Hello. I am new to SBG and think I am suitable for Gondor. I have skrimish forces for mini battles, including a Minas Tirith force with warriors, vets of Osgiliath, and Faramir + Damrod, Mordor orcs and Black Guards, Rohan warriors, guard, and Theodred, and Uruk scouts and Dundlendlings with Mahur (I have not organized them into warbands and such and I also have the Fellowship). These are just for people without their own figures, but not my main force. I am almost sure on Gondor, but with the new Hobbit additions, I was thinking of also maybe going over to either Elves or Dwarves, a mix of both old LotR and Hobbit ones. Between these three what is best?

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"Hey Echo!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Stop repeating every order!"
-Clone Cadets Echo and Droidbait

Hi there

To answer your question, there is simply no "best" force. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Dwarves for example have the highest defence values, good strength and fight values but suffer from poor movement and no cavalry. Elves have the best fight, courage and shooting values but suffer from defence and cost in points. Men are an all round force but suffer from mediocre fight and courage.

Now, the way I chose and started my own force was by simply picking an army I liked the aesthetic of. I encourage you to do the same. My forces include Galadhrim Elves and Rangers from the Grey Company list. I like the shape of the Elven armour and mysteriousness of the Rangers so I picked those. If you want to ally then use all three but start by picking the minis you like

What is best?

Simple.

To crush your enemies. To see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women!!! >.<

So I think I like Dwarves slightly better, but those palace guards of the elves are so darn cool. I think Minas Tirith and the Fiefdoms aren't as much me.

_________________
"Hey Echo!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Stop repeating every order!"
-Clone Cadets Echo and Droidbait

Sounds like you might be a power player, not having seen the new rules I would recommend that you bolster your Mordor forces.

The only problem with that is my friend is already evil. He won't tell me much about his forces, but I know he is quite ambitious and comes from a 40k backround. I wouldn't be surprised if he missed the point limit every game, as well. He will most likely field the Witch King.

_________________
"Hey Echo!"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Stop repeating every order!"
-Clone Cadets Echo and Droidbait

If you're new to the game, Gondor or Dwarves might be easier to start with. Dwarves are more forgiving in that if you make a mistake, sometimes their defense will save you. Their speed can be irritating though…it's hard to catch models armed with throwing weapons, or take objectives.

Gondor has a nice mix of good defense, some good elite units, and has the holy trinity of high-D infantry, lance-equipped cavalry, and good archers, but part of what makes Gondor playable even at low point levels is a nice choice of cheap heroes, letting you bring more warriors to the field.

Elves, especially wood elves, require more finesse, but can be rewarding to play once you learn. Check the tactics forum, there are many posts going back years on how to get the best out of them.