The Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game has a lot of changes to it, and today the Warhammer Community has given us a look at Heroic Actions. This looks like a very good update to the rules.
via the Warhammer Community
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2018/08/23/23rd-aug-middle-earth-strategy-battle-game-big-rules-changes-heroic-actionsfw-homepage-post-3gw-homepage-post-3/
Previously, any Hero could use any of the Heroic Actions available so long as they had the Might points to spend declaring them. This led to a meta where the smaller, less significant Heroes dominated the game as, with a well-timed Heroic Strike or Heroic March, they could go toe-to-toe with even the mightiest Heroes in Middle-earth.
To help rebalance the status quo, we have introduced the concept of universal and specialised Heroic Actions.
These are Heroic Actions that any Hero can declare, no matter who they are. They are the three ‘classic’ Heroic Actions from the game’s inception – Heroic Move, Heroic Shoot and Heroic Combat.
In this edition of the Strategy Battle Game, every Hero will have a section in their profile stating which of the Specialised Heroic Actions they can use – if it’s not on that list, they can’t use it! Below is the list of Heroic Actions that King Théoden can use.
The new edition also adds in a total of four brand-new Heroic Actions, each of them useful in their own different ways. Let’s take a look at these:
Magic has always been a big part of the game, and this Heroic Action allows you to gain the upper hand when you are faced with an enemy model that is proficient in using Magical Powers. Heroic Resolve allows the Hero to steel themselves and their allies against unfriendly magics, providing them with an additional dice to any Resist tests that they take that turn!
Heroes such as Gandalf the White, Galadriel and Suladân have Heroic Resolve.
Heroic Defence is perfect for keeping those important Heroes around for longer. If your Hero is surrounded by enemies and looks like they may die, then declaring a Heroic Defence may just keep them alive for another turn. Enemy models will require a Natural 6 to wound your Hero, meaning they cannot use Might points, bonuses to the dice, or anything else to wound your Hero – if it’s not a 6 shown on the dice, it’s not a wound!
Heroes such as Frodo Baggins, Faramir and Gothmog have Heroic Defence.
Adding an extra D3 to a Hero’s Strength value is a great ability, allowing Heroes to more easily wound those hard to bring down models such as Trolls, Mûmakil or heavily armoured warriors.
The final new Heroic Action, Heroic Challenge is probably the most interesting of all. It allows the Hero to directly challenge another Hero of the same stature or higher as themselves to a duel. If the Hero accepts, then they fight each other with the victor gaining D3 Might points! If the challenge is declined, the declining Hero cannot affect friendly models with their own Heroic Actions or Stand Fast! There are loads of uses for this, but we’ll let you work them out!
Heroes such as Aragorn, Glorfindel and The Witch-king of Angmar have Heroic Challenge.
Heroic Actions in the new edition provide some interesting challenges, if you want to be able to use a specific Heroic Action, you will now need to include a Hero that can use it.