Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi, I've been wanting to build a lotr army for some time, and I've been concentrating on easterlings. The problem is, from what I understand, that you need a lot of pikes for your infantry, and the easterling infantry box has been thought in a way to stop you from having the pikes you need (and having stupid bows instead), forcing you to buy more boxes. This is not going to happen.

Therefore, since I'm kinda set on easterlings, is a full cavalry army (in this case, kataphrakts) possibles rules-wise, and would such an army be viable under the new rules?

it's more than perfectly legal that's for sure but I would not like the odds of it being more than a 'decent' force without looking at the fallen realms book

Yes I am actually waiting for answers from people who are experienced playing the game and who own the fallen realms book. I dont intend on buying the book before I'm sure easterlings are the way I want to go (which depends on the answers I'll get here).

Thanks for informing me that it would be legal though.

Also, "decent" would be enough for me to start with. From the easterlings fluff I cant see it being as strong as a full rohan cavalry force anyway, easterlings not being known as particularly good riders..I could mix it up with haradrim though

The Easterlings have a load of BAMF units to pick from, many of them Cavelry.

Khamul lets you upgrade your Easterling Kataphracts into his own personal bodyguard force. They get +1 fight value, and +1A IIRC.

Then there is Amdur and the Dragon Knights. Amdur is made for killing characters and is a solid all around fighter. Dragon Knights are cavelry characters with multiple attacks.

Then they can take Easterling War Priests for some magical support.


You can make a killer list with Easterling cavelry.

They tread the fine line between being awsomely powerful and too expensive to be viable.



Really, the only thing Rohan cavelry has going for it is that it is fairly cheap, they have Skilled Rider, and have some ranged attacks as well. And if you have fallen off your horse in the middle of battle the model is as good as dead anyway even if he doesn't automatically do a face plant.

Grey Templar wrote:The Easterlings have a load of BAMF units to pick from, many of them Cavelry.

Khamul lets you upgrade your Easterling Kataphracts into his own personal bodyguard force. They get +1 fight value, and +1A IIRC.

Then there is Amdur and the Dragon Knights. Amdur is made for killing characters and is a solid all around fighter. Dragon Knights are cavelry characters with multiple attacks.

Then they can take Easterling War Priests for some magical support.


You can make a killer list with Easterling cavelry.

They tread the fine line between being awsomely powerful and too expensive to be viable.



Really, the only thing Rohan cavelry has going for it is that it is fairly cheap, they have Skilled Rider, and have some ranged attacks as well. And if you have fallen off your horse in the middle of battle the model is as good as dead anyway even if he doesn't automatically do a face plant.

Great post, thx. Now I'm convinced to, at least, buy the fallen realms book.

You don't need Khamul to have Black Dragons.

Since you mentioned Haradrim, blocks of those with upgraded Kataphrakts would be a good start - got numbers, bows and F4 cavalry!

Of course, Kataphrakts are worth getting for the awesome plastic kit alone.