Tactics Old and New

Here's some of our tactical discussions since the new rules came out. But don't just take our word for it--let us know what you think!

Learning the Game (2024+ Edition)

• List Building:
• Quick Starter Armies with the Battle of Edoras Starter Set (June 2025)
• Quick Starter Armies with the Armies of the Hobbit (July 2025)
• Quick Starter Armies with the Armies of the Lord of the Rings (July 2025)
• Quick Starter Armies with the Armies of Middle-Earth (August 2025)
• Playing the Game:
• Army Composition and Profiles (January 2026)
• The Priority and Move Phases (January 2026)
• The Shoot Phase (January 2026)
• The Fight Phase (March 2026)
• Rules:
• COMING SOON!
• Unit Types:
• COMING SOON!
• War Gear:
• COMING SOON!
• Special Rules:
• COMING SOON!

Learning the Game (2018-2024 Edition)

• List Building:
• Army Building and Profiles
• Quick Starter Armies with the Battle of Osgiliath Box Set
• Playing the Game:
• The Priority and Move Phases
• The Shoot Phase
• The Fight Phase
• Rules:
• Updates to the New Rulebook
• Downloadable FAQs and Erratas from the First Edition Rulebook
• Unit Types:
• Cavalry in MESBG
• Monsters in MESBG
• War Beasts in MESBG
• Siege Engines in MESBG
• War Gear:
• The One Ring in MESBG
• Banners in MESBG
• Special Rules:
• Control Zones in MESBG
• Magical Powers in MESBG
• Heroic Actions in MESBG

Tactics Revisited

• Revisiting Magic: Magic in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game (February 2019) and Top 10 Wraiths, Revisited (May 2019)
• Updates The Riders in Black, Part I, Part 2, and Part 3 (February 2013)
• A Pocket Full of Power Revisited (June 2019) 
• Updates A Pocket Full of Power: The White Council as an Ally (December 2012
• It Has Come To Me - The One Ring: Thoughts on the Ring (and how it's changed) (June 2019)
• Updates The Fellowship of the Ring: Concerning Hobbits (July 2012)
• It Has Come To Me Again: Thoughts On The One Ring, Revisited (September 2021)
• The Fellowship's Tactical Units, Revisited (September 2019) 
• Updates Carrying The Weight of the World: The Fellowship's Tactical Units (August 2012)
• The Fellowship: Concerning Hobbits, Revisited (September 2019)
• Updates The Fellowship of the Ring: Concerning Hobbits (July 2012)
• Axes and Shields: Easterling Tactics in MESBG (October 2019)
• Centaur's List Building Approaches (updates Army Building, Part I):
• The Collection Play Style (December 2021)
• The Theme Play Style (December 2021)
• The Linchpin Play Style (December 2021)
• The Reactionary Play Style (January 2022)
• The Toolkit Play Style (January 2022)
• The Min/Max Play Style (February 2022)
• The Underdog Play Style (February 2022)

Scenario Deep-Dives (2018-2024 Edition)

• Pool 1: Maelstrom of Battle Scenarios
• Hold Ground (May 2024)
• Command the Battlefield (May 2024)
• Heirlooms of Ages Past (May 2024)
• Pool 2: Objective Scenarios 
• Domination (June 2024)
• Breakthrough (June 2024)
• Capture and Control (June 2024)
• Pool 3: Object Scenarios 
• Seize the Prize (July 2024)
• Retrieval (July 2024)
• Destroy the Supplies (July 2024)
• Pool 4: Killing Scenarios 
• To The Death (August 2024)
• Lords of Battle (August 2024)
• Contest of Champions (August 2024)
• Pool 5: Traveling Scenarios 
• Divide and Conquer (September 2024)
• Storm the Camp (September 2024)
• Reconnoitre (September 2024)
• Pool 6: Hero-Killing Scenarios
• Fog of War (September 2024)
• Assassination (October 2024)
• Clash by Moonlight (October 2024)

