Ok here is my dillemma trying to sort out a list for my first ever LOTR tournament and it is 800pts so trying to build up my regular 650pt list but with so many options not really sure what direction to go. Do I go monster, ringwraith, more elite infantry, swarm o something, go for more tricks, bows, crossbows! gah really stuck here and figured a 2nd opinion might help me focus.

Warband 1: 307pts
Golden King
6 half trolls
6 Mahud with shield/spear

Warband 2: 165pts
Cheiften
6 black numenoreans of umbar
6 Mahud with shield/spear

Warband 3: 178pts
Suladan on horse
6 serpent riders

so that is what I think is a decent 650pt core - with a good all round fight value, decent defence and the half trolls have decent strength coupled with some mobility from the cavalry.

so really not sure where to drop the other 150pts I would prefer to keep it harad themed but not beyond taking other stuff.

In a tourney you need a fell beast, plus Watchers of Karna, Reavers if you can.

Or Mumak with bowmen.

Being themed is nice, but not a winner, there is nothing like winning a few games to put a smile on your face.

Plus no bowmen and no cav is unusual.

Good points, but then lists varie alot.... like my ideal 650pts for competitive would be:

Harad 650pts

Warband 1
The Knight of Umbar on Fellbeast
5 Corsair reavers
4 Serpent Guard
1 Corsair

Warband 2
Haradrim Taskmaster
6 Abrakhan Merchant guard
6 Serpent Guards

Warband 3
The Golden King of Abrakhan
6 Corsair reavers
6 Corsair Arbelesters

total: 650pts

at 800 points you're going to find wizards, wraiths and monsters, so you'd better have something to counter those.
If you want to keep the theme, you may add either the Betrayer or the Knight of Umbar on fell beast. A Nazgul combined with the Golden King can be very nasty (-1 courage + drain courage + King's Money is a very easy way to remove big nasty heroes from the game)

Cheers for the responces always great to hear other views.

Fellbeast will look into. Bit of a cliché evil model and a big points investment so was worried about too small a break limit but had totally forgot about drain courage and having been on the receiving end of the knight of umbar it certainly has its merits. Certainly everyone is now prepared at ca tournament to deal with fellbeast now? Sap will also springs to mind\banishment. Is their any other ways to deal cwith enemy fellbeast other then take one yourself.

Watchers I have plenty and actually had envisaged a unit of them to fill the points.
Reavers I have never used can see the merit but with both F5 black numenorians and F5 half trolls seems a bit redundant?

Was slightly concerned by no bowmen but the list does have 7 cav models.

Ummm food for thought though.

Reavers are not only F5 but they also have 2 attacks and for that they are very cheap. Plus, since there is no official models, many convert the standard Corsairs and give them an axe, enabling Reaver to piercing strike (and since we are talking about pirates, nobody has problem with them having axes).
Of course, Reavers are not as durable as the half trolls or Black Numenoreans, and a turn of bad luck may be their last turn as well, but when supported by spears and a banner they can be extremely hard to deal with. Plus, they are very cheap for what they can actually do.

Had not considered reavers with axes as the picture of a reaver in the fallen realms sourcebook has two swords or sword\dagger. And do any of the regular corsairs have axes? Ummm.

Well on that same line you also can give axes to haradrim infantry, their lack of armour already wont make much of a diference, just 4+ vs S4 and 4+ vs S3..(to a best of 3+ on S4 with really low armour salue of 1)

I wouldn't go that far. Axes to pirates are thematic (both Captains and Bo'sun can wield two-handed axes), axes to haradrim are not (every haradrim hero has a blade).
Plus, the reaver actually lack a model, so one can speculate. Haradrims is a different matter.

I have used half trolls, but frankly Reavers with axes are much cheaper and almost as good.

Bowfire against Reavers can be a problem so I tend to use Mordor Shadow Lord on fell beast to keep them alive. Not themed, but what is your aim, is it to win or to have a nice themed army. It comes down to Filth or Fluff.

