Nemesis: How to Fight Against Bill Ferny

Good morning gamers,

After a few weeks off, we're back in the Nemesis series and I wanted to talk about one of the most ANNOYING characters you'll ever face in MESBG: Bill Ferny. This guys is a cheap hero in a faction that has a bunch of cheap warriors, so that alone will complicate your day - but when you stack onto the mega-horde-with-bows-and-whips annoyance an absolutely game-shattering rule (I don't know HOW this hasn't been errata'd yet), you get just a filthy character. No honorable person would ever run this guy - and yet, there are some people who do. Should you ever run into one of those people, this article will help you beat them. Let's dig in and see what all the fuss is about Bill Ferny and then look at how to beat him.

What Makes Bill Ferny So Hated?

Bill Ferny only costs 40 points (Goblin-level Captain costs) and for that you get a very points-efficient profile. F3/4+ doesn't look great, but compared to Goblins, that's better than you'd think - and since he has a dagger and a whip (2" S1 throwing weapon), the 4+ shoot value actually matters (and will hit on a 3+ or a 4+ depending on whether he's charging or moving-and-shooting if he's taken from the Chief's Ruffians Legendary Legion, which you should always do).

Photo Credit: Warhammer.com

S3/D3 doesn't look great - and 1 Attack/Courage 3 doesn't look great either, but to get the really awesome rules he has, something has to give. As it is, since increasing your Strength and Defense doesn't always help you, these stats are perfectly fine for fighting certain foes who have invested in extra Strength (S4 models won't wound him any better than S3 models) or Defense (D5 models won't be any harder to wound than D4 models - and being D7 is similarly not any better than being D6). Many of his other stats are perfectly normal with 2 Wounds, 1 Will, 1 Fate - look at how efficient this guy is!

Bill Ferny also has three epic special rules - he has Hatred (Hobbit), which is great for making sure those enemy Hobbit models get killed fast in Shire lists, Fangorn lists, Dernhelm-reliant Rohan lists, Gollum-centered Goblin-town lists, and alliance lists/some Legendary Legions that sport Frodo, Sam, Merry, and/or Pippin. No matter how you cut it, it's nice to have someone in your army that can dice up those squishy little halflings just a little bit more reliably (and at such an affordable cost, too!).

He's also got Put 'em in Chains, which is a great rule for dealing with S2 Hobbits who have invested heavily in Wounds and Fate points. While Bill could certainly wound them easily, it's far better to Paralyze the Hobbit on a 3+ so you can automatically beat them in the next round and double your wounding dice (with +1 To Wound from Hatred as well)! Be afraid, little Shire rats, be very afraid . . .

But if your opponent thinks he's escaped the best qualities of Bill Ferny by running something other than Hobbits, he should think again - because Bill Ferny can pick an enemy warband to "spy on" with his Sharkey's Spy special rule and apply a -1 penalty to their rolls to determine where on the board they arrive in. This will affect all three scenarios from Pool 1 (the Maelstrom of Battle missions), but will also affect the warband's placements in scenarios where you have to deploy in the front half of your deployment zone on a 1-3 or in Reconnoitre (where you're trying to get all the way across the table). While there are some scenarios where this won't be affected, it's pretty clear to me that in the scenarios where it does matter, you can really mess up someone's day. 

Heroes with only 1 Might point (like Cirdan) or that have no Might points (like Castellans of Dol Guldur) are going to be at your mercy, perhaps NEVER showing up (or not showing up until it's too late). Even heroes like Boromir or Azog won't immediately think that they're in any danger from this guy, but if they're used to only having to burn 1 Might point to be placed by their owner, they'll be doubly-stumped if they've got to pay 2 Might points to place themselves - it'll practically make them like your everyday, ordinary named heroes!

Perhaps the nastiest thing about this guy is that he's one of a handful of heroes who's pretty much immune to the special rules of Floi Stonehand - Floi could turn off one of his special rules, but the nastiest one (Sharkey's Spy) is likely to be in effect before Floi is on the board - and will likely be employed to keep Floi OFF the board. If you have been reading this series and have thought, "I'll just put Floi in my list and then I never have to worry about <pick someone from the series>", you'll have prepared for pretty much everyone . . . except this guy. Rats . . .

All told, this guy is a nasty surprise - and can single-handedly win a game for a Sharkey's Rogues or Chief's Ruffians player (you should always take him in that Legion, by the way). Surely, there must be a way to fight back against this guy. There aren't a lot of good options to fight against this guy, but let's look at a few now . . .

How Do You Fight Back Against Bill Ferny?

