So I've finally decided to do a serious series of tactics guides around my favorite sourcebook: The Fallen Realms. I've used pretty much everything in this book from Mahud to Feral Uruk Hai. Today I'll kick things off with my favorite list, Harad and Umbar. We will start by looking at the heroes and troops, then the list as a whole and how to use these guys effectively on the tabletop. I'll be putting a competitiveness rating next to everyone, (5 being average not all that competetive, but you could get away with it).
Disclaimer: All of this is purely my opinions and do not reflect bla bla bla. I DO NOT play competitively (though I hope this will change) I do play a lot, however, especially with this list.
The Betrayer (4/10)
Okay so the Betrayer. Buffed poison + Bane of Kings is neat, but this guy just doesn't cut it, especially next to the other wraith in this list. Being a worse spellcaster and having a sub par statline, coupled with the fact that Bane of Kings does not work with Rend, really gives the Betrayer a niche supporting role of buffing shooting and mayyybe knocking off a hero if he can get enough spells off.
The Knight of Umbar (9/10)
Hey, on average these wraiths are pretty good! The KOU is a beast, though. While the Betrayer has below average stats, the KOU gets an extra might and two will. His rules are huge, allowing him to copy heroes stats and not loose will if he wins a fight. On fellbeast this guy excells at everything a Nazgul should: Lethal against heroes, survivability and good spellcasting. Use him almost every time.
Suladan the Serpent Lord (6/10)
This one exemplifies what this list is all about. High damage and bargain cost with fragility. The problem is, Suladan will have difficulty paying for himself in troops and lacking the Fight Value and staying power to challenge heroes. His Standfast! is nice, but keeping him that long can be tough, and he is only Courage 5. 3 Attacks ARE handy, though, and he can take a bow and has poison. An alright choice for an army.
Hasharin (6/10)
This guy is a lot like Suladan with some added gimmicks. He looses the horse and 3 Might but gets throwing daggers, Bane of Kings, Preternatural Agility and Elven Cloak. Not a bad statline, but a tad pricey and the 1 Might lets him down. He can help break the opponent quickly, which is nice, and should survive for a while because of his special rules Dalamyr is a better choice.
Dalamyr, Fleetmaster of Umbar (7/10)
The better Hasharin. Costs more, looses blowpipe and gets smoke bombs, which work like a Transfix if they hit. He tends to roll a 1 and run out for me, though. Combos well with Wraiths, but his cost and again 1 Might is where he falls short.
Golden King of Abrakhan (9/10)
2nd best hero in list, after KOU. Plenty of Attacks at basically Strenth 6, plus counts as a banner and makes 1 pricey hero run away (assuming the KOU hasn't killed him first). Only 2 Might at Fight 4 sucks, but as long as you avoid mounted heroes, he is fine. Great against Fight 3 or lower troops, and can almost pay for himself just wrecking a frontline. Keep in mind, he has a massive base when hurled, but he should avoid monsters anyway. He is pretty survivable, can deal damage and has awesome special rules. I use this guy every time, and he only lets me down vs Elves.
Haradrim King (6/10)
This is an interesting one. He can deal some damage with Lance, is fairly cheap and has higher Will and Fight. He is, however, a bit too vanilla for the list. Would be great for Easterlings. Is nice if you can't afford one of the awesome named heroes.
Haradrim Cheiftan (6/10)
Basically a cheaper and weaker Haradrim King. Maybe a bit better because he can deal about the same damage for less, but he does loose out on the Fight 5.
Haradrim Taskmaster (8/10)
This guy is great. Costs more than a Captain, but still is quite cheap. He can also allow heroes around him to call heroic actions part of the time. This is great as Harad needs to control the flow of the game. Can add a ton of staying power to a fragile list, as heroes can call heroic combats and strikes much more and lower the enemies numbers fast. The Taskmaster is awesome when you've already filled up a lot of points of named heroes.
Corsair Captain (4/10)
A bit too vanilla. Can't take a horse, so has limited killing power, and also can't get to high enough defense to be a bunker captain. Fight 5 and a Crossbow is nice, but still meh.
Corsair Bo'sun (4/10)
Functioning as a banner is nice, but still suffers from the same problems as the Corsair Captain, plus he has no Might or Will.
War Mumak- Will cover this in troops or in a separate entry.
Mahud King (7/10)
The Mahud King is the epitome of the damage-dealing captain. Strength 5 and a lance is really devastating, plus buffed will defense and the War Camel. One of the only captains worth taking in the list, and by far the best Mahud profile. Arguably the best attacking captain in the game.
Mahud Tribemaster (7/10)
Like a cheaper Mahud King, but looses out on Fight, Will and a few other stats. The Fight 4 is the biggest letdown, but he serves as an excellent supporting hero, whereas the fully kitted out King is a tad pricey.
So that concludes the heroes of Harad and Umbar! Stay tuned and don't forget to tell me what you disagree with!
Yay, here come to troops!
