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

Back to the list

This page is a WIP, the one doing it (Lotrfag) is new to creating pages. And I'm f*cking lazy too, seeing how I left this page in standy for 7 months.

Why Play Isengard

The Two Towers is your favorite movie and book of the series, and it's partly because of these guys. You like quality over quantity but don't want to play High Elves (Eregion & Rivendell). You want your basic troops to kill said armoured elves as if they were Wood Elves, and Wood Elves as if they were Hobbits, and Hobbits like... Well, you got my point. Basically, you want to lead an army worthy of Mordor - and kick Mordor's ass in the process

Pros

• Uruk Hai warriors are one of the best infantry in the game.
• Crossbows.
• Good variety of elite troops (i.e. Berserkers) which can cut swathes through the enemy army if they are not careful
• Armywide Strength 4 and Fight 4, meaning your basic warrior will almost always wound on a 5+ and will tie at worst against most armies
• Good selection of heroes with some hilarious special rules.
• Straight-forward gameplan

Cons

• Probably the most common Evil army you can find (this is also a pro as it means more second-hand models)
• Some models you want a lot of are very expensive (crossbow Uruks)
• Your basic warrior is very expensive compared to other armies, expect to be outnumbered by everybody except other elite armies.
• Defense 6 is not that tough, some other S4 armies are tougher than you (i.e. the new FW Dwarves)
• Lacks army multipliers outside of a basic banner and a rage bubble from the Shaman
• Lacks any high-tier combat heroes - any combat Monster is going to be difficult to stop outside of grouping your heroes and burning might for Lurtz's heroic strike.
• If you take him, Saruman will always be your army leader. While he himself is a good model, his combat stats are subpar, so for scenarios involving your army leader scoring wounds you're going to struggle (maybe you can get away with it if you burn all your Will casting sorcerous blasts and fireballs)

Army Bonus

You Do Not Know Pain, You Do Not Know Fear: You don't take break tests until you've lost 66% of your force. Also Lurtz, Uglúk, Mauhúr, Vraskû, Scout Captains and Scouts all gain Woodland Creature.

• Is this still current?

Unit Analysis

Isengard Heroes

• Saruman: A potent spellcaster and good army leader. He's a Hero of Legend, and though he gets a free Will point every turn, his offensive spells are cast on a 4+ and 5+, so he's better at supporting your troops with Transfix/Compel and he can reroll 1 cast/resist dice per turn. Despite his relatively small list of spells (no blinding light... grrrr), he's one of the best casters in the game thanks to his reroll, even better than Gandalf. He can also, once per battle, automatically make you win priority; an ability that can, if it is used at the right time, turn the game around (read: save your ass). He also has a 12" Stand Fast! and it can effect other Heroes. Ironically he's better off supporting a unit of regular Orcs with his Stand Fast! than Uruk-hai. The reason why is because they are still broken when you hit 50% casualties, and while you can choose to make a Stand Fast! test with your Uruk-hai characters (even though they don't technically have to yet) they run away if they fail, whereas Saruman automatically passes his first test with a 12" radius thanks to being a Hero of Legend.
  • Do remember to put him on a horse. It greatly helps out his survivability since now arrows hit the horse or Saruman randomly, it helps him move around to avoid poor engagements, it gives him an extra attack if he charges, and he knocks enemies prone (getting up to 4 attacks when making To Wound rolls). On top of this it allows him far more mobility for his spells, so there's no good reason to avoid the horse.
  • Spell rundown: Terrifying Aura (channeled vs low courage armies, normal vs high courage) as the first spell you cast; Sorcerous Blast vs Cavalry to automatically throw them (plus with the large bases you can often dismount 3), Command/Immobilize on your enemy's heroes/Monsters once the real fighting starts, either to run them the opposite way and/or make them trapped if you fight them, or to prevent them from striking your Troll back, and don't bother with Flameburst because Sorcerous Blast is better in almost every way and is easier to cast to boot.

• Gríma Wormtongue: Can only be taken if Saruman is here. He deploys in the enemy's zone and forces heroes around him to spend two Might instead of one every time they use them (fuck you Aragorn). He cannot be shot or wounded as long as Saruman is on the battlefield, or until he charges or tries to wound someone. Very good against Hero-heavy lists, not too bad otherwise. He seems inexpensive at only 25 points, but he cannot lead a troop and you need Saruman around, so that's 205 points (without horses).
  • Note, he still keeps his area of control. This can be extremely good if you position him correctly, meaning you keep him in front of your valuable troops and your opponent will have to charge him with at least one model to get past him (assuming they win combat, and while they normally will, it will be hilarious if Gríma rolls a 6 on the Duel roll). This sounds okay at first, until you realize he can cock-block Monsters on his own AND THEY CAN'T EVEN SWING AT HIM. Imagine Gríma just chilling and then the Balrog comes up to him, beats him in combat, but just has to gently push him backwards because he hasn't been revealed as a traitor yet. He can be incredibly frustrating if used correctly. If you have him on a horse he's even more of an area-denial tool. Keep him away from enemy casters, and anyone who deals impact hits (such as Far Harad's camels) as those do still work on him. Models with the Monstrous Charge rule can also knock him off of his horse, making him much less effective.

• Lurtz: The guy from the end of the first movie. He is an Uruk Hai Captain with 3 Might, 3 Attacks and 3 wounds (finally). Having both Uruk-Hai bow and a shield means he doesn't get +1 Defence, but he can still use it in combat, and it's free so you might as well take it. His Warband also doesn't need to roll to see where and when it shows up in scenarios that require you to roll such things, which isn't a lot, but it's not nothing. He possess a wide range of choices for heroic actions at a reasonable cost. He gets also gets woodland creature thanks to the army bonus. Overall he's the army's combat character, right next to Thrydan Wolfsbane. He won't beat combat Monsters like Aragorn in a fight (though if you saw the movies you could probably guess that) but he will make mincemeat of most other characters, while also being a crack shot with his bow (also not a surprise).
  • Note that because he's much better in a fight than most of your Heroes, you'll ideally save his Might points for combat. Unfortunately this means you'll probably be backing up Lurtz with regular Uruk-hai captains, or possibly even Orc Captains or a Drummer if you want something cheaper. After all, his skills at combat mean nothing if you can't get there in time.

