So what's next?

Striptease....

So I started stripping my Ringwraiths. Those robes just don't wanna come off ;-) 

 So since I got the Fellowship of the Ring Journeybook, and finished painting my holbytla so I figured I should start on the stuff required for the first scenario, The Hunt Begins. This first scenario depicts a skirmish in Eriador, on the northern border of the Shire, wherein a group of Dunedain rangers (think Aragorn's cousins) are hard pressed to prevent the Nazgul from entering the Shire and capturing Frodo and the Ring. The participants are a force of 9 Dunedain, each a minor hero in game terms, with 1 might/will/fate, a spear and a bow. Their opponents are a force of 2 Ringwraiths and the Witch King of Angmar, all of whom are using the minimum stat-lines to represent their distance from the Dark Lord and his not yet dominant power. Honestly it seems pretty unbalanced, and I've read elsewhere that it is, however it's a very thematic scenario I think, despite its simplicity. Here is the board layout:

So it looks like I've got some work to do! Right now I'm scouring eBay for a good deal on some sort of Ranger models. I've decided to use a mix of models to represent the Dunedain, as GW's are too expensive, but at this point my plan is to use the plastic Rangers of Middle-Earth box, which comes with 12 Rangers. In terms of terrain you can see from the picture that it's fairly simple, and the cool thing about this book is that all the previous scenario's build on earlier ones. For instance the little rock outcrops are used later in the Moria Scenarios to hold up the bridges of Dwarrowdelf!

I also just ordered The Two Towers Journeybook, and it should get here sometimes this week or next, very excited.

Wishlist/what I need!

So I have glanced through the future scenarios to kind of glean an idea of what I'll need to buy, and here's a rough list of the models I'll need to acquire and paint to complete the Fellowship Journeybook. And in case any wealthy benefactors are reading this blog, I do take donations! (That includes my parents xD )

5 Ringwraiths (unmounted)
1 Gildor Inglorion (OOP)
4 Hobbits (for pre-Lothlorien version)
1 Tom Bombadil and Goldberry
4 Barrow-Wights
1 Gandalf the Grey (pre-Khazad-Dum version)
1 Aragorn (either the Weathertop version, or any other normal version of Amon-Hen Aragorn)
1 Glorfindel
7 Mounted Ringwraiths
1 Boromir of Gondor
1 Legolas Greenleaf
1 Gimli Gloinsson (<mad that one up)
1 Wild Warg Chieftain
18 Wild Wargs (3 boxes worth :( thats a lot)
1 Watcher in the Water (or at least 6 tentacles worth)
2 Goblin Captains
24 Moria Goblins (with 8 of each weapon option)
1 Cave Troll
1 Balrog (another ouch here)
1 Haldir (Lothlorien version w/o armor, OOP)
6 Wood elves w/ bows (OOP version preferably, but I can always just buy the elves box)
1 Lurtz
1 Uruk-Hai Captain
18 Uruk Scouts (6 w/ bows, 12 w/ shields)


Sooooo. Thats a lot to acquire, and it could take a very long time. My next big decision is should I just buy the Mines of Moria set to acquire all the Fellowship models or should I buy all the pieces separately? I'm pushing for separately because I hate the sculpts of the Fellowship in that box, and the cave troll looks like a cheap toy, however it would be convenient. Thoughts?

Next on the menu....

So my next purchase will probably be the Ringwraiths as they feature in quite a few of the scenarios in this book, including the first 4 or 5, so thats important. Painting wise I'm currently stripping the Nazgul I had and will prime them tomorrow or the next day probably. So expect some work on those before week's end. G'day!