The December Desolation of Smaug release thread

Goldman25 · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 9:27 pm

I'm gonna buy that Bard, I reckon, but none of the others.

Creaky · **Joined:** Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:26 pm **Posts:** 424

What kind of crazy drugs are GW taking with that laketown release?

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

Well colour me surprised, both positively and negatively, on the one hand that Bard mini is absolutely stunning and I'm very surprised we're seeing him released rather than the one in the DOS book.

On the down side I'm disappointed there's no Beorn in bear form, that's a huge surprise, can't see why they'd leave at least 2 months between the releases of the two forms you need to use the model. Kinda messes up some of my Feb/March tournament plans too...

Worst of all though is the lake town release - Finecast troops?!?!? I thought we were past all that, real shame. A quick look at the France site puts €20 troops at £15 so that's a fairly safe bet - £60 for a war band? Yee gads that's a new kind of crazy, I guess we're being punished for complaining about the price of the elves last month :shock:

Really annoyed as I really wanted a small Laketown force, dunno how I can justify it at those prices though, however much I love the models.

Here's the complete release list in US dollars for anyone interested, everything's finecast:

$20

The Master
Alfrid
Bard
Gandalf

$25

Laketown Swordsmen
Laketown Spearmen
Laketown bowmen

$10

Laketown captain

Bard's a must buy but I'm even starting to doubt if I'll get the Master and Alfrid (whose models I love) as I'll never have anything approaching enough troops for them to lead.

Really disappointed with that GW :sad:

Time to start the month-long panic that the Gundabad orcs will be Finecast too...

Harfoot · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 10:38 pm

So no Lake Town Guard in plastic, I'm amazed, that's terrible. Really disappointed.

Fully agree with the above, the range does not need another Gandalf, no matter how well it's cast.

KnightyKnight · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:05 pm

I saw Bard on the list and cheered, having fallen in love with the picture in the Desolation sourcebook. And now... now I'm torn.. both are so brilliant!

I really don't see why people are so surprised at seeing another Gandalf. It's a given at this point, there's always been multiple poses for key characters during each film release. Some good, some bad, but at least we've got some variation. Personally I think this new pose would be excellent for a diorama recreating the initial meeting with Bilbo at Bag End.

I agree with the complaints about the rest of the Lake Town releases though.

Also, YAY TYRANIDS!

Draugluin · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:21 pm

I apologize, I never would have thought that GW would do that with them. There goes my hope of a Laketown army.

Bandobras Took · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:22 pm

Well there's a turn up for the books - Finecast troops! :shock:

Also I've just counted the Gundabad Orc poses in the DoS book. 3 with Sword, 3 with spear. I may be wrong but I think they'll be Finecast as well.

Back to January's releases, Bard is excellent! I'm loving the new pose.
I really like the new Gandalf and as KnightyKnight said would look nice in a "First Meeting" Diorama. Don't need him though so a "no" there for now at least.
I like the Master and Alfrid is okay - wasn't too keen on his character in the film. Both "no" for now.
The Laketown Guard models are nice and I would like a little display collection but they will be too pricey to get immediately.

So nice minis but I will probably only get Bard next month.

Draugluin · **Posted:** Mon Dec 30, 2013 11:40 pm

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w7VNvqHgFk4/U ... leases.PNG Full release pricing. I think I counted 4 of each for the Gundabads. As for Laketown, I'll just use Dale Warriors.

orc-archer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 12:53 am

FINECAST TROOPS? IS THIS A JOKE?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc

Bandobras Took wrote:

Well there's a turn up for the books - Finecast troops! :shock:

Also I've just counted the Gundabad Orc poses in the DoS book. 3 with Sword, 3 with spear. I may be wrong but I think they'll be Finecast as well.

NO PLEASE NO THIS IS TERRIBLE NIGHTMARE FUEL.

Creaky · **Joined:** Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:26 pm **Posts:** 424

It looks alarmingly like they made the elves last year, saw AUJ selling poorly, and decided to do the most cheap-ass, minimum risk job they could for the rest of it.

I'm worrying again now. And it was going so well, too.

