This week heralds the return of the Middle-earth team’s Faction Focus series. Each instalment explores a different faction for the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game, discussing key Heroes and Warriors. The team also includes a couple of army lists, so you’ll be inspired to get your forces straight into the action. In today’s blog, Middle-earth scribe Dan Entwisle guides us through what Azog’s Legion has to offer.
Dan: Ending the line of Durin is no small undertaking, and only a creature blessed with both brutal physical power and keen tactical brilliance could hope to achieve it – enter Azog and his legion of Gundabad Orcs.
As the name suggests, an Azog’s Legion force will often be centred around the Pale Orc himself, alongside a warband of Gundabad Orc Warriors to provide a solid block of Strength 4, Defence 6 troops.
Once you’ve given yourself a sound base to build from, there are all kinds of different ways to build an Azog’s Legion force, with a menagerie of Monsters and versatile Warriors waiting in the wings.
Heroes
Azog’s Legion has access to two of the most powerful non-Monster Heroes available to the forces of Evil in the form of Azog and Bolg, both of whom are easily capable of going toe-to-toe with the best the forces of Good can offer.
As long as your whole force is taken from Azog’s Legion, or as part of a Historical Alliance, then Azog or Bolg (whoever is your leader) will gain the Master of Battle special rule. This allows them to copy any Heroic Actions declared by nearby enemies for free, so they can save their precious Might points for causing maximum casualties.
With an eye-watering Fight value of 7, Azog can best all but the most skilled Heroes in combat, and his I Am the Master special rule means he will never need more than a 3+ To Wound an opposing Hero model.
Azog also has access to Heroic Strike, allowing him to temporarily increase his Fight value – potentially above the likes of Gwaihir, Glorfindel, and Beorn.
As well as being an absolute beast in combat, Azog is an excellent commander thanks to his
General of the North special rule. This extends his Stand Fast! ability to 12" and affects friendly Orc Hero models, so you needn’t worry about his subordinates fleeing the field.
Last and by no means least, we must mention Azog’s mount – the White Warg. Riding atop this beast gives Azog all of the usual benefits of being Cavalry, and it opens up the Terror and Fell Sight special rules.
If that wasn’t enough, the White Warg also has 3 Might, 1 Will, and 1 Fate point. Azog can spend these as if they were his own – further boosting the Pale Orc’s formidable damage output.
Warriors
Bursting onto the battlefield with savage ferocity are the Gundabad Berserkers. These brawlers are harder to put down than most Warriors thanks to their Oblivious to Pain special rule allowing them to roll a D6 whenever they suffer a Wound and ignore it on a roll of a 6.
This resilience, combined with their 8" movement, makes them ideal for running down any enemies trying to skirt the edges of the battlefield or for grabbing objectives later in the game.
But the Berserkers' true power is fully felt in combat – their 2 Attacks and Strength 4 make them fantastic at cutting through even the most heavily armoured foes.
Gundabad Trolls are hulking behemoths of destruction, bred for war by Azog.
They can be armed with either a huge crushing club, ideal for bludgeoning Heroes or other multi-wound models, or a pair of scythe gauntlets, which are perfect for cutting down swathes of troops.
With Fight Value 7, most opposing Heroes will have to make use of Heroic Strike to try to take one of these creatures down – though it’s a risky strategy. If that Hero loses the combat, the Gundabad Trolls are likely to make quick work of them.
Any budding Azog’s Legion player will want to spend some time experimenting with Goblin Mercenaries.
These cost-effective scrappers are great for boosting your numbers, and their ability to deploy via the Mercenary Ambush special rule can be a real asset. This unique rule allows them to enter the battlefield from any eligible terrain feature – perfect for contesting vital objectives or quickly surrounding your opponent’s forces as the rest of your legion closes in.
Tactics
When using your Azog’s Legion on the tabletop, both Azog and Bolg are exceptional at cutting their way through Warriors and Heroes alike, so don’t be afraid to get them into the thick of battle.
If they’re left unsupported, they can be overwhelmed, though. It's a good idea to use the rest of the force to prevent enemy models surrounding them and to double the number of Strikes made against them should they become trapped.
Azog’s Legion is also home to a few different Monsters. If your opponent focuses all their attention on Azog or Bolg, these beasts can wander the battlefield reasonably freely and cause havoc with Brutal Power Attacks.
Army Lists
The following example army lists show two schools of thought for Azog’s Legion. The first is a great starting point, centred around the Pale Orc himself.
The second is a mobile, hard-hitting force of Gundabad Berserkers and War Bats led by Bolg.
Thanks, Dan. It looks like Azog’s Legion has all the powerful Heroes and Monsters an Evil megalomaniac could dream of. If you’ve been tempted by the power of Azog’s Legion, then grab yourself Azog and a Gundabad Orc Warband to kickstart your collection.