Hey guys,

I started the hobby playing WotR and since I've got a bunch of miniatures I obtained mines of the moria to get the SBG rulebook. I've played two games up to now, one as my own haradrim and one as my own moria goblins. I also luckily bought Legions of Middle Earth for 10$ CAN and it has point values and options for a bunch of additional troopers; combined with the games workshop website I have everything I need (including statlines and special rules) in order to play the "extra minis" not found in the basic mini rulebook.

Moria Goblins are straightforward--it's very easy to just swarm by having a frontline of D5 shieldsmen that can absorb a huge amount of shots; all the while being supported by spearmen. This makes a coherent fight line that can advance and attack other troops and have a decent chance of winning because you roll more dice than the opponent--unless he rolls a 6 in which case you auto-lose.

For now we play roughly 200pt games. No room for Super Heroes just yet. We may move up to 300 points later on, progressively climbing up the ladder of additional game rules. During my second game, I had my haradrim lined up against a wall and the goblins swarmed the wall. My opponent did not patiently maneuver his troopers around the wall, and this insured that no single haradrim died during this fight. We got to include defended obstacles and courage tests when half the army is down. We're not playing magic just yet! Magic and monsters are probably the last thing we'll progressively add to the game as we keep playing. Once we reach 300 points the goblins will also probably have a cave troll!

When playing Haradrim, I find myself saddened at the lowered defense potential (no shields). The only saving grace is hit on 4+ and reroll 1s on archery, which gives it more chance to hit stuff, but then when my friend plays the goblins and I try to shoot them out, the obvious event is that the shieldsmen absorb all the arrows (I have to roll 6s to wound). So they actually arrive against my troops unscathed, and outnumbering.

I can obviously field "simple weapon troopers" (for a point less) supported by spearmen. Haradrim Raiders aren't so bad since they're only double the cost of a trooper--but both of the charges I've made have seen me losing combat because the goblin could counter-charge me with infantry and bring more dice to the combat. So if I don't roll a 6 there's a high chance that he will win the combat even though I charged with the cavalry. I have not played Watchers of Karna yet, I've been reading that they were great for some reason. Please tell me more about this if you know of anything!

Haradrim archers are great, I suppose that on the evil armies a 4+ is great compared to goblins and orcs. It still isn't strong enough to go through their defense however. I have considered crossbowmen corsairs of umbar for the better firepower. Pavisse and crossbow means a tough nut to crack if I can position them properly.

So I was wondering what I should be fielding for a Haradrim army and HOW TO PLAY THEM PROPERLY (this second part is the emphasis and purpose of my post). Thanks for any help you might provide!

Shoot at the unshielded Goblin spearmen in the second rank, you only need an in the way roll to hit them. Also try to get within the 18-24" range for a firefight hwre the goblins need a 6 to hit with volley fire while you hit normally. Your Courage is also greater, so make sure you use the Courage rules correctly then half the Goblins will run away as soon as you break them.

I've never played with Harad myself, but uh.... Mumakil!

I'd go for some riders, to get something to manouver around the goblin force, as well as for the charge bonuses. They are great for riding around the main force and charge down their archers or drums (when drums are added into your playing.)

Since I'm playing dwarves, though, none of my strategies against goblins would work.. They all depend on high fighting skill, defense and strength, cutting down goblin shieldmen on 4+ rather than 6's.

You don't have vault wardens either... nor balistas... nor something with 2 attacks and throwing weapons to play as shock troops, as far as I know atleast.

But I'd go for cavalery.

_________________
Gold, silver, mithril.. You call that stuff treassure? Copper is the real deal!

1 word: watchers of kharna (wait, thats more...)
you could take a few of those to act as shock troups and tear a hole in the goblin line, so you can attack him in the back and kill his spearman. this can also be achieved with cavalry however. keep them out of harms way until combat is joined, then charge him in his back. if you give them bows you'd even be able to harrass his troops as he comes closer.

_________________
Everything that has a beginning has an end
There are neither beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time

Try to stay out of combat for as long as you can shoot, to take advantage of Moria's slow movement. When the lines do engage, try to make sure your archers are in a position to shoot at the supporting goblins; since supporters don't count as being in combat, you don't risk hitting your own men.

Cavalry in 200 points? I wouldn't. But if you do, make sure your hero is mounted, so he can use heroic actions to get the cavalry out of trouble. The trick is to charge after he's moved, to avoid being counter-charged. Then on the next turn, run well out of his charge range (Heroic move if you lose priority). Then wait and charge again another turn. Sometimes you'll find you can keep pressing forward with the charge, but often it's a good idea to pull back and bide your time to avoid having your cavalry swarmed and killed.

Watchers of Karna are good elites, but necessary? I wouldn't say so.

Other than that, I agree with what hithero has posted. Just keep practicing; you'll get the feel for it.

But don't the shieldsmen's 25mm bases (or actual miniature bodies) block line of sight to the spearmen in the back? Or is it by going really for a by-the-book description of "if you can see one of the body part you may shoot him"?

Also should I spread my archers out to the flank (thus becoming lone, easily hunted targets) or should I keep them just behind my regularly-armed haradrim (since everyone's got D4 I wouldnt want to lose my archers to enemy bow fire). If it's the second choice, then if what I asked above is true he may, too decide to shoot the archers behind the screen, right?

Thanks for the help. For now I know that I'll have to disregard cavalry in such low point games. I'm still wondering exactly how to position my troops, but now I'll cluster my men together instead of spreading them apart.

my idea would be get alies from shadow in the east
150 pts haradrim to make a main force, including captain + bowmen and spearmen
50 pts easterling allies 6 with shield is 48 pts
then place the easterlings with shields and the haradrim chieftian in the front row, then haradrim spears in the second row, then since the goblins can only attack the easterlings and the harder to kill chieftian then you wont have to worry about low defence
ps, gaurd your flanks well or your spearmen can still get flanked

_________________
kill, kill