Good morning gamers,
One of the last podcasts that the TMAT team has done (we don't have a lot of time for podcasting these days) was a draft of the various Legendary Legions that were available for both the Forces of Good and the Forces of Evil. If you haven't listened to the episode, I'll drop this spoiler: one of the Evil Legions that I drafted was the Cirith Ungol Legendary Legion. In many ways, this Legion was like Ugluk's Scouts - you had different unit keywords that could trigger the Animosity special rule, but giving speed/Courage buffs to one group meant NOT giving those boosts to another group of units. How is one to know how hard to lean into each group?
In this post, we'll be digging into the newly revamped Cirith Ungol army list - which is honestly not THAT different from the Legion of the previous edition. Some of the units have changed, but the bones are mostly the same and I think the play-style is very similar. Let's see what we have to work with.
Cirith Ungol: Changes for 2025
Profile Selection
We have all of the old profiles that were available to the Cirith Ungol Legendary Legion (Shagrat, Gorbag, Shelob, Orc/Mordor Uruk-Hai Captains, Orc Shamans, Mordor Uruk-Hai, and Orc Warriors), but have also added Orc Taskmasters and Orc Drummers. How much these additions change the list is anyone's guess, but some additional options (at least for the Taskmaster) makes things interesting.
Compared to many of the other Mordor lists, this . . . is a serious step back in options. You have some list building constraints that are typical to army lists (Orc heroes lead Orc warriors, Uruk-Hai heroes lead Uruk-Hai warriors) and you're missing access to any kind of heavy infantry (D6), cavalry (Mordor is pretty limited in general on this, but there are options), spellcasters who aren't Orc Shamans (especially of the Nazgul variety, but don't sleep on your other options), siege weapons/decent shooting options, and war beasts (which, to be fair, are pretty rare in the game). Still, if you compare this list to the Army of the Great Eye (we're building up to this guy) or the Legions of Mordor, you're going to find that what those lists give up in rules seems like a pretty small price to pay for the vastly greater selection of profiles.
Many of the army list bonuses are the same from last edition - you get Animosity, so if you have Orc and Uruk-Hai models engaged with the same model (not spear supporting), those models get +1 To Wound. This is nice when it works, but frankly won't come up too often. You also get the mini-game that comes from keeping track of Shagrat and Gorbag's kills - whoever has killed fewer models gets a banner-like reroll (but that stacks with a banner). Shelob's old rules got rolled into her profile, so everything you had before are present.
What's new for Shelob is the ability to eat a friendly model at the start of the Move phase (per the FAQ, eating a model for this rule also triggers her Fight Phase rule - more on that shortly) so she can declare a free Heroic Move that no one else can join in. This rule is really nice, since Monstrous Charge is part of her bread and butter and is really necessary for getting the kill count out of her (she still only has 1 Attack base - Monstrous Charge and potentially your opponent's army list helps that a lot).
We've got some changes across the list, but most of them are minor. Our first profile underwent the most change, but even he feels much the same as he was last edition:
- Shagrat, Captain of Cirith Ungol has changed a lot in this edition - he's not a lot cheaper than last edition (110pts without anything you can add), he got a slightly boosted offensive profile (F6/S5/3A with 3-Might-and-Strike/Challenge/
Strength), and he got a debuffed defensive profile (D5 with 3 Wounds/3 Fate). Like all Mordor Uruk-Hai (more on these guys shortly), he picked up the Cleaving Blow special rule, which allows him to make any natural 6s when rolling To Wound count as 2 wounds instead of 1 . . . which is to say it's a poor man's Mighty Blow (where all successful rolls To Wound become 2 wounds). Paired with General Hunter (which I generally consider to be a trap, since your opponent's General is usually someone quite large and powerful), you could see Shagrat getting some work in against heroes. With Courage 5+ and Intelligence 5+ (which he can use in scenarios with mobile objectives to steal them from friends - thematic!), he's pretty reliable at doing what you want him to do, but much squishier this edition than last edition. - Gorbag, Orc Captain went up slightly in cost (+5pts to 60pts), lost the option for a shield, but got a boost to F5 (which he used to get only if he was outnumbered). Unlike a lot of other minor Orc/Uruk-Hai heroes, he retained his third Might point and still has access to Strike (but gained access to Challenge). He still gets a third Attack if he's outnumbered and now gets to choose the direction where one of the enemy models that was Engaged with him Backs Away to, which can even include pushing someone over a cliff! While there may be an appeal to use this to push someone into a river or off the side of a building (thematic!), one of the best uses for it is to trap someone in a nearby fight OR shoving someone out of range of an objective. This guy is good for a 60pt hero, but he's not going to win any awards for "best profile" in this list or any others.
