The Eothraim: A Different Approach

After reading the article on Eothraim strategy in November's issue, I decided to respond with a different approach to playing this nation. Having played the position, and played against it with both the Long Rider and Dog Lord, I believe that this is a nation that can be fun and winnable, if played carefully. Responses and raspberries are welcome @ grystzl@aol.com.

Initial Analysis:

Armies:

Advantages-You have a powerful, mobile force of 5 cavalry armies. Any two of them are capable of flattening any DS army they catch. Each army starts with four full turns of movement, and you have the nation ability of Force Marching without losing morale, giving you 14 hexes on the road network. You get to choose the point of attack. And finally, your new recruits start at training 20. This should scream out that this is a nation that expects to fight.

Disadvantages-Cost! Your cavalry, while alive, is going to cost you 30K a turn. Your treasury can only support this for so long, and don't count on production to make it up. Replacing the cavalry will cost lots of leather and mounts. This means Heavy Infantry (HI) will be guarding the frontier, unless you get financial backing. Your 5 armies are spread out on the frontier, with only 2 starting in major towns (MTs), and neither of these MTs have enough LE or MO to recruit from.

Characters:

Advantages-You can make 40 Commanders and every character starts with command skill. Your mages can learn conjure mounts. And 2 of your commanders start with 10 points of agent skill.

Disadvantages-You start with low ranked characters which can be smoked by any Nazgul with an itch to challenge. Not one of your characters starts with more than 10 points of agent or emissary skill, your best mage is a 30, and your commanders are whimpy, 1 @ 50, 1 @ 40, and the rest 30 or less. This means you can't risk not refusing challenge vs. anyone, you are spending lots of gold on initial characters, and you will be hard pressed on changing relations if your 40 and 50 commander start out in the field (my experience, they always do). Five of your characters start commanding armies, none of which start in the capital. Finally, you only start with a single artifact (+1000 weapon).

Pop Centers:

Advantages-You start with 5 fortified major towns on the road net within easy reach of the front. You can bring forces to bear real fast. Your camps are good producers of food, leather, and mounts, and the weather is at worst cold in the winter.

Disadvantages-You start with 5 major towns on the road net within easy reach of the front. If you can reach them, they can reach you. Your camps are all exposed, and can be burnt by any DS commander with a 200LC raiding force (been there, done that). And one of your major towns is separated from the rest, within one turn of those dastardly Easterlings.

Map:

Advantages-Most of your battles will be in the plains, your nation's favorite place to fight (110% in mild or warm). Most nations don't get that bonus. Your opponent's initial attacks will be channeled out of 3120 and from the Eastern edge, barring an Easterling jump on turn 1. You should be able to force a battle if you so choose. Northern Gondor controls the crossroads at 3116 and 3716, giving you a turn's warning before the DS get to you. And when you take them back, they will be camp/towers with great production.

Disadvantages-You will be facing the attacks of the two cavalry based DS, the Dog Lord and Long Rider, plus the large Dark Lt army at 3120. If you are seeing Ice or Dragon troops, shoot your allies. And, you will probably be facing the large Easterling cavalry forces all too soon.

You have few allies that can help you initially. Northern Gondor starts will a decent cavalry force at 3116, the Dwarves start with a small force of infantry at 3916, and the Northmen have pathetic starting armies that will be hard pressed to defend versus a determined force of Boy Scouts With proper begging, you will eventually see thelarge Dwarven HI force from the Iron Hills, but that is usually 4-5 turns off. You have to be the one who does the initial fighting.

Treasury-

Advantages-Your treasury usually starts with over 100k, your tax base of 5 MT's is better than most DS nations (almost 15k @ 39%), and your production is very good in food, leather and mounts. You could easily start with 7500 FO, 1500 LE, and 200 MO in a spring or fall start, even more in summer. Disadvantages-Your treasury needs to be at least double what it starts. Your deficit is going to be running around 25k on turn one. Your production is very vulnerable to military predations, you produce no metals, and you have no gold production whatsoever. Count on dropping 35k on characters right at start, 15k on new armies, and you will be replacing lots of commanders (darn agents). You need to place or post lots of camps, and expect to be stolen from. You need a financial backer!

