Fall of the Necromancer: What Models Do You Need?

Good morning gamers,

We're starting our way through the fifth sourcebook released for the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, which is a follow-up to an older sourcebook from a previous edition of the game (also bearing the same name): The Fall of the Necromancer. While the original book was inspired by Elves and Wizards who would have been around during the time of the Necromancer (to include Cirdan and Arwen . . . you know, because THEY would be larking about in Mirkwood during the time of Thorin's epic journey to Erebor), the current rendition follows the storyline of the Hobbit trilogy, including some interesting missions which appeared off-camera but were mentioned in the film franchise.

Photo Credit: Warhammer Community

The book is also critiqued for being VERY thin compared to other sourcebooks of similar pricing - the book is similar in size to the Scouring of the Shire supplement, which is priced a lot less than the other supplements that have been released to date. The other limitations to this sourcebook will be viewed as we go through it, but let's get this out of the way first: this was the first supplement released that featured Armies of the Hobbit models in the scenarios - and while Defence of the North also features some models from the Armies of the Hobbit, Fall of the Necromancer is the only sourcebook to date that contains exclusively Armies of the Hobbit Legendary Legions (there are two in Defence of the North - one of which might be redundant). While we'll be focusing on the scenario side of the house, this sourcebook has released Legions that have been dominant on top tables (both before and after nerfing was done) at a variety of different points levels and is still valuable for both Matched Play enthusiasts and scenario-driven players. Let's dig in!

Part 1: The Founding of Dol Guldur to Lurking in the Shadows

In the first four scenarios, we have quite a few models - they'll form the basis for most of the campaign. While most of the scenarios will involve models from the Armies of the Hobbit, we begin, actually, with a few from the Armies of the Lord of the Rings. Let's see what we need.

Purchase #1: Rohan Command blister (or Rohan Mounted Command blister)

It's funny that, in a book devoted to the Armies of the Hobbit, we start off with some Rohan models. :) While profiles could have been made (even if just for scenario play) for the woodmen of Rhovanion, we are just using nomadic Rohan guys . . . okay, fine.

Personally, I think giving us "Mirkwood Woodsmen" with a basic profile akin to the Bree Villagers we saw in the Scouring of the Shire (and incorporated into our Watchers of the Roads LL last December) would have been great. As it happens, because we only need a Captain of Rohan on foot, you can get either the foot Command blister or the mounted Command blister - whichever you like better (or think you'll use).

Purchase #2: 12 Warriors of Rohan (or the Rohan Battle Host)

Well, look at that - we also need 12 Warriors of Rohan to join our Captain. Funny, in order to get 12 of these guys, we need to get 24 of them. But if we're willing to pay ~$45 for the Warriors of Rohan and ~$50 for the Command blister . . . we could save some cash and use Eomer as our "Woodsman Chieftain" (or paint up one of our extra Warriors of Rohan to look more elite than the others) and 12 Warriors of Rohan and just get the Rohan Battle Host and get some Riders of Rohan for free. Chances are good we'll want a Battle Host if we want to get started in Rohan anyway, so while it's a pricey bit of kit, it's actually a far better value for us than trying to get the exact models we want (though adding the Rohan Mounted Command blister to the Rohan Battle Host is a really good option too).

Since we only need these woodsman for a single scenario, I still think giving us custom profiles for a Woodsman Chieftain and Woodsmen for the scenario (like they did for Bree Villagers) would have been the right call. Just saying . . .

