The land of Gondor is the first and last line of defence against evil in Middle-earth. Facing the constant threat of attack from Sauron's forces, the proud warriors of this once-great nation safeguard the lands and freedom of the Free Peoples of the world. But, this is only achieved at a terrible cost; the lives of many brave warriors have fallen to the growing Shadow in the East.

It is now a time of total war, and in a land under siege the Men of Gondor must steel themselves to weather the storm of the coming assault. If Gondor falls, then none shall be spared the wrath of Sauron the Deceiver.

THE WARRIORS OF GONDOR

The basic soldiery of Gondor are typical of the race of Men. Neither as brave nor as skilled in combat as the Elves, and lacking the toughness and resilience of the Dwarves, Men do have the advantages inherent of the younger races – their numbers are many. The swarming tides of Orcs (and worse) will not outnumber them by too great a degree.

While Men are certainly braver than the craven forces of Sauron, their 'average' Courage value of 3 makes it important to ensure that a spread of Captains, Heroes and Banners are deployed to keep the morale up. A deciding factor of many battles will be who runs first – make sure it is not you!

The forces of Minas Tirith rush to defend the city.

WARRIORS OF MINAS TIRITH

The defenders of Minas Tirith have access to the finest wargear and armour in the whole of Gondor. Even the rank and file of the city's defenders are clad in heavy armour bearing the design of the White Tree. The extra survivability provided by this higher level of Defence ensures that even a lost combat may not necessarily mean a lost man, making them the immovable heart of your army.

THE RANGERS

The Rangers are expert skirmish and ambush troops. Possessed of the best shooting skills on your force, their highly accurate bowfire, when brought to bear en masse, can be key for opening up a hole in the enemy line. The extra chance of hitting the target makes up for the comparative weakness of human bows. A deadly shower of arrows from these marksmen is a very handy way of removing significant threats before they can engage your troops. Even the Witch-king is less terrifying once his fell beast has been shot out from under him!

While the nature of their 'hit and run' tactics means that they cannot make use of items like shields and heavy armour, the Rangers are still excellent fighters in close combat. With their increased Fight value on a tied dice roll, Orcs will lose out to these elite warriors and even Uruk-hai will only equal them! While they may be less able to survive a blow, they are also less likely to be hit in the first place.

KNIGHTS OF MINAS TIRITH

The Knights are the shining jewel in the army of Gondor. Clad in heavy armour, their true power derives from the devastating effect of their lances. On the charge, these weapons deliver a crushingly powerful blow. This charge bonus is not lost in combat against enemy cavalry, making the Knights the most feared horsemen on the battlefield!

To make the most use of your Knights you need to understand the vital importance of Priority. It is vital that you get to charge as all the benefits of fielding Knights depend upon it. Therefore your Captains must save their Might points for heroic moves; this will allow you to counter the effect of any Priority rolls that may go against you.

There will be times when you may find it necessary to charge a densely packed and numerically superior force of the enemy. In such a situation, the potential for your Knights to be surrounded and brought down is a very real danger. The time to strike is in the turns in which you have lost the Priority roll, giving you a full turn in which the only combats that take place are the ones that you choose to initiate. In the subsequent turn, as you will be more likely to win the Priority roll, you should have the option of disengaging and reforming for another charge before the enemy has a chance to retaliate. If you fail this roll, a heroic move called by your Captains will still allow you to escape the wrath of your foe.

The Fountain Court Guard stand against the hordes of Orcs.

GUARD OF THE FOUNTAIN COURT

The Guard of the Fountain Court, like the Rangers, are the best hand-to-hand fighters in the Gondor army. Backed up by their phenomenally strong armour, these are a classic example of elite front-line troops. While the Hero they have sworn to defend still lives, these hand-picked guardians can be relied on to pass any Courage tests they are required to take. Never underestimate just how valuable this ability is, there are many creatures in the service of the Dark Lord that inspire terror. While others may quail before the horrors of Mordor, the Guard of the Fountain Court will willingly confront the most feared of Sauron's servants, even at the expense of their own lives should the situation call for it.

Next: The Heroes of Gondor