The New Age Is Begun: the Moria Army List

Good morning gamers,

We got a request a few weeks ago (at the time that I'm writing this) to review the Moria army list - and despite how crazy this world is, we listen here at TMAT and I found a slot for the article to fit in. So . . . tell us what you want us to review and we'll see what we can do. :) The Moria army list differs quite a lot from the Depths of Moria list, despite the fact that the core units of both armies are the same. Between rules that are present in each list and each having a different "big monster" (or monsters) in it, you can get a very different experience playing Moria than a "Depths" list. Let's see what causes these differences, shall we?

Moria: Changes for 2025

Profile Selection

This list has all of the GW-named Goblins in it (both Durburz and Druzhag from the Armies of Middle-Earth and Ashrak and Groblog from the Legacies document), all of the generic Goblin heroes (both Moria Goblin Captains/Shamans and Blackshield Captains/Shamans), and all of the big monster heroes from the last edition EXCEPT the Balrog (Dragons, Cave Drakes, and the Watcher in the Water). 

You also have access to most of the old Moria warrior profiles - Moria Goblin Warriors/Prowlers/Drum, Blackshield Warriors/Drum, Warg Marauders, Dwellers in the Dark, and Cave Trolls. These profiles are available to any hero in the list. Druzhag opens up a few other profiles: the big profile that was missing from the list above - Bat Swarms - as well as Fell Wargs and Mirkwood Hunting Spiders (who might actually be useful in this list - more on that below). All in all, unless you really liked Wild Wargs last edition, you have everything you had before - hooray!

Army List Bonuses

There are three special rules for this army list. The easiest one is that friendly Moria Goblin models (warriors and heroes) gain the Mountain Dwellers rule, which is useful for getting through rocky difficult terrain quickly and gives you a reroll on your Jump/Leap/Climb tests (that are already getting a +1 to their result from Cave Dweller). Additionally, the old Moria army bonus of Goblins getting +1 Fight Value if you're fighting someone who would be trapped if they lose is present as well. Finally, if you have Durburz in your list, he can (once per game) pass up moving during his activation to give +2" movement to friendly Goblin models and grant friendly Goblin Models within 6" of him an auto-passing Courage bubble for passing Terror tests (not to stick around if you're broken). This can allow for a rather devastating charge, but does require everyone charging to begin near Durburz (and he can't adjust his position to extend who benefits). All in all, Goblins are getting extra rules - which may or may not make the non-Monster units less appealing.

Profile Adjustments

We have a lot of profiles to view today, many of which we didn't review in the Depths of Moria list (though there will be some familiar faces):

