Hi,

I'm an AoS player who's trying to get into ME SBG. I chose DoD due to their low model count, ease of painting and the overall look of the models. This is the first list I came up with:

Warband 1 - 235pts
The King of the Dead
6x Warrior of the Dead with Shield
3x Warrior of the Dead with Spear

Warband 2 - 165pts
Herald of the Dead with Shield
4x Warrior of the Dead with Shield
2x Warrior of the Dead with Spear

400 pts in total.

1. I'm aware that it's probably not very competitive but is it at least somewhat viable?
2. Is there any way I can improve the list?
3. What are some cool strategies that I can pull of with DoD?

Hey DanteeChaos, welcome to the forum and to the Middle Earth side of gaming.

I did edit your post before proving it to remove individual points values for models. The site ran into some trouble with GW years ago about people doing that here and we still try to avoid it on the off chance someone at the legal department is having a bad day.

To the matter of your list. I think that it looks good for 400pts. It is low model count but the dead are tough and the king can hold his own against mid tier threats well enough. The only thing I might consider doing is dropping the herald for a banner and a couple more guys but that is more of a personal preference. The dead don't have a high fight value so they won't make as much use of a banner as, say, elves who can re-roll to a six when dueling and win against most opponents. You may well find that the extra might from the herald is more useful.

As for strategies, the dead are pretty bland. Their shtick is having high defense infantry that is also high DPS. Think Khorne-like rushing I suppose. When you get into higher points values you can get riders of the dead and allies from the Rangers to get in some additional options for flanking and more might to spend.

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

The Dead of Dunharrow are models for the good side - although they are not looking so - therefore in thematic battles their opponents will be mainly orcs or goblins with low courage. That is a big advantage for the DoD. But if the other side has some courage boost (f.i. a war horn, a shaman with fury, Kardush or the Balrog), this single +1 to courage is enough to cancel the advantage.

Another aspect of the DoD: they can walk on water. If there is a river or lake on the battleboard, you could use this for defense or for a surprise attack. The problem is not to forget this special rule - which happened to me once in a game against a Moria army with Balrog.

Army of the dead are a great starting army, as they are just so quick to paint a fantastic looking force with very little effort!

As far as tips go I would say:

- Don't forget to shield with warriors to help defend where you are outnumbered in fights.
- Target or avoid where possible models that buff courage for enemy warriors.
- Play the objective!

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Visit my blog for Middle Earth goodness:
http://www.wintergategames.wordpress.com

Don't forget the army bonus as well ... with the army bonus King of the Dead will give a -1 to courage of enemy models nearby, which will make the infantry much more effective, since they are wounding against courage. So it's important to make sure you keep them within range of the King as far as possible.

Here is an idea:
Warband 1 (295 pts)
King Elessar----------225 pts
6 Rangers w/ Spear-- 54 pts
2 Minas T. w/ Spear-- 16 pts

Warband 2 (105 pts)
7 Dead w/ Shield---- 105 pts

Pros: Just 1 model less than your list, auto-Banner, with Fight Value increased by 1 (invaluable to win Duel Rolls) and an unbeatable SuperHero with a free Might per turn. It is said, "He who has Might in the last turn, wins..."
Cons: Vunerable to swarm armies...but Terrify and lots of Might for heroic moves and marches should let you control the game.