Dave Cooper's Tournament Kit Roundup

Today's article comes to you from Dave Cooper. We noticed a few people were asking about things they needed to bring to their first tournament - and clearly the question is common enough that Games Workshop decided to beat us to the punch and write their own article about it! 

Dave: Hello! I thought I'd take a break from our usual speculative or analytical style articles to go over my tournament kit. This tried and true bag of goodies has been honed over many tournaments.

 The newest kid on the block is not really a bit of kit at all, but it's one of the most important things to consider - it's what you use to write your lists. 

Until recently we were all stuck with the tyranny of Battlescribe, but we wanted to take the chance here to plug something that has made our SBG leaves all the easier and more pleasurable - it's the Tabletop Admiral modular list builder. It is frankly stunningly easy to use in comparison to the alternatives, and makes building and reading lists an absolute breeze. 

We are not affiliated with them in any way, but we're so impressed with the list builder that we felt the need to spread the word. Go and check them out and support them if you are equally smitten with it!

Making a list like this takes about 30 seconds, and it can be exported in an easy-to-read format just as easily. 

It also goes without saying that you'll need to take a rules manual, any specific army book and supplements needed for your army, and we strongly advise a copy of the matched play guide, too. 

It will vary from tournament to tournament, but it's generally a common courtesy to bring a few copies of your list printed on a piece of paper, which you can hand to your opponent. At the end of a long gaming weekend, when someone reads their list out to you, it tends to go in one ear and out the other - so having it printed lets your opponent read through at their own pace. 

Now on to the real nuts and bolts (or more accurately - screws and Rawl plugs). One of the more recent additions to my tournament prep-  the IKEA Fixa screw and plug set!

Okay, not the screws and plugs, but the box itself. Put all the gubbins in your tool kit, or whatever your DIY storage solution permits, and remove the orange tray entirely until you're left with just the box. This is your new best friend for organising your stuff for tournaments or game nights!

We're going to take all of our SBG bits and bobs and stick them in this (and a backpack for a few other bits like Rulebooks). Here's how mine looks once all my bits have been added inside.

Pretty snug, but has every thing I need for games of SBG! I'll go over what I keep in mine so you can see why I like having it all nice and enclosed in a little case.

First off, I have a selection of measuring tools. A couple of 6” sticks for general purpose movement, an 8” stick, useful for Heroic Marches, a 5” stick for my own movement, and then a couple of “fancy” ones with a 6”, a 4”, a 2” and a 1” side, these ones in particular are very useful - the folks at Counter Attack are very easy to work with to create customised rulers. As well as these, I always bring 2 tape measures, just so I have a spare should one break.

Next up, I have my dice bag. This is actually a makeup back my daughter gifted me, but its the perfect size for a good amount of dice. I have a lot of dice, but specifically I make sure I have multiple dice in multiple colours (to distinguish different models in a duel or different special strikes). The keen eyed among you might spot 2 d10 in the centre of the picture. Since I often play Moria, it's very handy to have something I can track my dead pile on, so these are used to count up to my break point.

Two pens is next, and these ones are 4 colours each so I can make my scribbling a bit more readable at a glance. Not much to say about these, they're probably one of the most important things in the kit (behind dice and measures) since tracking Might, Will and Fate is so important. 

A lot of people use the wooden stat trackers, but honestly, I've found that paper and pen is far quicker - and it also encourages you to take an active role in tracking your opponent's stats too, which helps both for making decisions, and for doubling your odds of remembering to mark off heroic stats, which is easily forgotten when you and your opponent are both suffering from 'tournament brain'. 

I have a small selection of tokens next, I keep losing them so it's in dire need of a restock, but in here I have some tokens that can be handy to keep track of things. Heroic tokens, wound counters and a penny with some cabochons on, you can never have too many tokens. Again - a lot of players don't use tokens, but I've lost more than one game by forgetting a status effect or spell that would have tipped things in my favour. By the end of a 2-day tournament, Murphy's Law is in full effect, so anything you can do to relieve some of the mental burden is a good idea.

Note to newer players - loom bands are plentiful at any tournament, so don't bother buying them! Just ask your opponent nicely. 

Magical Power cards and Loom Bands next, these are super handy to have. As you can see, my cards are sleeved and I can write the range and casting value on each one without damaging the card. These save a lot of time finding the spells in the rulebook and are also handy for having a quick reference you and your opponent can see at all times. You'll notice as well, the three cards pictured each have a different colour of loom band in the sleeve, this is so I can easily mark models under the effect of each particular spell. Handy for you, and also for your opponent.

Finally, I have a fresh tube of Super Glue for any breakages that may happen. It will also make you best friends with any tournament attendees who have brought any metal models - looking at you in particular, Shelob...

The glue sits in a small baggy to (hopefully) catch any leaks. 

All this stuff fits pretty nicely in the FIXA box, and goes in my bag with my army book, rulebook and pad of paper.

Honourable mentions that go in my backpack for every event;

Two words for you: Hydration and Perspiration. Always make sure you're drinking water throughout the day, and having a can of deodorant in your bag is something your opponents (and the rest of the venue) will be thankful for! Don't blast up in the middle of the room, else you make in smell like a highschool boys changing room, but after each game, I'll usually go somewhere a little quieter to let my brain mellow for a moment so I usually have a spray there.

What did we miss? What often-overlooked bit of tournament kit can you not live without? Let us know in the comments!

