Battle Games in Middle-earth Issue #10 Overview

Double digits at last! This whimsical project has advanced in fits and starts—and will undoubtedly continue to lurch forward in a similar manner—but we’ve finally made it to issue #10. And with it, we’re almost at an end of learning the basics of the Strategy Battle Game. Just in time for a whole new edition to be released, if signs from Games Workshop are indication. But we’ll cross that Bridge of Khazad-dûm when we get to it. Let’s look at BGiME #10.

The magazine begins as always with the “Guide to Middle-earth.” Issue #10 gives us the low down on Saruman’s most brutal warriors: the fighting Uruk-hai. From their emergence from the birthing pits beneath Orthanc to their appetite for man-flesh, we learn how Saruman mixes magic and science to create perhaps the fiercest soldiers of the end of the Third Age. A look at the Uruk-hai was a natural choice as this issue not only features the conclusion of the “Burn the Village!” scenario (where the Uruk-hai threaten to massacre the brave men of Rohan), but also comes with a new sprue of Uruk-hai warriors to add to our collection.

Moving on to the “Playing the Game” chapter, we learn a lesson in Courage. Or at least how the Courage stat works in the SBG. There’s a caveat here, though. The Courage rules presented in issue #10 are the old way Courage worked in the game. In the original rules as released with The Fellowship of the Ring boxed set, Courage tests were a much more complex system. When certain conditions arose, such as after a force had lost 50% or more of its models (and considered "broken") or a model found itself on its own, each model the condition applied to had to make a Courage test. This involved rolling 2d6 and adding the model’s Courage score to the result. If the total was 10+, the model passed its Courage test and play continued as normal.

However, if a model failed its Courage test, things got complicated. The model was forced to Retreat, turning directly away from the nearest enemy model and moving its maximum movement distance in that direction. Its Move was then over for that turn. If Courage test conditions continued to apply to the model in subsequent rounds, new tests would have to be made, possibly resulting in the model fleeing off the board completely and being treated as a casualty for victory conditions.

This Courage system made concessions towards realism, but proved awkward in play. Later editions streamlined the rules for Courage. Models on their own no longer had to make tests. Figures trying to charge a foe with the Terrifying quality now made their Courage test before moving toward the model (remaining still if the test failed). In the case of broken forces, any model failing its test was immediately removed from the board. This method was much simpler than making consecutive Courage tests until a model left the field of battle.

Heroes play an important role in Courage tests thanks to the “Stand Fast!” rule. In short, any Hero that makes its Courage test negates the need for all friendly models within 6” to make Courage tests of their own. A stout-hearted Good Hero could prevent the ranks from breaking and fleeing, while cruel Evil Heroes kept their lackeys in line out of sheer fear.

The chapter closes with the suggestion to go back and replay some of the old scenarios and see how they turn out with the Courage tests now invoked. It’s possible “The Last Alliance” or “Pursuit of the Ringwraiths” could have much different endings when forces break or when heroes lose their resolve. 

Next up is the conclusion of the “Burn the Village” battle report the “Battle Game” section. No new scenario is included in this issue. Instead, we get a post-battle breakdown of the scenario as played by two employees of Games Workshop. This report covers turns 5-9 and is well-written, but suffers a bit from photographic demonstrations of the various fights and maneuvers. Nevertheless, it serves as a good example of how the SBG is played and suggests tactics to newcomers. I won’t reveal how the game turns out, aside from it had a different ending that either of the matches we played ourselves!

Moving along to the “Painting Workshop,” we’re introduced to a method that every miniature wargamer who actually wants to play must master: batch painting. Tips on using spray primer, dry-brushing, using large brushes, pre-mixing paint, and stage-by-stage (or “assembly line”) painting of models are all covered. If we follow this advice, we should have our newest 10 Uruk-hai finished and ready for the table in no time.

The last section, “Modelling Workshop,” presents us with our most complex piece of tabletop terrain to date: a Rohirrim building. This will be our first intact building for Middle-earth and the challenge could be quite daunting. Luckily, the simple shape of the building provides us with some shortcuts to create an excellent piece of scenery, one that will serve us well in not only The Lord of the Rings SBG battles but other Dark Age and medieval period historical wargames such as SAGA or Frostgrave. The finished piece really is good-looking and the step-by-step directions are instructive without being opaque.

