Army Building - Aspects of an Army

 When choosing armies, building lists, and choosing scenarios to play, your army composition and how your army was built matters. The amount of times that I’ve seen a Facebook group or Reddit thread littered with people asking for advice on their lists is incredibly high, but also reasonable. Many people don’t know what is a ‘viable’ list, are just using the minis they possess at the time, or just copying players around them that suggested certain things or that they’ve seen other people use online. (will also put here, would very highly recommend the Lonely Knight Army Builder over pen and paper or battle scribe).

This isn’t to imply that everyone is just building lists in order to make something that can win every game. But most people (even the most theme-y of players) probably want something that will at least hold its own on the table to a degree (nobody wants to be wiped out after two turns!).

So, I thought I might give an insight (or at least my insight) into how I go about choosing and building lists, and then how I go about analysing not only my own lists, but those that my opponents bring to the table. 

Choosing a Build

So, the real answer to this is I’m never actually choosing what army I specifically want to play. Although I possess a decent chunk of most evil armies (and a couple of the good ones too), it’s not often I sit there going “oh I haven’t used *insert army* in a while”. More so, the statement is about the style of play. There are so many armies in this brilliant game, and although they are all different and unique they obviously have strengths and weaknesses that overlap. If I want to play a heavy hitting army, then I’ll comb through the different types of models and heroes that allow me to play like that (cavalry, multiple attacks, big heroes, rerolls). If I want to take advantage of movement, I’ll look at armies that can utilise drums, higher movement models, cheap/potentially free/free march, etc. 

Even if you don’t know what style you’re trying to play with, you’ve probably chosen to pick an army or model that you might want to paint or play with for one reason or another. So try and build an army that compliments that! Oh, you have a bunch of Black Numenoreans to paint alongside the new Witch King model? Try out a Terror-heavy list with some Orc spear supports. You really like the look of Thranduil? Time to put him with some Palace Guard and see what happens when things have F5/6/7 and +1 to wound! You have an idea for a cavalry-heavy army? Then maybe bringing along Gothmog for his Master of Battle rule will be helpful for giving yourself as many chances to move first each turn, or Theoden in his namesake Legendary Legion to have access to more Might than you need. 

Analysis

So, you’ve chosen a rough style or build you want to work towards, and you’ve made a list (or perhaps your friend is showing you their own list!). These are usually the things that automatically run through my head to consider, as well as the specifics of what that entails:

1. Movement

• How does the majority of your army compare to the avg 6” movement?

• Do you ignore difficult terrain or other obstacles on the board?

• Do you have cavary (10”) or flyers (12”)

• Do you have access to March (and willing to use the might for it)?

• Do you have a drum?

2. Shooting

• Do you have any shooting? (Number, strength, range, shoot value)

• Do you have Throwing Weapons? (Number, strength, ranger, shoot value).

• Are you an evil army/have Legolas? (and can shoot into combats)

• How do you plan to counter enemy shooting? (have more shooting, stalk unseen, movement to reach them, spell/ability)

3. Numbers

• Where do you sit compared to the rough avg of models for your points level? (5 / 100pts)

• Will you be able to achieve your goals before being broken/quartered and the game ending/do you have strategies to prevent yourself being broken/quartered?

• Do you care if troops die? How many is acceptable?

4. Combat

• Which of the following is a strength of your army in combat: Numbers, Killing Power, Defence (likely 1-2 of these)

• How badly do you want/need to get into combat to win/have a better chance of winning?

5. Magic

• Are you bring any magic at all? If yes, is it just a shaman? How much are you relying on magic?

• How much Will/methods of resisting do you have to counter enemy magic?

6. Courage and Terror

• What is the average courage of your troops?

• Do you have any high courage troops? (5+)

• Bodyguard or similar courage bypasses?

• Are you relying on (or can you rely on) Stand Fast from Heroes? What is the chance they will be in combat and therefore tagged?

• Are you going to utilise Terror?

• How willing are you to go deep into the endgame?

7. Heroes

• Are you relying on your heroes? 

• What do they provide? (Buffs, killing power, might)

• How do you intend on dealing with enemy heroes? What sort of heroes would be the “worst case scenario”

Ok look, before you say anything, yes, it's a lot. Am I expecting people (or even myself) to do this every time with every list ever? No, of course not. But when you’re trying to understand lists and what makes them tick, and what will throw a spanner in the works you have to consider it on this level. By summarising these aspects of an army on a 5 point scale, it's possible to unpack how the list works and what it wants to achieve. 

