BGiMe Magazine - Issues 14-26

Welcome to the second part of the run through of the articles within the Battle Games in Middle-earth magazine. This will fetaure the same format as the previous post, as well as that for subsequent posts.

There are a lot of these magazines to get through, so bear with me whilst I indulge. With regards the pictures that accompany these posts - they are all taken from the internet. As I have been unable to track down a picture of each cover, I have randomly selected an issue from each of the thirteen issue blocks to represent that bunch of magazines. I find it is always nice to have some kind of pictorial representation on each blog post, just to break up the monotony of a page of just words if nothing else.

Issue 14

Guide to Middle-earth - The Riders of Rohan (1 page)

Playing the Game - Cavalry (6 pages)

Battle Game - Attack at the Ford - 6 Riders and 8 Warriors of Rohan versus 10 Uruk-hai plus a captain  (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - The Riders of  Rohan (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Rivers and Fords (4 pages)

Issue 15

Guide to Middle-earth - Isengard (3 pages)

Playing the Game - Saruman and Gandalf (2 pages)

Battle Game - The Gap of Rohan - The Fellowship versus Saruman, Lurtz, Ugluk, Uruk-hai captain, 24 Uruk-hai, 12 Goblins  (8 pages)

Painting Workshop - Saruman the White (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Making Bridges (4 pages)

Issue 16

Guide to Middle-earth - Ugluk (1 page)

Playing the Game - The Forces of Isengard (4 pages)

Battle Game - The Gap of Rohan part 2 (8 pages)

Painting Workshop - Ugluk (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Outcrops and Ridges (4 pages)

Issue 17

Guide to Middle-earth - Grishnakh (1 page)

Playing the Game - Creating Scenarios (4 pages)

Battle Game - A Thief in the Night - Ugluk and 10 Uruk-hai versus Grishnak, Orc Captain and 12 Orcs (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Grishnakh (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Fangorn Forest (6 pages)

Issue 18

Guide to Middle-earth - Eomer (1 page)

Playing the Game - The Forces of Rohan (6 pages)

Battle Game - The Wrath of Rohan - Eomer, Merry, Pippin, 12 Warriors and 6 Riders of Rohan versus Ugluk, Grishnak, 8 Uruk-hai, 8 Orcs (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Eomer (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Wilderness Campsite (4 pages)

Issue 19

Guide to Middle-earth - The Walls of Moria (1 page)

Playing the Game - Linking Battle Games (4 pages)

Battle Game - The Watcher in the Water - The Fellowship versus 8 Tentacles from the Watcher in the Water (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Colour Palettes (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Lakes and Shores (6 pages)

Issue 20

Guide to Middle-earth - The Mines of Moria (1 page)

Playing the Game - The Forces of Moria (4 pages)

Battle Game - Lost in the Dark - The Fellowship versus Goblin captain and 24 Goblins (4 pages)

Painting Workshop - Moria Goblins (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Dwarven Mines (8 pages)

Issue 21

Guide to Middle-earth - Gimli (1 page)

Playing the Game - Warriors of the Fellowship (2 pages)

Battle Game - Balin's Tomb - The Fellowship versus Goblin captain, 24 Goblins and a Cave Troll (4 pages)

Painting Workshop - Gimli (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Balin's Tomb (10 pages)

Issue 22

Guide to Middle-earth - The Bridge of Khazad-dum (1 page)

Playing the Game - Theming your Forces (4 pages)

Battle Game - The Bridge of Khazad-dum - The Fellowship versus the Balrog and 24 Goblins (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Painting Armies (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Khazad-dum (6 pages)

Issue 23

Guide to Middle-earth - Gondor (1 page)

Playing the Game - Forces of Gondor (4 pages)

Battle Game - Open War! - a points match battle (10 pages)

Painting Workshop - Warriors of Minas Tirith (2 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Tools and Materials (4 pages)

Issue 24

Guide to Middle-earth - The Lands of Mordor (1 page)

Playing the Game - Forces of Mordor (4 pages)

Battle Game - Open War! part 2 (8 pages)

Painting Workshop - Mordor Orcs (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - The Bits Box (4 pages)

Issue 25

Guide to Middle-earth - Concerning Hobbits (3 pages)

Playing the Game - Hobbits of the Shire (4 pages)

Battle Game - Escape from Osgiliath - Frodo, Sam and 6 Warriors of Minas Tirith versus 12 Orcs (4 pages)

Painting Workshop - Samwise Gamgee (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Osgiliath Sewers (6 pages)

Issue 26

Guide to Middle-earth - Rangers of Gondor (1 page)

Playing the Game - Lords of Gondor (6 pages)

Battle Game - Ambush in Ithilien - Faramir and 12 Rangers of Gondor versus Orc Captain and 12 Orcs (4 pages)

Painting Workshop - Faramir (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Pathways and Roads (6 pages)

Next post will see a summary of issues 27-39. Until next time.

BGiMe Magazine - Issues 1-13

For these posts, I have decided to take 13 issues at a time so as not to make the posts too onerous and hopefully get across the information in as small a space as possible. First up, we have Battle Games in Middle-earth Issues 1-13...

These magazines set the agenda early on and each issue builds upon the skills and lessons learned in the previous issues. The layout is very similar in each issue to make things more familiar and easier to find, and each issue follows a theme. If followed week-by-week then all of the reader's hobby skills should develop at a steady pace, until at the end of the whole release it should be second nature to buy a new set of miniatures, prep and paint them, stat them up and ready them for battle on a fully scenic tabletop.

Which brings us nicely onto the contents of the magazines...

