Council of Tallaght - Podium Review

 

Recently the IHL returned from it's Christmas break and held it's first event of 2022 at the Council of Tallaght, hosted at Underworlds Gaming and organized by Dan Ahern. This was an 800 point, 2 day event and was contested by 14 participants. But only 3 could make it to the podium, and here they are.

3rd Place

Patrick McCormick

Iron Hills and Erebor Reclaimed

Warband 1 (Leader):

Dain Iron, Lord of the Iron Hills on War Boar

14x Iron Hill Warriors with Spear and Shield 

1x Iron Hill Warrior with Spear, Shield and Banner

3x Iron Hill Warriors with Crossbows and Spears

Warband 2:

Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain on War Goat with Orcist 

3x Iron Hills Goat Riders

Warband 3:

Bifur the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor

8x Iron Hill Warriors with Spear and Shield

3x Iron Hill Warriors with Crossbows and Spears

In the Bronze medal position was this Iron Hills and Erebor Reclaimed alliance. This basis for this list is a rock solid Dwarven shieldwall comprising of D8 Iron Hills Dwarves and a pair of powerful mounted heroes in Dain and Thorin. Bifur then makes an excellent 3rd hero due to his ability to generate free Heroic Moves, which will help prevent the slow moving Dwarves from getting bogged down with enemies. Although this list could be run as pure Erebor Reclaimed the advantage of using the alliance is that it allows Dain to be a more durable Leader than Thorin, due to his 3 Fate and Fearless rule.

2nd Place

Ivan Sheehan

Ugluks Scouts LL

Warband 1

Ugluk. Leader

5 uruks, shield.

6 uruks, bow. 

1 uruk, banner. 

Warband 2

Mauhur. 

5 uruks, shield. 

6 uruks, bow. 

1 uruk, banner. 

Warband 3

Scout Captain, shield. 

3 uruks, bow. 

Warband 4

Grishnakh, shield. 

10 orcs, shield, spear. 

2 orcs, 2 handed weapon. 

Warband 5

Snaga. 

5 orcs, shield. 

6 orcs, spear. 

1 orc, 2 handed weapon.

Warband 6

Orc Captain, shield. 

2 orcs, spear,shield. 

1 orc, 2 handed weapon. 

In 2nd is Ivan Sheehan's Ugluk's Scouts. This Legendary Legion combines large numbers with quality warriors. Uruk Hai are a very cost effective troops choice due to their stat line of F4 and S4 and here in Ugluk's Scouts they get additional bonuses to mobility and bonuses on wounding rolls. The one thing the Uruks do lack however, is spears, although the pair of banners and Orc spearmen help to mitigate that weakness, although the Orcs will need to get into combat themselves to activate the Legion bonuses on wound rolls.

1st place

Michael Bunting

Mordor and Angmar

Warband 1:

Shadowlord on Horse(Leader) 

7 Black Numenoreans 

8 Morannon Orcs shield and Spear

Banner 

Warband 2:

Task Master 

6 Black Numenoreans 

6 Morannon Orcs shield and Spear

Warband 3:

Great Beast of Gorgoroth

Warband 4:

Gulavhar

And in 1st place was this alliance between Mordor and Angmar. This list is built around the twin threats of a Great Beast of Gorgoroth and Gulavhar. The Great Beasts ability to trample enemies mean that opponents either risk taking large casualties or are forced into moving out of the way of the Beast. Meanwhile, Gulavhar is one of the best killers in the game with his inclusion being well worth the penalties of making the army an Impossible Alliance. Backing up this pair of monsters is a shieldwall of Terror causing Black Numenoreans supported by S4 Morannon Orc spears and the Shadowlord, whose Pall of Darkness helps to protect the pair from taking damage from range.

Congratulations to all the winners and to Patrick McCormick for winning Best Painted Army and David Chambers for taking the Best Painted Single Model award.

And I'll leave you with a few of the photos from the event.

The Nature of Evil

 

'The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he comes from, and if he really was evil at heart. What lies or threats led him on this long march from home, or he would not rather have stayed there... in peace? War will make corpses of us all.'

Middle Earth SBG is a game of 2 sides; on the one side you have the noble defenders of the Free Peoples of Good, and on the other side are the countless hordes of Evil trying to subjugate Middle Earth. Now in my recent playing career I have heavily favoured the forces of Good. They are the Heroes of the story, with fleshed out back stories and motives that extend beyond simply killing for the sake of killing. In comparison, the forces of Sauron are reduced to faceless foes to be killed by the good guys. Too little are their motives explored beyond the fact that they are the bad guys and therefore do bad things. No character development, no background, no chance of redemption. As a result of this I've always found it easier to connect with (and hence preferred to play as) the Good guys.

