Armies of Middle-Earth SBG: The Army of Thror in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game

Something something something GRIMHAMMERS!!!

Just kidding. There's more to this list, of course, but what can I say? I just love these models (even if I think they're about 20% too slim when standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their cousins from the Iron Hills). 

Azanulbizar, in all its... ferocity

(Don't sleep on Dwalin's head-bash in the foreground)

Photo credit: Rogue Prince on tumblr

Army Quick(ish) Hits

• Strength: Dwarves = TOUGHNESS. Yes, this particular dwarf list is pretty limited (compared to the other dwarf lists) when it comes to the kinds of profiles you have access to. But let's not overthink this. This is still a dwarf list, and dwarf lists are (above everything else) tough. Tough to engage. Tough to out-fight. Tough to wound. Tough to shift. And just a tough out in general. There are two notable exceptions (Young Dwalin, who's inexplicably D6, and Young Balin, who's even-more-inexplicably D5), but every other profile in this list is at least functionally D7: Grimhammers (thanks GW) and Warriors of Erebor (because of course you'll give them shields) form the core of any list, pairing their high defense with F4 and access to axes or picks for a good mix of offense-defense. Dwarf shielding is certainly available, allowing you to double your duel dice in spots (or triple, if you have a banner) so you can bring your offensive tools to bear in other places. And this may be the toughest core of heroes in any list, with Defense 9 on Thror, and Defense 8 (if you want it) on four additional heroes (Thrain, Young Thorin, Grimhammer Captains, and Captains of Erebor with shields). Add in the Arkenstone for Thror (in theory, at least), and three Fate with Heroic Defense on both Thrain and Young Thorin, and you can have up to three daunting roadblocks to throw at really big threats. Finally, while the Army of Thror lacks some of the Courage tricks that other dwarf factions have (no Bodyguard troops, or Dain's Lord of the Iron Hills), dwarf Courage remains solid to start (C4 base), with the option of a War Horn to supplement if you wish.
• Strength: Surprisingly flexible (offensive) options. Like most dwarf factions, this boost to survivability doesn't necessarily come at the cost of their combat effectiveness. Fight 4 is, of course, a great place to start. So is D7, because you can actually afford to Piercing Strike with axes or picks  (which every warrior has) against high-defense targets without too much risk to your warriors. Throwing axes (more on them in a bit) give you an option for either added damage on the charge or a way to wound models that you otherwise might have difficulty catching (like cavalry). And there are upgrades (like upgrading Thror's S3 Grimhammers to S4 Guardians of the King) or special rules on your heroes (like Thorin's To Arms!) that give you a way to boost your damage even further. But let's not bury the lead: this dwarf army also has access to cheap, spammable spears. While the Iron Hills have spoiled things for us (because S4 spears are just better than S3 spears), this was a huge deal when these guys came out, and it's one of the things that still sets the list apart. The ability to double your attacks in spots with shielding, while also doubling your attacks in different spots with spears (or even to put a spear behind a 3-Attack hero, of which this list has four affordable options) makes dwarf lines even harder to shift or crack. And for taking out really big things, you have the flexible pick-hammers of the Grimhammers: hand-and-a-half weapons that can piercing strike at up to effective S8 (if a Guardian of the King does a two-handed piercing strike within range of Thorin's To Arms!) or bash at effective S6 (if a Guardian of the King does a two-handed Bash within range of Thorin's To Arms!). Bashing a Fell Beast at S6 (even starting strength, with you winning ties), followed by 4s to wound the poor Nazgul who falls off its back (with double-dice because he's prone)? At twelve points per model? Yes, please.