Issue 1

Guide to Middle-earth - An overview of the characters and lands of Middle-earth and the quest of the Fellowship, plus the story of Aragorn (5 pages)

Playing the Game - This section introduces the hobby and what you'll need to play (2 pages)

Battle Game - Goblin Ambush - Aragorn versus 12 Goblins plus some rules on how to play (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Prepping and painting the Moria Goblins that came with this pack (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - How to make a basic battlefield (4 pages)

Issue 2

Guide to Middle-earth - An introduction to the 2nd Age Last Alliance (1 page)

Playing the Game - Characteristics (6 pages)

Battle Game - The Last Alliance - 12 Goblins versus 8 Elves and 4 Men of Gondor (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - How to paint Elves and Men of Gondor, including dry-brushing and armour washes (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Tools needed to make terrain (4 pages)

Issue 3

Guide to Middle-earth - Frodo (1 page)

Playing the Game - Priority and Move (6 pages)

Battle Game - Pursuit of the Ringwraiths - Aragorn and Frodo versus five Ringwraiths (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Frodo Baggins (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Making a hedgerow (4 pages)

Issue 4

Guide to Middle-earth - The Fighting Uruk-hai (1 page)

Playing the Game - Fight phase (6 pages)

Battle Game - Elven Attack - 8 Elves versus 10 Uruk-hai (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Uruk-hai warriors (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Making a hill (4 pages)

Issue 5

Guide to Middle-earth - Lurtz (1 page)

Playing the Game - Shoot Phase (6 pages)

Battle Game - Hunt of the Uruk-hai - Aragorn and Frodo versus Lurtz and four Uruk-hai (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Lurtz (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Making a gaming area (4 pages)

Issue 6

Guide to Middle-earth - Aragorn (1 page)

Playing the Game - Movement and Terrain (6 pages)

Battle Game - Defend the Ruins - Aragorn versus five Uruk-hai (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Aragorn (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Making Ruins (4 pages)

Issue 7

Guide to Middle-earth - Defenders of the Riddermark (1 page)

Playing the Game - Defending Barriers (4 pages)

Battle Game - Repel the Marauders - 12 Warriors of Rohan versus 14 Uruk-hai (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Warriors of Rohan (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Walls and Fences (4 pages)

Issue 8

Guide to Middle-earth (This issue featured a gatefold front cover) - Weapons of Middle-earth, Lothlorien and Legolas (5 pages)

Playing the Game - Missile Weapons (2 pages)

Battle Game - Raid on Lothlorien - Frodo and Legolas versus 8 Goblins and a captain (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Legolas (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Trees and Forests (6 pages)

Issue 9

Guide to Middle-earth - The Uruk-hai invasion of Rohan (1 page)

Playing the Game - Melee Weapons (4 pages)

Battle Game - Burn the Village - Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli with 12 Warriors of Rohan versus 20 Uruk-hai with a captain (8 pages)

Painting Workshop - Basic Techniques (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Warning Beacon (4 pages)

Issue 10

Guide to Middle-earth - The Creation of Saruman's Army (1 page)

Playing the Game - Courage (4 pages)

Battle Game - Burn the Village II (8 pages)

Painting Workshop - Batch Painting (2 pages)

Modelling Workshop - A Rohirrim Building (6 pages)

Issue 11

Guide to Middle-earth - Boromir (1 page)

Playing the Game - Heroes, Might and Fate (6 pages)

Battle Game - Ambush at Amon Hen - A two-part scenario; Part 1 - To the Rescue, pits Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli against 16 Uruk-Hai and a captain. Part 2 - Capture the Halflings, has Boromir, Merry and Pippin against Lurtz and 12 Uruk-hai (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Boromir (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Making a Standing Stone (4 pages)

Issue 12

Guide to Middle-earth - Gandalf the Grey (1 page)

Playing the Game - Magic and Will (6 pages)

Battle Game - Clash of Wills - Gandalf versus the Witch King and 4 Ringwraiths (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Gandalf the Grey (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - A Hilltop Ruin (4 pages)

Issue 13

Guide to Middle-earth - The Lands of the Riddermark (1 page)

Playing the Game - Battlefield Tactics (6 pages)

Battle Game - Wizards' Duel - a special board game of Gandalf versus Saruman in the Tower of Orthanc (6 pages)

Painting Workshop - Rohan Horses (4 pages)

Modelling Workshop - Scenic Details (4 pages)

I hope you enjoyed this trip through a summary of the first thirteen issues of the Battle Games in Middle-earth magazine. The next blog post will feature issues 14 to 26.

BGiMe Magazine - The features

Time got the better of me today, so I was not able to publish what I wanted to. However, I can at least give a brief overview of what each section of the magazine is used to portray. I will give a more expanded view of the contents of each issue from the next post onwards. The collating of the data is taking quite a bit of time, so I may not be able to post every day on these magazines; but I will try.

Each magazine is divided into the same five sections (with the exception of the three Specials)...

Guide to Middle-earth - Each issue has a basic theme and these ideas are discussed with the Lord of the Rings films and/or books in mind. This section can be mined for lots of background information on the characters, creatures and cultures that share the world of Middle-earth.

Playing the Game - This section deals with the rules of the game and introduces new items in an easy to follow step-by-step manner each issue to develop the gamer's skills. The rules start off very basic, then a wider range of abilities and equipment are added as the gamer becomes more comfortable and proficient with the existing game play.

Battle Games - Over the weeks, miniatures and card cut-outs have been supplied to enable the reader to game with them. These articles provide scenario ideas and then suggest which figures are required to allow the games to be played.

