Wield the hatred between Orcs and Uruk-hai as a weapon in the Cirith Ungol™ army list

With the brand new Shelob miniature available for pre-order as we speak, we thought it best to reach out to the folks in the Warhammer Studio for an overview of the Cirith Ungol army list, and how to get the most out of them on the battlefield.

The forces garrisoned within the citadel of Cirith Ungol will be familiar to long-time fans of Middle-earth. Master Samwise might have struggled to rescue Frodo, had it not been for the growing tension between the Orcs and Mordor Uruk-hai that inhabited the outpost reaching boiling point. 

However, when the Orcs and Uruk-hai can turn their wrath upon a common enemy rather than one another, they are a deadly fighting force – especially when Shelob joins the fray in search of her next meal…

Strengths 

Animosity
The Animosity special rule provides both Orc and Uruk-hai models with a bonus of +1 To Wound when making Strikes, so long as they are involved in the same Combat. Picking fights carefully to ensure as many as possible have both an Orc and Uruk-hai model involved is therefore key to getting the most out of this special rule. Note that this special rule is not limited to just the Warrior models in your army; Orc Captains and Uruk-hai Captains – including Shagrat and Gorbag! – will also seek to outdo the other and prove they are the deadliest combatants on the field.

This special rule becomes even more terrifying when utilised by a model wielding a two-handed weapon, granting a further +1 To Wound should they win the Combat – making it easy for your warriors to Wound even the most heavily armoured opponents.

Numbers
With lots of cost-effective heroes and warriors, a Cirith Ungol force can quickly swell its ranks into a mighty horde. This will allow you to outflank and surround opponents with a lower model count than your own. With the bonuses To Wound from Animosity and any two-handed weapons, enemy models who find themselves Trapped are in great peril – as Trapped models suffer twice as many Strikes should they lose the Combat!

Having a glut of warriors at your disposal will also aid you in Matched Play Scenarios that require you to control Objective Markers, as your opponent will have more Orcs and Uruk-hai to cut through in order to gain control of and secure an Objective Marker.

Shelob™
With her high Move Value and Swift Movement special rule, Shelob can quickly traverse the battlefield, easily manoeuvring into position to attack from unprotected angles. This can allow her to engage models that are not directly involved in the fighting, but still need to lurk close by – such as models equipped with banners, or Hero models that provide a benefit to nearby allies. 

Thanks to her Fight value of 7, many heroes will need to rely on Heroic Strike or aid from their allies if they are to best Shelob in Combat, and losing to her is likely to be a death sentence thanks to her Strength of 7 and the Venom special rule.

Though Shelob is a frightening prospect to deal with, she is an ambush hunter and can fall foul of massed foes or mighty heroes. Using her in conjunction with the rest of your force is going to lead to far more success than having her go in alone as she could become surrounded and lose the benefit of Monstrous Charge, leaving her vulnerable to losing Combat and being forced to abandon the field, or being slain outright!

Weaknesses

Courage
With many of the models in this army having a poor Courage value, it is important to rely upon Shagrat and Gorbag to assist with dealing with enemies who cause Terror and to keep your army in the battle should it become Broken.

Defence
As the vast majority of the army has a Defence of 4 or 5, it can fall foul of opposing armies with lots of missile fire or a high volume of Attacks. Thankfully, Shelob’s speed allows her to close in quickly with missile-armed warriors in an effort to disrupt them, and your Orc and Mordor Uruk-hai Captains can declare Heroic Marches to speed your army towards the enemy.

Strategy

In this section, we will highlight a number of key strategic elements that will aid in getting the most out of a Cirith Ungol force on the battlefield. Whilst many of these tips will be familiar to experienced players, as they apply to a number of different armies, some will be more unique to the army of Cirith Ungol itself. 

Using a Horde
As mentioned earlier, a Cirith Ungol army is quite likely to outnumber its opponent. Usually, smaller forces are composed of more elite warriors and heroes, who will typically have a higher Fight Value and/or special rules that improve their ability to win Combat or slay their opponents.

