The Last Alliance: Concept and Strategy, Revisited

Good morning gamers,

Well, today we're continuing our sixteen-part series where we revisit articles from our archive and redo them for the new rules set. We've already looked at Ringwraiths and allied contingents you can ally into your army. Today, we turn our attention to one of the most iconic alliances from the movie series: the Last Alliance (between Rivendell and Numenor). For those interested in the original post, you can view it here.

The Last Alliance: What Has Changed (and What Hasn't Changed)
There are a good many things that haven't changed - both Rivendell and Numenor have very strong heroes (Gil-Galad, Elendil, and Elrond in particular) and both armies retain a single infantry warrior choice (Rivendell has one cavalry choice now). The profiles for these models has changed only slightly, though the changes they received were very, VERY good. The heroes have all changed in small ways (mostly compensating for weaknesses or making them more effective in combat). While some (Gil-Galad and Elendil in particular) saw some big price boosts, the way they play hasn't changed that much (though they're better at what they do now). Let's take a look at each army and see what they bring to the table to complement the other.



Army Evaluation: Numenor
Prior to the new rules, Numenor was "average" in many respects - they were above-average in Fight Value, but they were S3/D4-5/C3 (with the standard 1 Attack/Wound that basically all warrior models have). Their gear was also average - spears, bows, banners, shields. On the whole, they were...boring. As a result, you could buy TONS of them on eBay, since everyone buying the old Last Alliance boxes were more interested in the Rivendell models than the Numenor ones. I used Warriors of Numenor as spectres.

But some people (including myself) bought them anyway and invested in the army - as "average" warriors (with above-average FV), they were "fine" at stalling an enemy while your impressive heroes (why you REALLY played the list) carved things up. Play a single game with Elendil and you'll enjoy yourself no matter how the game ends - he's just that much fun!

Under the new rules, most of Numenor has remained unchanged except for one critical thing: all of their models (except the captains!?!?!?!?!) got +1 Strength (and went up in price). This means that Warriors of Numenor are now above-average in both Fight Value and Strength ... or basically ...

Warriors of Numenor have become Uruk-Hai Scouts.

But they're really better than Uruk-Hai Scouts, because while Scouts are limited to shields, Uruk-Hai bows (which are awesome), and banners, Warriors of Numenor can take spears. This gives you a S4 spearman who can support whoever he wants, lending added Strength to a fight (and in many cases, making it easier to wound your opponent's models).

While their infantry have gotten more expensive, Captains of Numenor have retained their basic cost (maybe a slight bump in price?) and remain "cheap" lancer cavalry options. In an army with no warrior cavalry options, these guys play a critical role - either as a cav-archer who can harass an enemy's flank/claim a far-off objective, or as a heavy brick slamming into the flank of an enemy's battle line/auric hero behind the lines. With the potential of being F5 S4 D7 A2 H2 C5 (with the army bonus) with a lance on the charge (+1 Attack, double dice to wound, +1 To Wound), they are a bargain you won't find anywhere else.

But one of the biggest changes to the list is that all of the Numenor models (especially Elendil, but to a lesser extent Isildur/Captains/Warriors) have some innate way of dealing with magic. Elendil, like Glorfindel, now gets a static 2 free dice to resist magic (in addition to any Will he wishes to spend), making him that much harder to deal with. Equip him with a shield (always - as I learned the hard way at Brawler Bash 2019) to make him D8 while you're advancing down the field and watch archers and mages alike have problems dealing with him. Once he's in melee, he's a machine (as he always has been), dealing punishment left and right. The key to defeating enemy magic with all the other models, however, is operating in a bubble (a fairly large bubble) around Isildur and Elendil (and Anarion when ever he gets released).

Army Evaluation: Rivendell
Rivendell has always been strong - Rivendell teams have traditionally done very well here at TMAT (winning our first GT and our most recent GT). This is due to many reasons, but not least of which is that a) Rivendell has some of the best heroes in the game, and b) their warriors can be Fight 5/Defense 6 (which is going to have an edge over Fight 4/Defense 6 armies).

What they've gotten in the new rules have helped them with the one thing Elves in general have always struggled with: dealing damage. Elves have always had above-average Strength bows, but since Rivendell heroes tend to be expensive, it's hard to get more than 10-12 shots in any point limit. While their bows haven't become any stronger, the fact that they can reroll to-hit rolls when standing still means that basically all of them will be hitting their targets. Instead of dealing 0-2 wounds with each volley (depending on the defense of your foes), you can more reliably deal 1-4 wounds each round. As I found out the hard way at the last GT, this rule is particularly useful when your opponent brings heroes who nerf archery via Blinding Light or some similar rule...

But wounding isn't just about getting more hits on things: with the new way that Feint works, your front-line of Elves can choose to both Feint and two-hand with their Elven-made hand-and-a-half swords to get +1 to Wound and reroll 1s, so long as they have a spearman behind them. They will, of course, not get the Defense bonus for having a shield if they do this, but to move from wounding a D6 opponent on 6s (rerolling 1s) to 5s (rerolling 1s) is no small jump. Also, you used to have to pay for these Elven blades...now they're standard issue with the profile (and didn't create a bump in price).