The key thing to remember about fighting Bill Ferny is that he's got some nasty tricks, but there's no such thing as overkill when it comes to fighting him. If you see Bill Ferny on the other side of the table, stop at nothing to make sure he dies. He's going to try to keep one of your warbands from showing up on time - if it works, that'll be sad, but vengeance can be yours (it should be yours!). He's going to try to flay your Hobbits alive if you have any - so make sure he's the priority target for every bow and siege weapon in your army. If he jumps into a combat, pile in there with everything you have - make him pay!

In theory at least, Bill can be countered in many of the ways we've talked about so far in this series this year - throw magic at him, throw shooting at him, throw monsters at him, and throw big heroes at him. The trick will usually be GETTING to him, though, so be willing to chop through warriors on the way to him (but always make it clear that you're making a straight line towards him no matter where he is and no matter what he has in front of him).

Finally, don't underestimate the power of disposable warbands. If Bill is planning to get his money's worth by stopping a big or important warband from showing up, do him a favor and bring lots of little warbands so it doesn't matter if one doesn't show up! You can do this most effectively with really inexpensive heroes leading really small warbands, since you probably don't need that hero's help right away to win the game. Having lots of warbands might also give you a deployment advantage in the non-maelstrom scenarios where you have to roll for arrival - which is super slick.

That's all I can come up with - he's a rock-solid hero in a great list and hence has very few weaknesses. Okay, let's talk about what models you can bring to beat this guy . . .

Tiberius's Top 5 Models To Counter Bill Ferny

There aren't a lot of models that really want to go up against a list with Bill Ferny, but here's the best shot I could make of beating him . . .

Honorable Mention: Robin Smallburrow (and to a lesser degree, Madril and Guritz)

If Bill Ferny is relying on picking one warband to arrive late, what better way to counter him than to bring a model that gives their warband +1 to their arrival rolls! Yes, Robin Smallburrow - a HOBBIT who actually WORKED for Bill Ferny for a time in the books - is close to a great counter to Bill. Not only is he half the price of Bill Ferny, but he also has a mirror combat profile to Bill - including the opportunity to get a free +1 To Wound against him to counter the Hatred that Bill has (assuming you keep him within 3" of Holfoot Bracegirdle)! Yep, Robin is where it's at.

While Robin is clearly the best at countering Bill's Sharkey's Spy rule, you could go for a sub-optimal hero who does something similar, like Madril or Guritz. These guys will make sure that other warbands arrive where they want to as well, but for 55-60 points, I can't help but think this is a bit too expensive to truly be a counter to a 40-point model (and the Ruffian player will feel like they've won something if you pick these guys). Still, it's an option and it kind of does what Robin does.

Okay, now to fight fire with fire . . .

Dishonorable Mention: Another Bill Ferny!

Oh yes, can you think of anything more annoying for a Ruffian player than to find ANOTHER Bill Ferny on the other side of the table? While you probably should spy on your opponent's Bill Ferny warband, you can also pick on Sharkey and Worm, Sid Briarthorn, Ted Sandyman, or a hero-less warband (that would hurt), depending on what the warband makeup is.

And, of course, if your opponent is bringing Ruffians to the table and FORGOT to bring Bill Ferny (that would be silly, no?) . . . oh that sweet, sweet pain you can dish out without any fear of retribution - and if he brought Ted Sandyman and a motley crew of Hobbit Militia, Bill's other rules will come into play! Anyway, onto the main list because this tactic is, of course, the filthiest of filthy strategies. Clearly.

Pick #5: Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger (or Lobelia Sackville-Baggins)

Do you remember what I said about picking cheap heroes who can lead tiny warbands and so don't really care about arriving late in certain scenarios? Well, enter Fatty Bolger and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. As Minor Heroes, they can only lead 6 models anyway - and for 10-15pts each, they're SUPER cheap (even with maxed-out warband, they're under 50pts per squad). Will a 40-point Ruffian hero actually pick one of these warbands to keep off the board? Nope, not a chance.

While neither of these heroes want to go toe-to-toe with Bill, their presence of the board (as vulnerable Hobbits) is likely to draw Bill out of the safety of his comrades and that can give you opportunities in the game - which is awesome for you. If he avoids them, he'll have lost something (and you can ridicule him for it - and if you remember to bring an umbrella, you can stay in-character with our army and shake it at him . . . you know, respectfully and all).

Because they're Hobbits and poor combatants, I needed to put these characters last. If you want a better combat profile from another Hobbit character, you should check out . . .

