Size Comparison, alternatives to GW

So, I wanted some Men of Dale but I refuse to buy them from GW, specifically because Men of Dale only come 10 to a box.  Really?  Ten?  Were these for some kind of special set and then just sort of thrown into a  box, with the rules?  I am sure Peter Jackson probably screwed GW's plan for The Hobbit by changing from 2 to 3 movies, but really?  Ten?  Your entire army building rules revolve around groups (warbands) of 12 warriors lead by a hero.  Not even an option to build a captain.  Anyway, I wanted Men of Dale, so with a little help of another blog I found out about Thunderbolt Mountain.  You can read about them on their about us page, but I was blown away by their great miniatures, and I found my Men of Dale.  The byzantine warriors with spear and shield fit the bill.  So I ordered some up.  While trimming away the base is a little painful it really only takes about a minute with clippers.  So far I am happy with them, they are a little skinny but are the right height which to me is more important.  Below you will see a size comparison of some Games Workshop Lord of The Rings, some Thunderbolt Mountain, and a Red Box Games mini( soon to be my Men of Dale Captain).

GW and the great patent war.....

If any reader here follows some of the more popular US/UK forums about tabletop war gaming( it has even happened on this blog) you may know about Games Workshop's pattern of intellectual property protection.
As in, we will send out cease and desist letters to anyone who may use any common term that can describe anything we make.  Now they have had a book about "Spot the space marine" pulled from amazon because apparently GW owns the words "space marine".
For some more info head on over to Plastic Legions
This is bullying plain and simple, they are attacking people not ideas.

To Learn more about the author of Spots the space marine go here.  She has updated her site with more information.
The ebook has been returned to the ebook store on amazon.  Show her some love if you can and purchase a copy.

The Hobbit Starter set:Escape from Goblin Town

So, I already posted the contents of the starter set, but a few more details have become apparent as some early sets have leaked out.  Well, there are apparently no POINTS VALUES FOR ANY OF THE MODELS IN THE STARTER SET.  Profiles, yes, points value, no.  Now I thought the price of the starter set was a bit high, but within reason as the set contains 55 models, scenery, rulers, dice and a mini rule book.
To put this into perspective:
Well, it is more than that. I personally spent $185.00 on the source books that were released earlier in the year so I could play with the latest army building changes and have all the point values for the models I already own. Well, I purchased the starter set so I could incorporate some of the starter models that I wanted to use/like into the armies that I already have, as well as get a handle on the new rules. If there are truly no points values for any of the models in the starter set anywhere in the starter set, then I will just send it back.  Let me tell you something Games Workshop, a starter set is not just for getting people into the game, you are revamping the game and a lot of us who are long time players are interested in those revamps.  Well, this starter set is not good for anything other then the couple of scenarios that you, GW, have in the set. How will this get people to buy more models?  Oh, you want them to buy the $85 dollar rule book?  They will not do that, you might sell one or the other but not both a rule book and a starter set.

Maybe that is your plan.

Hey all you vets, just get the rule book, don't buy the starter set.

Hey all you people interested in starting the game, don't buy the rule book, just buy a starter set. Which does not really lend itself to other purchases without getting the full size rule book or a LoTR source book, which you may not understand.

Updating later

SBG rules changes we know about

I will update this as I learn more:

There is hero synergy, i.e. two heroes next to each other increase each other effectiveness in some way.
There are The Hobbit specific scenarios in the new rule book as well as some from The War of The Ring period ( not rule book/company/formation rules)

There are four new heroic actions:
Heroic Channeling, which gives access to more powerful spells
Heroic Accuracy, which gives an accuracy boost to archery
Heroic Strike, which gives a boost in combat
Heroic March, which gives a movement boost

All monsters gain three power attacks: Barge, Hurl and Rend.
Apparently, Hurl gives you the ability to pick up enemies and throw them.
Rend is apparently useful against models with high defense.

Hand weapons such as swords and daggers allow you to Feint (no clue on what it does)
Two-handed weapons allow you to Bash.

The game remains fully compatible with the current source books.

New FAQ and DMCA

Here are the new FAQ's.

some notes:
Command/Transfix/immobilize etc just became better, because now you can no longer support that model with a spear :( and special rules that need to be activated can not be used.

Gildor just became usable.

Kings Huntsman special became more useless.

Galadhrim knights move full through woods with charge bonus.




There will be a new LoTR FAQ very soon according to GW on Facebook.
Also the radagast images are being pulled down on all the LoTR forums.  Whoops.  Get it while you can.

New 28mm skirmish

And we have pictures, courtesy of Tabletop Fix, Those tanks are quite large! Can not wait to see the walkers.

As many of you do not  know(but it is now revealed!!!) our group has been dabbling in the Spartan Games Dystopian wars tabletop game.  We have found the models to be quite good and the game mechanics to be fun and contain a high level of player interaction.  None of this I get to move/attack/roll all my dice for 15 minutes, then you get to go.  Well, fresh out of GenCon comes Dystopian Legions.  Time will tell at the size of this skirmish game and it's mechanics.  According the the web site the armies will have access to mini-tanks, walkers, grunts and special leaders capable of....something.  If spartan games can pull off a fun mechanic, I am sure they can do the models, then I would bet they have a winner on their hands.

So here we go again...another big finecast relaunch

With daaa da daaaaahh, another price increase.  You can now get 4, count them 4, finecast LoTR models for the price of $26.50, which is what we used to pay just last year plastic kit with 20/24 soldiers or get you 2 metal blisters of 3.  And honestly,figures that are cast in finecast (AKA:resin) blow.  I have had to get replacements for every one, ranging from missing faces to big visible bubbles obscuring detail to subsurface bubbles causing the model to bend.
here is a list of what will be new or relaunched in August:

On another note I have been working on a couple of posts but have been crazy busy at work.  I will get to them soon.....

