The New Age Is Begun: The Depths of Moria Army List

Good morning gamers,

Editor's NOTE: this post was edited on August 18th, 2025 to add in comments on the profiles added by both the Armies of Middle-Earth supplement and the Legacies document. AoME updates are shown in blue while the Legacies updates are in red.

It's no secret - I love the Balrog. I love everything about him - at least, since the MESBG revamp back in 2018 (before that, he was definitively worse than a Dragon). In the 2018-2024 era of MESBG, there was actually a lot of counter-play to the Balrog since a lot of heroes had a chance of getting to F10 and even those who couldn't get to F10 just needed the Balrog to NOT get a 6 on his dueling roll and either get a 6 on their own (possibly with rerolls, but also "just being lucky") or by boosting into a 6 with Might points. In the current stat of the game . . . a lot of heroes can't reach F10, but the counter-play of "getting a 6 when the Balrog doesn't" still exists. Still, he's a big boy and can be a dominant power on any board that he's playing on thanks to some of the changes he received. Let's see how the Depths of Moria army list has changed from the previous Legendary Legion (and Moria in general)!

The Depths of Moria: Changes for 2025

Profile Selection

I'm not going to dwell on this segment - I covered the units that are available to Moria (and this army list is just those same profiles) in my First Impressions post. The short of it is that from the Armies of the Lord of the Rings book, we have the Balrog, the Watcher in the Water, and Moria Goblin Captains for our heroes and Cave Trolls and Moria Goblin Warriors for our warriors. This got updated in the Armies of Middle-Earth supplement to add Moria Goblin Shamans and Moria Goblin Prowlers and by the Legacies document to include Blackshield Captains/Shamans/Warriors/Drums. Unlike a lot of other army lists, however, you don't have any required units in this list, so you can technically run it as a Balin's Tomb list (Captains, Warriors, and a Cave Troll or two), as a Balrog-centric list (with or without the Watcher), or a Watcher-spam list (which would probably be more popular if there were Bat Swarms available to us). As we'll look at next with the army list bonuses, however, we TECHNICALLY have a sixth unit . . . that we get for free.

Army List Bonuses

Many of the army list bonuses are the same as we had in the previous edition - the Balrog starts the game with "Shadow . . ." active, making him harder to hit directly (only on a 5+ or 6+), though this does nothing if you're shooting at a Goblin behind him and he's in-the-way. He can also lose "Shadow . . ." to use the ". . . and Flame" rule, which allows you to set a model (friend or enemy, actually) within 3" of him Ablaze on a 2+, so long as he hasn't been Transfixed or is otherwise unable to use Active Abilities (and no, this isn't a shooting attack, so he can use it even if he's engaged in melee). Finally, the Dominion of the Balrog still gives friendly Moria Goblin models within 6" of the Balrog +1 Fight Value, which is great for your F3 Captains and so-so/usually-not-that-useful for your F2 Goblins (what with many warriors getting promoted to F4). The far more valuable part of this rule is that until your opponent has dealt 5 wounds to the Balrog, you never count as being Broken - which is great for denying VPs, but also means you may need a method for quartering yourself to get the game to end when you want it to (and you'll want to avoid games that end randomly when one side is broken unless you think you can break the opposing force).

The big change to the rules is that the Drums in the Deep special rule used to extend the range of your drums from 12-18" to battlefield wide and give you VPs for keeping them on the board when banners scored VPs. Now, you don't have access to drums, but you do get the effects of a battlefield-wide drum all the time . . . for free. Yes, this is the secret sixth profile - you get a 0-cost Moria Goblin Drum that can never be attacked, can never be turned off, and that affects all Goblins everywhere . . . for free. This is a HUGE change, especially at low points levels - and did I mention that it's FREE?!?!?!?! I'm very interested to see what happens to this guy when the Armies of Middle-Earth book drops and whether the alternative Moria option is better than what's here . . .

