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Well I have toyed around with the notion of starting LOTR for a long time now and with the new rules I might just pick up a few small forces just for a change of pace from Warhammer. So what would one need to start say 3 500 pointish armies

Was thinking Harad, Gondor and Isenguard

Well, I play Isengard, but I also recommend you get an elvish army.

For Isengard:

Warg Riders if you want calvary.
Isengard Troll if you want hitting power.
Saruman if you want to waste WAAAY too many points.
Uruk-Hai Warriors for your main CC.
Uruk-Hai Scouts/Crossbowmen for ranged firepower. (Although I don't like Orc Bows).
A Shaman if you want to try to ressurect your dead (can be VERY helpful, but can also be wasteful).


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, I like Berserkers and Feral Uruk-Hai for CC.

Ok so you want to join the glorious realm of LOTR? You cant go wrong with Easterlings or a Rohan army really. I dont own the Rohan source book so I cant give youa breakdown of their troops but I can offer you adive on Easterlings.

Easterling warriors are your core, witch makes your rank and file warbands, good soldiers with both bows and pikes. They also can use both shield and pike, Black Dragons upgrade makes them beasts in battle
Kataprakts are your cavalry, they also sweep the floor with other cavalry units if you use them correctly. Also makes for a great bunker for your leaders

You can also have allies in your army, so in teory you can have a mixed force of Easterlings and Dunledings

I play Harad, as you know. If you want to go that route hear's our pros.

Haradrim warriors are dirt cheap. 6pts base 7 with a bow or spear. You -should- arm them with these. Spears have reach which is good if you have five Haradrim skewering away Orcs.

We are not subject to the 1/3 rule instead -half- of our army may be armed with bows. Why is this so important you ask? Well all Harad have poisoned arrows. You get to reroll 1's.

We have nice cheap light Calvary you can mass to run down the enemy, they can't toe to toe with say. One of Trondheim's Kataphracts. But three can!

It's a horde army, and Haradrim wear little armor however with the mumak, it's not so bad being fragile. I won't say much about the mumak, he's quite straight forward. He has about as many rules as a WHFB giant, and hits like a semi crashing into a school bus full of insolent children.

Go for something well out the box, it puts out a different force you can shape better and your opponent doesn't really know what to expect.

I'm soon gonna have an all spirit Angmar army that will be able to control some of my enemies forces every turn and everything causes terror. Sure I'm outnumbered but my stats are great and half your army is working for me

So my answer is something unique

I think I am going start Rohan, Isenguard and a third undetermined as of yet (Harad seems on the expensive side of things sadly)

Wooo Rohan is awesom. I recomend Easterlings or Gondor as a third one in due time

Why not elves?

Because Elfs are dull, and tend to be kinda fragile witht he exception of those armourd dudes and cav, witch if I recall correctly is point heavy and needs alot of practice to get running. For a beginner you want a army that is more simpel, like Uruks or Easterlings. Withc playes more like "Good guys, go smash!"

Dr. What wrote:Why not elves?

I hate Tolkiens elves with all my heart. They are boring and snobby which is what elves should be. And the only good army I ever found intriguing was the races of men (always liked the underdog)

Bear in mind that collecting Rohan too is not exactly cheap, you need all the people to use when your horses are dead and the stuff like royal guard you have to buy the mounted versions separate from the foot.

e.g. 3 x £8.20 (mounted RG) + £8.20 (3x foot RG) = £32.80 for about 50 odd points (or $52 if you prefer)

Unfortunately mounted armies will never be cheap, so if you prefer Harad you'd probably spend no more money wise point for point.

You dont need to field an all mounted army with Rohan thou, you can do a Warband lead by a named characther witch I dont recall the name of. They are worth their weigt in gold, Also from a painting angle Rohan is supereb, beautiful moddels indeed.

Wait in LOTR if your horse dies you dont?

Mind = Blown

Trondheim wrote:You dont need to field an all mounted army with Rohan thou, you can do a Warband lead by a named characther witch I dont recall the name of. They are worth their weigt in gold, Also from a painting angle Rohan is supereb, beautiful moddels indeed.

Oh no, agreed on all accounts but I'm guessing it's why Johnny would want to play Rohan, 99% of people want the horses. You now make me want to paint Rohan....

Johnny-Crass wrote:Wait in LOTR if your horse dies you dont?

Mind = Blown

Correct, though they could die. There's a fallen rider chart you consult and you roll a D6. Don't know the in's and out's cos I'm an infantry guy.

A single warband of Helmlingas can wreck face, the SC that is awesom on foot also redem his points. And a foot warbanfd will help with hoding the line until you get your heavy cav in there. You also need a even distroution betwen heavy and ligth cav as Rohan

Another suggestion if you're into it:

Battle Companies - GW doesn't have the rules up, but they're still out there. You use fewer models and each model levels up as they fight.

Trondheim wrote:A single warband of Helmlingas can wreck face, the SC that is awesom on foot also redem his points. And a foot warbanfd will help with hoding the line until you get your heavy cav in there. You also need a even distroution betwen heavy and ligth cav as Rohan

Shame you live in Norway Trond, you obviously know your way around Rohan, would be interested to see what my ghosts could do against them.

Dr. What wrote:Another suggestion if you're into it:

Battle Companies - GW doesn't have the rules up, but they're still out there. You use fewer models and each model levels up as they fight.