Ideally, your horde will be able to engage their foes in an open field, allowing them to use their superior numbers to encircle the opposing army. Not only does this make it difficult for key supportive models, such as those equipped with a banner, to remain out of danger, it also gives you the opportunity to Trap opposing models – making it twice as likely they will be Wounded should they lose the Combat. As your opponent’s numbers begin to dwindle, the amount of Combats in which their models are Trapped will quickly increase, leading to every Combat being a win-or-die situation for your opponent’s army! 

A key tactic for a horde army seeking to overcome a smaller force is to avoid choke points created by terrain, especially impassable terrain. If a small, elite army is able to anchor its flanks with impassable terrain and create a choke point, you will struggle to bring your numerical advantage to bear. This can be combated by holding off from committing to the fight until you’ve been able to manoeuvre some of your models around the impassable terrain to assail the enemy from the rear. 

Shelob can also use the Barge Brutal Power Attack in order to create gaps in your opponent’s lines and potentially even drive them from the choke point, but this can be risky as Shelob’s large base size will make it difficult to commit your own models to support her.

Benefitting from Animosity
As we noted in the army’s strengths, Animosity is an incredibly powerful special rule and taking the time to ensure you have both an Orc and an Uruk-hai fighting together in as many Combats as possible is vital. Whilst this will often come down to whoever has Priority or whose Heroic Move happens first, maximising your Animosity when you are the first to move will prove invaluable as the game progresses. 

It’s worth taking a moment to make mention of Shagrat and the Mordor Uruk-hai Captains here, as their Strength 5 makes them a dangerous threat already, and when this is combined with +1 To Wound from Animosity they can make quick work of even the toughest foes if they triumph in the Combat.

Shagrat™ & Gorbag™

With Heroic Strike, Strength 5, and the Cleaving Blow special rule, Shagrat has the potential to take on your opponent’s most important heroes and come out on top. It is worth considering how dangerous a threat those heroes are to Shagrat, however, as a misstep could see him wounded or slain, which will give away Victory Points in many Matched Play Scenarios.

On the other hand, Gorbag thrives in the thick of the melee thanks to his Orcish Brawler special rule, giving him an additional Attack whilst outnumbered in Combat. With a Fight value of 5, Gorbag is able to beat all but the most elite warriors in a fight, meaning he can quickly carve a hole in the enemy’s ranks if left unchecked.

Shelob™

Getting the most out of Shelob is perhaps the most tricky, yet rewarding, aspect of playing this army. Whilst it is possible for Shelob to slay powerful enemies in a single round of Combat, with no Might points and fewer Attacks than other monsters, she can find herself in hot water if she tries to take on too much solo. 

Keeping a cluster of Orcs and Uruk-hai nearby will not only help to prevent Shelob from becoming overwhelmed, it will fuel her “She is always hungry” special rule, allowing her to remove a nearby friendly model in order to re-roll a dice during the Duel Roll. Meanwhile, the army special rule Swift Hunter gives her the chance to declare Heroic Moves – making it more likely she can benefit from Monstrous Charge. 

Shelob’s power isn’t only in her ability to swiftly dispatch her prey; she is also exceptional at securing Objectives. With her Movement of 10", she can reach even the most distant Objectives, and thanks to the Dominant (4) special rule, she can make sure it is heavily contested. In the later stages of Objective-based Scenarios such as Domination, Shelob can also make use of the Barge Brutal Power Attack to push opposing models out of range of the Objective, leaving it solely under her control.

Final Thoughts

Flooding the field with Orcs and Uruk-hai, a Cirith Ungol army can overwhelm the enemy with superior numbers, combined with the ability to swiftly dispatch their foe with bonuses To Wound from Animosity. Shagrat and Gorbag, meanwhile, help to keep your army topped up with plenty of Might points, as well as being fantastic at hunting down enemy heroes and carving through your opponent’s warriors respectively. 

Last, and by no means least, Shelob provides the army with a swift and deadly threat that your opponent must keep a vigilant eye on – or they might find her tucking into a delicious meal of their most important models!

You can get your hands on Shelob soon in a combined set with Gollum and a wrapped-up Frodo, with pre-orders available on the Warhammer webstore now alongside the new Middle-earth™ Strategy Battle Game Journal: Treachery of Gollum book, filled with narrative scenarios, hobby guides, and a linked campaign system.