The Good Army

The Good side features Elves, Dwarves and Men together with their allies, the Eagles and Beorn.

The Elves live to the west of the Lonely Mountain in the great forest of Mirkwood. At the heart of their woodland realm is a city of caves where the Elfking holds count. This is where Thorin and the other Dwarves were imprisoned after they were captured by the Elves and from where Bilbo subsequently rescued them. The Elves are brave, strong warriors and excellent, keen-sighted archers. They form the largest single contingent in the Battle of Five Armies fighting from the great southern spur of the mountain to the west of Dale.

Elven Cavalry are Elves from the Kingdom of Mirkwood that ride elegant steeds.

The Dwarves live to the east of the Lonely Mountain in the Iron Hills, an underground realm ruled by Dáin – Thorin’s cousin. The Dwarves marched quickly westwards to the Lonely Mountains when they received Thorin’s call for help sent via the ravens. Dwarves are short, stout, broad-shouldered, and tremendously resilient folk who make stubborn and unyielding warriors. They wear iron armour, iron shod boots, iron helms and carry massive two-handed mattocks – heavy, transverse-bladed axes. They are the most powerful warriors on the Good side and they fight from the eastern spur of the Lonely Mountain alongside the Men.

Dwarf Archers are more of Dáin’s people – Dwarves from the Iron Hills armed with sturdy bows.

The Men live to the sound of the Lonely Mountain by the shores of Lake Esgaroth in a town built upon wooden piles sunk into the water and consequently known as Laketown. In ages past, their ancestors lived in the town of Dale, the ruins of which still lie before the gates of the Lonely Mountain. When Smaug attacked and destroyed Laketown, it was Bard who shot the Dragon and who subsequently led a force of Men to the Lonely Mountain to find the long lost treasure. Neither as accurate marksmen as Elves nor as powerful combatants as Dwarves, Men are nonetheless brave and competent warriors. At the Battle of Five Armies they fight alongside the Dwarves upon the eastern spur.

The great Eagles are intelligent and noble creatures. By the time of the Battle of Five Armies they have already encountered Thorin and his companions and rescued them from Wargs by carrying them to their high eyries. Their speed and incomparable eyesight enables them to track the army of Bolg and eventually to come to the rescue of the Good army, toppling the Goblins from the mountain crags above the Good forces.

Beorn is a chiftain of the wilds, but he is also a shapeshifter able to transform into a huge bear. It is in the shape of a monstrous bear that he joins the Battle of Five Armies in its final stages, battering his way through the bodyguard of Bolg before slaying the Goblin leader to end the battle.

Gandalf the Grey is a wizard of incalculable age and immeasurable wisdom. He takes command at the Battle of Five Armies, organising the council of war and directing the forces before the Goblin assault.

The Elfking is Lord of all the Elves of Mirkwood and a just if stern ruler.

Dáin is the Lord of the Iron Hills – the leader of the Dwarf army and cousin to Thorin. Like all Dwarves he is proud, stubborn, hates Goblins and isn’t too fond of Elves either.

Bard is the leader of the Men of Laketown and slayer of Smaug the Dragon. Grim in manner and intolerant of fools he is brave, honest, and fair.

The Good army selector

Troop	Type	Attacks	Hits	Armour	Command	{unit–size}	{points–per–unit}	{min–max}	{special–rules}
Elf Spears	Infantry	3	3	6+	–	3	50	–/–	†1
Elf Archers	Infantry	2/1	3	0	–	3	45	2/4	†1
Elf Cavalry	Cavalry	3	3	6+	–	3	80	–/2	†1
Dwarfs	Infantry	3	4	4+	–	3	110	1/–	–
Dwarf Archers	Infantry	2/1	4	5+	–	3	80	–/1	–
Men	Infantry	3	3	6+	–	3	45	1/–	–
Men Archers	Infantry	2/1	3	0	–	3	30	–/2	–
Eagles	Monster	2	3	6+	–	3	70	–/1	†2
Giant Bear	Monster	6	4	4+	–	1	125	–/1	†3

Wizard	Wizard	+1	–	–	8	1	120	0–1	–
Hero	Hero	+2	–	–	8	1	80	–/2	–
General	General	+1	–	–	+1	–	–	1	–

