Beginners Events - Podium Reviews

 

This last weekend was a very busy one within the IHL. Not only were several members of the league competing against the best in the world at Ardacon but there was also not one but two one day beginner events. So there's lots to cover as we dive into the an overview of the winning lists from those two events. 

Up first was an 800 point event run by Mike Bradford at Exploding Dice Games in Bangor, Northern Ireland on Saturday. 

3rd Place 

Ben Hanna

Moria 

Durburz 

Goblin drum 

Bat Swarm 

3 X goblin prowlers 

Cave troll with two handed hammer

3 X goblin with shield 

5 X goblin with spears 

Groblog 

Cave troll with two handed hammer 

3 X goblin prowlers 

2 X goblin with shield 

4 X goblin with spears 

1 X warg marauder 

Moria goblin captain 

3 X goblin prowlers 

8 X goblin with bows 

Warg marauder 

Moria goblin captain 

3 X goblin prowlers 

3 X goblin with shields 

4 X goblin warriors with spears  

1 X goblin warrior with spear and shield

Moria goblin shaman 

Up first, in 3rd place was this Moria Goblin horde. If there's one thing that Goblins do well it's bringing lots of models to the board, and this list does just that. However, as well as lots of Goblins this list also features several other useful features; a pair of Trolls bring some heavy hitting power, a Bat Swarm helps combat enemy heroes and some Warg Marauders offer some extra mobility. 

2nd place 

Nicky Forsythe

Defenders of Helms Deep LL

Theoden w/shield

3 Royal guard w/ throwing spear

3 Royal guard

4 Warriors of Rohan w/ Throwing spear and shield 

Gamling w/ royal standard

Aldor

Haleth

6 Warriors of Rohan w/ Throwing spear and shield 

Gimli

4 Warriors of Rohan w/ Throwing spear + shield

1 Warrior of Rohan w/ shield 1 Warrior of Rohan w/bow

4 Galadhirim warriors w/ bow and spear

Legolas w/ armour and elven cloak

8 Galadhirim warriors w/bow and spear

In 2nd place were these valiant Defenders of Helms Deep. Nearly every model in this list carries a ranged weapon, be it a Bow, Elf bow or Throwing Spears. This makes for a very potent threat at range, especially combined with the increased range of the various bows that the Legion bonus provides. This means that this army should be able to outshoot most opponents. 

1st place 

Peter McFetridge

Goblin Town and Azog's Hunters Alliance

Goblin King (Leader)

Gollum

16 Goblins

Grinnah

12 Goblins

Goblin Town Captain

12 Goblins

Mercenary Captain

12 Goblin Mercenaries 

Azog on White Warg

Hunter Orc with banner

2 Hunter Orcs with bow

3 Fell Wargs

Coming out on top was this alliance of Goblin Town and Azogs Hunters. Goblin Town bring high numbers, which are very useful in many of the missions as well as Gollum, who is a threat to any hero thanks to the Ring. The Goblin King makes for a great Leader who is difficult to take down due to his Blubbery Mass and also means that Azog is free to do what Azog does best (killing stuff) without fear of surrendering Leader VPs if things go south. 

And secondly was a 500 point event held at Underworld Gaming in Dublin on Sunday, run by Dave Murphy. 

3rd Place 

Stephen Fay 

The Fiefdoms

Warband One:

Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth on Armoured Horse with Lance (Leader) 

2 Axemen of Lossarnach

2 Knights of Dol Amroth on Armoured Horses with Lances

2 Knights of Dol Amroth

Warband Two:

Duinhir

5 Blackroot Vale Archers with Spears

Warband Three:

Forlong the Fat

1 Axeman of Lossarnach

2 Knights of Dol Amroth on Armoured Horses with Lances

2 Knights of Dol Amroth

In 3rd place were the Fiefdoms of Gondor commanded by Imrahil. One of the big bonuses for the Fiefdoms is the ability for their Heroes to stack overlapping buffs on their troops. Here, Imrahil and Forlong both buff the combat potential of the list with banner rerolls, Fight Value bonuses and bonuses to wound rolls. Meanwhile, Duinhir makes the Blackroot Vale Archers deadly at range with the possibility of rerolls on both to hit and to wound rolls.

