Magic in MESBG, Part I: Thorin’s Company

Good morning gamers,

This post begins a four-part series on magic in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game. It’s been said by several world-renowned SBG gamers that magic has suffered greatly with the newest release. In the same breath, many of the armies proposed by these renowed gamers still include some magic casters in competitive lists (Cirdan, Easterling War Priest, Saruman, Ringwraiths/Barrow-Wights, Gandalf the Grey in Shire, Ringwraiths/Mouth of Sauron/Orc Shaman). This got me thinking: as a long-time lover of magic as a tool in the MESBG, how can you employ magic in order to turn a good list into a better list (and what are the trades).

Two Lists: With and Without Magic

In today’s post, we’ll be looking at the first of the lists I looked at bringing to our 2019 TMAT Grand Tournament – Thorin’s Company. I got the models for this list last Christmas, but am just now getting around to paining all of them. The original list looked something like this:

• Thorin Oakenshield with Orcrist and the Oakenshield [Amy Leader]
• Kili the Dwarf
• Fili the Dwarf
• Dwalin the Dwarf
• Ori the Dwarf
• Nori the Dwarf
• Oin the Dwarf
• Gloin the Dwarf
• Bombur the Dwarf
• Dori the Dwarf
• Bilbo Baggins with The One Ring and Sting

With 11 models, you’ve got a ridiculous amount of models for an all-hero army (though your Defense leaves something to be desired). You get archery support from Kili, Fili, Gloin, and Ori (with minor support from Bilbo, who can use the Ring to sneak behind enemy lines) and you get great melee support from Thorin, Dwalin, Nori, Dori, and Gloin (and Kili and Fili, though they’re not as good as the others).

Bombur and Oin provide a nice support tag-team, with Oin healing adjacent models and spending Will to grant a banner reroll once per round, while Bombur restores Oin’s Will to keep that banner bonus alive. While Bilbo’s profile leaves something to be desired for his points, don’t underestimate the tactical power of the One Ring (racing to an objective is pretty easy when no one can see you), as well as his flexibility in heroic actions (Strike, Resolve, Defense – albeit with 1 Might point). All told, you’ve got all but three of the Dwarves in your army (and you could swap Bilbo for four ponies and Bifur – whose profile is better than Bilbo’s profile across the board, though he lacks the One Ring).

While this list would undoubtedly be fun to play, consider the benefits of dropping some of these models in order to add magic to the list – in this case, taking the form of Gandalf the Grey:

• Gandalf the Grey [Army Leader]
• Thorin Oakenshield with Orcrist and the Oakenshield [Amy Leader]
• Kili the Dwarf
• Fili the Dwarf
• Dwalin the Dwarf
• Ori the Dwarf
• Nori the Dwarf
• Oin the Dwarf
• Gloin the Dwarf
•  Bombur the Dwarf
• Dori the Dwarf
• Bilbo Baggins with The One Ring and Sting

Our list has shrunk slightly (9 models instead of 11 models), but in many ways it hasn’t lost very much:

•  Nine models is broken after the loss of 5 models (instead of 6) and is reduced below 25% after losing 7 models (instead of 9). With 1-2 models difference, you’re going to be broken/tabled at about the same time – no real difference numerically. However, Gandalf’s protection against archery (Blinding Light) and against key special rules (Protection of the Valar) can greatly add to the resilience of your team, saving you that model or two that you’re losing by including him;
• Bilbo is missing from the list, but we’ve retained two Elven-made weapons by adding Glamdring instead of Sting – and Glamdring is basically a bigger-and-better version of Sting because Gandalf’s base Strength is higher and Glamdring is a hand-and-a-half sword (instead of a one-handed dagger);
• While the One Ring allows Bilbo to be invisible and can protect him from many ills, a pairing of Protection of the Valar and a Channelled Blinding Light can do a similar job for Gandalf (and possibly those nearby him if he himself isn’t the target);
• Bilbo also benefits from the traditional rules for Hobbits, granting him Resistance to Magic and the ability to Throw Stones (a “mini-crossbow” if you will) – Gandalf can do better than Resistant to Magic with Protection of the Valar or roughly the same as Resistant to Magic with his free Will point from his Staff of Power (though it’s more flexible since it can also be used to cast spells) – and Sorcerous Blast has a longer range, a higher strength, and more mobility than Throw Stones;
• We’ve lost Bombur, but Gandalf’s Strengthen Will allows a friendly figure (like Oin) to regain Will points – and can bring him above his starting level (which means you can cast this on Oin BEFORE he spends anything, bolstering his Will store ahead of time to make both Gandalf and Oin more effective when you really need them);
• Bombur is one of three models in the whole army list with 3 Wounds (Gandalf and Thorin being the other two), but Gandalf not only has 3 Wounds, but he also has 3 rerollable Fate points (vs. Bombur’s 1 Fate point); and
• We’ve also lost Dori (a fact I’m sad about). I wanted to keep the Dwarf, but that would have required a) dropping Oin and Orcrist (which removes a healer/banner and an extra Elven-made weapon from Thorin), or b) keeping Bombur and Dori and dropping Kili and Fili (which would have really undercut our archery). Gandalf has a very similar offensive profile to Dori (only 1 Attack vs. 3 Attacks, but with 3 Might vs. 2 Might and access to Strength 5 vs. Strength 4), and is far more resilient on defense (3 Wounds with 3 rerollable Fate points vs. 2 Wounds with 1 not-rerollable Fate point).

