Good morning gamers!
For those who have been following our blog for a
while, my last post showed how I re-did some models I converted for Thorin’s
Company. Recently, I acquired all of the new Thorin's Company models (the Dwarves at any rate) and began to re-convert my Thorin's Company rangers to match the color scheme of the army. It was a great project to make my Dwarves look like those in the movies, but I really like the new models (plus, my son was reading the Hobbit at the time, so maybe that kept them on my mind)!
I do like that thanks to the errata, their army bonus
gives all of them Heroic March – something they REALLY NEEDED when the rules were originally released. While there are many great things that make this army fun to
use, we’ll be using this post not only to showcase how they look now, but also
contrasting the Thorin’s Company version of each hero with his counterpart
version in the Erebor Reclaimed list (which Rythbryt did a write-up on earlier in 2019). For the purposes of this post, we will
only be comparing the profiles of the heroes themselves. I say this because the heroes from the Erebor Reclaimed list can lead Iron Hills Warriors and Iron Hills Goat Riders - both of which are amazing
warrior units, as Rythbryt writes about here and here - but the comparisons get really muddy if we include the ability to take warriors vs. having to run as part of a single warband. With that
said, let the pictures begin!
The Auto-Includes: Thorin Oakenshield, Dwalin, and Gloin
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| If you're looking for power from a Thorin's Company list, you should really start with these three guys... |
Thorin
Better Thorin: In my humble opinion, while
Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain gets a free Heroic Combat each turn
(which has untold benefits against grunt troops, to be sure), you get far more
resilience out of Thorin Oakenshield from Thorin’s Company. A 115-point
TC-verison has the exact same statline as the 125-point ER-version EXCEPT that
he can shield with the Oakenshield (which gives him a chance of doing damage)
AND he has +2 Fate (which is really good if he’s your army leader). Besides
that, ER-Thorin fights Azog better and gets to call free Heroic Combats…good
benefits, but I don’t think it makes him better.
Dwalin
Worse Dwalin: Dwalin is just better in the Erebor
Reclaimed version – while the ability to bash someone if you’re not trying to
end a scenario/dismounting a power hero is great with the TC-version, for 20
points more, the ER-version gets higher Defense, +1 Might, the ability to wield
two hand axes to get +1 Attack, and treating Thorin as a banner (assuming you
keep your army bonus), and Sworn Protector are really good upgrades. Plus, you
can mount him on a goat…
Gloin
Worse Gloin: While the ER-version of Gloin doesn’t
have throwing weapons, he costs only 5 points more and gets +1 Defense, +1
Might, Sworn Protector, counts as in range of a banner if near Thorin (assuming
you keep the army bonus), and swaps out his two hand axes for a weapon-mastered
two-handed axe (so no penalty to winning the fight and never counting as
unarmed). That’s a LOT of bonus for only +5 points. While the TC-version can be
mounted on a pony and make use of his throwing axes, I think the play easily
goes to the ER version.
The Ranged Presence: Kili, Fili, and Ori
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| In an army that is limited on models and doesn't have great defense, some shooting is very, VERY welcome... |
Kili
Worse Kili: If you compare Kili, Champion of
Erebor with a Dwarf bow on foot (you want him on a goat, but goats and ponies
don’t compare well), the ER-version of Kili is better. For a whopping 30 points
more, you get +3 Defense, +1 Might, Du Bekar (banner rule if you keep him near
Thorin), and Sworn Protector, though you do lose the ability to call a Heroic
March. While this might seem like a decent trade between them, the addition of
the +3 Defense goes a long way to making Kili more survivable (at D5, he’s
really squishy if caught in a bad jam. What makes him even better, however, is
access to the goat (which not only allows you to bowl people over on the
charge, but also ups him to the needed 3 Attacks that “good” heroes have).
While Kili is an auto-include (for me) in any Thorin’s Company list, it’s clear
that the Erebor Reclaimed one has some good boosts put in.