STRATEGY and TACTICS

In a team game, there are several interesting first turn coordinated moves, if you know your neighbors. In a single player game, you can't gamble that your neighbors will do "the obvious move" on turn one. I am going to look at working alone, as there are just too many options and variables with a coordinated turn one move.

The first thing to remember is, you control the Rhovanion plains, and the destiny of everything there and in Mirkwood. If you go down, the Northmen are toast, and the Woodmen and Sinda will soon follow. Next thing is, if you let the Northmen die, you are next. Too many times, I have seen the Eothraim get bogged down attacking 2715 or 3221, leaving their Northmen ally to die violently to a combined LR/Easterling assault. If you don't have some deterrent force showing the flag around the Easterling pops, he need not fear retribution from going DS. In every such case I have seen, the Eothraim player did not survive the game.

Army Use:

Remember these three maxims; keep the initiative at all costs; kill off the DS cavalry armies that can raid you; and destroy as much DS production as you can. Realize that you can not protect all your camps, so the best defense is a good offense. (Trying to sit back and react to DS moves along the 16 line is the surest way to death. It allows them to dictate the place of battle, and you had better believe there will be DS agents waiting for you, whether you win or lose. Think of your cavalry as panzers, and panzers are always best used in the attack.)

Every turn you can keep the DS reacting to you is one more turn they aren't burning your camps. Every DS pop you burn cuts the resources they can use against you. And if you can catch and kill the DS armies, they can't burn you out. Accept the losses, bury the dead, and smile as your deficit goes down. How do you accomplish this?

You should plan on allocating the army at 3715 to the defense of 4017 and 4217. While one army is not enough to kill off the 900HC and 900LC the LR starts with, it does whittle it down to where the Northmen or Dwarves can catch or kill it. I'll leave it to you to figure out the move that will catch the LR cavalry if it moves on either of these pops (the only ones he can reach on turn one).

Plan on keeping back the army at 3612 as a mobile reserve. This army can serve the additional purpose of intimidating the Easterlings. While the Easterling can kill it, he knows he doesn't get a free ride. And if something nasty gets past your armies around 3120, you have something to throw at them. Moving this army to 3716 places it in good position to react to most DS opening moves.

Slam your armies from 3112 and 3217 into 3120. You are almost guaranteed combat, somewhere along the way, and you must capture this forward recruit base from the Dark Lt. You will never hold it, but every turn you keep a fortified pop center there inhibits DS movement towards you. With any luck, your Northern Gondor ally did the same from 3116, but if he held back, this gives your side another reserve force. Just don't let them get past you (remember, you have lots of movement, and don't have to move in straight line or constantly).

This will leave you with one force left at 3819. It is powerful enough to burn or capture an undefended MT, and there are several different options to it's use. This will decide the flow of the game in Rhovanion, and it is your call;

1) With the purchase of enough food for 5 turns of full movement, you can burn 3621, 3421, and 3321, still have a large force left, and really annoy your enemies. 3621 often becomes a Dark Lt recruit base directed at you, and those camps provide lots of goods and cash to the Dog Lord. Cut off his cash and he is hard pressed to attack you. And this move firmly plants the idea that the 21 hex line of mountains can and will be raided.

2) you can reinforce the attack on 3120. 3 armies almost guarantees taking it on turn 2. You have 2400HC, 1200LC, and the most your opponents have is 1800HC, 1800LC, 300HI, 600LI, and 900AR, if you face all three Dog and Dark armies that could be there (rarely do you get that lucky). Since mutual destruction of these armies is completely acceptable, take any losses that allow you to wipe out starting DS armies. Occasionally, you will also face the Ice King army, but they usually head south. If they do go north, suck up the losses, commit the reserves, and realize that the Fire King should die soon. Use any survivors to catch DS armies you missed and burn DS camps.

