I was looking through my collection yesterday when I came across a model I had not seen in a while nun other than good old Tom himself. While I was looking at the model it accrued to me that I had never seen anyone use him in my area before and outside of campaigns I have not seen him on this site either. I looked at his stats in the Free Peoples book and he certainly has changed since the One Rulebook came out, twice as expencive half a powerful. But he still looks like a piece worth having on the field and now that I have found the model I have an odd desire to add him to my Watcher of the North army group. So my question for the community is this, can I use Tom effectively in a points match and how might I go about doing so?

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

Tom is great. Unbeatable even, but doesnt he have some crazy restriction like, will not leave his forest therefore can not be used outside old forest scenarios or something like that?

Firstly, this is my first post on the forum, so hi everyone!

jdizzy001 - no, he was restricted in the past, now you can use him in every game.

As for the usefulness of Tom, I would say that he's definetely very fun to play with, but not very competitive - he costs a bunch of points AND can't lead any troops AND will not kill any model during the game. I think that he's at his best in all-hero forces, where you can actually make a good use of his Refreshing Song. For example, I use him in my all-hero army based on regaining MWF points (with Gandalf, Alfrid, Oin and stuff like that). I also used him in 500-points list along with Goldberry and Treebeard - 3 models, but tons of fun!
But if you're going for a full-competitive list, always take Saruman on horse, which costs the same, but is a real OP.

No. You could use Beorn, Tom and Goldberry in 500pts. Sound nigh unstoppable to me.

He has his uses, though you certainly wont make any friends. I know a guy who was fed up with the Watcher so he brought Bombadil and Treebeard.

Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!

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"Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
Theoden, The Ride of the Rohirrim

His rules have been updated since then

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Soon Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat off the bone!

Now, you just have to hop around the table and sing nonsensical songs throughout the game if you wish to field him.

So he's basically he's just to be used as an immortal interference running might dispenser? But everyone is just to polite to bring him because he's boring to fight?

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

Yes. There are a lot of gentlemen's agreements in lotr sbg. For that reason we never see isildur and aragorn in the same army. By the rules, that is 100% legal, but since we, as fans of tolkein's work, know isildur was dead a long time before aragorn came along we don't run them in the same army. Likewise, you don't see tom much because he is unkillable.

Secondly, he does way more than dance along the edge of a fight. Tom can very literally immobilize you're opponents strongest fighter indefinatly. He won't ever strike blows, but he can tie up your biggest problem simply by charging it. Imagine, stopping the mumak cold, just by basing it.

Really? That's it, i'm running off to buy Tom now!!!

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I think a drug habbit would be cheaper...

Now Goldberry on the other hand. She just dances around on the edge of the battlefield dispensing health, might, will and fate. Oh they both make your guys fearless too. They're expensive though. Cheaper than gorn, but expensive.

there was an interesting discussion on the GBHL FB page yesterday on whether Floi could use his special rule to nullify Tom's rule and therefor allow him to be killed.

We came to the conclusion of Floi + Treebeard + Chasm = dead Tom.

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12th GBHL 2013.
13th GBHL 2014
9th GBHL 2015


Mid Sussex Wargamers

How exactly did you GBHL types get around him having no stats to use for fighting or causing wounds?

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

True, but if he were to be driven into the water and failed a swim check he doesn't take a wound. He is removed as a casualty.

How could you drive him though he can't fight because we don't have his attack or fight value? At best you could knock out his special rule and have a monster fling someone at him. Which would prone him but you still don't have a defense value for the wound chart.

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

His profile stats in the free peoples profile book says that he can charge opponents, and his side always wins the fight (no roll needed). However, his side will never strike blows. So, in a battle where Tom is fighting a group of dwarves, to include floi, in theory, one could use floi's loremaster rule to shut off Tom's rule, tom is master. Once that is off you could hit tom with sorcers's blast and knock him backwards into water where he would have to make a swim check. If he failed he would be removed as a casualty. Basically, you have to shut off his special rule then force him into a situation where he has to make a save or die check. Other than that, you're right, since tom has no stats he cant be killed conventionally.

or you hurl/ blast him into a chasm where he is auto removed with no 'saves' allowed

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12th GBHL 2013.
13th GBHL 2014
9th GBHL 2015


Mid Sussex Wargamers

You couldn't hurl him though because you can't win a fight against him because he is missing all the mechanics to participate in it. Blasting should work just fine so I guess I'll have to remember to keep him away from any water when floi is on the field.

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"

It would depend on if Tom was in combat with anyone else. Say Warrior of Minas Tirith + Tom V Treebeard. Floi nullifies Tom is master but the troll still fights the WoMT and Tom, treebeard wins (against the womt stats) and elects to hurl Tom down the nearest chasm.

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12th GBHL 2013.
13th GBHL 2014
9th GBHL 2015


Mid Sussex Wargamers

You would still have the same problem, shore Treebeard could fight the Warrior but Tom is still an anomaly that couldn't be calculated into the fight. Its not that he does not have stats for fight or attack which would be - if they had no value. What this comes down to is a rules oversight, two models that were never supposed to be able to fight each other.

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"Draw your sword with a heavy heart, but swing it with a heavy hand"