• Uglúk: The successor of the guy above, he's another Uruk Hai Captain with 3 Might and if your force is broken, instead of testing Courage, he can put meat back on the menu. This makes him automatically pass the test and extends his Stand Fast! to 12". Do note however that if you have your army bonus he can only do this once your force reaches 66% casualties (thanks FAQ), which puts him in an awkward spot. You do not want to use him alongside regular Orcs since the only way to keep them around once you reach 50% casualties is to take the Stand Fast! test normally, and if he chooses to take the test before 66% casualties and fails, then he will run away along with the expendable regular Orcs you brought with him. In short, you either want to use him alongside regular Uruk-hai and kill your more expensive Warriors, or you want to use him in a force where you don't have your army bonus.
  • Do note that it is possible to fix this issue with another Hero: The Wild Man Oathmaker. So long as he's in your force, Wild Men gain the Isengard keyword, which will allow them to stick around Uglúk and be a cheap source of bodies for his sword (and Saruman will uphold his promise of the Uruk-hai tasting Man-flesh to boot). With those two Heroes locking down the board, you have no excuse for Courage issues.
  • He has another important bonus over unnamed captains - he gets Heroic Strike. This might not seem like a lot but it allows him to fight other heroes backed up with pike support and come out ahead. Or send him to back up Lurtz in the event that a real combat hero like Aragorn graces the board. With 6 might between then, if you can isolate Aragorn from his supporting troops they stand your best shot at putting someone like him down.

• Snaga: The Orc responsible for feeding the others, although he wasn't able to enjoy it himself. Snaga is just... bizarre. He is basically an Orc Captain, except he costs 10 points more, has one more Might and has Heroic Challenge instead of Heroic March. He can also only take Orcs in his warband, but you're probably taking those anyway. Whether or not you use his Cunning Mind rule is up to you. It is handy to have a model that can benefit from a Heroic Move or Heroic March and move in a completely different direction to the model that called the Heroic Action, and if you like the sound of that, then consider choosing Snaga, just don't expect wonders. He's a gimmick character, nothing more, and at the same cost as Sharku (somebody who's actually good) he's a tough sell for serious lists.
  • Note that because he doesn't have to move alongside the Heroes who call the Heroic Actions, you can use Snaga to trap opponents a little easier by moving around the enemy. This isn't enough to justify his cost by any means, but he can use it to move around his opponents in odd ways, or to hold back the enemy while other models run away.

• Sharku: An Orc Captain with 3 might and a dagger that lets him stab enemy heroes whenever they fail to wound him, which is incidentally hilarious, for 10 points more than an Orc Captain. Get him a shield and statistically he'll get quite a lot of these attacks. He can also take a Warg for 10 points, and you absolutely should do this as he's more combat oriented than most Orc Captains, while also keeping Heroic March so he and his Warg Riders can zip around the field. It's a shame he has no real way of buffing them, because if you're not taking Mauhúr + Drummer this list suffers from a lack of mobility.
  • Do note that despite being a regular Orc, Sharku does have the Isengard keyword, so he does not have to test at 50% casualties, however the Warg Riders who accompany him do. Should this happen, consider letting them go, so long as they don't take your force to 66% casualties, and don't try to take the test optionally with Sharku otherwise. He's more important on the field than they are.
  • Another note, if you suspect you'll be up against heavier armour or enemy characters that you want your Wargs to run down, consider giving Sharku a pass for Thrydan Wolfsbane. He's a better fighter against those types of targets, and he has higher Courage and Will, allowing your Warg Riders to stick around longer should you hit the 50% casualty marker.

• Vraskû: Another Captain with 3 Might. Also has a crossbow that he is able to shoot twice every Shooting Phase with his 3+ Shooting value. A very good choice if you want to have a hero with your crossbowmen (crossbowuruks?). He costs EXACTLY THE SAME amount of points as a Captain with a crossbow, and he can shoot twice, more accurately. Why the hell would you ever take a crossbow captain to babysit your crossbowuruks when you have this guy?
  • He's a very scary area denial tool. Nobody likes staring down a gunline of Uruks crossbowmen, and even if you just take him with Scouts he's still scary. Do be aware however that he will go down against enemy shooting. Dwarf bows, elf bows, Rohan's throwing spears, they can all wound him on 5's, and without being able to move and shoot himself, it's hard for him to stay out of their range and return fire. Because of this, you're going to want to seek cover with him immediately; make sure his warband has a Drummer, find a nice place for him and his Uruk-hai to bunker down, and then shoot out from there for the rest of the game. Also consider getting some regular Orcs to screen out the enemy and prevent them from messing up the shots of his unit's crossbows by charging them.
  • Note that because Vraskû has Heroic March, you do not need another Captain to accompany him to gain the benefit of Heroic March. This is more helpful than it first appears, since he and his crossbows can't fire if they move anyway, and the sooner they're in position, the sooner you can start unleashing some of the more powerful ranged weapons in the game.
  • In terms of target priority, one of the first things you should deal with are enemy Cavalry. Have Vraskû and his crossbow Uruk-hai target them first, because even with pikes, your regular troops struggle pretty hard against the extra attack and knockdown that Cavalry inflict on them.

• Mauhúr: The fourth and last named Uruk-hai Captain. He only has 2 Might (like a regular Captain) but he makes up for it by moving 8" and having 3 Attacks. This is enough to let him shred through infantry and the occasional Hero, though do be careful. He does not have Heroic Strike so against Heroes who do it won't be surprising if he ends up losing the Duel. He can upgrade your Uruk-hai Scouts to have 8" move for 1 point, but only in his Warband. Still fun to Nascar around the table with a Drummer and gain mobility without using Warg Riders or Dunlending Horsemen.
  • Note that because Mauhúr has Heroic March, you do not need another Captain to accompany him to gain the benefit of Heroic March. This is more helpful than it first appears, since not only does it help him boost his and the mobility of his Scouts, he can also be used alongside your regular Uruk-hai as a more combat-focused Captain. Just have him focus on carving up regular Warriors, since with his Heroic Strength he'll have good odds of cutting open Gondor Shieldwalls, and wounding Rohan Warriors on 3+.