Painting Workshop - Starting off with very basic techniques, these guides take the reader through all aspects of painting a miniature; from model preparation and basic colour schemes, to advanced shading and highlighting techniques.

Modelling Workshop - From very basic cloth over books scenery to highly detailed full-on battle-boards, these articles show the reader how to create scenery pieces for their tabletop games.

In future posts, I will run through a basic summary for each issue to show what was covered in each section of the magazine, so if you are looking to find a particular issue that matches the forces you wish to muster then hopefully this will help you in your quest.

BGiMe Magazine - The free gifts

Alongside the miniatures that came with the magazine, there were the occasional free gifts to entice readers into either buying more magazines or taking out a subscription. Often there would also be card inserts of miniatures within the magazine to help with playing scenarios that the reader might not have enough figures for at the time.

I will run through the main free gifts in order first and then do a follow up of the inserts and extras.

 

Battle Games in Middle-earth - First issue gaming pack

I managed to purchase two of the boarded issue one sets, and once the collection had completed I contacted the back-issue department to grab some more issues that included miniatures of the forces I wanted to build (hence why I have goodly-sized collections of Rohan, Gondor and Mordor Orc plastic miniatures).

Anyway, onto the free gifts and specials lists...

These are the free gifts if you just bought the magazine normally from the local shop:

Issue 1: Backing Board (which I no longer have as it was very large and easily damaged), a large A2 poster of Gandalf vs. the Balrog in Moria, 4 pots of paint and a paint brush, and a single six-sided die.

Issue 2: 4 pots of paint

Issue 3: 1 pot of paint

Issue 19: 3 pots of paint

These are the subscriber free gifts:

Package 1 (Issues 2 & 3 - 31/03/03): Magnifying Glass

Package 2 (Issues 4 & 5 - 24/04/03): Tool kit

Package 3 (Issues 6 & 7 - 13/05/03): Balin's Tomb

Binders for the magazine were given away free with packages released 29/09/03 (issues 16 & 17), 20/04/04 (issues 30 & 31), 05/08/04 (issues 38 & 39) and 15/02/05 (issues 52 & 53) - further binders could be bought on the web site.

The Two Towers Special Edition magazine was released 15/09/03

The Return of the King Special Edition magazine was released 06/12/04

The Fellowship of the Ring Special Edition was released 09/12/05

And the magazine inserts (a cardboard sheet of stand-up "counters" unless otherwise stated)...

Issue 1:    The Fellowship, Elrond, Gamling, Eowyn

Issue 3:    Saruman, Lurtz, 2 Uruk Hai, 2 Mordor Orcs, Goblin Captain, Witch King, 4 Ringwraiths

Issue 7:    Mordor Orc Captain, 3 Uruk Hai

Issue 17:    12 Mordor Orcs

Issue 19:    8 Watcher's tentacles

Issue 21:    Balrog and Cave Troll

Issue 26:    12 Rangers of Gondor

Issue 32:    Treebeard, Ent

Issue 35:    8 Wood Elves, 8 Elves

Issue 37:    6 Mounted Ringwraiths

Issue 40:    6 Warg Riders and a sheet of self-adhesive Rohan banners

Issue 42:    Mordor Troll Chieftain, 2 Mordor Trolls

Issue 44:    16 2nd Age Men of Gondor

Issue 46:    Sauron, Gwaihir

Issue 55:    3 Knights of Minas Tirith

Issue 56:    The War of the Ring Campaign booklet

Issue 63:    Shelob, Mouth of sauron (on foot and mounted), Gothmog

Issue 66:    The Battle for Middle-earth Campaign Map

Issue 67:    16 Wild Men of Dunland

Issue 70:    Mounted Theoden, Eowyn & Gamling with Royal Standard, 2 Mounted Royal Guard

Issue 71:    16 Warriors of the Dead

Issue 72:    Witch King & Ringwraith on Fell Beast

Issue 77:    Easterling Banner Bearer, 12 Easterling Warriors, Arwen, Dwarf Adventurer

Issue 80:    8 Khazad Guards, 4 Barrow Wights, Elladan, Elrohir, Gildor, Goldberry

Issue 83:    13 Dwarf warriors, 2 Goblin Drummers & Drum

Issue 88:    Prince Imrahil (mounted), 5 Mounted Knights of Dol Amroth

Issue 90:    9 Ruffians, Worm, 6 Hobbit Militia

Issue 91:    8 Hobbit Militia, 4 Hobbit Shirriffs, 4 Ruffians

Looking back at this list shows that there were, in fact, quite a few little extras included in the monthly packs. I had completely forgotten about the Rohan banner stickers and campaign map - these might come in useful for games of Battle Companies in the future.

Next post, I will begin to summarise what was in each issue - I will not go into any great depth, but just a brief one-liner for each section of each magazine. I have found it difficult to track down images for  all of the front pages of the magazine, and do not have the time at the moment to scan them all in, so will just use random issue number pictures to accentuate my posts going forward.

Flicking through these magazines again after so long has really got my creative juices flowing - let's hope it can lead to something gaming orientated in the next few weeks to get ths blog ticking over again with useful painting and modelling articles that display my completed miniatures as I finish them.

BGiMe Magazine - The miniatures

After yesterday's introduction to the Battle Games in Middle-earth magazine, I thought I would start this series of posts with a listing of which miniatures came with which magazine; after all, it is the miniatures that keep us all interested in this game...

I will present each type of miniature as a block and make a note of which issue and which future box set they came from (where known)...

