I have been experimenting with ambushing in a few games recently... but I am feeling rather underwhelmed by the ability.

A formation of archers that can ambush, popping up behind your lines or on your flank and are hard to dig out I can understand.

But other infantry or combat units? It seems far less useful. If you place a few companies of ambushing infantry (or monster) in a building as ... They hold it but can be 'ignored' by the enemy as they pose no immediate threat, they can't attack if no-one closes with the building/feature, and in order to move out they first have pass a Courage Test for Death at The Gates rule if the enemy is close, then move outside where they cannot move or charge further that turn. And are vulnerable to missile fire or being charged.

You may say "Well don't bother, just ambush with Archers".

Okay there are ways around the above, and revealing ambushing infantry/monsters on a turn that your opponent has already moved and can't turn to face to shoot/charge them.

My reason for asking is that Buhrdur and his warband are ambushers, but there is a delay in revealing ambushers and getting them to effectively fight. It does seem rather counter to the traditional notion of 'ambush' ... i.e. a surprise attack from cover (whether by shooting or by charging).

But what i am asking is, does anyone have much experience with ambushers, and especially non-shooting ambushers, and how to use them most effectively....

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I think Host of Karna is a great Battlehost.
I love to use the Ambushing with them.
Get a Heroic Move and Heroic Shoot going with them!

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Even if you have to wait an extra turn before you can do anything with them, they let you surround your opponent without needing to have uber-manueverable units.

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I think ambushers that are melee fighters at least as useful if not more so than ambushers that are archers. Having multipkle units of melee infanry emerge behind your eneemy whilst the worry about the hordes of melee infantry in front of them is a good thing to have, for you that is, not your opponant. As Draugluin says, its a good way to trap enemies wothout using some kind of complex manoeuvring or your opponant making stupid mistakes. In short go for it.

I have used Buhrdur's Warband myself, and having multiple Trollls simultaneusly emerge behind your enemy creates a great distraction for the enemy archers, allowing the more important units, siuch as Carn Dum Warbands, to smash up the enemy with little fear of enemy bowmen. And if the enemy don't shoot at them, and shoot at the main troops, thats 4+ trolls charging them in the rear.

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"I am the Flying Spagetti Monster. Thou shall have no other monsters before me"
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Mmm I guess it is about timing. ... As ever, and how much terrain is being used. If only two are behind the enemy, only two trolls will be able to come out... And if the terrain is some distance apart the solo trolls are easy pickings even for smaller companies of archers hanging back. I get tempted to start bringing ambushers out in turn 2 and 3, wheer maybe it should be 3 and 4.. when the enemy has closed and committed along the frontline and hasnt so much to patrol the rear.

Don't get me wrong I love the idea and love the threat of the tactic, but in two attempts, despite winning, I hadn't mastered the art of the ambush...

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Taking the War in Middle earth to a new level!

Those archers hanging back (or even better, siege engines) are such lovely targets for an ambush. When 3 coys of Rangers suddenly find themselves fighting 4 coys of Feral Uruks or Burhdur or some Wargs ambushing using Burhdur's battlehost, they are going to run (or die). Siege engines can't even turn around to fire at you for a turn.

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"... Telchar wrought it in the deeps of time."
-On Andùril, The Lord of the Rings

Telchar I'm not sure that siege engines can ever turn around once they've been deployed .

That's the point. They can't. Thus, when you're behind them, you are perfectly safe. And ambushers end up behind them.

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"... Telchar wrought it in the deeps of time."
-On Andùril, The Lord of the Rings

I find that once the archers are down you can focus on rear charges (especially with Feral Uruk-Hai) even if you don't charge in straight away the threat forces your opposition to either face losing -5 dice per company and no shield bonus or committing formations to deal with you leaving weaknesses in there front line and flanks exposed

Also remember The Enemy Are Upon Us which halves enemy movement just standing close to a couple of formations can cripple part of there army and cause them massive problems as there army becomes disjointed

Another very true piece of advice.

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"... Telchar wrought it in the deeps of time."
-On Andùril, The Lord of the Rings

Well, this is some thread necromancy, but I wanted to address this.

There is nothing in the ambusher rules that restricts the ambusher's movement the turn it is revealed. When you reveal an ambusher one of two things happen. Either the terrain is otherwise empty, in which case the ambusher is placed in the terrain and may act normally that turn (ie it may exit the terrain, or stay put); or the terrain is occupied, in which case the ambusher is placed as if it had just exited the terrain (and then shuffled 1" away) and is subject to the same restrictions as exiting terrain. The restrictions on exiting defensible terrain say that the formation may not move further that PHASE. Since the ambusher is exiting in the move phase, it is free to declare a charge in the charge phase.

Your right though that a death beyond the gates roll is needed if the ambusher is placed in unoccupied terrain and then chooses to exit while an enemy is within 6".