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Why do Uruk-hai Scouts have Orc Bows?
http://one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=31905
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Author:  General Elessar [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 1:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Why do Uruk-hai Scouts have Orc Bows?

I've always found it very irritating that the Uruk-hai Scouts have Orc Bows as a wargear option. In the books, the bows which they use are described more like longbows.


"There were four goblin-soldiers of greater stature, swart, slant-eyed, with thick legs and large hands. They were armed with short broad-bladed swords, not with the curved scimitars usual with Orcs: and they had bows of yew, in length and shape like the bows of Men." (The Two Towers, 'The Departure of Boromir')

"The hobbits were left with the Isengarders: a grim dark band, four score at least of large, swart, slant-eyed Orcs with great bows and short broad-bladed swords." (The Two Towers, 'The Uruk-hai')


Personally, I would love them to have longbows (i.e. Elf bows) as a wargear option (for 2pts), but they should definitely at least have normal bows. I know GW is never going to amend this, but I think it's the sort of thing the GBHL could implement in the future.

Thoughts? :)

Author:  Galanur [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 2:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why do Uruk-hai Scouts have Orc Bows?

Its a bit debatable....they wanted to give em orc bows cause primarly those were orc fashioned. Lotr doesn´t implement crossbows to the lore as the crossbow its something completly new introduced as part of a classical uruk hai wargear.

Apparently they wanted to give similarity to orcs on that matter, only making relevant the diference bettewn.^

- orc bow with the flexbilitiy and accurace of the uruk hai
- crossbow with the power and stability and lack of mobility of the uruk hai

SO they just sticked to it, if you actually gave em great bows (ex: S3 bows) I would admit you would see way more often uruk scouts, and perhaps even being more reliable than crossbows cause of the mobility. or least a 50/50 sharing rate which was fine with me.

To prevent such thing and I beleive that yes, uruk bows are more composite like bows than the orcs, the handler built could make this bows a bit more usefull like some ideas.


- make em like dwarf bows counterpart (S3 18")
- give em normal bow profile (S2 24") like man bow but with the melee properties as these bows can be used in combat

As part of special rules you could give em some properties, as the bows bladed edges could be ment for something like.

- models equipped with this bow can re-roll 1s when attempting to wound in close combat.
- or these composite bows got a more steady built and therefore the wearer will not suffer -1 penalty to the shooting value if he moved up to half of his movement distance and still can shoot.


The pics beneath will show you that all these bows share similarities...hence why thy prob gave em the regular orc bow profile...

http://chocolatebydeath.com/blog/wp-con ... ld/bow.jpg

http://landfantasy.free.fr/Figurines/Lo ... cherpf.jpg

Author:  Draugluin [ Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Why do Uruk-hai Scouts have Orc Bows?

It's just to prevent Isengard from being more deadly at range than they already are. They already have crossbows in faction and the scouts can move 8" with Mauhur. I assume it would be a bit unbalanced to have 8" moving scouts have 24" range.

Author:  LordoftheBrownRing [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 6:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Why do Uruk-hai Scouts have Orc Bows?

In addition the fact is the game takes a lot of stuff from the movies not the books.

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