Fili
Worse Fili: Fili’s TC-profile is worse for the
same reasons Kili’s is worse – the lower Defense and less Might. I’ll admit, I
personally like the throwing weapons better than the Dwarf bow (and having
throwing axes on a goat would be AWESOME), so maybe there’s an argument for
Fili’s TC-version being better. None of this outweighs the differences between
D5 and D8 though…
Ori
Ori has a slingshot, which means short-range (12”) and
low-Strength (S1) BUT if you can stand still when you fire, you get to fire
twice (kinda like having a low-powered, conditional Expert Shot rule).
Alternatively you can use it like a bow and move half your distance and shoot
once (which is not as good, but does increase your potency from 12” to 14.5” if
moving normally and 16” if you March). What makes Ori such a good archer in
Thorin’s Company is that if he hits on a natural 6 (that is, getting a 6 without
using Might to promote it), he automatically passes in-the-way rolls and wounds
the target – perfect for sniping charging warrior models who only have 1 Wound
OR plucking a wound off a model that’s really hard to wound (like the Balrog or
Sauron). No erratas have come out clarifying that you can’t use this on models
that S1 weapons normally can’t wound (like the Balrog or Sauron), so I have to
assume that the only way you can wound them is by rolling a natural 6 to hit.
But you can.
Ori also provides a way for you to regain Might points,
since any Thorin’s Company hero nearby him can regain a Might point each time
they kill a hero/monster – which means any of the auto-includes we mentioned
above (Thorin, Dwalin, Gloin) can focus on taking on heroes/monsters with the
anticipation of being able to regain some of what they spend as they do so.
Better Ori: Ori in Erebor Reclaimed is very
different: neither of them have “great” profiles, though ER-Ori does get +1FV,
+3 Defense, +1 Attack, a hand-and-a-half axe instead of a slingshot and dagger,
Du Bekar for banner rerolls if he’s near Thorin, Sworn Protector for
auto-passing Courage tests, and Heroic Defense instead of Heroic
Accuracy/March. That’s a lot of stuff for only +15 points! But his ROLE in the
team is drastically different: while Ori gains a lot of stats, this doesn’t
make him a great melee warrior (and he has to be a melee warrior now since he
lost his slingshot): F4 S3 A2 with 1 Might point is only slightly better than a
normal warrior (and only because of the extra Attack), while his defense stats
(D7 H2 F1) is also only slightly better than what you’d see on Dwarf warriors.
ER-version Ori either is an expensive Might-generating machine (far more
expensive than Bill the Pony who is half his cost and admittedly not as good at
fighting/resisting archery) OR he’s an overcosted average soldier. Either way,
it's hard for him to make up his cost. TC-version Ori, however, can make up his
cost pretty well, especially if your opponent is running D4/D5 warriors OR has
a few high-cost low-Health models (like Ringwraiths). Put him on a pony to help
him keep up and get the vantage points you need to hit vulnerable models
(though it will make him more of a target for enemy archery – which you counter
with Gandalf).
The Supporting Fighters: Bilbo, Nori, and Dori
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| The Supporting fighters are good in combat but much cheaper than the auto-includes - and by the way, Bilbo has the Ring on (more on that in a bit). :P |
Bilbo
When I first saw the Thorin’s Company list, I said, “Bilbo Baggins is the absolute biggest waste of money on the whole team – why would I pay more money for Bilbo than I would for Nori, Dori, Kili, Fili, Oin, Bombur, or Ori?” So I bought my Dwarves used from a guy in the UK and decided not to get Bilbo. And then I learned about the changes to the One Ring in the new edition and I took it all back (and am working on getting one).