As we close the issue, the back cover gives us a look at the next issue headed for the newsagent. We can look forward to a metal Boromir model, new rules that “set your Heroes apart from lesser warriors,” an attack at Amon-hen, and how to construct a standing stone for our battlefields. All this and more await us in issue #11!

With our overview, well, over, let’s take a more detailed look at what Battle Games in Middle-earth #10 adds to our The Lord of the Rings SBG gaming table, starting with 10 new Uruk-hai for our inventory of Evil models…

Battle Games in Middle-earth #9 Overview

There’s been a lot happening on the Middle-earth scene of late. Games Workshop is releasing their new Middle-earth Battle Companies supplement (bearing the new Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game logo!) imminently. Amazon has announced they’re developing a new series based on the years prior to the Lord of the Rings. I’ve become a huge fan of the “Exploring The Lord of the Rings” podcast, and my local gaming group is starting a new The One Ring campaign next month. So, with Middle-earth excitement waxing strongly, let’s delve back into this on-going series, shall we?

Battle Games in Middle-earth #9 starts off with the usual “Guide to Middle-earth” section, and it’s a short one. It’s also more meta than in previous issues. Little detail is given to Middle-earth and the chapter instead explains that issue #9 will feature its first Battle Report. In this issue and in #10, a game between two players will be covered in some detail, describing how events occurred during the game and the strategy behind the players’ actions. That scenario, included in this issue, features a band of Uruk-hai assaulting a Rohan village. Unlike the similar scenario in issue #7, this time, the Rohirrim have a chance of receiving some powerful reinforcements in the guise of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli—assuming they can hold out that long. We’ll see how that plays out later.

“Playing the Game”continues the trend begun in the previous issue by detailing the various melee (or mêlée as the European-based publication prints it) weapons encountered on the battlefields of Middle-earth. These include hand weapons, two-handed weapons, spears, pikes, and shields. Rules for each are also provided, bringing a new level of complexity and tactics to your table. Two-handed weapons, for example, subtract 1 from their rolls during the Fight phase to determine who wins a battle, but add 1 to all rolls to wound opponents if the wielder wins the fight. Spears and pikes allow friendly models to support allies, giving them an additional attack die, but they’re not considered to be part of the melee when determining certain factors such as who can be struck by enemies. Shields are great for defense and a model can actively employ a shield to survive a fight, effectively doubling his dice to determine the winner, but the model cannot cause wounds if it wins.

The “Battle Game” section includes the scenario “Burn the Village!” As described above, this scenario pits twelve Warriors of Rohan against a score of Uruk-hai and their Captain. Normally, as we saw in a previous issue, the Rohirrim would be hard-pressed to win. Luckily, this battle includes a rule that allows the Warrior of Rohan to call for reinforcements. If they manage to light a warning beacon, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, en route to Isengard to save Merry and Pippin, see the fire and rush to the aid of Rohan. That is, if the Good player rolls 4 or higher on the turn after the warning beacon is set alight. Can the Warriors of Rohan survive long enough for the three hunters to save them or will the Uruk-hai burn down their village and win the battle? We’ll see how that went on our table in an upcoming post.

Also tacked on to the “Battle Game” chapter is the first half of the Battle Report. This after-action report describes Turns 1 through 4 of a game between BGiMe writers Mark Latham and Darron Bowley. Rohan is holding during these early turns and has managed to light the beacon, calling Aragorn to their aid. But the tide might be turning as a force of Uruk-hai leaps over the village walls and engages the Warriors in the heart of the settlement. We’ll see how the forces of Good fare next issue when the Battle Report concludes.

“Painting Workshop” covers two topics. The first is an overview/refresher course of the various painting techniques we’ve learned in the previous issues. Dry-brushing, silver edging, washes, using multiple layers to achieve flat colors, mixing paints, black lining, and basing are all discussed one final time. This reiteration of techniques will prove handy with this issue’s model, as it uses most of them to achieve its quality paint job.

