Starting an Angmar Army. Tips?

Mikaroo · **Joined:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 pm **Posts:** 21

Hey Everyone,

I've decided that goblins while fun and all are pretty bland, and I don't feel like painting that many models lol.

So I'm switching to Angmar and plan on basing my army around spirits. I just bought the Witch King and ordered a pack or barrow wights and I'm probably going to buy a shade or two.

Most battles we do are 300-500 per side, no scenarios just annihilation with the broken force rules in affect.

I think having a Maxed out WK with a few shades and wights would be cool, but how effective would it be? I don't know how to protect my wraiths if they only have 1 wound, plus the weak fight values of Wights, Shades and spectres.

I could always use my gobos as cannon fodder.

Any ways, what do you all think about that? I love the look of it on paper.

madtankdog · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:42 am

Angmar armies are fun and you really do need Gobbo's
but for value think about Dweller in Dark (75pts) add a bat swarm or two to reduce enemies F by half and if can include Druhzag, he can turn wargs and other beasties into real killers
although shades are fantastic they are way expensive and only real value in large armies to cover 12 " spread
good luck

SuicidalMarsbar · **Joined:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:14 am **Posts:** 1253

Shades-great, but you should only need one, protect it with a line of orcs/morannons and you'll be fine.
Witch King- good, but he'll need atleast a fell beast, or morgul crown.
Barrow Wights- ok I guess, but if you're already fielding WK then why bother?
Spectres- having 3 or 4 will come in handy.
Burdhur+cave trolls- Burdhur is essential, I'd try fielding him, two barrow Wights, a few spectres, and then orcs; at 500 points it should be fine.

Lord_Fizzle · **Joined:** Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:40 am **Posts:** 9

I've been working on an Angmar army as well and what Ive come up with so far is this:

Warband 1: Burdhur (Leader)
Cave Troll w/ Spear
Cave Troll

Warband 2: Barrow Wight
Orc w/ Shield x4
Orc w/ Spear x4
Orc w/ Two Handed Weapon x1
Orc Trackers x3

Warband 2: Orc Captain w/ Shield
Orc w/ Shield x4
Orc w/ Spear x4
Orc w/ Two Handed Weapon x1
Orc Trackers x3

Total: 499 points.

I like it as a starting point and you can quickly (and cheaply) expand it by getting some of the more specialized units (Dead Marsh Spectres) or characters (Shades)

Elessar Telcontar · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:17 pm

My cousin recently started an Angmar army too. Shades are the most #@&/$# annoying models I've ever played against! Especially against elves, they are definitely worth it. Trolls pack a punch Angmar otherwise lacks, but it's really vulnerable to arrows and such.

Lord_Fizzle · **Joined:** Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:40 am **Posts:** 9

True, if you wanted to make the shade one of your leaders you could make it look like the following:

Warband 1: Burdhur (Leader)
Cave Troll w/ Spear
Spectre x2

Warband 2: Barrow Wight
Orc w/ Shield x4
Orc w/ Spear x4
Orc w/ Two Handed Weapon x1
Orc Trackers x2

Warband 2: Shade
Orc w/ Shield x4
Orc w/ Spear x4
Orc w/ Two Handed Weapon x1
Orc Trackers x3

Total: 500 points

You'd run into a very low might problem when compared with other armies but the shade if deployed centrally can shield your whole battleline and really muck up your opponents day.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 1:51 pm

If you're using a Shade you could swap the Wight for a Captain or Shaman.

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:06 pm

I use this list for most 500pt games now. Managed to take down glorfindel and those pesky twins the other day with it. The shade is the best thing i have ever used imho. that -1 penalty is brilliant for gobbos. Anyway, list is:

Gundabad Captain
5 Gundabads w/ Shield
5 Gundabads w/ spear & Shield

Ashrak
5 Gundabads w/ Shield
5 Gundabads w/ spear & Shield

Shade

Black Guard captain
5 Black guard
2 trackers.

Alright it isnt completely angmar but the BG do pack a punch at str 5.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:13 pm

Don't give strenght 4+ Warroiors a spear, use normal gobbos, so your black guards can have spear support and your shade can have bodyguards too.

