Question about LOTR strategy battle game

[max]

This question might seem a bit odd, but does anyone know why in the latest version of the SBG you have to have warbands? I liked it where you can choose your force freely without worrying about units.

[Quendil]

You could just play the older version, no need to play the latest GW sets.

[rob_alderman]

I think it's just to help people structure their forces in a even manner. It stops people taking nothing but Heroes or nothing but pawns.

I know how you feel with the old edition, but I actually like the new warband rule.

[max]

You could just play the older version, no need to play the latest GW sets.

I did actually buy the first version of the rules (for £1, who wouldn't) and have had much fun with it.
I just thought LOTR was more 'heroric skirmish' than 'large scale skirmish'.

[rob_alderman]

It still is, the warbands don't have to stay in formation or anything and the only ruling is it must be 1 hero minimum and 0-12 normal guys...

You can still do nothing but the fellowship of the ring against hordes of Uruk-Hai at Amon Hen, it just means the Uruks must have a Captain (or Lurtz) for every 12 normal Uruks.

[Doomhippie]

The idea is to actually give people who play a hordlike army like goblins more tactical variation by providing for more hero points to spend. However, I ignore that completely as I want my heroes to slaughter a gazillion of orcs and goblins and not to fiddle with enemy heroes. So feel free to ignore that rule...

[max]

Ok, from seeing peoples battle reports they always had them in ranks and files, that's what confused me.

[rob_alderman]

I think that will come from things like supporting spear attacks and volley fire. Those have been in the rules for a very long time. The spears since the first version of the rules and volley fire came in when they realised people were going to be playing bigger games (like Helm's Deep).

[Theatralic]

In Theory I liked the Rules at First but when it comes to certain Armies, scenarios and Deploying they start to crumble. Thats why I am ignoring them, good Idea bad execution in some Parts.

[P_Clapham]

Is this a revised version of the ruleset or something that popped up in White Dwarf or the LotR magazine?

[max]

It was in the new force books.

[P_Clapham]

I checked out the books on the GW website.  So, are these pretty much like the army books for Warhammer Fantasy Battles?

It was in the new force books.

[max]

I've looked through one, and they're like the old books where you choose you men seperatly, but you must have a hero for every 12 warriors. Some men fight independantly, like trolls i guess.
Like already said, it's to stop having 1 hero, 1 banner and a horde of warriors.

[P_Clapham]

Guess I'll stick with the base rules, they've worked for me so far.

[rob_alderman]

That's cool, I think it's there to stop power gaming. The tournament winners were alway horde armies (normally Hobbits).

They're a bit like the Warhammer Armies books, but they are more like a combination of all the old sourcebooks which have then been split up into easily available rules packs.

The only shame I find in it is how 'generic' it is. I really like playing specific scenarios, so I have all of the old sourcebooks!