Plastic Miniatures:

Each issue saw either a blistered metal miniature or a sprue of plastic miniatures. The plastic sprues consist of around a dozen warriors on foot or around half-a-dozen mounted warriors. There was a split of the riders and their mounts over two issues of the magazine (see the Riders of Rohan and Warg Riders as examples) to eke out the collection and, occasionally, a single horse for a named hero or a set of Middle-earth ruins to use as scatter terrain in games.

Issue 1        Moria Goblins

Issue 2        Men and Elves (2nd Age)

Issue 4        Uruk Hai

Issue 7        Warriors of Rohan

Issue 10      Uruk Hai

Issue 13      Rohan Horses

Issue 14      Riders of Rohan

Issue 19      Horse for Eomer

Issue 20      Moria Goblins

Issue 22      Ruins

Issue 23      Warriors of Minas Tirith

Issue 24      Mordor Orcs

Issue 27      Uruk Hai Siege Crew

Issue 31      Uruk Hai Siege Crew

Issue 33      Warriors of Minas Tirith

Issue 41      Mordor Orcs

Issue 44      Men and Elves (2nd Age)

Issue 50      Warriors of Rohan

Issue 54      Ruins

Issue 66      Riders of Rohan

Issue 67      Rohan Horses

Issue 68      Wargs

Issue 69      Warg Riders

Issue 70      Haradrim

Issue 72      Mordor Orcs

      

Metal Miniatures:

The metal miniatures came singly in snazzy red blister packs, but on occasion there would be two or three miniatures if the set required it, like the Merry and Pippin sets, or Farmer Maggot and his dogs. The Conversion sprue proved to be a very popular release as it allowed for a lot of conversion work to be carried out to individualise your armies.

Issue 3        Frodo (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 5        Lurtz

Issue 6        Aragorn (Heroes of Helms Deep)

Issue 8        Legolas (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 9        Uruk Hai Captain

Issue 11      Boromir (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 12      Gandalf (Battle at Khazad Dhum)

Issue 15      Saruman

Issue 16      Ugluk

Issue 17      Grishnak

Issue 18      Eomer (mounted)

Issue 21      Gimli (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 25      Sam (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 26      Faramir (Captured by Gondor)

Issue 28      Haldir (Heroes of Helms Deep)

Issue 29      Theoden (Heroes of Helms Deep)

Issue 30      Uruk Hai Berserker

Issue 32      Merry and Pippin (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 34      Minas Tirith Standard Bearer

Issue 35      Galadriel

Issue 36      Elrond

Issue 37      Witch King

Issue 38      Grima Wormtongue

Issue 39      Gandalf the White

Issue 40      Rohan Royal Standard (mounted)

Issue 42      Orc Standard

Issue 43      Faramir (mounted)

Issue 45      Gil-Galad (2nd Age)

Issue 46      Elendil (2nd Age)

Issue 47      Isildur (2nd Age)

Issue 48      Gorbag

Issue 49      Shagrat

Issue 51      Gamling

Issue 52      Eowyn

Issue 53      Hama

Issue 55      Minas Tirith Standard Bearer (mounted)

Issue 56      Gothmog

Issue 57      Denethor

Issue 58      Orc Captain

Issue 59      Faramir (Armoured)

Issue 60      Boromir (Armoured)

Issue 61      Aragorn (Fellowship of the Ring)

Issue 62      Bilbo

Issue 63      Gollum

Issue 64      Eomer

Issue 65      Theodred

Issue 71      King of the Dead

Issue 73      Merry and Pippin (Return of the King)

Issue 74      Witch King

Issue 75      Conversion Sprue

Issue 76      Legolas (Heroes of the West)

Issue 77      Easterling Captain

Issue 78      Aragorn (Return of the King)

Issue 79      Radagast the Brown

Issue 80      Tom Bombadil

Issue 81      Glorfindel

Issue 82      Orc Shaman

Issue 83      Dwarf Captain

Issue 84      Durburz

Issue 85      Balin

Issue 86      Suladan

Issue 87      Hasharin

Issue 88      Imrahil

Issue 89      Ghan-Buri-Ghan

Issue 90      Farmer Maggot and dogs

Issue 91      Sharkey

 

Issue SE1       Gandalf the White on Shadowfax

Issue SE2       King Elessar (mounted)

Issue SE3       Arwen & Frodo (mounted)

This ended up being quite the list, but I think it was worthwhile getting the whole lot up here as an aide de memoir, or if anyone is looking for a particular back issue for a particular miniature (many are sold second-hand with or without the miniatures on eBay).

 

The magazine was originally set to run for just 65 issues, but proved so popular that they extended the run to 78, and then the final 91 issues plus three specials. The plastic miniatures released early on in the extension periods mainly just boosted a couple of major factions (Rohan and orcs) but I think the Haradrim were released on general sale by Games Workshop as the magazine collection was running, so they were included too. The two additional 13 issue runs also allowed for the books to be explored as well as the films. So, some of the models that came with the tail-end issues of the magazine allowed book aficionados to game some of their favourite characters and scenes from the novels too.

Next post, I will take a look at the free gifts that came with the magazine.

Battle Games in Middle-earth Magazine

Battle Games in Middle-earth was a multi-part magazine produced by DeAgostini in conjunction with Games Workshop and New Line Cinema that began publication in around 2003. It retailed at £3.99 (£5.99 for a couple of the specials) back in the day which seems so cheap nowadays when looking at what you get for your money. Each part consisted of a magazine, some GW miniatures and occasionally a one-off "gift" to help your collection grow. It was released fortnightly, but if it was put on mail order subscription the parts were delivered once per month in bundles of two magazines.

