The Bare Necessities, Part XIX: The Dark Powers of Dol Guldur

Good morning gamers,

Last time, we looked at my plans for developing a Halls of Thranduil force in the coming months. Today, we turn our attention to a force of Evil that I've been scheming about for a while. Most of this year/next year's hobby funds will be devoted to the Halls of Thranduil, but hot on its heels is Dol Guldur, which I consider to be the second most versatile Evil faction in the game (behind Mordor - they are certainly the most versatile force in the Armies of the Hobbit book). Not too long ago, the Green Dragon team posted an amazing podcast on the Dark Powers army - listen to that for some really good insights from veterans of the Dol Guldur faction. My theories happened to coincide with some of theirs, so I feel like I have some good direction for what to collect.

Dark Powers of Dol Guldur: Pure Force or Historical Allies?

It took me a long time to "like" the Orc-based armies from the Hobbit book. I love the Trolls and I gained a lot of respect for Goblin-town the first time my son used it against me. I've fought Centaur's Hunter Orcs for a while now (Azog's Hunters, not Dark Powers) and gained a huge respect for them in his "Halloween Army" that he brought to a TMAT GT back in 2014 (which never lost to my beloved Isengard force).

The Dark Powers of Dol Guldur list, in my opinion, is the most balanced of the Evil forces from the Armies of the Hobbit. As I explained in our podcast/video on Evil Spell-casters, the Dark Powers of Dol Guldur list has all of the warrior profiles available in the Azog's Hunters list (albeit with a lower Shoot value and a lower bow limit) and has Gundabad Orcs which are available in the Azog's Legion list (though none of the other specialized troops) AND have a unique warrior choice in Mirkwood Spiders.

The question is this: should you make a pure Dark Powers of Dol Guldur army? Or should you ally with one of these other forces? If you plan to bring the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, bringing a Historical ally is far better than bringing a Convenient ally (as the Necromancer benefits greatly from the army bonus). Bringing him and a bunch of Nazgul of Dol Guldur appears to be a popular approach, though the warriors in this list beg to be brought along too. Bringing just the Necromancer from the Dark Powers list (with a warband of troops) and bringing in an allied contingent from either (or both) of the Azog lists can give you access to better archers (with Azog's Hunters) and more elite warriors/monsters (with Azog's Legion). Currently, I don't have any models from this army, so everything is from scratch.

The List

• The Necromancer of Dol Guldur [Army Leader]
• 4 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields
• 4 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields and spears
• 2 Mirkwood Spiders
• HISTORICAL ALLY - Azog's Hunters: Fimbul the Hunter on Fell Warg
• 6 Fell Wargs
• 6 Hunter Orcs with Orc bows
• HISTORICAL ALLY - Azog's Hunters: Narzug
• 3 Hunter Orcs with two-handed picks
• 2 Hunter Orcs
• 5 Hunter Orcs with Orc bows
• 1 Hunter Orc with Orc bow and banner

36 models, 13 Orc bows hitting on a 4+ AND 1 Orc bow hitting on a 3+ AND 2 Spider-Webs hitting on a 5+, 9 D6+ models, 1 cavalry + 8 Faux-cavalry, 9 Might points

The purchases required to get these units are as follows:

• I need the Necromancer - he's roughly the same cost on the second-hand market as he is new, so we'll see where I get him from.
• I will need Fimbul and Narzug for this - both can be mounted, but I've left Narzug unmounted in this set-up because he's not mounted in the pack.
• I need a pack of Fell Wargs - these are cheap models that can be used in either an Azog's Hunters list or a Dark Powers list, so they're good value if you want to build both lists at the same time.
• I need a box of Hunter Orcs - Hunter Orcs don't have great Defense (D4), but on a budget, they're a great bargain (currently $50 for 24 models, vs. $65 for 12 Gundabad Orc models). While Fell Wargs are great for objective grabbing (and charging models that can't be seen), having some Hunter Orcs to back them up is really good. I've maxed out the Orc bows in the Azog's Hunters army so that we can maximize the army bonus (50% bows, +1 improvement to the shoot value).
• You can field the Gundabad Orc Warriors in this list with a single blister of Gundabad Orcs. As mentioned previously, those models are EXTREMELY expensive, so I'm probably going to try to get Uruk-Hai Warriors or Morannon Orcs and do some helmet/shield conversions.
• I need 2 Mirkwood Spiders - cost the same as the Fell Wargs and would be a great option to drop in order to bulk out the numbers a little more. I happen to think that Mirkwood Spiders make the Necromancer far more potent (since they can remove Fate points with their webs, making it easier to Drain Soul on people) AND they have throwing weapons, so of course I'm bringing them. :)

