Dunlendings: Any Good?

Good morning gamers,

As we get ready for the TMAT GT this weekend, I've been thinking a lot about the army I didn't take to the tournament. :P While I love my Wood Elves (and I have never taken them to a GT before), my thoughts drift constantly to Isengard. In particular, to some of the unloved children in their army list: Dunlendings and Wild Men. While some very competitive gamers don't see the point in taking either of these guys (and some people on this blog agree as well), I've grown to like the Dunlendings (and to a lesser extent, Wild Men). To make them work, however, there are a few things you'll want to consider.

A Priori: Buying Dunland Warriors

If you look on the GW website (at least at the time of this writing - Ed: as of December 2019, Dunland has finally gotten some love and has both heroes and Warriors available), you won’t see any Dunland heroes there. Before I started collecting, there was a Dunlending plastic set (12 models) and up until a few years ago, there was the Thrydan Wolfsbane Foot/Mounted blister, a three-man metal blister for Wild Men of Dunland, and several two-man metal blisters for Dunlending Warriors and chieftains. With these models not available from the GW store and scarcely seen (and often a hefty price) on eBay, where do you even get the models?

The answer is simple: proxy them. Depend on the tournament you go to (free play often doesn’t have these kinds of restrictions), proxies might or might not be allowed. At GW-sponsored events, proxies are basically always nixed, though conversions of GW products seem to be acceptable if the model hasn’t been made yet. For the tournaments I run here at TMAT, the only requirements I place on proxies is that a) they have the gear of the model they represent, and b) they’re distinguishable from the rest of the models in the army (aka don’t use “some of these guys as Dunlendings” and “identical-looking models as Wild Men of Dunland”). I also tend to explicitly say that any models not available in the GW online store are automatically approved for use (so long as they follow the above-stated rules). I think there’s a good case for getting better-looking models than the GW ones EVEN if they’re available in the store (I have an epic-looking Erestor, for example), but I automatically approve anything that you couldn’t actually buy from GW before one of my tournaments.

Models that make good proxies tend to be Viking/Barbarian models – you can find some good ones from Warlord Games - particularly the Frostgrave miniatures, Viking Hirdmen/Saxon Thegn models for Dunlendings (since they're armored), and Saxon Ceorls/Viking Bondi for Wild Men of Dunland (or Ruffians - since they're unarmored). You’ll probably have to buy bases for them - GW bases are on the expensive side (10 for $5), but it's not THAT expensive to get the "right" bases (other groups will sell you bases for less, but not THAT much less).

Dunland Heroes: Thrydan and Chieftains

I don’t think this will be too controversial: 

You should bring Thrydan in any Isengard army. 

Sure, he’s got the Dunland keyword instead of the Isengard keyword, but consider:

• Thrydan is one of three heroes in the Isengard list with access to Heroic Strike (Lurtz is slightly more expensive and Ugluk is 20-points cheaper);
• Thrydan has a profile very similar to most named Isengard heroes (F5, S5, D5, A2, W2, C4, 3 Might) but for only 20-25 points more, he has a few boosts (1 extra Will/Fate, as well as a two-handed axe as an alternate choice for his sword – more on this in a moment);
• Thrydan has a 12” Stand Fast that doesn’t require killing off your own models and with C4 and 2 Will, he’s pretty reliable at keeping any models who do need to test on the field;
• He doesn’t get Woodland Creature OR the we-don’t-take-break-tests-like-ever rule from the army bonus, but Thrydan does get Mighty Blow, which is incredibly powerful against multi-wound models or single-wound models who get personal saves;
• Thrydan has access to a horse and is the only hero who is able to mount up besides Sharku, Orc Captains, Saruman, and Grima (none of whom come anywhere close to the same combat power as Thrydan) – this does put him in the price range of Lurtz, but he’s comparable (especially when mounted).

