MIDDLE-EARTH STRATEGY BATTLE

GAME RULES MANUAL

Designer’s Commentary, August 2023
The following commentary is intended to complement Q: Do the likes of inanimate objects, such as a Siege Engine,
the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game rules manual. demolition charge, the Mirror of Galadriel, and so on, count as
It is presented as a series of questions and answers; the a model for the purpose of an army’s Break Point or for holding
questions are based on ones that have been asked by Objectives? (p.56 & 134)
players, and the answers are provided by the rules writing A: No.
team and explain how the rules are intended to be used.
The commentaries help provide a default setting for your Q: Some special rules, such as the Goblin King’s Blubbery Mass
games, but players should always feel free to discuss the or Malbeth the Seer’s Gift of Foresight, allow models to ignore
rules before a game, and change things as they see fit if they Wounds on a dice roll as if a point of Fate had been spent. Can
both want to do so (changes like this are usually referred Might be used to alter such rolls? (p.69)
to as ‘house rules’). A: Yes.

Our commentaries are updated regularly; when changes Q: If a model with a spear was supporting a Hero model that
are made any changes from the previous version will be declared a Heroic Combat, and the Hero subsequently charged
highlighted in magenta. Where the stated update has a another enemy model whilst remaining in base contact with their
note, e.g. ‘Regional update’, this means it has had a local original spear support, can the model with the spear support them
update, only in that language, to clarify a translation issue again? (p.71 & 86)
or other minor correction. A: No.

These questions have been gathered from many sources. Q: If a model armed with a spear is engaged in a fight and after
We are always happy to consider more questions, so please the fight is resolved they find themselves in base contact with
send any queries to: another friendly model (such as if they Back Away), can they
still spear support even though they have already been involved in
middle-earthfaq@gwplc.com a fight? (p.71 & 86)
A: No. The only exception to this is if the spear-armed
Q: If a model making a Duel roll would have a modifier applied model was engaged in a fight (though not supporting)
to their roll, and they choose to re-roll due to the effect of a alongside a friendly Hero model who successfully declared
banner, special rule or some other effect, does the modifier also a Heroic Combat, in which case after moving as part of
apply to the re-roll? (p.45) the Heroic Combat, the spear-armed model could provide
A: Yes. support in this second combat.

Q: Some special rules refer to checking to see if a model would Q: If a Hero has declared a Heroic Defence and would
be Trapped if it loses the Fight. When should this be checked and normally be wounded on a 6/4+, then do both rolls now have to
what exactly does it mean? (p.47) be a natural 6 as per the rules for Heroic Defence? (p.74)
A: This should be applied at the time the special rule in A: Yes.
question comes into effect. For example, some may say
‘at the start of the Fight phase’, in which case you would Q: Can a Monster that has been Immobilised/Transfixed still
check to see if the model is Trapped at the start of the use Brutal Power Attacks? (p.79)
Fight phase. Others might say ‘during a Fight’ or similar, A: No.
in which case you would check at the start of that Fight
before any dice are rolled. In all instances of this type of Q: If a Hero with a two-handed weapon rolls a 6 in their
rule, a model would be considered Trapped if, should they Duel roll, which then suffers a -1 penalty due to the rules for
lose the ensuing Fight, they would be unable to Back Away two-handed weapons, can they then use a Might point to boost
as normal. If the model would be able to Back Away as a the rolls back up to a 6? (p.85)
result of a friendly model deciding to Make Way, then they A: Yes. The roll has essentially been changed from a 6 to a
would not be considered Trapped for the purpose of the 5, and so the Might point can be used to boost it back up
special rule. to a 6.
Q: In what order are Special Strikes and Shielding declared? Q: Who exactly can attempt to resist the Tremor Magical Power?
(p.88) Only the initial target, or any model under the line? (p.105)
A: During a Duel roll, the player with Priority gets the A: The Tremor Magical Power states that it will target the
first opportunity to declare their model’s Special Strikes, initial target and any model under the line; therefore either
though they can choose to pass if they wish. The player the initial target or any model under the line may attempt
without Priority then gets the opportunity to declare to resist the Magical Power.
their model’s Special Strikes. If they also pass, then the
Duel roll takes place and no further Special Strikes can Q: Does a model with the Swift Movement special rule still
be declared. If they opt to declare any Special Strikes then measure the vertical distance when moving over obstacles?
their opponent may then choose to respond by declaring (p.107)
any Special Strikes if able. This continues until both players A: Yes.
have finished declaring Special Strikes. It is important to
note that once a model has declared a Special Strike of any Q: Do models have to be on the board to be able to use special
kind, they cannot change their mind after an opposing rules? (p.107)
model declares a Special Strike. Treat Shielding as a Special A: Yes, unless the special rule only works when the model
Strike for the purpose of deciding the order that they are is off the board such as Madril’s Master of Ambush or
declared. Guritz’s Master of Reserves.

