Defence of the North Inspired Lists: Assault On Lothlorien Legendary Legion Revisited

Good morning gamers,

If you've been following discussions across the Facebook groups about the state of the game right now, there's one Legion that's shaken up the meta more than any other Legion: the Assault on Lothlorien. This list makes you always play at night (which limits enemy archery range), has tons of creatures that can be buffed by Druzhag/Ashrak, and a bunch of shamanic characters to make their grunts (Goblins, Orcs, Bats, Spiders, and Wargs) go racing without fear into their enemies. Yep, it's a horde that can outshoot better armies and can deal quite the punch where it wants to be.

Photo Credit: Defence of the North 

Since we're walking through the Defence of the North sourcebook and seeing how we can take the forces in it into Matched Play, the Assault on Lothlorien Legion was clearly going to be discussed, but the list you're going to see today is FAR from the list you're likely to see across the gaming table because, as is usually the case, the scenarios don't give us all the models we'd normally want. This doesn't mean the list we're going to look at today is garbage, but rather, it requires a different approach to play.

Our models are a mixture of units available in the Mirkwood missions and the Lothlorien missions (depending on whether you want Orcs or Goblins):

• Muzgur, Orc Shaman
• Druzhag the Beastcaller and Ashrak
• 1-2 Orc Captains (depending on whether you chose to substitute a Taskmaster for an Orc Captain in two scenarios)
  
• 1-2 Orc Shamans (see above)
• 48 Orc Warriors (who also need to be used for Warg Rider dismounts)
• 6 Warg Riders
• 6 Orc Trackers
• 48 Moria Goblin Warriors (who you'll also need to be used for Warg Marauder dismounts)
  
• 8 Giant Spiders
• 12 Fell Wargs
• 2 Bat Swarms
• 3 Warg Marauders
  

This list of models is only missing a few models from the Legion list, but the ones its missing really changes the options you have for its game play. First and foremost, we don't have any Moria Goblin Captains or Shamans, so we're capped at a max of 30 Goblins, Spiders, and Fell Wargs. This is . . . usually not the way you want to run this list. :-) While I usually abandon Ashrak in favor of a Moria Goblin Captain and an Orc Shaman (see my review of the Legion), I think if you only have the models from the scenarios at your disposal, he becomes an auto-include.

Ashrak becomes doubly necessary since we don't have any Wild Warg Chieftains, who provide the biggest muscle of the list, which means you need to lean hard on Giant Spiders to get any kind of punch in the army. If you're going to use spiders, you definitely want Ashrak in the list so they get the upgrade from Poison to Venom (rerolling all failed To Wounds instead of just rerolling 1s To Wound).

Finally, the Spiders are super important in this list because we don't have any Moria Goblin Prowlers. Prowlers not only get bonuses to wound (from their two-handed axes, their Backstabbers rule, and the Legion bonus for outnumbering an opponent). This is pretty nasty when paired with their +1 To Wound with their throwing daggers, but not having them means our skirmishing abilities are going to be really limited. So what kind of list can we run with this? Well, it's actually not THAT different from the list I looked at when I reviewed the Legion - let's see what we have!

The List

We're going to need spiders, we're going to need Goblin bowmen, and we're going to need a TON of Orcs to stand as the front-line. This may not be what we wanted, but it'll work just fine:

• Muzgur, Orc Shaman
• 7 Orc Warriors with shields
• 5 Orc Warriors with spears
• 1 Orc Warrior with banner
• 1 Orc Tracker
  
• Druzhag the Beastcaller [ARMY LEADER]
• 8 Moria Goblin Warriors with Orc bows
• 2 Venom-Back Spiders
• 2 Fell Wargs
• 1 Bat Swarm
  
• Ashrak
• 8 Moria Goblin Warriors with Orc bows
• 2 Venom-Back Spiders
• 2 Fell Wargs
• 1 Bat Swarm
  
• Orc Captain with shield
• 5 Orc Warriors with shields
• 6 Orc Warriors with spears
  
• 1 Orc Tracker

700 points, 56 models, 2 Orc bows hitting on a 4+/12" AND 16 Orc bows hitting on a 5+/18", 1 D6+ model, 10 fast infantry and 2 Might for Heroic March, 7 Might points

56 models is a lot - and with 18 bows, we've got a pretty good shooting presence that should be able to increase the model disparity before the Spiders and Orcs get into the action. Let's see how we get this army to work.

