stitch needs an LotR army for upcoming campaign!

[experiment 626]

well, our store is starting up an LotR campaign in a few weeks time, and our manager has decreed that all the staff shall lead by example an participate! only problem is, i don't have any LotR models built/painted! (yes, staff armies must also be fully painted in order to encourage everyone else to paint theirs...)
so, as i'm a compleat noob at the current LotR system, i need some imput from more experienced players! i know i want to be evil... stitch likes being very evil!

the other thing, i know i want to include some easterlings, but how many and how do they compliment mordor orcs?
also, what should i get in the way of heroes to lead my force??? i want to stay away from the named characters as again, the staff have been challenged to let their own 'generic' heroes evolve over the corse of the campaign... (ie: we're sick of seeing aragorn in every 'good' list or else seeing saruman in every 'evil' list!)

cheers!

[Word Bearer 81007]

i'm not a big lotr gamer but the few games i have played with evil i really like my trolls nothing says evil like towering figures... i likely trolls.

[Templar Mikeel]

I haven't touched any LotR stuff for almost a year, but I have some input. If you want to field Mordor Orcs and Easterlings (note: I do not have LoME), you could ally them to represent the Black Gate army, possibly lead by the Mouth of Sauron, but since you're only using generic heroes you might have to stick with a Mordor Uruk-Hai captain.

[Imperial Commander Gent]

YAY!!!!! Finally a topic I can consider myself an expert in!!!! Ok, so you want to do evil? Wordbearers has a point about trolls in evil armies, they add some SERIOUS punch into the forces that you have available to you. Now, which direction do you want to go in? Are you leaning towards big stuff (like trolls)? hordes of goblins? a dragon sound good to you? Evil Humans? Arabs? What do you want in your evil army? That is probably the best place to start.

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by Imperial Commander Gent

YAY!!!!! Finally a topic I can consider myself an expert in!!!! Ok, so you want to do evil? Wordbearers has a point about trolls in evil armies, they add some SERIOUS punch into the forces that you have available to you. Now, which direction do you want to go in? Are you leaning towards big stuff (like trolls)? hordes of goblins? a dragon sound good to you? Evil Humans? Arabs? What do you want in your evil army? That is probably the best place to start.

well, big stuff is a ways away! at the moment we're looking at the 1st week for the campaign being only about 100'ish pts to represent going from small skirmishes & light patrols upto full-scale engaements & invasions!

how expensive are easterling captains compared to orc captains? perhaps start off with my main easterling captain and a couple of his bodyguards leading a mainly orc force???
would that still give me decent numbers to start with? i know good forces like rohan have fairly cheap choices similar to harad forces. i don't want to be massively outnumbered right from start!

and yes, i plan to add a dragon eventually! convert it up to be nice and estern-like!

cheers!

[Sir James Bloodfang]

I suggest going for a more Easterling Heavy force the troops are more reliable and have better stats. However, Orcs are cheaper so make good arrow fodder.

Make sure and use Mordor Trolls. They are deadly and their terror causing is very useful. As for a hero an Easterling Captain or Mordor Urk-Hai Captain would be best.

[experiment 626]

guess i'll have to convert an easterling captain then?!

i'm strictly forbidden from taking uruk-hai... the last time my warband became unbeatable after only 4 games! (gotta love the thought of a berserker hero!)

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

From what I remember, an easterling Captain runs at 55 points. I would advise that if you take one, that you back him up with only orcs. Orcs are fairly cheap and semi-reliable fighters. I will look for my copy of shadow in the east and give you a basic army list! I will get that for ya in a bit.

Edit: Here is a list for ya

Easterling Captain, Halberd, 55 points
9 Orc Warriors, 2-Handed Weapons

If I remember the points correctly, that is a decent list. 10 models at 100 points with a hero, it should work pretty well.

Another idea,

4 Easterlings, Shield and Spear, 40 points
4 Easterling Warriors, Shields, 32 Points
5 Orc Warriors, 3 Bows, 2 2-handed weapons, 28 points

That list has a small phalanx formation for the easterlings with the orcs with 2 handed weapons there to deal with high Defense models.

At such a small points value, I wouldnt take a hero personally, but its your choice.

[lord marcus]

stich, go to last alliance. com (link included)

http://www.thelastalliance.com/

[Krom_stormbrow]

Delete and post as a pm... that is tantamount to blasphemy. advertising an opposing site. Gah who'd have thought... Lord Marcus a traitor to our numbers...

