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Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Factions You Can Play

By: Author Johannes Poulsen

Posted on Last updated:

Categories Skirmish Games

Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game is a vast tabletop miniatures game with a myriad of factions and models that bring the books of J.R.R. Tolkien and the film adaptations of Peter Jackson to life in plastic, metal and resin.

However, the game has had a long life across several editions, and it can be difficult as a beginner to figure out which armies are available, how up to date the models for those armies are, and what materials they’re made of.

Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Factions: what each section will contain:

In this Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Factions Overview, we give you a brief primer for each of the armies available in the game, following this template for each faction:

  • Name: This is simply the official name of the faction.
  • Image: To keep things simple, we represent each army with just one image of some of the models available to it, to give you a feel of the style of the army without destroying your browser.
  • Introduction: Here, we briefly tell you about the lore background of the army, and if there’s anything specific you need to know about the army’s playstyle and the state of its model range or availability, we also note it here.
  • Army Bonus: Unlike the stratagems and subfactions and army traits of other Games Workshop games, each army in Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game has just one Army Bonus rule that you get if you field a unified force from a specific army list, and for each faction, we briefly explain what it does.
  • Historical Allies: The rules for which armies can be fielded together in the game are pretty complex, but under this entry, we’ve just listed the armies that each faction can ally with without losing their Army Bonus, which should give you a good idea of which armies it could make sense to collect as part of the same force.
  • Heroes: This lists the Heroes available to the faction, and what materials they’re available in. Models come in the following materials in this game:
    • Plastic – easy to assemble, prime and paint, and pretty durable
    • FW (Forge World) – beautifully detailed, but really expensive and requires more hobby skills than plastic to assemble.
    • Resin – lower quality, brittle and very bendable resin, best to avoid for beginners (and people who like things that don’t look wonky)
    • Metal – mostly old sculpts, pretty sturdy but feels very different to assemble and pain, heavy.
  • Warriors: This lists the Warriors available to the faction, and what materials they’re available in. These models come in the same materials as the ones listed under “Heroes”.

…And that’s it!

We’ll add models and armies to this list as the game expands, and we hope it will give you the courage to build your favorite army and take the plunge into this classic tabletop game.

If you want to know more about how the game works, you can check out our Beginner’s Guide to Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game here.

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Forces of Good (The Lord of the Rings)

The Fellowship

The Fellowship consists of the brave few who set out from Rivendell to accompany Frodo in his quest to destroy the One Ring. They’re an unlikely alliance of Man, Elf, Dwarf, Wizard and Hobbit, and in the game, they’re an army made up entirely of Heroes, and as such, they’re mostly suited to games of Battle Companies or small narrative games.

You can, however, expand them into a larger army by adding different kinds of Lothlórien warriors to them from their Historical Allies list. They’re a great army if you want to paint and play the full all-star cast of protagonists from the Lord of the Rings books and films, and they’re almost all available in plastic.

Army Bonus

The Fellowship has the “You have my Sword” Army Bonus, which gives everyone from the army list the Fearless special rule (so they automatically pass Courage Tests) and immunity to being Broken if Frodo is part of the army and alive.

Historical Allies

  • Lothlórien
  • The Misty Mountains
  • Rivendell

Heroes

  • Frodo Baggins (Plastic, Metal)
  • Samwise Gamgee (Plastic, Metal)
  • Meriadoc Brandybuck (Plastic, Metal)
  • Peregrin Took (Plastic, Metal)
  • Gandalf the Grey (Plastic, Resin, Metal)
  • Aragorn – Strider (Plastic, Metal)
  • Boromir of Gondor (Plastic, Metal)
  • Legolas Greenleaf (Plastic, Metal)
  • Gimli Son of Glóin (Plastic, Metal)
  • Bill the Pony (FW Resin)
  • Sméagol (Metal)

Warriors

  • None

The Shire

The Shire is the home of the Hobbits, and the birthplace of some of the greatest heroes of the Third Age, such as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. It’s a land of farmers and gardeners, but when its green fields are threatened by outside forces, its inhabitants pick up farming tools and axes to defend their homelands -and sometimes, they might even gain the aid of a wizard. In Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, the Shire army mainly represents those who rose up against oppression during the Scouring of the Shire after the main events of the Lord of the Rings, which means that the Hobbits of the Fellowship show up in this army as returned heroes and veterans of the great war against Sauron, but anachronistically enough, the army also includes the legendary Hobbit hero of old, Bullroarer Took.

Army Bonus

The Shire has the “Fear! Fire! Foes!” Army Bonus, which lets Hobbit models within the army treat difficult terrain as open ground for movement purposes.

Historical Allies

  • The Rangers

Heroes

  • Frodo of the Nine Fingers (Metal)
  • Samwise the Brave (Metal)
  • Meriadoc, Captain of the Shire (Metal)
  • Peregrin, Captain of the Shire (Metal)
  • Paladin Took (Resin)
  • Farmer Maggot (Metal)
  • Lobelia Sackville-Baggins (Resin)
  • Bilbo Baggins (??)
  • Bandobras Took (??)
  • Dúnedain (??)
  • Gandalf the Grey (Plastic, Metal, Resin)
  • Ted Sandyman (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Lotho Sackville-Baggins (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Holfoot Bracegirdle (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Robin Smallburrow (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Will Whitfoot (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Baldo Tulpenny (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Folco Boffin (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Farmer Cotton (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Rosie Cotton (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Gaffer Gamgee (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Scouring of the Shire book)

Warriors

  • Hobbit Militia (Metal)
  • Hobbit Archer (Metal)
  • Hobbit Shirrif (Metal)

The Rangers

The Rangers are descended from the Númenoreans who landed on the shores of Middle-Earth to found the kingdom of Arnor, but in the Third Age, they live in the woods and on the Plains of the North, covertly protecting the free peoples from Orcs and other intruders. During the War of the Ring, it was from within their ranks that Aragorn, son of Arathorn, stood up to lead the armies of Men against Sauron.

Army Bonus

The Rangers have the “They‘re dangerous folk, wandering the wilds” Army Bonus. It lets them treat difficult terrain as open ground, and gives Rangers of the North and Dúnedain 2 Attacks instead of one while they have the Infantry keyword (ie they’re not Mounted). Finally, it also lets Rangers and Dúnedain pass Courage Tests automatically if they’re close to Arathorn, Halbarad or Aragorn and the Hero they’re close to has already passed the Courage Test, even though Rangers and Dúnedain are Heroes and not Warriors.

Historical Allies

  • The Shire
  • The Dead of Dunharrow

Heroes

  • Arathorn (??)
  • Aragorn – Strider (Plastic, Metal)
  • Halbarad (??)
  • Ranger of the North (Metal)
  • Dúnedain (??)

Warriors

  • None

Númenór

Númenor is the ancient kingdom of Men who, after their island home was destroyed in a great calamity due to their hubris, redeemed themselves under the leadership of their high king Elendil when they stood with the Elves against Sauron at the end of the Second Age. As such, this army belongs to a time thousands of years before the events of The Lord of The Rings, and if you want to use them for narrative games, they’re mostly useful for reenacting the battle of The Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron (the one from the opening of Peter Jackson’s The Fellowship of The Ring).

Army Bonus

Númenor has the “One by one the Free Lands of MIddle-Earth fell to the Power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted” Army Bonus, which increases the Courage of models in this army list by 1.