• Thrydan Wolfsbane: For 85 points you get the leader of the Dunlendings who can and will hack some damned Rohirrim to pieces, along with most characters. He's one of two characters who get access to Mighty Blow, which allows you to instagib the vast majority of characters in the game. On his horse he's a force to be reckoned with, getting 3 attacks on the charge and knocking models to the ground, statistically if he uses Heroic Strike, he can charge into a Mordor Troll, and kill the beast in only one round of combat, instantly making all of his points back and then some. He's also capable of killing Ringwraiths in this same manner, even if they have full Fate points (with the two exceptions being the Witch-king and The Undying). Even against armies where wounding them is normally an issue, such as Dwarves, Thrydan on his horse makes short work of them since he'll be knocking them down, and he can dish out so much damage he can even kill Durin in one round (though that's not as recommended since he's less likely to win the duel). He's not useless if he loses his mount either, even if his horse is gone he'll still be killing off every Infantry/Cavalry two Wound heroes so long as he gets even one wound in, and with his Axe (and Piercing Strike) that'll happen more often than not, and his 12" Stand Fast! is fantastic for your force.
  • When considering a bodyguard unit for Thrydan, you'll want to tailor for what you're most worried about. If you're worried about melee threats then consider going with Dunlending Horsemen. They can kill the mounts of enemy models and characters, allowing Thrydan to knock them over and easily finish them off, and Dunlending Horsemen can hit pretty hard with Piercing Strike. If you're thinking you'll need to deal with ranged threats, then go with Warg Riders and their throwing spears. They can strike from a distance first, then break off of Thrydan to run down any bows pointed his way. On top of this, Thrydan's Courage and extra Will (compared to Sharku or Orc Captains on Wargs) will help keep them around when you hit 50% casualties.
  • Also consider pairing Thrydan with Saruman. It sounds unusual, but Sorcerous Blast is capable of knocking Monsters prone, and if Thrydan's attacking a prone Monster that he charged, he will kill it. Statistically speaking he will kill even a Mordor Troll Chieftan in one round, even if it still has its full three Wounds left, so long as Saruman knocks it over first (and assuming he wins the Duel roll).

• Gorûlf Ironskin: The tank of your force, Gorûlf is so tough his wargear says he's wearing armour even though he clearly isn't. This feeds into his main gimmick, being one of the best roadblocks in the game, as any enemy Hero he comes in contact with allows him to use Heroic Defence without spending Might, and thanks to the FAQ, even Aragorn with Anduril will be forced To Wound him on natural 6's only. This isn't to say he's invincible, he can still be vulnerable to Brutal Power Attacks from Monsters, he cannot get a free Heroic Defence against regular Warriors, and he can be shot off the board, so make sure to protect him with Wild Men in front of him since they're cheap and you don't care if they die.
  • If you're up against Rohan, consider leaving Gorûlf in the back for a while. Rohan is famous for their throwing spears, and they will make short work of Gorûlf if they're allowed to throw them at him. Despite needing 5's To Wound, he only has two Wounds after all, and you don't want him going off the field before he's able to Duel some Heroes, so leave him behind while you take care of the spear-chucking Warriors.
  • Note that because he gets a free Heroic Defence against enemy Heroes, there's practically no downside to using Piercing Strike when he duels one. With Piercing Strike he'll be hitting as hard as a Cave Troll, easily crushing Rohan Heroes and putting hurt on most other Heroes in the game who are also Defence 6 or less.

• Frida Tallspear: Lower S than other Dunland Heroes (S4) but a higher Defense (D6), with Heroic Defence, Heroic Strength and a Hero-line of 3 Might, 1 Will, 1 Fate. Her primary use is countering enemy Cavalry. Readied Stance negates Cavalry special rules in a fight against her or in a fight she is supporting, and she gives off an aura of 3" of re-rolling wounds against mounts in the fight phase. Don't think she's an auto-include in fights against Rohan however, as while she is hard to hurt with their throwing spears, the models around her are not. It's rather easy for them to kill the models around her and then just avoid her entirely, which puts a damper on her gimmick. Because of this, don't try to go horse hunting with her, find an objective your opponent wants, put her on it supporting some Infantry, and then relax knowing that your opponent will have a much harder time taking it since she'll neuter charging Cavalry.
  • Do note that she and Infantry she supports can and will be knocked down by models with the Monstrous Charge rule, as well as Shagrat if you fight against him since he's still technically Infantry. This doesn't mean she's helpless against them however, she still has 3 Might and Heroic Defence, so if nothing else she can hold back non-flying Monsters for a while.

• The Wild Man Oathmaker: This guy is in an odd spot. On the one hand, it's pretty sweet having a Fearless Hero, and even just for that you might consider him an auto-include, his other rules be damned. It is very handy having a guy who will make sure your Uruk-hai/Orcs/Wild Men don't run away, and he also combos well with Uglúk, giving him a source of Wild Men bodies to feed off of for his Head Taker rule (since now they stick around until 66% casualties, which is when he can finally start using the rule) and making sure nobody in your force has Courage issues for the rest of the game. His Blood Oath rule is pretty pointless, it's only likely to come up if you want friendly Wild Men within 6" to charge a model with Terror, since his Fearless rule makes it redundant for the purposes of Break tests.
  • Do note that despite having Heroic Strength, two Attacks and 3 Might, you do not want him in combat. This is what puts him in an odd spot, in combat he will absolutely get butchered even by generic Heroes, and you do not want to lose a 6" Fearless bubble when your army finally hits 50% casualties (for Orcs and Dunlendings) or 66% casualties (for everyone else). You don't even want him to get shot, so make sure to have Wild Men or Orcs in front of him to potentially take the shot for him.

• Uruk Hai Captain: Your basic Uruk Hai hero. He is a stronger, tougher and braver Uruk, and he has 2 Might. There are quite a lot of options to equip him with, but you'll probably want to give a shield, which takes this guy up to Defense 7, which is better than your named Uruk Heroes and it hits that sweet spot of causing most Good army Warriors and Heroes to wound you on 6's. Overall not a bad choice if you want someone that is cheap, tough, and strong to get shit done. Note that, similarly to all your Uruks, he cannot take a mount. You *can* take a crossbow on him, but you may as well take Vraskû if you want a captain with a crossbow. He costs the same and despite losing one Defence, he only needs a 3+ to hit and can shoot twice with it.
  • Note that because most of your named characters lack Heroic March, you'll likely bring along a Captain or two to help them get to where they need to be. They can spend their Might getting your troops and other characters where they need to be, and then spend the rest of the game wrecking Warriors and lesser Heroes while your more combat focused characters wreck shop.
  • Do note too that in terms of killing ability, the Uruk-ha Captains actually lose out to regular Orc Captains on Wargs. This doesn't mean they're bad at fighting, the truth is quite the opposite, as your Uruk-hai Captains will survive blows that will fell those lesser Orcs easily enough. Just keep it in mind if you want a character focused on wiping out Infantry.