• Durburz got a minor price hike in the new edition to account for a new rule (Callous Leadership), which is a once-per-game ability that grants friendly Goblin models within 6" of him +1 To Wound (but will also need to roll a D6 if they lose any duels and will suffer a wound on the result of a 1). This feels a bit like Delgamar's rule from the Corsairs and it's unclear to me whether you want to pop this early when you have as many units as possible engaged or whether you wait until you've had time to wrap-and-trap. It's definitely best in augmenting damage from Prowlers, but it has the potential to make Moria Goblins just a little bit punchier for one turn. At lower points levels, you probably want this guy - but I don't think his once-per-game abilities (and his static ability of a 12" Stand Fast) make him an auto-include as the points level rises. You might take him as a supporting hitter, but you might instead want to save the points for . . .
• Dragons have come down 50pts (200pts base, but 250pts with the obligatory Fly upgrade) and went UP in Fight Value (F8) and gained Dominant (5). With the previous keyword synergies of Terror/Harbinger of Evil (12") and Monstrous Charge/Fly (because the Wings upgrade is obligatory - did I say that already?), these guys are super dangerous. Their previous upgrades have either remained the same or changed slightly: Fly still gives you a 12" move and the Fly special rule (you need this one, okay?), Breathe Fire no longer costs Will points so that's a big improvement, Tough Hide still buffs your Defense and Wounds to 9 instead of 7 which is good but probably not as good as Breathe Fire, and Wyrm Magic still gives you access to three magical powers with a free Will Point to cast each turn (Compel/Transfix on a 3+ is great, Foil Magic on a 4+ is highly situational since there aren't very many Exhaust spells anymore). There's a fifth option (Superior Intellect) which allows the Dragon to auto-pass any Intelligence Tests it needs to take (you already have a 5+ Intelligence, though?) and gives you a Might Point back on a 4+ whenever you spend one (so you'll end up with 1-2 Might points extra during the game). Is that worth 50 points? I don't think so . . . if you prioritize Wings and Fire, I think you're in a great spot.
• Ashrak is . . . really not good in this edition of the game, in my humble opinion. He doesn't let you take Spiders anymore, he can't upgrade Druzhag's spiders to have Venom, he can't turn them Invisible so they can walk through things, AND he can only affect Spiders with his Stand Fast/Heroic Actions . . . honestly, I have no idea what he's supposed to do in your list - and for the same cost, you can get a Captain and a Spider for Druzhag's warband (or 4 more Goblins). Leave him at home, but definitely take . . .
• Druzhag the Beastcaller is essential to making this list work - yes, the army rules are all about the Goblins, but the Goblins on their own aren't going to kill enough to make the game work. They're also not fast enough (even with March) to get where you need to go. Enter Druzhag and his host of non-Goblin Gribblies. We'll talk below about which ones you need, but the short answer of it all is that Druzhag allows you to get fast Beast models that augment the speed of your Goblins and can wrap around a battle line easily in order to trigger the Trapped condition that the Goblins need to get a halfway-decent Fight Value. It will also trigger additional wounding dice and might give some of your models bonuses To Wound. No matter how you build this list, I think you want Druzhag in it before anyone else.
• Groblog is a little more expensive than he was last edition and got a boost to F4 and now has 3 Fate points. The Mithril Crown (which has done different things during the course of its existence, ranging from a 5+ Fury Save to +1 Fight Value on a 4+) now gives Moria Goblins within 3" of Groblog Dominant (2), which is very useful if you're parked somewhere important. I think the best role for him is to be a quagmire for enemy heroes - D6/2 Wounds/3 Fate with 2-Might-and-Heroic-Defense is pretty darn difficult to cut through, and he's probably got friends nearby to keep him from becoming trapped. If you have the points for another hero after taking a Dragon/Durburz, Druzhag, and Captain or two, consider taking this guy.
• Moria Blackshield Captains are in a MUCH better place this edition, now that two-handed weapons retain their natural-6s when dueling. For 45pts, these guys are still only slightly more expensive than Moria Goblin Captains - and while they have Heroic March, Blackshield Captains want to keep their Might points for winning fights. These guys are very cheap combat pieces and if you drop one into your army, I don't think that's a bad call.
• Moria Goblin Captains are probably the third most important profile in your list, as you need March to get your Goblins moving up the board. For 40pts each (5pts more than they were last edition), these are still fabulous Heroes of Fortitude with Heroic March - take at least one in your lists.
• Cave Drakes are both in a better place this edition and a worse place this edition. On the one hand, being F7 base (instead of F6) in an era when Heroic Strike only grants +D3 Fight Value is really good - but 150pts in a list that could get a Dragon is going to be hard to come by if the 150pt hero can only lead 6 guys. Some players really like Cave Drakes because you can do a two-for-one of these guys instead of getting a Dragon (or the Balrog in a different list), but I have to say that the mobility from Fly and the ranged lethality of Breathe Fire set the Dragon WAY up in my estimation over these guys. Having the Beast keyword does mean that a Cave Drake can be targeted by Druzhag's Enrage Beast spell, which would make this guy F9/S9/6A/Fearless with Monstrous Charge . . . that's pretty terrifying (especially since Enrage Beast doesn't increase your Strength when making Strikes - it just increases your Strength . . . so you'll knock over anything that's S8 and below). There is a weird special rule that these guys picked up that allows them to deal a S4 hit to everyone within 1" of the Cave Drake after it loses a fight and was Trapped . . . which means you could trap your own model in order to try to spam out hits against enemy models . . . an interesting strategy probably exists here, but I think it's a lot riskier than Breathe Fire?!?!?!