Valourbowl III Results

 

For those of you who've been following us for a while, you're probably aware that each year we at Drawn Combat run a tournament in aid of charity each year - and this year was no different. Last month we ran the third iteration of our staple tournament: Valourbowl. The idea? We raise a heck of a lot of money in aid of charity with a bit of a twist on the ol' format. Sure we have a tournament winner, but what we want to see over the course of the day is kills achieved with each players chosen Hero of Valour! 

List building wise, players were given 500pts to play around with and to nominate a Hero of Valour from their list to be their champion for the day. There were certainly some heroes we expected like Boromir, Bolg and and Glorfindel, but there were also some very out there choices too! 

Our players had four games to rack up as large of a kill count as they could, some faring better than others and some genuinely surprising results too for one of those that reached the top 10! Ultimately however, one person had to come out on top and it was a fight to the bitter end with Team DC's own Dan Sellen making a punt for the top spot (thankfully, Dwalin died early in his last game and we were spared accusations of a fix!). But who did win you ask? Matt Hudson with his Dragon! In his own words, Fly made all the difference in his games as he was able to pick and choose his fights more carefully to inflict the most damage he could, really running away with it in his last match when he picked up 20 kills!

Of course, we had a much greater goal in mind - this years chosen charity was the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. The combination of ticket entries, baked sale goods and a raffle were all in place - with a lot of prizes donated from an incredibly generous bunch. This included our various partners and family members making hand making prizes, members of the community getting in touch to send us things and even some big names in the hobby industry such as Siege Studios, Element Games, Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats, Mantic Games, Rosemary & Co, Artis Opus and many more sending us amazingly kind gifts for us to raffle off. 

In total we raised...£2036.89 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust! We cannot thank everyone enough for the support given to this event, and we aim to be back next year - bigger and better than before!

Top Forge World kits We Would Like To See (And can actually see happening)

Editor's note: in order to make us look stupid, Games Workshop decided to retire the Forge World brand the day before this article went up, and replace it with 'expert kits'. However, we're too lazy to change it. 

A couple of weeks ago, we dropped an article on plastic kits we both wanted and could maybe see being released in this lifetime. This week, we'll turn our attention to Forge World models. And whereas recent plastic kit releases tend to be limited to main characters, terrain kits and super-iconic moments from the films, Forge World seems to have a bit more carte blanche for their releases, and we've seen some real left-field models drop out of nowhere - delicious treats like Glorfindel, Personalities of Bree, and a ton of Hobbit heroes have completely blindsided us, in the best way possible.

While we appear to be in a bit of a Middle Earth release drought, we can never rule out that an unexpected FW release is around the corner, so here is our wishlist. Some seem fairly likely, whereas some are pure fantasy - but with Forge World, you never know...

Rhunish Drake

The recent Defence of the North supplement saw Rhunish Drakes migrate over from their previously Battle-Companies-Only status and gain a spruced-up profile to hopefully earn their price tag of 20 points a pop. The Crebain profile was in a similar situation after the release of the War in Rohan supplement – but whereas that was a few short months between book and model, it's been over a year now and there's no sign of a Rhunish Drake release. 

It’s been tough to gauge whether the Rhunish Drake profile is really disruptive in any way. I haven’t had any mind-blowing success with them, but until they are used en-masse by the player base, it’s really too soon to tell – and we haven’t seen that happen yet because nobody can even tell you what size base they’re meant to be on! (Even though it fairly clearly 40mm and you should look with great suspicion upon anybody who says 25mm).

We don’t believe for a second that these sculpts aren’t finished and sat on a shelf somewhere gathering dust. The people need their drakes!

Likelihood: 8/10

 

A Rhunish Drake courtesy of yours truly, created for Battle Companies many years ago. In my defense, I didn't know any better, and it never says you CAN'T use a 25mm base...

Grimbold on Horse

Grimbold needs a horse. 

Likelihood: 0/10

 

Heroes of the Fiefdoms

It’s no secret that I think that the Forge World ‘Heroes of Dunland’ pack is one of the best releases in the history of the game. A triple pack of gorgeous and varied mid-tier heroes is such a great way to bulk out a faction and add new listbuilding options, and just about every army in the game could benefit from this type of release. 

But what’s the army that revolves around its mid-tier captains like no other? That’s right, it’s the Fiefdoms! The triple threat of Forlong, Duinhir and Angbor, and their special rules, give the faction a lot of its unique flavour - and as the models are getting rather long in the tooth, a Forge World makeover is just what they need. It would also be a chance to finally give Forlong his famously absent horse, finally giving us an option to run the strength 5 war spear-wielding tubster the way he's meant to be run.

Likelihood: 3/10

On a completely unrelated note, Unreleased Miniatures sell a 'Fat Medieval Bismarck' model...

Shelob

Anybody who has built the metal Shelob will probably agree with this one. The prospect of assembling Shelob and having her stay in one piece is a real ask for a hobbyists new and old - I think we owe it to the big lady to give her a creepy new resin scuplt that can actually make it to the end of a game with all of her limbs still attached. 

Not a sure thing by any stretch, but an updated Shelob model would definitely shift some units with her old fans, as well as earning her plenty of new ones. 

Likelihood: 4/10

 

Mounted Gil-Galad

It’s really no wonder that the harpers sadly sing about Gil-Galad when you see the state of his model. It's not the worst the game has to offer, but it's so comically overshadowed by the new Glorfindel and Elrond models that it's hard to imagine there isn't something in the works. With without a doubt one of the most terrifying combat profiles in the game, I struggle to think of any situation in which you wouldn’t choose to put him on a horse – and yet there is no official option to do so.

