Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game Quickstart Guide

If you have heard of The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game/The Hobbit Strategy Battle Game and haven’t started playing yet, then this is the guide for you!

     This wonderful game takes place in the land of Middle Earth, and encompasses The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and The Hobbit Trilogy as well! At the time that this article was made, there are 2 Lord of the Rings: Return of the King starter sets available on Amazon for about $50. They contain a rulebook, terrain, dice, and 48 miniatures. There are 24 Warriors of Minas Tirith and 24 Mordor Orcs in the set. If you find that these are now unavailable, then there is always the option of picking up the latest starter set on http://www.gamesworkshop.com, or you can simply buy the rulebook on Amazon, and buy some miniatures from the Army that you want to play!

     When looking at the game from the outside, it appears to be complex and expensive for some, but this isn’t entirely true. The game is built for skirmish-sized battle around 500 points. Many players suggest that half the points should be in Heroes. If we’re looking at a force of Elves, then it’s going to cost a lot less to get 500 points on the table than if you were to play as Moria (generally speaking of course). Games Workshop supplies Lord of the Rings miniatures in packs of 12 for $24.75 for warriors in most cases. The Hobbit miniatures are more around $35 for 12. If you really want to save money, then I’d suggest alternative miniatures, eBay, Amazon, or Starter Sets. The greatest part of the game is the freedom you are given for creating your list. You could simply play as The Fellowship, or perhaps Thorin and Company suits you. You can also field many warriors, and only 1 or 2 Heroes. The game has plenty of possibilities on how to build your list.

     When I started my Wood Elf list, I already had Legolas from the Mines of Moria box set (OOP now). I went onto http://www.bluetablepainting.com and bought 33 Wood Elf warriors to bulk out my force. After that, I finished it off with some wonderful sculpts from http://www.thunderboltmountain.com. My army now has a total of 45 miniatures, and I don’t believe that’s the end of it. I know for a fact that I have over 500 points, but that doesn’t mean I can’t add even more. In total, I have spent less than $100 on a decent force of wood elves. 

     I would suggest getting the rulebook first before you sink any cash into the miniatures (unless you decide to buy a starter set). The  rulebook will definitely help you see exactly how the game works, and will help you choose what force works best for you. After buying the rulebook, I’d go for a set or 2 of warriors from the army you’ve chosen, and buy a hero of sorts to go with them. Find someone to play against, and explain to them that it’s your first battle.

How To Save On Warhammer Fantasy

     I’m sure the majority of the people reading this blog know of the excellent company known as Games Workshop. They produce great miniatures at not-so-great prices. Warhammer Fantasy is a great game, and can really get the creative juices flowing. There’s just so much you can do! I especially enjoy the gaming side of things more-so than painting and modeling. I find Games Workshop miniatures to be rather expensive though, so I rarely ever buy directly from GW. I go to http://www.bluetablestore.com and http://www.amazon.com for most of my GW needs. However, the books aren’t as common to find on these websites. This is a guide specifically on obtaining Army lists for cheap.

     I’m sure many veterans of the hobby can recall the Ravening Hordes list. This was a get-by list made for 6th edition when the new rules voided the previous army books. The list consisted of the most common unit types for the Warhammer Fantasy Armies at the time. This list is available on Scribd currently, and you can get it for free. While the lists may not be as diverse as some would like, it’s what my group has been using ever since we began. It simplifies some things a little too much, but there’s still enough in the lists to have fun. 

     Another option is eBay. Many people sell and buy on eBay all the time. I myself don’t buy from eBay for certain reasons, but that’s beside the point. There are bound to be army books roaming all over that site.

     Now when it comes to miniatures, if you just plain want a cheaper option, or don’t like the GW sculpts, I would like to point out http://www.thewarstore.com for all of your saving needs. They have a wide array of alternative miniatures to choose from including: Mantic Games, Privateer Press, Reaper, Gripping Beast, Perry Miniatures, and much more! They also sell Games Workshop products, but they are not actually listed on the website due to Games Workshop’s licensing agreement.

FREE MINI!

Did I forget to mention that with both of my Thunderbolt Mountain orders I have received a free miniature? Maybe this is the kick in the pants needed to check out http://www.thunderboltmountain.com

Elf Maiden

I definitely did not do this miniature justice. I am very simplistic with my paint schemes. The detail on this miniature is phenomenal. The details are crisp, and very well done. My picture of her backside would not load unfortunately. The cloak is really a job well done. Tom Meier sculpts excellent miniatures. Be sure to pick up your own Thunderbolt minis at http://www.thunderboltmountain.com

Ringwraiths and Pretty Boys

This is a Ringwraith in between 2 Thunderbolt Mountain Elves. The elves still have a slight advantage in height, but it’s not as drastic as the height difference with the Uruk-Hai. I apologize for the low-quality pictures, but my laptop has a cruel flash.