• Uruk Hai Scout Captain: Same as above, except he can take a bow instead of a crossbow. The bow is wasted on him (he is Strength 5 so you want him in your battle line) and he has less Defence than a regular captain, but he's slightly cheaper and benefits from the army special rule that gives him Woodland Creature. Typically this isn't worth it, as going from Defence 6 to Defence 7 really does make a difference against Strength 4 models, which comprise the elites of Good armies. They can still be used to run down regular Infantry, but if you want to use them at all, save them for either the Lurtz's Scouts or Uglúk's Scouts Legendary Legions.
  • Note that because most of your named characters lack Heroic March, you'll likely bring along a Captain or two to help them get to where they need to be. Because of this you'll usually be choosing between a regular Uruk-hai Captain, or an Orc Captain. The Scout Captains aren't wort it as while they're stronger, they're also significantly easier to kill than regular Captains, while Orc Captains on a Warg with a shield cost the same and are far better at killing the enemy.
  • If you're reading this because you are in fact using them in an Legendary Legion, then consider giving them a two-handed axe, especially in Uglúk's Scouts where their movement gets boosted for free. They can outrun regular Infantry and with Piercing Strike will wound nearly all Infantry on 3's.

• Uruk Hai Shaman: A trickier hero for you to play, he is neither a good fighter like your Captains, nor is he a magical powerhouse like Saruman. But he is cheaper than them and he has a power that Saruman hasn't: Fury. If you manage to cast it, it creates a 6" bubble around that allows Uruk-hai to auto-pass Courage tests and that gives them some sort of 6+ FnP (if you channel it, which you will). A good support hero that will give your battle line more staying power. Keep him behind your shield/pike battleline and he should be golden.
  • Fury is essentially your anti-terror tool. The 6+ save is okay, but against the Army of the Dead or Monsters, you want the ability to suicide an Uruk into particularly bad Monsters to keep them locked up (eg - you do NOT want the King of the Dead fucking with Lurtz). Do note however that if you want a model with a 6" Fearless bubble for when the army breaks, then consider skipping the Shaman for the Wild Man Oathmaker. He has Fearless, so he generates the bubble by default, it can't be shut off when he runs out of will, he can keep throwing Fearless Wild Men into combat against Terror causing models, and they cost the same. About the only thing the Shaman has over the Oathmaker is the fact that he can take armour, however if you're up against Strength 3 ranged attacks (like Rohan's throwing spears) then it doesn't make a difference anyway.
  • Never leave Uruk-hai Shamans exposed, and always, ALWAYS buy them armour. In addition, always keep at least regular Orcs or Uruk-hai around them because if you don't, they'll be shot off the board faster than you can blink. Elf and Dwarf bows both wound armoured Shamans on 5+, as do throwing Spears and even regular bows will be nailing them on 5+ without the armour. Your opponent might even consider it worth it even if the In the Way rolls cause them to kill the Orcs and Uruk-hai around the Shaman first. To this end you'll also want to support them with Uruk-hai crossbows, or Warg Riders so that you can hunt down the bows before they shoot off the Shamans and leave your Uruk-hai high and dry with no Fury and no Stand Fast!

• Uruk Hai Drummer: Always a good option to get your Uruk-hai into combat faster, if you really want to be mean take a drummer alongside Mauhúr's warband and make sure you upgrade them all to move 8, that way with the drummer your Uruk-hai scouts are moving 11", which is faster than most Cavalry! Sadly you can't charge while moving at that speed, but it's still fun. If you use Heroic March they'll be moving 14" which is extremely hilarious, and one of the best ways of improving your army's mobility. Seriously, give these guys a thought. A shame their drum doesn't work on Orcs and Wild Men though, meaning that when you start using it, you'll quickly be leaving your meat shields behind.
  • Note that because he is a Hero, an Uruk-hai Drummer can provide Stand Fast! to the models around it. While their Courage is okay and this is unlikely, it's always worth trying it anyway because if it works it means your Uruk-hai around them will stick around. To this end you should keep your Uruk-hai Drummers out of combat, as they're very easy to kill. Even Strength 3 Infantry will wound them on 5+ and running them in to help fight is just asking for them to be impaled on some spears.
  • Also take note that Uruk-hai Drummers cannot affect regular Orcs. This is important if you plan to use regular Orcs as meat shields or if you want to keep them up with Uglúk so that he can make the most of his Head Taker rule.

• Orc Captain: Orc Captains are very iffy in Isengard lists. Not only do have poor Courage and significantly worse statlines than your Uruk-hai Captains, but they also don't benefit from your Army Bonus. That being said there are still decent enough uses for them, even in an Isengard list. Orc Captains provide a cheap source of Heroic March, which is something the majority of your named Heroes lack. Because of this, even if you take a named Hero or two then you're probably going to want an Orc Captain anyway, even if it's just to get those models into position for future engagements. Do be aware that because they do not have the Isengard keyword, the Orc Captains will go running when you hit 50% casualties, and with their Courage it's going to be hard keeping them around. If you're going to use them, try to make sure they're utterly spent by the time you reach a standard Break Point, and don't be afraid to let them die.
  • Because of their higher Fight and Strength, as well as their Might and lower cost, you could use these guys as linebreakers if you really wanted to. They have the ability to break down Shieldwalls better than regular Orcs and Uruk-hai do, not to mention the Might to boost their score, so if you're all about offence and don't care about getting to Defence 7, you could take them as mediocre beatsticks. If you do plan on doing this, make sure to put them on Wargs to help in this role, since your other generic Captains don't have access to mounts, which leaves them vulnerable to Cavalry and Orc Captains on Wargs will actually outperform your Uruk-hai Captains if they're allowed to pick on Infantry, or if they need to take Cavalry engagements.

