The Bare Necessities, Part XXXVIII: The Misty Mountains

Good morning gamers,

Today we tackle an army that started off as its own army, then got melded into the Wanderers in the Wild during the warbands era, then got broken out into its own army again in the new edition (and is expanded in the Armies of the Hobbit book with Radagast's Alliance). While you might on first glance think that this army is unnecessary with the advent of Radagast's Alliance (I certainly did), the cool thing about this army is that it is Convenient Allies with almost everyone in the game (and Historical allies with some of the best all-hero armies in the game). While I think their army bonus isn't necessary to have (lots of competitive players agree), this army can provided much needed mobility to lots of armies (or firepower to a spam army). Let's dig in and see what's provided in this army (especially over Radagast's Alliance).

Photo Credit: Tumblr

The Misty Mountains: Built To Ally

Let's start by talking about Radagast's Alliance: with only the Misty Mountains as Historical Allies (which you'd only do to take Gwaihir as a Hero of Legend instead of a Hero of Valor), you're looking at pretty much all of the Armies of the Hobbit as your available Convenient Allies (and select others from the Armies of the Lord of the Rings): 

• You have all three of the factions of Men from the Armies of the Hobbit (the Army of Lake-town, the Survivors of Lake-town, and the Garrison of Dale);
• You also have two of the conventional Dwarf factions (the Iron Hills and Erebor Reclaimed - but NOT the Army of Thror . . . which is weird because you're convenient allies with the Garrison of Dale);
• Like everyone, you have all three of the Elven factions (Lothlorien, Rivendell, and the Halls of Thranduil) and Fangorn; and
• You have three all-hero armies (Thorin's Company, the Rangers, and the White Council). 

With the exception of the Misty Mountains, the Elven factions, and the Rangers, everyone from the Armies of the Lord of the Rings book are Impossible Allies with Radagast's Alliance. 

By contrast, the Misty Mountains are Convenient Allies with every faction except the Fellowship, Radagast's Alliance, and Thorin's Company (which are Historical Allies). This means that you only need to decide if your army bonus is worth keeping or whether you can live without it - no other considerations need be made. Some armies (like the Fiefdoms and the Army of Thror) play very differently without their army bonuses - and while they probably CAN live without them, you generally don't want to give them up (both have great historical allies they can take). Other armies (like Numenor or Minas Tirith) can live without their army bonuses - especially if you're allying in high-Courage, high-Fight/Strength models who can do most of your fighting for you (even trapping people by charging the back rank while you press with your grunt infantry).

In today's list, we'll be building a balanced list with a Convenient alliance (the only way we can get 30+ models and at least one actual banner). While there were lots of great ideas I had for this army (some will be included in this article, others will appear in future articles), I wanted the army we showcased today to have at least one Great Eagle. Many armies can benefit from "just adding Gwaihir" - but I feel like that alliance doesn't showcase the Misty Mountains well. So instead, I wanted an army that allowed me to get several Eagles, had enough staying power to hold out for the Eagles to do their damage, AND could get an actual banner (and some fast troops). In my mind, there was one clear choice - not a thematic choice, but a solid choice none the less. So here we go - darn theme and full-steam-ahead!

The List

• Gwaihir
• 2 Great Eagles
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Denethor [ARMY LEADER]
• 6 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields
• 6 Rangers of Gondor with spears
• 2 Knights of Minas Tirith with shields
• Irolas, Captain of the Guard
• 4 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields
• 4 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields and spears
• 1 Warrior of Minas Tirith with shield, spear, and banner
• 2 Rangers of Gondor with spears

30 models, 8 bows hitting on a 3+, 21 D6+ model, 3 fliers + 2 cavalry, 5 Might points

The purchases required to get these units are as follows:

• You need to begin with getting either one pack of Great Eagles and the ForgeWorld Gwaihir model OR two packs of Great Eagles. Your choice honestly - I don't think it matters.
• You'll also need the ForgeWorld Denethor and Irolas pack, which is kind of expensive for a two-hero pack, but pretty standard cost for being a ForgeWorld product.
• You'll need two boxes of Warriors of Minas Tirith (convert a banner), one box of Rangers of Gondor, and one box of Knights of Minas Tirith (you can shuffle spears around to get to one Warrior of Minas Tirith box, but you won't have dismounts for your Knights if you do that). I've opted to make sure as many Rangers as possible have spears to lend F4 to the D6-7 front line, but you have options to shift spears over to the Warriors of Minas Tirith if you want to have your Rangers float around on their own and have the Warriors of Minas Tirith doing their own thing in a full shieldwall.

Like our recent lists, this army is over $250 points to collect - but considering it's $100 for the Eagles (possibly more if you go with the FW Gwaihir), you're paying about $150 for two different small-points armies that we're bringing together for one big army. Let's see what the composition idea is for each of our warbands.

