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).

So We are starting up a campaign

I tried to be creative, while keeping this not only simple but allowing everyone to play everyone else.  Basically not letting the map dictate who can fight who, but being a little restrictive to army lists.  I think I was successful (pats self on back).  I know there will be some kind of issue at some point, because, well I can not think of everything.

Campaign Proposal

Hero/Army selection

A player may pick an army from any of the currently available source books, with the following exceptions/additions(basically including The Hobbit armies into the sourcebooks profiles):

Angmar list: Azogs hunters, The trolls

Moria List: Goblin town

Durins Folk: Army of Thror

Eregion and Rivendell: Elrond's Household

Wanderers in the wild: Thorin's company, radagast's alliance

Rohan: Men of Dale

Once a player picks an army list, they may play any hero in that army and may ally with any other army list IN THAT SOURCE BOOK.  Ex.  If I pick Harad and Umbar, I may ally with any other list in the Fallen Realms source book, but not out of Mordor ( unless you have enough Kingdom Points, which we will cover later ).

The goal, like it is every thursday night, is to take over the world!  How do we do this?

Expansionism, Imperialism and Conquest!  The lands to the east and south of Mordor are ripe for the picking!  It is time to build your empire abroad and bring wealth and honor to your western kingdom.

The people who inhabit this eastern land are drawn to power, you must defeat your competition in combat in order to earn their trust, and more importantly their trade.  Every western lord is on a stealth campaign to gather as many trading partners as they can, without going to all out war with their neighbors back home.  To that end you are secretly fighting battles in the east, and, the politics in the western lands are tricky so neighbors come in and out of alliances as everyone strives to become the imperialist power in the east.

Each player starts out with a three hex area on the western side of “known” middle earth, these may never be lost to or annexed by another player.  To gain renown, and lands, your secret army must defeat your “friends” to gain hex tiles in the east.  Every hex tile brings one Kingdom Point, which are calculated every week, and are not cumulative.  You may freely swap tiles with other players,  negotiate at your own risk.

A win will allow players to claim up to three hex tiles that are unclaimed, a loss means you gain nothing.  If there are no free hex tiles that you wish to claim, you may annex up to 2 of another players hex tiles.   Players may also do both, a win will allow a player to annex 1 tile and grab 1 unclaimed tile.  That is it though, a ? v1(win) allows:

1)Grab up to 3 free tiles

2)Annex 2 of another players tiles

3)Annex 1 tile and claim 1 free tile

a 2(win)v ? allows:

1)The winners may grab up to 2 free tiles each

2)The winners may annex 1 tile

Hex tiles MUST be in groups of three or more to be stable.

But why annex then Jobu?  Well, if you win the next week after annexing tiles from another player, then you can annex another two or grab free tiles that connect to the annexed tile(s).  If the player does not win, or somehow negotiate a tile swap, those tiles revert back to free tiles.  Only tiles with some land on them may be claimed.  Open water may not be claimed unless it is an inland lake.

Each tile in your favor gains you 1 Kingdom Point (KP), at the end of the campaign the player with the most KP's win.  Kingdom points are calculated once a week, on friday.

What do KPs bring you?

They allow allies, they allow buying priority once a game, they allow an extra fate to be given to a unnamed/named hero, they allow you to deploy a specific terrain piece, and maybe something else if I can think of it.  You may only pick two of the following and they may not be from the same list:

1)A force of renown(based on # of models, no points values) allows allies outside the sourcebook, still limited to good with good and evil with evil:

Spend 3 KP's and you may ally up to 25% (or one warband, whichever is larger) with another force using only unnamed heroes.

Spend 9 KP's and you may ally up to but not over 50% with another force using only unnamed heroes.

Spend 15 KP's and you may ally up to 25%(or one warband, whichever is larger) with another force using a named hero.

Spend 30 KP's and you may ally up to 50% with a named hero.

2)I swear it was Deja-Vu:

Spend 6 KP's and you may automatically have priority for one turn, must be used before priority dice are rolled – NO EXCEPTIONS

Spend 30 KP's and you may do it after the dice are rolled.

3)Luckiest Red Shirt:

Spend 3 KP's to give an unnamed hero an extra fate

Spend 20 KP's and give a named hero an extra fate

May only be given to native heroes. i.e. no allies

4)Brick in the wall:

Spend 3 KP's and you may remove one piece of native terrain from the table before armies have been deployed.

