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Beorning Chiefdom

The Chiefdom of the Beornings is centered on the narrow lands between the Anduin and the eaves of the Greenwood. Here the Woodmen have carved out simple steadings for themselves and their families, and have largely lived apart from the greater powers of the world.

Many geographical features come together near the Beornings' lands to both aid and complicate the player of this faction. Perhaps the most dominant feature is the Greenwood itself, a great belt of thick forest, impassible save for a few pathways linking the Beornings' settlements. (Only the Elves command more forested land.) This makes for a very effective barrier, and also provides many opportunities for a careful chieftain to lay ambushes for unwary invaders. On the other hand, the forest also isolates the Beornings' holdings from one another, making reinforcement difficult. In the early going, each settlement will have to be largely self-sufficient.

The Great River and its tributaries shield the Beornings to the west, with a few fords allowing for the passage of trade and armies. Farther west march the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, with only a single pass suitable for traffic into Eriador. To the north rise the Grey Mountains, and south and east of the Beornings' holdings spread the plains of Rhovanion.

Despite this apparent isolation, the Beorning Chiefdom has no lack of neighboring threats and opportunities. Orc-holds in the mountains threaten travel and may even threaten settlements, and several villages of wary independent folk can be found in the region, particularly south along the Anduin. In the north, Framsburg stands sentinel for the lord of Dale. Deep in the forests on both sides of the River can be found Elven settlements. And the Beornings' one settlement in the eastern eaves of the Greenwood looks out upon the plains of the newly-risen Kingdom of Rhovanion.

Two broad strategic options, then, present themselves: either to secure the nearby independent settlements and scour the lands of Orcs, or to expand by striking out against a major faction immediately.

In some ways, I find the Beornings' initial situation similar to that of the Welsh faction in the Viking Invasion expansion for Medieval: Total War - their lands are relatively easy to defend, but somewhat difficult to expand from. The units available to the Beornings reinforce this impression. Early forces are made up of Woodmen, armed with spears, axes, or bows, with only minimal cavalry. These men are well-suited to defending the uneven, wooded terrain of their homeland, but less used to open war upon the battlefield. Unless their great bows of yew can be brought to bear against enemy riders or melee infantry, it is likely that these units will cause great damage among the lightly-armed Woodmen.

At higher levels of development, Beorning settlements can train men who fight with the power and ferocity of their namesake. These large warriors, armed with great two-handed axes, are fearsome in the attack, and can decide the battle swiftly if their charge is well-timed. The Beornings' well-trained war hounds can lend even more aggression to the fight. But against larger factions capable of training well-armed professional warriors, the Beornings will need to use all of these tricks carefully if they hope to expand.

One of the most interesting things about playing the Beornings is that they occupy a position roughly in the center of the map, giving them an opportunity to observe the clash of factions all around them. Sometimes Adunabar will expand into the north, pushing into Rhovanion and threatening Beorning settlements. In other games, Rohan may sweep eastward across the Anduin. Or Dale may carve out a wide realm for itself, at the expense of other factions - or your own.

Of course, you may be swept up into this conflict sooner rather than later. Or you may choose to remain insular, quietly pushing back the wild men and Orcs on your borders, only to enter the larger fray once your homelands are secure. For the player of the Beornings, a good deal of the fun will come from choosing exactly when and where to weigh in in the wars that plague Middle-earth.