Buhrdur is a good one for an actual Angmar army.

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Tue Jul 31, 2012 4:32 pm

GothmogtheWerewolf wrote:

Don't give strenght 4+ Warroiors a spear, use normal gobbos, so your black guards can have spear support and your shade can have bodyguards too.

Buhrdur is a good one for an actual Angmar army.

valid point however normal goblins die too easily for my liking. (def 3/4 i think) I like taking all the gundabads lol, they look awesome in a battle line. In this game, I used the spears to back up the BG and when they died (i think 1 did) the normal GBS took its place. Another perk to using gundabad spears is the fact the second line is a strong as the first. I would also like to add my line wasnt broken and my shade didnt need bodyguards. it beat glorfindel in a fight because i kept rolling 6's.

Mikaroo · **Joined:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 pm **Posts:** 21

Just did a tiny battle using my new Witch King.

He had full M/W/F , crown, morgul blade, flail and he was on foot for a value of 195
We used 250 per side and my friend used Gandalf the White with some Rohan warriors while I used shield gobbos

I won but only because my friend is just leaning how to play.

I honestly don't know how I will keep WK alive if he only has 1 wound.

Do you guys have some tips on using him? I know he's a monster on fell beast but what about on horse/foot.

I know I should be maximizing my spell usage but everytime I play my friends they all hide their heros.

Also, the WK flail sucks lol. He should not get a -1 fight for using it. That makes it a terrible 4 which is equal to normal men...

Thanks for the tips!

Draugluin · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 4:01 pm

I would never give him the flail, it's 5 points that can be better spent somewhere else.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 11:42 pm

You should never ever give a hero a two-handed weapon unless they have a special rule meaning they don't get -1 to d6 result.

As for the wound problem, maximum fate, and careful use (avoid certain things, target others) are what you need.

Mikaroo · **Joined:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 pm **Posts:** 21

I was thinking, is the best way to deal with beast heros like Aragorn spamming black dart? And does magic have to roll for "In the Way"?

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:42 pm

Mikaroo wrote:

I was thinking, is the best way to deal with beast heros like Aragorn spamming black dart? And does magic have to roll for "In the Way"?

as far as I'm aware no, as to cast the spell you have to have sight of the target. you can cast into combat though as it isn't shooting (unless its SB). Many a time i have charged in a hero and then had a ringwraith fly in and transfix him...

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 2:52 pm

Never use Black Dart, unlikely ever to pay off, use the Wraith's magicto weaken the hero and send someone else to deal with them in combat, or if it is a fighty wraith on a fell beast, then maybe do it itself.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:54 pm

Black Dart can be good against things like banners and musicians. Spend a couple Will to kill a 30+ pt model? Sounds good to me.

Mikaroo · **Joined:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 7:56 pm **Posts:** 21

That's great and all, but you can't target important units because they are always hidden behind fodder. You need vision of the model to target it.

SuicidalMarsbar · **Joined:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:14 am **Posts:** 1253

Mount the witch king on a horse, that way he is more durable and can see his targets better. Never throw him in combat, keep him well away from fighting. Only time a wraith should fight is if he's charging a transfixed foe, or going up against troops that are away from friends and far worse statistically than the wraith.

When it cones to spells use sap will, drain courage, and transfix on heroes, thats all you need to do as those 3 spells remove their defence against your spells, give them trouble charging you/stand fast rolls, and you make them useless in combat which is a death wish.

However wraiths aren't for everyone, Saruman is a great alternative as he cones with grima, but yet again he is useless if not mounted.

SuicidalMarsbar · **Joined:** Sun Apr 24, 2011 1:14 am **Posts:** 1253

Also, the only way for a hero to be not viable spell targets is if they are totally hidden from view, ONLY way to acheive this is if they have an elven cloak or they are lying down behind troops or behind terrain that totally obscures them, all other cases of partial cover (standing behind troops, partially concealed by a wall/tree etc) are still viable spell targets. Mounting your wraith will help him see concealed heroes alot more aswell as making him 4 times as combat capable. In all honesty, a wraith on foot is a sheep with a bounty on it's head among sheep, but a mounted wraith is a lion among sheep.

Starting an Angmar Army. Tips?

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