I'm currently collecting a Minas Morgul force and I wonder if I should get Gothmog, I currently have 24 Morranon Orcs, an Orc Task Master and Drummer, 6 Morgul Knights and the Witch King.

Gothmog is decent, with the lamentable exception of his fight value. He would fit very nicely with the Minas Morgul theme. Now, granted, his fight value really does look great, and comparatively it is, until you have Boromir or Gimli or Aragorn smiling at him. However, if you can avoid that situation, why not? He's great for taking down captains, dicing regular warriors, and many other things, just remember that he's not unstoppable.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

What of his Master of Battle special rule? Some of my attraction to taking him came from that alone.

He costs more than Shagrat the War Leader but is less directly useful, he is more tricky. Nice for an all hero evil army as with other 3 attack heroes.

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

Definitely. Shagrat is the chop-em-up type fellow, and while Gothomog can be used that way, he doesn't excel at it.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

The Master of Battle rule is, in my opinion, one of the best special rules in the game. The ability to counter Heroic Actions for free is game-winning.

I don't understand why you're complaining so much about his Fight 5. Sure, it's not a good idea to take on Aragorn or Boromir but that applies to nearly all Evil Heroes, not just Gothmog. Does that make every Evil Hero rubbish? Besides, if you team him up with a Troll or (even better) a Nazgul it won't be a problem.

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

@General Elessar- The point is well made. Yes, he can be very good, just in my personal experience, he hasn't been- most likely due to the fact that I tend to play Isengard, rather than Mordor, thus stinting Gothmog's backup when I do field him.

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

Seems fine, I didn't see Gothmog as a fighter, more as a commander and leader to counter enemy heroes. I have plenty of other fighty captains (Nažgul, Dragon Knights, Easterling Captains and Morgul Knight Commanders). I'll probably pick him up Tommorow.

Gothmog is nicely-themed, fun to play with and his Master of Battle special rule is more subtle than people give him credit for. When I've faced or played against him there is a definite tendency for opposing players to forego Heroic Actions just so as not to give Gothmog a freebie! Indirectly forcing an opponent to give up a Heroic Move can have quite an impact, especially if Gothmog is happily sitting six inches away behind his own lines.

Unfortunately I always focus on the Attacks column on his profile and send him into direct combat, but it's amusing...