Scouring of the Shire mk II

As I am unable to progress with any figures prep today (and most likely not tomorrow either) I thought I would add in a couple of supplemental blog entries about the Games Workshop Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game.

Whilst surfing the good ol' internet last night I came across a few new releases from Games Workshop for the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game. This is probably old news to most, but I am going to post up as an aide-de-memoir, so I know what I am missing from my GW LotR hobby. It is also a coincidence that I only posted up a few of my Bree/Shire related miniatures the other day and this is what is due out in the next GW release.

Since the game's relaunch last year, GW and Forgeworld have been good to their word and are fully behind supporting it as a mainstream game. As a result, several rulebooks have already been released (of which I have only the initial Battle Companies one). I would like to grab the Lord of the Rings related ones when I am able but don't have much interest in The Hobbit stuff except for completeness sake.

• Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game Rules Manual
• Armies of The Hobbit
• Armies of The Lord of the Rings
• Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game : Battle Companies (release 1)
• Gondor at War

Very soon now, we should be getting the following plus a hole heap of miniatures to accompany the rulebooks...

• Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game : Battle Companies (release 2)
• Scouring of the Shire (release 2 - this topic was covered in the game's previous incarnation)

I am not sure about the second coming of Battle Companies so soon on the tail of the original version, but I have heard rumours that the original sold out on no less than six print runs! I think that was seen as a sign by GW that this was a horse worth backing. On my current budgetary restraints, I will pass on the latest version until I can justify getting it after all the other goodies I would like to grab. I am also not sure on the other rule books just yet.

Also to be released at the same time as these new rules manuals are a whole bunch of new hobbits and ruffians as well as the original metal sets which I have already toyed with getting, so this may add to the pressure on me to cave-in to those demands.

There will also be a new hobbit hole and the re-release of some other old miniatures that the hobbits can fight against, like Golfimbul. Added to a few wild wargs and some orcs and we have a game on!

 

Exciting times ahead for players of the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game. This all ties in nicely with me prepping and painting my old LotR miniatures collection. Hopefully I will be having a busy summer getting all my old minis ready for some tabletop action.

I should have an update tomorrow about what is happening with my favourite faction: Rohan.