Bilbo is awesome – not only because with the Ring on, his
measly F3 with Sting means he’ll have advantage when rolling off against F5/6
models AND automatically win ties against F1-4 models. Against F7+ models,
Bilbo can call Heroic Strike because he ignores the “Sauron’s Will” section of
the Ring’s rules, so since he only needs to get +2 FV on his D6 roll in order
to have advantage AND he only needs to get +3 FV on his D6 roll to win ties AND
because he can use Dori’s Might as his own if Dori is nearby, a wise Bilbo
player will run Dori nearby (ideally in the same fight so you get a 3-Attack
model in there) and let Bilbo borrow Might to call Heroic Strike (something
Dori sorely lacks). With 2 Might of his own and 2 Might in Dori’s store, you
can call Heroic Strike FOUR times with Bilbo and rely on Dori to win your
fights and kill the model you’re facing (and if Dori is within range of Ori, he
can get Might back…just saying).
Better Bilbo: There is no Bilbo Baggins in
Erebor Reclaimed, though he does show up in the Survivors of Lake-town
(historical allies with Erebor Reclaimed). The profiles themselves aren’t very
different, except for the presence of the Mithril Coat on Bilbo (which adds a
whopping 25 points to his total if both have Sting – which they always should)
and +1 Might. This minor difference doesn’t make him as good in my opinion
because while you’re getting +3 Defense, you’re only getting +1 Might as well.
Unlike the Dwarves we’re looking at in this post, Bilbo doesn’t get Sworn Protector
or Du Bekar – two great rules that basically come as free boosts to Dwarves,
while the TC-version does get access to Heroic March and gets to reroll 1s to
Wound if he’s near Thorin. So yes, not even close – choose the cheaper Bilbo.
Dori
Worse Dori: Yeah, for only 20 points more, getting
+3 Defense and a better offensive weapon (while maintaining access to Heroic
Strength) is huge. This, stacked with the (are you tired of hearing about
this?) Sworn Protector/Du Bekar rules makes him pretty beastly if Thorin is
nearby. TC-version Dori is also unlikely to use his special strikes very
effectively, since a three-attack model rarely needs to Whirl (unless he’s
engaged with 4+ models?!?!?!?!) and Feint is less effective when you’re F5
(though you’ll still be guaranteed at least a roll-off against F2 models). The
Mace, on the other hand, allows Dori to bash with a +1 modifier, which is great
for dismounting heroes or bowling over shieldwall guys (though I think you’d
have to have a REALLY good reason to pass up 3 attacks at S4 with +1 to Wound
in favor of bashing).
Nori
Worse Nori: As great as 2 Attacks with Heroic
Strike and +1 to Wound without penalty (that can alternatively choose to Bash)
is, you’ve got some incredible options with 3 Attacks + Du Bekar + Weapon
Synergy (Lord of the West). This will effectively give you 5 dice to win the
fight, making Nori a superb choice for hunting both heroes and warriors. Like
the other Dwarves, you pay only 25 points to get +3 Defense, +1 Attack, and a
host of new rules. Perhaps what’s best of all is that despite not having a
two-handed weapon, the ER-version retains Weapon Master (so you’re still immune
to Shatter, though you won’t be able to Bash anymore with your one-handed
mace…because you were totally going to do that anyway…).
The Auric Supports: Gandalf, Oin, and Bombur
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| When you need a helping hand, call one of these guys... |
Gandalf the Grey
I got started in this hobby with the Mines of Moria starter set and I had Gandalf allied in with Legolas and a bunch of Wood Elves to protect them from archery. I know all too well how useful Gandalf can be. When I first started looking at Thorin’s Company, I was like “Yep, I’m running just the Dwarves – don’t need Hobbits, don’t need wizards – both are two expensive and they don’t bring enough to the party.” Then I started putting Gandalf in the list and he solved so. many. problems. In fact, he did such a good job at shoring up weaknesses, that I did a post on everything he does for the army.
