So I just re-read the chapter of Helm's Deep and I want to bring up the following:

- Erkenbrand is mentioned to be rallying his best riders.
- Eomer is the one who leads the Riddermark
- Erkenbrand finally makes an appearance leading a host of infantry (which the film replaces with Eomer and his riders) at the battle of Helm's Deep.
- Eomer leads men in the battle of Helm's Deep where mention of riders fighting during the siege is repeated.

With this evidence... Games Workshop done-goofed. Eomer should have a renamed "Westfold Redshields" special rule and not Erkenbrand.

Erkenbrand also owns Helm's Deep, so if anyone were to offer the Helmingas upgrade it would be him over Grimbold.

I have not yet rediscovered who Grimbold is, but this is what I have come to believe based off of everything up to "The Road to Isengard".

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- Wild
Battle Companies Developer

(CE) Battle Companies 2016 Edition

Not sure for certain, but i think that the GW products are more based towards the films than the books, for example Gamling the old in the books is with the men of Helm's Deep, while in the films hes with Theoden, so GW made him the banner bearer, in the books his banner bearer is Guthlaf.

While Eomer is third marshal he commands the East-mark not the West-fold. I think Erkenbrand is the lord of the West-fold

Info about Grimbold, spoilers.


Yeah, the Helmingas should've gone to Erkenbrand but Erkenbrand already has West-fold red shields so they for whatever reason decided to give it so Grimbold, probably because they used Gamling as banner bearer of Theoden with the Banner of Rohan so there was noone left to take it or something.

So far, there has been no evidence to support Erkenbrand being the leader of some elite group of riders except the words "gathered his best riders" meanwhile Eomer has received evidence of having high quality riders just from the chapters of Aragorn's first encounter with Eomer that describes precision of their movements.

Eomer commands the East-mark which is why it should be renamed to "Rider of the Mark" instead of "Westfold Redshields". The end result of the changes being that Erkenbrand grants the Helminga upgrade instead of Grim, Eomer grants +1 Fight upgrade for Riders instead of Erkenbrand, Grimbold... gets a horse. (Though Grimbold's lack of horse is in line with the book so far, as I re-read it to my siblings, but he should have a horse due to Pelennor and all that).

I understand that GW looked at the movies since their rights were with the movies. Luckily, they now have access to the books for the upcoming updates. Hopefully the LOTR profile update next summer includes this as a change.

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- Wild
Battle Companies Developer

(CE) Battle Companies 2016 Edition

I believe the only one who actually uses the term "helmingas" in the books is Gamling.

Yup you're right about this, i agree with the changes as it will fit more with the lore