The 5 Most Unique Warriors in the MESBG
Thumbnail Credit: A Shadow In the East Sourcebook
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Middle Earth is full of warrior cultures, from the dour and durable dwarves of the Iron Hills and tunnel-creeping Goblins of Moria, right through to the horse-lords of Rohan and the Black Uruks of Cirith Ungol.
The soldiers of these dynasties helped to shape the world of Middle-Earth, and Games Workshop has done an awesome job of presenting them on the tabletop, both in terms of miniatures and fun, flavourful rulesets.
But there are some warriors whose chosen means of waging war are so strange, so oddly augmented or highly specialised, that they stand totally at odds with the warriors who stand beside them, often feeling totally alien from their own factions!
Today, we're going to look at five of these unusual Warriors, what they bring to the table, and perhaps more importantly, whether or not they're actually worth the points to field them.
Credit: Games Workshop
1) Vault Wardens
Vault Wardens are the elite tunnel-fighters of the dwarves, tasked with holding the many narrow passes and walkways from all who would threaten their great kingdom.
Found exclusively in the Kingdom of Khazad-Dum army list, Vault Wardens present a unique challenge not only to the enemy, but to the controlling player as well.
Why They're Unique
Vault Wardens are one of the few Units in the game that contain not one, but two units at the time of purchase - made up of a team containing one Iron Shield and one Foe Spear. Coincidentally, they are also the only source of spear support in the entire army list!
The Iron Shield boasts a ludicrously high Defence value of 9, making it one of the toughest warrior models in the game, whilst the Foe Spear gains bonuses when fighting Monsters. Together, the pair form an incredibly stubborn defensive unit capable of locking down choke-points and forcing the enemy into brutal wars of attrition.
Not bad, for 25 points per team!
Are They Worth It?
Now, I could talk about their weaknesses, like their lack of speed, and their vulnerability to getting outnumbered; but honestly, those are problems for the whole Khazad-Dum list.
The real weakness of the Vault Wardens is getting split up. When separated, the Iron Shield suffers a penalty to their Duel Rolls, making it less reliable in combat.
Still, at Defence 9, it will often survive losing several fights before finally being brought down.
In short (was that a dwarf joke?), they're absolutely worth taking in most Khazad-Dum lists. They can pin enemy Heroes and Monsters, dominate key choke-points, and point for point can even give an Easterling Phalanx a run for their money (though please don't take enough of them to form a dwarf phalanx!)
Credit: Games Workshop
2) The Woses
In a bout of tonal whiplash we go from the highest Defence Infantry in the game to just about the lowest - the Woses Warriors rock up to battle with a stone-tipped spear, a blowpipe, and a loincloth that would make Tarzan blush.
Much like the Vault Wardens, the Woses are found in only one list - the Paths of the Druadan, a niche list that combines the mounted might of the men of Rohan with the...twigs and berries of the Men of Druadan.
Why They're Unique
The Woses are aesthetically one of the strangest units in MESBG. Nothing else in the game really comes close. They're technically Men, but short, and with an orange-yellow complexion that would see them well-suited to chocolate-factory work, after the dark lord has been defeated.
Stat-wise, they are fairly unimpressive: Fight 3, Shoot 3, Defence 3, and Courage 7+ , along with an eye-watering price tag of 9pts per model.
But they aren't valuable because of their stats. Their value lies in them having more Special Rules than a Named Character in a game of Horus Heresy (that's right, I play other games). They have Hatred (Orc, Goblin, Uruk-Hai), Stalk Unseen, Poisoned Attacks, and Woodland Creature. Basically, on the right table they're mobile, and (much like dwarves) very dangerous over short distances!
Are They Worth It?
Well...yes and no. On one hand, it is compulsory to take no less than TWELVE of the bloody things, if you want to run the one list they're allowed in. Combined with the mandatory Theoden, and their Leader, Ghan Buri Ghan, you're looking at a monstrous 283 points minimum spend, before buying anything you actually want.
Would I spend my precious remaining points on more Woses? probably not. Would I buy the minimum that allowed me to play the army? ...Sure.
3) The Black Numenoreans
Now on to one of my favourite units in the game, the mighty Black Numenoreans.
These guys are interesting because, despite filling a fairly specialised battlefield role, they actually come in both mounted and infantry variants, alongside a Captain-level Hero known as a Marshal. For the purposes of this article though, we'll be focusing on the Warriors.
As their name suggests, these guys are the Numenoreans who threw their lot in with Sauron way back in the day, and have continued to serve him ever since. hey march to war clad in dark robes and blackened plate reminiscent of the dreaded Nazgul, whilst the mounted versions look like they've recently finished a tour with the Wild Hunt (any Witcher 3 fans out there?)
They can be found in a range of Mordor soup lists, and the Umbar list, but as of yet do not have a true list of their own which, frankly feels like a missed opportunity.
Why They're Unique
On paper, the Black Numenoreans are...oddly mundane. They wear heavy armour, they carry shields, they have Fight 4 and half-decent Courage...Nothing to write home about.
'So Mak, you tabletop Troubadour' I hear you say, 'why have you put them on a unique units list, then?' - well, I'll tell you why, voice inside my head. The Black Numenoreans have the Visage of Terror Special Rule, which pairs with their (similarly named) Terror Special Rule.
If an enemy model fails its Courage test to charge a Black Numenorean, it doesn't just fail the charge, it effectively loses its turn. They cannot Move, Shoot, or even Move in the Fight Phase as part of a Heroic Combat.
That makes Black Numenoreans incredibly awkward to engage efficiently, especially for horde armies that rely on overwhelming the enemy through sheer numbers. Against low-Courage armies, entire sections of a battle-line can simply stall out.