What’s more, with Elrond now being sold separately in a stunning new plastic kit, the Elrond & Gil-Galad pack is less tempting than ever. The High King looks It would be an absolute slam dunk to give him the Glorfindel treatment and there is no doubt the model would look absolutely stunning. 

Likelihood: 7/10

Beechbone

A new Beechbone model seemed to be a safe bet after the release of Quickbeam - yet we've had no mention of Ents since then. It's fairly easy to fill this gap in the range with the plastic Ent kit (who does look quite similar to Beechbone's film depiction), but it does feel a bit unfair given how stunning the Quickbeam sculpt was. 

Likelihood: 4/10

Beechbone conversion guide: Step 1, Assemble Ent; Step 2, Introduce flame

Mounted Elendil

Sure, it's easy enough to convert up an Elessar to make a rather nice looking Elendil - but this is really doing the High King of Numenor a disservice. A regal Forge World sculpt of Elendil with a dismount to match would really breathe some life back in to the Numenor faction. 

Likelihood: 5/10 

Rob Macfarlane was featured in Warhammer Community with this really lovely Elendil converted from a Theoden. 

Corsair Reavers

Another profile that’s never been given an official sculpt. There hasn’t been much consensus on how to model these guys (though we threw our own hat in to the ring with a Conversion Corner). A lot of people go for red clothes or a double-axed barbarian style pose - but such an interesting part of the army really deserves its own model, preferably one that displays a frenzied buccaneer with no regard for their own life - or anyone else's.

Plus, in a rag-tag faction like Corsairs, it can be quite confusing to keep track of modified Reaver models in amongst the rabble. I could imagine them getting the same treatment as Huscarls, Dragon Cult Acolytes and Guards of the Galadhrim Court, and being sold in a FW 3-pack - hopefully not setting us back too much for the 6 to 12 Reavers typically found in Corsair lists. 

However, Corsairs haven't been mentioned by GW in a long time, and there is no indication that they have anything on the horizon - so we're not holding our breath. 

Likelihood: 5/10

Some very creative Reaver conversions courtesy of our friends over at Tell Me A Tale, Great Or Small!

The Balrog

Not much to say here, but the prospect of a new & improved Balrog model which is up to the current Forge World standards would have a lot of people very excited. The original Balrog kit got a ton of us in to the game, and a new model would sell like hot cakes. However, the old model isn't that bad - it doesn't look quite as imposing or dynamic as it once did, and when compared to some of the large monsters we've seen GW release in the last few years, it has us pining for the possibilities of a new sculpt. But it's far from the most dated model in the range, so we can probably chalk this one up to wishful thinking. 

Likelihood: 3/10

 

Celeborn - along with mounted option!?

On paper he’s the strongest of the army. In practice, he’s a bit of a disappointment. How to breathe some life into this model though? The pose is still decent (the armoured version), but given the latest treatment of his Rivendell cousins, he stands a good chance of a Forge World revamp - which also opens up the opportunity to finally have him mounted - though that's admittedly pure speculation on our part. A strong cavalry hero is something that Lothlorien lack - though there is an argument that a mount & Fleetfoot might make him too strong. 

Likelihood: 1/10

Lurtz

One of the most iconic figures for those who started back in the DeAgostini days was Lurtz. Whilst I do have a soft spot for his mini, I’ve always felt that he just didn’t fit the profile of the strongest and most aggressive Uruk, and that he looks a little wooden. A truly dynamic pose based on his duel with Aragorn would be a great addition - perhaps with a resculpted Ugluk to compliment the Grishnakh and Snaga previously released? Another release that would be sure to shift a ton of models. 

Likelihood: 6/10

Take exactly this pose, release it in FW resin, and I will personally buy 15. 
Credit: New Line Cinema

Anarion

Anarion has long been the poster child for 'models that are referenced in the rulebooks and were forgotten about forever'. He's been sat there for so long that it's hard to see this changing at any point.  There's no time limit attached to the Middle Earth team's policy of giving everyone from the rulebooks their own model, but Anarion sure must be getting impatient by now. 

Likelihood: 5/10

Arvedui, Malbeth and Warriors/Captains of Arnor

Noticeably missing from our first article was Arnor, who have been long out of production from Games Workshop. One reason for their absence was our hope that they may be given a fresh and fantastic set of new models from Forge World.  

While the models in general hold up perfectly well, the warriors could do with a bit more refinement. They were metal upon their release and, in a similar style to the original Knights of Dol Amroth, so I don't think it's out of the question to hope to see a six man box release with them brought up to today's standards. Similar to other 6-man infrantry kits, this kit could contain a banner or even a horn (if tweaking the profile is an option), and options to kit out a Captain with a bow - something the original metal sculpt did not have. 

Arvedui and Malbeth are definitely not bad models by any stretch, but like the rest of the original Arnor release these were released later into the game's life back in 2007. But considering that they aren't even available at the moment, would it be so out of the question so hope for new scultps? If we're putting on our tin foil hats, the fact that they are all unavailable may even hint at something in the works...

While we'd love to see the faction fleshed out a little more, maybe some more elite units, I think we'd all just settle for a generic rerelease first!

Likelihood: 6/10

The entirety of the Arnor range. We've seen plenty of FW release waves bigger than this! 

So there's our list! Obviously there will be tons we missed, so let us know what you want to see from Forge World in the next few years! 

Top Plastic Kits We'd Like To See (And Can Actually See Happening!)