GothmogtheWerewolf · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 1:44 am

Well, a pity there are no evil yet again but as expected. Gandalf and bard are very nice models I'll never buy. And the very cheek of the Lake Town releases? Who on earth puts a horde army in FineCast? The same people who had hobbits as all-metal I guess, only this is worse.

I do think it means that Middle-Earth is excluded from the phasing out of FC though as it won't be around for much longer anyway.

Draugluin wrote:

. I think I counted 4 of each for the Gundabads. As for Laketown, I'll just use Dale Warriors.

I think you miscounted. I counted only 3 of each, sometimes the same pose looks like a different variant at a different angle. FineCast Gundabad Orcs it is.

orc-archer · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 2:38 am

I was really looking forward to plastic Gundabads, this sucks.

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

How different are the lake towners from warriors of dale? I mean by the looks of it, one could easily proxy Dale Warriors from Laketown with a different colour scheme.

blackuruk · **Joined:** Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:22 am **Posts:** 8

Sticky Fingersss wrote:

How different are the lake towners from warriors of dale? I mean by the looks of it, one could easily proxy Dale Warriors from Laketown with a different colour scheme.

The biggest difference is a lack of capes on the Laketown Warriors. It is a shame about their price. They are quite nice models and I would love to be able to afford to pick more than a couple.

JamesR · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 5:36 am

I think GW intentionally is making models I'd hate. The Lake-towners look like theyre wearing a vase or an ornate candlestick for a helmet and their captain has a feather on his helmet... Arnor Captain you just got beat out for "Dumbest looking LOTR miniature". Congrats

Bard does look great, and I cannot wait to purchase Mr UKBear's bear model. GW is taking far too long and frankly I don't want a fail-cast bear. I shudder to think of how bad the fur will be

mordor orc · **Joined:** Wed Dec 25, 2013 3:25 pm **Posts:** 58

How on earth do they expect the game to sell with those prices!
And gundabad orcs going to be finecast! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....

SouthernDunedain · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 10:32 am

I prefer the bard pose in the book but I'll get this one anyway. It is a nice dynamic pose. Little disappointed about the FC laketown but it doesn't really affect me as I wasn't planning on getting a laketown force. Maybe if the bows and spears were store release rather than direct only I may have impulse bought them.

Thermo · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:11 am

Reaction to the leaked images of the release plus images! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kK-6e9_Q1A&feature=youtu.be

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

I can NEARLY see the justification for the Gundabads being Finecast (if they are) as they're the elites of that army and you might need less models so they need to put the price up like they used to with metals. It's obviously sickening that the price has jumped from £4 for a FC troop to £5 but alas, that's to be expected these days.

However, solely Finecat troops for an entire army is absolutely absurd (and they're double the price of Hobbits - the previously most expensive army) and I just cannot see anyone assembling a Laketown force now. This is a massive shame as I love the models and know a lot of people were planning on gettingat least 3 full warbands for a new force.

Even lthough the price is absurd that's not what worries me the most. Ultimately I wanted a few warbands of these guys and as it stands I'll still probably get a few packs (9 spearman and 3 archers I reckon) so I have some troops for Bard to lead (I suppose if you were trying to find the best in the situation you could argue that at least you can buy all spearman/swordsman and don't have to buy troops you don't want).

What worries me more, and I hope this doesn't get me flamed again for being 'needlessly negative' is the wider implications for the game. I'm totally with Creaky over this one, I'm getting worried again, the only new models created for SBG this year have been the Laketowners and so far EVERYTHING has been in Finecast. This is all coming at a time where GW is making a very clear move away from Finecast in their two big games, if the Gundabads follow suit they we have a whole range in Finecast that people won't buy and GW won't support, it doesn't bode we'll for the future of SBG at all.

Combine that with the lack of Laketown scenarios and the fact that the old Mirkwood scenarios clearly haven't been updated to match either script changes or GW's own production changes and I think you can begin to get a picture of the amount of effort GW have out into the game in the last year.

It's a great shame but based on these worrying signs I think we need to make the most of SBG while we still can, a There and Back Again supplement and accompanying range looks quite unlikely to me at this stage.

Scib · **Posted:** Tue Dec 31, 2013 12:14 pm

GW does realise that we're not actually millionaires??? I really wanted to do a Laketown army but this has priced me out to be honest.

The December Desolation of Smaug release thread

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