Pick #4: Samwise Gamgee (and Bill the Pony)

What a thematic opponent this is! Sam happens to be the same cost as Bill Ferny and he SUCH better stats. He's only S2, but he's Courage 6, has an extra Might/Will/Fate, has access to Heroic Strike and Strength (which might not seem great, but can improve his wounding abilities AND make him less likely to be Put in Chains), AND might be able to call a free Heroic Combat if Frodo is in danger nearby. Heroic Strength is really the sleeper heroic here, since it'll push Sam to somewhere between S3 and S5, which means he can wound Bill on 4s or 3s - which is, like, Aragorn-with-Anduril level wounding potential for the same cost as just-Anduril!

And if you bring Bill the Pony along with you, Sam might have a banner, can regrow his stats, and can have a blocker near him to keep Bill's buddies in check . . . yet another thematic pairing. If you would prefer to field Samwise the Brave and Rosie instead of Samwise Gamgee and Bill (which is the same cost if Sam takes either a pony or an Elven cloak), you can do that for sure and still get good value against Bill and his gang.

Of course, there's a non-zero chance that Bill's beefy Ruffian buddies will overwhelm Sam, so I can only put him at slot #4 today (that, and he's a Hobbit, so Bill might be able to Paralyze him). If you want to survive the tide of warriors who are sure to come to Bill Ferny's aid, you want . . .

Pick #3: The Balrog

I know I'm a huge fan of this guy - and other people aren't - but this guy has legit reasons for being on today's list! Bill Ferny has a standard whip - but the Balrog's whip is better. Bill Ferny can Paralyze Hobbits, but the Balrog in his Legion can set anyone on fire! Bill Ferny's combat capabilities are dangerous, but almost no model in the GAME has a profile more daunting than the Balrog. With free Heroic Combats, this guy can cut through Ruffians and Hurl a poor victim through the ranks of his friends. There's no fear when using this guy . . .

. . . and before you say, "But he has no Might - he's never going to arrive thanks to the Sharkey's Spy rule!", think again - the Balrog can't Might his roll in a maelstrom mission, but so long as he doesn't get a 1-2 (where he won't arrive), he's going to deploy somewhere. While most players don't want their models deployed by their opponent, the Balrog isn't worried about where a Ruffian player puts him - he'll either be safely out of danger because the Ruffians want nothing to do with him or he'll be surrounded by foes (which is where he ACTUALLY wants to be). Just roll for the Balrog first, then get a Goblin Captain to arrive near him, and March that fiery demon to the fray.

If you want close to the same damage potential with a more reliably arrival roll, you probably want to look at . . .

Pick #2: Any version of Aragorn (but especially Aragorn, King Elessar on armored horse)

Aragorn might not have a +1 to his arrival rolls, but Mighty Hero can be used once each round and Aragorn can spend a Might from his store without reducing his store with Mighty Hero, he can spend his free Might point on his arrival roll (EDIT: actually, we're pretty sure he can't per an old FAQ to the main rules manual - but still, you're not going to miss the Might point at all), so you're not worried about anything that Bill Ferny has to offer. With free Heroic Combats to clear out Ruffians in later turns - and a high incentive to two-hand to make sure those guys die in droves since he gives himself and his friends within 6" a banner reroll, you can clear out a TON of guys with Aragorn. And if Bill tries to beat Aragorn up with his whip (or if he managed to win a fight against him), D7 will hold up to anything Bill has.

240 points for Elessar on an armored horse might seem like a lot, but remember what I said above: there's no such thing as overkill against this guy! Speaking of no such thing as overkill, Aragorn's really only beaten out by . . .

Pick #1: Smaug

I mean, we're not considering overkill, right? Smaug doesn't need Might for anything when fighting Sharkey's Rogues or the Chief's Ruffians EXCEPT to arrive on the board. With a ridiculously high Fight Value, great Defense with TONS of Wounds, and a Barge that always does damage, Smaug can fly around early in the game (using fire to burn up pockets of Ruffians - which could include Bill Ferny), then swoop in and charge a bunch of guys, and then get locked in and Barge-and-charge as much as he wants until the game is over. I mean, there's no fears at all with this guy. So yes, he naturally took the highest spot today.

Sample Lists

Like we've been doing, we'll start off with a 600-point exemplar Chief's Ruffians list, which includes everyone's most dreaded Ruffian hero, Bill Ferny:

• Sharkey [ARMY LEADER]
• Worm
• 6 Ruffians with whips
  
• 6 Ruffians with bows
  
• Sid Briarthorn
• 6 Ruffians with whips
  
• 4 Ruffians with bows
  
• Rowan Thistlewood, Ruffian Enforcer
• 6 Ruffians with whips
  
• 4 Ruffians with bows
  
• Bill Ferny
• 6 Ruffians with whips
  
• 4 Ruffians with bows
  
• Lotho Sackville-Baggins
• 6 Ruffians with whips
  
• 4 Ruffians with bows
  
• Ted Sandyman
• 12 Hobbit Militia
  

600 points, 71 models, 22 bows hitting on a 5+ AND 2 whips hitting on a 3+ AND 30 whips hitting on a 4+ AND 13 thrown stones hitting on a 3+, no D6+ models (don't need 'em), no fast units or Heroic March (totally overrated), 7 Might