 Dave Cooper:

As any fellow hobbyist can attest to, there's nothing quite like getting your hands on a new kit. There's nothing quite like the hype from seeing a new model get revealed then having it in your hands and on your desk and then the satisfaction of seeing it painted and fitting it into your collection (or your ever growing pile of shame, if we're being honest...)

That being said, I thought it would be a fun to make a list of models or characters that the team here at Drawn Combat would love to see make it into the game. Games Workshop definitely stick to the big hitters when it comes to plastic, so while we'd all love a plastic Goblin Prowlers or Golden King of Abrakhan, we've tried to keep it at least semi-realistic and include things that at least have a chance of being greenlit.

Disclaimer - yes, we're painfully aware that we haven't had a new plastic troops box in a long, long time, and even new plastic characters seem like a blissful memory of a bygone age. Just work with us - if you're really a stickler, you can probably divide all of our likelihood scores by ten. 

But it's fun to pretend! 

Dave's Pick: Frodo and Sam

Name two more iconic characters to Lord of the Rings than Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee. While we've seen new plastic models for the majority of the Fellowship; Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the Three Hunters pack and Merry and Pippin with Treebeard (And their armoured versions in Gandalf the White and Dernhelm respectively), we're still yet to have a nice new sculpt for Frodo and Sam. To their credit, Games Workshop have rereleased the Emyn Muil sculpts for the pair which are probably the two nicest sculpts in metal, but it would be great to have them in plastic, similar to Merry and Pippin.

Credit: New Line Cinema

I'd like to hope our favourite duo in Middle Earth will get some love in the future, sclupting has come such a long way since their last models so I'm very keen to see what GW could come out with now! Picture it - the way they look leaving Osgiliath through the sewers, Sam laden with pots and pans, both looking like the weight of the journey is taking its toll. 

Credit: Games Workshop

Adding plastic Gollum for a new character 3-pack also seems like an absolute slam dunk. I'd part with my cash instantly!

Likelihood: 7/10

Dan Stu's Pick: Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth

By and large, the fiefdoms is a pretty good looking faction. We’ve got some slightly dated but extremely characterful models, the troops are all nice and distinctive, and the big centrepieces of the Swan Knights are available in both plastic (mounted) and resin (unmounted) kits, both of which are lovely. Where they really drop the ball though, is in their leader – instead of ‘Prince Imrahil the fair’, we get Rocky Dennis riding a horse. The fiefdoms are a slightly more niche faction and Imrahil not being present in the films is a real sticking point, so this probably falls in to the wishful thinking category – but I think a really nice Imrahil model wouldn’t struggle to shift units or make its way in to a lot of alliances. 

Credit: Games Workshop

Liklihood: 2/10

Dan Slob's Pick: Rivendell Elves

The very first words spoken in the LOTR movie trilogy are “The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.” And they are spoken by an elf. 

Ironic, then, that the main elf troops are still models from 2002. 

Credit: Games Workshop

You can still only have: elf with arms up, elf with arms a bit less up, elf with bow and one arm up, elf with bow and arms sort-of-up. Let the elves put their arms down, it’s been 21 years, they are tired.

Likelihood: 3/10

Sean's Pick: Rohan Royal Guard

We’ve all looked at the a box of Riders of Rohan, checked the price for Royal Guard and then searched for a conversion guide in the vain hope of not needing to sell a body part to fund the dream.

It’s no secret that Royal Guard are a very popular model for Rohan. Extra fight, extra defence, great flexibility all for a few extra points. Sticking them on a horse, yelling death and charging them into combat is the cinematic moment we all want to see on the gaming board.

Credit: New Line Cinema

Sadly, the price is the a huge issue when it comes to fielding them on horseback. £36 for 3 is expensive when you really want 6 to 12 in any respectable Rohan collection. The 'cavalry box' format is a natural fit for Royal Guard- not to mention that half the job is already done as Royal Guard are mounted on plastic horses anyway! In a sane world, the leap to a plastic box set really shouldn’t be that far away!

Likelihood: 8/10 (But we know GW love their cash cows, so realistically 0/10!)

Colm's Pick: Orc Warriors

Is that a quiver or is it a humpback? Is that a face or a bit of fluff that’s landed on your model?

Unfortunately the current plastic orcs have been showing their age for a while now and an upgrade with the crisp detail GW is now capable of would have us all quivering in our boots (for all the right reasons). Orcs are a major part of some of the most iconic armies of LOTR and to have modern and exciting miniatures would rejuvenate the look and feel of vast swathes of the game. It could even broaden the game's player base! I know I was initially turned off from MESBG by how dated the current little guys look. Come on GW, you know it needs to happen (but it never will).

Credit: Games Workshop

The recent Battle of Osgilath starter box would have been a logical place for a new Orc or Morannon Orc kit - and the cynical part of us says that if we were ever going to get new Orcs, that probably would have been the time. 

Likelihood: 1/10

Bonus Entry: Sauron (and The Mouth of Sauron!)

The Dark Lord himself. In most games, he'll take up at least half of your army should you choose to field him - and what do we have to show for the Lord of the Rings? A rather stiff, boxy model who is now over 20 years old!

I'd love to see a more dynamic model for Sauron, possibly even making him taller and overall more foreboding on the table. Jerry Vanderstelt, one of the artists for the Peter Jackson trilogy, did a fantastic piece which I think encapsulates him perfectly. Standing tall and menacing, his mace hanging low by his side with his cloak flowing behind him like a dark shadow. I'd love to see Games Workshop channel this vibe for an updated model - I wouldn't even be mad if they worked it into Forge World's Character Series.

Imagine an SBG where Sauron was this cool. And, you know, actually good in-game. 

