What
was once the greatest kingdom in Middle Earth, Arnor, collapsed into squabbling
petty kingdoms over the course of the Third Age. Due to infighting between the
sons of the line of Isildur, Arnor was split into three kingdoms competing for
supremacy, which left them vulnerable to a rising threat, Angmar. The Witch
King of Angmar absorbed Rhudaur after the line of Isildur became extinct and
launched an assault on Arthedain and Cardolan, the other two petty kingdoms of
Arnor. While the Witch King was ultimately defeated and Angmar destroyed, this
victory left the region so devastated that both petty kingdoms collapsed,
leaving the remaining Dunedain as nomadic protectors of the free peoples living
in Eriador. This region is dangerous and wild, the Remnants of Angmar threaten
the North, Dunland threatens the South, and bandits and orcs raid with relative
impunity. Left with little industry and dwindling populations, the Free Peoples of Eriador do not have
standing armies or well-equipped forces. However, the Northern Dunedain and
other free peoples are not without defenses and will defend their homes to
their dying breath.
The
Free Peoples player takes the place
of a Captain of a force of Free Peoples
leading a small force of warriors defending a region of Eriador. While there
are no major threats like Mordor or Harad, orcs from the North and East, as
well as raiding hillmen remain a significant threat to the depopulated and
disparate elements of Eriador.
The
troop types of the Free Peoples of
Eriador are the same as troops presented for the Romano-British in the main
rules with a few additional unit types, shown below:
RANGERS
The
Rangers of the North are the most
well trained and motivated soldiers of the Numenorean successor kingdoms. To
reflect this, they are able to both function as Missiles, but with as many figures that are present in the Group, and melee infantry. This means
that a Group of six models will use
6D6 to attack, rather than the 4D6 of regular Missiles. In melee combat, they will function as Elites. They count as Elites when consulting the Force Morale
change table.
HOBBITS
The
Hobbits of the Shire are a peace
loving people, little experienced in the ways of war and with little desire to
become involved with it. This does not mean that all Hobbits feel the same. Once in a while, Hobbits will feel a need for adventure and will venture away from
their idyllic homes for a taste of the real world. Due to their small stature
and lack of experience, they are often at a serious disadvantage when forced
into battle. However, Hobbits are
stout-hearted, even if diminutive and when forced to fight, they often surprise
both their allies and enemies with their tenacity. To reflect this, Group of Hobbits will be six (6) figures and will fight as one level below Levy in combat in regards to troop
quality, but die on a 4, 5, or 6 and only Shock
on a 3. However, due to a sense of protectiveness most good people of
Middle Earth feel over Hobbits, they
count as Warriors for morale changes.
Force Rules
Trained Archers: Rangers
are trained to fight in melee as well as with the bow. To reflect this,
they may elect to stand and fight when contacted by the enemy. Missiles will fight as Levy in combat to represent their lack
of formation and preparedness. If they are defeated in combat, they will
disperse like standard Missiles troops.
However, because these archers are not merely boys learning the way of war,
when they are killed, routed, or dispersed, they count as Elites when consulting the Force Morale change table.
In
addition, unlike Missiles in the main
rules, Nobles may activate and
command any Ranger troops.
Starting Forces
The
starting forces for the Free Peoples of
Eriador are as follows: One Captain (Status III Lord), two Lieutenants (One
Status II Noble and One Status I Noble), and a Champion.
 |
| Credit to Fenrir on Lead Adventure |
Led
by these Nobles, you will have three Groups
of Warriors, and six Groups of Levy troops. All of these Groups
will be six figures strong. You will also have one Group of four Missile troops
armed with bows.
 |
| Credit to Fenrir on Lead Adventure |
Reinforcements for the Free
Peoples of Eriador are gained the same way as the Romano-British in the main game.
Reinforcements which arrive using the reinforcements table as
below.
Reinforcements arrive in the order shown, from 1 to 5. The first
time a force receives
reinforcements it will gain the Group indicated in row 1, the
second time the Group
shown in row 2, and so on up to row 5 after which no further
reinforcements are
available. However, at any time a player may choose to take the Group from the row
numbered higher, but this will mean that he will never receive
the Group he passes over.
Order
|
Free Peoples of Eriador
|
1
|
Four
Missile Troops
|
2
|
Six
Warriors
|
3
|
Two
Groups of Six Hobbits
|
4
|
Six
Rangers
|
5
|
Four
Warrior Shock Cavalry with a Status II noble
|
Free Peoples of Eriador Cards
The
Free Peoples of Eriador use the same
cards as the Romano-British.
No comments:
Post a Comment