However, as Faramir reminds us in The Two Towers quote I started with, even the lowliest foot soldier serving Sauron has a back story, has motivations, has hopes and dreams beyond just killing the enemy. Another fascinating exchange between Gorbag and Shagrat from the books perhaps emphasizes this point even better (if maybe a little less famously):

Gorbag and Shagrat by Alan Lee

'Grr! Those Nazgûl give me the creeps. And they skin the body off you as soon as look at you, and leave you all cold in the dark on the other side. But He likes 'em; they're His favourites nowadays, so it's no use grumbling. I tell you, it's no game serving down in the city.'

'You should try being up here with Shelob for company,' said Shagrat.

'I'd like to try somewhere where there's none of 'em. But the war's on now, and when that's over things may be easier.'

'It's going well, they say.'

'They would.' grunted Gorbag. 'We'll see. But anyway, if it does go well, there should be a lot more room. What d'you say? - if we get a chance, you and me'll slip off and set up somewhere on our own with a few trusty lads, somewhere where there's good loot nice and handy, and no big bosses.'

'Ah!' said Shagrat. 'Like old times.''

So that shows that even Orcs have their own personalities and hopes and fears. They are not just the mindless serfs of Sauron I had always taken them for, bent only on destruction. It humanised them. It made them interesting to me again.

And that led me again to reconsider my shunning of the forces of Evil. So for much of the last year I have debated exactly what Evil army I really wanted to create. I wanted to avoid the evil human factions as men represent my most played armies already (outside of Thorin's Company) and I wanted to avoid most of the Hobbit era armies (both for a cost and aesthetic reasons). In the end I decided I wanted to build an Orcish based force with the opportunity to build a story around away from the 'Big Bosses' as Gorbag and Shagrat discussed. I wanted this to feel like more of a rag tag band out in the Wilderland, although not without the possibility of Wargs, Trolls and other evil beings as allies, to keep things interesting.

After many months and many, many half written army lists that didn't quite hit the spot, Games Workshop answered my prayers with the release of Razgûsh. Here was my solution, a Mordor Orc who provides access to the beasts of Mirkwood within his army list as well as opening up the potential alliance options thanks to being a Hero of Valor, freeing up the list building options and hence creating the opportunity to craft my own narrative around the army

The fact that he also hates Elves is just the cherry on top. NEVER trust an Elf.

Razgûsh - Forge World

So, I quickly ordered him on release day, gathered up every Orc in my backlog, planned my future purchases of beasties and am ready to get cracking on with my 2022 army project.

Sacking of Dublin - Podium Review

 

The Sacking of Dublin recently concluded a couple of weeks ago, with Dublin being well and truly sacked with thanks to TO Ivan Sheehan. So that means that it's time to take a closer look at the winning armies. The full list of armies can also be found here.

3rd Place

Luke O Reilly
Serpent Horde and Mordor

Warband One (Leader)
Suladan on armoured horse.
1 Serpent Rider.

Warband Two
Witch-King on Fellbeast with Morgul Crown, 3 Might, 3 Fate & 16 Will.

Warband Three
Shagrat with heavy armour + Shield of Cirith Ungol.
1 Orc Warrior with spear.
5 Black Numenoreans.
5 Morannon Orcs with spears + shields.

Warband Four
Guritz.
5 Black Numenoreans.
5 Morannon Orcs with spears + shields.

Warband Five
Gorbag with shield.
1 Orc Warrior with spear.
5 Black Numenoreans.
5 Morannon Orcs with spears + shields.

38 Models

In 3rd place was this predominantly Mordor army comprising of a Black Numenorean shieldwall with Morannon Orc spear supports. This combination is effective as it provides a F4, D6, Terror causing front line with S4 spear supports to make up for the lack of hitting power of the Black Numenoreans. The Terror wall is further buffed by the -1 Courage aura of the Witch King, who is freed up to play more aggressively due to the fact that he isn't the army Leader because of the introduction of Suladan from the Serpent Horde list.

2nd Place

Gary Doyle
Thorins Company and Army of Lake-Town

Warband 1
Thorins Company
Thorin Oakenshield with Orcrist and The Oakenshield - General
Dwalin the Dwarf
Bifur the Dwarf
Gloin the Dwarf

Army of Lake-Town
Warband 2
Bard the Bowman with Horse and Armour
Sigrid and Tilda
12 Lake-Town Guard with bows

Warband 3
Master of Lake-Town
6 Lake-Town Guard
6 Lake-Town Guard with Spears

Warband 4
Braga, Captain of the Guard
5 Lake-Town Guard
7 Lake-Town Guard with Spears

Warband 5
Alfrid

46 models

In 2nd place was actually my favourite list from the event*. This list combines the hard hitting heroes from Thorin's Company (Thorin, Dwalin and Gloin) with the numbers provided by cheap Lake Town troops. This mitigates each individual army lists weaknesses, giving them the flexibility to succeed in different types of missions. The multiple threats from the 3 Dwarves mentioned and Bard also make it harder to shutdown the list due to target saturation. And a final point to note is the quantity of Might this army can burn through, thanks to free heroics from Bofur, Bard and Braga and extra Might being generated from Alfrid.

