Lotr/The Hobbit "Life after Games Workshop"

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:12 pm

Use this topic to speculate as to which direction SBG will take if and when Games Workshop leave the Lord of the Rings behind. (Darn you GW for even considering it)

Who will take over the franchise? opinions?

Sithious · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:23 pm

Isn't Shadow And Flame going to make a Bid?

Dead Marsh Spectre · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 5:38 pm

Sithious wrote:

Isn't Shadow And Flame going to make a Bid?

Haha Naah we'd lose too much money lol

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 6:32 pm

Well there are already a couple other Lord of the Rings ranges out there. I guess someone like Mithril Miniatures may make a bid for it.

What I'd love to see happen is Darksword Miniatures pick up the licence. They do some amazing miniatures for A Song of Ice and Fire (the book series on which the show Game of Thrones is based). They're more collectors' items, intended for painters than for gaming.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dark+sword+miniatures+game+of+thrones&client=firefox-a&hs=k5&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AcXGU4LZLrOI7AagrIHgAw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=595

Otherwise, I guess (and hope) Lord of the Rings wargaming will become more open source, with players using miniatures from a wide variety of manufacturers, similar to Historical Wargaming (e.g. you might play Bolt Action, but not necessarily use official Bolt Action miniatures).

If GW has any compassion, they'll release all the rulebooks as free downloadable open source PDF's, similar to the old Specialist Games like Necromunda, Battlefleet Gothic etc so players can continue to play the game.

Fact chance of that happening though...

jdizzy001 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:09 pm

If dark sword scooped up the lotr license A few of my internal organs would burst with joy. Dark sword is my favorite manufacturer. However, gw holds the 25mm license and dsm produces 28mm minis. Mithril minis owns the lotr 28mm license.

As of right now, dsm minis are literally a head taller than lotr minis.

Oh and dsm makes rpg minis, not collectors minis

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:22 pm

jdizzy001 wrote:

If dark sword scooped up the lotr license A few of my internal organs would burst with joy. Dark sword is my favorite manufacturer. However, gw holds the 25mm license and dsm produces 28mm minis. Mithril minis owns the lotr 28mm license.

As of right now, dsm minis are literally a head taller than lotr minis.

Oh and dsm makes rpg minis, not collectors minis

eh? I thought LOTR SBG was 28mm, and Mithril was 32mm.

JamesR · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:38 pm

King Ondoher I'm pretty sure you are correct on the sizing.

To be honest no one will continue SBG. If another company picks up the license I doubt they'll make the game at all similar as they will want people to purchase their miniatures as opposed to just "porting in" the GW line.

I've used this example before but look at Star Wars (I use this because it's another huge IP). Wizards of the Coast made the "Star Wars Miniatures Game" which is a great game and very extensive range. They also made a starships expansion that was on the scale of capital ships down to fighters.

Then they didn't renew the license and Fantasy Flight took over, and they made a very different fighter game to prevent crossover with the old minis. I believe some one will do something similar here

Pindergorn · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:46 pm

jdizzy001 wrote:

Oh and dsm makes rpg minis, not collectors minis

Their own, original Fantasy miniatures, sure. But not their GRRM Masterworks series, those are Collectors' items AFAIK.

JamesR wrote:

King Ondoher I'm pretty sure you are correct on the sizing.

To be honest no one will continue SBG. If another company picks up the license I doubt they'll make the game at all similar as they will want people to purchase their miniatures as opposed to just "porting in" the GW line.

I've used this example before but look at Star Wars (I use this because it's another huge IP). Wizards of the Coast made the "Star Wars Miniatures Game" which is a great game and very extensive range. They also made a starships expansion that was on the scale of capital ships down to fighters.

Then they didn't renew the license and Fantasy Flight took over, and they made a very different fighter game to prevent crossover with the old minis. I believe some one will do something similar here

Which is what I imagine Darksword Miniatures doing - a range similar to their GRRM Masterworks series. Highly detailed miniatures intended and marketed more to painters and collectors than gamers, with close attention to detail for characters as they are described in the book (the sculptors work according to design briefs from George RR Martin and he gives them feedback).

Johanxp · **Joined:** Fri Jun 13, 2014 7:14 am **Posts:** 8

I do not care. I will simply continue to paint and play with friends with my miniatures range which is very LARGE.

Gw does not deserve my money anymore if drop and forget The Hobbit as Whfb and 40k are... well...

jdizzy001 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 16, 2014 8:23 pm

King Ondoher wrote:

jdizzy001 wrote:

If dark sword scooped up the lotr license A few of my internal organs would burst with joy. Dark sword is my favorite manufacturer. However, gw holds the 25mm license and dsm produces 28mm minis. Mithril minis owns the lotr 28mm license.

As of right now, dsm minis are literally a head taller than lotr minis.

Oh and dsm makes rpg minis, not collectors minis

eh? I thought LOTR SBG was 28mm, and Mithril was 32mm.

Oops, mithril is 32mm, my bad.

Jamros · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:06 am

King Ondoher wrote:

Which is what I imagine Darksword Miniatures doing - a range similar to their GRRM Masterworks series. Highly detailed miniatures intended and marketed more to painters and collectors than gamers, with close attention to detail for characters as they are described in the book (the sculptors work according to design briefs from George RR Martin and he gives them feedback).