Better Gandalf? There’s very little difference
between Gandalf the Grey in Thorin’s Company and Gandalf the Grey in the
Survivors of Lake-town EXCEPT that Gandalf the Grey in the Survivors of Lake-town
is a Hero of Valor and can lead 15 warriors, while Gandalf the Grey in Thorin’s
Company is a Hero of Legend, allowing him to be your army leader. Both of these
have merits, but only if you intend to have Lake-town Militia supplementing
your Erebor Reclaimed heroes/Iron Hills warriors, so I’m inclined to think that
having Gandalf as your army leader (allowing Thorin to be more reckless) has
more benefit. I also think that you’re more likely to have the point space to
include Gandalf in Thorin’s Company than you are to have the points available
in an Erebor Reclaimed list (and you need him less in that list, so I think that
makes your likelihood of including him even lower in his Survivors of Lake-town
version).
Oin
Worse Oin: The ER-version of Oin is only 20 points
more than the TC-version (for a jaw-dropping 65 points total). The 20 points
are immediately paid for by the +4 Defense he gets for putting on awesome armor
and swapping his hand-and-a-half staff for a sword-and-board. Beyond this change,
the profiles are exactly the same (besides the two extra rules that Erebor
Reclaimed gets). While Heroic March is always nice, being able to shield (2
Attacks instead of 1) with a banner reroll (3 dice effectively to win the
fight) makes you more likely to be able to hold an enemy swarm off of a hero
you’re trying to heal. The promote from D4 to D8 is also huge – S3 foes go from
wounding you on 5s to 6/4+, while S4 foes go from wounding you on 4s to 6s.
This healer is tough, don’t you know…
Bombur
Bombur is great on Defense: while his D4/D7 would seem to
contradict, Bombur is a very cheap 3 Wound hero – those are very rare. With 3
Wounds, 1 Fate point, and the ability to call Heroic Defense, Bombur is a
reliable hero to tie down a mid-range hero (who probably dwarfs him in cost –
see what I did there?) and keep that hero from slaying him for several turns.
While mid-range heroes will have problems because Bombur may just beat them in
combat, heroes who like to kill things will also have problems (getting 3 or 4
natural 6s is really hard to do – and if you need to do that over two turns,
that’s even worse). While Bombur ties up someone important, your other heroes
(Thorin, Dwalin, Gloin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, maybe Gandalf) are slaying
people left and right (or positioning themselves to take Bombur’s place should
he fall).
But Bombur is great on offense too, not because of his
Attacks/Strength (which are fine), but because of his special strikes. Bombur
always has access to Bash because he’s Beefy: if he’s in the same fight as
someone who also has a mace/hammer (like Nori or Dwalin), you can try Bashing
with Bombur to knock them to the ground, freeing up your other hero to Wound
instead. The TC-version has a cleaver for Feint/Stab, which is good if a bigger
hero is also in the fight, since you can rely on his Fight value instead of your
own to allow you to Feint (or if you have Bilbo with the Ring on in the fight).
The ER-version on the other hand has a flail, which is really cool, but unless
you’re facing 3+ foes, you’re unlikely to Whirl due to having 2 Attacks already
in your profile.
Worse Bombur: The ER-version of Bombur costs 15
points more and gets +3 Defense and two great special rules. While I think the
TC-version of Bombur is very good (because he’s a cheap anti-big-hero model),
the ER-version is only slightly more expensive and can do the same job better.
While you have the ability to call Heroic Defense, any S4 heroes who you tie
down (let’s say Elrond or Glorfindel) will already wound you on 6s without you having to call Heroic
Defense (while they’d be wounding the TC-version on 4s). This allows you to
save your Might points and instead boost your rolls to win the fight or to save
a wound with Fate. There is, of course, a difference between requiring a 6 To
Wound and requiring a “natural 6” To Wound (as you get with Heroic Defense), as
you can’t Rend the target, benefit from To Wound boosts from such things as
two-handed weapons/lances/special rules, and you can’t boost your roll with
Might. While I wouldn’t mind having a dagger on ER-Bombur (Stabbing is a lot
less risky when your D7+), we can still bash if we win, which will make sure
the hero fighting Bombur doesn’t kill anyone for another round (where we will
charge him, of course). The other good thing about having a flail is that if
you’re ganged up on by an enemy hero, you are free to Whirl, since you’re
probably fighting at a lower Fight Value anyway – so if he brings any of his
goons, Whirl away, keep Thorin nearby so Bombur gets his banner reroll, and use
your Might to win that fight (or make him pay dearly to win it himself).