1st Place

Mike Bradford
Depths of Moria LL

Warband 1:
(Leader) Balrog
9x Goblin with shield
9x Goblin with spear

Warband 2:
Goblin Captain with shield
3x Goblin with shield
4x Goblin with spear
5x Goblin with bow

Warband 3:
Goblin Captain with shield
Blackshield Drum
2x Blackshield Goblins
3x Goblin with spear
1x Goblin

Warband 4:
Blackshield Shaman
6x Goblin with bow

Warband 5:
Blackshield Shaman
6x Goblin with bow

55 models

And the winner of the event was the Depths of Moria. This is an army that revolves around the Balrog to deal damage and with it's stat line and free Heroic Combats it certainly can do that damage. Added to the fact that the army can't be broken without wounding the Balrog then it is a model that simply can't be ignored and will require significant resources for an opponent to combat. Backing up the Balrog is a horde of Goblins who are great for tying down the enemy and capturing objectives, while the Captains provide Might for Heroic Moves to keep the momentum with the Balrog. And enemy heroes will be nervous around the pair of Blackshield Shamans and their ability to Shatter any wargear, leaving them unarmed, not a position you want to be in when facing a Balrog.

So there's the winning lists. Also, congratulations to Donal Carroll for winning Best Sporting, David Chambers for winning Best Painted Army and David Coleman for winning Best Painted Model. I'll leave you with some photos of the event courtesy of David Murphy (too many Davids)

* What can I say, I see Thorin's Company and I automatically like it.

Sacking of Dublin - Army Lists

 After a bit of a break the Irish Hobbit League swings back into action this weekend with the Sacking of Dublin event. This is a two day, 850 point tournament held at the new Underworld Gaming venue in Dublin.

At 15 players this will be the largest event within the IHL since the pre-covid era. In terms of the overall breakdown Good only slightly edges out Evil by 8-7. On the alliance tally more than half the armies are pure, single faction armies.

Alex Neaves

Return of the King

Warband 1

Aragorn 

rider of the dead 

5 warriors with shield and spear 

5 warriors with shield 

Warband 2

King of the dead 

Rider of the dead 

5 warriors Shield and spear 

5 warriors with shield 

Warband 3

Herald with shield 

7 warriors shield and spear 

3 warriors with shield 

We start off with the ever popular Return of the King Legendary Legion. A very solid defensive line of Warriors of the Dead make it a tough list to crack, while Aragorn does what Aragorn does, chop up the enemy with Anduril and Mighty Hero.

Luke Cunningham

Moria and Isengard

Warband 1

Lurtz : Armour, Shield, Sword, Uruk-hai bow

8 urukhai warriors with shield 

6 urukhai Warriors with pike 

1 urukhai berserker

Warband 2 

Mauhúr

8 urukhai scouts marauders with bow 

3 urukhai Scout marauders with shield 

1 urukhai Scout marauder with banner 

Warband 3

The Balrog, Leader 

Batswarm 

4 goblin Warriors 

Well this is an unexpected combination, a Balrog backed up by Uruk Hai instead of the usual horde of Goblins. The Uruk Hai provide more killing power than Goblins could have offered at the expense of numbers and the Balrog is a frightening Leader to contend with.

Gary Doyle

Thorins Company and Army of Lake-Town

Warband 1

Thorins Company

Thorin Oakenshield with Orcrist and The Oakenshield - General

Dwalin the Dwarf

Bifur the Dwarf

Gloin the Dwarf

Army of Lake-Town

Warband 2

Bard the Bowman with Horse and Armour

Sigrid and Tilda

12 Lake-Town Guard with bows

Warband 3

Master of Lake-Town

6 Lake-Town Guard

6 Lake-Town Guard with Spears

Warband 4

Braga, Captain of the Guard

5 Lake-Town Guard

7 Lake-Town Guard with Spears

Warband 5

Alfrid

It's Thorin's Company, what's not to love? This list combines the punching power of the Dwarven Heroes with the numbers of the men of Lake Town for a very strong list.

