Here is a Middle Earth Selector, it is a Work in Progress. The Selector is designed to fight other
Warmaster armies, my friends are humouring me as I am willing to spend hundreds of pounds on the army. I have seen many army lists and felt they did not reflect my view of a Sauron Third Age army.
So thoughts people?
SAURON ARMY SELECTOR v0.10For the Third Age 3018-3019, the War of the Ring includes armies from Mordor and Dol Guldur.
TROOP Type Atk Hit Armour Command Unit Points Min/ Special
Size Per Unit Max
Snaga Infantry 2/15 3 0 -2/20 3 20 } 6/10 *1
Orcs Infantry 2 3 6+ -2/20 3 20 } *2
Uruk-hai Bow Infantry 3/30 3 6+ - 3 65 } 2/6
Uruk-hai Infantry 3 3 5+ - 3 60 }
Trolls Infantry 4 4 5+ -2/20 3 100 -/2 *3
Olog-hai Infantry 4 4 4+ - 3 145 -/1
Wights Infantry 3 4 6+ - 3 90 -/1 *4r
Mirkwood Giant Spiders Infantry 3 3 0 - 3 40 -/1 *5r
Wargs Cavalry 2 3 0 - 3 40 } *6
Warg Scouts Cavalry 2/15a 3 6+ - 3 60 } -/8 *7
Warg Riders Cavalry 3 3 6+ - 3 60 }
Servant of Sauron General +2 9 125 1* *8
Nazgûl/Uruk-hai Hero +1 8:60 80 -/2
Orc Hero Hero 0 7:20 25 -/2 *9
Orc Shaman Wizard 0 6:20 30 -/1 *10r
Warg for Orcs & Uruks Special Mount +1 +10 -/1 *11
Fell Beast for Nazgûl Monster Mount +2 +80 -/1 *12
Dark Sorcerer Special Wizard +35 -/1* *13
Stakes for Uruk-Hai Low obstacle 3 +5 -/4 *14
a=shoot all round
r=Restrictions apply see special rules.
ARMY RULESThe Sauron army is essentially an army of non-Orcs and an ablative shield of Orcs, no one cares about the Orcs. To represent this, the Sauron army calculates when it must withdraw from the battle in a different way to other armies. Snaga and Orcs do not count towards the army’s break value, all other units count as usual. Snaga and Orcs cannot hold objectives.
SPECIAL RULES1. Snaga. Snaga suffer double the command penalty for distance when given an order, so up to 20cm no penalty, up to 40cm -2, up to 60cm -4 and so on.
A Snaga unit is allowed to shoot as if it had bows but its range is reduced to 15cm.
The enemy does not gain Victory Points for a destroyed unit or stands of Snaga.
2. Orcs. Orcs suffer double the command penalty for distance when given an order, so up to 20cm no penalty, up to 40cm -2, up to 60cm -4 and so on.
The enemy does not gain Victory Points for a destroyed unit or stands of Orcs.
3. Trolls. Trolls suffer double the command penalty for distance when given an order, so up to 20cm no penalty, up to 40cm -2, up to 60cm -4 and so on. Trolls cannot have magic items.
4. Wights. Wights can only be used to defend an area, like a castle or a piece of terrain and cannot leave it. Wights are Undead.
Undead units never act on initiative. An Undead unit only moves in the Command phase if given orders.
Undead units are unaffected by the -1 Command penalty for enemy within 20cm, by the -1 Combat penalty for fighting terrifying troops, by the Confusion rule - they cannot become confused for any reason.
Wights attacks always inflict a hit on a score of 4+ regardless of whether the enemy is in the open, defended, or fortified. Enemy otherwise count as in the open, defended, or fortified in all respects (eg charge bonuses count or don't count depending on status). Wights cannot be driven back by shooting and do not roll for drive backs. They cause terror as described in the Warmaster rulebook. Wights cannot have magic items.
5. Mirkwood Giant Spiders. Giant Spiders can only be used with your opponents agreement.
Mirkwood Giant Spiders always count as being in defended cover when in woods, also they do not suffer -1 to command when in woods. They suffer -1 Command when in the open. Mirkwood Giant Spiders can only be brigaded with Mirkwood Giant Spiders. Mirkwood Giant Spiders cannot have magic items.
6. Wargs, move 20cm into, in and out of woods and steep hills and suffers -1 to attack whilst in this terrain. Wargs can be pursued by infantry whilst in woods or on steep hills. Wargs do not suffer the dense terrain -1 Command Penalty whilst in woods or on steep hills. If the unit charges against an enemy in the open it receives an additional +1 Attack modifier in the same way as chariots and monsters. Wargs cannot have magic items.
