500 under 50: The Rangers

I put off doing this one for a while, because it's so remarkably similar to the first in our series, The Rangers of Ithilien, but I've decided to just put it out there in case it's helpful to anyone... And to get back into the swing of writing these after I took a much longer Christmas break than I intended!
This is a really simple list, and since Games Workshop have added Halbarad back onto their online store, it won't cost you an arm and a leg! The list, as complex as it is, is as follows:

The Aragorn one
Aragorn – Strider with Armour and Bow
Halbarad with The Banner of Arwen Evenstar
7x Rangers in The North with Spears
Points: 497

The hardest part of the list, in terms of buying will be finding the Aragorn model you're happy with. The original Three Hunters Aragorn would look great, but he's OoP, so you'll have to pay premium for him. Anyway, to build the list you'll need to pick up:

Lord of the Dunedain: £20
3 sets of Rangers of The North £24.60 (£8.20 each)
Aragorn: The rest of your budget (£5.40 takes you up to £50)

Which Aragorn will you choose?

So obviously, a big drawback of the list is the model count, and even though each of your models has Might, I'd probably recommend the Ithilien list in our first 500u50 at this points range. However, the list does offer up a lot, and like I said before, you've got Might coming out of every model.

So what's the deal with the Rangers? Well, each of your 7 Rangers gets 2 attacks, due to the army bonus, and they are backed up with a solid F4, S4, and a banner from Halbarad (which extends out to 6”, rather than just 3”) as well as making those in range Fearless, a huge boost when you only have 9 models.

As you'd expect the army is very competent at shooting, there isn't a model in the army boasting anything less than a 3+ Shoot value. You'll need to make good work of your bows, as your 9 shots will on average net you 1 or 2 kills per turn. You'll really want to thin out the enemy as much as you can before engaging in combat.

Your main heroes, Aragorn and Halbarad are both strong, with 3 Might and solid fight values. Halbarad wants to stay near his buddies, making the most of the banner where he needs to. Making good use of Aragorn will be a huge part of the list. His free Might can be used each turn for Heroic Accuracy or Shoot, with the former being very helpful for sniping key heroes who are hiding behind the lines. This is a fun and thematic force which can be very effective when played well, you really just have to make the most of your bows and not commit until the fights are in your favour.

I've thrown together another list, since Aragorn eats so many points. This list will use the same models as above, not including Aragorn. It comes in a little short on points, so you can add another ranger, but it'll require you to buy another pack. The list is:

The Arathorn one:
Arathorn
Halbarad with The Banner of Arwen Evenstar
9x Rangers in The North with Spears
Points: 464

Like I said, you can add another Ranger, but it'll require you to buy another pack. If I was playing this list, I'd try and convert 3 of my Rangers to mounted Rangers, instead of adding a tenth model. That way, you can move about for some objectives later in the game, and start putting some pressure on your opponent from his flank. I'd only recommend this if you're more experienced with the hobby and converting as a whole.

The list plays very similar, you just lack the free might from Aragorn each turn, but you gain Arathorn, who is very similar in terms of stats, again, just lacking that free might.