Middle-Earth: Strategy Battle Game – Morannon Orcs

If you thought my Mordor Orcs review was frightening enough, well check out these chaps! More powerful, more armoured and much more fierce. These Morannon Orcs soldiers are a must for taking on the Men, Elves and Dwarves of Middle Earth. In this review, we will go over the quality of the models and their use in-game. And why you might consider rallying these meanies over the standard Mordor Orcs.

Unboxing – Component Quality

On first inspection, these models have some great poses. Their stature and posture convey strength. They are imposing and impressive models. They are easy to assemble, requiring the usual plastic glue and metal scrapper to remove mould lines.

The downside of these models is that they don’t come out of the manufacturing process neatly. If like me you want your models looking realistic, these models are a pain. I spent a lot of time digging out plastic material from behind some shields to get a more realistic look. I dug between the model’s body and spear to remove a weird ‘plastic shelf’. It’s a pain and a bit of unnecessary work. They aren’t produced as cleanly as Mordor Orcs. However, this is minor. When they are on the table you won’t notice these imperfections. And if you aren’t as fussy as I am then this won’t be a problem for you. Just get painting!

Customisability

Morannon Orcs are easy to paint as they don’t require many colours to achieve a great look. Depicted in the Lord of the Rings films with red clothing and rusty metal armour, the paint job is simple. You can vary the skin tones and colour can for added interest of course. If you like a regimented army, then this is a rare treat for Evil players of MESBG. The evil side is often a disorganised rag-tag bunch and the colours schemes match this. However, if you like greater variety between your models, Mordor Orcs might be best for you. But don’t be disheartened. I have seen some amazing bone-coloured armour variations of this model. This is based on the Rings of Power Orcs. A painting scheme which is new and certainly worth a try.

These orcs are less customisable than the Mordor Orc host. Shields can be interchanged here and there. They can of course be converted if you are crafty. Just like the Orcs!

Using Morannon Orcs In-Game

Morannon Orcs are good models. Capable of putting up a good fight against any warrior of other factions. They excel at combat above their lowly Mordor Orc counterparts. They have a Fight value of 3 which is standard. A shooting value of 5+ which is below average. However, their Strength is 4 and Defence is 5. With a shield they are Defence 6. This means that they are far more capable of defending themselves than Mordor Orcs. Their Strength value also means that they are far more likely to score Wounds. This is essential when facing up against the Good side, which often deploys a sturdy shield wall.

A downside of this boxset is that it contains no archers. The Morannon Orcs lack control of the battlefield through ranged attacks. You might have to alter your tactics. Put pressure onto your enemy in a different before you engage these meanies into combat.

They won’t outnumber their opponent as much as Mordor Orcs. Though their stats are much better, they cost more Points to field. But what they lack in numbers they make up for in Strength and Defence.

Another downside is that their Courage is only 2. Much like the Mordor Orcs, they could abandon you in a heartbeat. You might miss out on completing in-game objectives. This can be overcome by fielding a leader like Gothmog. He can call a Standfast to rally his troops in desperate times. He also buffs troops nearby to enhance their performance and devastation. What a lovely team player!

So, Why Pick Them Up Today

These Orcs look superb. And will make your opponent worry! Far stronger and more resilient than Mordor Orcs, these evil warriors will smash their way across the battlefield. It is rare for the Evil side to have access to efficient warriors. They do cost more Points and its more heart-breaking when their Courage fails. But if they are reliable enough for the Dark Lord Sauron, then they are surely good enough for you! (Forget the part where Sauron and his Orcs are defeated in the end…awkward…)