I decided to start a new thread for my next diorama. I have done very little on this so far so any comments about the plan are most welcome.
Anyway, my plan is to build a battle scene very very loosely based on the ambush of the War Mumaks by the Rangers of Gondor from the Two Towers.
However, instead of just War Mumaks and Harad, I wanted to have an extended column of associated baddies. These would represent high officials and their entourages from various ‘forgotten kingdoms’ all heading off to Mordor for a cup of tea and a biscuit (I hear Sauron does wonderful blueberry muffins).
Also, I want to extend the goodies to include other ranger type characters (eg Dunedain, dwarf rangers etc).
Anyway, here is my current list of goddies and baddies.
Good guys
Arathorn
Halbarad
Grey company
Rangers of middle earth
Dunedain of the north
Faramir
Damrod
Faramir's rangers
Cirion
Madril
Blackroot vale arches command
Duinhir
Dwarf rangers
Aragorn
Bad guys
Watchers of Karna
Haradrim command
Serpent guard
(Harad) Abrakhan guard
Khandish chieftan
Haradrim horseman chieftain
Harad Commanders
Khandish King in chariot
Haradrim raiders
Suladan
Suladan the serpent lord
Mumak muhud
Mahud warriors with blowpipes
Mahud warriors
Half trolls
Mahud raider
War mumak of Harad
Khandish charioteer
Khandish horseman
Khandish warriors
Mahud raider
Golden King of Harad
Mahud king
At this stage, the scene will include the column of baddies entering a mountain pass with steep cliffs on one side and dense woodland on the other. I thought about having steep cliffs on both sides, but had to think about how the diorama will be viewed. Having the woodland in the front will allow viewing of the cliffs at the back. I might have the road curve into a narrow mountain pass which can be viewed completely from the front of the scene.
Among the cliffs and woodland are the various good guys waiting to lay siege to the dim-witted servants of Mordor.
I’d like to have a waterfall off the cliffs into a river which meanders out of the wood and into a plain where the baddies are coming from.
I am thinking of using wired paper or netting over a frame to create the mountains/cliffs and spreading over this some granite compound to get the rocky cliff effect. Trees, grass, lichen etc would be added on top of this.
If anyone has used wired paper or netting before to create mountains/hills I would be interested in your thoughts.
Haven’t done much painting on this, but I have started with the rangers. I think I will use two different colour schemes for the rangers (12 of each).
Here is the first colour scheme on one of the test models. Pretty standard colours, but they need to blend into the scenery so browns, greens etc are the go. For the 2nd colour scheme I think I will use more greys.
I am also debating whether Easterlings will be in the bad guy group. I have also done some painting on these and some images are below.
As always, comments on anything are welcome!
First ranger colour scheme
The band of merry men in various stages of completion
Some Easterlings that might be included on the column of baddies
For the good side, Arathorn and Aragorn don't really fit well because Aragorn never met his dad because he was killed at the hands of Buhrdur when Aragorn was a child. So I think it would be best to remove them. I'm not too sure about the dwarves either but I'll see how it goes for now. 
Aragorn is amazing as well,