Mike Bradford

Depths of Moria LL

Warband 1:

(Leader) Balrog 

9x Goblin with shield 

9x Goblin with spear 

Warband 2:

Goblin Captain with shield 

3x Goblin with shield 

4x Goblin with spear 

5x Goblin with bow 

Warband 3:

Goblin Captain with shield 

Blackshield Drum 

2x Blackshield Goblins 

3x Goblin with spear

1x Goblin 

Warband 4:

Blackshield Shaman 

6x Goblin with bow 

Warband 5:

Blackshield Shaman 

6x Goblin with bow 

We've had one yes, what about second Balrog? This time though he comes with his more traditional Goblin supporting cast. That pair of Blackshield Shamans will be making sure enemy heroes are worried that they're favourite sword might just shatter into a thousand pieces.

David Murphy

Minas Tirith and White Council

Warband One (Leader)

Boromir, Captain of the White Tower on horse with shield + Banner of Minas Tirith

1 Knight of Minas Tirith with shield.

9 Fountain Court Guards with shields and axes.

5 Rangers of Gondor with spears.

Warband Two

Hurin on horse.

1 Knight of Minas Tirith with shield.

9 Fountain Court Guards with shields and axes.

5 Rangers of Gondor with spears.

Warband Three

Madril.

2 Fountain Court Guards with shields and axes.

Warband Four

Galadriel, Lady of Light

This Minas Tirith list brings a lot of Defense 7 to the board with all those Fountain Court Guard although considering they all have axes I wonder how often they'll be Piercing Striking and hence not getting the full benefit of their high defense, it's an interesting option that I've not seen before.

David Coleman

Moria

Warband 1

Durburz, King of Moria (Army Leader)

1 Bat Swarm 

3 Moria Goblin Prowlers 

4 Moria Goblins with Shields 

7 Moria Goblins with Spears & Bows 

Warband 2 

Groblog 

1 Bat Swarm 

3 Moria Goblins with Shield 

3 Moria Goblin Prowlers 

5 Moria Goblins with Spears & Bows 

Warband 3 

Moria Goblin Captain with Shield 

1 Warg Marauder

1 Cave Troll with Hand & Half Hammer 

5 Moria Goblins with Shields 

3 Moria Goblins with Spears 

1 Moria Goblin with Spear & Shield 

Warband 4

Moria Goblin Shaman

3 Moria Goblins with Shields 

3 Moria Goblins with Spears 

Warband 5 

Moria Goblin Captain with Shield 

Warband 6

The Watcher in The Water

Another Moria army, although this time no Balrog. Instead there's The Watcher to provide the main threat with it's ability to appear anywhere and drag enemy models towards it with it's tentacles before slaughtering them in combat with it 6 Attacks.

Luke O Reilly

Serpent Horde and Mordor

Warband One (Leader)

Suladan on armoured horse. 

1 Serpent Rider. 

Warband Two

Witch-King on Fellbeast with Morgul Crown, 3 Might, 3 Fate & 16 Will. 

Warband Three

Shagrat with heavy armour + Shield of Cirith Ungol. 

1 Orc Warrior with spear. 

5 Black Numenoreans. 

5 Morannon Orcs with spears + shields.

Warband Four

Guritz. 

5 Black Numenoreans. 

5 Morannon Orcs with spears + shields.

Warband Five

Gorbag with shield. 

1 Orc Warrior with spear. 

5 Black Numenoreans. 

5 Morannon Orcs with spears + shields. 

The Black Numenorean and Morannon Orc combination has been a mainstay of the Mordor list for a long time, providing a Defense 6, Terror causing front rank with Strength 4 spear supports. The interesting addition to this is the use of Suladan as the army leader, allowing the Witch King to be used far more aggressively without the risk of sacrificing leader VPs.

Jack Scroope

Rivendell

Warband 1

Elrond, heavy armour, horse.

7 elves, bow.

8 elves shield.

1 elf, banner, shield, spear.

Warband 2

Elladan and Elrohir, horses, heavy armour, bows. 

6 rivendell knights. 

Warband 3

Cirdan. 

5 elves, spear, shield. 

Elves are always a popular choice in the IHL thanks in large part to their excellent heroes and superior troops. Here we have a Rivendell list that boasts an impressive amount of shooting thanks to Elrond's rule regarding the Rivendell Knights.

Matt Hamill

Mordor

Warband 1

Goroth    Leader 

5 Morannon Orcs shields

4 Morannon orcs shield & spear 

Morannon Orc Banner shield Spear

Mordor orc shield

Warband 2

Gorbag shield

6 Morannon orcs shield 

4 morannon orcs shield spear

Warband 3

Gurritz

5 Morannon orcs shields 

3 warg riders shield throwing spear

Warband 4

Zagdush 

5 morannon orcs shield

4 morannon orcs shield spear

Warband 5

Kardush the firecaller

4 orc trackers 

Warband 6

Morannon Orc Captain shield  

Warband 7

Ringwraith    2m 12w 2f

This Mordor list is interesting in that it is missing the big names that you usually see, such as any of the named Wraiths. This does mean that there isn't a large target for an opponent to target with magic or their own big Heroes and therefore it's harder to shutdown a key aspect of the list.