Historical Allies

  • Rivendell

Heroes

  • Elendil, High King of Gondor and Arnor (Metal)
  • Isildur (Metal)
  • Captain of Númenór (Plastic)

Warriors

  • Warrior of Númenor (Plastic, Metal)

Minas Tirith

Minas Tirith is the capital city of the kingdom of Gondor, one of the last great human civilizations of Middle-Earth. Even though the kingdom is fading, its throne is empty and it’s governed by Stewards awaiting the return of a rightful king, Gondor is also the first line of defense against the hordes of Mordor, and the skilled warriors and rangers of the White City give their lives every day so that the free peoples might live to see another sunrise. In the game, Minas Tirith is one of the Good armies with the largest selection of models, and they’ve even received updated plastic and Forge World resin sculpts for some of their most renowned heroes recently. Minas Tirith is also one of the few armies in the game which has a Battlehost starter set available, so they’re very affordable to pick up as an army.

Army Bonus

Minast Tirith has the “You are Men of Gondor. Whatever comes through the Gate, you will stand your Ground!”, which increases the Courage of Gondor models from within the army by 1.

Historical Allies

  • The Dead of Dunharrow
  • The Fiefdoms
  • Rohan

Heroes

  • Aragorn, King Elessar (Resin)
  • Gandalf the White (Plastic)
  • Denethor, Steward of Gondor (FW Resin)
  • Peregrin Took, Guard of the Citadel (Plastic)
  • Boromir, Captain of the White Tower (Metal)
  • Faramir, Captain of Gondor (Plastic)
  • Beregond, Guard of the Citadel (Metal)
  • Madril, Captain of Ithilien (Plastic)
  • Damrod, Ranger of Ithilien (Plastic)
  • Cirion, Lieutenant of Amon Barad (Metal)
  • Knight of the White Tower (Resin)
  • King of Men (??)
  • Captain of Minas Tirith (Metal, Plastic)
  • Irolas, Captain of the Guard (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)
  • Anborn, Ranger of Ithilien (FW Resin, from Quest of the Ringbearer)
  • Mablung, Ranger of Ithilien (FW Resin, from Quest of the Ringbearer)
  • Húrin the Tall, Warden of the Keys (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)
  • Ingold, Warden of the Rammas Echor (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)

Warriors

  • Warriors of Minas Tirith (Plastic, Metal)
  • Knights of Minas Tirith (Plastic)
  • Ranger of Gondor (Plastic)
  • Guard of the Fountain Court (Resin)
  • Osgiliath Veteran (Metal)
  • Gondor Battlecry Trebuchet (Resin)
  • Gondor Avenger Bolt Thrower (??)

The Fiefdoms

The Fiefdoms are the smaller kingdoms of Man who still honour their allegiance to Gondor. They don’t feature at all in the Lord of the Rings films, but play quite an important role in the book version of Return of the King, where Prince Imrahil and the Knights of Dol Amroth take part in the defense of Minas Tirith. They’re clearly also a favorite of the people who originally designed the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game sculpts, because the army has quite an expansive (if somewhat old) model range in the game.

Army Bonus

The Fiefdoms have the “For the White City” Army Bonus, which improves the Passive Special Rules marked with a * on many of the army’s Heroes to affect all models in this army within range of the Hero, rather than just the models listed in the Special Rule. This means that bonuses that would normally only affect one Fiefdom, such as Forlong the Fat’s The Lord of Lossarnach Special Rule that only affects his axe-wielding Bannermen, now also affects other Fiefdom models from Dol Amroth or Blackroot Vale, turning The Fiefdoms into an army with great access to buffs for your Warriors.

Historical Allies

  • Minas Tirith
  • Rohan

Heroes

  • Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth (Metal)
  • Forlong the Fat (Metal)
  • Angbor the Fearless (Metal)
  • Duinhir (Metal)
  • Captain of Dol Amroth (FW Resin)

Warriors

  • Knight of Dol Amroth (Plastic, FW Resin)
  • Man-At-Arms of Dol Amroth (??)
  • Axeman of Lossarnach (Metal)
  • Clansmen of Lamedon (Metal)
  • Blackroot Vale Archer (Metal, Plastic)

The Dead of Dunharrow

The Dead of Dunharrow were once a kingdom of Men, but when they fled instead of supporting Isildur of Númenor during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron during the Second Age as they had sworn to do, they were cursed to linger in undeath forever, unless someone from Isildur’s bloodline released them from their oath. This finally came to pass in the Third Age, when Aragorn, descendant of Isildur himself, enlisted their aid at the battle of Pelennor Fields, and subsequently released them from their oath. In the game, The Dead of Dunharrow is a very distinct-looking and atypical Good army, being full of ghosts as it is, and it’s also an army that’s amazingly easy to paint with a white spray can and some washes/Contrast paints or similar paint systems!

Army Bonus

The Dead of Dunharrow have the “The Dead do not suffer the Living to pass” Army Bonus, which lets warbands in this army with a model count of 8 or more use a Warrior model as a Captain rather than a Hero, and also gives the entire army the Harbinger of Evil Special Rule, which debuffs the Courage of enemy models within 12″ of models from this army.

Historical Allies

  • Minas Tirith (if the army includes Aragorn)
  • The Rangers (if the army includes Aragorn)

Heroes

  • The King of the Dead (Plastic)
  • Herald of the Dead (Plastic, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)

Warriors

  • Warrior of the Dead (Plastic, Metal)
  • Riders of the Dead (??)

Arnor

Arnor was one of the two kingdoms founded by ancient Númenoreans, but by the Third Age, it had all crumbled to dust and ruinsm, defeated by Angmar, and all that was left of it by that time was the Rangers of the North patrolling the Northern wildernesses. However, in its heyday, Arnor was as proud a kingdom as Gondor, with brave heroes and warriors standing fast against the encroaching darkness. In the game, the entire model range for Arnor seems to have gone completely out of production, so that you can now only field Rangers (because there’s a one size fits all Men kit for those) and their Hobbit Archer auxillary forces, but if you really want to play as Arnor, there’s nothing stopping you from converting Minas Tirith models to looke more Arnor-esque.

Army Bonus

Arnor has the “Protect the King!” Army Bonus, which lets Arnor models auto-pass their Courage Tests when close to their king Arvedui.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • Arvedui, Last King of Arnor (??)
  • Malbeth the Seer (??)
  • Captain of Arnor (??)

Warriors

  • Warrior of Arnor (??)
  • Ranger of Arnor (Plastic)
  • Hobbit Archer (Metal)

Rohan

The Horse-Lords of Rohan are the greatest riders among the Free Peoples, and even though they’re a younger kingdom than Gondor, they more than match them when it comes to courage on the battlefield. Its kings and marshals have defended their people from against Orcs and Dunlendings for generations, and under the great king Théoden, they came to Gondor’s aid and turned the tide of the War of the Ring in the favour of the Free Peoples. In the game, they’re a very well-supported army with good access to plastic and Forge World Resin sculpts, and they even have a Battlehost starter box, making them a prime candidate for the first army of new players looking for a cavalry-focused force.

Army Bonus

Rohan has the “Ride for Ruin and the World’s Ending!” which gives Rohan Cavalry models a bonus to Strength in turns where they Charge. Additionally, Riders of Rohan don’t count towards the Bow Limit of the army.

