Freáláf Hildeson and Olwyn: What Games Workshop’s Latest MESBG Heroes Bring to Your Tabletop

It's no secret that I absolutely love the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game by Games Workshop, but it's also no secret that the recent film War of the Rohirrim was hardly the smashing success that we got with The Lord of the Rings, despite having much of the same creative team present throughout the production process.

This was bad news not just for the studio, but for the organisations that had hitched themselves to it, unfortunately including Games Workshop, who were now saddled (forgive the horsey pun, but this is Rohan we're talking about!) with creating a whole new edition, army lists and sculpts all for what was essentially a flop movie.

All with the added challenge of converting anime characters into that same grounded and 'realistic' style that is the hallmark of most of the existing MESBG range.  A tall order, indeed. 

Credit: New Line Cinema: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

I think that, despite some mixed results (anyone who follows my Instagram Ironclad_Hobby will know my thoughts on what's hot and what's not), overall Games Workshop have done a fantastic job.

Not only are many of the new sculpts, like General Targg or the new Warriors of Rohan simply fantastic, but they've also managed to bring some new dimensions and dynamics to the existing game, taking what was effectively two established ranged (Rohan and Dunland) and turning them into something new. Which brings me to today's article...

Frealaf and Olwyn

When Games Workshop first announced the release of two long awaited miniatures, Freala Hildeson and Olwyn the Shieldmaiden, both of which play key roles in The War of the Rohirrim. You can read the original Article Here

For me, the sculpts were a swing and a miss, with the exception of Olwyn's horse, which looks like a wonderful Good side answer to the Witch King on Horse. (and gives me a great idea for an unarmoured Theoden for The Road to Helm's Deep!) 

But beside the miniatures themselves, they also give Official Tournament Players (or guys who just like to use official minis) a range of new tactical options in game, let's take a look at exactly what these two are bringing to the table. 

Olwyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan

Olwyn is a really interesting character, in that she's effectively a cheap high-end of middle class Hero (Heroine?), in line with the likes of King Arvedui in terms of ability. She has Fight 5 and 3 Attacks, putting her well above most enemies she's likely to face.

Combine that with a modest amount of Might and Will, and a great amount of Fate, you've got a very reliable hero, despite her rather average Defence.

What's more, she has the Sworn Protector (Hera) Special Rule, meaning that she will be sticking around for as long as Hera is on the field. But none of this makes her particularly 'special', at least in terms of rules. I mean, most heroes have Might, Will and Fate, and Fight 5 is not what it used to be.

What really sets her apart is her Stalwart Fighter Special Rule, which gives her a sort of Heroic Defence-Lite when outnumbered in combat. 

In short, Olwyn is the lady you want in the thick of the fighting, cutting her way through hordes of lesser warriors, just keep her away from Monsters, Character Killers, and Siege Engines, and you're golden!

Frealaf, First Marshall of the Riddermark

Frealaf is a Hero that I could best describe as 'middle of top of the class', he's better than most Heroes, with 3's in almost all the right places. But much like the new Gothmog, Frealaf appears to excel more as a General than a scrapper, with access to Heroic Resolve, and even Master of Battle under the right circumstances.

What's really cool here is that Warriors of Rohan in Frealaf's Warband are automatically upgraded to Warriors of Harrowdale, who gain a range of awesome bonuses, so long as they can see their Lord.

Like Olwyn, Frealaf will make short work of the enemy rank and file, even more so due to his heftier Fight Value, but he'll still struggle against anything that exceeds his Fight Value. 

My advice is to keep him in full view of his Warband, and plant him where you need to clear out weak enemies. But as with Olwyn, avoid Monsters. 

How they Fit in to Rohan Army Lists

So far, these characters only appear in a couple of lists. Both appear in the Army of Edoras List, and (depending on whether or not they're your general) can activate a powerful, once per game re-rolling of failed Wound Rolls. The thing is, the odds of having Olwyn as your General are pretty low, unless you're playing a fairly small game. 

It's worth noting that Olwyn also appears in the Defenders of the Hornburg list, gaining Dominant while on foot. 

While neither of these abilities are particularly remarkable, they do add a bit of extra flavour, and can be game-winning, if used in the right way. 

 

 

So what do you think of the new miniatures. Do you like the new style, or prefer the old? How will you be using them in your games, or if you don't play Rohan, how will you be tackling them? 

- Mak 

• Full image credit for images containing Warhammer Community logo goes to Games Workshop, who designed, painted and produced the images pictured

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