Thrydan is only a Hero of Fortitude, so he’s a bit expensive for only bringing along 12 guys, but I think he’s worth it. Chieftains (if you run them with two-handed axes or axe-and-shield) are also a good bargain – at 5 points cheaper than Uruk-Hai Scout Captains, they’ve got F4 (less than Uruk heroes) but 2 Will (better for keeping them in the field) and while nowhere near as good as Thyrdan, they do give you reliable 6” Stand Fasts/Courage test passing at 30-points less. Not a bad deal. I have a proxy for one of these guys and I do use him every once in a while, but generally speaking I’d only bring one of these guys if you wanted a better non-Isengard hero to call Stand Fasts after your army gets broken to keep your non-Isengard warriors in the game.

Ok, you get the idea – Thrydan is good. Enough about him – let’s move on to Dunlending Chieftains. 

Everything we’ve said above applies in a lesser way to Dunlending Chieftains: for 55 points, you can get a S5/S6 model (who will be anywhere from D3-D5 if carrying a hand-axe-and-shield or D2-D4 if carrying a two-handed axe) who’s packing the same punch as Thrydan above, just without Mighty Blow (and knock down if you mounted Thrydan). While Dunlending Chieftains don’t benefit from the army bonuses, they do come with an extra point of Will (like Thrydan) and are Courage 4, so they’re reliable enough to keep models on the field. In general, I don’t think you should take them – named Uruk-Hai heroes have March (so you don’t NEED these guys for that) and they’ve got better Might stores (plus don’t have to take Courage tests until later in the game). Still, if you find you’re not able to kill enough D6/D8 models in a fight, a Dunlending Chieftain might be worth trying.

Dunland Warriors: Dunlending Warriors and Wild Men of Dunland

When you look at Dunlending Warriors, you’ll probably compare them in your head to Uruk-Hai Scouts: Uruk-Hai Scouts with shields cost 1 point more per model than Dunlending Warriors with shields and they gain +1 FV for it. Generally speaking, we’d all probably say “yeah, that makes Dunlending Warriors useless.” I disagree:

• Dunlending Warriors, while only F3, are just as good as Uruk-Hai Scouts at winning fights against high-Fight models (Elves, mega heroes, monsters) and low-Fight models (many Hobbits and Goblins) – if your meta has them, F4 is wasted against many of these models (and a 50/50 roll-off isn’t a bad thing);
• Dunlending Warriors can have their low Fight value supplemented by a supporting Uruk-Hai Warrior with pike – which will cost slightly more than an Uruk-Hai Scout supported by an Orc Warrior, but will offset the not-Fight-4 of the Dunlending and deal a ton more damage since both the Dunlending and the Uruk-Hai Warrior are S4 (and if you’re paying 18 points for two melee models, that’s about normal);
• Dunlending Warriors are the only S4 warrior models who carry axes, allowing them to get to the prized S5 in a fight. Piercing Strike (which takes you to Strength 5) not only allows you to carve through D5 models on 4s, but allows you to crack D7 warriors (the apex of resilience for most armies) on 5s and D3 models (the most squishy of the squishy) on 3s. While Uruks are great because they come with S4 standard, against odd-Defense armies, you’re actually wasting the points you pay for S4…but that’s not the case with Dunlendings;
• Dunlending Warriors are the only warrior models (besides Orc Warriors, Uruk-Hai Berserkers, and Wild Men of Dunland – more on them in a moment) who have access to two-handed axes – which, if supported by a pikeman or two, can carve through enemy ranks even better than their one-handed axe variants (D7 on 4s, D5 on 3s, D3 on 2s).

The fact that Dunlendings have axes is the key – recall how I said Thrydan was really good because he had both a sword AND a two-handed axe? With Piercing Strike, Thrydan can really expose himself if he loses a fight, but can also get to the so-desirable S6 when dealing wounds – with 2 Attacks base (3 if he’s mounted and on the charge), he’ll be wounding D3-D4 models on 2s, D5-D6 models on 3s, D7-D8 models on 4s, and D9-D10 models on 5s…with knock down if you mounted him and didn’t charge S6+ units…and Mighty Blow. Need to clear out some Dwarves? I found your guy… Even if you don’t mount him, 2 dice (plus spear/pike supports) will wound most models on 4s or 3s, so you should deal 1-2 wounds from the dice (which turns into 2-4 Wounds against the particular target). Since most heroes have 2 Wounds and 1 Fate point, you have a chance to one-turn-KO a hero you’re facing OR rampage through a Troll. Not bad at all…