• Strength(-ish): Army bonus. Let me be clear: this army bonus (friendly Erebor Dwarves within 6" of Thror count as being in range of a banner) is certainly not a "weakness." But as others have said, it's not exactly making any top-10 lists of army bonuses, either (given that models ranging from the very expensive King Aragorn to the humble Master of Lake-Town have a "6-inch banner effect" rule baked into their base profile instead of an army bonus). Having a 6" banner effect is great, but it does box you into taking Thror when you might otherwise want someone else leading your force (both Thrain and Young Thorin are arguably more survivable, with three Fate and Heroic Defense), or you might want to ally with a convenient ally instead of a historic ally (although the matrix doesn't have as many clear-cut convenient allies as you might think). I basically come down here: if you're otherwise taking Thror (probably because you want the S4 Grimhammers), find a way to keep the bonus because a 6" banner effect is a huge boon to your dwarves (especially if paired with an actual 3" banner to extend your battle line). But it's perfectly fine not to take Thror, in which case you can abandon the army bonus with impunity. And I guess that's an okay kind of army bonus to have. 
• Strength: A great suite of (affordable) heroes. Speaking of to-Thror-or-not-to-Thror, you actually have quite a few hero options in a list that appears limited in its troop options. At 120 points, Thror functions primarily as an army-buffer (6" banner effect, S4 Grimhammer upgrade, and the Ring of Durin--more on that later) who can also tank just about anything that's not a monster (D9 with 3 attacks and a shield at Fight 6) while doing respectable damage to standard troops (3 attacks at S4). Thrain (also 120 points) has some troop-buff tricks, too: he carries the Ring of Durin if Thror isn't in your force, plus he has a battlefield-wide Stand Fast! that's actually not a Stand Fast! at all: all friendly Dwarves--of any faction, and including heroes--on the battlefield are "automatically affected" (which I think means they auto-pass). But Thrain is mostly a combat bruiser (3 Attacks at S4 with a Master-forged two-handed hammer to get to S6) who can also do roadblock duty in a pinch (thanks to D8, three Fate, and Heroic Defense if you need it). Young Thorin Oakenshield is a slightly tamped-down combo of Thror and Thrain, and may be the best overall profile in the list. While he doesn't quite match Thrain's offensive output on his own, 3 attacks at S4 and Fight 6 will reliably move through troops, while To Arms! (a once-per-game +1 Strength Buff to all Erebor Dwarves within 3" of Thorin) provides a nice spike to dwarf damage on an area of the board where Thorin is pressing the attack. And the Oakenshield allows Thorin to switch seamlessly from offense to defense (D8, with a shield and Heroic Defense, making him probably the toughest out in the whole list) while also giving him a way to do some damage on turns where he shields and wins (a single Strike at his strength, which is not modified by weapons but would be boosted on a turn where he calls To Arms!). That's pretty good utility for just 105 points with the Oakenshield. Young Dwalin, with S5, 3 Attacks, F5 with Strike, Fearless, and the option to reroll all failed to-wound rolls (Dwarven Fury) is basically an offensive grenade you lob at something you want to kill (or wound severely), and is still affordable enough (85 points) that if he dies going for that Hail Mary sort of play you can probably weather his loss. If you prefer defense, Captains of Erebor give you 2 Attacks, Fight 5, D8, and a shield at just 65 points (very good value) while also giving you options to increase your army's speed (Heroic March). And if you prefer something in the middle, there's Grimhammer Captains for just 5 points more than a Captain (and 15 points cheaper than Dwalin), trading their Shield for throwing axes and a pick-hammer, while keeping D8 and Heroic March. Finally, there's Young Balin, who has a very strange profile. 2 Attacks at Strength 4 with a sword-mace is okay, but Defense 5 (albeit with 2 Wounds, 2 Fate, and 1 Might you can spend on Heroic Defense) is just weird in a list like this. I get that he's not bedecked with armor at Azanulbizar (see photo below), but even if one assumes he's outfitted in armor akin to a Dwarf Ranger in Khazad-Dum, one would generally expect a hero of any stripe to pick up an extra defense pip (D6 instead of D5, which would be a huge upgrade). That said, if you're fielding Balin you're probably not taking him for his defensive prowess. You're fielding him because (a) he can play around with priority thanks to his three Will points and The Young Sage (more on that in a bit), and (b) he's incredibly cheap (55 points) for a Hero of Fortitude. And anytime you can field a full warband of D7 dwarves for under 170 points, that's a win. 