Donal Carroll

Kingdom of Moria

Warband 1

Balin (leader) 

1 x Vault Warden Team

2 x Khazad Guard 

2 x Dwarf Warriors w Shield

2 x Dwarf Rangers w Dwarf Longbow & Throwing Weapons

1 x Iron Guard

Warband 2

Floi

1 x Vault Warden Team

2 x Khazad Guard 

2 x Dwarf Warriors w Shield 

2 x Dwarf Rangers w Dwarf Longbow & Throwing Weapons 

1 x Iron Guard

Warband 3

King’s Champion

1 x Khazad Guard 

2 x Dwarf Warriors w Shield

2 x Dwarf Rangers w Dwarf Longbow & Throwing Weapons

1 x Iron Guard 

Warband 4

Gimli

1 x Vault Warden Team

2 x Khazad Guard

2 x Dwarf Warriors w Shield

2 x Dwarf Rangers w Dwarf Longbow & Throwing Weapons

1 x Iron Guard 

Warband 5

Shieldbearer 

These Dwarves bring plenty of high defense models to the table, including 3 Defense 9 Vault Wardens. These should prove hard to get rid of, allowing time for the heroes to provide the killing punch.

Ben Fitzpatrick

Barad Dur 

Warband 1

Leader

The Dark Lord Sauron

10 Black Numenoreans 

5 Orc Warriors With Shield And Spear

4 Orc Warriors With Bow And Spear

1 Orc Warrior With Shield, Spear And Banner

4 Warg Riders With Throwing Spear

Warband 2

Orc Captain With Shield

6 Orc Warriors With Picks And Shield

6 Orc Warriors With Spear

Warband 3

Orc Captain 

5 Orc Warriors With Picks And Shield

5 Orc Warriors With Spear

The Dark Lord himself, not really much more to say. Success with this army will be dependent on the big man, while the rest of the army backs him up and plays the objective game.

Ian Hutchinson

Thranduil's Hall's and Survivors of Lake Town

Warband 1

Thranduil with additional sword, elf cloak and horse

1 Mirkwood Elf

8 Mirkwood Elves with shield

8 Palace Guard with shield and spear

Warband 2

Legolas with elf cloak

4 Mirkwood Cavalry with shield

4 Mirkwood Elves with bow

Warband 3

Gandalf the Grey with horse

9 Lake Town Militia with shield and spear

4 Lake Town Militia with shield

The alliance between the Mirkwood Elves and men of Lake Town helps to offset the weaknesses of either list. The Elves bring elite troops but suffer from a lack of numbers whereas the Men have cheap troops so can bring plenty of numbers but suffer from being of inferior quality.

Luke Revell

Minas Tirith

Warband 1

Boromir, shield

3 Guard of the Fountain Court, shields

5 WoMT bows

5 WoMT shield spear

1 WoMT shield

1 WoMT banner

Warband 2

Gandalf the White

3 Citadel Guard

5 WoMT bows

2 WoMT shield spear

5 WoMT shield

Warband 3

Faramir heavy armour, shield

3 WoMT bows

4 WoMT shield spear

4 WoMT shield

Another Minas Tirith army led by Boromir, although this time comprised mainly of Warriors of Minas Tirith with a smattering of elite troops. Personally I'd have swapped the Warriors with bow for Rangers for the Fight 4 and better shooting, but with plenty of bow shots and Blinding Light from Gandalf this list should win a shooting contest and hence force the opponent to move towards them.

David Chambers 

Isengard

Warband 1

Saruman, Horse

Grima

Uruk-Hai Scout, Shield 

Warband 2

Lurtz

14 Uruk -Hai Scouts, Shield 

Uruk-Hai Scout, Banner

Warband 3

Mauhúr

12 Uruk-Hai marauders, with shield

Warband 4

Vraskú

12 Cross Bows

Uruk Hai are generally a very solid profile thanks to a good Fight and Strength values. Here there are a decent amount of them that will provide a solid battle line, while Saruman provides magical prowess and Vraskú and his crossbows deal a potent ranged threat.

Niall Woods

Erebor Reclaimed. 

Warband 1:

Thorin Oakenshield with Orcist. Leader 

Kili with Bow

Fili with bow

Dwalin 

Bombur

Warband 2:

Dain Ironfoot with boar

Two iron hills dwarfs with banners and spears

13 iron hills dwarfs with spears 

And finally, we have an Erebor Reclaimed list that brings a lot of Dwarven Heroes. This should allow it to hit hard while the natural high Defense of the Dwarves will make it hard to get rid of them.

So there's all the lists, which do you think will prevail and take top spot?