2nd place 

Luke Revell

Kingdom of Khazad-Dum

Warband One:

Durin (Leader)

10 Hearthguards

1 Dwarf Warrior with banner and shield

Warband Two:

Dwarf Captain with two-handed axe

6 Dwarf Warriors with shields

6 Dwarf Warriors with Dwarf bows

Taking 2nd place here was Durin and the Kingdom of Khazad Dum. Durin is a very sturdy leader with his incredibly high Defence making him difficult to kill and he also packs a punch with his Master-forged Axe. He also unlocks the Hearthguard upgrade for the Khazad Guard, massively increasing their damage output by making them Burly and hence allowing them to make full use of their 2-handed axes without penalty. 

1st place 

Samuel Fay 

Army of Gothmog

Gothmog on Warg with shield

6 Morannon Orcs with shields

3 Morannon Orcs with spears and shields

3 Morannon Orcs with spears

1 Mordor Troll

Gothmog's Enforcer

6 Morannon Orcs with shields

3 Morannon Orcs with spears and shields

2 Morannon Orcs with shields

1 Mordor Orc Warrior

And winning this event was an Army of Gothmog list. Morannon Orcs are a very efficient choice of Warriors due to them hitting both S4 and D6 making them both hard hitting and durable, a very good combination. Here we have a solid number of those Morannon ably supported by a Mordor Troll who offers a potent threat to both Warriors and the types of Hero expected at this points level. Speaking of Heroes, Gothmog makes a very capable leader at this level with Master of Battle and his Enforcer making the most of his Might points. 

So there we are. Congratulations to all the winners and I hope everyone had a fun time and will be back to more events in the near future. And thanks to Michael and Dave for organising these 2 events. 

A Glance into Galadriel's Mirror - MESBG Preview Review

“Praise from the praise-worthy is beyond all rewards.” Faramir

So last Sunday we got to see the much anticipated Games Workshop ME:SBG Preview Event and it has been generating a lot of discussion across social media. And so I thought why shouldn't I throw my opinions into the mix?

Firstly, most of my predictions from my last article were wrong, although the usual Sunday Preview on Warhammer Community somewhat saved my blushes by announcing the preorders for Orophin and Rumil this weekend. What we did get announced instead was a new Battle of Osgiliath starter box (including 5 new plastic hero models and new terrain), 4 Battlehost boxes, a new Forgeworld Glorfindel and Guards of the Galadrim Court and a new plastic Elrond model.

Onto my thoughts and firstly, most of the new models look fantastic. In my opinion Glorfindel was definitely the pick of the bunch, he looks stunning (and I'm not normally an Elf fan*). Elrond and his banner bearer also looked good, as well as the new Faramir and his Ranger pals. I was already a big fan of Faramir, so he will definitely be on the to get list in short order.  However, the Galadrim Guard I found just a little bit uninspiring and question why they should have been on the list for new sculpts when other models are crying out for them. Gothmog I'm still undecided on, the foot model looks alright but the proportions on the warg just seemed a little off (too much shoulder and too short in the neck, but that might be a camera angle problem, so I'll reserve judgement on that for now).

One of the more exciting things in my opinion is the new, modular Osgiliath ruins that come in the new starter box. New terrain is always great and these ruins look great. I'm looking forward to seeing what people achieve with these both in Osgiliath themed boards and more generic ruins ranging from Fornost to Umbar. Terrain is such a crucial part in the game that including it in the starter box is a great step by GW to help new players jumping straight into playing.

One of the big points that's been made on social media is that this announcement is that it'll be great for encouraging new players into the game thanks to the new starter box and the Battlehost boxes making it easier to start an army. If it does help to grow the fanbase then that's fantastic; more players = more sales = more investment from Games Workshop. However, I have a couple of niggles with this as well. Number 1, none of the boxes allow you to field a Matched Play legal army straight out of the box, so you couldn't just buy a box and be ready to play any pick-up games. And number 2, one of the critisisms I've heard from people who might be interested in trying the game is that the models are so old and that is putting them off. Unfortunately, this release won't solve that issue, but here's hoping it will entice some new players into the game.

