The December Desolation of Smaug release thread

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 10:40 pm

That sword/shield/spear ratio is the same as the AotD. Coincidence?

whafrog · **Posted:** Thu Dec 05, 2013 11:58 pm

SouthernDunedain wrote:

They have the same rule as tauriel regarding attacks.

Man, those Noldor are starting to look like wimps.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:49 am

I really don't get why Tauriel is being made into such a combat beast, being even better than Legolas and Gildor. Doesn't make any sense.

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

Loving the Laketown releases, who is the last guy at the bottom with the book? Bard looks great, Beron in bear form isn't quite as dynamic as I'd like and the Gunaband orcs look a lot like fighting uruk-hai, but that isn't a very clear picture of them so I'll wait.

JamesR · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 2:21 am

I'm disappointed in the Bear form. I'll probably pick up UK Freddybear's instead because it's a better sculpt

Tezzy · **Joined:** Tue Dec 27, 2011 4:42 am **Posts:** 160

Amazing models, particularly the Gundabad Orcs because I only play evil. But I love Beorn's design and rules.

Blue Dragon · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 4:07 am

That last one is Alfrid, I think, judging by the monobrow and hat.

Definitely loving Bard there, exactly what I wanted to see! Of all the "new" characters (ie ones we hadn't seen in Rings), he's an exact embodiment of what I've seen in my mind while reading the book. I can't wait to get hold of that model.

GW's painting for the Master is a bit colourful. He didn't look so bright in the video blogs, and it's definitely influencing my thoughts on the model. Then again, the character is so ugly to me on screen that I probably won't get the model because it isn't nice to look at.

I already knew what the Laketowners were going to look like. It's hard to tell much from the pictures, but I'll be very interested to see if some of the small details about them in the movies have been transferred to the minis. Certainly, I'll get a box though.

We're really just seeing the Gundabads hidden behind their shields. It's had to pass judgement until I've seen them up closer.

Beorn... well bears just don't capture my imagination really. I have nothing against the model, I'm just impartial to it.

As for Alfrid, I don't really know what I expected. There's a scene I know I want to recreate with him and Bard and some Laketown warriors, but the model's too closed of a sculpt for that. I think I'll get the model out of sentiment though.

black1blade · **Joined:** Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:10 pm **Posts:** 225

Quote:

That sword/shield/spear ratio is the same as the AotD. Coincidence?

The're in the same poses too I think.

belgiumfire · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 7:59 am

Just a question, what is the warrior of dale doing behind the laketowners? Can you put them in the same force or?

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:00 am

So after a night of reading and thinking I have come to the conclusion that tauriel is the best model out there points wise. If you charge 6 models into her, she'll have 8 attacks in the resulting combat...

Thermo · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:31 am

SouthernDunedain wrote:

So after a night of reading and thinking I have come to the conclusion that tauriel is the best model out there points wise. If you charge 6 models into her, she'll have 8 attacks in the resulting combat...

Ouch… talk about anti-horde! I kind of like that type of rule for Elves, maybe with a ceiling of three extra. Seems like a very very good special rule for her (and she is cheapish right?) It will all be about the heroes/monsters when it comes to taking her down!

Looking forward to getting mine soon!

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:35 am

The rangers have it maxed to +3 but she has no cap. Yeah she is very very similar points to legolas.

mertaal · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:40 am

JamesR wrote:

I'm disappointed in the Bear form. I'll probably pick up UK Freddybear's instead because it's a better sculpt

Exactly what I was thinking also.

I don't particularly mind the GW Beorn (human form), but at the same time, it really doesn't fit my image of him. I really do imagine him as an oversized lumberjack with bushy auburn beard, and not… well, Leutenant Warf.

So I'm also thinking about finding something more in line with my mental image in a 32mm range somewhere. Must be a bearded half naked axe wielder somewhere out there, right!?

Draugluin · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:41 am

SouthernDunedain wrote:

The rangers have it maxed to +3 but she has no cap. Yeah she is very very similar points to legolas.

Even if he can outshoot her, it's pretty ridiculous that she is so much better at combat than Thranduil AND Legolas for the same price.

mertaal · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:45 am

SouthernDunedain wrote:

Click to: Show

Well, what do you know. Looks like there's room for 12 models on those sprues after all…

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:47 am

Also, legolas is no longer the best archer in middle earth. I think bard will soon take that title due to his great bow, black arrow and rapid fire rules. Plus, he looks like a combat beast aswell. Mix legolas with Aragorn, minus the FV and you have bard.

Dr Grant · **Joined:** Fri Aug 03, 2012 1:50 pm **Posts:** 1339

Yeah, methinks goblin/mega-horde armies are REALLY gonna struggle against Tauriel and Mirkwood Rangers and have to have a major tactical rethink: "Ah-ha! I'll trap this poor, lonely, unarmoured elf with 3 goblins! Oh, all three goblins are dead, right..."

I suppose they had to make Tauriel good to make people consider using her over Legoals or Thranduil (2 of the best value for points heroes in the game). I personally don't mind her being better in combat than Legolas, yeah she's younger but we have no idea how the movie's gonna portray her, she's obviously gonna be a bit of a beast when it comes to slaughtering orcs and so needs rules to represent that. I like that they haven't just cloned another elf-shooty hero.

Good to see more competitive Good factions though, they've trailed a long way behind evil in the meta for some time now. I just wish they'd make a mannish faction a force to be reckoned with rather than giving the elves more boosts and making the Laketowners basically the same as Dale as Rohan as Gondor as Arnor.

mertaal · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 8:55 am

The hunter orc many blades and goblin town auto-support rules are starting to make more sense now. They'll need them just to break even with mirkwood...

Coenus Scaldingus · **Joined:** Sat Aug 17, 2013 9:14 am **Posts:** 1121

While I definitely don't mind some more powerful Elves, these rules seem far beyond the scope of anything from the original LotR line - just like for example Thrain got rules both not justifiable by his movie portrayal as well as exceeding those of any characters from the LotR range, ridiculous in comparison to Gil-galad and the likes.

mertaal · **Posted:** Fri Dec 06, 2013 9:27 am

Well, I guess they have to incentivise people to buy the new ranges somehow, so a little bit of power creep is inevitable. However, I think there's a big difference between new profiles "breaking" the game and just "changing" it.

Only time will tell, but at the moment I'm looking at it the same as brutal power attacks- it doesn't suddenly make an army that doesn't take advantage of the new shiny toys unplayable. But it does change the way you might think about constructing your list and operating in-game.

In my opinion, mixing things up and changing around the dynamic is a good thing, and keeps the game alive and vibrant. Blatant codex creep is not welcome, and I'll admit to being a little wary because the company we're talking about has a track record here. But I think it's premature to be to critical of what we're seeing. I for one am excited about the new stuff, and am hoping (and assuming) that it won't make all your LotR models obsolete.

From a fluff point of view though, yes, it does irritate me somewhat that reasonably irrelevant people from the much smaller scale Hobbit story make the heroes of the War of the Ring and the Second Age look like a bunch of amateurs

.

But I'll give GW and New Line a break on this one. Obviously they can't make stuff look a bit rubbish so that it doesn't rival their previous creation.

The December Desolation of Smaug release thread

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