Irish System Open - Army Lists

The Irish Open tournament takes place this coming weekend. This is a 1000 point Good vs Evil event with everyone bringing both a Good and Evil army. So that means that we have a lot of lists to work through here.

Donal Carroll (Bye Buster).

Good List - Thorin's Company (Pure List).

Warband One: 

Thorin with Orcrist + Oakenshield, Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Gandalf the Grey, and Bilbo Baggins with Sting.

Evil List - Gothmog's Army (Legendary Legion).

Warband One:

Gothmog on Warg with shield.

5 Morannon Orcs with shields.

5 Morannon Orcs with shields + spears.

1 Morannon Orc with shield, spear + banner.

Warband Two:

Mordor Orc Shaman.

3 Morannon Orcs with shields.

3 Morannon Orcs with shields + spears.

Warband Three:

Goroth.

4 Morannon Orcs with shields.

4 Morannon Orcs with shields + spears.

1 Mordor Troll.

Warband Four:

Guritz.

4 Morannon Orcs with shields.

4 Morannon Orcs with shields + spears.

1 Mordor Troll with War Drum.

Warband Five:

Zagdush.

4 Morannon Orcs with shields.

4 Morannon Orcs with shields + spears

Firstly, I wholeheartedly approve of this Good list, no possible way of improvement. And the Evil list brings a lot of S4 Morannons Orcs as well as a couple of Trolls so should hit pretty hard.

David Murphy (TO).

Good List - Erebor Reclaimed, Iron Hills and White Council (Convenient Alliance).

Warband One (Leader): 

Saruman the White on horse.

Warband Two: 

Dain Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills on War Boar.

1 Iron Hills Dwarf with spear and banner.

7 Iron Hills Dwarves with crossbows + spears.

10 Iron Hills Dwarves with spears + shields.

Warband Three: 

Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain on War Goat with Orcrist.

1 Iron Hills Goat Rider.

5 Iron Hills Dwarves with spears + shields.

Warband Four: 

Dwalin, Champion of Erebor on War Goat.

5 Iron Hills Dwarves with spears + shields.

Evil List - Azog's Legion, Azog's Hunters and Dark Powers of Dol Guldur (Historical Alliance).

Warband One (Leader):

Azog on the White Warg with heavy armour and the Stone flail.

4 Gundabad Orcs with shields.

8 Gundabad Orcs with shields + spears.

Warband Two:

The Necromancer.

7 Gundabad Orcs with shields.

10 Gundabad Orcs with shields + spears.

1 Gundabad Orc with shield, spear + banner.

Warband Three:

Bolg on Fell Warg.

2 Fell Wargs.

Up next are 2 Hobbit Era armies, both built around hard hitting heroes and strong magic. On the Good side this takes the form of Thorin, Dain and Dwalin backed by Saruman, while on the Evil side there's Azog and Bolg with the Necromancer.

Mike Bradford.

Good List - Minas Tirith, White Council and Thranduil's Halls

Warband One (Leader): 

Aragorn, King Elessar on armoured horse.

18 Fountain Court Guards with shields.

Warband Two: 

Thranduil on horse with heavy armour, extra Elven-made sword and Circlet of Kings.

7 Palace Guards with spears and shields.

3 Palace Guards with shields.

Warband Three:

Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood on horse with Orcrist and Elven cloak.

Warband Four: 

Galadriel, Lady of Light (tramp).

Evil List - Desolator of the North and Isengard (Red Alliance).

Warband One (Leader):

Smaug.

Warband Two:

Saruman on horse

3 Crebain.

1 Uruk-Hai Berserker.

Warband Three:

Grima Wormtongue on horse.

Not really much to say here other than, DRAGON!!!!!

Colleen Bunting.

Good List - Fangorn, Radaghast's Alliance and Misty Mountains.

Warband One (Leader): 

Treebeard.

Warband Two: 

Beechbone.

Warband Three:

Quickbeam.

Warband Four: 

Gwaihir.

Warband Five: 

Radagast on horse.

Warband Six: 

Beorn.

Evil List - Grand Army of the South (Legendary Legion).

Warband One (Leader):

Mumak War Leader.

11 Harad Warriors with bows.

1 Harad Warrior with bow, spear and war horn.

6 Mahud Raiders with war spears and blowpipes.

Warband Two:

Suladan on armoured horse

2 Harad Warriors with bows.

Warband Three:

Mahud King on Camel with war spear and shield.

8 Mahud Raiders with war spears and blowpipes

Next is a monster filled Good army with 3 ENTs, an Eagle and a Giant Bear that will ensure plenty of power. And the Evil side brings a Mumak and several camels that will all inflict damage in the Move Phase as well as the Shooting and Combat Phases.

Michael Bunting.

Good List - Rivendell and White Council.