The second half of the chapter is the usual step-by-step instruction for painting issue #9’s included model, a metal Uruk-hai Captain. Uruk-hai are great models to paint as they are simple to do and can be knocked out rather swiftly. Which is good, because we have a lot of Uruk-hai to field in this issue’s Battle Game! With the Uruk-hai Captain in our collection, we’ve got a strong nucleus for an Isengard army: 10 infantry, Lurtz to lead them, and now a Captain to assist. Next issue will have more Uruk-hai, bringing our Evil collection up to 20 Uruk-hai Warriors and two Heroes to lead them. That’s not bad for ten issues of gaming goodness from our local news merchant! 

The issue’s final section, “Modelling Workshop” describes how to build a great piece of terrain: the Rohan warning beacon.” While unlikely to get a lot of regular use, the piece is cool looking and has a lot of character. It’ll likely come in handy down the road once Gondor calls for aid, but in the meanwhile, it gives your table a wonderful decoration that’s outside the normal hedges, trees, and walls. I’m sure I can also think of some new scenarios both in the SBG and other miniature wargames to give me more excuses to use it.

As usual, the issue’s back cover provides a glimpse into the future. In two weeks—in the original print run, I mean—we can expect another sprue of plastic Uruk-hai, the rules for Courage (long overdue in my opinion!), and the conclusion to the “Burn the Village” scenario and Battle Report. It also marks our making it out of the single-digit issues. It only took two-and-a-half years, but it looks like we’re going to do it.

But first, we’ll take a look at how to paint up an Uruk-hai Captain. See you soon!

Battle Games in Middle-earth #8 Overview

We take a journey into the realm of the elves with Battle Games in Middle-earth #8, temporarily forsaking the world of Men, Hobbits, and Orcs for an older race. Fans of Legolas Greenleaf undoubtedly rejoiced when this issue hit the stands, as it not only provides rules for including the elven archer in your tabletop battles, but a lovely metal miniature of him as well. 

This issue’s “Guide to Middle-earth” covers more ground than normal. First off, the chapter examines the various weapons one might wield or face in battle. Uruk-hai crossbows, bladed orc bows, elf bows, throwing axes, two-handed weapons such as elf swords and dwarven axes, and general hand weapons all are briefly described accompanied by movie production photos. 

The second section of the chapter gives us a thumbnail look at Lothlorien, Land of the Elves. This provides background information for the scenario appearing later in the issue, as well as presenting an extremely brief overview of Lothlorien’s place in Middle-earth and its mistress, Galadriel.

The third section introduces the reader to Legolas, Woodland Prince. It covers his role in the Fellowship, his skills and natural talents, and describes his “battle highlights” of memorable moments in the conflicts the Fellowship endured, up to and including Helm’s Deep.

After this lengthy “Guide,” issue #8 dives into the “Playing the Game” section. This issue’s chapter isn’t an in-depth one as others have been. I suspect the increased page count of the preceding section cut into the available space for #8’s “Playing the Game.” We received a mere two pages that broadly describe SBG’s missile weapons. Basic rules for thrown weapons, previously undiscussed, are the most useful piece of information from the two pages, although the crossbow is also introduced. Alas, while it’s stated that an Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow cannot move if it wishes to fire during the Shoot phase, no range or Strength rating is given for the weapon, making the new weapon yet unusable in your combats.

The “Battle Game” chapter is “Raid on Lothlorien,” a scenario which takes place shortly after the Fellowship flees Moria. The premise is that the goblins of Moria emerge after nightfall to hunt them down. The horde of goblins clashes with Haldir and his elves, sending some of the forces of Evil scrambling back towards Moria. Simultaneously, Frodo has become separated from the Fellowship and Legolas catches up with him just as a band of goblin hunters—led by a Moria Goblin Captain—stumbles upon them. Making matters worse, goblins fleeing Haldir and his guards come upon the scene from the opposite side of the board, effectively catching Frodo and Legolas between the hammer and anvil. Can the Ringbearer and the Woodland Prince escape?

“Painting Workshop” provides the usual step-by-step method of turning this issue’s model into a tabletop ready combatant. Legolas Greenleaf comes to life as the tutorial explains how to use a black lining technique to create more realistic looking clothing and faces, instructions sure to be useful as we increase our collection of models. Also helpful is a tip about using tile as a mixing palette. Cheap and re-usable, it’s a great new addition to our inventory of painting tools.  