7. Warg Scouts. Are allowed to shoot as if it had bows but the range is reduced to 15cm. Warg Scouts can shoot behind or to the side as well as to the front. Just measure the range from any stand edge, front, side or rear. They can therefore shoot at enemy charging them from any direction.
8. The Servant of Sauron is the Army General
9. Orc Hero, has a command radius of 20cm, not 60cm.
10. Orc Shaman. If fighting other Middle Earth armies Orc Shaman can only be used with your opponents agreement.
Orc Shaman can cast spells like a Wizard and can carry a magic item restricted to a Wizard if desired. Orc Shaman have a command radius of 20cm.
11. Warg. Any Character but a Nazgul can ride a Warg. A Warg adds +1 to its riders attacks. Note this is like a common mount and is treated the same way as characters on foot as per the standard character rules.
12. Fell Beast. The Witch King, Khamûl or the other 7 Nazgûl can ride a Fell Beast. A Fell Beast can fly increasing its rider's move to 100cm and adding +2 to its rider's attacks. A unit joined by a character riding a Fell Beast causes terror in its enemies.
13. Dark Sorcerer. The General may be a Wizard, like The Witch King, Khamûl or the Mouth of Sauron. The Dark Sorcerer can cast spells like a Wizard and can carry a magic item restricted to a Wizard if desired. He can re-roll a failed spell on any dice result except a 1. If a spell is failed because a 1 is rolled then no re-roll is permitted.
14. Stakes. Use the Stake rules from Warmaster Medieval Armies p79. Both types of Uruk-hai can use stakes.
Dark Sorcerer Spells
BLACK BREATH (TOUCH OF DEATH (from the Tomb Kings list))
4+ to cast, Range – Touching
The Wizard's enemies crumble to dust as he smites them with the corrupting Touch of Death.
The Wizard can cast this spell if he has joined a unit in combat. The spell can be cast on any single enemy unit that it is touching the unit the Wizard has joined. The target unit takes three attacks worked out in the usual way. Any hits scored are carried over into the first round of combat and count as having been struck in the first round for purposes of working out combat results.
VOICE OF COMMAND (from the Empire list)
5+ to hit, Range 30cm
The Wizard's voice booms out across the battlefield directing troops above the tumult of combat with the magical Voice of
Command.
The spell can be cast on any unengaged friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. The spell affects only a single unit, never a brigade. The unit can be moved just as if it had received an order in the Command phase. Character stands that have joined the unit will not move with it: they remain where they are.
LASH OF SAURON (like Waaagh! from the Orc list but not 4+)
5+ to cast, Range 30cm
A dark power billows from the Sorcerer filling his troops with the destructive vigour of Sauron.
The spell can be cast on any engaged friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. The effect lasts for the duration of the following Combat phase. Every stand in the unit, including characters that have joined the unit, adds +1 to its Attacks value.
DOOM AND DESPAIR (from the Tomb Kings list)
4+ to cast, Range 60cm
A dark cloud of doom and despair settles over the enemy, sapping their courage and dampening their warlike spirit.
This spell can be cast on any enemy unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. The spell takes effect until the end of the opposing player's next turn. Whilst the spell lasts the unit cannot charge and if engaged in combat will not pursue or advance. Even units that are otherwise obliged to charge, pursue, or advance will not do so if affected by Doom and Despair. Note that even Undead are not immune
Orc Shaman Spells
DARK SWARM (from BoFA Goblin Shaman list)
5+ to hit, Range 30cm no LOS
A swarm of dreaded bloodsucking bats and nameless dark horrors swirl about the foe and feast on the wounded.This spell can be cast on an enemy unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard has line or sight or not. The spell can cast at a target engaged in combat or not engaged in combat – it makes no difference. The Dark Swarm is worked out exactly like three ordinary shooting attacks with armour saves. If the target is not engaged in combat hits inflicted by a Dark Swarm are counted towards drive backs just like ordinary shooting. If the target is engaged in combat hits inflicted by a Dark Swarm are carried over into the Combat phase and count towards the combat result in the first round.
VOICE OF COMMAND (from Empire list)
5+ to hit, Range 30cm no LOS
The Wizard's voice booms out across the battlefield directing troops above the tumult of combat with the magical Voice of Command.The spell can be cast on any unengaged friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. The spell affects only a single unit, never a brigade. The unit can be moved just as if it had received an order in the Command phase. Character stands that have joined the unit will not move with it: they remain where they are.
LASH OF SAURON (like Waaagh! from Orc list but not 4+)
5+ to cast, Range 30cm no LOS
A dark power billows from the Sorcerer filling his troops with the destructive vigour of Sauron.The spell can be cast on any engaged friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not. The effect lasts for the duration of the following Combat phase. Every stand in the unit, including characters that have joined the unit, adds +1 to its Attacks value.
