They say that one volunteer is worth ten pressed men, or something like that. When it comes to using the Evil armies in The Lord of The Rings Strategy Battle Game I am very much a volunteer. There is a certain joy in seeing ranks of Elves hewn down by rampaging Orcs, Warriors of Gondor stamped underfoot by Trolls and Uruk-hai. Yes, it's true: I like working for the Dark Lord. Let's face it, who wouldn't? Glories without number and the conquest of Middle-earth are yours if you can sweep aside the last bastions of the Free Peoples. Sounds simple enough, I admit, but sometimes my opponents have a thing or two to say about my plans of conquest. The Return of The King brings a new age for the armies of Mordor - new warriors, new Heroes and a host of possibilities are ours for the taking.

In its previous incarnations, the armies of the Red Eye had a difficult time. Those grim days for the Dark Lord's personal armies are long past now. From the Black Gates of Mordor marches a far deadlier army. With the armies of Sauron pushing harder into the West, and the combined Captains of the West taking the battle right to the Black Gates, there is now a truly splendid selection of both warriors and heroes to choose from. Evil armies have, in my opinion, the most dangerous characters in The Lord of The Rings game, and some of the most frightening warriors. The only problem is choosing what to put into your force.

MORDOR'S HEROES - THE NAZGÛL

Since their rules revision in White Dwarf 284, the Ringwraiths have become potentially the most deadly weapon at the Evil player's disposal. They have the ability to render the mightiest Hero impotent. By simply using Transfix on a powerful character, you can remove their chances of tearing through your own precious warriors. With their huge store of Will, Nazgûl can unleash magical powers onto the Good force. Whenever you choose a Ringwraith for your army, make sure you either give him a horse, or if you have the points to spare, a mighty Fell Beast. Doing this vastly increases your model's Move, allowing you to get him to where he needs to be. By putting a Ringwraith where you need him you can stagger your enemy's plans and bring the greatest Hero to his knees.

THE CAPTAINS OF MORDOR

When it comes to the Captains of Evil armies, there are generally two schools of thought. The first is that a Captain should be used for killing off large numbers of enemy troops, and his Might points should allow him to do this. The other is that Captains should act as a kind of ‘Might point dispenser' – basically this entails spending Might points on heroic moves and combats, allowing your troops to seize advantageous positions and pick their fights. Whichever you decide on, with the army of Mordor you have a superb range of choice. Orc Captains are your cheapest option – whilst lacking the Fight and Courage values of the Uruk-hai, they can still pack a punch in combat if needed. Mordor Uruk-hai Captains are superior. Their increased cost is easily offset by the fighting prowess they bring to your force. An Uruk-hai can go toe-to-toe with all but the very best Heroes of the Good side.

Named characters like Shagrat, Gorbag and Grishnákh bring both some colourful character and extra Might to your army. For only a few points extra they gain a point of Might over a normal Captain of their race, well worth the points.

Although very much a part of the armies fighting under the Dark Lord banner, the Easterlings are very much unusual in that they are Men. The equal of the Captains of Men in most areas, the Easterling Captains profit from high Defence and an Easterling halberd. With a higher Courage value than an Orc Captain, and the flexibility of the Easterling halberd, these Evil Captains are an excellent choice, provided you don't mind using Men to do the Dark Lord's work.

Lastly, when it comes to Evil Heroes, the Mordor Troll Chieftain is worth consideration. For 140 points it is deadly, and more than a match for even the mightiest Heroes, however it costs more than three Orc Captains, so you need to be sure you want to include it in your force.

Next: Warriors of Mordor.