1)Choose Models you like the look of...
Then you need an up to date rule book:

2)the current
-the big "An unexpected journey"(AUJ) Hardback (this contains, the rules for the game, profiles and scenarios for the hobbit, and pretty pictures)
OR
-the small "Escape from goblin town" (EfGT)paperback(this is just the rules) either buy the starter set, or get a copy on ebay(cheaper alternative)
If you are interested in the profiles in the AUJ book, here they all are for free:
http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_Cus ... -earth.pdf

3)Then you need to get yourself the relevant source book(s)
which are the following these 5 only include LotR forces(no hobbit material)
-The free peoples (durins folk, wanderers in the wild, the shire, rivendell and eregion, Lothlorien and mirkwood, fellowship of the ring, and the white council)
-The Kingdoms of men (Arnor, Numenor, Rohan, Minas Tirith, The Fiefdoms)
-Mordor (Lots of profiles there)
-Moria and angmar (Lots of monsters, goblins spirits and demons)
-The fallen realms (Isengard, Harad and Umbar, Eastern Kingdoms)

and as of December 2013:
The Hobbit: The desolation of Smaug (DoS) (Laketown, Thranduils halls, Radagasts alliance with Beorn, Mirkwood Spiders, Azogs hunters, it also includes rules for playing scenarios in Mirkwood and a good number of scenarios too)

**A note on scenarios: In the 5 LotR sourcebooks and the Hobbit rulebooks, you will notice 6 generic point match scenarios and a couple or more of specific scenarios relating to known battles in middle earth.
In the Hardback rulebook there are all the relevant scenarios to re-enact the first hobbit film.
The Desolation of Smaug does not contain all the Scenarios to re-enact the second film.

If you want to re-create the battles in the LotR trilogy there are 3 journey books which contain all the scenarios needed to play through the whole saga:
The fellowship of the Ring
The two towers
The return of the king

4)You will need dice; 25 is usually sufficient
a measuring tape
And a battlefield of some kind
Oh and importantly an opponent
That should be all, good luck and have fun !

***to the moderators***
could we please make this a sticky, pretty please

_________________
http://grungehog.blogspot.co.uk/

Yes yes please sticky this or even put it on home page, looks really helpful for new playerz

Very nice little intro guide, summarised many of the questions we get around here. Should definately be made into a sticky, but may I suggest expanding on the 'battlefield' part as that may seem intimidating to some, perhaps some suggestions like a green mat for the coffee table or even the carpet.

Edit: Maybe some links to the sourcebooks etc on GW's site? (Might clutter it up a bit so I'm not sure mind.)

_________________
Sun is by sea-men always hoped for,
when they fare away over the fishes' bath,
until the brine-stallion they bring to land.
OERP

This is a great guide. Thanks for posting.

I am in the process of taking the plunge. My plan is to paint and play my way through the Journeybooks and the Hobbit scenarios. Basically, I like the LoTR better, but the new minis are just too good. Aware of the growing obscurity of the LoTR minis, I have even begin grabbing the ones that are moving to OOP status thanks to the sticky on these forums.

Anyways, to play the scenarios in the Journeybooks, do you also need the various Sourcebooks (Kingdoms of Men, Free Peoples, etc.)? Or are the necessary stats available in the Hobbit Manual + Journeybooks?

Thanks much.

I just checked, and the Fellowship journey book has all necessary profiles to play all scenarios in that book, but the two towers and return of the king do not have all basic profiles.
The hobbit rule book has a complete summary of profiles for all of LotR sbg models, those not having the special rules explained, wargear/options or points for said models
So yes you would to get yourself a copy of the relevant source books if you wanted to scenario play

_________________
http://grungehog.blogspot.co.uk/

Quick question, we've not dipped into the Hobbit could we use the original SBG rule book and then the source books (not current ones, Shadow in the East of example)? Is there any difference between these to the current rule book and source books?

_________________
My Miniatures Blog (covering LOTR/Terminator/Doctor Who/Warpath and more!):
http://cruciumgiger.blogspot.co.uk/

The biggest difference Phil if you don't have any of the five newer sourcebooks is the warbands rule. You must have at least 1 hero for every 12 models now.
The Hobbit rulebook has quite a few rule additions now too. Shooting, Monsters, Magic and Hero abilities have all been altered from the Old Big blue rulebook. If you get a chance, I recommend sitting through the GBHL youtube videos which breakdown each of the changes in turn.
Of course if its just the two of you, you have enough to play the old version of the rules quite comfortably. But if you want to stay current, then you'll need to update your library

_________________
You don't have to be great to start. But you do have to start to be great.

Cheers Dave, I think we'll try the old rules for now but with the newer source books to cover all the miniature options we have. There's only a few of us play and none of us have any completed Hobbit miniatures as of yet so it should be fine.

_________________
My Miniatures Blog (covering LOTR/Terminator/Doctor Who/Warpath and more!):
http://cruciumgiger.blogspot.co.uk/