Perhaps what’s the most incredible thing about taking Gandalf in this list is that he’s a Hero of Legend, and as such, he can lead the army, allowing us to be more reckless with Thorin (which is fitting, since Thorin is kind of reckless in the movies). Since the army bonus of Thorin’s Company primarily relies on getting Thorin (and the other Dwarves) locked in combat, having Gandalf drifting near enough to help but far enough to be out of danger, you can tear a hole into your foes without having to expose your Army Leader to risk.

Prelude - How Many Dice To Throw

Before we get into the ins and outs of using Gandalf the Grey, I must warn you that the number of dice I recommend you use is determined by the following heuristics:

• Ds Are Fine - if you have a 67% chance of casting an unchannelled spell, that's fine (and normal and expected);
• Channel It Like You Mean It - if you choose to channel a spell, throw an extra dice at it (because nothing hurts more than wasting a Might point); and
• Sometimes There Is No Overkill - if a spell HAS to go off (e.g. you need to move someone away from an objective, you need to immobilize an enemy combat hero, you need to kill one more model to break someone), throw an extra dice at it (even if you've already added an extra dice you add because you're channelling) - though you should be aware that this means you'll be casting one turn less during the game, so make sure you pile on in other areas (lots of shooting if you can't charge, lots of charges if you have the men) to make the sacrifice worth it!

These are my three rules for magic - they're heuristic rules, so you'll see their spirit below (though they are by no means solid laws. If, however, you wonder why I recommend what I do, look up here. :)

How Magic Helps – A Deeper Look

Gandalf has access to many spells and navigating them can be very difficult. A handful are static and are good to cast early in the game. Some are control-oriented to help you avoid taking the full force of an enemy model, while others are offensive to help you do damage against your opponents. Let’s look at each in turn:

