How to handle the mighty Mumak?

The Ironfoot · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 10:30 am

Hi All,

So, my buddy is starting a Harad army that will most likely include a Mumak,
I think the games we will play are about 500-800 points, how do you take care of those nasty beasts? (I play Dwarves) I was thinking of using a ballista... please help! :shock:

P.S.: also the ORB says that the mumak is effectively the chieftains mount... so does this mean i can kill it using the panic steed spell from Radagast?

Azure Rathalos · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:33 am

I don't know about the spell, but to take down a mumuk, lots of bows or a few str3 bows should do the trick, the balista is also a good idea.

The other (more amusing) way would be to get in combat with it.

This might sound odd but it works, all you need is one model with a higher fight value (mumuks are only FV4), then you can win the fight and hack at it untill it dies, having a hero in the fight is a great help but all models need a high C to charge the beast in the first place (the bodyguard rule is great for this).

I've taken one down to 1 wound with Elladan and Elrohir before the numbers of evil models surrounding them finnaly killed them when I lost a fight.

So you just need to remember that the mumuk isn't the nastiest thing out there, you just need to pin it in place and cut its legs off :-D

whafrog · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:36 am

ORB is a bit out of date regarding the Mumak, you'll need the Harad book to see what you're up against. For magical powers, see ORB page 55

General Haar · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 4:13 pm

The Mumak actually can't be affected by magical powers- his specific rule states so, I believe. I think it has to do with it being dumb as a rock. Only the chieftain controlling him may (Which means you may Compel him to move the Mumak 4" in any direction...)

Bowfire usually helps. Even if it absorbs all or more of your arrows, your dwarves will be tough enough to withstand the Haradrim charge (Especially since I know you like you Khazard Guard. At S4, you'll be able to push Harad off easily).

Another tactic used is to let someone like Dain take the Mumak's charge to stop it in its tracks, then surround it with bodyguarding Khazad-guard goodness. Have them use 2-handed axes, Dain has a higher fight value... You should be able to take it out in no time. The risk is that if he gets to move again, you risk having a lot of men trampled, and even Dain may not be able to survive 2 charges.

Ballista may be a good idea here. Try it out, why not? I mean, my Trebuchet did well enough for me. Does the ballista auto-kill what it wounds, per siege weapon rules? Because that's 5 wounds on the Mumak if you can nail it.

The Ironfoot · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:28 pm

yea he does autokill (all siege engines do) also, mabye a dumb question but can i destroy the howdaw with one shot? it doesn't have D or W 10 if my memory serves me right, do you roll if you hit the Howdaw or mumak?

The dain idea is nice, we've finally found something that he can beat with his fightvalue

I guess i'll just shoot the hell out of it :twisted:

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 6:45 pm

Sculpt a figure holding up a mouse? :-D

Mouth-of-Sauron · **Joined:** Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:14 pm **Posts:** 544

The most easiest way what I have foun to kill a Mumka is to let the King of the Dead do the job he has the same fighting valu but with enough warriors they can win the beasty...

and since the Dead King can use the beasts corage(of 2 :lol:

) to wound then he would wound it on 3+ and since it has no fate and the Dead King has the Drain Soul rule it should die out right... and all those poor haradrim are going to fall a pretyy 4xstre 2 hits or something like that :rofl:

General Haar · **Posted:** Tue Jan 20, 2009 7:57 pm

Just thought I would ask, since the Gondor Bolt Thrower doesn't kill outright, even if it is a siege engine.
I'm pretty sure you can kill the Howdah in one blow, as it is not a Siege target, like a wall, and does not have batter points. It has... 5 wounds? And D8 or 9, so yes. That's how we played it- which makes sense for my Trebuchet, as a giant rock would smash that flimsy wooden structure to pieces. Dwarf Ballista, though? Hey, if it's in the rules, it works, but seems a bit silly to me.

mr. dude · **Joined:** Sun Jul 13, 2008 11:37 pm **Posts:** 235

Shoot the commander, then deal the Mumak a few wounds just to make it stampede, then trample his army.
Otherwise, Dain and a few Khazad Guard. If he wins priority, call a heroic move and charge it.