- Shelob's profile both changed a lot and hasn't changed a lot. On the one hand, she went up by 10pts and picked up a bunch of rules . . . but most of these rules were the ones she used to get from the Cirith Ungol Legendary Legion army bonuses, so they're not really "new". She got Dominant (4) (which is actually new), gets +1 Attack when fighting Men/Elves/Dwarves/Hobbits (not new), has a Brutal Power Attack that can Paralyze someone and deal a S8 hit (you don't have to successfully wound in order to Paralyze someone - that part is new), and she can remove a friendly model within 1" of her to reroll a dueling die (also not new). As was mentioned above, she can declare a free Heroic Move (that can't be used to call "With Me!") off the same model, which means she will probably chomp through your guys, but will also be forcing more Might out of your opponent! With Venom (rerolling all failed To Wound rolls), Monstrous Charge (boosting her to 2-3 Attacks when she charges, depending on what kind of model she's fighting), and Swift Movement (ignores all difficult terrain, along with some special movement rules for climbing vertically), she's still very, very strong. Survival Instinct is still likely to not be much of a problem, since she's got Courage 6+ and 6 Will points. Her Intelligence stat of 5+ is great, since a Shelob that's been charged by someone might choose to Hurl (and this means that Shelob can become a very interesting tactical piece).
- Mordor Uruk-Hai Captains are very similar to Uruk-Hai Scout Captains. They lost the option for a shield, so they're capped at D5 and that's . . . fine. Like Shagrat, they can turn natural 6s To Wound into two wounds, which is a trap! These guys are F5/S5 and have access to Heroic March, not Heroic Strike (that would have changed my song quite a bit), so I'd stay clear of the heroes and stick to munching warriors. Though personally, I rather like to take . . .
- Mordor Orc Captains are your cheap filler heroes. These guys clock in a full 10pts less than Mordor Uruk-Hai Captains, they're D6 with shields instead of D5, and they allow you to get cheap Orc bodies to fill out your numbers. They also have Heroic March and I find them to be invaluable in whatever lists I'm running - take at least one of these guys (even before you take Shelob!) so you have access to Heroic March for your D4-5 army!
- Orc Taskmasters are an interesting alternative to Orc Captains. On the one hand, you have the potential to get free Heroic Moves/Marches (never Heroic Shoots - don't do that) - but you do so with a few downsides compared to Orc Captains. First, the Taskmaster can't defend by shielding, which means that his ability to stall out something big is incredibly limited (F4/2A). Second, with only 1 Might point himself, there's a 50% chance that his only Might point, if used to declare a Heroic March/Move (both good options for him), will turn into the second Might point you're guaranteed to have with an Orc Captain. Third, he's more expensive . . . marginally, yes, but in a list like this, that translates into an extra guy that you could have with a guaranteed second Might point OR extra gear on your Mordor Uruk-Hai. The harder you lean into the Orc/Uruk-Hai heroes in this list, the more appealing this guy becomes. Outside of that . . . I'd just stick with Captains.
- You can get Orc Shamans in this list, but the value of these guys is based widely on how much you've leaned into the Orcs in this list. As great as the Mordor Uruk-Hai Captains (and Mordor Uruk-Hai) are, I'm still solidly in the camp of the Orcs being better than the Uruk-Hai in the list. Why? If you're going to pay for D4 on your warriors, it's better if they cost 6pts/model (or have D5 instead) than to be 9pts/model. Yes, the Courage on the Mordor Uruk-Hai is better ("good", even), but if you paid for a Mordor Uruk-Hai Captain, you can get an Orc Shaman (who will often mitigate the Courage problem for your Orcs) and a few guys to help him out. I like these guys and think that as a fourth or fifth hero (after you've taken an Orc Captain and maybe Shelob), he's a great addition to the list.