If you wanted to buy all of this from scratch, you'd be looking at roughly $250. Kind of expensive, but not THAT expensive. You have 9 extra warrior slots in this list, so you've got space to add warriors if you wanted to grow this list to 800 points. Let’s look at each warband and see what they’re intended to do.

Warband #1: The Dark Lord Reborn

The Dark Lord Sauron appears in his diminished form here, but still sports a decent combat profile. With a Transfix on a 2+ to neutralize enemy heroes (especially those fighting Fimbul), a 4+ Shroud of Shadows (to make Fimbul or the Necromancer or a scoring piece harder to charge/shoot/cast-magic-against), and a 4+ Curse (to remove enemy Fate points), you've got a great spell-caster in your ranks. Pair that with some of his lesser-but-still-useful spells, like a 2+ Drain Courage, 4+ Compel, and a 5+ Chill Soul and you've got plenty of flexibility for dealing with enemy heroes. Your army might be small, but your opponent isn't going to be able to kill as much as he normally does. In combat, the Necromancer can be a nasty surprise - with F7/S6 with Drain Soul (albeit with only 1 Attack), the Necromancer just needs to beat your dice and he's got a decent chance of killing a model on that single die - especially if the model has been paralyzed by a Mirkwood Spider.

Speaking of Mirkwood Spiders, this list includes 8 heavily-armored infantry and 2 Mirkwood Spiders (one of the many fun combos in this list). The Spiders can use their webs to harass people - and while a 5+ Shoot value (6+ when you move and shoot) isn't great, the fact that you don't have to roll To Wound in order to get your effect is phenomenal. When used on the charge, you get the 5+ Shoot even though you moved, which can make their charges devastating if you move second. With F2, though, a failure to paralyze can be devastating. The heavily-armored Orcs are intended to be able to create a shield around the Necromancer, screening him from anyone who would try to surround him.

Warband #2: The Mounties

Fimbul is a decent fighter - at Fight 5 with Strike and 2 Attacks at Strength 4, he's decent on the attack and "fine" at Defense (D5 with 2 Wounds and 1 Fate point). The reason we've included him is simple: he is our only true cavalry model, but ignores the penalties for moving through any kind of difficult terrain. This, paired with his Fell Warg mount, gives him incredible flexibility on how to attack.

Supporting him are 6 Hunter Orc archers and 6 Fell Wargs. With 2 Attacks on each of the Hunter Orcs and the ability to charge anyone in charge range with your Fell Wargs, you've got some incredible power from both of these units. The Fell Wargs are also able to keep up with Fimbul to keep him from getting himself in too much trouble.

Warband #3: The Horde

Azog's Hunters are a shooting army - and Narzug is a very good shot. In a way, his ability to get wounds on multi-wound models is his greatest asset, as you can then ignore the model and rely on the damage over time to finish someone you don't want to fight up-close. Narzug is joined/protected by 6 Hunter Orcs with Orc bows and 5 Hunter Orcs equipped for melee fighting. Narzug and the archers can be left behind at an objective if required, but you'll want that banner near the action.