Profile Adjustments

We already looked at the profile adjustments in the First Impressions article, but to recap the important stuff:

• The Balrog cannot use his whip to lash models into combats with other models (like Bat Swarms - who we don't have in the list yet - or Goblins for the global banner reroll), but he CAN place the model anywhere in base contact with himself instead of "directly towards" himself. He's also more beastly against most things than he was before with F10 guaranteed and a lot of the F8-9 gang losing access to Strike (and Strike itself losing about half of its potency). His Fearless bubble is only 6" now, but he's still giving a Fight Value +1 bubble at 6", so those who are Fearless and end near him will also be punching a little higher than normal. Also, Dominant (10).
• Moria Goblin Captains went up by 5pts, but are still very cheap March Captains for 40pts each - and when near the Balrog, they're Fearless and F4.
• Moria Goblin Warriors didn't change at all - that's a good thing, too.
• Cave Trolls aren't Burly, start with Troll Chains baked into their profile (so they'll contribute to your 1/3 limit on throwing weapons) and have to pay for the spear or hammer. Dominant (3) was a nice add, but the loss of Burly will be felt anytime you're not Rending (also, Intelligence 9+ means stay away from Hurl).
• The Watcher in the Water is basically the same as he always was, but he too can't lash people into combat with himself and others (but can also choose where they're lashed to instead of "directly towards"). He can't displace models to arrive underneath of a vulnerable one and shove everyone else away from where he arrives, but he can still shoot with his tentacles on the turn he shows up (and can still show up anywhere, just not where people are). Despite living in a world where Strike got weaker, he's still in a vulnerable spot to Strike heroes who probably don't have an issue wounding D6 reliably and will usually get higher than F6 (alas, not having bat swarms really hurts). Still, he's one of the best shenanigan heroes in the list - and possibly in the game - so underestimate his sudden arrival at your peril. Also, Dominant (6).
• Moria Goblin Shamans are a good inclusion in the list if you don't plan to run the Balrog and a better inclusion than they were in the last edition because the Balrog's auto-pass Courage test range is now 6" instead of 12". These guys are still a hard take for me in lists with the Balrog since they're heroes who don't give you extra Might for Heroic Moves/Marches and the Balrog is probably still in the center of things, so you have to be playing a scenario where you need people to stick around where the Balrog isn't. Despite picking up Instill Fear on a 4+, you're still taking these guys for Fury. 
• Moria Goblin Prowlers are a great addition into the list - their base F3 still goes up to F4 when near the Balrog, they still have Backstabbers for +1 To Wound on top of the +1 To Wound they get for fighting two-handed, they still have throwing daggers with a 4+ shoot value (but will, alongside the Cave Trolls, contribute to your 1/3 throwing weapon limit), they picked up Stalk Unseen, and they're STILL 7pts each! They're fantastic units and I'm excited now that the Armies of Middle-Earth book is here to run them with my Balrog again.
• I contended in the last edition that Moria Blackshield Captains were good and I hold to that. Their need for boosting their dueling rolls is still there, but always being in range of a banner is fantastic on a model that doesn't have to Might-up a 6 back to a 6 anymore. Getting +1 To Wound with S4 is great and if you're fighting those pesky D7+ Dwarves, you're getting +2 To Wound (which means you're wounding most of them on 4s and the stubborn D9 guys on a 4/2+, so basically 4s). Run alongside the Balrog, these guys are pretty slick (and Courage 6+ before the +1 to your courage tests from Drums in the Deep is pretty reliable).
• Moria Blackshield Shamans used to be everywhere in Moria lists thanks to having Shatter, but with Shatter going away, their use of Tremor is pretty decent (especially if it's channelled on a single die) and their ability to Collapse Rocks is . . . situational since the target has to be within 6" of you and has to be in a ruin/stone area of some kind. Tremor is also close range (D3+3" line from the caster is . . . pretty close to you), so personally I'd just leave these guys at home. They had their hay day, now it's someone else's turn.
• Moria Blackshield Drummers are a bit pricey, but they allow you to get VPs while it's being played, which means taking one of these and 0-2 Moria Blackhsields is probably not a terrible idea.. The Courage boost/debuff is completely irrelevant in this list, as is the 18" banner boost, thanks to the Drums in the Deep rule. If you want a chance at banner VPs, take it - otherwise, leave it at home and take another warband of guys.
• I'm gonna say it, I REALLY wanted Moria Blackshield Warriors  to go back up to S4 like they were before the last edition. Moria Blackshield Warriors never got an In Defense Of article last edition because . . . I don't know how to defend them. They cost 3pts more than Moria Goblins with shields and they get heavy armor (+1 Defense, D6), +1 Courage (which makes them super reliable at passing courage tests thanks to Drums in the Deep, but anyone within 6" of the Balrog is already auto-passing courage tests and all of your Moria Goblins are already Courage 7+ thanks to Drums in the Deep), and Hatred (Dwarf) . . . so unless you really want to stick it to Dwarves, you should just take Moria Goblins and lots of them (who, in force, can stick it to Dwarves).

