My main opponent plays Elves and I've learnt the hard way just how annoying Glorfindel is, as well as Elladan and Elrohir. Neither are massively expensive and with the twins you get 2 quite decent combat heroes for a fairly good price with the flexibility to change their style based on the situation. Take out one and the other becomes deadlier. Sure they're vulnerable to bow fire, but when they have Elven Cloaks, it's not an issue. As for Glorfindel, he causes terror, has quite a few attacks and a higher fight value than just about anything I can put together as Goblins (excepting the Balrog and some tricks like the Bat Swarm or Shade). Either of these options makes a great force leader that will cause problems for anything your opponent has (and eat through cheaper heroes - 3 captains and you've earned your points back right there), so you add on the 12 warriors to that. Then they have Captains (the same as any other force) and Arwen. My experience with Elves tends to be that of an elite, heroic army that will be down on numbers anyway and being led into combat by a capable hero while their archers rain down death. I don't see many issues. They're more defensive and you can generally rely on your main warriors to hold their own against the enemy while your hero runs amok (except for spell casters but that's a whole nother discussion).

Same with Grey Company. They were already annoying to play against their archer spam, but forcing them to take heroes which really just adds to the theme of the force isn't a bad thing.

Fellowship Boromir's profile is in the Free Peoples book.

The problem is getting all these awesome dudes in. I mean, the minimum amount of points you have to spend on heroes is 125, and that's Arwen and a naked Captain. I mean, it's not the quality of the troops, or the heroes, that's the issue. It's the 12-warrior maximum that hits Elves hard. Under 500pts, you'll be hard pressed to get anything really strong out, I think. Doesn't mean I won't try, however. Something like...

Erestor leading...
5 Elves w/ heavy armour, shields and spears
7 Elves w/ heavy armour, elven bows

Elven Captain leading...
11 Elves w/heavy armour, shields

That's about 400pts. It's not terrible, but probably not as strong as it once was.

16 High Elves with 7 supporting archers isn't too shabby for 400 points along with the additional might and such. Swapping Glorfindel and Arwen in for Erestor and the Captain and removing the spears and 3 Elves takes you to 397 points with a handy spell courtesy of Arwen and a hero who should be able to defeat anything else at that points level as well as being terrifying. And you're still putting out 7 shots a turn. Fill in the last 3 points by upgrading 3 elves to have spears as well (or take out an elf and upgrade them all) and you've got a rather nasty elite force there. Sure you'll be outnumbered, but when were you not?

A quick attempt at a competitive Gondor army gave me this:
Faramir, Heavy Armour and Horse
6 KoMT (no shields, forgot about them)

Captain with Shield
6 WoMT, Shields
6 WoMT, Shields and Spears

Damrod
9 Rangers, 2 Spears

400pts exactly (at least using the ORB)
Sure it looks a little more impressive. You've got an extra hero, 2 more archers and some cavalry giving you an additional 5 bodies (or 8 with my alterations). It's still the same type of thing for Elves though isn't it? They've always had less troops than other races. I'd be backing the Elves to win that shooting contest (higher strength than Rangers and better defence beats 2 extra in my book). Cavalry prove a problem unless you have someone like Arwen to use Nature's Wrath. Glorfindel should be able to take out Faramir and still be plenty strong enough to go through the other troops or heroes (depends if Faramir can get a mounted charge and if Glorfindel can win his rolls). Granted it isn't the best possible army (neither are), but surely all is not lost?

Great, so my all metal Khandish Mercs army is now illegal? Thanks a lot GW

It won't be the first time GW did something like that
Read the book first.It might be better or worse than you think.
I have not had time to read all 5 books so I can't say.

I spent a little time looking at the fallen realms book. I don't think all is lost.

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"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Aren't Khandish Mercs just yellow Khandish warriors with a silly rule that makes them run off at random? Wouldn't it be better just to use them as regular Khandish dude, and say they're Mercs? I don't see much of a problem in this instance.

Is it a possibility to forget all this GW marketing nonsense, leave the 'new' books on the shelves and just stick with the rules that we already have? It's obviously another move to strip cash from people's pockets and without any obvious benefit (to my mind at least).

Sorry, GW. I just don't get it.

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Painting again...

Is the Easterling Kataphrakt drum the same as an orc drum? Also, does upgrading Easterlings to F4 require a specific hero, and if so, what? I'm ordering the Fallen Reams and Kingdoms of Men books, but I want to know what models to order with them.

Thanks!

Maermaethor.

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(insert awesome signature here)

Eh, GW likes heroes. Heroes are starting to play a bigger role in all their game systems, so it's no surprise that the SBG has taken a similar direction. I don't think the rules being a motivation to "strip cash from people's pockets" is really much of a critism, as that's basically the motivation of anything any company does.

The new books feel like a response to the lists that are usually "Hero + a billion dudes". Getting a reason to take non-named heroes, and getting them actually mattering just as much as the warriors on the field do. Then again, I'm just an observer at this point.

Also, does Rivendell get the option for Elven Knights? Or do we have to go to Lothlorien for those jerks?

rivendell has one type of soldier.

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richmondwarmancers we play Lord of The Rings, Battlefleet Gothic, Infinity, some board games, and really whatever tickles our fancy..

Blah, that's just silly. I was really hoping for some "Rivendell" armour style knights, because there was some in the Hobbit trailer.

Anything that's seen in the Hobbit trailer won't likely be released until the full Hobbit release. So around Dec I bet we'll see some Rivendell Cavalry.

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"Leave Sauron to me."
If you're in the Raleigh, NC area, let me know.

I never even noticed plastic dol amroth riders were ever released.:p I did a little reading through the new books, or should I say magazines?-.- I may have misjudged them because I didn't have alot of time, but from what I could see when I held them in my hands was: "Wow, are these like 20 pages or something? They look so incedibly fragile and thin." Their content might me ok, but 19,50 € is a ridiculous price for so thin a book.

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"Mickey, my friend!"

Of course you can ignore these new books- as long as all your gaming group is going to do the same.

I for one will enjoy only needing one book for my army rather than several books plus assorted white dwarfs and website print-offs.

Yeah.... I think me and my gaming group will be sticking with the old rules. No need to buy $150 worth of books to fix a system that wasn't broke in the first place.

They also have F4 which is critical due to their 2-handed weapons, but never fear, I've just got the book and they are all F4 now.

I bought the books (haven't seen them yet) but I expect I'll still play mostly LoME games. I wonder if LoME will still be relatively balanced with the new profiles, or if that will break it more than it already is.

still no beornings i'm guessing?

Dunlendings are S4 now, I swear they never used to be? Not that I'm complaining.

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Talaan-u rûk-ir tor Urûk
Nauru-ir agh kragoru nûrsu grishûrz
Nork-ulu furtun agh goð
Mordor-ob bot-tuk