How strong are half trolls?

IM A ENT!!! · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:30 am

Looking at the half troll entry in the book, they look pretty reliable and tough. Does anyone know from playing with or agaisnt how the rules compare to actual gamplay

thanks

WayUnderTheMountain · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:12 am

Only fought against them once. Eomer was going nuts because Eoywn died and his division of Riders of Rohan (methinks 3-4 companies strong) wiped them out in one turn of combat, but I think they were at most 2 companies strong.

IM A ENT!!! · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:23 am

Woah that is unexpected, although eomer and his formation was stiking first and with a massive strength for epic rage. but then the trolls do have res 2 and indominable. hmmm......??

thanks WUtM

Anyone else?

daersalon · **Joined:** Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:34 am **Posts:** 265

There are three troop choices that are 'related' in being small resilient specialists with beserk and/or charge bonuses. These are:
Uruk Beserkers
Half-Trolls
Werewolves

They are all broadly similar in price but have nuances.
For example. Beserkers at 110 points have 2H Weapons, Move 8, Str 6 and Courage 5. While at 100 points (with 2H weapons) Half-trolls are Move 6, Str 5, Courage 2!
Both are beserk and indomitable. But Half-trolls get terror, while beserkers get a charge bonus. Also half trolls can be up to 3 co in a formation, while beserkers are single company. (Though WHY beserkers get the stalwart rule for a single company unit is beyond me)

Werewolves are 120 points Move 10 A great Fight of 7 but Strength 5 def 4 and courage 4. So they move fasterthan the others, and attack better but are weaker in defence
They get terror like half trolls, and the charge bonus like beserkers, but dont have the beserk special rule. They are one company, and unlike the beserkers and half trolls are We Stand Alone.

Ok thats the stat comparisons. In combat these 3 are 'shock troops' going in hard and fighting to the last model. usually best in the flanks while another infantry unit attacks the front. on their own they will get picked off, even with resilience 2, but they are good at focussing enemy attention (sappers are even better for 30 points, the attention they draw and impact on enemy movements and targetting arows outweighs their actual points cost)

Like cavalry, charge is important (less so for half trolls), half trolls may need an epic hero to bolster their courage, not that with resilience 2 will they be losing THAT many fights, But courage 2, witha -1 penalty for an enemy in 6 inches, means IF they lose a fight they are very likely to lose precious and expensive models.

They are strong individually,and could wipe out smaller formations with a bit of luck but work better in conjunction with other units. If caught out in the open, expect to draw missile fire, all 3 do not have wonderful defence, and being slower than cavalry are harder to manouevre. Again Half-Trolls and Beserkers can benefit from an epic hero in their midst to get at the double. I sometimes stick Thryden in a Beserker unit to help keep them under control if the Beserk roll fails in addition to the other benefits.

IM A ENT!!! · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 7:42 am

Also catallens of dol guldor are also very tough infantry, with simmilar stats, thanks for the reply.

daersalon · **Joined:** Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:34 am **Posts:** 265

Ahh Indeed theya re, and the most expensive at 135 points. They are we stand alone and have the spirit walk/grasp rules which pushes the price up most likely. Plus like half trolls can have more than one company (that infamous "one to tree" typo in the formation details block)

I havent used these or seen these in action, yet, so can't really judge how effective they are.

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:21 pm

Casteallans are VERY effective...once you get them into combat. WSA and a lack of command options means they often lag behind. Spirit Walk and a decent move help make up for this somewhat, but they will usually be a second-wave force like Trolls and such. Or if you are playing a more defensive game then they are great for anchoring an objective.

In combat I've seen my Castellans do great damage to enemy formations. I have played them as only a single Company, but really like having 2 (I use a mix of Castellan and Black Numenorian models for variety). Spirit Grasp is a great rule and they have a good enough Strength to take advantage of it. As far as basic troops go, Wood Elves and Galadrhim are the only two troops I can think of that are not good victims of Spirit Grasp (probably others but those come to mind). If you have a Darkness caster around to soften an enemy's Courage even a little before they attack they can be brutal. Their Fight value is pretty low so even if your opponent fails their Terror test you’re not getting a big boost in dice as you do with Trolls/Ents, but every little bit helps. Spirit Walk often lets you get in combat when your opponent didn’t expect or attack the enemy from a more advantageous angle. You don’t care about shields but it’s still best to attack from the flank or rear to reduce enemy strikes back at you.

Their high Defense, R2 and Indomitable are the icing on the cake. It’s very hard to get these guys off the table if they are played well.

Their only downside, beside their price, is the lack of At The Double. If you’re not used to mixed-speed armies and don’t plan for when and how to use such “slow pokes” then you’re going to see them as a waste of points. Even after several games with them there have been some times that a well-played opponent has frustrated my efforts to get my Castellans in the mix. But most of the times they are just a turn or two behind everyone else. They are a little more expensive than a Troll but significantly more effective on the table and far more durable.

IM A ENT!!! · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:51 pm

Still if you keep them behind the mian force, meaning they should not get shot at or magic targeted, then in the charge phase, stright through your allied formaitons and into the enemy, then the rest of the story is CENSORED.

Beowulf03809 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 2:43 pm

IM A ENT!!! wrote:

Still if you keep them behind the mian force, meaning they should not get shot at or magic targeted, then in the charge phase, stright through your allied formaitons and into the enemy, then the rest of the story is CENSORED.

That doesn't work as easily as I'd like since they can't ATD, so you can only rush thru a limited depth of troops, terrain, etc. 8" goes by very fast on the board. I do like sneaking around behind a terrain feature or obstacle where the opponent subconsciously is registering "must go around" and then slip thru. Doesn't always work but when you can get that surprise in it can really help.

IM A ENT!!! · **Posted:** Fri Nov 11, 2011 4:44 pm

Beowulf03809 wrote:

IM A ENT!!! wrote:

Still if you keep them behind the mian force, meaning they should not get shot at or magic targeted, then in the charge phase, stright through your allied formaitons and into the enemy, then the rest of the story is CENSORED.

That doesn't work as easily as I'd like since they can't ATD, so you can only rush thru a limited depth of troops, terrain, etc. 8" goes by very fast on the board. I do like sneaking around behind a terrain feature or obstacle where the opponent subconsciously is registering "must go around" and then slip thru. Doesn't always work but when you can get that surprise in it can really help.

Well you know better than me havent used them , yet, and that idea about going through terrian sounds like it might work, even trick experinced gamer perhaps who forget what the castallans are capable of.

How strong are half trolls?

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