Army Theory

As I mentioned in my Legion review, because we have to take Muzgur, we either a) use his warband to field Bats and Wild Wargs or b) we're going to field Orcs. In this list, because the only heroes we have are the named Goblin heroes (max 30 models) and Orc heroes, we're going to have Orcs in our list. I think this is fine normally, though it does expose you to extra damage from enemy archery (since the Orcs don't have Cave Dweller and will grant enemy archers +1 To Wound thanks to the Cover of Darkness special rule). This could hurt very much, but it also drives home one thing: once our opponent is within archery range, we're going to engage. Orcs are easier to wound in this list than Goblins, but they also get +1 Fight Value for +1 pt/model - and so we lean into that.

We've also brought an Orc Captain, which gives our infantry the ability to March towards the enemy in scenarios where we need it. Perhaps we should have brought the Orc Shaman for +5pts since we know we need to have our Orcs engage. Terror walls are a lot less worrisome if we have archery to punch a few holes and then units that can auto-pass Courage tests, but I was more concerned with not GETTING somewhere.

Muzgur and the Orc Captain have Orc shieldwalls in their warbands, with 6-man or 7-man frontage (though one of the shield guys in Muzgur's warband will have to have a banner behind him, without any actual spear support being lent). These are pretty long battle lines, which give the Orcs an opportunity to double-up in fights to benefit from the Legion +1 To Wound bonus and occasionally get traps in. If you want to know how to do this, check out our article on the Cirith Ungol Legendary Legion. Muzgur had room for 1 Orc Tracker, so there's a random Orc you can leave behind to guard an objective.

We have both Goblin heroes in our list and their warbands are very similar: each has 8 Goblin Warriors with Orc bows, but they also have a bunch of fast creatures (10 in total). The scenarios give us 2 Bat Swarms, so we've taken both. We've also included 4 Fell Wargs in Druzhag's warband and 4 Giant Spiders who have been spread between the two warbands. Druzhag will need to determine if casting Fury is worth doing in a game (reliably cast on 1 die, thanks to the reroll he gets from the Legion).

If Druzhag has Fury up, then Ashrak doesn't need to cast Fury to help the Spiders in the list and can focus instead on making these guys invisible. This has more tactical use instead of fighting use (since he can only make them half enemy Fight Values if he channels Shroud of Shadows - and he can only do that once), but it means you can ensure a spider who is sneaking around the enemy or racing for a board edge/objective can't be shot, can't be targeted by most magic, can move through enemy models, and will be hard to charge from a distance.

These two warbands include most of the punch of the army, both in the form of 16 S2 bows that get +1 To Wound and 4 F4/S5/2A spiders that reroll all failed To Wound rolls (and one of which could become F6/S7/4A). The Spiders need to be screened from enemy archery (D3 without Cave Dweller is pretty vulnerable) and it's probably best that they be concentrated in one area vs. being spread out (better to crash a flank with these guys instead of doing a little damage here and there).

Okay, let's look at how we approach the scenarios!

Gameplay Strategy

Maelstrom & Object Missions (Pools 1 & 3)

The maelstrom missions all help armies that can spread out - and with fast units in the two Goblin warbands, we can get most places quickly if we can have the Goblin warbands arrive in separate places. Our Orcs, however, want to arrive together. As such, we want to begin with the Captain's warband - don't modify his roll. Once he's down, we want Muzgur to arrive - modify his roll to arrive near the Captain so all of our Orcs are together.

What you do with the Goblin warbands depends on the scenario. In Hold Ground, if possible, deploy near your Orc warbands so you can race for the center as a united force, but if you arrive separately, it's fine. With only 1-2 Might, I wouldn't boost their arrival rolls unless it's going to put you in an isolated position. In Command the Battlefield, you'll want these guys to arrive on opposite board edges so their fast models can get to the four quadrants and contest the corners, while the archers can stand on either side of the center line to force the enemy to engage (or be shot). Hopefully your Orcs can get to them to support them.