Photo Credit: The Hobbit Chronicles: Cloaks & Daggers, 

courtesy of @foolofatook on Twitter

• Weakness/Strength: Profile costs. Like most dwarf lists, your base profiles are really solid (great survivability, and "above-average" to "very good" offensive stats), which means you don't really have any "cheap" profiles (even though you're getting really good value for your points). The cheapest profile in the list is a nekked Warrior of Erebor at 8 points, and while it's possible to field these without a shield (hey, the plastic sprue even comes with dwarves without shields on them!) the reality is that since they can't take bows (more on that shortly) you're unlikely to ever field them without paying a point for a shield. Additionally, the draw to give that 9-point dwarf a 1-point spear is also very strong, as is the draw to include Grimhammers for 11 points (or pay a point to upgrade any of Thror's S3 Grimhammers to S4 Guardians of the King). The result is that the majority of your profiles are going to fall within the pretty compact range of 10-11 points per model (with probably at least some 9- or 12-point models at the margins). So why label this both a weakness and a strength? Well, normally a double-figure points cost for all your models means your force will be really elite. But Army of Thror gets some help here from the heroes, who are pretty good value for the points you pay (as long as you don't look too long at their mounted colleagues in Erebor Reclaimed). Thror, Thrain, and Thorin in particular are very good values because they can bring 15 (Thrain and Thorin) or 18 (Thror) warriors in their warbands. Their warbands are still not exactly "cheap," especially if you go with the elite troop options. But even Thror + 18 Guardians of the King comes out to "just" 336 points for 19 models. While clearly not a "spam," that average cost of 17.7 points per model is actually a pretty good mark for an "elite" warband (you could field 39-40 models at 700 points with an average cost of 17.7 points per model, which would be a solid number). And if you go with a more standard warband configuration of half normal Grimhammers and half Warriors of Erebor with shields or shields/spears, the average cost per model could get at or under 17 with Thrain or Thorin (17.2 for Thrain with seven Grimhammers, two Warriors with Shields, and six Warriors with Shields and Spears, or 40 models at 700; 16.25 for Thorin with an identical warband, or 43 models at 700). Supplemented by a Captain warband or two (14.5 for a Captain of Erebor with shield leading 5 Grim Hammers, 2 Warriors with Shields, and 5 Warriors with Shields and Spears, for an average of 48 models at 700; or 14.8 for a Grimhammer Captain leading identical warband, or 47 models), and you can get to over 40 models with ease at 700, and hit the mid-60s at 1000, while sporting above-average troops and heroes. Not too shabby.
• Weakness: No long-range threat options AND slow Dwarf speed. This is probably the most serious issue with the list as a list. Yes, you have access to cheap Heroic March on solid, affordable, spammable heroes. But there are two reasons why Heroic March in this list isn't quite the same as Heroic March in other dwarf lists. First, the Army of Thror is like the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum in that it doesn't have Heroic March on any of its "must-take heroes" (Thror, Thrain, and Young Thorin in Army of Thror, Durin and (probably) the King's Champion in Khazad-Dum). That's a big difference between this list and the Iron Hills (Dain), Erebor Reclaimed (also Dain), and the Kingdom of Moria (an upgraded version of Balin who's a superior combat model to anything you get in a Hobbit-era list... don't get me started). Second, while Durin's Khazad-Dum list has access to many options to make the enemy come to you (ballistae, 18" S3 dwarf bows, and 24" S2 dwarf long-bows), the Army of Thror does not have access to a single long-range weapon. You can address that issue if you ally into the force (either Girion and Esgaroth bows from the Garrison of Dale, or crossbows and the ballista from the Iron Hills--or, if you prefer something more aggressive, War Goats, Dain on Boar, and a Chariot), but play them vanilla and your only option is March (which means taking a Captain). So yeah... that makes life more... exciting.
• Strength: Spammable mid-range threat. The lack of any "easy-mode" options for forcing an engagement ("form a D7 wall and then lob projectiles ranging from S2-S9 at them") means the Army of Thror has to get more creative at forcing engagements. Fortunately, there are a few existing strengths you can leverage to mitigate the damage ranged forces would normally inflict. Defense 7 on basically everything is huge (crossbows need 6s to wound), coupled with the larger numbers you can field than normal (thanks to the "lack" of any really expensive heroes and good points-efficiency on your troops), means you can afford to Heroic March for a couple of turns when doing so might decimate other armies, and you can also afford to spread out more on your advance to cut off potential escape routes. But the key to ending a ranged stand-off is the simple, yet effective, throwing axe. Or, more accurately, the threat of throwing an ungodly number of S3 throwing axes at targets who are up to 11" away (because you can throw a throwing axe 