Historical Allies

  • The Fiefdoms
  • Lothlórien
  • Minas Tirith
  • Wildmen of Drúadan

Heroes

  • Théoden, King of Rohan (Plastic)
  • Théodred, Heir of Rohan (Metal)
  • Éomer, Marshal of the Riddermark (Plastic)
  • Èowyn, Shield Maiden of Rohan (Plastic)
  • Meriadoc Brandybuck, Knight of the Mark (Plastic)
  • Erkendbrand, Captain of Rohan
  • Gamling, Captain of Rohan (Metal)
  • Hàma, Captain of Rohan (Metal)
  • Grimbold of Grimslade (Metal)
  • Eorl the Young (??)
  • Captains of Rohan (Plastic, Metal)
  • King’s Huntsman
  • Elfhelm, Captain of Rohan (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)
  • Déorwine, Chief of the King’s Knights (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)
  • Helm Hammerhand, King of the Rohirrim (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)
  • Haleth, Son of Háma (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)
  • Aldor, Rohan Archer (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)

Warriors

  • Warrior of Rohan (Plastic)
  • Rider of Rohan (Plastic, Metal)
  • Rohan Royal Guard (Metal)
  • Rohan Outrider (Metal, Plastic)
  • Son of Eorl (??)

Wildmen of Drúadan

The Wildmen of Drúadan aren’t part of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies (lots of stuff from the third book was cut, and it would have been hard to represent them in a way that didn’t look a bit dated or racist), but in the books, this race of forest-dwellers are instrumental in getting the Rohirrim to Gondor by leading them around Mordor’s forces through the woods. Games Workshop seems to have taken them out of production, but if you can find them second hand somewhere, the game still has rules for them.

Army Bonus

The Wildmen of Drúadan have the “Wild men have Long Ears and Long Eyes; know all Paths” Army Bonus which let them reroll Jump. Leap and Climb Tests, and treat rocky terrain as open ground. Additionally, this army ignores the enemy’s Stalk Unseen Special Rule or other such rules that would make units invisible at a distance. Warbands from this army with 9-12 models can also use a Warrior model as Captain instead of a Hero.

Historical Allies

  • Rohan

Heroes

  • Ghân-Buri-Ghân (??)

Warriors

  • Woses Warriors

Rivendell

Rivendell is best known for being the place the world of the Elves and the world of the other free peoples most often cross paths in the films and books, and for good reason: Rivendell is one of the last great seats of Elven power, so powerful that even Sauron himself can’t penetrate its defenses. It was from here that the Elves marched out to join Elendil and Isildur to defeat Sauron at the end of the Second Age, but it was also the site of the Council of Elrond where it was decided that Frodo would carry the One Ring to Mordor. In the game, the faction has received some recent model support, with a beautiful new sculpt for Elrond, the Master of Rivendell himself, among others.

Army Bonus

Rivendell has the “Tangado haid, leithio i philinn!” Army Bonus, which lets Rivendell models reroll their To Hit rolls when shooting if they didn’t move in the same turn.

Historical Allies

  • The Fellowship
  • Lothlórien
  • Númenor
  • The White Council

Heroes

  • Gil-Galad, High King of the Elves (??)
  • Elrond, Master of Rivendell (Plastic, Resin)
  • Glorfindel, Lord of the West (FW Resin, Metal)
  • Erestor (??)
  • Elladan (Metal)
  • Elrohir (Metal)
  • Arwen Undómiel (Metal)
  • Lindir of Rivendel (??)
  • Círdan (??)
  • Gildor Inglorion (Metal)
  • Bilbo Baggins (??)
  • High Elf Captain (Metal, Plastic)
  • High Elf Stormcaller (??)

Warriors

  • High Elf Warrior (Metal, Plastic, Resin)
  • Rivendell Knight (Plastic)

Lothlórien

Lothlórien is the realm of Galadriel, the Lady of Light, and is the woodland bastion of the Silvan Elves. Galadriel and her partner Celeborn are among some of the most powerful beings in Middle-Earth, and their warriors are unparrallelled in grace and skill. In the movies, it’s a company of Galadhrim archers that aid Rohan at the battle of Helm’s Deep, and in the game, this more military side of Lothlórien is well supported with a good amount of fairly recent models.

Army Bonus

Lothlórien has the “They say a great Sorceress lives in these woods…” Army Bonus, which gives all Lórien models in the army the Resistant to Magic special rule.

Historical Allies

  • The Fellowship
  • Rivendell
  • Rohan

Heroes

  • Galadriel (Resin, Metal)
  • Celeborn (Metal)
  • Haldir (Metal)
  • Rúmil (FW Resin)
  • Orophin (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Defence of the North book)
  • Galadhrim Captain (Metal, Plastic, FW Resin
  • Wood Elf Captain (Plastic, Metal)
  • Galadhrim Stormcaller (Metal)

Warriors

  • Galadhrim Warrior (Plastic, Metal)
  • Galadhrim Knight (Plastic)
  • Guard of the Galadhrim Court (FW Resin)
  • Wood Elf Warrior (Plastic, Metal))
  • Wood Elf Sentinel (Metal)

Fangorn

Fangorn is both an army and a forest – its heroes and warriors are Ents, huge tree-like being that tend to everything that grows in Fangorn forest. They live ritualistic and secluded lives, unless something disturbs the peace of their forest. When that something was the industrial wastelands of Isengard, they rose up and brought down the White Wizard’s Citadel with root and rock, like a forest come to life. In the game, Fangorn is also notable for being an army you can field entirely with plastic sculpts (there’s only one completely optional FW Resin sculpt) and with very few models.

Army Bonus

Fangorn has the “Don’t Be Hasty!” Army Bonus, which gives them the Fearless special rule and makes them immune to any magic or other effect that would affect their movement, as well as to the Nature’s Wrath and Wrath of Bruinen Magical Powers.

Historical Allies

  • None – they’re on nobody’s side.

Heroes

  • Treebeard, Mighty Ent (with the option to take Merry & Pippin) (Plastic)
  • Quickbeam The Ent (FW Resin)

Warriors

  • Ent (Plastic)

The Misty Mountains

The Misty Mountains are the home of the great deus ex machina of Tolkien lore: Lord Gwaihir and his Great Eagles, which are famous/infamous from showing up out of nowhere to save heroes from certain death a couple of times throughout the narrative. In the game, they’re represented by huge, beautiful eagle models, with Gwaihir even having gotten the Forge World Character Series treatment. This makes The Misty Mountains a beautiful but somewhat expensive army to field.

Army Bonus

The Misty Mountains have the “The Eagles are coming!” Army Bonus, which gives Eagles a bonus to Strength in turns where they Charged.

Historical Allies

  • The Fellowship
  • Radagast’s Alliance
  • Thorin’s Company

Heroes

  • Gwaihir (FW Resin)

Warriors

  • Great Eagle (Plastic)

The Kingdom of Khazad-Dûm

The other notable inhabitants of the Misty Mountains were Durin’s folk, the dwarves of the Kingdom of Khazad-Dûm. In ages past, they ruled the kingdom under the mountains, until their search for precious metals in the deep caused them to accidentally release the horrors that were hidden away at the roots of the mountain, which then rose up and destroyed them. In the game, however, you can still field these sturdy bearded mountain-dwellers, which still have a full, if somewhat dated, model range.

