So some quieries about how killing the great beast and the effects of the models it creates. By this I mean the guys on the howdah, how do they effect break limit? Because even though they count as one model should they increase the break limit at the beginning of the game? Also how would they affect capturing an objective on games of hold ground? Does it only count as one until the point of death, when it has the potential to become 10 individual models? This question has been a frustration since my last tourney. The ruling there was once the beast was killed the 10 guys that got off affected the game the same as the goblins summoned by a scribe e.g. they still affect the break limit but do not contribute to it in the first place, even though they are on the table (technically) from the beginning of the game, all be it in a howdah. What ruling would you guys call?

1-They count as one model not towards your break limit. Says it right in the bottom of its rules on page

_________________
BLACKHAWK 2010 2013 2015 DYNASTY

'Only Counts as One. The Great Beast of Gorgoroth and its crew count as a single model in a warband, and a single model for the purposes of working out your Break Point and the number of bows in your force. If your army is Broken, unless subject to a friendly Hero's Stand Fast! rule, make a single Courage test using the Great Beast's Courage value to see if the model flees from the battlefield along with its Orc passengers or can be moved normally.'

So here is the rules in question. For anyone else reading and/or unfamiliar with them. This is off of the mordor faq's. The way I originally intended to play the great beast was that the great beast itself was the only scoring unit and counts towards break tests and any orc warrior that becomes dismounted is mearly "token".

I went with what the organisers said and obviously used to to my advantage as it was not the way I intended for it to be used and ran it straight to the objective, got it killed and gained the extra v.p. Just wanted to clear the ruling up for next time so as not to use it in such an unsporting manner.

It counts as one for the purpose of working out break point. This is correct.

However, if you kill the beast and some of the orcs stay alive, they will count towards breaking.

For example. Let's say you have 20 models including a great beast.
You're broken when 11 models are killed.
The great beast dies but all the orcs survive so you have 28 models on the board (+9 orcs -1 beast)
When 10 orcs are killed, you will be broken even though you still have 18 models left because you have reached your break point of 11.
Make sense?

_________________
12th GBHL 2013.
13th GBHL 2014
9th GBHL 2015


Mid Sussex Wargamers

Southy is spot on above.

If the orcs get knocked off the Great Beast then they do not affect your Break Point but they do contribute to your casualties when determining if you are broken.

Hope that helps.

_________________
Finished 2nd in the 2014 GBHL. My Wife's so proud

Free SBG fanzine: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29569

Thanks for the input guys, after getting to know the game a bit more and becoming clearer on the rules I see now where you are coming from with how it works. It's a very risk/reward model that is more advanced than most normal monsters you just throw straight in the fighting. The fact it has the potential to drop 10 guys around an objective when it dies does make it quite powerful in a hold ground scenario. I think it needs support most of the time in order to win any combats it may find itself unlucky enough to be bogged down in because of that awful fight value.