6" even after performing a full 5" move). Because throwing axes come standard on D7 Grimhammers (who want to be on your front-line anyway), once you get to within 12" of your opponent, you can play a cat-and-mouse game where you threaten to engage by getting close to an opponent without actually charging them. If they moved first (staying outside your 5" charge range), you can move your dwarves within 5" of them (setting up a potential charge next turn) while unleashing your throwing axes on their neat ranks in the shoot phase (defense 5 spears make good targets--definitely "risk" the in-the-way, because it literally costs you nothing). If you move first, your options are somewhat more limited, but you can actually "force" an engagement by "charging" your Grimhammers into a place where some (but not all) of the enemy can charge you (ideally so that most, if not all, of your throwing axes can hit targets if the enemy does not fall back).  Because your own troops are largely immune to archery, this either allows you to push the enemy around (D5 armies in particular will give a front-line of Grimhammers a pretty wide berth) or set-up in defensive formations (or potentially even terrain) to receive the inevitable charge. This presents the opponent with a difficult choice when they eventually move: they can stay where they are (which most forces will reject out of hand, given the threat of your throwing axes in the shoot phase), they can retreat (although the 6" range of the throwing axes shrinks the areas they can retreat to without taking damage), or they can charge (into F4, D7 dwarves, which very few armies would normally choose to do). Finally, the threat of throwing axes also helps tremendously with clearing and holding objectives. Even models that normally excel at taking objectives (like Bat Swarms or cavalry) have to think about the risk of skirmishing for a couple of turns against a group of dwarves with throwing axes. Oh... and if you ever get the chance to charge the enemy, you can throw those axes on the way in (potentially picking up a couple of extra kills before combat is truly joined). Which (oddly enough) encourages the enemy to engage you especially if they've had a couple of turns of ineffective archery as you slowly but steadily hem them in).
• Strength: Priority shenanigans (while sticking it to elves). Lest this be misconstrued, I want to state this very clearly: the Army of Thror is not Angmar. As I've written elsewhere, Angmar is probably the most oppressive list to play against in the game. It shuts enemy heroes down. Its core troops are surprisingly difficult to engage / remove / shift, while remaining pretty cost-effective (and occasionally packing a surprising amount of offensive punch). And an effectively-built Angmar list forces its opponents to make a lot of difficult decisions over the course of a turn, many of which involve spending precious heroic resources (Might / Will / Fate) on things that may backfire (have you ever called a Heroic Move to charge your Cavalry into an Angmar force, only to have half your cavalry models fail their Terror checks?). Now again, the Army of Thror is not Angmar. But an effectively-built Army of Thor (which is much easier to stumble into than an effectively-built Angmar force) poses a lot of the same strains on opponents. You don't have magic to shut enemy heroes down, but you do have cheap access to multiple heroes (Thror, Thrain, Thorin, or even a D8 shielding Captain of Erebor) who can frustrate opposing combat heroes (and with them, their players). A front line of Grimhammers backed by spears and a banner doesn't cause Terror, but it's still incredibly hard for most armies to shift or crack (and far more resilient than any front-line you'll face in Angmar, except perhaps a front-line of Cave Trolls). The Army of Thror doesn't have spectres to move enemy models against their will. But the threat of throwing axes will force opponents to move many models to places where they don't want to go (which is almost as bad), and has a similar effect on key support pieces like banners and cavalry (keeping them further away from the front lines than your opponent would prefer). And to cap it all off, you have the Ring of Durin, which couples with Young Balin's The Young Sage special rule to give you up to four rerolls for Priority (1 with the Ring, and up to 3 with Balin at the cost of 1 Will point per time). Yes, it's not a guarantee you'll win (although if you and your opponent both rolled "1s" or "2s," it's pretty close), but anytime you get to reroll something that's definitely a "fail," that's a plus. It gives you an added layer of protection against cavalry armies (which is a big deal in an army that doesn't have any cavalry options of its own). It gives you a way to stick it to Elrond players (since the FAQs make plain that Elrond has to spend his Foresight points before Balin's reroll goes into effect), which can produce almost comical reactions if your opponent is a good sport (and flip-the-table moments if he is not). The added uncertainty that comes with the ensuing priority phase can cause opponents to doubt whether it's the "right turn" to commit to a charge (potentially creating an additional turn or three for you to skirmish with your throwing axes). Most importantly, it gives you a way to cheat additional Might out of enemy heroes (is an