• Dunlending Chieftain: Comes stock with a two handed axe but you have the option to give him a bow or trade the big axe for a smaller axe and shield, and this is a case where it actually does matter quite a bit. Defence 6 offers significantly greater protection against Strength 3 attacks (so most Good Infantry and Rohan's throwing spears), but if your opponent is majority Strength 4 (like Numenoar) then going to Defence 6 offers no advantages (though you do get the Shielding rule). His Strength 5 base gives you a world of options with what to do with his axe, regardless of whether it's single or two-handed, potentially allowing him to threaten anything on the field. A decent fight value won't see him beat real combat Heroes, but like much of Dunland he can hit very, very hard, and Heroic March can see him leading a surprisingly swift force.
  • Do be aware that the Dunlending Chieftan does not have the Isengard keyword, which means he'll have to test not to run at 50% casualties. This isn't actually that bad on him however, as he has the same Courage as your Uruk-hai, but extra Will while costing less, so if you want to make sure your non-Isengard troops stay on the field (or even your regular troops once you hit 66% casualties) then he's a decent enough pick for the role.

Warriors

• Orc Warrior: One of the worst Warriors in the game; low Courage, Fight and Defence means that these guys are not going to be around for very long, but that's not why you take them, you take them because they're cheap. One Orc Warrior costs as much as a shield for one of your Leaders, and the sheer number of dice that they can roll make them a dangerous threat. Buy them in blobs for holding positions, and being meatshields for your Uruk-hai (march them in front so they soak up the arrows) and don't spend too much on them. Six Orcs are better than five Orcs with shields, and they don't benefit from your army bonus, so they start running away when you suffer 50% casualties. You also have no way of buffing them, Uruk-hai Shamans cannot use Fury on them and Uruk-hai Drummers cannot increase their movement so don't bother spending more than the bare minimum on them.
  • A comparison can definitely be made between the Orc Warriors and Wild Men. While the Orc Warriors generally have better stats, there are a few cases in which you might use the Wild Men over them, and the main two are if you're fighting Rohan, or if you're taking the Wild Man Oathmaker. The former is useful because they have Hatred, while the latter is useful because they gain the Isengard keyword and so will benefit from the Army Bonus.

• Uruk Hai Scout: at 8 points you have a strength 4, fight and shot value of 4, Defence 4 and courage 3 warrior, they're exactly as Saruman made them to be, superior to Orcs in every way. Unfortunately they sit in that awkward spot of being better than Orcs, but not as good as the regular Uruk-hai Warriors, so if you're using them then either upgrade their movement to 8" with Mauhúr and put a Drummer with them for 11" movement, or keep them reserved for forest-heavy maps. If neither of those conditions are met then you're going to be wishing you had regular Warriors for when the fighting starts.
  • Don't give them a banner, not even to support other Uruk-hai Scout models who are zipping across the table. The Banner costs a lot and the Scouts die way too easily for it to be worth it.

• Uruk-hai Warrior: The same stats as the scout, but with +1 Defence, these are your front line and back line troops. Give them a shield to make them Defence 6 and watch them shrug off arrows, or return the favour and equip them with Crossbows to make even Elves cry. Of course they have the option to bring a banner and you will take it but what all Isengard players bring are Pikes! These things are wonderful, you can have a three row column of Uruk-hai and have them all fighting. These are a must if you are playing Isengard.
  • Be careful with massed pike formations, you can get your front-line warriors trapped as only one model can make way for him. It is possible to stagger your pike formations so that there's always room for the first pike to back off, but it may mean some of your Uruk-hai will have to be satisfied with one pike, not two.
  • When you're using crossbows, you should be aware of a few things, especially movement and target priority. To start off, always make sure that your Uruk-hai with crossbows are with a Captain or a Drummer at the least. Not only will they help keep them around, but they'll also be useful in moving the crossbows into position. Since your crossbows cannot shoot in the same turn they move, you want to keep the movement down to a minimum, and anything that helps you move to where you need to be in the minimum amount of time is very helpful. For the second part, you want to first target enemy ranged tools that can potentially snipe your crossbows, followed by enemy Cavalry, although you might want to switch to Cavalry first once they get in range of running your Uruk-hai down. Your Uruk-hai have a big issue being knocked over and then slaughtered, even with pike support, and with their increased cost you do not want Cavalry to continuously make good value on them. The third target after that should be Heroes with Defence 6 or less, since your crossbows wound them on 5+, and after that you'll want to aim at regular Infantry, ideally those with Defence 6 or less.

• Dunlending Warrior: The interesting unit between Orcs and Uruk-hai, Dunlending Warriors are essentially Uruk-hai Scouts with one less fight, one less point, and axes instead of swords (and honestly you'll probably be using Piercing Strike more than the ability to re-roll 1's). For 7 points they fill out a list and will not disappoint. They can hit exceptionally hard for Warriors (thanks to Peircing Strike making them 7 point Strength 5 Warriors) but don't expect much else out of them, unless you're buying them a two-handed axe. Taking it means they can use Piercing Strike to wound Rohan Warriors on 3's, which heavily outperforms your regular Uruk-hai while also costing less. You can also go with shields, however this isn't that worthwhile an upgrade. If you want higher Defence troops then just pay the extra points for an Uruk-hai Warrior who's Defence 6 and Fight 4 instead of Defence 5 and Fight 3. You can still support two-handed Dunlending Warriors with Uruk-hai pikes, and this is a very good idea seeing as how it'll boost the Fight above that of most enemy Warriors, and when you're using two-handed weapons you don't want to lose the Duel roll by being lower (or even just tied) with your opponent's Fight value.
  • Don't give them a bow, unless you're running pure Dunland for whatever reason. Uruk-hai Scouts outperform them thanks to Woodland Creature and better Fight, and don't even bother comparing them to Uruk-hai crossbows.

• Wild Man of Dunland: Worse than the Dunlending Warriors in every way except they have Hatred (Rohan). Cheap way to fill out your army, but expect less of them as a result. Their uses are limited, but there are good ways of using them, though they're typically dependent on your characters. Taking the Wild Man Oathmaker gives them the Isengard keyword, making them stick around longer and no longer requiring you to risk your characters when you hit 50% casualties (which gives them a huge leg up on Orcs, who can't get the Isengard keyword). In this manner they can also be used as fodder for Uglúk, giving him cheap bodies in order to use his Head Taker rule.
  • Don't bother getting the two-handed axe for these guys, they're not worth spending the point on. Fielding them with the generic axe is usually a good bet though, occasionally Piercing Strike will come in handy, and since your Defence is one point above a Hobbit's you won't notice it much if you lose the Duel role since they were likely to die anyway.