The only aspect of this Preview I saw as a big negative was the complete lack of anything really new. Everything was either resculpts of existing characters or repackaging of existing sprues. This has been the main criticism I've heard from existing fans, who probably already have extensive collections. Personally I already have a large Minas Tirith army and I really don't need anymore Warriors of Minas Tirith, Rangers or Knights and I have all the existing models for the Heroes getting new sculpts, so I probably don't need any of those releases. I would have preferred to see at least something new that will advance the game, be it a model with a new profile or a confirmation of the next supplement. Instead, the best we got was an updated rulebook including the FAQs and Erratas, which will be useful for all players by eliminating the need the flip back and forth between the rulebook and the FAQ (at least until the next round of FAQs is released a few months later). One can only hope that the sight of Gil-galad's sigal upon the elven banner is a hint of things to come.

So overall, in my opinion, although I don't think this Preview quite lived up to the hype it promised beforehand I'm generally fairly happy with the announcements and the general direction of the ME:SBG team.



*Faithless woodland sprites

Looking into Galadriel's Mirror - Predictions for the ME:SBG Preview

"What you will see, if you leave the Mirror free to work, I cannot tell. For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which is it that he sees, even the wisest cannot always tell."

Games Workshop announced last weekend that this Sunday they would be holding an online Middle Earth SBG Preview. This has naturally led to a lot of excitement within the community and plenty of speculation about what may be revealed. So I thought it might be fun to join in with my own guesses.

Firstly, I think we'll get a release date of next weekend for the new Orophin and Rumil models from Forgeworld. They were available to buy at the recent Warhammer World Doubles event and therefore cannot be too far away from general release.

Secondly, I think there'll be a big Two Towers theme to this Preview with a Made to Order announced for the 20th anniversary of the film in line with the Fellowship of the Ring one we had recently. This could include sets such as Warg Attack,  Heroes of Helm's Deep, Haldir's Elves (for about the 28th time on MTO*), Merry and Pippin vs Grisnakh, Faramir's Rangers, Uruk-Hai Battering Ram etc.

I think we'll also see the model for Beechbone finally, again in line with a Two Towers theme. This guy has been waiting well over 2 years now for a model (since War in Rohan and a Two Towers themed Preview would be perfect opportunity.

And lastly on the Two Towers theme I think we might see a Helm's Deep terrain piece. This could either be a rerelease of the old Helm's Deep or a new Forgeworld piece,  similar to the Weathertop and Amon Hen ones we've had.

And finally I think the last big announcement will be the next supplement for ME:SBG, which I think will be focusing on the War of the Last Alliance. Focusing on the 2nd Age would allow Games Workshop to capitalise on the hype generated by Amazon's Rings of Power while remaining within the realms of their existing licence and therefore represents on ideal opportunity for Games Workshop. This conflict has huge potential for a large supplement, on a par with Defence of the North and is an era that Games Workshop haven't really explored since the initial creation of the game. This prediction also lines up with the teaser images shown on the Warhammer TV Facebook page this week with both Rivendell (under the leadership of Gil-galad and Elrond) and Lorien (under the command of King Amdir) playing a part in the war against Sauron. I think we'll potentially see one or two models for this supplement such as  Forgeworld Gil-galad and King Amdir models.

Last Alliance on the Slopes of Mount Doom by Oleg Kuzmin

So there's my predictions for tomorrow. Do you think I'm on the money, or what do you think may be revealed?

*I exaggerate, but they do remain a very popular MTO choice. 

Knights of Gondor - Where is the Horse?

"Pippin looked at him: tall and proud and noble, as all the men that he had yet seen in that land; and with a glitter in his eye as he thought of the battle."

Pippin and Beregond by Denis Gordeev

A couple of months ago I introduced my next next army project, the Knights of Gondor. Unfortunately, certain family matters (hopefully now behind us) threw some obstacles in the way of properly getting stuck in, hence the unfortunate delay in any updates. But finally some progress has been made. Hoorah!

And I started painting my cavalry army, not by painting horses, but by painting infantry. Huh?

To date the vast majority of my painting has been focused on infantry. It seems odd to start an all cavalry army by painting more infantry but in the game I'd need them in the unfortunate event that my glorious knights get dismounted and I didn't like the idea of essentially 'finishing' an army only to have to continue painting because I left all the dismounts until the end.

On the Knights and Warriors of Minas Tirith the predominant feature of the models is the heavy armour they are wearing and so that is where I place most of my efforts with painting. In my experience focusing on one or key aspects of the model is a more time efficient way of painting, rather than lavishing the same level of detail on every tiny feature of a model (as Red in Shawshank Redemption reminds us 'I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a mans shoes?')  

