Correct me if I am wrong, but the addition of the new shieldwall rule to WoMT makes them slightly more viable.

However, if they lose a fight, doesn't their move back takes them out of the shieldwall unless the back rank is also made up of WoMT, naturally with shield and spear?

As a result, what are people's thoughts of the make-up of the spear rank. Stick with rangers/citadel guard (the latter which now only have access to spear or bow) in order to add fight 4, or move to an all WoMT gondor shieldwall in order to ensure the defence 7?

Thanks in advance,

Tinchley

Didn't it used to be that making way for a pushed model was optional? A situation where you could trap your own model but still be a higher defence for the double attacks? I could be wrong but thought there was something like that tactic when iron hills came out.

At strength 4, staying trapped would mean against a standard infantry model and spear support four dice wounding on sixes, as opposed to two dice wounding on fives if the model moves back. This is exactly the same chance, so I see no advantage or disadvantage to staying trapped unless this would allow other WoMT to stay in shieldwall for later combats.

Not exactly the same chance.
2 dice to roll at least one 5, chance to survive equals: 1 - (2/3)x(2/3) is 55,56% (1 is the 100%, minus the chance on 2 times 4 or lower is (2/3))

4 dice to roll at least one 6, chance to surive equals: 1 - (5/6)^4 makes a 51,77% chance to survive.

So backing away is almost 4% better than standing stil.

And yes, it's not a very big difference, but calculating the odds is kind of my thing. I don't want to be a smart ass, but I like to calculate the exact odds. Sometimes it helps me winning a game... and sometimes the odds are not working how they should work (the dice don't roll always how they 'on average do').

I got 6's for 10 priority rolls in a row one time... Trust maneuvers, but not the dice, or your soldiers will die.

Oooh, if that is true then Ingold will become a staple of the WoMT shield wall, as he will allow fight 4 troops behind as the front line of WoMT, as no need to move back will mean that as long as there is enough WoMT (i.e. three at least) they will never lose their shield wall bonus. Do you have the exact reading of Ingold's rule or is that yet to be released? I am yet to get the armies book.

The Armies book covers the old models and profiles from the LotR era (basically those in the five sourcebooks - Kingdoms of Men etc.), but doesn't yet contain the upcoming releases as they weren't ready yet when the book went to print I think. Rules will probably be available for download from the Forge World website if the models are released before the new book containing their rules.