In case you needed any more convincing, look at this table – let’s assume that since all the heroes below are F5, you’re facing a not-Trapped F4 model (hence reducing the likelihood that you Feint) and see how many wounds you should expect to see dealt each round (assuming you win the fight):

Average Expected Wounds Dealt	D3	D4	D5	D6	D7	D8	D9
Thrydan (S5, A2, sword, Mighty Blow)	2.7	2.0	2.0	1.3	1.3	0.7	0.7
Thrydan (S6, A2, axe, Mighty Blow, P-Strike*)	3.3	3.3	2.7	2.7	2.0	2.0	1.3
Lurtz (S5, A3, sword)	2.0	1.5	1.5	1.0	1.0	0.5	0.5
Ugluk (S5, A2, sword)	1.3	1.0	1.0	0.7	0.7	0.3	0.3
Mauhur (S5, A3, sword)	2.0	1.5	1.5	1.0	1.0	0.5	0.5

*Piercing Strike employed against even-Defense models only – makes no sense otherwise

This tells us many things: not least of which is that most Isengard captain heroes (due to having S5 and multiple attacks) can deal 1-2 damage each turn reliably to whoever they’re fighting (though this should also inform how risky a Heroic Combat with one of these guys is). While the difference in score might appear to be marginal, look at it this way: most of the characters we looked at above are going to absolutely crush a D3 model they face, but because most of the models you’re likely to fight are D4-D6, all of the Uruk-Hai heroes (Lurtz included) goes down to dealing only one (maybe two) wounds in a round. This is fine if you’re fighting warriors, since you only need 1 Wound to kill them. 

Against heroes, though, this is unreliable (especially if you’re entrenched with someone who’s better than you). Thrydan, on the other hand, gets good mileage out of Mighty Blow, dealing 1-2 damage against basically everyone with his sword and getting 2-3 damage against people with his axe (which he will have to two-hand). While Thrydan’s sword isn’t THAT much better at doing damage than Lurtz or Mauhur, it’s really the axe-wielding Thrydan who stands out when fighting heroes – reliably doing 2 wounds against his foes right up to D8 (which covers most heroes you’ll face).

Wild Men of Dunland are a very different beasts in many respects:

• They’re only S3, though they can take two-handed axes AND have Hatred against Rohan models – so they can be pretty lethal in small packs against certain foes;
• Even if you’re not fighting Rohan models, they’re basically Orc Warriors who suffer -1 Defense for +1 Courage, making them more reliable (marginally) at charging Terror models, staying after a force is broken, and resisting Courage-based special rules;
• With only D3, there’s almost no reason NOT to use Piercing Strike whenever you’re given the chance – you’re probably dead anyway.

In general, I’d recommend just taking Orcs – being base D4 (and the potential to be D5 with a shield) plus their added gear options (spears as the main one, though shields bear mentioning again) at only the minor cost of a Courage point isn’t bad. They’re also available en masse from the GW store and on eBay (though they tend to buy high there).

Isengard Synergies: Putting It All Together

Isengard has LOTS of models to choose from – like Mordor, you have many options as an Isengard commander for what you want to run: cavalry, spam infantry, fast infantry, heavily-armored infantry, multiple-Attack infantry, monsters, and siege engines. While this is great if you're a tool-kit-oriented player, figuring out just what you want in your army (and how to squeeze it all in) can be tricky and frustrating. So, if you’re looking to put some Dunlendings in your army, here are some thoughts:

• Always pair Dunlendings with Uruk-Hai Warriors with pikes (so as to provide a higher Fight value);
• Dunlendings and Uruk-Hai pikemen make a good anvil, but with only Defense 5 (Defense 4 if you take two-handers on the Dunlendings) they need protecting – harassing units (crossbows, Uruk-Hai bows, Warg Riders) can be useful to drive an enemy’s battle lines towards your lines and distract fire from the main body of troops;
• Small squads of melee troops can be used to protect the flanks of your anvil once the main bodies engage - you don't want these guys getting trapped or those pikemen getting pealed off into separate fights.