Now there's a lot of debate about the type of armour that Gondorians should wear. The clearest description of a Gondorian soldier's armour that I could find in the books was:

'they were surprised to see knights in bright mail and tall guards in silver and black standing there.' Return of the King

Detail from Siege of Gondor by Alan Lee

This states that they were clad in 'bright mail' with no mention of plate armour being found in the text with the sole except of Imrahil's 'bright-burnished vambrace.' This generally fit in with an early medieval level of development that is seen elsewhere in Middle Earth. Peter Jackson, however, opted instet to clad the soldiers of Minas Tirith in heavy plate armour comprising a breast plate, pauldrons and lames, very much in the style of the later 16th century. The advantage of this is that it provides a very clear distinction on screen between the Gondorians and the Rohirrim, who may otherwise have appeared too similar.

German armour from the 2nd half of the 16th century. Just change the helmet and put a tree on the front and it's a near perfect match for the men of Minas Tirith.

In the end, it was that ease of recognition that led me to opt for the Jackson-esque plate armour over the bright mail clad knights from the books because at the end of the day, these are for gaming and it's important  for both players to be able recognize them from several feet away. (Also the Gondorian plate armour looks pretty cool).

When it came to painting the armour I chose to go with the same simple NMM I had used on my Khazad Dum dwarves last year. This was done with a base coat of Administratum Grey, followed by an Agrax Earthshade wash. Then highlighted with Administratum Grey, Celestra Grey and White Scar on progressively smaller areas and always trying to pick out the surfaces that would catch the light. On these Warriors of Minas Tirith I typically went lightest with the highlights on the helmet and the tree on the breast plate to make those areas stand out more clearly.

After a base coat and wash, looking very flat

Getting there with highlights, looking a bit more metallic 

And with the final layers of highlights, finally there.

So there's the beginnings of my all cavalry Gondor army, with not a horse in sight (yet). Maybe we can rectify that in the next update.

Honey, I shrunk the Fellowship

 

Sometime around Christmas last year a close friend came to me and raised the idea of fantasy wargaming in 10mm scale. Now up to now I've only ever played or in 28mm, be it heroic or more true scale, so this would be something very different to what I'm used to. But I'm always up for a challenge, so I started looking at manufacturers of 10mm models and soon discovered a set called Heroes and Halflings that was clearly inspired by the Fellowship of the Ring. And being such a fan of The Lord of the Rings I couldn't possibly pass it up.

Roll forward a few months and I finally got round to finishing painting them. And here they are in all their tiny glory alongside their less tiny selves.

This was a really fun little project to mix up my painting, sometimes a change is as good as a rest as the saying goes. Only trouble is that now I'm seriously tempted to get a bunch of tiny Goblins, a mini Cave Troll and build a pocket sized Balin's Tomb.

Irish Masters 2022 - Army Lists

 

The IHL season rolls onto the Irish Masters tournament this weekend, hosted by Paddy McCormick at Underworld Gaming, Dublin. This is a 6 game, 650 point tournament with 16 players on the attendance list.

Before getting into the lists, taking a quick look at the breakdown we see that Legendary Legions are highly popular with 12 of the 17 total lists being Legions. The impact of the new Defense of the North book can also be seen with 5 armies coming from there. And, continuing the recent trend, Evil outnumbers Good again.

And so onto the lists:

Player Name: David Murphy 

Army: Assault on Lothlorien (LL)  

Warband 1:

Muzgur

1x Mordor Orc Warrior with Banner and Spear 

Warband 2 (Leader):

Druzhag

2x Giant Bat Swarms

2x Venomback Spiders

5x Moria Goblin Warriors with Shields

5x Moria Goblin Warriors with Bows and Spears

1x Moria Goblin Warrior with Spear

Warband 3:

Ashrak 

3x Venomback Spiders 

6x Moria Goblin Warriors with Shields 

4x Moria Goblin Warriors with Bows and Spears

2x Moria Goblin Warriors with Spears

Warband 4:

Moria Goblin Shaman 

6x Moria Goblin Warriors with Shields 

4x Moria Goblin Warriors with Bows and Spears 

2x Moria Goblin Warriors with Spears

Model Count – 47

Up first is the new Assault on Lothlorien Legion which should prove to be interesting to see in action with it's focus on Shamans and the fact that it forces the game to played in darkness.