opponent really not going to call a Heroic Move if you win priority, and your 20+ Grimhammers are fingering their throwing axes?) with minimal risk to you (your opponent's reward for calling that Heroic Move is... he gets to charge into F4, D7 dwarves?) Force your opponent into making that choice for a couple turns in a row, and it gets tiresome quickly. Oh, and one more thought: while "winning priority" has its most dramatic impact on who moves first for the turn (followed closely thereafter by who has the onus of spending Might to call a Heroic Move), don't forget that the winner of priority gets other added bonuses, too. You get to shoot first. You get to split multiple combats. You get to decide the order of fights. And you get to react when it comes to calling Heroic Actions and special strikes with weapons. 
• Strength: Strong late-game options. The Ring of Durin / The Young Sage also opens up options in the late-game. A reroll of priority, in and of itself, is phenomenal in the late-game when Might stores have usually dried up. Pair it with some Might that you've cheated out early (to bleed enemy heroes dry even faster), or Might you didn't need to spend on your own heroes earlier (because you won priority via a reroll that your opponent couldn't--or couldn't afford--to challenge), and suddenly you get the chance to control who moves first as the engagement reaches its end-game (along with all the other stuff that comes with winning priority). Pair that with solid dwarf courage, Thrain's battlefield-wide upgraded Stand Fast!, multiple Fight 6 heroes who are still dangerous / tough when they run low on Might, the general resilience of the army, and only two models who don't have access to a non-lethal special strike (Thror has a sword, and Young Dwalin has two axes, but every other profile can either bash or shield to prolong the end of the game), and you have a solid recipe for late-game success in almost every scenario.
• Weakness: Alliance Matrix. So... in theory, you have two solid options as Green allies: Iron Hills and Garrison of Dale. But as Alastair King has commented elsewhere, the Garrison of Dale (at least pre-Defense of the North) wasn't a great fit in practice because its units are only slightly cheaper than dwarf warriors, while being quite a bit squishier. An allied contingent of Iron Hills Dwarves can solve a lot of issues with the list (Dain or a mounted captain, plus a few Goat Riders and crossbows, instantly makes the list more maneuverable while giving you some added punch both in melee and at Range). But that warband is the opposite of cheap, even if you fill the remaining warband slots with other Iron Hills warriors (who are very good, but probably not 2-points better than a Warrior of Erebor with shield and spear, especially in small numbers where the Shieldwall is unlikely to fire). And while adding a 125 point ballista would certainly cure any ranged woes you might face, there's a legitimate question about whether a defensive piece of artillery (or even stationary crossbows) jives with the more offensive, aggressive playstyle that Army of Thror typically embraces (in some ways, an Iron Hills Chariot might actually jive better--the war goats with Dain or Mounted Captain are always a good fit). Step beyond these two Green allies, however, and your options dwindle pretty rapidly. Thankfully, all the elves remain available, but after that it's pretty slim-pickings with armies that don't really help with model count (Fangorn, Eagles, White Council), although the option for some monsters / flying / magic is certainly intriguing. Everything else is impossible, though (a side-effect of being essentially a prologue-Hobbit-era army) which, as I've commented elsewhere, is a real shame.
• Strength: Start-up cost. With the exception of Young Thorin, Young Dwalin, and Young Balin (who are not available at the time of this writing, and also cost $60 USD for a set of three models), every other model you need to complete an Army of Thror force is available from GW, in plastic, at a reasonable cost. Thror and Thrain come packed together for $38 USD, and for competitive lists you will want both of them. You can also pick-up the official Grimhammer Captain and Captain of Erebor sculpts for $38 USD, both of which are pretty cool (and you'll also want at least one for any competive force). Or you can save some cash by converting a standard Warrior of Erebor or Grimhammer into a captain. With 24 of each in a box at the affordable cost of $50 USD, this is an easy army to collect (one box of each will scale to about 800 points without any issues, although if you want to invest more heavily into one group of warriors over the other, you'll need to supplement. Plus the Warriors of Erebor actually come with enough spare shields on the sprue that you can give all of them shields if you wish (which you will wish). You'll be hard-pressed to find another army that you can fully collect for less than $250 USD, but this one fits the bill. And you can actually do it for cheaper than that ($140 USD) if you scratch-build captains from warriors, and convert the plastic Thorin's Company models of Thorin (no conversion is actually necessary, just run the Oakenshield arms without Orcrist), Dwalin (Gloin comes with two hand axes), and Balin (paint his armor brown instead of red, and you're golden). You're welcome.

