With the recent reveals of Treebeard and Quickbeam for the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game, we thought it was high time to traverse the paths of Fangorn Forest and learn more about the mysterious Ents. We asked the Middle-earth team’s newest lore keeper, Dan Ent-wisle (see what we did there?), to bring us up to speed on the ancient shepherds of the forest.
Dan: The Ents of Fangorn are mighty and noble creatures, which is well represented in their profile. First of all, they have an impressive Fight value of 7, which is higher than the likes of Imrahil, Elrond, and Aragorn – some of the most powerful Heroes in the game. They make an excellent choice for hunting enemy Heroes down – just watch out for those who can use Heroic Strike to boost their Fight value by D6, as that can result in your Ents being turned into glorified kindling.
They have a whopping Strength of 8 and 3 Attacks, so Ents are more than capable of taking down the toughest of foes – wounding heavily armoured Uruk-hai and most enemy Monsters on a 3+.
Yet Ents aren’t only capable of dishing out a beating, but they can also take one. A Defence of 8 and 3 Wounds makes them incredibly durable, and this will force your opponent to commit plenty of warriors to the fight if they want to stand a chance of bringing an Ent down.
In addition to their sturdy profile, Ents also have some pretty excellent special rules to help them on their march to war. Woodland Creature allows them to ignore penalties for moving through any area of woodland, enabling the Ents to outmanoeuvre enemy forces and bring their considerable strength to bear.
They also cause Terror, meaning enemy models will need to take a Courage test to be able to charge your Ents. This is particularly useful against armies that rely on low-Courage troops such as Mordor Orcs or Moria Goblins.
Ents also possess the ability to Throw Stones – not just any stones, mind, but really, really big ones! With a range of 18 inches and a mighty Strength 10, Ents can easily punish any slow-moving forces from a distance before wading into close combat. A good tactic here is to stand back and rain rocks down upon your foes, forcing them to break formation and fight the army on your own terms.
Lastly, Ents also possess a Brutal Power Attack which is unique to them – Bludgeon. When an Ent wins a combat, instead of making Strikes as normal, they can instead choose to pick up one enemy model (but not another Monster) to use as a makeshift club to batter other models in the combat. With a bit of luck, your Ent can kill every enemy it’s engaged with using this Brutal Power Attack.
Treebeard™
Treebeard led the Ents in their last march during the War of the Ring. Under his leadership, they crushed Saruman’s remaining forces and extinguished the fires of industry within Isengard. He can do all the awesome tricks that regular Ents can do, but comes with a Fight value of 8, meaning the likes of Bolg or Azog will need to pause for thought before taking him on.
He also has 3 Might, 6 Will, 3 Fate, and a slew of Heroic Actions such as Heroic Strike and Heroic Defence. Treebeard can also be accompanied by Merry and Pippin. Though they may be small, the two Hobbits are great for dismounting to pick up objects, holding objectives, or even throwing stones at the enemy from the safety of Treebeard’s branches!
Quickbeam™
Another great addition to a Fangorn army is Quickbeam. With a Movement of 8 inches, Quickbeam is faster than the other Ents, allowing him to swiftly engage with the enemy or claim an objective. This really comes into its own in Matched Play Scenarios like Domination or Capture and Control, where reaching specific locations on the battlefield is key. Quickbeam is the only Hero in the list with Heroic March, and with 3 Might points, he can make sure he and his Ent allies close in on an opposing force much quicker than normal.
Army Bonus
Don't be Hasty! is the Army Bonus for Fangorn, and it’s pretty great. Not only does it make all of your Ents Fearless, allowing them to Charge any Terror-causing models without a worry, it also protects them from any Magical Powers or special rules that would prevent them from moving or being moved against their will. Magical Powers, and the ability to force models out of position, is usually a big weakness for an elite army such as Fangorn but, thankfully, the Ents will not be moved until they are good and ready!
As you can imagine, the forces of Fangorn are excellent at any Scenarios that require beating the opposing army into submission, such as Lords of Battle, To the Death!, and Contest of Champions. This is because of their high damage output which can threaten both horde armies, like Moria, and elite armies, such as Isengard. Fangorn armies are also very well-suited to Scenarios that require you to take control of an objective and hold onto it, such as Seize the Prize and Heirloom of Ages Past. Once your Ents get hold of objectives, your opponent will have a tough time getting them away from them due to how incredibly tough they are.
Overall, Fangorn can be a truly terrifying force and one that packs a serious punch. If you’re after a small, but incredibly powerful army, then the Fangorn faction is for you!
Thanks for that, Dan. Well, the Ents of Fangorn certainly are quite formidable, and it's no wonder they managed to take over Isengard. If you’re looking to join the last march of the Ents, pick up a treeherd or two today, and keep an eye on the Warhammer Community website over the coming months for more news of Treebeard and Quickbeam.