PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

To show you how a War Party force might be put together here is my own suggestion for an easy way to collect Dwarves.

In the beginning you need a hero. I chose Balin because he represents the very best of Dwarf heroism in my mind, having accompanied Bilbo on his early travels and then going on to reclaim Moria. Having chosen him, however, I could not take any other heroes. Giving Balin Durin's Axe beefs him up considerably as well as adding to his character and stature as the future Dwarf King of Moria.

Che Webster's Dwarves.

As Balin is such a high status hero, I felt that the Khazâd Guard were the appropriate core to the force. Lending their heavy armour, double-handed axes and true grit to the mix would make the difference against the Shadow. As there were eight models accompanying Balin's model in the box, and I decided to use them all.

Finally, having agonised for at least ten minutes over whether or not to take Dwarf Bowmen, I opted instead for an extra contingent of six Dwarf Warriors bolstered with a shield each. These would round out the force with numbers to allow me to meet tougher opponents head on, or survive the massed onslaught of weaker foes with tough Dwarf armour. Painting just two packs of Dwarves also appealed to me, making the force easy to collect.

Next: A Scenario for Battle Companies.
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