Finally, in Heirlooms of Ages Past, your Goblin warbands will want to arrive on opposite board edges to contest each objective marker (ideally on the first turn). If you can pick up the Heirloom with a Bat Swarm or a Fell Warg, you have a good chance of being able to race it to safety quickly. Your infantry should make their way to a point between 3-4 objective markers so you can create a zone of protection for whoever can pick up the Heirloom.

When we move to the object scenarios, our strategy changes slightly: both Goblin warbands should go down first in Seize the Prize, creating a gunline that can look at the center of the board. The Orc warbands should deploy on the flanks of the archers, supported by your fast models. If you have to deploy first, you can start a Bat Swarm in the center of your Goblin battle line so he can swoop in and try to dig up the Prize on the first turn. If he does, you can bring the other Bat Swarm into base contact and hand off the Prize.

Destroy the Supplies is pretty simple: we can deploy 5-6 Goblins with bows near each of our supply markers, while our Orcs push up the center and our fast models corral the enemy models away from the flanks. We'll need to use cover to shield our fast troops as much as we can (as they won't live long against a prolonged assault). Similarly, in Retrieval, we can have our Goblins and Orcs stand back and shoot the enemy to bits while our fast units go WIDE around the enemy and eventually end up near their flag. All the while, our archers force the enemy to come to us and tear holes in the enemy as much as we can (with creatures crashing the flanks when we engage).

Control Missions (Pools 2 & 5)

This list plays Domination and Breakthrough very similarly: you'll want to start with your Goblins in the center of the board, but just out of charge range so you can guarantee one turn of shooting with your bowmen (that, and you can protect your rear objective in Breakthrough easily). Your Orcs will want to form up on one of the side objectives, able to be supported by the spiders, bats, and wargs hidden behind your Goblins. While most of the armies we've viewed over the past few months want to line up right on the center line, this one doesn't - it's fast enough that you can get away with NOT starting right up in the front, getting where you want to be eventually. Your Goblins (and your Orc Tracker) will want to stand and hold the objectives they're near, while your fast units race around to claim objectives you didn't start with, receiving support from the Orc shieldwall.

Capture and Control is slightly different: since we don't have to sit and hold objectives, we can have our archers move and shoot every turn, keeping our army moving to avoid prolonged contact over objectives, relying on our fast models tagging objectives (and our bows to soften up objectives). This scenario ends randomly when one side breaks, so we want to break the enemy quickly if we're able to tag some objectives early.

When it comes to the missions from Pool 5, we have lots of speed and we're gonna use it: Reconnoitre is no problem for us - we've got Spiders that we can support with Shroud of Shadows, we've got Bat Swarms that are very hard to catch and shoot to death (especially if they have cover), we have Fell Wargs that will happily skulk from terrain piece to terrain piece, and we've got a very impressive 45 not-fast models to delay the enemy's advance (including a bunch of bowmen).

Storm the Camp is similar: our Orcs will lead the charge (leaving our Tracker behind to guard our camp) and our fast troops will follow. We don't want to immediately engage with our Orcs, though: we want them to go wide to one side, leaving plenty of firing lanes for our bowmen. If our enemy turns to engage our Orcs, we can shoot them with our Goblins. This can be done with a sort of English formation, making the enemy supporting models line up nicely with our bows. Our fast troops will be tackling the other flank, able to fade away from the enemy and draw them closer to our bows if we want.

Divide and Conquer will work better if our Orc warbands are together, so we know they're going to arrive in one corner together. If our opponent knows that, no matter who we deploy first will probably signal where everyone else will be. Still, start with the Captain - he tells the least about your list and you're going to want his shieldwall deployed up front. Then deploy Ashrak in the opposite corner with his 3 fast units in the front and his bowmen in the rear. You can then decide whether you want Muzgur with the Captain or if you think Druzhag will be safer there, but I'd just put Muzgur with the Captain and Druzhag with Ashrak (gives you the most flexibility with the Goblin magical powers). Your fast units can race to the center with covering fire provided by the Goblins, while your Orc shieldwall presses as quickly as it can (without Marching) for the center.

Killing Missions (Pools 4 & 6)

With all the talk on the Facebook groups about how awful this Legion is (and all the damage it does), I have to say I'm not that optimistic about these missions - my experience with this Legion is that the D4-5 Goblins and Orcs die VERY quickly - and yes, they may rake through some people with their archery, but in up to three of the scenarios, you may not have that long to be shooting at the enemy. In Lords of Battle, Contest of Champions, and Assassination, your opponent can/must deploy on the center line - and chances are your opponent will be right on the center line every time, considering the 12" restriction on archery. This means even if you deploy as far back as you can in Assassination/Lords of Battle, you're not going to be shooting for very long before your opponent can close the distance.