You can't mention updating Sauron without mentioning The Mouth of Sauron. While I think the model for him is passable, it still shows its age - particularly in its skinny profile. I'd love an updated model, possibly based more off the iconic scene where he presents Frodo's Mithril vest to Aragorn - even if this is just an optional piece. The dismount is where I think the model shows it's age the most. Like Sauron, it's quite a stiff and static pose. An updated sculpt could reflect his status as a leader - personally I've always loved a good authoritative pointing pose of a commander leading his troops. And I think that his iconic scene in the film, combined with the large number of lists he finds his way in to, is enough to warrant his own plastic model. 

Credit: Games Workshop

And if we're really wishlisting - a character 2-pack of Sauron and the Mouth, alongside a new supplement complete with Barad-Dur Legendary Legion really is the dream - and I don't know an SBG player alive that wouldn't buy it. 

Likelihood: 4/10

So there you have it - five kits we'd love to see in the future, plus a bonus Sauron entry.

We'd love to hear what characters or kits you think are in dire need of a revamp, or do you think we're way off the mark with our list? Let us know in the comments!

Building on your Battlehost: Isengard

Dan Stu: 

This is the first in a new blog series, in which we'll be talking through each of the new-ish Battlehost boxes, and giving advice on how to build out your collections. 

One of the blog series that kicked off our humble blog was our 500 under 50 series. Sadly though, in a post-price-hike world, that series is now looking a little out of date - if you’re looking to get in to the game for £50, our new blog series may as well be a tutorial on how to walk in to a shop and buy a Battlehost. 

I have noticed, however, that there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of buying guides since the release of the Battlehosts. And as they are, alongside the new starter set, now the most cost-effective way of buying in to the game, I decided to put together this guide for people who are relatively new to the game and may be baffled by where to go next.  

A particularly confusing aspect for new players is the large number of Legendary Legions now in existence, and without buying a lot of books, it can be unintuitive to figure out what your most sensible purchases are. We won’t be going in to detail about the particular pros and cons of each Legion (that is extremely well covered by our friends over at Tell Me A Tale, Great Or Small) but we will be presenting a sensible order of purchases to be able to field each one. 

As is always the case in our buying guides, we won’t be going for the most optimized or competitive lists – the focus will be on the minimum number of purchases you can get away with to get your toys on the table. And where we discuss prices, we’ll be using the direct from GW costs. However, you can often find models cheaper than this, and for the older armies in particular, my first place to check would always be the online trade groups, where you can very often find job lots of older factions for very good prices - as long as you’re happy with a bit of hobby DIY. 

Speaking of hobby DIY – I’ve written the lists below so that the weapon options match what you’ll find in the various troop boxes. However, you may find that other wargear options are preferable, particularly when it comes to shields and 2-handed weapons (the rule of thumb: shields good, 2h weapons bad). With a bit of light hobbying, it’s possible to make changes – for example, adding shields to the shieldless models. For the sake of friendliness to new players, the lists below don't necessitate any such conversion work and are all made from off-the-shelf models.

And a final point - the most important rule to bear in mind is that you should always buy that models that look fun or appealing to you (as long as you can afford them!) We've taken a bare bones approach on how to get each Legion on the table with minimum purchases and not too many fancy toys, but if a troll or ballista looks like a good time, then that should be your  next purchase - don't deny yourself some of the joys of the hobby just because of something you read on a blog or forum. 

I suppose the first point to address is that while the Isengard Battlehost is a great place to start in the faction, it is also in an odd spot, in that most Isengard lists and especially the Legendary Legions will use either Uruk Scouts or Warriors, but rarely both - especially if you’re looking to optimize your list. In addition, Saruman is not present in any of the Legendary Legions. That being said, the Battlehost is still a great place to start, because it will set you up for a large number of options – so unless you’ve got your mind set on a particular Legendary Legion and would prefer to purchase only the troop type needed, the Battlehost is a much more cost effective option. And, given that the troop boxes currently retail for £30 and the Battlehost (consisting of 2 troop boxes and a character) for £55, it seems like a no brainer to cover yourself for any lists you may wish to pivot to in the future - so we'll assume that's where you're starting. 

Pure Isengard Path 

Credit: Andrew King, as featured on Warhammer Community

We'll talk in this blog about Legendary Legions, but don't be fooled in to thinking that they're the logical endpoint when collecting Isengard. Pure Isengard is just as fun and competitive as any LL, and gives you by far the most versatility, as well as access to some units that you're locked out of otherwise. 

List 1: 400pts Battlehost only

Shopping list: Isengard Battlehost, Armies of the LOTR book

  Warband 1    18/18  

  Saruman with Horse;  

  8 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  10 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    0/0  

  Gríma Wormtongue  

 ----

395pts, 20 Units

   

This list is worth taking for a spin if you’ve just dipped your toe in to the game and bought your first battlehost. It’s good for getting toys on the table quickly, or if you and a friend both bought a battlehost together and want to play with those exclusively - but I’d strongly recommend moving on to your next purchases. Sadly we're not able to fill the last 5 points as there is no space in any of our warbands!

