, Shelob is often the subject of debate for SBG fans as to whether she is excellent or a walking waste of points. For me, she is brilliant and gives you great tactical flexibility for a reasonable price. FV7, S7 and D7 is a super start and makes everyone's favourite giant arachnid a worrying prospect for your opponent. With 6 wounds, she is tough to wound and is able to move 10" whilst traversing obstacles without issue. So why the division? Well she only has 1 attack. Despite having 8 legs and a giant stinger, her 1 attack is an issue although Monstrous Charge does get this to 2A on the charge with Knock Down against all models. Further, Shelob has no Might of her own and suffers from the Survival Instinct rule, meaning every time she suffers a wound, she must pass a Courage test or flee the battlefield. At only C4, this is a concern but with 6 Will points, she is usually pretty safe. For me, Shelob is the ultimate distraction. Your opponent will always be worried when she is around, particularly given she also has the Venom rule meaning she rerolls all falled wounds in combat. She is great at picking up objects and her mobility, combined with access to Brutal Power Attacks like Hurl, means she is a constant thorn in the side for your opponent. 

This army brings great killing power and a strong, durable shield wall. The lack of March means you may face a few turns of enemy shooting but your high defence is usually enough to keep casualties minimal. When battle lines meet, your Numenorean/Morannon pairings should outperform your opponent whilst you heroes cut down enemy heroes (Shagrat) and troops (Gorbag). Shelob is your trump card to using wherever she is best needed. 

The Wraith and his Protege - 800pts

Shagrat with heavy armour and shield of Cirith Ungol

5 Black Numenoreans

5 Morannon orcs with spear and shield

1 Morannon orc with spear, shield and banner

1 warg rider with shield

Gorbag with shield

5 Black Numenoreans

6 Morannon orcs with spear and shield

1 warg rider with shield

Ringwraith (2/13/2) with horse

5 Black Numenoreans

6 Morannon orcs with spear and shield

1 warg rider with shield

Kardush

6 Morannon orcs with spear and shield

5 Mordor orcs with spear

1 warg rider with shield

52 models.

With 52 models, this 800pts force packs in great numbers as well as having a number of other tricks up its sleeve. The core force is the same as the 500pts list, with a Terror front line of black Numenoreans supported by Morannons and Shagrat and Gorbag leading the troops. Interestingly, all the heroes are Heroes of Fortitude so you can be flexible with who your leader is. I would usually go for the wraith as you can really chuck Shagrat into combat then but Shagrat is also a solid choice. So what do the additions to the list bring to the table?

First up, I'm bringing a standard wraith to the table. I always max out Might and Fate on wraiths and then tailor the amount of Will to the points size. At 800pts, 13 or 14 pts is a good shout as it gives you plenty of resources with which to hamper opponent's heroes. The spooky wraith uses the mobility of his horse to get where he needs to be and hangs behind the front line, wreaking havoc in relative safety. His Harbinger of Evil rule also lends itself well to the Terror front line, further messing up your opponent's tactics. 

The real star of the force though is Kardush. Kardush is a named orc shaman and comes with a few extra tricks when compared to his nameless brethren. First, he is a Hero of Fortitude as opposed to a Minor Hero. This open up six more troops slots for your army and removes one of the key drawbacks of orc shamans. An even bigger and more important difference between a nameless shaman and Kardush is his mastery of fire. Kardush the Flamecaller replaces the standard 5+ Transfix spell with the stupidly good Flameburst on a ridiculous 3+. This causes a S6 hit on the targeted model within 6" of Kardush. There are numerous uses for this: removing spear supports, unhorsing models, killing models holding objects and many more. A favourite of mine is to get the Ringwraith to compel a banner bearer so they are no longer in base contact with a friendly model and then get Kardush to light him up. If you succeed, Kardush has already paid for half his cost and your opponent has lost his important banner. One issue with orc shamans is that they only have 3 Will, just like Kardush. But he refuses to be restrained to only having 3 casting opportunities! Through his Heart of Darkness rule, Kardush can remove a friendly orc within 6" of him before priority to regain D3 Will points. That is why he has 6 Mordor orcs in his warband, all there to fuel Kardush's bonfire party. Even after all that, Kardush has one further bonus, you can sacrifice him through his Shadow Pawn rule. This rule removes Kardush and allows a Ringwraith regain D6 Will points. For a few points over a standard shaman, who you only bring for Fury which Kardush has anyway, it is a no-brainer to take this orcish pyromaniac!

