February is upon us, and for fans of the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game that means it’s time for the designers’ commentary – the first of the new edition! We caught up with the Middle-earth team to get the lowdown on the new edition, and to discuss the clarifications and errata that are being introduced this month.
A new edition is an exciting time for any game. Not only do players get to experience a new ruleset, but we in the design team get to see the results! The first few months are particularly exciting, with players discovering the new changes, how their favourite characters and units fare on the battlefield, and being inspired to try new armies.
Of course, a new edition can lead to some confusion for existing players – especially when it comes to rules that have changed from the previous edition. So with that in mind, the focus of this designers’ commentary is to clear up any such confusion, and to correct any small errors that may have been discovered.
There are no balance updates as there just isn’t enough data on the state of the game to begin to make those sorts of changes.
Rules clarifications
We have answered a number of questions sent in by the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game community. There are answers for the most common questions, such as ‘Will a Monster hit both pikes if it kills the models they are both supporting?’, or ‘Does Monstrous Charge stack with the Cavalry Charge bonus to provide +2 Attacks on the Charge?’.
We have also answered some more niche questions that threw up interesting situations, to make sure these are answered in the event you come across them in your own games. Questions such as ‘Can Gimli lead a Warband if he is a passenger on Legolas’ horse?’* or ‘What happens to Gríma if I take him in an Army without Saruman?’** are covered within this FAQ.
Errata
We have also taken the opportunity to correct some small errors that crept into the final print, and to add an additional line here and there to give greater context or clarity.
We’ve added a line categorically stating that a model can only be supported by one single spear-armed model at a time, and one stating that a War Beast will be unaffected by special rules that would attempt to move it – such as a Spectre’s A Fell Light is in Them special rule.
There have also been corrections to things like Radagast’s Nature’s Wrath, the options Rohan Royal Guard can take in the Army of Edoras, and the addition of the Uruk-hai Drummer to the Muster of Isengard Army List.
But what about Bolg’s Warg?
Perhaps the most common question we received was in regards to the base size of Bolg’s Warg. Now, the rules are very clear on this one as a Fell Warg should be on a 40mm base – however the model is usually on an oval base. So which is correct?
Well, perhaps this will explain and remove any confusion…
Bolg is getting a gorgeous new plastic miniature in the coming months, and the mounted version is on a 40mm base. In the meantime, we would recommend using Bolg on a 40mm base, or getting permission from your opponent (or tournament organiser) if you want to use the oval base instead. Once the new model is officially released, Bolg will be solely on a 40mm base for Matched Play purposes.
We hope these clarifications will make your Middle-earth gaming experiences smoother. Remember, if you have any questions, then feel free to send them to middle-earthfaq@gwplc.com where our rules team will be able to read them. We’ll see you for the next designers’ commentary in August!
* That’s a no.
** He’s probably going to have a miserable time…