Named Hero Profiles

• Thror. Thror is a great profile on his own, and with the army bonus tacked on (a 6" banner effect for all friendly Erebor Dwarves, which includes himself), he's very good value at 120 points. His damage potential is capped (3 Attacks is great, Strength 4 with no damage boost is less so), but he's very good at winning fights on both offense (3 Attacks at F6, with that banner reroll and the option to Strike) and defense (the option to Shield with 3 Attacks at F6 and that banner reroll). If he happens to lose, Defense 9 will blunt most troops (6/4+ against S4, 6/5+ against your basic S3) and quite a few heroes (you have to be S5 or S6 to wound on straight 6s). Assuming Thror gets beaten and wounded, the Arkenstone adds a level of protection (you pass Fate saves on a 3+, and if you roll the normal 4+ you don't actually lose the Fate point). Throw in three wounds, and there's only a small number of enemies who can reliably take him down quickly. The Ring of Durin is a nice utility piece, allowing Thror to reroll a single priority roll during the game (very nice if you want to win a late-game priority--or lose an early-game one). Finally, any Grimhammers in Thror's warband can be upgraded to Guardians of the King (S4 instead of S3) at the cost of one point per model. If your force includes Thror, there's basically no reason not to spend the 18 points to do this, as it allows your Grimhammers to get to effective S6 without danger (two-handing), effective S7 if you're desperate (two-handed piercing strike), and effective S8 for one glorious turn (two-handed piercing strike within range of Thorin's To Arms!). Pretty good threat for a cluster of 12-point models. 
• Thrain. Or, for the same points as Thror, you could take Thrain, who doesn't count as a 6" banner, or sport a shield and the Arkenstone, but is arguably a tougher dwarf to fight on both sides of the field. On offense, he retains Thror's Fight 6 with 3 Attacks, but his masterforged two-handed hammer allows him to get to effective S6 anytime he wants (or effective S5 if you elect to bash). On defense, he doesn't have D9 or a shield, but 3 wounds, 3 Fate, and Heroic Defense can actually make him a tougher out than Thror (especially against big rending monsters). A hero of Valour, Thrain can pack quite a few warriors into his warband. If you don't have Thror, Thrain gains the Ring of Durin for a priority reroll. Additionally, Thrain's Stand Fast! is battlefield-wide (and may also not be bound by line-of-sight, depending on how broadly you read its language that "every friendly Dwarf model on the battlefield is automatically affected"). Finally, Thrain picks up a nice boost if you have a lot of Azog in your meta (gaining free rerolls to-wound against Azog, and any other model in the same army as Azog). It's situationally useful, but very flavorful.
• Young Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin is a nice synergy of his sires, Thror and Thrain. Like Thror, the Oakenshield allows him to shield from Fight 6 with three attacks, only with the added resilience of Heroic Defense (like Thrain) plus a chance to make a single S4 strike if he wins a duel while shielding. His offensive capabilities are closer to Thror's than Thrain's (also S4 with 3 Attacks, and no option to regularly boost his wounding). But his To Arms! ability gives him a once-per-game +1 boost to his strength (along with the strength of every friendly Erebor Dwarf within 3"). Throw in 3 Might, 3 Will, 3 Fate, a decent heroic suit (Strike, Strength, Defense, Challenge), and the ability to lead fifteen warriors, and you have a very solid profile for 105 points max.
• Young Balin the Dwarf. The cheapest hero in the list (55 points), Young Balin is fine on offense (F4, S4, 2 Attacks, and the option to feint or bash), but as I mentioned above, his defensive stats are comically low in a list like this (D5, 2 Wounds, 2 Fate, with 1 Might for Heroic Defense). That said, if you're fielding Balin you're primarily fielding him because he's so cheap (you can field a full warband of 12 warriors and Balin for under 175 points without breaking a sweat) and because his three Will points combine with The Young Sage to give you up to four priority rerolls per game (if paired with the Ring of Durin on Thror or Thrain). In a list where throwing weapons can be ubiquitous and your troops want to either scrap or skirmish, the ability to reroll priority probably saves you 1-2 points of Might per turn (allowing you to win priority when you otherwise wouldn't) or costs your opponent an extra 1-2 Might per turn (forcing them to call Heroic Moves to go first when they otherwise wouldn't need to). That may not sound like much in a vacuum, but it tends to pay dividends in most games (and even swings some).
• Young Dwalin the Dwarf. Lastly, there's Young Dwalin the Dwarf. If you're playing at really low points levels, Dwalin is attractive because he's the cheapest hero with Heroic Strike (85 points), and with his 3 attacks, S5, and axes (plus the option to reroll all failed to-wound rolls with Dwarven Fury, at the cost of D3 defense), he can take on priority targets while another hero of fortitude (like a captain with shield) is your leader. At higher points-levels, though, there are some concerns. His base Defense 6 is not great, and with just 2 Might, Will, and Fate (plus just 2 Wounds), he's just not in the same league as Thror, Thrain, or Thorin (who understandably cost more, but not that much more if you're playing at over 700 points). He also has Weapon Master but no two-handed weapon, which is unfortunate (it means he never counts as unarmed... and that's it). S5 is nice and all, but without a mount or a way to boost his damage other than Piercing Strikes (which only work half the time, depending on whether the target has odd or even defense), Thrain is the obvious choice if you're going for damage; Thror offers way more buffs; Thorin is a much better off-tank while offering about the same level of damage (again, depending on your opponent's defense value); and a generic Captain is probably needed for access to Heroic March.  