List 2: 650pts Pure Isengard

Shopping list: Uruk-Hai Commanders box

  Warband 1    14/18  

  Saruman with Horse;  

        4 Uruk-hai Scout with Uruk-hai bow;

            4 Uruk-hai Scout with Shield;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  1 Uruk-hai Warrior with Banner;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    0/0  

  Gríma Wormtongue  

  ----  

  Warband 3    10/12  

  Uruk-hai Captain with Shield;  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Uruk-hai bow;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  ----  

  Warband 4    6/6  

  Uruk-hai Shaman with Armour;  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Uruk-hai bow;  

  2 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

 2 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike; 

650pts, 34 units, 8 Bows

   

With the commanders box, things are starting to come together, and this is a perfectly decent army. You’ve got a nice mix of magic, a banner and some shooting. This is a good set of models that you can field for plenty of games. If you are a newer player, this is an excellent 'tutorial' army - a good option to get quite a few games in while you learn the ropes, before deciding the style of army you want to buy in to next. (If you want our take on 'tutorial' armies, we have a blog post about that here, too!)

You can really pick your poison from this point, too – some more named heroes, and some specialist troops like crossbows or berzerkers will give you a much more varied toolbox and will help to build towards bigger, scarier Isengard lists.  

List 3: 800pts Pure Isengard 

Shopping list: Lurtz & Ugluk, Warg Riders

  Warband 1    17/18  

  Saruman with Horse;  

  4 Uruk-hai Scout with Uruk-hai bow;  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Shield;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  1 Uruk-hai Warrior with Banner;  

  2 Warg Rider with Throwing spears;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    0/0  

  Gríma Wormtongue  

  ----  

  Warband 3    12/15  

  Lurtz with Shield;  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Uruk-hai bow;  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  1 Warg Rider with Orc bow;  

  1 Warg Rider  

  ----  

  Warband 4    12/12  

  Uglúk  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Uruk-hai bow;  

  2 Uruk-hai Scout with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  1 Warg Rider with Orc bow;  

 1 Warg Rider

800pts, 45 units, 10 Bows 

 

Optional Extras: Literally everything else from the Isengard army list!

This is still a really basic Isengard list, but it’ll get you to 800pts with minimum purchases. It’s ticking similar boxes to the 650pts list, but with the addition of some named heroes and some cavalry threat. You can really season this to taste, with Mauhur & Vrasku being logical options, as well as some bigger threats such as specialist troops or trolls. Sharku would also fit right in with the warg riders.

This list really isn't doing anything all that fancy, but it's a fantastic backbone that you can add almost anything to. 

Legendary Legions

So once you’ve got a decent Isengard backbone sorted and a few games under your belt, you will most likely start thinking about Isengard Legendary Legions. These are a double edged sword, because while they offer highly specialized and powerful lists, they will lock you out of many options – the most notable being Saruman himself. It is definitely a good idea to treat them as optional sidegrades, and after some time with the vanilla Isengard list you’ll get a handle on the style of play that suits you. 

Assault on Helm’s Deep LL

Charles Lin's stunning AoHD army display. 

Why you’d like it: Tons of shooting, big siege weapons with Legion bonuses, and hordes of generic infantry and captains. 

For AoHD, you’re best off branching out from your basic Battlehost + Commanders box, (List 2) as you’ll mostly be needing Uruk Captains and Uruk Warriors. Keep in mind that if you’re looking to play Assault on Helm’s Deep exclusively, none of the other named Isengard heroes will be any use here, so buy with that in mind. 

Shopping list: Uruk-Hai Warriors, 2x Uruk Hai with Crossbows, Uruk-Hai Siege Assault Ballista, Uruk-Hai Siege Troops, 1x Uruk Hai Captain, War in Rohan book

A pretty hefty shopping list, but all stuff that you’ll be able to use in vanilla Isengard should you desire. 2 squads of crossbows isn’t exactly the bare minimum and you can play AoHD without these, but they are such a core part of how this legion is played that it feels necessary to include at least 8 of them. For a more ‘meta’ list, you can swap out the demolition team for a second Siege Ballista, although you’re not likely to earn many friends by doing this. 

You’ll need a second Captain to play this list too, but I wouldn’t advise buying a second pack of Uruk-Hai Commanders just for this – I would recommend either converting one from a regular warrior, or checking the trade groups as there are a number of old metal Captain models that can prevent you from doubling up on the same Captain sculpt. 

List 4: 800pts Assault on Helm’s Deep Legendary Legion

  Warband 1    18/18  

  Uruk-hai Commander with Shield;  

  6 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  6 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Warrior with Crossbow;  

  1 Uruk-hai Demolition Team with Flaming Brand;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    17/18  

  Uruk-hai Captain with Shield;  

  6 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  6 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  1 Uruk-hai Warrior with Banner; Shield;  

  4 Uruk-hai Warrior with Crossbow;  

  ----  

  Warband 3    12/12  

  Uruk-hai Shaman  

  5 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  6 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  1 Uruk-hai Warrior with Crossbow;  

  ----  

  Warband 4    2/12  

  Uruk-hai Siege Veteran  

 Isengard Assault Ballista

                   

                     799pts, 53 Units, 8 Crossbows  

Optional extras: More Crossbows, Berzerkers, Trolls, second Siege Ballista

This list will give any experienced SBG player cause for pause. You can probably optimise it by including more siege bows and crossbows, but this is a great starting point and will do well on the table. 

Scouts Path

The scouts path will only be building on the 24 scout models from the Battlehost, so if you desire to run only these lists, you could probably just jump in and buy Scouts directly. However, for the reasons we talked about earlier, I still think the Battlehost is such good value that you’d be better off just shelving the other models until you feel like playing a different list – so we’ll be branching off from list 1. 

Lurtz’ Scouts LL

Credit: Warhammer Community

Why you’d like it: Lots of fast guys, lots of bows, it’s very cinematic, good deployment control, and you get to throw a shield. 