Warband One (Leader): 

Elrond with heavy armour on horse.

Bilbo Baggins.

5 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows and spears.

5 High Elf Warriors with shields.

Warband Two: 

Gil-galad on horse with shield.

9 Kings Guards with spears and shields.

1 Kings Guard with spear, shield and banner.

Warband Three:

Erestor.

5 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows and spears.

5 High Elf Warriors with shields.

Warband Four: 

Galadriel, Lady of Light 

Evil List - Mordor and Angmar (Red Alliance).

Warband One (Leader):

Gulavhar.

Warband Two:

Shadow Lord on horse.

1 Black Numenorean with war horn.

6 Black Numenoreans.

7 Morannon Orcs with spears and shields.

Warband Three:

Troll Chieftain.

6 Black Numenoreans.

5 Morannon Orcs with spears and shields.

1 Morannon Orc with spear, shield and banner.

Warband Four:

Great Beast of Gorgoroth.

Warband Five:

Shelob.

Next is a pair of Red alliances built around hard hitting heroes. Gil Galad, Elrond and Lady of Light lead the Elven forces while F6 King's Guard are a challenge for enemy heroes. Meanwhile, Gulavhar, a Troll Chieftain, a Great Beast and Shelob will leave the opponent with a tricky decision on who to go after.

Ivan Sheehan.

Good List - Thranduil's Halls and Erebor Reclaimed (Historical Alliance)

Warband One (Leader): 

Thranduil on horse with heavy armour, extra Elven-made sword and Circlet of Kings.

6 Palace Guards with spears and shields.

6 Mirkwood Elves with shields.

1 Mirkwood Elf with banner, glaive and Elf bow.

3 Mirkwood Sentinels.

2 Mirkwood Cavalry with shields.

Warband Two: 

Tauriel with Elf bow.

6 Mirkwood Elves with shields.

6 Mirkwood Elves with glaives and Elf bows

Warband Three:

Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood on horse.

Warband Four: 

Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain on War Goat with Orcrist 

Warband Five: 

Bifur, Champion of Erebor.

Evil List - Angmar (Pure List).

Warband One (Leader):

Witch-King on Fellbeast with Morgul Crown, 3 Might, 3 Fate & 16 Will.

1 Cave Troll with hand-and-a-half hammer.

1 Dead Marsh Spectre.

1 Angmar Orc Warrior with banner.

2 Angmar Orc Warriors with two-handed weapons.

6 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears and Orc bows.

6 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

Warband Two:

The Tainted on horse.

1 Dead Marsh Spectre. 

6 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears and Orc bows.

7 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

Warband Three:

Burdhur.

1 Dead Marsh Spectre.

1 Angmar Orc Warrior with two-handed weapon.

2 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears and Orc bows.

2 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

Warband Four:

Angmar Orc Captain on Warg with shield.

2 Wild Wargs.

1 Angmar Warg Rider with shield.

1 Angmar Warg Rider with shield and throwing spear.

Warband Five:

Barrow Wight.

Warband Six:

Barrow Wight.

Thranduil is an excellent leader of this Good army, offering numerous buffs to nearby troops as well as being a hard hitting force in his own right. And on the Evil side, the pair of Barrow Wights and the Witch King will aim to shut down enemy heroes with their magic to allow their other models time to cause damage to the opposing forces.

Dave Coleman 

Good List - Lothlorien, Rohan and Misty Mountains (Convenient Alliance)

Warband One (Leader): 

Galadriel with her Mirror.

2 Mirkwood Sentinels.

4 Galadhrim Knights with shields.

Warband Two: 

Gwaihir.

Warband Three:

Eomer on armoured horse with shield.

Warband Four: 

Theodred on horse with shield.

Warband Five: 

Dernhelm.

Warband Six: 

Elfhelm on horse.

Warband Seven: 

Deorwine on horse.

Warband Eight: 

Gamling on horse with Rohan Royal Standard.

Evil List - Moria & Angmar (Convenient Alliance)

Warband One (Leader):

Witch-King on Fellbeast with Morgul Crown, 3 Might, 3 Fate & 15 Will.

2 Dead Marsh Spectres.

1 Angmar Orc Warrior with banner.

Warband Two:

Barrow Wight.

Warband Three:

Durburz.

1 Bat Swarm.

7 Moria Goblin Warriors with shields.

5 Moria Goblin Warriors with spears and Orc bows.

2 Moria Goblin Warriors with spears.

Warband Four:

Groblog.

5 Prowlers.

5 Moria Goblin Warriors with spears and Orc bows.

1 Moria Goblin Warrior with spear.

1 Moria Goblin Warrior with shield.

Warband Five:

Druzhag.