Okay, that's all the boring stuff - let's look at what makes this army tick . . . and also what holds this army list back.

The Depths of Moria: Strengths and Weaknesses

Any Depths of Moria list probably begins with the Balrog - he provides a lot of the strengths of the list. Big, smashy hero who gets free Heroic Combats to make sure he's moving where you need him? Check. Ability to prevent you from counting as being broken until your opponent gets half of the wounds off the aforementioned big, smashy hero? Check. The ability to get to F3/4 near the Balrog and auto-pass courage tests so you can stand a better chance at fighting armies like the Dead of Dunharrow? Double-check. Nasty whip of doom that might yank an enemy model out of formation and maybe set a hero on fire? Check check! Yep, the Balrog does a lot for you . . .

. . . and he's also an Achilles Heel for the list. Wherever the Balrog is will be your strong point - and everywhere else will be in danger (unless you ALSO have the Watcher . . . maybe). The Balrog will terrorize whoever he's near . . . and anyone rampaging the rest of the board will be fine. The Balrog is a pretty difficult hero to shut down . . . but everything else (including the Cave Trolls and to a lesser extent the Watcher in the Water) are pretty easy to run over.

The saving grace is that with the Drums in the Deep rule affecting all Goblins everywhere, your Goblin troops aren't bad. For 5-7pts/model, you have S3/D4 troops, which is at/above where similarly-costed units live (Orcs, Goblins, Wildmen, Hobbits). Being F2 isn't great (F3 is fine for Prowlers, especially if they're near the Balrog and become F4), but having a banner reroll means that in a one-on-one fight with no banners on the opposing side, easy math principle #3 of 2-4-8 kicks in and you have a better than 50/50 chance of beating an opposing model with a higher Fight Value than you! Wherever your Goblins are, they'll be benefitting from a reroll that no one can turn off - plus they'll be getting +1 Courage, which makes them a lot better than their competitors (they've got +1-2 Defense and -1 Fight Value but with a global banner when compared to Wild Men of Dunland/Hill Tribesmen, who are considered to be very, very good spam troops).

The disadvantage to having to rely on Goblins (and to some extent, the Balrog) in this army is that your army will be slow. Even with Heroic March (which will deplete your initially-low Might store), these guys aren't moving very fast. With 8" move and free Heroic Combats for the Balrog, HE is actually quite fast (especially when you factor in the 8" whip range that might allow him to fight a turn earlier than he should), but his supporting cast of Gobbo-grunts are slow. They just are. Thankfully, they're Goblins - you don't have to think very hard about what to do with them, so your turns should pass pretty quickly. With auto-passing Courage tests near the Balrog, you may even skip having to make rolls to charge Terror models or stick around if you're broken, so that helps you with faster game play as well!

Finally, your supporting cast of monsters are fairly affordable if you are playing at a points level where you probably shouldn't take the Balrog. As we'll see shortly, low points levels at/below 500pts, you probably want the Watcher and/or a spam of guys instead of "the big man" because . . . well, you'll have very little else if he's eating up 350pts of your army. Yes, you probably won't break if you play that low, but you will also be run over in a lot of scenarios and quartering you won't be very hard (which might force an end condition before you've been able to get the most out of the Balrog).

The Watcher can't lead anyone, but he and a Captain come in at 240pts - and a full warband of guys with said Captain is only 300pts. As we'll see below, this means you can get quite the army at 500pts with a tactically useful monster in tow, which isn't quite what the Balrog provides, but it DOES give you a leg up in a lot of scenarios. Okay, let's talk strategies.

The Depths of Moria: Strategies for the Tabletop

My first strategy is this: don't box in the Balrog. Perhaps this goes without saying, but the Balrog IS the list and as a result, he needs room to work. You don't want him all alone, but you want to give him the space his big base requires to get where he wants to be (ideally on a flank instead of the middle of a battle line) while also preventing him from being trapped or swarmed. If you want a practical way to implement this, check out the Epic Movie Moments formations post on the Gate of Minas Tirith - though in this list, I'm not sure you want 2-3 big monsters all next to each other.

