The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game/Tactics/The Shire

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Why Play The Shire

Pros

• Numbers: Hobbit models are some of the cheapest in the game, allowing you to take an unending horde of Hobbits to mob and beat down your enemies with a huge clatter of dice.
• Range: Every Hobbit can throw stones and an Archer, plus the two models to make that Archer only 1/3rd of your army armed with a bow can cost as little as 13 points, less than some armies pay for just one model. Add in 3+ to hit base, and you can bury the enemy in a vast avalanche of shortbow shots and stones.
• Hard to see: Small models mean you can hide easily. A single Hobbit can hold an objective and be impossible to shoot off because they can't see it.

Cons

• Low Stats: Low move means you can be outmanuevered. Low fight means you won't win ties. Low strength means you can have trouble confirming kills. Low defense means you'll die fast. You have to play well and use your numbers to make up for your stats.
• Need lots of heroes: A 12 Hobbit Warband can cost less than 50 points. You'll need lots of heroes to take the numbers you need.
• Occasionally confusing: So if you take Gandalf, you can take Dunedain but not the Four Heroes, but you can't take Dunedain without Gandalf but then if you take Bandorbas you can't take any other Hobbit heroes, but you can still take Gandalf and Dunedain and GAH
  • Expanding on this, if you take Bandorbas you HAVE to take Gandalf (and sometimes the Dunedain as well) to have an army bigger than 15 models because you both don't have generic heroes nor do you have the option to have warrior only warbands like other armies.

Army Bonus

• • Fear! Fire! Foes!: Hobbit models in your army get the Woodland Creature rule. Useful, as it can make up for your low movement by giving you an advantage in trees (against non-Elvish models at least).

Unit Analysis

Heroes

• Frodo of The Nine Fingers: If you don't know who he is, you're not playing this game, but this is Frodo on his return, so he works a little different. He acts as a Banner for all Hobbits within 6, but can never charge and can't strike blows if his side wins, so he's best at holding back and acting as the only banner in your army. He's also the most expensive hero in your force (outside of Gandalf) at 60 points, and he only comes with 1 point of Might and 1 point of Fate (even if he has Defense 6 with his Mithril Coat), so make sure to keep him in the backlines.

• Samwise The Brave: One of the highest strength models in your army (at S3, with Sting) and comes with 2 might, 2 will and 3 fate. But without any neat special rules, you're probably better off taking Merry or Pippin first, as they're Heroes of Valor instead of Fortitude, and they actually come with some interesting rules. He only really takes off as a hero if you have Rosie Cotton nearby.

• Meriadoc, Captain of The Shire: Hero of Valor with 2 might, 2 will and 2 fate. Only S2 but comes with armor and can take a shield to make him D5 (very high for Shire). He also comes with a Warhorn that gives all Hobbits +1 Courage and can make Hobbit Militia in his warband Battlin' Brandybucks, making them S3 for 1 point a model, which is invaluable. Should be one of your first choices for heroes in this army.

• Peregrin, Captain of The Shire: Identical stats to Merry (S2, D4, plus the option for the shield, 2M/2W/2F), but trades in his warhorn for an ability to reroll wounds against Monsters and Heroes which is less useful. Can also upgrade Hobbit Archers into Tookish Hunters, giving them Fight 3/3+ for 1 point. That part is...okay, but it's usually gonna be wasted on Hobbit Archers. Merry is more valuable, but Pippin is pretty good too.

• Paladin Took: Basically just a Hobbit Militiaman in combat, but comes with 1 Might, 1 Will and 2 Fate, and 2 wounds. He can also give his Archers Fight 3/3+ for the same +1 point as Pippin, but it's just as meh here. The real reason to take Paladin (aside from being a 25 point way to unlock 12 more troops) is that his Stand Fast is 12 inches, even if it only applies to Hobbits.