Scenario Overview

Let’s take a look at each of the available scenarios and see some thoughts/considerations for using this list:

• Domination: Fimbul and his Fell Warg escorts can easily clear far-off objectives. Fimbul is only D5, but with Shroud of Shadows on him, he should be pretty well protected as he moves across the board. The Necromancer will be working with his Spiders and Orcs to bully through the center (probably supported by Fimbul's Hunter Orcs): Curse on enemy heroes + Transfix + Drain Soul (or just relying on the beat-sticks of the Gundabad/Hunter Orcs). Holding objectives can be tough for this army as you're predominantly on Defense 4, so remember that you can clear everyone off of an objective and come back to hold it before the end of the game if you need to.
• Capture and Control: Similar to Domination, Fimbul and the Fell Wargs (maybe supported by the spiders as well) should be racing across to far-flung objectives, tag them, and leave. The Necromancer and the Orcs will need to plan on getting locked in against your opponent in the center of the board, shooting at the periphery objectives (supported by Curse/Chill Soul) if your opponent abandons the center (or is defeated there).
• Hold Ground: You don't have March, but you do have 9 models that move 10" each turn. Your Orcs should keep up as best they can, though if you deploy near an enemy warband that can be cut down quickly, consider doing that instead (Hunter Orcs want to be in combat, after all). The Necromancer's warband is mid-size, but you should be able to hold out for a while if your opponent deploys close to you.
• Seize the Prize: Fimbul, the Spiders, and the Fell Wargs need to get there fast - you want the Fell Wargs to dig up the Prize (not mounted, that's good). The rest of your Orcs (and the Necromancer) should arrive after the fast guys get the Prize. If your opponent beats you there, use Fimbul and the Wargs to tie them down while the rest of your army arrives. The Necromancer can use Transfix (on a 2+), Compel (on a 4+), and Chill Soul (on a 5+) to harass whatever model gets the Prize. The Spiders are also quite deadly for whoever Seizes the Prize, as they can move 10" and shoot webs on a 6+ up to 6" away.
• To The Death: Your army doesn't have good Defense - so get locked in quick and try to overwhelm wherever you're attacking. Your opponent will probably try to keep their banner alive, so make sure Fimbul, Narzug, or the Necromancer go to town on any banners you find (your banner can be kept alive with Shroud of Shadows if required).
• Lords of Battle: Again, your army suffers from low Defense - so deploy on the center line and kill models quickly. Interestingly, your heroes won't give up too many points in this scenario, since the errata says that the Will points spent by the Necromancer as Fate points don't count towards victory points on Lords of Battle.
• Contest of Champions: The Necromancer has to do some killing IN COMBAT. So, rely on Curse to remove Fate from heroes OR Transfix to prevent your opponents from killing anything and then race the Necromancer in for the kill. Fimbul should focus on head-hunting your opponent's army leader (or blasting through low-Fight troops to get to the enemy army leader). You might be able to use Narzug as well, though high-Defense models will give him some trouble.
• Reconnoitre: You've got 8 Faux-Cavalry and 1 actual cavalry (Fimbul) - so get them moving towards the center of the board and do your best to maneuver around your opponent once you've gotten close. Your Orcs are going to need to tie down your opponent's models and then hopefully you get quartered quickly. The Necromancer will be playing "goalie" for the team, keeping any enemy warriors who run for the board edge from scoring (6" move with 12" range on Chill Soul is really good, 6" move with 12" range on Compel is slightly easier to cast).
• Storm the Camp: Fimbul and his Wargs (and the spiders) can reach your opponent's camp for sure - buy them time with the Orcs (meet in the middle). The Necromancer can also play "goalie" for your camp if you need to - though neutralizing big heroes in the center of the map is good too.
• Heirlooms of Ages Past: You have three warbands and lots of fast models - so as best you can, get your fast models towards each of the objective markers. If you find the Heirloom, get it the Necromancer as quickly as possible. Fimbul should focus on picking off your opponent's troops that are venturing off in small groups. Narzug and his squad should focus on smashing any warband that deploys next to them.
• Fog of War: You have to protect either Fimbul or Narzug - neither are very resilient. Personally, I'd pick Fimbul, since you can get him out of trouble pretty quickly. When looking for a hero model to kill, you're going to want to find someone that the Necromancer can neutralize easily (low Will/Fate). If you have a hero who lacks Fate points, pick them - Chill Soul is a ticking time-bomb on those kinds of heroes. Pick an objective on the periphery that Fimbul (and the Fell Wargs) can claim.
• Clash By Moonlight: You hate this scenario - you have a decent amount of shooting, but with predominantly D4 across the army, you're going to get roasted by any enemy archery you face (especially S4 ranged weapons). Get in combat quickly, do your best to kill models quickly. Hope not to draw this scenario.