War in Rohan Inspired Lists: The Riders of Eomer LL Revisited

Good morning gamers,

This is our last post in this series on War in Rohan and I've chosen to close it out with a list that I've been running a lot lately: the Riders of Eomer. This Legion is often touted as one of the WORST Legions in the game - right down there with the post-nerf Vanquishers of the Necromancer LL and the ever-avoided Men of the West LL (both of which I happen to really like - what can I say, I love me a good hopeless case). The models we have in War in Rohan to use for this Legion are quite expansive, mostly because there's a whole scenario centered around these guys:

• Eomer, Marshal of the Riddermark on horse with shield (note that none of the War in Rohan scenarios give us access to throwing spears on Eomer)
  
• Gandalf the White on Shadowfax
• Erkenbrand, Captain of Rohan on horse
• Captain of Rohan on horse with shield
• 16 Riders of Rohan
• 8 Riders of Rohan with throwing spears
• 1 Rider of Rohan with banner (because we have the mounted command blister)
  

I'm going to say this right now: for the purposes of this article, I plan to upgrade as many guys as I want to Westfold Redshields even though this upgrade wasn't given to anyone in the scenarios. Why? Because I can - and this list needs a few of those guys, okay? Before we dig into the list, though, let's look at what the critiques of this Legion are - and then look at how I've been running this list at 600 points (and been enjoying my games with them).

Photo Credit: War in Rohan

The first point of contention for most players is that we've lost too many hero and warrior options. Most Legendary Legions pair down the models you have access to - and some of those Legions are incredibly popular and viewed as quite competitive at least at certain points levels (most notably Theodred's Guard, Ugluk's Scouts, Cirith Ungol, and the Assault Upon Helm's Deep). Usually this is because what's left in the Legion gets a big benefit (for example, in Theodred's Guard, you get Sworn Protector/Fearless on everyone, the infantry get Fight in Ranks, and your Riders of Rohan, Rohan Royal Guards, and Captains of Rohan transfer their Arise, Riders of Theoden rule to Theodred). This Legion . . . doesn't really do that. At all. Instead of Strength +1 on the Charge from the normal Rohan army bonus, you get Strength +1 on the Charge when you're within 12" of Eomer (weaker) and a once-per-game ability to have a global -1 penalty to all enemy dueling rolls if Gandalf is in your army (which is pretty good . . . once . . . and if you don't roll poorly on your dueling rolls). These rules just don't seem like enough to justify running the Legion, especially when paired with a second critique: not getting the rules you'd want.

There are two big changes that I'd recommend for this Legion that would take it from obscurity to at least part-way competitive: first, let your Captains/Riders of Rohan transfer their Arise, Riders of the Theoden rule to Eomer. This would give you F4/S4 on the Charge when within 12" of Eomer, which make your cavalry much more of a threat (especially after you've used the Look to the Sun rule). Additionally, Eomer should either be F6 on the charge or have the Arise, Riders of Theoden rule himself (if the Legion transferred this rule to Eomer) so he can be F6. If Eomer hit a little harder (to make up for all the heroes you're missing) and if the cavalry supporting him hit a little harder, this Legion would be much, MUCH better. Alas, we don't have those rules - and of all the Legions we could make Eomer F6 in without breaking the game, THIS is the Legion for it. Oh, and the fact that literally every other list with Riders of Rohan in it can have F4 Riders of Rohan and this one that relies PURELY on them is stuck with F3 Riders of Rohan . . . an utter travesty, I tell you.

But despite all this (and maybe because I like to make things hard for myself and love a good underdog story), I love this Legion - it's fun to run, it's easily underestimated, and it rewards creative play. Oh, and it also plays Rohan the way Rohan used to be played - it's very skirmishy and wants to charge in once and then get out. Oh, and you get Gandalf the White - who I happen to like very much. So how do we take our collection from War in Rohan and turn one of the worst Legions in the game into a game winner? Well, we don't go above 600 points and we do something like this . . .

Fantasy Fellowships: The Erebor Reunion, Part 2b

Good morning gamers,

We're back - my poor broken Fellowship fled Balin's Tomb and is running down some questionable stairs. We're starting pretty battered as you can see:

With a need for five members (including Old Bilbo) to get through the gap at the end, we'll see how quickly our short legs will carry us - let's get into it!