• Moria Blackshield Shamans are pretty different than they were last edition - by stats, they're basically unchanged, but they lost Shatter (what everyone took them for) and picked up Collapse Rocks on a 4+ with a 6" range . . . so if you're playing on a rocky board, you can deal a S7 hit and knock someone prone once or twice a game. I'd . . . avoid these guys, personally.
• Moria Goblin Shamans are much more useful in this list than in the Depths of Moria list - Fury is a useful spell and while I don't think you need to use Instill Fear on a 4+ or Transfix on a 5+ to be worth it, you have the option for Transfix if you need a ditch-attempt of stopping someone in their tracks (don't use Instill Fear - it's not worth it). Take one of these guys if you want Fury - or don't if you don't have the points.
• The Watcher in the Water is basically the same as he always was (he added Dominant (6)), 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).  He's arguably the best shenanigan hero in this list - and possibly in the game - so underestimate his sudden arrival at your peril. 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 - but at least in this list, he has access to . . . 
• Bat Swarms are only available in Druzhag's warband and you probably want at least two of them in any list that you bring. They don't look like great targets for Enrage Beast (F3/S5/4A/Fearless with Fly), but since they halve enemy Fight Value, being F3 is good enough to tie F6 foes - and that's actually better than any other beasts we have in the list! With 4 Wounds and impressive mobility with Fly, you can get these guys over enemy lines and really tear a new one into enemy spearmen while your Goblins are rushing the enemy from the front. Have two of these so you can stall out enemy heroes, race to objectives, or trap grunts - they're so useful (though a bit expensive).
• Fell Wargs are swift and with the Beast Keyword, these are your "Druzhag bombs" - 8pt models that can be F5/S6/3A/Fearless and will absolutely die this edition after they burn through something. Is that worth it? Maybe - or maybe you lean into . . .
• Mirkwood Hunting Spiders are definitely worse this edition, with a reduction to F3 and only gaining the Stalk Unseen special rule and a unique rule that basically grants Stalk Unseen if you're partially in a piece of woodland terrain (even if there isn't anything blocking line of sight). While I don't think these guys are as good as they used to be, you can include 1-2 of them to be augmented by Druzhag (they can gain Fury from Ashak, but can't be made invisible by him anymore). Bring a few if you want . . . or don't . . . that's fine. If targeted by Enrage Beast, they'll be F5/S7/4A/Fearless and will only die if they've already taken damage - this is, I think, the only list you'd ever want to bring these guys in.
• Moria Goblin Warriors are unchanged from the last edition, are 5pts per model with a shield, spear, or Orc bow, and are real bad but real cheap . . . and that makes them both good and bad at the same time.
• Moria Goblin Prowlers are a great addition into the list - their base F3 still goes up to F4 when you trap someone, they still have Backstabbers (when you trap someone) 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 any Cave Trolls you choose to bring, contribute to your 1/3 throwing weapon limit), they picked up Stalk Unseen, and they're STILL 7pts each! They're fantastic units and if you can afford to drop 2-4 Goblins, it's well worth it to upgrade 5-10 of your Goblin Warriors to Prowlers.
• Moria Goblin Drums are back and at 75pts each, they provide everything they did in the last edition EXCEPT that now they count for VPs if they're being played at the end of the game! If you can afford one of these, they're fantastic (especially with 4-6 archers to stand within 1" of the drummers so they can pick up the drum sticks should a sniper be picking at your rock stars).
• 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 if you have a drum, but anyone within 6" of a Shaman is already auto-passing courage tests and all of your Moria Goblins are already Courage 7+ if there's a drum "nearby"), and Hatred (Dwarf) . . . so unless you really want to stick it to Dwarves, you should just take the points you would have spent on 15 Moria Blackshield Warriors and pick up 15 Moria Goblin Warriors with shields and a drum (your choice of kind).
• Moria Blackshield Drums are very similar to the Moria Goblin Drum, except that the drum doesn't have a D10/3 Wound profile but can be moved around the board by the Drum Bearer and his Drummer. For the same cost as a Moria Goblin Drum, there's a fine argument to be made that a drum that can be used while it's being moved is better than one that has to be played or moved . . . but I like the other one, personally.
• Warg Marauders are fantastic - but unlike last edition, you have to either stay on the Warg or everyone has to dismount. This may not make that much of a difference - in general, you want these guys all on the Warg to become a high-Attack cavalry piece (F2/S4/4A on the charge). If you want to bring one of these guys instead of some spiders, I wouldn't mind.
• 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). All in all . . . I think you're leaving these guys behind in favor of more Goblins (or the non-Goblin friends of Druzhag, who are more maneuverable and might be buffed to be about as good as these guys are). Sad, I know . . .
• Dwellers in the Dark have always had great offensive stats (F7/S5/3A) with pretty mediocre defensive stats (D5/3 Wounds/ability to restore wounds when they kill people). The additon of Dominant (3) is good, but with an Intelligence that's barely higher than a Cave Troll's (8+), they're mostly relying on Rend to do the work against high-Defense models. Like the Cave Trolls, I feel like these guys are going to struggle in this list, what with Druzhag's friends being more maneuverable and much, MUCH cheaper.

