This is where we list any game modifications we implement during our friendly games or TMAT Tournaments.
The most common house rule we employ is related to proxy models: the most commonly-held acceptance we do for proxies is that any Ringwraith model can be used as a named variant (so long as it's clear - encouragement to actually model them up where their appearances differ from the traditional billowing black robes).
For Tiberius-run tournaments, the general rule for other proxy models is that anything that's not available in the GW store can be proxied by something with the same wargear (so, make sure it has heavy armor and a sword if the original GW profile has heavy armor and a sword). Whenever you proxy this way, make sure your opponent can tell "easily" what everything is supposed to be. If models are available from the webstore, proxies can still be used, but should be submitted to the Tournament Director ahead of time.
We currently don't have anything related to the new rules, although with all the ruckus over 2.54cm and control zones, you never know... ;-)
The most common house rule we employ is related to proxy models: the most commonly-held acceptance we do for proxies is that any Ringwraith model can be used as a named variant (so long as it's clear - encouragement to actually model them up where their appearances differ from the traditional billowing black robes).
For Tiberius-run tournaments, the general rule for other proxy models is that anything that's not available in the GW store can be proxied by something with the same wargear (so, make sure it has heavy armor and a sword if the original GW profile has heavy armor and a sword). Whenever you proxy this way, make sure your opponent can tell "easily" what everything is supposed to be. If models are available from the webstore, proxies can still be used, but should be submitted to the Tournament Director ahead of time.
We currently don't have anything related to the new rules, although with all the ruckus over 2.54cm and control zones, you never know... ;-)
There is one house rule that we're seriously considering: Aragorn - Strider is equipped with a hand-and-a-half sword. Why? Because . . .
 |
| . . . he uses his ranger's sword two-handed as he salutes the Uruk-Hai . . . |
| . . . and look, two-handed again . . . |
| . . . and again . . . |
 |
| . . . and again . . . |
| . . . and again . . . |
| You get the picture - it should be a hand-and-a-half sword. :) |
TMAT CUSTOM FACTIONS:
- Faction Revamps
- Fangorn (June 2021)
- The Rangers (June 2021)
- Arnor (July 2021)
- Revamping the Rangers, Part I (December 2022)
- Revamping the Rangers, Part II (December 2022)
- Sharkey's Rogues/The Chief's Ruffians LL (March 2024)
- The Fiefdoms (November 2024)
- Custom Factions
- The Ettenmoors (March 2021)
- Custom Legendary Legions
- The Watchers of the Roads (December 2022)
- The Light of Caras Galadhon (December 2022)
- The Defense of Mirkwood (December 2022)
- The Barrows of Cardolan (December 2022)
- The Last Alliance (December 2022)
- The Power of the Ring (December 2022)
Changes We'd Make to MESBG:
- King For A Day - Tiberius's Changes To . . .
- Unit Profiles (August 2023)
- Rules Changes (August 2023)
- Legendary Legions (August 2023)
- Heroic Actions (September 2023)
Battle Companies House Rules (not standardized, but we've talked about it):
- Something needs to be done about the Cave Troll scenario...
- Heroes can swap a stat improvement for their unique company upgrade.
- Warriors should get +1 Experience for each kill they get (not just 1 Experience if they get 1+ kills in a mission)...
- When you get a dying result, we allow players to reroll one of the die (because losing someone in your battle company isn't fun).
- We need to make a decision about how many Cave Trolls Moria can recruit (since there's not a Rare 1 declaration, it begs the question if they can get more than one) - same decision should be applied to Gundabad's Ogre recruitment option...
Rumor has it that GW will be making revisions to the LOTR Army lists in the coming year. Will you guys be changing over to those lists if/when they occur?
ReplyDeleteNew rules may be in the offing for 2018, so do you think you'll be transitioning to those from the Blue Book at that time?
I think I speak for all the admins on this, but we make decisions as they come. Since we've all invested a good bit of money into the hobby already, we don't accept changes that make certain units much, MUCH worse (for example, we don't use the spell alterations in the Hobbit SBG because of what they did to Fury, Transfix/Immobilize, Command/Compel...though I personally am okay with the changes, they really hurt Shamans/Nazgul for the majority of our players). When we see the new rules, we'll make a call...right guys?
DeleteHi there. First of all, want to say your website is an absolute godsend to someone just getting into the game. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have your Bare Necessities breakdowns to help me decide on first purchases. You're totally awesome.
ReplyDeleteRegarding House Rules - I am thinking of making a House Rule that Lake-Town and Dale factions are one faction, with the Survivors and Army and Garrison variants being treated more as Legendary Legions. Similarly, I think I want to House Rule that Azog's Legion and Azog's Hunters are one faction, again with the separations being just LL instead.
Do you have any advice for me about which way to rule the army bonuses? Or would this make certain things too strong? I dunno. Like I said, total newbie.
Thanks again for the great content!
Hey man - glad you like the content! Since Azog's Legion and Azog's Hunters are historical allies, you can run warbands from both factions and they'll keep their army bonuses. Integrating them into one faction would give Azog the ability to take his heavy armor AND lead Hunter Orcs/Fell wargs or allow those cheap Hunter Orc named heroes to lead more heavily armored troops. I think it's worth pursuing, but I don't know that the army bonuses need to be changed for that to work.
DeleteSimilarly, Dale and both Lake-town lists could be integrated together into one list (with limits on what heroes you can bring so as to not break the timeline) and you could give increased shoot values and a longer range on the Master/Bard's rules if you take them.
If there are other topics you're interested in learning more about, let us know!
One thing that we find slows the game down too much at times is multiple In The Way (ITW) tests. I've listened to comments on the Green Dragon podcast (avid listener of yours too) and I tend to agree that GW could do something to simplify this aspect. If there are 4 trees ITW that's 4 ITW tests (I accept that because they are all 4 to pass you could just roll 4 dice together but still....). We pondered making 2 ITW tests needing a 5 to pass, 3 ITW tests a 6 and, if there's 4 or more, the terrain is just too dense to shoot through.
DeleteAnother HR we have pondered is giving Rangers of Gondor Woodland Creature. It seems odd that Madril and Damrod get it but the Rangers with them, equally skilled at moving through woodland one would think, don't and yet in the Isengard list, several of the Isengard heroes get Woodland Creature (and even then, they only through an Army rule, they don't have it by default unlike Madril and Damrod) and so do the Scouts? So why not Gondor Rangers I wonder? It's not that much use IMO if a Ranger hero has WC but the war band he is most likely to be leading have to trail behind as if they were heavy infantry, moving no faster than heavily armoured MT Warriors! Dumb IMO.
That's certainly fair - though the Rangers of Ithilien Legendary Legion does solve this problem. In a past edition of the game, you could pay 1pt/Ranger of Gondor (or Warrior of Minas Tirith, actually) to upgrade them to Rangers/Warriors of Ithilien, which would grant them Woodland Creature. Seems like bringing that back would be welcome - or up the price of Rangers of Gondor by 1pt for the rule.
Delete