Middle-earth expert Jay Clare joins us once again to talk about the latest upcoming release for the Strategy Battle Game. This time, we’re venturing east to discuss two new Heroes for the Easterlings and how they fare on the battlefield…
Jay: When Sauron sent his forces northwards to wage war upon the kingdoms of Erebor and Dale, the Easterlings were commanded to lay waste to the Men and Dwarves for their defiance of his rule. A proud and zealous warrior culture, the Easterlings are amongst the most skilled Evil Men in Middle-earth, with every aspect of their culture geared towards perfecting the art of war.
Every Easterling, both male and female, is trained to wield a blade as soon as they are able to hold one, becoming exceptional fighters from an early age.
The next release for the Middle-earth Fantasy Strategy Battle Game is a pair of the Easterlings’ most revered leaders in the war against Erebor and Dale – Rutabi, General of the Dragon Legion, and Brórgîr the Conjurer.
Reporting directly to the Dragon Emperor himself, Rutabi is an exceptional fighter even by the high standards of the Easterlings. Rutabi commands the assault on Erebor from the front and will show no mercy to any who stand in her way.
On the battlefield, Rutabi is a truly exceptional warrior. With a Fight value of 6, 3 Attacks, 3 Wounds, and 3 Might points, Rutabi is more than capable of going toe to toe with the very best heroes of Erebor and Dale.
While her counterpart, Amdûr, is solely focused on slaughtering the enemies of the Dark Lord, Rutabi has proven herself to be an expert tactician. In-game, this manifests through her Master of Battle (3+) special rule, which will allow her to – more often than not – copy any Heroic Actions declared by enemy Heroes within 6".
Rutabi's cold and ruthless nature is exemplified by her Show No Mercy special rule, which allows her to re-roll failed To Wound rolls against any enemy models that are Trapped. Positioning is key – if she traps an important enemy model in combat, their demise is all but ensured.
The War Priests are vital to any Easterling force, as they have been gifted with dark powers of sorcery and conjuration. Brórgîr is the head of the order of War Priests and has spent years delving into ancient scrolls and texts in order to further his malign talents.
As the Dragon Legion marches upon Erebor and Dale, Brórgîr unleashes all manner of dark magics upon his foes.
As you might expect, Brórgîr has a number of Magical Powers at his disposal during a battle, including both Bladewrath and Fury (Easterling), like all War Priests. However, Brórgîr’s expertise gives him access to two other Magical Powers that his underlings cannot manifest – Enchanted Blades and Tremor.
As a master of dark magics, Brórgîr has plenty of Will at his disposal – five points in fact! His Sorcerous Adept special rule means that if he rolls a natural 6 when making a Casting test he will regain a point of Will, giving him the chance to keep casting Magical Powers if he can roll that all-important 6.Rutabi and Brórgîr are ideal additions to the Dark Lord’s armies in the north, providing the Easterlings with extra versatility on the battlefield.
Thanks, Jay! Rutabi and Brórgîr will be available to pre-order soon, though if you fancy getting a head start on your own Easterling army in preparation for their arrival, why not pick up some Easterling Warriors or Easterling Kataphrakts in the meantime?