Unnamed Hero Profiles

• Captains of Erebor. Dwarf Captains in general are pretty good in a scrap, and this version is no exception. At a base cost of 60 points, you get Fight 5, 2 Attacks at S4, D7 with 2 Wounds, and 2/1/1 heroic stats with the option to call Heroic March (always handy in an army of dwarves, and especially handy in this army of dwarves who have no long-range weapons or cavalry). Add the shield for 5 points, and suddenly you have a D8 captain who can roll up to 4 dice to win a fight (with a banner reroll within ranger of Thror, or a banner). 
• Grim Hammer Captains. This is a basic Dwarf Captain (Fight 5, 2 Attacks at S4, with 2 Wounds and 2/1/1 heroic stats) who has throwing axes and a pick-axe, for 70 points. Defense 8 is a nice boon (no shield, but he has upgraded armor), and adds to the survivability quite a bit. Heroic March is always nice (especially if you have fewer throwing weapons because you've invested more heavily in Warriors of Erebor than Grim Hammers), and two attacks with a two-handed piercing strike will hit most targets pretty hard (effective Strength 7). 

Warrior Profiles

• Warriors of Erebor. It's easy to forget (because Iron Hills and Erebor Reclaim have become so popular / feared), but these guys were the first standard dwarf infantry with options for shields (D7) and spears, which was a huge deal. It's hard to go wrong with the standard dwarf profile (which these guys have): Fight 4, 4+ shoot (doesn't matter for these guys, but still), Strength 3 (fine), Defense 6 (D7 with shield--awesome), Courage 4, and an axe (giving you the option to piercing strike). Add in options for a war horn (Courage 5+ army-wide) and banner (rerolls on Fight 4 are great, especially when shields are everywhere) to pair with shields and spears, and you have a very well-rounded profile. You'll be hard-pressed to find better shield-spear troops for just 10 points, and even as front-line troops (9 points with shield) they're very good value. Pair them with Grim Hammers, and you have a pretty flexible core force (apart from cavalry and long-range attacks) that's rock-hard to cut through.
• Grim Hammers. As you might be able to tell, these are my favorite units in the Army of Thror. At the time they were first released, that was mostly for aesthetic reasons, as the underlying profiles were fine, but not overwhelming (F4/4+ and Courage 4 were fine, throwing axes were nice, but S3/D6 were underwhelming when compared with some of the other dwarf options out there, specifically Iron Guard/Khazad Guards, who were around the same points value). The updated profile still isn't overwhelming, but the bump for D7 is huge on its own: allowing Grim Hammers to skirmish against basically any other ranged unit really makes them shine, and D7 means they can stand toe-to-toe against S4 opponents (Uruks and Morannons in particular, but there are others) and have a distinct advantage (or at least hold their own if they're only S3). Thror's additional option of taking up to 18 Guardians of the King (+1 point to buff up to 18 Grim Hammers to S4 instead of S3) is also big--that's S5 if you piercing strike, and up to effective S7 if you two-handed piercing strike, on a 12 point model that is D7 (so your defense is falling no lower than D4--fine against S3 models--and could fall just to D6--also fine against S3 models). Add in their ability to do hit-and-run tactics with their throwing axes (S3 axes on a 4+/5+ to hit are decently reliable in large numbers), and you have a solid core to either spam or back-up with a mix of shield-spear dwarves. I've always had a blast playing these guys (and highly recommend if you haven't tried it).

About those Legendary Legions

There's no Legendary Legion featuring the Army of Thror, which I suppose is alright because they have access to two pretty good green allies: Garrison of Dale (Girion version) and Iron Hills (if you want upgraded spearmen, goat riders, crossbows, and even a ballista or chariot backing up your grim hammers--or grim hammers backing up Dain). 