In Lords of Battle, you want to be as far back as possible, forcing your opponent to come to you. Once he's within 18" of you, you can start shooting with your bows, but be ready to retreat with the bows to let the Orcs deal with the assault (using a foxhole formation or something like it). Your fast units will want to wait in the wings, delaying any engagement until after your opponent commits to fighting your Orcs and then racing around the flanks to trap enemy models. While I think you can get a lot of kills, as soon as you engage, you're also going to take a lot of hits - your heroes have very little they can do to help the Orcs beat enemy models (besides a Transfix from Muzgur) - and if your opponent's heroes are sheltered from your Spiders and Bats, Ashrak and Druzhag can only help those beasts clear through chaff units (and you can't do Heroic Combats with those beasts . . . boy do I miss having a Wild Warg Chieftain . . .).

Assassination is going to be tricky - Muzgur is probably the only hero you want anywhere near the enemy, so he's probably your Assassin. Who your opponent chooses to kill could vary - all of your heroes are pretty easy to kill (Druzhag can't be the target and happens to be the most resilient of the bunch - though he is worth 1-3 VPs for being the army leader). Your best bet is to try to kill your target (and any other heroes that show up) with your archers - don't deploy anywhere near the center and force your opponent to come to you.

Contest of Champions is going to be rough - but we knew that already. Druzhag will need to get a few kills in, so best to work with a Giant Spider and a Bat Swarm (or an Enraged Giant Spider) so you can get some kills in early, but you're mostly hoping that Muzgur and at least one Bat Swarm can slow down the enemy army leader from getting too far ahead in the kill count. With an army made up of very squishy troops and Druzhag's archers/fast troops needing to deploy near the center, you're going to feed your opponent lots of kills (whether killed by the army leader or the rest of the army doesn't matter). You could try to shoot everyone engaged with the enemy army leader - that might be the best approach (but expect to break pretty quickly with this approach - Druzhag has to get killing quickly!).

The other missions will work a bit better for you . . . probably. Clash by Moonlight is played basically the same way as To The Death, since the "nighttime" rules don't help us any more than our Legion bonus already does. Both scenarios give you 3-5VPs for breaking the enemy (with Clash by Moonlight giving us more VPs if you kill more enemy heroes than we lose and To The Death giving us more VPs if we have a banner and quarter the enemy). It's important to note that we should very much expect to be broken in either of these scenarios - but we can reasonably expect to break the enemy as well. If the enemy has a reasonable archery threat, we want to engage quickly (since our D4-5 models could fall as quickly/faster than their force).

Finally, we have Fog of War: we're guaranteed 24" of open ground between us at the start of the game, so shooting should be good for us. We probably want to keep Ashrak safe - our Captain and Muzgur are likely to be in danger, but recognize that our opponent has probably picked one of them to be his target. Oh well - manage their fights as best you can, since you need these guys close to the action to be effective (the Captain might be able to hang back). Our terrain piece options are pretty wide open, since we can cast Shroud of Shadows on a Giant Spider to race him safely into the enemy's backfield, to be joined later by a Bat Swarm or another Giant Spider to hold a terrain piece. Mostly, though, we want to focus on breaking the enemy. Pick a hero that you will hopefully be able to find separated from the rest of the pack and can gang up on with an Enraged Spider and a Bat Swarm.

Conclusion

This Legion is crashing the boards right now and a lot of players seem to be disappointed that they didn't get a heavy hit with the nerf bat in the February 2023 FAQs (but August is coming). That said, this army is squishy and while we didn't have all the tools I'd like in this list (like Goblin heroes?), the list is still plenty scary and dangerous. In our next post, we turn to an Elven faction that has a lot of unit choices in it if you collect the models from the Appendices: the Halls of Thranduil. With up to 36 Mirkwood Elves, 10 Palace Guards, and all of the heroes you could want, how does one take the Halls of Thranduil from scenario play into Matched Play? And is it better to run them pure or with allies? Find out next time - until then, happy hobbying!