That being said, the likes of Elves, or Rohan Royal Guard spam will have little trouble getting to grips with these guys.
Are They Worth It?
In my opinion? Absolutely! But only so long as you understand what they do.
They're better fighters than Morannon Orcs, tougher than Mordor Uruks, and come bundled with one of the most disruptive Terror mechanics available to a basic Warrior unit. But at 10 points per model, they are definitely an investment.
They have no access to spears or bows, no banners or horns (unless mounted), and no army bonus directly tailored to them.
What you get instead is brutally efficient front-line infantry capable of controlling enemy movement simply through psychological pressure.
If you're after a thematic, infantry-heavy force built around relentless black-armoured terror troops, then these are the monster men for you.
Credit: New Line Cinema - The Two Towers
4) Spectre
Now, you knew these guys were going to make an appearance.
The Spectres can be found in a couple of Angmar themed army lists, as well as the Minas Morgul list. They're a collection of walking corpses and spirits bound to the power of the Witch-King.
Why They're Unique
The Spectres fulfil a very niche role in the game, and that is disruption.
They're not good fighters, and they're not fast (though they can walk through difficult terrain without issue). But they do have some crazy tricks up their tattered sleeves.
For one, they cause Terror, and have a absurdly high Courage value of 4+. They also have the Blades of the Dead Special Rule.
"But wait, there's more!" - Billy Mays
Spectres also have the A Fell Light Is In Them Special Rule, which gives them a chance to compel an enemy Unit to walk right toward them. Sure, there are restrictions on exactly how this movement works, but it still creates incredible opportunities to pull enemy models out of formation and isolate them from the safety of the battle-line.
This is great for pulling banners out of position, or (with luck) even an enemy hero.
Units forced to Move in this way cannot Move again this turn, or use Active Abilities, making the Spectre one of the best disruptors in the game.
Are They Worth It?
At 15 Points, Spectres are a real investment. But I would say that there's seldom an army list out there that would not benefit from having at least a couple of them in there. They provide psychological pressure, Terror, and (when their powers take effect) can cause serious disruption to the foe.
Remember, even when their powers fail, your opponent still has to play around the possibility that they might work.
It's also worth remembering that Spectres have already proven themselves at the highest levels of competitive play, with Angmar armies heavily featuring them achieving major tournament success in previous editions.
Credit: Gull Miniatures (How cool are these, by the way?)
5) Blackroot Vale Archers
Last on our list are the often overlooked Blackroot Vale Archers, found in the Defenders of the Pelennor, The Fiefdoms and the (also overlooked) Realms of Men Army Lists.
These represent the militia of Blackroot Vale, sent to aid Minas Tirith during the Siege of Gondor. Unlike the noble knights of Dol Amroth or the proud warriors of Lamedon, the men of Blackroot Vale are far more rugged and practical in nature.
On the table, they initially appear as fairly ordinary, essentially just rangers dressed in blue.
Is this just GW cutting corners? Probably. But this doesn't change the fact that the Blackroot Vale Archers are VERY different to their green-clad counterparts.
Why They're Unique
For a start, Blackroot Vale Archers have an unusual stat line. They're average fighters, but great shots. They also have a modest Defence of 4, and goblin-like Courage. They all come with Bows, and can also take Warhorns, Banners and Spears, making them pretty solid support units.
But what really sets them apart is their Special Rule; Dead-Eye Shot.
Now, Heroic Shoots are often overlooked in MESBG. But the Archers of Blackroot Vale give you a VERY good reason to consider using them, because Dead-Eye Shot lets these archers to re-roll To Wound Rolls when Shooting, so long as they are under the effects of a Heroic Shoot.
I won't bore you with the maths, but this interaction makes Blackroot Vale Archers startlingly efficient for their points cost. When firing in groups under Heroic Shoot, they can often rival (and occasionally outperform) an equal points value of Elven archers against heavily armoured targets (tested at Defence 6).
Are They Worth It?
Honestly? It depends entirely on how committed you are to their gimmick.
In a Fiefdoms list, where they provide valuable ranged support that the army otherwise lacks, I would absolutely consider taking them. In broader army lists, however, they face much stiffer competition from more flexible bowmen.
If you're willing to build around Heroic Shoots and massed ranged pressure, Blackroot Vale Archers can become surprisingly effective; especially in larger, numbers-heavy armies such as Realms of Men.
But if you're looking for a handful of guys to just sit on objectives, or dismount the occasional rider, then standard bowmen are a more practical choice.
Blackroot Vale Archers are not universally powerful, but in the right list, they become one of the strangest and most deceptively effective bowmen in MESBG.
Credit: Games Workshop
Finishing Up
Ultimately, it's units like these that make MESBG such a fantastic game. They might not always be the most efficient picks on the tabletop, but they add flavour, character, and memorable moments to the armies they fight beside, and (to me, at least) are perfect for building thematic, fluffy lists that truly feel like something pulled from the pages of a Middle-Earth book.
In Other News
Slightly off topic, but I wanted to take a moment to share some really big news with you all.
The Sundering Cycle, my Epic Dark Fantasy novel, has reached the finals of the White Rose International Film Festival in the Book to Screen Category.
It’s been a surreal experience seeing a project that started life in the Notes app on an old iPhone gradually grow into something receiving this kind of recognition, and I wanted to sincerely thank everyone who has supported my writing, hobby projects, and general ramblings over the years.
If you'd like to support my writing, you can find The Sundering Cycle in most good book stores (both online and off). If you're UK based I'd recommend Waterstones (link here)
