Hey hey! I've got myself booked in to my first tournament on the 1st/2nd november. I'm looking for some help deciding on a fun, thematic list that will still be a little competetive. I don't care about winning particularly, but being tabled 6 times wouldn't be any fun.

I've decided to take evil, as I have a bigger collection of evil models, and little money to fund new purchases. To get started, here's my first attempt at a list.

The Black Gate Opens:

Mouth of Sauron, Armoured Horse
5 Morannon Orcs, Shield
5 Morannon Orcs, Spear

Troll Chieftain
5 Morannon Orcs, Shield
5 Morannon Orcs, Spear

Orc Shaman
6 Mordor Orcs, Shield (axes)
6 Mordor Orcs, Spears (axes)

Easterling Captain, Easterling Halberd
2 Easterling Black Dragons, Shield
3 Easterling Black Dragons, Shield, Pike
Total: 600 points

I've got a few other ideas, but I like this list for the theme. Its should outnumber all but the most hordey of forces. I know the troll chief will be the enemies priority which i plan to use to my advantage. The morannons provide strength, the mordor orcs provide numbers and the easterlings provide a bit of pike based f4 to the army.

As for stuff i own, all of the above, plus most of the named orc heroes, about another 20 orcs with various weapons, a couple more morannons, some spectres, 2 barrow wights and some ward riders.

Thanks!

Hey, it looks like a nice list to me but there's one or two things I'd consider changing.

I'd be tempted to drop the Easterling contingent and add a Mordor Troll to one of your other warbands. 6 Easterlings by themselves might not do much, but a troll is a real threat, and definitely looks it on the table too.

If not that, you could add in Shelob and an additional Morannon Orc to one your warbands, or potentially drop a few orcs and add in the Great Beast of Gorgoroth!

A great beast would be all kinds of awesome, but I don't really have that kinda cash at the moment. A troll is a more likely option, but i fear it can be too easily put out of action with magic.

The Mouth is the first thing to ditch IMO. take a spectre (are they the ones with the banner effect?) or an orc captain + more easterlings. The troll chieftain is sufficient monster power at this point level.

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I'd love to keep the mouth fot the theme, but having used him in a game or 2 now i see that he really is a points sink. he is a strange place between caster and captain and isn't quite good enough at being either. Maybe in a much bigger game he'd be useful to sneak in unnoticed and get some cheeky immobalise spells off. I'm considering replacing him with either morannon captain, or Shagrat (more might, and fight 5) then filling up points with more Black Dragons.

I'll try to test some lists out before the touney.

the real stars of the list are the axe armed Mordor orcs, they have the numbers to overwhelm the enemy and kill them off with a piercing strike. The morannons had thier place, but gainst S4 dwarfs they where killed off just as easily as the lesser orcs in combat. Although Morannons loose value against dwarfs, they have served me well against D6 armies in the past.

I got some alternatives for you, some you might be in the need to purchae stuff others dont but its a mix of a sort...

Warband 1
Ringwraith (2/12/2) on horse
11 orc warriors with hand weapon(axes)


Warband 2
Mordor Trollchieftain
6 orc warriors with hand weapon(axes)
6 orc warriors with spear

Warband 3
Khardush the firecaller

warband 4
Easterling war Priest
6 easterling warriors with shield
6 Easterling black dragons with pike

599pts

6 might
39 models.

This list is mostly based around magic/magic missiles, its very usefull however
Your main General here you can choose bettewn the wraith or the troll and things works this way...

Ringwraith provide the buff debuff model in the army, hes very usefull to be around and hes short of nasty still on the charge on horse, hes your main backbone to control your enemy.

The trollchief is your hammer, hes powerfull as a mordor troll and tougher, he got might to call heroic movements and combats which can be very usefull to spearhead assaults.

Along with it comes khardush, hes a peculiar character but also very vital on your army:

- 1: he gives fury like a shaman, which is vital consider the great number of orcs you include on this force
- 2: hes a pretty decent spellcaster, he can fireball S6 to 1 target, easy to wound trolls to plock something of an horse
- 3: he can feed his will on a nearby orc, so he got an ample supply of will as long you got orcs nearby
- 4: he can sacrifice himself to extend the nazgul keeping in game

keep in mind that unlike other orc characters he only have 1 wound for a shaman so hes squishy and not necessarly decent to stick in a fight, with numbers around you should be ok anyway..

Then comes the horde
The ringwraith warband normally its the 1st warband to deploy and you dunno what where you will deploy or your oponent 1st, so lets consider its the cannon fodder unit, also giving you alot numbers let you re deply the other warbands according to what are your needs... do not mistaken though, orcs with axes are a deadly bargain and despite lowering their already weak defence, through number allows you to chop the foes with piercing strikes.

the 2nd warband with the troll got orcs with spear however, so just a bit support cause thats your hammer warband (sinc eit got the troll) so in there any support its vital.