1 = Very poor

2 = Below average

3 = Average 

4 = Above average

5 = Very Good

For an example, let's look at the following 650 point Isengard lis and fully unpack it:

Saruman the White on Horse

Grima Wormtongue on Horse

3 x Uruk Hai Warriors with Shield

5 x Uruk hai Warriors with Pike

4 x Uruk Hai Warriors with Crossbow

2 x Uruk Hai Berserkers

1 x Crebain

Lurtz with Shield

2 x Uruk Hai Warriors with Shield

6 x Uruk Hai Warriors with Pike

4 x Uruk Hai Warriors with Crossbow

1 x Uruk Hai Warrior with Banner, Shield and Pike

1 x Uruk Hai Berserker

32 Models, 6 Might, 8 Crossbows

Movement = 3

• The army consistently moves 6”

• Has a Crebain (flyer, 12”)

• Has March, but on a Hero that probably doesn’t want to spend Might doing it.

• Only cavalry is on heroes (and both don't want to be in combat)

• Lurtz gains Woodland Creature via the Army Bonus

Shooting = 4

• 8 x Crossbows, 24”, Str 4, 4+ shoot value

• 1 x Hero with Ranged Weapon, 18”, Str 3, 3+ shoot value.

• Can shoot into combat 

• Expected to usually have better shooting than the opponent

• Crebain cancels enemy elven cloaks within 12”

Numbers = 3

• Dead average number of models (32 models vs average of 32.5)

• Doesn’t want many troops to die as they protect Saruman.

• Doesn’t mind the game going long since Saruman will be continuously draining their resources.

Combat = 3

• Killing Power primarily the strength in combat (3 ranks of Str 4 troops). 

• A handful of Def 6 Uruks to hold up vs Str 3 troops. 

• Numbers come into effect when in a choke point with a pike block assembled.

• Doesn’t necessarily want or need to get into combat because of the ranged threat but puts out good damage once there (doesn't want to face Def 7/ Fight 5)

Magic = 4

• Saruman one of the best casters in the game (rerolls, free will, great casting values and range, great spells). Only threatened by other big casters (Witch King, Sauron)

• Lurtz and Grima have a combined 1 Will (with Grima being targetable by magic even before being revealed) so vulnerable to the majority of enemy casters.

Courage and Terror = 4

• Courage 3 army, with 3 Courage 7 Berzerkers sprinkled in

• Amount of Crossbows should force most armies to come engage it rather than wait for the Uruks to attempt to charge.

• Saruman can give himself Terror every game if necessary (2+ to cast, free dice each turn, free reroll to cast)

• The army does not take courage tests for being broken until 66% have been removed as casualties (except for the crebain.)

• Saruman has a 12” Stand Fast, is a Hero of Legend (First auto-passes) on a Courage 7 hero, and can also affect heroes (particularly useful for Grima!)

Heroes = 4

• Saruman is the obvious centrepiece to the list. Can consistently shut down an enemy hero every single turn and knock models off of their horses essentially automatically. 

• Lurtz is a solid fighting option for the army, either to chop through D5 troops or try and go for trapped D7 heroes.

• Grima is incredibly useful. Makes up for lack of might in the list and makes Heroes with just 1 might useless near him. If trapped in by enemy models Saruman has the range to compel them away for Grima to join in right near the heroes. Can block enemy bows as well, thus giving the Uruks the shooting advantage even more so.

• Models which get Free heroic actions (Helm, Elendil) rather than free Might Points (Aragorn, Bolg with 10 kills) are far better against this list since Grima cannot influence them. Additionally, models with large Will stores and resistance that outclass Lurtz are very scary for the list to take on (Elendil, Glorfindel, Balrog, Watcher in the Water). Only thing Saruman can realistically do is knock them off of their horse where applicable to slow down their killing spree. 

Score = 25

So overall, the list is actually quite good. It performs at average or above in all categories, and obviously depending on the matchup this could definitely increase (Magic and Courage and Terror probably become 5s if there are no enemy casters or Terror in the opposition). In most variations of the list if you attempted to push one of the ‘3’s to a 4, it will probably have an adverse effect on another area. (E.g. Attempting to increase Movement with another Hero with March (so Lurtz can keep his for calling Strike) or a Drum will decrease the number of models below 30, possibly dropping Numbers to a 2. Likewise, trying to boost their Combat prowess with more Berzerkers  will cause the same problem. If you attempt to increase numbers by dropping Berzerkers or the Crebain to get more Uruks (or even Orcs) will negatively influence their Movement, Shooting and Courage and Terror. 