So there you have it - lots of profiles, about half of which you can probably archive away and not use. :) Let's take a look and see what this list is good at and where it's going to struggle a bit . . .

Moria: Strengths and Weaknesses

Any discussion about Moria has to begin by looking at what it's giving you that the Depths of Moria list isn't giving you. To start off with, this list has a TON of fast models. Without dipping into the Legacies document, taking Druzhag gives you access to Bat Swarms, Mirkwood Hunting Spiders, and Fell Wargs, all of which are 10-12" move models (something that you won't find in the Depths of Moria). You also have 12" move on any reasonably-equipped Dragon, which is far better than the 8" non-Flying move that the Balrog has (though I'm personally grateful that he's got 8" move instead of 6" move). Both lists have the incredibly mobile powerhouse known as the Watcher in the Water, but this list appears to be a better fit for the Watcher because you can have Bat Swarms and your Goblins get buffs that exist beyond the once-per-game Drums in the Deep turn (now that it's a once-per-game ability, that is). Add in a Warg Marauder or two and you're positively LOADED with speed options.

Both lists, however, struggle with average Defense on below-Fight-Value units. Part of the charm of playing a Goblin horde is that its units are adorably bad but also blissfully cheap (so you get a lot of them, which allows you to do decently in fights by using the 2-4-8 math principle). If, however, you face an enemy that can match you man-for-man in an area of the board . . . you're probably losing there - even if you have Prowlers mixed in with your other Goblins (or Blackshields). If you lose, you should assume you're dead and be happily surprised if that doesn't happen - and in order to not die, you really need to get Traps so that you can buff your Fight Value and maybe even your wounding difficulty. Speaking of which . . .

This list does a TON of damage against units that it can trap. We'll talk about this in the strategy section, but you should really consider whether spear-supporting is better than wrapping around the enemy so that you get a trap along with the extra die, instead of just getting the extra die. Fighting enemy battle lines can become a lot easier if you have some creatures flying over or whipping around the enemy battle line - and if you get an extra 2" of charge movement from Durburz, your whole ARMY might be flying to whip around your opponent. There's lots of strategy that can be employed with this (more on that next), but understand that traps come first, supporting attacks come second (which is generally a good principle for any army, come to think of it).