Yikes - 68 potential shooting attacks from 71 models at 600 points? What can men do against such reckless hate besides cower and hide? Well, men might hide from such a horde, but the Shire will answer with the call of Buckland - Fear! Fire! Foes! Eat this, ya filthy (Ruffian) animals! Bill Ferny and his gang will tremble before the mighty Defenders of the Shire Legendary Legion (which is a great candidate for those micro-warbands that don't care if they arrive late)!

• Meriadoc, Captain of the Shire with shield [ARMY LEADER]
• 6 Battlin' Brandybucks
  
• Peregrin, Captain of the Shire with shield
• 6 Tookish Hunters
  
• Samwise the Brave
• INDEPENDENT: Rosie Cotton
• 3 Hobbit Militia
• 2 Hobbit Archers
  
• Will Whitfoot, Mayor of Hobbiton
• 4 Hobbit Militia
• 2 Hobbit Archers
  
• Holfoot Bracegirdle, Shirriff-Leader
• 6 Hobbit Shirriffs
• Robin Smallburrow, Hobbit Shirriff
• 4 Hobbit Militia
• 2 Hobbit Archers
  
• Paladin Took
• 6 Tookish Hunters
  
• Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee
  
• 6 Hobbit Militia
• Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
• 6 Hobbit Militia
• Fredegar Bolger
• 4 Hobbit Militia
• 2 Hobbit Archers
  

600 points, 70 models, 20 shortbows hitting on a 3+ AND 50 thrown stones hitting on a 3+, 0 D6+ models (again, don't need 'em), no fast models but 6 Might for Heroic March, 11 Might

Now that's a fun list - but of course, if you want good numbers and models that can absolutely TRASH Ruffians, there's a better Legendary Legion for you that contains exactly 0 Hobbits and so is infinitely better in every way than the list you just saw. Yes, it's the sleeper Legion of the year - the Men of the West!

• Aragorn, King Elessar [ARMY LEADER]
• 5 Warriors of Minas Tirith with shields and spears
  
• 10 Warriors of Minas Tirith with bows
• 1 Warrior of Minas Tirith with bow, spear, and shield
• Eomer, Marshal of the Riddermark with shield
  
• 15 Warriors of Rohan with shields and throwing spears

600 points, 33 models, 11 bows hitting on a 4+ AND 15 throwing spears hitting on a 4+, 7-8 D6+ models, no fast models but Mighty Hero and Heroic March, 6+ Might

Those throwing spears will slay many Ruffians and Hobbit Militia indeed - as will Aragorn, who of course, is a great counter to Bill Ferny. But if you want to push the power of a Legendary Legion even further, there is only one true answer: the Depths of Moria Legendary Legion. Bring on the shadow and flame! Of course, we can't JUST have the Balrog as a threat, so I've decided to bring along a Moria Blackshield Captain (who I said recently was like a mini-Cave Troll - great killing power on this guy, a total steal) and a TON of Prowlers, who are basically like whip-carrying Ruffians, but a ton better:

• The Balrog [ARMY LEADER]
• 18 Moria Goblin Prowlers
  
• Moria Blackshield Captain
• 9 Moria Goblin Prowlers
  
• 1 Moria Goblin Warrior with shield and spear
  
• 2 Moria Goblin Warriors with Orc bows

600 points, 32 models, 2 Orc bows hitting on a 5+ AND 27 throwing daggers hitting on a 4+ AND 1 fiery lash hitting on a 3+, 1 D6+ model, no fast models but 2 Might for Heroic March if you REALLY need it, 2 Might

There's not much else to say about this list - the Goblins are going to absolutely wreck FACE against those Ruffians and can outshoot them with ease. With both the Balrog AND a bunch of Goblins who would everyone on 3s, you're going to kill many, many guys. What could possibly go wrong?

Conclusion

Well, may you never fear Bill Ferny ever again and may you dance upon the graves of many a Ruffian player now that you have the most important knowledge you could have ever gotten for any faction in MESBG ever. And hopefully . . . you've caught at some point during this post . . . that it's April 1st. From all of us here at the TMAT blog, happy April Fools Day and until next time, happy hobbying. :)

P.S. As you can tell, the TMAT team never misses an opportunity to celebrate April Fools Day . . . and we never do a halfway job, either. :)