Here’s a sample army I’m anxious to try sometime (maybe after the tournament this weekend):

Pillage The West - 700 points

Lurtz with shield [Army Leader]

13 Uruk-Hai Scouts with Uruk-Hai bows

Ugluk

6 Uruk-Hai Warriors with shields

4 Orc Warriors with spears

1 Orc Warrior with spear and banner

Thrydan Wolfsbane

6 Dunlending Warriors with shields

6 Uruk-Hai Warriors with pikes

Mauhur

6 Uruk-Hai Marauders with shields

Since we left Saruman at home today, we have a very respectable 46 models (with 9 warrior slots remaining) and nearly maximum bow slots. Two of the four warbands (Lurtz’s squad and Mauhur’s squad) are composed fully of Woodland Creature models, so you can rush through wooded ground easily (to get to objectives or pursue fleeing models). This army is composed of 6 different types units (many in small clusters) that are all intended to do different things. Let’s take a look at the different pieces:

• Lurtz brings up the main body – 13 Scouts with Uruk-Hai bows (for 14 Uruk-Hai bows in the warband). These bows are short-range (18”), but high Strength (S3) – reliable once they close and DEADLY in Maelstrom scenarios where you can deploy Lurtz’s squad wherever you want (just outside of charge range but still inside shooting range). Lurtz himself not only provides Heroic Strike, but a reliable F5 S5 A3 3M profile on offense with a good selection of heroic actions.
• Thrydan Wolfsbane also has Heroic Strike and a good offensive profile (as we discussed earlier). He leads half of the anvil: 6 Dunlending Warriors with 6 Uruk-Hai Warriors with pikes. The pikes are good not only to provide F4 to the fight, but also because you can double-support certain models (relying on your Dunlendings to shield in order to keep themselves alive). Thrydan can benefit from having some pike supports too, just saying.
• Ugluk is the cheapest hero with Heroic Strike in this army list and leads 6 heavily-armored Uruk-Hai Warriors and 6 cheap spearmen (five Orc Warriors with spears, one with a spear and banner). Taking Orcs not only saves you points so you can grow your numbers, but allows you to have cheap models you can use Head-Taker on if you really need to keep your models in play (but if you can keep Thrydan in play, you’ll have a 12” Stand Fast – so keep these two squads near each other so they can cover each other late in the game). Thematically, we could have left the heavily-armored Uruks at home and instead given shields to all of our Orcs, but I like having these guys in here – you can’t substitute easily for D6 (plus my gaming group’s meta is dominated by Elf bows, Dwarf bows, and S3 horde armies, so having some D6 is good).
•  Mauhur leads the last group of warriors – some fast Uruk-Hai Marauders with shields. Without any spears, this group can easily get overwhelmed, but in some scenarios, getting somewhere fast is key. In other scenarios, racing around an enemy flank (or bull-rushing their archers) can spare the rest of your team a lot of hurt. Between Mauhur’s speed and Lurtz’s flexibility of deployment, you should have options for driving your opponent closer to your ranks (and taking out his spear supports as he rushes into your lines).

You’ll note in this list that Dunland plays a small part – I don’t think they’re an anchor for the army. Unless you don’t expect to fight a lot of Fight 4, downgrading any of your Uruk-Hai Warriors or Uruk-Hai Marauders into Dunlendings may save you a few points per model, but you’ll want to pay more money to provide pike supports to them (Dunlendings + Orcs = only F3 = gets pasted by most battle lines). Having only a handful of Dunlendings in your army also helps because your opponent will underestimate their power – his focus will be on keeping the F4 D6 Uruk-Hai Warriors from killing his guys. If he’s got D5/D7 units, let loose that Piercing Strike to deal S5 hits after you win – let THAT freak him out. They’ll also be near Thrydan, who you should ALWAYS say how many wounds you actually do JUST so Mighty Blow doesn’t surprise anyone.

Well, we've got a tournament this weekend - should be great. I'll hopefully get up a post with a few pics and a run-down of how the Elves of Lothlorien did. After that, we continue our discussion of evil armies by going in-depth into Ringwraiths and redoing a post we did a while back. Should be fun. Until next time, happy hobbying!