Warband #1: The Fliers

This list has not one, not two, but THREE Eagles in it. This "royal air force" can advance ahead of your army (if you want) and costs about as much as a warband led by Boromir or Gandalf or Aragorn. In trade for one of these excellent heroes (yes, I admit that Boromir is excellent), you get Gwaihir (who is also a good hero) and two VERY good warriors that can crush things. These models also have great mobility (when you don't have to be in woods), which allows you to shepherd enemy models away from important places. For 350pts, I think this is half our points well spent.

Warband #2: The Required Leader

Denethor isn't as good at killing things as Gwaihir - but he DOES allow you to bring 15 troops for only 35 points and his ability to kill things is only important in one of eighteen scenarios. If you know that scenario can be in play (Contest of Champions), then play your army accordingly. Otherwise, taking Denethor means you can tuck him away from the fighting, puppy guarding him with your Knights if you want to, and letting Gwaihir be your grenade (speaking from experience, a Gwaihir that ISN'T worth victory points doesn't really make you want to focus on him . . . except you have to . . . and that's very stressful).

Backing him up are two Knights (to protect the flanks or flex back to save Denethor) and a shooting block that is six-files long, two-ranks deep with Rangers of Gondor backing up Warriors of Minas Tirith. D6 Warriors of Minas Tirith (I know Shieldwall gets you up to D7, but your opponent will be shooting at the Warriors on the end if that matters and you won't keep Shieldwall up in melee once you back away, so they're D6 in this warband) provide good cover for Rangers of Gondor (who are quite vulnerable to archery) and the Rangers can thin the enemy ranks before anyone reaches the battle line. US veteran player Matt Iverson holds this to be a good-for-cost battle line - I think he's absolutely right.

Warband #3: The Marching Anvil
I could have gone with Madril instead of Irolas (both are 3-Might-with-March), but for +10 points, I can get a model that can fight pretty decently (2A fighting normally or 4A when shielding with 1 S4 strike if he wins), has Bodyguard to charge terrifying models, is D6 with Heroic Defense (if you don't March three times), and can be slotted into your battle line if you need him there. Madril is, of course, an excellent archer, but that's about it. 10 extra points would have gotten us an extra model (and some extra wargear), but I didn't think that was worth it.

Supporting him are 9 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields (five have spears, one of those has a banner) and 2 Rangers of Gondor (both of whom have spears), which gives you the flexibility to run a five-file, two-rank Shieldwall with Irolas in the center (and your two Rangers floating) OR a six-file, two-rank Shieldwall with Rangers of Gondor shooting from inside the battle line and lending F4 to the front rank.

Scenario Overview

We've got some pretty powerful Eagles in this list and a tough shieldwall to hold the line until the Eagles mop everything up. No elite Minas Tirith troops - but something has to give when you buy Eagles. Let's see what the game plan is for each scenario.