As a quick point of reference, let's look at a vastly different list (750 pts) that I found on Reddit:

Shagrat with Shield of Cirith Ungol and Armour

1 x Morannon with Banner and Shield

7 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

6 x Morannon Orcs with Spear

Goroth

5 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

6 x Morannon Orcs with Spear

1 x Morannon Orc with Banner and Shield

Zagdush

5 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

6 x Morannon Orcs with Spear

1 x Orc Warrior with Spear

Grishnakh with Shield

5 x Morannon Orcs with Shield 

6 x Morannon Orcs with Spear

Movement = 2

• Lots of Might to call a March, but nobody to call it with! No drum either although it’s definitely an option. Only thing going for it is that it isn't slower than 6”, but with zero cavalry its nearly a 1

Shooting = 2

• At least most of the troops and Heroes are D6, but any enemy armies with Str 3 bows or Throwing Weapons will love going into the back row of D5. 

• Does not possess a single shot of its own, even when trackers are 5 points a pop.

Numbers = 4

• 53 models? At 750 points (avg models is 37.5~)? And they’re Morannons? Ok, that’s really good. Probably still worth dropping a couple of those to get shields on everyone, but purely looking at bases on the board that is a good shout for a 5.

Combat = 4

• Has awesome numbers, solid Defence (at least in the frontline) and Str 4 everywhere, plus a decent array of Heroes who want to get stuck in. 

• F3 max on troops, F4-5 Heroes

Magic = 2

• When your biggest hero has just 3 Will (the rest with 1) and you’re relying on him so much to put in work against enemy heroes, this could spell trouble. 

Courage = 1

• Courage 2 troops across the board, C4-5 heroes. Breaking is a scary thing for this army (although the Army Bonus will likely be in effect which does help). Likewise, enemy Terror (topped with Harbinger) is a roadblock that lessens the numbers advantage massively.

Heroes = 3

• Some solid Heroes in Goroth and Shagrat who can really put out the hurt. Grishnakh and Zagdush being only F4 really relegates them to Heroic Move batteries against just regular F4 armies, not to mention F5 which seems to be going around so much lately anyway!

• Against a horde they are wonderful, but as soon as someone puts down a big hero onto the table its a race against time for them to cut through your troops and heroes before you can try and kill their army and end the game.

Score = 18

 

Obviously there are far worse lists. But at least when we look at a list in this manner it clearly highlights for us the strengths (lots of S4 troops) and weaknesses (Heroes, F3, Terror, Magic, moving fast, shooting). 

Ok, but why am I telling you all this? Are we just here to judge lists and give them stats like it’s a TierZoo video? Well, kind of. But when you take the time to use this as a reflective task upon your own list, it allows you to envision the changes you may need to make. When looking at our second list, there are multiple ways to make the list far more viable. Firstly, turning it into the Army of Gothmog Legendary Legion seems like a good move, which means you’ll be swapping out Shagrat for the namesake orc, and Grishnakh for someone like the Enforcer (for March in the army). Add in even 2-4 orc archers and a drum (or potentially a second banner) and the army immediately becomes far more viable. A Shaman would also go a long way, allowing for your troops to stick around more consistently as well as charge any terror-causing foes (a good move is charging in those orcs already in front of the shaman, then moving the shaman further along the line and moving the orcs who are now within range of Fury.) Furthermore, Shields on every spearmen is incredibly useful, so is worth dropping the few Orcs necessary to achieve that. Let's have a look at the new list incorporating some of these alterations. 

Gothmog with Warg and Shield

5 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

4 x Morannon Orcs with Spear and Shield

1 x Morannon Orc with Banner, Shield and Spear

1 x Orc Warrior with bow

Goroth

5 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

3 x Morannon Orcs with Spear and Shield

1 x Orc Warrior with Bow and Spear

Guritz

4 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

5 x Morannon Orcs with Spear and Shield

Gothmog’s Enforcer

4 x Morannon Orcs with Shield

3 x Morannon Orcs with Spear and Shield

1 x Orc Warrior with Bow and Spear

Orc Shaman with Warg

2 x Orc Warriors with bow

Movement = 3 

Has March via Guritz. Could swap the Enforcer for a drum to get a couple more Orcs in if desired.

Shooting = 3

Has a couple bows to at least half threaten enemy heroes on horses, but can still contribute via their spears. All Morannons are now D6 meaning all Throwing Weapons and elf bows are wounding on 6s as well. 

Numbers = 3

We have lost out on models, dropping 9 from the previous list. This obviously means you cannot be as reckless with the army, and it wants to ideally be within range of Gothmog’s auras. Still, extremely solid to be just above average with 39 D6 troops and 5 Heroes. 

Combat = 4

Still a solid amount of troops, D6 everywhere, more Might at your disposal, Master of Battle to gain extra Moves, Combats and Strikes, and lots of bonuses to wound. Still F3 which is the only thing keeping them from a 5.

Magic = 2

Look, there’s not a heap of stuff in the army that is going to deal with opposition magic, but now there are more targets for the opponent to worry about, and I suppose the Shaman has a chance for a cheeky Transfix too!