• Farmer Maggot: An enforcer character. Doesn't come with any special support rules, but does come with Fight 3, S3 and a two-handed weapon, meaning he can confirm kills better than most Hobbits, as well as his three guard dogs who have move 8 and also S3, so they can be useful for maneuvering (even if they take up 3 slots in his Warband). Don't expect miracles, but keep him with a group and he can help them kill when they win their fights.

• Lobelia Sackville-Baggins: 15 points to unlock 6 more Warriors, basically, since she can't ever kill anyone if she wins. She cancels out all Stand Fasts within 6 inches of her, but low Hobbit movement means it's more likely to screw you than your opponent. Probably not worth it.

• Fredegar Bolger: 10 points to unlock 6 more Warriors. 1 point of Fate, no Might or Will and only fight 2 with no weapon means that he's useless in a fight. Keep him back throwing stones if you need him for the 6 Warriors, but no other reason. Probably more tempting before Scouring of the Shire added in a bunch of new heroes.

• Farmer Tolman Cotton: 35 points for Hobbit Militiaman in combat (although 2 points of Might, 1 Will and 1 Fate help) and unlocks 12 more Warriors, but that's not why you take him. You take him because 1) he's got the only spear in the army and 2) he lets your Hobbits within 3 reroll 1s during duels. For a faction where the only banner is Frodo, that's huge. Definitely worth taking.

• Rosie Cotton: 15 point Independent Hero with no Might, 1 Will and 2 Fate, and combat stats significantly worse than a Hobbit Militiaman (Fight 1, unarmed). The reason you take her is she gives Sam +1 Attack for being within 6 inches and if she's in a Fight within 4 of him, he can declare a free Heroic Combat to try and get closer to her. Take her with Sam and keep them close together or don't take her at all.

• Whil Whitfoot, Mayor of Hobbiton: 30 points, 12 more Warriors, middling stats for a Hobbit hero (Fight 2 and only 1 attack, but at least he's not unarmed). His selling point is that for a point of Will he can count himself as a Banner with a 6 inch range. Only has 3 points of Will, so he can only do it 3 times, but is worth it for this important moments.

• Folco Boffin: 20 points, a minor hero (so only 6 warriors), basically no combat ability (unarmed, no Might, 1 Attack), the only reason to take him is as an upgrade to Frodo, allowing Frodo to use his Will to declare Heroic Moves. This can keep Frodo useful for a while longer and can help make up for Hobbit's terrible movement. Useful, but decide carefully if you could use those 20 points better.

• Holfoot Bracegirdle, Shiriff Leader: Here's the shit you want. 30 points, 12 Warriors, decent combat ability for a Hobbit (1 Might, 1 Will, 1 Fate) but your goal here is the 3 inch bubble where Hobbit Shiriffs can use their clubs as two handed weapons without penalty. This is vital for confirming kills, so he should be one of your first ports of call for Heroes.

• Robin Smallburrow, Hobbit Shiriff: 20 points, Hobbit Shiriff with 1 Might, 1 Will and 1 Fate. Can add +1 or -1 to his warbands deployment rolls, but his best use is just as a 20 point way to unlock 12 more Warriors, anything else is gravy.

• Hamfast "Gaffer" Gamgee: Generic Hobbit Hero who uses a Staff (actually a Spade, so beat down those Orcs with farming equipment) who comes with an amusing rule where he sets up a handful of flowerbeds around the board. He, and Hobbits within 3 inches of him, can reroll 1s to wound at enemies near the flowers and if an enemy gets rid of them, he can reroll all rolls to wound against them. He's not THAT expensive all told (30 points) so he's a good way to unlock 12 more troops and get some amusing mileage out of them. Try to combine his flowerbeds with Baldo's traps.

• Baldo Tulpenny:

• Lotho Sackville-Baggins:

• Bilbo Baggins:

• Bandobras Took:

• Gandalf the Grey:

• Dunedain:

Troops

• Hobbit Militia:

• Hobbit Archer:

• Hobbit Sherrif: