I'm just starting Wotr and I'd like to paint up a haradrim force. I was glancing at the stats in the book and it seems that the haradrim will drop like flies due to their poor defence. They also are somewhat expensive compared to other infantry, and I'm not sure if "poisoned weapons" will make up for that.

How well do haradrim work in the game and how do you effectively use them? Would I be better off with easterlings?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

On their own, Haradrim are dreadful in WOTR, but put Khamul in them and you'll find they are much better, their low defence is a dood thing then. Or you can balance out their overcostedness with Mumakil, Arbalesters, and Wraiths. Your choice.

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"I am the Flying Spagetti Monster. Thou shall have no other monsters before me"
-FSM.

Haradrim are a good support unit but don't do so well as the main line, so to speak. Generally speaking the Fallen Realms players I know will do a core of Easterling troops first, and then add in some Haradrim as points allow.

Haradrim Warriors suck big time. However, Haradrim Archers can work. I would just field all my Haradrim (including the spearmen) as archer formations.

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"There are few left in Middle Earth like Aragorn, son of Arathorn." - Gandalf, Many Meetings

The main promblem is that they have not shields...
Originally I prefer easterlings for close combat and haradrim for archers...