To help the Balrog get where he wants to go, a Pac-Man formation can help you March him where he wants to go - though you want him near the rear of the circle at first so he can surge forward and not outstrip the rest of the group with his movement. Getting 11" of movement with potentially an 8" whip range is actually quite terrifying, so hopefully you'll have him where you want him after a single turn of Marching - but if you need him to engage quickly, March twice (ideally with two Captains so you have some Might left for Heroic Moves).

Speaking of Heroic Moves, your primary uses for Might in this list will ALWAYS be Heroic Moves and Marches. Moria Goblin Captains aren't great, but they have the two heroic actions you want and only cost 40pts (a slight increase from last edition, but not a bank-breaking one). These guys are durable enough, bring 2 Might each, and can allow you to field an entire warband for 100pts - they're the ideal Captains in my book (maybe beaten by Wildman Chieftains . . . and Captains of Numenor . . . and Dwarf Kings . . . Okay, me being me, I'm allowed to have a list, right?). Even with the Watcher in the Water in your list with or without the Balrog, you want to use your Might for Heroic Moves - positioning is everything and getting the positioning you want is paramount for your success.

Finally, if you have the Watcher in your list, focus on how you win the scenario when you deploy him. While the Watcher can't quite show up everywhere he used to, the addition of Dominant (6) on him is a HUGE boon. If you're playing a scenario like Hold Ground, he can pop up in the center and immediately pose a game-winning threat to your opponent (or between a vulnerable warband and the center, but still able to walk to the center over time while delaying your opponent's arrival). If you're playing Recon, he can pop up RIGHT on the enemy board edge after your opponent has left it far behind and then call a Heroic Move on the following turn to race off of it before your opponent can do anything. If you're playing Domination, he can threaten a far-off objective OR supplement your attack on a hotly-contested objective so you can crush it faster and race your guys elsewhere. Heck, you might even be able to get some extra movement from a Heroic Combat with the Balrog (killing the one model by dragging it to the depths and threatening another sudden arrival on the following turn)! The options are endless - and even as we get some new scenarios into the mix, the value the Watcher brings to your lists will be incredible - try him out and see!

Okay, let's wrap this up with everyone's favorite past time - making some lists!

Sample Lists

NOTE: I made these lists before Prowlers were released - I'm not going to update all of the lists below, but consider dropping 2 Moria Goblins with a piece of gear of your choosing to upgrade 5 Moria Goblins to Prowlers (and if you really like Prowlers, like I do, consider dropping 4 Moria Goblins to upgrade 10 Moria Goblins to Prowlers - you will need 18 other Goblins to live within the throwing weapon limits if run this way).

Our first list is 500pts - and at this points level, you don't really have room for the Balrog. Oh sure, you can run him, a Captain, and a horde of guys - but having run this list in the previous edition at 550pts with a drum in tow, I can tell you that only having 2 Might points with 24 models (or 4 Might points with 17 models) is just not going to cut the mustard. As such, I think this is the points level that you want to take the Watcher, who allows you to get three FULL warbands of Goblins to help him focus on scenario objectives:

Once you reach 600, I think you're solidly in "the Balrog" space, as you can get the Might you want with the numbers you want and the big man you want - all with an impressive 37 models, most of whom will benefit from a global banner reroll:

At 800pts, you could just add the Watcher in the Water to this list - and 38 models wouldn't be terrible with one piece that can literally win you the game in some scenarios by doing sneaky stuff - but your alternative is to lean a little harder into the Goblins and add a Cave Troll to provide some additional muscle (I'm not sure he's worth skipping on another Goblin warband, but hey - try him out and see how he does, otherwise drop him for a Blackshield Captain and more guys if you want some hitting power):

Moria has always been a horde army at its strongest (well, that or a Cave Troll horde - which you can't do anymore without taking some Goblins to offset the presence of throwing weapons) and with the Balrog at its head, underestimate this army at your peril.

Conclusion

And that, my friends, is the Depths of Moria legendary legion army list. Hopefully you enjoyed it - and if you've put it on the tabletop already, let us know in the comments how it's been working for you and whether there are any things I've missed! Next time, we're headed to the southlands of Harad to see what's up with the Haradrim and their beloved not-Elephant pals. It'll be a stomping good time - and until then, happy hobbying!