Only jessing mate, though keep alternate site linking to a minimum

[experiment 626]

thanks gent!

i found out today that the rules have changed a bit... we're starting off at 300pts and working upto an eventual 500pts.

so i figure that later this week i'll buy an LotR hardback rulebook and the shadow in the east suppliment.

i've got a few orcs i can start on right now - maybe even convert up an orc captain! then i'll put in a bits order for the old metal easterlings as i want lots of spears! plus, the metal ones won't break nearly as easily as the new plastic ones.
(we've gone through 4 gandalf's this year alone on our demo table on account of his staff continually breaking!>.< of corse, we need to replace pretty much every spear & bow-armed goblin as well...)

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Well, 300 points changes things! Now you definatley have the points for a captain, now do you still want easterlings backed up by orcs? Or are you thinking of going in a different direction?

[experiment 626]

well, here's what i've quickly hammered out as a possible starting force... please keep in mind i'm doing this from old 'return of the king' rulebook so the pts may or may not be a bit off??!

Lord of the Rings Campaign list;

300pts:

Khalil Fellblade, Easterling Captain w/Easterling halberd & heavy armour
cost; 55pts

Gorefang, Orc Captain w/hand weapon, shield, Warg
cost; 55 pts

8 Easterlings w/hand weapon, spear, shield
cost; 72 pts

4 Orcs w/hand weapon, two-handed weapon.
cost; 20 pts

4 Orcs w/hand weapon, shield
cost; 24 pts

6 Orcs w/hand weapon, orc bow
cost; 24 pts

4 Warg Riders w/hand weapon, throwing spear, shield
cost; 48 pts
should come out to 298pts total.

now a few questions;
a) while i know that gothmog rides a warg, is it an easily feasable thing for a mordor force or is it best left to isengard armies?!

b) would a banner be worth losing a few orcs or an easterling or two or should i stick to more numbers?

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Originally Posted by experiment 626

well, here's what i've quickly hammered out as a possible starting force... please keep in mind i'm doing this from old 'return of the king' rulebook so the pts may or may not be a bit off??!

Lord of the Rings Campaign list;

300pts:

Khalil Fellblade, Easterling Captain w/Easterling halberd & heavy armour
cost; 55pts
I like this guy! He is simple, effective and worth his points!

Gorefang, Orc Captain w/hand weapon, shield, Warg
cost; 55 pts
Good

8 Easterlings w/hand weapon, spear, shield
cost; 80 pts
Points were off here, Easterlings armed with spears can fight 2 ranks deep, so 2 of these guys for every one shield guy is a nice ratio. Makes a powerful phalaynx.

4 Orcs w/hand weapon, two-handed weapon.
cost; 24 pts
Points were off here too

4 Orcs w/hand weapon, shield
cost; 24 pts
I like them to go with the 2-handed weapon guys and create a little flanking force.

6 Orcs w/hand weapon, orc bow
cost; 36 pts
Your points were off here too.

4 Warg Riders w/hand weapon, throwing spear, shield
cost; 60 pts
points were off here
should come out to 298pts total.

now a few questions;
a) while i know that gothmog rides a warg, is it an easily feasable thing for a mordor force or is it best left to isengard armies?!

b) would a banner be worth losing a few orcs or an easterling or two or should i stick to more numbers?

cheers!

334 points total here. I advise dropping the captain on a warg. You dont need 2 captain at such a low points value. Take the extra 20 points in addition to dropping 2 orcs with bows and get an orc with a banner, trust me, it's worth it.

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by Imperial Commander Gent

334 points total here. I advise dropping the captain on a warg. You dont need 2 captain at such a low points value. Take the extra 20 points in addition to dropping 2 orcs with bows and get an orc with a banner, trust me, it's worth it.

thanks mate!

maybe i'll drop a pair of easterlings for now... i know they're better than orcs, but i also like numbers. (i have a habbit of always hitting my guys when i shoot into combat for example!)

the plan was to use the easterlings as my center with the orcs paired either side to protect my flanks. (1 two-handed weapon paired with 1 hand weapon/shield)
the wargs would nip around my opponent's flank and then try to charge him in the rear so tht i could fully surround my enemy and thus gain double hits if i win combat?! i wanted the orc captain on warg simply for the 2 might points so i could call heroic moves and ensure my wargs don't get bogged down themselves!

maybe lose the easterling captain for now then??! i know he's damn good, but then i've been told that the easterlings themselves are no slouches either!
i paid for the shields on all of 'em because;
a) the models have them!
b) it gives me a nice round defense 6 against shooting attacks.
c) i'm lazy and easily confused! (i'd never be able to remember which guys actually have the shields paid for and which don't!>.<)

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Well, I like the idea of losing the captain then and picking up the orc banner by dropping two of those orcs with bows! Hope it works for ya!