• Blinding Light (Static) – if your opponent brought any semblance of archery, you always channel this (1/3 Might) and if you’re risk-averse, you cast it with 1 Will + the free Will point from your Staff of Power (so you have a 3% chance of spending 2 Might instead of a 17% chance of spending 2 Might). In the Clash by Moonlight scenario, you want to wait to cast this until you’re in range of your opponent’s archery. 
• Why cast this? Because Strength 3-4 archery is a thing and it’s lethal for your team. With Uruk-Hai bows getting added to the list of high-end archery, most Dwarf shooting models, all Elf shooting models, all Uruk-Hai shooting models, any Rohan throwing weapons, hordes of Corsairs, any Dale shooting models, and Citadel Guard with longbows will have a fun time picking off your little band from a distance (maybe even backing up to make your little legs work a little harder to catch them). Negating the power of these archers is huge for your resiliency and incredibly necessary.
• Terrifying Aura (Static) – You want to cast this with your free Will point only (with one exception). While channeling this can help you protect Gandalf, I would definitely not channel this spell if you’ve got Blinding Light up (or if you’re going to cast it) – you’re investing too much Might already in static spells. The exception to this rule is if your opponent doesn’t have archery – in which case, channel it and spend 1 Will + your free Will point to get it off (just as if you were casting Blinding Light). 
• Why cast this? Making Gandalf cause Terror (and potentially making it harder to get high values with the channeled version) does wonders for his resilience (and since he’s your Army Leader, that’s good).
• Strengthen Will (Static) – I recommend only spending your free Will point to cast this spell and I don’t recommend channeling this – you have a 33% chance of not getting anything from the Might point (plus, it’s only cast on a 4+, so it’s a risk on a free dice anyway). 
• Why cast this? As mentioned above, you can use this spell to bring characters above their starting Will values (which didn’t used to be the case UNLESS they started with 0 Will at the start of the game). Another big change to this spell is that you can now cast it on the caster (previously it was another friendly model), which means Gandalf can bolster his OWN Will store before the fighting begins – perfect for making sure you’ve got plenty of oomph to cast damage/control spells later. While Strengthen Will was easily Gandalf the Grey’s worst spell before, I think it’s become his most powerful spell.
• Immobilize/Command (Control) – Immobilize/Command have come under the greatest critique for nerfed spells (perhaps being beaten by Fury). Unless you really need the movement (e.g. getting someone away from an objective), I recommend that you only cast Immobilize and that you use your free Will point only. If you need to move someone (or if you want to all-but-guarantee that an Immobilize works), spend 1 Will + your free Will point to cast it. 
• Why cast this? While not as good as they once were, Immobilize/Command still do many things that we want, to include a) keeping someone from moving, b) keeping someone from calling Heroic Actions, c) removing Active Abilities that might help someone in combat or hurt those around him, and most importantly d) keeping someone from making strikes even if they win in combat. While it doesn’t make it easier for us to win anymore, we can keep an important piece from doing anything (which in most cases is just as good).
• Protection of the Valar (Control) – Protection of the Valar is one of two new spells for Gandalf the Grey and is a very different and niche kind of Control spell – it makes one character (or everyone) near Gandalf the Grey immune to certain rules and magical powers. Because this is cast on a 4+, I recommend you cast it with 1 Will + your free Will point. 
• Why cast this? The most important time to cast this is if you’re facing magic casters (Barrow-Wights in particular) – picking someone (or everyone near Gandalf) is a great way to make sure your army doesn’t suffer from an annoying rule. Similarly, if your opponent has a neat special rule that could target your guys (we’re looking at guys like the Golden King of Abrakhan and the Dwimmerlaik), you can ignore their rules (which is incredibly good). In many games, you won’t have to worry about this.
• Collapse Rocks (Damage) – A neat spell and a niche way to do area of effect damage – we won’t complain. Generally speaking, it works just like Sorcerous Blast (except that you’re not pushing anyone). I recommend throwing 2 Will from your store (plus your free Will point) to cast this – it’s probably against multiple people and you definitely want it to go off. 
• Why cast this? With a single Attack, Gandalf has a hard time killing lots of people. With Sorcerous Blast being reduced to a maximum of 2 targets being hit, this can be a way to damage more than two people. With the same Strength damage as Sorcerous Blast, it makes sense that you’d use this when you NEED to hit more than one person.
• Sorcerous Blast (Damage) – The go-to spell for most wizards, this spell has seen a very big change in the new rules set: you will run into a maximum of one other model (and anyone he's engaged with). Because Gandalf the Grey casts this on a 5+ (ick), you'll only have a 55% chance of success with two dice, so you want to throw 2 Will + your free Will point (upping your probability of success to 70%). This is going to be costly, so make sure you use Strengthen Will on yourself before attempting too many of these and ONLY cast this when it will make a difference).
• Why cast this? This spell has a decent chance at doing damage to its targets, but its largest benefit is in putting someone on their back before a Dwarf runs up to cut him to pieces. While it might be tempting to target warriors with this power in order to rack up some kills, the Dwarves on your team are well-equipped to tear up heroes if they can fight them on the ground. Many have access to Heroic Strike (Thorin, Dwalin, Kili, Fili, Nori, Gloin, not to mention Gandalf) and they can all do good damage against anyone who’s on the ground (Gandalf will do 2 dice at S5 and +1 To Wound if you two-hand, Kili/Fili will do 4 dice at S4, Gloin will do 6 dice at S4, Nori will do 4 dice at S4 with +1 to Wound/no penalty, Thorin will do 6 dice at S4 with +1 to Wound, and Dwalin will do 6 dice at S5 with +1 to Wound/no penalty). Few heroes can survive that kind of punishment…

Hopefully this post gave you some insight into what Gandalf provides to the team – in my opinion, including him in this list allows your team far more flexibility to meet different threats and keeps you alive longer than having three of the Dwarves. In our next post, we look at “Gandalf Reloaded” as we look at arguably the most powerful wizard in the game: Gandalf the White and Minas Tirith. Until then, happy hobbying!