Our last section, my beloved “Modelling Workshop” covers how to scratch-build trees for your table. Trees are a miniature wargaming staple, and no board is complete without at least a few of these to breakup lines of sight, provide cover, and offer dense terrain to negotiate. The instructions provided demonstrate how to make cheap but presentable trees for your table. The results, at least on paper, look good. We’ll see how they stack up when we sit down to craft our own.

Issue #8’s final page offers up a preview of what Battle Games in Middle-earth #9 has in store for us. It looks like bad news for Rohan next time as we get a scenario pitting Uruk-hai against a Rohan village, a metal Uruk-hai Captain model to paint and to lead them, as well as new rules for weapons including pikes, two-handed swords, and others. Luckily, it seems like instructions for building a Rohan warning beacon are also provided, giving us hope of calling for aid.

Until then, let’s dive deeper in Battle Games in Middle-earth issue #8!

Battle Games in Middle-Earth #5 Overview

Work projects temporarily derailed my efforts to get back to chronicling my journey through the Battle Games in Middle-Earth series, but I’ve reached a brief clearing in the woods and can play catch up a bit. While I’ve been neglecting the blog, I’ve been playing and modeling more than ever thanks to my efforts to assemble a local group of SBG players. Those meetings allow me to play through more of the scenarios in the magazine series and compel me to paint and scratch-build to keep up. So with apologies out of the way, let us get things moving again and examine issue #5 of BGiME.

Issue #5 continues to add to the might of Saruman, introducing us to our first Evil hero: the fearsome Uruk-hai, Lurtz. The issue’s “Guide to Middle-Earth” spends a single page describing the origin of the Uruk-hai and the event that made Lurtz stand out among his first birthing brethren, making him commander of the scouts sent to recover the One Ring. It further introduces the reader to what the remainder of the issue, hinting at the scenario and painting guide to come.

After delving further into the rules of the Move and Fight phases in the previous issues, the “Playing the Game” section now goes on to cover the Shoot phase, presenting new rules and complexities to missile combat in the SBG. The rules provided advance the reader’s knowledge base, moving him closer towards the full game. This in-depth examination of the Shoot phase introduces the limitations on movement for bow-armed models (they can only move half their full move if they wish to shoot that turn), line of sight and cover (giving advantages to the players who uses terrain and obstacles to protect his models), and discussing why Good models can’t shoot into a melee but Evil models have no such quibbles (life is cheap in the minds of the forces of Sauron!).

These rules made a world of difference when we replayed the “Elven Attack!” scenario we originally tried last year at a recent Meet-up. Cover gave the bow-less Uruk-hai a way of standing up to the barrages of elven arrows they had to endure to win the scenario. When replaying Elven Attack twice the other week, the Uruk-hai snagged one victory and lost the second game by a narrow margin, a great improvement over our original play-through of that scenario.

This issue’s “Battle Game” scenario is “Hunt of the Uruk-hai.” This set-up is a “what if?” exploration of what might have happened if Lutrz had arrived along with his Uruk-hai when Aragorn and Frodo were alone at Amon Hen. The scenario requires Aragorn to get Frodo to safety (off the board), while the Evil forces win by capturing the Ringbearer. Can Aragorn stay the tide of Saruman’s forces long enough for Frodo to escape? We’ll see in the battle report soon to come.

The “Painting Workshop” section provides a detailed guide for painting the Lurtz model that originally shipped with Battle Games in Middle-Earth #5. While many of the guide’s tips will be familiar to readers who’ve been following the series so far, advice for painting minute details such as Lurtz’s “White Hand” war paint are a welcome new tool in the reader’s painting repertoire.   

Up until now, the SBG scenarios assume the reader is playing on the kitchen table, floor, or other handy flat household surface. The “Modeling Workshop” for this issue is about to change all that, moving the reader into the miniature wargaming big leagues, by giving detailed instructions for constructing your very own battle board for gaming! The board is basic, but it can easily be upgraded as the reader’s skillset and interest in the hobby increases. It can even be made modular for those of us with not a lot of home square footage to spare.