• Dunlending Horseman: These guys are just Dunlending Warriors but on a horse, not that it's a bad thing at all. At 12 points/model they are fairly cheap for Cavalry, but most importantly they have a special rule that allows them to re-roll to wound vs mounts. Anti-Cavalry Cavalry! On top of this they keep their axes for Strength 5 Piercing Strikes, which gives them a huge leg up on your Warg Riders in terms of damage output. Do be aware that they do not have throwing spears however, and as such you'll want to go with Warg Riders if you want those. Keep in mind that just because they have a bonus against mounts, that doesn't always mean they should focus on killing the mount of the model they've charged. If they have decent odds of killing the rider, such as if they're up against a Rohan Warrior, you're better off just killing the Warrior instead. A good example of this is Riders of Rohan and Rohan Royal Guard. If you're up against the former, try to kill the Rider, and if you're up against the latter then go for the horse. Same goes with Gondor Knights, use Piercing Strike but go for the armoured horse, you'll have a way easier time killing it and then going for the Knight.
  • Also note that their bonus against mounts applies to all mounts despite being called "Slay their Horses!"

• Dunlending Huscarl: Dunland gets access to elite warriors now! Their weapon can be used as a two-handed axe or spear, giving them great versatility, however you might have a bit of a hard time finding a use for them. Their special rule is lacking since you can already get Fight 4 by either supporting or being supported by Uruk-hai in a fight (which you were going to do anyway), and they cost more than Uruk-hai with Pikes do. This isn't to say they're bad however, so long as you keep a Pike nearby they're basically Uruk-hai with two-handed axes, and since your Uruk-hai lack a model with decent enough Defence that can take two-handed axes, the Huscarls fill a nice niche in your army. Keep them close to the front (but behind a few Orcs so that the cheaper Orcs can eat up arrows shot at them), and save their spear versatility for when you need them to help out in a fight they can't normally reach (or when you don't want to risk them getting struck and killed by enemy models making strikes).
  • Do remember that they lack the Isengard keyword, and so do not benefit from the Army Bonus. Thankfully this won't come up very often since Huscarls have the Bodyguard keyword, effectively making them Fearless so long as the model they're bodyguarding is still alive. As such, they're a natural fit to bodyguard models you don't usually expect to die in a game, such as Saruman and Gorulf Ironskin. Do be aware they have to Bodyguard the Hero with the highest tier so if you don't bring Saruman and do bring Lurtz (making him your Warlord and Bodyguard candidate since he's your only Hero of Valour), maybe think twice about sending Lurtz into difficult fights until most of the Huscarls are dead (or better yet, keep them around Lurtz) since their Courage is lacking.

• Uruk-hai Berserker: Super Killy but doesn't play well with others, the Berserker is a good option to wreak some havoc with his berserker blade (which is a hand-and-a-half-sword). Unfortunately you do run into an issue with these guys, which is that it's incredibly rare to get them to fight more than two opponents at a time (no, he cannot hit supporting enemy spears like Sauron can), meaning the majority of their Berserker Blade rule is not only worthless, but it actually harms you since the Berserker will hit the model supporting him as well. He essentially always has the Channeled version of Fury cast on him (allowing him to ignore being wounded on a 6), and naturally has a higher Defence against shooting attacks (which only really comes into play when Strength 3 shooting attacks are used against him, such as Dwarf and Elf bows) and you can be damned sure your opponent will be targeting these guys before the rest of the Warriors in your force.
  • Incidentally, with a Courage of 7 these guys also make great models to hold a backfield objective since they have higher Courage than most Heroes, and as such don't think you need to be constantly sending them into combat to be useful.
  • Watch out for Cavalry models; Berserkers are especially vulnerable to them since they'll get knocked over and be unable to counterattack even if they win the Duel, and without a shield they won't be able to use the Shielding rule when they've been knocked on their ass. To prevent this from happening, make sure you target Cavalry with your crossbows when they get in range, and possibly keep a few regular Orcs between them and your Berserkers. Sacrificing a 5 point model is well worth it if it means your 15 point model doesn't die. Keeping regular Orcs between you and the enemy also makes it less likely for them to be picked off by ranged weapons if your opponent feels they can roll for 6's, since they'll also need to take In the Way rolls.

• Feral Uruk-hai: A subpar Berserker with two swords instead of one big one. They get two Attacks but only have the Oblivious to Pain special rule (giving them the ability to ignore Wounds on a 6), 2 less Courage, and Defence 4. You might as well take a berserker for two more points, you'll get far more bang for your buck, and there's nothing that Feral Uruk-hai can do that a Berserker can't do better.
  • If for whatever reason you really want to take this garbage, then there is one and only one way in which they can do okay: fighting trapped models. Berserkers can do this as well but let's forget about them for now since you want to use the Feral Uruk-hai for some reason. If you use Wargs, Crebain or have some other way of encircling the enemy, or if they're already in a bad spot, then the Feral Uruk-hai will gain four attacks when it comes to wounding them, doing as well as several Warriors while costing less. This requires some planning in advance to set it up, but you can make it work if you want the models to get some use.

• Warg Rider: Evil Cavalry extraordinaire, the Wargs are brutal, hard hitting and versatile. Low courage and rider Defence is bad, but again they are cheaper than their good side equivalents. These are a very good buy with throwing spears and shields, coming to 13 points in total. This paired with the changes to thrown weapons and charges, really makes them quite nasty. They pair well with your Uruk-hai, harrowing the enemy while your force closes in (or shoots from afar with their crossbows). Don't get them if you expect to be up against Cavalry however, especially if you're up against Gondor Knights or anyone else with lances; get the Dunlending Horsemen instead, crunching through that sort of thing is their specialty.
  • Before you charge Infantry with your Wargs, try to whittle them down first. Your movement and the range of your throwing spears means you can keep heaping attacks onto Infantry without worrying about taking a charge from them, and in this way you can kill spears and the like before you charge into combat. If you get caught in a poor engagement against Infantry with your Warg Riders, it's almost always your own fault.
  • Do note that if you want movement but don't want Warg Riders, you can skip them entirely by getting Mauhúr, and using his upgrade on Uruk-hai Scouts, along with getting a drummer. Together they'll actually outrun your Wargs, although they won't be able to charge afterwards.