Troop

Type

Attacks

Hits

Armour

Command

{unit–size}

{points–per–unit}

{min–max}

{special–rules}

Elf Spears

Infantry

–

–/–

†1

Elf Archers

Infantry

2/1

–

2/4

†1

Elf Cavalry

Cavalry

–

–/2

†1

Dwarfs

Infantry

–

110

1/–

–

Dwarf Archers

Infantry

2/1

–

–/1

–

Men

Infantry

–

1/–

–

Men Archers

Infantry

2/1

–

–/2

–

Eagles

Monster

–

–/1

†2

Giant Bear

Monster

–

125

–/1

†3

Wizard

–

120

0–1

–

Hero

–

–/2

–

General

–

Special rules

1. Elves: Elves have incredibly quick reactions making them exceptionally potent warriors. To represent this, Elves add +1 to their dice when rolling Attacks for shooting and in the first round of each combat engagement. Note that this bonus applies in the first round of each combat including combats resulting from an advance. It does not apply during subsequent rounds.
2. Eagles: Eagles can fly.
3. Giant Bear: The close kinfolk of Beorn have the ability to shape-shift into Giant Bear form. Although Beorn is the by far the most mighty of this race we allow the army to include further gigantic Bears to represent either potent shape-shifters or gigantic bears that are friends to the Beornings.

Giant Bears cause terror in their enemies.

Wizard’s spells

These spells are used by true wizards such as Gandalf the Grey.

Fireball

5+ to cast Range 30cm

The Wizard hurls a ball of fire straight at his foes.

The Wizard must have a clear line of sight to his target to cast this spell. The spell cannot be directed at a unit that is engaged in combat.

The Fireball is worked out exactly like three ordinary shooting attacks except that all targets count as having no armour – armour has no effect against a Fireball. Hits inflicted by a Fireball will cause drive backs just like ordinary shooting.

Command

5+ to cast Range 30cm

The Wizard’s steady voice directs troops above the tumult of war.

This spell can be cast on any friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard has a line of sight or not. It cannot be cast on a unit that is engaged in combat.

Once this spell is cast upon the unit, it can move immediately just as if it had received an order in the Command phase. Note that the spell affects only a single unit (it is not a brigade order) and any characters with the unit will not move with it.

Blast

5+ to cast Range N/A

A blast of sorcerous energy strikes the Wizard’s foes.

This spell can only be cast if the Wizard has joined a friendly unit that is engaged in combat. The spell can be cast upon any one enemy unit that the friendly unit is touching.

The Blast is worked out exactly like three ordinary shooting attacks except that all targets count as having no armour – armour has no effect against a Blast. Hits inflicted by a Blast are carried over into the Combat phase and counted towards the combat results in the first round.

Confound

6+ to cast Range 60cm

By whispering magical words of doubt and dissension amongst the target, the Wizard succeeds in enticing the foe into squabbling amongst themselves.

This spell can be cast upon any enemy unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard can see it or not.

The enemy unit becomes confused as described in the Confusion rules.

Elven Mage’s spells

The Elves are the oldest race of Middle-earth, steeped in magic, incorruptible in spirit and purpose.

Back Vile Creatures

4+ to cast Range 30cm

The foe quails before the might of the Elven host – scattering and losing their will to fight.

The Wizard must have a clear line of sight to his target to cast this spell. The spell cannot be directed at a unit engaged in combat.

The target unit is not harmed as a result, but is driven back by 3D6em at the end of the Shooting phase as if it had taken three shooting hits from the Elven Mage. If the unit also suffers hits from shooting then the Drive Back roll is combined adding three dice for the effect of the spell.

Terrifying Radiance

5+ to cast Range 30cm

The enemy are confounded by the terrifying radiance of the Elven warriors, their weapons slacken in their grasp and they whimper pathetically.

This spell can be cast on a friendly unit within range regardless of whether the Wizard has a line of sight or not. The spell can only be cast on a unit that is engaged in combat.

If the spell is cast upon a unit, it causes terror for the rest of the following Combat phase.

Shoot!

5+ to cast Range 30cm

Elven archers redouble their efforts as vigour and determination steel their worn limbs.

This spell can be cast upon a unit of Elven archers within range regardless of whether the Wizard has a line of sight or not. The spell cannot be cast on a unit that is engaged in combat.

The unit can shoot immediately regardless of whether it has already shot that turn. In effect, the unit can shoot twice this turn.

Conceal

6+ to cast Range 30cm

Mystical energies enshroud friends, concealing them amongst the shadows.

This spell can be cast upon a unit of Elves within range regardless of whether the Wizard has a line or sight or not. The spell cannot be cast on a unit that is engaged in combat.

The unit immediately increases its Armour roll by 1 (i.e., if 6+ it becomes 5+). If the target has no Armour value it now has a value of 6+. This lasts for the duration of the enemy’s following turn and ends at the start of the Good player’s following turn.