To complete the collection took around three or four years (2003 until 2006-ish) and was comprised of 91 standard issues and three special edition issues. I have to admit that whilst collecting them, my enthusiasm never waned, and I always looked forward to the postman dropping off my bundle once-a-month.

BGiMe Issue 1

Looking back at my collection of these issues (I have not looked at them in over ten years as they have been up in the loft in a comic box for safe keeping and are only just now seeing the light of day as I have recently moved home) has brought the memories flooding back; the anticipation of receiving the issues, reading them with my kids, then re-watching the films, and then imagining the tabletop battles we would have with the miniatures when we eventually got round to painting them (which I never really did except for a few of the Rohan miniatures).

As mentioned in a previous post, I am not sure what to do with these magazine blog articles, so I will just get writing and see where they take me. At the moment I am trying to get my gaming head back on, and hopefully these magazine summaries will inspire me to get the paints and dice out in readiness for a few games later on in the year (hopefully).

So, with this blog entry, I think I will keep it simple and sign off now whilst I ponder what to write tomorrow. I imagine a variety of magazine summaries (but not in the same detail as the SBG magazine articles), which miniatures/gifts came with which magazine, and possibly mention a few articles of note if they tickle my gaming fancy.

SBG Magazine - PDF Specials

Last year saw a lot of material released for the SBG magazine; Issues 8 and 9 (Spring and Summer 2019) as well as two PDFs (Issue T on 1st April, and a Christmas Special in December). These two magazines are not likely to find themselves in print, so they will have to be downloaded specially.

SBG Magazine - PDF Tauriel and Christmas 2019 Specials

 SBG - PDF Issues - April 1st and December 2019

Let's start with the Tauriel Special entitled Derdle:

This is a 12 page April Fool's Day special centred on the character Tauriel from The Hobbit movies. After the usual editorial and contents pages, there are some useful and not-so-useful articles about Tauriel (remember this is a tongue-in-cheek magazine, so not to be taken too seriously)...

The Daughter of the Forest - a new Tauriel-based Legendary Legion for use with MESBG (1 page)

Tom's Top Tauriels - 2 pages of various models (Weta, Funko, GW, Lego etc.) for your Tauriel collection

Battle Report - Brief Encounter (a very short 2 page affair between Tauriel, Kili and 8 Mirkwood Spiders)

Tauctica - Tauriel (a 2 page insight into how to use Tauriel to her fullest extent on the tabletop)

Painting Masterclass: Red Hair (a 1 page tutorial on how to paint Tauriel's face and distinctive red hair)

This was a fun-packed issue with a healthy balance of rules and hobby articles that should not be taken too seriously.

 

Now let's take a look at the 26 page Advent Calendar special:

As well as the front and back pages, there are 24 days of Christmas to get through...

Day 1 - Editorial

Day 2 - The Nerdy Christmas Gift Guide - a list of on theme nerdy gifts for your Tolkien fan

Day 3 - Climbing the mini-mountain - a brief guide on how to tackle that big backlog of minis

Day 4 - Making a list and checking it twice - a guide to making a competitive tournament army

Day 5 - Gonna find out who's naughty and nice - how to play a friendly game of MESBG

Day 6 - Going on an advent-ure - how to prep for a tournament

Day 7 - The 12 days of MESBGMAS - how much would the miniatures listed in this carol cost?

Day 8 - All aboard the terrain train - when terrain building is more important than playing the game

Day 9 - How to terrain your dragon - how to organise tournament terrain that is fair for all players

Days 10, 11 & 12 - A yule carol - a Yuletide ghost story - loosely based on Charles Dickens' tale

Day 13 - The spirit of MESBG community present - detailing the MESBG community spirit

Day 14 - Noobtuber - how to blag it on You Tube

Day 15 - Christmas trimmings - some tips on how to go about converting miniatures

Day 16 - The Beacons are lit - tutorial on how to create some Gondorian beacons

Day 17 - Painting Masterclass - Balin

Day 18 & 19 - The Night Before Yule - a Christmas scenario idea based in Dale post Smaug

Day 20, 21 & 22 - Battle Report - a 3 page report on the scenaario idea above

Day 23 - Will you guide my sleigh, one last time? - a statistical analysis of Christmas Eve present deliveries in Middle-earth

Day 24 - Merry Christmas - a quick piece about what has been and what is to come regards The Palantir YouTube channel and SBG

Well, that's it for all of the SBG magazines to date - I will publish a summary of any forthcoming issues as they arrive in the future. I have a huge pile of Battlegames in Middle-earth magazines from yesteryear looking at me for attention. I am not sure that I could write 95 or so blog articles on those without going crazy, so I may just cut down on these and do some statistical analysis and summaries instead. Let me see where the muse takes me on these.

SBG Magazine - Issue 9

Hot on the heels of issue 8, comes the ninth issue. The release of the new MESBG ruleset has prompted a frenzied uptick in interest in the gaming system. Whereas last issue took us to the Pelennor Fields of Gondor, this issue sees us plunge back into Mirkwood. This issue also marks the 3,000th physical copy of the magazine to be sold.