Modifications

While I’ve already addressed some of this, let’s just recap on the modifications I wouldn’t be surprised to see:

• Ally with Azog's Legion – Personally, I think the Dark Powers + Azog's Legion is better at 800+ points, but you can get some heavily armored Orcs to back up a Master-of-Battle, heavily-armored Azog (if he's your Army Leader). That's not a bad deal at all - though if you're running the Necromancer, you're probably REALLY hurting for models, so you're looking at running basic Azog's Legion troops. This list can be pretty easily collected by purchasing the Necromancer, Azog, some Fell Wargs, some Spiders, and some Gundabad Orcs:
• The Necromancer of Dol Guldur
• 6 Fell Wargs
• 2 Mirkwood Spiders
• HISTORICAL ALLY - Azog's Legion: Azog on the White Warg with heavy armor [Army Leader]
• 6 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields
• 3 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields and spears
• 2 Gundabad Orc Warriors with spears
• 1 Gundabad Orc Warrior with shield, spear, and banner
• Take Bolg – Fimbul isn't much of a killing machine - Bolg costs more than both Narzug and Fimbul and is a MUCH better killer. If you take him from Azog's Hunters, all those 4+ shoot bows you bring are incentivized to shoot at least once at big hero models to apply the damage-over-time penalty that Morgul Arrows provide (army-wide Morgul arrows aren't bad). A list featuring the Necromancer and Bolg would look something like this (far fewer models with less archery and less Might until Bolg gets rolling):
• The Necromancer of Dol Guldur [Army Leader]
• 5 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields
• 4 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields and spears
• 2 Mirkwood Spiders
• HISTORICAL ALLY - Azog's Hunters: Bolg on Warg with Orc bow
• 6 Hunter Orcs with Orc bows
• 1 Hunter Orc with Orc bow and banner
• 1 Hunter Orc with two-handed pick
• 6 Fell Wargs
• Take a pure Dol Guldur list – I'm really partial to the Necromancer, so all of the lists in this post will feature him. Know that many people skip him unless they're running a Necromancer-Nazgul team just because of the resiliency he provides. I happen to think that the Necromancer gets sold short - but he can bring a good force if you pair him with one of his Nazgul and a generic captain for the all-important Heroic March (this list has slightly fewer models and slightly fewer Might points):
• The Necromancer of Dol Guldur
• 3 Hunter Orcs with Orc bows
• 3 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields and spears
• 2 Fell Wargs
• 2 Mirkwood Spiders
• Your Choice of Nazgul of Dol Guldur (I like the Witch-King . . . and the Forsaken . . . and theoretically the Lingering Shadow . . . and definitely the Slayers of Men)
• 6 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields
• 6 Gundabad Orc Warriors with shields and spears
• 1 Gundabad Orc Warrior with shield, spear, and banner
• Hunter Orc Captain with two-handed pick
• 7 Hunter Orcs with Orc bows

If you've played Dol Guldur before, I'd love to see what you've run. For me, I'm looking forward to actually having an army of Evil from the Hobbit books - the ones in the Lord of the Rings book are just more interesting.

In our next post, we're changing from the harsh fortress of Dol Guldur and instead moving to the peaceful country of the Shire. I have a few Hobbits in my possession, but where to go with this army is my number one question right now. So make sure you're stocked up with pipeweed and ready to dig into one of the most delightful armies to paint. Happy hobbying!