I doubt Darksword would get the rights to do that with LotR since Knight Models and Mithril are already doing the exact same thing, no?

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 12:40 am

^Correct Jamros.

And let's be honest, who here would restart a new collection based on the films or books? Besides Oldman Willow, MacGothmog, and a few others; those guys are LOTR fanatics, and that's coming from a guy who collected the action figures/books/ and movies.

After SBG in several years time I suppose, I'll be moving onto Perry Miniatures, Fallen dwarfs, and UKFB has a giant sculpt I would like to get.

What I would like to see is HBO Game of Thrones miniatures, and 28mm Silmarillion miniatures, and not made by GW.

Sithious · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:19 am

Honestly, my backlog will keep me happy a long time. I miss just looking at fantasy models from all companies looking for cool monsters and encounter models for D&D games. I still think there is a serious lack in Beholders right now

So I will probably get back into that pretty heavy after LOTR/Hobbit. There are several old Ral Partha and TSR sets I would like to find from the late 80's early 90's and many Grenadier sculpts from the 90's I would like to find. They had some awesome barbarian models that would be great for dunland. But yeah, that was the original hobby before I discovered LOTR. And now that I am a better painter I think it would be very enjoyable. Nothing breaks up army batch painting like spending a session on painting a single monster.

Quendil · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:08 am

Mithril would not pick up the licence as they would not have the resources to make it work. They have a licence for collectable miniatures which I am sure they will stick to.

I would doubt whether anyone will take on the licence for the movies after 2017 as they would not only have to produce a new game but a new line of miniatures which would be cost prohibitive.

jdizzy001 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 8:40 am

Sithious wrote:

Honestly, my backlog will keep me happy a long time. I miss just looking at fantasy models from all companies looking for cool monsters and encounter models for D&D games. I still think there is a serious lack in Beholders right now

So I will probably get back into that pretty heavy after LOTR/Hobbit. There are several old Ral Partha and TSR sets I would like to find from the late 80's early 90's and many Grenadier sculpts from the 90's I would like to find. They had some awesome barbarian models that would be great for dunland. But yeah, that was the original hobby before I discovered LOTR. And now that I am a better painter I think it would be very enjoyable. Nothing breaks up army batch painting like spending a session on painting a single monster.

Reaper has a great range of monsters. I got into painting for rpg reasons too.

aelfwine · **Joined:** Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:23 am **Posts:** 508

Dark Sword is a very small enterprise, and Mithril is, if anything, much smaller.

Dark Sword is really a sort of elite collection of miniatures by people who also tend to work for Reaper miniatures or other fantasy miniatures operations.

That being said, however, *wearing fantasy cap* imagine if Mithril, Knight and Dark Sword put together a bid and business plan to make collector's editions of 28/30/32mm figures inspired by the films and books?

Granted, there would need to be some focus to the whole thing: a cinematic RPG, a set of gaming rules, maybe a collectible card game. But it would be fun :p

Sithious · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:13 pm

I do like Knight's Batman/DC stuff. But I don't think my wallet could handle that one.
I do use Reaper a lot for Fantasy monsters, they have some nice models.

I agree that it is unlikely that another company would do what GW has done with armies and lesser heroes and all that (an argument I have used for years as to why we cannot boycott GW). There just would not be a large enough profit margin in doing that since many of us would just use our current armies and only buy minimums of anyone restarting the job. That is what bites about the whole end thing. I am sure that people will continue to make heroes and perhaps make collectors series, that all makes sense and will support itself, but huge armies will not be something another manufacturer would get behind in the wake.

I do think that many proxy armies could become popular. I can see many Persian or West Asian influenced models being used as Khand, easterlings or Harad. I could see some mid evil knights being fudged into a close enough representation to pass as a Gondor force without stepping on toes. And I could see other historics coming about. But dwarves, Hobbits, and Elves will be hard to mock up without getting sued somewhere.

LordElrond · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:22 pm

Maybe GW won't stop supporting the Hobbit/LotR range as soon as we all might think. Throne of Skulls sold out several times over, showing that the hobby is far more popular than even Games Workshop themselves had predicted. Although all of their policies seem to be ploys to get people to buy their products. Maybe they'll sell the rights to the Perry brothers? Who knows. I just think that all you saying our hobby is doomed are frankly pessimists.

Sithious · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:30 pm

LordElrond wrote:

I just think that all you saying our hobby is doomed are frankly pessimists

I think we are more saying that in the likely event that GW does not renew in 2017 and after the films die, and after all the possible armies are released and available, and many more things go OOP, that what would our individual futures be.
I think SBG will keep going as a fan game regardless. Right now it is going as a fan game since even without GW bombarding us with stuff it is still active. That is great. And if GW holds on and keeps many of the basic stuff available then I am all for it.

The hobby can include so many things including sculpting, scenery, painting backlogs and models for other games... so the hobby is in most of our blood for life.

LordElrond · **Posted:** Thu Jul 17, 2014 5:37 pm

That was really what I was trying to say. Thank you for putting it into better words for me.

Lotr/The Hobbit "Life after Games Workshop"

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