This list has a lot of monster options in it, but I think most of the monsters in this list are a trap. This list is going to need Goblins to hold ground and monsters (if it can afford them) to beat the enemy down fast - and most of the monsters in this list don't do that. The greatest problem that Cave Trolls and Dwellers have in this list is that despite being some of the best candidates for benefitting from banners, they can't get banner rerolls on their dice in this list. Yes, if you fight alongside a Goblin or two, those Goblins might get a reroll, but if a hero picks up one of your monsters, he's on his own and will die very quickly if he loses. Monsters like the Cave Drake might have a neat move they can pull against heroes who trap them, but in general, my experience with trapped monsters is that the heroes who do the trapping are big enough to punk them dead in one turn instead of surviving to take a single S4 hit each . . . and even if they flub, they may not care about a S4 hit each. This leaves us with two big monster options: a Dragon and the Watcher in the Water. Both of these monsters are Class A monster choices, but the others are really scraping the lower level of C in the best case scenario.

Finally, this list can be pretty forgiving. Yes, Goblins CAN die in droves (and that's not very forgiving), but the list doesn't have to come out and fight right away. Goblins want to be a little crafty (or just choosy?) in where they begin the fight, but with tools like a Dragon or the Watcher in your list (and someone like a Captain and Druzhag to keep you moving and give you tricks you can play), you have a LOT of options for dealing with enemy threats. If you're careful and look at where you need to be on the board, this list can give you a lot of options and most of those options won't go down quickly if you're careful. Of course, this is Moria . . . one never knows how quickly the tide can turn against you. :)

Okay, let's talk strategies!

Moria: Strategies for the Tabletop

No matter who you choose as your army general, Druzhag is your first inclusion. While there is definitely a universe where you cast Fury with Druzhag, the need for multiple Bats (and possibly Spiders) to auto-pass Courage tests on the same turn is pretty low in most games. Since you get Fearless with Enrage Beast now (and as has been true for ages for Courage, Beasts within 12" of Druzhag can use his Courage/Intelligence stats - so even if they aren't Fearless, they're at least Courage 6+ or 5+, depending on whether you have a drum going), if you only need to pass a Courage test with a single beast model, you're better off saving the 2 Will points to cast/keep Fury going (and probably a Might point to channel it) and instead use them to cast Enrage Beast two more times. Since Enrage Beast is cast on a 3+ and cannot be resisted (targeting friendly models for the win!), I wouldn't bother channelling the spell - I'd just cast it normally and boost a 2 to a 3 if you need to (pity if you get a 1 before your last Will point is thrown). In any reasonable game, you should get 4-5 casts of Enrage Beast off, which will probably be all of the turns you're in combat. Beware the 6" range on this spell, though - it's best used on Bats/Spiders/Wargs that are tucked behind your ranks a bit, but have the ability to jump out and attack the flanks (with Druzhag tucked in neatly behind the lines and out of danger). If you are playing at a very low points level, he's a decent General option too.

When picking Beasts to buff with Enrage Beast, I think all three have their uses - but Bat Swarms are the best. Fell Wargs are the cheapest and also the sneakiest for striking out at someone because of Fell Sight (they can charge units they can't see when they start their move). These 8pt bombs become F5/S6/3A models - which is top-tier level hero status for only 8pts. They're fast and they're good . . . and they will guaranteed die this edition from exhaustion after the turn is over. Mirkwood Hunting Spiders are a bit scarier in some departments with F5/S7/4A with Poisoned Attacks and won't die unless they've already taken a hit. They're a bit more resilient than Wargs (they're also harder to kill on the approach with Stalk Unseen/Silent Hunters . . . and slightly harder to charge with Terror . . . and slightly more maneuverable with Swift Movement), but since you can get 5 Wargs for the cost of 2 Spiders, I can understand if most players will be looking the other way when it comes to these guys.