3) you can go post a camp somewhere close, talk to your allies, and zap the Easterling northern pops on turn 2. The dwarves can take 3605, you can take 3713, and combined Northmen and Eothraim armies can blow away the Easterling cavalry at 4014. 3319 is yours whenever you want it. 4318 is extremely vulnerable to naval assault by either the Sinda, or the Northmen. If the Easterling southern cavalry army is there, as a naval force, they ignore the land armies. Hit him hard enough, and the player may break morale and quit (remember, you are playing to win).

Once 4014 falls, the Easterlings face a long haul north to the fight. Given the number of times the Easterlings go DS, often at the worst possible moment, doing unto him before he does unto you can be the best advice. The last thing you want to see is the LR and Easterling cavalry loose amongst your pops. If you don't get a good feeling from contacting him before you send in turn 2 (you are trying to contact people, right?), you and your allies might want to think about this.

4) You can try to sneak around the back door of Mordor, and wreak havoc. This is the most dangerous move, as it leaves you short on troops in Rhovanion, and you have to do it without knowing what your allies have done to you. As long as you don't get caught at 4220 by the onrushing LR cavalry (think about it), on turn 2 you can be standing amongst LR camps, crippling his production. Or you can be at 4025, ready to burn and pillage in Mordor. This assumes a complacent Easterling player, for if his armies are flying up to attack you from 4228 and 4133, all your army will be is a speed bump when he catches you. Remember, I said this was dangerous.

However, if you pull this off, you can totally disrupt the DS. The Blind Sorcerer will be diverting badly needed forces from the Ithil pass to intercept you, the Dog Lord and Cloud Lord will be forced to think about diverting forces, and the LR may just turn his army around to chase you. Be sneaky in your movement, and you can tie up DS forces for turns. And all this costs is an army that will be dead soon anyway.

Secondary plans-Get commanders into 3112 and 3612 to hire new armies on turn 2. Remember to put 1 food in the army to get one turn of full movement. You will need these forces all too soon. If at all possible, make one of them cavalry, as the movement range will be needed, but infantry with food works in a pinch. Be tricky with your movement. If you make predictable moves, you will find DS agents waiting for you. Be ready to commit the reserves. You will usually miss at least one sneaky DS army that sticks to the plains on turn one. And always keep a reserve! Being so close to the front, any DS icon you see could be a cavalry army ready to raid you.

Characters:

You may only start with one character in your capital, which is a major hindrance. You need to create 2 emissaries of 30, a 30 agent, and a commander/agent. Creating an emissary should be first, as you need to get camps going. Spend 10K on a 725 action. The 30 agent will be needed to guard your capital and nation sell 99% of your food, and the C10/A20 will be needed to guard your army commanders. And finally, you will need to get your 40 or 50 commander back to the capital, so you can raise 40 commanders to replace your losses from agents.

Once you start losing armies, you can get back-up commanders into your armies. You will need to do this to prevent the DS from disbanding your armies without a battle. There is nothing the DS love better than to see your Eothraim cavalry go home to the farms when their only commander dies. You cannot guard all your armies on turn 1, but from there on, get your 2 C/A's into the armies as back-ups, or beg your allies to send an agent to cover your commanders.

Plan on keeping one agent and a decent commander to adjust relations in your capital. Hire another 30 emissary and the 30 agent on turn 2, and the C10/A20 on turn 3. Send your emissaries out to make camps, either to the north of the river, or around Mirkwood and Lothlorien if the Dragon Lord is caged. The northern camps will have lousy production in the winter, but should be safe. Camps around Lothlorien will have good year around production, but coordinate with the Sinda and Woodmen so that you are not competing for the same hexes. By turn 6, you should be looking at 4 emissaries, 3 agents, and the rest probably commanders. Any mage that you decide to create should be a battle mage only. You will never have big enough mages to hunt for artifacts.