Army Bonus

The Kingdom of Khazad-Dûm has the “The wealth of Moria lay not in Gold or Jewels, but in Mithril” Army Bonus, which lets Khazad-Dûm and Moria models reroll Wound rolls of 1 in close combat.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • Durin, King of Khazad-Dûm (Metal)
  • Mardin (Metal)
  • Balin the Dwarf, King of Moria (Resin)
  • Flói Stonehand (Metal)
  • Dwarf King (??)
  • King’s Champion (Metal)
  • Dwarf Captain (Plastic, Resin)

Warriors

  • Shieldbearer
  • Dwarf Warrior (Plastic)
  • Khazâd Guard (Metal)
  • Iron Guard (Resin)
  • Dwarf Ranger (Plastic)
  • Vault Warden Team (Resin)
  • Dwarf Ballista (Resin)

Wanderers in the Wild

Wanderers in the Wild are a special faction in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit versions of Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, since it exists mainly to have a faction in which to put models that don’t belong anywhere else. In The Lord of The Rings, it is the home of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, famous characters from The Fellowship of the Ring that didn’t make it into the movies, and the two Iron Hills dwarves Múrin and Drár.

Army Bonus

Wanderers in the Wild doesn’t have an Army Bonus, since they’re always fielded as part of other armies.

Historical Allies

  • Múrin & Drár are historical allies with Minas Tirith if Cirion is part of that army.
  • Tom Bombadil and Goldberry have no Historical Allies (but are Convenient Allies with any Good army)

Heroes

  • Tom Bombadil (Metal)
  • Goldberry (Metal)
  • Múrin (??)
  • Drár (??)

Warriors

  • none

Forces of Evil (The Lord of the Rings)

Barad-Dûr

When Frodo is tasked with bringing the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it once and for all, he is asked to do so because Elrond, Gandalf and the other ancients will do anything to avoid the Dark Lord Sauron gaining as much power as he had when he almost ruled Middle-Earth from the tower of Barad-Dûr in the Second Age. This is the army list that simulates Sauron at the height of his power in the Second Age, and it is an army led by Sauron himself, even on the battlefield.

Army Bonus

Barad-Dûr has the “The power of the Ring could not be undone” Army Bonus, which increases the amount of models Sauron can bring in his warband to 24, and it also means the army can never be Broken as long as Sauron is on the battlefield with 3 or more Wounds left. If he goes below that, the army will follow the normal rules for being Broken, and if he dies, the entire army breaks immediately.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • The Dark Lord Sauron (Resin)
  • The Witch-King of Angmar (Plastic)
  • Ringwraith (Metal, Resin)
  • Shelob (Metal)
  • Orc Captain (Plastic, Resin)
  • Orc Shaman (Resin)
  • Orc Taskmaster (Resin)
  • Orc Drummer (resin)
  • Black Númenórean Marshall (??)
  • Mordor Troll Chieftain (Resin)

Warriors

  • Orc Warrior (Plastic, Resin)
  • Orc Tracker (??)
  • Warg Rider (Plastic)
  • Black Númenórean (??)
  • Morgul Knight (Plastic)
  • Mordor Troll (Plastic)
  • Mordor Siege Bow (??)
  • Mordor War Catapult (Resin)

Angmar

Angmar is one of the greatest kingdoms of Evil in Middle-Earth, ruled by the Witch-King of Angmar himself. In battle, the Witch-King fields not just Orcs, but also ghosts and spirits of long-dead warriors bound to his will, and even an ancient demon, making this one of the more diverse armies of Evil in the game.

Army Bonus

Angmar has the “If that fell Kingdom should rise again, Rivendell, Lórien, The Shire, even Gondor itself shall fall“, which gives the Terror special rule, which forces charging enemies to pass a Courage Test before they can Charge, to any Orc models close to a Spirit Hero.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • The Witch-King of Angmar (Plastic)
  • The Tainted (Metal)
  • The Dwimmerlaik (Metal)
  • Gûlavhar, the Terror of Arnor
  • Buhrdûr, Troll Chieftain (Metal)
  • Shade (??)
  • Barrow-Wight (Metal)
  • Angmar Orc Captain (Plastic, Resin)
  • Angmar Orc Shaman (Resin)
  • Wild Warg Chieftain (Metal)

Warriors

  • Angmar Orc Warrior (Plastic)
  • Angmar Warg Rider (Plastic)
  • Cave Troll (Metal)
  • Wild Warg (Plastic)
  • Dead Marsh Spectre (Metal)

Mordor

Mordor is the dark land from which the Eye of Sauron spreads its terror in the Third Age. Millions of Orcs, Evil Men and all sorts of horrors stream out of its gates to lay waste to all the lands of the free peoples – and it’s where the Fellowship has to go to undo Sauron’s power. If you want to play the absolute main bad guys of the Lord of the Rings, this is the faction for you. Rules-wise, Mordor is an umbrella faction with access to a ton of different heroes and units, and the faction also has a Battlehost starter box available, making them pretty perfect for someone who wants to start their first Evil army. A really cool thing about Mordor as an army is the option to field a bunch of named Ringwraiths with unique abilities and cool backstories that you don’t get to the same extent in any of the other Evil armies.

Army Bonus

Mordor has the “Our Enemy is Ready, His full Strength gathered“, which gives your Warrior models a bonus to Courage and the ability to reroll wound rolls of 1 when striking as long as you have more models on the battlefield than your opponent.

Historical Allies

  • The Easterlings
  • The Serpent Horde

Heroes

  • The Witch-King of Angmar (Plastic)
  • Khamûl the Easterling (Metal, Resin)
  • The Dark Marshal (Metal, Resin)
  • The Undying (Metal, Resin)
  • The Shadow Lord (Metal, Resin)
  • The Tainted (Metal, Resin)
  • The Knight of Umbar (Metal, Resin)
  • The Betrayer (Metal, Resin)
  • The Dwimmerlaik (Metal, Resin)
  • Ringwraith (Metal, Plastic)
  • Shelob (Metal)
  • Gothmog, Lieutenant of Sauron (Plastic)
  • The Mouth of Sauron (Metal)
  • Shagrat, Captain of Cirith Ungol (Metal)
  • Gorbag, Orc Captain (Metal)
  • Grishnákh, Orc Captain (FW Resin)
  • Kardûsh the Firecaller
  • Orc Captain (Plastic, Resin)
  • Orc Shaman (Resin)
  • Orc Taskmaster(Resin)
  • Orc Drummer (Resin)
  • Morannon Orc Captain (Plastic)
  • Captain of the Black Guard
  • Black Guard Drummer (??)
  • Black Númenórean Marshal (??)
  • Mordor Uruk-Hai Captain (Metal)
  • Mordor Troll Chieftain (Resin)
  • Great Beast of Gorgoroth (Resin)
  • Guritz (FW Resin, rules available for download here)
  • Gothmog’s Enforcer (FW Resin, rules available for download here)
  • Snaga (FW Resin)
  • Goroth, Orc Captain (FW Resin)
  • Zagdûsh, Orc Captain (FW Resin)
  • Razgûsh, War Leader of the North (FW Resin, rules available for download here)
  • Muzgur, Orc Shaman (FW Resin, rules available for download here)

Warriors

  • Orc Warrior (Plastic)
  • Orc Tracker (??)
  • Warg Rider (Plastic)
  • Morgul Stalker (??)
  • Morannon Orc (Plastic)
  • Black Guard of Barad-dûr (??)
  • Black Númenórean (??)
  • Morgul Knight (Plastic)
  • Mordor Uruk-Hai (Metal)
  • Mordor Troll (Plastic)
  • Mordor Siege Bow (??)
  • Mordor War Catapult (Resin)

Moria

In the great halls of Khazad-Dûm, where once thrived an ancient Dwarven kingdom, there are now just the dull sounds of drums in the deep. Deep under the mountain, goblins lurk for prey while also hiding from the much greater horrors unleashed beneath them, such as the mighty Balrog. Moria is the army where you can field all the horrible things the Fellowship encounters while taking a shortcut through Moria in The Fellowship of the Ring, and while the army does have very many dated sculpts, it’s still a unique-looking army, and the option to field a mighty Balrog, or even the Watcher in the Water, is pretty awesome.