Player Name: Stephen Devlin  

Army: Riders of Théoden (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Théoden with Heavy Armour, Shield and Armoured Horse

4x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse 

Warband 2:

Eomer with Shield and Armoured Horse and Throwing Spear

3x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse with Throwing Spear

1x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse

Warband 3:

Dernhelm 

2x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse with Throwing Spear

2x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse 

Warband 4:

Gamling on Horse with Rohan Royal Standard 

3x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse 

Model Count – 20

Next we have an old favourite in the Riders of Theoden. High mobility and big hitting power from it's multiple heroes have endured this Legion remains popular.

Player Name: Ivan Sheehan 

Army: Corsairs and Serpent Horde (Green Alliance) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Dalamyr

4x Black Numenoreans

1x Black Numenorean with Banner 

5x Corsair Warriors with Spear

6x Corsair Arbalesters

Warband 2:

Delgamar

5x Black Numenoreans

5x Corsair Warriors with Spear

5x Corsair Arbalesters 

Warband 3:

Raza 

5x Abrakhan Merchant Guard

4x Harad Warriors with Spear and Bow 

2x Haradrim Raiders with Bow and War spear 

Model Count – 45

Here we have a primarily Corsair list bringing a Terror causing front line of Black Numenoreans with plenty of ranged firepower. Supporting them are some hard-hitting Haradrim allies.

Player Name: David Coleman  

Army: Lothlorien 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Galadriel 

5x Galadhrim Warriors with Shields 

1x Galadhrim Warrior with Spear, Shield and Banner 

3x Galadhrim Warriors with Spears and Bow 

1x Wood Elf Sentinel 

4x Guard of the Galadhrim Court 

Warband 2:

Haldir with Armour, Bow and Cloak 

5x Galadhrim Warriors with Shields

4x Galadhrim Warriors with Spears and Bow 

1x Galadhrim Warrior with Spear and Shield 

3x Guard of the Galadhrim Court 

Warband 3:

Captain on Armoured Horse with Shield 

Model Count – 30

Next is the 1st Good sided army in this Lothlorien list. High Fight values across the board, and especially on the Guard of the Galadhrim Court, mean these elves should be winning the majority of their fights.

Player Name: Alex Neaves  

Army: Army of Dale (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

King Brand 

5x Knights of Dale

6x Warriors of Dale with Spear and Shield 

1x Warrior of Dale with Banner, Spear and Shield 

Warband 2:

Prince Bard

5x Knights of Dale

6x Warriors of Dale with Spear and Shield 

Warband 3:

Captain of Dale with Bow and Shield 

12x Warriors of Dale with Bow and Spear 

Model Count – 38

Another new Legion from the Defense of the North. This Legion should offer a powerful shooting threat with it's S3 bows and Legion bonus to Shoot Value.

Player Name: Luke Revell 

Army: Isengard

Warband 1 (Leader):

Lurtz with Shield

5x Uruk-hai Warriors with Shield

8x Uruk-hai Warriors with Pikes

1x Uruk-hai Warrior with Banner, Pike and Shield 

Warband 2:

Vrasku 

12x Uruk-hai Warriors with Crossbows 

Warband 3:

Mauhur 

6x Uruk-hai Marauders with Shield 

5x Isengard Warg Riders with Shields and Throwing Spears

Model Count – 41

Up next is an Isengard force led by Lurtz and featuring a healthy amount of Uruk Hai. 12 crossbows with Vrasku will worry many armies from range and a highly mobile warband led by Mauhur allows this army to react quickly to a situation.

Player Name: Matthew Butler

Army: Return of the King (LL) 

Warband 1 (leader):

Aragorn – Strider with Anduril and Elven Cloak 

2x Warriors of the Dead with Shield and Spear

2x Warriors of the Dead with Shield 

1x Warrior of the Dead with Spear

Warband 2:

The King of the Dead

3x Warriors of the Dead with Shields 

3x Warriors of the Dead with Spears

Warband 3:

Legolas Greenleaf with Armour and Elven Cloak 

Warband 4:

Gimli, Son of Gloin with Elven Cloak 

Model Count – 15

Another ever popular Legion this army brings the hitting power of the Three Hunters and combines it with the staying power of the Army of the Dead.