Lurtz’s scouts is often maligned, and it may be treated as a stepping stone to playing the scouts list that is generally regarded as being better. However, it doesn’t require all that many purchases, so it’s an easy recommendation to follow on from the Battlehost. 

Shopping list: Lurtz & Ugluk, Mauhur & Vrasku, Uruk-Hai Scouts Commanders, Quest of the Ringbearer book

We’ll need both Lurtz and Mauhur in the list, as Mauhur allows you to upgrade your entire army to an 8” move, which is pretty much the main reason to take this list. 

I’ve also put in a single extra scout with shield, beyond what is provided in the Battlehost. If you can’t beg / borrow / steal a scout from a friend, I’m sure most people would be happy with you using an Uruk-Hai warrior as a proxy. 

If you plan on passing over this list and going straight to Ugluk’s Scouts, you can probably forego the Quest of the Ringbearer book, too – although there is a lot of other fun stuff in there. 

List 5: 500pts Lurtz’s Scouts Legendary Legion

  Warband 1    11/15  

  Lurtz with Shield;  

  Uruk-hai Drummer  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Uruk-hai bow;  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder  

  1 Uruk-hai Marauder with Banner;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    9/12  

  Uglúk  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Uruk-hai bow;  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder  

  ----  

  Warband 3    7/12  

  Mauhúr  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Shield;  

  2 Uruk-hai Marauder with Uruk-hai bow;  

  2 Uruk-hai Marauder  

----

                    500pts, 30 Units, 8 Bows  

Optional extras: Uruk-Hai Scouts (particularly with bows)

The only way you can build on this list is by adding more Captains and Scouts. As the list probably shines most around the 500-600pts mark, and as the second set of Scouts isn’t needed to Ugluk’s scouts, you’d have to really want to play this list at higher points values to justify this purchase, so I wouldn’t recommend it immediately.  

If we were to optimise this list you'd want to hit your bow limit - but that's not something we've done here as we're limited by the number of bows in the battlehost. If you are happy to convert some of the shieldless Scouts to have bows, the list would certainly benefit. 

Ugluk’s Scouts LL

Fellow Drawn Combat writer Steve Thorley's lovely Ugluk's Scouts army. 

Why you’d like it: Tons of very fast guys, fun interactions between your troops, high model count.

Shopping List: Snaga & Grishnakh, Mordor Orcs, War in Rohan book

List 6: 700pts Ugluk’s Scouts Legendary Legion

  Warband 1    11/12  

  Uglúk  

  Uruk-hai Drummer  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Uruk-hai bow;  

  1 Uruk-hai Marauder with Banner;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    9/12  

  Mauhúr  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Shield;  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder  

  3 Uruk-hai Marauder with Uruk-hai bow;  

  ----  

  Warband 3    6/12  

  Uruk-hai Scout Captain with Shield;  

  2 Uruk-hai Marauder with Shield;  

  2 Uruk-hai Marauder  

  2 Uruk-hai Marauder with Uruk-hai bow;  

  ----  

  Warband 4    12/12  

  Grishnákh, Orc Captain with Shield;  

  4 Orc Warrior with Spear;  

  4 Orc Warrior with Shield;  

  2 Orc Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  2 Orc Warrior with Orc bow;  

  ----  

  Warband 5    10/12  

  Snaga, Orc Captain  

  4 Orc Warrior with Spear;  

  4 Orc Warrior with Shield;  

  1 Orc Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  1 Orc Warrior with Orc bow;  

  ----  

698pts, 53 Units, 11 Bows

Optional extras: Uruk-Hai Scouts, more banners

There is probably an argument for another banner in here, if you can find one or don’t mind shelling out for a second pack of Scout Commanders. We’ve used all the Uruk Scouts we own in this list, so if we want to go beyond 700pts, you’d need another box of Scouts or Orcs. However, as we’ve already included all the named heroes, this list is probably best around 700pts or less – you could pad it out with more Captains and warriors if you wanted to, but you're not really adding any new tricks at that point.

Dunland Path

My own Dunland army!

You might notice that we haven’t touched a Dunland model until now. Dunland function a bit like an army within an army, especially when you consider their Legendary lLegion which shares no models with the Isengard Battlehost. This path assumes that you’d want to collect general Isengard models with a few Dunland options, and then want to have the ability to run the pure Dunland LL. 

If your aim is to beeline to the Dunland Legendary Legion, then you’re better off just skipping the Battlehost completely and collecting Dunland from the ground up – which is actually what I did. before retroactively buying the Isengard Battlehost. But don’t get me wrong – a lot of the Dunland models are a great boon to a ‘vanilla’ Isengard list and are worth picking up even if you have no intention of running the Legion. 

Isengard & Dunland

Technically this is still pure Isengard, but we’re on a  slightly different trajectory to the ‘Pure Isengard’ lists, so I’ve separated this option out as it’s a very different way to run the army. 

Why you’d like it: Dunland has got some of the coolest toys in the game. They’re strong, cheap and very angry. Some of the heroes fit seamlessly in to the Isengard roster. You don’t get any insane heroes, but they each bring a lot of bang for their buck. 

Shopping List: Heroes of Dunland, Dunlending Warriors, Crebain

We’ve gone for the Heroes of Dunland pack here as they give great bang for your buck – three heroes that all bring something different as well as buffing some of your troops. Gorulf in particular is an absolute powerhouse in any army.