Courage = 3

More heroes, and a Shaman being one of them does absolute wonders for a list such as this, especially when their leader is going to be far more likely to be using his Stand Fast consistently instead of being tagged and having it switched off. He’s also a Hero of Legend so the first one is an autopass!

Heroes = 3

Overall, these Heroes are solid and can put out a good punch. Gothmog has his Master of Battle, Goroth is an absolute beater who laughs at the possibility of dying, and Guritz and the Enforcer are solid utility pieces. Obviously none really want to take on big hitters, but they all have a role to play in the army. 

Score = 21

Although being only 3 points higher than the previous list, I would say the difference is actually quite significant. Overall, there are simply far more ways the list can attempt to win their games against a range of different opponents, compared to the previous list’s sentiment of ‘overwhelm with bodies’. If I had to hand either of these lists to an experienced player with the intention of them winning a tourney, I know which would have the best chance of doing so. 

Lets keep the thought experiment going, You decide to take such a list to a game, and you end up against an opponent’s Wood Elf list:

Galadriel

2 Guards of the Galadhrim Court

1 Sentinel 

1 Wood Elf with Banner and Throwing Weapons

2 Wood Elves with Throwing Weapons and spear

1 Wood Elf with Throwing Weapons

1 Wood Elf with elf bow

Haldir, Elf Bow and Elven Cloak

1 Sentinel

2 Wood elf with spear and Throwing Weapons

1 Wood elf with Throwing Weapons

1 Wood elf with elf bow

Wood elf captain, bow and Throwing Weapons 

1 sentinel

1 Wood Elf with spear and Throwing Weapons

2 Wood Elf with Throwing Weapons

1 Wood Elf with elf bow

Gildor Inglorien

4 Noldorin Exiles with Throwing Weapons

4 Noldorin Exiles with spear and Throwing Weapons

4 Noldorin Exiles with elf bow

Assuming you’re seeing it for the first time, let’s keep the analysis brief:

Movement = 4

6” and 8” movement. 

Access to compel and sentinels to move things around.

Heroic March on the Captain 

No Cav

Shooting = 5

Elven cloaks, plenty of bows (including Haldir’s two), and a million Throwing Weapons

Numbers = 3

Standard Numbers for this points level. 

Combat = 2

Obviously heavily relying on the F5-6 to win the fights (because otherwise the D3 will melt to any troop that isn’t a hobbit), and is an elf army so only S3 on troops. 

Magic = 4

Solid, consistent caster in Galadriel, assisted by Gildor as well for multiple threat management options.

Resistance to Magic across the entire army (except Gildor since he is from the Rivendell Army List) won’t come up much, but when it does it’ll usually be extremely annoying for the opponent.

Courage = 5

Can’t really complain about a C5 army with courage 6-7 heroes (one being a hero of legend). Would definitely want the game to go as long as possible to take advantage of this.

Heroes = 3

Obviously the magic is primarily at work to slow down enemy heroes to give time for the elves to shoot out the enemy army, with no offensive threat there. But Gildor and Haldir are still Elven heroes who can threaten other mid-tier heroes. Very close to a 4. 

Score = 26

This is a really strong army, which is focussed on doing one thing: shooting for as long as possible, using their superior movement and March with the Throwing Weapons for maximum effectiveness. 

Without thinking about scenarios and the veto system (we’ll be sure to talk about those in an article soon!), let’s now talk about what we would want to do with our Army of Gothmog to best get at this elf army.

1. Facing a massive shooting supremacy, but only wounding on 6s. Very much worth using March to get right into the face of the list.

2. Be aware of their ability to move full and still throw daggers. Make sure you cordon off escape routes around flanks with a couple warriors who can sit there shielding and holding things in place until everyone else can join in.

3. Heroes outclassed by F5-6 troops and heroes, Gothmog to be primarily calling Heroic Moves to lessen the use of Throwing Weapons, or calling a Strike just to consistently go and win fights against the elves. 

4. Remember, Sentinels and Compel! Keep in mind when holding objectives, as well as the possibility of the models pulled out to be used as a slingshot for Haldir and some elves. (But, FURY will counter the Sentinels)

5. Remember that the elves WANT to spread out, as their courage will keep them around in the late game. Don’t scatter your troops too much just to chase after 4 elves on a flank. 

Although this is a tough army to have to come up against, we’ve now made a brief list of overall strategies, some small tactics to employ, and things to be aware of. 

Let me know what you think about this system, and if you think doing this would lend itself towards building better (or at least more consistent) lists, as well as identifying how to go about facing your opponents lists! 

As hinted, soon we’ll be delved deep into the veto system, primarily understanding what each scenario wants you to do, what type of armies perform best, and how to always pick the best scenario.

See you then!