The new filth

A previous GT winner posted a couple of lists-as I have said before, reavers are filth......combine them with a shade and they become just stupid.......previously it was hard to get them in the same list due to legions of middle earth restrictions.


All lists are 1v1 lists for games with a model limit of 75.

========
500:

3 Corsair Captains
24 Reavers
7 Watchers of Karna with Bows
5 Haradrim with Bows and Spears

Total 39 models, 12 bows, 6 Might.

==========
750:

Dalamyr, Fleetmaster of Umbar (or 2 Captains)
1 Captain
1 Bosun
1 Shade

24 Reavers
6 Watchers with Bows
6 Haradrim with Bows and Spears
11 Orcs with spears (10 shields)
1 with banner

750, 52 models, 3 Might.

=========
1000: 

3 Captains
2 Bosuns
1 Shade

39 Reavers
12 Watchers with Bows
8 Haradrim with Bow and Spears
9 Orcs with Spears
1 Orc with Banner

999, 75 models, 20 bowmen, 6 Might.


Shadow Lord
Dark Marshal / Undying / Tainted (??) / Another Named Wraith?
Shade
3 Bosuns

21 Orcs with Spears
11 Orcs with Spears and Bows
21 Reavers
11 Watchers with Bows

Total 998 points, 70 models, Shade, Anti-Arrow, 2x Wraiths. 22 Bows. 

=================

For those who are not aware: A Reaver with Spear Support, Banner effect and Shade effect kills Khazad Guards in a ratio of 7:1. 

FAQ for the new LoTR sourcebooks

Here

Have not looked at them yet but leave comments in the appropriate area.

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.

New WoTR scenario on the mothership site

Here is the linky...
A what if scenario...

Updated FAQ for WoTR

GW has updated the FAQ for War of The Ring to version 1.1.  That means 0.1 fewer questions!!!!!
Linky

Update on the incoming Misty Mountains

So, word over at The One Ring is the release in October for Lord of The Rings will be a cave drake along with Floi Stonehand, Kings Champion in a 3 character box, Gundabad Blackshields and a command box for the Blackshields.

 Edit: Here are better pics, courtesy of another The One Ring member Lorizael. Top to bottom Kins Champion Boxset, Gundabad Blackshield captain/drummer, Gundabad Blackshield Command Drum and shaman, Regular Gundabad blackshield, Floi Stonehand, Cave Drake, . Here is a link to a post by Scryer in the darkness with the figs in WoTR .  Pics After the brake....

Good looking resin Battle Fleet Gothic type ship

Good looking like me,

Here is the order page. Made from resin, not like me.  Pic after the break

Misty Mountain update

Rumors swirl once again around the base of the Misty Mountains. With at least three blisters and two boxes expected there can be no doubt that one box will be a metal cave drake, the other a dwarf command with a horn blower. The blisters three will be: Floi Stonehand Loremaster of Moria, a Dwarf Ranger Captain, and Gundabad Blackshields that come four to a blister. What will come true, if I only knew, but please leave a comment if you have a clue.

I will see you later-as always-Jobu

New WoTR starter box coming?

Rumor of the day is there will be a new starter box for the Lord of The Rings games from Games Workshop. The box will contain an army from minas tirith and another army containing orcs. Orcs from somewhere, whether that is mordor(most likely) angmar or isenguard has yet to be verified.

Edit: Been told that it is a mordor army. Which means it will be an osgiliath type battle. WIth the new osgiliath terrain that makes sense.

This box is also rumored to contain new wargs, which are bigger than the current ones, whether they have riders or not has yet to be determined. Maybe wild (i.e. misty mountains) wargs are smaller than mordor/isenguard bred wargs?

Take it all with a grain of salt as this is pretty slim information.

And to you I say "Good day sir!"

New GW models "snap together"?

So, I was looking at what was new today, and even though it was all WFB news I read about the two geedubbs assembling their models. I was shocked to run across the phrase "even though all the models snap together".....wait, did I read that right? They SNAP together. Holy Anti-Hobby Batman! Guess I will have to wait and see the models in that kit to really determine if this is a real decline in the hobby side if GW or not.

Here is a Link to the what's new section of GW site.

Edit:

It is just to make it easier for people starting the hobby to get things assembled.

Turns out a lot of the starter kits come this way, and have been this way for a while. Guess I have never really looked closely at the WFB/40K starter kits when they were on a sprue.

"New" Packaged Releases

So along with the "new" wargs some repackaged dunlendings came out. One may now order them w/shield, with bow or with a 2 handed weapon in 3 pack blister that are direct order only. Could this be due to a generic plastic wild men or plastic dunlending release coming? On another note, they are relatively cheap for a 3 pack, only $13.25 US. Probably one of the cheaper 3 packs available.

40K MMO coming out

There I said it....and I feel dirty.

Here is a little taste, view the trailer....

Painting tips

Aristo asked today where I read about painting tips and tricks.
Here are some of the websites:

The Painting Corps updates almost daily and links to a number of other sites.

The Painting Clinic is great for all the basics.

Terra Genesis is all about terrain...go figure.

This is a commercial page selling how to DVD's but still has some good tips.

Awesome Paint Job has a large number of useful videos and some good looking products.

Dakka Dakka has a huge collection of articles on many many topics.

Of course Cool Mini or Not is also a great site with a lot of articles.

And I forgot Massive Voodoo, which has a great blending article.

Well, that is about it, if anyone has any others please let me know and I will post.