1 Bat Swarm 

2 Moria Goblin Warriors with shields.

2 Moria Goblin Warriors with spears.

2 Giant Spiders

Warband Six:

Watcher in the Water.

Dave comes into this event with 2 tournament victories so far, so the pressure is on to keep it up. To that end he has returned to his trusty horse lord's, who served him very well last season, and to Moria who carried him to victory earlier in the year.

Marty Metcalfe.

Good List - Rivendell (Pure List)

Warband One (Leader): 

Gil-galad on with shield.

6 Kings Guards.

6 Kings Guards with Elf bows.

5 Kings Guards with spears and shields.

1 Kings Guard with shield and banner.

Warband Two: 

Elrond with heavy armour on horse.

8 Rivendell Knights with shield.

Warband Three:

Cirdan.

2 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows and spears.

2 High Elf Warriors with spears and shields.

1 High Elf Warrior.

Warband Four: 

High Elf Captain on horse with lance and shield.

Evil List - Isengard (Pure List).

Warband One (Leader):

Saruman on horse.

8 Uruk-Hai Scouts with shields.

4 Uruk-Hai Scouts with Uruk bows.

1 Uruk-Hai Warrior with banner and shield.

Warband Two:

Lurtz with shield.

Uruk-Hai Drummer.

4 Uruk-Hai Berserkers.

3 Uruk-Hai Scouts with shields.

Warband Three:

Mauhur.

8 Marauders with shields.

2 Marauders with Uruk bows.

Warband Four:

Uruk-Hai Shaman with armour.

2 Uruk-Hai Scouts with shields.

4 Uruk-Hai Scouts with Uruk bows.

Warband Five:

Gorulf.

4 Crebain.

Warband Six:

Grima Wormtongue on horse.

Next is another Elf based list on the Good side and a 2nd appearance in this tournament of Gil Galad (with his F6 King's Guard) and Elrond. The Evil list is Isengard with a lot of Uruk Hai. Mauhur's warband brings some fast moving models (especially if combined with the Drum) as well as the 4 Crebain and Saruman is an excellent caster.

Dan Ahern.

Good List - Rivendell, White Council and Fellowship (Convenient Alliance)

Warband One (Leader): 

Elrond with heavy armour on horse.

4 High Elf Warriors with shields.

1 High Elf Warrior with Elf bow.

1 High Elf Warrior with Elf bow and spear.

1 Rivendell Knight with banner and shield.

11 Rivendell Knights with shields.

Warband Two: 

Erestor.

8 High Elf Warriors with shields.

4 High Elf Warriors with Elf bows.

Warband Three:

Galadriel, Lady of Light (tramp).

Warband Four: 

Boromir of Gondor on horse with shield and Elven cloak.

Evil List - Angmar (Pure List).

Warband One (Leader):

Witch-King on Fellbeast with Morgul Crown, Morgul blade, 3 Might, 3 Fate & 15 Will.

1 Dead Marsh Spectre.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with two-handed weapons.

4 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears.

4 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

Warband Two:

The Tainted on Fellbeast.

1 Dead Marsh Spectre. 

1 Cave Troll with hand and a half hammer.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

2 Angmar Orc Warriors with two-handed weapons.

Warband Three:

Gulavhar.

2 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears.

2 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

Warband Four:

Barrow Wight.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields.

Warband Five:

Barrow Wight.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with spears.

3 Angmar Orc Warriors with shields

Yet more Elves, although no F6 this time, although the high mobility and damage output of the Knights should make up for that. And the Evil list is a scary looking Angmar army with double Fell Beasts and Gulavhar able to deal a lot of damage and a pair of Barrow Wights worrying enemy heroes.

Niall Woods

Champions of Erebor

warband 1:

Thorin Oakenshield king under the mountain (Army leader)

Kili

Fili with bow 

Balin

Dwalin 

Bifur

Bofur 

Bombur

Ori

Nori

Dori

Óin 

Gloin

Evil list:

Isengard, assault upon helms deep LL

Warband 1:

Uruk hai captain with shield (Army leader)

18 Uruk hai warriors, 8 with shield, 9 with pike, 1 with banner

Warband 2

Uruk hai captain with shield 

12 Uruk hai warriors, 6 with shield, 6 with pike,

6 Uruk hai beserkers 

Warband 3

Uruk hai shaman with armour

8 Uruk hai warriors 5 with pike 3 with shield 

3 Uruk hai beserkers

1 troll

Warband 4 

Uruk hai balista with superior construction 

Warband 5

Uruk hai balista with superior construction

And finally, the last pair of lists feature an Erebor Reclaimed list that brings all the Champions of Erebor (great theme) so has plenty of damage dealing heroes and an Assault on Helm's Deep Legion with a pair of Ballista, which are great for threatening the enemy from long range.

So there's all the lists, may the best general win.