THE HARADRIM

With the stage now set, it was time to move on and decide what to do next. As we'd already covered the Battle of the Pelennor Fields itself in The Return of The King, we didn't want to simply duplicate the scenarios we'd already explored. Accordingly, the first chunk of The Battle of the Pelennor Fields is dedicated to the northward journey of the Haradrim, set many days before the siege of Minas Tirith begins in earnest.

To re-enact this journey, the forces of Harad needed to be mustered. Though Harad isn't quite the barren desert that it is sometimes portrayed as, it is an arid and inhospitable place. Its warriors needed to reflect this environment. Haradrim tribal warriors mainly carry only a spear or a bow. This armament is very much a result of how they live – a shield is more a burden than a help in the heat of their land, while metal is so rare that only individuals of the highest status can afford to carry a hand weapon. To represent the mainstay of the Harad army, this supplement is accompanied by brand new plastic warriors – in my opinion, the best that we've yet seen in The Lord of The Rings range. Of course, the Haradrim are capable of mustering as varied an army as anyone, and it was important to represent this versatility as best we could. Accordingly, the Evil player can also muster Haradrim Raiders (also known as Serpent Riders), fast and deadly horsemen armed with lance or bow.

Haradrim Warriors - click to see a full size image.

To represent the unusual political situation in Harad, the Heroes each represent a different faction. First of all are the regular Harad chieftains who command the warriors of their tribes and whose loyalties are generally to their followers and whomever they see as being their commander. The second group of Heroes are the Hâsharii, the ruthless overseers and enforcers of the land of Harad. The leftover remnants of a cult of Sauron's creation, these men are dedicated to the corrupt lords of Umbar. Last but not least is the commander of Harad's armies at the end of the Third Age of the sun, Suladân, the Serpent Lord – a man who wishes to free his people from the control of Umbar (but not necessarily for the good of all). Should the ruin of Gondor be the price of freedom for Suladân, he will gladly pay it. The final addition to the Evil forces introduced in this book needs very little in the way of introduction – the Mûmakil (see, I didn't forget them). If there's one thing that sticks in your mind from The Return of The King, it's probably this 30' tall rampaging war-elephant (or possibly the Witch-king, but that's just me). Alessio talks about this critter here, so I'll not go into any detail about it, but never fear, the size of the model (and the way it behaves on the table) more than does justice to its presentation in the film. With three different Hero classes, two distinct types of Warrior, and a big beastie of mammoth proportions (sorry – couldn't resist), the Harad army is very much a going concern and a fitting force for new and experienced players alike.

Next: The Journey North
Previous: Introduction