This is a tough army to face on the tabletop. With good magical support and damage, a decent amount of Might, high defence troops, a terror causing front line and March to aide with mobility, it really covers most bases. It allows you to adapt your tactics and playstyle effectively and can deal with most threats effectively. When lines meet, let your troops hold their own as Shagrat and Gorbag apply extra pressure to the opponent. Just make sure you protect Kardush and the wraith from any Heroic Combatting heroes and they can spend the game Transfixing key models or, failing that, setting them on fire!

So there's my two Mordor lists. As mentioned at the beginning, there are so many more options to explore. Gothmog, his lieutenants and a horde of Morannons can be excellent, the Witch King is a wonderful leader and the Mouth of Sauron and Troll Chieftain in a Black Gate LL are all competitive choices for a Mordor army. What's your preferred flavour for Mordor?

Thanks for reading,

Kieran

Build Me an Army Worthy of... Numenor (ish)

Hello readers, today we are going to look at 2 armies lists I would look to bring to an EAHC event, one at 500pts and one at 800pts. As mentioned previously, the EAHC is a growing community and, despite a clear focus on fun and fluff, we have a number of skilled players so these lists are designed to compete effectively in a reasonably competitive environment. Now last week we looked at 2 lists for my first Evil army in the game in Angmar. This week, I have built to lists around the Good army I first played when joining the EAHC at the beginning of last year: Numenor. My first list is 500pts pure Numenor but my 800pts list drafts in some support from Numenor's only Green Alliance, Rivendell.

Isildur, the Invisible King - 500pts

Isildur with horse, shield and The One Ring
6 Warriors of Numenor with shield
4 Warriors of Numenor with spear and shield
5 Warriors of Numenor with bow and spear

Captain of Numenor with horse, heavy armour, shield and lance

11 Warriors of Numenor with spear and shield

1 Warrior of Numenor with spear, shield and banner

With 29 models, this list achieves good numbers for 500pts but those numbers are needed when you factor in that the warriors with shields are only D5 and the ones with bows are D4! Warriors of Numenor are great at killing the enemy thanks to their innate S4 and F4 to win fights but, when they lose a fight, they die very easily. By bringing higher numbers, you can mitigate a few losses and ensure you have a good number of dice in each fight.

Looking at the first warband, we have Isildur. Now we could have gone for his powerhouse father, Elendil, who is quite frankly insane. However, he is very expensive and would have left us very short on numbers. Equally, thanks to his father, Isildur is often overlooked but could possibly be the best value hero in the game. He saves enough points to bring an extra 6 warriors over his father but also brings a host of other perks to the tabletop. At FV6, he is comfortably winning most fights on FV, although a particularly small, shiny piece of wargear makes his FV6 unbeatable but we will get to that later! Built in S5 with 3 attacks, 4 on the charge whilst mounted, and 3 Might points to use will melt most enemies, however he can also go 2-handed with his hand and a half sword should he feel the need to. I don't think I have ever done so but I can see there are a few niche occasions where the flexibility comes in handy. Offensively he is a bit of a monster, however things continue to impress when looking at his defensive capabilities. With a shield, Isildur reaches a mightily impressive D8 and has 3 Wounds and 2 Fate to fall back on if he is ever bested in combat or targeted at range. Further, his 2 Will give him a solid chance of brushing off pesky spellcasters but he improves this further by giving himself, and those Numenoreans within 6", Resistant to Magic thanks to his Numenorean blood. 

Isildur is a great leader thanks to his stat line but things only get better when you take him without his father as this allows you to get The One Ring. Representing the time period after the fall of Sauron when Isildur is the High King of Gondor and Arnor, having access to The One Ring makes Isildur the ultimate assassin. Costing 0pts, The One Ring lets Isildur turn invisible, walk through the control zones of opponents and target their key models. Not only that, the Ring halves the FV of all opponents, other than the Ringwraiths, after any Heroic Strikes meaning Isildur's FV6 will always be the highest. Not only that but it means that models must pass a Courage check at -1 per inch away from Isildur to test whether they can see him to charge him and makes sure he can't be targeted by ranged attacks. All together, that is immensely hard to deal with! There are some drawbacks, for example Isildur can't put the Ring on whilst mounted otherwise the horse bolts but you can stay mounted for most of the game and dismount to use the Ring if it is required. The biggest issue happens at the start of the turn where Isildur rolls a D6 and on a 1-2 is lost to the Ring for one turn, giving control to your opponent. You can use Might to alter this roll however I find it is useful to use the Ring when needed and then, next turn, remove the Ring with a Courage test (at C7 with the Numenor army bonus) to continue as normal until it is required again. All in all, particularly at 500pts, Isildur is a boss.