Movement and Maneuvering

• Shieldwall Tactics: Making it Work (July 2019)
• Appendix A: Alternate Shieldwall Formations (July 2019)
• "Fly You Fools!" Series:
• Formations and Maneuvering in MESBG (September 2019)
• Rethinking Shield-Spear Combat (September 2019)
• Historical Formations in MESBG: Tercios, Testudos, and Cantabrian Circles (August 2020)
• Dwarf Formations: The Tiberius King's Champion Specials (October 2021)
• In-set Heroes (December 2021)
• Three Easy Anti-Flyer Formations (December 2022)
• Three Easy Anti-Mumak Formations (November 2023)
• Fyrd Formations (A historical view of shieldwalls - 2022):
• Breaking Shieldwalls and the Battle of Brunanburh (February 2022)
• Reforming Shieldwalls (March 2022)
• Skirmishing Against Shieldwalls: The Bayeux Tapestry and the Battle of Hastings (April 2022)
• The Battle of Maldon (January 2022)
• Cavalry Charge (A historical view of the use of cavalry - 2023):
• An Overview of Cavalry and the Battle on the Marchfeld (February 2023)
• The Wag and the Battle of Val-es-Dunes (March 2023)
• Heroic Combats and the Battle of Lewes (April 2023)
• Heavy Cavalry and the Battle of Kressenbrun (May 2023)
• The Checker Board Formation and the Battle of Lechfeld (June 2023)
• The Importance of Reserves and the Battle of Tinchebray (September 2023)
• Unexpected Military Formations (2021-2023):
• The Long Fangs, The Svinfylking "Boar Snout", and the Millenium Falcon/Pac-Man Formations (April 2021)
• Fighting On The Ground? (January 2022)
• The Bow-Tie Formation (May 2022)
• Skirmisher Triangles (June 2022)
• The Gear Tooth Formation (August 2022)
• Trapping Your Own Heroes? (September 2022)
• The Anti-Archery Shield (October 2022)
• The Quagmire (November 2022)
• The Deployable Meat Shield (July 2023)
• The Gap Tooth Formation (October 2023)
• Unexpected Military Formations - Epic Movie Moments (2021-2022, 2025+):
• The Uruk-Hai Pike Block (July 2021)
• The Last Alliance Elven Battle Line (August 2021)
• The Jumping Elves Sequence (September 2021)
• The Mushroom Charge (November 2021)
• The Main Gate of Minas Tirith (July 2022)
• Updated Uruk-Hai Formations (June 2025)
• The Irolas Shieldwall (July 2025)
• Nine Companions: Hero-Heavy and All-Hero List Building and Formations (2025+):
• Shieldwalls (May 2025)

Magic in MESBG (2018-2024 Edition)

• Revisiting Magic - Overview (February 2019)
• Top 10 Ringwraiths (revisited) May 2019 [Barad-Dur, Mordor, Angmar, Easterlings, Corsairs of Umbar, The Serpent Horde]
• Top 5 Anti-Casters January 2020 [Lots of Factions]
• An Apologetic for Flameburst
• Magic Application:
• Magic in Thorin's Company (Gandalf the Grey) (April 2019) [Thorin's Company, The Fellowship, The Shire, Survivors of Lake-Town, the White Council]
• Magic in Minas Tirith (Gandalf the White) (April 2019) [Minas Tirith]
• Magic in Minas Tirith (Gandalf the White), continued (April 2019) [Minas Tirith]
• Magic in Isengard (Saruman) (April 2019) [Isengard, White Council]
• Magic in Lothlorien (Galadriel) (April 2019) [Lothlorien]
• Using/Fighting Spell-casters:
• Using/Fighting Spellcasters: Combat Mages, Revisited (July 2019)
• Updates Understanding the Game: Using and Fighting Spell-Casters,Part 3 (June 2012)
• Using/Fighting Spellcasters: Auxiliary Mages Revisited (August 2019)
• Updates Understanding the Game: Using and Fighting Spell-Casters,Part 3 (June 2012)
• Using/Fighting Spellcasters: Multi-Purpose Will Mages, Revisited (August 2019)
• Updates Understanding the Game: Using and Fighting Spell-Casters,Part 1 (June 2012)
• Using/Fighting Spellcasters: Unlimited Casters, Revisited (August 2019)
• Updates Understanding the Game: Using and Fighting Spell-Casters, Part 2 (June 2012)
• Mastering Magic (magic game-plan for heroes who have had their spells reviewed in full provided after the "|"):
• Sorcerous Blast (August 2020)
• Immobilize, Transfix, Command, and Compel (August 2020) | Dragon with Wyrmtongue
• Aura of Command, Aura of Dismay, Blinding Light, and Terrifying Aura | Saruman the White (August 2020)
• Blessing of the Valar, Renew, Strengthen Will, and Refreshing Song | Galadriel, Goldberry (September 2020)
• Collapse Rocks, Nature's Wrath, Panic Steed, Tremor, and Wrath of Bruinen | Elrond, Arwen, Radagast the Brown, Thranduil with Circlet of Kings (September 2020)
• Fortify Spirit, Protection of the Valar, and Shroud of Shadows | Gandalf the Grey (September 2020)
• Banishment, Black Dart, Chill Soul, Flameburst, and Paralyze | Tom Bombadil, Saruman, Barrow-Wight (September 2020)
• Your Staff is Broken, Shatter | Gandalf the White, Moria Blackshield Shaman (October 2020)
• Curse, Drain Courage, Sap Will, and Wither (October 2020)
• Call Winds, Instill Fear | High Elf Stormcallers, Galadriel-Lady of Light, All Ringwraiths, the Mouth of Sauron, Angmar Orc Shamans, the Dark Lord Sauron, Smaug, the Necromancer of Dol Guldur (October 2020)
• Bladewrath, Enchanted Blades, Enrage Beast | Galadhrim Stormcallers, Cirdan, Celeborn (October 2020)
• Fury | Moria Goblin/Orc/Uruk-Hai Shamans, Kardush the Fire Caller, Easterling War Priests, Ashrak, Druzhag the Beast Caller (November 2020)

