Werewolves in Middle Earth

Joansean · **Joined:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:23 pm **Posts:** 760

Seeing as they have their own Units in the WOTR supplement, I'd like some of your opinions on how Werewolves would look in Middle Earth. Are they really the Men and Women that turned into Wolves or just Really Big and savage wolves?

I was thinking of sculpting some myself with the ebob armatures, but if Anyone knows some suitable alternatives.. :-D

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gaarew · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:18 pm

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/ca ... php?pID=29

Westwind do a nice set for a fiver.

Doesn't LotR say that Sauron bred the Wargs until they became Werewolves, or used magic on them, and that they 'were' his favoured scouts, as they could travel through both urban and rural environments without arising suspicion.

TheBucklandBrewer · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:23 pm

They are evil-spirited wolves, but don't change chape...
So some wolf-figs would fit best I guess...

According to Wikipedia...

Quote:

Werewolf Middle-earth: Encyclopedia - Werewolf Middle-earth

Werewolf (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, werewolves were servants of Morgoth, bred from wolves and inhabited by dreadful spirits (fallen lesser Maiar or fëar of Orcs).

They were thought of by Sauron, who was their master, and took the shape of a great wolf himself at least once. The Middle-earth werewolves were not shapeshifters like the werewolves of European mythology — they were always in the form of beasts. The name werewolf appears to have been chosen because they were in essence sentient (but evil), and thus had a status beyond that of normal wolves.

The first werewolf was Draugluin, and the greatest werewolf was Carcharoth, the guardian of Angband, a descendant of Draugluin as all other werewolves were. Huan the Hound of Valinor, while also sentient, was not a werewolf.

It is probable that the Wargs of the Third Age were descended from the werewolves, as these wolves could speak, suggesting they had fëar. Another possibility is that Sauron attempted to recreate the werewolves after his return to Middle-earth, and that the Wargs were the result.

TheBucklandBrewer · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:31 pm

Here's a nice wolf-mini from Wizards of the Coast...
Don't know the size or scale they work in though...

Dorthonion · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2009 8:36 pm

Werewolves are a bit of an uncertain area for me, thanks to Terry Pratchett. You see, I start thinking of Angua and the rest from Uberwald... and how Sam Vimes dealt with nasty werewolves...

King Dain Ironfoot · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:39 pm

I'd envision them as larger Wargs, but since PJ took inspiration from Hyenas and other such beasts, I think "Dire Wolf" type models (NOT the WFB versions!) would be suitable.

WotC's minis are prepainted and come on flimsy rubbery bases. There is another company that makes models largely for RPGing and I've eyed their Giant Spiders and Trolls before. Their man-sized models are slightly larger than LotR, but beasts and Trolls wouldn't be so noticeable. Bigger dimensions leave room for bigger variation, right?

Gorthaur · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 9:25 pm

I always saw the LOTR Werewolves as being large upright Wargs carrying maces and evil looking greatswords and wearing shoulder and knee plates.

Ogrob · **Joined:** Mon Apr 06, 2009 8:44 pm **Posts:** 19

Werewolves is a really deceptive word here. Tolkien used it before the modern mythos was really established.

As per the wiki article above, they don't shapechange at all. Wolfdemons would be more apt, but probably a lot less cool.

jscottbowman · **Posted:** Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:01 am

Gorthaur wrote:

I always saw the LOTR Werewolves as being large upright Wargs carrying maces and evil looking greatswords and wearing shoulder and knee plates.

That to me sounds rather like a dungeons-and-dragons "Gnoll"

jscottbowman · **Posted:** Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:04 am

I prefer the idea of an over large wolf, rather than a european shapeshifting bipedal upright walking wolfman..
however if this is the case they will need to be on the large round 40mm cavalry baes - yet WOTR appears to have them as an infantry company of 8 figures, so I think we can expect to see the wolfman form more likely to arrive...

Werewolves in Middle Earth

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