As there is such a large range of troops to hand for an Isengard general, I've also tried to look at the army from a 'characterful' perspective and look at the force on its own merits, rather than as part of the forces of Evil as a whole. Generally speaking, the army of Isengard can be quite versatile and it does really depend on your own personal preference as to how a force should fight. If you enjoy the freedom and flexibility of a fast cavalry force, you can concentrate on fielding Warg Riders. If you prefer a swarm of infantry, you can instead field a mostly Orc or Dunlending force or go to the other extreme and marshal an elite band of Uruk-hai. However you choose to assemble your force you'll find that the forces of the White Hand are more than capable of leading you to victory!

As with all the forces in The Lord of The Rings, the denizens of Isengard can be split into two main categories: Heroes and Warriors. Let's start by taking a look at the Heroes available to you:

SARUMAN

Saruman, the White Hand, is the power of Isengard. Fallen wizard and former head of the coalition against Sauron, Saruman is the key behind most Isengard armies. Although he has a relatively limited repertoire of magical powers, he is still a powerful spellcaster and is an incredibly valuable support for your main army. His Sorcerous Blast is a useful way of walloping inconvenient enemies, whilst the slightly subtler Immobilise can be used to great effect in weakening the enemy force at key moments. Better still, at 3 Wounds and Defence 5 he is fairly robust for a non-combat character, and can be trusted to shake off the majority of enemy attacks.

LURTZ AND SHARKU

Lurtz and Sharku both fulfil pretty much the same role in your Isengard force - it really does just become a question of where you want your focus to be. As with many named Evil characters, the only real difference between this unlovely pair and a captain of the same race is the extra point of Might. However, even if you don't consider the extra point of Might enough of a reason to choose these gentlemen, there is something to be said for having named characters over generic captains. If you're looking to choose between them the best thing to do is to take a look at the force you are assembling. If you're looking to field a mobile, Warg Rider based force, then Sharku is probably the Orc for you. Alternatively, if you're looking for a character who can provide a lot of extra muscle behind a mostly infantry force, then Lurtz is almost a must. One final point that is worth mentioning is that Lurtz is the only Uruk-hai who comes with heavy armour, allowing him to remain Defence 6 whilst using both a bow and shield. This makes Lurtz a very flexible character indeed.

CAPTAINS

There are three kinds of captain available to a thematic Isengard force: Uruk-hai, Orc, and Dunlending. Although there are various pros and cons as to which you choose for your force, personally I would always stay with the theme - if your army is heavily Uruk-hai based, field Uruk-hai captains, and so on. Although not as glamorous as named Heroes, captains can be daunting opponents for regular troops and can nicely strengthen your force. As with all Heroes, it can be tempting to use your Might to influence dice rolls. Fight the temptation! Heroic moves win games, and this is where your captains are most useful.

WORMTONGUE

A final mention should go to the devious Gríma Wormtongue. While not a combat character, you should not underestimate the effect he can have on your opponent. Because enemy Heroes must expend twice as much Might to influence dice or initiate heroic actions within 6" of Gríma, he can get very annoying, very quickly. The best use I've found for Gríma is to keep him as close to your main attack as possible - this means that your opponent will have to think very carefully about how they spend their Might. Heroic actions can change the course of the game, and using Gríma to make them pay double for every action can give you the edge in manoeuvrability.

Next: Warriors of Isengard.