Backing up Isildur are a host of Numenorean Warriors. At F4, S4 they are strong troops, particularly for a Good army. Arming most with spears allows them to support where required and having a small number of bows applies a but of pressure to the opponent. The bow armed warriors are great for objective holding but don't forget, just because they have bows, they are strong combat warriors so get them stuck in if you don't need them to hang back.

In the second warband, we have a further 12 Numenoreans, 1 armed with a banner to add an extra dice to duel rolls where required. They are following the lead of a Captain of Numenor. Captains in a Numenor list are very well-costed and add much needed mobility. With no cavalry warriors, the Captains get to ride on horseback and gives access to Heroic March to help with positioning. However, the Captain really shines as a troop killer. At FV5, S4 and 2 Attacks, he is already good on the charge whilst mounted but giving him a lance means he is mowing down D6 troops on 4s. Add heavy armour and a shield for a strong D7, the Captain works his way through enemy troops and low-cost heroes whilst Isildur cuts of the head of the snake by hunting the enemy big boys. 

The list certainly has its concerns but has proven to be very effective at cutting through opposing armies. Try to save Isildur's Might for key combats or The One Ring rolls and use the Captain's Might for Marches if needed, otherwise key Heroic Moves. Once in combat, this army kills quickly but dies quickly too so try to push the odds in your favour where possible with the banner and spear support and don't be afraid to shield if it buys you time to outmanoeuvre the enemy. Isildur is the big trick in the army and can be relied upon to pull his weight, you just have to make sure you use him to his fullest. Sometimes staying mounted and not putting the Ring on is the better option.

The Last Alliance Reforged - 800pts

Isildur with horse, shield and The One Ring
10 Warriors of Numenor with spear and shield
2 Warriors of Numenor with bow

Captain of Numenor with horse, heavy armour, shield and lance

7 Warriors of Numenor with spear and shield

1 Warrior of Numenor with spear, shield and banner

2 Warriors of Numenor with bow

Glorfindel with Asfaloth and Armour of Gondolin

11 elves with shield

2 elves with bow

2 Rivendell Knights with shield

Certainly not the fluffiest of lists but a very strong one! Adding in Glorfindel and as many elves as possible adds a lot to a Numenor army. It is possible to play a pure Numenor army at 800pts but it struggles a lot and so, by adding in a Rivendell contingent, you compliment the strengths of Numenor and plug a few weakness. Isildur and the Captain, along with their warbands, fulfill the same roles as above, although you want to make Glorfindel the leader so that Isildur can do his invisible butchering without giving up VPs if things go south. So what do the elf boys bring?

Glorfindel is amazing. Straight up baller of an elf lord. F7, 3s in all the right places and on a 12" horse that ignores forests. Where can I sign up?! With D7 and an elven blade, on the rare occasions he loses a fight, he is pretty safe. But what if the enemy have spellcasters? Well, with Unbending Resolve giving Glorfindel 2 free resist dice a turn to supplement his 3 Will, he laughs at the petty magic thrown at him. Oh but what about those big scary monsters that can Rend? With the Armour of Gondolin, Glorfindel cannot be subject to Rend, or any other Brutal Power Attack which targets him, so get him stuck against those Fell Beasts and Troll Chieftains. Coming in at cheaper than Gil-Galad and Elrond, the other two big elven lords, Glorfindel is arguable the best all-rounder and definitely the best value for his points cost. Having him and Isildur together is a real headache for an opponent.

Backing up the glorious pointy-eared legend that is Glorfindel, we have a couple of High Elf bowmen who can sit on objectives and try to snipe enemy heroes' horses and 11 elves with shields. They don't need spears as they will become your front line. Having the FV5, D6 elf with an elven-made sword at the front supported by the S4 Numenorean at the back creates a mini deathball combination. You are rarely ever going to lose a fight due to having higher FV and an elven-made weapon and you have a S4 attack to kill your opponent. Further, if you are up against FV3 opponents, you can faint with the elf to help with killing or risk going 2-handed for plus one to wound. It is a great combo which has won me many a battle. The final piece to the puzzle are 2 Rivendell Knights. The Knights add much needed mobility, an extra killing power punch where required with their lances and cavalry charge denial to further plug the gaps of Numenor.

This army is rather elite but stills clocks in at 40 models so won't find itself massively outnumbered in most circumstances. The backbone of this army are the elf/Numenorean SWAT team pairings as they will hold their own and grind down the opponent. However the combination of Glorfindel and Isildur is a huge threat and, even before factoring in The One Ring, they can go toe to toe with the best heroes of Middle Earth. Use your warriors to win the attrition war and your heroes to strike at enemy heroes where possible. Remember, use The One Ring at the right time for maximum effect.

