Suladan the Serpent Lord

 

I've been pretty excited about painting Suladan for some time. I just really dig how different the Serpent Horde are. More bright colors; very little armor, etc. So, finally, I put brush to model and got to work.

I frankly underestimated how complicated of a model to paint Suladan was. There's just so much detail and disparate things all over the model. From jewels set into gold, to that weird straw-like armor, to the banner. It's even though to appreciate all of the detail because the model is so busy... BUT it was also a blast to paint.

I'm very excited about adding him initially as an ally to Mordor. For his cost, I think he's really unbeatable. For 150 points in a Mordor list he brings a ton of utility. The most easily comparable model in that price range is Shagrat (assuming you put Suladan on armored horse and give Shagrat armor and shield); so I thought it'd be fun to compare the two in the context of a Mordor list. 

From a pure stats perspective, Shagrat wins out. 2 higher Defense, 1 higher Strength, 2 higher Fate while Suladan does have 1 higher courage. They both have knockdown on the charge and Shagrat is a small base which is another win to to the Uruk. 

But Suladan starts to pull ahead in wargear and heroic actions. First; he has an actual banner (as opposed to, say, a counts as) for the 3 scenarios where that matters. Second, his banner range is 6". He has a crucial heroic march which can be beneficial in certain scenarios (though to be honest I'm not sure I rate march as highly as many). They both have Strike and, frankly, the others barely matter.

Finally, Shagrat does have Blood & Glory while Suladan has Ascendant (his standfast is 12"). Finally, Suladan obviously has the ability to bring Serpent Horde forces in his warband which may or may not be a boon based upon your army composition.

Personally, I am very excited to get Suladan on the board. I rely less and less on Shagrat; usually opting for Goroth instead. I love the idea of Suladan has a budget beat-stick and with a 6" banner he can add a whole lot to your rabble. Finally, being able to bring poisoned bows gives Mordor access to some pretty decent shooting compared to their usual fare!

I also painted a blister of Serpent Guard which I will mostly be using as dismounts for a quartet of Serpent Riders. Check back here for a battle report featuring the Serpent Lord allying with Mordor in the coming days!