In my opinion, issue #5 is the first big leap into the wargaming hobby in general and the Strategy Battle Game in particular. Readers who’ve come this far now have a modest collection of both Good and Evil models, a real gaming board to stage play on, and a handful of terrain to make battles interesting. Battle Games in Middle-Earth does a superb job of laying a solid foundation for beginning wargamers to build upon. Reading this far, I can’t but shake my head in sorrow at the fact that BGiME was never available in the United States. It would have made a tremendous difference in the popularity of the SBG here in America. Maybe, just maybe, the next iteration of the SBG (and my efforts here at the Forsaken Inn) might win some folks back to Middle-Earth.

Battle Games in Middle-Earth #4 Overview

With our first metal miniature in our collection painted and a number of Good and Evil plastic models to war with one another, it’s time to expand our forces with some of the nastiest bad guys in Middle-Earth: the Uruk-hai. They are the focus of Battle Games in Middle-Earth #4.

As always, the magazine begins with “Guide to Middle-Earth.” This issue’s entry describes the origins and characteristics of the dreaded Uruk-hai. From their creation by Saruman to their unique ability among orcs to function well in daylight, we learn the role the Uruk-hai play in the machinations of Sauron and the Enemy’s plans for the Free People of Middle-Earth. The Guide postulates a scenario where a force of elven scouts from Rivendell encounter a band of Uruk-hai en route to Helm’s Deep and attempt to prevent them from bolstering Saruman’s forces. This hypothetical event will be further explored during the Battle Game chapter later in the issue.

Next up is “Playing the Game.” Last issue, we learned new rules regarding the Priority and Move phase and how they impact the basic game rules the magazine had taught us so far. Now it’s time to further delve into the Fight phase and see what complexities exist for when forces clash in close combat. This issue demonstrates the Wound Chart for the first time. In previous battle games, the scores models needed to roll to wound an enemy were presented for each figure. Here we now see the table used to determine these scores and are told the means to calculate such numbers for ourselves (the winner’s Strength cross-referenced with loser’s Defense). We learn that when these scores are widely divergent, an attack might need to roll the dice twice on a strike, achieving a 6 on the first die, than a 4, 5, or 6 on the second to cause a wound. This came into play in the previous issue’s scenario and it’s now clear exactly how bad Frodo was outclassed by the Ringwraiths.

The methodology of breaking up complex battles into bite-sized, easily-resolved combats is taught with clear photographs of models to demonstrate the intricacies of such divisions. The rule for trapped models is given; in situations where a model losing a fight cannot retreat the usual 2cm/1” required, the winner gains twice as many chances to inflict a wound. This situation occurred in our very first battle game so it’s nice to know how to handle it now.

All these new rules and modifications are grouped with the collected Fight phase rules presented in previous issues, giving the reader a “one-stop shopping” chapter to reference during SBG matches.

The “Battle Game” chapter in this issue concerns a class between a group of High Elves from Rivendell (the ones we assembled and painted in issue #2) and a band of Uruk-hai. As previously noted, this scenario, “Elven Attack,” is set shortly before the Battle of Helm’s Deep. It presents a possible event where Elrond dispatched scouts to buy the men of Rohan more time to rally their forces and these scouts engaged Uruk-hai headed to the battlefield. The winning conditions require Good to slay at least six of the ten Uruk-hai, while Evil needs to move five Uruk-hai off the opposite end of the board. The scenario is an interesting one: The elves are slightly outnumbered and the Uruk-hai are stronger, but the forces of Good are the only ones with missile weapons. How it all turned out when we played through this battle will be covered in a future post.

The “Painting Workshop” features techniques to paint our new Uruk-hai troops. We’ve come a long way from our efforts with the Moria Goblins back in Battle Games in Middle-Earth #1. By now, we’ve learned how to mix paints to achieve different colors aside from the seven paint pots we own (assuming we’ve been relying solely on those included with each issue of the magazine), how to drybrush models, and how to use flock or static grass as a simple basing technique. We add a new trick to our repertoire this time around: “silver edging.” This gives metal weapons and armor a sharp and menacing look, something no Uruk-hai should be without!

We now come to our final chapter, “Modelling Workshop.” This issue it’s time to rise above the tabletop as we learn how to fashion simple hills for our SBG and other miniature wargames. The steps to create polystyrene hills are presented in clear, easy-to-follow steps, allowing even the most ham-handed tabletop wargamer to make any number of grassy hills to adorn the battle board for a fraction of what commercially manufactured ones cost.