• Domination: We have three Eagles and two blocks of Minas Tirith troops that can sit on two objectives . . . yeah, hold your objectives and use the Eagles to pester the other three (support with your Knights if you like). I would keep your Eagles together though - on their own, your Great Eagles can be susceptible to taking damage from big heroes.
• Capture and Control: Your Minas Tirith blocks should start on the center line (drift Denethor and possibly two Rangers - maybe your Knights as well - to your rear objective). Your Eagles should start behind your ranks to make it easy to charge and hard to be charged. Flying will help you not only get dominance over the center by "jumping the lines," but you can also threaten the enemy's rear objective or side objectives early on to spread his ranks thin. Keep your shieldwall together and hold out in the center (pressuring the side objectives if your opponent doesn't want to fight you in the middle).
• Hold Ground: Denethor deploys first - and should deploy near a corner if you have the choice. Once he's down, you want Irolas to deploy next, showing up near Denethor (so you can March your troops to the center). Gwaihir and his Eagles can show up . . . basically wherever, but I'd keep them near your other troops if you can (but no need to boost your rolls "just to be near everyone else). Use your Eagles to get to the center quickly, then hedge the center from enemy models (Hurls are your friend here if you can line them up, as they will slow down enemy models and possibly kill some).
• Seize the Prize: Well . . . you have three flying infantry models, any of whom can pick up the Prize . . . I'm not sure you'll be able to get all three into range, but you may not have to - if Irolas calls a March on the first turn, you can have up to 15" move on the Great Eagles, which can provide a shield for the models moving towards the center. Don't bother shooting on the first turn - just get to the center. If your opponent moves first and picks up the Prize, your Eagles can move BEFORE Irolas does so they can charge (always start the Eagles 12" from your board edge - as far forward as possible - with a 1.5" gap between two of the Eagles and Irolas right in that gap, his warband swarming behind him). If one of your Eagles gets the Prize, fly behind cover and make your way to the enemy board edge, using your Minas Tirith troops to engage enemy models or shoot them). 
• To The Death: Well, you have decent archery and high Defense models in front of them, so you might be able to shoot your opponent to death. If your opponent actually has archery, you may want to reconsider and attempt to engage. Either way, your Eagles are key here - Hurls are great for setting up traps for the following turn (or clearing out spear supports in fights after you engage). If you don't get a good Hurl lined up, just charge into two models with each Eagle and smash them. I think this will be a toss-up scenario based on what you face - keep Denethor (and your banner) safe!
• Lords of Battle: You need to kill things - and you have three monsters to do it. While you have bows, you can choose to either deploy on the center line and engage quickly OR hold back and skirmish for a bit. Hurls are (again) your friend here, though smashing into a few models with Monstrous Charge and wounding normally can be really helpful too. Most of your models are hard to wound - I think you've got a decent shot at winning this one if your Eagles can get going.
• Contest of Champions: Denethor is not a great killer - but with Hurls (and Gwaihir to charge the enemy hero), you can keep most enemy army leaders on the ground (or torn up by Gwaihir's talons). Denethor should focus on getting a few kills (F5/S4/2A is "fine") - get other models into his fight to help him out, but make sure he gets the finishing stroke (first to roll against warriors, roll with warriors one at a time when fighting heroes). Traps will help him a lot - do what you can to make that work. Your Eagles are a great roadblock for most army leaders (Gwaihir's Heroic Defense and all of them having D8 are big helps), so you can always slow down the enemy army leader's kill count by throwing them into the enemy.
• Reconnoitre: Um . . . we have Eagles . . . and some Knights . . . so keep the enemy from getting models off the board and have your Eagles work to slow the enemy down (escaping if they run into trouble). I wouldn't race them off the board too quickly - this army loses a lot of its teeth if the Eagles aren't doing anything.
• Storm the Camp: Um . . . once again, we have Eagles. Doing some damage in the center of the board at first but eventually making it to the enemy camp can help you score points, while Denethor (and some Rangers) should stay near your own camp (Denethor should be safely tucked away in the camp) so you can keep the enemy out. Gwaihir's Might is important here - keeping your Eagles on the charge to wreck enemy lines before Irolas's Marching troops can provide support and tear through whoever is left behind.
• Heirlooms of Ages Past: We all hate this scenario, but you have three fliers, so your objectives should be placed ~12" from the board edge and NOT in wooded terrain. Get to 2-3 of these as quickly as possible, relying on those flying infantry to pick them up and (hopefully) run the Heirloom to safety. Denethor should deploy first with Irolas right behind him (arriving in the same place if you can manage it), but if you happen to be spread out, it's fine - just make your way to the nearest objective. The key is holding the Heirloom - and Gwaihir's boys are the main way to do that.
• Fog of War: Well, keep Gwaihir alive - your opponent probably won't pick him to kill, so you'll probably have to keep Irolas alive too if you can. When looking for a hero to kill, pick someone that Gwaihir will be able to get to (or you can shoot with your Rangers). The terrain piece shouldn't be a wooded terrain piece (because your options for getting it are probably with your Knights and Eagles). Breaking the enemy is a big deal - so try to do that as quickly as possible (if Gwaihir is unwounded, you're not broken, and have either damaged/kill your target or have majority/total control of your terrain piece, it'll be hard to lose).
• Clash By Moonlight: Your shooting is good, but your infantry are VERY vulnerable. Keep your Eagles out of 12" range (plus the movement that your opponent can get with his shooting weapons) if you move first or charge if your opponent moves within 12" of them so they can engage quickly. Throwing weapons (especially in the hands of Corsairs) can be particularly damaging to your Eagles (wounding on a 5+ followed by a 3+), so be careful - support with your Knights if possible. Denethor should be nowhere near the action at all.

Modifications

There are lots of ways you can ally the Misty Mountains into armies - though running them pure is definitely possible too (though I'm not sure you would do that when you could run Radagast's Alliance):