Q: Does the Piercing Strike Special Strike increase a model’s Q: Do inanimate objects such as a Siege Engine, demolition
Strength for the purpose of special rules such as Monstrous charge, the Mirror of Galadriel and so on count as terrain for the
Charge? (p.89 & 110) purpose of the Stalk Unseen special rule? (p.110)
A: No. Piercing Strike only increases a model’s Strength for A: Yes.
the purpose of making Strikes.
Q: When a Siege Engine fires using Severed Heads, does
Q: If a model has a special rule that allows specific friendly the shot still scatter as normal resulting in the model the shot
models (such as those with the required Keywords or profile scatters onto being the initial target for the purpose of Severed
names) to count as in range of a banner, do those specific Heads? (p.119)
models have to be in range of the model with the special rule, or A: Yes.
do they just need to be involved in a fight that is in range of the
model with the special rule? (p.91) Q: In a Scenario where you deploy your army in a corner (such
A: In these instances, it is important to remember that as Divide & Conquer or Storm the Camp), which table edge
the model with the special rule is not actually a banner counts as the player’s board edge for the purpose of deploying a
themselves. As a result, the models that count as in Siege Engine? (p.121)
range of a banner must themselves be within range of A: The player who decides their table edge first may choose
the model with the special rule in order to benefit from any table edge touching their deployment zone as their
it. Additionally, only the models that benefit from such table edge. However, in these Scenarios a Siege Engine
a special rule may re-roll a dice in the Duel roll, so it is must still be deployed in your deployment zone as normal.
important to make a note of which dice can benefit and
which ones cannot. Q: When a demolition charge explodes, does it hit models that
are in range, but on the other side of a piece of tall impassable
Q: Can a model affected by the Immobilise/Transfix Magical terrain such as a wall, rockface or equivalent? (p.122)
Power interact with anything else during the turn in which they A: No.
are affected, such as detonating a demolition charge, interacting
with objectives in Scenarios that allow this, use a special rule from Errata:
a Legendary Legion that requires them to act, shout or similar Page 39 – In The Way
(such as Death! from the Riders of Théoden Legendary Legion), Add the following paragraph to the end of the section:
or any other similar situation? (p.98) When a model makes a shooting attack that targets a War
A: No. A degree of common sense is required when working Beast or a Monster with the Fly special rule, when they
out what a model affected by the Immobilise/ Transfix are determining models that are In The Way, they ignore
Magical Power can do. If the model would theoretically models (both friendly and enemy) that do not have any
need to move to do it, then they are unable to do so. of the following keywords: Monster, Siege Engine, War
Beast. If the target model is Engaged in a fight, then the In
Q: Can a Hero that is under the effects of the Paralyse Magical The Way test for being in combat is still applied.
Power use Might to affect their own roll to see if they recover at
the end of the turn? (p.102)
A: Yes, as it states that Might may be used to modify the
roll.

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