The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game/Tactics/Rivendell

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Why Play Rivendell

You like having knifed ears? Or maybe you like playing the aloof guys with minimal actual investment in Middle Earth? OR even maybe you wanna play as the guys who are kind-of-sort-of to blame for most of the bad things that happened in setting in one way or another? Or maybe even you just want to play one of the harder hitting armies in the game and don't mind the smell of elitism (in the movies) or being all around cool guys (in the books)

Pros

• One of the hardest hitting armies in the game, let alone for the Forces of Good.
• Multiple amazing heroes.
• Some of the coolest models made by GW.
• Under costed infantry.
• It is good or neutral against other pure lists, so it does not have a real counter in the game unless you make a weird cheesy alliance.

Cons

• Low model count due to their high price. They're worth the price, but your still going to be outnumbered against most armies.
• Killing power of infantry (heroes or troops), stuck at s3/s4 although two-handed weapons and spear support can help mitigate this issue reasonably well.
• Some of the most dated models made by GW (High Elf Warriors w/ swords and or bows).
• FAQs have been made in order to mitigate the huge buffs that some heroes provided to this list or its allies without any real penalties before. This means it could submitted to more FAQs in the future.

Army Bonus

"Tangado haid, leitho i phillinn" - If your archers are within 6" of the army leader and if they don't move, they get to reroll to hit. It's a subpar faction ability, and won't come up super often, but don't forget it if you've got it.

Unit Analysis

Elves as a whole have access an improved version of normal hand weapons: the Elven blades. These not only count as either a normal weapon or a 2-handed weapon (only a normal weapon if you have a shield), but also cause you to win ties on a 3+ instead of a 4+. So, instead of costing at least +1 point for being a possible two-handed weapon and getting that useful 4+ rule, it is free to any troop available in the list because WHY NOT?

Heroes

• Elrond: The two versions of Elrond got condensed down into 1. 170 points, with the usual brutal Elf Lord stats (plus the option to take Heavy Armor), Elrond comes with a few tricks. First he has an Elven ring, which allows him to reroll failed Fate rolls. He shares the Lord of the West rule with Gil-galad (and Celeborn) that allows him to reroll 1 duel and 1 wound dice, D6 Foresight points that allow you to alter priority rolls and a couple of spells (although no way to cast them for free like Wizards or Galadriel), plus a couple oddities (Rivendell Knights don't count towards your bow limit if he's there and his swords gets +1 to wound against Spirits) and Elrond is pretty beastly. Still, at 170 points, he's less powerful as a duelist than Gil-galad, so make sure you're taking him for his special rules.

• Gil-galad: At one time he was everyone in the setting's best friend, then he got rekt by Sauron in his "give me back my rings" phase. With fight 9, aka one of the highest fight values in the game (on the side of Good at least), a spear that acts like a lance no matter if he charged or not, the ability to go up to Defense 8 with 3 wounds, plus rerolling one duel and wound roll Gil-galad is a terrifying opponent to duel. Factor in his buff which allows High Elf warriors to go up to fight 6 and a larger stand fast range, and he ALSO doubles as a great form of army multiplier. He actually costs 10 points less than Elrond in Heavy Armor, but you can't take him with Arwen, Elladan and Elrohir, Lindir or Bilbo and keep your faction bonus... but fuck it, your faction bonus isn't that good anyway. He also only has 1 fate point, so be careful with him if he loses.

• Erestor: Erestor is the first 'normal' elf hero we have access to. with a standard stat line, 2 might, 2 will and 2 fate, and the ability to reroll wounds when using his dagger all for a fair (for an elf) point cost makes him a solid choice for any warband.

• Cirdan: Cirdan is an elf wizard with solely buff spells and no real way to harm anyone in a duel due to him being unarmed. with a normal stat line, all be it lacking in the close combat department, he come with 4 will and the ability to use 1 point of will per turn for free, to make use of his spells. Great for fluffier lists, however you generally have access to better hero options As a cheap hero in Rivendell he's useful for bringing more troops, and he has 2 extremely good spells - Blinding Light keeps you safe from archers, while Aura of Dismay makes your army cause Terror. Both can be cast in the first 2 turns and then sustained for the entire battle. Keep him safe behind a few shield Elves and he makes an excellent force multiplier.

• Elladan and Elrohir:while expensive, they are one of the most versatile option you have available to you. with Elf bows and Heavy armor for better Defense and even more great shooting, and horses and cloaks for utility there's a lot to love with these guys. Factor in their different ways to use their swords in combat, and the fact that one gets extra cranky if the other dies, they make for a solid hero choice in mid to high cost games.

• Arwen: Arwen is one of the cheapest elf heroes available, and unfortunately it shows. with a mediocre stat line, low strength, terrible defense, and only knowing Wrath of Bruinen, she should only be taken for fluff or if you need a cheap hero and don't want to bring a Stormcaller.

• Glorfindel, Lord of the West: an elf who basically amounts to Jaime Lannister, but with more sword play and significantly less incest kick-ass elf Jesus. With 3 attacks, fight and defense 7, 3 in all of his hero stats, and a special rule where he can always roll 2 dice to resist a magical power (for free!), Glorfindel really lives up to his name. His Armor of Gondolin makes him immune to brutal power attacks, so with his higher than average fight value he is just the man to go after your opponent’s monsters. Though expensive, if he is brought he had a high chance to earn his points back and then some.