[experiment 626]

hmmmm... i might just forgo the banner for the moment. i'll probably drop a couple of easterlings and perhaps a warg rider.

the banner will definately be the very next thing on the list of 'add-ons' though! but i'll likely make it an easterling banner as they're a wee bit more survivable than orcs.

the plan by the time we get upto the full 500pts is to have roughly the following;
- easterling captain
- orc captain on warg
- easterling banner
- 6-9 easterlings w/spears & shields
- 3 easterlings w/shields & swords
- 4-5 warg riders w/throwing spears & shields
- 12 or so orcs w/various weapons
- 4 easterling kataphracts.
and if there's still a few pts left over, some easterlings w/bows

basically i want to use the warg riders for harrassment while the kataphracts do the actual fighting... the orc captain simply provides me with 2 heroic moves to ensure i can keep my cavalry out of any combats untill i choose to.
the solid center of easterlings does all the real work while the orcs act as arrow catchers!

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

I like that plan for the 500 point list, though you have to remember that Easterling Kataphracts, while cool, are still very fragile if they are charged. I do like the idea of the orc captain making sure you get charges where you want them. Keep your easterlings in a phalaynx formation and they will rock hard!

[experiment 626]

thanks again for your help mate!

i'll definately get lucas our store's 'offical staff photographer' to get some pics of all the staff forces as we play through the campaign!

so far i know that lucas himself and likely our assisant manager are going to play dwarves. (i've heard that dwarves are damn near impossible to kill!) no clue yet what force our manager will be taking though it most assuradly will be another evil force! (go evil!!!)
of corse, there's going to be a bunch of elf forces and likely a dol amroth force or 3! a few kids play gondor while the evil forces consist mainly of moria goblins or uruk-hai...
i'm likely going to be the only easterling player which is nice!

cheers!

[Imperial Commander Gent]

Depending on the type of dwarven units, yes, they are VERY hard to kill, but it can still be done!

[experiment 626]

Originally Posted by Imperial Commander Gent

Depending on the type of dwarven units, yes, they are VERY hard to kill, but it can still be done!

i know that lucas will be getting at least one of those giant shield bearers w/long pointy spear! that thing scars me... does the additional defense bonus still count if you charge the shield bearer and his buddy from the rear???

anyways, here's how i envision my final evil host to look as we will also eventually run some legions events in the future;
Heroes;
- Khamul the Easterling
- Khadage the Black, Easterling Captain
w/Hand weapon, Shield, Horse
- Khalil Fellblade, Easterling Captain
w/Easterling halberd
- Kainan, Easterling Captain
w/Easterling halberd

- Gorefang, Orc Captain
w/Hand weapon, Shield, Throwing spears & Warg
- Gragskul, Orc Captain
w/Hand weapon, Orc bow.

The Easterlings;
Phalanx ‘A’:
1x Easterling w/Sword & Banner
2x Easterlings w/Sword & Shield
9x Easterlings w/Sword, Spear & Shield

Phalanx ‘B’:
1x Easterling w/Sword & Banner
2x Easterlings w/Sword & Shield
9x Easterlings w/Sword, Spear & Shield

Phalanx ‘C’:
6x Easterlings w/Sword & Shield
6x Easterlings w/Sword, Spear & Shield

8x Easterling Kataphrakts w/Sword, Shield & Horse.

8x Easterlings w/Sword & Bow
8x Easterlings w/Sword & Bow

The Orcish Hoards;

2x Orc Warriors w/Hand weapon & Banner
12x Orc Warriors w/Hand weapon & Shield
6x Orc Warriors w/Hand weapon, Spear & Shield
6x Orc Warriors w/Hand weapon & Two-handed weapon

5x Warg Riders w/Hand weapon, Throwing spears, Shield & Warg.

8x Orc Warriors w/Hand weapon & Orc bow

- now i haven't yet added up the pts for this, but i'll be picking up the shaodws in the east sourcebook later today. the big rulebook will have to wait untill xmas day though...
i have a feeling though that this lot will be something silly like 1100+pts?!

- i might just add another kataphrakt and run 2 units of 4 'phracks + captain/ 5 'phracks
- i plan to convert khamul to ride a fellbeast obviously! and i'll still likely have a few sword/shield easterlings left to add-in wherever as i'm planning on getting the big $110 easterling box on my next pay-day!
- i have pretty much all the orcs i'll need already thankfully...

cheeers!