Hillmen or Dunlendings 

Hillmen or Dunlendings

Hillmen: SA 1- TA 830

Dunlendings: TA 1636 - TA 3019

In the Second Age tribes of hill men lived in the lands west and south of the Misty Mountains, down to the White Mountains.  They were untrusting of the Men of the West (Numenoreans), feared and hated them, and were gradually reduced until finally subdued and pacified by Tarannon Falastur, the first Ship King of Gondor.  For the next 800 years Dunland (west of the Gap of Calenardhon) was part of Gondor, and the Hillmen of the Misty Mountains largely merged with Arnor, mostly in the region that would become Rhudaur.  Their reemergence in that region after the fragmentation of Arnor is covered in the Rhudaur and Ettenmoors army list.

After the Great Plague (TA 1636) Calenardhon was largely depopulated and Gondor withdrew its garrisons from the North-South road and pulled back from Angrenost (Isengard) and Aglarond.  This gradually led to Dunlendings spreading into western Calenardhon.  When the Steward Cirion gifted Calenardhon to Eorl the Young to become Rohan (TA 2510), this caused bitter enmity with the Dunlendings who were driven out.  To some extent Dunlendings and Rohirrim intermixed along the western borders of Rohan.  In 2710 Dunlendings captured Isengard, which was only lightly held as an enclave of Gondor.

In TA 2758 Wulf, a Dunlending lord, rose in rebellion against Helm Hammerhand of Rohan and overran Rohan with assistance from Easterlings and Corsairs of Umbar.  Easterlings came over the Undeeps, and Dunlendings reinforced by Corsairs came up the Lefnui and Isen rivers.  After the Long Winter Gondor was finally able to come to their aid; after a siege Isengard was recovered from Dunlending control.  The Dunlendings were weakened for many years; Saruman was given Isengard.

In TA 2800 Orcs fleeing from the Battle of Azanulbizar started to establish themselves in the White Mountains; Rohan fought them until finally destroying the last redoubt of Orcs in Rohan in 2864.  By TA 2885 the Dunlendings were driven out of the West-march.

TA 2953 Saruman declared himself Lord of Isengard and no longer acted as an ally of Rohan.  At this time also, Dunlendings renewed their raids on Rohan, egged on by Saruman.

Rohan’s unexpected mercy towards the Dunlendings after their defeat of Saruman at the Hornburg (TA 3019) revealed Saruman’s deceptions; Dunlending raiding across the Isen stopped after the fall of Isengard and they joined the reunited Kingdom of Gondor at the beginning of the Fourth Age.

Invasion Rating: 1 (up until TA 2759)

0 (TA 2760 - TA 2952)

2 (TA 2953 - TA 3019)

Maneuver Rating: 2

Home Topography: Hilly

General's Troop Type: Raider or Javelin Cavalry or Bad Horse; otherwise Light Foot.  General should have the battle cards Deadly and Armored.

Army Battle Cards

Fortified Camp palisade and ditch

Ambush

Troop Options

Required Troops

Troop Types Min Max Battle Line Restrictions Battle Cards

Javelin Cavalry or Raider 0 1

Chief's Men

Bad Horse 0 2 (not Dunlendings TA 2953 - TA 3019)

Hillman nobles

Javelin Cavalry 1 3 (only Dunlendings TA 2953 - TA 3019) Mid-battle Dismounting (as Light Foot)

Dunlending horsemen

Light Foot 6 16

Tribesmen

Heavy Foot 0 4

Shieldwall

Light Spear 0 6 (only Dunlendings TA 2953 - TA 3019)

Dunlending infantry with long spears

Rabble 3 6

Youths and unshielded javelinmen

Optional Contingents

No optional contingents available.