The Dragon's fire might work. We've chatted about the other two though and the odds of either Beorn or the Witch King/King of the Dead surviving long enough to kill him are miniscule. In addition, they're all relatively rare sights on there battlefield. I suppose it might work if you specifically built an army to take down Smaug as a challenge but the vast majority of tournament armies won't have a chance against him.

It's an interesting discussion though, fun addition to the meta!

As for there being more new releases and profiles in the future we can keep our fingers crossed. The lack of Evil warriors is strange (although we've already had the Gundabad orcs that make up the majority of the evil army) but the absence of Dain and any form of new dwarf warriors is far more surprising.

Fingers crossed for a second expansion in the new year.

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No Dain or dwarves? Oh man, that sucks.
That makes a second supplement or white dwarf rules release a strong possibility.

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Given the price, limited availability (so far) and great troubles one would have to go through to transport it remotely securely, I suspect Smaug will also be a relatively rare sight on the battlefield.

Where did you find all the info by the way? Was planning to order the WD Weekly tonight/tomorrow anyway, but with some extra knowledge of the rules, I could combine it with a few useful models.

No Dwarves? Makes me greatful to be an elf-player.

Tragic though.

In case anyone is getting the wrong idea, you do get the fully armoured Thorin's Company rules (which are awesome!) but you just don't get any new profiles from the Iron Hills dwarves.

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Just the profiles? Or does that mean no models also?

If there are models, I suppose we're to use the stats from the warriors of erebor/grimhammers.

No sign of models or profiles. All the new models in the book have been released (or will be tomorrow) there are new profiles for Saruman, Galadriel, Radagast and Elrond too but no sign of new models (which is fair enough, we don;t really need them).

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Hm, the spear rules are a bit dissapointing to me, I love the models, but this is just a combination of already existing rules, with such a weapon I had hoped for something that makes the changes to kill for an elf bigger, either attacks, strengths or +1 to wound. but maybe that to OP..

I just hope and suspect we will get a full army book later in the new year incl. more evil and dwarves.

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prov. 27:17

I do think the Elves are very underpowered in killing ability. I mean, they fought armies of Balrogs, at least the High Elves (Noldor) did, but Morannon Orcs, Uruks, among other things are given strength four as a 'quick fix' to give them some validation as a threat. The strength and power is supposed to come from trolls and monsters, the orcs are a swarm, a horde, but that seems forgotten. The armies of good always seem to fight out-numbered and whoever has been doing the stats/profiles has let it get away from them a bit. So, giving Elves rules that increase their killing ability would be a big help, considering that their point cost is still so high.

I like the idea of it coming from their weapons however, so that it's a skill based thing. Perhaps they can have such a thing as 'focused shots' that have to be within a certain range and maybe require a five or even a six to hit a target at strength 4. It does essentially turn them into crossbows at close range, but we've all seen the movies, watch as four-five ranks of Orcs fall from one volley of High Elven arrows in the battle of Dagorlad. Then they seem to get first strike on every single Orc.

I agree back in the day when it was first released, that it was well balanced, but now? I think things need tweaking. My advice would be weapon perks for the Elves. Don't get me started on their armour rating too.

Some of this is born from frustration of not being able to use Elrond in my army lists due to losing too many troop models and thus my army being too small to be competitive. I mostly just use the twins and Erestor, but I'd love to have one hero, couple banners and plenty of warriors. (If anyone has any advice on that, please feel free to tell me!)

I feel a little underwhelmed at the warriors of Mirkwood, their profile is just a copy past from the Galadhrim one but the have elven Glaive's instead of a spear. I don't know, I'm just really disappointed about that....

On the other hand, Thranduil and Legolas are total beasts now and are seriously going to do damage. Legolas might be the strongest overall hero in the game now... by that I mean he is a great ranged fighter and now a great combat hero too. Just awesome, and then there is thranduil...well lets just say he is going to tear some heads off.......

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Yeah it is, but it makes sense. They're the same 'sub-race' of Elves after all (mostly, with some Sindar and Noldor being in Lorien also, but the majority are Silvan, like Mirkwood.)

At least we get new toys, the glaive is a great tool to use, plus swordsmen with shields at defence 5, that's not too shabby. Now, if only there were standard bearers... Maybe a conversion is needed. After all, as long as they 'win' their melee's, they should be fine.

The only miniature I can see that's in the supplement but we have not seen a figure of is radagast on a eagle. I wonder if we will see one soon?

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Every model is awesome! I especially love what they have done with Radagast and Galadriel! They have done an excellent job for all the models.

That would be a pretty great model to see.

which is highly unusual since either means melee and thats where smaug is at his best.
Castellan will be able to tie him up for a good bunch of turns, beorn gonna get a bad time if he loses 1 round vs the dragon.

Trick is the shooting to laid down smaug...
or want a model with minimal chances to kill him? the necromancer, hes far better than a castellan and far more dangerous to smaug

he just needs to win combat once then a 5+ (with might to get 6 to wound) or an original 6s.

How do you think these new Mirkwood spearmen compare to the old Wood elf spears? The way I see it you have to pay for the armor but then you get the elven blade for free, essentially, does that make these new guys better then the old list wood elves? Heroes are the same plus new shiny options. I guess Galadriel can't lead these guys which is a bit of nerf but theres nothing stopping you from taking her with old elves.

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Pretty sure you could take her in an allied warband, but would need at least a Mirkwood captain to lead the troops.

I think the +1 defence, free elven blade (not to mention the shielding with the spear) at a very reasonable points increase makes them the best Sindar/Silvan/Wood Elves available. Pity they're in blisters but.. I have just gone and bought a warband of them myself after all. Very tempted to get another with a captain, or Legolas.

What is free about it.. ? you pay 2 pts instead of one for the glaive

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Iron sharpens iron
So a friend sharpens his friend.
prov. 27:17

Ahhh right you are. I thought the old wood elf bows were 2 points but I just checked and of course they are not. So I guess my question still remains the same, whats everyones thoughts on the new profiles compared to the old wood elf lists?

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Cheers,

P

Galadhrim with wood elf spear rules (sort of)

if you pay a wood elf to get similar gear (spear + elven blade) it would be a 9 point model, these got that and +1 pt for +1D..

Hardly people get with this weapon mix though cause they prefer having elves with numbers and swarm to counter their frail nature (defence wise) so they keep em cheap.

now these aint that much cheap but on the other hand they become Swiss Army Knifes giving you the options for:
- shield parry with the spear
- 1 hand elven blade
- 2 handed elven blade
- spear

So these guys became very flexible.

At wounding they just make diference at S3 (need 5s to wound rather than 4 at D3 from wood elves) and S5 (need 4s to wound rather than 3 at D3 from wood elves)


as for giving them shield and cost 11pts and basically lose the 2 handed elven blade option and nullify the spear shielding rule (a the shield itself given) migth be a bad idea. the counter is that they would gain D5.