Rules Changes

From what I have heard, I do not have the Feb issue of white dwarf yet but apparently there is a 12:1 ratio of soldiers:heroes now, which is not too bad unless you are goblins, but then again a dragon probably counts as a hero.  There is also no type of alliance restrictions like in Legions of Middle Earth, at least not yet, that may be in the new rulebook.

Certain heroes allow certain units to be upgraded for a points cost, ala Grimbolds Helminggas and Mahurs Marauders.  The upgrade depends on the hero, I don 't know if there is the possibility to add two upgrades with two heroes.

Not crazy about the lack of list restrictions as in LoME, especially if there is not a bow limit.

From warseer user bramgaunt

Re: Some hope for 2012?
Time to get a little more specific.

LotR get's a relaunch this febuary (4th of feb to be precise).

Release includes 5 books (40k codex size and price, sadly no hardcover) that cover ALL armies. All existing books will be removed and are no longer for sale, except for the rulebook itself and the three campaign books for the three movies.

Following books will be released: Realms of Men (Arnor, Gondor, Rohan), Forces of Mordor (Mordor, Isengart, Moria/Misty Mountains Goblins), Free folk of Middle-Earth (Elves and Dwarfs I assumed), Fallen Realms (Harad and Easterlings) and one that sums up the rest.

The Books will contain updated rules for ALL LotR Miniatures and nullify the entries in the big Rulebook. The rulebook is not replaced, but each of the five new themed books contains several pages of updated rules. WotR will mostly vanish from stores and be a better supported specialist game. There will be releases for WotR, but the LotR tabletop stays the third of the three big GW games.

Expect your armies to change drastically.

The release is accompanied by one (1) new plastic box set (some kind of cavallery) and a whole bunch of finecast miniatures. Some old friends, like the WotR command boxes, and some genuine new sculpts.

There is nothing else happening in febuary, at least that's what I've been told. First pure LotR month for some time now. Expect pictures any day now, the new WD will feature a LOT of LotR.

I suspect that the plastic set is easterling kataphrakts. If this is true I am sort of disappointed. No one rulebook? Seriously? We are going to have some bald assed "sort of " rulebooks ? Nice choice for the third core system.

Get your pocket books ready......

What is a pocket book?

There will be a LoTR SBG relaunch.......rumor has it that there will be an entire month of LoTR with a new book with all the old supplements built into it.

That, will be a good day.
I would say grain of salt, but Harry is ever reliable.

Since we are in the rumor business-update-update again

The reboxing of mini's has been essentially confirmed.  Multiple sources citing an email from GW.  GW stores have been requested to make space for more LoTR inventory.  I am truly curious to see the new packaging and how that will coincide with a new/updated rule set.  Others have pointed out that the repackaging will make WoTR  more expensive.  Current plastics come on sprues that contain 4 shield/hand weapon, 4 bow and 4 spear/2 handed or some similar combo of 4/4/4(except harad and fighting uruk hai).  What will future plastics be?  If one follows the WoTR rule of common formations being plastic, then we can speculate the following to become plastic at some point: IMHO of course

Most Likely
Knight of Dol Amroth on foot
Men at arms of Dol Amroth
Citadel Guards( mix of bow/spear?)
Rohan Royal Knights( mounted rohan royal guard?)
New High Elves( including knights perhaps?)
Great Eagle
Mordor Uruk Hai
Wild Men/men of carn dum
New warg riders
giant spiders

Easterling Kataphrakt haradrim raider

Less Likely
Warriors of Arnor
Numenorean archers
Rohan Royal Knights/guard on foot
Orc Trackers
Dunlendings
bats
prowlers

Serpent Rider/guard Khandish Mercenary Which may seem like a lot but there have not been any new release in over a year.

This one seemed juicy
Newest rumor about the new rulebook due next month along with repackaging for The Hobbit Movie release.......
There must be a constant ratio of heroes:troops.  This may vary by army, or it may not.  WE LOVE UNSUBSTANTIATED RUMORS WWWWWEEEEEEEEEE.

And yet we have MORE.....Games Workshop Price Increase and cutting box numbers!
Boxes of plastic infantry will be cut in half(i.e. 1 sprue per box instead of 2), and the price will go up per sprue by about 35%.  Example, a box of 24 dwarves currently is $33, a "repackaged" box of 12 dwarves would be $22, making 24 cost $44, a 33% price increase!!

At the moment I am not sure if this is true, however let me express my regrets for Games Workshop customers if this does turn out to be true.  I will certainly avoid purchasing Games Workshop boxed infantry for The Hobbit Movie.  There are plenty of alternatives available: Wargames Factory, Mantic, Gripping Beast, reaper, Red Box, caesar miniatures, and megaminis(classic grenadier for @1.50 per metal mini).