Seeing Red - Part 2a

"I don't know if the Road has ever been measured in miles beyond the Forsaken Inn, a day's journey east of Bree," [said] Strider.

Firstly, apologies for the long absence of any new posts here.

In my last post I was musing about the feasibility of using a themed red alliance army in a competitive environment. Over the last couple of weeks I've been pondering on this question and have come up with a couple of 750 point armies to play test. So here is the first of them:

Siege of the Forsaken Inn

Gandalf

Arathorn
6 Dunedain

Dwarf King
4 Khazad Guard
7 Dwarf warriors with shield
1 Dwarf warrior with shield and banner

Dwarf Captain
7 Dwarf rangers with bow
1 Dwarf ranger

In the last edition one of my favourite armies was an alliance between Gandalf, the Grey Company and Durin's Folk. The inspiration for this alliance came from the Ruin of Arnor sourcebook. Thematically, the list was based on a travelling Dwarf Lord and his retinue defending the Forsaken Inn with the support of the Arathorn and his kinsmen and the wandering grey wizard. The changes to the alliance rules and the Rangers army list meant that I shelved the army indefinitely.

Game wise the dwarves provide a solid core of infantry that can grind away at their foes, while the Rangers provide a might heavy shooting platform that isn't afraid to get stuck in when the battle lines clash to tip the balance in your favour. Gandalf provides a measure of control with his magic casting.

The list lacks a stand out combat hero (Arathorn's 3 attacks and Heroic Strike being offset by low defense and Fate), but careful use of Gandalf's magic can help to mitigate that somewhat. This list packs a lot of Might in, although most of it is concentrated with the Rangers, potentially leaving the Dwarves high and dry for crucial Heroic Moves due to the Red Alliance rules.

Forsaken Inn by Andy Hep on Deviant Art