• Gildor Inglorion: Gildor is a cheap supporting character and ONLY a supporting character. with low defense and fate, he should avoid being targeted at all cost, which he can pull because of his knowing the immobilize spell. More than any of this, however, his his high movement of 8, which he confers to fellow WOOD elf warriors for 1 ppm (he also let's you take wood elves from the Lothlorien army).

• Lindir of Rivendell: An Elf Hero with average stats (only 1 attack, but 4 will) and the ability to take Heavy Armor, Lindir's real power comes in his support. First he gives everyone within 6 Resistant to Magic and second, if he stays within 6 of Elrond, Elrond can use 1 point of Will each turn without spending from his store. Good if you're planning on taking Elrond as a caster, mediocre otherwise.

• High Elf Stormcaller: A cheap elf caster with the ability to (on a 6 on any dice while casting) not spend any of his will. All he has for spells is giving other guys Will points and being able to knock other models prone, which isn't nothing, but at least his Galadhrim counterpart has Enchant Blades. If you have a use for him, he can be good, but otherwise you're probably better off with a Captain.

• High Elf Captain: Just like his human counterparts, the High Elf Captain is versatile, and will probably end up being your most brought hero, as even though Elves are expensive, you'll want more than a few.

Troops

• High Elf Warrior: These are your only troop available, and outside of being tanky, these are the only troops you'll need. With a high fight value and courage, and access to elf bows and elven blades your troops will hit harder than most other armies in the game. Their only flaw comes in when we notice that their highest defense is 6 an only s3. Criminally under costed profile, should be on par to the fair costed iron hills dwarves warriors.

Cavalry

• Knights of Rivendell: 21 points (22 with a shield) gets you an Elf on horseback with bow and lance. Better than a lot of other armies' cavalry because of that lance, making them more likely to kill something. Still, they're expensive and unless you took Elrond, they eat into your bow limit, even if all you want them for is melee. Don't go overboard, but a small number of them is a good idea. If you just spam knights of Rivendell with Elrond and Gandalf or other support hero you are definitely THAT GUY FOREVER. Seriously, one of the meanest lists and very unfunny to play against.

Allies

Historical Allies

Númenor

Lothlorien

The Fellowship

Convenient Allies

Arnor

Minas Tirith

The Dead of Dunharrow

Rohan

The Kingdom of Khazad-Dum

The Fiefdoms

The Shire

The Misty Mountains

The Wanderers in the Wild

Fangorn

Thorin's Company

Radagast's Alliance

Army of Thror

Garrison of Dale

The White Council

Thranduil's Hall

Army of Laketown

Survivors of Laketown

Iron Hills Dwarves

Erebor Reclaimed

Tactics

I mean, do you really need help here? They're Elves. They shoot well and have quick reflexes. In terms of troops you have the top of the line- good defense that makes them durable to missile fire and stand well to anything sub S4, universal F5 with Elvish blades means there's almost no situation that a 6 on the duel roll doesn't mean you win, and with hand-and-a-half swords plus S3 Elvish shooting you can hit harder than most if you need to double down on it. Be sure to bring banners though- your stats may keep you safe from courage tests and most attacks, but you can bet you're gonna be outnumbered, and if you don't have anything to save from a bad duel roll, bodies can pile up quick. Your shooting isn't quite so potent as it once was (with volley fire being erased), but it nonetheless makes a dent, especially against the multitude of D5 skirmish troops, so it's usually worth it to max out your bow limit.

The big variety you'll see comes from your heroes, and man do they bring some tricks; Gil-galad is a murder machine that can kill pretty much anything single-handedly and also can bring some nice buffs to your troops, if you feel the need to re-awaken the oath and spill some blood quickly, he's your man. Conversely, if you want someone that can bring almost as much heat but take ten times more themselves, Glorfindel is your man. It truly would not be an exaggeration to say that he could take on all nine Ringwraiths and come out on top, his special rules making him a perfect missile to shoot straight at enemy monsters and commanders. be a little cautious as he isn't going to bring huge buffs to the rest of the army, but in fairness when you can solo the witch-king and then dab on a cave troll right after, do you need anything else? the twins, Elladan and Elrohir, bring the most versatile option, giving you six(!) might, 6 attacks (with potential to more than double that on horseback), and four wounds and fate between them. even alone they're powerful duelists, but if it comes to a fight against the toughest foes, you'll want them together, and with backup. Lastly, lord Elrond has a stat-bar to fit the description "noble and fair as an elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer." with a laundry list of special rules and gear, it's arguable he's the least combat-centric of the lot, but not the least useful. take a host of knights and rain some Eldar pain, or just grab Lindir for endless healing and Wrath of Bruinen trolling.

After you've chosen your big hero, the obvious question is what littler heroes to bring in tow. While you can always just double up and take two of the above, it may leave you a little short on points, especially in smaller games. Barring anything else, Cirdan brings FANTASTIC buffs to your army (making your battle-line of Elves nigh unshootable, fearless, and causing terror. When that's done, why not enchant some blades too?) and Erestor is a nice all-around warrior that can take care of cave trolls with little fear. Lindir should only there if Elrond is, but the tactic of putting your whole army on horseback, baiting with bow fire, then punching anything to the ground with infinite Wrath of Bruinen is pretty great.

The last choice to consider is Iorveth- I mean, Gildor. if you're looking to shake up your playbook, he brings some interesting tools; he and his men are about as durable as paper, but they're damn sneaky and pack a mean punch if you know how to use them right, not to mention being able to keep pace with cavalry. Wood elf spears will provide them with a little more durability, but make no mistake: these are always, always glass cannons. With throwing weapons they can make for great kiting, but don't put them in a situation where they can't retreat or get heavily armored help to back them up.