So there you have it, two lists based largely around Numenor, although one with a little Elvish twist. There are plenty of other ways to play Numenor, Elendil being an obvious route, but I enjoy building around Isildur. Further, the other elven lords are fun to use, in fact at 800pts you can have a very fun Last Alliance army with Elendil and Gil-Galad with full warbands which I have greatly enjoyed in the past. Thanks for reading!

Build Me an Army Worthy of... Angmar

In these 'Build Me an Army Worthy of...' posts, we will be looking at creating 2 lists that I would look to bring to an EAHC league event. Our events are good-spirited but competitive so most lists people bring are strong but avoid too much filth, although many players are fully committed to fun, fluffy lists in the local community. In the EAHC almost all of our events are 1-day and sit between 400-800pts so I will be crafting a 500pts and an 800pts list in each post. 

In this first post, I will 'Build Me an Army Worthy of... Angmar.' Now Angmar is my original evil army and brought me reasonable success. I love the range of special rules aimed debuffing your opponent and shutting down their key units. The fun (or frustration for your opponent) in an Angmar list comes from utilising your spells and rules to blunt your opponent at every step. It's an entirely unique play style within MESBG rules and can be a challenge to play successfully. However, when you get the synergies going, you end up with a terrifying host of orcs, spirits, monsters and wraiths.

The Witch King Rising - 500pts

The Witch King (3/14/3) on armoured horse with the Crown of Morgul.

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

3 orcs with spear

1 orc with spear, shield and banner

1 warg rider with shield

2 dead marsh spectres

Orc Captain on warg with shield

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

4 orcs with spear

1 warg rider with shield

Barrow-Wight

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

4 orcs with spear

1 warg rider

This 32 model list brings along the OG of Angmar, big daddy Witch King. The Witch King provides immense versatility to any list and can be kitted out to fill a huge number of roles, In this army, as with a lot of Angmar armies he is in, he is both your harassing spellcaster and your hero assassin. With a solid amount of Will and the always vital 3 Might (a must in an Angmar list), he can support your army from a distance, safely chucking out a few key transfixes and black darts with great reliability thanks to his pointy crown. After weakening the enemy heroes and managing to transfix them (or even better, paralyse with the Barrow-Wight), he becomes the scalpel which carefully removes the pesky opposition. The armoured horse adds a bit more protection from most bow-fire and gives the Witch King the mobility he requires. At 500pts, there isn't much that can reliably take him on. 

He is ably support by a core of 8 orcs who are there to grind down opposition troops and grab objectives, as well as 1 providing the must-include banner in the army. There is an argument for shields on the spears (for me, D4 to D5 is negligible) and no two-handed weapons but I like the versatility the 2 handed weapons give you. First they help with tough D6 opponents but also synergise fantastically with the Barrow-Wight. You don't care about a -1 penalty to your duel roll when you don't need to roll in the first place! They are great at jumping on the helpless, paralysed bodies of enemy heroes (or banner bearers if you are feeling particularly mean). The warg rider is there for some mobility and he can be used to deny cavalry bonuses or to knock-down enemies where required, being S4 also helps significantly! The final piece in Mr. King's warband are 2 spectres. The spectres 'A Fell Light is in Them' rule has the potential to be insanely good. It struggles against elves and fails outright against bodyguard models but the opportunity to move enemy models their full move away is great. You can move away banners, spear supports or low-courage heroes to hamper the enemy but the real joy comes when you move a model out of a prepared spear wall and in to charge range, allowing Heroic Combat slingshots into heroes your opponent thought were safe, or when moving a model with a relic or off an objective in a key turn. It's always worth bring a couple along to widen your options.

The second warband brings along a further 8 orcs to add more numbers and an extra warg rider as well as the important Orc Captain. Now Orc Captains are, essentially, rubbish. Their stats are average (and that is being kind) but they fulfill a hugely valuable role. I have chosen to avoid bringing any bows in my army so the Heroic March available from the Captain allows the army to close the gap quickly. It also come in handy against other armies lacking ranged threat as you can use the extra mobility from Marches to apply pressure where needed or use the Captain's Might for Heroic Moves, allowing you to preserve the Witch King's Might for more effective uses.