• Isengard Troll: Same stats as the Mordor troll but he comes with a sword and a shield Making him Defence 8! Sadly this really only matters against Strength 3 models since you'll rarely be facing down Strength 5, and Strength 4 wounds Defence 7 and 8 on a 6. You'll be keeping the shield anyway, since the War Drum is a garbage upgrade (thanks to being far too expensive and limiting how many times he'll be charging) and occasionally you will be glad for it, since a Shielding Troll is capable of holding Aragorn back. Don't write off the spear either, there can very well be times in which you want to help a character win a fight (such as Lurtz or Thrydan Wolfsbane) and offering them Fight 7 can very well be the key to victory. Even if you don't plan on doing anything mentioned above, it's still worth taking one to use as a wound absorber, since Defence 8 keeps him safe from the vast majority of ranged weapons, your opponent will waste most of their arrows shooting at this guy.
  • Do remember that it's very easy for one of your trolls to get trapped, especially if the enemy has any sort of Cavalry that can slip around them, and/or a Cavalry Hero. To this end you should keep Orcs around them to dictate how they can be charged, but just make sure you don't have more than one model in the way if you need them to back away from an opponent, otherwise you could be losing a Isengard Troll to one bad roll.
  • If you don't care about your army bonus, then you might consider allying in an Angmar Orc Shaman. Wither will take away from the few models who are still capable of wounding them on greater than a 6, and greatly increase their survivability, though thankfully with Defence 8 (with the shield) you won't face this from much aside from Eagles and Ents.

• Uruk Hai Demolition Team: Used to be very good until an army with these guys beat the rules designer and they got FAQ nerfed. Now they are still quite decent, but canny opponents will avoid getting Aragorn blown up by having no more than one model in range of the charge, and/or shooting the carriers. You can help the bombers do their job however if you take them alongside Saruman, and use Command to force a second enemy model to walk (or even ride) within range, and then blow it up, ideally killing whichever Hero/Monster your force was having a problem with. If you're not taking Saruman however, the maybe consider giving these guys a pass. They're 80 points and those points are better spent elsewhere if you're not using them to blow up a Shieldwall or a Hero like Aragorn.

• Isenguard Assault Ballista: If you're not bringing a Troll you're probably bringing one of these. Surprisingly cheap for what they offer, the Assault Ballista is a perfectly delete button, even if you can't always choose what it is you're deleting. The Assault Ballista breaks open battlelines like nothing else, it knocks Rohan soldiers off their horses (and knocks them into other riders to boot) and instantly kills Heroes, so long as you make sure to shoot the models around them with your Crossbows first. It's cheap too, but unfortunately it's not without its drawbacks; the Assault Ballista requires models around it to protect it, and unfortunately cheap Orcs and Wild Men won't do. Without protection the Ballista will be overrun by Cavalry or very determined/sneaky Infantry, and it's best protected by a standard army, some pikes moving up the board and some crossbows behind them.
  • The only worthwhile upgrade is Superior Construction, and even then it's situational at best. Most of the time you'll be within range of your targets, however rarely you'll be up against an army that can use their ranged weapons to kill your crew, so in those fringe cases you can make an argument of boosting the range to 60". The Siege Captain upgrade isn't worth it, it comes close to doubling the cost of the Ballista and while the extra Might is good, especially when it comes to the Scatter roll, it's not generally worth it when you can nearly afford a second Ballista by passing up on the upgrade. The extra crewmen generally aren't worth it, they usually won't do anything and if you don't want to get shot, you can just buy the Superior Construction upgrade instead and sit the Ballista further back.

• Crebain: Crebain are the crows that flew over the Fellowship in the first movie. At 20 points/model they're pricey, but have 2 attacks, 4(!!) wounds, can fly, and are only hit by shooting on the roll of a 6. They work out well at tying down enemy units for a time (even Elessar will need two turns to kill one model of Crebain) and the ability to take away Stalk Unseen from your opponents is very valuable for your crossbows and ballista, allowing you to snipe Fellowship models from afar. They can also fly over the heads of enemy models, making it significantly easier to trap them.
  • Note that while Crebain are significantly easier to hit if they're in the way of another model, since they still follow the standard In the Way roll, and so will get shot on a roll of 1-3 instead of a natural 6. This isn't to say they're terrible at the job however, in fact a unit of Crebain costs as much as 4 Orcs and has just as many Wounds, but typically you won't want to do this. Orcs have higher Defence and Crebain are better off harrowing your opponent and spotting targets for your ranged units.
  • Also note that because Crebain have two attacks each they're actually pretty good in supporting Duel rolls. One of these models supporting Lurtz for example will grant him 5 dice at Fight 5 to roll with (and they can also swoop in to support a Troll, practically guaranteeing his win over nearly every unit in a Good army) so even if you don't intend on spotting units with them, consider taking a few Crebain to back up your regular force.

Allies

Convenient Allies

Variags of Khand

Mordor

Moria

The Eastern Kingdoms

The Serpent Horde

Far Harad

Corsairs of Umbar

Impossible Allies

Angmar

Sharkey's Rogues

The Nazgul of Dol Guldur

Azog's Hunters

Azog's Legion

Goblin Town

The Trolls

Smaug

Building your Army

Sample List

WARBAND #1

Lurtz - Army/Warband leader

6x Uruk-Hai Warriors with Shields

9x Uruk-Hai Warriors with Pikes

Warband total: 240 points

WARBAND #2

Mauhur

6x Uruk-Hai Warriors with Shields

6x Uruk-Hai Berserkers

Warband Total: 210 points

Uruk-Hai Shaman - Minor Hero

Army Total: 500 points

30 models total

The list is simple - it is designed to have a solid front line with plenty of pikes support, with your Shaman channeling his rage power to keep them in the fight longer. The beserkers are there to drive into the flanks of your opponent's battle line to take advantage of their extra attacks. The warbands are designed to work together with the Uruk-Hai Shaman, so in a scenario where they deploy randomly, deploy Mauhur's first and then use Lurtz's special ability to keep him close

Both your heroes are beatsticks who can demolish regular infantry and captains, but against combat Monsters like Elrond or Aragon you will need to team them up otherwise they'll get their shit pushed in - SAVE LURTZ'S MIGHT FOR HEROIC STRIKES IF YOUR OPPONENT HAS A HERO WITH A HIGHER FIGHT VALUE THAN HIM. Mauhur can be the one to call heroic moves if this is the case.