Haradrim Warrior (7/10)
This guy suffers from a bad case of the vanillas. Too squishy, crappy fighter. However, he IS cheap, can take a spear and bow (which means he can fill both supporting roles for this list) and gets Poisoned Arrows for free. He is ranked so high because of his cheapness and utility, which lets you get to this list's goodies. The upgrades to Warriors of Karna or Abrakhan are not worth it, just go with the Watchers or Merchant Guard respectively.
Haradrim Raider (6/10)
Still soft, still crappy fighter, but can take a lance. I'm not a cavalry person myself, so I rarely use these guys. They can be good, but the next cavalry option is way better.
Serpent Guard (7/10)
Fight 4 and poisoned weapons is great, and these guys could make a good backline to the elites of this list, but they cost a bit more than the regular Haradrim and can't take a spear and bow. This is their main letdown, but they are still a solid troop choice.
Serpent Rider (8/10)
Fight 4, Lance and Poisoned Blades is awesome. These guys can deal some serious damage, and are pretty darn cheap for what they do. Defence 4 is unfortunate, but hey, you are playing Harad, and those dwarves aren't going to kill themselves. I shy away from Cavalry, but if you do go that way, take these guys.
Corsair of Umbar (6/10)
Fight 4 and throwing daggers is cool and all, but defense 3 is a huge letdown. Especially when looking at the next Corsair option, these guys are just not good enough at anything in particular. I guess they make an alright supporting force for...
Corsair Reavers (8/10)
Wow. Fight 5, 2 attacks and +1 defence over normal Corsairs. Yes, they loose daggers, but they are still cheap for what they do, and these guys form the frontline of many competetive Harad forces. They are only an 8/10 because of the next Harad option, but are still hugely powerful for their points. Convert to wield axes for maximum killing power.
Corsair Arbelesters (6/10)
Crossbows! That is about it, though. The pavisse is nice against shooting, but considering all the other parts of your army kind of need to get into combat because of their low defence, this leaves these guys in an akward place. Work well with the Shadowlord, but you can't take 50% bows with Corsairs, so meh. Plus they suck once you get into combat with them.
Watcher of Karna (9/10)
You know, lets be real, this is why I'm writing this and why you are reading it. Watchers are arguably the deadliest troop in the game. They are a few points overcosted, but even then they would be incredible. 2 Attacks, good fighter, good shot, nifty special rules and really cheap. They form the frontline of most Harad forces, and make your foe quiver in fear! They fill a shooting and combat role, and do that better then most other units. Jack of all Trades, master of all.
Abrakhan Merchant Guard (9/10)
So underrated. Okay, they are right next to Watchers and have *only* 1 attack. Think about it though, dirt cheap for an elite, Fight 4 and basically Strength 6. They wound EVERY SINGLE troop on a 5+, plenty of guys on 4's, and you can bring a whole frontline of them. You have a cave troll. I have a bunch of Abrakhan guard and the main difference is brutal power attacks. They are ideal for quickly breaking opponents, while Watchers WILL outfight but struggle to kill your foe. Once the enemy is broken, the Golden King buys of their biggest hero who hasn't been split in half by a hoard of "fatties". Being fat in SBG is great, you either get awesome saves or are insanely strong. I value these guys above Watchers of Karna. There, I said it.
Black Numenorean (5/10)
You know, these guys really should be better. Fight 4, Def 6 and Terror is awesome, but these guys drop the ball in two ways. First off, they disqualify your force from Scorpion's Sting (50% army-wide bow limit). That really sucks, and it makes you think twice about taking them. They are also fairly pricey for a heavy infantry unit at Strength 3, and their upgrades are both overpriced. The Castellan of Umbar could be handy, but costs a lot and you can just take Reavers instead.
Mahud Warrior (4/10)
Strictly worse than Morannons. That is all I really need to say, but allow me to elaborate. Defense 5 and Fight 3 on a mid-level unit is a recipe for disaster. Bear in mind they are cowardly, but do not have access to Fury. Shields and Blowpipes are neat and all, but really can't save this from being the last of the list's troop choices.
Mahud Raider (6/10)
Okay, this is more like it. Still with the same endemic problems, but with a War Camel and Lance for extra killing power. This really is a decent profile, but I've been underwhelmed when I used them. Again pricey for Fight 3 Def 5. Plus it's not like this list lacks killing power already. Probably 2nd best cavalry option after Serpent Riders.
Half Troll of Far Harad (7/10)
These guys are scary. Fight 5, Strength 5, a couple of wounds and attacks and solid Defense. Again, cowardly, but what these guys really excel at is just crushing troop's skulls. Basically a more survivable cavalry model IMO. While I've been underwhelmed by the majority of Far Harad's troops, these guys really bump up the quality of your force. The Fight 5 is the key, as not even Elves are safe from this guys brutish might. Dropping in a few just to counter high Fight or anchor a line is a good idea.
And that concludes my ratings of Harad and Umbar. I will have to skip the Mumak unfortunately, as I have zero play experience with it. Hopefully you all enjoyed this series, stay tuned for more probably some time next weekend!
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