Spend 6KP's and you may place one small ( about the size of a DVD) non-native terrain piece anywhere on the board.

Spend 9 KP's and you may place one medium ( about 2x DVD ) non-native piece of terrain in your deployment area.

Fortunes/Fates

Hero of renown-You may nominate one hero in your army, that hero now acts as a banner for native troops( not allied ones).

Heroic Intervention-One nominated hero may call heroic fights without using any might.

Courageous charge-You may nominate one hero, during the game all units who begin the turn within 6 inches of that hero will automatically pass all courage tests.

War Chant- You may nominate one hero, during the game all models who begin the turn within 6 inches of that hero cause terror.

Faltering nerve-Before priority and for the duration of the game you may nominate one enemy hero, if that hero wishes to use might the controlling  player must role a d6, on 4+ nothing happens and the might is used normally, on a 3- the might does nothing and is lost.  This is only effective on the first might that hero spends each turn.

Ancient Lore-If a model or hero is the victim of a magical power, any native or allied hero within 12 inches may expend will points to help the model resist, the dice are added to the regular resist roll.  This is only allowed to be spent to resist magical powers.

Good Counsel- Before priority and for the duration of the game you may nominate one friendly hero, if that hero wishes to use might the controlling  player must role a d6, on 3- nothing happens and the might is used normally, on a 4+ the might is free.  This is only effective on the first might that hero spends each turn.

Counterspell-Nominate an enemy spellcaster, during the game if a spell is successfully cast that caster must reroll all the dice used to cast.  The second roll stands.

Mithril Coat-At the beginning of a turn declare this fortune/fate.  All wounds during the turn may be rescued on a roll of 5+.   Use this before rolling fate on heroes.

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.

Februa...wwhhhhaaatttttt!!???

So, here we are nearing February and GW has put up some advanced order for The Hobbit.  Now, let me say these are some nice looking plastic models, you can't tell from the paint jobs ( especially when you compare them to the Warriors of Chaos ) but looking at the sprues shows they have a great level of detail.
Great job GW, those elf cavalry look great, as do the grim hammers.

Now, if only I could afford them. Okay,I can afford them, but I can not justify them.  Wargames factory offers 12 cavalry or 32 infantry models for less than $20.  Gripping Beast offers 44 infantry for @ $30 and Perry miniatures offers at least 12 cavalry for @ $30. True mulitpart, variable models.  Do they look as good as GW do in relation to the Hobbit?  No, but they are more than usable, and a good paint job will take them far.   We also do not play in a GW store, so no one cares what miniature represents rohan, elves or orcs.

I can not, for the life of me, figure out how 6 Rivendell Knights can be more expensive than 6 Morgul Knights when they are all made out of the same material.  They are almost 30% more, where does that price difference come from?  Those 2 dead extra models? I was really looking forward to these, was planning on buying them too.  Will I now? No.  I simply can not justify the price.  I thought the grim hammers might be less expensive than the hunter orcs. I know, I know that was a pipe dream but I really wanted them, I still want the hunter orcs on wargs, but I will not pay this price.

Some will say, " just go on the internet and get them for at least 15% off".   No, If I do that then there is no reason for Rob to have a game store, he could just stick to internet sales.  Then I will not have a place to throw dice.  My friends and I do not have the space to hold all the warmancers and game at the same time.

More to come.....

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.

Someone somewhere may be in some trouble...

This is posted elsewhere, and may be complete rubbish, but when have we ever shied away from rubbish?

This is a lost, of supposedly leaked names of units/boxes from GW coming out next year for their The Hobbit range.

This does not contain sets that are already in production.
Seems like I will have to save some money, since GW stuff is so expensive now.
Some will be finecast as well......"shiver"
GOOD

Dwarves: Kili & Fili & Longbeard Archers 
Dwarves: Bombur with Kettle 
Dwarves: Drogo Baggins & The Tavern Maid 
Dwarves: Dáin & Iron Hill Berserkers 
Dwarves: King Thráin & Longbeard Vanguard 
Dwarves: Young Thorin & Longbeard Mattockguard 
Dwarves: King Thrór 
Dwarves: Dragon Mithril Company of Dwarves 
Dwarves: Dáin Ironfoot & Iron Hill Boar Riders 
Dwarves: Dís, Mother of Kili and Fili 
Dwarves: Gimli (Stubble) 
Dwarves: Samwise Gamgee (Red Book) 