The big winner this edition, however, is the Bat Swarm - by stats, they do not look good with F3/S5/A4 when compared to the other two (especially not for nearly 2x the cost of a Spider and more than 4x the cost of a Warg), but since Blinding Swarm means these guys have effectively F5-6, they're actually comparable to the other options, won't die unless they take three wounds before the fight begins, have Fly for very flexible movement, AND their effective Fight Value is even higher if they're in the fight with someone else who has a reasonably high Fight Value (like a F6 Watcher/Cave Troll or a F8 Dragon). It's important to note that Heroic Strike this edition isn't as good as it was last edition . . . except when fighting these guys. Heroic Strike now modifies your Fight Value AFTER Fight penalties, so a F6 hero who goes down to F3 can still get up to F6 again . . . but he might not. A F7 hero will go down to F4 and might make it back up to F7 . . . but again, he might not. These guys are truly terrifying when paired with something big (who usually don't have great Courage values in this list), but even if they're raking apart a banner bearer, they can do a lot of damage over a sustained amount of time.

Finally, if possible, get Heroic Combats with your beasts when they're super-charged by Druzhag. I never ran Druzhag with the Balrog and Bat Swarms in the last edition (I liked the Depths of Moria Legion too much back then), but free Heroic Combats with a super-charged Bat could make for a very dead hero followed by a lot of very dead warriors. In this edition, it's a little harder to do that . . . unless you get a Dragon-Bat combo or a Watcher-Bat combo, but you're gonna burn through Might pretty quickly with these guys if you do that. Getting a trap with a Goblin Captain (F4 from the army bonus) or Durburz (F5 from the army bonus) is probably a safer way to go.

Speaking of traps, please remember that in this list in particular, traps win games. We all know that lining up shield walls, smashing them together, and seeing who comes out on top (usually not the Goblins, by the way) is fun. It really is . . . but it's not great in this list. In fact, you're far more likely to succeed in crushing an enemy shieldwall by using our principles for extending your shieldwall and fighting more on the flanks to get traps and defending by shielding in the center than you are to line up and smash the enemy with every fight being supported. Goblins will get 2 dice with likely the lower Fight Value whether they defend by shielding with one guy or support someone with a spear - and unless you have Prowlers who a) can't shield, and b) get +1 To Wound from a two-handed weapon (and maybe more from Trapping an enemy), you really should shield and then wrap around with your spearmen. This can lead to your center breaking, but unlike most armies, this list has 18" range banners with the drums . . . so you might have a nice big gap between your "banner" and the battle line - and maybe some archers looking down the new hole so they can pick up the drum sticks. So yes, wrap around and push for traps.

The next unit we need to talk about is the Dragon - and specifically, what upgrades to take. I've already said that your first upgrade is ALWAYS Fly. It just is - try playing a game with that base without it and you'll see why. A while ago, I played games with a Dragon in every combo of upgrades possible (no upgrades, one upgrade, and two upgrades) and there was a night and day difference between having wings and not having wings. I then took a Dragon list to a tournament we ran and due to the points level, he just had Wings - and while I definitely wanted another upgrade, it worked just fine. 

Your second upgrade is probably Breathe Fire because a) it's cool, b) it doesn't cost you Will anymore (which not only put it on a timer, but also meant it was easier to fail Courage Tests and flee if you took it), c) it's hot (literally - it's fire, after all), d) it gives you range potency that you otherwise wouldn't have, e) it's super iconic for dragons across most lores, and f) it makes your opponent form up their lines differently than they would otherwise. Also, it's awesome - did I mention that one? Breathe Fire is looking good this edition.

It isn't the only choice, though: I don't think Tough Hide is a great choice in this list (and I don't think Superior Intellect is a good choice in any list), but Wyrm Magic has potential in this one. Since this still gives you a free Will point each turn (and the casting difficulties aren't that hard), you can throw a one-die cast at the spell and if it works, you can bring in a big nasty Dragon into the target (Compel someone out of position or Transfix someone you can already reach, keeping in mind that Compel doesn't stop the target from calling Heroics anymore). It's pretty good, though not nearly as devastating or multi-tool as Breathe Fire.