Finally, combat-Elrond and Arwen got upgraded to Wrath of Bruinen instead of Nature's Wrath (6" radius from caster: knock down all enemy - not friendly - models, deal a S2 hit if they're not in water and a S8 hit if they are). Dealing S2 hits is kind of meh, but knocking guys down means that your front-line of Elves can two-hand with impunity knowing that they can't be wounded by the front-line guy this turn. If you go first and cast Wrath of Bruinen, it is possible for a supporting spearman to stand up and support his friend, but with only one guy trying to wound you, you're much more resilient. While there was an Elrond profile previously who had this spell, he was limited to being unarmored, making him far more vulnerable. Elrond is one a handful of heroes who got some REALLY big boosts from consolidated profiles, and with a price bump of only 10 points, he remains in my mind an auto-include for any Rivendell army.

So...what happens when you put them both together? I'm glad you asked - here are three lists that show some of the combos you can do. As a note, I've stayed away from Rivendell heroes who were not alive during the end of the Second Age, so while I'd love to put the Twins/Arwen in some of these lists, that's just not going to happen today...

Sample Army: The Kings United
Gil-Galad with shield and horse
3 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows
3 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows and spears
6 High Elf Warriors with shields
5 High Elf Warriors with shields and spears
1 High Elf Warrior with shield, spear, and banner

Elendil* with shield and horse
5 Warriors of Numenor with shield
5 Warriors of Numenor with shields and spears

30 models, 6 Might*

This army is a bit small, but any army that fields both max-Elendil and max-Gil-Galad is going to be pressed for points. I actually thought about running this as an all-hero list with Elrond (maxed) and a Captain of Numenor (maxed), giving you four fast/hard-hitting heroes, but decided that leading a bunch of warriors was more thematic. At 30 models, you're on the low end for most armies, but 30-something is about normal for both Numenor and Rivendell on their own. We have a small anvil of Numenorian troops to back up Elendil and a small anvil of Elves to back up Gil-Galad (with a banner), along with a few archers to pepper your opponent. All told, you're really looking at dealing loads of damage with Elendil/Gil-Galad in this list, both of whom are well bedecked to deal with enemy combat heroes.

Sample Army: Supporting Forces
Glorfindel with the Armor of Gondolin and Asfaloth
5 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows
5 High Elf Warriors with shields
4 High Elf Warriors with shields and spears
1 High Elf Warrior with shield, spear, and banner

2 Captains of Numenor with shields, heavy armor, lances, and horses
9 Warriors of Numenor with shield
2 Warriors of Numenor with shields and spears
6 Warriors of Numenor with spears and bows
1 Warrior of Numenor with shield, spear, and banner

36 models, 7 Might

We don't have any major players from the Last Alliance in this list, but these guys could all have been there. Instead of focusing on the top-of-the-line heroes, we're taking maxed-Glorfindel (who isn't Gil-Galad but is still VERY good) supported by two Captains of Numenor (maxed). These three mounted heroes will do murder to your foes if left mounted, but even when dismounted, they do very well. This list focuses more heavily on Numenor, bringing two banners (one in each contingent) and a host of anvil models to hold your line.

As mentioned above, Glorfindel not only resists magic attacks well, but with the Armor of Gondolin, he's immune to monster Brutal Power Attacks - a perfect way to make heroes like William the Troll fight you "fairly." Asfaloth also costs the same as a normal horse, but gives the rider Fleetfoot, allowing you to gain the benefits of charging on horseback while running through woods (which is normally a HUGE no-no for cavalry models). This little surprise rule can cause all kinds of problems for your opponent.

Sample Army: Return from Mordor
Elrond with heavy armor
3 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows
3 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows and spears
6 High Elf Warriors with shields
5 High Elf Warriors with shields and spears
1 High Elf Warrior with shield, spear, and banner

Isildur with shield
5 Warriors of Numenor with shields and flails (or axes/maces/spears - but I like flails)
4 Warriors of Numenor with shields and spears
5 Warriors of Numenor with spears and bows
1 Warrior of Numenor with shield, spear, and banner

35 models,

As I've recommended in a previous post on weapon swaps, I highly recommend putting some flails on your Numenorians - the spear-support mitigates the Fight Value reduction they suffer and weapon swaps provide some much-needed variety to your army. While this is a fun (and probably confusing) move for your army, the big emphasis is on the heroes this army provides. We've already talked a little about Elrond, but I'll note that he provides a very critical strategic benefit to your team: foresight points that can adjust your Priority roll. This is not only great for winning priority on a critical turn, but it's also a great way to LOSE priority on an early turn when you need to see where your opponent moves. Generally speaking, you'll only be able to affect a handful of turns each game, but the ability to do that is great.

The star of the show, in my opinion, is Isildur: since daddy got left at home, Isildur is free to take the One Ring, which is incredibly powerful in his hands (see a recent post I did on the Ring for why). With Fight 6, Strength 5, 3 Attacks, and 3 Might, Isildur is a beast in combat, but he's no slouch on defense either - Defense 8, 3 Wounds, 2 Fate. While he's a bit overcosted without the Ring in his profile, he's a phenomenal hero to add to an army that doesn't also sport Elendil. While Elendil is unmatched by basically everyone, Elrond will do a fine job of killing (by sword or by magic) and you won't feel the loss too heavily. With the Ring on, Isildur will have the higher Fight Value over any foes he faces, allowing him to spend his Might to boost his die rolls or pass much-needed Courage tests (though you have 2 Will and Courage 7 to do that).

Hopefully this has been informative for you - I hope to get some games in with the Last Alliance soon to illustrate some of this. Our next revisit post will start a three-part mini-series on magic casters, starting with an eval of combat casters/auric casters (both categories include Rivendell models prominently). For those interested in the original post for the read-ahead, you can find it here. Until next time, happy hobbying!