Army Bonus

Moria has the “We cannot get out, they are coming” Army Bonus, which gives Goblins a bonus to their Fight Value if their opponent is Trapped.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • The Balrog (Plastic)
  • Durbûrz, The Goblin King of Moria (Metal)
  • Grôblog (Resin)
  • Drûzhag the Beastcaller (Metal)
  • Ashrâk (Resin)
  • Moria Goblin Captain (Plastic)
  • Moria Goblin Shaman
  • Moria Blackshield Captain (Metal)
  • Dragon (Metal)
  • Cave Drake (Resin)
  • The Watcher in the Water (Resin)

Warriors

  • Moria Goblin Warrior (Plastic)
  • Moria Goblin Drum (Resin)
  • Moria Blackshield (Metal)
  • Moria Blackshield Drummer (Metal)
  • Warg Marauder (Resin)
  • Moria Goblin Prowler (Metal)
  • Bat Swarm (??)
  • Cave Troll (Metal)
  • Dweller in the Dark (Metal)

Isengard

The story of Isengard is one of the great cautionary tales of Tolkien’s world. Originally one of the Istari wizards, great helpers of the Kingdom of Men, Isengard’s ruler Saruman turned to Evil in his pursuit of power. His once-glorius citadel of Isengard turned into a roaring, smoking industrious where trees were felled and Orcs mutated into more terrifying Uruk-Hai, which threatened the realms of Men all the way up to the walls of Helm’s Deep. In the game, Isengard is a pretty unique army which combines powerful Uruk-Hai infantry with a mighty wizard and Men of Dunland, which has just received new Forge World sculpts, which makes for an up to date army with only a few metal and old resin miniatures. The army even has a Battlehost starter box of all-plastic sculpts, making it a good army for new players.

Army Bonus

Isengard has the “You do not know Pain, you do not know Fear!” Army Bonus, which prevents you from being Broken until 66% or more of your models have been killed, and it also lets your Uruk-Hai Scouts and their affiliated Heroes treat difficult terrain as open ground.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • Saruman (Plastic)
  • Gríma Wormtongue (Plastic)
  • Lurtz (Metal)
  • Uglùk (Metal)
  • Sharku (Metal)
  • Vraskû (Metal)
  • Mauhúr (Resin)
  • Thrydan Wolfsbane (Metal)
  • Uruk-Hai Captain (Metal)
  • Uruk-Hai Scout Captain
  • Uruk-Hai Shaman (Metal)
  • Uruk-Hai Drummer (Metal)
  • Orc Captain (Plastic)
  • Dunlending Chieftain (Metal)
  • Gorûlf (FW Resin, rules can be found in the War in Rohan book)
  • Frida Tallspear (FW Resin, rules can be found in the War in Rohan book)
  • The Oathmaker (FW REsin, rules can be found in the War in Rohan book)

Warriors

  • Uruk-Hai Scout (Plastic)
  • Uruk-Hai Warrior (Plastic, Resin)
  • Uruk-Hai Berserker (Plastic, Resin)
  • Feral Uruk-Hai (??)
  • Isengard Troll (Plastic)
  • Dunlending Warrior (Metal)
  • Wild Men of Dunland (Metal)
  • Warg Rider (Plastic)
  • Orc Warrior (Plastic)
  • Isengard Assault Ballista (Resin)
  • Uruk-Hai Demolition Team (Plastic)
  • Dunlending Horseman (FW Resin, rules can be found in the War in Rohan book)
  • Crebain (FW Resin, rules can be found in the War in Rohan book)

The Easterlings

The Easterlings are a kingdom of Man that wholeheartedly sided with Sauron during the War of the Ring. Unlike the hordes of Orcs, the Easterlings don’t appear degraded or even stereotypically evil in their appearance – their golden armour and crimson silk cloth make them stand out on any battlefield, and they fight with great skill and discipline. In the game, The Easterlings are one of the best-looking armies, with its main troops all in plastic and a large range of beautiful Forge World Resin sculpts for its Heroes and elite troops

Army Bonus

The Easterlings have the “No quarter was asked…” Army Bonus, which give their models a bonus to Courage when the army is Broken, and also allows them to reroll scenario dice that determine when a game ends if they have a Hero on the battlefield.

Historical Allies

  • Mordor
  • Variags of Khand

Heroes

  • Khâmul the Easterling (Resin, Metal)
  • Amdûr, Lord of Blades (Resin)
  • Easterling Dragon Knight (Resin)
  • Easterling Captain (Resin, Plastic)
  • Easterling War Priest (Resin)
  • Dragon Emperor of Rhûn (FW Resin, rules available in the Defence of the North book)
  • Rutabi, General of the Dragon Legion (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Defence of the North book)
  • Brórgîr, Master of the War Priests (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Defence of the North book)

Warriors

  • Easterling Warrior (Plastic)
  • Easterling Kataphrakt (Plastic)
  • Easterling Black Dragon Warrior (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Defence of the North book)
  • Easterling Dragon Cult Acolyte (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Defence of the North book)

Variags of Khand

The warriors of Khand, another Eastern human civilization, have sided with Sauron like the Easterlings, but rather than joining the Dark Lord because they believed in the cause, they joined as mercenaries for the wealth it gave them. In the game, they’re a distinctive-looking army, but also an army made up entirely of metal sculpts of a certain vintage, so they’re not a beginner-friendly army at all.

Army Bonus

The Variags of Khand have the “The Khandish Hosts” Army Bonus, which states that their Horsemen and Charioteers don’t count towards your army’s Bow Limit.

Historical Allies

  • The Easterlings

Heroes

  • Khandish King (Metal)
  • Khandish Chieftain (Metal)

Warriors

  • Khandish Warrior (Metal)
  • Khandish Horseman (Metal)
  • Khandish Charioteer (Metal)

The Serpent Horde

The name of the Serpent Horde might not ring a bell to you, but if you’ve seen the Lord of the Rings movies, you know their great War Mûmaks, the huge elephantine beasts that were fielded against Minas Tirith and Rohan at the battle of Pelennor Fields. They’re a terrifying people og warring tribes that uses war beasts, poisoned weapons and assassins to win their battles.

Army Bonus

The Serpent Horde has the “The Scorpion’s Sting” Army Bonus, which let them arm 50% of their Warriors with bows, and apply the Poisoned Weapons Special Rule to all the weapons of their Warriors and Raiders, which let them reroll Wound rolls of 1.

