SBG Magazine - Issue 10

Due to the lockdown, it took a lot longer for this magazine to be released than originally anticipated by the owners. This issue has been deemed a celebratory issue as the 10th edition milestone has been reached. Congratulations to the team! This time, SBG sees us return to the Pelennor Fields of Gondor, and the great battle held upon the plains outside the city of Minas Tirith.

SBG Magazine - Issue 10

 SBG - Issue 10 - Winter 2020

After the initial Editorial, Contents, SBG Towers news and Hobby Blog catch-up pages we are into the magazine proper...

The Dr's Corner - Celebrating 10 issues of SBG - A six page article summarising how and why the magazine came together and includes details of many of those involved in its birth and evolution

Painting Masterclass - The Witch-king. A quick one page article explaining how to paint The Witch-king in this season's latest fashion

Middle-earth's Most Valuable Profile - Carrying on from last issue's article that ran through The Hobbit film trilogy and works out who, in SBG terms, was the most cost-effective character from the films, this issue sees the turn of The Lord of the Rings Special Edition trilogy (4 pages)

The Mumak Man - A 3 page conversation with Dan Entwisle, one of the founding members of the Great British Hobbit League Facebook page, detailing his love for Mumaks and how to field them, including his experiences with using them in competitions

My Favourite Character - Aragorn (in this series, different authors explore their favourite characters - 4 pages)

Battle Report - The Battle of Pelennor Fields  (22 page report) - after a double-page spread showing a very impressive ten mumaks versus a massive mounted Rohan army, this battle report documents the battle outside the gates of Minas Tirith and the Docks of Harlond. It was a four player game that pitted on one side of the board (Pelennor Fields) Theoden's riders (147 miniatures) against a Grand Army of the South (ten mumaks plus their crew), and on the other side (Docks of Harlond) Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli alongside the Army of the Dead (174 miniatures) against the Army of Gothmog (266 miniatures). If Aragorn's forces penetrated Gothmog's army, then they were allowed to join with the Riders of Rohan against the mumak enemy. The points tallies were 6375 for Good and 6452 for Evil, so it was weighted slightly in favour of the evil side winning.

This issue was taken up primarily by a massive battle report and a lot of chit-chat, but there were few actual hobby-related articles. This was because it was a celebratory issue and they wanted to show the hobby off in style, and also, due to the effect the virus has had on being able to meet up for photoshoots and gaming opportunities, lots that was planned for this issue had to be pushed back to a future issue when people could get together.

So, when will we get the next issue of SBG Magazine? Apparently there are two in the offing for release over the course of the next few months; Issue 11 should be a lockdown inspired issue, and Issue 12 should be Rohan themed.

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.

SBG Magazine

SBG is an unofficial, not endorsed or produced by Games Workshop magazine that's all about the Middle Earth Strategy Battle Game. Although it is unofficial, it contains many articles and battle reports that are very handy for players of Games Workshop's MESBG. The magazine is available in print or PDF format for ease of usage or storage and is of a very high quality.

At the time of writing this blog post, Tom and Damien have produced nine magazines and two seasonal PDFs. I have downloaded all of the available PDFs and also bought all nine of the printed magazines since they were started back in Autumn 2014. They are released on a semi-regular basis, with one or two magazines being produced per year.

Here are the covers of the actual magazine...

And for the additional seasonal PDFs...

I will try to write a few summary reports on these over the coming weeks so you know what is in each magazine just in case you have certain factions as your main interest and would only consider buying or downloading something that is actually of use to you. I am, for my sins, a bit of a collector, so grab each of them as they are released.

So, give them a go and support Tom and Damien by buying a few copies from here that are of interest to you.