Tactica: Building an Army

Two months ago, I began the process of building an Isengard army for War of the Ring. While I haven't got a load of images, heck I never take pictures, I do have the process...

How the heck do you start an army?

Few things I look at for any army are the obvious ones - Army Play, Army Content, and Army Possibilities. You can't play any army that doesn't focus on these things, however soulless you are. That is, unless you're an android, or a guy with a grudge

But actually, there's 3 other factors people don't take into account - for example, a person I know began a Dark Elf army simply because of bad experiences with High Elves and bearing a big grudge. Sure, he likes the Army Play, Army Content, and the Army Possibilities, but he still absolutely loathes High Elves! It's the same with me - i'm starting a Wood Elf army soon in order to deal with my deep aggressive urges against a certain other Wood Elf player I know


But then, there's the other two factors. Those are the Public Opinion - which while not as important, you don't want to play an army that people turn their noses up at - and Painting Possibilities - since you don't want to do a really boring army, do you???

How the heck do you plan an army?

This is the stage that far more people already know firm images are needed at the start of any project... and in this case (my Isengard army) I chose to do the good old Phalanx army. My aim is to have 160 Uruks in my army at the end - just basic box sets, too. I've got 60 at the moment. These guys will form up blocks, Pikes in the main units, and sword-shield Uruks on the flanks. Obvious flanking force, but since it's a deathwish to even think about charging them it works. Then there's the Shaman conversions i'm doing - the metal ones are either too expensive or they're too inappropriate (think about it, you've got a naked guy, and there's a guy on a rock... awful)

I've also got a set of Trolls for the approach - Trolls are a cert in any evil army anyway, right? So there's going to be 4 in the army - 1 per Phalanx. Added to this is a final force of many Crossbows and Berserkers. For the coolness factor, thats all


Finally, the Epic Heroes? I suppose Lurtz should be used... But I don't like him anyway. So it's only Saruman and Grima for me (seeing as Thrysdan, the other guy, is the stupidest guy ever)

Anyway, thats an update and a badly made 'Tactica' in one. Sweet!