Historical Allies

  • Corsairs of Umbar
  • Far Harad
  • Mordor

Heroes

  • Suladân the Serpent Lord (Resin)
  • The Betrayer (Resin, Metal)
  • The Golden King of Abrakhân (??)
  • Hâsharin (??)
  • Haradrim King (Metal)
  • Haradrim Chieftain (Plastic, Resin)
  • Haradrim Taskmaster (Resin)
  • War Mûmak of Harad (Plastic)
  • Mûmak War Leader (Plastic/Resin)
  • Râza (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)

Warriors

  • Haradrim Warrior (Plastic)
  • Haradrim Raider (Plastic)
  • Serpent Guard (Metal)
  • Serpent Rider (Metal)
  • Watcher of Kârna (??)
  • Abrakhân Merchant Guard (??)

Far Harad

The warriors of Far Harad are the original tamers of the Mûmaks fielded by the Serpent Horde, and it will often be one of their kind who steers the great beasts. However, they are also an army in their own right, riding camels and even fielding Half-Trolls, peculiar brutes with troll-like features.

Army Bonus

Far Harad has the “Warrior Pride” Army Bonus, which let Mahûd Warriors that are close to a friendly Hero of their own automatically pass Courage Tests.

Historical Allies

  • The Serpent Horde

Heroes

  • Mahûd King (Metal)
  • Mahûd Tribesmaster (??)
  • War Mûmaks of Far Harad (Plastic)

Warriors

  • Mahûd Warrior (Metal)
  • Mahûd Raider (Metals)
  • Half Trolls (??)

Corsairs of Umbar

The Corsairs of Umbar are pirates raiding the coasts near Gondor, and a menace to all the Free Peoples. In the game, however, only their standard warriors and two Heroes are currently available to buy, so even though the army has plenty of rules, it’s mostly a choice for people who already have the older miniatures.

Army Bonus

The Corsairs of Umbar have the “The Corsairs are upon us! It is the last Stroke of Doom!” which gives them a bonus to Wound rolls against Trapped models.

Historical Allies

  • The Serpent Horde

Heroes

  • Dalamyr, Fleetmaster of Umbar (??)
  • The Knight of Umbar (Resin, Metal)
  • Hâsharin (??)
  • Corsair Captain (Plastic)
  • Corsair Bo’sun (??)
  • Black Nùmenòrean Marshal (??)
  • Delgamar (FW Resin, rules can be found in the Gondor at War book)

Warriors

  • Corsair of Umbar (Plastic)
  • Corsair Reaver (Plastic)
  • Corsair Arbalester (??)
  • Black Númenòrean (??)

Sharkey’s Rogues

Sharkey’s Rogues are the antagonists of the strange anti-modernist epilogue of The Lord of the Rings, where Saruman, disguised as Sharkey, enslaves and industrializes the Shire, only to be thwarted by the returned Hobbit heroes of the Fellowship. As obscure as this story is, the faction has actually received some model releases in recent years, and while most of the models are old, the rules for the army are perfectly current (and their opponent in the Shire faction is a very well-supported army as well).

Army Bonus

Sharkey’s Rogues have the “You do what Sharkey says.” Army Bonus, which means the entire army can avoid taking Courage Tests for being Broken if Sharkey has passed his. It also lets Ruffian models lead warbands without the need of a Hero.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • Sharkey (Metal)
  • Worm (Metal)
  • Sid Briarthorn (FW Resin, rules can be found in the The Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Rowan Thistlewood (FW Resin, rules can be found in the The Scouring of the Shire book)
  • Bill Ferny (FW Resin, rules can be found in the The Scouring of the Shire book)

Warriors

  • Ruffian (Metal)

Forces of Good (The Hobbit)

Thorin’s Company

Thorin Oakenshield is the leader of the company of dwarves, as well as the hobbit Bilbo Baggins and the wizard Gandalf, who set out to reclaim Erebor from the Dragon Smaug in The Hobbit. In the game, this band of colorful characters are always treated as a single warband of Heroes, and as such they’re a pretty unique gameplay experience as well as a wonderful painting project. If you want to field Warriors alongside them, you can ally them in from Army of Lake-Town.

Army Bonus

Thorin’s Company has the “I would take each and every one of these Dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered“, which lets all models from Thorin’s Company reroll Wound rolls og 1 while next to Thorin Oakenshield.

Historical Allies

  • Army of Lake-Town
  • The Misty Mountains

Heroes

Note: All the models in this army are from the same plastic kit, so we don’t state the material for every sculpt individually in this list.

  • Thorin Oakenshield
  • Balin the Dwarf
  • Dwalin the Dwarf
  • Kíli the Dwarf
  • Fíli the Dwarf
  • Bifur the Dwarf
  • Bofur the Dwarf
  • Bombur the Dwarf
  • Ori the Dwarf
  • Nori the Dwarf
  • Dori the Dwarf
  • Óin the Dwarf
  • Glóin the Dwarf
  • Bilbo Baggins
  • Gandalf the Grey

Warriors

  • None

Army of Thrór

The Army of Thrór is a “flashback” army that consists of the Dwarves who tried to retake Erebor from Smaug and the Orcs when Thrór was still king, and Thorin Oakenshield was but a young Dwarf prince. While a bit anachronistic if you’re playing games set during the events of the Hobbit, the Army of Thrór is a fully-fledged Dwarf army mostly sculpted in plastic, which makes it a much more affordable army choice for Dwarf enthusiasts than the all-Forge World Resin Iron Hills Dwarf army.

Army Bonus

The Army of Thrór has the “Thrór ruled with utter surety, never doubting his house would endure” Army Bonus, which counts all Erebor Dwarf models as being within the effects of a banner if they’re close to Thrór.

Historical Allies

  • Garrison of Dale
  • The Iron Hills

Heroes

  • Thrór (Resin)
  • Thráin (Resin)
  • Young Thorin Oakenshield (Resin)
  • Young Balin the Dwarf (Resin)
  • Young Dwalin the Dwarf (Resin)
  • Grimhammer Captain (Plastic, Resin)
  • Captain of Erebor (Plastic, Resin)

Warriors

  • Grim Hammers (Plastic)
  • Warriors of Erebor (Plastic)

The Iron Hills

The Dwarves of the Iron Hills are a fully militarized society, who have honed their particular style of warfare to a keen edge under the fearless rule of Dáin Ironfoot. In The Hobbit, the Iron Hills Dwarfs were one of the main fighting forces of the Battle of the Five Armies, coming to the aid of Thorin’s Company against the Orcs, bats and wolves. In the game, The Iron Hills is a faction full of gorgeous and imaginative models with a completely unified and modern style – but they’re all made of Forge World resin, which means they’re really expensive and requires more hobby skills than a plastic army to assemble and paint.

Army Bonus

The Iron Hills has the “Ironfoot has come!” Army Bonus, which lets you modify Reinforcements rolls and Deployment rolls by 1 (up or down), as well as giving Dáin Ironfoot the Master of Battle 4+ Special Rule, which lets him copy Heroic Actions of nearby Heroes.

Historical Allies

  • Army of Thror
  • Halls of Tranduil

Heroes

  • Dáin Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills (FW Resin)
  • Iron Hillls Captain (FW Resin)
  • Múrin & Drár (??)