SBG Magazine - Issue 9

 SBG - Issue 9 - Summer 2019

Battle Report - Attack on Rhosgobel (a short 4 page after action report of a game that was played on the Rhosgobel scenery that was built for this issue. It pits Radagast against a bunch of monstrous spiders)

My Favourite Character - Legolas (in this series, different authors will explore their favourite characters - 5 pages)

Middle-earth's Most Valuable Profile - This article runs through The Hobbit film trilogy and works out who, in SBG terms, was the most cost-effective character from the films (5 pages)

Tactica - Halls of Thranduil (a 4 page deep-dive into the Halls of Thranduil army list)

Battle Report - Mirkwood Ambush (This battle report documents a "What if" encounter in Mirkwood just after Bilbo and the dwarfs have escpaed the clutches of the spiders but have been captured by the elves. On their return to Thranduil's Halls, they are ambushed by orcs and more. This 16 page report sums up the action that took place in the game, as well as featuring a massive two-page centre-spread picture of the battle in progress showing the terrain and models in all their glory)

Building Middle-earth - Rick's River - a 3 page tutorial on how to create the river effect from the board built for this issue

Converting Mirkwood - A 3 page conversion article by Dave Fredericks for several characters; Bolg to be bow armed and mounted on a wild warg, Narzug on fell warg, Thranduil on elk, Radagast on horseback, and, finally, Legolas and Tauriel mounted on the same horse

Painting Masterclass: Bolg. 2 pages explain how to paint Bolg in all his orcish glory

This was a packed issue with a healthy balance of rules and hobby articles. The terrain article and battle reports were a fun read that led to a very rewarding reading experience. When is Issue 10 due for release?

SBG Magazine - Issue 8

The New Edition Special - the Middle-earth Strategy Game has arrived. The older Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit versions of the game have been combined, updated and now superceded by this new rules set.

SBG Magazine - Issue 8

 SBG - Issue 8 - Spring 2019

The Dawn of a New Age - A 4 page article regarding Tom's journey within the hobby involving different editions and tournament gaming

The Dr's Corner - The author ponders how the new rules will shake up the tournament circuit (4 pages)

The Art of the Wooden Spoon - Guest piece on how to get the most from all of those defeats (4 pages)

Build me an Army - How to build a competitive tournament army detailing the better heroes to take and what each brings to the table (6 pages)

Battle Report - Fog of War - This 19 page battle report showcases many of the new rules amendments. The game was a standard fog of war style battle in which neither side knew the objectives of the other

Painting Masterclass: Theoden. A 3 page article detailing how to paint the new resin Theoden models that come with the starter box set

 

The new ruleset for Middle-earth Strategy Battle Games was released just a few months prior to this edition of the magazine. It was lovely to see all the attention lavished on Theoden and Gothmog in this issue. There wasn't much in the way of actual articles detailing rules interpretation or gaming tips, but then again the battle report was used to showcase the main amendments.

SBG Magazine - Issue 7

The seventh issue arived hot on the tail of the sixth issue. The production values of the magazine have improved from a not-too-shabby start, and the guys are getting into their strides of producing a fan magazine. Their enthusiam for the game has not diminished one iota and that comes through in the writing.

SBG Magazine - Issue 7

 SBG - Issue 7 - Summer 2018

How to win a Golden Demon - Part 2 (A 3 page interview with Dave Fredericks, the second half of Shadow and Flame fame, on how to convert miniatures in readiness)

The Dr's Corner - The author ponders what has kept him in the hobby for 25 years (4 pages)

The Dr's Mother - Damien's mother's take on his last 25 years of hobbying (2 pages)

Tactica - The Iron Hills - Part 2 (4 more pages about playing to Durin's Folk's strengths. This issue sees war machines and champions get their coverage)

A Giant Adventrue - A 5 page insight into how to build the Stone Giants and a massive 10' diorama that feature in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie and the first of the battle reports for this issue

Battle Report - This battle report documents a "What if" encounter in the Misty Mountains between Thorin's company and an ambush by goblins whilst the Stone Giants have their deadly duel.  This 13 page report sums up the action that took place in the game, as well as a big two-page centre-spread picture of the battle in progress showing the terrain and models in all their glory

Sculpting Tips - a 2 page tutorial on how to convert some dwarf champions (Fili, Kili, Dwalin and Balin) to ride in the chariot from the scene in the film

Painting Masterclass: Bilbo Baggins. 2 pages explain how to paint the Bilbo Baggins with Sting miniature. There is also a brief half-page article on how to convert standard Hunter Orcs on Fell Wargs into Gundabad Warg Riders

Battle Report - Chase Along the Frozen River - This battle report recreates the chariot chase scene in The Battle of the Five Armies film. This 6 page report sums up the action that took place in the game

There was not too much in the way of rules and figure articles in this issue, but the terrain article and battle reports were a fun read. Theme-based scenarios are always better, in my humble opinion, than just plonking miniatures on a table and duking it out. This is the last of The Hobbit : Strategy Battle Game based issues. The release of the new Middle Earth branded Strategy Game is nigh.

SBG Magazine - Issue 6

The sixth issue of SBG magazine is put under the spotlight today. The magazine is becoming quite established now.

SBG Magazine - Issue 6

 SBG - Issue 6 - Spring 2018

The Editorial, Contents and the SBG Towers behind the scenes pages again start off this magazine, with The Hobby Blog page again at the back of this issue. I won't mention these again as they are now a very established part of the magazine and don't really have that much hobby related material.

