New Creatures and Units in Middle-Earth

I have been busy with work and life, which is why it's been quiet here for a few weeks. Still, I don't think there'd been much hobby done in here anyway. In case someone missed it: I can't really finish any more projects because I have ran out of space in my tiny habitat. Another reason is I have a few other hobbies that have been left on the backburner so I've enjoyed those with renewed vigour (and cost!).

Work has been super-weird these last few weeks. I asked for a transfer, again, and it seems it has has been declined, once again. Other stuff's happened also, but probably of no interest to you, I suspect, dear readers. One of the stories might be of interest, I think I will come back to that one in a future update.

       This update is part two of the catchy titled New Creatures and Units in Middle-Earth. The original title didn't make grammatical sense so this is the new title and below follows part two of it. I also hope this title suffice grammatically:

New Creatures and Units in Middle-Earth

This is more of a list rather than a semi-arguing article. I did one even farther back in time and the only thing I would like to reiterate is: Some of the creatures and contraptions mentioned then, I actually sculpted or converted up, which is satisfying in a light-dessert-on-a-sunny-Sunday-afternoon-kind-of-way. Here follows a list of rather high-fantasy ideas for new units and creatures to use in our battles of War of the Ring (WotR) or in Lord of the Rings: Strategy Battle Game (LotR: SBG).

As always, focus is on the goodguys. This is because of the many weird and imposing and impressive beasts that the dark sides of Middle-Earth have access to – trolls, dragons, beasts of all kinds – and so I'd like to counter-weigh that ever so slightly.

Mountain Giant. But not in the Hobbit way, but more in line of Thomarillion's nice stone giant. The incredibly large Mountain Giants from The Hobbit are too large to be interesting gamewise. These beasts should be considered neutral rather than evil.

Forest Critters. On a 40mm base, inspired by different swarms from WHFB or WH40K. Pecking birds and porcupines and some larger animals. The biggest con with a unit like this is it will remind a lot, perhaps too much, of Narnia. Narnia is a nice little world, but it is not Middle-Earth. Still, if having The Hobbit in mind, this one's obvious.

Forest Animals. Not sure which side would use these. Beornings, yes, but whoelse? Wood Elves? Not if you look at the Tolkien-version of Wood Elves. There are some other races out there which I think could use small formations of angry animals as chaff units. I should mention that this idea is here only because it would be a joy to make a pair of companies with forest animals: Stags, lynxes, porcupines (again), beavers and Bofurs etc.

Pelargir Beast. Which was mentioned earlier as well. Then I had no idea what it would be. Now I have got a (bad) idea: A fastitocalon, of course! A huge turtle with a bunch of pelargir crew on a howdah. Only problem is when the turtle submerge, but then again, how often do you play your games on an ocean-themed tabletop? As with most of the ideas here, this one is purely a hobby-project and much like the entry below, nothing I'd ever play a game with. Pelargir Beast for Gondor.

Swan Chariot. Mentioned many times here. See below for a WIP-pic. Swan Chariot for High Elves of Rivendell or the other place on the west coast of Middle-Earth, whatever it was called... ?

[imageSwan1.]

Wilwarin. This one can actually be expanded a little bit more than obvious. But first we need to clearify what a ”wilwarin” is, in this world of ours. A Wilwarin is explained, in the Bestiary, as some sort of large butterflies, if I recall correct. So, the obvious would be another swarm: A butterfly swarm that would work similarily like the Bat Swarm of the Misty Mountains. Nice colours but only usable in a heavily themed wood elf army that would have very little with the official army list.

[imagelost1.]

       The second version I have forgotten what it was, but it probably was some sort of fairy-elf.

       Third version is, of course, a bad-ass fairy-dragon (a bit of a contradiction of terms there).

Bears! In advent of the next Hobbit-film, one would perhaps be better off waiting for Games Workshop to release this. Not to mention Beorn... It would anyways look nice with an indomitable company of Black Bears...

Captured Great Beast of Gorgoroth, armoured in shining metal and with banners flying in the wind. Oh, what great sight to introduce in a Gondor army. Not on my priority list, though... however, typing this gets me thinking...

[sketchlost1.]

Horn of Mundborg on Wagon. I just had to add something for Rohan, although I am of the strict opinion that Rohan is to be spared as one of the few ”clean” armies of the humans. Clean as in free from fantastic creatures and monster. I will still make a little sketch of this one. Just in case ”a feign mood” hits me.

Greedy Mountain King for the dwarwen armies. A king that wants to be carried around – I guess you could make it without it looking too much Asterix & Obelix. Again, a fun hobby project but nothing that is, for me, interesting to use in a game.

War machines. For the dwarwes. You could probably just go bananas here and do a little of this and that, as long as it is suitably mechanical and awesome.

Abrupt end. Have to go, looks like a part three is necessary....