Lastly from Rhun comes the warband of easterlings:

The Priest is important for 2 reasons:
- 1st gives fury cause you got a considerable number of warriors, so if you can save em with enhance fury cast like a 5+ ignore wound on man race type models, that can prove great.
- wrath, not particular strong on any of these characters it still can prove usefull... its particular interesting to give the wraith S6 though, much more when hes fighting cave trolls and such, since increasing the wraith S value, the troll will have troubles to rend the nazgul through strength pressure over his defence of 8. Also maximizing anazgul killing potencial on the charge....

The big easterling core its divided by 2 groups, shields and pikes, the back pike support got fight 4 since pikes can´t feint, so the frontal rank will always feint vs fight 4+ models while letting the pikes win the fight for you.

Another alternative... and a more sneaky thing out.

Warband 1
Captain of the Black Guard
12 orc warriors with hand weapon(axe)

Warband 2
The Knight of Umbar
- armoured fell beast


Warband 3
Khardush the firecaller
12 orc warriors with hand weapon(axe)


warband 4
Easterling war priest
6 easterling warriors with shield
6 easterling black dragons with pike

598pts

Khardush dilehma same, same with war priest but in this case, the Knight of umbar is your troll... hes very very nasty cause his mimic can copy the fight value strength and attacks to what hes fighting and for some reason imagine your fighting thorin with fight 6 S4 3A and suddently you apply the easterling wrath blessing and best thorin by having S6.... how the dwarf would like that? :P

Gook luck on ur 1st tourny, where is it btw?
I like ur 1st list, go w/ what u got. dont buy any new ( yet)...
If anything: change out warband 4 for a mix of barrow-wrights and specters led by (?) a named hero w/ might and rounded off by more orcs/warg riders [reason being that ur war priest's can only help out "men" and most of ur #s r orcs...+ each war band now has terror, deploy MOUTH OF S. last, mix lot first].
Since u dont have bows or thrown weapons use mounted troops as a reserve fast reaction force to counter charge only. Leed w/ troll unit w/ shield wall/spear back-up in the center and steadly advance in an inverted chevron ( dont bother throwing stones, u need to keep moving more), keep shaman behind lines and to whichever flank is more protected then cast channeled fury asap.


calvery
Sh TRoll

spear spear spear
shield shield shield
spear spear
shield shield
s/BW spear spear s/bw
shield shield

The inverted chevron is a trap for calvery/charges, let opponent advance into contact then fold in arms, imobilize w/ MOS, engage w/ troll.

You should have as many as 20 troops , so u can double up the front lines.
This list/formation should serve you well in all 6 basic scenarios.; as long as you can keep on the move/ drive strait for opponent/objective, In hold ground, go from 1 objective to anouther , leaving 1 spearman behind. GOOD luck, and use your might early as there is no reward for leftovers,
FIRST AGER SMITH, signing off-

Thanks for all the advice guys!

Galanur: I love the idea of those lists, but I literally cannot afford to pick up those models, OOP Kardush, and expensice fell beasts are just way out right now. I like the idea though, and do feel I might benefit from dropping the Mouth in favour of a hero with more might, and a few extra troops.

First Ager Smith: The tourney is in Mansfield, UK and will be my first chance getting involved with the GBHL community. i pretty much plan to employ similar tactics to those, ensuring a solid shield wall and getting the troll in where he is needed. It's great fun rending heroes to death, and hurling cavalry models.

I have just painted up some barrow Wights and Spectres which i may employ instead of the easterlings. I think terror causing models will be a great advantage.

Shall hopefully see you there Hands

In regard to the list I love the theme you're going for. I'd suggest that if you're going for black dragons to give them all halbeards and keep them behind the more expendable orcs. Just remember that you need two lines of pikes (not spears) to support the front rank.
If you want a cavalry option then Morgul Knights formed an escort from the Mouth of Sauron in the book (escorts are useful for when someone decides to not parley after all but cut off the ambassadors head )

The list has some strong elements, good numbers, hard infantry, monster support.
As others have said the Mouth is a pts sink (my thumbs up for being themey though) Use his magic well and you can get some great results, immobilising the Chieftains enemies for example.

You sure will Captian.
Would some ranged support help with this list? maybe some trackers, or simply some bows on the spear armed orcs to have the option of shooting? I've just painted up 3 spectres which may find thier way into the list in place of the Easterlings.

Think there was a discussion on hear a while ago about whether its worth using orc archers or not. Trackers are definitely the best orcs for the job though.
If you have the models they can add some cheap warriors and some ranged ability to the army but I wouldn't stress too much about them unless you have enough to blacken the skies with arrows lol.
Spectres are pretty good in my opinion. Their lights in the fog ability is sometimes quite handy, sometimes less so, same for their striking against courage instead of defence. Give them a try and see how you find them