Relations:

Communicate with your allies and the Easterlings. Leave the contact with the other neutrals to your allies, they are in much better position to bargain. You should do all that you can to bring the Easterlings in on your side. Promises of a safe MT haven and cash to move his capital must be made. Life is very easy with them, and conversely very difficult without them. If you can not get them to jump early on your side, having them sitting on the fence is the next best thing. If you can buy time, you can cripple the Dog Lord, and eliminate the LR's only real threat, that cavalry army that starts in 4324.

However, if you see or think the Easterlings are going DS, hit them fast! Most of the time, the Easterlings will go DS, as the threat of the Cloud Lord agents next door to his capital is often too great to ignore. And with most of his pops in the south, going DS saves the majority of them from attacks. This is why I mentioned earlier about jumping the Easterlings on turn 2. Under no circumstances should you allow him to attack first. It will cripple either you or the Northmen. While attacking will automatically place him in the enemy camp, he will be a crippled enemy, providing you coordinate your attacks. This may be the toughest decision you face for turn 2. A good indicator is the Northmen spotting the Easterling armies on the southern edge of his map. If he has moved there, he is going DS.

You must make contact with the Dwarves, Woodmen, Sinda, Northern Gondor, Southern Gondor, and the Northmen. Talking with your other allies is nice, but they can't help you. Northern Gondor has one cavalry army in your area, and is a great source of financial backing. Southern Gondor can provide financial support. The Woodmen and Sinda canprovide agent coverage against the predations of DS assassins and the Sinda can eventually reveal the LR capital.

The Dwarves have a small army that can be of use in 3916, and a large force that can help you in the Irons Hills (3707). These reinforcements often will be the only thing that keeps 3612 alive, and you must convince the Dwarven player to send them south ASAP if the Easterlings go DS before you attack. They can also take out the Easterling town at 3605 on turn 3.

And finally, the Northmen guard your flank, provide armies to help stem the tide, and given time, will be an economic powerhouse. A very grateful economic powerhouse. It is your job to keep them alive, and communication each turn is a must.

Point out to all concerned that you have the most powerful starting armies on the Free side, but if the commanders get assassinated, the armies go away. Point out that given financial support, you can flood the plains with armies. Remind them that if you die, they are next, but you are perfectly willing to fight to protect the rest of them. Ask for a secure MT where you can transfer your capital, so the DS can't easily take you out with a massed agent raid. Point out that any weapon your allies locate for you improves your striking power versus DS pops. Beg, cajole, whine, even whimper if you have to, but get agents to cover your commanders, and money to finance your armies.

Final Thoughts:

If you survive the initial onslaughts, by turn 6 or 7, you should be ready to attack the main line of defenses in Mordor. 3122 or 3221 should be your focal points, as they are DS capitals. And you would be surprised at how open the eastern end of Mordor is to a cavalry raiding force, after about turn 5. You may often hear requests to help versus 2715. Ignore them. There are 4 Free nations over there, your job is to control the plains. Stay out of the furniture if at all possible. If you are still alive and fighting at this point, you are going to have to react to the game as it develops.

Remember to watch out for DS agents in your capital and on your armies. Having to refuse challenge at almost every army battle pins your commanders down for a turn, making them easy targets. Hence the need for guards for your commanders. Beware the agent raid on your capital. Watching all of your characters die in your capital can cripple, if not bankrupt you. Move the capital as soon as you can, preferably well West of it's current position. And watch those Easterlings. If you can't convince him to commit immediately, he is probably trying to buy time to bring his forces north. Whether you live or die will often depend on who shoots first, you or him.

If you like a position that will be fighting tooth and claw from turn one, this is it. If you are looking for a nation that has powerful characters, lots of mages, and a safe haven to build from, try the Noldo. But if you want a challenge, and want to polish up on your army tactics, saddle up and lead the Eothraim into battle. You will have the fate of several nations hanging on your strategy and tactics, perhaps the fate of all of Middle Earth. And remember, no plan survives contact with the enemy.