Player Name: Ben Fitzpatrick 

Army: Pits of Dol Guldur (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Azog on the White Warg

4x Fell Wargs

2x Hunter Orcs with Bows on Fell Wargs

2x Hunter Orcs with Two-handed Picks 

3x Hunter Orcs

4x Gundabad Orcs with Shield and Spear

1x Gundabad Orc with Shield, Spear and Banner

Warband 2:

Hunter Orc Captain on Fell Warg

5x Hunter Orcs 

Warband 3:

Gundabad Orc Captain with Shield

1x Hunter Orc with War Horn 

2x Hunter Orcs with Bows

2x Hunter Orcs 

3x Gundabad Orcs with Shield and Spear 

Model Count – 32

Azog is one of the most formidable leaders available and will be a frightening prospect to face. Here he's supported by a good mix of 2 Attack Hunter Orcs and more durable Gundabad Orcs.

Player Name: Roman Muntean 

Army: Host of the Dragon Emperor (LL)

Warband 1 (Leader):

Dragon Emperor of Rhun 

6x Black Dragons with Shields

11x Black Dragons with Shields and Pikes

1x Black Dragon Kataphract with Drum and axe

Warband 2:

Brorgir the Conjurer 

Warband 3:

Dragon Knight on armoured Horse

3x Black Dragon Kataphracts

Warband 4:

Dragon Knight on armoured Horse

2x Black Dragons with Shield and Axe 

Model Count – 27

There's only really one thing to say about this list and that is that it's got the brand new Dragon Emperor in it. Will be really interesting to see how it performs.

Player Name: Michele Pergoraro  

Army: Riders of Théoden (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Théoden on Armoured Horse, Heavy Armour and Shield 

3x Rohan Royal Guard on Horse with Throwing Spears

2x Riders of Rohan 

Warband 2:

Eomer on armoured Horse with Shield and Throwing Spear

4x Riders of Rohan with Throwing Spears

2x Riders of Rohan 

Warband 3:

Dernhelm with Throwing Spear 

2x Riders of Rohan 

Warband 4:

Gamling on Horse with Rohan Royal Standard 

2x Riders of Rohan 

Model Count – 20

Another Riders of Theoden list. This time trading some Royal Guard for Riders of Rohan but again bringing high mobility and hard hitting heroes.

Player Name: Pearce Condren   

Army: Breaking of the Fellowship (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader): 

Aragorn – Strider with Elven Cloak 

Legolas Greenleaf with Elven Cloak 

Gimli, Son of Gloin with Elven Cloak 

Boromir, Son of Gondor with Elven Cloak and Shield 

Frodo Baggins with Sting, Mithril Coat and Elven Cloak 

Samwise Gamgee with Elven Cloak 

Meriadoc Brandybuck with Elven Cloak 

Peregrin Took with Elven Cloak 

Model Count – 8

There are few more thematic armies in the game than the Fellowship of the Ring. The Breaking of the Fellowship Legion gives each member significant buffs while maintaining that themeyness.

Player Name: Gary Doyle    

Army: Army of Dunland (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Thrydan Wolfsbane with Horse 

2x Dunlending Horsemen 

2x Dunlending Warriors with Shields 

1x Dunlending Warrior with Shield and Banner 

Warband 2:

Gorulf Ironskin 

5x Dunlending Warriors with Shield 

5x Dunlending Huscarls 

Warband 3:

Frida Tallspear

5x Dunlending Warriors with Shield 

5x Dunlending Huscarls

Warband 4:

Dunlending Chieftain with Bow 

12x Dunlending Warriors with Bow 

Model Count – 41

The Army of Dunland brings a lot of high strength warriors to the field led by some decent mid-tier heroes. Thrydan is a solid enough Leader at this level, while Gorolf is excellent at stalling enemy heroes.