Looking to the back cover, we see that another metal model, the Uruk-hai captain, Lurtz, will be arriving in two weeks, providing us with another hero (albeit an Evil one) to add to our collection. With our squad of Uruk-hai awaiting his arrival and orders, what hope do the forces of Good have? We’ll see in the weeks ahead!

Next up, let’s paint some orc.

Battle Games in Middle-Earth #3 Overview

Gen Con is over, my backlog of projects has been slain, and my future projects have been carefully scheduled to allow a steady stream of work that still allows me some time for recreational activities. In short, it’s time to get back to Middle-Earth and the miniatures that represent it!

Issue #3 of Battle Games in Middle-Earth contains a few firsts for the series, all of which we’ll explore it a moment. It marks, in my opinion, the first step into both the SBG as a whole and into the advanced stages of the miniature wargaming hobby. If you’ve purchased issues #1 and #2 and found your appetited whetted, issue #3 is the first real course of the delightful meal that awaits you.

Issue #3 starts off as usual with the “Guide to Middle-Earth” chapter. In this issue, we are introduced to Frodo the Ringbearer and his flight from the Nazgûl, plus the role Strider the Ranger plays in escorting Frodo and his fellow hobbits to safety. We get a single page summary of the scenario to come postulating a situation where Frodo becomes separated from the rest with the Ringwraiths closing in. There is also a brief introduction to the rest of the issue’s contents. In short, the “Guide” doesn’t provide much concrete information about Tolkien’s creation, making it the least useful of the chapters within the issue. Here’s hoping this isn’t the beginning of a trend.

We next move on to “Playing the Game.” Now that the reader knows the basic rules, it’s time to start building upon this knowledge. Issue #3 features more information on the first two phases of the game turn: Priority and Move.

Priority is the shortest section. There’s really not much more you can say about “roll two dice and see who goes first that round.” There is a brief mention that, in rare scenarios, Good does not always begin the game with Priority, such as in the case of an ambush scenario. Further information is promised in later issues.

The Move Phase gets the most attention. The basic game rules presented a stripped down set of movement rules, but issue #3 begins the process of explaining the exceptions, clarifications, and special rules to these basics. For instance, models with ranged attacks can no longer move their full distance and fire. Those models wishing to attack during the Shoot phase are limited to half their movement or less. The concept of difficult terrain (any terrain that would slow down the model) is introduced along with the “difficult terrain counts as twice the actual distance” rule. 

We also meet the idea of visibility, wherein models cannot charge enemies they cannot see due to distance, terrain or other circumstances. The standard “model’s point of view” (wherein the player crouches down to eye-level of his miniature and sees what he can see) is described as a means to determine visibility in the case of terrain and obstacles. 

One last new rule is presented and it is an important one: control zone. Each model not currently in combat “controls” an area in a 1” radius around him. This means no enemy figure can move through this control zone unless it charges the figure controlling the space and engages him in combat. This represents the fact that an enemy can’t simply stand near a hostile foe and not expect to get drawn into a fight. It also makes it possible for a skirmish line of troops to defend a doorway, barricade, or similar obstruction in a somewhat realistic manner. As with most wargame rules, there are exceptions to the control zone and these are given brief coverage as well.

The next chapter gives us our gaming scenario for the issue: “Pursuit of the Ringwraiths.” This is a difficult one, folks, and is sure to test the skill and luck of the Good player. The basis of the scenario is the possibility that Frodo gets separated from the rest of his companions shortly after their flight from Bree and he must either escape the Nazgûl alone or be rescued by Strider. If the Ringwraiths capture him, all hope for the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth is dashed in a single master stoke by the Enemy. 

The deck is stacked against the side of Good in “Pursuit of the Ringwraiths.” Not only does Frodo suffer from a slower movement rate than his pursuers, but each round before the Move Phase, the Good player must roll a die. On a result of a “6,” the Ring thwarts Frodo’s attempts to flee and the model cannot move that turn, allowing the Ringwraiths to close in or preventing Frodo from reaching safety. Aragorn also starts a fair distance from Frodo, leaving the poor hobbit potentially facing up to five Ringwraiths at once with little hope of wounding them. This is going to be interesting to play out on the game table.