White Council: Mounted Rivendell Nobles 
White Council: Lindir the Harper 
White Council: Arwen & Estel 
White Council: Galadriel (Barrel) 
White Council: Radagast with Roäc & Swoop 
White Council: Galadriel (Water Steed) 
White Council: The War Council 
White Council: Galadriel & Lórien Drumhooves 
White Council: Chief Aravir & Dúnedain Rangers 
White Council: Dúnedain Runecaster 
White Council: Elrond & Rivendell Spearguard 
White Council: Elros & Rivendell Outriders 
White Council: Radagast's Chariot / Spellfire Cart 
White Council: Cirdan the Shipwright 

Men of Esgaroth: King Girion 
Men of Esgaroth: Fram the Watchman 
Men of Esgaroth: The Master of Lake-Town 
Men of Esgaroth: Bard & Greystreak Bowmen 
Men of Esgaroth: Bain & Quickstrings Gang / Trout Guild Militia 
Men of Esgaroth: Alfrid & Loyal Town Guard 
Men of Esgaroth: Garf & Footsoldiers of the Dale 


Beornings: Woodmen Healer 
Beornings: Fair Daughter 
Beornings: Meneldor & Swiftbeak Flock 
Beornings: Gorm & Woodmen Axethrowers / Skin-Changers 
Beornings: Whisperbark / Gnarlfir 
Beornings: Black Bear Pack 
Beornings: Enraged Beorn 
Beornings: Grimbeorn (Greataxe) 

Silvan Elves: Legolas & Mirkwood Fire Archers 
Silvan Elves: Mirkwood Warhost 
Silvan Elves: King Thranduil (Battle Garb) 
Silvan Elves: Tauriel (Mounted) 
Silvan Elves: Castellan Amroth 

Smaug the Golden 
Gandalf (Dual Sword) 
Turin, The Dragonslayer 

EVIL

Smaug the Golden 

Mountain Orcs: Azog & Orc Needlers 
Mountain Orcs: Azog (Wounded) 
Mountain Orcs: Bolg & Great Goblin Bodyguard 
Mountain Orcs: Armoured Hill-Trolls / Frenzied Trolls 
Mountain Orcs: Orc Stone Thrower 

Wargs: Dire Warg 
Wargs: Grinnah & Mirkwood Werewolves 
Wargs: Feral Wolf Pack 
Wargs: The Werebeast 
Wargs: Lagdush & Orc Wolfcloak Warriors 
Wargs: Narzug & Orc Warg-Riders 
Wargs: Dol Guldur Orc Overlords 
Wargs: Orc Chieftain on Warg 
Wargs: Orc Wolfbone Shaman 

Dol Guldur: Leaping Spiders / Shiverfang Spiders 
Dol Guldur: Spiderlings 
Dol Guldur: The Willowhags 
Dol Guldur: Bloodwraiths 
Dol Guldur: Gwethil 
Dol Guldur: The Necromancer / Flesh Avatar 
Dol Guldur: Narzug & Orc Summoner Coven 
Dol Guldur: Tomb Wights 
Dol Guldur: Mounted Tomb Wights 
Dol Guldur: Saruman & The Ringwraiths 
Dol Guldur: Vampire Bat Swarms 

Grey Mountain Dragons: Fire-wyrms 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Braga & Goldscale Worshippers 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Venomblade Assassin 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Goldscale Priest 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Bofur on Cold-Drake 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Dragon Thrall 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Money Bags & Hired Knives 
Grey Mountain Dragons: Fell Hatchlings 

ADVENTURES

Adventure: Gandalf's Quest 
Adventure: The Battle at the East Gate 
Adventure: The Fall of Dale 
Adventure: The Belltower 
Adventure: A Thief in the Night 
Adventure: The Clearing of Foul Roots 
Adventure: Assault on the Barrows 
Adventure: Clash of the Beasts 
Adventure: The Last Stand 
Adventure: The Raven Hill 
Adventure: Thorin's Folly 
Adventure: The Battle of Five Armies 
Adventure: Breaking the Siege 
Adventure: Revenge of the Goblin King 
Adventure: Blacksoil Slope 
Adventure: The Final Onslaught 
Adventure: The Clouds Burst 
Adventure: The Ritual 
Adventure: The Haunted Tombs 
Adventure: The Blight Breach 
Adventure: Gollum's Escape

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. 