Having said that, I do wish there'd been some sort of Azanulbizar legendary legion released with Defense of the North. Yes, I know that's a pre-Hobbit era battle, and the Defense of the North book was focused on new Erebor when Dain was old and grey (though still hale and hearty--always hale and hearty). But the idea of an Army of Thror/Iron Hills/Kingdom of Khazad-Dum legion (representing the seven dwarf kingdoms who rallied to avenge Thror) is just too cool to pass up:

• Army Composition: Your force must include Thrain, who is the army leader. It may also include Young Thorin, Young Balin, Young Dwalin, Captains of Erebor, Grim Hammer Captains, Dain Ironfoot, Dwarf Kings, Warriors of Erebor, and Grim Hammers.
• Dain Ironfoot counts as a Hero of Valour if taken as part of this list, and is armed with Barazantathul (a Master Forged hand-and-a-half axe) instead of a two-handed hammer. Additionally, if your force includes Dain Ironfoot, it may also include Iron Hills Captains, Iron Hills Dwarves, and Iron Hills Goat Riders.
• Dwarf Kings count as Heroes of Valour if taken as part of this list, and gain +1 Attack and +1 Wound. If your army includes at least one Dwarf King, it may also include Dwarf Captains, King's Champions, Dwarf Shieldbearers, Dwarf Warriors, Dwarf Rangers, Iron Guard, and Khazad Guard. 
• Special Rules:
• This legion must include Thrain, who is the army leader.
• Blood Feud: Whilst in combat, all friendly Dwarf models reroll failed to-wound rolls of "1." If Thrain is slain, friendly Dwarf models reroll all failed to-wound rolls whilst in combat.
• Lord of the Iron Hills: All friendly Dwarf models within 12" of Dain automatically pass all Courage tests they are required to take.
• War of the Dwarves and Orcs: All models in this list gain the Cave Dweller special rule.

To avoid my own misgivings about certain legions, there are some restricted profile choices (no chariots, ballistae, or Vault Wardens, plus no Thror, Murin, Drar, Durin, Mardin, Balin, Floi, or Gimli), and most of the special rules are keyed around specific models (Thrain, Dain, and the Dwarf Kings). Plus, everyone gets Cave Dweller (because while this battle may have been fought in a field, the majority of this war took place underground). Apart from the jump/leap/climb test buff, the rule only really matters in a single scenario (Clash by Moonlight), unless you're fighting the Assault on Lothlorien legion (in which case, you're welcome).

Was there anything wrong with the Army of Dale legendary legion? Well, I guess not. But would something like this have been at least 1.3x better? Absolutely. Oh well.

Concluding Thoughts

And... that's it! All told, I think I managed to keep my grim-gushing to a minimum. If you haven't played with this force, it's easy to collect and a fun challenge to play (while being pretty forgiving, like most dwarf lists). As always, if you've played this list (or are thinking about giving it a try), let us know what you think (or are thinking) in the comments!

More from the TMAT Team

• In Defense of: Grim Hammer Captains (July 2022)
• The Bare Necessities, Part XXII: The Army of Thror (June 2020)
• Throwing Weapon Theory: How to Make Them Work, Revisited (October 2019)
• The Armies of the Hobbit, Part III: Dwarves (March 2019)

Support your Hobby

• Thror and Thrain (Games Workshop)
• Young Thorin, Balin and Dwalin (Games Workshop)
• Captains of Erebor (Games Workshop)
• Warriors of Erebor (Games Workshop)
• Grim Hammers (Games Workshop)

Recommended Resources

• IN PRINT: Army of Thror, The Ultimate Analysis (Part 1) [GBHL 2020 -- very sadly, Part 2 has yet to debut :-( ]
• IN PRINT: Fog of War, Part 14: Army of Thror [Veni Vidi Doubles]
• IN PRINT: A Noob's Perspective: Army of Thror [Drawn Combat]
• VIDEO: Tier List: Iron Hills & Army of Thror [The Last Alliance of Noobs and Men]
• VIDEO: Getting Started with Middle-Earth SBG: Army of Thror [Cinderfall Gaming]
• PODCAST: Thror & Thrain / Things We Like about MESBG [Into the West]
• PODCAST: Mustering an Army Episode 15: Army of Thror [Green Dragon Podcast, *pre-MESBG]
• VIDEO BAT-REP: Army of Thror v. Halls of Thranduil [W.A.R.G.]
• VIDEO BAT-REP: Goblin-Town v. Army of Thror [The Last Alliance of Noobs and Men]