We briefly pause between chapters to examine the cardstock insert containing fold-out models for use in the included and later scenarios. The insert in issue #3 contains five Ringwraiths including the Witch-King (to be used in this issue’s scenario), Saruman, Lurtz with bow, Armoured Moria Goblin Captain, two Mordor Orcs, an Uruk-hai Warrior and an Uruk-hai Bowman. Our collection of models, plastic, metal, and cardstock, is growing nicely!

The “Painting Workshop” provides information on detailing this issue’s model: a metal Frodo miniature from the Fellowship of the Ring boxed set. A pot of red (“Blood Red” in Citadel’s range) paint is included as well. This will be our first metal miniature and what better place to start that with the Ringbearer himself?! 

This chapter provides tips on more advanced painting techniques that will serve the reader well going forward. The basics of mixing paint to achieve different color tones (such as the green of Frodo’s cloak or the light brown of his pack and waistcoat) are introduced. We also cover basing. Whereas the Moria Goblin and Last Alliance models had bases painted green, issue #3 discusses coating Frodo’s base with PVA glue and dipping it into green flock to give it a grassy appearance. Most serious wargamers use some sort of basing for their models to help add detail and/or tie their armies together, so it’s a helpful tip for the starting wargame hobbyist. 

Finishing off the issue is my always-favorite “Modelling Workshop” which gives the reader his or her first real terrain building project. The simple ruin in issue #2 were a nice introduction, but here we have a piece that will see prolonged use on the game table: the hedgerow. With rules for visibility and difficult terrain presented in this issue, the hedgerow project is a nice touch, one that puts those rules to immediate use. With just a few easily- and cheaply-acquired materials, the reader can have a pair or more of hedgerows assembled in a day or two, ready to add detail to his gaming table. As one of my goals is to eventually run “The Scouring of the Shire” campaign, having a good collection of hedgerows is important and I can’t wait to get some cranked out!

The magazine’s back cover heralds more plastic troops on the way as we are presented with pictures of issue #4’s cover (featuring a fearsome-looking Uruk-hai) and a sprue of ten Uruk-hai troops. Looks like Saruman’s forces are coming to visit next! We better get Frodo painted, build some hedgerows to slow them down, and practice our tactics against some Ringwraiths in anticipation of issue #4’s arrival.

Battle Games in Middle-Earth Issue #2 Overview

Continuing my mad scheme to work through the entire ninety-one issue run of Battle Games in Middle-Earth, today we take a peek inside the second issue and see what was in store for the would-be SBG player in 2002. The answer is “The Last Alliance.”

This issue introduces us to combined forces of elves and men who challenged Sauron’s claim to supremacy over Middle-Earth at the end of the Second Age. It also provides a collection of High Elf and Men of Gondor miniatures to use against our Moria Goblins (provided in the last issue) to reenact a minor skirmish from the final days of the Second Age. Fittingly, both the Moria Goblins and the Last Alliance models where among the first sets of miniatures produced for the SBG by Games Workshop and make an excellent starting point for the would-be gamer’s collection.

Originally, the second issue came with a sprue of plastic models and four new paint pots to add to your palette of colors. The sprue was comprised of four Men of Gondor models and eight High Elf models (four warriors and four bowmen). The paints were Enchanted Blue, Skull White, Elf Flesh, and Shining Gold. As with the first issue, my copy was acquired secondhand and lacked both models and paint. Luckily, I already had the necessary paints on my worktable and Last Alliance plastic models are some of the cheapest to be found on eBay. I acquired a full box of Warriors of the Last Alliance miniatures for a relative pittance and was then all set to work my way through this issue of Battle Games of Middle-Earth.

Issue #2’s “Guide to Middle-Earth” section is only one page with a single paragraph describing how the issue deals with the climactic battle on the slopes of Mount Doom and presents a movie still image of Elrond as well as a photo of a well-painted Elrond miniature as accompaniment. Then it’s straight into the crunch of the magazine.

“Playing the Game” introduces us to the concept of base profiles for each figure type, demonstrating and explaining the various game statistics used in the SBG: Fighting, Strength, Defense, Attacks, Wounds, and Courage are explained, and examples of various figures profiles are given for comparison. For example, we learn that Merry and Pippin have a paltry Defense of 3 compared to the armored Uruk-hai’s score of 5 and that Elrond can endure 3 Wounds before being eliminated as opposed to a Mordor Orc’s single Wound. The chapter doesn’t delve deeply into the subject, but gives the reader a clear basis upon which to build. 