• Ally with Numenor - You know who's good to include alongside Gwaihir? A Ringbearer. Why? If you NEED Gwaihir to win a fight, getting him into the same fight as Isildur is a way to do it. Need to take on two big threats? How about using a big Eagle and a F6 model that halves the Fight Value of your opponent. This list pairs Gwaihir with Isildur and 2 Captains of Numenor and LOTS of F4/S4 warriors to flesh out your numbers. This list might be better than the Minas Tirith list that we showed today, but it only has Gwaihir in it (so I didn't feel like it made for a good showcase of the Misty Mountains army).
• Gwaihir [ARMY LEADER]
• Isildur on horse with shield
• 4 Warriors of Numenor with shields
• 3 Warriors of Numenor with shields and spears
• 1 Warrior of Numenor with shield, spear, and banner
• Captain of Numenor on horse with lance and shield
• 1 Warrior of Numenor with shield
• 3 Warriors of Numenor with shields and flails
• 4 Warriors of Numenor with bows and spears
• Captain of Numenor on horse with lance and bow
• 5 Warriors of Numenor with shields
• 5 Warriors of Numenor with bows and spears
• Ally with Khazad-Dum - You know what makes your Eagles better? Banners. You know who has good banners? Khazad-Dum! Like Isildur, we can bring a good power hero to this army in the form of Durin (who, despite my constant critiques, is very good). With a few Hearthguard, to supplement your core Dwarf Warriors, you can get some great hitting power against most foes (and 30 models, amazingly). No Iron Guard or Vault Warden teams, but maybe with Gwaihir and two Dwarves who are over-qualified for #2 and #3 killing models, you don't need it. This list doesn't have March though, which is why I didn't showcase it today. 
• Gwaihir
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Durin, King of Khazad-Dum [ARMY LEADER]
• 5 Hearthguard
• 1 Hearthguard with two-handed mace
• 4 Dwarf Warriors with shields
• 5 Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf bows
• CONVENIENT ALLY: King's Champion
• 2 Heralds
• 6 Dwarf Warriors with shields
• 4 Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf bows
• Ally with Arnor - Do you know which faction has a hard time allying with people? Arnor. The list I have below is basically the Minas Tirith list we looked at today, except it has no knights and the warriors are F4 (for the most part) instead of F3. With F4/D6 and spears for 8 points/model, Warriors of Arnor are some of the finest troops in MESBG - if only their army wasn't so hamstrung. This army just misses the 30 model mark, but provides a solid anvil of troops (plus 6 Hobbit Archers to sit on objectives and generally make a mess of your opponent's lines). Like the Minas Tirith list we viewed today, the majority of the killing will be coming from Gwaihir and the Eagles, but don't underestimate the power of the Arnorian shieldwall!
• Gwaihir [ARMY LEADER]
• 2 Great Eagles
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Arvedui, Last King of Arnor
• 7 Warriors of Arnor
• 1 Ranger of Arnor with spear
• 6 Hobbit Archers
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Malbeth the Seer
• 9 Warriors of Arnor
• 1 Warrior of Arnor with banner
• Ally with The Shire - All of the armies we've looked at today hit 29-30 models (which is good if you're including 1-3 Eagles in your list, but you're likely to be quite outnumbered). I did think it would be fun to get an army with more than 30 models AND had Gwaihir and 2-3 Eagles. The obvious choices for this are the Shire and the Army of Lake-town, but neither of these armies have access to "actual banners." After trying unsuccessfully to get Rohan to work (darn those expensive Valor heroes), I just said, "You know what, I'm just gonna build a list for the Shire." While I could have gone with 4 birds and had ~35 models, I've gone with 3 birds and 3 dogs for my speed. With 49 models, this army is big AND you've got four great Hobbit heroes to augment your army (Merry for March/Courage/S3 Militia, Will Whitfoot for banner bonuses, Holfoot Bracegirdle for Shirriff damage and potentially a March, and Farmer Maggot for 2H pick and fast troops). With Gwaihir and 2 Eagles, you don't need to engage with your Hobbits much - your killing is coming from the birds, while the scenario scoring objectives are the job of the Hobbits. I've made sure there are archers in each Hobbit warband (except Merry's) so that any warband you place can skirmish with your opponent. Naturally, you want your Shirriffs to cluster near Holfoot when possible, but each warband has 4 Shirriffs in it (except Merry's).
• Gwaihir [ARMY LEADER]
• 2 Great Eagles
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Meriadoc, Captain of the Shire with shield
• 13 Battlin' Brandybucks
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Will Whitfoot
• 4 Hobbit Shirriffs
• 5 Hobbit Archers
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Holfoot Bracegirdle
• 4 Hobbit Shirriffs
• 5 Hobbit Archers
• CONVENIENT ALLY: Farmer Maggot
• Grip, Fang, and Wolf
• 4 Hobbit Shirriffs
• 4 Hobbit Archers

Another army down - we're making it! Our next stop is the first of the three armies of Men from the Hobbit - the Garrison of Dale. Dale had, until recently, the least number of profiles of any conventional army in the game (two heroes, one warrior - narrowly edging out Numenor and Arnor, though with 4-5 profiles now depending on the era you play, it's still similar to these two factions in their limited options), but that just means you have to get creative with your army. Is a pure Dale army worth taking? Is their army bonus essential? Do you need fast troops? And is the Windlance worth having? Check out the answers to these questions next time - until then, happy hobbying!