Warriors

  • Iron Hills Dwarves (FW Resin)
  • Iron Hills Goat Riders (FW Resin)
  • Iron Hills Chariots (FW Resin)
  • Iron Hills Ballistae (FW Resin)

Erebor Reclaimed

This faction is a mix of Iron Hills Dwarves and Thorin’s Company, but with alternate sculpts for Thorin and his companions that show them as they were equipped when defending Erebor in the Battle of Five Armies. If you want to recreate the battle scenes from the last of the The Hobbit films, this is one of the best factions for that. You can also use Erebor Reclaimed to play battles of the Defence of the North during the War of the Ring with the recently released models for Dáin Ironfoot and Thorin III Stonehelm from Forge World.

Army Bonus

Erebor Reclaimed has the “Will you follow me, one last time” Army Bonus, which gives all Erebor Dwarfs in your army the effects of a banner if they’re close to Thorin Oakenshield.

Historical Allies

  • Halls of Thranduil
  • Survivors of Lake-Town

Heroes

  • Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain (Resin)
  • Balin the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Dwalin the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Kíli the DWarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Fíli the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Bifur the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Bofur the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Bombur the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Ori the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Nori the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Dori the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Óin the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Glóin the Dwarf, Champion of Erebor (Resin)
  • Dáin Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills (FW Resin)
  • Iron Hills Captain (FW Resin)
  • Dáin Ironfoot, King under the Mountain (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)
  • Thorin III “Stonehelm” (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)

Warriors

  • Iron Hills Dwarf (FW Resin)
  • Iron Hills Goat Rider (FW Resin)

Army of Lake-Town

The humans we meet in The Hobbit are split up into several factions in the game, the first of which is the Army of Lake-Town. The Army of Lake-Town represents those in power and their enforcers in this impoverished town that dwells in the shadow of the Dragon Smaug. Led by the entitled Master of Lake-Town and his devious councillor Alfrid, this faction isn’t really the good guys, but they rise to the occasion and defend their citizens against the attacks of Smaug under the leadership of Bard the Bowman in the end.

Army Bonus

The Army of Lake-Town has the “The Master’s Purse-Strings” Army Bonus which increases the Master of Lake-Town aura bonus to Fight and being in range of a banner to 12 inches instead of 6 inches.

Historical Allies

  • Thorin’s Company

Heroes

  • Bard the Bowman (Resin)
  • The Master of Lake-Town (Resin)
  • Alfrid the Councilor (Resin)
  • Braga, Captain of the Guard (??)
  • Bain, Son of Bard (FW Resin)
  • Sigrid & Tilda (FW Resin)
  • Lake-Town Guard Captain (Resin)

Warriors

  • Lake-Town Guard (Resin)

Survivors of Lake-Town

This second human faction from The Hobbit is led by Bard the Bowman and consists of those who survived Smaug’s attack on Lake-Town and joined Bard in fighting on in Dale. Model-wise, there is some overlap between this army and the Army of Lake-Town, with a few other Heroes and a Militia kit.

Army Bonus

Survivors of Lake-Town has the “Any man who wants to give their last, follow me!” Army Bonus, which is just like the Army Bonus of Army of Lake-Town, but with Bard the Bowman as the source of the aura rather than the Master of Lake-Town.

Historical Allies

  • Erebor Reclaimed
  • Halls of Thranduil
  • The Iron Hills

Heroes

  • Bard the Bowman (Resin)
  • Percy (FW Resin)
  • Bain, Son of Bard (FW Resin)
  • Sigrid & Tilda (FW Resin)
  • Hilda Bianca (FW Resin)
  • Gandalf the Grey (Plastic)
  • Bilbo Baggins, Master Burglar (Plastic, Resin)
  • Lake-Town Militia Captain (Resin)

Warriors

  • Lake-Town Militia (Resin)

Garrison of Dale

The Garrison of Dale are the defenders of the once great City of Dale, which is one of the battlefields of The Hobbit but the best way to play this army is as part of the Defence of the North during the War of the Ring, where they fought alongside the Iron Hills Dwarves to stop the forces of Evil.

Army Bonus

The Garrison of Dale has the “Girion, lord of the city, rallied his bowmen to fire upon the beast.“, which improves the Shoot Value of Captains and Warriors of Dale to 3+

Historical Allies

  • Army of Thror

Heroes

  • Girion, Lord of Dale ((??)
  • Captain of Dale (Plastic)
  • Brand, King of Dale (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)
  • Bard II, Prince of Dale (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)

Warriors

  • Warrior of Dale (Plastic)
  • Knight of Dale (FW Resin, rules can be downloaded for free here)

Rivendell

Note: Rivendell in The Hobbit is entirely the same faction as the one in our The Lord of the Rings list, so scroll up and see it there.

Halls of Thranduil

The Elves of the Halls of Thranduil aren’t like the celestial, world-protecting sages of Rivendell and Lothlórien: They’re reclusive, earth-bound rangers and warriors who protect what was once the Greenwood from the coming of the Necromancer. Proud and eccentric to the point where they seem almost mad in the eyes of Bilbo when he first encounters them, King Thranduil and his son Legolas nevertheless end up getting very involved indeed in the affairs of the world, as Thranduil joins the Battle of Five Armies and Legolas becomes one of the members of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Army Bonus

The Halls of Thranduil has the “The Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They are less wise, and more dangerous“, which means Mirkwood Rangers don’t count towards your Bow Limit, and most of your non-Ranger models also get a +1 to Wound rolls when making strikes and being near Thranduil.

Historical Allies

  • Erebor Reclaimed
  • The Iron Hills
  • Survivors of Lake-Town

Heroes

  • Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm (FW Resin, Resin)
  • Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood (Plastic, Resin)
  • Tauriel (Plastic, Resin)
  • Palace Guard Captain (Plastic)
  • Mirkwood Captain (Plastic)
  • Mirkwood Ranger Captain (Plastic)

Warriors

  • Palace Guard (Plastic)
  • Mirkwood Elf (Resin)
  • Mirkwood Cavalry (Resin)
  • Mirkwood Ranger (Plastic)
  • Wood Elf Sentinel (Metal)

Radagast’s Alliance

Radagast the Brown was one of the Istari, the great Wizards sent to help the inhabitants of Middle-Earth against Evil. While Saruman settled in Isengard and Gandalf traveled among Elves and Men, Radagast cared for the forest and its many beast great and small, and this army is centered around Radagast and his rabbit-powered sled.

Army Bonus

Radagast’s Alliance has the “The Eagles are coming!” which gives Eagles in the army a bonus to Strength in a turn where they Charged.

Historical Allies

  • The Misty Mountains

Heroes

  • Radagast the Brown (Resin)
  • Beorn (Resin)
  • Gwaihir (FW Resin)

Warriors

  • Eagles (Plastic)

The Misty Mountains

Note: This is the same faction as the one in The Lord of the Rings, so you can see our entry on them in the Lord of the Rings list above.

The White Council

The White Council was the alliance of powerful beings that first set out to stop the rise of Sauron as the Necromancer during the events of The Hobbit. The models in this army are very powerful individually, but are also limited to being a single warband consisting of its members, so it is mostly suited for narrative battles.

Army Bonus

The White Council has the “Are you in need of assistance?” Army Bonus, which gives any member of the Council a bonus to Resist Magic rolls as long as they’re close to another member of the Council.