Shooting in MESBG

• Shooting: Getting the Most out of Your Archery, Revisited (October 2019) 
• Throwing Weapon Theory: How to Make Them Work, Revisited (October 2019)
• Case Study: Dwarf Archery Tactica, Revisited (October 2019)
• Case Study: Goblin Archery Tactica, Revisited (November 2019)
• Shooting: Skirmish Models, Revisited (December 2019)

Combat Mathematics

• Dueling Calculator: Am I Going To Win This Duel? (March 2021)
• Dueling Calculator: Should I Boost My Dueling Roll? (March 2021)
• Dueling Calculator: Average Expected Wounds (October 2021)
• Dueling Calculator: Probability of Dealing X Wounds (October 2021)
• Dueling Calculator: Building a Monte Carlo Simulation, Part I (Priority and Dueling Rolls, March 2022)
• Dueling Calculator: Building a Monte Carlo Simulation, Part II (Wounding Rolls, March 2022)
• 5 Easy Math Facts for MESBG (April 2023)

Heroes and Might

Might Points:

• Top 5 Ways to Waste Might Points (December 2019)
• Five MORE Ways to Waste Might Points (January 2021)

Heroic Actions:

• Heroic Strike (and Winning your Duels):
• Part 1: Is Heroic Strike Good? (April 2019)
• Part 2: Impact of Whirl, Feint, and Two-Handed Weapons (April 2019)
• Part 3: Impact of Shields, Banners, and Mounts (May 2019)
• Part 4: Probabilities of Heroic Strike (June 2019)
• Part 5: Heroic Strike Case Study (June 2019)
• Heroic Strength (and Wounding your Foes):
• Part 1: Why Call Heroic Strength? (February 2019)
• Part 2: Heroic Strength vs. Heroic Defense (March 2019)
• Part 3: Heroic Strength on Offense (March 2019)
• Appendix A: Heroic Strength vs. Boosting (April 2019)
• Appendix B: Heroic Strength At-Least/Distributions (April 2019)
• Heroic Challenge:
• Best heroes to Challenge (November 2021)
• Heroic Heroes Series:
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Accuracy (November 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Channelling (November 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Resolve (November 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic March (November 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Challenge (December 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Defense (December 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Strength (December 2020)
• Top 10 Heroes for Heroic Strike (December 2020)

Other Series

• List Building - The Bare Necessities
• Army Reviews - The Armies of MESBG
• Legendary Legions - The Stuff of Legends
• Centaur's Apologetics