Disclaimer: I’ve recommended Wildmen and Dunlending Warriors, but it must be said that these boxes are absolutely terrible value. The way they are packaged is rubbish too – they come with as many 2 handed weapons as single, and in the case of Warriors, you get a grand total of 4 with axe & shield. Given that these make up the backbone of your Dunland troops, this is frankly a terrible value  that I would not advise purchasing - it's right up there with Easterling warriors for troop packs that make no sense.  

I’ve tried to stay away from any conversion work or third party models, but this really is a situation in which I’d recommend giving either one of them a look – both to save your wallet and to avoid duplicate sculpts (there are two poses for a Dunland warrior with axe & shield, your go-to troop type). There are a large number of historical miniatures companies out there, and several product ranges are suitable for padding or proxying Dunland troops. Of course, the ideal situation is finding a Dunland job lot on a trade group, but given the list’s relative popularity, this might be tricky to find at a good price. 

I’ve written these lists assuming you’re happy to buy multiple boxes of GW’s Dunland troops, but I’d strongly recommend keep the alternatives in mind.

List 7: Isengard & Dunland 700pts 

  Warband 1    18/18  

  Saruman with Horse;  

  7 Uruk-hai Warrior with Shield;  

  10 Uruk-hai Warrior with Pike;  

  1 Uruk-hai Warrior with Banner;  

  ----  

  Warband 2    8/12  

  Gorûlf Ironskin  

  1 Dunlending Warrior with Banner;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Bow;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Shield;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  1 Crebain  

  ----  

  Warband 3    7/12  

  Frida Tallspear  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Bow;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Shield;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  1 Crebain  

----

                       697pts, 36 units  

I’ve built the list with the models you get in the Warrior and Wildman packs, but you should keep in mind that this is pretty sub-optimal, and the list is instantly improved if you replace all 2h weapons with their single handed equivalent (and a shield where possible.) Hopefully Games Workshop give us a way of buying Dunland troops that actually makes sense in the near future, but I wouldn’t count on it. 

It's worth noting that you’ve got a whole load of Scouts from your Battlehost untouched here, as well as some spare Dunland and Uruk heroes – so you could easily pad this list to 800pts or beyond. 

Optional Extras: Thrydan Wolfsbane is the obvious omission here and he is absolutely worth picking up, especially if you plan to eventually run the Dunland LL. I've gone for Gorulf and Frida but Thrydan is brilliant. You will also have the Wilman Oathmaker who pairs very nicely with Wildmen of Dunland if you want some cheap fearless troops. 

Army of Dunland LL

Credit: Warhammer Community

Why you’d like it: If you already like the Dunland units, you get to take a LOT of them, and you get a few nice bonuses to boost their effectiveness and killing power. Tons of might and tons of toys – you can read our hot take about it here. 

Shopping List: Thrydan Wolfsbane, Dunlending Horsemen, Dunlending Warriors, Wildmen of Dunland, Dunlending Huscarls x2

The main caveat of Dunland is that it doesn’t come cheap – and as we’re not sharing any models with the Isengard Battlehost or even the rest of Isengard at all, if you want to only run Dunland, it’s more practical to forego buying anything Uruk-related. Fortunately, Dunlending Horsemen and Huscarls  - both eye wateringly expensive if purchased in multiples – can be easily proxied by third party miniatures. If you can get past the price tag though, Dunland are very fun indeed. 

List 8: Army of Dunland 700pts

  Warband 1    11/15  

  Thrydan Wolfsbane with Horse;  

  1 Dunlending Warrior with Banner;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Bow;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Shield;  

  2 Dunlending Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  2 Dunlending Horseman  

  2 Dunlending Huscarl  

  ----  

  Warband 2    11/12  

  Gorûlf Ironskin  

  1 Dunlending Warrior with Banner;  

  3 Dunlending Warrior with Bow;  

  3 Dunlending Warrior with Shield;  

  1 Dunlending Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  2 Dunlending Huscarl  

  1 Crebain  

  ----  

  Warband 3    10/12  

  Frida Tallspear  

  3 Dunlending Warrior with Bow;  

  3 Dunlending Warrior with Shield;  

  1 Dunlending Warrior with Two-handed weapon;  

  2 Dunlending Huscarl  

  1 Crebain  

  ----  

  Warband 4    11/12  

  The Wild Man Oathmaker  

  5 Wild Man of Dunland  

  6 Wild Man of Dunland with Two-handed weapon;  

 ----

                    700pts, 47 units  

Aside from the over-abundance of two-handed weapons, this actually looks pretty great. Dunland tends to shine around the 600-700pt mark so there’s not much to change, other than perhaps buying a few more of the ‘premium’ units such as Huscarls or Horsemen – but these are best taken in moderation anyway. There’s also a strong argument to take a Dunland Chieftain over one of the named heroes too, just to have access to Heroic March - happily, these come included with the Warriors box, which is one of the few nice things that can be said about it.  

Optional Extras: More Huscarls, Horsemen, and more Warriors with axe & shield instead of bow or 2h weapon. 

Wrap-up

Some of you may have spotted that we have not addressed the Mumak in the room - the ‘Wolves of Isengard’ Legendary Legion. This is a super niche Isengard legion that shares no models with the Battlehost, so there really is no logical way to pivot in to it – it really is its own beast, and if you want to run it, more power to you! 

As we can see pretty clearly in the flowchart, it’s possible to get 800pts or higher of Isengard on the table with really very few purchases. The Legendary Legions pivot out of this core quite nicely but tend to be more purchase-heavy, so it’s really a case of picking your poison – or just keep accumulating enough models that you can run them all!

Keep your eyes peeled - this is the first blog in the series and we will be following up with our next Battlehost shortly.