I have tried both and frankly Filth wins out, everybody fears Watchers and Reavers.

However, if you are a very good player then you should use Fluff.

I think modelling corsair reavers for advantage just to try and win is a line not wanting to cross just yet - we could argue fluff all day long, or that the picture of a corsair reaver as shown in the fallen realms book is modeled with a sword + dagger (not axes) and that no regular corsair warriors are armed with axes.

it just seems to be a cheap move, exploiting the ambiguity of a new rule to bring in something unintended in the original design of corsair reavers - thus shifting the balance of the game.

So you wanna just fr fun?

Well...

Warband 1

Suladan the Serpent Lord on horse with bow
3 Serpent Riders
2 Mahud Raiders with war spears and blowpipes
3 Haradrim Raiders with bow

Warband 2
Mahud King with shield, war camel, war spear and blowpipe
2 Mahud Raiders with war spears with blowpipes
4 Serpent guards
4 Haradrim Raiders with bow

Warband 3
Haradrim king on horse with bow and war spear
3 Haradrim Raiders with bow
1 Haradrim Raider with warspear
3 Serpent Riders
2 Mahud Riders with war spear

Total: 650pts
models: 30
might: 7
bows: 12 (with heroes)
blowpipes: 5


All out cav, its a bit of "Dark side" James Clark all mounted Rohan force.

just gonna point out that Haradrim can have axes, the taskmaster has one does he not

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taskmaster has a club and a whip - so here comes a unit of harad warriors all armed with whips supported by serpent guard...

though of course rules as written means you could still take that axe and people might grumble about it not being befitting of the background etc but seems like nothing "wrong" with it rules wise.

as a side note Galanor that all cav list looks like fun, would take a lot of skill to pull off - but certainly has the lols.

can you do this:



does that mean normal mahud on foot can have shield, spear and blowpipe? (and if they do what happens to the shield bonus?)

shield D bonus dont apply if you carry bow, doesn´t mention about other range methods :P

Use Watchers with bow.
Use Reavers with axes.
Use Ringwraith on fell Beast.
Use Golden king.

You will have a good chance of winning a few games.
If you leave out the Reavers and Watchers everyone will applaud you for being true to the spirit of the game. Just don't expect to win much when you come up against ferals, shades, all fellbeast armies, rangers of mirkwood, legolas and Woses with axes supported by wood elves. Oh and of course Harad with reavers and watchers.

cool - also coincidently doesn't add to your bow limit either.

If you wanna try a bit more expensive(wallet wise) exotic army:

Warband 1

Suladan the serpent lord on horse with bow
3 Haradrim Raiders with war spear
9 Haradrim Raiders with bow(4x with war spear)

Warband 2
Mahud King with shield and blowpipe
5 Mahud warriors with shield with blowpipe
6 Serpent guards
1 Mahud warrior with shield, banner and blowpipe

Warband 3
Mahud Tribesmaster with shield and blowpipe
5 Mahud warriors with shield and blowpipe
6 Serpent guards

Warband 4
Hasharin

Total: 650pts
models: 39
Might: 8
Bows: 10
blowpipes: 13


Or if you like banners:

Warband 1
Suladan the serpent lord on horse with bow
2 Haradrim Raiders with bow
7 Haradrim Raiders with bow(7x with war spear)
1 Haradrim Raider with banner and bow
2 Mahud Raiders with war spear and blowpipe

Warband 2
Mahud King with shield warspear, camel, blowpipe
5 Mahud warriors with shield with blowpipe
6 Serpent guards
1 Mahud warrior with shield, banner and blowpipe

Warband 3
Mahud Tribesmaster with shield and blowpipe
5 Mahud warriors with shield and blowpipe
6 Serpent guards
1 Mahud warrior with shield, banner and blowpipe


Total: 650pts
models: 39
Might: 7
Bows: 11
blowpipes: 14
banners: 3 (1 per warband, it makes you being able to work out warbands individually in some scenarios)