Thread: War of the Ring (Second Edition):: Strategy:: First turn FP army moves

by MrWeasely

If I get an early army/muster, I'm trying out moving armies instead of political track actions. Here are some ideas I've got:

Edoras' 1/1/1 to Westmnet - Westmnet is the best place to build a flexible Rohan army, and thus an ideal perch for an errant Aragorn. Defensively, if they make it to Fords of Isen in a subsequent move, then it can give Isengard a run for their money at Helm's Deep.

Carrock's regular to Old Forest Road - forces the Shadow to use an attack to get within 1 of Woodland Realm, and ensures the North moves down the political track before any action in the North

North Downs' elite to ... somewhere ... but where? Bree is really far from everything, but does have a settlment for mustering additional troops - it doesn't seem worth it unless you're sure you're building that army, and who's sure of that on the first turn? Ettenmoors screens the northern approaches to Rivendell, but there are equally good southern approaches that would still be open. Arnor increases the effort of Angmar → Shire and Angmar → Gray Havens. Hm. I think on balance Evendim is a good default choice. It has similar defensive benefits of Arnor. It doesn't threaten Angmar, but it does move the elite adjacent to both the Shire and the Ered Luin.

Pelargir's regular to West Harondor - it wrong-foots the early development of the Haradrim. They have to go to war to get in striking distance of Gondor, and the political action it gives Gondor then gives Gondor lots of time to prepare.

Osgiliath → North Itiliien seems worse than the Pelargir move for reasons left as an exercise to the reader.

Minas Tirith 2/1/1 to Osgiliath (leaving 1 regular behind in M.T., and reinforcing the Osgiliath garrison to 4/1/1) - for half an action, you throw 4 extra combat dice in the inevitable battle for Osgiliath. It's unlikely that the attacking Shadow army will do enough hits to make you regret it, and it puts a 4/1/1 free army within one 24-hour march of both Umbar and Minas Ithil.

I'd be interested in others' thoughts on this. Does the value of, say, moving out Minas Tirith and Edoras exceed the value of an early political track manuvering? And which two army moves would you move?