The Middle-earth team’s Dan Entwisle returns to explore the ins and outs of the various factions across the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game, highlighting some of their key Heroes and Warriors, as well as providing example army lists to help you with designing your own.
In today’s instalment, Dan guides us through the gloomy paths of Mirkwood to explore the Halls of Thranduil.
Dan: The once verdant Greenwood has been corrupted and twisted by the foul magics of the Dark Lord Sauron. His grim shadow has shrouded the forest in darkness, leaving those who seek to traverse it fearful to tread within what they now call Mirkwood. However, some who dwell deep within the forest resist this evil, fighting to protect their home from this invasion by Sauron’s minions.
If like me and my fellow Middle-earth writer Jay, you’re a fan of the Elves, then the Halls of Thranduil is an excellent and versatile army. There are a few different ways you can approach building this force. You can base it around one of the more specialised choices of Warriors, such as Mirkwood Rangers, or include a little bit of everything to have a variety of tools at your disposal.
Heroes
Thranduil himself has plenty of options when it comes to wargear, allowing him to be tailored to a number of situations. Rather than breaking down all of the options available to Thranduil, we are focusing on the three that are unique to the Elvenking.
Equipping an additional Elven-made sword provides Thranduil with an extra Attack and pushes his Fight value to an impressive 7. The sword also bestows the Bladelord special rule, giving further bonus Attacks for each enemy he is Engaged with after the first. This rule applies while he has the Infantry keyword – meaning the more models the Elvenking is up against, the more likely he is to cut them to ribbons.
Thranduil is one of the few swordsmen in Middle-earth who doesn’t mind being surrounded by enemies, so be sure to get him stuck into the thick of the fighting as early as possible.
The Circlet of Kings gives Thranduil access to two Magical Powers: Aura of Dismay and Nature’s Wrath – each of which can be used once per game.
Aura of Dismay causes Thranduil and all friendly models within 6” of him to cause Terror. Make sure you use this Magical Power against any force that drastically outnumbers yours. These armies usually suffer from having low Courage, meaning they will struggle to bring their numbers advantage to bear against your Terror-causing Elves.
Nature’s Wrath is a game-changing Magical Power that can knock Prone all opposing models within 3” of Thranduil. Smash down a section of your opponent’s battle line before charging a wedge of Palace Guard or Mirkwood Elves forwards to dispatch their fallen foes.
At the Battle of the Five Armies, Thranduil rides into battle atop a majestic Elk. Though his Elk costs more points than a horse, it is with good reason.
Firstly, with a Defence of 5 and 2 Wounds, the Elk is far more durable than a horse. Secondly, it makes Thranduil hit significantly harder whenever he Charges into combat, as his Strikes are resolved at Strength 5 – letting him quickly cut down the likes of Orcs, Goblins, and Mirkwood Spiders.
Warriors
Mirkwood Rangers are the guardians of Mirkwood’s borders, charged with removing any threats to their king’s domain. They are skilled archers who blend into their environment, thanks to their Elven cloaks, which enables them to launch ambushes on all manner of unsuspecting foul creatures.
In addition to their skill with a bow, the Mirkwood Rangers are also deadly when wielding their Elven-made daggers, as their Knife Fighters special rule grants them additional Attacks for each model in combat with them after the first (to a maximum of 3).
If you like the look of these lightly armoured skirmishers, you’ll be pleased to know that Mirkwood Rangers don’t count towards your army’s Bow Limit, allowing you to take an entire force of Mirkwood Rangers.
Thranduil’s personal retinue, the Palace Guard, are the most well-trained and skilled Warriors available to the armies of Mirkwood. While within 3” of their king, the Palace Guard’s Fight value is boosted to 6, meaning they will outfight anything but the most dangerous enemy Heroes and Monsters.
Should you come up against any Terror-causing threats, Palace Guard will have no problems charging into battle thanks to the Bodyguard special rule, which allows them to automatically pass Courage tests as long as Thranduil is alive.
Forming the core of Thranduil’s armies, Mirkwood Elves have spent years learning the art of blade and bow, so it's unsurprising that these expert warriors have a Fight value of 5 and a Shoot value of 3+.
The Elves of Mirkwood also have access to a unique piece of wargear called a glaive, a flexible weapon that can be used as a spear or a hand-and-a-half sword. Alternatively, the bearer can benefit from the Shielding special rule.
Tactics
When playing as the Halls of Thranduil, you will regularly be outnumbered. Therefore, reducing the enemy’s numbers with Elven shooting is vital to stopping you from being overwhelmed. If you do even out the numbers, then you should outlast most forces in a pitched battle thanks to the high Fight values across your army.
The Army Bonus relies heavily on Thranduil’s positioning, as a number of the Warriors and Heroes in your force receive a +1 bonus To Wound in combat when within 3” of him. Thankfully, Thranduil loves to be in the thick of the fighting, so there should always be plenty of Elves nearby to benefit from the Army Bonus.
Here are two examples of how a Halls of Thranduil force can look on the table. The first list was written to try to recreate the force of Mirkwood Rangers that capture Thorin’s Company on their journey through Mirkwood.
The second list puts a larger focus on the combat prowess of Thranduil and his escort of Palace Guard. With the King of the Woodland Realm at the centre, this cohort of elite warriors shouldn’t have much difficulty sweeping through most foes that stand in their way.
Thanks once again, Dan. Are you inspired to cleanse Mirkwood of the Dark Lord’s evil? Pick up the Mirkwood Armoured Elves Warband and Mirkwood Elf Captains kits to get the ball rolling.
If you missed it, take a look at last month’s Mordor Faction Focus, and keep an eye out for the next instalment.