- Orc Drummers are in an interesting position in this list, as they can make your Orcs faster, but you definitely want some Orcs supporting your Uruk-Hai units with spears. Any Orc that's sticking to your Uruk-Hai won't be benefitting from the drum, so now that drums just declare Heroic Marches (instead of giving you extra movement on TOP of your extra movement from Heroic March), I'd just skip on these guys.
- As we pivot to the warriors, your bread and butter in this list are going to be the Orc Warriors. Orcs are cheap, they are your only Warrior access to D5, they give you shields/spears/banners/the occasional Orc bow if you want it, and they're happily (sort of?) eaten by Shelob to give her a banner-like rule in combat and free Heroic Combats. They're great - field a bunch of them!
- Mordor Uruk-Hai are great in Shagrat's warband and give you some much-needed punch with F4/S4. F4 isn't what it used to be (lots of warriors got the boost to F4 - and some got the boost to F5!), but it's still the gateway Fight Value that you want - and with Piercing Strike going away for most units, being S4 is back to what it was before special strikes were a thing. With Courage 6+, they may not benefit from Fury, but they'll still reliably charge Terror models. They can also turn natural 6s To Wound into 2 wounds, which is still a trap, but might also be a deterrent for heroes who don't have a lot of dice (or a desperate play to get a wound on the enemy general).
- If you're playing with Legacies, you have access to Orc Trackers. For 6pts each, you're not saving money by taking these guys over Orc Warriors with bows, but you'll shoot more reliably. Take them if you can and if you want some shooting!
I think there are some good units in here, but golly am I sad that I have to convert all of my Mordor Uruk-Hai into swordsmen from the bowmen that I used last edition! Let's see what kinds of strengths and weaknesses this list has.
Cirith Ungol: Strengths and Weaknesses
If you lean into the Orc side of the house, you have the ability to get a true horde. 15 Orcs with spears led by Gorbag and 15 Uruk-Hai with no extra gear led by Shagrat only costs you 380pts, which means that at 500pts, you can add in an Orc Captain, a banner, and nearly a full warband of guys. Getting over 40 models at 500pts is pretty crazy - and while Shelob probably takes you up to 600pts, having 42 models at that points level is going to put you above a LOT of the competition. Other spam armies might outnumber you, but nearly half of your army will be F4/S4 Uruk-Hai/Orc Captain or a F5+ hero - that's probably not the case in those other lists!
The biggest downside to the list, of course, is that most of your units are going to be D4. Like Hunter Orc spams, this list is going to be absolutely SHREDDED by a bow-heavy gunline list. Even if you have some shield chaps in the mix, maxing out at D5 for anyone that isn't Shelob or an Orc Captain isn't great for survivability - especially if you get a cascade of bad rolls in one round of combat. The list can fall apart quickly, which is why hitting your opponent quickly is a huge must.
On the flip side, the heroes in this list are good. Gorbag has always been good value, Shagrat is arguably a worse value than he was last edition, but he's still plenty good and decently resilient if you can keep him from being shot. Shelob got a bit better (and matters more on objectives this edition than she did last edition) and Orc Captains/Shamans have always been points-efficient bombs in lists. Their heroes aren't flashy, but they are good.
Speed is usually going to be a problem for this list, as most of your units are capped at 9" movement if you're willing to burn some of your limited Might on Heroic Marches. Yes, you can March - and if you get two Orc Captains, you might be able to March a lot - but that's not necessarily "speed". Not having cavalry of any kind (and Shelob doesn't want to outstrip her Orc minders) can really limit your ability to win scenarios that require you to get places . . . hence why I think Orc Captains are so necessary.
Finally, the list gives you something else to do besides playing the scenario. I don't talk about this much, but the friendly rivalry rules of Legolas and Gimli and the not-so-friendly rivalry rule for Shagrat and Gorbag are fun to use and something I wish was in the game more. Yes, it's a bit more record-keeping, but dueling rerolls are super valuable for making sure your heroes actually win fights and there's something very fun about trying to figure out who to fight with first so you can start with the dueling reroll on one of them and then bounce the reroll to the other after you win/kill your foes (or completely mess things up!). This may not appeal to everyone, but I love it.