The Others: Balin, Bifur, and Bofur
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| And we've saved the . . . least descript for last . . . |
- Gandalf the Grey (170)
- Thorin Oakenshield with Orcrist and Oakenshield (115)
- Dwalin (95)
- Gloin (85)
- Kili and Fili (100)
- Dori and Nori (110)
- Bilbo Baggins with Sting (65)
- Oin (45)
- Bombur (45)
- Thorin with Orcist and War Goat (135)
- Dwalin with War Goat (125)
- Gloin (90)
- Kili and Fili with War Goats (170)
- Dori and Nori (155)
- Oin (65)
- Dain Ironfoot on War Boar (160)
Balin
Better Balin: That said, I think the
TC-version of Balin is better: while the ER-version of Balin gets up to 2
Attacks and Defense 8 for only 20 points more, he wields a two-handed mace that
isn’t that good at bashing because a) he does suffer the -1 penalty for
wielding it (with no alternate weapon) and b) he’s only S3 so he’s really only
good at Bashing warrior models (unless you can find another S3 hero to hit…like
Eowyn or another Balin, for example). The TC-version of Balin also has the
option to Bash, but he does so with a one-handed sword-mace, which is worse for
Bashing but better for staying alive. While Might will certainly help the
ER-version stay alive longer (as will the 2 Attacks and Defense 8), with
everything else you need to buy in an Erebor Reclaimed list, I don’t see you
buying him (even above 800 points). The TC version is blissfully cheap, so if
you do have 40 points lying around, you might take Balin for his reroll of
Priority (again, in a game over 800 points).
Bofur
Worse Bofur: Bofur, like so many other Dwarves
we’ve talked about, gains better Defense, a banner bonus (which is good since
he has to wield his weapon two-handed), auto-passing Courage tests, AND access to Heroic Strike (like Bifur). The
only real advantage that TC Bofur has of ER Bofur is the flexibility to do
Piercing Strike with his mattock – which isn’t enough to outweigh the other benefits.
Bifur
Worse Bifur: Bifur is just better in the Erebor
Reclaimed list – there’s nothing different about their profiles except for the
boost in Defense, the two bonus rules, and the loss of Heroic March. The banner
reroll from Thorin is huge, though, since it will give Bifur effectively 3 dice
to win the fight (and while I think you want to single-hand your axe until you
get the axe head out, you have the option of two-handing after that to make
yourself much, MUCH stronger). While not a great hero on his own, he’s a good
supporting hero, capable of doing damage and holding down a flank against a few
warriors. The D8 also makes him a lot more durable than his TC counterpart.
What’s Next?
While you may think that there’s nothing else to do with the
army (besides getting Bilbo, obviously), I’m actually acquiring some pony models to bring in and use with this
list. Not entirely sure how I’m going to do it yet (whether I buy more models
to put on them or if I get a
second set of Thorin’s Company), but ponies are happening! While ponies
don’t give you “true” cavalry bonuses, they do one very important thing for
your list: they give you +3” of movement for +5 points/model. That additional
movement can augment throwing weapon range (Fili and Gloin), augment your March
distance (from 8” to 13” because they count as cavalry) and help you charge more models (8” charge range after
passing a Courage test, which this list doesn't normally struggle with), and help you trap models better (or hold a
choke point better) thanks to having larger bases.
Our next post in this series on heroes turns to Isengard. We'll be revisiting a post I did in January 2013 on Uruk-Hai heroes and seeing how the heroes stack up against previous assessments (and how you can make themed lists based on the different kinds of heroes you can bring). So prepare your white hand paint, dust off your favorite leather running shoes, and as always, happy hobbying!
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