About those new paints-edit Now with names.....now with more speculation!

On the GW site today there is a teaser with the number 145, and a bunch of color splashes....hmmm, there are 145 items in the list below...coincidence....I think not.


Via Darnok at warseer,


-144 colours are in,
-lots of renaming of colours, nothing is leaving
-All in different catagories now, Shades (washes), bases, layers, glazes (thin washes) and textures.
-Prices are staying the same

So, what are textures?  Foundation paints?

That is a huge increase in the number of paints, holy paint rack batman!


Some more clarity on names of ranges.....
this info indicates that the drys are "goopy" paints for drybrushing (this is GW we're talking about, sounds more like them to release "drybrushing" paints than weathering powders). The source also stated that the bases are highly pigmented paints "halfway between foundation and current paints", I take this to mean not necessarily the existing foundation paints (so expect color shifts if that is correct). 


I realize that I am ripping from peoples posts on other forums, I take no credit for any of this, it has come from dakka dakka and warseer.




BASES
Ceramite White
Averland Sun
Jokaero Orange
Mephiston Red
Khorne Red
Naggaroth Night
Daemonette Hide
Kantor Blue
Macragge Blue
Caledon Sky
Stegadon scale green
Incubi Darkness
Caliban Green
Waaaagh! Flesh
Castellan green
Death world forest
Zandri dust
Steel Legion Drab
Bugmans Glow
Ratskin Flesh
Mournfang brown
XV-88
Rhinox hide
Dryad bark
Mechanicus standard grey
Celestus grey
Abaddon Black (the only black in the range)
Rakarth flesh
The fang
Screamer pink
Leadblecher (metal)
Balthasar Gold (metal)
Screaming Bell (metal)
Warplock brown (metal)




LAYER
White Scar
Yriel Yellow
Flash gitz yellow
Troll slayer orange
Fire dragon bright
Evil sunz scarlet
Wild Rider red
Wazdakka red
Squig Orange
Xereus Purple
Genestealer Purple
Warpfiend Grey
Slaanesh Grey
Alaitoc blue
Hoeth blue
Altdorf guard blue
Calgar blue
Teclis blue
Lothern blue
Sotek green
Temple guard blue
Kabalite green
Sybarite green
Warpstone glow
Moot green
Warboss green
Skarsnik green
Loren Forest
Straken green
Nurgling green
Elysian green
Ogryn camo
Ushabti Bone
Screaming skull
Tallarn sand
Karak stone
Cadian fleshstone
Kislev Flesh
Bestigor flesh
Ungor flesh
Skrag brown
Deathclaw brown
Tau light Ochre
Balor brown
Zamesi brown
Doombull brown
Tuskigor fur
Gorthor Brown
Baneblade Brown
Dawnstone
Administratum grey
Eshin grey
Dark reaper
Thunderhawk blue
Skavenblight dinge
Stormvermin fur
Ulthuan grey
Pallid wych flesh
Russ grey
Fenrisian grey
Pink horror
Emperors Children
Ironbreaker (metal)
Runefang steel (metal)
Gehennas gold(metal)
Auric Armour(metal)
Hashut Copper(metal)
Sycorax Bronze(metal)
Brass Scorpion(metal)
Runelord Brass(metal)


SHADES
Casandora Yellow
Fuegan Orange
Carroburg Crimson
Druchii Violet
Drakenhof Nightshade
Coelia greenshade
Biel-tan green
Athonian camoshade
Seraphim Sepia
Reikland fleshshade
Agrax earthshade (Devlan Mud)
Nuln Oil


DRY
Praxeti White
Hexos palesun
Kindleflame
Lucius Lilac
Etherium blue
Skink blue
Hellion green
Underhive ash
Eldar Flesh
Tyrant Shell
Terminatus stone
Longbeard grey
Changling pink
Necron Compound
Golden Griffon


GLAZE
Lamenters yellow
Waywatcher Green
Guilliman blue
Bloodletter


TEXTURE
Mourn Mountain snow
Stirland Mud
Blackfire Eath
Astrogranite
Armageddon Dust
Lustrian Undergrowth


TECHNICAL
Lahmian Medium
Ard coat
Imperial Primer
Liquid Green stuff