Of Dice and Men (part 2) - Another 5 page article on dice probability and how to use stats to your advantage in a game

The Dr's Corner - The author contemplates what impact his love for Middle-earth has had on his everyday life (4 pages)

Tactica - The Iron Hills - Part 1 (4 pages about playing to Durin's Folk's strengths. This month sees basic warriors, goat riders and heroes get their coverage)

Battle Report - To the King! (This report documents the massive battle outside of Dale between Azog's forces of darkness and Dain and his doughty dwarf followers. 18 pages sums up the after action report, a run down of which miniatures were hot and which were not, as wellas a big two-page centre-spread picture of the battle in progress)

How to win a Golden Demon - Part 1 (A 5 page interview with Kev Lawrence of Shadow and Flame fame)

Painting Masterclass: Thorin Oakenshield. A 3 page article detailing how to paint the leader of the thirteen

Sculpting Tips - a 2 page tutorial on how to convert some plastic versiosn of Thorin, Fili and Kiliinto likenesses of the characters who charge out of Erebor to join Dain in has fight against Azog

 

This issue saw a lot more useful hints and tips return to the magazine.This was mainly a painting and modelling issue with another long Battle Report, but there were a few useful rules articles. Again the focus was on The Hobbit : Strategy Battle Game but the focus on the new Middle Earth branded Strategy Game is on the horizon.

SBG Magazine - Issue 5

This issue of SBG magazine takes us over the half-way point for the physical versions; five down, four to go (plus the two pdfs). As per the previous posts, there will be a brief summary of each article, followed by an overview/thoughts on this particular issue.

SBG Magazine - Issue 5

 SBG - Issue 5 - Summer 2017

The Editorial, Contents and the SBG Towers behind the scenes pages again start off this magazine, with The Hobby Blog page again at the back of this issue.

Of Dice and Men (part 1) - A 5 page article on dice probability and how to use stats to your advantage in a game

A Lifetime of Gaming Tolkien - Guest writer Joe McCullough writes a piece about his forays into Middle-earth gaming (not just SBG) over the years (4 pages)

Tactica - Elven Spell-casters (4 pages about playing to Galadriel's and Elrond's strengths. There are also brief mentions for Cirdan, Celeborn and Arwen)

Battle Report - The Battle of Dale after action report (20 pages)

Building Middle-earth - Dale House (a 4 page article on how to build the terrain featured in the battle report)

Speed sculpting - a 2 page tutorial on how to sculpt Percy, Hilda, Bianca, Bain, Sigrid and Hilda

Painting Masterclass: Back to its original name, we have an article detailing how to paint Gandalf the Grey this time

The Battle Report for this issue was overly long but it also focused on the terrain built specificaly for this sceanrio, as well as the scenario. This was another The Hobbit : Strategy Battle Game based magazine but more Lord of the Rings set magazines are soon to come.

SBG Magazine - Issue 4

The issue of SBG magazine under the spotlight today is Number 4. I will try to get a write-up done every day until all 9 are completed (and maybe the two PDFs?). As per the previous posts, this one will also take on the format of a brief summary of each article, followed by an overview/thoughts on this particular issue.

SBG Magazine - Issue 4

 SBG - Issue 4 - Autumn 2016

The first three pages are the usual suspects; Editorial, Contents and the SBG Towers behind the scenes pages. There is mention that they have sold 1,000 physical copies of the magazine in just 4 issues - not bad for a fanzine! The Hobby Blog page is again at the back of this issue.

Scenario - The Hunt for Thrain (a 5 page mini-scenario - in which Gandalf hunts for Thrain in the dungeons of Dol Guldur

The Dr's Corner - An opinion piece on why he thinks people view the world of wargaming with scorn and derision (4 pages)

Tactica - The Istari (4 pages about playing to Gandalf's, Saruman's and Radagast's strengths. No mention of Alatar and Pallando - the two Blue Wizards or the Ithryn Luin as they were known collectively - most likely because there are no official stats due to them not being a part of the Lord of the rings films, although they are mentioned briefly in one of them)

Ruling Dol Goldur - An article about some new rules inspired by the Hill of Sorcery gaming board created specifically for the magazine this issue (2 pages)

Battle Report - a follow-on battle from last issue, where Gandalf sets out to rescure those members of the White Council captured in the previous game (an 11 page, turn-by-turn battle report, based upon the new rules detailed above)

The Garrison of Dol Guldur - A list of units allowable for the scenario above and for later Dol Guldur based games (a single page army list)

Building Middle-earth - Dol Guldur (a 7 page article on how to build the terrain featured in the battle report)

Hobby Corner: This seems to be a new way of presenting the previously separate articles for converting and painting miniatures...

The Spawn of Ungoliant - a 3 page tutorial on how to convert spiders, make the cages showcased in the battle report and how to make Dol Guldur themed bases

Painting the Nazgul - How to paint the Nazgul conversions created in Issue 3 of the magazine (2 pages)

Wounding Gandalf - A couple of Gandalf conversions to be used as objective markers and centre-pieces for scenarios (2 pages)

 

This issue got back on track with far more informative/useful material and a lot less chatty filler.  Again, the focus was on The Hobbit era, but the content was presented by way of articles that can help improve one's hobby with hints and tips on how to convert miniatures and build scenery - always a skill that I find dauntingly difficult.

SBG Magazine - Issue 3

Today it is the turn of Issue 3 of SBG magazine. Again, I will present a brief summary of each of the articles and follow up the post with an overview/thoughts on this particular issue.

SBG Magazine - Issue 3

 SBG - Issue 3 - Spring 2016

The first few pages are the standard Editorial and Contents pages, as well as a behind the scenes snippet page about what is currently going on in the editors' world. The Hobby Blog is again at the back of the magazine.