Tactics

What is there to say? This army is straightforward - Elite Troops, excellent range power thanks to crossbows, the only downside is it lacks a counter to real combat masters

Legendary Legions

Almost every Legendary Legion is worth looking at for LOTR SBR in general, and Isengard's are no exception

Ugluk's Scouts:

Limitations:

• The only heroes you can take are (Surprise!) Ugluk (who is mandatory), Mauhur, Grishnakh, Snaga, generic Uruk-Hai Scout Captains, Drummers, and generic Orc Captains.
• The only warriors you can take are Uruk-Hai Scouts and Orc Warriors.
• Only Orcs can lead Orcs and only Uruks can lead Uruks, to represent the divide in loyalties between Isengard and Mordor (the Uruks are loyal to Saruman, whilst the Orcs tend towards Sauron)

However, in return for these limitations, you gain the following advantages:

• All Uruk-Hai scouts can be upgraded to Marauders for free. Ugluk, Scout Captains, and Drummers also benefit from this, meaning all your Uruks move at 8".
• Friendly models gain the woodland creature special rule
• Your Uruks and Orcs gain +1 to wound if they're involved in the same fight as one another, to represent each trying to upstage the other

Summary:

You lose access to almost all units of Isengard except for Uruk Scouts and Orc Warriors. However in return your Uruks are super speedy, won't be hampered by trees, and have an absolutely insane bonus of +1 to wound if involved in a fight with Orcs (and vice versa). You're probably going to want to take plenty of Orcs with two handed weapons, because if they're in a fight with Uruks backing them up, the -1 to duel won't matter too much, and will get an absolutely insane +2 to wound if they hit.

This legion is strong, fast, and the only thing it cannot do is deal with magic due to losing access to Saruman. At low point values it absolutely demolishes opponents but struggles at higher point values due to the low defence of it's models and no access to Saruman or Trolls - you're going to have to rely on sheer numbers to get shit done, which if you can abuse the +1 to wound with mixed combats isn't actually as bad as it seems.

Wolves of Isengard:

Limitations:

• The only heroes you can take are Sharku (mandatory), Orc Shamans on Wargs, and generic Orc Captains on Wargs.
• The only warriors you can take are Warg Riders and wild wargs

However, in return for these limitations, you gain the following advantages:

• Sharku is upgraded to a hero of Valour
• All models gain the Isengard keyword and Shaman's fury changes to (Isengard) instead of (Mordor)
• Sharku can declare a heroic combat for free
• In Maelstrom, you choose whether to win or lose priority. You also get to charge the same turn you entre the board.
• Before the game starts, you get free movement with d6 warriors, and can shoot with them afterwards, but not charge.

Summary:

You lose access to almost all units of Isengard except for Warg Riders but gain the ability to take wild Wargs and Orc Shamans. This list revolves around Sharku and his free heroic combat - the other stuff is nice, and can win mission-based games, but if Sharku dies the point of this Legionary Legion dies with him. Abuse the fuck out of his heroic combats. This legion shines at low point values but dies off at higher values - "more wargs" can only get you so far.

Assault on Helm's Deep:

Limitations:

• The only heroes you can take are Uruk-Hai Captains and Shamans. No named heroes can be taken.
• The only warriors you can take are Uruk-Hai Warriors, Isengard Trolls, Beserkers, Demolition Teams, and Assault Balista

However, in return for these limitations, you gain the following advantages:

• You do not break until 66% of your force is dead
• Your Uruk-Hai captain leading the army is buffed to 3 Attacks and 3 Wounds for free - this makes him better than most of your named heroes thanks to him being a 3A/S5 3W/D7 Monster. Sadly you only get one of him.
• Your heroes gain +6 to their Warband sizes - Captains can lead bands of 18 Uruks, Shamans can lead 12.
• Your assault Ballista reroll to hit and scatter rolls in the shoot phase.
• Your demolition charges roll 2 dice rather than 1 and pick either result if detonated.

Summary:

You lose access to named heroes, Wargs, and Dunland folk. However you get a souped up Captain as your leader, and the ability to take huge hordes of Uruk-Hai. The buffs to the assault Ballista and Demolition charges are also nice. This legion is fine at all point values as it gets a free hero buff for low point ratings and scales well into high point ratings thanks to buffs to the Ballista and charges. It's up to you to decide if you think losing access to Saruman and other named heroes is worth it though.

Army of Dunland:

Limitations:

• The only heroes you can take are Dunland Heroes
• The only warriors you can take are Dunland warriors

However, in return for these limitations, you gain the following advantages:

• Thrydan Wolfsbane is upgraded to a hero of valour
• Friendly Dunlending models gain Hatred (Rohan)
• Banners range is increased to 6"
• Once per game, Thrydan can unleash a Dunlending war cry, giving all Dunlending models within 12" of him +1 to wound

Summary:

You lose access to all units except Dunland models, however you have a nicer choice of warriors due to the supplement having Duneland Huscarls and Horseman you can access so it's not as big of a deal as it seems. The buff to banner is absolutely brilliant, one banner should be able to cover most combats if you place it right. Thrydan's warcry is absolutely game-winning if used at the right time and Rohan players will cry if they see this legion.

Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game Tactics
Forces of Good	The Fellowship The Shire The Rangers Numenor Minas Tirith The Fiefdoms The Dead of Dunharrow Arnor Rohan Wildmen of Druadan Rivendell Lothlorien Fangorn The Misty Mountains The Kingdom of Khazad-Dum Wanderers in the Wild
	Thorin's Company Army of Thror Iron Hills Dwarves Erebor Reclaimed Army of Lake-Town Survivors of Lake-Town Garrison of Dale Halls of Thranduil Radagast's Alliance The White Council
Forces of Evil	Barad-Dur Angmar Mordor Moria Isengard The Easterlings Variags of Khand The Serpent Horde Far Harad Corsairs of Umbar Sharkey's Rogues
	Azog's Legion Azog's Hunters Dark Powers of Dol Guldur Dark Denizens of Mirkwood Goblin Town The Trolls Desolator of the North