Mission #3: The Dwarrowdelf

We deployed within 6" of the western board edge, putting Dwalin and Dori in front while Gloin and Nori (both of whom were hurting from the last mission) held the rear. Bifur (free Heroic Moves) and Bofur (lots of Might) backed up the leaders, with Gandalf and the Hobbits scrunched in the center with the dogs. We advanced quickly:

Turn 1: only one Goblin shows up . . . great start . . .

I'm going to summarize turns 2-3 very simply - I got priority on the first three rounds, I got off one Strengthen Will on Gandalf (4 Will), I walked down the stairs, and a few Goblins showed up to challenge us (1 warrior, then 2 warriors, then a Captain and a warrior):

Turn 2 - some more Goblins show up . . .

Turn 3 - a Captain and another Goblin shows up . . .

Thoughts on 3D Printing Your Models

Good morning gamers,

Warning: There will be references to Spiders in this post (and a picture below). Mythopoeia, stop reading now - you've been warned!

3D printing has been around for a while now and we here at TMAT have been introduced to 3D printing primarily through Centaur and Red Jacket. Centaur has worked on a variety of printing projects, ranging from D&D miniatures and substitute sculpts for the Middle-Earth range to terrain features of various kinds (both in resin and FDM). 3D printing is not a straightforward art form, though, and in today's post we're going to look at the things 3D printing is good for - and when you should just buy the real thing.

Disclaimer: I'm going to reference a lot of people that are creating/selling things that you can use - and none of them are sponsors of this post. In fact, the links I've provided give me no kick-backs, there's no affiliation/advertising going on - everything you see below are things I've admired, used, or seek to use in the future. Support them if you want - I just wholeheartedly believe in what they're doing!

Why Do We 3D Print Stuff?

3D printing has advanced a lot over the last few years and with STL creators like Loot Studios and Medbury Miniatures (along with a host of other creators on My Mini Factory) creating incredible sculpts to print, printing hobbyists are able to print models now that fit the aesthetic they like. The usual appeal for 3D printing begins with the expense: assuming everything prints right (and you invest the capital in a printer), you usually pay pennies per model for the materials used (resin/filament) instead of dollars per model.

You also gain the control to print as much as you want of the models you want instead of being dependent on model availability. While price can affect how much of something you get, there are rampant cries of models being unavailable in the GW webstore (usually right when you need them for an event). Printing what you want does assume that you or someone else has made the sculpt you want and that you have the right equipment/the material needed/the know-how to actually do it, but on the whole, you have the power to choose. Oh, and you probably need to plan ahead and give yourself enough time to make them all too.

Finally, 3D printing sometimes gives you more dynamic poses for really, really old sculpts (some of which have very flat designs because of how they were cast decades ago). Having an army that pops off the board more is great for the players of the game and if it encourages you to paint/play with the army, so much the better.

War in Rohan Inspired Lists: Khand Revisited

Good morning gamers,

Today we're back to studying one of the most expensive factions in the game - and one of the things that pushed War in Rohan over the edge as the most expensive supplement we've looked at so far: Khand. If we look strictly at the one scenario in the appendices that requires Khandish units, we have the following units to work with:

• 1 Khandish King on Chariot
• 1 Khandish Chieftain on Chariot
• 3 Khandish Charioteers
• 12 Khandish Horsemen
• 18 Khandish Warriors (6 with bows)
  

While I could build a 500-point list with just Khandish units, I opted today to showcase how you can get much of the punch from Khand allied into a more reliable anvil from a different faction. Let's dig in!

The List

Photo Credit: War in Rohan

The tricky thing about War in Rohan for evil alliances is that the only ACTUAL heroes we have in the scenarios are Heroes of Fortitude. Thrydan becomes a Hero of Valour in the Army of Dunland Legendary Legion (see our recent article for info on what that might look like - and check out our review of the Legion for additional details on the list), but he's normally a Hero of Fortitude. Thanks to the way the PURCHASES have to be made for the heroes we need, we actually do have a Hero of Valour from Isengard that we can tap into: Lurtz. Here's the list: