The

Green Dragon Podcast

Tactical Dictionary

“You got ‘Burnout’ wrong.”

- Kylie

“Rolling sixes is not a skill but a state of mind.”

- Henry

“Love it (unspecified author), well written and hilarious. Some useful ones too, which is always a plus.”
- Matt

“Fix the font size on ‘Horns of the Bull’.”

- Danny

“ ”
- Jeremy

Presented By The Green Dragon Podcast

The Green Dragon Podcast Tactical Dictionary
Version 1.3
Approved for release 16/10/2018

Issued in Australia for Local and International Use 1

Special thanks to Scott ‘the legend’ for ongoing use of the GDP logo.

Under no circumstances swallow this document.

1
Excluding all regions where circulation is prohibited by international treaty.

GDP Tactical Dictionary ii

Foreword
Welcome to the Green Dragon Podcast Tactical Dictionary, your more or less comprehensive
guide to tactical game play in the Lord of the Rings, Hobbit or Middle Earth Strategy Battle
Games.

If you have acquired this document then your first question is an undoubtable ‘why?’. Why
would a group produce such a document? What could inspire madness of this calibre? Well
our reasoning is twofold.

The primary purpose of this document is to aid communication and reduce misunderstanding
in tactical discussion. In fact it is recommended that any true student of the higher tactical
game would have a copy of this document on hand at all times, whether reviewing old
episodes of the GDP or conversing with opponents between rounds at a tournament. This
should not only enable you to more easily follow the technical jargon that is commonly used
in the community, but also give you something to pass the time during the musical interludes
that occur during most episodes. Having this information set down in a written document
should also help to standardise the war gaming accent and prevent the development of regional
dialects and ‘slang’.

The secondary purpose of this document is to generate tactical discussion and facilitate
‘Theory SBG’. So take a look through the tactics listed here and see if there are any that you
can add to your Tactical Tool Box. Note, not all the tactics listed here are good tactics, in fact
many tactics are neither good tactics nor bad tactics, they are simply tactics and their goodness
or badness will be determined by the player in question.

While this is undoubtedly an exhaustive list of all possible tactical options available to a
player, it is possible that it could be more exhaustive than it currently is. To this end if you
can think of a tactic that you don’t see listed, then draw up a diagram and send it in. Your
contribution will be assessed by our impartial reviewers and may or may not be included in
the second print run.
- David.

GDP Tactical Dictionary iii

Activation Control - Assassination
Activation Control
1) Activation Control is the ability to control or
influence your opponent’s Position through the use
of your own Position. This can frequently be
achieved through the presence of concentrated
ranged units (see Ranged Area Denial) or by
stacking one side of the battlefield with your most
dangerous troops (see Refused Flank).
2) Activation Control is the ability to control or
influence your opponent’s Position through the use
of Misdirection, Deception, Mind Games and or
other trickery.
Actual Priority
The Actual Priority is the name for the state of
affairs in which both sides intend to use heroic
actions. Correct recognition of an upcoming Actual
Priority will allow you to Position your force to
provide maximum Resource Management
efficiency and maintain Tempo.
Air Superiority
Air Superiority is the happy state of affairs that
occurs when one player has a significant advantage
in mobility. This is frequently achieved using fliers
but cavalry and high move infantry can also be
involved.
Air Supremacy
Air Supremacy is the extension of the mobility
advantage offered by Air Superiority to such a
point that the opponent is powerless to engage your
force. A player with Air Supremacy can easily
control the Initiative of the game and play at the
Position and Tempo of their choosing.
Ambush
The Ambush is an offensive Position tactic that can
be used in Maelstrom of Battle style deployment.
In this tactic your warbands are deployed either
side of the target enemy formation to achieve an
instant Pincer Movement.
Anti Shade Stratagem #1
The Anti Shade Stratagem #1 is an offensive tactic
that is used to counter the Death Ball tactic that is
commonly favoured by shades, shaman and other
Double Bubble style armies. This tactic takes
advantage of the Death Ball’s limited Position
options and restricted Tempo to outmanoeuvre the
enemy and destroy any portion of the opposing
army that leaves the protection of the Double
Bubble. This tactic is frequently summarised by the
phrase “just fight where the shade isn’t”.
Anti Shade Stratagem #2
The Anti Shade Stratagem #2 is an offensive
Tempo tactic that is used to counter the Death Ball
tactic that is commonly favoured by shades,
shaman and other Double Bubble style armies.
GDP Tactical Dictionary
This is achieved by using powerful heroes to
swiftly cut their way through to the critical
components of the enemy army and remove it
before it can overly influence the progression of the
game. See Shock and Awe.
Anti Shade Stratagem #3
The Anti Shade Stratagem #3 is an offensive tactic
that is used to counter the Death Ball tactic that is
commonly favoured by shades, shaman and other
Double Bubble style armies. This is achieved
through the application of overlapping area of
effect damage sources that can take advantage of
the Death Ball’s high Unit Density. See the Death
Wave tactic.
Anti Flier Guard
The Anti Flier Guard is a defensive Position tactic
in which areas that have been deemed vulnerable
to Assault from the Air are denied to the enemy.
This is done by liberally spreading models two or
three deep across the critical area so that the base
of the enemy flier cannot physically be placed. The
Anti Flier Guard is most commonly deployed
behind Fortified Lines, Shield Walls or
surrounding valuable support pieces, big heroes
and or objectives.
Anvil
The Anvil is the name applied to a static defensive
formation that is used to disrupt the opponent’s
Tempo. This is achieved by placing a defensive
formation in a Position where the enemy must
break through the formation before it can achieve
its own plans. This restricts the movement of
enemy Resources and reduces the opponent’s
Tempo. The Anvil strategy is frequently used to
buy Tempo for other strategies such as the
Hammer. See the Hamer and Anvil.
Apparent Focus
Apparent Focus is a Psychological Warfare and
Deception tactic in which one player seeks to draw
the opponent’s attention towards an irrelevant
section of the battlefield and leave them blind to all
else that moves. To achieve this a player must
convince their opponent that their own focus is
direct towards the Decoy location or model. This
can be done through the use of careful and
deliberate measurement and by asking highly
specific questions that are disguised as general
clarifications (such as “hey would you say these
models are within 3”, just hypothetically?”). This
tactic is normally always combined with the
Hidden in Plain Sight tactic to form a combined
Deception no Deception strategy.
Assassination
Assassination is an offensive Resource
Management tactic that relies upon reducing the
2

enemy’s available resources by killing key
characters. A proper Assassination normally
involves isolating the target first (either through
magic or Baiting) to allow overwhelming force to
be brought to bear (see Macro Trap), but this is not
always necessary.
Assassination Run
The Assassination Run is an offensive Position
tactic that utilises the Assassination tactic at a
range beyond which the opponent though likely.
This is traditionally done by either extending the
movement of your assassinating heroes through
heroic combats or other trickery or by convincing
the target to unwittingly move closer through the
use of magic, Baiting or using Deception to
mislead your opponent as to your army’s true
Tempo.
Attrition
Attrition is an offensive or defensive Resource
Management strategy in which one player directly
matches their opponent’s tactic but with greater
Resources. This tactic accepts that the enemy will
inflict proportional damage upon your Resources
and should only be used in situations where you
have a clear advantage in all of the Relevant
Resources.
Avoidance
Avoidance is a Position and Tempo playstyle that
attempts to use an army with superior
manoeuvrability to mitigate an opponent’s
advantage in combat by indefinitely avoiding
combat. If done correctly an Avoidance playstyle
can provide a player with potentially infinite
rounds of shooting with which to apply the
Whittling tactic. See Anti Shade Stratagem #1,
Kiting and the Crescent Moon Formation. Care
should be taken before applying an Avoidance
playstyle in the face of significant enemy shooting
assets.
Avoidance Bubble
The Avoidance Bubble is a defensive Position
tactic for countering large heroes with restricted
movement. See the Halo Formation.
Baiting
1) Baiting is an offensive Resource Management
and Position tactic in which a portion of your
army’s Resources are sacrificed to lure a greater
portion of the enemy’s Resources into a Position
where they can be dealt with. This tactic is
traditionally used as a setup for a second, more
aggressive tactic such as an Assassination Run, the
Jaws of Victory or the dreaded Donut of Death.
2) Baiting is a defensive Position and Tempo tactic
used to either delay slow moving enemy heroes or
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Assassination Run - Bodyguard Duty
distract enemy heroes with a compulsion to charge.
See the Halo Array.
Bait and Switch
The Bait and Switch is a further refinement of the
Baiting tactic in which provision is made to rescue
the bait before it can be slain. This can be done by
either using bait that is tougher than it looks,
withdrawing the bait through the use of heroic
combats or suchlike or by reinforcing the bait faster
than your opponent though likely.
Big Hero Burnout
1) The Big Hero Burnout is a defensive Resource
Management tactic directed against a single enemy
character of exceptional power. This is done
through the focused application of the Burnout
tactic to reduce the hero’s Heroic Resources.
2) The Big Hero Burnout is an offensive Resource
Management tactic that uses a single powerful hero
to rapidly inflict damage upon the enemy’s
Resources. This is a more focused application of
the Shock an Awe tactic.
Blaze of Glory
The Blaze of Glory is the term that is applied to the
situation in which one player suffers a stunning,
crushing, even humiliating defeat in the final round
of a competitive series of linked games
(tournament) but still achieves a podium placing.
This doesn’t happen frequently, but when it does it
is glorious.
Blunting
1) Blunting is a defensive Resource Management
and Position tactic which is used to mitigate the
effect of a powerful enemy hero. This is done by
placing a highly survivable model or series of
models in the path of the enemy hero. See Burnout.
2) Blunting is a defensive Position tactic in which
the defending army chooses a Position that will
hopefully reduce early casualties. This can be
achieved through use of terrain against cavalry,
line of sight obstructions against shooting and or
positioning models to place the correct defence
values against the correct strength values.
3) Blunting is a defensive Resource Management
tactic in which a magic user is tasked with reducing
the damage output of an enemy character. See
Shutdown.
Bodyguard Duty
Bodyguard Duty is a defensive Position tactic that
utilises an adapted form of the Buddy System to
protect a powerful hero from Assassination. In this
situation a moderate to powerful hero is assigned
to accompany the powerful hero. In addition to the
regular benefits of the Buddy System, should the
powerful hero be threatened by assassination the
hero on Bodyguard Duty will attempt to heroic
3
Bolging - Circling the Wagons
combat into the Assassination combat to contribute
extra attacks or remove key enemy models through
Pealing Combats.
Bolging
1) Bolging is an offensive and defensive counter
tactic that seeks to solve a problem through the
application of Bolg. Preferably on warg.
2) Bolging is a cunning offensive Resource
Management and Psychological Warfare tactic in
which the enemy is forced to make difficult
Resource Management choices. This is done by
charging a large, powerful hero (preferably Bolg
on warg) into a model next to a slightly less
powerful enemy hero who has the option to call a
heroic strike and then calling a heroic combat. At
this point the enemy hero can chose to call a heroic
strike. If they do so then the Bolging hero will
simply charge someone else and the might point is
wasted. If they do not call the strike then the
Bolging hero will charge and slay them in which
case all of the hero’s remaining Heroic Resources
are wasted. Regardless of which choice the
opponent makes your subsequent actions will
demonstrate that their choice was wrong, thereby
providing you with the Perceived Confidence
Advantage.
Bradbury
1) The Bradbury is a desperate counter tactic in
which a player adopts a strategy that relies upon
their opponent’s misfortune to achieve victory.
This is frequently seen in situations where one
player is narrowly lacking the Resources to adopt
a desired tactic but they chose to attempt the
strategy in the hope that fortune will favour the
brave.
2) A Bradbury is the term that is used to refer to a
player that through luck, chance and bizarre
occurrences finds themselves competing in a tier
above their inherent skill level during a
competitive series of linked games (tournaments).
This can sometimes be caused by strength of
schedule.
Breakthrough
Breakthrough is an offensive Position and Tempo
tactic in which one player seeks to overcome an
enemy formation by cutting a hole through the
middle of it. This tactic relies upon the theory that
most formations are established with a facing in
which they are most combat efficient. Since
achieving Encirclement against such formations
takes turns that are not always available, the
Breakthrough tactic achieves a similar result by
cutting the enemy formation in half and
surrounding them from the inside.
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Buddy System
The Buddy System is a Resource Management
tactic in which one player attempts to optimise the
use of their Heroic Resources. This is done by
parring your expensive combat heroes with smaller
characters that can call marches and moves that
anyone can call successfully, thereby saving the
big hero’s might for the big heroic combats that
only they can call. Sometimes moderate to large
heroes can be assigned to accompany large heroes,
see Bodyguard Duty.
Burnout
1) Burnout (also known as Shock and Awe, Big
Hero Burnout or Heroic Slaughter) is a Resource
Management tactic that focuses upon accelerating
the Tempo of the game beyond the point at which
the enemy can redeploy in response to the changing
situation. This is achieved by rapidly spending
Heroic Resources to inflict maximum damage
upon the enemy in minimum time. This tactic is
particularly favoured by armies with multiple
mounted combat heroes.
2) Burnout (also known as Big Hero Burnout) is a
defensive Resource Management tactic that can be
used to mitigate the effect of powerful enemy
characters that cannot be killed in a resource
efficient manner. This is achieved by placing the
offending hero into positions in which they will be
encourage to spend their Heroic Resources without
inflicting critical damage upon your list. Once the
enemy’s Heroic Resources have been deplete they
can be safely handled by your characters. This is
frequently achieved by either applying low cost
threats, such as lance or stun wielding warriors, or
by dropping a captain with shield in front of the
character (also known as Blunting). Burnout can be
applied against single characters or against the
enemy’s characters in general.
Burying
Burying is an offensive Resource Management and
Tempo tactic that is used to limit the influence that
an enemy character can have upon the wider
strategic game. This is achieved by sending
overwhelming numbers of expendable troops to
surround and inconvenience the hero. Burying is
Similar to Flooding but it is applied to characters
rather than locations.
Catch 22
Catch 22 is a Mind Game tactic in which one player
presents their opponent with a decision in which all
of the available alternatives will prove to be the
wrong choice. See Double Blind.
Circling the Wagons
Circling the Wagons is a defensive Position tactic
that is used to mitigate a crushing numerical
4
 Changing Horsemen - Crescent Moon Encirclement
inferiority in situations where Tempo is not
required. See the Halo Defence.
Changing Horsemen
Changing Horsemen (or to give it its full name,
Changing Horsemen mid apocalypse) is a
defensive mistake that frequently occurs when a
player miss reads the opponent’s Tempo while
trying to adjust their Position as part of the Tempo
Change or Reform the Line tactics. In this situation
the player is panicked by a new development and
attempts to adjust their Position without
considering the number of turns that are required
to Reform the Line. This mistake results in the
defending player being caught between Positions
leaving them unable to effect either strategy. This
frequently occurs when an inexperienced player is
faced with an opponent that possessed the
Perceived Confidence Advantage and who is
employing a strategy that is not within their
Tactical Tool Box. This situation can be avoided
by carefully considering the relative Tempo of both
forces.
Charging the Dice
Charging the Dice is the technical term for
attempting to manipulate a dice roll by appealing
to powers greater than that of simple chance.
Common examples include appeals to theme
(shouting “come on, you’re Aragorn, you will not
die to one little goblin”), aesthetics (choosing dice
of the correct colour), fate (“look, this will work, I
can feel it”), tradition (“this is my lucky captain, he
never lets me down”) or beer (“well looks like I’m
losing, better have more beer”). Other players
prefer to use more physical means of manipulation
and this can take the form banging the dice on the
table to wake them up before rolling, rolling the
dice off the table a few times to sneak in a few
practice rolls and or rolling as many dice as
possible at the same time since even dice need the
positive reinforcement provided by their friends.
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade is an offensive
Tempo strategy in which one player attempts to
mitigate the effect of a vastly superior shooting
force on a board with no meaningful terrain and an
objective that requires them to close with the
enemy. This is done by rushing at maximum speed
in a straight line directly towards the enemy. This
will minimise the number of turns in which the
opponent will be able to utilise their shooting
advantage.
Collapsing Crescent Moon
The Collapsing Crescent Moon is a transitional
defensive Position tactic that is used when the
enemy’s numerical superiority has proven two vast
to be handled by the Inversed Crescent Moon
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Formation. In this case, as the enemy attempts an
encirclement of your formation, the swept wings of
the Inversed Crescent Moon are drawn further back
until the two extreme tips meet, thereby forming a
defensive circle. See the Halo Defence.
Counter Attack
1) The Counter Attack is an attempt to recover
control of a game after the enemy has achieved
superior Position, Tempo and has firm control over
the Perceived Confidence Advantage and the
Initiative of play. This is most frequently done by
gathering whatever resources you have left and
throwing them against the enemy in the vague hope
that something will happen.
2) The Counter Attack is a devastating offensive
Position, Tempo, Psychological Warfare, Resource
Management and Perceived Confidence
Advantage tactic that can be used in situations
where the opponent has reason to doubt the
competence of the commanding general. This is
achieved by convincing the opponent that they are
firmly in control of the game without sacrificing
your position, Tempo or too many of your
Resources. Once this has been achieved you can
lure your over confident opponent into over
extending their lines and leaving critical areas of
their formation lightly defended. At this point your
Counter Attack can slice through these lightly
defended areas and inflict massive damage upon
your unsuspecting enemy. This tactic requires a
detailed understanding of the principles of
Deception no Deception and can be considered
Baiting or Misdirection on a grand scale.
Counter Charge
1) The Counter Charge is a defensive Position
tactic in which Resources are placed to discourage
an attack upon a nearby formation. This is done by
ensuring that the Counter Charge is in Position to
Encircle or otherwise inconvenience any enemy
force that charges your primary formation.
2) The Counter Charge is an anti-cavalry tactic that
seeks to reduce the combat effectiveness of the
opponent’s mounted resources. This is done by
holding your own cavalry in reserve to counter any
attack from the enemy cavalry by charging them.
Crash and Burn
The Crash and Burn is the term that is applied to
the situation in which a player that had previously
been doing well suffers a sever defeat that prevents
them from achieving a podium during a
competitive series of linked games (tournament).
This is frequently linked to Energy Reserve
Management or Day Two Fade.
Crescent Moon Encirclement
The Crescent Moon Encirclement is an offensive
Position tactic that represents the final stage of the
5
Crescent Moon Formation - Deception no Deception
offensive use of the Crescent Moon Formation. See
the Crescent Moon Formation.
Crescent Moon Formation
The Crescent Moon Formation is a Position tactic
that can be used either offensively or defensively
by armies with a significant shooting advantage.
To do this the army adopting this formation will
deploy in a concave crescent formation with the
wings extended toward the opponent. When used
offensively the army will use their shooting, the
terrain and the relative position of the armies
during deployment to bring the enemy into the
centre of the crescent so that the wings can
envelope and trap the attacker in an Encirclement
(also known as Crescent Moon Encirclement).
When used defensively the army deploys in the
same manner but instead of encircling, the wings
and centre pull back when threatened to avoid
combat while the rest of the crescent pours fire into
the enemy’s exposed flanks. See Avoidance. Both
the offensive and defensive elements of this tactic
are particularly effective against Death Ball
formations.
Damage Mitigation
1) Damage Mitigation is a counter tactic in which
a player accepts that they are unable to win a game
and instead adjust their strategy to maximise the
points that they can still achieve. This is
traditionally done as part of a competitive series of
linked games (tournaments) in an attempt to
salvage some points from an otherwise lost game.
2) Damage Mitigation is a defensive counter tactic
in which one player determines that they are unable
to fully counter their opponent’s tactic given the
Resources that they have available. In this situation
the player instead choses to mitigate the enemy’s
tactic and improve the exchange of Relevant
Resources. See Blunting.
Day Two Fade
The Day Two Fade is a Energy Reserve
Management mistake in which a player
overestimates the energy boasting potential of a
single night’s sleep at a multiple day competitive
gaming event and finds themselves forced to play
the second day while Running on Empty. This can
sometimes be mitigated through the use of various
consumables.
Death Ball
The Death Ball is an offensive Position tactic that
is favoured by armies that loose effectiveness when
spread out. To this end the Death Ball tactic
involves gathering all of your strength into a single
mighty formation and throwing it straight into the
opponent’s teeth. Due to the limited manoeuvring
options available to such a large concentration of
troops the Death Ball is prone to being out
GDP Tactical Dictionary
manoeuvred by its more agile opponents. This
tactic is normally favoured by army’s using the
Double Bubble style of force construction as the
high Unit Density of the formation allows for
greater overlap of the relevant radiuses, but it can
also be used by pike blocks or particularly cautious
opponents.
Death by a Thousand Cuts
The Death by a Thousand Cuts is an offensive
strategy that depletes enemy Resources through the
repeat application of individually insignificant
losses. This is most frequently used by Avoidance
armies that can use their superior mobility to
control the Initiative and Tempo of the game and
provide a large to indefinite number of turns for its
shooting units to gradually reduce the enemy’s
Resources. The Death by a Thousand Cuts can be
considered an army wide application of the
Whittling tactic.
Death Wave
The Death Wave is an offensive army selection,
Resources and Tempo tactic that involves the use
of multiple sources of area effect damage that can
remove enemy Resources with a minimum of
interaction with your enemy. A well-executed
Death Wave will leave the opponents army
devastated without allowing the opponent to roll
dice or otherwise influence their fate. Examples
included Mumakil, targeting warriors with
channelled area effect magic and or massed camel
damage.
Deception
Deception is the basic principle of Psychological
Warfare. The term Deception can be used to
describe any activity that has the intention of
convincing your enemy that your intentions are
different than they are. This can be done by moving
surplus resources into nonsensical positions,
careful measuring irrelevant distances, asking
detailed questions about terrain features that you
have no intention of entering or making idle
comments that would suggest that you are more or
less aggressive than you actually feel.
Deception no Deception
The principle of Deception no Deception is the key
to maximising the effect of the Deception element
of the Psychological Warfare strategy. This
maximisation is based upon the understanding of
the limits of the Deception strategy in any given
situation. This is because if you always apply the
same Deception tactic your adversary will
eventually catch on. However if you vary your
Deception tactics then your opponent’s belief that
they have seen through your Deception can be used
to further disguise your intent. In a properly
managed Deception no Deception strategy the
6

opponent should never be sure if what they see is
real or if it is merely what you wish them to see. If
you hear the phrase, “but what if they know that I
know that they have determined that I suspect
that…” then the Deception no Deception plan has
succeeded.
Decision Management
Decision Management is the meta strategy that
refers to the process by which a player selects the
strategies and tactics that they will apply to a given
situation. This can be competitively focused (see
Objective Based Strategy), theme based (see
WWGD) or influenced by personal bias (see
Standard Combat Procedure). Gaining insight into
an opponent’s Decision Management process is a
vital part of the Deep Deception Tactic.
Decoy
The Decoy is a Resource Management or
Psychological Warfare tactic that is used to divert
enemy Resources away from critical locations or
venerable Resources. To achieve this the player
uses the principle of Misdirection by sending
portions of their force to secure multiple
objectives, some real, some imagined. Your
opponent must then identify which detachments
are pursuing true objectives before they can plan
their response or they risk diverting their
Resources in the pursuit of your Decoy forces. In
some situations a Decoy force can be sent in
pursuit of a real objective so that even if the enemy
realises that you intend the move as a Decoy, they
must still respond in force.
Deep Deception
The Deep Deception is an additional layer to the
Deception no Deception principle in Psychological
Warfare. The Deep Deception operates by
identifying your opponent’s existing prejudices
and their favoured strategies and counter strategies
(see Decision Management) and adopting a
Deception that presents the opponent with a
situation in which they are shown what they wish
to see in such a manner that they choose to do that
which they already wish to do. By presenting a
Deception that is consistent with your opponent’s
beliefs you reduce the chances off the opponent
identifying the Deception before it is too late.
Defeat in Detail
Defeat in Detail is an offensive Position and
Resource Management tactic that attempts to bring
localised overwhelming force to bear against
successive elements of a dispersed enemy. To
successfully apply this tactic requires the enemy
commander to split their force either by choice or
necessity. Once this division occurs the player
must seize the Initiative by concentrating their
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Decision Management - Doorway Manoeuvre
Resources against smaller pockets of the enemy’s
Resources.
Digging In
Digging In the term for the defensive Position
decision in which a defending commander choses
to attempt to hold a critical area of the battlefield
against a superior enemy assault. If a commander
choses this approach they will maximise the
defensive use of terrain and then wait for one of
three occurrences, either the game will end (see
Glorious Last Stand), the position will be
reinforced or the enemy will be forced to redeploy
their Resources to respond to other developments.
If none of these events occur the defending
Resources must be eventually withdrawn or they
will be lost.
Dog Piling
Dog Piling is an offensive Position tactic where
one player attempts to remove an isolated enemy
asset through the application of overwhelming
force. See the Macro Trap.
Donut of Death
The Donut of Death is an offensive Position tactic
that focuses upon manipulating enemy movement
to trap a portion of the enemy’s Resources. See the
Halo Trap.
Doom Box
The Doom Box is and offensive Position tactic that
can be used by a numerically superior force that is
faced by a concentrated and aggressive enemy
force (such as a Death Ball). This is done by
assuming a Position with an apparently vulnerable
centre portion. As the enemy advances upon this
perceived weakness the centre withdraws and the
two flanks of your force push forward and wheel to
catch the enemy in a three sided trap. An additional
force is frequently used to complete the
Encirclement and form the Ring of Death. See
Sealing the Doom Box. This tactic is a more ridged
variant of the Crescent Moon Encirclement.
Doorway Manoeuvre
The Doorway Manoeuvre is an offensive Position
strategy that can be used by shooting armies to lure
an enemy out of cover using Deception. This is
achieved by advancing with the combat portions of
the army while the ranged component remains
stationary in such a way that your own army
restricts your own arcs of fire. The enemy will see
that your army is split and will hopefully seize the
opportunity to isolate your combat resources and
apply the principles of Defeat in Detail. Once the
enemy has left cover open a gap in your lines and
pull back to where the archers are waiting. The
enemy is then forced to pursue while your
stationary archers fire through the gap.
7
Double Blind - Flanking
Double Blind
The Double Blind (also called Catch 22) is a Mind
Game tactic in which one player presents their
opponent with a decision in which all of the
available alternatives will prove to be the wrong
choice. This situation will undermine the
opponent’s confidence and help secure the
Perceived Confidence Advantage. An example of
this situation would be the inclusion of a sorcerous
blast in a shooting army when facing mounted
heroes. If the enemy hero leads the charge then you
employ the Halo Tactic. If the mounted hero adopts
the Wait and See then you blast their own models
into their hero.
Double Bubble
The Double Bubble is an army selection and
Position strategy that utilises overlapping area of
effect modifiers to achieve a compounding benefit.
This strategy is frequently built around an initial
aura model such as the shade or Malbeth the Seer
with additional auras chosen to enhance the initial
effect, such as shooting mitigation, shaman and
banners. Double Bubble army lists frequently
favour high Unit Density tactics, such as the Death
Ball, to ensure that a maximum portion of the
army’s Resources can benefit from the auras.
Encirclement
Encirclement is a generic name for a range of
offensive Position strategies in which the enemy’s
Resources are surrounded by your own. See
Crescent Moon Encirclement, Doom Box and Hit
and Wrap.
Energy Reserve
A player’s Energy Reserve represents their
physical and mental ability to continue playing the
game with their usual level of strategic insight and
Decision Management. Over the course of multiple
games, potentially over multiple days, correct
Energy Reserve Management becomes a vital
element of the Meta Game. The Energy Reserve is
a Resource.
Energy Reserve Management
Energy Reserve Management is one of the key
strategic principles when attending a multi game or
multi day gaming event. By remaining aware of the
necessity of spending their Energy Reserve wisely
a player can mitigate or avoid Day Two Fade or
Running on Empty.
Erratic Fist
The Erratic Fist is a Decision Management strategy
that seeks to avoid the appearance of predictability
through the introduction of a random element into
the process. To do this a player identifies several
options available to them and randomly selects
one. The intention with this strategy is that your
GDP Tactical Dictionary
opponent cannot predict your strategy if even you
don’t know what it is.
Fabled Movement Trick
The Fabled movement Trick is an offensive
Position and Tempo strategy that uses Deception to
move forward by moving backwards. See the Zen
of Movement.
Fighter Escorts
Fighter Escorts is the technical name for a small
group of fast moving troops sent to accompany a
Strategic Raid. The purpose of Fighter Escorts is to
run interference for the main raid, intercepting
control zones, Pealing Combats and providing ‘in
the ways’ for shooting.
Fire Nest
The Fire Nest is a Position tactic in which archery
units are deployed in an area with good cover and
arcs of fire. This is done to minimise the loss of
effectiveness that archers suffer when moving and
shooting. This is commonly used with the Ranged
Area Denial strategy.
Fix Bayonets
Fix Bayonets is a Tempo Change tactic in which a
player with a formation that had previously applied
Hunkering Down or Fortified Line tactics is forced
to break cover and close with the enemy. This
occurs in situations where the Tempo of the game
is such that the defending player can no longer win
while remaining stationary and must leave their
terrain feature. This is done by moving out of cover
and rushing directly towards the enemy at
maximum speed.
Flack Fire
The tactic of Flack Fire is a desperate offensive
Tempo tactic that can be used by a player on the
receiving end of a mounted attack that enjoys either
Air Superiority or Air Supremacy. In this tactic the
slower army uses their ranged troops to try and
dismount a portion of the enemy army (similar to
the Halo Tactic) so that it can now be caught by the
slower ground troops. Once the enemy is
dismounted the mobile army is forced to either
leave the unfortunate model to its fate or make a
stand when or if the slower army succeeds in bring
the dismounted model to combat.
Flanking
Flanking is an offensive Position tactic that seeks
to overcome the strongest portion of an enemy
Position by attacking from a weaker direction. This
is achieved by moving around the enemy formation
until a less imposing avenue of attack can be found.
This may require the use of Deception or Hamer
and Anvil tactics to encourage the enemy force to
stay in position while the Flanking units reach the
8

correct Position. This tactic is most commonly
used against Shield Walls, defended obstacles, and
other formation with a clear intended facing.
Flash Kill
The Flash Kill is a Resource Management tactic
that seeks to reduce the effect of the enemy’s
Heroic Resources upon the developing game. This
is done by identify the key heroes that are carrying
the Heroic Resources and killing them before they
can impact the game. A proper Flash Kill should
remove a hero that was at full stats at the beginning
of the phase, though the term can sometimes be
applied to the death of mostly fresh heroes.
Flat Lining
1) Flat Lining is the term applied to the unenviable
situation in which a player finds themselves facing
the prospect of scoring zero points in a game. This
can occur through poor fortune or incorrect
strategy selection. A player who is Flat Lining has
a choice between initiating Damage Mitigation
strategies or attempting a Full Bradbury.
2) Flat Lining is the term applied to the situation in
which a player has scored no points after several
rounds of a competitive series of linked games
(tournaments). At this stage the Player must decide
whether they wish to employ the Matt
Sportsmanship Manoeuvre or try for the Full
Bradbury.
Flooding
Flooding is an offensive Position tactic that is used
to secure control of vital areas of the battle field
that the enemy is attempting to contest. This is
achieved by applying overwhelming numbers to
the desired position. Flooding is similar to Burying
but it is applied to a location rather than a
miniature.
Flying V Formation
The Flying V Formation is the offensive use of the
usually defensive Inversed Crescent Moon
Formation. In this formation a player places their
high powered combat Resources forward and
moves rapidly toward the enemy. The rest of the
army is placed upon the flanks of this centre thrust,
deployed in a swept back manner normally
associated with the Inversed Crescent Moon
formation, to cover the flanks of the initial point of
contact and be present to exploit any breaks that
form in the enemy line.
Fortified Line
The Fortified Line is a defensive Position
stratagem that involves forming a Shield Wall in or
around an already defensive terrain feature, such as
a hedge, obstacle or ruin. The use of defensive
terrain greatly increases the staying power of the
Fortified Line beyond that of the regular Shield
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Flash Kill - Going Dark
Wall and as such a Fortified Line cannot normally
be broken without disproportional Resource
expenditure. The weakness of the Fortified Line is
that it is a stationary Position that therefore
completely surrenders the Initiative of the game to
the opposition and is vulnerable to Flanking and
Encirclement tactics.
Forward Observers
Forward Observers is the name given to the initial
warband drops that are positioned early in the
deployment phase to observe and report upon the
enemy’s deployment. Correct use of reliable
Forward Observers can provide a significant
Position advantage.
Full Bradbury
1) The Full Bradbury is a tactic of desperation in
which a player with a significant disadvantage in
Resources, Tempo, Position and victory points
carries on in the hope that fortune will cripple their
opponent. Examples can included hopping wizards
will fail courage tests or that significant portions of
the enemy force will drown. To achieve the Full
Bradbury the losing player must Position their
army in such a way that it can take advantage of
this hoped for misfortune. Due to the exposed
Position required to adopt this low probability of
success tactic, this tactic frequently ends with the
losing player in an even worse situation.
2) The Full Bradbury is a tactic of desperation in
which a player realises that, during the course of a
competitive series of linked games (tournaments),
that they are no longer in traditional contention
range for the podium. In this situation the player
refuses to back down and carries on in the hope that
the players above them will wipe each other out in
a series of nil all draws, rage quite due to
sportsmanship issues, fail to return from lunch or
fall victim to Day Two Fade.
Glorious Last Stand
The Glorious Last Stand is an offensive Position
and Tempo tactic that utilises the Last Stand tactic
to end the game after one player has secured
several objectives but before the enemy can mount
an effective effort to reclaim them. This tactic is
generally employed in situations where one player
if faced with a severe disadvantage in terms of
Relevant Resources and are therefore unable to
defend their objectives using conventional tactics.
See Digging In.
Going Dark
Going Dark is a Position and Psychological
Warfare tactic in which one player utilises gaps in
the opposing player’s arc of vision to generate
uncertainty surrounding the exact Position of their
Resources. This is done by moving into areas
where the opponent’s line of sight is obscured by
9
Halo Array - Heroic Slaughter
intervening terrain. Ideally the opponent should be
left unsure if this obstruction was intentional, and
thereby part of a cunning plan, or if is simply a
coincidence and you never realised that you had
enter their blind spot. This doubt will hinder your
opponent’s ability to plan strategically and the
relief at seeing the formation later emerge from the
blind spot can be leveraged by tactics such as
Perceived Confidence Advantage and Shadow
Force. This tactic is only effective against seated
opponents.
Halo Array
The Halo Array (also known as Seeding Decoys or
Baiting) is a defensive Position tactic that is used
to manage either slow moving enemy heroes or
enemy heroes with a compulsion to charge. This
tactic consist of deploying the Halo Formation with
the following exception. One model remains
within the enemy’s charge range to present the
opponent with a choice. They can either not reach
combat this turn or they can charge in the direction
of your choosing (further weakening the army’s
Position and Tempo).
Halo Defence
The Halo Defence (also known as Circling the
Wagons) is a defensive Position tactic that is used
for mitigating crushing numerical inferiority in
situations where Tempo is not required. This tactic
consist of forming your models into a ring shape
with spears, banners and support pieces on the
inside of the ring and the enemy on the outside. See
Collapsing Crescent moon.
Halo Formation
The Halo Formation (also known as the Avoidance
Bubble) is a defensive Position tactic that is used
for countering large heroes with restricted
movement. This tactic consist of keeping as much
of your army as possible outside the enemy hero’s
charge range. The enemy cannot kill what they
cannot catch.
Halo Tactic
The Halo Tactic (also known as the Spray and
Pray) is a defensive Tempo management tactic that
is used for mitigating the effect of large mounted
heroes. This tactic consist of pointing every
available bow, throwing spear, rock or other
ranged weapon at said hero and hoping something
succeeds in removing the hero’s steed. This loss
will reduce the hero’s speed and damage output
and in turn damage the opponent’s Tempo.
Halo Trap
The Halo Trap (also known as the Donut of Death)
is an offensive Position tactic that focuses upon
manipulating enemy movement. This tactic consist
of leaving a seemingly vulnerable section of your
GDP Tactical Dictionary
army in a seemingly exposed position. When the
enemy attempts to surround this bait, the rest of
your army surrounds them in an Encirclement
manoeuvre. At which point you have them
surrounded from both the inside and outside. See
Baiting and Activation Control.
Hammer
The Hammer formation is the name applied to the
offensive portion of a player’s army that is
intended to provide the majority of the army’s
damage output. This term is normally applied only
when the offensive and defensive components of
the army are deployed separately. See Hammer and
Anvil.
Hammer and Anvil
The Hammer and Anvil is a two part offensive
Position, Resource Management and Tempo tactic
that is used to manipulate the enemy’s Position and
prior to the main combats. This is done through the
use of an Anvil formation to pin the enemy’s
Resources in place while a Hammer formation
manoeuvres to exploit any vulnerabilities in their
Position.
Henry Kerr
The Henry Kerr is a counter strategy that can be
deployed against almost any tactic and can be used
to recover from most initial setbacks or early
losses. This is achieved by simply rolling more 6’s
than the opponent has dice. Successful
implementation of this strategy can only really be
countered by the use of Death Wave tactics or by
pure movement objectives.
Heroic Resources
1) Heroic Resources are the expendable attributes
that a hero has than can be used to influence the
ongoing game. This can include might, fate and
will but also includes smoke bombs, magic hats
and other limited use abilities. The correct
management of Heroic Resources is critical to the
Resource Management aspect of the game.
2) Heroic Resources are the heroes that form the
core of your army’s ability to perform heroic
deeds. This can be because these heroes are
themselves carrying Heroic Resources, but it can
also be because they have other powers, items,
abilities or they simply have really good stats.
Heroic Slaughter
Heroic Slaughter is a Resource Management tactic
that focuses upon accelerating the Tempo of the
game beyond the point at which the enemy can
redeploy in response to the changing situation. See
Shock and Awe.
10

Hidden in Plain Sight
Hidden in Plain Sight is a Psychological Warfare
and Deception tactic in which one player seeks to
draw the opponent’s attention away from a vital
section of the battlefield and leave them unaware
of a developing situation. To achieve this a player
must convince their opponent that their own focus
is elsewhere and that the critical location is not
worth considering. This is achieved by being seen
to pay minimum attention to the important area.
The Hidden in Plain Sight tactic is frequently
combined with the Apparent Focus tactic to form a
unified Deception no Deception strategy.
Hit and Wrap
1) The Hit and Wrap is an offensive Position tactic
in which a numerically superior army attempts to
maximise their advantage. This is done by moving
excess models around the enemy formation to
attack the vulnerable sides and rear. See Flanking.
2) The Hit and Wrap (also known as Lightning
War) is an offensive Tempo strategy that seeks to
bypass enemy formations during pure movement
objective mission. This is achieved by making
contact with an enemy formation to keep it in place
but then taking every opportunity to move around
the enemy formation. This is similar to Flanking
but the intention of the lateral movement is to
disengage with the enemy rather than increasing
their combat potential.
Horns of the Bull
The Horns of the Bull is the technical term for the
two forward elements used to encircle the enemy
position during the Crescent Moon Encirclement,
though it can also be applied to any other
Encirclement strategy.
Horse Shoe Formation
The Horse Shoe Formation is a generic term for
any of the curved formations, such as the Crescent
Moon, Inversed Crescent Moon and Flying V
Formations. The term Horse Shoe Formation can
also be applied to smaller formations down to and
including single warband size.
Hunkering Down
Hunkering Down is a defensive Position tactic that
is used to counter unexpectedly deadly shooting.
This is done by heading towards the nearest patch
of terrain that can provide either cover or,
preferably, block line of sight all together. Note,
Hunkering Down does not deal with shooting, it
merely buys time for you to develop a new plan.
Initiative
Initiative is terms that is used to refer to the player
that controls the pace of the game. This can be
achieved through any combination of army
selection, Position, Tempo and or Resource
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Hidden in Plain Sight - Lasso
Management. The player who holds the Initiative
has tactical control of the game and can instigate
the tactic of their choosing. This includes deciding
when and where combat will be reached, which
sections of the board will be used and how the
overall game will be played. The player who has
lost the Initiative will have no choice but to
respond to the first players decisions.
Inversed Crescent Moon Formation
The Inversed Crescent Moon Formation is a
defensive Position tactic that is used against
opponents with a vast numerical superiority. An
army deployed in this formation will have a strong
centre that will make initial contact with the enemy
but the flanks of the formation will be swept back
away from the enemy to increase the distance that
the opponent must move if they wish to encircle
you. Depending upon the extent of the enemy’s
initial numerical advantage and the effectiveness of
your first contact group to reduce this advantage, it
is usually necessary to begin transitioning to the
Collapsing Crescent Moon. A variant of this
formation can be used offensively, see the Flying
V Formation.
Jaws of Victory
The Jaws of Victory is an offensive Position
strategy in which a formation attempts to envelope
an enemy formation while the enemy formation
attempts to withdraw. See Pincer Movement, Hit
and Wrap and Crescent Moon Envelopment.
Kiting
Kiting is an offensive Position and Tempo strategy
in which one force uses Avoidance tactics to inflict
Whittling damage to the entire enemy force. A
Kiting force requires superior movement and
shooting to stay mobile and avoid enemy Flack
Fire.
Kylie Special
The Kylie Special is an offensive or defensive
Position, Tempo and Resource Management tactic
in which one player sacrifices their long term
mobility to achieve a once off Position and Tempo
advantage. This is done by voluntarily dismounting
a hero. While the dismounting hero loses their
steed, they gain an extra inch of movement and a
smaller base size. Under the right circumstances
this can allow the hero to access areas of the board
more rapidly than the opponent through likely.
Lasso
The Lasso is an offensive Position tactic in which
one player Positions their opponent’s models so
that it can be caught by a Macro Trap. This is
usually achieved through the use of magic but
some monsters have other Lasso abilities. The
Lasso is a common Assassination technique.
11
Last Stand - Micro Warbands
Last Stand
The Last Stand is an offensive Tempo and
Resource Management tactic in which a player
sacrifices their Resources in an attempt to rapidly
end the game. This is done by placing your own
models into a Position where they are likely to be
killed (see Place of Death) in quantities sufficient
to satisfy the end condition of the game. This is
generally done when one player would have an
advantage from extended turn and the other would
not (see Glorious Last Stand), but it can sometimes
be seen at events that impose severe penalties for
failure to finish games.
Layered Probability
Layered Probability is a pre-emptive counter
strategy that is used to mitigate the effects of ill
fortune. This is done by recognising areas where
poor dice rolling could cause significant disruption
to your plans and identifying additional strategies
that could mitigate this failure. Layered Probability
is about creating redundancy in strategy and
developing plans within plans so that when one
plan fails another plan takes its place.
Leapfrogging
Leapfrogging is a defensive Position tactic that
utilises terrain to minimise damage from enemy
shooting while conducting a separate offensive
strategy. This is done by choosing a route for the
offensive manoeuvre that allow the formation to
benefit from cover during as much of their trip as
practical without sacrificing too much Tempo.
Leroy Jenkins
The Leroy Jenkins is the term that is applied to the
situation where one player adopts the Fix Bayonets
tactics but the majority of their formation is
delayed while attempting to exit the terrain feature
in which they were sheltering. This results in
having a small number of models that could
advance one or more turns ahead of the main
formation, should you wish. This is sometimes
done against powerful shooting forces to try and
reach combat a turn earlier and remove a turn of
enemy shooting.
Lightning War
1) Lightning War is an offensive Tempo strategy
that seeks to bypass enemy formations during pure
movement objective mission. See Hit and Wrap.
2) Lightning War is the technical term for any army
strategy that requires a minimum of 3 elven storm
callers.
Matt Sportsmanship Manoeuvre
The Matt Sportsmanship Manoeuvre is an
interesting tactic in which a player sacrifices in
game advantage in exchange for the gratitude of
their opponent. To do this a player gives their
GDP Tactical Dictionary
opponent ongoing tactical advice to correct errors
in the opponents strategies and provides detailed
instructions for the most effective way to destroy
their own force. In extreme cases a player may
sometimes chose to adopt a deliberately flawed
Position in return for additional gratitude (see
Place of Death).
Macro Trap
The Macro Trap (also known as Dog Piling) is an
offensive Position tactic where one player attempts
to remove an isolated enemy asset through the
application of overwhelming force. This is done
by the simple expedient of surrounding the
stranded enemy with as many models as possible
for as many turns as necessary.
Macro Warbands
Macro Warbands is an army selection strategy that
focus upon maximising the model count. A Macro
Warbands army will most likely attempt numbers
based tactics such as Flooding, Burying and
Encirclement.
Magic Suppression
Magic Suppression is a defensive Resource
Management tactic that attempts to mitigate the
effect of the enemy’s magic users through the
application of magic users. This can be done by
directly targeting the enemy magic users or by
targeting the area of the field that the enemy was
targeting. Ideally this tactic should be accompanied
by the cry of “Aiiee-yaaaahh! Magic must defeat
magic!!!”.
Meta Game
The Meta Game is the term that is applied to any
element of the game that is not strictly part of the
game. This includes Energy Reserve Management,
identifying the opponents Decision Management
practices and some levels of the Psychological
Warfare strategy. The Meta Game can be described
as ‘play the player, not the game’.
Micro Trap
The Micro Trap is an offensive Position tactic
where one player attempts to remove an enemy
asset from a crowded section of the board through
the application of the minimum necessary force.
This is done by trapping the enemy model against
the surrounding combats to achieve a one on one
fight in which the enemy is trapped.
Micro Warbands
Micro Warbands is an army selection strategy that
seeks to maximise the army’s Heroic Resources
without fully compromising the army’s model
count. This is done by hiring a small number of
warrior to accompany each hero to serve as Fighter
Escorts and be used for Screening and Pealing
12

Combats. A Micro Warbands army is well suited
to Shock and Awe manoeuvres and strategies that
require high Resource Density.
Mind Games
Mind Games is the generic term applied to all of
the intellectual elements of Psychological Warfare.
This includes the Voice of Saruman and Deception
no Deception.
Misdirection
Misdirection is a Psychological Warfare tactic in
which one player uses the Position of their
Resources to convince the opponent that their plan
is different than it is. This can be done by
deploying leaders in a sacrificial force (in the hopes
that the VP gained through the misdirection will be
greater than those lost by the death of the leader) or
by deploying a large cluster of archers to convince
the opponent that you intend to use a Rolling
Arrow Storm or Fire Nest strategy.
Net Present Value
Net Present Value is a Decision Management tool
that enables player to make effective Resource
Management decisions when comparing
alternatives with a significant temporal difference.
This can occur when a player must decide if they
wish to spend Heroic Resources, commit reserves
or deploy ambushing forces now or hold them for
later. This is done by comparing the relative value
of the current event with the discounted relative
value of the future event. For example if you take
an action now it will kill one enemy warrior but if
you use it five turns from now you can engineer a
situation where it kills three. However if that one
enemy model kills four of your models during the
intervening turns then delaying the attack produces
a lower Net Present Value. Calculation of Net
Present Value should consider Position, Tempo,
Initiative, the potential for Psychological Warfare
and the balance of Relevant Resources.
Objective Based Strategy
Objective Based Strategy is a competitive Decision
Management tool that focuses upon achieving
mission objectives with maximum efficiency. This
is done by assessing the relative points breakdown
of points per objective as well as the end conditions
of the game to determine the optimum strategy that
will result in a winning situation at the end of the
game.
Path Less Travelled
The Path Less Travelled is a Decision Management
tactic that seeks to deliberately unbalance the
opponent through selecting an uncommon strategy
or tactic. In this scenario the player attempts to
identify a tactic that the opponent is unlikely to
have encountered recently and therefore will be
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Mind Games - Pincer Movement
unsure of the correct counter strategy that they
should employ. This tactic is frequently used by
experienced players who have developed extensive
Tactical Tool Boxes.
Pealing Combats
Pealing Combats is defensive trick used to rescue
valuable Resources from multiple combats in the
enemy’s favour. This is done by charging
additional models into the enemy’s multiple
combat to split it into several smaller combats. This
is particularly useful in situations where the
counter charge can remove the enemy’s fight value
advantage from the main combat. Pealing Combats
also works on spearmen.
Perceived Confidence Advantage
The Perceived Confidence Advantage is an
important element of Psychological Warfare, in
which one player displays strong confidence in the
inevitability of their victory. The player who
enjoys this advantage can use it to control the
Initiative of the game through forcing the opponent
into a conservative or reckless approach by
convincing them that that tactic is their only
chance. This tactic can also be used against a player
by convincing them that their victory is assured as
part of a long term Deception plan. See Deception
no Deception.
Picard Manoeuvre
1) The Picard Manoeuvre is an offensive Tempo
and Deception tactic that seeks to convince the
opponents subconscious that a mounted hero is
slower than it really is. This is done by moving the
mounted hero in a group with a selection of slower
troops. The hero must always be seen to be moving
faster than the troops but must never use its full
speed. Once the enemy sees the hero outpace the
slower troops they will assume that the mounted
hero is displaying their full speed and this will
affect the enemy’s ability to judge the Tempo of
your hero should they attempt to eyeball (guess)
their threat range later in the game.
2) The Picard Manoeuvre is an offensive Tempo
and Deception tactic in which one player attempts
to disguise the intended Tempo of their army. This
is done by not using heroic marchers or other
movement enhancing abilities on turn one when
your opponent is trying to gauge your army’s
overall strengths and weaknesses. This initial show
of sluggishness at this impressionable stage will
cause your opponent to underestimate your army’s
mobility and adjust their strategy based upon this
flawed data.
Pincer Movement
The Pincer Movement is an offensive Position
tactic in which a player attempts to trap enemy
Resources between two portions of their own army.
13
Place of Death - Resource Density
This is done by approaching the enemy Position
from two directions in an attempt to trap the enemy
against the other force.
Place of Death
1) The Place of Death is the name applied to any
Position from which it is difficult if not impossible
to withdraw resources from without the incurring
heavy or complete losses. Once a formation is
caught in a Place of Death the controlling player
has little choice but to commence Digging In.
2) The Place of Death is an offensive Tempo tactic
in which one player adopts a Position that will
maximise losses. This can be done by allowing the
enemy to employ Encirclement, Defeat in Detail
and Macro Trap tactics. The Place of Death is most
commonly used in conjunction with Last Stand
tactics, but it can sometimes be combined with the
Matt Sportsmanship Manoeuvre.
Psychological Warfare
Psychological Warfare is the overlying factor that
effects all other elements of the game. This term
refers to the interaction between the two players in
an attempt to gain advantage outside the strict dice
game. This can be done through the use of
Deception, the Perceived Confidence Advantage
and the Deception no Deception game.
Ranged Area Denial
Ranged Area Denial is a defensive Position and
Tempo tactic that utilises massed shooting to
achieve Activation Control. This is done by
deploying an army’s ranged resources early in a
concentrated mass with good arcs of fire covering
one area of the battle field and poor to no arc of fire
for another section. This will encourage the enemy
to advance through the blind spot in your ranged
fire, following a predictable and pre-determined
route. This tactic is used to setup other tactics that
require the enemy to adopt a predetermined
Position.
Reconnaissance in Force
The Reconnaissance in Force is an offensive
Position and Tempo tactic in which one player
seizes the Initiative but does not have a plan
beyond this initial move. This is done in situations
where one player believes that they have a larger
Tactical Tool Box than the opponent and are
therefore confident that they can adapt faster to the
changing game. Based upon this knowledge the
player applies maximum early pressure to their
opponent, forcing them to respond and allowing
the player to respond to the opponent’s response,
hopefully exploiting any errors that the opponent
may make.
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Reform the Line
Reform the Line is a transitional Position tactic in
which one player decides that their current Position
is untenable and a new Position must be adopted.
A formation preforming a Reform the Line
transition will generally experience a moment of
vulnerability after they abandoned the remaining
benefits of their current formation but before they
gain the benefits of the new formation.
Refused Flank
1) The Refused Flank is a Position and Tempo
tactic in which one player attempts to use their
mobility to change position faster than the
opposition can keep pace. This is done by
deploying the army in two separate formations. If
the enemy splits their own army to match your
deployment you then recombine your force and
engage their force before it can recombine.
2) The Refused Flank is a Position and Tempo
tactic in which one player has identified a
weakness in their opponent’s deployment and
deploys their own force to exploit this. This is
achieved through the use of Forward Observers to
gain an overview of your opponent’s layout. Then
deploy your formations in a concentrated block and
rush the weaker flank, hopefully using your higher
Resource Density to apply Defeat in Detail tactics
before the enemy can recover their Position.
3) The Refused Flank is an offensive Misdirection
and Position tactic in which one player attempts to
influence their opponent’s deployment by using an
asymmetric deployment strategy. In this case the
player concentrates their most power units on one
flank of their deployment zone (see Resource
Density) and their weaker units on the other flank.
The enemy will then hopefully seek to exploit this
by deploying the bulk of their army against your
weaker flank to employ Defeat in Detail tactics.
This can be viewed as Baiting on an army wide
scale and is frequently employed as part of a wider
Activation Control strategy.
Relevant Resources
Relevant Resources is the name given to those
resources that are relevant to a given situation.
Resource Density
Resource Density is a Position term that is used to
refer to the magnitude of Resource within a given
area. This differs from Unit Density in that Unit
Density refers to the concentration of your models
while Resource Density refers to the concentration
of your killing power. Resource Density is a key
component in Defeat in Detail and other strategies
that require concentration of force.
14

Resource Management
Resource Management is the underlying principle
of any successful battle plan. This principle
understand that both sides have finite Resources
with which to secure victory points and therefore
victory will belong to the player who makes best
use of what they bring to the table. To this end
Resource Management tactics can be either
defensive or offensive in nature. Defensive tactics
aim at conserving your resources while the
opponent is forced to spend theirs. See Blunting
and Burnout. Offensive tactics aim to spend your
resources in such a way that they secure a
disproportional return. See Shock and Awe,
Burnout and Yoyo Attack.
Resources
A players Resources represent all of the assets that
a player has available to them with which they may
attempt to influence the outcome of the game. This
includes but is not limited to Heroic Resources
(might, fate and will), model count, banners,
powerful heroes, turns remaining (see Tempo
Advantage), time remaining, level of alertness and
knowledge of relevant movie quotes. Since the
Resources available to each player are finite, the
correct and efficient application of these Resources
is vital to achieving victory. See Resource
Management.
Ring of Death
The Ring of Death is an offensive Position tactic in
which an enemy position is entirely surrounded by
the assaulting forces. This Position normally acts
as the final stage of other offensive Position tactics.
See Jaws of Death, Crescent Moon Encirclement,
Flanking, Doom Box and Hit and Wrap.
Rolling Arrow Storm
The Rolling Arrow Storm is a tactic used by
massed archery formations in which the player
decides to sacrifice some of their ranged
effectiveness for greater control of the Tempo of
the game. This can be used to either increase your
army’s tempo by moving forward with the archers
so that they are closer to where they will need to be
later or decrease the enemy’s Tempo by moving
backwards and creating additional distance that the
enemy will need to cover.
Running on Empty
Running on Empty is the term that is applied to the
situation where a player has miss managed their
Energy Reserved and is forced to play at below
optimum efficiency. In this situation the player will
have insufficient mental energy to properly
consider their tactics and insufficient physical
energy to remain standing. This situation should be
avoided where possible.
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Resource Management - Shield Wall
Scroll Caddy
The Scroll Cady is a defensive Position tactic that
is used to mitigate the effects of area of effect
magic. This is done by identifying a low cost model
with the ability to resist this magic and assigning it
to accompany any high value formation.
Screening
1) Screening is a defensive Position and Tempo
tactic that seeks to prevent enemy forces from
accessing vulnerable areas of your larger
formations. This is done by assigning a small group
of models to physically stand in the way of said
enemy forces. This is a more general application of
the principles developed in the Anti Flier Guard.
2) Screening is a offensive Position and Tempo
tactic in which an army denies the opponent entry
to a contested objective. This is done by pushing
past the objective so that during the ensuring fight
your forces are in range of the objective while their
forces are not.
Sealing the Doom Box
Sealing the Doom Box is an offensive Position
tactic in which a rapidly moving formation is used
to transform the Doom Box tactic into a Ring of
Death. This is done by placing these units into
Position behind the enemy formation once the
Doom Box has achieved a three sided trap. This
force provides the fourth side of the trap.
Seeding Decoys
Seeding Decoys is a defensive Position, Tempo
and Resource Management tactic used to manage
either slow moving enemy heroes or enemy heroes
with a compulsion to charge. See Halo Array.
Shadow Force
The Shadow Force is a Position, Tempo, Deception
and Psychological Warfare tactic in which one
player encourages their opponent to forget that a
portion of the players resources are on the board.
This is done by deploying or moving a formation
out of the enemy player’s line of sight (see Going
Dark) and then in a subsequent turn moving most
of the formation back into their range of vision.
While this weakens the initial formation it does
allow the player to adopt a Position that the enemy
is entirely unaware of and this opens other tactical
options such as Encirclement and Strategic Raid. It
is vitally important to do nothing that will draw
attention to the Shadow Force once it has
disappeared. This is generally only effective
against seated opponents.
Shield Wall
The Shield Wall is the fundamental formation. The
Shield Wall can be used offensively or defensively
to control Position or Tempo. The Shield Wall
generally trades effectively in terms of Resource
15
Shock and Awe - Straight Up Henry Kerr
Management against most other formations. This
is done by forming a double line of infantry, with
shield or other combat models in front and spears
behind. This creates a situation where your
individual models are well supported and difficult
to trap and it provides a safe area behind the
formation to store your support figures.
Shock and Awe
Shock and Awe (also known as Burnout, Big Hero
Burnout or Heroic Slaughter) is a Resource
Management tactic that focuses upon accelerating
the Tempo of the game beyond the point at which
the enemy can redeploy in response to the changing
situation. This is achieved by rapidly spending
Heroic Resources to inflict maximum damage
upon the enemy in minimum time. This tactic is
particularly favoured by armies with multiple
mounted combat heroes.
Shooting the Moon
Shooting the Moon is the term applied to the
attempt to kill your opponent’s biggest piece with
shooting.
Shutdown
The Shutdown is a defensive Resource
Management tactic in which a magic user is tasked
with removing the influence of an enemy character
entirely from the game. The Shutdown tactic is an
extension of the Blunting tactic..
Skirmish Formation
The Skirmish Formation is a lose deployment
formation in which a player declares their intent to
play an Avoidance or Kiting game. This is done by
generally spreading your troops around your
deployment zone without appearing to care about
the Position of spears, shields, banners or heroes.
This can be done either to establish a mindset that
accepts that every model is its own formation and
can manoeuvre independently or as a Deception
tactic to convince the opponent that your army does
not wish to fight in combat.
Slow Play
1) Slow Play is the term for the deliberate, well
thought out, carefully measured playstyle in which
one player refuse to be rushed into a mistake by the
opponent’s Tempo Advantage.
2) Slow Play is the term for the selection of a time
consuming playstyle by a player that is currently in
the lead in situations with time pressure. This is
done in the hopes that the opponent will not be able
to overcome the player’s defensive stratagems
before time is called. Under no circumstances
should non-game based tactics be used to stall
time. See Tempo Advantage.
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Smaug on Base
Smaug on Base is a Psychological Warfare tactic
that can be used by or against large monsters with
detachable bases. When playing against the
monster you can demand that the monster be left
on its base for aesthetic reasons. The extra weight
of moving the full model around will rapidly tire
your opponent. If playing with the monster you can
insist that the monster remain on its base for
aesthetic reasons. The opponent will then be
overawed by the presence of a giant monster
moving around the board.
Smaug Somewhat on Base
The Smaug Somewhat on Base is a Psychological
Warfare tactic in which a player with a monster on
a detachable base attempts to artificially inflate the
perceived Resources that they have available. To
do this the player must claim that precise
measurement is required and remove the monster
from its base. Once this is done the monster is
placed near its base for aesthetic reasons. In your
opponent’s subconscious you will now have two
monsters on the board and this will affect your
opponent’s decision making.
Spray and Pray
The Spray and Pray is a defensive Tempo
management tactic for mitigating the effect of large
mounted heroes. See the Halo Tactic.
Standard Combat Procedure
Standard Combat Procedure is the term applied to
a players preferred style of play. This will include
factors such as army selection, mission type,
tactics, strategies and gambits. A player who
deploys Standard Combat Procedure is playing the
game their way, as such they will have maximised
their own personal strengths and will be leveraging
heavily upon their past experience. Under no
circumstances should you allow your opponent to
utilise their Standard Combat Procedure unless it is
part of an elaborate Deep Deception strategy.
Straight Up Henry Kerr
1) The Straight Up Henry Kerr is a refinement of
the traditional Henry Kerr tactic that is used to
counter specific enemy stratagems. This is done by
identifying the critical contested roll that the
opponent cannot afford to lose and has therefore
dedicated significant Resources into guaranteeing.
Once the critical roll has been identified it is then
secured through the simple means of rolling higher.
Ideally this should be done with a single six off a
single dice, without re-rolls or modification. For
maximum effect the player should appear
unconcerned by this against the odds win and
should act surprised that anyone should find this
unusual (explosions encourage but not required).
16

2) The Straight Up Henry Kerr is a term that is used
to describe the successful execution of an
impressive, high damage, high risk, low
probability manoeuvre through the simple
expedient of rolling the required number of sixes.
3) The Straight Up Henry Kerr is the successful
adoption of the Henry Kerr counter strategy as an
initial strategy.
Strategic Raid
The Strategic Raid is an offensive Position tactic in
which one player sends a small fast moving force
to eliminate key strategic Resources deep in the
opponents back field. This is usually requires some
form of Air Superiority or Air Supremacy. The
exact nature of the raid will depend upon what
Resources the enemy has left in the back field but
this can included horn blowers, body guarded
heroes or lightly defended objectives.
Striping the Willow
Striping the Willow is a defensive Position tactic
that is used to rescue threatened heroes from
multiple combats. See Pealing Combats.
Submarining
Submarining is a high risk strategy that seeks to
weaken a player’s strength of schedule during a
multi game competitive event. This is done by
deliberately failing to win the first game of the
event and thereby lowering your position entering
the second round. From this point onwards the
submarining player hopes that the added victory
points that they can score against the weaker
opponents are sufficient to offset this initial loss.
This tactic should not be attempted at events when
the player count to number of rounds ratio is such
that multiple contestants can finish on full wins. It
is sometimes possible to accidently submarine.
Surprise
1) Surprise is one of the five fundamental elements
of existence and is responsible for the interactions
and progression of the other four (citation needed).
The correct recognition of the uncertainty that
Surprise introduces into probability and chance is
a vital part of any successful Theory SBG or
Decision Management based strategy.
2) Surprise is what occurs when a player
mistakenly believes that they have identified their
enemy’s intentions and plans accordingly. This is
most frequently seen as part of a Deep Deception
strategy but can it can also occur when one player
utilises a tactic that their opponent was previously
unaware of (see Tactical Tool Box).
Sunk Cost Theorem
The Sunk Cost Theorem is a Decision
Management tool that seeks to optimise Resource
Management decisions when responding to enemy
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Strategic Raid - Tempo Shift
aggression. The Sunk Cost Theorem recognises
that it is not always possible to save everyone every
time. This means that by the time you have
recognised your opponent’s offensive intention
and begin to formulate a response some of your
Resources may already be beyond saving. In this
situation the mistake of committing extra
Resources to support a formation that is already
dead will simply increase the losses that you take
without returning any substantial reward. It is
therefore vital to carefully consider how your
Resources can be best spent to recover as many
assets as possible without throwing good troops
after bad.
Tackle Box
The Tackle Box is a cut down version of the
Tactical Tool Box that a player keeps close at hand.
This Tackle Box will contain the tactics and
strategies that are most commonly employed by the
player, including fundamental playstyles and
favourite tricks, Mind Games and Deceptions. The
Tackle Box can be viewed as the middle ground
between Standard Combat Procedure and the full
Tactical Tool Box.
Tactical Tool Box
The Tactical Tool Box is a term that is used to refer
to the tactical and strategic options available to a
player in a given situation. The extent of a player’s
Tactical Tool Box is dependent upon the available
Resources, Position, Tempo, mental flexibility and
the relative skill difference between them and their
opponent. Having a larger Tactical Tool Box than
the opponent will aid a player in controlling the
Initiative of the game and can be used in Deception
battle plans if you have a tool that the opponent did
not realise was available to you.
Tag Teaming
Tag Teaming is a Resource Management tactic in
which two heroes of roughly even power (such as
the elven twins) are kept together to provide mutual
support (see Buddy System and Bodyguard Duty).
Target Oversaturation
Target Oversaturation is a counter strategy that
seeks to overcome an opponents through the
application of multiple threats. This is done by
applying more threats than the opponent’s
resources can deal with. This counter strategy is
particularly effective against Blunting and
Shutdown tactics.
Tempo Shift
The Tempo Shift is a transitional strategy that is
used when a player decides that the current Tempo
of their army is no longer acceptable. In this
situation the player abandons their current strategy
in favour of one with a higher or lower Tempo.
17
Tempo - Tiger Claw
This is frequently done towards the end of games
with time pressure or to match an opponent’s
change in Tempo. The Tempo Shift does include
an element of risk as the adoption of a new strategy
will frequently require the adoption of a new
Position and this can create a window of
vulnerability (see Reform the Line). Examples of a
Tempo Shift include switching from Wait and See
tactics to a Shock and Awe approach or
transitioning from one Burnout strategy to the
other Burnout strategy.
Tempo
1) The Tempo of an army is the term used to refer
to the integral of the army’s velocity towards its
objectives, namely their position relative to time,
with time in this war game measured in turns,
rather than minutes. This means that to understand
an army’s Tempo a player is forced to consider not
only ‘where’ their troops are but ‘when’ they are,
how long it will take them to be where they should
be and what is likely to occur during the
intervening turns. Tempo based tactics can be used
to generate a Tempo Advantage through either
offensive means, decreasing the number of turn
required for your army to fulfil and objective (E.G.
Shock and Awe), or defensively, increasing the
number of turns that the opponent will require to
achieve their objective (E.G. Blunting). The
understanding and control of Tempo is one of the
fundamental aspects of the game.
2) The Tempo of a game refers to the speed at
which two players can make decisions, move
troops, roll dice and generally play the game. If the
Tempo of a game falls too low in a tournament
setting then it is unlikely that the game will finish.
Tempo Advantage
1) The Tempo Advantage refers to an army’s
ability to achieve a desired outcome in less turns
than their opponent can. For example if a model is
three turns away from an objective but the enemy
can reach it in one then the enemy has a two turn
Tempo Advantage in securing that objective.
Likewise if two armies are attempting to break one
another and one army can achieve this is three turns
but the other requires ten then one side has a seven
turn Tempo Advantage. See Shock and Awe.
2) The Tempo Advantage refers to one player
being comfortable playing at a faster tempo than
their opponent. By keep the tempo of the game fast
the more experience player seeks to encourage
their opponent into make rushed decisions and
ultimately mistakes. Light use of the Tempo
Advantage is to be encouraged as it help players
develop their critical reasoning skills but heavy or
forceful use of this advantage is sportsman like and
should be avoided at all costs.
3) The Tempo Advantage refers to the situation
where one player takes an early lead in victory
GDP Tactical Dictionary
points and therefore will win if time is called. A
player with the Tempo Advantage can afford to
utilise more time consuming tactics, such as
Turtling Up, as they are no longer forced to seize
the initiative. Unfortunately some unimaginative
players are unable to devise genuine ‘in game’ time
consuming tactic and are forced to go grab a drink,
mysteriously receive urgent phone calls, attempt to
distract their opponents with humorous anecdotes
or otherwise ‘Slow Play’. Slow Play is sportsman
like and should never be considered under any
circumstances.
Theory SBG
Theory SBG is the technical name for conducting
a TEWT (Tactical Exercise Without Troops). The
purpose of such an exercise is to examine the
merits of given tactics and counter tactics without
the distraction of actually playing the game. The
ability to rapidly conduct Theory SBG during the
brief period between seeing an opponent’s army
and rolling for deployment is vital if you intended
to deploy in a way that will support your ongoing
strategy in the rest of the game. When conversing
with the wider gaming community it is not
uncommon to hear this idea referred to as
‘Theoryfaux’, ‘Theory Hammer’ or ‘Theory K’.
Three Deep
Three Deep is a modification of the defensive
Position and Tempo counter tactic Two Deep, in
which one player attempts to prevent Breakthrough
tactics through the establishment of redundant
lines of troops. In situation where the enemy
intends to heroic combat (see Shock and Awe), the
two lines of troops utilised by the Two Deep tactic
are insufficient to provide security against the
break through. This is because a heroic combat can
punch through the first line and kill the second in a
single turn, at which point the Breakthrough will
succeed if the player can win an Actual Priority. To
reduce this problem place a third line of troops, this
will provide the Tempo necessary to respond to
your opponent’s Breakthrough attempt.
Tiger Claw
The Tiger Claw is an offensive Tempo and
Research Management tactic which utilises the
principle of Baiting to disperse enemy Resources.
To do this one player detaches small groups of
troops from their main formation and sends them
away from the main action. At this point the
opponent has a choice, they can either ignore these
detachments or respond in kind. If they do nothing
then the detachment is free to conduct Strategic
Raids or effect an Encirclement. If the opponent
responds with a force that is smaller than your
detachment, you can employ Defeat in Detail. If
they send a larger force then your detachment
18