The final warband brings the same warrior composition as the Captain but is lead by one of the most iconic Angmar models in the game, a Barrow-Wight. A terrible fighter with no Might, the Barrow-Wight brings three other things to the table; high courage, terror and, by far the most important, paralyse. First, the high courage of 6 helps to keep your orcs on the battlefield if you are broken with a key Stand Fast. Second, the Barrow-Wight itself is terror causing which can be a pain for the opponent but, crucially, it also provides a 3" terror aura for all orcs thanks to the army bonus. Sit the Barrow-Wight (and the Witch King) just behind your orcs and you can easy have a 10" front line of terror causing orcs. Fantastic! Finally, paralyse. Oh my what a crazy little spell. 4+ to paralyse your opponent and render them useless for potentially the entire game - although, given they automatically lose fights, they rarely last the turn - unless they get lucky with dice rolls. Combined with the Witch King slinging spells around, your opponent ends up having to save their Will to resist a paralyse and be bullied by the Witch King all game or resist the Witch King and end up helpless on the floor and hacked to bits by measly orcs. Always bring along at least 1 Barrow-Wight but at 500pts, where you often only have 1 big enemy hero to shut down, the Barrow-Wight is insane. 

This army should look to use the Captain's March to manoeuvre into position, harass the opponent with a barrage of spells from the Witch King and Barrow-Wight and remove the opponent's heroes from the board early. When it has achieved that, it's a case of grinding down the opponent whilst continuing to put the odds in its favour with well-timed spells in key areas. 

The Witch King Reigns - 800pts

The Witch King (3/16/3) on Fell Beast with the Crown of Morgul.

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

3 orcs with spear

1 orc with spear, shield and banner

1 warg rider with shield

3 dead marsh spectres

Orc Captain on warg with shield

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

4 orcs with spear

1 warg rider with shield

Barrow-Wight

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

4 orcs with spear

1 warg rider

Barrow-Wight

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

3 orcs with spear

Shade 

2 orcs with shield

2 orcs with two-handed weapon

4 orcs with spear

At 800pts, I take the themes of the first list (magic dominance, attrition and control) and turn them up to 11! The Witch King adds a couple of Will to compensate for the bigger army size. I have gone to 18 Will in the past but feel as though 16 is the sweet spot for magic and combat potential. However the biggest change is swapping out his horse for a big bad flying beast (sorry to all the fluff and lore fans out there!). The addition of a fell beast achieves two things: firstly,  you now have extra mobility and the opportunity to fly over models to apply pressure where needed and, secondly, you become a huge combat threat which is needed against the other Middle Earth big boys roaming the battlefields at 800pts. Be careful not to pull the trigger too soon with the FB, it is easy to over extend so still treat the Witch King as a scalpel not a hammer. The difference being that the scalpel now has wings and razor sharp teeth. The only other change to his warband is adding a 3rd spectre for more A Fell Light shenanigans. 

Warbands 2 and 3 are identical to the 500pts list with the benefits the same as before. It is in warband 4 where we see an extra Barrow-Wight. As you can tell by my fangirling above, I think Barrow-Wights are superb. A second one gives you 10 Will on the battlefield to try and paralyse opponent's key models as well as further extending your terror battleline. With the WK and two Barrow-Wights, all enemy heroes will be afraid. The warband also adds numbers with more orcs joining the fray. The difference being, at 800pts, the orcs become peerless wielders of blade and axe thanks to our next, controversial hero...

We are bringing a Shade! Shades have drawn the ire of the community for a long time and it took multiple FAQs to make sure they only have a place in one army, pure Angmar. For a hefty investment, you get a model which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot in combat, has an abysmal Courage value of 1, has no Might or Fate and is FV1 with 1 attack. Sounds terrible, right? Wrong! This little beauty was cropping up in evil lists everywhere for one reason, its Chill Aura special rule. For 1 Will point, of which it has 8, the Shade can reduce the duel roll of any enemy model, or friendly model without the Angmar key word following FAQs, by 1 within 6". That is a huge area effect where all of your orcs become essentially FV11 against any other warrior in the game. Even heroes are burning through Might points to beat your lowly orcs in a duel. The Shade allows your 2-handed weapon orcs to fight on a even-footing, or better if they are supported by a spear. It protects your front line of terror causing orcs and heroes, meaning Angmar wins almost any war of attrition. 

Coming in at 50 models, this Angmar list is hard to break down and can sit on objectives comfortably, although it is severely hampered when it has to split up depending on the scenario. In most cases however, you can close on the opponent with a couple of Marches, bunker up around your heroes with a solid, terror-causing orcish wall and outlast your opponent long enough to remove their heroes under an unrelenting hail of magic whilst your Shade just 'chills' in the middle, At that point, let your orcs run rampant and pillage their way to victory.

Now these lists push the magic and terror aspect of Angmar but they can be equally as fun when you build an Angmar monster mash around Gulavhar (probably my favourite model to use in the game!) and Buhrdur or a wraith spam list with the WK, the Tainted and the Dwimmerlaik. I'm confident the above list would help restore Angmar to its former spooky glory. Let me know what you think!