Thunderbolt Mountain Elf to Uruk scale comparison

It’s fairly obvious that the elf miniature is taller than the Uruk-Hai. I will say that the height difference is more drastic than I first expected, but I will still be using these beautiful sculpts for Lord of the Rings SBG in my Wood Elf army. I apologize that I didn’t show the elf as she came in her unpainted metal glory, but I have an RPG to get all set later today (using the Basic Fantasy Roleplaying Game rulebook (check it out on Amazon for more details)). The Thunderbolt Mountain Elves are far too thin for use in Warhammer Fantasy, but I definitely have to recommend them for The Hobbit Strategy Battle Game (I play the older version).

Thunderbolt Mountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sculpted by Tom Meier

 

     When I stare at the elves made by Thunderbolt Mountain, I always end up buying more. I just found out about these amazing sculpts a few days ago, and now, I can’t envision a Wood Elf army without them. The style and feel of these sculpts is great. I have 9 elves coming in the mail right now. I’ll make sure to post pictures when they arrive. 

     The price for an elf (high elves and wood elves) with spear is $4 per miniature. For archers, it’s $3.50 per miniature. When you buy them in packs of 6, the spearmen are $18.50. The price for archers differs between High Elves and Wood Elves. A pack of 6 High Elf archers cost $17, while 6 Wood Elf archers are $16. You can also buy the High Elves in larger packs of 20. The pack of 20 High Elf spearmen is $55, and the Archers cost $50. This may seem expensive to some people, but they at least stay under $3 a piece when buying the 6 packs and the 20 packs. The detail is well worth it.

     The miniatures claim to be 30mm scale, but don’t worry Lord of the Rings fans. The miniatures will fit in just fine with the Lord of the Rings models produced by Games Workshop. They will look thinner than the Games Workshop models though. I would definitely recommend these to an elf lover, or to anyone who appreciates fine art in the form of miniatures. You can check out the website at: http://www.thunderboltmountain.com

Where to Start

This post is for all of you out there who are new, or have a friend that is new to the hobby. I remember when I started out in the hobby with buying a set of Warhammer Fantasy Dwarf Warriors and a Dwarf Flame Cannon. These models made me feel overjoyed, and I was so glad to have my hands on them. The first paint-job was garbage, and as I progressed in my painting skills, they were the models that received the most abuse.

Games Workshop is NOT a good company to start with in this hobby. I know there are many who did start here, but that does not mean they are friendly. Games Workshop is like an old mutt. You remember all the good times you’ve had with it, you give it all your loving, and then it pees on the new carpet. You just can’t help but keep it around. This company has a lot of history, and has pleased many of its customers with the high levels of detail the miniatures have. Unfortunately, it has become less friendly towards its customers recently, and has become the mutt that pees on the new carpet.

Privateer Press is a newer company that prides itself in having a great game system with an affordable way to enter in. The Hordes 2 Player Battle Box Retails at $99, and the Warmachine Battle Box retails for $99. You can pick BOTH of these up off of http://www.privateerpress.com for retail price, OR get them each for $20 less at http://www.thewarstore.com. Both of these options are good deals, and you’ll find everything you need to start right in the box (minus the glue, hobby knife, paint, and paint brush). Compare that to the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 starter sets produce by GW that are both at $99 retail price. The GW starter sets DON’T include everything you need to play (they lack the army books for the supplied miniatures).

Mantic Games states that they’re the BEST place to start a new army. I will admit that a few of their miniatures are quite appealing, but a LOT of their miniatures are strangely proportioned, and look funny. Their ghouls and zombies are what a lot of people know them for. When it comes to their rules, I’d say they are actually quite attractive and simple enough for anyone with half a brain to understand. They allow for a simplified, fast game. I will admit that I actually somehow understand Warhammer Fantasy better than Kings of War, but that’s because my brain is wacky. Their starter sets are usually around $80 retail price, and are packed with miniatures. The miniatures aren’t as high quality as GW’s, but you can build up a large army (as far as model count goes) far quicker with Mantic Games than with Games Workshop. Their models are also available on http://www.thewarstore.com.

These are just 3 of the many companies you can go for when starting your collection of miniatures. If you read the other articles on the site, you will discover that there are tons more to choose from. It’s really all a matter of what you’re looking for in the miniatures.

Introduction

I’ve been a collector of fantasy miniatures since the age of 8. That’s only been a total of 10 years, but in those 10 years I’ve had a lot of different experiences in this fantastically (frustrating) hobby. When I first started out, my cousin and I would simply play without a rulebook. I lost quite a few battles before I won my first one, but despite the losses, it was always enjoyable.

I can honestly say that I have discovered many different websites that sell miniatures, and I’ve accumulated quite a few. This blog will be all about my experiences with the hobby, and what I have learned in the years I’ve been in it. The blog will also be filled with reviews, rants, and other bloggy jibber jabber having to do with the hobby.