Historical Allies

  • Rivendell

Heroes

  • Saruman the White (??)
  • Galadriel, Lady of Light (??)
  • Celeborn (Metal)
  • Elrond, Master of Rivendell (Plastic)
  • Gandalf the Grey (Plastic)
  • Radagast the Brown (Resin)
  • Glorfindel, Lord of the West (FW Resin)

Warriors

  • None

Wanderers in the Wild

Wanderers in the Wild are a special faction in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit versions of Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, since it exists mainly to have a faction in which to put models that don’t belong anywhere else. In The Hobbit, The Wanderers in the Wild just consists of Thráin the Broken, the deranged Dwarf Lord who can be both a friend of Good and Evil armies.

Army Bonus

None.

Historical Allies

  • Thráin The Broken can be Historical Allies with the White Council if that army contains Gandalf the Grey, or with the Dark Powers of Dol Guldur if that army contains the Necromancer of Dol Guldur

Heroes

  • Thráin the Broken (Resin)

Warriors

  • None

Forces of Evil (The Hobbit)

Azog’s Legion

Azog is the great pale Gundabad Orc who serves as the main antagonist apart from Smaug in the The Hobbit movies, and in the game, his forces are split into two armies. The first is Azog’s Legion, which represent the part of Azog’s forces that took part in the Battle of Five Armies, which in turn is made up of both armoured rank and file orcs and various trolls and ogres. If there’s one The Hobbit Evil army that’s fit for large scale battles, it’s this one.

Army Bonus

Azog’s Legion has the “Let the legions come forth!” special rule which lets Azog or Bolg copy Heroic Actions of other Heroes.

Historical Allies

  • Azog’s Hunters
  • Dark Powers of Dol Guldur

Heroes

  • Azog (Resin)
  • Bolg (Resin)
  • Gundabad Orc Captain (Resin)
  • Goblin Mercenary Captain ( FW Resin)

Warriors

  • Gundabad Orc Warrior (Resin)
  • Gundabad Berserker (FW Resin)
  • Gundabad Troll (FW Resin)
  • Catapult Troll (FW Resin)
  • Troll Brute (FW Resin)
  • Ogre (FW Resin)
  • War Bats (??)
  • Goblin Mercenary (FW Resin)

Azog’s Hunters

This second part of Azog’s forces represent the scouting and mounted forces Thorin’s Company runs into early in their journeys, and while they’re less armoured than the warriors of Azog’s Legion, they’re just as vicious and brutal. Note that Azog and Bolg can also be fielded in this army, and that the Legion and Hunters are Historical Allies, which means you can basically play them as one unified army.

Army Bonus

Azog’s Hunters have the “They strike in the wee small hours when everyone’s asleep” which raises their Bow Limit to 50% of your models, as well as improving the Shoot value of everyone in the army list by 1.

Historical Allies

  • Azog’s Legion
  • Dark Powers of Dol Guldur

Heroes

  • Azog (Resin)
  • Bolg (Resin)
  • Yazneg (Resin)
  • Narzug (Resin)
  • Fimbul the Hunter (Resin)
  • Hunter Orc Captain (Plastic)

Warriors

  • Hunter Orc (Plastic)
  • Fell Warg (Plastic)

Dark Powers of Dol Guldur

In the fortress of Dol Guldur, the ancient evil of the Necromancer, who in later years will turn out to be Sauron himself, stirs. He is aided by his Nazgûl lieutenants as well as many of the same forces he has sent forth with Azog. In the game, this army serves as an alternative to the Azog armies, with many of the same Warriors, but different Heroes.

Army Bonus

The Dark Powers of Dol Guldur have the “His Spirit has lost none of its potency” Army Bonus, which makes the Necromancer’s Will Points count for 2 when being used to cast a Magical Power.

Historical Allies

  • Azog’s Hunters
  • Azog’s Legion

Heroes

  • The Necromancer of Dol Guldur (Metal)
  • Nazgûl of Dol Guldur (FW Resin)
  • The Keeper of the Dungeons (FW Resin)
  • Castellan of Dol Guldur (Metal)
  • Hunter Orc Captain (Plastic)
  • Gundabad Orc Captain (Resin)

Warriors

  • Hunter Orc (Plastic)
  • Gundabad Orc Warrior (Resin)
  • Fell Warg (??)
  • Mirkwood Spider (??)

Dark Denizens of Mirkwood

As terrifying as the Orcs may be, one of the true horrors of The Hobbit are the huge spiders and other oversized beasts that skitter, flutter and lurk beneath the dark canopy of Mirkwood, and in the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game, you can field these spiders, bats and wargs as a no-humanoids allowed army on their own!

Army Bonus

Dark Denizens of Mirkwood have the “Beasts of Mirkwood” Army Bonus, which lets Warrior models lead your warbands if The Spider Queen is part of your army.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • The Spider Queen (Metal)

Warriors

  • Mirkwood Spider (??)
  • Giant Spider (??)
  • Bat Swarm (??)
  • Fell Warg (??)

Goblin-Town

In The Hobbit, Thorin’s Company is captured by the minions of the Goblin King beneath the Misty Mountains, a captivity in which Bilbo finds the One Ring, which arguably makes it one of the most important events of all of Middle-Earth lore. To make this event even more unforgettable, the Peter Jackson adaptation of the books mutated the goblins from simply small Orcs to pale, deformed, bloated cave dwellers that really hit the perfect balance between comedy and horror. In the game, this has translated perfectly into a truly creepy army of Hieronymus Bosch-like proportions.

Army Bonus

Goblin-Town has the “Down down down in Goblin-Town” Army Bonus, which means each Goblin Hero can have six more models than usual in its warband.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • The Goblin King (Plastic)
  • Grinnah (Plastic)
  • The Goblin Scribe (Plastic)
  • Gollum (Resin)
  • Goblin Captain (Plastic)
  • Goblin Mercenary Captain (FW Resin)

Warriors

  • Goblin Warriors (Plastic)
  • Goblin Mercenaries (FW Resin)

The Trolls

While the Trolls of the Lord of the Rings movies are nameless, dumb beasts on the border between the infantile and the grotesque, the Trolls of the The Hobbit movies are much closer to the slightly fairy tale-like Trolls of Tolkien’s writing: They speak, cook food and have names such as Bill and Bert (and Tom). In the game, they’re an army of three Trolls and a campfire, which gives them the Resistant to Magic Special Rule and a bonus to Courage as long as they’re close to it. Not an army suitable for large scale battles, but pitting them against Thorin’s Company could make for a cool narrative game.

Army Bonus

The Trolls have the “Hold his toes over the fire, make him squeal” Army Bonus, which lets you field the Campfire without paying the points for it, and give the Trolls banner effects from being close to it.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • Bill the Troll (Plastic)
  • Bert the Troll (Plastic)
  • Tom the Troll (Plastic)

Warriors

  • None

Desolator of the North

Desolator of the North is the very definition of a one-man army: The army list consists of noone but Smaug himself, the great Dragon that claimed Erebor as his treasure hoard! He’s a huge 20 Wound, 700 points, 2,4 kg, £420 resin model and one of the most insane sculpts the Specialist Design Studio has ever made. Just look at the size of him (by comparing him to the tiny Bilbo on the front right of his base)! Nearly impossible to kill and almost as unrealistic to afford, he’s one of the great idiosyncrasies of Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game and a fitting place to end our overview here.

Army Bonus

As the The Hobbit army book implies, Desolator of the North doesn’t have an Army Bonus because he really doesn’t need it.

Historical Allies

  • None

Heroes

  • Smaug (Resin)

Warriors

  • None