GondorianBloke · **Joined:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:45 pm **Posts:** 23

Mr Dude ahs nailed it. I've had a fair few games against these nasty creatures.

Concentrate fire on the.... pilot? I forgot the word, but basically the crazy guy who controls and lends his courage to the warbeast. Once he is gone, turn the Oliphant into the biggest pin cushion in middle-earth. Even if you don't kill it quickly, you'll more than likely make it stampede which is a beautiful thing.

The Ironfoot · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:48 pm

as soon as the "pilot" is killed an other warrior in the howdaw automatically takes controll and must move to the top position, but he does have lower courage, so i guess that's the way to go!

General Haar · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:01 pm

Yes, fighting courage three is better than, what, Courage four with 2 Might and 1 Will to back it up?

Azure Rathalos · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:05 pm

so what I said to start with makes sence then, Get stuck in combat with it and use your nast axes to cut its legs off, just make shure that you charge it!

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:08 pm

All that's good advise and all should work to take it out, but keep in mind that the fella's not just going to hang around waiting for your stumpy legged Dwarves to charge it. If the player doesn't take the bait of going right after your Hero (no one driving a Mumuk should EVER try to take on a Hero right away), he's going to instead out maneuver you and smash thru your lines of models. No Fight roll is needed on the charge and if he has Tusk Weapons you're going to loose models each time. It's not until something stops him (somehow survives those Charge rolls or charges him on Priority) that Fight matters. So plan on loosing some forces until you deal with it, or else just hang back and shoot it. Terrain can and will be your best friend here.

I was able to run circles around Gondor pretty well for a short time with my Mumuk and squished a nice collection of Goodies under his feet in the process until a mounted Imerhil (sp) and several knights finally got in some valid charges. They dealt a few Wounds each turn they did so and I failed a Courage Test about every other time. When Stampeding I often had Haradrim fall from their perch as well so a few more models were lost. It didn't take too much of this before I was broken.

The Ballista is a good way to deal damage to the Mumuk but if you're going to invest points and strategy in one get a Hero to command it. Even with the Commander, he will fail a courage test now and then. That's always fun, but at 500 points there will be very few Haradrim on the ground (I think I had less than 10) so there may not be anything around to trample. But another nice thing about controlling the Stampede is you can just move the Mumuk right back to where it can't harm you and you can shoot it again.

All in all though, at that low point level your best option would be to tie up the Mumuk a bit (again, terrain helps as would tough Heroes or a ballista) and wear him down to breaking. You won't have the Mumuk around much more after that.

StinkenChicken · **Posted:** Thu Jan 22, 2009 6:01 pm

I was talking with a friend last night about Mumaks, and he was saying that in a harad vs hobbit battle he observed, in one turn the hobbits stoned the mumak to death! That kind of luck doesn't happen very often. I would love to see that happen in a movie.

GondorianBloke · **Joined:** Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:45 pm **Posts:** 23

...That is some luck. The closest thing I have to that is two measly WoMT beating and slaying a cave troll that had 2 wounds left... In fact I think Azure was around during that one.

But seriously, that is an image and a half...

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:09 pm

Much needed luck...if they were close enough to stone him then there was about to be a very big mess on the ground the next turn if they didn't manage to pull that off. :shock:

It would have been precious to see the face of the Harad player when that happened though.

Gondolin · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 7:04 pm

Use heroes with enough might, so you can use the heroic actions. Then you can charge the Mumak before it can charge you ;-)

Veber · **Joined:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:04 pm **Posts:** 3

Thanks for the tips. Useful ones

SniperJolly · **Joined:** Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:22 pm **Posts:** 2

Tie it up with vault warden teams? Then surround it with durin and 6-9 kazad guard. Durin wins fights, and all models get +1 to wound, and no courage required.

How to handle the mighty Mumak?

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