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I don't know to word this without getting a response in big red letters so uh...

Just... uh... "Borrow" the contents of the armies book from someone who bought it. Or wait for the points and profiles to find their way to BattleScribe or a similar service.

Thank you judgehog. I swear the ORB had all the profiles. If I am mistaken thank you very much for the correction.

Now I can be wrong here, but didn't The Hobbit mini rule book that came with the boxset had all the profiles of the minis but no point costs. I think the exception was the Ghost Warriors (see memory fading forget what they are called) were not in the Mini rule book from the boxset.

So for people to say that it wasn't done would be incorrect is my point. GW have already did all the stats in one book. So why do it again separately?

But I see your point in having a smaller book carrying around instead of all the rules. Those things are huge and heavy.

So I see your point and thank you for the explanation. I can understand why it was done while I still may not like it.

 zend wrote:
I don't know to word this without getting a response in big red letters so uh...

Just... uh... "Borrow" the contents of the armies book from someone who bought it. Or wait for the points and profiles to find their way to BattleScribe or a similar service.

Oh I am going to buy it. All my point was that I didn't agree with this one point that GW did. You know, just stating an opinion.

Davor wrote:
Thank you judgehog. I swear the ORB had all the profiles. If I am mistaken thank you very much for the correction.

Now I can be wrong here, but didn't The Hobbit mini rule book that came with the boxset had all the profiles of the minis but no point costs. I think the exception was the Ghost Warriors (see memory fading forget what they are called) were not in the Mini rule book from the boxset.

Ah, you mean the stats reference index? Yup, it was a quick reference you could flip to, to make sure the D of that model you're beating on is 6 or not. But it contained no information such as what type of model, it's wargear, options, special abilities, or anything else. Sure, there's Dalmyr's statline, but how do his smoke bombs and his assassination abilities work? Even if there was a points cost it would have been useless as anything other than a stat reference. By adding in all that information, well, then you start to actually have the full profiles, and then it takes up a ton of room, and that's the point of the separate Armies of Lord of the Rings book, with 27 army lists and 269 profiles and a dozen narrative scenarios and pretty pictures and all that jazz

You win judgedoug. Fully explained very well.

So my new question is, is this only going to last for a year and a half? I can't remember where I read that GW got the LotR license extended to 2020. Is that true? So this will be a short run if GW doesn't renew the license? Please someone tell me I am wrong and this can last another 10 years or more.

Obviously the ideal set up for rulebooks would be one master rulebook that would take precedence over everything with three army books for the elves, seven army books for the dwarves and nine army books for the kingdoms of men.

Its been a long time since I was up to speed with the details of GW's licence, but I would be amazed if they were unable to renew the licence. They'll surely do well enough from this re-release that it will suit all parties to negotiate a deal extension.

Honestly, the time to be worried about GW LOTR's longevity has passed and we won't need to worry about it for a good long time at any rate.

Davor wrote:
So my new question is, is this only going to last for a year and a half?

Would be pretty silly to go to all this trouble for a year and half, no?

 Manchu wrote:

Davor wrote:
So my new question is, is this only going to last for a year and a half?

Would be pretty silly to go to all this trouble for a year and half, no?

I am sure GW would try to renew but I thought I read the people who hold the rights might not let them renew anymore. All I remember was that LotR license was renewed (last year?) and it could have been the last time it was renewed not on GW part but on the license holder. (Tolkien Estate?) Hope they get it. This looks even better than AoS and 40K.

Davor wrote:
You win judgedoug. Fully explained very well.

So my new question is, is this only going to last for a year and a half? I can't remember where I read that GW got the LotR license extended to 2020. Is that true? So this will be a short run if GW doesn't renew the license? Please someone tell me I am wrong and this can last another 10 years or more.

Haha

From what I recall, last year they announced the license was renewed for a decade. A few weeks ago Adam mentioned on the Twitch stream that they had planned for monthly new releases through 2020, and that Theoden was the first in a series of new plastic kits.

So there might have been some conflating of the 'releases thru 2020' as the license, but that's not the case. Just that they have 27 months or so of releases planned

I don't think it's likely, no but... It's not without precedence.

Basically, so far, GW have sculpted 2 models, Theoden on foot and mounted.

The rest has been printing new cardboard boxes, modelwise.

The main investment so far has been in the books.

6th edition 40k was out for 18 months, had similar amounts of writing in it.

Broadly speaking, most of the specialist games throughout the late 90's and 2000s had releases for 6 months, general acknowledgement of existence for a further 6 months, then left to wither and die on the vine. EG: BFG, Gorkamorka, Epic40k, Mordheim, Inquisitor, Warmaster, Necromunda 3rd Edition.

Heck, should I even mention "War of the Ring?"

Like I said, I don't think it's likely, New Line do seem to be investing in keeping the franchise going (EG Shadow of War) but I wouldn't dismiss someones concerns about its life.

Me, personally, I'm buying the things, but with a very good eye looking at using them for Kings of War.

Doubtful that they'd randomly decide to drop it at this point. The game has been continuously supported, in print, with models available, since it first launched almost sixteen years ago. Even during the "dark days" of 2015 and 2016, there were still hundreds of models available. It then got a dedicated rules and miniatures design team and has had several oop models come back in print and dozens of new models and two supplements be released _before_ the new edition was made official. The renewing of the license for a lengthy amount of time coupled with an announced far-reaching release schedule seems to indicate that GW is in it for the long haul.