Finally, let's talk monsters and which monster or monsters you should bring. The hero monsters give you some interesting options - Dragons are probably at the top of the pack because of their impressive profile, their powerful fire attack, and the only monster with 3 Might points (with great heroic actions as well). They're also REALLY expensive, costing more than any other monster hero and at least one monster warrior model - but I think in general taking one is going to be worth the investment (at least when the points level reaches 650+ points. The Watcher in the Water is going to come in at 100pts less and I think he's both the clear choice when the points level is below 650pts, but is also an outside pick instead of a Dragon for tactical play at higher points levels. You'd have to play at a pretty high points level to get both a Dragon and the Watcher in the same list, but you could try. Cave Drakes are less expensive than the other two and are harder to maneuver than Dragons and possibly more maneuverable than a Watcher (it depends on where he arrives). These guys pose some very interesting questions to your opponent and are cheap enough that you might be able to buy two of them in your army - but like the Balrog, the size of that base and no Fly option means that once they get locked in, getting out of that area is going to be hard. Personally, I'd stay away from these guys, but if you like them (or if you want two centerpiece models), they're a defensible option.

When it comes to the warrior monsters, I don't think there's much of a place in this list. On the one hand, taking Cave Trolls or Dwellers in the Dark gives you Brutal Power Attacks on the cheap (you can get 2-4 of them for the same cost as the monsters above), but the lack of Might points to make sure that a bad roll goes your way and having no access to banner rerolls means that these guys really do have to be working alongside a Goblin hero or several Goblin grunts in order to get their value. Cave Trolls are slightly better against warriors, I think, because F6 is usually fine and D6 is generally resilient enough, but Dwellers recover wounds when they remove models as casualties - both are probably better served fighting warriors than heroes (as F6-7 is fine against some heroes and absolutely a non-player against others). Given that you probably want a drum of some kind for VP scoring in your list, you're already taking the points that could be invested in a warrior monster and using it for something else . . . the more you do that, the less powerful your hero corps is going to be (or the lower your model count will be). Anyhow, that's one man's opinion.

Okay, let's wrap things up with some lists!

Sample Lists

I honestly don't know how well non-Monster Moria works at 500pts, so I took Druzhag with 2 Bat Swarms and 10 Goblins, a Captain with 12 Goblins, and the Watcher in the Water. The model count is fine-not-great at 27 and we don't have a drum for banner rerolls/VPs/boosted Courage, but we have good mobility, tricks from Druzhag/the Watcher, and enough Goblin bodies to hold the ground (if we dropped the Watcher and added Durburz and a drum, we'd be looking at closer to 40 models, but our only option for dealing with enemy heroes would be to blunt them with Bats/Goblins):

At 650, I still don't have a drum (GASP!) or Durburz (double GASP!) or Prowlers (maybe a gasp?!?!?!) so we could get a Dragon and a pile of Goblins instead of the Watcher - and boy does this guy change the game! He will have to head-hunt enemy banners, but with unlimited Fire now, I think that's possible. If you want Prowlers in the list, you can drop 2 models to upgrade 5 Moria Goblins (maybe in the Dragon's warband?) to Prowlers:

At 750pts, we could add another Captain and a full warband (that might be the best version of this list at 750pts), but we could also swap the Dragon for Durburz, a Drum, a Warg Marauder, and the Watcher in the Water (again), plus buff out our numbers to over 40 models. This list nearly maxes out the warbands, so if you scale up to 800+ points, you're probably looking at adding Groblog, another Captain, or taking the Dragon again:

Conclusion

Hopefully that scratched the itch of the Moria fans - we'll be back next week with another reader-requested post on the Army of Thror. This is one of the most affordable Dwarven lists to collect (certainly from the Armies of the Hobbit book) and has some incredible hero options . . . and yet, this is a list that has really struggled in the new edition. Find out what's holding them back - and why they might be good - next time. Until then, happy hobbying!