Another short section of “Playing the Game” follows immediately after and consists of several base profiles for comparison’s sake. Profiles for Elrond, Sauron, Haldir’s Elves, Uruk-hai Berserkers, Aragorn, Lurtz, Warriors of Rohan, Mordor Orcs, Merry and Pippin, and Uruk-hai are presented, giving the reader an idea of the variety of types of models available and how they stack up against one another. It’s no surprise that Sauron is the most formidable character of the lot with the two hobbits holding the least powerful position in the rankings.

Next, it’s on to the meat-and-potatoes (‘Po—ta—toes,’ said Sam) of the issue: “Battle Game.” As before, the “Battle Game” section presents a simple SBG scenario to play through, putting the rules of the game to actual use by playing them. A stripped-down version of the game’s basic rules are provided for those who missed the first issue, and base profiles are given for all three types of models used in the scenario: Men of Gondor, Goblin Warriors, and Elven Warriors.

The scenario, “The Last Alliance,” describes a minor skirmish in the days before Sauron’s defeat. A small band of goblins (12 in number, in fact) are attempting to break through the lines of the Last Alliance to summon reinforcements and it’s up to a combined force of Men and Elves to stop them. Comprising the troops of the Last Alliance are four Men of Gondor, four Elven Bowmen, and four Elven Warriors. The victory condition for the forces of Good is the utter destruction of the Goblins, while the Evil side needs to get just one model across the Good side of the battlefield.

If the idea of pitting 12 unpainted plastic miniatures of the Men of Gondor and the Elves against your more colorful Moria Goblins doesn’t appeal to you, you can turn to the next section, “Painting Workshop,” and get a coat of paint on your forces of Good before challenging the might of Evil. This chapter is divided into three parts. The first is a recap of how to assemble the plastic models and prepare them for painting, and a list of what you’ll need to paint the figures.  The second section focuses on painting your Men of Gondor models, while the third section covers painting the High Elf figures. As in the first issue, the goal of this chapter is to demonstrate painting basics and get your miniatures table-ready as swiftly as possible. However, techniques such as dry-brushing and using washes are introduced so the magazine is already laying the basics for more advanced paint jobs to be presented in future issues. 

The issue closes with my favorite chapter, “Modelling Workshop.” Whereas the first issue merely presented some pictures of grand battlefields, this one sets us down the path of scratch-building. It provides us with a full list of tools we’ll likely need, covering everything from basic tools like brushes, scissors, and craft knives to more specialized materials like flock, static grass, and modeling sand, as well as providing hints as to where we might acquire these tools. A very big round of applause goes out to Battle Games of Middle-Earth for not shoving the Games Workshop website down the reader’s throat as the sole place to buy their modelling tools and materials.

Best of all, the “Modelling Workshop” chapter actually gives us a modelling project! It’s far from a complicated bit of terrain or building, but it serves the purpose of getting the reader to actually construct a piece of battlefield decoration and to experience the pleasure of creating terrain for oneself. The terrain piece, a simple ruin built from thick and thin card, is nothing fancy but it’s a start.

Ad from White Dwarf (Nov. 2001)

The back cover gives us a glimpse of what to look for in two weeks (in 2002, that is) with Issue #3: a closer look at the Move phase, a Ringwraith scenario, another paint pot, a metal Frodo miniature, and tips on painting him. We also get an ad for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers SBG and some other miniature sets.

Issue #2 is again a solid magazine which moves the reader further into the wargaming hobby. He now has 24 plastic miniatures evenly divided between the forces of Good and Evil, eight of the most commonly used colored paints and a brush, and a single bit of scratch-built terrain. For £7.98 (about $12.25 in 2002 dollars), the combined cost of issues #1 and #2, that’s not a bad deal—especially in comparison to Games Workshops’ more recent pricing strategy. The Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers SBG set was priced at £40.00 at this time if we’re comparing the cost of getting started in the hobby. Again, I can’t help but wonder if the SBG’s popularity would have been greater in the U.S. had Battle Games of Middle-Earth been available over here.

Next up: Let’s paint us some minis!