Overhill and Underhill - No Dr's Corner this issue, but another informal chat piece about attending tournaments (3 pages)

Tom's Top 10 - Under-costed heroes Part 2 (another 4 pages this issue on under-pointed hero models in the game)

Scenario - The Siege of Dol Goldur (a 4 page scenario idea - when the White Council confronts the Necromancer in his lair) 

Tactica - The Ring Wraiths (a 5 page article on how to get the best out of your Ring Wraiths)

Battle Report - a write-up of the SBG team's run through of the above scenario (a 17 page article detailing a turn-by-turn battle report, culminating in an aftermath discussion of how each player felt the scenario went for them, what they could have done better, and which miniature on each side was the stand-out performer)

Summoning the Nine - A conversion guide to recreating the ring Wraiths from the movies (4 pages)

Shadow & Flame - The Necromancer and Saruman (an article by the Shadow & Flam guys for creating an original sculpt for the Necromancer and how to paint The Hobbit version of Saruman - 4 pages)

 

Although there were some very nice articles about the Ring Wraiths, this issue had a little more what seemed like filler than the previous magazine. The battle report was overly long but the gaming related articles - painting, model points costs, tactics and the scenario idea etc. - were all very useful. Again, the magazine was primarily focused on the Hobbit era of the game, so not too much information if your main interest is the Lord of the Rings era.

SBG Magazine - Issue 2

Today I will take a quick look at Issue 2 of the Strategy Battle Game magazine. Again, I will present a brief summary of each of the articles and follow up the post with an overview/thoughts on this particular issue.

SBG Magazine - Issue 2

 SBG - Issue 2 - Spring 2015

The first two pages are the standard Editorial and Contents pages. The Hobby Blog page that detailed what the SBG contributors are up to with their hobby, which was featured at the beginnnng of the previous issue, has been moved to the back of this magazine.

Tom's Top 10 - Under-costed heroes Part 1 (a 4 page discussion on under-pointed hero models in the game)

The Dr's Corner - An informal chat article about making friends as a gamer (4 pages)

Of Fluff and Fury - An article about the joys of using a themed army as opposed to a competitive army in tournament play (4 pages)

Scenario - The Battle of Azanulbizar (a 4 page scenario idea - orcs versus dwarves outside the Dimril Gate of Moria where Azog's feud with Thorin began)

Tactica - Azog's Hunters (a 5 page article on how to get the best out of your Hunter Orc army)

Battle Report - a write-up of the SBG team's run through of the above scenario (a 13 page article detailing a turn-by-turn battle report, culminating in an aftermath discussion of how each player felt the scenario went for them, what they could have done better, and which miniature on each side was the stand-out performer)

Painting Masterclass - Thror (a 3 page tutorial)

Building Middle-earth - Dimrill Dale (a 3 page article on how to build the terrain featured in the Battle of Azanulbizar scenario and battle report)

Conversion Clinic - Arming Azog (a 2 page tutorial class on how to convert the standard Azog miniature without a forearm into an "earlier" version of him with an intact forearm. There is also a brief Balin conversion tutorial too)

 

Again, another decent read full of different types of article to suit all Middle-earth gamers. A lot more thought went into the content of this magazine and much of the filler has been removed. The gaming related articles - painting, model points costs, tactics and the scenario idea etc. - are all very useful and, again, although I am not keen on battle reports in general, this one showcased some lovely conversions and terrain pieces. The only minor criticism I have of this (and the previous) magazine is that it is primarily The Hobbit focused (I prefer the Lord of the Rings era setting). I am aware that this was the period when Games Workshop was promoting The Hobbit era of the game, so I cannot complain too loudly.

SBG Magazine - Issue 1

This took a little longer to get around to than I anticipated. I have recently moved home and, as a result, a lot of my gaming stuff is away in boxes dotted around the house and garage. This weekend just gone, I managed to get the storage box that contained my SBG magazine collection from out of the "to be sorted" pile.

Whilst going through the box I also found my collection of DeAgostini/New Line Cinema/Games Workshop collaboration Battle Games in Middle-earth partworks magazine - all 91 issues plus the three specials. I will most likely flip through these again soon, so I may get together some stats and thoughts on these mags too at a later date as an aide-de-memoir.

Anyway, on with the show for this blog post. I will just do a very brief summary of the articles and an overview/thoughts on each issue of the magazine.

SBG Magazine - Issue 1

 SBG - Issue 1 - Autumn 2014

First up is an Editorial, followed by the contents page and a Hobby Blog page that details what each of the main members of the SBG team have been up to Middle-earth gaming-wise.

Painting Masterclass - White Horses (a 3 page tutorial)

Tom's Top 10 - Under-costed warriors (a 4 page discussion on under-pointed models in the game)

The Dr's Corner - An informal chat style article about "coming out" as a gamer (4 pages)

Tactica - Cavalry (an 8 page article on how to get the best out of your cavalry)

Scenario - Out of the Frying Pan (a 2 page scenario idea - Bilbo, Gandalf and the 13 Dwarves versus Azog and a bunch of Hunter Orcs and Wargs - where the company try to get to the safety of the trees to escape their pursuers)

Battle Report - a write-up of the SBG team's run through of the above scenario (a 13 page article detailing a turn-by-turn battle report, culminating in an aftermath discussion of how each player felt the scenario went for them, what they could have done better, and which miniature on each side was the stand-out performer)

Event Reviews - Finally there is an 8 page summary of forthcoming GBHL (Great British Hobbit League) events, a few event reviews, and a summary of the 2013 GBHL League results.

 

Overall, this was a decent read, considering it was the first issue and none of the people involved in making it are professional gaming magazine editors. A few of the articles are obviously "filler" but may be of use to some people, however, I did enjoy the actual gaming related articles - painting, model points costs, tactics and the scenario idea. I am not overly keen on write-ups, as they take up a lot of magazine real-estate, however they do give an idea of how tactics can work, as well as showing off some lovely painted miniatures to stoke the creative fires.