avoids combat and removes a disproportional
portion of the enemy’s Resources.
Touch Wood
Touch Wood is a defensive Position and Tempo
tactic that can be used to mitigate the effect of
enemy cavalry formations. This is done by moving
your formations as rapidly as possible towards the
nearest wood, forest, area of bushland or stand of
trees. This is most frequently seen in situations
where an infantry army has the ill fortune to be set
against an all cavalry army. This tactic can be
considered a specialised variant of the Digging In
tactic.
Trawling
Trawling is a variation of the Baiting tactic in
which bait is placed before an opponent without a
specific objective or outcome in mind. This is done
to test your opponent’s reaction to the bait, thereby
improving your knowledge of your opponent and
facilitating further Baiting efforts.
Trolling
1) Trolling is an offensive tactic that seeks to
overwhelm enemy an enemy Position through the
application of trolls.
2) Trolling is a Psychological Warfare tactic in
which a player makes deliberately nonsensical
tactical decision to disguise their true genius (if
any).
Turtling Up
Turtling up is a defensive Position tactic in which
one player concentrates their force in response to
ongoing loses. This is done to reduce the size of the
formation in proportion to the suffered casualties,
thereby maintain the desired Unit Density.
Two Deep
Two Deep is a defensive Position and Tempo
counter tactic in which one player establishes a
secondary line to prevent Breakthrough tactics
from reaching their critical support pieces. To this
end a second line of models is placed behind the
front line of your formation (spear equipped
models work well for this) so that if the front line
is killed the second line can prevent Breakthrough.
Against sustained enemy aggression the Three
Deep tactic is sometimes required.
Unit Density
Unit Density is a Position term that is used to refer
to the number of models within a given area. This
can be used offensively (see Flooding or Burying)
or defensively (see Screening or Walling Off).
Once the unit density of most formations drops
below a certain point the effectiveness of that
formation will generally be reduced.
GDP Tactical Dictionary
Touch Wood - Whittling
Voice of Saruman
The Voice of Saruman is a Psychological Warfare
tactic that uses the principles of Deception no
Deception to establish the conditions in which a
key Deception tactic can be performed. This is
done through providing the enemy with helpful
tactical advice throughout the game under the guise
of keeping the game moving (such as “well from
there you can either do X or Y”). See the Matt
Sportsmanship Manoeuvre. Once the enemy has
come to trust your advice you can begin to seed
careful miss information. It is important to never
lie to your opponent as this is sportsman like,
however you can miss represent the likely
consequences of employing certain tactics or
formations (such as “well if you try and swing
round that forest theirs a chance that I’ll catch you
in the open, but if you can make it their you will be
in a strong position moving forwards”).
Wait and See
The Wait and See is a defensive Position tactic that
sacrifices early Tempo to conserve Heroic
Resources. This is done by assuming a Position
with your heroes sheltered behind your formation.
This will protect your heroes from ranged weapons
and reduce the likelihood of your opponent
employing Assassination or Flash Kill tactics. The
Wait and See also allows a player the opportunity
to see how the opponent choses to Position their
heroes as combat is reached, thereby allowing them
to optimise their own hero dispersal.
Walling Off
Walling Off is an adaption of the Screening tactic
that relies upon the same principles and objectives
but applies a greater portion of the army’s
Resources to achieve a higher Unit Density. Due to
the increased Resource allocation, Walling Off is
generally used in situation where the critical nature
of a given area is such that the protection offered
by Screening is insufficient.
Wedge Formation
The Wedge Formation is an offensive Position
tactic in which powerful heroes are used to force a
breach into the enemy line while the flanks of the
army are swept back to channel into the breach
once it is formed. The Wedge Formation is a
slower moving variant of the Flying V Formation.
Whittling
Whittling is a defensive tactic in which a powerful
enemy formation is reduced to a less powerful
enemy formation through the application of the
Death by a Thousand Cuts principle. This is done
by applying small amounts of damage across
multiple turns to reduce the effectiveness of the
formation until it can be dealt with by conventional
means. See Avoidance.
19
Window - Zen of Movement

Window able Heroic Resources such as Aragorn or by well-

Window is a Position tactic that uses Deception to
disguise the intended target of a Strategic Raid.
This is done by detaching models from the raid to
threaten additional targets. If done correctly this
will cause the opponent to redeploy their
Resources to support areas that you do not intend
to attack, thereby decreasing your opponents
ability to reinforce the real target in a timely
manner. See Decoy.
Wolf 379
Wolf 379 is a specialised Position tactic that has
been developed to recover from poor initial
reinforcement rolls in the Start at The Edge, Run to
The Middle mission type (see Appendix A). In this
situation a player begins with both a widely
dispersed force that is unable to offer its
components adequate mutual support and a
centralised objective that must be held at all cost.
This tactic seeks to solve both of these problems by
establishing a rally point around the centre
objective. This is done by instructing all units to
converge on this area at best speed, thereby
bringing the components back into mutual support
range and Flooding the objective at the same time.
The Wolf 379 tactic is frequently employed
alongside Last Stand strategies.
constructed Rohan lists, but it can sometimes be
considered Resource efficient for other armies
should the enemy attempt a Baiting strategy using
sufficiently valuable bait.
Zen of Movement
The Zen of Movement (also known as the Fabled
Movement Trick) is an offensive Position and
Tempo tactic that uses Deception to remove enemy
forces from a critical but otherwise unremarkable
area by moving backwards to move forwards. This
tactic is used when the enemy has assumed a
Position with their troops in an area that is not of
obvious strategic value but that you need to control
to allow your troops access to other areas. To
achieve this the forces threating that area
withdraws from the enemy in the hope that the
enemy will pursue. If the enemy leaves the area
your other troops, if any, can slip in behind the
enemy formation, or if other troops are not
available your retreating troops reverse direction to
perform the Hit and Wrap technique.

WWGD
WWGD is an acronym for the theme based
Decision Management tool What Would Gandalf
Do (or sometimes What Would Gothmog Do)?
This tool is based upon the understanding that
theme does not end at army selection and that the
themy-ist list in Middle Earth turns to cheesy
garbage if not played in a manner consistent with
its theme. To this end the player makes a conscious
decision to select tactics, strategies and playstyles
that are consistent with their chosen army. The
obvious example is to not power up Gandalf or
Bard with Alfred the Councillor as it beyond all
belief that either of these individuals would ever
trust Alfred’s advice. The prime benefit of
adopting WWGD over other Decision
Management tools is the knowledge that,
regardless of the actual outcome of the game, in a
thematic sense (which is the most important sense)
you have already won.

Yoyo Attack
The Yoyo Attack is an offensive Position, Tempo
and Resource Management tactic that is used in
situations where a hero wishes to engage a target
that is protect by a potential next turn Counter
Charge. This is achieved by calling a heroic
combat and using the extra move generated by the
successful kill to withdraw beyond the range that
the potential Counter Charge can reach. This tactic
is most often used by characters with replenish-

GDP Tactical Dictionary 20

 Appendix A – Mission Identification Guide - Appendix B – Army List Identification

Appendix A – Mission Identification Guide

# Name
1 Domination
2 To The Death
3 Hold Ground
4 Lords of Battle
5 Reconnoitre
6 Ill Met By Moon Light
7 Seize The Prize
8 Contest of Champions
9 Capture And Control
10 Heirloom of Ages Past
11 Fog of War
12 Storm The Camp*
*Storm The Camp does not appear to have a nickname.
A.K.A.
The Good One
The Banner One
Start at The Edge, Run to The Middle
Kill Points
Cross The Board The French One
The Night Fight The Shakespeare One
The 50-50 Roll Off The Auto Win
The Other 50-50 Roll Off The One Turn Game
Weird Domination
Vanishing Domination The Other Banner One
The Fun One The Mystery Mission

Appendix B – Army List Identification

Armoured Company – An Iron Hills dwarf list with two or more chariots.
Bash Brothers – A Gondor list with both Boromir and Faramir (any versions).
Divine Wind – An elven army with a minimum of two Storm Callers.
Filth List – Any list that uses troops from different list for mutual support without developing a justifying theme.
Fish of Fury – A double bubble Lake Town hoard army.
Gunline – Any army with more ranged weapons than mobility.
Magic Hat List – Any army lead by Thranduil.
Rhino Rush – Any army with a minimum of two Great Beasts of Gorgoroth.
Shade List – Any army that includes one or more shades.
Smaug List – Any army that includes models from the Desolator for the North army list.
True Hoard – Any army with at last 10 models per 100 points2.
Will No One Think Of The Children – Any army that contains one or more random warbands of Hobbits.

2
Note, this ratio was established prior to the inclusion of warbands. Update pending…

GDP Tactical Dictionary 21