This.

Me and just my brother played this and were evenly matched through the entire thing, one of the best idea's GW has ever had though you need to search out a copy of WD299, ebay I imagine will be able to provide.

I'm assuming these are allowed to be posted (since GW no longer offers the rules):

Original:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6785018/Lotr-Strategy-Battle-Game-Battle-Companies

Redux:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/70414754/LotR-bcrulesredux

This has some more good companies (but you can design your own, since they're all based on 60 points to start):
http://www.one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=14714
(Scroll down to the middle of the document)

Ah old faithful....forgot scribd lol

Didn't realise that they all started at 60pts!

@ Brother -Captain -Scotti : I know a bit about Rohan, and yes I would like to go up against you. Will PM if I am ever going tot he UK.

Played Easterlings Vs Misty Mountains today.... I hate trolls

Trondheim wrote:@ Brother -Captain -Scotti : I know a bit about Rohan, and yes I would like to go up against you. Will PM if I am ever going tot he UK.

Played Easterlings Vs Misty Mountains today.... I hate trolls

Sweet definitely man!

Haha they are pretty damn bad in numbers. The other MM list you gotta look for now the warbands list has come in is Double shaman and Groblog. Fury is increased to 5+ due to Groblogs silly hat and with 2 shaman's to spread the fury love, it makes an already difficult hoard army harder! Couple this Durburz (12" stand fast) and nearly 40 goblins and you're looking at a 500pt nightmare. Yes......I do run this list.......

Well yes. They are quite nasty in numbers, althou I did remember to bring a Nazgul thou, witch helped. Until he took a troll hammer to the head, I normaly run a war priest or two with my Easterlings. Witch helps even the odds but I did not do that today, I also had to few Kataprakts with me., and that list of yours is evil!

Brother-Captain Scotti wrote:

Haha they are pretty damn bad in numbers. The other MM list you gotta look for now the warbands list has come in is Double shaman and Groblog. Fury is increased to 5+ due to Groblogs silly hat and with 2 shaman's to spread the fury love, it makes an already difficult hoard army harder! Couple this Durburz (12" stand fast) and nearly 40 goblins and you're looking at a 500pt nightmare. Yes......I do run this list.......

This. Sounds. Awesome.

How would you compress it into 500 points?

Johnny-Crass wrote:Wait in LOTR if your horse dies you dont?

Mind = Blown

Yes, and you can dismount if you wish. If the rider dies or dismounts the steed needs to take courage tests each turn to stick around however.

With shooting you basically have a 50/50 chance of hitting the rider or mount. In combat you pick your target.

I think with my next paycheck I will be picking up one evil force and one non-elf good force.

Ideas, votes?

Evil : Easterlings

Good : Gondor

I have:

Good: Arnor, Rohan

Evil: Isenguard, Mordor

I love arnor because hardly anyone plays them, also, again, they're out of the box

- madman12367

Trondheim wrote:Well yes. They are quite nasty in numbers, althou I did remember to bring a Nazgul thou, witch helped. Until he took a troll hammer to the head, I normaly run a war priest or two with my Easterlings. Witch helps even the odds but I did not do that today, I also had to few Kataprakts with me., and that list of yours is evil!

Haha, I can imagine your nazgul was not happy or concious

I thank you, I plan to use it conquer the wor.......I mean have a good time!

Dr. What wrote:

Brother-Captain Scotti wrote:

Haha they are pretty damn bad in numbers. The other MM list you gotta look for now the warbands list has come in is Double shaman and Groblog. Fury is increased to 5+ due to Groblogs silly hat and with 2 shaman's to spread the fury love, it makes an already difficult hoard army harder! Couple this Durburz (12" stand fast) and nearly 40 goblins and you're looking at a 500pt nightmare. Yes......I do run this list.......

This. Sounds. Awesome.

How would you compress it into 500 points?

Not as hard as you might think mate,

Warband 1:
Durburz, goblin king
4 Gundabad black shields
4 Spearmen
4 Bowmen

Warband 2:
Groblag
4 Goblin shieldmen
4 Spearmen
4 Bowmen

Warband 3:
Shaman
4 Goblin shieldmen
4 Spearmen
4 Bowmen

Warband 4:
Shaman
Goblin Drum

Total 497pts
Break point: 21

Forgot the drum! So there's another head ache for the enemy Even squeezed in some black shields to be the holding element of the line

Johnny-Crass wrote:I think with my next paycheck I will be picking up one evil force and one non-elf good force.

Ideas, votes?

For me, Evil would be Moria or Angmar (not biased or anything ) and Gondor but osgliath vets style due to fight bonuses (again not biased )

Conquer the world ey? Well that would force me to bring all my Easterlings out from retierment then! And yes, my poor, poor Nazgul is currently on sickleave but no worries. Amdur has stepped up and claimed reveneg on the trolls of the Misty Mountains, had a rematch today witch went much much better. Also I brougth my War priests and enough karaprakts with black dragon upgrade! And the ability to take both shield and pike works wonders

Well I am thinking of playing in the UK GT next year, probably play all spirit Angmar and Osgiliath Gondor. Not quite world domination so your easterlings can be at ease

Glad to hear it this fella playing the troll chieftan and a pure troll army? and congratulations on the win