I would be remiss to not mention the intense support from the SBG community, who continued to hold massive events worldwide that GW staff would attend. Adam Troke attributes much of the renewed vigor to the rabid fanbase as well. It also speaks volumes that the GW staff themselves actively participate in the fanmade Facebook groups - and let's not forget that the person in charge of the new edition is Jay Clare, who has attended and participated in basically every major event for the last few years with the purpose of ironing out matched-play rules loopholes - and there's also apparently a huge number of community playtesters, bound by NDA as they have been playtesting the new edition for quite a while along with future releases.

Yeah. GW has the license for another 10 years at least. Since lotr was handed over to forgeworld they have done more than 50 new resin sculpts.
They have a dedicated rules writer and designer. I wouldn't expect new minis every week or anything but I fully expect the range to be supported for the foreseeable future. I would not be surprised if GW try to pick up the license for the TV show when that comes out.
Honestly the box set was more than I was expecting but this release, along with the promise of a selection of new plastics, has really got me interested in the game again.

The demand has exceeded supply by a fair margin, it seems.

Several UK retailers are posting on the Facebook group that they are not getting their full orders. To be fair, it seems these retailers placed their trade orders after the cutoff date. But as of today, GW UK Trade allotment is completely out of Pelennor Fields box and might have to shift some from Direct or GW Retail. Always good to see the demand outpacing what GW expected!

Hope I ordered in time, I only got around to ordering last night.

Glad to hear it's doing well.

I couldn't be happier that it's done so well, there's such an enthusiastic community around LOTR/Hobbit that have kept going in spite of years of almost no new releases/support - really nice to see the game come back from that

Preordered mine with my FLGS. Timing was good as I sold some stuff at our biannual auction last weekend and had a fair chunk of store credit! Very excited, now all I have to do is figure out how to expand both armies!

I've had to be a grown up and pass on the pre order. I'm keen to assemble enough for two small Titanicus forces, and I've got a pile of unpainted Guild Ball to work through.

Still keen to pick this up though, but if supplies are tight one of you lucky people will get yours because I was sensible. You're welcome!

These are some of the first GW products that I've ever pre-ordered. I've been waiting to do a Minas Tirith army since they shrunk the boxes and jacked up the prices, so I've got 5 boxes of the WOMT and 4 of Knights on order.


Very much looking forward to the re-release.

I wonder if they'll tie it in to the 'TV series.'

It would make sense, given that New Line and the estate have heavily invested in it, might as well pick up some money with existing relationships.

That's been asked on the live stream; IIRC, it's a "maybe". Their licence covers the books and the six films (including likenesses), and allows them to add characters from the books in the style of the films. The likenesses of the TV series, and any events created in it*, will be a separate matter. I'm sure it's being discussed, but nothing to be announced yet.

* as in, if GW only had the licence based on the books, then they could make an Aragorn miniature, but they couldn't make it look like Viggo Mortensen, or have it wearing the clothes he wore in the films.

From Warhammer Community:

Gandalf the White™ and Pippin™

With the new rules available to pre-order, there’s never been a better time to return to Middle-earth – and it’s about to get even better. Having brought King Théoden to life in glorious plastic in the Battle of Pelennor Fields boxed set, more characters are due a long-awaited makeover – starting with Gandalf the White and Pippin as they appeared during this climactic conflict:



With the new Middle-earth Rules Manual and the Armies of The Lord of The Rings™ book gathering all the aforementioned forces and rules for easy reference, we’ll be supporting the game going forward with a series of in-depth campaign books designed to explore the most iconic moments from the series.

The first of these will be Gondor at War, covering the events of the War of the Ring as it sweeps across Gondor, from the ambush at Ithilien and the fall of Osgiliath to the Battle of Pelennor Fields and the march on the Black Gate of Mordor itself. You’ll find tactical primers, loads of scenarios and rewards for theming your army to the forces that fought in this time of war – like King Théoden’s final epic charge.

My heart! I'm so happy!!

Oh that is beautiful.... now lets see a new Imrahil!

Wow, that Gandalf really looks like Ian McKellen. At the same time... what happened to Pippin? o.O

Pippin's face has just suffered a poor paint job I think. But goddamn having to paint another thousand shades of white and cream again..

My emptying bank account sheds another tear...

The Pellinor Fields box isn't a limited one-and-done release, is it? I'm interested in getting back into LotR - still have ALL my models - and the box contains a lot of stuff to fill holes in my collection. But, I'm not going to be able to pick it up for a month or three, and I hope it's not a case of, "We sold out at release and that was all we were making, sorry."

No more than Dark Imperium or Soul Wars is.

Anyway, unless the hole in your collection is Théoden, there's nothing in it you can't buy separately anyway (apart from the dice and counters, I suppose).

I think it's more for the massive discount you can get that people are more concerned. But it is a starter set, so it should stay around for a good few years.

 Psychopomp wrote:
The Pellinor Fields box isn't a limited one-and-done release, is it? I'm interested in getting back into LotR - still have ALL my models - and the box contains a lot of stuff to fill holes in my collection. But, I'm not going to be able to pick it up for a month or three, and I hope it's not a case of, "We sold out at release and that was all we were making, sorry."

The only thing that might happen is it goes to Direct Only, but I don't think that will happen.