Unit NotesSnaga & Orcs - Morgoth bred Orcs as a mockery of Elves, Elves were probably tortured and then bent to his will. Orcs are smaller and weaker than men and shun bright daylight. Orcs are not brave and are forever bickering amongst themselves so they are difficult to order about. Snaga is Black Speech for slave and in this game context refers to the weakest bow/missile armed Orcs. Orcs are armed with small curved scimitars and painted a symbol of the red Eye of Sauron on their small shields.
Snaga & Orcs are like WM Goblins.Uruk-hai/Uruks – Sauron probably cross bred Orcs and men to produce Uruks, they first appeared in TA2475 when they stormed Ithilien and Osgiliath, they are almost man size, just as strong with amazing stamina, as “orcs†go they are intelligent and so good commanders. They are armed with curved scimitars and painted a symbol of the red Eye of Sauron on their shields, Uruks wear a lot of black metal armour.
Uruk-hai are like WM High Elf Spearmen and Archers (but don’t have the +1 to hit)Trolls - Morgoth bred trolls as a mockery of Ents. Trolls are strong, tough, with thick hides of overlapping scales and are a bit dim, they also shunned bright daylight. There are 3 types, Stone Trolls from Trollshaw and Eriador, Cave Trolls from Moria and Hill Trolls from Gorgoroth(Mordor) and Eriador.
Trolls are like WM Ogres and have the -2/20 penalty to command like BoFA Trolls because they also are a bit thick.Olog-hai - Sauron bred Olog-hai from Trolls so they were not dim witted and would not shun daylight. They lived in Southern Mirkwood and Mordor Mountains. They are twice as tall as a man, and covered in horny scales, armed with hammers and black bucklers.
Olog-hai are like WM Ogre Iron Guts as Chaos Warriors are deliberately over pointed.Wargs - Probably descended from a First Age “Werewolf†called Draugluin, who Sauron “invented†and Morgoth “created†by breeding and magical experimenting with wolves and possessed their bodies with evil spirits, possibly the spirits of dead orcs. Wargs in the Third Age could understand some Black Speech/Orcish, they also allowed Snaga and Orcs to ride them. Wargs natural habitat is woods and mountains and the complicated rules reflect this.
Wargs are a mix of WM Wolf Riders and WM Dire Wolves.Wights or Barrow Wights. The Barrow Wights were sent by the Witch King of Angmar in about TA1636 to the Barrow Downs where the Northern Dúnedain nobles were buried, these Wights then animated the dead nobles and preyed on passers-by, by feasting on their life force. Wights would almost certainly have guarded Angmar, Dol Guldor and the passes and castles of Mordor.
Wights are like WM Ethereal HostMirkwood Giant Spiders are the descendants of the evil spider spirit Ungoliant, although not as big as Shelob, these giant spiders were probably “man†sized in height, intelligent, can talk to each other and weave webs.
Mirkwood Giant Spiders have no WM unit similar to them.Characters – The Witch King, Khamûl or the Mouth of Sauron being the best Sauron Army Wizards have the High Elf Wizards rule as Dark Sorcerers, lesser Shadow Sorcerers like Black Númenóreans would not. Orc Heroes are small, almost insignificant except to other Orcs and do not have loud voices, hence their poor leadership and small command range.
Design NotesThis selector borrows its break point style from The Bretonnians. The Snaga and Orcs use a lot of the Bretonnain peasants rules, its Characters are mix of the very good (Witch King on Fell Beasts) to the worst leaders, Orc Hero with 0 Atk and a command distance of 20cm. Although the list can have 2 Orc Hero Characters per 1000 each Orc Hero is almost the same points as an Orc unit and it can be argued each Orc Hero does reduce the armies Break Point. Its magic is excellent with 2 sets of spells, don’t forget that Dark Sorcerer re-roll.
Although it’s a horde army it does play differently to an Orc or Skaven army. By having 6-8 units per 1000 that do not count towards the armies break point is hard to justify but I will try. Snaga and Orcs are throw away troops and this rule aids you as the Commander to, yes, throw them away. If it helps think of the same amount of Snaga and Orcs units just off the table milling around and not contributing to the battle. If they did count towards a single break point then most of the Snaga and Orcs would end up at the back of the army providing just a break point and not contributing to the battle. It can be argued the more Snaga and Orcs you pay for the lower your armies break point will be.
By careful placement of your Snaga and Orcs, treat them as throw away slaves, use them as an ablative shield just like Sauron did. Use your Wargs to the max, dominate the woods, Ok hide in the woods and charge out, as this army has no heavy cavalry, chariots, monsters, artillery and flyers you will need all the help you can get.