Cirith Ungol: Strategies for the Tabletop
I'm not sure how many "strategies" this list has besides "get into the enemy". This list isn't going to be a shooting list (though with Orc Trackers, you can make a good go of it, it was a lot better at archery last edition when your Uruk-Hai could take Orc bows). The list needs both Uruk-Hai and Orcs to make the dream work - not only because you probably need the F4 of the Uruk-Hai, but also because your Orcs won't be killing reliably without Animosity (or the S4 die of the Uruk-Hai if they're spear-supporting). True, you might get lucky - but I've had Orcs bounce right off D6+ battle lines before and believe me when I tell you that the Uruk-Hai make a difference. How you engage with the enemy depends very much on your opponent's force, but you should keep in mind that a D4-5 battle line that you present is likely to crumble anywhere that it loses fights, so where possible, you want to wrap-and-trap the enemy, even using our strategies for artificially extending your battle line (though it's harder to do in this list, since we can't take shields on our spearmen).
You want Gorbag to charge two people and Shagrat to charge into two warriors OR double-up with an Orc against a hero of any kind. Gorbag's third Attack is predicated on him fighting outnumbered, which doesn't mean he doesn't have a spearman, but rather that there are at least two enemy models Engaged with him. F5/3A is pretty good for a 60pt hero and he's decent in a fight. Ideally, however, he's fighting warriors and using his Might for Heroic Combats so he can surge ahead on the kill count, granting Shagrat a reliable banner reroll (which might double-stack with an actual banner). Shagrat can then rely on getting +1 To Wound from Animosity to augment the 2-3 helping dice that he gets (one of which also benefits from Animosity). If you're throwing 5-6 dice To Wound, you should be able to crack through most heroes - and with F6-and-Strike, he's decent into a match-up with someone who's already burned some resources.
I'd also try to run two banners if you can. This list doesn't have a problem getting models into it, but it DOES have a problem winning fights on its own. Shelob may not need a banner near her, but both Shagrat and Gorbag probably want a banner to help them out - and any Orcs that don't have an Uruk in the same fight definitely want one. If you can swing two banners in your list (which you should be able to do above 600pts), you should do it.
Finally, be patient with Shelob. Yes, an early kill that results in her threatening a flank is good, but Shelob can be trapped easily and killed surprisingly easily if your opponent is getting double-dice on her and can wound her on better than 6s (S5 or S3-4 with +1 To Wound). She absorbs arrows pretty well (definitely better than anything else in this army), but she needs to keep with some Orcs so she has "Might points and a banner", so don't go sailing off with her alone. If you do get charged and you're sitting on 1 Attack (vs. non-Men/Elves/Dwarves/Hobbits)
Sample Lists
At 500pts, you can get the 41-model list we discussed above: Shagrat, Gorbag, an Orc Captain, a banner, 15 Mordor Uruk-Hai (a few have two-handed weapons because we had the points), and a host of Orcs:
That's a lot of guys at 500pts - and no, Gorgoroth, I don't own that many spear guys. :) At 650pts, you definitely want Shelob for the tactical advantages she brings, but you can also get a second banner and finish filling the Orc Captain's warband:
When you push to 800pts, you'd think you're "just adding guys" - and in a way, we are. The addition of the Shaman, however, makes it so that our Orcs become just a bit more reliable into Terror/Stand Fast situations - and we hit a very impressive 58 models!
Conclusion
This list is pretty limited in profiles (and seriously undercut on some options), but it's super fun to play and has a few tricks that make the list feel really good. The profiles it has are fine and there are definitely ways to beat it up, but the bones of the list are good and the models are pretty easy to come by (if you convert your Mordor Uruk-Hai from Uruk-Hai Scouts OR if you don't try to spam them). In our next post, we're tackling the "Troll list" with the Black Gate Opens. I've had a lot of fun with this list over the years and have some thoughts on its newest iteration in the game. Find out if this list has gotten any better next time - and until then, happy hobbying!
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