Player Name: Peter Fenton  

Army: Assault on Lothlorien (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Muzgur 

5x Orc Warriors with Shield 

5x Orc Warriors with Shield and Spear

Warband 2:

Ashrak 

3x Venomback Spiders

5x Moria Goblin Prowlers 

5x Moria Goblin Warriors with Shield 

2x Warg Marauders

Warband 3:

Druzhag 

8x Moria Goblin Warriors with Bow 

2x Moria Goblin Warriors with Shield 

2x Warg Marauders 

Warband 4:

Wild Warg Chieftain 

Model Count – 41

Another Assault on Lothlorien list. This time with more of a mix of troop types with more Orcs, Prowlers, Warg Marauders and a Wild Warg Chieftain.

Player Name: Dan Ahern   

Army: Angmar 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Witch-King of Angmar on Fell Beast with Crown of Morgul (3/20/3)

4x Angmar Orc Warriors with Shield 

4x Angmar Orc Warriors with Spear

1x Angmar Orc Warrior with Banner and Shield 

1x Dead Marsh Spectre

Warband 2:

The Tainted on Fell Beast 

4x Angmar Orc Warriors with Shield 

4x Angmar Orc Warriors with Spear 

2x Angmar Orc Warriors with Two-handed Weapon

1x Dead Marsh Spectre 

Warband 3:

Barrow-wight 

3x Angmar Orc Warriors with Shield

3x Angmar Orc Warriors with Spear 

Model Count – 30

Another perennially popular choice in the IHL is Angmar. This army features a double Fell Beast threat for some serious hitting power.

Player Name: Matt Hamill    

Army: Angmar 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Barrow-Wight 

6x Angmar Orc Warriors with Shields 

2x Angmar Orc Warriors with Spear 

2x Angmar Orc Warriors with Two-Handed Weapons 

1x Dead Marsh Spectre

Warband 2:

Barrow-Wight 

6x Angmar Orc Warriors with Shields 

2x Angmar Orc Warriors with Spear 

2x Angmar Orc Warriors with Two-Handed Weapons 

1x Dead Marsh Spectre

1x Angmar Orc Warrior with Banner and Shield 

Warband 3:

Wild Warg Chieftain 

9x Wild Wargs 

2x Angmar Warg Riders with Shield and Throwing Spear 

Warband 4:

Angmar Orc Captain on Warg with Shield 

5x Angmar Warg Riders with Shield and Throwing Spear 

Warband 5:

Angmar Orc Captain on Warg with Shield and Throwing Spear 

4x Angmar Orc Warriors with Orc Bows 

And another Angmar army. However, this list takes a very different approach by dropping the big Wraiths in exchange for low level heroes like Captains and Barrow Wights and extra numbers of troops.

Player Name: Micheal Bradford

Army: Assault on Lothlorien

Warband 1 (Leader):

Druzag

5 x Goblin Warriors with Bow and Spear

2 x Goblin Warriors with Spear 

7 x Prowlers

Bat Swarm

Warband 2:

Muzgur

Orc Warrior with Banner

3 x Orc Warriors with Spear

5 x Wild Wargs

Warband 3:

Ashrak

3 x Vemon Back Spiders

6 x Goblin Warriors with Bow and Spear

6 x Prowlers

Warband 4:

Moria Shaman

5 x Goblin Warriors with Bow

4 x Goblin Warriors with Spear

Well the Assault on Lothlorien has certainly made an impression, with this it's 3rd appearance in these lists. It will definitely be interesting to see how they perform.

Player Name: Patrick McCormick (TO & Bye-Buster) 

Army: Army of Dunland (LL) 

Warband 1 (Leader):

Thyrdan Wolfsbane on Horse 

3x Dunlending Warriors with Shield

1x Dunlending Warrior with Banner and Shield 

2x Dunlending Horsemen 

4x Dunlending Huscarls

1x Crebain

Warband 2:

Gorulf Ironskin

3x Dunlending Warriors with Shield 

3x Dunlending Huscarls

3x Dunlending Warriors with Bow 

1x Dunlending Warrior with Banner and Shield 

Warband 3:

Frida Tallspear

3x Dunlending Warriors with Shield 

3x Dunlending Huscarls 

3x Dunlending Warriors with Bow 

Warband 4:

Wildman Oathmaker 

5x Wild Men of Dunland 

Model Count – 39

And finally, the bye buster list is another Army of Dunland. This is similar to the other Dunland army, although it swapped out the Chieftain for the Wildman Oathmaker and some Wildmen to bring some Fearless models to the fray.

So there's all the lists. Only thing now is to see who emerges victorious.